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SWAP
FEED FUND
MAKE CREDIT CARD DONATIONS TO THE SWAP FEED FUND... CALL
FOSTER FEEDS AT 304-269-1333, TALK TO CHARLIE TO GIVE A DONATION TO THE SECOND
WIND ADOPTION PROGRAM FEED FUND, WE GO THROUGH 6 TONS OF FEED A MONTH. YOU CAN
ALSO PAY FOR ADOPTIONS AND PURCHASES THIS WAY!!
monthly counters started on February 13, 2010 for the website, because this is a
free counter, it will only show about a 1/4 of our total numbers, so its
not an accurate depiction of all of our visitors, just gives an idea about all
the people that visit our site. We do love our international visitors. Welcome!
Visitors By Country
Top 100 Visitors
Last 100 Visitors
Visitors Map
Daily Stats
Congrats to our President for the nomination and eventual induction to the
ROTC Hall of Fame at West Virginia State University, nominated by the former VP
of the University, the induction will take place at the Embassy Suites in
Charleston, WV October 14, 2010. A former military school, rich in a history of
national defense has only inducted just over 100 military retirees to its Hall
of Fame, many of them general officers. Congratulations on this huge honor.
Stay up with our President/Executive Director, all the
directors, volunteers and riders. All the CSS/SWAP supporters and adopters are
having a big time sharing stories, pictures, lots of good stuff about their
horses. Our President is at her max friends so she is full but we are going to
set up a fan based page so everyone can be added. So sorry to the 200 + people
who have asked for a friendship.... we'll get our fan page up soon.
Benefit Wines is a unique online retail wine shop that partners with
non-profit organizations to raise funds. Every charity partner has their
own unique wine label. Supporters enjoy fine, organic wines while
supporting their favorite cause. Cheers!
Raise $1000. for Second Wind
Adoption Program and have a 1 in 70 chance at a 15 carat Ruby/Diamond
Ring! ... mail donations to Rt. 2 Box 24A Jockey Camp Road, West Union,
WV 26456
The Wish List of Our Needs:
More than anything we need a large donation to help us pay off our farm, we just
owe 70k. With a farm paid for, we will never worry about the program and schools
closing.
We are looking for 2 to 3 people to do work in exchange for a place to live.
1. New or lightly
used truck and 3 to 6 horse trailer, our equipment has seen its better
days, we've been using both for nearly 14 years to pick up horses and move them
to their new homes.
2. A Farm in any
location for low cost long term lease or donation to expand our program
to develop a retirement farm for our now aging horses returned to us from
adopters who could not retire our horses. Our highest priority locations
initially are Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
or Delaware.
3. New or Lightly
Used Farm utility vehicle (like a john deere gator), farm tractor,
& manure spreader
4. Tack and large
horse items donated... like carts/buggies, racing bikes, jog carts,
harnesses, saddles, horse trailers, blankets/rugs to use or sell on SWAP
Shopping. Supplies to use around the barn or office.
5. A bulk feed bin
that will hold anywhere from 6 tons to 9 tons of grain donated or at low cost or
even a break on the cost of purchase and instillation.
6. A volunteer or low cost
employee who can help us fix our
database that lists all adopters, donors, supporters and horses/dogs/cats
in the program.
7. Some sort of a cloth
facility like Cover-all or Farm-Tek
building to increase our abilities to be able to take more horses and
have an indoor area to work and train horses in winter, donated, grant or
partially donated. anywhere from 50 x 200 to 72 x 300.
8.
Monthly Sponsors for our light
use, elderly or retirement/sanctuary horses/dogs who's possibilities for
adoption are very low, ie. Orphy, Jelly Bean, Dixie, Allie, Kochese, Darlin, Mr.
Darcey, JoJo, Freckles, Lucy, Bandit, Max, etc.
9. Volunteers
to commit to doing one fund raiser for SWAP horses at your location during 2010,
it can be a golf tournament, a bake sale, book sale, lemonade stand, car wash,
setting up an information stand at a horse show. This is a great way to kids to
get involved in helping horses.
10 Anyone interested in
free high quality top soil
(manure already composted) and manure for gardens, you can pick up for free by
the truck load at our WV location (bring a loader). If you are a gardener and
only need a small amount, pick up in a truck or we'll be selling it by the feed
bag full at $2.00 a bag (in a bag that is usually used for 100 lbs of feed).
This is beautiful clean top soil. This offer will only last so long because we
will be leveling the manure pile this August when its dry enough to get a dozer
in there.
11. Someone to do
dozer work on the farm, level arena/round pen, do terracing on the hill
sides to keep water out of the barns and level the top soil and manure pile to
increase the level of that land in that bottom so we can put our methane
digester in and indoor arena. Volunteer or at a reduced cost.
Reporting Neglect:
Please, if you see neglect (ribs and hip bones showing or no
food available), its critical to call the sheriff of the county where the
horse/animal is located. Have the address where the horse is located or
directions to the farm, pictures and the owners name (if possible). If the
sheriff does nothing email our cruelty case workers Tom and Ruby Fleming at
tomfleming64@cebridge.net or email
PETA's cruelty case workers Stephanie or Tori at
sbell@peta.org,
or
ToriP@peta.org Remember horses can not speak for themselves so
we must speak for them!! All reports are kept anonymous.
Getting Help for Your Horses/animals if you can not care for
them:
If you can not feed your animals, whether they are horses or
other animals, if you are adopters, call SWAP HQ immediately, if not, call your
local horse rescue and plead for help, if they are full then call your animal
control officer or sheriff to release ownership of your animals so they can get
them help Before they are starved to death, do not wait until they are starved,
its critical to get help early. Contact us if you do not know what to do. call
304-873-3532 or email
secondwindadopt@aol.com. Many counties have pet
pantries so you can get feed when times are tough.
If things are getting tight with costs, go to a less expensive
grain like a simple stock pellet supplemented with corn, according to Ohio State
Corn is the leading horse feed in the US according to their research, many large
equine schools and large farms feed these all natural feeds because of what they
get for the price, a lot of negative stuff has been written about corn but no
one can support it with actual proof and research. We feed a simple all stock
pellet from southern states and we supplement with cracked corn for those who
need more calories, here is the link:
- http://ohioline.osu.edu/b
- 762/b762_7.htm
TOP TEN WAYS YOU CAN HELP PROTECT HORSES
(ASPCA and SWAP Suggestions)
1. BE THEIR VOICE - your vote is your
greatest weapon against injustice, so register and actively support horse
protection and preservation legislation.
2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE - Walk the talk. Don't support or attend cruel
horse activities such as Tennessee Walker events using "soring" techniques -
painful techniques to make the horse walk a certain way, or events that use
drugs to make horses achieve results. High-diving horse acts are cruel, as are
rodeo events that don't promote respect for animals and their health.
3. BE AN INFORMED CONSUMER - products made from horses like Premarin
(pregnant mare urine pills for estrogen replacement), are created through
horses' suffering. Your spending dollar is a weapon.
4. SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE - inform people what happens to horses after
their short careers are over (slaughter plant bound), or where Premarin comes
from, talk to them about over breeding, the hazards of over using young horses
or not training a horse. Engage them in discussion.
5. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR SANCTUARY - these organizations
make life better for horses.
6. VOLUNTEER - your gift of time is valuable to horse groups and if
you have special talents, so much the better.
7. REPORT CRUELTY - if you witness abuse or neglect, report it to
local animal control or your county sheriff. Someone cruel to animals is cruel
to humans, too.
8. PROTECT THE AMERICAN WILD HORSE - mustangs have a special place in
our history and you can support federal and local legislation by writing emails
and letters to your government reps.
9. KEEP YOUR HORSE SAFE AND HEALTHY - if you own a horse, maintain
its health with regular hoof, medical and dental check-ups. Make sure they are
companioned as horses suffer living alone - even a goat makes a good companion.
Feed what the horse needs, if you are seeing ribs and hip bones, the horse is
not getting enough, if you can't afford to buy more feed, then give the horse to
someone who can, just be sure to check the person out and make sure they are not
selling the horse to slaughter or just going to turn out and sell the horse to
anyone that has the money. .
10. PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR HORSE'S CARE - your health and finances
change so what happens to your horse of you can't care for it anymore? Research
your options, including a pet trust. Horses live into their mid 20s and early
30s now - that's a lifetime of commitment.
Crossed Sabers Stable:
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As many as 60
million visitors per year |
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As many as 530,000 hits in one day |
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Visitors from 113 different
countries |
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Website Visitors from every
continent of the world |
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Thousands of adoptions (of 68
different breeds) in homes today with SWAP |
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Horses adopted in 46 states and
Canada |
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14 Year History |
Preparing for a Cold Winter:
HAY: Get
your hay now before the prices become outrageous, get enough for the winter
(good planning is 2 bales for every 3 days for one horse or 10 bales per month
per horse, so to make it until the middle of June (first cutting), you're
looking at 90 bales per horse at the very least (from September to June). If you
have good thick grass that has been mowed and fertilized then depending on where
you live in the US you might just need 60 to 70 bales. For good grazing its
recommended that you have 3 to 5 acres of mowed, seeded, fertilized grass per
horse. Remember Grass is dead in WV from Oct/Nov until about April and every
state has some months where the grass does not give the horses their calories or
nutrients it needs to sustain life (USDA has details of that for each state).
They may be grazing in the winter but they are not getting anything from the
grass to survive. I know most know that but I say it because we had an adopter
last year in WV that thought if they were eating grass that was all they needed
and she nearly killed 2 horses.
GRAIN:
Remember on average horses need 1 lb of concentrated feed (grain) for every 100
lbs of body weight, so on average horses need about 10 lbs of grain a day, more
when its very cold or if they are living outside in a run because much of their
calories go to keeping them warm. Some horses need more so its critical to
watch to make sure their ribs and hip bones are staying meaty and covered. If
you see ribs, the horse is too thin and needs more calories, not supplements
but more calories.. Easy keepers may be round but it does not mean they are
healthy, most easy keepers need a multi vitamin to stay healthy.
WATER:
One of the most critical things needed in winter is clean fresh water all the
time, anywhere from 5 to 20 gallons per day per horse and everyone knows what a
pain that is when there is ice and snow on the ground but its critical to
preventing colic. Get your electric heaters, defrosters now, heated buckets,
what ever it takes to make sure they have good water in front of them all the
time and at least 10 gallons (2 flat backed buckets at the very least). Here we
keep 100 gallons troughs in the stalls since we have big stalls, its much easier
than frozen buckets in winter, all we do is break the ice and remove it most
days and put a heater in them on really cold days. We use a sump pump to empty
water and scrub troughs each week which keeps water fresh and clean.
SHELTER:
Domestic horses need shelter, they are not wild and can not survive outside
without shelter or some kind of heavy waterproof rug to keep them warm during
snow/ice and freezing temperatures but the best is a closed in shelter that is
free from drafts (meaning its closed on all 4 sides with some sort of
ventilation). Wild horses first of all don't live very long, living outside in
the elements is very hard on them, secondly wild horses move in cold
temperatures to keepselves warm and they often times move over thousands of
acres to keep warm or to find cover or water. No domestic horse can not do that
on 5, 20 or even 100 acres. Just because your horse has learned to survive in
bad weather does not mean its good for them, they need shelter in bad weather.
CARE:
Its important to make kids take care of their horses but they must have adult
supervision on a daily basis to make sure horses are getting what they need.
Trust me, I usually have 30 year olds working in our barn and I still have to be
there daily to make sure things are done, that they have clean water, especially
when its cold because our young helpers want to get out of the weather and then
the horses are left at risk for colic. Every day check your child's work, do not
leave your horses care to a child (completely).
The Woman I will Be
- I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed
straw hat with ribbons and flowers on it
- And I shall spend my social security on
white wine and carrots
- And sit in the alley of my barn and listen
to my horses breathe.
- I will sneak out in the middle of a
summer's night And ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck meadow, if
my old bones will allow. and when people come to call, I will smile and
nod, As I walk them past the gardens to the barn And show, instead, the
flowers growing there
- In stalls fresh-lined with straw. I will
shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel. And I will
be an embarrassment of all who look down on me Who have not yet found the
peace in being free To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at
midnight hour
- With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For
the Woman I will be when I am old.
The perfect analogies for why we
have the life school tied into SWAP and animal welfare work:
"Everyone thought we took this
broken down horse and saved him but really he saved us"
Jockey Red Pollard from the
movie Seabiscuit
I rescued a
human today
Her eyes met mine as she
walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her
need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too
exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel
I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't
want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers
get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card
I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look
forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees
and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed
my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I
raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened
and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would
promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would
promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her
eyes.
I was so fortunate that she
came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
Baggage
by Evelyn Colbath
Now that I'm
home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked into my warm new bed,
I would like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget
There is so much to carry -
So much to forget.
Hmm, Yes, here
it is, right on the top
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my halter hides Fear & Shame
As I look on these things I have tried so hard to leave-
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
I loved them,
the others, the ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things
And take me right back?
Do you have the
time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage,
To never re-pack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?
A young boy was walking along the beach
- as high tide came in.
- With every crash of the waves
- he noticed that dozens of seahorses were
being cast onto the beach,
- where they lay gasping and squirming.
- Hurriedly, he ran to each seahorse he could
find
- and gently tossed them back into the surf.
- A man watching all this approached the boy
and said;
- "Son, what you are doing won't make a
difference",
- to which the boy replied,
"To
that seahorse .
. . it will".
Some folks said they missed my great goals
list for 2010, so here it is back again
1. Spend an hour a day with your horses, not just
feeding, training and turning out, but real quality time doing something that is
enjoyable for the both of you. Grooming or hand walking is a great way to bond
with your horse and good for both you and the horse.
2. Get your loved ones more involved in your
horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we see horses coming back to us. Don't
just share the work, share the fun too and find something they really enjoy
doing with horses.
3. Learn a new discipline, go to a clinic, a
horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one of our clinics or watch a training
video. If you are an adopter you can check out books and video's from SWAP's
Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or Bring
your adoption horse here and we will help you. The better you are, the more fun
you will have.
4. Make a plan for your horse after you are gone
or if you have a major injury, let your Will Executor know your plans. Make a
plan for emergencies or financial bumps along the way for your horse. Have a
plan if you or your horse gets injured, even for the tough times of year like
winter (or summer down south and for a drought winter when hay prices
skyrocket). Ask friends, family and neighbors to be part of your plan, most
people that don't have horses or a farm love the idea of getting away and
helping. And people can not resist someone when they are asking for help for the
welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in better shape to
prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your horses. Eat 1-1-1
(one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one glass of red wine
daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit and get 2 sources
of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day, get a whole house
water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease can not grow in an
alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat. Get a good air
cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the fresh air and
sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat food, processed
foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial sweeteners, soda and
don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients and know exactly what
is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy organic, buy ocean caught
fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk, not packed or processed. Eat
only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats) bake/broil or steam everything. Get 8
hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce commuting by car pooling, tight
schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or read the news only once a day or
better yet once a week. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight training every
day and it will make you strong, lean, you'll look great and get wonderful
complements from friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work will be
easier and more enjoyable.
6. Stay clear of negative people and those very
negative chat rooms and bulletin boards, they seem innocent but every time you
go to them you lose a bit of your positive self, they are truly emotional
vampires that will leave only a shell of a person. They are not based on the
truth, they are based on harassment, complaining, whining and dishonesty. We all
become tomorrow what we are around today, every person we come in contact with
defines who we are tomorrow so be careful who you choose for friends, even the
websites you go to as each of them affect who you are tomorrow. Do you want to
be a bitter, miserable, complaining person or do you want to be happy, inspired
and honorable, all that is affected by the decisions you make today. Stay away
from Toxic people and Toxic websites/forums that are negative or that spend all
their time talking bad about people and their horses. What you are around today
and what you are doing today is what you will be tomorrow. Stop Complaining and
be Thankful for what you have. If you become a target of harassment or anyone
saying anything negative about you, if you are doing only good, positive things
and not hurting anyone then ignore them, its all based on jealousy and a sick
sort of wish to be like you. They have the problem, not you.
7. Read at least one book on training your horse
and one on care each year, if for nothing else but just inspiration. SWAP has a
great library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of
mailing it.
Click
here to see our Library
8. Get carrots/apples every time you go to the
store, your horses will love you for it and always come running when you call.
Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots are sweet enough. Get rid of the
sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse once and for all.
9. Realize that if you are having a problem with
your horse, more likely than not, the problem is you. Learn more, practice more,
ask in a different way, be patient, change their environment or daily schedule
to better suit them. Taking better care of a horse always brings out the best in
that horse. Good feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the elements,
lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to just be a horse, time with
their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a good start. The biggest
part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse. If you are struggling,
then you need to learn more and get better.
10. Ride at least once a week, regardless of
weather. Use this time as your down time for healing, your therapy, your time to
relieve stress and the pressures of daily life. Even if you don't ride, go sit
and read a book in the pasture with the horses or sit in the barn and listen to
them munch on dinner, away from the crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace
and quiet, enjoy hearing happy horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
11. Spend time leisurely grooming your horse once
a week. Rubber curries are shine makers. You will have a beautiful horse and a
very loyal friend who will do anything for you.
12. Come and spend a week at SWAP HQ,
volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your life
plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help an animal in need, whether
fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out to check on our horses in
their homes or helps us approve adopters in their area. Find horses in need and
help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter auction, get it fat and
trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and volunteer for
your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good things you do will
come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a talent they can offer
and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good home, you have changed
their life forever.
13. Know that every goal is obtainable and it
starts with a single step. Take that first step today!! No matter what it is or
how big, YOU CAN DO IT!! Every goal that is written down will come true
(really!). Every famous person, every great or notable scientist, author,
trainer/rider, parent or friend started out as just a thought, just a goal.
Remember to take one step today to reach your goals.
14. Start every day with thinking about, what is
the most important thing I can do today to change my life and make it better. Do
that one thing and in 30 days your life will be totally different. Can you
imagine what your life would be like if you did that for 60, 90 or even 365 days
a year. The opportunities are endless.
15. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That
should be every horse owners number one goal) do a long slow warm up (cold
muscle is easy to injure, a warm one is nearly impossible to injure). The very
best cool down is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out. Yes,
get off the horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good time
for you to bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a hot
walker, do something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the best
rehab for over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy and
swimming your horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to become more
conditioned before going into any training program... that means 3 months of at
least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for bones to become
strong enough to jump or do any strenuous training program. Don't start any
upper level work, jumping or extensive training until the horse is fit and at
least between age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10 months
(especially if the horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped or
worked in the last year).
16. Appreciate what you have and be thankful.
Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank those
people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more that
will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look around
and enjoy those things.
17. Get used to using favorite mantra's and
visualizations every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can do
this, I will do this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I
deserve the best' or 'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back'
and take two minutes every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep
to visualize the life you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts become
things, what you see is what you get, if you expect the best, the best will
happen, change your self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your life
will change for the better..
18. Each person is put on this earth for a
reason, each of us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find,
finding is a journey ... in the journey and the search you'll find your life
purpose. If you died in your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done
that you need to do or want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt
bridges to fix? People you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you
fulfilled your purpose in your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make
this better? Who do I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was I put
on this earth? What is my purpose?
19. Be an inspiration to your family, co workers
and friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get
discouraged, most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a
nudge. Instead of being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration.
You do believe they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is
negative, then you be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to
say it and believe it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or
causes more failure, achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in
a negative cycle, break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk,
achieve something small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of
achievement.
20. We all file a flight plan every single day
for our life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying, the
winds, the gravitational pull will change your flight and take you off course,
so you must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make your
destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps in
your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal and
figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan is
find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be... it
is obtainable.
21. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it is
sometimes) to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at
least one bite of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short
to not enjoy it thoroughly.
22. We learn the most and do our best work when
we have fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried, scared
or frustrated, when we are anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is
then that you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant
ideas come to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless
or hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
23. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to
try and wasted energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with
you at any given time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50%
becomes a lot of people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not
hurting anyone and you are doing the right thing, then go ahead and do it. If
you are wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually the harder thing to
do, the toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely the right thing to
do. Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or says about you, do
something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least have them sitting
on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she has guts". One
person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
1. There are at least two people in this world
That you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world Love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you Is because they want to Be just
like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, Even if they don't Like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you Before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, Something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has
Turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Always in hope and admiration, Celeita
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home
today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he
smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a
visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just
been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or
not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my
mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when
I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the
difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of
bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and
all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Our
lives with horses...
Our lives with horses are rich with feeling. You know this if you've
ever.... choked back tears watching a new foal wobble to his feet for the
First time ...or watched your good horse wobble to his feet after surgery....
or seen the ends of the reins float straight out as a reining horse spins
beneath them . . or chuckled to yourself as you watched a tiny tot on a
patient pony trot through a barrel pattern at a saddle club payday ... or felt
the building tremble as an eight-up hitch of feather-legged giants towed a
hand-carved beer wagon into the arena ... or had your heart stop when you saw
your horse lying motionless in the pasture on a sunny day and waited
breathlessly for an ear to flick ... or cheered at the screen when 'The Man
From Snowy River' slid Dennie down the mountainside, .. or when Seabiscuit
made his final surge to beat War Admiral ... or cruised along the highway and
seen a horse in a pasture and wondered what he's like to ride or pictured him
as a prospect ... or sucked in your breath as a horse and rider approached a
six-foot wall ... or sworn a solemn oath to your horse that together you would
triumph ... or flipped through the TV channels and stopped when you saw a
horse even when it was a commercial ... or laughed aloud when you rubbed your
horse's face and he rubbed back ... or gotten chills hearing Dave Johnson's
'and DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!' (or 'Run for the Roses' circa 1980 ish?)
... or stood in awe at your horse in morning play as he sprinted around the
pasture, then stopped, head erect, and snorted defiance at the rest of the
world
... or been thankful to see wild horses grazing casually at the foot of a hill
... or felt calmed by the sleekness of a silky
haircoat beneath your hand ... or felt your jaw drop as you watched a Lipazzan
perform a capriole ... or if you've ever seen someone in the grocery store
wearing a certain kind of hat, or boots, or buckle, or have a certain cut and
length to their jeans, and felt some remote kind of connection ... or felt
warmed by a soft nicker greeting as you entered the barn ... or slid your hand
under your horse's blanket to straighten it out, only to pause in the glowing
feeling that you get when you touch the
warmth of his coat... or riding on a trail with your horse, thinking how that
trail over there looks nice and almost without asking, your horse has sensed
your slightest movement in the saddle and he's now taking you there. ... or
pulled up to your barn where you board and only your horse greets you with a
welcoming hello from the sound of your car or your voice.
HEROES AND HORSES
SOME NOTABLE HEROES AND THEIR HORSES ARE MENTIONED AND WE KNOW YOUR HORSE IS
YOUR HERO AND VICE VERSA.
1. Kanthaka - Buddha's horse, the one he used when he was still Siddhartha
the prince, to escape from his father's palace and begin his journey toward
enlightenment. Kanthaka's hooves made no sounds as they fled together and he
is often depicted being lifted on his four feet by benign spirits.
2. Pegasus - the mythical winged horse parented by Neptune and Medusa and
ridden by Bellerophon to rid the world of Chimera, the monster. Athena, the
Greek goddess of wisdom, was able to capture and train Pegasus when he allowed
her to place her golden bit in his mouth.
3. Phosphorus (Light Bearer) - the great Roman racehorse immortalized by the
4th century Roman poet Ausonius (at the emperor's request) in a beautiful
eulogy: Fly with haste to join the wing-footed horses of Elysium; may
Pegasus gallop on your right and Arion as your left-wheeler, and let Castor
find a fourth horse for the team.
4. Babieca - famed white gelding of El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, the
Spanish hero who united Christians and Muslims against a Moorish onslaught
from Africa. Babieca lived to be 30 years old and carried El Cid into all his
battles. Babieca means "crazy" as Rodrigo made a crazy choice since the colt
was the runt of the herd.
5. Bucephalus (Ox-head) - beloved horse of Alexander the Great who bore the
Macedonian hero on his back from Greece to India. Odds against a horse living
past 20 in that era were great, but Bucephalus, in his 20s, endured until he
fell in battle in India.
6. Sleipnir - the eight-legged war horse of Odin, the Norse god, was able to
fly without wings and shape-shift.
7. Balios and Xanthos - a grey and bay, both sired by Zephyros, the West
Wind, who together pulled Achilles' chariot.
8. Vivasat - a Hindu sun-god who often took the form of a stallion.
9. Al Burak - Mohammed's horse, on whose back he ascended to heaven, was
brought to him by the archangel Gabriel
10. Chiron - the centaur who taught Achilles, Jason and the first physician,
Ascelpius, all he knew.
11. Rakhsh - blue-eyed and dappled red horse of the legendary Persian
warrior, Rustam. Rakhsh was highly intelligent and saved his sleeping master
from a lion's attack, killing the predator.
There are many more famous mythical and real horses and we will be adding to
our list. Can you help us add to this list?. thank you Harmony Horse Works.
The question is not: "do you support horse
slaughter."
The question is: "do you support the cruel, terrifying
transport for days without food and water in their journey to death?"
The question is: "do you support the torture and abuse of
the killer chutes, even for crippled horses, pregnant mares, wild horses,
protective mares with foals by their sides?"
The question is: “Do you support the horse slaughter
factories that lie to their consumers about the many chemicals that taint the
horse meat, and call it Organic?
The question is: do you support the breeder who breeds
hundreds of horses just to pick out the good ones and cash in the rest to the
killer buyer?
The question is: Do you support the person who uses the
horse its whole life and when it gets to an old age sends it to slaughter as a
thank you?
The question is: “do you support the slaughter workers who
cheer a horse on that struggles extra hard for its life?
The question is: Do you support the killer buyer who not
only buys up the strong, fat and healthy horses and leaves the meek weak and
unhealthy for society, but also bids against the good homes and horse rescues?
The question is: “Can you see though the lies of the ones
who stand to loose a buck with the end of horse slaughter?
The question is: Do you support ripping the last of our wild
horses away from their families and peaceful lives to be slaughtered?
The question is: As a nation, can we allow this to continue
and still call ourselves a civilized country?
The question is: "Can you look at the footage of innocent
horses with their eyes gouged out, hooves ripped off, legs broken, beaten by
the workers, faces smashed in from being on the transport trucks, horses
stabbed in their spines, horses conscious for the entire killing process and
do nothing?
That is the question, so what is YOUR answer?
Resolve to make the world a better place for animals
(credit: PETA)
| If you haven't already done so,
have the companion animals who depend on you spayed or neutered. These
simple procedures help protect your furry friends from many types of
cancer and prevent thousands of animals from being born only to end up
abandoned on the streets or dumped at severely crowded animal shelters.
|
| If you live with a dog,
pledge to walk him or her every day, even when it's cold outside and you'd
rather hide under a blanket. If you share your home with cats, set
aside some "kitty (or horsey) quality time" every day to play
with, brush, and bond with them. It's sometimes too easy to overlook our
feline friends, but they can get bored and lonely too. |
| If there is a lonely "backyard dog" in your
neighborhood, try befriending his or her
guardian. Start by politely talking to him or her about the dog's needs,
such as companionship, daily portions of fresh food and water, and a
weatherproof doghouse filled with straw. Many lucky dogs have had their
lives changed because someone like you cared enough to intervene.
|
| If you're shopping for yourself or buying
holidays gifts for your loved ones, stay
away from fur, wool, leather, and companies that make or sell products
made from the skins of animals. |
NOTE: Crossed Sabers can not fully guarantee the accuracy of every page
on this website which is huge (38,000 files and over 300 pages). We do not
have the personnel or time to keep it up to date and accurate for every
situation as this Stable and all its programs have always been a dynamic
entity, ever changing and improving itself to meet the needs of horses and
horse people. We do try to make sure each page is up to date and accurate but
the best thing to do If you have a question, is email or call us. Additionally
Crossed Sabers can not guarantee anything that anyone says about us on line,
we have no control over other people and their websites, forums or ads, all we
can tell people is if you do not know the person, their name, address and
their experience, age or history/background/education and location do not
trust what they say. That is true for everything on the internet. Some things
said about us have been grossly inaccurate and did not come from CSS, some
come from past employees we fired for cause (for hurting horses or stealing
from us), people that are pro-slaughter and hate our mission and what we do
for horses enjoy trying to make us look bad, some are horse traders that we've
helped put out of business and some are people we helped put in jail on
neglect cases. Again, if you have questions about us, our services, our
company structure, how we are licensed, how we pay taxes, how we do things or
anything at all, please feel free to contact us, just don't assume that all
you read on another website is accurate because 99% of it is not true,
especially if you read it on a forum, blog or chat room and don't assume that
it came from us, just call 304-873-3532 or email us at
secondwindadopt@aol.com,
or better yet, come and see our operation and you will see how we do things. I
can guarantee it's 1000 times better than what the liars and frauds say who
are jealous of our work.
All programs and services listed on this website, including
SWAP is a part of Crossed Sabers Stable which has been licensed in WV for the
last 13 years. The Mountain State Horse School and Second Wind Adoption
Program, Inc. and Crossed Sabers International Horse School, Inc. was
incorporated on 4 Sep 08 to address the education needs and life challenges of
people and horses.
Buyer and Seller Beware!! Update on the
Robin Hollingsworth of Blacksburg, SC
(she has several alias's and about 10 fake names) fraud case for those
of you who have been asking. The SC prosecutor accepted a plea bargain from
her and dropped the case if she paid the people she ripped off (the people she
took money under false pretenses from when she sold them horses she did not
own), she did that so she was let go but the 3 arrests will stay on her record
and the record of what she did to all those people is still on the books and
will stay there. If she is caught again I'm certain she will go to jail but
people who are cheated by her must stand up and testify.. If more people that
she ripped off would have not chickened out and backed out because of fear
(Quote from them was we are scared of her, she is crazy) she would be in jail
right now but beware, she is still loose and still taking free horses or
companion horses that have things like ringbone and navicular and drugging
them and then selling them as high level jumpers and competition horses on the
internet. Her daughter works with her, Amanda or Mandy, she helps her rip
people off. Beware, I'm getting calls almost every month where Robin has
committed more crimes against people, taking horses, not paying for them,
bouncing checks, buying vehicles and horse trailers and not paying for them.
BEWARE OF THIS WOMAN!! If you want her history or to check a person's name
against our black list (our do not adopt to, do not sell to, do not buy from,
do not hire or even rent to list), then contact us.
BEWARE: Do not buy a horse from anyone you
do not know, ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET, unless they have websites like ours,
their names and addresses listed and they show they have a long long history
on their website and do not buy unless you go to see the horse and have it vet
checked and you have contact with the vet, not the seller or even trainer
telling you what the vet said. DO NOT GIVE YOUR HORSE OR SELL YOUR HORSE
WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT IS TO HAPPEN WITH THE HORSE, RESELLING,
USE/LIMITATIONS, FACILITIES NEEDED, ETC. It you sell or give away a horse with
no agreement, they could go to slaughter the same day you release them or they
could be sold and misrepresented, living a life of neglect, abuse, over use
and miss use the rest of their lives. We hear stories all the time where a
best friend or neighbor, the nice lady you gave the horse to sent the horse to
slaughter or is neglecting it and there is not a thing the owner can do now
because they no longer own the horse and they made no written agreements
signed by both parties. If you need help doing written agreements, back ground
checks on buyers and sellers, just contact us, that is part of our 'SAFE
SELLING' SERVICES. Your horse's life depends on you being safe and thorough!
BEWARE: People are selling horses on the
internet that don't even exist so beware, the horse industry is full is liars,
cheaters, and thieves, even we have had to deal with them from potential
adopters who were in jail applying to adopt, to employees and former trainers
who totally ripped us off by stealing tack and tools, asking for huge advances
and then leaving after they get them, people who don't even know us or had any
experience with us slandering us on forums, harassing us and our supporters,
interfering with company operations and even adopters who don't think twice
about breaching their contract or forging their vets signature on applications
& annual updates or even selling their adoption horse to programs like ours
and even 501c3's public charities selling horses to slaughter auctions or
being put in jail for neglect and animal cruelty. We are bringing each person
that has wronged our horses to justice one at a time and winning all our cases
but that does not protect the general public from these liars, thieves,
con-artist and cheaters. Your horses life can easily be ruined forever, they
could end up in a fate worse than death so buyer and seller beware, your
horses life depends on you keeping them safe and you being thorough with doing
things like getting references and making sure the people have stable
employment, that they really own the farm they say they do, doing background
checks to check for criminal records. The horse world is full of dishonesty
which ruins it for honest people that really care and always try to do the
right thing, such a shame. Just be very careful and get proof that your horse
is going to a good home, get more than a feeling because we promise you about
50% of the time when it comes to horses, your feeling that its a 'nice' person
or a 'good' person' is wrong. And even when you pick a good home, they can
turn around and sell or give away to a bad home.
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches and negative people pull
you down. People who like to cause trouble will shorten your life and make you
just like them... miserable.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen.. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who
is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next
county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away
| | 
Happy
Endings 2002
Hello Celeita:
Just wanted to let everyone know I picked up Dublin Aire last weekend. He is
such a polite, respectful gentleman. What a people lover! He now sticks at
16.3-17h. What a sweety. He looks good, could use about 150 pounds of weight and
muscle, but otherwise healthy. Rode him twice, not one problem. Beautiful,
beautiful gaits for dressage. Definitely has had some good training. He hasn't
been ridden in two months and was excellent. He does need some conditioning. The
mares here are in heaven with him nearby. He is very docile and laid back. I was
quite surprised with that because of the mixed messages between original owner
and foster home. Tell the others they REALLY missed out on a unbelievable horse.
I keep pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming. I expect we will be
showing by Sept. after he puts on weight. Thanks so much.
Anne Nettles
Tipsy is just not a dressage horse but I use her for trails and love her dearly.
She has the most gorgeous foal by her side. I haven't been able to ride since
last Sept. Didn't want to push her. I have tried everything to help my gelding
and they said that surgery will not work. This has gone on since last August and
originally we were treating for upward fixation of the stifle.
I also like to take Tipsy out to the woods.
Her foal is an Andalusian/thoroughbred. Stunning perfect confirmation and I am
sure he will excel also as dressage horse. Tipsy has come a long way. She did an
awesome job with her pregnancy and foaling. She is a good mom and the only thing
I think she needs is to be a little more assertive with the baby. He is so full
of himself and is rough with her and she does not discipline him. He WILL get
gelded soon. I have communicated back and forth with the former owner. In fact I
am do to send her some photos of the baby and Tipsy.
Anne
Hi, my name is Sarah Larson last year I adopted
two thouroughbreds from Second Wind named Vivi and Country which by the way
are doing absolutly wonderful, my family and I love them to death.
Thank You,
Sarah
Larson
Hi Celeita, just a little note to let you know
how Will is doing. Unfortunately we were unable to castrate Will on May 19th,
as his rings weren't fully closed, but we're trying again on the 25th of this
month, and hopefully it'll be a go on that day.
He has made a lot of progress in the last few
weeks, we've been hosing him to get him used to it, for when he's castrated,
and he doesn't seem to mind it anymore. He goes out in the grass field now
with Monty, and Mr Pickles, and is just fine. He wears a fly mask, and isn't
bad about it being put on at all. He's still not sure about the fly spray, but
he stands for it all like a champ. He'll walk right up to me at night for his
leadline to be put on his halter (we leave his halter on him when he's out),
and will come almost all the way up to you when you call him in the field, I
have to walk the couple feet remaining to him. He's letting us put his halter
on without much issue at all, although he still has his days.
He stood like a complete gentleman for my shoer
a couple of weeks ago, and got trimmed no problem. His feet being picked are
no longer any issue. He had gone slightly lame a day or so before the shoer
came, and we found an absess in his front right foot, and had it cut out, he's
sound again now. I'm putting packing on it to keep it clean, and he doesn't
care. The funny thing is that he'll soak his front right in the water tank
outside, so we're constantly dumping it and cleaning it, he thinks it's great
fun!
He is extremly friendly and curious of
everyone, and everything. He'll walk up to practically anyone and say hello,
he's much calmer about things. He looks for treats with people, as we've been
giving them to him as a reward for doing things. He ground ties wonderfully.
He loves to have his face rubbed and brushed, and is generally a big ham for
everyone at the barn. We are so in love with him and his progress, I just
can't describe it to you. Everything is working out fine, he's gaining weight,
and has just started another growth spirt, so he's almost 15 hands now. His
coat his shinning like crazy, and he seems quite happy all around. I'm taking
pictures of him, and will get some off to you, after I finish this new round
of film.
Thank you so much for helping to bring this
wonderful boy into my life. I will send email periodically to let you know of
any other progress we make. For now I'm off to the barn to play with the
boys. Fondly, Alice
Patty
Casco just arrived and I put him in the round
pen to stretch a bit before I put him away for the night. He is so gorgeous -
and he moves beautifully!
Thank you so much for taking care of things at
your end, I am very happy with him and look forward to working with him
tomorrow after I get home from work.
I will take photos as soon as I can and send
them to you, and I will keep in touch. I went to Massachusetts on Sunday to
pick up a horse trailer I won on eBay (it needs work, but it was cheap) -- and
it took me 21 hours of driving to get there and back again! I am exhausted but
very happy with Casco and my trailer. Now all I need is a tow vehicle! My SUV
isn't suitable for pulling a trailer with horses in it. It did okay to bring
it back from MA but not with real live animals in it!
I am going to be a drop off point for some PMU
foals again this year (from PMU FANI). I adopted two from them last year, and
found a home for one, and kept the other. I will only be able to be the drop
off point now - I have just the right number of horses for the moment and
really shouldn't get any more!
Well, must go now - thanks again!
Annie
Hi Celeita
Sorry I haven't written sooner about Joy. She
is a wonderful girl and growing nicely. She is nearing 14 hands and her
weight is about 800 pounds. Joy is doing well in ground training and is
handled between 1-3 hours every day. She is lungeing w/t/c, accepts a french
snaffle, and girthing a close contact saddle. If she continues progressing
we will begin long lining her. No riding yet-needs to grow a little more. My
daughter Hannah (for who Joy was adopted) will show her in 4-H English
Grooming and Showmanship this summer. Last year Joy as a 2 year old was a
little impulsive. We made it through okay with one incident that required
vet care -a cut near her hock. Thankfully she has matured and learned to
look before running. She is sound and healthy. Her feet are trimmed every 6-
8 weeks, depending on growth. The farrier is Dan Buchlietner. She and my 3
other horses are wormed every 8 weeks, rotating Strongid and ivermectrin. In
October they received a double dose of Strongid to control tapes. April
2002 she received a negative coggins and annual vaccinations of e/w
encephalitis, rabies & tetanus. The vet [Jennifer Beohm Waynesburg Animal
Hospital, vaccinated again this April with a 5-way and West Nile virus. Joy
again was Coggins tested with negative results.I will send paperwork and
photos as soon as I can get them together. Joy is fed 2 pounds nutrena 12%
pelleted feed, 4 pounds soaked beet pulp and has 24 hour turn out with
run-in stall. (May reduce feed with grass intake). Winter feed was 30-40
pounds grass/legume mix hay 4 pounds nutrena & 4 pounds beet pulp. I have
also kept in touch with Katie (Joy's donor) and she has been a great source
of information. Such a neat lady!
All my adoption information is the same-same
farm & family. I took a hiatus from writing because of my father's illness.
Please call or e-mail me if you have any questions.
Thanks.
Antoinette
I am sorry that it has been so long since
you have heard from us. Native is doing well. He looks great and he is
behaving much better(still a TB, but we understand him better also). We have
been making some real progress. He is still mainly worked in the ring, but I
am taking him out for some limited trail riding. I hope to expand our
horizons now that I have some additional time. My daughter has been taking
lessons from Michelle Koury since last summer and she will be able to give
Native some additional exercise in the ring. Native is still very athletic
and very sound. I will try to get you new pictures and a copy of his coggins
ASAP. He was just wormed on the 23rd, all shots on April 22nd and last had
his feet trimmed on April 13th. I just had some extra dental work done(last
dentist missed a couple things) and I will be following up in six months. I
suspect that the dental problem could be why I had difficulty getting him to
lower his head while riding. I need to drop a line to Chuck Lloyd and let
him know how things are going. I would love to try to take in one of your
clinics this summer, but I could not find a schedule.
Hope to see you soon. Nancy L. Smith
I just wanted to let you know that Rebok
and I are great. We had a horse show 5/24/03. I got 1 first and 2 seconds.
Which aloud me to get Champion for the day in that division. He is doin
GREAT. I can't tel you how pleased I am. I have been blessed with the best
horse. We connect so well. I am soooo happy. This past year and a half
have been great. I didnt get to ride as much as i wanted this winter. It
was harsh. This summer is going to be the best. I want to thank you. I am
sending 2 pictures with this email.One of me riding, and the other of just
him. If you want to put it on your website to update it that is fine. I
hope you do. He has so much energy and still going. I think he could go on
for a week with out stopping and just gallop. Hes gotten alot of meat on
his bones this spring. The grass is pretty good this year. Well thanks for
your time.
THANKS AGAIN,
Heather(rider/trainer) and Wanda(parent)
Ward
Celeita,
Just a quick note to let you know Hodja has settled in well and finally
enjoying his new home! He is fully at ease now and meets me every afternoon
for his feed and rubs and hugs. His former owner was in Florida this past
weekend and came by to see Hodja and to meet my husband and I. It was nice to
visit with her. We walked up to the pasture fence and Sharon started talking
to Hodja at a distance. His ears and facial expression perked up and he came
to meet her - rubbed his head all over her and nudged her. She brought a big
bag of his favorite apples, which he clearly enjoyed! Hodja visited with us
as Sharon checked out his "home", then he wandered off on his own to continue
grazing. I think it was good for Sharon to see him in his new home and see
how well he has settled in. She has an open invitation to visit when she can
(apparently some family live in Gainesville - a couple of hours away) and I am
sure we will see her again. She took some pictures of the big guy in his new
surroundings and some of her with him. I still need to get some taken for
myself. My intentions are always there, but taking the time to actually do it
usually gets interrupted by some other pressing need.
Thanks for providing a means to connect people who will love them with the
animals who need them!
Mary Ann Skalany
Mary, that is wonderful. I'm so glad you all were able to meet and spend some
time with Hodja together. Many of our adopters and donors become great friends
because they have something so dear to both of them (in common). Its so
important for all parties to take part in keeping each horse happy, healthy and
living a good life. I adopted my boy Debonair from the program and myself and
the donor are always sharing experiences about him, old and new stories. I have
visited her home on several occassions but I still try to get her here to see
her old boy but I'm sure its probably more than she can handle, even though she
has 2 of his sons. It gives me comfort to know that if anything happens to me,
the program and she will look out for my boy and make sure he is always taken
care of. That is real important to me as an adopter who dearly loves this horse
and I'm sure it gives her comfort that she had someone to go to when her husband
and harness racing trainer died with a barn full of horses and two stallions.
These updates make my day and reminds us all why we are here working 16 hours a
day for no pay.... this is the reason. Thank you for helping us get through
another day. :) Celeita
It’s been a year now since we brought Rosa home, and she is doing very well.
We were not able to keep her in foal last year but our vet has checked her
for this breeding season and say’s she good to go. She has become our
granddaughters ride since Morgan is a new rider and Rosa is very good with
her. At first Rosa didn’t feel good and was the low man on the pecking order
but she is working her way up and is the best baby sitter for the weaned
foals.
Thank you for the opportunity to adopt Our Red Rosa we love having her as part
of our herd.
I will send some pictures soon.
Sincerely,
Debbie Price
Hi Celeita,
Just wanted to let you know that Jubi and Comet are now out together. She
just loves Comet... she follows him everywhere! I think at first, he
thought she was going to hurt him because he ran from her. He's realized
she's not and now they are always together. Sometimes they even eat from
the same hay pile! It is nice to look out and see them grazing together in
the pasture. :) I've attached a picture of them... sorry it isn't the best
quality... I took it this evening so it's pretty dark.
I hope Hershey is doing well. We miss the big boy!
Kelly
Dear
Celeita
After a brilliant weekend Foxy did come up lame. We are hoping to manage it
with bute etc. for now and operate in the fall so we can get a pony club
season out of her. She is such a fabulous mare and goes so well for Robby.
Tom (husband) is crazy about her and Ziggy. He says he may even start riding
regularly again now we have Zig. I brought Zig back up today after having
time off for ouches and weather. He was a little naughty but when he realized
I had my legs wrapped around him he settled. He is great fun but I can see
how he would intimidate a less experienced rider.
Sky is having a holiday after bruising a foot when he lost a shoe. I am going
to keep him at my friend's instead of the competition barn because I think it
will help us get to know each other is a less "professional" environment. I
am having the devil of a time adjusting to his trot. I cannot sit it! It is
driving me crazy. I can sit the trot on any other horse but not his. He is
so bouncy. I hope that just hacking around will help us get used to each
other's quirks.
I will get pictures and send them.
All the best, Victoria
Hi Celeita,
Jubi arrived this afternoon. She seems to be doing well and settling in
just fine. She has such a beautiful face! Her pictures don't do her
justice. She also has a great personality... she has already captured our
hearts! She and Comet are getting to know each other over the fence line.
I think they are going to get along great!
Thanks so much,
Kelly
Just wanted you to know that Robby and Foxy are doing really well
together. Foxy has had the last couple of months off -- weather was
dreadful. I did not know if Robby would be ready to really work with her this
year but they just started back and are just great. They did their first pony
club rally together today.
Thank you so much for helping Elizabeth (former owner) and Robby give the mare
a chance to have a useful, happy life even after a diagnosis of Navicular.
Horses like her, highly talented but quite highly strung can so easily have
bad outcomes.
She is much friendlier now she has got used to us, even comes up in the field
and likes to cuddle. She obviously loves this soggy weather and is sound on
her eggbar shoes (touch wood!).
Many thanks again. Sky and Ziggy are also doing well although they don't
think much of the Va. weather since they came from Arizona and Florida
respectively!
All the best and please keep up the great work, yours, Victoria
Email about Annie Armor (the primary rider
of Annie, Olivia, is very young as you can tell but she loves this horse and
has a huge heart!!
hi i am going to go ride Annie today i don't have school because of the end of
the quarter i saw some of the new horses on your web site and i think they
our gorguse if i could i would have my dad adopt on for me but i cant
cause i don't have any time to exercise another horse . did u know that Annie did not
finish her training cause her trainer died well a lady i know how owns a hors
named sunshine is helping me with Annie she is much calmer i get her to canter
and gallop easily she is the first horse i have galloped on is that cool or
what. Candice is Sunshines owner the one who was helping till Sunday. well
Annie has got a lot more muscle now and is not over weight she is perfect got to
go bye bye Olivia
Horsegirlannie89 writes:
i think she does trust me With her life and i trust her with mine everyone
says we are perfect for each other i think they are right Annie knows i am
not going to hurt her she knows i love it when she canters and gallops and
she knows i am happy when she is happy. and i hope when we move her she
doesn't miss her pasture buddy's Sunshine and Dokota a whole lot she will have
horses on one side of her and i think two across from her and she will get
lots of attention and may be some day i can take her back with me to visit
Dokota and Sunshine . i hope so but i am going to miss it to i wont get to
see Samantha Toie Candice Jean and Linda as much but sam says i can still
come and visit and we can ride double on Dokota . well i think that the
people from the stable im at now with sam candic toi , r going to have a
going away party for me and Annie tomorrow got to go bye bye Olivia
Hey Olivia, I didn't know Annie'e trainer died, how sad. So glad to know she is
doing well, and getting some muscle, she really was looking like a broodmare
wasn't she. I'm so glad you have gotten her to canter and gallop, sometime
Standardbreds are very scared of doing that with a rider because for harness
racing they weren't allowed to do that, she must trust you alot. Can't wait to
see the pictures!! Celeita
Celeta,
I was just writing to give you and update on our adoption horse Jake. We
adopted him thinking that he had navicular only to find out threw previous
x-rays that this was not the case. However, he did have severe problems with
his feet due to trimming and we have been working to correct this since we
purchased him.
On a very good note we pulled his shoes at the end of last fall for the very
first time since we have had him and he has stayed sound all winter. Even
better yet we started trail riding him barefoot last weekend and he is still
sound. We are going to shoe him once the mud leaved just to keep his feet in
condition and him sound but it FINALLY LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THIS BEAT.
I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to own this horse and if
we had the extra money we would have to take Copper home with us to as it sounds
like he is having the same problems as Jake and i think that maybe people are a
little afraid of it and should not be because he looks like a wonderful animal
and this is not a hard problem just one that requires patience, understanding,
and a good farrier.
Again thank you,
Anita Angelo
Hi
everyone!
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how Harry is and how the day
went.
Ray got here with Harry at 7:30 this morning. I asked him to swing by the JBiT
Ranch to pick up Roulette, which he graciously did. So, we took Harry and Rou
out to the new boarding farm and put them in holding paddocks next to each other
so they could get to know each other.
Harry is so handsome! And moves beautifully, too! He seemed to be so happy to be
off of the trailer and he almost immediately rolled in the muddiest spot he
could find! Then he ran and kicked up a joyous fuss. It never fazed Rou. As
usual, Roulette was just interested in the food.
After a couple of hours, we let Harry and Roulette touch noses over the fence
and they seemed to get along perfectly. Perhaps they knew each other previously
because they never once put ears back or fussed at each other. They actually
seemed to like one another. So we went ahead and put them out in their field
together and they joined up and grazed contentedly side by side.
We are thrilled with Harry. He was a little spooky when a bird flew noisily out
of the barn and he got a little quick when I led him to the field, but he is
easy to catch and has such gentle eyes that I know he will be a joy when he
settles down.
Another happy ending! I'll send pictures when I get some and I'll let you know
how Rou's foaling goes. Thank you all for everything.
Ginny
Note: The Vande Burgt's were the
perfect home for lady. Not only is their son sight impaired, but they also have
a dog who is sight impaired. When they saw Lady on our website they just knew
she needed them as much as they needed her. We are happy to report Lady has
settled in well with her new family. The Vande Burgt's (and all other adopter's
who are willing to take a less than perfect horse) are to be commended for their
love and generosity.
Updates of Lady and her pregnancy
progress (yes! a surprise for the adopter!) can be seen at the website her
adopter created for her son to share with his friends at the Romney School for
the Blind in West Virginia:
http://www.geocities.com/fiveacres_farm/
> >
12/17/02 Update from Lady's
Adopter: ...When Lady arrived she unloaded quite well. My husband beat me down
to the barn first, but as soon as I walked up she perked right up and pushed her
head into me for some scratches and strokes. It appears she is a lady's horse (hee
hee). She was very calm, polite, gentle, and worked well on her lead-line. Dunny
(the adopter's first SWAP horse) spotted her first thing and finally got out of
his favorite spot of standing in the barn door with his head peeking out. He ran
to the far end of the pasture and then rushed to the fence to check her out. It
was great to see him animated for once:) Lady on the other hand was non-plussed
and was more interested in the grass.
We have her stalled across from Dunny and she was wonderful going into the barn
and her stall. She is a large horse for sure, and with that plump belly being
she is in foal I almost thought she would not fit through the stall
door. She took about 20 minutes to investigate her stall, it was interesting to
watch. She uses her lips to feel around. I gave her a couple peppermint candies
and tried to give Dunny one which he promptly spit out. That was
funny!
Lady was quick to find her feed and hay and water. We are going to keep her
stalled for about a week then introduce her to the pasture and Dunny. Right now
they can touch noses across the stalls. She allows us to brush and stroke her
and seems to really enjoy that. She also likes to know what we are doing, and
tracks us by our sounds. She uses those lips a lot, and I am a bit cautious yet
because I would hate to get nipped (hee hee). I love seeing that big head over
the stall door in the evening and morning:) She definitely has personality! She
appears to be very smart, and we are going to try and work with verbal commands
with her further down the road. Right
now is just a good time to get to know her and her to get to know us and our
routine, and build a good bond of trust. I am taking pictures this weekend when
my son comes home from Romney School for the blind. He asked if Lady
could be his horse. We have decided that she will be his and when Sherry sends
her paperwork we will register Lady in his name. He asked so sweetly I could not
say no. It will be exciting for him to bring pictures of her to
school and to tell his friends about, especially when she foals. I hope that we
can time it right to video tape it for him if he is at school.
Anyway, we are just pleased as punch about her and thank you for all you have
done. Our family wishes yours a wonderful holiday season!
I went to NC Sunday and had a
great time !! Brioso is a wonderful horse - here I am riding him :)
Arranging shipping now :)
Marisa St. Claire DVM, MS
Jane did wonderful at Congress! It was so much fun!! Jane and I were in the
top 5 out of 75 exhibitors in the Versatility and then on the reverse way in
the HUS class, she broke gaits!! Its was dishearting because we were having
such a great go, but it was still fun and we had a great time. Stacey and
her mother (jane's donors) came and were there and we all got to meet and
again it was very fun. Then one week after Congress was the North American
International Livestock Exposition, in Louisville KY. GREAT NEWS HERE. This
was an AQHA show, there were 30 something entries in the Open SR. HUS class
and we took the honors of first place under both judges!!! It was quite a
thrill!! Now Jane is turned out and has had a month off and is enjoying
life. All the mares are on pure alfalfa and 16% Strategy pellets, so they
are all full of themselves!! lol. Here is the win picture of Jane and I from
the Louisville show, you will have to ad it to your success stories! :)
,Taylor
Celita-
The new owners of the B&B are not using it as such and never will-
Our farm (where the new B&B will be in the spring) is 17 miles south
of West Union, off Rt. 18. I will let you know when we open - we did
get some business from your people and perhaps some will not mind the
longer trip because of what we can offer as opposed to Days Inn. We
should have facilities for dogs, cats, and horses. There were some
nice ladies from Ohio who stayed with us (I don't remember their names
- my records are not at my fingertips). They said they volunteer for
you, and we told them they could stay at the farm even if we haven't
formally opened because they are donating their time to what we
consider a good cause.
Vegas seems to do fine in the winter weather - of course , he is in
when it's nasty, but he has thrived on all our pasture ( I don't think
he knew what to do with it at first!). I feed him crushed oats with
corn oil to cut the dust ( and not a lot) but good hay and pasture are
his mainstay. I'd say he stepped in it.....but we lucked out with him,
too! He's very dominant over my other guy, but it keeps him humble so
that is okay!
Liz
HI CELIETA, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT HE GOT HERE AND HE IS A BEAUTIFUL
GUY. WILL LET YOU KNOW SOON HOW IT IS GOING, WE FEEL LIKE HE WILL BE
WONDERFUL, AS YOU SAID HE WOULD BE...MICHELLE
I told you I would send pics
and updates of Belle.
Here are some pics of Allyssa
and Belle at their first show this season. They are really starting to know
each others styles and becoming quite the team together... and are quite fond
of each other. Belle loves to show, and is so easy to handle on the ground
and very relaxed in the show ring. She does whatever Allyssa asks of her.
She is the perfect match for 11 year old Allyssa. I am so glad we adopted
her.
(Check out that "bad" leg,
you can hardly tell which one it is anymore)
please feel free to use in
any way to help out the fundraising.
(let me know if you cant
open.)
Hello,
How are you? Kyber is fine. You should see him run out of his stall. He
prances around like he rules the place. It snowed Tuesday and I let him out on
Wednesday in the snow and he loved it. I just wanted to let you know how he
was. I have a new computer so I have a new email it is
livinlarge@1st.net So
please send all news letters and other mail there.
Morgan
Oh yes.
Sharon has been riding her regularly. She tried a few tricks at first (a
couple little bucks and one raring incident), but once she figured out that
Sharon wasn't going to give up, she started acting fine. Last time she rode
her, Sharon was teaching her to stand quietly while in the saddle. That was a
big task since she is an Arab. But she calmed down and stood quietly for about
15 or 20 minutes while we talked to Sharon. Now if I could only get Gem to do
that! That horse loves to go. No standing around for her. She is in such great
condition since we moved her to Sharon's place that she trots easily for me
now. She is out all day running around with the youngsters, Shadow and Hawk.
Sharon can't wait to get back on Shadow, but she is giving her another week to
recuperate. Gotta go feed.
She is in regular front shoes.
It is her right front. The vet that I have coming out next week is a lameness
specialist.... so he should be able to help. Hopefully worst case
scenario it
is something that can be fixed w/ corrective shoeing. I also may be getting
an embryo from a Elite Hanoverian or I may even think of using her as a
recipient of my hanoverian's embryo if the costs are reasonable enough.. i
understand the New Bolton in PA does it for $300.00 a try so it may just be
worth it!! .... I guess I will just wait and see.... s
Also I have her registration
papers in the works!!
Jessica Stallings
Buddy, as you might remember
has always had breathing problems. Well, Doug started at the Fairmont State
College as a vet tech and ran a blood sample. Their machine was broken and
we didn't know it - but they told us he had severe liver problems. (He
wasn't jaundiced) we took another blood sample and a stool sample to Dr Sims
in Farmington. He had lung & tape worms. And his liver was just fine. The
worming medicine that we regularly used was not killing all of them. We held
his food for 12 hours, gave him a double dose of strongacide, held food 2
more hours and he is a different horse. He is full of energy, running up
hills and down the trail again. We are testing the rest of the horses for
the same thing. There is not obvious problems in any of them. Saber's stool
was negative, running Ivory's this week. Just wanted to give you an update
on them. I love them!
Hi, I just phoned John. He is still in Oklahoma, says the horses are in
a barn. He's having a problem out in CA with someone that was going to
help haul horses to the coast. So, he told me he would probably start
out late tonight or tomorrow morning. I asked him to take care of
himself and if he could start out in the morning because we don't need
him dead or the horses either. So....who knows we can just pray for the
best at this moment and that reason got through as far as safety for
everyone concerned. I'll let you know as soon as I get the girls.
Laurel
Rosie and Tess finally
got here. Tess's eye didn't look bad at all. Just a knick above the
eye. Tess was full of vigor when she got out. Rosie was more calm and
laid back. When I got them in the pen the were trotting all over.
Rosie came over to me immediately when she saw me walk up and wanted her
neck rubbed. Is she a cribber? She started biting the metal pole and
bucket. It might be a fluke or nerves, but she seems like it. Rosie
liked being rubbed. Tess wanted to run around a bit more but came over
to smell me and let me rub her as well. They seem like they remember
each other or just hit it off. They are sticking to each other like
glue. They are pretty. Tess has a beautiful body on her and rosie has a
beautiful face. Huge difference in them, especially Rosie from the
first pictures when they got to your place. Laurel
Dear Celeita,
Just a note to update
you on Hilde. She is doing great. She has put on weight and looks and
feels good. She has been a bit busy this year and traveled to Canada. On
May 23, 2002 she had a complete physical and passed her US health
inspection. Hilde and I arrived at Galten Farms(galtenfarms.com) on June
1 to have her bred to a stallion named Adrain GS. She was covered on June
13, 14 and 17. I brought her home on June 22. It was great seeing her
mother and other family at the farm she was originally from. They
remembered her and commented on her sweet disposition that is just like
her mother Hanna. I have not had her vet checked to see if she is in foal
or not but she has not come into heat again. She is due May 15, 2003. We
are all very excited about the new baby. I am the only one that rides
her. Which is just hacking in the woods and fields around our home. She
is fun to ride and always more that willing. She is turned out every day
in the big pasture with my old Arab mare and in her stall at night. She
has not been lame at all, once in a while she will come out of her stall a
little stiff but it is only just at first, as soon as she trots off across
the pasture she is fine. I don't know what else to tell you about her.
She has a great life with no pressure and just enjoys being a horse. We
all love her soft whistle whinny that she greets us with. I will attempt
to send some current pictures by e-mail in the next week or so. If you
would like you can forward this note onto Kristin. I don't have her
e-mail but she called me a while back and I need to return her call.
Thanks for asking about Hilde and If you need anything else let me know.
Sorry it has taken me so long
to email you. Just wanted to drop a line to say Rocky is a wonderful
horse. He is all and more that you said he was. We learned from the vet.
and the farrier that he had been pinfired (I hope I spelled it right). They
explained what it is and that with allot of rest he would be around quite a
few years but would need to have a " Flex-all" I think that's the spelling,
during the cold days and winter. He is adjusting well and is so attached to
Midnight it is difficult to separate the two for any amount of time. He and
her took about one hr. I suppose to get acquainted. Nothing harsh but just
a quite stand still don't move attitude on her part before she would finally
let him move around. The next day though he was boss and that's how it has
been since. It's interesting to watch them and how the horse rules apply.
Thank you very much for him. We will take care and love him much. My
husband did not like hearing what kind of life he may have had due to the
pinfiring on his front legs and one back leg but to tell you he was here
now, and Rocky would be able have the horse life that he so richly deserves,
no schedules of any kind just being a horse and doing horsey things. In
other words he really is impressed with Rocky. Asking him to explain his
thoughts about Rocky and his reply was " The muscles he shows when trotting
through the field is something to behold. He is a stunning horse indeed".
This is not a person he has spent time around horses and his comment about
Rocky made me feel good. Some of the farmers around us has been by and
their comments were nice too.. " I'll bet he was something to see in his
prime racing days because he sure is pretty". The vet said he was beautiful
and was a pleasure to be around. Again, thank you very much. He has
brought so much pleasure to our hearts. I hope Rocky will feel the same.
P.S. Is it okay to contact
the owners for his registration papers? We were wondering also when he came
to your farm and where is was before hand.
Thanks Celeita for anyone who has info on Sierra . He is one of the loves of
my life, He is so special to us to see this big horse change right before us
with simple dietary changes from Dr Beth Valentine with Rural Heritage Farm
for His EPSM/PSSM He is a new and incredible athlete that I never expected my
goal was just to be able to ride him period. Now I am 5 months pregnant and
trust him to ride at anytime. He is doing a ot of dressage work and seems to
like it . We go trail riding this is his favorite he crosses waterways goes
thru the woods never spooks at anything even annoying stray dogs who confront
us .His previous owners told me they never rode out of the ring. I would not
ride him either if he was off his required daily oil intake of 2 cups and only
alfalfa pellets and hay no grain. Anyways I am getting a digital camera to
send pictures to you . Icy Is the sweetest monster almost 15'3 now sound
sometimes anyways she is a pasture pet for now until she grows up! And hope
dopey Is the biggest houle as christina would say. We are not making any
progress with his hocks the more size he gets on him the harder it is for him,
the vet makes me keep light this is hard for me who loves to see them fat.
Only time will tell anyways he's not suffering in anyway full of life this
one..... So I must run I am receiving 2 pmu babies from canada and I need to
arrange shipping for them Both drafts from that herd I told you about, WE took
one and a aboarder got to go
Shannon Snyder
Hello, Celeita!
I realize that you are swamped right now so I will make this short,
and I don't expect you to reply, but I wanted to let you know how
well my girls are doing.
Ebony and October have adjusted to their new environment just great!
I have not yet ridden Ebony, what with the work on the new house and
getting the old house ready for auction, but I bought a new black
English saddle for her and I can't wait to try it out. I will send
pictures as soon as I have time.
I plan to start October under saddle this fall. She is so good that
I don't expect any problems green breaking her.
Darby is FANTASTIC...it is amazing to see the difference in her with
the Strasser trim in just 6 months! I have attached photos of her
giving rides to two of my grandchildren when all of our kids came to
visit in August...and I have been enjoying riding her on the trails
around our new house...she is a wonderful horse....THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, THANK YOU for taking her in and giving me the opportunity to
adopt her.
Your equine friend,
Annette Kendall
Chandlersville, OH
Hi Celeita,
Tucker (Tobe) went to his first horse show Saturday, 9/14. This was a
benefit show for ReRun, the Thoroughbred adoption group. It was an
all-Thoroughbred show.
I entered Tucker in the "Adopted Horses in Hand," class. All the other
horses were grown ups! There were about 9 in the class and Tucked won a
second place! He was delighted to get a pretty red ribbon and quite
proud. I was quite proud too because he behaved like a young gentleman.
He was a little excited now and then, but he well remembered his manners.
He spent a good part of the day in a stall at the showgrounds while his
adopted brother, Toby showed in some other classes. Again, he was
wonderfully behaved.
My only regret is that I was so busy I never got a chance to take a
picture of him all braided up for his class. I guess I will just have to
braid him one day soon, put on his ribbon and take an official portrait.
Next time I take two horses to a show, I am going to make sure I have
some help. That way, I can breathe a little.
I must say, the kid is turning into quite a good looking fellow. He is
also growing like a weed. I think he is a bit over 16h... and this, mind
you, is still his two year old year.
I will send pictures as soon as I get some good ones.
Red ribbon smiles,
Jean D.
Celeita,
I'm sure you have had many questions on the horse
Dublin Aire so far. I was just curious as to why he's
in the program-injury, etc. Skippy is doing wonderful
with his dressage lessons so far. I figure in about 6
months he'll be working at a solid training level,
he's just a little rusty right now! Little Rosie is
the barn favorite, everybody wants her but nobody
wants to pay board on two horses or sell the horse
they have right now. I have one person left to talk
to about Rosie and my dad is lining up a trailer for
taking Rosie to the foster home. I will contact Kathy
when I have a trailer, but I'm hoping for sometime
this weekend. The longer Rosie stays the more I
regret giving her up, gosh, she's the sweetest
thing...I get compliments on how well behaved she is
daily. Somebody is going to really benefit from my
loss..... I'll get the new pics of her resent to you
as soon as I get the chance to sit down for a few
minutes! Anyhow, I have wonderful news for you. I
have applied for a position as a dressage working
student in Canada for Evi Strasser. I am just working
out the fine details right now like papers, etc., but
I'm about 90% sure I'll take the job. I saw her last
year at Dressage at Devon and thought, holy @#$*, I
NEED to train with that lady! I'll keep you posted on
Rosie and the new job, and let me know about Dublin,
I'm just really curious about him for some odd reason.
Toodles!
Melissa Moviel
I just wanted to let you know
that Dakota arrived safely last night. Her hocks were a little banged up but
they should be fine. I did find out some great informatioin on her (a little
research goes a long way).
Her name is Flying Legacy and
she is a 1990 registered QH by Dash for Cash!!! She was raced 3x and won a
whopping $125 on the track. I contacted her former owner in NY. (owned her
until she was 6 ). She was sooo happy to find out where her "Lacey" is.
Apparently this poor horse has been sold MANY times to kids that lose
interest.
She is the last owner on record
and she said that she would be happy to give me the papers on her since they
are still in her name!! I also gave her SWAP info.. Her husband is a
prominent doctor so maybe they will give some $$$ since you have taken her
under you wing.
This was fun!!! Let me know if
you need any other horses pedigree researched!!
Jessica Stallings
Celeita,
I'm sure you know that Rosie moved to her new foster
home this weekend with Kathy. The consensus from
everyone, including the vet, was to turn her out to
pasture to grow until late spring, and I just don't
have access to barns like that around here. (at least
none that I've found close to home so I can actually
visit her.) It's just not fair to keep her stalled
when she needs to grow some more and enjoy being a
horse. Apparently, there's someone near the foster
home in Youngstown that is very interested in her, but
I don't know this person, it's a friend of a lady at
the barn I ride with. Please update her profile if
you can and let people know she's had 3 solid months
of natural horsemanship training, and has been in the
round pen a few times. She's got the BEST
personality, everyone was sad to see her go. She's
just the sweetest little thing, and so clever and
smart. She was so upset to leave Skippy. She loaded
beautifully for me when I moved her last month to the
new dressage barn, but Skippy was already in the
trailer so she walked right on. She was crying and
looking all over for him and refused to get on the
trailer. Of course, it was havoc at the barn because
there was a big area dressage show going on that day
and there were tons of trailers everywhere waiting to
unload and park and me standing there with a little
Arab screaming her brains out and refusing to get on
the trailer. Needless to say, nobody wanted to wait
for my 'natural horsemanship' lesson in trailer
loading going on in the parking lot so my dad and the
barn owner gave it the old heave ho and pushed her in.
I HATE loading like that-it doesn't teach them
anything but to hate loading and refuse even more the
next time. But, I guess when there's 15 trailers
waiting to unload and people wanting to warm up for
their classes, there really isn't much choice. Skippy
was traumatized by the whole thing-I stayed with him
all night because he was crying (as best he could with
a tie down!), running around his stall, and refusing
to eat or drink. He eventually calmed down the next
day but he was so upset to lose his turnout buddy. I
never dreamed he'd get so close to her, he's quite
notorious for being hard on other horses and not
really 'bonding' with another horse, but that was his
baby mare I guess and he protected her. I'm still
trying to finalize plans to go work with Evi Strasser,
and as soon as I know if I'm going , I'm sure I'll
call you yelling and jumping on the phone to tell you!
Please know that cutie pie Dublin Aire is still in my
thoughts...........
Melissa
Celeita,
I know you are swamped but I thought you might like to see a pic of Amira's
and Star's foals. I've been keeping Mary updated (Bru and Amira's former
owner). She enjoyed the pics of Amira's foal and Bru's adopted baby. Worming
those guys was not fun. It's amazing how strong something that small can be.
I'm not looking forward to vaccinating them in a few weeks. We took Bru and
her baby to the vet clinic last week and they have 3 more weeks of stall rest.
The baby (almost 8 months old now) needed hernia surgery and Bru went along to
keep the stress to a minimum. Bru doesn't like being in a stall all the time
but she won't leave her baby. Baron likes having her nearby; he does not do
well if he cannot see or sense a mare. He runs around in his stall or paces
the fence and will charge the door or gate. He's quite calm if a mare is
somewhere near. We hope to get him his own private shelter and pasture and
find him a permanent mate.
Every one is doing fine. Daisy has taken up with the old Belgian mare we got
at auction. Poppit's knee is starting to give her more trouble (the temp is
starting to drop at night) so we've got her back on Bute for a while. We try
to get by with the MSM and other supplements when we can but there are times
she needs something stronger. Sam is doing much better now. He still limps but
he can get around better. The vet said we could inject him up to 4 times a
year if we needed to. So far he is doing fine on the one he got almost 6
months ago. Missy still has issues. The Moody Mare helped tremendously. We've
discovered that most of her behavior problems (rearing) are from fear and not
defiance. You can see the change in her eyes. She was misbehaving when the vet
came for coggins and shots. She freaked out when we got a stud chain and
almost had a fit when she saw a twitch. We couldn't even get her sedated. We
opted to pass rather than risk her hurting herself or someone. She remained
skittish for weeks afterwards. Something must have happened to her in the
past. She is the one making the least progress getting over past issues.
Bandit will let you hang a crop on his ear now and let you rub it all over
him; however, he still freaks at the sound it makes. His former owner and I
exchange emails quite often. Fancy is now comfortable with the heard. She and
Diane are buddies. We had to close her up completely whenever food was given
out or she became very aggressive. Now she is fine even in the pasture with
carrots or peppermints. She just needed to learn she would always get her
share. She was also very head shy when she got here. She seemed starved for
attention but would back away or try to bite if you tried to touch her head.
She likes to be scratched now. It just took some time. Allie shows very little
signs of lameness now. Her owner and I stay in touch also. Cat shows no sign
of recurring EPM. the Marquis must work. Foxy is getting her winter coat. She
got really fuzzy last winter. Rose is still in foal and doing fine. Moon and
Two Wap have stick together. Moon still won't stand tied but we're working on
it. She does fine if some holds her for vet and farrier work. We're hoping to
get her under saddle next spring. Her former owner expressed interest in a
foal from her by Baron. Shanelle is still too much horse for Julie's son. She
won't let him catch her in the pasture either but he doesn't want to give up.
She lets Anna come right up to her, I think she can sense his inexperience and
knows she can just run off and not have to do anything. She has become
Hootie's new woman. What can I say about Hootie. He's just Hootie. If there is
trouble to find, he'll find it or make it. Amira will start back in training
soon. She has a scheduled 3 day training clinic in January. Anna will take
another horse also so as not to tire Amira out.
Now for the BIG news. We are building a new barn. The guy with the place we
were leasing wanted us to buy the place and did not want to extend the lease
for several years. I was starting to panic. We did not want to buy the place
because it needed a lot of work and the neighbors were just terrible. The
county humane officer told us it would be best to move them if we could.
Luckily an old friend of mine came to the rescue. He had 35 acres and an old
barn that he wasn't using. He ripped out all his old barbed wire (he had
cattle at one time) and replaced it with the high tensile and electric tape.
20 acres fenced so far the rest will be divided into smaller paddocks, an
arena and a new barn. Grading should start on the barn in the next few weeks.
The new barn should have room for 25 stalls. We have renovated the old barn
for now and can get the horses most in need in there until the other one is
ready. He hopes to have it up and at least some stalls before the really cold
weather hits. If not, I may have to make some other arrangements for some of
the horses until our barn is ready. There will be run-ins in the pasture for
the few that can survive in the pasture.
My friend has given me a five year lease with option to renew. He wanted a
guarantee I would be there for a while before he went to the expense of
building a barn. He works in construction (excavating) and can get deals on
construction and material. We are going with a metal building and wooden
stalls. We looked into the stall systems but can buy the materials cheaper
locally to build them ourselves. My friend and his parents both have houses on
the property so someone is there to keep an eye on them all the time. He is
talking about putting in cameras that will sweep the pasture and cameras in
the stalls so that I can keep an eye on things from my home computer. He likes
to play with new toys. I also attached a few pics of the horses on the new
pasture.
The Gobbles appealed the court decision and the rescued horses are still in
limbo. The guy that has them can't afford to keep taking care of them and is
asking for donations yet he is trying to get ownership of the horses once the
case is settled. I feel sorry for the poor horses. The only reason he wants
ownership is so he can sell them. I can't imagine the court awarding him the
horses if he can't afford them though but who knows.
Karen Harlan
Bristol, TN
She is now sound!! and
happy. My broodmare and her are stuck together like glue in the field.
I have put a lot of elbow greese in her and she is starting to sparkle :-)
Now I now know why she
was/is skinny... she is a major windsucker!! I will buy her a strap.. I
wonder why no one ever mentioned this--strange??
It is amazing how quickly
they come around with care... this has been stressful but sooo very fun.
I was wondering if you guys
are planning on doing another Stallion Service Auction. I would love to
help if you do... I belong to the Mid-Atlantic Hanoverian breeders
association and have some good contacts through the association. I also
have bred to some more popular warmblood stallions so I would like to
think that some of them could help out a customer for a good cause.
Celeita,
I have sent my bio to Kathy awhile ago. I still
haven't had a chance to get any pictures for her.
Lucy is spoiled rotten. I will tell you though that
when my mother passed away in August of last year my
father was so lonely and has loved Lucy since I
brought her home that I have given her to him to keep
him company. She has been with him since September of
last year. She sleeps on his recliner with him and
goes wherever he goes (unless of course he is going
shopping or something). The rest of my family knows
that if anything were to happen to him she comes back
to me. But she is more spoiled and has all the
devotion and love any pet could ever want. I am going
to visit him this weekend (only 40 minutes away) and
will try to remember to get some pictures. I did email
this info to you a year ago and I hope that there
isn't a problem with it. But the two of them were
meant to be together.
As for the classifieds, keep me posted on any new
horses and I'll list them asap. I am keeping a
spreadsheet dating when they were listed so I
can relist easier and faster when needed. I will keep
adding new horses, a couple every other day, to keep
us fresh in everyone's mind. As for the database
someone will have to tell me how to get to it and when
horses come or go. I also have access to a fax to get
info quicker, but need to know before something is
sent so I get it.
I am glad to be able to help.
Janeen
She is doing much much
better... but is still off on her right front (not her hocks as I first
thought) . We have an excellent vet in our area that specializes in lameness.
He stays pretty booked but they are trying to fit me in somewhere. I have been
turning her out in a small group as well & she is feeling good other than the
gimp.
I did email Barbara about her
and she did not have a any info on her lameness other than the obvious trailer
ride.
I am sure she will turn out
just fine for me if I can keep her sound.. If not her breeding would make a QH
person an exceptional broodmare, or I may try breeding her, if I get papers on
her, to an uphill SWB (you can reg. them w/o having the mare inspected) or a
tall Irish Draught which I could reg. as ISH. She has a nice topline.. but
built downhill like a QH and is a smidge over at the knees..but not bad.
Jessica Stallings
Hi Celeita,
Just a note to let you know that your
children are alive and well. I have grown extremely attached to these boys,
especially Buddy. He is the best trail horse, and is currently used mostly
for that purpose, though we have dabbled a bit in the dressage work. Tio is
awesome, and he seems to know a lot. He has not yet shown any signs of
lameness due to his bad tendon. Tio has a love/hate relationship with
Buddy, and he is quite the evil/abusive big brother-he can't live with or
without Buddy-very co-dependent. Buddy says Tio's love is worth the abuse.
I have attached some pics I took this past
weekend of Buddy when we rode along the Cahaba River. My pics of Tio got
zapped with my computer by lightning, but I will take some more soon.
I'll stay in touch.
Katrin
Hi, Celeita---
Hope all is going well on the farm.
I've been having trouble with my AOL this past week so wasn't able to access
the secondwindadopt e-mail to help answer for you. How is it going? It looks
like you've been able to stay on top off them now better. Just let me know if
I can be of help, or even if there's a day you just can't get to them I could
do them (as best I can). It might help to have a "pending" list though on
adoptions so I would know who to promote more (or less)...
Well I rode Joffree now. He's interesting... He was definitely girthy even
though I went slowly, in 3 phases as you'd suggested. He lunged well, really
listens. Then he was very squirrely when I got on---trying to back up quickly
and whirl around. I was very careful in making sure the saddle fit him, so it
shouldn't have been pinching him. I used an eggbutt snaffle with a french
mouth, usually very mild, and I wasn't pulling on him in the least bit. Maybe
that is what he didn't like. What bit did you use with him?
Most of our other horses were up around the barn when we started then they
wandered off. He may have just been upset that they "left" him. I was getting
a bit intimidated (lasted a good 10 min. without him wanting to do anything
else but back & whirl) but stuck it out and then he kind-of "sighed" and was
fine. He came round and worked very soft and light. I had him do some leg
yields (1st Level work) and shoulder in (2nd L) and just simple walk-trot
transitions and circles to keep him calm. I did not canter yet since he was a
bit edgey before. He definitely has some solid dressage training, but you're
right---he is stiff! He got a bit fussy again when I asked him to do a
haunches in (2nd L) and the shoulder in better so I didn't push him. He is a
sweety, just more nervous than I would have guessed. I would rate him as a
solid training level, maybe first level dressage horse with an intermediate to
advanced rider (or with a trainer). Not a beginner horse for sure!
I have not ridden Orphy yet but he is getting lots of turnout with our
"medium" energy bunch and loving it. His ankle has not swelled again at all so
I'll start working him a bit, too. He is such a love! I've had lots of fellow
riders drooling over him, too. Glad we got him already...lovely attitude.
All our other horses are doing very well. Our hot weather has finally broken
and they're glad to spend most of their time outside under the trees. I'm
debating doing a couple more shows this fall now that the weather is nice. I
need to take more photos of them again with this nice weather & send you a
"batch".
I haven't decided yet if I'll run down for the KY Ride Aside show yet. I can
come help if you all need or assist with any other information processing
projects, etc. that Pam may need help on. Just let me know what you need help
with.
Sorry to be so long winded...oops.
Take care,
Angie
Hi, Celeita!
Haven't talked with you in a while. Just wanted to give you an update on
our boy.
Kolah (formerly Sonny) has become the best horse on the trail ride. We
started with a horse who was somewhat skittish and jumpy and over-reacted
to most stimuli. But with patience, gentleness, trust in him and in his
potential, we've seen him turn into the guy who spooks the least (almost
never) of any horse on the rides we take.
There are usually 4 - 6 people, sometimes as high as 10, on our rides. And
Kolah is often the one who has to lead the others over the little bridge or
through the stream or down the steep bank, etc. And he is so gentle, soft,
loving, trusting, curious, fun-loving, all the things we could hope for in
an equine companion.
Paula is so much in love with him, I sometimes think I should be jealous!
She's the one who has ridden him and I go in the pen and help her work him
from the ground. It's been an absolutely marvelous adventure.
And now I have a Missouri Fox Trotter who is much the same as Kolah used to
be. But we learned so much working with Kolah that my new boy (had him
about 2 months) is progressing quite rapidly for us.
This is not intended as bragging but only as a testament to the
effectiveness of gentle training, respect for the horse and his dignity,
patience, and giving softness in order to receive softness: we have
brought Kolah to his present state entirely by ourselves, not with the help
of any "professionals". Of course we ask a lot of questions, read a lot,
search the web a lot, and try our best to practice the philosphies and
approaches of our favorite trainer, Mark Rashid, from Colorado.
We just wanted to be sure that you are aware how much this beautiful boy
from SWAP has brought into our lives. Thank you so much for your part in it.
Dan Tice & Paula Douglass
Celita,
We just got back from the State fair junior horse show with Spot (Red
River) and Cody. They missed placing tenth in Speed and Control by
.002. It was a tough class of over 33 riders. There was less than a
second separating 1st and 10th!
Mindy (aka: Mind your Manners) did well at the county fair. She did a
great job in her 3 jumping classes. The pair was 3rd, 2nd and 5th. She
was running in tough company also. Two of the horses in these classes just
place Reserve at the state fair in these events. This pair would have done
well at the State fair if the rider was eligible (in Ohio you can only go
every other year).
Casper is coming along. His name is Harry Potter now. He did dump me
though and sent me to the emergency room. I had been schooling him in the
grass ring we were finished and I was walking him on a loose rein. I
think we disturbed a garter snake and he spooked and I discovered how handy
he was. After 5 hours in the emergency room they said decided that I had
not broken anything just bruised my pelvis and the iliac nerve. I'm fine
now just a bruised ego. Casper is working over fences now and he is quite
good at it.
The main reason why I was emailing you is to ask you what a regional
placement director duties are. I noticed that you do not have one for
Region 6.
Laurie A. Guest
I wanted to let you know that
we got Brioso on Tuesday evening. Frank, in Phil. whom you referred me to,
brought him, and he did fine shipping. He gets along beautifully with Jack and
Chester, and we are slowly getting him used to MD pasture grass. He is out for
10 hours today. Once he went into the pasture for a few hours last Wednesday
afternoon, he was QUITE unhappy with being in the small corral, so we stuck
Chester the pony in with him and he was much happier. I am hoping to have him
out 24/7 by the end of the week. He is just the nicest horse, quite a big
puppy dog. Thank you so much for your wonderful website that allowed us to
find him. I have passed the website on to about 5 more horse people around
here After they saw Brioso. I will send photos soon! marisa
Marisa St. Claire DVM, MS
Good Morning!! These pics
kinda suck :) I am still learning about the digital camera, and darn ole
Brioso would not hold still heheheheh
Brioso HATES to dine alone so
I worked out a reverse creep feeder type thingy for him so he can eat with
Chester the welsh pony in the pen with him - it is lucky Brioso is HUGE and
Chester is only 12.5 hh
Marisa St. Claire DVM, MS
Hi Celeita and Christina,
Just wanted to send you a quick note and let you know that Chester is
doing great at the new barn. I rode him for the first time on Sunday and he
was so relaxed. I will have to say it was probably the most relaxed he has
been since I have owned him. He is really starting to get over some of his
mental issues that he had when I got him. He's letting me rub his ears now.
I have worked so hard to get him over his ear issues and I will have to say
time does pay off. He is getting better at trusting strangers. Our next
issue will be to relax with the farrier. Chester has come such a long way
in such a short amount of time. I also would like to say thank you for
helping me with the issues at the old barn. Have you guys behind me really
helped. You guys do such a wonderful job.
Thank you,
Janette Cordoza
Dear Celeita, I hope all is well.
I am forwarding a photograph of myself and Bernard which Woody the
previous owner took this past Winter in South Carolina. I will send more
when I take them. I am really enjoying myself and Bernard is behaving.
The weather has cooled slightly today so we went for a lovely hack
around minus the flies. The girl that works at the barn say's that
Bernard looks fatter and more spoiled already and it's only been a few
days!
kind regards and thank you for the hard work.
Helen Isherwood.
Hi everyone. We are so
excited we went and picked up dixie this weekend. She is awesome. Stout little
thing but so sweet. She was a little worried about loading but it only took
about 20min to 1/2 an hour to convince her. We had to load a friend of hers
first so she thought she wan't going alone but once we got her in a started down
the rd for her she did really well. She loves Her new brother and sharing the
stall area and stuff is not big deal. We have some stuff that needs done with
the feet and we need to work on her herd bound issues a little but I am sure she
will work out beautiful. We all love her. Keep up the good work of finding
great horses great homes I will recommend you when someone says they are looking
for a nice horse. Any way thanks and i will keep you all posted.
Lori Gargano
Well...we're doing some riding. Hes
sooo smooth Emily. Very athletic. Hes so patient and good. Ive been mounting him
from a mounting block..doing a lay over then swinging up. Ive been using a
bareback pad and he likes that swell. Hes so wonderful to collect.. he even does
it at the walk...all you have to do is slightly shorten the reins and he rounds
right up. I have to tell you guys that hes cracking me up. Its painfully obvious
that he hasnt done much but ring work. We've been doing lots of 'prior and
proper preparation' to get ready to do some trail rides. Ive despooked him on
the ground at SWAP but now Im so thankful that I got that work in. We were
riding in the big back field and theres a white barrell back there. He was
spooked out by it but was willing to do a spook in place lesson with it. Once we
got through the lesson I asked him to side pass over it and he did that for me.
The first time I asked him to go in the woods...he was like ohhhh nooo ...us
dressage horses dont do woods. I played the squeeze game (game #7 of the Parelli
games) with the woods and the trail entrance...after just a couple of minutes he
went right in and we walked throught he woods. It was pretty funny because then
he decided to spook at the sound of the leaves/branches brushing against my
helmet. I actually took a branch and brushed my helmet repeately until he
understood that it was not a threat. We've been barked and growled at by the
neighbors dog but he just stood there facing him down. No bolting. Hes only
wheeled the one time when asked to enter the woods for the first time. The
squeeze game resolved that and now he actually likes to go into the woods. Weve
been climbing sand dunes and standing on the top like we're the king of the
hill. He thinks thats great fun. I havent gotten to the beaches yet...so I can
just imagine how Im going to blow his mind when he sees all that water not to
mention things like crabs/horseshoe crabs. I guess we'll be playing lots of yoyo
and squeeze game until we start to get accustomed to all the new things. Ill
convince him yet that trail riding is fun...LOL
I think he's finally feeling like Im his 'human'. When he sees me get to the
barn in the morning ...the head comes up...he looks at me then canters over. I
go over...check his temp...his physical well being... muck the stalls...give
them some hay and fresh water. Spray him if needed...give him some
carrots/apples.. pet the kitties...plug in the fans for the day...then continue
on my day. Most of the riding is happening either in the early am or the pm. Its
finally starting to cool off a bit. He was having a rough time with the heat and
humidity when he first came. Once he realized that I plug in the fans in the
am... and set them up with some hay...they hang out in the stalls during the
heat of the day. The flies havent been too bad nor the mosquitos. Life is good.
We rode friday....and sunday...are scheduled to ride tuesday but mother nature
may put a damper on the plans. The rain is much needed its very dry so I dont
mind sacrificing ride time in order to get some rain. Im going to be looking
into the wintec or the thorogood gel seat saddles. Ive been gradually standing
in the left sturrip longer and longer as I dismount to see if he might be
willing to tolerate a mount from the left side. So far so good. When I jump on
from the mounting block he doesnt move a step until asked. Hes such a good
guy...
Hope all is well...just wanted to let you both know that the riding is going
great and hes learning to be more than just a dressage horse...and in so doing
getting more confidence in himself and in me. We're having great fun together.
Chris
Just wanted to inform you
that Jane will be showing in the Amateur Versatility class at the Congress on
Oct 19th, on a Friday or Saturday I believe. The versatility is a combined class
that includes Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, and Poles. I
love Jane to death!!!!! She is so much fun and couldn't be enjoying her anymore!
She is very happy also! I took her to an Open show last Sunday, entered her in 5
classes, 4 Western Pleasure Classes and 1 hunt seat class, each class had over
10 or 12 in it, and Jane won all five classes!!!!!!!!!! I came home with $500!!!
She is so much fun and we get along great! Hope you guys might be able to make
it to Congress that day! It will be a blast!!!!! Talk soon, Taylor
Celeita:
Everything went great. Meltdown - is more than our
greatest expectations could have anticipated. She has
been ridden by grandkids and is a joy to driver.
Photos will follow.
I do also have to say what a knowledgeable, kind and
just plain good natured a person Sherri Cole is. I
just can't say enough.
Thanks to you for all you do in making a deal like
this work out.
Best wishes.
John
Hi Celeita, Pam is so excited and
Guy is really pleased too! I was out
sick yesterday and was able today to print your contract and rules for Pam.
She will complete and get in the mail tomorrow with the adoption fee. Our
neighbor decided last evening to use the bucket of his tractor to rake his
shale driveway. Just shortly after Pam had gotten on Guy. Poor Guy just
about had a heart attack.. Pam was so good with him and despite alot of
bucking stayed on his back and reassured him that he would be okay. One of
her friends just bought her a really nice leather halter for him. Guy is
just looking like a million bucks. He is so happy.
Hey Everybody,
It's Elizabeth Porter. I just wanted to let you know that Casco's stitches
are out and the vet said there would be minimal scarring. He is adjusting well
to his new environment and is getting along very well with the geldings in his
pasture. I can't tell you all how happy I am to have a horse like Casco. He is
the most gentle and friendly horse I have ever encountered. Thank you for all
you have all done for me. I will be sending some pictures in the next week.
Hope to hear from you soon. Casco sends his love.
Very Fondly,
Elizabeth Porter
Hi Guys!!!
Just wanted to send you an update on
Sid and let you know that he is doing terrific! Mom and I have had the
opportunity to work him several times and he is an absolute dream to work with.
We are going very slowly with him and I have been on him a couple times.
Mostly, we are working on building trust before anything else. We are in the
process of having a riding ring built and cant wait to get that completed. Mom
and I gave him a bath a few nights ago and decided to get some pictures of him
with my digital camera. Sorry that the quality is not so great, but I just
wanted you guys to know that he is doing well. Mom also wanted me to tell you
that he has had his first EPM shot and tolerated that well....he will be getting
a booster in a few weeks.
Also, I have been in touch with two
of his previous owners and they both have nothing but good things to say about
him. I think that Jackie Tone From Los Acres put it better than anyone else
when she said "You own a beautiful stallion"....she was certainly right about
that.
Beth Bente
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600 B.C. TO 200 B.C.: Tribes of statuesque women (and men) roam
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Circa 39: Dynamic sister duo Trung Trac and Trung Nhi amass a
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Circa 395: Fabiola, a Roman aristocrat whose divorce and subsequent
remarriage were condemned by Christian society, founds a hospital for the
poor and other outcasts of her city. It's likely one of the first hospitals
in the Western world.
Circa 1001: Murasaki Shikibu begins writing The Tale of Genji,
an epic portrait of court life (twice as long as War and Peace),
considered by many to be the greatest masterpiece of Japanese literature and
possibly the world's first novel.
1429: Peasant girl Joan of Arc commands the French army in a series
of victorious battles to liberate her homeland from the English; she is
burned at the stake for her trouble.
Circa 1579: Grace O'Malley, a swashbuckling Irish pirate known for
raiding ships, fights off an English government expedition sent to stop her.
Circa 1613: In her graphically violent painting Judith Slaying
Holofernes, Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi slays the ideal of
submissive womanhood: Her heroine is fierce, powerful, and ruthless.
1777: Teenager Sybil Ludington rides all night long through a storm
to alert the 400 men in her father's militia that the redcoats are coming.
She's called the female Paul Revere—but Paul rode with two of his buddies.
And he was captured by the British.
1805: Sacagawea joins Lewis and Clark as their expedition's
interpreter, traveling thousands of miles across the Rockies with her
newborn babe strapped to her back. Who says life ends when you have kids?
1814: As the British torch Washington, D.C., First Lady Dolley
Madison remains in the White House long enough to rescue historic
valuables—running out moments before the soldiers charge in.
1862: Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, just 19 and dressed as a man, enlists in
the Union Army. In a letter home, she assures: "I don't fear the rebel
bullets nor I don't fear the cannon."
1867: Ida Lewis rescues three drowning men from wind-whipped swells
in Newport Harbor. Then she rows back to save their sheep. Ida later
becomes the country's first female lighthouse keeper.
1872: Victoria Claflin Woodhull becomes the first woman to run for
president. A colorful candidate, she advocates for free love.
1906: Madam C.J. Walker hawks shampoos and serums door-to-door. The
orphaned daughter of former slaves, she becomes one of America's
wealthiest businesswomen.
1912: Astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt discovers the
period-luminosity relationship (later used to calculate the distances
between Earth and the stars).
1914: Barnstorming adrenaline junkie Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick makes
the first-ever free fall from a plane.
1916: In a tenement neighborhood in Brooklyn, Margaret Sanger opens
the doors of the country's first birth control clinic. Outside at least
150 women are waiting.
1916: Movie star Mary Pickford insists on becoming her own
producer. America's Sweetheart is no sucker.
1937: Amelia Earhart disappears on the ultimate adventure—her
attempt to fly around the globe. In a note to her husband, she explains:
"I want to do it because I want to do it."
1938: Anna Mary Robertson Moses sells her first paintings, at age
78. Known as "Grandma" Moses, she continues to paint for 23 years,
becoming one of the century's most renowned folk artists.
1941: Protofeminist superhero Wonder Woman first appears in a comic
book, fighting off Fascists in star-spangled hot pants.
1946: Super-geekette Dorothy Hodgkin cracks penicillin's chemical
makeup with an X-ray crystallographer. (Eighteen years later she'll earn
the Nobel Prize.)
1953: Jackie Cochran flies an F-86 Sabre jet through the sound
barrier. She learned to fly so she could travel around selling cosmetics,
but it turns out trashing speed records is a lot more fun.
1959: On the edge of the Serengeti Plain, Mary Leakey digs up and
pieces together a 1.7-million-year-old hominid skull, one of the most
important finds in the history of archeology.
1960: At the Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph (left)—once partially
paralyzed by polio—earns three gold medals in track-and-field, the first
American woman to do so.
1963: Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first female
to fly a spacecraft around the globe.
1967: Kathrine Switzer dares to run the all-male Boston Marathon,
while an irate race official chases her.
1981: Alexa Canady becomes the first black female neurosurgeon in the
United States.
1985: Just 175 miles from the Iditarod finish line, Libby Riddles
heads into a blizzard when other mushers opt to stay in camp; this gives her
a six-hour lead and, ultimately, the win.
1989: Performance artist Karen Finley smears her body with chocolate
to illustrate that women are treated like, you know, dirt. The National
Endowment for the Arts rescinds her funding, but she ultimately gets it
back.
2005: Roz Savage quits her corporate job, leaves her unraveling
marriage, and rows across the Atlantic by herself. Midlife crisis averted.
2008: Sandra Andersen, a barista at a Starbucks in Tacoma,
Washington, learns that one of her customers needs a kidney to live. So she
gives the woman hers.
2009: Navigator Ann Daniels leads the Catlin Arctic Survey, a 74-day
journey from the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole to measure the thickness of
sea ice.
******************* The Warmth of A Horse
When your day seems out balance...
and so many things go wrong ...
When people fight around you
and the clock drags on so long ...
When some folks act like children
and fill you with remorse ...
Go out into your pasture and wrap
your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds you as he
watches with those eyes ...
He may not have a PhD but he
is, oh so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder
you hug him good and tight ...
He puts your world in balance
and makes it seem all right.
Your tears will soon stop flowing,
the tension will be eased ...
The nonsense has been lifted.
You are quiet and at peace.
So when you need some balance
from the stresses in your day ...
The therapy you really need
Is out there eating hay!
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