HAPPY ENDINGS 2

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.

Every Dream Starts with a Single Step, Take Your Step Today!

Women from History Who Dared To Change the World (credit: O Magazine)

600 B.C. TO 200 B.C.: Tribes of statuesque women (and men) roam the Eurasian steppes. The fearsome Amazons of myth? Not exactly. But archeological evidence suggests that among these nomads, the women were the warriors.

Circa 39: Dynamic sister duo Trung Trac and Trung Nhi amass a Vietnamese army in a revolt against Chinese rule. For four years, they lead the rebellion.

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!

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.

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

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

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:

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!

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

Hi everyone,

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.)

Tami

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

Celeita,

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.

Sincerely yours,

Troy Parsell

Hi Celeita,

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.

Kim Grizzell

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