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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!!
We do love our international visitors. Welcome! Just a small sample of our
visitors. (only shows about 10% of the total visitors or hits)
Visitors By Country
Top 100 Visitors
Last 100 Visitors
Visitors Map
Daily Stats
Award Winning Website from The Pet Directory
Award Winning Rescue and Horse Website from Horse Breeds
Info
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 have set up a
fan based page so everyone can be added. So sorry to the 2000 + people who have
asked for a friendship.... our fan page is now up.
The Wish List of Our Needs:
More than anything we need a large donation to help us pay off our farm, we owe
50k. With a farm paid for, we will never worry about the program and schools
closing.
We are looking for 2 to 3 people to work in the barn in exchange for board for
their horse and possibly personal board in exchange for part time or full time
work/volunteer.
1. New or used
truck and 2 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,
West Virginia or Delaware.
3. New or Used Farm
utility vehicle (like a john deere gator or mini truck), 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.
7.
Monthly Sponsors for our horse
and dogs while they are waiting on their forever homes.
8. Volunteers
to commit to doing one fund raiser for SWAP horses at your location during 2011,
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.
9 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 50 lbs of feed). This
is beautiful clean top soil.
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 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. Also older, sick, skinny, stallions, bred
mares and young horses take more feed during the winter. 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, which means more grain.. Easy
keepers may be round but it does not mean they are healthy, most easy keepers
need a certain amount of calories and 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 and water helps keep the horses body temperature regulated. 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 per horse 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. So look for easy ways
to keep water thawed out and clean. This is the biggest reason horses die in
winter.
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), if you do you are asking for
trouble.
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.
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!
| |
HAPPY ENDINGS 2010
unfortunately we can't put everyone that sends in pictures on the happy
endings page because of our picture limit with our web host company but check
out the videos on he home page, which does include more pictures of many of the
horses in their home. Thank you all for giving so many such a great home for so
many years.
zephyr with Jennifer in VA
spanish norman Alex with Jennifer in Alabama
Annie Armor with Olivia in Missouri
 Artax at
Pony Pastures in Maryland
Austin with Millie in WV
biddy's boy in Georgia with Kristi
SWAP supporter Carl enjoying his boat
Charlie and Jaynah in NY
Commander and Mary on Cape Cod
 Delilah
with Jenny in Maryland
Dixie with Jennifer in Virginia
Dodger with Hilary and friends WV
Ellen and her BFF
 Emily
with friends in her home in Maryland
 Fanelli and
Sport with Maureen in NC
Cookie aka Figment at Pony Pastures
Harness Racing driver and SWAP Supporter/Donor George Dennis
Handsome Rob with his BFF in VA
Dodger and Hilary
Orphy with hilary
Indy with Julie
Lil Man in TX
Lucah with the Beauclair family
Lucky with Julie in Ohio
lucy with ruby
Magic with BFF in WV
Banner and Nanci with hubby and BFF in Indiana
all the SWAP horses at Pony Pastures in MD
Regal and Tyra
Regal and Baby (aka Rogue) at home with the Runyons
Saber and Buddy at home with the Williams, adopters for over 12 years
Doug having a conversation with Saber
Shadow at home with Lesa in PA
Maryanne with Shadow in Ohio
Shadow and BFF Rock Doctor in PA
spanky and friends in Indiana
Spanky and his new BFF in Indiana
Pip (aka Sugar) teaching kids to ride in Maryland
SWAP horses on a group ride Blu, Sugar, Artax and Tye in Maryland
%202010.jpg)
Tyra and Rogue in WV
Troy and BFF in Washington, DC
Tye jumping at Pony Pastures
Val and Polar in Maine
 Wendel
and his BFF in Arkansas
Hi Celeita!
Not a problem at all! I'm sure you guys are crazy busy down there with the
holidays going on and whatnot!
We did receive the contract and thank you for that!
I've attached some pictures of Painter and I riding over the summer. Excuse my
terrible riding attire. 95 degrees doesn't allow for much other than shorts :P
We've since gotten him some more fashionable bridal as well. He's not much of a
red and white polka dots kinda guy!
Have a great holiday, Celeita!
Celeita, got this email from my mom this a.m.
"I am really happy about getting Monty. Can't wait to
get him. Hopefully with tender loving care from us he will forget how badly he
was treated and be happy and good with us. Monty and I both have a lot to learn
huh. Sure glad Mia's stuff fits him."
tammy
Here is a few pics I took today of Josh riding. My camera is not taking
good pics for some reason anymore...it couldn't be me!!!!
And I know...he should be wearing his riding boots...he ALWAYS does..my
husband was getting him ready while I was doing something and I didn't even
realize he didn't have them on. We practiced with him keeping his knees
in. He kept putting his legs up like jockeys do and Mary came in and yelled
at him..."what are you doing with those legs"...she didn't really yell..she
just made sure that he knew that wasn't the right way.
You gotta love the first pic!!!.....She looks good don't you think? She's
really starting to get back into shape since Mary started working with her.
We want to build up those muscles that she needs to use for us to ride.
Hi Celeita!!
I just wanted to give you a quick
update on Red. He's getting along good with the rest of the crew now and he
and I are getting to know each other pretty well. He's very smart and
a pleasure to ride although he's not too happy going out alone. I'm sure
he'll get more comfortable with it in time. I'm not much for riding when
it's cold out so he'll have most of the winter off. His feet seem a bit
tender probably from always having shoes on and now being barefoot, but they
should toughen up over the winter too. I'd prefer not to shoe him unless I
have to. I only ride on dirt or pasture so shoes really aren't necessary.
I've discovered he's an escape artist. The grass is always greener in the
neighbor's pasture. One minute he's in our field and the next we see him
heading toward the neighbor. He can't get into the neighbor's but he tries.
I think he must be jumping out. We've put up all new higher electric
fencing to keep him where he's supposed to be. I'm hoping we've succeeded.
He's stayed in the past 2 weeks. At least he doesn't go far when he does
get out and he's easy to catch. He'll even go back in without a halter or
lead rope on him. I just put my hands on his head and he walks right along
with me. What a good boy!! And he's so funny. He and Amira love to play.
They chase each other around the pasture and mouth fight and have such a
good time. The neighbor's cows all line up along the fence to watch them
when they are playing and Red will run real fast up the fence and come to a
sliding halt with the dirt flying and the cows will all run away. You can
almost see Red laughing at them. He's fitting right in with us and I just
love him to pieces!! Thanks again for what you do from all of us.
Merry Christmas!!
Kim, Red, Sider, Hank and Amira
Hi Celeita,
Just an update. Savannah is continuing to do a super job on the trails.
She actually has to be the leader now! Josh is trotting around on her like
a little pro:) She's just amazing. We are all still in "training". Our
trainer "Mary" has finally gotten Bailey back on Savannah....I don't know if
you remember but Bailey fell off, oh gosh...a long time ago. I didn't have
the saddle on right and she just kinda fell to the side...she's been scared
to get back on ever since. Savannah didn't even do anything after it
happened. She just stood there and waited for Bailey to get off the
ground. Mary is letting her take small steps...she did 1 lap around the
arena the other day and Bailey promised her the next lesson she would go
around twice....she ended up going around 20 times!!! Josh and Jordan went
out on their first official trail ride on Friday. Josh rode Mary's little
polish arabian...Jordan rode a 23 year old Arab/QH cross and Mary rode
Savannah. Bailey and I stayed in the observation deck and watched. She
kept saying that it looked like so much fun and she can't wait to get the
confidence to get back on and ride like that. So I'm hoping that she'll be
back in the swing of things in the next few weeks. We went out today and
bought another western saddle. The owner of the shop made sure that the
saddle fit the kids and Savannah. It's a nice saddle. A King? The seat
comes up really high in the back so it holds them in pretty
good....especially Josh because he's so thin and he bounces around like
crazy when he's trotting. Savannah has almost mastered neck reining too!
Mary rides her just with a bareback pad so she can feel when she starts to
tense up...she said she can feel when she goes above a trot that she doesn't
quite know how to balance herself with someone on her back. Mary's only
about 110 pounds maybe so her husband is going to start working with
Savannah to get her to be able to transition to a canter, pace,
gallop...whatever, with a little more weight on her. He's really excited to
start working with her because their horses are so much smaller than
Savannah and she's just such a pretty horse.
We have 2 older women at our barn that both have money and think they know
everything. Don't get me wrong, they are both very nice people but they
just think it's their way or the wrong way. We were saddling up Savannah
today with her new saddle and everyone was saying how pretty the saddle
was. Sue then invited me to go on a trail ride with them sometime...I told
her that Mary said I need to stay at a walk, trot for now. She shook her
head and said that was stupid. She asked Mary why can't "Amy ride her
horse"...Mary then explained to her that Savannah was a harness racehorse
and was trained with the weight in her back-end because she pulled a
cart..something like that. Sue then said I need to send her out to a
trainer for the winter so she can come back in the spring and she'll be
ready for us. This lady hasn't seen my kids ride and is just speculating
that she's not a good horse until she is sent out. So, Mary took her horse
out on the trails and me and my kids went into the indoor arena....these 2
women sat in the lounge and watched. Josh trotted around as usual...he did
a great job...Savannah did a great job. We have her to where I just say
wooo while I'm standing in the middle of the ring and she stops and walks
over to me while I hold my hand up like a stop sign...she stops completely
until I invite her in to my space then I give her big head rubs while she
drops her head! Both the women gave me a "thumbs up" and said we are doing
a fantastic job!!! I was so excited and I felt so good! It was kind of
like a "I told you so" moment.
I just wanted to share that story with you. Sorry I was babbling. I've
shared with you all my uncertainties about this whole experience....I just
want you to see that I am learning. I know I was a complete idiot in the
beginning.....while I am still ignorant about ALOT of things, I am starting
to really get it. I will probably still be learning things 10 years from
now.
Have a great Christmas!
Amy
As I was going through an enormous amount of mail today I came across an
envelope. The moment I saw the name on the return address I began to cry. It
was a card and a wonderful letter from Nancy explaining to me how she and
Lendy came together and what a blessing he has been to her. My husband thinks
I'm absolutely crazy so clearly he is not a horse person. She also sent a
picture and my son and I were so happy to see it. Lendy looks well and
although I miss him terribly I'm thankful he's in a good home. So I'm happy
to say my Christmas wish has come true. Have a Happy Holiday.
Dory
Celita -
Attached is Cathy’s application for adoption. She
was quite taken with Ebony. We are still working on the logistics, but we are
about 99% sure this will work. We’ll put the original application in the mail.
As soon as we get all the pictures together (that may be this weekend – it’s
dark when I get home) I will send those along
We enjoyed our visit yesterday – you do a
wonderful thing for these animals.
Thanks,
Chuck
Celeita,
OK the videos Kathy just sent make all the difference. He is like a blend of
Ali and Bru, closely related, and quite biddable and springy but that will be
OK as I leg up and he collects/simmers down.
I will fill out the paperwork and get moving on this, I just need to split
the payments up and make the first one on a credit card to the feed store or
something until I get paid. I didn't have all this in the budget!
Mary
Thank you – Nothing has changed.
Kisses is doing wonderfully well! My daughter adores her and has her jumping.
She just had her annual vet checkup and had to have her teeth floated.
She is a great addition to our family.
Hey, Here's one of tiffany with a lesson student in white shirt, Stephanie
with Missy at their 1st show in Oct. and some of my lesson kids with
Remmington "Fuzzy".
Cindy Furrow
Wirtz, VA 24184
www.jeffersonvalleyfarm.com
Hi! Yes I have pictures of my girl but none on my phone. She had a foal back
in 06, she is still as loveable as ever! She is in my family farm in GA. Thanks!
Colleen and Silkie
Hi everybody:
I got this e-mail from Donna. She saw Rosie, the lady that adopted Spanky.
Thought you all might like to see how well he is doing and how happy they r
with him. The little fella has it made and getting excellent care. You all
have a happy Thanksgiving. I am sure Spanky will. 
I forgot - yes I did see Rosie. She said that she is in love and that the
farrier told her that Spanky was awesome and a real "keeper". She said
after he said that, she had Spanky bow. The farrier went nuts. And, she
said he and her other horse look like big and little twins - the same
color. They are getting along really well. She has a 10 year old
handicapped grandkid so is hoping that he will be able to do the cart.
She also told me that on Friday, they are having a big sale and Purina is
doing the buy one get one free dog and cat food. That's like $40 for
you! It' too far however and would take gas to go there.
Ok, have fun erranding!
Good morning Celeita,
Just a quick update. I am working with a trainer now with Savannah. We are
both doing great. She must have been trained with voice commands also
because she picked them up right away. She's doing everything by voice
now. We took her out on the trails for the first time yesterday and she did
beautifully. There's a big watering trough at the bottom of the first field
and she wasn't to sure about that at first but then she realized she could
take a drink and she was fine. We did alot of work in the arena before we
took her out. She didn't care to much for standing in water but after the
second day we had her walking and standing in the streams and she did
great. She's turning into an awesome trail horse...she seems to really like
it. We've been doing lots of ground work in the arena. She didn't need it
before but I did. She was walking all over me...totally my fault...I didn't
know any better. She now knows that I'm the leader and her attitude has
completely changed. She walks behind me to the side now instead of her
pulling me along. When I stop she immediately stops...that only took a few
minutes. She's still trying to favor the one side when we lunge her...my
trainer said it's probably from just being on the track and that's what she
knows. She's cantering beautifully alone....Mary said when she's on her and
goes to a canter she can feel her legs not quite knowing the balance yet but
she's getting it. She said she's going to make a beautiful gaming horse
because she has huge strides or something and with us using voice commands
she'll actually listen to the announcer and she'll probably do what he
says. Alot of the games are just walk and trot that Josh will be doing.
We're really excited for next spring. Our indoor arena opens this Wednesday
so we'll be able to continue her training all winter. My head just keeps
getting bigger and bigger....it's like I'm a proud mom. I love hearing
everyone say how beautiful she is...even when the general public come up to
rent horses they all ask about Savannah.
Have a nice Thanksgiving.
Amy
She is 5'6" now and she and Big Boy have been deadly in the dressage ring
together. He is always a perfect gentleman and always puts in a nice
steady test. She had three blue ribbons this year at Intro level with the
smallest class being nine horses. I am afraid if she doesn't stop growing she
will get too big for Big Boy. Though he is a little sturdier then Star.
Kristen and Tony Distl
Dear Celita, Holly is doing great! She seems very happy in her new home. She
did get very nervous last night during the storms we had. She has had no
accidents. How is molly doing?
Celeita:
Thanks so much for my box of goodies. It arrived today and everything is
great. Be sure to tell Diana that I really do appreciate her trying on my
clothes for me. They fit fine.
Did you see the pics of Spanky in his new home and family on FB? He has a 12x12
stall and his own, private turn out. The stall was up to his knees in
shavings. I told Rosie that she may not be able to find him in there. They
have ridden and driven him and absolutely love him. She is going to turn him
out with her gelding a few hours a day so he can have play time. I think he is
going to be just fine. Thank you for helping us.
Also, really enjoyed the pics of both the adopted horses and the one you put
together of the horses that you have rescued. We looked to see if we could see
any of Vegas but didn't.
You have a great weekend and I hope you are able to place more horses.
Warmest Regards,
Nanci Riehl
hey there! All is well- kids, hubby family- the horses are doing fine as
well. Derek is on a trip now but i will ask him on the phone what he had in mind
for the saddle. Sounds good. How is SWAP doing? So glad you are doing what you
do to help horses in need- great thing you got going- tho I know its hard and
discouraging at times. Both Classy and Mistral and fat and happy- the girls ride
them a couple times a week. They are out all day and in all nite. Lotsa hay and
plenty of feed- so they are doding well. Im attching some shots.........bye for
now.
Betsy
Sure, use the image with logo or credit (Www.ebaileyportraits.com)
but do not cite the kids' names. There was a real issue with color balance on
these shots, and Im addressing that technical issue as it is a continual
problem.....the golds at sunset are just too darn gold! I will try to get a
better one next time......Yes, they are growing up- Brooke is 11.5 yrs and
Brynna will be 14 after Christmas. Amazing how fast it all goes. They are good
kids- actually this year is the first year Ive have even had issues with bad
attitudes (School, teachers, friends, etc....) They arent perfect and NEITHER am
I!! :/ WEll, keep in touch and best wishes to you and yours for a fab
Thanksgiving holiday
Hello, Celeita!
Mylyssa Wilson here, ravin's daughter - we adopted Painter back in January. How
is everything down at your place? I was just looking through your photos of the
horses you have available the other day. You have some many tall ones down
there that are just beautiful! I hope they all get great, loving homes!
My mom said that you called her today and said you would put a contract in the
mail for her but she wasn't sure what you were talking about, and neither am I,
haha. But, instead of mailing it you can always use this e-mail address to send
these along so that I can give them to her. Much less killing of trees that way
- and cheaper! :o)
If you can let me know what the contract is for or send it over for her, I will
pass the word along!
Painter is doing absolutely excellent! We've put him on SmartFlex Repair for
his bad leg and he is just doing so well on it! His leg barely bothers him
anymore, he's been running and playing in the field with everyone else and we
even started riding over the summer. He still has bad days with it but it's
come such a far way from how it was.
He is just the biggest baby in the world! He loves to take his naps! If I
catch him taking a nap and go in his stall to say hello, he has to lay down with
his head on my chest (which is really my whole body) and just snores away! We
couldn't ask for a better guy for us. He's lovable, so smart and just loves to
be loved. Not to mention how handsome he is :D
We took some great pictures of us riding over the summer. I'll have to send a
few over for you to see!
I'll keep an eye out for your e-mail and thank you so much! Give everyone a big
hello from Painter! :o)
Have a great night!
Celeita, Hi, sorry I've took so long to respond, I haven't
been online much. Emily is doing good. She has a cancerous growth on the
side of her head. Our Vet thought it was propably the same growth that had
been taken off of her eye. He came and did an ultrasound on it to see
exactly what it was, he also did a biopsy. It turned out to be a solid mass
so our only plan of attack was injecting it with beads to try and reduce it.
The vet put in the first set and next week he is putting in the next set.
Emily is eating well and running around as before. He said it's not painful
but eventually it will get very large. We are hoping to buy alot more time
with the bead therapy. Please call our vet for more detailed information.
Dr. Forfa Monacacy Equine 301-607-4025 I'll be sending pictures later
tonight. Sorry for all your worry. We love Emily, she is still as sweet as
ever. The neighborhood girls come over all the time to groom her with me.
Thank you again for giving us Emily. If you get a chance please call.
Glenna and John Kozak |
Hi Celeita, just a quick note. I received a call from Katie today saying the
vet records for Sonny would be faxed to me today. Once I receive them, I will
call the vet to verify they did come from them and fax them to you. I also told
Katie I wanted to see Reba again. She agreed to that but she is not liking
this! Very defensive and bitter!
On another subject I wanted to know what you use for arthritis for older
horses. As you can imagine poor Goldie has a lot of arthritis from his years
racing and his knee that was operated on. We have tried tons of stuff over the
years from MSM, which he was on for years to daily aspirin, lots of "over the
counter" products. We have had success with adjustments and lots of success
from acupuncture. Hard thing with acupuncture is the cost. I feel bad that it
worked so well and then I stopped. The last thing I have had him on an
anti-inflammatory (Privloc - not sure if that is the exact name). It was one
small pill a day, I tired it for a month, but I could not see any changes, not
sure if it was doing anything?? It has been a gradual process over the last few
years but Goldie is basically walking with his hind end tucked up and his
muscles in his hind end are tight. Because he is tucking his butt up his spine
is raised. When we did the
acupuncture he relaxed, big difference, just takes lots of visits to get to a
good point and then it has to be maintained monthly. Yesterday I noticed his
bad knee is swollen. This is something new, the knee has always been enlarged
but when we got him, the x-rays showed a calcium build up and the vet was not
worried, product of his surgery. I have called the vet today to check on the
knee and to see if there is another med, injections, something. If not I will
go back to the acupuncture. Just thought you might have another idea since you
deal with so many ex-racehorses! Even though you can see Goldie is tight, he
continues to do his daily routine and does not act like a horse in pain. We
have a big flat pasture that he and Irish go on in the day time, Irish loves to
kick her heels up and Goldie follows! Goldie has been retired (sometimes a
small child leadline) for many years. He really is not that old, 22, I guess
since he was worked so hard
in his younger years, all has taken its toll.
Lori
Good morning Celeita,
Well...we had another eventful weekend. Savannah kept trying to throw my
husband. He's not heavy at all...when an adult gets on her she tries to get
them off now. I was leading him because I figured she was going to do
that. She bucked and I made sure my husband stayed on...I walked her
through it...she tried again and I continued to just walk her through it.
She knew that he wasn't getting off so she stopped. I just did tons and
tons of big circles while he was on her...then he just sat on her for about
30 minutes. Then Josh got on and I made her work...I kept her on a line
because I wanted to make sure I was on control. I had her trot for a minute
or 2 then I would stop her. I drew my circle and worked on her not coming
into my space...she did really really good with that. She stops beautifully
too when I tell her. I'm just so afraid that we'll never be able to
actually get on her and ride her because she doesn't like to carry more than
a big kids weight. I'm not a doctor but I can probably safely say that both
of my sons are going to be well over 6 foot and weigh more than 200 pounds.
Can I ever get her to carry more than that? I always thought if you had a
big horse then just about anyone can ride...that's why I wanted
Savannah...she's a pretty big girl...she's listed at 1200 pds. when she was
donated...I know she weighs more than that now.
She's in excellent health...her teeth are done...her feet are always
done....she's never been lame...her legs are great...her back is great.
She's excellent with everyone...she just doesn't want any bigger people on
her....not that I can say I blame her but there has to be something we can
do. Do you have any suggestions? My husband doesn't need to lose any
weight...he's perfect for his height and frame. I just know that my kids
are going to get pretty big and I'm afraid we won't be able to ride her in
the next few years. Please don't get upset with me...I don't want to bring
her back because we all love her...I just need some guidance and advice.
Thank you Celeita I'm not giving up. I just had a nice talk with a good
new friend at our barn. I'm just very frustrated. I'm feeling like a
failure because we have this beautiful horse that I just don't know what to
do with sometimes. I've been reading every book and magazine...I've been
trying so so hard to do everything right. She's an amazing horse and we
love her...I just wish there was an easy answer. But I guess nothing in
life comes easy:) I'm not a quiter and I'm not going to quit on her.
Everyone says they don't think weight is the issue. She's a very big horse
and she can carry all of us with ease. She's just stubborn and if she can
find a way out of working then she will try everything because we don't know
yet what she should really be doing and what she shouldn't be doing.
PATIENCE is the key I guess...and the willingness to NOT GIVE UP. Things
will get better...I have faith and a great horse
And BTW...you can't feel her ribs but I'm not worried about that now. She
just looks really healthy. I'm thinking I'm going to blanket her tonight
because it's really cold today..possible flurries tonight. I'll just go up
and take it off early in the morning.
I'll take some more pics tonight..with and without her blanket.
Walking is all she does...even with Josh on her. Occasionally I'll let this
one lady get on her and she trots around the arena but that doesn't happen
that often...maybe twice a month. My husband actually got on her a few days
ago and trotted around for a few minutes..that was his first time...he did
really good. We were all suprised. I do longe her before Josh rides her.
She runs around and throws out her legs...I can tell she's playing...I'm fine
with her doing that on the line. She knows she's not allowed to do that when
anyone is on her...I think the longe time is "her" time. They keep all the
horses in if it rains so if she's in, then I'll usually go up and take her out
so she can stretch her legs for a bit. I've been getting some people ask me
why I longe her all the time. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
She's not a push-button horse and it works for us. I do both sides for about
3 minutes a piece...it all depends on if she seems to be enjoying it then I'll
let her run around longer. I usually do just above a walk....when I'm done I
just say Wooooo and she stops and walks right to me and gets her head rubbed.
Then I tell her "come on lets do the other side" and she automatically does
it. I am pretty impressed with her so far. I was really discouraged after
that ass came out and rode her right after we got her and said he wouldn't put
any kids on her. I saw him at a show and made sure I showed him all the pics
of the kids on her;) He couldn't believe it. Even recently a guy that's
been riding for a long time told me that when he first heard that new boarders
were coming up with a young race horse and kids he didn't think it would last
and he thought it was going to be a big mess. He said he's eating those
words now. He's also very impressed with her. I knew the first time we came
down and met her that she was the horse for us...there have been many ups and
downs and I know they will continue forever but I'm ok with it because her
heart is with us. I just can never tell you how much that I appreciate the
chance you gave me in letting us bring her home after knowing that we had no
experience....all the advice you have given me. It really means alot. I
didn't like the "adoption" part of it but now I'm kind of glad this is how it
happened. I know that you will always be there for me if I have a question
because you care about each and every horse that you have found a home for.
Amy
|
Hi,
I just wanted to thank everyone that came to the 1st SWAP trail ride.
Thanks to your support and donations we were able to raise $190. We will
be planning an overnight trail ride for late spring/eary summer. I hope
that we can make this a once or twice a year thing.
If you have any suggestions on activities, fundraising, or improvements
please let me know, I would appreciate your feedback.
Thank you again everyone and have a great day
Juliet
|
Hollie and her husband came. Tom and ruby came but didnt bring horses. I had
asked hollie if she wanted to ride, she said her husband wanted to get back
home around 12p, so tom rode one of mine and hollie stayed. the 2 neighbor
girls rode, and a lady named Laurie from somewhere near parkersburg. Hollie
ended up staying later, they left about dark.
The ride it self was pretty good. Carley fell off her horse but was okay. Mine
hers and one other spooked at a guy with a metal tape measure when it rolled
back up. she dusted herself off, i checked her over, she got back on and we
headed on our way.
There was more freakin food than any of us knew what to do with. Im afraid if
i open the fridge door everything is going to fall out. I now have a whole
bunch of stuff that i have to figure out where im going to put away.
I wish you could have seen Indy he looks so good. well he did before the ride,
im going to have to scrub the sweat off of him. But he did excellet up until
the very end when we were getting close to home he started getting antsy and
tried to leave everyone behind.
well now im going to go relax, take a shower and go to bed, i hope in that
order.
I hope you have a better night.
Juliet.
Celeita, just wanted to let you know how wonderful Chance is doing! She is
an awesome horse for me. She has some get up and go but not too much. We have
been on quite a few trail rides now. She doesn't love trafic or cars but
doesn't shy from much else. She is slowly gaining weight with a feed she loves
from Southern States she eats 50 lbs every 9 days!! At $17.oo a bag its love!
Check her out you would not know it is her!
Best Wishes
Had a great trail ride today. Here is Jake and I. I
just love that horse! Yes, I am pregnant. Baby bump is really starting to
show, as you can see!
Thanks again for such a wonderful horse!
-Shelly DeWitt
Wanted to update, especially considering the issues Maiden has been having! I
am actually (cautiously) optimistic at this point. The left rear leg with the
snake bite has not gotten WORSE, though it is slow to heal and will definitely
not be the same. The good news is that she is sound on it (amazingly!!). Her
appetite has picked up again, and she is trying to heal up. We are feeding her
everything but the kitchen sink! Supplements, and good food seem to be doing
more good than anything, though we are tending to her dressings and medications
diligently. She seems to be enjoying all the hovering and pampering! We were so
worried about her!!! Healing seems to be taking a lot out of her, but her
personality and temper seem to be unchanged. She is now enjoying going out a
little in the front pasture with her favorite gelding (Buddy). She is sound
while walking, and that is an improvement. Buddy seems worried about her too,
whinnying and nosing her about. We are hoping for a mild winter and lots of
healing but will take whatever we can get at this point. We are just glad she
seems to not be in pain, and enjoys her time in the sunshine.
Hope everything goes well for your other fur- babies!
Lindsey
P.S.-- Smitty is awesome. No problems (knock on wood), and getting settled in
for fall/ winter. He is VERY frisky when that cool fall breeze blows! But he
looks gorgeous trotting across the pasture.
Good morning Celeita,
I bought Savannah's winter blanket...I got her a 1200D waterproof-insulated
heavy blanket in a 78. It fits beautifully...she didn't mind it being put
on to check the fit at all!
She's doing really well. She had her feet done again on 10-2. She was also
wormed 1 or 2 days before that I think...I have the paperwork in her file
box.
I have a question....she's getting her winter coat and she's not shiny like
she used to be. Should I be giving her some kind of supplements? Her
weight is fantastic and she looks great but her coat just seems dull.
And when should I blanket her? The weather shows it's going down to 43
tonight with storms. She comes in everynight and doesn't go out in the rain
so she'll be in her stall which is in the middle of the barn so she's not on
any exterior walls. Everyone's different up there. Alot of people blanket
and alot of people don't. I'm going to blanket her because she gets only
the best!!! I just don't want her to get hot if she doesn't need to wear it
yet. I've only seen one horse blanketed so far and he's a huge draft
horse....he's really really spoiled also so that's why I'm thinking he was.
Amy
Yeah I did notice a huge difference in her coat after we had her for a
little while. She was very shiny. She's eating too good!!! That girl
LOVES to eat!!! My vet did some test on her poop and she's a low-shedder
so she didn't need wormed until the beginning of Oct....it was a few days
before but it was done. I just need to watch her weight now. She's
getting a round belly....I'll take some pics of her tonight and send them
to you and maybe you can see from the pics if you think she's getting to
heavy. Maybe I'll have my vet look at her the next time they're at the
barn to see what they think. We are getting her ready to go out on her
first trail ride!!! We're gonna take her along with some of the hacks.
I've walked her out on the beginning of a few and she's very inquisitive
(spelling)...she likes to stop and look around at everything. She doesn't
really spook either. In the very beginning if she did all she would do is
stomp her front foot....if she sees something now she just stops and looks
at it. My 8 year old son is doing really well with her. He has her
walking across the bridge now while he's on her back. He actually rode
her out of the arena for the first time on Saturday..he was so excited. I
can't wait to see her playing in the snow with the other horses!!
|
Hi Celeita, I had a dream about you last night! I have been meaning to
email you back, so sorry it has taken me too long!
Irish and I did another Hunter Pace today. Irish was perfect!! I cannot
tell you how wonderful she is and what a blessing! Bud is doing better!!
He is such a tough little guy. Our "dry lot" has finally become one and
he is out 24/7 with full access to his stall. He likes that a lot better
than being 100% stall bound. We go back to the vet this Friday for shoes
and possibly more x-rays. I thought he had another absess in his other
foot and we have been using pol-cat poluice wraps but now he seems to be
improving? As long as he improves, I am happy :)
Hope you have a great week!
Lori
|
Hi Celeita,
Danny is doing great. Had the farrier out and he said he looks fine. It
has been good for Danny to be here. He has gotten used to the chickens and
kittys, as he was a little frightened at first. I worry that he is getting
fat, but the farrier said he looks great. I would prefer to stay as a foster.
I love him, but if you find a better fit, that's better for him. I have not
found anyone to give me riding lessons, so will wait until the spring and
better weather. If you feel Danny needs to be ridden and find a better home,
Im OK. I would consider Super, but not now as I only have 2 stalls, one for
Danny, and the mini share the other. Keep me informed.
I had sent an email a few days ago about the garage sale. I would like to
buy 2 pony grazzing muzzles if you have them. I am not sure if we will be able
to get down on the weekend, but if you can let me know if they are available, I
will send a check.
Thanks for everything.
Nancy
| Celeita,
Thanks for the follow up. I do check your site periodically, so I'll make
sure to keep everything updated.
He's doing fantastic!! His hooves are shaping up nicely and it seems like
the thrush is gone now. I'll have the farrier out in a couple of weeks
and he'll do a thorough check then. He's looks really good now- super
shiny coat and he has gained a good amount of weight to where you can
barely see any ribs now!! He's such a sweetie and LOVES to be groomed and
have lots of attention. He's super happy!!
Hope all is well with you!
Jennifer and Doc
|
Dear Celeita:
Here are some cutesy pictures of Romo & Apolo with my brother. As you can see,
they will walk across a tarp & shower together. Romo is Rosie's baby. He has a
blaze & a white hind stocking. Apolo is Fancy's baby & he has a small star.
Both are chestnuts (for now).
We weaned them last Thursday. They hardly missed Momma at all. They are big boys
with hearty appetites.
Both mares are fat, happy & glad to be without the foals.
Rosie & Fancy are UTD on coggins, shots, worming & farrier. Their hooves were
trimmed yesterday.
Sally Graham
"Great accomplishments begin with a thought"
Good Morning Celeita!
I wish you the best--you are doing such a wonderful thing for these animals and
times are so tough now. Lucky "Blue" is doing great--we went trail riding
Saturday & Sunday. He's a little nervous in the beginning but then settles right
in. He's a great ride and has turned into a beautiful boy--thank you for saving
his life!!
Take care,
Julie
Celeita, just wanted ot let you know how great she is doing. We went for a
nice long ride ( all of 40 minutes) this morning and she was wonderful! Here
are pictures taken this morning. Dr. Winnie came out did her teeth last Tue.
and said she looks great. She is perfect for me in every way! God bless your
work and you
Best Wishes
Caron Vilasuso
Hi Celeita,
Thought I’d send you some pics
of my handsome boy… CJ is doing great. The vet came out on Tuesday so he’s all
up to speed with his annuals. Had to re-roof my barn before I put up 228 bales
of real nice hay for him this summer… had a bit left (45-48 bales) from last
year…it was such nice hay I’ll feed it out first. Got his feet trimmed early
July, still getting that “natural” trim. Will do that again in a month or so…
he’s still in pretty good shape… Did I tell you I got him a set of those shoe
boots that I use for hard surfaces instead of shoes? He likes going barefooted I
think and hasn’t had any trouble AT ALL with his feet since I started that.
Running around in the pasture and riding only on my property through the woods
he hasn’t been on any hard surfaces except the driveway where I cross-tie him.
I’ve included some pics of him taken on Tuesday (9-14-10) so you can see him
just after his bath with his new “pink” tack! My Vet went on and on about the
glossiness of his coat… said “a man could shave in that shine!” THAT tickle my
Dad!
If I can, I’ll do something $
for the feed fund. Don’t have it right now but I’m working on it.
BTW… did you get all that
boyfriend/fiancé business straightened out? Hope so!
Take care
Beverly
I really don’t know how
people can just give up their animals… ; ( we are so attached to CJ I can’t
imagine losing him. I realize people come on hard times but that really isn’t
the same as those who just give them up because they aren’t ride-able anymore
or because they are needing lots more attention than when they were younger…
Dad laughs and tells everyone who see CJ that he’s loved-to-death and “eat’s
whether he works or not”… He’s OLD-School…worked his horses in the fields all
day then rode them all over Marion & Monongalia counties all night going to
the movies and visiting the girls! The last time I was there you’d gotten in
several (5?) or so horses that were in extremely bad shape… their feet were a
mess and most were so weak they could barely stand… they were rescues but I’ve
forgotten from where… did any of them make it?
I do have a question for you....I bought her an eggbut snaffle bit...she
seemed to be fine with it but lately she's been throwing her head up when you
try to pull her back. I've read it could be wolf-teeth but she doesn't have
those...it could be her teeth but those were floated I think about 2 months
ago....it could be there's a rough spot on the bit but I checked it and it's
smooth...do you think it could be to small and it's maybe pinching the corners
of her mouth? When I bought it I took in the bit that I bought from you and
they just matched up the size to that one....is it possible for her mouth to
get wider?? Sounds like a stupid question but I'm puzzled. It seems to only
happen when you want to turn or stop her. Do you think I should go up a size?
Bailey is finally working with her again...it took almost 2 months but she's
getting back into things. I think I told you but if not...Bailey fell
off...it wasn't Savannah or Bailey's fault...it was actually mine. I bought a
western saddle because I wanted the kids to have something to hold onto...this
was before I found out about grab-straps!!! I didn't have it tight enough and
in slow motion the saddle fell to the side and Bailey fell off....Savannah
just stood there sniffing Bailey as she's laying on the ground....it was as if
Savannah was thinking "what's wrong and why are you laying there"!! even
though Bailey was laying there crying...it was really sweet because Savannah
seemed really concerned. So my husband and I went and picked her up and she
was too afraid to get back on so thankfully there was a girl riding and she
jumped on Savannah right away and rode her around...she didn't get hurt but
she was just really scared. She knew it was my fault. I didn't push her...I
just made sure she knew Savannah didn't do it and some of the people at our
new barn helped out by getting Bailey to sit on their ponies....the smallest
horse on the farm which is actually right around 11Hands...she was good with
that...then she started sitting on Savannah....then came brushing and braiding
her tail and mane...she started walking her around....now she's back to
lunging by herself and she's taking longer pony rides on Savannah....things
are looking up for her!!! Actually last night she was working with a really
nice lady that gets the hacks ready to be ridden....they were working on
getting Savannah to walk over this little bridge...she does it for me with no
problem but not for anyone else. If the boys want to ride by themselves which
they usually do...I can't be in the arena because she won't leave my side....I
usually just walk all around and she just follows me which is a really good
thing but they don't feel like they're doing it by themselves because she's
following me.
I really hope that if you are ever in our area that you stop up and see her.
I know I go on and on about her but I just can't help it. There is another
Standardbred up there who is also an ex-racer...she's not nearly as friendly
as Savannah is and she's REALLY fat. There was a lady up there yesterday that
we never met before and she couldn't get over how beautiful Savannah is. She
said she's really tall and lean...she's in great shape and she's just
gorgeous!!! I'm so proud:) When I look at the pic of Donna riding her she
just looks so different now...she is absolutely breath taking...and I would
love for you to visit her!!!
Hi!! I am soooo sorry I have not updated you in awhile on Bud's condition!
Life gets way too busy sometimes! Bud has been doing really well! Everyday he
improves and improves. But we did suffer our first abscess last week. All of
the other times I thought he had an abscess he did not, just damage from the
founder. I took him to the vet and they took his shoe off and it popped
immediately. We took ex-rays to see how it was moving and the farrier worked
according to make sure it would drain. He is doing much better now and goes
back to the vet on Friday. We did not want to work on his other foot until the
sore one was not sore anymore. He has new shoes on every 4 weeks. Wonderful
thing is he is still sore however he is not laying down anymore (other than what
is normal) and is not a horse you would look at and say is in extreme pain. I
will send you some pics soon. He really looks great. His weight is a lot
better. He is an unbelievable easy keeper!
On another note, Irish Cream is the best trail riding horse ever!!! I cannot be
more pleased with her! We are trail riding every weekend and she loves it! I
am taking her to the NC Mt in October, cannot wait! It is amazing what great
match we are. She does not spook anymore, trusts me and will do anything I
ask! We are taking her to a Halloween costume contest in Oct. My young boys
will be riding her, lead line. Not sure what the dress will be yet but I will
send you pics!
Take care,
Lori
P.S. Irish and I competed in our first Hunter Pace on Sunday. She did
GREAT! We came in third place!
Hi Im Lucy's granddoughter. Im 12 yrs. old and i was wondering what age I
would need to be to volenteer ride. I was wondering because I love to ride
horses, I volenteer at a stable called Willow farm for handicap riding. I teach
them about horses. I also work horses for my moms friend. Please email my
grandma back.
Carley
P.S. King is doing wonderful, im showing him on sunday
Celeita - just wanted to share a photo of Pizzaz's foal with you. We have
named him Rembrant and he is a big fellow. Pizzaz is doing great and so is the
little guy. We plan on keeping him forever, possibly a stallion prospect, but
definatley an upper level dressage mount is what we are aiming for. He's a very
sweet little guy so I thought you'd like to see a pic of another happy ending,
Meridith
i have decided to give him antibiotics and keep cleaning his leg. hopefully
i can get it under control. i might have to take him to be evaluated here.
cant afford osu. i dont think i want him cut on anymore. i dont have hot water
in my barn and right now the spring has dried up that i use for their water, so
i have to carry water to the barn. we need rain soon.
i would still like to keep a copy of his medical records if that is ok with
you. i have a file on each of the animals and try to keep up to date on the
shots and worming. when was dreamer last wormed?
i think that i will ask the girls to work on getting supplies for dreamer. so we
will see how that goes.
thanks for your help celeita.
starr
about Black from his original owner who adopted him as an aged horse to be
able to retire him with her (Kudos):
I can’t tell you
how happy I am to have him back in my life. Financially it is a big struggle.
But it is worth it. He is so happy and is such a gentle soul. A 9 year old girl
loves to come out and take him out to graze. She also hand walks him in the ring
and he just joins right up with her and is just so nice to her. He and my mare
just love each other and graze side by side. He is definitely a special horse.
| Well, we are now officially at the 2 week mark
and I am still in love with this horse! She just couldn't have been more
perfect. Sweet, loving, and happy as she can be. She has got the feeding
routine down pat and starts winnying for breakfast every morning at 5...
which I suppose is less than perfect, but it could be worse. She has been
consistantly ridden for a full week now and, while a bit rusty, is doing
wonderfully! Is learning to collect nicely and we are going to start low
level dressage lessons at the end of the month. Nothing much, just working
on collection and extension of body and mind. I just love her! Can't get
over it. She gets a minimum of 1 hour grooming, combing, hugging,
massaging, etc time every day, no matter what. She is thriving on it.
Nickers and whinnys everytime I go out to the barn.... speaking of which,
What a Barn Baby! It was raining the other day and she looked out her stall
door at me like "I am sooooo not going out in that" silly girl. And I did
finally find her brand. It didn't take (as in white scar) but there is a
raised skin scar on her left hip. We got it all shaved out now and she
looks so cute with it! Well, just thought I'd let you know how very, very
gratefull I am for this horse. She's more than I could have every hoped for.
Thank you again and forever, Jessica Moore |
Celita, hi how are you doing? I just wanted to write and say how well Remmy
and Lilly are doing, they are so smart and adorable here are a couple of pics
from during the snow storms. I was wondering, were any of their other siblings
placed here in VA or the DC or Richmond areas? we were just curious if they
were close by what they are like and how they are doing. They are a joy to us.
Thank you.
Sheri Reed
janie at home in Ohio
Dear Celeita,
We are so sorry to hear about the financial hard times you're having with your
adoption organization. John and I are sending a check to participate in the
ruby ring raffle. Best of luck with your fund raiser.
I am sending pictures of our haflinger, Janie, in this email. Her yearly
paperwork is in the mail.
What a transformation she has made this year. Janie has finally come to
my senior citizen philosophy that "speed kills" and carries me around like an
old plow horse. We are presently scouting out a dressage instructor to
further our education and are looking forward to showing next year. Because we
would like to show her at some Haflinger Horse Shows, as well as dressage
shows, would you please send us Calamity Jane's registration papers. Thanks so
much.
In the file attachment pictures, you will see our house (in front of the
woods). We have leased Janie's pasture and barn for 25 years. Since Janie is
literally living in our front yard, we get enormous pleasure watching her
throughout the day. She is the cutest thing. Even our neighbor says she looks
over every morning, while going to do her barn work, to see if our haflinger
is in the field. She says it makes her day.
In the past year, we have spent a lot of time learning about the haflinger
breed. We joined state and national haflinger organizations and attended
clinics involving haflingers. During our travels, we met the breeder of
Calamity Jane. He sold her when she was 2 yrs. old, but had wonderful stories
about her sire, dam, and grand dam. One great story is that Janie's sire (who
bred only one year, before being gelded) lives his summers in Missouri and
follows his owner to Florida for the winter months.
This week, on your web site, I noticed the wine section. What a great idea. We
will be buying some wine with Janie's picture on the label.
Tooooooo Cute !!!!! It was also great to see "Pip" on a label and to know he
has also found a loving family.
Best wishes,
Shelley Hubbell
Destiny's Crown Jewel at home in WV... growing up fast
She’s great. Actually, she’s never really been obsessed with her mom – and vice
versa, like other foals I’ve had. She hangs out with the other horses in the
field. She is definitely ready to be weaned, eating very well. I think she
will be in shock when her stall goes from huge to normal size though! Sandra
was planning on picking Denver up on the 27th, but is encountering
some transportation issues. I hope she can get them worked out, because my work
schedule fills up quickly and it will be hard to miss a day after this month.
Oh, and Destiny (we’ve been calling Izzy because its shorter and sounded
similar) LOVES to roll! And once she’s down to nap, it is close to impossible
to get her up! It’s hilarious! And, she’s going to be a gray like her mom.
She lost her browner baby hair, and now is basically black with gray hair
throughout, especially on her ears and face!
We did move her...I've been posting pics on FB so you can see her. The
paperwork is filled out but I'm waiting on the owners signature. Their mother
passed away the week I was moving her there. I have not seen him or his
sister...I guess they are really busy with getting things settled and
finalized with her estate. I will get it soon hopefully.
Savannah is scheduled to have her teeth floated tomorrow afternoon. I'm not
sure if she needs any shots...the paperwork I have on her says 2 different
things. She did just get her Coggins a few weeks ago..I know that you had
that done in Feb. but they required it within the last 3 months. Of course
that came back negative. I'm gonna ask my vet what he thinks I should do.
I have a question about June. What do I have to send to you? Current pics
and her shot records? I'm starting to accumulate a lot of paperwork on her!
Everyone loves her at the new barn. She seems so much more relaxed. All we
hear is "she's gorgeous" "she's beautiful" "she's my dream horse"...she's a
big hit! The kids are even riding her in the arena with other horses and
she's perfect. At the old barn she didn't want any parts of being around
other horses but now she's "talking" to them...one of the workers that turn
her out in the mornings said she has a little group of 5 or so horses that she
is friends with...I guess they lay in a circle and roll on their backs and
stuff. She did get a kick to her shoulder last week...I guess she got hit by
a hoof from another horse when it was trying to get up. It wasn't bad....just
a little hair rubbed off and their was a teenie little cut. The manager
called me right away after it happened because she didn't want me to see it
and be worried. I just put some medicine on it to keep flies and gnats from
going in it...it was healed within 2 days. I'm going out today to buy her
some padded halters. They require the horses to wear them 24/7 and I don't
want her to get rubbed from it. She has every color of the rainbow in
halters!!! I can definitely say she is SPOILED!!! Her tack trunk is FULL of
treats and toys. I bought her one of those apple stall treat things...she
goes through those things like it's water. I'm starting to watch now because I
don't want her to get fat! She's a definite treat hound!
The kids are doing great with her. We have her walking across this little
bridge thing in the arena...it took me 2 days but now she doesn't think
twice...she also didn't care for walking through water and mud before but now
she's also doing that with ease! Like I said before...she's so much better
with other horses now....I'm just trying to teach her different tricks just
like I teach my dogs...she seems to like it. We're just having a really good
time with her.
The attached pics were all takin this past Sunday! I think she looks good. I
looked at the pics from the day we brought her home and compare...her coat is
so shiny now. Amy
Dixie at home in Virginia with her BFF Mya
Zephyr and Jazzy at home in Virginia
 Doc at
home in Virginia... looks as though he's become a VA Tech fan
 Dodger enjoying
a ride with a little friend at home in WV
Pip in her first show at Pony Pastures in Maryland, so cute
 Pizzaz and her bundle
of joy enjoying the wonderful spring weather in florida
Ramses giving lessons to the youngest of the Meek family in Ohio
Ren's first Show with a Pony Pasture student
Hi Celeita,
Danny is Wonderful!! It looks like everyone is happy with the
arrangement. We put Danny in a stall for 30 minutes, and then let him out to
mix with Luke and Sophie. He came out, and Luke started to run away, with
Sophie close at his side. Danny followed, but did not overtake or seem
aggressive. Finally, Luke and Sophie stopped, and Danny did as well. There was
absolutely no confrontation. They stayed in the pasture, and enoyed the
grass. I took a short video, (first time ever), but I can't figure out how to
attach it to this email I will keep trying. Luke and Sophie are wagging their
tails, and welcoming Danny. I think it is going to be just fine. I'll keep you
posted. Michael was prompt, gentle, and very helpful.
Nancy
Jasfar has settled in well. He really has a super personality and
temperament - it really shows when he isn't with so many other horses. He's
great with the goats and Joe - I've never even seen him lay his ears back. He
LOVES all the pasture - occasionally just looks up dreamily when I'm out feeding
and doesn't even bother to come up for grain.
I would be glad to share some milk and eggs - I could drop some off tomorrow
if you want, as I am going to Bridgeport.
Liz
Hi Celeita, Chance made it safe and sound. Still not eating well but
hopefully the grass will make up for it plus we are adding some aple sauce in
hopes of enticing her to grain which she seems to like. I sent the other check
today it should be there tomorrow. Let me know when you get it. Also will you
send me her back page to contract and I will send pictures.
Thank you for all you do
Caron Vilasuso
Hello, just wanted to let you know that Sukhoi is here all safe and sound.
She is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! her pictures really didn't do her justice. I
absolutely love her. Been fussing her for the last hour. lol, she just
looks at me like "can i please sleep now?" Wonderful stall manners. Just
can't tell you how much I like her already. New place, new horses, dark
and spooky shadows and she just waltzed into the barn with that here I am,
love me kind of attitude. didn't even hesitate. Good good girl! did
have a quick question, the website said she was branded? couldn't find
anything... not a big deal, just wondered if it was grown over or a
mistype. Again, I just can't thank you enough. thus far, she is meeting
and exceeding all of our expectations. I have been praising your name and
organization to everyone who will listen. I think my sister in law (who
shows/breeds arabs and arab sport horses) is going to contact you about
getting a horse too! So, thank you thank you thank you and I will let you
know how things are going. Jessica The brand is there Jessica, may be
faded some but there... look closely. :) Celeita |
celeita
I think that i have a problem with dreamer. i was out of town from friday until
this evening and mike was trying to take care of his leg for me. when i got
home he told me that dreamers leg was swollen and it looked like something had
happened to the bottom of the proud flesh. there has been like pieces of it
coming off on the bottom but tonight there were alot of magots in the sides of
the proud flesh, i scrubbed his leg with a soap that i got from the office for
surgical sites, i used peroxide on it and then i put antibiotic ointment on it.
if he isnt any better in the morning i will give him injectable pencillin and
see it that will help him. he is such a good boy, i know that it had to hurt
when i scrubbed his leg but he stood very still. he didnt flinch or try to move
away. he just stood there and endured. i want to get him better because i
think he will be a great horse. he is very smart. he knows how to back up he
learns quickly. tonight i put him in the barn and locked him in and he put his
head on my shoulder like he was thanking me for helping him.
i dont think i will be going anywhere for a while, at least until he is better.
no one else can do the care the way that i do it. mike did try tho.
i am not sure what i want to do about osu. right now, the girl scouts that are
coming out are going to do fund raising to buy his supplies or get him to osu.
they have come up with alot of things to do for dreamer. he is so beautiful and
people just love him and want to help him.
thanks celeita for everything
starr
Hi again! It's Lindsey, Maiden and Smitty's mom. Smitty is of course doing
great and quite sweet (sometimes sassy) but poor little Maiden is having
problems again. Her appetite is still good, her weight is not much worse than
normal but her left hind leg mysteriously was painful, limping somewhat. No heat
or swelling to begin with, no localized tenderness that we could find. Had our
ferrier look, thought maybe a gravel or stone bruise. Over next two days her leg
began swelling. Vet doctored it with bute, we started antibiotics just in case.
No open wound. Then the leg did open up and drain in two areas; serous to pus
like fluid. Swelling went down. We are still doing antibiotics and bute (PRN
bute), and having the vet out tomorrow again. Her hair and skin don't look
"right"; perhaps from the swelling and sudden reduction it is loose and not
properly adhered?????? We have doctored a lot of wound but this is not very
pretty I have to say. Vet thought maybe it was a snake bite, though we have had
no snakes at all this summer near the barns. I have been meaning to call or
email sooner, since this started last week but everything keeps changing. I was
hoping it would get better but not so far. Sorry the news is rather
discouraging. Maiden is still eating, which is probably the best news we have
right now. Any suggestions you have would be great. Our vet thinks the bute is
helping but he thinks her kidneys might be shutting down from meds. He asked if
there is a point when we would consider putting her to sleep because "she can't
live as a two legged horse", and her front left leg looks swollen and strained
now from compensating. Ugh. Any advice? We are still doctoring her as best as
possible but only using the bute if she really needs it due to kidneys. We are
giving her lots of water, and keeping her hydrated. Anything else we can do we
will. Thank you guys for everything. We really appreciate it.
Lindsey and Kevin
Thanks again so much. It seems a lot of the little bitty old lady horses have
that same pattern; they scare me to death for a couple days then pop back up! I
am hoping she pops back up, but we will watch and see. We did the penicillin big
doses, and now we have her on a powder in the grain. As long as she is still
eating and drinking we will keep trying. Her best friend is a gelding named
Buddy and he is staying close in the adjoining stall. And Maiden is getting all
sorts of extra special love! Everyone is spending extra time brushing and
talking to her, she seems to enjoy it. We will keep you posted, hope she
suprises everyone with her recovery!
Hi Celeita,
I was planning to send you
a note about Red. He's GREAT!! He's the perfect gentleman when I'm riding
him. I even felt confident enough to jump on him bareback the other day. It
took him a couple weeks to learn his place with the other 3 but things seem to
be calmed down now and there aren't many squabbles any more. Sider liked him
right off and spent the night standing or laying right beside Red's paddock
for the couple days I kept him separate. Amira was the biggest trouble maker,
but as soon as Red stood up for himself she stopped being so nasty and now
they get along good. Red reinjured his hock on the trailer on the way here
and I had the vet look at it when he was here to vaccinate him and he said it
was just bruised deep and wouldn't be a problem. And it's not. Both his
hocks are normal now with no swelling in either one. I'm impressed with how
intelligent he is. And calm. Nothing bothers him except horse flies. He's
perfect for me and I'm so glad I looked at your email and saw him.
Thanks again!!! Kim
Hi Celeita
I am an approved adopter and have adopted Goldsider, Hank
and Amira in the past. It has become obvious that Sider can not be ridden any
longer. His feet just won’t take it. And since it has taken so long to get him
to the point of being pain free, I’m not willing to do anything that could cause
him pain again. So he’s a much loved pasture ornament and will stay here till
the day he dies. But that leaves us with 3 riders and only 2 horses so we’ve
been thinking of adding another and when I saw Red we started seriously talking
about another horse. Is there anything else you can tell me about him? If he’s
still available that is. Why is he in the program? We don’t do any ring work,
only trail riding so he sounds perfect for us.
I’m attaching photos of the horses. I know I’m late
getting in the yearly updates. It’s been one of those summers and I’m still
waiting on the paperwork from the vet. I’ll call him about it. And I just
realized I forgot to get a picture of both sides of Hank. Let me know if you
need another photo, but you can see he’s doing great and has put his weight back
on since his mouth surgery. And I’m so pleased with Sider! I’ve finally got
him on feed that has put some weight on him and he’s keeping it on. No more
ribs!! He’s a really high maintenance horse. Amira, on the other hand would
turn into a dough ball if I gave her a chance.
Thanks for your help.
Kim Mullen
Hi Celeita!
It was nice to talk to you this
morning about Red. I'm really excited to see his pictures today. My husband
suggested we drive down to see him tomorrow afternoon. Do you have Sunday
appointments? It would be about 3 till we could get there after church.
Tomorrow is the only day we could get away and if that doesn't work and I like
his pictures, we'll just buy him on your word.
You said you didn't get the
pictures I sent of Sider, Hank and Amira so I'm sending them again. My email
has been terrible lately sending things out.
Thanks again!!
Kim Mullen
|
Hi Celeita!
I just wanted to let you know that we
picked up Doc today. He is doing
absolutely fantastic! He's fitting in
very well and acting quite happy
already. What a sweetheart he is!!!
Thank you so much for making it
possible for us.
I have a question for you... I
understand that Doc is not registered.
Is the name Doc one that was given to
him once he entered your facilities? If
so, would we be able to choose a new
name for him? He's a special boy and we
want to give him a very special name.
Cindy was great and such a pleasure to
work with. She's so sweet and really
takes excellent care of all of her
animals. We ended up taking home with
us today two of her barn kitties too; a
momma cat and one of her kittens.
They're so precious and are settling in
nicely.
I can't say enough wonderful things
about my experience with your
organization. You are doing an
absolutely fantastic job!! My hat is
off to you, as I can only imagine all of
the details that go into running such a
large organization!
All my best,
Jennifer
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Good morning Celeita!
I hope this letter finds
you well. I just wanted to let you know that we've decided to rename him
Victor- after my husband's late brother who was just as sweet and kind.
He's doing extremely well now. He's gaining some good weight and is
starting to get his "horsey figure". I've been doing a lot of ground work
with him and he learns
very
quickly and is extremely willing to try ANYTHING! He's such a fantastic
addition to our family and we love him very much!
I had a question for you...
when I tried to saddle him the other day he seemed quite surprised and
spooked at both the saddle pad and saddle. I worked with him using
approach and retreat and did get him saddled; he was fine with the girth
and didn't mind having it tightened. I lunged him with it on and the
stirrups flopping loosely and he seemed to be ok with it at that point. I
thought you had said that he had been ridden by Maureen when he was first
rescued, so I was somewhat surprised by his reaction to the tack. Is
there any way for me to find out from Maureen how he reacted with her?
I was curious, also, as to
what the usual turn around time is for the paperwork? I know you're busy
and there's no rush, I just wanted to have a general idea.
Thanks!
Jennifer
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Thanks for getting back
to me. It's no problem at all. He'll have all the time he needs-
we're going at his pace. He's doing impressively well and learning so
fast! What a good boy he is!! It seems like he's been here forever-
he just seems to fit in perfectly!! I love my horses so dearly and
feel so blessed to be able to have them in my life. They are truly a
gift from God.
Attached is a photo I
took the other day when I was working with him on some
desensitizing. Based on his initial reaction, I doubt he had ever
seen a hat before, especially around his face. But as you can see
in the picture, he was totally fine with it after just a few
minutes. I guess he's a true Virginia Tech fan now!!
Thanks again for your
help and support. I'll keep in touch with you to update you as to
his progress.
All my best,
Jennifer
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We are as prepared as we're going to get. Its a little scary...the forcasters
keep saying its going to go more out to sea...but frankly it hasnt moved a bit
toward the east...all north and west so far. Hopefully it will stay far enough
off the coast that we dont get the full brunt of those 140 mph winds. I feel
good about where I board...we have a big deep sturdy run in shed...our only
concern is if a tree comes down onto the fence..its just not a possiblity on
the shed. Addy has a luggage tag with all of our info braided into his
mane...and (hes not happy about) has a halter on for the duration of the
storm. Im more concerned at this point for myself and my folks. The folks may
have to pull out if the water/storm surge is too high...Im worried about winds
and the fact that Tysons doesnt give a shit about us...the good lord can huff
and puff and blow our houses down...but theyll not let us out of there until
the chicken is done. If last night was any indication...thatll be around 1am
just as the big winds are due to arrive. Theyre saying that the height of the
storm will be between midnight and 8am. We'll see...
Hope for the best...but we're prepared for the worst.
to say that this has come down in strength....we're getting gusts of
55...sustained winds of 25 to 35....much needed rain. Addys all tagged up and
no where to go...LOL. Nancy brought her 2 over for a horsey 'slumber party'
(Sara, Casper & Addy all know each other)...she got hers off the island due to
surge and coastal flooding. Good thing for those barrier islands.. they get
swamped before the mainland does. Mom & Dad are good...theyve got surge over
there but not enough to be in the lower level of the house. The lower level is
just garage .. the appliances are all on cinder blocks to be 2 foot higher.
Once this gets by...I think our next worry is Gaston. Fiona looks to be a
Bermuda thing...not a mainland thing. Tysons burst our bubble yesterday....the
projected schedule was to work saturday but to have monday the holiday
off...but no such luck...the orders came in last night and we're working both.
Good money...lousy for no time off yet again...we've worked 7 of the last 8
weekends. Im tired to my bones. Going to lay down for a couple hours before I
have to head in there. Most of the storm should be past by the time I get off.
Looks like tropical winds & rains for the afternoon. All is well
Chris
Hi Celeita,
The ride home went great. She got off the trailer and was ready to eat. We
walked her around the grounds a little bit then we introduced her to her
pasture mates. George went up to her first...the old pony...she kicked him
so he just left her alone...then the little QH mare went over..she did the
same thing with her. Then SY...I'm not sure what he is...but he's a little
brown pony...he didn't really care but then when he tried to go around her the
QH became really protective. She stared getting pretty mean towards
Savannah. As you know everything that happened is normal but the QH's owner
was uptight...so they are going to move her out of that field...Savannah is
staying in tonight so I don't have to worry about her.
I know that you told me she shouldn't be ridden for a few days but she seems
to really feel safe with us. So Shannen said she wanted to get on her. We
tacked her up, she was great...she likes to move a little but we'll work on
that. I won't let the kids go behind her yet just because of the kicking she
was doing in the field...I don't trust her as far as that goes but that will
change in time. Josh walked her up to the indoor ring with Shannen....we sat
down and she walked Savannah all around the ring because they have mirrors up
on the wall and she just wanted her to see everything first. She brought her
over to the riding block. I stood beside her and held her while Shannen
slowly got on...she was a little nervous at first (savannah) but Shannen was
awesome. She trotted her around...she has a BEAUTIFUL trot...she liked that
she has a slow trot then a faster one. she said she is so smooth. After a
few minutes she did try to canter her. She just didn't know what to do. You
could tell that someone was trying to teach her but she just didn't know what
to do with her feet....Then Katelyn got on her...she said the same things as
Shannen. They both agree that she's safe for the kids to walk around on. I'm
still gonna wait for that to happen though. They are going to continue to
work with her probably 4 to 5 times a week. There's a dressage clinic up
there tomorrow so I'm not sure what they'll do with her tomorrow because the
outdoor rings are so muddy and they are working with their own horses
tomorrow. I will take video of that sometime this week. My 5 year old is
graduating from KDG on Monday and all 3 of them have softball, baseball and
T-ball games this week. This is the last full week of school!!!!
Savannah is doing FANTASTIC. We actually brought her home to our back yard
for like 4 hours yesterday. I got to spend so much time with her. I gave her
a bath...gave her lots of treats....the kids spent some time with her...it was
just a really nice afternoon with her. She didn't end up getting sick or
anything after they rode her the first day..thankfully!
Today was my youngest sons graduation from KDG so after my mom took him to
lunch he wanted to go up and spend some time with Savannah. We took her out
of her stall and just brushed her some more. She has been soooo good. I
think she knows who I am now. She is starting to stand totally still for me
when she's getting groomed. I just keep working with her and telling her when
she moves "STAND" in a firm voice...then I keep telling her she's such a good
girl. She has no problem when i brush her face or anything....it seems like
she actually really enjoys getting pet and her head rubbed. At first it
seemed like she didn't no what a "treat" was. She was hesitant...she's
finally coming around with that. She really likes carrots and peppermints. I
think she's probably just starting to feel comfortable. We went up last night
around 8:30 to check on her and she was in the field with George...very cute
Hi Celeita,
Everything is going good with Savannah...I think I am going to send her to a
trainer if that's ok. He's going to come out and evaluate her then if he
thinks she needs it...he'll take her to his training facility for a month
then we'll go over there for a month and ride with him. I haven't sent you
any pics of Bailey training because she hasn't gotten on her yet. My 2 boys
have taken a pony ride on her but that's it. I'm not comfortable yet with
Bailey just getting on and going. We are switching over to a western
saddle....we're just going to use her for trail riding. She's just going to
be our family horse that everyone can just ride for fun. Maybe eventually
after everything settles down and we all know what we are doing then maybe
Bailey will eventually get in to the low level dressage.
The vet is coming out to the barn next week and I am having them check her
teeth. Teresa said it looks like she needs them done because when she's
eating carrots she's like sawing them instead of chomping. Everything else
is great. She has a beautiful shiny coat...I brush her everyday....I go up
and spend my mornings with her...she's been staying out at night and comes
in during the day...so I go up after she eats her breakfast, I'm trying to
make that our new routine. The kids only have a few days of school left so
they'll be able to go up in the mornings with me now....I want her to just
relax on these 86 degree days, laying in her stall under the ceiling fan.
Do you have any advice on getting on her? Was she fidgity when you put her
saddle on? She'll be real calm while I'm brushing her and stuff...all I
have to do is tap really easy on the side of her leg and say 'come on" and
she'll lift her leg for me to do her feet..she stands competely still for
all that but as soon as I pull out the saddle it's totally different. I
tell her "it's ok...I"m not gonna hurt you"....she'll calm down for a minute
then start moving again...I then tell her in a firm voice "STAND"...and then
she lets me put it on. I do a little more each day with her. Yesterday I
lunged her without the saddle but today I put it on to lunge her. A few of
the girls up there keep talking and I've heard that they think we've made a
mistake....she's always going to pull to the left or something....I don't
care what they say. I am not giving up...it doesn't matter to us what she
can or can't do....she's a part of our family and she will be with us
forever!!! She's happy....we're happy..that's all that matters, everything
else will fall into place when it's time.
I took these 2 pics of her this morning. I will let you know how it goes
with the trainer after her consultation.
PS...my 3 kids are riding Savannah alone now. Bailey is scheduled to
start trotting in about 2 weeks...the boys are content with just walking
and that's fine with me...I promise to get some pics soon...when I get up
there, there's just so much to do and get ready then I end up forgetting
about the camera. We are going up in a little bit to give her her first
bath:)
Hi Celeita....I just wanted to send you a few pics from the kids and my
husband riding Savannah this evening. We had a really nice time:) This
was actually the first time my husband has ever been on a horse....he was
so afraid of her in the beginning but he's finally coming around...he was
keeping the flies away from her tonight, it was cute. I also know
Bailey's legs are out way to far in this pic....her legs have been really
sore from trying to build up the muscles so she was holding them out
tonight...she was safe...Savannah is really really good with them all. I
have videos also to send but I can't get them downloaded yet.
Dear Celeita,
The vet came early this year.
This past weekend having been nice and sunny, I took some photos and have
attached my annual follow-up form and photos on Cody in Dunbarton, New
Hampshire.
I hope this is satisfactory.
If you'd like a hard copy by snail mail, just let me know and I'll send it
out.
This has been a fantastic
spring for trail riding. Cody hasn't gotten into any trouble with
porcupines and continues to be greatly amused by the turkey population. My
neighbors down the road just adopted a beautiful black and white paint and
he and Cody have been exchanging loud neighing conversations across the
woods.
Thank you for all that you do
for the horses that are lucky enough to touch your life.
Take care,
Barb
Hi Celeita,
Again, CJ is a DREAM
animal. I am so fortunate to have gotten him. Whether he is ridden or just
tearing through the pasture he has the most wonderful disposition. He is in
love with children… like the 3’ tall ones! It is amazing to watch him around
them. His head drops to the ground and he follows them all over the pasture
and yard!!! Like catnip for him!
Hi Celeita,
I just wanted to give you an update on Savannah. She is doing really well.
She's starting to trust us more and more everyday. When we stand at the
gate of her pasture if she's all the way at the bottom all we have to do is
call her and she comes right away...she's now following me around when I'm
in there too. I think because we are more comfortable with her now that she
is more comfortable with us as well and it seems like she really looks
forward to seeing us everyday...the treats help too! The kids have been
riding her, just walking around in the rings but she seems to enjoy it.
Bailey is going to start trotting her next week. She admitted she was a
little intimidated by her size but after getting to know her she's
comfortable being on her. If she starts getting antsy..I just lunge her,
usually off line....I like to let her work some of that energy off before
the kids get on her...the only time I really have to do it is if the weather
is really bad and they keep all the horses in...that's only happened once or
twice so far. She goes out after her evening feeding then comes in for
breakfast and stays in. They were all wormed today. She is having her
teeth floated on the 16th and I'm going to schedule the farrier probably the
first week of July because her feet look really good. I make sure I clean
them everyday...and I think she saw the farrier right before we brought her
home because she was a little sore when we came down to see her the first
time because you said he had just been there.
I do have a question for you. Even though her hooves look really good,
should I be putting something on them? I went and bought a stall guard for
her today and I keep seeing different things for hooves. I'm wondering if
I should be doing something with them. Other than that I don't really have
any other questions. She's doing great...she seems really happy...she's
made some new friends...and we just LOVE her. I can't believe I wanted to
send her back before. I just didn't know what to do...I'm greatful that you
"set me straight" and didn't let me give up on her. It wasn't her
fault...it was mine. I promise I will get some pics to you this week. We
are in for some rough weather the next few days and my 5 year old is really
sick so when I go up and see her I'm not sure if I'll have time to take any
probably until the end of the week.
Have a good night.
Amy Wilhoit
Celeita,
thanks so much for all the info on him. No, you haven't terrified me - just
really appreciate all those details. His setup here will obviously be a lot
quieter, so maybe he won't feel quite so defensive. His stall has full grills
and feed doors, so no need to "invade" his space at feed time - but, I
definitely won't let him get away with trying to intimidate us. I had a gelding
years ago (in a boarding situation), who acted the same puffed up way in his
stall with anyone new who would buy his bluff. Of course, with us and outside
the stall he was completely different, but he did love to "test" people, so I've
had experience with that behavior. Here, Cody will only have one mare to contend
with, will get daily turnout time, loads of attention and tons of trails to
explore, so hopefully we can give him a happy and peaceful "retirement" home.
Kathy
Yes, I'm sure about the hotel bill. I'll let him know when he gets here that
it was my idea to cover it and I'll get the check from him and shred it, so
don't worry about it. He did tell me that he thinks we're getting a very nice
horse, so we really don't mind the extra expense. Plus, I have followed Second
Wind for 10 years now and have received two beautiful and cherished horses
from your program, so I know the good you all are doing there. I know times
are tough right now - especially for horse owners, since horses are usually a
high maintenace luxury for most people. We here, on Florida's Space coast, are
soon to be looking at the massive scale back of the Space program and my boss,
who is on the county animal shelter board, says there is expected to be a huge
influx of unwanted horses in our area. Makes me wish we had more room here to
be able to help. So sad - but we are glad to be bringing Cody into our
family now. Will keep you all in my prayers for that miracle and in the mean
time will do what we can to help. Kathy Well, he made it here safe and
sound this morning. He's beautiful! Obviously tired from his trip, but not too
tired to already be sweet talking our mare, Dandelion. He does have a pretty
heavy nasal discharge - Gary said the vet up there didn't seem concerned about
it. I'm sure the trip down here probably only aggravated it, but will have our
vet out to have a look at him and get him on some ABs. Will let you know how
that goes. Thanks again for another beautiful horse. Kathy P.S. I got
your check from Gary so you can consider it voided.
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Here is what Cody was doing when you & Chris were bringing Joy over to
the barn for her bath on Sunday...
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That was @ 48 hrs here - he has definitely settled down quite a bit
since then, so really appreciate the "wild black stallion moment" :) So
cool, will send on in a group mailing! The vet was out today and
confirmed: he IS an old man even though he thinks he's still the stud muffin
he always was! He does have a few "geriatric" issues that were no surprise
to us and definitely treatable. It's absolutely all good though, and we are
definitely still in the "honeymoon phase". He has just been the best!!!!
Obviously sooo smart and has so far been very patient with us :) What a
gentleman. We couldn't be happier to have him here! Unfortunately, he has to
wait another 10 days of quarantine to meet "Dandelion", who is beside
herself to meet him! We are also thrilled to be in contact with Melani &
Eddie, Cody's former, long time (22 yrs) owners. Thanks to Melani, we are
learning his training cues. So glad to be able to partner with them long
distance to keep the boy happy! As former owners, ourselves, of our
beloved Cody "1" (for 25 years), we could just feel how hard it must be for
them to have to pass him on to a new home at this stage of the game. Not to
worry, we are committed to making his "retirement years" as comfortable as
possible - and you can always say now that Cody has retired to Florida!
Until the next update, Kathy
Celeita, Just an update on our boy. He continues to settle in, now
nickering at me when he sees me in the a.m. - I know it's only cause he's
figured out I'm the food wench :), but it's still cool! His nasal
discharge is much better, but he continues to cough occasionally, mostly
after exercise (that is his own, @ liberty, exercise). We have not started
anything strenuous w/him yet, except learning to agree on ground manners.
Our vet said it may be residual congestion from the long trailer ride, or
a COPD type of condition. Told her I would ask again about his recent
history, so wondered if you could maybe check with those who dealt with
him and ask if they ever heard him cough? We ran bloodwork on him
yesterday and it all came back perfect. (funny side story; when I pulled
his blood, I started to poke him and he went, "Oh shoot! I'm supposed to
park out" and then promptly stepped on my toe! - OUCH! :) It's all good
though, we're still learning one another! No signs of infection, so just
trying to determine treatment options if it doesn't clear completely with
time. I know Florida can be hard on horses that come from the north, but
we are totally committed to doing whatever it takes to making him
comfortable and happy here. We already absolutely adore him. He is sooo
good, a real gentleman, and such a character! He's definitely "Mr.
Personality"! We're also keeping in touch with Melani & Ed, as well. We so
appreciate their help in establishing good communication with him. Thank
you all again for connecting us with another special horse. Kathy Lovaas
P.S. I will be sending the additional $300 adoption donation (that I
promised) within the next two weeks. Thanks again, KL
I'm so excited to see Red tomorrow. Stephanie is at camp this coming
week so it will give Red a chance to settle in before she comes back. I'm
sure you'll send his records with him? Also about his registration
papers...some shows we go to he needs to have proof that he's pure paint
or QH not grade also they keep track of points for year end awards. So can
I call the paint horse registry and see what we need to do to get his
paperwork updated? Cindy said his papers were lost? Thanks so much
Celeita! This make 4 adoptions so far? fantastic! hopefully more to come!
well not for me I have enough...lol The Vet is coming out end of June for
my summer camp kids and I plan to have him do the adoption updates then...
Honey..the cape cod thing just isnt very appealing to me...I live with
water on 3 sides...I can drive either east or west and be at the beach
in 15 mins....I need a wyoming dude ranch week up for bids. LOL.
Things are so crazy for me at the moment that Im wondering when Ill just
fall out and sleep for a month. Im still running 3 jobs...and dad had a
knee replacement 2 weeks ago yesterday. Mom cant do any lifting...shes
been having epidural shots to tide her over..the spinal fusion they did
last year is already coming with issues above and below the
repair...they want to redo her back in about 6 months. So my life is
something like...get up coffee...work...work...mom & dads...home to eat
& nap..work...sleep get up and do it all over again. Addy is fine. Its
been a rough winter for us...they've never seen this much snow (more in
the forecast for tonight too) here on the shore. Thank god for Tracey
and her wonderful care. I havent been able to get a farrier to him since
just after Christmas. Ive been trimming and filing him myself. There are
places in Delaware that are still impassable with snow. They actually
had to ask farmers to help deldot get the roads clear. My farrier is out
in Federalsburg Md. That's kinda west of Seaford across the md line.
Thank god its winter and hes been slow to grow anything anyway. The
last 2 storms have started as rain and ended as snow so our road to the
barn has been washed out...we're hiking up there from the house. Addys
doing fine with his pasture buddies and is maintaining weight well. As
soon as I can get a farrier out there he'll get done. We're getting
ready to do the work on the road...they have the stone and the tractor
lined up... we just have to get some verigated pipe to lay down to take
the water under the road then Ill hop aboard and go at it. The last
issue I have with him is getting those front incisors evened out. Ive
got a couple tentative days with the dentist and am waiting to hear from
Daryll...whether he wants to come out or if he'll give me the tq to give
myself. Its going to depend on his schedule. He kinda wants to see her
do it...so he kinda wants to come but him being one of the only 2 vets
that does spring shots...he may or may not be able to be there. Belle is
great...wild but great. I took her to the farm Sunday to go walk the
road with me (I was making my plan on how to get the work to the road
done)....she zoomed up and down the road for the pure joy of running...
shes had cabin fever....hell Ive had cabin fever. Im sitting here
drinking my coffee for a bit of a jump start...I gotta get out and do
some mucking around here...we got piled up around here for 3 weeks
unable to get our dump body trailer emptied. I kept the sheds clear by
mucking it off to the side but now I have 3 weeks worth of manure to
pick up and get outta here. I started this weekend but I still have 2
sheds & piles to go. These winter nor'easters are brutal when they come
in as snow. Hope all is well with you...we're doing the best we can
considering circumstances.
Chris
He my buddy....he'll always have a spot with me. Hes just lovely in the
spring and fall...all those dapples. Im tired as hell...heading for
the bed soon. I was over there yesterday briefly....he was happy to
see me. Im looking forward to spending some time with him & riding
while on vacation. Im going to try to forward that update to Emily
too....I tried to send her an email on that excede but it got bounced
back...I might be able to mail her something if I cant get a working
email addy.
Chris
Hi Celieta.
Attached is an update form and some pix of Pik's Pizzaz. She is doing
great with those poor legs of hers and they don't seem to be causing her
any pain. Excuse the silly pic of me with her but no one else was
here to take a better shot and I wanted to get this update out to you.
For the life of me I can't find her coggins so I'll ask the vet to bring
the pink copy along next time he's out and will send that to you.
Pizzaz is sweet as ever and loves living the easy life - hanging with
friends and munching on 40 acres of improved pastures :)
I'll send more pix in the next email as I'm out of space.
Meridith
Subject: Tango & Midnight
Hi Celeita. Hope this finds you well. I keep up-to-date with the
program via your website and emails. I wanted to send some pictures
of the boys. They are doing great. No issues at all. In fact,
Tango's rainrot issues are completely gone this year-yeah!! It was
a pretty hard winter, as I'm sure it was for everyone, but our hay
supply was great and they stayed nice and plump (esp Midnight) over
the winter months. We built a new barn this year and the boys are
excited to try out their new stalls, as soon as I frame them in. I
spent the last two days filling the top with hay for the winter -
but we're set & ready. I've included some pictures of them as well
as their new living quarters. I've filled out the update forms and
will be dropping them in the mail tomorrow. Take care.
Penny Hines
Oh, that doesn't really worry me. I would rather see them "shake
their sillies out" while they are lunging then when I get on
them! : ) She probably just wanted to strut her stuff. I will
be doing ground work with her the first few weeks in hand and also
lunging (reversing, ect). Then we will do the saddle. I figure
it is always better to go a little slow than throw them into
something they aren't ready for. I will be overnighting the
paperwork on Monday morning so be expecting it on Tuesday
sometime. Let me know when you receive it.
I enjoyed talking to you also. I really can't imagine the
responsibility it takes to run an organization like yours. Hats
off to you. You keep a lot of wonderful horses out of the auction
arenas.
Jackie Capps
Hi. I mailed all the paperwork to you today. I didn't
overnight it as Angie hasn't left yet. It should be there to
you no later than Thursday. If not, let me know. I put a copy
of my license in there and utility bill. As soon as checks are
there, I will get them to you. How much would a down payment on
her be and then I know the monthly payments would be $100.
I am so very, very pumped about her coming. I have been
searching the internet on articles on the MFT breed, etc. I
printed them all off and will be reading them when I go to bed
tonight. Now I am on the "it can't happen quick enough"
mode!!! From the way you described her, she sounds just like
the breed profile; brave, quick to learn (a good habit or a bad
habit!!). I had Pete in the round pen last night working him
free. He has decided (or learned) that if you go to reach for
him, he can pivot and take off. I put him in the pen and by the
end of the evening, he was following me closely and would allow
me to turn, walk up to him, rub him all over, and then reward
him. He is a quick study, but boy, if you let him get away with
anything, it doesn't take him long to make it a habit!!!
My tack is black, so I am looking at trade swaps, etc. for a
brown saddle. Sassy will look much better in that then black.
I also need to get her a saddle pad. I like the SMX pads, lots
of padding and air movement under them. I figure if they have
to lug me around, I want them as comfortable as they can be.
Sorry for the rambling. I am so excited to get her home. I
want to start bonding with her and spending time with her. She
is so beautiful. I noticed you dropped her off the adoption
page. Is there anyway you could email me that page so I could
print it out and keep it in her health records folder. You
know, the one that tells about her and has a few pics. Not sure
if that is something you can do or not.
Well, please let me know when Angie is taking off. I can better
plan her arrival time then. Is she staying a few days with you?
Talk to you soon!
Jackie Capps
Sassy is home! What a cutie pie! Unloaded her in the dark and
my son led her to her paddock. She stopped and didn't want to
move but I just clicked to her and she moved out. No spookiness
at all. Took everything in stride. Setting my alarm for early as
I don't have to leave for work until 11 PM. Can't wait to get
aquainted. Angie and her daughter were super nice and I hope a
friendship gets started between all of us. I will update u
tomorrow.
Hi. Just a quick note and I will send more later. I finally
moved Lady into the same paddock as Sassy as Sassy really was
nervous being alone. They have made friends but Sassy is
definately the boss!! As soon as I get someone to bush hog I am
opening the gate do they will hv a 2 and half acreas to
themselves with a run in. I hv been ground working Sassy. She
likes to get in my space but is much better. She really wants to
be good! Hope to be riding here this upcoming weekend. She
definately loves her daily brushing and stands completely still
for the fly spray. I will send photos as her training
progresses. Pls feel free to forward this to her mom. Shannon
sent me her email and I forgot to save it. I'm such an airhead
sometimes.
I think I deleted it. Here is a short update . . . I LOVE
HER!! She has so much personality. She has showed her redhead
side a few times but we worked thru that and she doesn't stop
and argue like she was doing. She loves to b brushed. It was
storming really bad yesterday so I didn't brush her. I swear
this morning she gave me the eye!! I told her she would get her
grooming today. Lady and her r on 2 and half acreas now. They r
best buds. She has been a good fit. No saddle time yet. That
will b this weekend.
Sassy has been a true delight. She has really, and I mean
really, bonded up with me. She will leave her food right away
if I come to the fence. When I want to bring her out of the
field, I just open the gate, call to her, she comes, drops her
head, I put on her halter and off we go. We are advancing very
nicely thru the 7 games. I am hoping that Monday I will be able
to ride her in the round pen. I believe we are ready, just time
hasn't been on my side.
I will attemt to send some pics this weekend. She has picked
up a little weight but is not obese. She loves her fly spray.
Cracks me up!!! She gets excited when she knows she is getting
some. And I've never known a horse that loves being brushed as
much as her.
Do you have any advertisement sheets that I can hand out and put
up at all of the places I go? If not, My mom is an advertisement
artist and I can work on putting something together here, get
your approval on it and I’ll make copies of it so I can start
putting it up at all the places I go to. Most people around here
have never heard about you and what you do. I tell everybody I
come in contact with about you and my horses. A lot of people
are very surprised I got all of mine through rescue. Dixie, mo
and Lucy grab the most attention around here. I have had people
stop here just to take a photo of Dixie and want to know where I
found her. People around here have a major misconception about
rescue horses and they think all they can get are pasture
buddies they don’t know how nice all your horses are and that
there are some real gems in the rough that just need a second
chance to be winners again. Lucy has been getting a lot of
attention lately because she is such a beauty. She has really
come out of her shell here. I take people out into the field
with everybody and she is always the first to come and ham it up
with people. Plus she gives hugs. People just can’t get over
that one. Once you start rubbing on her head she will take her
head and just wrap it and her neck right on around you. People
go crazy over it. She so big and sweet people just can’t get
over it. You have some of the best rescue horses that I’ve come
across and I’ve seen a lot. More people need to know that you
can get horses like her and Dixie from you and that you’re not
just getting a horse that is run down and ready for pasture. I
would like to be able to put something up that has all of your
info and some pics at the places I go and get the word out
around here more. People also need to know that they don’t need
to get a horse if they want to help they can do donations with
you also. If you don’t have something like that I can get the ad
made up and take it to all of the places I go around here. Of
course you would have final approval of what the ad says and
looks like. I will donate everything. I wish I could send money
but I have everything tied up in these guys right now and I
still need to get a trailer. Shows are another place that I can
get the word out if I have flyers that I can leave at the
registration tables. Let me know what you think and I’ll get
started with something. Let me know if there is anything else I
can do to help.
Dixie and Lucy seem to be scared to death of the clippers. All
I’ve been trying to get done is their hairy muzzles, bridle
paths and clean up their legs some. Everybody else just goes
with the flow even Mo and he is very sensitive to everything.
Jennifer
Yea go ahead and cash it. Thanks for sending some info for me
to put up.
If you need a place to foster PC and or Big’n please know you
can always send them here and I will take care of him until
things get better for you and you can take them back. My guys
can attest to the fact they have it good here and are very
well feed and happy. In fact I was going to ask you how I
could get some weight off of Dixie. I feed her two handfuls of
feed in the morning and at night and now she just gets grass
and no hay. She is as big as a house. She hasn’t been able to
be worked because she had a big split in her front hoof that
we have been working on for a while so she is on light duty.
In fact the farrier will be here again tomorrow to check it
again and do some trimming and shaping. Now Lucy has popped up
with a crack in her front hoof. Everybody’s feet are looking a
little rough. I was told it was because of the mud because
when it dries it is sucking all the moisture out of their
feet. I’ve been using hoof maker but it’s not helping. It
seems to be with anybody that has white hooves. Zephyr is fine
and Karrera’s back feet are fine. I may have to put shoes on
everybody tomorrow. Fun, Fun.
I’ll be sending some pics as soon as I download them from my
camera.
Keep your head up high and I will pray for you and the horses.
Jennifer
Good Morning Celeita. I am late
getting my June stuff to you – I have the vet coming after
the July 4th weekend to get shots and the
required Coggins. Harry is doing well, although seems a
little thin, even at 20 he should be looking better. I
want to discuss him with the vet. I am concerned about
the new problem of worming medications not being as
effective anymore. I have all my horses on daily Strongid
C and am now wondering if I have made a mistake doing
that. Also, we are finally able to start getting our
pasture fencing up. I desperately need my 11 acres fenced
to get more horses out on green grass – right now only
have a small paddock and have to rotate everyone. We are
working that issue all this week through the long weekend
– hope to make good progress!
I am sorry the economy has been so
hard on your organization – I sincerely hope it turns
around soon. I retired on the 8th of May from
federal service with 34 years and 2 months to my credit.
I am still in the Air Force Reserve for another two years
however. It provides me money for my horses. You know he
has a home for life and surely wants for nothing! See
what you think. Whatever you decide… again will have my
stuff to you shortly. Jeannine
Hello
Celeita!
Below is the message from Dee Dee Sale from the Tennessee
Walking Horse Foundation who requested the DNA tests for
Lucky. She thought that maybe "Lucky" Blue was from her
stallion, Masquerading, but the test has shown that he
wasn't. Wouldn't that have been something--her stallion
was a World Grand Champion!
Regardless of his bloodlines, I know Blue is a horse that
is a champion in his own right just through his will to
survive starvation and abandonment.
Anyway, we still hope to find out who he is...
I hope to send you an updated pic soon. "Lucky" Blue is
doing great. We've been trail riding a few times to try it
out--he is going to make an amazing trail horse! He seems
to like it and
has a
lot of heart and a will to please.
It sounds like things are tight there. I hope I can help
out sometime in the near future, you are providing such a
wonderful service for these horses (and people)! I've
first got to get through some unexpected bills--I recently
adopted a young rottweiler from our local dog pound only
to find out she has severe hip dysplasia. She was only 8
months old and someone dumped her off in the city. Have a
consult with the vet to check out the options. I don't
have any "miracles" up my sleeve, but if I did I'd send
them your way! Your in my thoughts...
Julie Peterson
Hi Celeita,
Spring is really busy here. The farrier is coming
today, I'm spreading manure on my big hay field (if we
can get the "new" spreader to work), disenfecting the
chicken coop before stocking it with my new peeps and so
forth.
Still no baby horsie at this end. I'd send you a
picture, but with shedding out rain rot, Cinders looks
worse then ever. I've been using betadine to make sure
there's no ickies developing under the scabs - same with
the boys. We also dump all the grooming equipment into
a bleach bath every day to reduce reinfection.
I've gradually increased her grain (corn/pellets/calf
manna/oil/minerals) and she's got free choice hay in
addition to pasture. She's still rolling over all the
way, is perkier and filling out nicely (besides baby
belly).
She's a bit fiesty about a few things but is learning to
let me check her derriere - the vulva is clean, firm and
pink with no discharge. She's continueing to bag
v-e-r-y slowly.
She's a great help with the goats, when I move them to a
different pasture, she herds them up and pokes them
through the gate in front of her. When one of the
myotonics got stuck in the briars (upside down), she
rushed over to check on her. Cinders doesn't seem to
miss being in a equine herd - she plays nosie over the
fence with Bo and Jake, then goes back to her goaties.
Dan and I can't imagine not having her with us. The
little girls next door are in heaven just petting her
nose. She's our pony-girl for sure. I figure she and I
can get old together. :) Please consider her homed.
It's nice to be riding after all that snow. Everyone is
frisky, but a nice lunging takes the edge off.
HOPEfully I'll have enough of them de-edged for three of
us to go hacking in the next week. We plan
Our neighbor's cousin just sent 5-6 drafts to a broker -
if he can't sell them to the Amish for "summer help" he
takes them to the auction. I talked them into holding
back on really sweet Perch mare - he won't sell her for
what I can afford, but I figure that just the fact that
he didn't sell her means that he's considering my
offer. He couldn't afford to feed the horses he had
last winter. One mare was tied into a standing stall
and was fed TOO much. He sold them two days after I saw
them. The four he has left are in good condition - lots
of water, shelter, pasture, hay and hoof trims. Aaah
well, the fight continues.
Be well
Susan Falcon Soeder
|
Howzie-howzie!
It was a long winter for all of us, wasn't it? We
were very cozy here. But I won't share details
beyond hauling feed and water buckets 150 ft twice
a day through the snow drifts is a "been there,
done that, burn the tee shirt" kinda thing -
especially by the third month. 'Nuff said.
I just put in 22 post holes and stopped to eat
lunch. It's getting ready to pour so I'll write a
long over due update. This being a catch up
edition, it's a bit long. From now on, we'll just
hit the highlights every few weeks.
The trees are starting to get a mist of buds -
lemon, green, russet and purple hazes gradually
obscure the branches. Goat babies are bouncing
around like little super-balls just for the heck
of it, puffballs of shed fleece tumbling around
them like restless dandelions. The horses are
scratching loose hair off on any available post
and laying around in the sun. Aghast at the noise
of the new chickies, the old chickens are scolding
(everyone) constantly. Puppies and Dog are
enjoying running vs snow-swimming.
The new windrow, shade and fruit trees should be
here soon. Dan has cut back and totally rebuilt
the grape arbor - it's a thing of beauty and
should last for 50+ years. He's getting new
varieties of grapes to add to our current
plantings. Dan has all his little seedlings ready
to go in the new garden. He's starting small,
30ft x 30ft.
Dan's taking me to the WV horse Expo next week (whee!).
If the timing is right, we might try to pick up a
baby girl goat while we're down there - she looks
like a dust bunny. Then I'll be picking up 15
rare breed chickens, 4 bunnies and three breeding
goats in Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. R will take care
of the farm while we run to two farms in Kentucky
and pickup more (8) head of stock.
My neighbors, Mr. and Mrs R, acquired a geriatric
manure spreader for us to share and cuss at. It's
great at flinging poo and (spare?!?) parts
everywhere. We're all cleaning out and
disinfecting barns n sheds to prepare for babies
and new stock. I've been working on Mr.
R's crunched shoulder, Mrs. R's pinchy-nerve hand
and Grandchild R's migraines. The two farms are
nearly one co-op at this point. They even put in
a new gate to move equipment and stock back and
forth.
Mrs. R and I are going to freeze/can/dehydrate
whatever we need and set up a veggie/fruit/egg
stand to sell the extras. Mr. R has also asked if
I want to pick up some spare change putting in a
neighbors fence. No REAL heavy labor, mostly
"surveying", layout, estimate materials and
whacking the auger when its stuck. *snerk* I'll
let the boys put in the high tensile line.
In the house, the electricians have about 2 wks
more work. The kitchen is losing one door and
gaining another - almost all the cabinets have to
move - and get repainted. I'm going to try my
hand at laying a pebble floor, first in the new
mudroom (to be built) then in the breezeway. If
that works, on to the basement. Dan's getting a
new library wall for his home office and *gasp* a
DOOR! After that a couple of new closets, pull up
the carpet and seal the floors.
The heavy refurb work in the house will wait 'til
it gets hot in June. Working in the AC - aahhh!.
Next winter I'll set up the net-site, redo the
basement into a family room with massage
office/guest bedroom. I'll open the office by
next spring.
Right now, I'm putting in a couple of thousand
feet of new fence so we can get the best use of
our fields. I'd like to wait one more year before
we cut back the blackberries and we need to keep
the goats out of them 'til after harvest.
Well, somewhere in all of this I have two trained
horses to de-kink, the neighbors not-really
trained horse and my untrained boy to train. The
pony isn't trained but she's going to be busy with
a baby... soon. I may also be breaking in a draft
mare for hauling rock, firewood and poo - lots and
lots of poo. One of my boarders is working for me
this summer to pay for keeping her horse here.
I miss you all. It will be so wonderful to have
an open house later this summer (MAYbe July 3rd).
For those of you who can't make it. I also plan on
having a two-week long Camp-In late July or August
- perfect time to get out of the city. I'm
fencing off a camp ground down in the shade of the
turkey glen. Should also be set up for pony
rides, berry picking and sleeping in the shade.
I know it all sounds like a lot, but a little at a
time, set up the right way - well, its hard work,
but usually I'm so involved I don't mind. This is
who I am and what I've missed all these years.
The space, clean air and beasties - the
satisfaction of seeing plans done - and all this
with my widdle Smoochie-Pookie-Kins. (giggle)
lurvs, hugs and regards,
SF
ps, The attached file is a bit large - you'll
want to view it at 100% or better. BUT... make
sure you're sitting down and braced. Not every
one is on the farm yet, but should be here by the
end of May. No pictures of the bunnies yet.
must run and put in posts before the rain
starts.... Oh, did I mention we're building a
new stable addition to the barn? :o) sf
(Barb, I lost Sue's email address, please forward
to her and the kids. thanks sf)
|
Hi again, I have been meaning to update you on Bud's
aka Buckshot's condition. When his feet were done a
week ago this past Wed. Our ferrier found one abscess in
each foot. One popped as soon as the ferrier took off
his shoe, the other one would not. You can feel the pus
pockets in each sole. For some reason the one that did
pop closed up. Poor Bud is struggling with the pain, it
is so great. So here is what we are currently doing.
No antibiotics, I have asked and asked and all of the
vets at the clinic say no for two reasons. First they
are saying the antibiotic does not get into the hoof
cavity and does not work and second the antibiotic
apparently can make the infection worse?? I also cannot
soak because the vets do not want the sole to soften.
Bud has not sunk but is very close. Last Friday we did
another DMSO IV and nitro wrap. I am also putting on
Pol CAT, clay poultice. We have been keeping him 100%
in his 12x24 stall. But lately
everytime I go to the barn (which is almost every hour,
during the day) he is down. So I started two days ago
taking him out for VERY small walks and letting him have
sunshine. I also started moving him thoughtout the day
to different stalls which seems to keep him up more. I
am also wrapping his legs with a polo wraps to prevent
sores. We leave for the beach July 9 and Bud will stay
at the vets for a week. Maybe with 100% vet care they
can think of something else. This is so frustrating, if
the pockets could just pop it seems like he would feel
so much better. Do note even though he is down and VERY
sore, when he is laying down he is not breathing heavy,
etc. When the vet came Friday, she said his eyes looked
good and did not want to increase pain meds. Any ideas?
Fancy had her baby yesterday. We named him Apollo.
He's chestnut with a star and white hind sock. He's a
big healthy boy. In fact mother and son are doing fine.
Don't have a registration name yet. Still thinking on
that.
Sally Graham
"Great accomplishments begin with a thought"
Rosie is still hanging in there. She hasn't foaled
yet. She's massive. Her baby is going to be big enough
to be a grand prix jumper by the time it's foaled.
Apollo is doing great. Fancy is very possessive of her
baby. We are dealing with her in a positive way. It's
all good.
Dear Celeita:
I mailed my update information on the mares today. It
includes a letter from my farrier Rocky Ullrich and some
pictures of the mares.
I give all our horses shots myself as well as worm them.
Fancy and Rosie got their annual shots on April 18. We
worm all the horses at the same time every 3 months.
Rocky will be here on Wednesday, 6/2 to trim or shoe all
of our horses.
Their coggins is still current.
I've attached a picture of the mares so you can see they
really are quite fat. The foals haven't pulled them down
at all nor will they. We are going to start calling
Rosie "Tundra" because she's so big.
I hope things get better for you soon.
You don't have worry about Rosie & Fancy as they are
doing well. They are great moms.
Sally Graham
Celeita, Jack the Morab is amazing. I lunged him for
about 10 minutes, then tacked him up and we had a rider
on him in a few minutes. Once I was sure of him, the
little girl, Acelyn 11yrs old, was able to ride him with
no issues. This is the first time he was ridden
since being adopted. She will take him to the 4H Fair
in Berkeley County. I will get some pics and send them.
I have been providing anyone asking about a horse the
Crossed Sabers web site. Hope it helps.
Jupiter, the App that I rescued is doing great. He is
ready to be socialized and will be in a paddock next to
the gelding field first. Then once socialized, training
will begin. Will send some pics of him too.
Jack the STB is happy, healthy and goofy as ever. He is
such a love bug. He is getting conditioned for trail
riding and I am working on retraining him to have 5
gaits and do some english pleasure.
Thanks so much, Terry Boone, Hedgesville, WV
|
Celeita - Considering the 32 feet of snow in D.C.,
our 6-8 inches (a record but still only 6-8
inches) seems rather puny. The horses haven't
been out of our barn since Wed. so my friend Kathy
and I let ours out in the covered arena (after
sloshing thru the mud swamp) every afternoon where
they go crazy bucking like cartoon horses
(straight up in the air) and running around. They
go NUTS not getting out of the stall ... and some
people don't come and take their guys out....
Of course, our neighbor's son-in-law (the neighbor
has access to our private road and has to drive
past our house to get to his house) drove OFF our
driveway and made 3 foot deep ruts with his pick
up truck right in our wildflower bed. Then when
they pulled him out, they pulled is truck right
over one of our new trees that went flat to the
ground but didn't break!!! It probably will die
anyway ... or so our landscape guy says. At least
no one had a REAL wreck so I shouldn't complain,
but I'm VERY partial to our trees.
The goats HATE this weather and haven't been out
of their pen in days and the front "door" area is
like a poop/mud hole. If it ever dries up again, I
have a HUGE goat barn cleaning job waiting for me.
How have you been surviving with all the snow? Who
is helping you care for the horses in all that
mess? Pat
|
|
Celeita - I sure wish I could do something to help
them (I've never heard of them, I don't think).
Obviously in Dec. they thought everything was fine
(if you read all the posts) but now two months
later she is thinking about putting horses to
sleep cause she can't keep them? Something bad has
happened! Bet it's a divorce or something. That
sure will make people think crazy (been there,
done that).
I wish I could take that baby donkey. Is that the
cutest thing you've ever seen in your life
(apparently he's not available from your email).
But my husband has told me NO MORE NO MORE and he
means it!!!! Also, the two cats I found at the
barn 5 or 6 years ago are so destructive that I
honestly do not want any more cats in the house
(and this after living with THREE wonderful cuddle
bugs cats ... all now gone to kitty heaven ...
for almost 20 years. They never gave us any
grief...or not much anyway).
Hope you are doing OK. We've been having some half
decent weather here and I've been playing with B
in the covered arena in the afternoon and having
SO MUCH FUN with the "cookie game." She will come
running for her carrot or cookie and SCREEEEECH to
a halt stopping about 5 feet in front of me. She
knows she is not supposed to invade my space. This
is honestly the best thing I've found for getting
her to respect space (and not forget!). She is
just so fun!!! Pat
|
Micki Ollman Not only in Kochese a
sweet heart, he is very smart. After only 2 days he can already find his way to
and from his stall and the pasture although he really prefers the pasture grass
to hay :=)) He and DB - my 31 yr old blind Arabian - have become quick friends
and my other 3 don't seem to care he's even here. Thanks Celeita
- The Cheese is a great addition to my herd!
Yes we now have a potty trained pony. Now that I had to put Dixie in the isle
she has taken to being a guard horse and she has not pooped or peed in the isle
in three days now. I’ve watched her and she goes outside the barn does her thing
and then goes back in. It is too funny but I love not having to clean up after
her. She is the best pony. She is so good with everything. She also won’t let
any of the other horses around the kids if they are out in the field. She is
like having a very large guard dog.
Do you have any disclaimers that I could use to prevent anybody from suing me if
the get hurt riding here or if they get hurt by one of the horses? I hired
somebody to help me with the barn work because it seemed like all I was doing
was work and no play so I hired somebody to clean stalls and help with some of
the not so great stuff with the horses. I want to make sure I’m protected if
anything was to happen. I’m looking for some type of disclaimer for the girl or
anybody else that comes down to the barn to either work or ride with me that
they can sign and it will prevent a lawsuit. I’m just looking for something for
people to sign and keep on file to protect myself.
BTW Lucy is great and a big love puppy.
Are you all supposed to get any of this big snow storm? They are calling for up
to 38” here. It will be a record. I’m sure the horses will be totally pissed
about it.
Hello Celeita - Harry (he has been with me a year this
past December-time flies) is doing good in our new home which we decided to
purchase after our house burned down in August- too painful to stay on the old
property– we moved the 9th of December and are trying to get
everything in place. The barn is beautiful – have had Morton Barn folks
out to get more stalls in and in general complete the interior of this lovely
barn. My new address for my file is .......... I also would like to know
about the mare above. She is another Martini offspring – related to Harry
– and looks like she needs a home. Where in Michigan is she? The
video does not seem to work on your site. Any help there? Thanks.
Jeannine
about Lucky Midnight Blue....
Hi Celeita--hope all is
well with you. I'm doing fine, though the holidays were tough without my son.
Trying to get back on track again! Blue is getting healthier by the day. You can
tell he is feeling pretty good--he's challenging Smoke and me! I've realized
though he may be broke to drive, he has had very little ground work. That's what
I'm working on now. I'm sure if his previous owner left him to starve then
dumped him--he probably didn't work with Blue too much to make him a better
horse! I wanted to send you some new pics but I just haven't gotten around to
doing it. Blue is filling out nicely and now has some flesh on his shoulders.
His mane/forelock is growing out but now it's standing straight up like a
Mohawk. He'll look much better when it lays down! Hope your adoptions are going
well--you've got some great horses there and do a wonderful job.
Take care,
Julie
Dear Friends,
Pony Pastures LLC is in the paper for training a famous horse. Please check out
this link to see the article. If you buy the paper there are pictures as well.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/art_Life/display_farmGarden.htm?StoryID=100727
Thanks,
Morgan Crabbs
240 344 0345
www.PonyPastures.com
Info@PonyPastures.com
Hi Celeita!
We are doing very well and Painter is doing great too! His leg is getting much
better for the little bump in the trailer. His other back leg is getting much
better as well. I bought him some joint/arthritis cream yesterday evening which
I am going to run down on his leg each day to help break up the scar tissue and
hopefully get some of the swelling down.
He had a little bout of colic the other night. I was scared to death but we got
him up and walking around, eating some grass for about an hour and he was
completely fine. He drank almost an entire bucket of water that night, ate all
of his hay and grain so he was feeling much better.
When the other horses are out, we let him run around in the indoor arena so he
gets his exercise as well. He has made best friends with one of the yearlings
and my mom's other horse, Turner. He's going to have a blast with those two
when he gets to go out with them.
We want to get his leg in better shape before we let him loose with all the
other horses, just in case there is a fight, we don't want his leg to get
injured even more.
He is eating very, very well! He wasn't drinking much so we put another bucket
in his stall with distilled water to see if that would help. The water at the
barn is well water so we thought maybe the iron taste wasn't doing it for him.
But he is drinking perfectly fine now and just likes to play with his hay in the
distilled water. We've left both in there for now just to be sure.
I got him a Jolly Ball for his stall last night as well. It hangs with a little
snack thing on top that is apple flavored for him to lick and mess around with.
Hopefully he likes it!
He is doing extremely well! His leg is feeling much better as he was out in the
arena running around and bucking so he must be feeling pretty good! :o)
Thanks so much for checking in!
Hello Celeita,
Thank you for your email. Impi is doing very well. I will send some photos -
she is a mud-pie at the moment!! She looks really good..she is very round as
she has put on a little weight.
I also adopted another horse last fall - Bob. He is now Impi's boyfriend. She
is so happy hanging out with Bob. Bob is a super gentle 17 year old TB. I
found him in Florida-he was used for daily riding lessons and needed a new
home with one owner/rider etc.
I fell in the hay loft on Thanksgiving day. I pulled my knee out of joint so I
have not been able to ride. I plan to start riding daily as soon as the ground
dries out. My knee still hurts but I was able to ride the other day. The
weather has been terrible here as well.
I have now purchased another really nice dressage saddle called a "Laser 747"
and an orthopedic "Saddle Right" leather saddle pad. I was also considering
using my bit less bridle on Imperial-It really does relax the horse but I have
not tried because of my knee problem and I want to be sure she is under
control.
I hope everything is going well for you. Look for some photos of Imperial very
soon.
My Best,
Tara
Smitty is wonderful, (as always!) and Maiden has recovered some. Her appetite
is not as good as I would like but her coat is shiny and full, her eyes are
clear and bright, and she is as sweet and spunky as ever. We have had some nasty
weather, but everyone is snug as a bug with their rugs on! Thanks for checking
up on us!
Lindsey
Hi Celeita,
I'll attach a few pictures, all is well with our boy Spade, he's still as
consistent as ever. He has a barn buddy now and while he is still top dog he
seems to thrive with his buddy. JJ, our other horse follows Spade around like
a puppy, it's so cute. They get along well unless we take Spade away from JJ,
then JJ runs the fence line and works himself up into a lather waiting on
Spade's return. JJ gets his confidence from Spade who we know lacks nothing in
the confidence arena. I hate to admit it but Spade has slowed down some as he
ages but he still enjoys a nice walking trail ride and as long as he can
handle it I'm more than happy to take him. He's just such a dream horse, I
would give anything to have one of his offspring.
Good to hear from you!!!!
Debora & Spade
about jake and mickey.... got water worked out. This are going well, I think
they are happy. They really enjoy running around the field everyday. They
always greet me when I come into the barn. I did not think they would leave
the blankets on, especially Jake, but they do. DeAnn
about Art, TB gelding Doing
well. We now have a new computer at home and a fancy camera, so I hope to up
load some pics when weather and time permits. He is the gentle giant of the
pasture and the talk of the neighbors, white with a jet black mane and tail.
I ride him very occasionally as retirement suits his personality, however he
is always willing to show me that he remembers all the moves, including a
baby, old man capriole. I check in with Angie about the girls and I believe
she is enjoying them even though I think she would like to return Do. I do
hope she keeps her so I can have a foal and because she has tremendous
athletes, lots of talent. We are all well with winter, at least hay is not as
costly. And you...? SW and you are always a close thought in mind.
As you already know, Mickey is here. The first thing he did when he got in his
stall is dive to the floor and roll around. He really is a silly guy! He keeps
making a mean face, too bad I'm on to him and know he's not mean. Every time I
walk passed he does it. He met my little ankle biter dogs too, I don't think
he knew what they were. They were not sure what to think either, but one of
them sure did enjoy rolling in the crap though! He seems perfectly content,
and I am thrilled that he is here. I will let you know tomorrow what Jake does
when he gets here. Poor painter hurt himself, Michael says he quit acting up
so he could get off the trailer too. DeAnn
Yes all the horses behaved very well. Em walked Monty while we got Sassy out
- and got Kismet another halter on ( she had broken her leather crown) - both
mares turned to face us when we unhooked Sassy! They were pretty calm about it
though. Monty walked right back on like a pro no problem. Super. ----------
Not much to report. The farrier did her her feet for the second time since
her arrival and he's happy with her behavior and the condition of her feet. The
vet has seen her and pronounced her quite sound. She has put on weight and is
sleek as satin. Her back is much more comfortable to the touch. I know you
told me not to jump her but she has jumped out in the pasture on her own to my
surprise and was surprisingly comfortable. Not that I would jump her, my almost
60 yo bones are not up to that either. She makes friends easily and s kind. My
Arab mare, Sabi, shares the paddock and often one of the stalls with her. Bee
has almost a maternal relationship with her. Sabi is only 15h2. I have a
picture of Bee dwarfing Sabi as they eat out of the same hay rack. She is a
wonderful addition to the family. =
Thought you might like this. Here he is catching a
snooze and enjoying the afternoon sun.
-Shelly
Celeita,
Just a note to say Cavalier, Dad, Sophie (my poodle), & I arrived home
safely, just as the sun was setting. Cav already shows more trust in me than
I had anticipated, and I'm delighted with that! We exited the trailer very
slowly, then he grazed briefly on a clover patch before we proceeded to the
barn. He goes everywhere I lead and is very respectful. He was nose to nose
with his new brother, Zeke, and settled into his stall peacefully. Only
funny thing - Cav acts fearful of water buckets. Both the one I offered in
the trailer & the one in his stall caused him concern (big eyes, ears back
and body in retreat). He kept a wary eye on them, as if they were going to
attack. Perhaps he was beaten with buckets? He's a funny one to figure!
Anyway, I hope he rests tonight; I know I will!! Tomorrow I am returning my
girlfriend's mare, then Zeke & I can focus all our energy on helping
Cavalier feel safe & content in his new home, with his new family (the dogs
& me). Monday morn I will make an appointment with the vet. And sometime
soon, when the water no longer poses a threat, I'd like to give Cav a
complete body scrub. Thanks again, for my precious new boy. I've decided to
call him Winston, after Winston Churchill, because he exudes a calm
strength, quiet intelligence, and a humble dignity.
Will keep you posted,
Sherri
Celeita,
Winston drank nearly an entire bucket of water last night in his stall, so
he apparently conquered his fear. :) This morning, I curried his entire body
exept the back legs. He's definitely more protective of his left side, and
judging by the 2 deep scars on his hip & thigh, I can guess why. Poor fella
has had a rough start. Liz & Mary gave me a bag with several tubes of
ivermectin in it & a copy of the vet report. Liz also suggested spraying
Lemon Balm on his sheath, and I just happen to have that growing in my
garden! I will prepare the tincture & spray him faithfully, but I'm thinking
surgery will be the ultimate answer. Winston's tumor appears to be quite
vascular and consequently I'm concerned his surgery will be more challenging
than we'd like. I'm very curious to see what my vet will suggest; she has a
wealth of experience and I greatly admire & respect her medical expertise
with equines.
Winston and his brother, Zeke, munched on some hay side by side in the
barn then I set up temporary fencing to keep them together in a 1/2 acre
pasture, with access to the barn as they please. It's funny to see them
interact. Winston nipped at Zeke a little at first, then gradually let him
smell closely. Zeke was patient, cautious & respectful. I looked in his eyes
for a reaction and could sense him saying, "it's ok, mom...I was in his
shoes and understand where he's coming from." Little Winston was delighted
to run, sniff, roll, and play in the pasture. He acted like he owned the
place! Zeke and the dogs just watched him dumbfounded, then Sophie engaged
him in a little play. Later in the afternoon, I brought the boys carrots and
Winston came to me for a bite. YAY! So glad he's learning to trust so
quickly.
I'll send photos after his first bath, and will be glad to complete the
review in June. I'm sure medical care of his sheath will be ongoing, and
hope to provide a positive progress report after treatment.
Be encouraged! This little pony is a star!
Sherri
|
Celeita,
The little boy is doing great! He has really been quick to trust. I
can walk right up to him or he will come directly to me (because I
usually have carrots or apples in my hand!). He often nickers to me
when I enter the pasture. Just recently, he has let me pick up every
hoof (I had to slowly work down to that). And he stands still for
brushing and his sarcoid ointment every day (without being held or
tied). The tumors are getting smaller! Slow but sure! He took his oral
dewormer fine. He follows his big brother pretty closely and always
hollers a little bit when I take Zeke out of the pasture to ride. He
also calls to us about 1/2 mile away as we return, welcoming us home.
Winston will have his first vet & farrier visit here in 2 weeks.
Before then, I would like to desensitize him to sprays and bathing. He
has been very sensitive to (easily frightened by) every little
stimulus (that is a part of our normal environment here), so every day
I introduce him to new things - cell phone, camera, flashlight,
squeeky dog toys, new tastes - banana, melon, peppermint, etc, then
follow the introduction with lots of rubbing & reassurance. He really
seems to melt when I rub him all over, putting his head down, and
soaking up the affection. With tender lovin, he conquers fears
quickly! I would like for Winston to really feel safe and settled
here, then will start playing some Parelli games with him in the
coming months. He's such a sweet boy. I'm so thankful.
Sherri
|
Hi Celeita, I’ll be sending you the pics and updated for Melody and Little
Bit, but I wanted to let you know Bitty is totally sound – I have been
riding her (I weight 115 lbs) and I jumped her on Monday, and she is
great, no lameness or tenderness or anything. She wanted to go to higher
jumps and was quite put out by my not allowing it. She could not be
better. She’s had her shoes back on since late Ppril and off bute. The
farrier was here last night and said her feet are perfect.
Hi Celeita !
Morgan told me I absolutely had to send you this picture of Addy – it is
also on the disc I sent but you’d have to search for it. That little
mare sure can jump !
|
Hi Celetia,
I just wanted to let you know that we are PCSing to California
the end of July. I got all of Chesters shots and coggins done in
Jan. I will be getting everything done again the 15th of July. I
will forward everything to you when I get it done and have him
settled in to his new home. Right now we are looking at keeping
them at Stepp Stables on Camp Pendleton but we will be moving them
once we find a place closer to where we live.
Chester is doing great. Jenny my 13 year old daughter loves
showing him. She will be taking him to the State 4-H horse show
in Raleigh on the 11th of July.
Take care,
The Cordoza Family
|
|
Hi Celetia,
I just wanted to let you know that we are PCSing to California
the end of July. I got all of Chesters shots and coggins done in
Jan. I will be getting everything done again the 15th of July. I
will forward everything to you when I get it done and have him
settled in to his new home. Right now we are looking at keeping
them at Stepp Stables on Camp Pendleton but we will be moving them
once we find a place closer to where we live.
Chester is doing great. Jenny my 13 year old daughter loves
showing him. She will be taking him to the State 4-H horse show
in Raleigh on the 11th of July.
Take care,
The Cordoza Family
|
Millie is great...we took her down to a hunter this year to start
giving her a "calmer" job in the ring so she will be ready for Alyssa
to ride in W/T. She still has tons of spunk though...it will probably
be a few years before Alyssa will be able to handle her at a show.
She just started trotting on her at home on a lunge line inthe round
pen and showed her W/T leadline at this show.
I also took her to a show in Waynesburg last month and showed her in
Liberty. She was awesome and won the qualifier and
Championship...will send some pics of that soon:)
We are planning to show her at the Fall show, but she is having an
even bigger issue flipping her ears, so she may end up staying home:(
You always show in a full bridle in the English divisions...no
exceptions. This new mare is quite a rocket...at times she feels like
you are driving an 18 wheeler down hill w/no brakes:(
Paula Weekley
| |
Best of 2011
-Foster Mom of the Year, Lydia
Millner, we didn’t have
a lot of horses in foster homes this year but Lydia was so
different from most fosters who want a certain horse or a
certain capability and only want it for the summer. Lydia
called and offered to help by taking any horse for the
winter, now that is a foster mom that all programs dream
about having. Someone who is more concerned about helping
any horse in need than thinking of themselves she even paid
to ship him to her place, what selfless devotion to helping
a horse that would have never had a chance without us and
her. Lydia is fostering Aargon for the winter and is
focusing on helping him become an even better horse, he’s
not just going there and sitting in a field, she’s handling
him every day and this will end up really helping this horse
find a great home and help him be success in that home. I
would give my right arm to have more fosters like her.
-Adopter Update of the Year, Pony
Pastures along with
all their students that are our adopters!! What can you say,
with all their SWAP horses and many of their students with
our horses and all the pictures we get all through the year
on facebook… we have no doubt what a great home they are all
in. Nothing like constant updates, we love it and the
pictures of the kids and horses are priceless. We are so
thrilled to have found Pony Pastures, they have become a
SWAP East helping us find horses homes and putting the word
out about our work. What great adopters, every one of them.
-Best All Around Volunteer,
Ellen Mitchell, Esq.…. Anyone who will drive 12 hours
one way about every 3 months to spend a weekend to clean
stalls and troughs and sit all day helping with inventory in
the SWAP store, plus donating funds to the feed fund,
donating stuff for the SWAP store, donating her legal
expertise on different issues deserves much more than this
recognition. Ellen has gone above and beyond the call of
duty and asks nothing in return but the chance to help a
horse in need. We are so praying to keep her around for a
long time and begging for more like her this year!!
-Best Fund Raisers of the Year,
Delaware Harness Racing Golf Tournament for SWAP, the
Ring Raffle Sponsored by Faye York and The Donor Challenge
by Sherry Galt and all the donors that accepted her
challenge. We can thank these three fund raisers for our
continued existence. The golf tournament paid for all of our
hay, the Ring Raffle paid the farm mortgage for 10 months
and the Challenge continues to help us pay for feed, farrier,
vet and monthly expenses. Shew, what do you say to people
that saved your life and the lives of so many animals that
we helped this year and the years to come. Reminds us all to
have the faith of a child that there are good people out
there that really care and when help is so badly needed,
help comes when you’re heart and work is in the right place.
-Best All Around Supporters:
We had so many that helped this year that its hard to pick
out of handful but Dale Ames, David Ferrell, Jim Gerchow,
Chip Copper, George & Tina Dennis along with so many from
Delaware Harness Racing, Faye York, Sherry Galt, Carole and
Clint Wade, Peggy Breakiron, Gene Swansey, Sara Gauer,
Kaitlyn Snodgrass, Diana Greenhalgh, Donna Moore, McKinzi
Straub, the Swisher Family that brings us all our hay,
Foster Feeds, all those transporters that kept our horses
safe on the road …..these folks have made all the difference
in the world in the programs operation...
-Donor of the Year, Quang Hua and
Vietopia Restaurant of Houston
bought $5000. worth of raffle
tickets for the ring raffle… no matter how hard I wished
they would have won, they didn’t and I was heartbroken but
they made the ring raffle a success and kept the farm
running for another year. Wishing we could do something
special for so many that have given so much in money and
time.
-Presidents Award, Diana
Greenhalgh, Years of
working at Second Wind, doing whatever needed to be done for
over 11 years now but this year with Celeitas injury Diana
was at the farm every day to make sure the horses were cared
for, she was the one that came daily to pack and wrap
Sonny’s feet, cleaning up after dogs and doing all the
things that Celeita could not do for over 3 months, she was
the one that covered the operation when Celeita had to have
surgery or be gone all day at the VA hospital. There is no
way we could have ever paid her for her time, gas money and
for all the work she did this year. It was a hard year on
everyone, the volunteers were tired and worn out with
Celeita’s injury it put a strain on the whole operation,
many just stopped coming to help. Diana was the only one
coming to help consistently even when Celeita was begging
for help from anyone. The program and the critters owe her
so much, so much more than we’ve ever been able to give her
for her devotion and dedication to the animals in our care.
-Life Time Achievement, Rhonda
Ross was a longtime
friend, adopter and supporter of Second Wind. She spent a
lifetime of loving horses but her life was shortened from
diabetes, which first took her sight, then took her kidney
of which she got a transplant. She always talked about SWAP
to her family and friends, she had dreams of being a
professional horse woman and dreams of showing and
competing, even dreams of doing what we do here at SWAP.
Unfortunately all those things had to be put aside for
Rhonda to fight for her life, which she did for many years
and then her poor heart could not handle all the stress any
more. Rhonda was really an inspiration because she took
great care of 2 SWAP horses, riding both as well, proving a
good relationship with a horse and respect will compensate
for strength in the rider. I saw her ride the first time,
already legally blind and had already had the transplant. It
was one of those times when you think, I have no excuses, if
she can ride that well, I should be able to do anything. She
was riding horses that many able bodied riders could not,
she showed us anything is possible, it just depends on how
badly you want it and she wanted to ride badly. Rhonda lost
her battle this year and sent all her horses to SWAP plus
told her family she wanted all her horse stuff to come to
us. Even in her death she was thinking about helping horses.
She was a precious delicate gift to horses and to us, she is
so desperately missed by all who knew her.
-Most Dedicated Vet, Dr. Shannon
Loomis along with Marla, her vet tech..
this year was such a tough year
for Second Wind, we had to put down more animals in one year
than all the past 15 years total. Dr Loomis and Marla helped
us make good decisions about animals in pain and about our
toughest welfare decisions because we never got into
horse/dog adoption to put animals down. When you have feet
and legs falling apart, illness so bad that the horse is
hurting itself, legs breaking down so badly that it takes 4
people to trim the horse, horses sloughing their hooves from
poor care, excessive seizures that we could not stop, then
we are forced to consider what is humane. We expect people
to dump horses here when they don’t want to put them down,
and when they are old and lame, when they have not been fed
or cared for but its never easy when we can’t fix the
problem or help them. We’ve realized that ending the pain,
pain we never caused is the most humane thing we can do. To
be there for them, to put them down where they were loved
and cared for, to do it humanely with lethal injection and
bury on the farm is the best answer. Shannon, Marla and
Audubon always handled these animals with care and
compassion and they were there for the SWAP staff, knowing
how painful those decisions are to us. Many of them we had
had in the program for many years, following them through
years of homes and then allowing some of them to live out
any good life they had left in the Old Timers Sanctuary
until they were in so much pain and could barely walk or
barely get up. We hate the whole thing but as a rescue we
have to find a way to give horses relief, relief from past
injuries, from serious illness, from damage done from past
owners. We are always attacked for all our decisions,
regardless, attacked by people who think we should put the
horse down at the first sign of an issue and also attacked
by those who feel that you never put any horse down
regardless, that they should always die on their own from
natural causes so the attacks and outside opinions make
things even worse and its already a very painful situation
because we love the animal. Dr. Loomis made this so much
easier, reminding us that quality of life is a major
consideration, as is the horses safety and survival. I know
I will think of these animals for the rest of my life, but I
know we made the right decisions for each with the knowledge
and experience of our veterinary team.
-Directors Award, Michael
Asthalter, Michael has
been a long time friend to SWAP as an adopter, donor,
foster, transporter, advisor and even checking out new homes
when he delivered horses to their home but this year he
returned to Germany because of the limited opportunities in
the horse industry in the US. The decision all started with
the death of his beloved wife Zorana Ristic, a veterinarian
that always gave us free advice and supported our operation
completely for many years. We miss Michael and it was a huge
loss to SWAP, he was a meticulous transporter and worker,
his knowledge of horses is unmatched and being German he was
always kind but always honest, even when it was something we
didn’t want to hear. We hope that his home land will give
him all the opportunities for great work that he longs for.
-Vice Presidents Award, Alan Macy
in Indiana, We all
lost a great animal advocate when we lost Alan Macy to
cancer. He and Angie have been adopters, volunteers,
fosters, rescue assistance and emergency transport for
Second Wind since the late 1990’s while helping Angie care
for their 20 + equine, dog and cat family and two kids. Alan
was what most horse women would call a loveable puppy dog,
he was always ready to do whatever was needed to be done and
had the patience of a saint. He was a good man, husband,
father and animal lover. This is a small tribute to his
years of selfless work to help animals and care for animals.
Sorely missed does not describe the huge loss to the animals
and to his family.
-Most Dedicated Riders, McKinzi
Staub and Donna Moore,
what a year we had, seems like
every horse came to us untrained, unhandled, crazy from
mishandling, uncastrated, completely herd bound. At times I
was starting to think I was getting too old to take the
really hard rescues. None were completely starved but all of
them needed training. McKinzi and Donna were ready to take
on any problem they had, from mounting issues to just never
being trained or handled. They were becoming old pros at
putting new horses under saddle and most of the horses we
found homes for this year was because we had these two
ladies and their gentling talents to bring horses along so
they could be adopted and be successful in the home. Donna
brought McKinzi on board and McKinzi brought her college
church group to volunteer as well so they are much more than
a couple of riders/trainers… they are two caring young
ladies who really want to help animals. Kudos!
-8 years of Service, Aldine Hart...
Wow!! What a work history. For many years Aldine was the
barn and farm manger, then he retired but has continued to
help us with farm maintenance, building, fixing, mowing,
weed eating, fence repairs and walking the miles of fence
lines, helping us stay up on stalls and even horse care on
occasion. He’s been a trooper for so many years and such a
great dedicated, honest worker that always does his best
work.
-Adopter of the Year, Dr. Sherry
Galt of TX, at first
we thought Sherry was going to be just another great
adopter, keeping her horse beautiful, good about doing her
updates, then she was given a professional award and she
could either take a donation to a program of her choice or
take an extended vacation in the Bahamas. She had her award
sent to us. She always got our newsletter and stayed in
touch when we started struggling because of the economy
Sherry’s challenge kicked in, getting several others
donating monthly to the mission to match her donation, she
also put $3500. Into our feed fund this winter, nearly
paying our winter feed bill for the horses. How do you ever
pay someone back for that kind of support and how do you
thank them? We have no clue but she is certainly adopter and
donor of the year all in one. She deserves so much more.
We’ve seen some real heroes step forward this year and make
a big difference in the horses lives and we have all been
sleeping much better, not having a fret over feed and care
for the horses. Outstanding dedication to helping the ones
who cannot help themselves. Bravo!!
-Groom of the Year, Sara Gouer,
Our bathing, clipping,
grooming, spit shining geru... she goes all day taking
horses to the wash stall making them all looking marvelous!
We’ve not found anyone who enjoys this more and does quite
the job she does when it comes to spit shining up a dog or
horse. The animals love her for it too.
-Animals Best Friend, Jean Kruse
of WV Jean runs our
county Spay Neuter Program, of which all the SWAP small
animals went to but she has been instrumental in helping
dogs and cats that need help…. even horses too, does
transports, pick ups, placements, tracking down
abandoned/stranded animals and dogs that have landed in
shelters by mistake, takes in animals and finds them homes,
helps us get our dogs placed into homes too, she is an
animal’s best friend for sure and its so nice to finally see
someone in our own county step up and do something for
animals besides us and Donna Francisco!
-Adopters with the Best Horse
Pictures: Amanda Rockower with Fior in PA, The Stouts with
Ebony in WV, The Riehl’s with Banner in Indiana, Betsy
Bailey and the Bailey family with Classy and Mistral in VA,
Marissa St. Clair with Melody and LilBit in Maryland, Morgan
Crabbs with Ren and several SWAP horses in Maryland,
Alexandra with Zahara in Florida, Kim Stark with Country
Lane in Oklahoma, Wendal and his human family in Arkansas
and Pat Pape in Texas.
This is always a hard choice, all
these folks send the best pictures of them and their horses,
when things are hard here and we’re really struggling, we
turn to these pictures as a critical reminder as to why we
work so hard for no money, why we struggle, why we continue
even though we have sleepless nights worrying over horses,
why we ignore the BS on the forums being written by people
we helped put in jail for horrific neglect or people that
abused their horses and even the ones we didn’t approve
their applications for dishonesty or extreme selfishness…
these pictures serve such an important purpose to us, not
only in fulfilling the adoption contract and letting us now
the horse is safe but also that all important reminder that
some people do really care and it’s so badly needed.
-Biggest Transformation in Horses:
You expect rescues to
go through a huge transformation, certainly Aargon
comes to mind, going from a dangerous jerk to a sweet easy
going confident pony in training but also watching Morgan
Crabbs and Ren go from a well cared for TB with a
wonderful beginning to a big beefy competitor jumping big in
big shows was a sight to see. Also Cortez has turned
into a fit, capable lesson and dressage horse in the hands
of Andra Constantin and Carol Popp in CT, Rocky
is another in CT that is looking wonderful and coming along
so well with Lynda Morhardt. All very dedicated
people who take pride in how their horses look, knowing that
your horse is a reflection of you as a person.
-Best All Around Adopters: Carole
and Clint, The Wade Family of WV
adopted yet another horse this
year, all are always fat and shining, they have donated to
the mission, worked at the SWAP store building tables for
us, bought a ton of stuff from the SWAP store, volunteered,
bought calendars, offered transport help to volunteers and
to Celeita when she fractured her arm… the list goes on and
on as they are always looking for a way to help, this couple
is a dream come true to any program trying to get things
done with very little money.
-Adopters with the biggest hearts:
Nancy Trotter of GA, Micki Ollman of NC and Dana Limpert of
Maryland. Nancy and Micki
for adopting completely blind
horses just because they needed a home and they could give
them that home, this is the second year we’ve selected them
for this honor. Nancy has gone through a major injury with
Amber, a family move and even found a Donkey to be Ambers
buddy. Micki now runs a blind horse sanctuary in NC and
we’ve recommended several blind horses to her that she’s
accepted into her program. She even had our beloved 41 year
old Kochese a birthday party with local kids attending and
walked him in the local Christmas parade, she even went out
of her way to meet Kochese’s original owner who had him for
many many years but lost her home to foreclosure after a
major family illness. When a blind horse comes to you as a
rescue, it’s the biggest worry wondering if anyone will ever
adopt or if they will ever have a family of their own and
then you worry about them being neglected or abused… most
rescues just turn them away and many times It’s their last
chance. When such a needy horse finds a great home it is
really a gift from god. They will both tell you there is
nothing better than having an animal that needs you so much
and they realize what a gift to them that it really is to
have such horses in their lives. Dana Limpert adopted
Klack and is working to get his OCD removed as promised,
it took us 2 years to find someone that cared enough about
the horse to accept the challenge, amazing how many people
want something great for nothing, not Dana, she has no
expectations except to get him healthy and give him a
chance. You just do not find people with the spiritual and
personal strength and faith, courage and selflessness to
take on horses like this every day. It is truly commendable.
-Adopter that has learned the most
since adopting: Katharine Owens and Arab mare Melody of VA,
she adopted unhandled
10 month old SA Melody who came to us from a breeder that
was over breeding many years and then would send us 10 to 15
unhandled youngsters each year. Melody was lovely but needed
so much training…. Fast forward 11 years and they are
showing, competing and winning in halter, dressage and stock
seat show classes and Katharine is not a professional, she
paid a trainer, went to lessons, she got trained and got
Melody trained, it really shows that with the investment of
time and money and many years of dedication, everyone can
raise the horse of their dreams, no matter what their start
has been but it does not happen in a month and many times it
does not even happen in a year, slow and steady always wins
the race.
-SWAP horse that has lived the
most interesting life: Mikado and Revue,
Mikado was born in Ireland,
competed in eventing there, then imported to the US and
competed around NY and the east coast, then was adopted into
a home in Fairbanks, Alaska. That boy’s been around and his
personality is bigger than life. Revue was born in
Australia, competed there, went to Europe and was owned by
the FEI President, competed there, imported into the US and
competed here. Came to us as too much horse for an amateur
and not enough for a professional to win but to the surprise
of many we placed her with Rhonda Ross, a legally blind
rider who built a relationship with her and Revue would ride
her anywhere, we sadly lost Rhonda this year and Revue is
back with us looking for another home that will give her the
time she needs to establish a relationship with in order to
see the best of her abilities.
Thank you all for a super year.
Without you, SWAP today would just be a memory of the past.
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15 Years Serving Horses, the Horse Industry and Horse
Owners
