"Pony Pastures LLC has been operating an "A"
Circuit show and lesson barn (Zone 3) for over 6 years now. When we opened
we wanted to give all horses that second look that most people don't have
the time to give. That's why we adopt from Second Wind Adoption Program.
Celeita Kramer also gives horses in any condition a second look, chance or
new start. While working with Second Wind we've adopted 5 horses ourselves
from their program as well as our students have adopted another 6 horses. In
total within a 12 mile radius of our farm there are 11 SWAP horses. I myself
ride one of Celeita's horses on the "A" Circuit and have competed
successfully in the jumpers. Our daughter will be competing another one of
Celeita's horses on the Circuit in the spring. There's talent in all horses
you don't need a $100k horse to win on the circuit all you need is to find
the right matched horse for you. I trust Celeita to the point that i'd have
horses shipped to me sight unseen. She runs an amazing program. I look
forward to riding more of her horses and competing them at higher levels. My
horse Ren aka Dr. Feelgood was adopted for $900 and competes with horses
that cost over $100k. Horses don't know how much they cost only what they
want to become. Give a horse a Second Chance at Second Wind Adoption".
Morgan Crabbs, Owner, Pony Pastures
Crossed Sabers Stable
The Mountain State Horse School
and Second Wind Adoption Program, Inc.
Visiting Hours:
Daily 10am to 2pm (eastern time) by appointment
Pick Up and
Delivery of Horses: 9am to 8pm by appointment
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9am to 4pm
Driving Directions:
Click here for directions to the
Headquarters farm there
is a note to all truckers and transporters on this page that is critical to coming to the HQ farm,
please read! Follow these Directions, do not follow Mapquest or your GPS,
both will put you on bad mountain roads.
Flying In:
Fly into Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) and rent a car or call us to pick you
up (its about 2.5 hours from the farm) or fly into Clarksburg Airport (CKB) or Parkersburg Airport
(PKB) and we can pick you up, both CKB and PKB are less than an hour
away.
our interactive calendar for adopters,
volunteers, interns, students, employees and visitors
15 Years Serving Horses, the Horse Industry and Horse
Owners
SWAP SHOP BOGO
SPECIAL
thank you to all who regular
buy from IGive and donate to SWAP! We get a check almost every month from
them from your purchases!
order your wine and bubbly
now from SWAP. All profits go to the SWAP Horses. A wine for every occasion
and taste!
Volunteer to help a horse
Shop Jeffers Equine from this link and SWAP
gets an 8% donation, we do much of our shopping for our needs and supplies
at Jeffers, great prices and quality!
Super stuff for your small animals too & 8%
goes to help the horses and dogs at SWAP
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)
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:
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:
As many as 60
million visitors per year
As many as 530,000 hits in one day
Visitors from 113 different
countries
Website Visitors from every
continent of the world
Thousands of adoptions (of 68
different breeds) in homes today with SWAP
Horses adopted in 46 states and
Canada
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!
HORSES, DOGS & CATS
ADOPTED 2010
(adopted out 45 horses
and 10 dogs)
Monty: 2004 Haflinger gelding, estimate about 13.1 or
2 hands at the most, don't know if he was ever registered, we have no information
on that, healthy and sound, hardy and very easy keeper, no past
injuries or illnesses, sound barefoot, he is more senior in the group and
should probably be fed alone as he will go and eat everyone else's food, on
a regular deworming schedule, been ridden a couple of times about 4 months
ago, ridden bareback, takes some time to trust and gentle handling, good
temperament, loads well, good with a gentle farrier that he trusts, learning
to tie and cross tie, bathes, good alone, good in stall, free lunges, lunges
on a line, higher in the pecking order in the herd but not mean, natural
training methods have been used to train him, mostly monty roberts, sound
barefoot, great mover, quit the looker. Recommended for lead line with kids,
driving, lower level dressage or jumping, possibly upper level with
training, pleasure riding, vaulting, carriage or fine harness, eventually
maybe a school or lesson horse, needs a quiet handler and environment until
he learns to completely trust humans again but he might be okay if in a
situation where he's handled daily, he's really coming along here.
Monty is
located just south of Indianapolis, IN his adopters had a family
accident/major illness and they can't keep him
Monty is
has been adopted by the Murphy family of ILL
first ride at SWAP
click once to see the video
Romeo's first ride at SWAP HQ,
turn up your sound and enjoy this sweet boy
Regal Romeo: 1995 TB gelding, 16 hands (measured). While he never raced, he
is registered with Jockey Club (9531228) but is not tattooed. He is working at 1st
level, and has been in regular work (3 to 5 times a week over the last 7 years).
Stitch,1
year old male pointer, fixed and house broken, gets along with kids, dogs
and cats, has no desire to run like many hunting dogs, Sweet, lovable,
wants to please, loyal, about 30 lbs and about 18 inches tall, going to
probably stay medium to small sized
(Stitch is adopted by P Breakiron
of ohio)
Teddy: 2002 Warmblood/Arab/Sport Horse x TB
cross, bay gelding. He was 15.3 when last measured, we expect he's probably about 16
hands now, he had a lot of leg to grow into. Teddy is a friendly boy that
always wants to be in your face. He as a huge personality, and is such a lover.
He is out of Sporthorse Amira and Ike, a TB stallion. Teddy is
completely healthy and sound.
This lovely boy is just too sweet, an in your lap kinda
baby that looks for people to come and see him and always wants to be
involved. If he thinks there is a chance of getting some attention, he makes
a point of making sure he gets it!
located in ohio and will be placed from there for
now. Sound for all professions Teddy is ready for a job and a person to
love.
Teddy is adopted by M.
Ludwig, Teddy's dams original owner. Congrats Mary and thank you
for your continued support!
Elvira's video, turn up your sound and enjoy.
Elvira or
Ebony: 2005 Shire/TB mare needing a forever
home. She is dark bay, 17 hands, picks up her feet on command, teeth floated, neg fecal results, utd on everything,
30 days
under saddle with High Point Hanoverians in MD with Klaus Schengber.
leads, loads, no bad habits. She can do any discipline. Sire is Jensing's
Englanders Maior. She is a little
shy, but will trust a kind and gentle handler. Though this is a big mare,
she is not to be rough- handled. I use soft tones and gentle patient
handling...she is quite lovely! 100% sound and healthy.
sound barefoot, teeth just floated in June, up to date on all
vaccines and deworming schedule. Pretty easy keeper, and keeps a pretty
neat stall, had a foal in 2010 (she was bred and foaled before she came to
us). Likes people, good manners, respects your space, good temperament,
can be ridden today, still learning so needs an experienced rider. Likes
to work, easily trained, smart, good with other animals, good with other
horses. good with vet/shots, loads, trained to ride, ties, quiet in stall,
free lunges, lunges on line, comes when called, can catch in open field.
Extremely sweet, sensitive and refined. Restricted from breeding.
Recommended for pleasure driving, competitive driving, cross country
driving, low level dressage, low level jumping, upper level dressage,
upper level jumping, fox hunting, first flight over fences or Hilltopper.
pleasure riding, hunt seat on the flat, hunt seat over fences, local to
national level showing, competitive trail riding, eventing, combined
training.
Ebony was
adopted by the Stout family of WV
Max
Cocoa is a 4 year
old male chocolate lab mix, fixed, house broken, sweet, stays home, good
with dogs and cats, kids horses, follows you around the farm and can even
walk without a leash, we saved him 4 years ago from a shelter that was
going to put him down, he was terrified of everything, its taken years to
get him to go to up strangers but he does it now. never ever been mean,
just afraid. He is low guy in a dog pack too. He has a thing about food,
was probably starved at some point. He is never food aggressive but I have
to pull up the food or he will lay at the bowl and eat his and everyone
else's food. Its hard to get him to lose weight, he does get loads of
exercise but we need to keep food out for our lean dogs that need to eat
more. He absolutely loves to swim and take walks.
Cocoa has been adopted by T. Mills
Buddy
Bear is a 5 year old male westhighland terrier mix, very sweet, gets along
with cats and dogs, loves kids and people, needs to be neutered, indoor
dog and house broken. located about 1/2 hour from SWAP HQ. Buddy Bear is
adopted
Spanky, 2000 pony gelding, chocolate with flaxen
mane and tail, owner thinks he is a Rocky /Shetland cross, 12 hands,
located in Nashville, IN and being placed into a home from there. He is
young, sound, healthy and has excellent feet, not working much now but
does not take much to get him fit. Easy keeper, up to date on shots, sound
and good to ride without shoes, is currently being ridden/driven on
occasion, uses a small tom thumb bit. LOVES people, good manners, respects
your space, good temperament, can be ridden, today, confident, likes to
work, easily trained, smart, good with other animals, good with other
horses, a child can handle and ride, a beginner can handle and ride, good
with farrier, good with shots/vet, kid safe, loads, trained to drive and
ride, ties, cross ties, gaited, clips, bathes, good alone, quiet in stall,
comes when called, can catch in an open field, low in pecking order in
herd. Loves to pull a buggy, ridden extensively for 3 years, last 5 ridden
ridden some and taught to drive. stalled in bad weather in IN
(heat/bugs/rain/snow), no grass turn out, turned out with 3 others. Best
assets are he is loving, smart, likes to walk when ridden, he ponies,
loves people, gaits and did we say he loves people? He is up for anything,
his current family does not have time for him and feel its not fair to him
to not be doing things. he will load himself into a trailer. Respects
fencing and electric. Possible jobs are endless for him, companion, baby
sitter, pasture buddy, lead line, showing with young kids, 4-H, pony club,
pleasure driving, competitive driving, cross country driving, gaited
dressage, low level jumping, pleasure riding, hunt seat on the flat or
over fences for kids, local to national showing, competitive trail riding,
western or english pleasure, contest horse for little kids, working or
riding around small livestock, gaited trail horse, trick pony, ceremony or
color guards, fine harness, lesson pony or schooling pony.
Spanky has been adopted by Rosemary in Indiana... that was quick...
no surprise!
Hardy, and an easy keeper, Shanelle stays fat and
sassy. This girl is absolutely beautiful and very rare. Pictures do
not capture her beauty, you just have to see this girl
in person to really appreciate her. We We have never seen her coloring before, the
best way to describe it is she's blue all over and flea bitten with
copper. Really a horse of a different color. Very rare breed (only 400 in
the US) and color.
Check current specials at the
top of the page!
Shanelle has been adopted
by B. Havins of WV
Andy: 1996 Arab stallion located in ILL, his adopter has died and her hubby is not a horse person
and may put the horse down if we don't get him placed soon.
Andy is not broke to ride at this point
BUT its not that he can't be! Its just that he was a big pet to his
previous family, and riding was not something they ever pursued with him.
Located on the ILL side of St. Louis
and being placed from there
Andy is pending adoption with
CircleKLand in MI
Beau's video of his first ride
here, click once to see it, turn up your sound and
enjoy. we don't have a dressage rider here right now so
we can really show off this real talent.
He's an "easy" keeper and goes with the flow. I
keep shoes on him in the front and he's never had any problems. He's
current on everything. I have him adjusted by my chiropractor every few
months. It's a preventive measure at this point. His hip seemed to
bother him two years ago and so now I just keep him adjusted to prevent
any problems. He's been turned out with two other geldings and gets
alone well with a group. He's not an aggressor in the pasture. He's been
on grass in the past.
He's been ridden in an indoor in the winter and an outdoor in the
summer. I have a dog so he's used to a dog being around. He is good on
trail with another horse but gets very anxious alone to the point where
it's not enjoyable for him or safe.
I've done a bunch of clinics with him: Jennifer Baumert, Sherry
Ackerman, Sarah Geike, and they always love him. I've shown him in
schooling shows at training level (her level, not his). He's great in a
new place, has taught several riders about dressage . Comes off the trailer completely relaxed. (He's an easy
loader on the trailer-just gets right on every time). Eye candy too!
Beau has
been adopted by Kelli at Grand Prix Farm in Ohio. Thank you Kelli
first ride at SWAP, either she is very quiet or they played really hard in
turn out last night
nothing like riding on the buckle on a beautiful sweet girl
Sukhoi: 2001
registered and branded Swedish Warmblood mare, dark bay, 15.1 hands
Good things come in small packages! This has never
been more true! Sukhoi is a very
well built mare in a small package. She is absolutely gorgeous and is such a
stunning mover. She is sound for all professions, has no vices, completes all ground requirements
(loading, tying, etc), and likes people.
Check current specials at the
top of the page, and keep checking back for updates and new
pictures on this fellow!
Tennessee has been adopted by J. Bowman of VA
Missy was adopted by teh
Runyon family of VA
Ren enjoying turn out in Virginia
Aunt Beth and Ren in VA
located at foster mom
Beth's in Northern Virginia
Renaissance aka "Ren" 2003 (6 yo) 16.2
hand thoroughbred gelding. Health care is up to date and kept current. He is
in regular light work about 3 times a week with daily turnout. He really
needs at least 8 to 10 hours of daily turnout, if not he tends to not
perform as well as he should.
He has been working on basic
dressage, trail riding, hacking, limited jumping, horse shows and gone on fox
hunts. Ren also has great ground manners and a friendly personality. He
really is a sweet and amazing horse! He would make a great low level
dressage or low level jumper, fox hunting (1st flight or hilltopper),
pleasure riding, hunt seat on the flat, hunt seat over fences, competitive
trail riding, or english pleasure. Never raced/not tattooed. No illnesses, no
special care, no lamenesses.
We feel the best place for him
is the south east maybe in the carolina's or some place on a family farm
where they don't mind throwing on a rug and letting him out in winter time,
vs. being stuck in a stall during the winter months up north.
Check current specials at the
top of the page!
Ren has been adopted by Pony Pastures and M. Crapps of MD
arrival at SWAP 2010, entirely too skinny from the transporter taking him
through a horrific week long transport ordeal. He's much fatter now.
Doc is a sweet, beautiful, sensible boy
who is looking for a job to do. He would be perfect for hunter on the flat,
4H, lower-level dressage, or any other job suitable for a willing, patient,
and laid-back partner. While Doc's donors did not pursue jumping with him,
he has been schooled over cross-rails.
He did race as a baby and had a bone
chip that was removed over five years ago. He has not had any lameness
issues and goes barefoot.
He is easy to handle on the
ground, lunges, and is great for the farrier. Doc does not like the vet
however, and does not like to stand for him. He has a beautiful, floating
trot.
One of Doc's best traits is that it
takes a lot to rattle him and he thinks before he reacts. If you are patient
and consistent with him he is a good learner and once he learns a new skill
he retains it.
Doc is used to being blanketed if it
gets below 30 degrees. He likes his stall and would probably not enjoy being
in a situation where he would be out 24/7.
Rock has been adopted by the Beard
family of PA
Check current adoption specials,
great breaks on prices!
Sheza Snazzy Shadow, aka "Shadow": 1997 registered
QH mare, sorrell, 15.2 hands, currently located at CSS. AQHA Incentive fund mare, registration number 3564404, was shown
extensively in horsemanship and western pleasure, professionally trained,
former lesson horse for intermediate riders. Looking for a western pleasure
job outside the ring, super trail horse or could be a therapy horse in a
light job.
Can ride experienced kids with supervision,
also good at lead line. Really a looker, her pictures don't do her justice,
has a strong successful past in english, western pleasure, trail classes,
horsemanship, halter, showmanship, very successful in showmanship, usually
top in halter, does all trail obstacles, years of professional training,
loads, clips, ties, shoes great, super personality, loves people, easy girl
to be around, easy keeper. Daughter of Leaguers Shadow, former reserve high
point western pleasure horse in the nation. Quite the gem for some lucky
adopter or family. A been there, done that horse. She has lived the good
life and been blanketed all her life in winter, she does like that too. She
is wonderful with a confident rider who is a good leader, if the rider is
not a leader, like most horses, she will take the leadership position in the
relationship. Amazing girl. Always very well cared for, owner is a jumper
who wants to continue with that discipline and Shadow needs to stay on the
flat doing trails, she likes people, has good manners, respects your space,
can be ridden today, confident in ring and on familiar trails, knows leads,
smart, good with other animals and horses, a child can handle on the ground,
inexperienced people have ridden her but she is happier with someone who has
some experience, she is good with the farrier, vet/shots, loads, trained to
ride, ties, cross ties, clips except ears, bathes, quiet in stall, free
lunges, lunges on line, comes when called, can catch in open field. love
this mare, great great beginner, lead line or therapy horse for one person
in need of something special. steady, consistent, kind, always willing.
senior in the herd but not mean, just tells geldings and underlings to stay
out of her space with ears.
Chance is being fostered by Uncle Tom and Aunt
Ruby about 1/2 hour from Crossed Sabers Stable
Has now been on a trail rides and doing perfect,
such a sweet calm girl. Going to make a nice beginner's horse or could be
that trustable horse for a
family friend that comes to visit.
check the top of this page for
price reductions and specials.
Chance has been adopted by ...
Dixie and Red hacking out
Righteous N Red, aka "Red": 2003 registered Paint
(breeding stock) gelding, estimated 15.1 hands built like a tank.
registration number is 571643, by Hot Roddin zip and out of Stepahead Patty,
foaled in CA 3/22/03, very laid back and easy, has been a lesson horse at
Meredith Manor International Equestrian School, was their western pleasure
mount and been ridden daily for the last 2 years, easy keeper, up to date on
all health care, sound, healthy, goes in a snaffle, will neck rein, very
personable, willing, no vices, loads, bathes, ties and cross ties, sound
barefoot,
good manners, good temperament, confident,
easily trained, smart, sound barefoot, good with other horses and animals,
good around kids on the ground, good with farrier and vet, loads, ties,
cross ties, bathes, good alone, quiet in stall, free lunges or lunges on a
line, can catch in an open field. Tons of training and
experience, a horse that many people can enjoy on the trail. Currently he is
a bit ring sour, doesn't do anything bad just does not want to go in the
ring but take him out and he is very clear about loving it. He will get
better about going back into the ring with some time away from it, he's just
sick of that job, you would be too if you went round and around in a ring
every day for 2 years. Beautiful bright chestnut!
Presidents Notes: From what we've learned from him
I see him more as an adults horse on trail or a good child rider but he's
truly sick of ring work, a good adult rider can get a good ride out of him
in the ring but he loves trail riding and a really good boy when out on
trail.
Red's been
adopted by K Mullins of PA
Check specials and price reductions at the top of
this page
Doc, Spotted Saddle Horse that
was just pulled from a kill shelter in NC. He was moved to VA and castrated.
Thanks to everyone that helped us save Doc and Tennessee!
Doc is enjoying his foster home with
Aunt Cindy while recovering from surgery.
She says he is absolutely the best horse she's been around... even better
than her other SWAP horses (how could that be?) At any rate we are thrilled
to hear that he is such a great boy. A
tri colored beauty, he is sweet, sound, and healthy. What more could anyone ask for?
Check for current specials at
the top of the page and check back here for updates as we find out
more about this sweetheart!
Doc has been adopted by
the Fano family of VA
Super: 19 year old, 16'2" STB gelding that came to us from
the amish. I was so proud that they cared enough to call us, they even
drove him down here from erie, pa because he had been such a wonderful
boy. Sweet very big boy..
Update: We have ridden Super several times now and are just so impressed
with him! He is a smooth and comfy ride and is well behaved and attentive.
It Was All a Dream aka "Dreamer" 2001
registered saddlebred gelding, registration number is 110625, he's out of
Stephanie's Winged Lady and by Highpoint's Dream of Genius, he has many well
known saddlebreds in his family tree (CH The King of High Point, CH Superior
Odds, CH Valley View Supreme, CH Wing Commander), lovely dark bay with just
a few white hairs on his forehead and 2 hind pasterns.
Dreamer was removed from his home by the Taylor County
authorities for not getting needed vet care for an terrible injury. We
picked him up as an injured stallion and delivered him straight to Audubon
Animal hospital for a castration and 4 surgeries to repair his leg and he's
now with his foster mom Angie who will spend the next several months getting
him better. He'll go back a few more times to see if we can totally repair
his leg. Since his surgery he's been walking sound and he's a perfect
gentleman, easy to handle, quiet, good with the vet/farrier, now current on
shots and deworming. We'll get better pictures soon. He's going to be a
super choice for anyone's home.
Getting better every day, can't wait to see the
finished product.
An update from Dreamers foster mom:
Here are a few of
the wound photos from yesterday. The one w/ the grey stuff (equi-aide)
shows what is actually the granulation tissue and you can see how much new
growth we are getting. I don't put the equiaide on the new skin. I am
putting corona on it to soften it. You can see the new pink skin w/ grey
stripes growing on the outside edge. That has just started in the past
month and I was really excited to see it :) You can see as it tightens down
it is bulging more in the center and bottom. I am trimming it in that area
as the new skin gets closer. It is slow but we are getting there. The cold
weather will make it harder, but we'll get it done. I've been using pop
bottles to haul warm water over to wash him with. Then I dry his leg as
best I can. He tolerates it well.
UPDATE 7/13/10 We have ridden
Dreamer and he was super! He is going to be a great riding horse once he
gets some miles on him.
Krisie's Prospect "Kismet": '94 TB mare, 15 hands
(measured), located at CSS/SWAP HQ in WV. Kismet was one
of our rescue horses from the Charles Town, WV rescue we did back in Dec
2000 through Feb 2001 (40 abandoned horses), as you can see she has really
filled out and gained a lot in energy, movement and talent but because it
was a rescue and none of us really knew what any of those horses would do
once fed and at normal weight. She has excellent ground manners and a
kind heart; gorgeous movement!....
She also got scared once while tied, when an idiot neighbor fired a gun, and
she sat back. The halter broke and after that she decided she could do that
and get away with it. Now I use a rope halter on her and it works like
a charm. She has sat back exactly twice; the halter never broke and she
realized that perhaps the headache isn't worth the trouble. Kismet is
very intelligent. She has also been barefoot for the last several
years. She is usually very slow eating. She takes a bite, then paces. She
will not defend it herself in a herd. Kismet is excellent for the farrier
and the vet, can be antsy for baths but never bad. She also loads and clips
with no problem. She knows her name well, but will only come to you if it
suits her (just like a cat). Kismet is a wonderful horse. even if it is
simply being a broodmare. She is a very nice mover, with a floating
trot and is very graceful.
She has Mr. Prospector in her pedigree, she is a proven broodmare and had a
foal a year ago. She is very low on the pecking order. She could be
possibly ridden on trails, but
she is going to require an experienced rider. Kismet is coming back to us from an
adopter after a death in the family.
Monty: 2004 Haflinger gelding, estimate about 13.1 or
2 hands at the most, don't know if he was ever registered, we have no information
on that, he came in with Cavalier on a neglect case, though these two were
not neglected, healthy and sound, hardy and very easy keeper, no past
injuries or illnesses, sound barefoot, he is more senior in the group and
should probably be fed alone as he will go and eat everyone else's food, on
a regular deworming schedule, been ridden a couple of times about 4 months
ago, ridden bareback, takes some time to trust and gentle handling, good
temperament, loads well, good with a gentle farrier that he trusts, learning
to tie and cross tie, bathes, good alone, good in stall, free lunges, lunges
on a line, higher in the pecking order in the herd but not mean, natural
training methods have been used to train him, mostly monty roberts, sound
barefoot, great mover, quit the looker. Recommended for lead line with kids,
driving, lower level dressage or jumping, possibly upper level with
training, pleasure riding, vaulting, carriage or fine harness, eventually
maybe a school or lesson horse, needs a quiet handler and environment until
he learns to completely trust humans again but he might be okay if in a
situation where he's handled daily, he's really coming along here.
Mandy is
pending adoption with The Runyon family of WV, they are adopters of TWH
sisters Sugar Baby and Regal. Thank you for giving this girl a forever home.
Kochese and his buddies that get him around the
pasture
Kochese is
pending adoption with M. Oilman of NC... YEA!! So happy this boy has a home
where he will have flat pasture, another blind horse close to his age and a
sighted horse to help them around. Could not have asked for a better home
for this boy.
Kochese: 1971 Paint Gelding, yes, you read correct,
1971, sound healthy, vision is not the best but he's a sweet steady boy.
(more coming), easy to handle, totally listens, very trusting and kind, got
lots of love, perfect for lead line and even rideable by adults and he's
perfect for hugs and daily kisses, we are all in love here, for sure. I have
a feeling Kochese will be staying here because no one will want him because
of his age but I have to say people just don't know what they are missing
until you have a horse in the barn like this one. Amazing amazing horse, we
feel so blessed to have him here. He came in with Shawnee Sue and Dakota,
his family lost their farm and they were going to be put down by their
county officials when they called us as a last chance for them... we just
could not turn them away. Remember 38 is the new 28, which is really true,
horses are living so much longer and rideable so much longer too. Sound,
healthy, great feet and sound barefoot, always comes when called. Super guy!
There is a
field, with three horses in it.
From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your
car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking
into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has
chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.
This alone is amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the
sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of
the sound, you will see that it comes from the
smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
It lets the blind friend know where the other
horse is, so he can follow.
As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see
that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that
the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the
other
horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray..
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter
of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and
looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't
too far behind to hear the bell.
sassy riding western in just a halter and reins
The video of Sassy's first ride last fall and the
first ride this spring, we always use a side walker at the beginning of the
ride for safety and to settle the horse when they have had a break in riding
or with inexperienced horses, click once and turn up your sound and enjoy.
Crystals Red Lady L aka "Sassy": 2002 registered MO. Foxtrotter
mare, sorrel, 15 hands (measured). registration number is 02-73274 with the Missouri FoxTrotting Association, completely sound, in good healthy and always had
exceptional care and regular dewormings. Sire is Black Sonny L and Dam is
Missouri's Blue Crystal G. Lately she's been a pet so she's not fit but
won't take long to get fit for a new job. She has been on 24/7 turn out.
Goes in a snaffle in english or western saddle and bridle. She has been
ridden for 4 years and been out on trails but she still needs a good rider,
she is not a beginners horse, she needs an experienced rider.
She likes people, has good manners, good
temperament, can be ridden today, easilly trained, smart, good with other
animals and horses, good with the farrier/vet and shots, she loads, trained
to ride, ties and cross ties, is gaited for a perfect trail and pleasure
mount, clips, bathes, good alone, comes when called, can catch in an open
field, low in the pecking order in a herd. Her best quality is her loving
disposition, the owner has no time for her and is starting to feel bad for
her and is hoping she can be the center of someone's life. She's been on a
few long trips and never had an issue loading and several types of trailers.
Recommended as a companion horse, pasture buddy,
lead line for kids, 4H, Pony Club, Pleasure riding, local showing, endurance
riding, competitive trail riding, working livestock, gaited trail horse,
field trials or bird hunting on horseback, lesson or school horse.
If paying payments $300. down
and $100. a month, 10% off final bid if paying up front
located at SWAP HQ in WV
Snowy Savannah: 2004 standardbred mare, 15.2 3/4 hands
(measured),
bay, sound and healthy, rides and drives, has had 7 months of professional
training under saddle, still has a pretty fast metabolism so she will need
more food until it slows down a bit but I would not consider her a hard
keeper by comparison to what we've seen with other race horses. Accustomed
to a stall with regular turn out, health care up to date, goes in a snaffle
bit, likes people, good manners, respects your space, very quiet, good
temperament, can be ridden today, confident, knows leads, likes to work,
easily trained, smart, good with other animals and horses, good with the farrier and vet/shots, loads, ties and cross ties, clips, bathes, good
alone, quiet in stall, free lunges or on a line, can catch in an open field,
low in pecking order, walk trot under saddle is good, still working on a
clean canter, not been on grass, former harness racing horse. loads easily,
quiet in new places. Recommended for jobs like being a companion, baby
sitter, pasture buddy, lead line with kids, 4-H, pony club, pleasure
driving, competitive driving (not racing), low level dressage, low level
jumping, pleasure riding, hunt seat on the flat, local showing, competitive
trail riding, english or western pleasure, field trials, outrider or
marshall at a harness track, pony horse at a TB race track, police horse,
reenacting, ceremonial or color guards, carriage or fine harness. Neck
freeze brand 2BB92.
Savannah
is adopted by A. Wilhoit of PA
1
May growing up fast
trying out her new legs
momma watches baby in her first come along, such a
great mother
about 3 hours old, so cute, as you can see Denver came to us pretty thin,
but she is coming up quickly, we'll have her fat in no time. the former
breeder lost his wife in the fall and needed to seriously down size his
herd.
Destiny's 1/2 sister and one of
Denver's other foals, VT NightLife and her show records
VT Night Life (Nebelhorn x
Denver Darling, *Wiking) 2003 Half-Arabian Mare
Owned by Andrea Witte WINNER - A/HA/AA Training
Level Test 2 JTR - Region 7 Championship Show
WINNER - A/HA/AA Training Level Test 4 JTR - Region 7 Championship Show
WINNER - Training Level Test of Choice - Tuscon Dressage Fall Festival
2008 ARIZONA STATE CHAMPION - Training Level JR/YR
2008 REGION 7 CHAMPION HA/AA Sport Horse Under Saddle JTR
2008 REGION 7 CHAMPION A/HA/AA Training Level JTR
WINNER - First Level Test 4 JTR - Region 7 Championship Show
WINNER - Training Level TOC JR/YR - Tucson March Madness Dressage
WINNER - First Level TOC Jr/YR - Tucson March Madness Dressage
Denver Darling: 1995 Arab mare, 15 hands (measured), sire
to the foal is Trakehner Stallion Hakan,
foaled 5 April, the foal in the top picture was her last foal also by Hakan,
nice big baby. She just arrived to SWAP HQ so we will foal her out and let
her stay here until the foal is ready to wean (about 4 to 6 months, between
August and September) and place them both into homes.
The Foals name is Destiny's Crown
Jewel aka Destiny. We have pictures and video in the round pen, she is
really amazing. Never seen a more amorous baby, she loves people. She is
getting handled a lot and been imprinted 3 days, easiest imprinting job
we've ever done. She can be registered 1/2 arab or with the ATA (American
Trakehner Association) as a part-bred Trakehner. We have Denver's papers
here and a copy of Hakan's papers, service papers will be done by the
donor/stallion owner as needed.
We found out an interesting tidbit
about another of Denvers babies that she had while being a broodmare at
Virginia Tech. The babies name is VT Night Life, she went to the arab
nationals and won. I understand its on Virginia Tech Vet School's website
but I've not gone there to find it yet. YEA!! That does not surprise us at
all, Destiny is truly a gem, she loves people and is in your pocket as soon
as you come around her stall.
Denver Darling's sire Monarch and
her grand sire Wiking are well-known racing arabians. Wiking was teh 1985
and 1986 National Champion Racehose and twice US Race Sire of the Year.
Monarch, in three years of racing and 23 starts, collected 19 firsts and 3
seconds, won 14 stakes races and set 4 track racords. Denver had been a
valued member of the Virginia Tech's broodmare band for several years, she
had 6 foals with them and 2 with the former breeder (including destiny).
Denver has a wonderful disposition and has contributed greatly to their
teaching program. In addition to being as an exceptionally easy breeder and
a great mother, she is always willing and able to help teach others about
horses in classes as a demonstration horse. She is a kind and loving mare, a
wonderful addition to anyone's barn/farm.
Destiny is pending adoption with The
Funk family of WV
Denver is adopted by S. Wright of VA
after several days of eating good and grooming /bathes
we'll be getting more information as we get to know
them and are able to handle them more
Rescues coming in from Raleigh County, arriving today. All are young
sound, nice horses, that lead, load, take a halter, all been laid across by the
HSUS representative. Feet need done. All willing horses that will make wonderful
family members. All these horses are between 13.3 hands and 14.2 hands but all
are young. All these young fillies and young mares are gaited, walking horses
and spotted saddle horses. They are all very sweet, just need to learn that they
can trust people. the two pinto's are friendly and like people, the bays are
more standoffish now, they will get better soon. Two got bathes this past
weekend, they did very well in the wash stall.
All these rescues
went to ERL (Equine Rescue League) for placement, we got 3 of the horses trimmed
so their feet were all better and two were bathed. ERL will do them up right and
find them a great home from their Virginia location.
loose rein
riding down the road alone
Andy's first ride at SWAP HQ, click once and turn
up your sound and be amazed at how quiet and what a good boy this is.
Cadillac pleasure and trail horse.
If paying payments $1000. down
and $200. a month, 10% off final bid if paying up front
located at SWAP HQ in WV
Andy: 2003 TB gelding, 16 hands, has a tattoo that is unreadable, former eventer, laid back sweetheart, used to having a stall with regular turn out, all
shots and health care up to date, been well cared for, goes in a snaffle, last
competed in February 2010, likes people, good manners, respects your space, good
temperament, confident, knows leads, easily trained, smart good with other
animals and horses, a child can handle and ride, a beginner can handle and ride,
good with farrier/vet and shots, kid safe, loads trained to ride, ties, cross
ties, clips, bathes, free lunges, lunges on a line, can catch in an open field.
has been turned out with mares and geldings, needs shoes up front to be
comfortable when riding, according to his former owner he has a bruise right now
making him sore at a trot but we feel he may need to just do a pleasure/hacking
job from now on and he's perfect for that job. We'll make an update in the
description if this changes and this assumed bruise goes away. Anyone can ride
this boy on the buckle and he's easy to control... this is that wonderful nearly
bomb proof horse that you can ride and enjoy the scenery, a conversation with
friends or even let a friend (child or beginner) with no experience ride.
Recommended for baby sitter, pasture buddy, lead line for kids, pleasure riding, english pleasure or western pleasure
outside the ring, search and rescue.
This is one of the best horses we've had the pleasure of having here, a
horse anyone can ride and enjoy and take out on trail, even alone as long as
they keep him the way he's been accustomed to (in a stall with daily turn out).
I suspect he would be very herd sour if kept in 24/7 turn out so he's best with
a stall and regular turn out.
Andy is
pending adoption with M. Moraad in NC
Cody's daddy taught him all kinds of tricks, including giving hugs, saying
his prayers, shaking his head 'yes', parking out and this lovely Lipizzaner
looking move.
Cody and his daddy in one of the many trail tunnels
taken 1 May
Cody
ready for a parade
cody's video of his
first ride at SWAP HQ, just
click once and turn up your sound
Ebonys Secret Code, aka Cody: 5/6/1988 TWH, 15 hands (measured),
registered racking horse Stallion, registration number 922345, black,
has traveled all over the country trail
riding in many of the US states, there is even a book published about his
travels and a copy will go to the adopter. He's even ridden with huge groups
of horses, both mares and geldings. Amazing, gorgeous boy with tons of
presence. He loves to rack, looks to be about age 10 from his looks and
energy level and he's in perfect health. Have many years of trail riding
left in him. He's also produced some beautiful babies, last bred in 2009.
His owner is 71 years young and dealing with a family illness so they sadly
had to let him go, he had been with them since he was 6 months old. His sire
is Mr. Ebony and his dam was Secret. No past injuries or illnesses, health
care always kept current, goes in a snaffle halter bridle, likes people,
good manners, respects your space, good temperament, can be ridden today,
confident, likes to work, easily trained, smart, good with the farrier and
vet/shots, loads, ties, cross ties, gaited (racks), clips, bathes, good
alone, quiet in stall, lunges on line, comes when called, can catch in an
open field, high in pecking order in a group, proven breeding stallion,
stays in a stall and then turned out in a paddock, strong horse,
tough/hardy, stays in gait, proud horse, been moved in several different
types of trailers, a seasoned traveler, he is a self loader, he's accustomed
to board fence or vinyl, does not challenge fencing, a super horse for trail
riding and traveling, gaited trail horse, trick horse or ceremonial or color
guard, he's also done a bit of rescue work as well. Amazing, one of a kind
horse.
We've been getting lots of emails and calls from
people that board. Most boarding facilities will not allow you to have a
stallion at their facility and if they do, they may lose their other
clients, so we are looking for someone who has stallion experience,
facilities appropriate for a stallion at their own farm. He is a wonderful
boy but being a stallion he does need a special home. He is still every bit
of a breeding stallion and still very interested in mares so he can't go out
with others and can't share a fence with mares and probably not geldings
either. He is a beautiful horse and a nice ride.
We may end up castrating him to get him into a
home, though I hate to as it may take him at least a year or two to settle
into a pasture with a herd. We've had to castrate a couple of older
breeding stallions and there is some risk with the anesthesia but all have
eventually settled into the herd.
Cody was adopted by K. Lovaas of FL,
she's been a long time adopter of Dandelion and finally getting her second
SWAP horse.
Cavalier: 2004 Black and White Mountain Pony, estimate
about 14 hands (will measure), sound barefoot, easy to handle and kind, not
sure if he is broke to ride, he was brought here by the county sheriff in a
neglect case. Their care was find but they were with other horses that were
in poor condition. Shy but not aggressive at all, needs a tender touch and
he responds to that, appears to have a sarcoid on his sheath but does not
affect his health. has been on a regular deworming program, good manners,
gentile, respects your space, needs under saddle training, will jump at
liberty in the pasture, good with other horses and other animals, low in
rank in the herd, good with farrier and vet, loads, good alone, quiet in a
stall, comes when called, can catch, very hardy easy keepers, lived outside
in a herd, very sweet natured, recommended for pleasure riding or driving,
companion, lower level jumping or dressage, western pleasure, carriage or
fine harness, needs a short or small rider.
Cavalier
was adopted by S. Stebbins of VA
first saddle, this was too easy
klacks
sire, wonderful 3 day event talent for more information about the sire:
http://www.amethystacres.com/ice.html
Klack: 2006 Holsteiner x Trakehner cross gelding, much bigger than he was in
the pics, 15.2 hands (measured), he is
by Ciceras Icewater, imported Holsteiner crossed with an big imported
Trakehner mare, Ginger. Young, healthy, sound, sensible, will turn gray and
already starting to change color. Nice bone, nice big feet, loads of leg,
balanced boy. His Dam, Ginger was a really big girl, looks like he's going
to get much of her size.
Cinder: Pony mare, according to the owner she is in
foal to a palomino 1/2 arab, she is close to foaling but we have no idea
when, she will be coming to SWAP soon. Looks like we'll be doing some
foaling this year with Cinder and Denver. (more information coming)
We have a wonderful foster for Miss Cinder very
close to her home so this baby that is very close to foaling does not have
to travel very far. YEA, thank you Susan!!
Bogey is a Dobie x Rotte mix with floppy ears and a
long tail, she is about 2 years old, not sure if she is fixed but if not
probably will be before she leaves here.
She is friendly
but a good guard dog for a family though not mean, she's fun, likes to play,
housebroken, healthy and tall, needs to gain some more weight. We ended up
taking her from an adopter who was letting her run loose and was not feeding
her, so she is sadly back with SWAP to find a more stable home.
She stays around without being tied up, good farm dog, doesn't challenge the fence, gets along
really well with other dogs, she'll even scratch our bell at the door when she wants to go out.
Super dog at a good age. Bogey is located with a foster dad in West Union, WV
about 10 minutes from SWAP HQ
Cassie is pending
adoption with P. Boll of GA
Caesarea, aka "Cassie": 1988 registered straight
egyptian mare, 14.3 hands, AHA # 483967, one of the last living daughters of
El Hilal and out of JML Cassiopeia by TheEgyptianPrince, Nazeer on both top
and bottom of her pedigree, enjoys turn out, doesn't seem to care for hay
but an easy keeper and loves her grain, proven broodmare, current on shots
and healthy care, always had the best care, came from the same breeder at
Sexy and Lil Mo, likes people, easy to handle, kind, respects your space,
good manners, good temperament, confident, easily trained, smart, good with
animals and horses, good with farrier and vet/shots, loads, cross ties,
ties, clips, bathes, quiet in stall, can catch anywhere, always comes right
to you, outstanding pedigree, sound, one foot smaller in front than the
other but does not affect her movement, she could do lead line, 4-H, pony
club, pleasure riding, local showing, trail riding. Lovely sweet girl.
she has a tail, its just put up
she does not travel down hill, that is the slope on that corner of the ring
Miss Bee is a 1989 Thoroughbred mare, 16.1 hands,
a 3rd level dressage master (including tempi's) and has been teaching kids
dressage for the last 2 years at Meredith Manor International Equestrian
School, sweet, sensible and sound. Will be an excellent horse for someone
wanting to learn dressage or just do some fun dressage, clinics and
personal lessons. No special care beyond some consideration for her age.
We want to keep her from being a lesson horse for a lot of different
riders and just have her with an individual rider that wants to learn and
enjoy a super well trained horse but may not be ready for competition or
no desire to compete. A real love bug. Many students from Meredith Manor
tell us that Miss Bee taught them everything they know about dressage,
that is a pretty good resume for this lovely girl. She deserves a great
home where she can have some fun with one special person. She is a sweet
mare that loves people. If well cared for she has a good 10 years of
dressage in her and maybe another 5 of pleasure riding. Remember 20 is the
new 10! Goes in a snaffle, never raced, good manners, good temperament,
confident, easily trained, smart, sound barefoot, good with other horses
and animals, good around kids on the ground, good with farrier and vet,
loads, ties, cross ties, bathes, good alone, quiet in stall, free lunges
or lunges on a line, can catch in an open field.
Gameel's short video, just click once and you can
watch it right here
2007
registered bay rabicano (with white in tail), 14.1 hands but growing,
registration number is 634661, gelding, exceptional straight egyptian bloodlines being
donated by a very well known arab breeder that exports most of their
horses (Sire
is Mohummed Sadden and dam is Aravaipa Sharafa), papers will be
released for showing after our normal probationary period.
Sexy had been adopted by someone in
Mississippi but she backed out because of transport issues having to do
with the weather so after several months of waiting for a ride for him to
go to his home, she backed out. He never left here and this decision had
nothing to do with him. Please don't disregard him because someone gave up because
of weather. We are thinking he was just supposed to be in a home with
someone else.
Lucy: 2007 Paint/Pinto pony filly, 12 hands estimated
(will measure), wonderful in hand and loves people, a sweet friendly looker,
going to make a wonderful pony for someone, saved from slaughter, healthy
and sound, no past illnesses, just a sponge waiting to learn even more,
loads, leads, halters, good with farrier, still learning about respecting
people's space but that's typical of a young horse, easy keeper, has shown
to not be that crazy about dogs or cats in her space but never mean,
accustomed to a stall, all health care up to date, good temperament,
confident, easily trained, smart, good with the farrier, ties, the past
owner thinks she's gaited but we've not seen that yet, she may be gaited
under saddle but she's been trotting in the pasture, comes when called, can
catch in an open field, she was higher in pecking order with the owner but
is pretty low in our group, she's even lower than the other ponies, she is
not mean to other horses or animals. Could potentially do any job on the
flat or over fences, we'll start working with her as the weather gets
better.
Happy: 2000 American Saddlebred gelding, 16 hands
(estimated, will measure), chestnut, healthy and sound, up to date on all
health care, including dental, goes in a snaffle, wonderful beginner or kids
horse that at least knows how to control a horse but will ride anyone. Likes
people, good manners, respects your space, good temperament, can be ridden
today, confident, knows leads, likes to work, easily trained, smart, good
with other animals and other horses, good with farrier and vet/shots,
trained to ride, ties, good alone, quiet in stall, not sure about bathing
but we'll find out in the spring, lunges on a line or free lunges, comes
when called, can catch in an open field, higher in pecking order but not at
all mean in any way, he's used to having a stall with regular turn out, he's
well trained and easy to handle, he'll get a little high headed when he's
surprised (like most saddlebreds) but his feet always stay where you want
them. He was rescued from a family in WV, a bit of a rescue half way house
that takes horses in or buys them at auction, gets them healthy, rides them
and then passes them along to rescues to place them, wonderful idea and way
for a family to help one or two horses at a time. He can be slow to load in
a small 2 stall trailer but loads into others fine and will load into a 2
stall with some urging. Accustomed to board and electric fence, used mostly
natural means and natural aids for training. Recommended for trail, lead
line showing with young kids, 4-H, Pony club, competitive trail, lesson or
school horse.
Updated pictures coming soon, just waiting for
better footing.
Gracie Gray, aka GG or Gracie: Gracie was abandoned on a farm in Marion County and the authorities did not have
facilities for them so we got them, Gracie is a Percheron mare, was black
turning gray like so many percherons do, looks to be 5 or 6 years old (all adult
teeth are in and none of the cups are worn down), at least 15.3 to 16 hands but
we will measure as soon as the weather breaks. very sweet, curious, in your face
for scratches, in good health, feet now in good shape and spring
shots/coggins will be coming up soon. The people that knew this family that had
them said the grandfather was very active and used all his draft horses for
driving and farm work and they were always well cared for, sadly the grandfather
died and the kids all deserted the farm and the horses. Many skeletons were
found on the farm of large animals. Gracie is lucky that the neighbors started
feeding her and she had a draft horse metabolism, easy
keeper, that is probably the only way she survived. sweet friendly
horse, likes other horses and people a lot. Like a big puppy dog, can't
wait to ride this girl.
Snowy Savannah: 2004 standardbred mare, 16 hands estimated (will measure),
bay, sound and healthy, rides and drives, has had 7 months of professional
training under saddle, still has a pretty fast metabolism so she will need
more food until it slows down a bit but I would not consider her a hard
keeper by comparison to what we've seen with other race horses. Accustomed
to a stall with regular turn out, health care up to date, goes in a snaffle
bit, likes people, good manners, respects your space, very quiet, good
temperament, can be ridden today, confident, knows leads, likes to work,
easily trained, smart, good with other animals and horses, good with the
farrier and vet/shots, loads, ties and cross ties, clips, bathes, good
alone, quiet in stall, free lunges or on a line, can catch in an open field,
low in pecking order, walk trot under saddle is good, still working on a
clean canter, not been on grass, former harness racing horse. loads easily,
quiet in new places. Recommended for jobs like being a companion, baby
sitter, pasture buddy, lead line with kids, 4-H, pony club, pleasure
driving, competitive driving (not racing), low level dressage, low level
jumping, pleasure riding, hunt seat on the flat, local showing, competitive
trail riding, english or western pleasure, field trials, outrider or
marshall at a harness track, pony horse at a TB race track, police horse,
reenacting, ceremonial or color guards, carriage or fine harness. Neck
freeze brand 2BB92
flying horse!
video was taken here at SWAP last summer before we
knew about the stifle issue, if there really is a stifle issue, we just
don't know.
Dante is a GORGEOUS mover, schooling 3rd level
Dressage and he knows some 4th level movements but sadly Dante's dressage
career is finished, with any extensive work at all his stifle starts to hurt
him but luckily he is good for trail riding, he is coming to SWAP HQ to see
if any rehab at all will help but I suspect his days at doing dressage are
finished, so we are restricting him to pleasure riding only, no ring work. Dante loves to work,
and is a real puppy dog. He is a sensible guy and a great traveler, no
spookiness in him! Dante is super friendly, a snuggler
and loves hugs and kisses! So sad that a mid west trainer thought his
hesitating was a training issue so she just worked him harder and basically
ruined him for dressage. Terribly sad that ignorance and disregard for Dante
ruined his life for the very discipline that he was born and raised to do,
especially at such a young age.
Grand son of world famous Donnerhall, grand
daughter of Espri
Don't miss out on an opportunity to get a
fantastic horse at an unbelievable price!
Dante arrived at SWAP, he walked off the trailer
totally sound, interesting, and of course, no vet paperwork came with him. I
have to wonder now if I was told the truth about him. Well, we'll do our
evaluation and see what we find. I still think his days of competing and
spending a lot of time in the ring going round and round just to entertain
someone is done. Hopefully we'll know soon what we have and what kind of
rehab he needs if he needs any.
videos coming soon
Dante was adopted as a pleasure mount/companion
horse
this little bear is Hershey, was bought by his
rescuer because she saw an owner beating him, she took him to a vet and
found that he had head trauma, was severely dehydrated and had low sugar
from the neglect and abuse. He is all healthy now, still a bit shy around
new people but good with dogs and cats, friendly, she has in turn contacted
us to take him so he will probably arrive at SWAP soon. He looks to be 5 or
6 weeks old so he was probably born mid December 2009 (a Christmas baby), he
looks to be a chow mixed with a blue eyed breed because he has the prettiest
blue eyes, he's learning about going out side to use the bathroom and doing
well with that, the rescuer that brought him to us is going to pay to have
him fixed as soon as he's old enough, his shots are up to date (records with
one of our vets and we will have copies), the rescuer would keep him but she
had a very old sick dog that has become stressed over having a youngster in
the house. He is playful and friendly. Hershey is free to a good home, there
is a simple 2 page application to adopt him. He will be fixed at 14 weeks
old (mid March), he should be completely housebroken by then too. Such a
cutie.
Lendy: 1996 TB
gelding, registered with Jockey Club, # 9607398, out of Art's Prospector and
by Theatrical, 16 hands (measured), bay, located in the Norfolk, VA/Little
Creek area, sweet boy, sound, likes people, good manners, good temperament,
likes to work, easily trained, smart, good with other animals, low in the
pecking order, good with vet/shots/farrier, bathes, good alone, quiet in
stall, lunges on line, can catch in open field, comes when called, sound and
ready to go into any discipline, very nice conformation. Our current adopter
in Virginia would love to find someone to lease in that area to share
expenses at her facility, her financial commitments have changed because of
a family tragedy. Its breaking her heart of have to give him up so if there
is anyone in that area that is looking for a horse to ride and would be
willing to share expenses let us know so we can get you in touch with the
adopter. Otherwise we will be placing him into a home.
Shawnee Sue: 2006 Paint filly, sound, healthy, not
been handled much but getting better each day she is here. She is sweet and slow, does not blast off when scared, she is
getting handled daily here and doing well, already made advances by leaps
and bounds, now quietly tying and standing to be groomed. A family in Putnum county lost their farm and could not keep
her, Kochese and Dakota and the county animal control officer called us to
see if we could take them, they were going to be put down otherwise so we
took them on. We are hoping some lucky adopter will want to take her on. She
is a sweet girl that will make a wonderful horse for nearly any job. She was
well cared for, the family just ran into some hard luck with their home.
Leads, loads, ties, good with grooming... still checking the other things,
we will let you know as soon as she learns or we know she can do it. One
blue eye, pretty girl.
Another Chance aka "Lucy": 2004 17 hand registered
Quarter horse appendix mare.
Lucy has
been adopted by J. Blaisdale of VA
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.
"Saving the life of one horse may
not change the world,
but the world will surely change for that one horse”
15 Years Serving Horses, the Horse Industry and Horse
Owners
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Stitch,1
year old male pointer, fixed and house broken, gets along with kids, dogs
and cats, has no desire to run like many hunting dogs, Sweet, lovable,
wants to please, loyal, about 30 lbs and about 18 inches tall, going to
probably stay medium to small sized
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a few years older
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most recent picture of Teddy
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Max
Cocoa is a 4 year
old male chocolate lab mix, fixed, house broken, sweet, stays home, good
with dogs and cats, kids horses, follows you around the farm and can even
walk without a leash, we saved him 4 years ago from a shelter that was
going to put him down, he was terrified of everything, its taken years to
get him to go to up strangers but he does it now. never ever been mean,
just afraid. He is low guy in a dog pack too. He has a thing about food,
was probably starved at some point. He is never food aggressive but I have
to pull up the food or he will lay at the bowl and eat his and everyone
else's food. Its hard to get him to lose weight, he does get loads of
exercise but we need to keep food out for our lean dogs that need to eat
more. He absolutely loves to swim and take walks.
Buddy
Bear is a 5 year old male westhighland terrier mix, very sweet, gets along
with cats and dogs, loves kids and people, needs to be neutered, indoor
dog and house broken. located about 1/2 hour from SWAP HQ. Buddy Bear is
adopted
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first ride at SWAP, either she is very quiet or they played really hard in
turn out last night
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Ren enjoying turn out in Virginia
Aunt Beth and Ren in VA.JPG)
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arrival at SWAP 2010, entirely too skinny from the transporter taking him
through a horrific week long transport ordeal. He's much fatter now. 
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Chance is being ridden now, even went out on a trail ride and was perfect,
what a sweet girl, perfect trail horse 
beautiful Chance the end of June, looking like a dream today (taken at 3
months from arrival day)
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Dixie and Red hacking out
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taken 11/1/09
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June 2010.JPG)
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May growing up fast
trying out her new legs
momma watches baby in her first come along, such a
great mother
about 3 hours old, so cute, as you can see Denver came to us pretty thin,
but she is coming up quickly, we'll have her fat in no time. the former
breeder lost his wife in the fall and needed to seriously down size his
herd. 
Denver
's first ride at SWAP
after several days of eating good and grooming /bathes
we'll be getting more information as we get to know
them and are able to handle them more
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loose rein.JPG)
riding down the road alone
Cody's daddy taught him all kinds of tricks, including giving hugs, saying
his prayers, shaking his head 'yes', parking out and this lovely Lipizzaner
looking move.
Cody and his daddy in one of the many trail tunnels.JPG)
taken 1 May
Cody
ready for a parade
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first saddle, this was too easy
klacks
sire, wonderful 3 day event talent for more information about the sire:
http://www.amethystacres.com/ice.html 
Bogey has been adopted 
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she has a tail, its just put up.JPG)
she does not travel down hill, that is the slope on that corner of the ring
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sire 
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Lucah was adopted to H. Beauclair.JPG)
Emma was adopted by H. Beauclair
flying horse!
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