 
monthly counters started on February 13, 2010 for the website, because this is a
free counter, it will not show our total numbers, only a portion of them, so its
not an accurate depiction of all of our visitors, just gives an idea about all
the people that visit our site. We do love our international
visitors. Welcome!
Visitors By Country
Top 100 Visitors
Last 100 Visitors
Visitors Map
Daily Stats
stay up with our President/Executive Director, all the directors, volunteers and
riders (Crossed Sabers is on
Facebook too). All the CSS/SWAP supporters are having a big time sharing
stories, pictures, lots of good stuff about their horses.
The
Wish List of Our Needs:
1. New or lightly used truck and 3 to 6 horse trailer, our
equipment has seen its better days, we've been using both for nearly 14 years to
pick up horses and move them to their new homes.
2. Farms in every
state for low cost long term lease or donation to expand our program to develop
more adoption locations and retirement farms for our now aging
horses returned to us from adopters who could not retire our horses. Our highest
priority locations initially are Northern Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Maryland,
Delaware.
3. New or lightly used 2 horse trailer to pick up horses when
rescued and to deliver them to their new home
4. Tack and large horse items
donated... like carts/buggies, racing
bikes, jog carts, harnesses, saddles, horse trailers, blankets/rugs to use or sell on SWAP Shopping.
Supplies to use around the
barn or office.
5. A bulk feed bin that will hold anywhere from 6 tons to 9
tons of grain donated or at low cost or even a break on the cost of purchase and
instillation.
6. Someone to sponsor our annual
Harness Racing Driving School
Scholarship, $500. annually. This gives some youngster the opportunity to
go to the USTA Driving School and get qualified as a Harness Racing Driver.
7. Someone to sponsor our
annual Intern of the Year
Scholarship, $500. annually.
Someone to sponsor our annual
Volunteer of the Year Educational
Scholarship, $500. Both of these scholarships goes toward school costs or
school supplies for the Intern and Volunteer.
8. A company with the ability to install a
methane
digester/cleaner for the horse farm and the ability to tie in to gas or electric
companies and run the farm off the digester. Any other companies who can convert
the farm to a more green operation, reduce our carbon footprint and
reduce our
overhead by use of wind, solar or methane.
9. A volunteer or low cost employee who can help us
fix our database that lists all
adopters, donors, supporters and horses/dogs/cats in the program.
10. We need about 25 to 50 fosters parents in every state
to volunteer,
especially in WV, VA, PA, OH, KY, NC, SC, TN, MD, DE, NJ, NY, these are used
when owners in that area can not afford to transport the horse to SWAP HQ but
need to be able to move the horse into a safe place.
11. People/farms to act as
SWAP Mini Rescues, those who have
the ability to take in a rescue, get it healthy, train it and then SWAP
will help you place the horse into a home using our website and all supporting
adoption documents.
12. Some sort of a cloth facility like
Cover-all or Farm-Tek building
to increase our abilities to be able to take more horses and have an indoor area to work
and train horses in winter, donated, grant or partially donated. anywhere from
50 x 200 to 72 x 300.
13. Monthly Sponsors for our light use, elderly or
retirement/sanctuary horses who's possibilities for adoption are very low, ie.
Orphy, Jelly Bean, Dixie, Allie, Kochese, Darlin, etc.
14. Volunteers for Spring/Summer and Fall Seasons and
Interns
for Summer. We should be starting our regular Saturday Volunteer days in March,
lets all hope the weather will be better. We already have 2 interns for summer
now, looking for as many as 16 more for June, July and August... just remember
there is not a lot of riding in August because the farm is overcome by horse
flies then. So we work/train horses the most from March to July and then again
from Mid September through Christmas as long as we have goot weather.
15. Sponsors and Tickets to take 10 to 20 less fortunate kids
to WEG in Lexington, KY on an educational trip. Other educational trips are also
options if you have something else in mind.
16. Volunteers to help during our
Veterans Days at the Stable,
these are exploratory days to evaluate if we can do a handicapped veterans
riding and therapy program.
17. Volunteers to commit to doing one fund raiser for SWAP
horses at your location during 2010, it can be a golf tournament, a bake sale,
book sale, lemonade stand, car wash, setting up an information stand at a horse
show. This is a great way to kids to get involved in helping horses.
18. 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
$3.00 a bag (in a bag that is usually used for 100 lbs of feed). This is
beautiful clean top soil. This offer will only last so long because we will be
leveling the manure pile this August when its dry enough to get a dozer in
there.
19. Someone to do
dozer work on the farm, level arena/round pen, do terracing on the hill
sides to keep water out of the barns and level the top soil and manure pile to
increase the level of that land in that bottom so we can put our methane
digester in and indoor arena. Volunteer or at a reduced cost.
Reporting Neglect:
Please, if you see neglect (ribs and hip bones showing or no food available),
its critical to call the sheriff of the county where the horse/animal is
located. Have the address where the horse is located or directions to the farm,
pictures and the owners name (if possible). If the sheriff does nothing email
our cruelty case workers Tom and Ruby Fleming at
tomfleming64@cebridge.net or email PETA's cruelty case workers
Stephanie or Tori at
sbell@peta.org, or
ToriP@peta.org
Remember horses can not speak for themselves so we must speak for them!! All
reports are kept anonymous.
Getting Help for Your Horses/animals if you can not care for
them:
If you can not feed your animals, whether they are horses or
other animals, if you are adopters, call SWAP HQ immediately, if not, call your local horse rescue
and plead for help, if they are full then call your animal control officer or
sheriff to release ownership of your animals so they can get them help Before
they are starved to death, do not wait until they are starved, its critical to
get help early. Contact us if you do not know what to do. call 304-873-3532 or
email
secondwindadopt@aol.com. Many counties have pet pantries so you can
get feed when times are tough.
If things are getting tight with costs, go to a less expensive
grain like a simple stock pellet supplemented with corn, according to Ohio State Corn is the
leading horse feed in the US according to their research, many large equine
schools and large farms feed these all natural feeds because of what they get for the
price, a lot of negative stuff has been written about corn but no one can
support it with actual proof and research. We feed a simple all stock pellet
from southern states and we supplement with cracked corn for those who need more
calories, here is the link:
- http://ohioline.osu.edu/b
- 762/b762_7.htm
TOP TEN WAYS YOU CAN HELP PROTECT
HORSES
(ASPCA and SWAP Suggestions)
1. BE THEIR VOICE
- your vote is your greatest weapon against injustice, so register and actively
support horse protection and preservation legislation.
2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE - Walk the talk. Don't support or
attend cruel horse activities such as Tennessee Walker events using "soring"
techniques - painful techniques to make the horse walk a certain way, or events
that use drugs to make horses achieve results. High-diving horse acts are
cruel, as are rodeo events that don't promote respect for animals and their
health.
3. BE AN INFORMED CONSUMER - products made from horses like Premarin
(pregnant mare urine pills for estrogen replacement), are created through
horses' suffering. Your spending dollar is a weapon.
4. SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE - inform people what happens to horses
after their short careers are over (slaughter plant bound), or where Premarin
comes from, talk to them about over breeding, the hazards of over using young
horses or not training a horse. Engage them in discussion.
5. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR SANCTUARY - these organizations
make life better for horses.
6. VOLUNTEER - your gift of time is valuable to horse groups and if
you have special talents, so much the better.
7. REPORT CRUELTY - if you witness abuse or neglect, report it to
local animal control or your county sheriff. Someone cruel to animals is cruel
to humans, too.
8. PROTECT THE AMERICAN WILD HORSE - mustangs have a special place in
our history and you can support federal and local legislation by writing emails
and letters to your government reps.
9. KEEP YOUR HORSE SAFE AND HEALTHY - if you own a horse,
maintain its health with regular hoof, medical and dental check-ups. Make
sure they are companioned as horses suffer living alone - even a goat makes a
good companion. Feed what the horse needs, if you are seeing ribs and hip bones,
the horse is not getting enough, if you can't afford to buy more feed, then give
the horse to someone who can, just be sure to check the person out and make sure
they are not selling the horse to slaughter or just going to turn out and sell
the horse to anyone that has the money. .
10. PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR HORSE'S CARE - your health and finances
change so what happens to your horse of you can't care for it anymore? Research
your options, including a pet trust. Horses live into their mid 20s and early
30s now - that's a lifetime of commitment.
Crossed Sabers Stable:
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As
many as 60 million visitors per year
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As many as 530,000 hits
in one day
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Visitors from 113
different countries
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Website Visitors from
every continent of the world
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Thousands of adoptions (of
67 different breeds) in homes today with SWAP
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Horses adopted in 46 states and Canada
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13 Year History
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Preparing for a Cold
Winter:
HAY:
Get your hay now before the prices become outrageous, get
enough for the winter (good planning is 2 bales for every 3 days for one
horse or 10 bales per month per horse, so to make it until the middle of
June (first cutting), you're looking at 90 bales per horse at the very
least (from September to June). If you have good thick grass that has
been mowed and fertilized then depending on where you live in the US you
might just need 60 to 70 bales. For good grazing its recommended
that you have 3 to 5 acres of mowed, seeded, fertilized grass per horse.
Remember Grass is dead in WV from Oct/Nov until about April and every
state has some months where the grass does not give the horses their
calories or nutrients it needs to sustain life (USDA has details of that
for each state). They may be grazing in the winter but they are not
getting anything from the grass to survive. I know most know that but I
say it because we had an adopter last year in WV that thought if they
were eating grass that was all they needed and she nearly killed 2
horses.
GRAIN:
Remember on average horses need 1 lb of concentrated feed (grain) for
every 100 lbs of body weight, so on average horses need about 10 lbs of
grain a day, more when its very cold or if they are living outside in a
run because much of their calories go to keeping them warm. Some
horses need more so its critical to watch to make sure their ribs and
hip bones are staying meaty and covered. If you see ribs, the horse is
too thin and needs more calories, not supplements but more calories..
Easy keepers may be round but it does not mean they are healthy, most
easy keepers need a multi vitamin to stay healthy.
WATER:
One of the most critical things needed in winter is clean fresh water
all the time, anywhere from 5 to 20 gallons per day per horse and
everyone knows what a pain that is when there is ice and snow on the
ground but its critical to preventing colic. Get your electric heaters,
defrosters
now, heated buckets, what ever it takes to make sure they have good
water in front of them all the time and at least 10 gallons (2 flat
backed buckets at the very least). Here we keep 100 gallons troughs in
the stalls since we have big stalls, its much easier than frozen buckets
in winter, all we do is break the ice and remove it most days and put a
heater in them on really cold days. We use a sump pump to empty water
and scrub troughs each week which keeps water fresh and clean.
SHELTER:
Domestic horses need shelter, they are not wild and can not survive
outside without shelter or some kind of heavy waterproof rug to keep
them warm during snow/ice and freezing temperatures but the best is a
closed in shelter that is free from drafts (meaning its closed on all 4
sides with some sort of ventilation). Wild horses first of all
don't live very long, living outside in the elements is very hard on
them, secondly wild horses move in cold temperatures to keepselves warm and
they often times move over thousands of acres to keep warm or to find
cover or water. No domestic horse can not do that on 5, 20 or even 100
acres. Just because your horse has learned to survive in bad weather
does not mean its good for them, they need shelter in bad weather.
CARE:
Its important to make kids take care of their horses but they must have
adult supervision on a daily basis to make sure horses are getting what
they need. Trust me, I usually have 30 year olds working in our barn and
I still have to be there daily to make sure things are done, that they
have clean water, especially when its cold because our young helpers
want to get out of the weather and then the horses are left at risk for
colic. Every day check your child's work, do not leave your horses care
to a child (completely).
The Woman I will
Be
- I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed
straw hat with ribbons and flowers on it
- And I shall spend my social security on
white wine and carrots
- And sit in the alley of my barn and listen
to my horses breathe.
- I will sneak out in the middle of a
summer's night And ride the dappled
mare across the moonstruck meadow, if my old bones will allow. and when people come to call, I will smile and
nod, As I walk them past the gardens to
the barn And show, instead, the flowers
growing there
- In stalls fresh-lined with straw. I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my
hair as if it were a jewel. And I will
be an embarrassment of all who look down on me Who have not yet found the peace in being free To love a horse as a friend, a friend who
waits at midnight hour
- With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For
the Woman I will be when I am old.
The perfect analogies for why we have the life
school tied into SWAP and animal welfare work:
"Everyone thought we took this broken down horse and
saved him but really he saved us"
Jockey Red Pollard from the
movie Seabiscuit
I rescued a human today
Her eyes met
mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I
felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too
exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped
at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my
cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the
shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my
kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the
future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down
on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle
fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell
down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel
door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I
would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I
would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in
her eyes.
I was so
fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a
human today.
Baggage
by Evelyn Colbath
Now that I'm home, bathed,
settled and fed,
All nicely tucked into my warm new bed,
I would like to
open my baggage,
Lest I forget
There is so much to carry -
So much to
forget.
Hmm, Yes,
here it is, right on the top
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my
halter hides Fear & Shame
As I look on these things I have tried so hard to
leave-
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
I loved them, the others, the
ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will
you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at
my things
And take me right back?
Do you have the time to help me
unpack?
To put away my baggage,
To never re-pack?
I pray that you do -
I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?
A young boy was walking along the beach
- as high tide came in.
- With every crash of the waves
- he noticed that dozens of
seahorses were being cast onto the beach,
- where they lay gasping and
squirming.
- Hurriedly, he ran to each
seahorse he could find
- and gently tossed them back into
the surf.
- A man watching all this
approached the boy and said;
- "Son, what you are doing won't
make a difference",
- to which the boy replied,
"To
that seahorse
. . . it will".
Some folks said they missed my great goals
list for 2010, so here it is back again
1. Spend an hour a day with your
horses, not just feeding, training and turning out, but real quality time doing
something that is enjoyable for the both of you. Grooming or hand walking is a
great way to bond with your horse and good for both you and the horse.
2. Get your loved ones more
involved in your horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we see horses coming back
to us. Don't just share the work, share the fun too and find something they
really enjoy doing with horses.
3. Learn a new discipline, go to
a clinic, a horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one of our clinics or watch a
training video. If you are an adopter you can check out books and video's from
SWAP's Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or
Bring your adoption horse here and we will help you. The better you are, the
more fun you will have.
4. Make a plan for your horse
after you are gone or if you have a major injury, let your Will Executor know
your plans. Make a plan for emergencies or financial bumps along the way for
your horse. Have a plan if you or your horse gets injured, even for the tough
times of year like winter (or summer down south and for a drought winter when
hay prices skyrocket). Ask friends, family and
neighbors to be part of your plan, most people that don't have horses or a farm
love the idea of getting away and helping. And people can not resist someone when they
are asking for help for the welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in
better shape to prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your
horses. Eat 1-1-1 (one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one
glass of red wine daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit
and get 2 sources of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day,
get a whole house water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of
apple cider vinegar every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease
can not grow in an alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat.
Get a good air cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the
fresh air and sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat
food, processed foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial
sweeteners, soda and don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients
and know exactly what is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy
organic, buy ocean caught fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk,
not packed or processed. Eat only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats)
bake/broil or steam everything. Get 8 hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce
commuting by car pooling, tight schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or
read the news only once a day or better yet once a week. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight training every day and it
will make you strong, lean, you'll look great and get wonderful complements from
friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work will be easier and more
enjoyable.
6. Stay clear of negative people and those very
negative chat rooms and bulletin boards, they seem innocent but every time you
go to them you lose a bit of your positive self, they are truly emotional
vampires that will leave only a shell of a person. They are not based on the
truth, they are based on harassment, complaining, whining and dishonesty. We all
become tomorrow what we are around today, every person we come in contact with
defines who we are tomorrow so be careful who you choose for friends, even the
websites you go to as each of them affect who you are tomorrow. Do you want to
be a bitter, miserable, complaining person or do you want to be happy, inspired
and honorable, all that is affected by the decisions you make today. Stay away
from Toxic people and Toxic websites/forums that are negative or that spend all
their time talking bad about people and their horses. What you are around today
and what you are doing today is what you will be tomorrow. Stop Complaining and
be Thankful for what you have. If you become a target of
harassment or anyone saying anything negative about you, if you are doing only
good, positive things and not hurting anyone then ignore them, its all based on
jealousy and a sick sort of wish to be like you. They have the problem, not you.
7. Read at least one book on training your horse
and one on care each year, if for nothing else but just inspiration. SWAP has a
great library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of
mailing it.
Click here to see our Library
8. Get carrots/apples every time you go to the
store, your horses will love you for it and always come running when you call.
Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots are sweet enough. Get rid of the
sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse once and for all.
9. Realize that if you are having a problem with
your horse, more likely than not, the problem is you. Learn more, practice more,
ask in a different way, be patient, change their environment or daily schedule
to better suit them. Taking better care of a horse always brings out the best in
that horse. Good feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the
elements, lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to just be a horse,
time with their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a good start. The
biggest part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse. If you are
struggling, then you need to learn more and get better.
10. Ride at least once a week, regardless of
weather. Use this time as your down time for healing, your therapy, your time to
relieve stress and the pressures of daily life. Even if you don't ride, go sit
and read a book in the pasture with the horses or sit in the barn and listen to
them munch on dinner, away from the crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace
and quiet, enjoy hearing happy horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
11. Spend time leisurely grooming
your horse once a week. Rubber curries are shine makers. You will have a
beautiful horse and a very loyal friend who will do anything for you.
12. Come and spend a week at SWAP
HQ, volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your
life plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help an animal in need,
whether fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out to check on our
horses in their homes or helps us approve adopters in their area. Find horses in
need and help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter auction, get it fat
and trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and volunteer
for your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good things you do
will come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a talent they can
offer and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good home, you have
changed their life forever.
13. Know that every goal is
obtainable and it starts with a single step. Take that first step today!! No
matter what it is or how big, YOU CAN DO IT!! Every goal that is written down
will come true (really!). Every famous person, every great or notable scientist,
author, trainer/rider, parent or friend started out as just a thought, just a
goal. Remember to take one step today to reach your goals.
14. Start every day with thinking
about, what is the most important thing I can do today to change my life and
make it better. Do that one thing and in 30 days your life will be totally
different. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you did that for 60,
90 or even 365 days a year. The opportunities are endless.
15. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That should be
every horse owners number one goal) do a long slow warm up (cold muscle is easy
to injure, a warm one is nearly impossible to injure). The very best cool down
is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out. Yes, get off the
horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good time for you to
bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a hot walker, do
something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the best rehab for
over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy and swimming your
horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to become more conditioned before going
into any training program... that means 3
months of at least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for
bones to become strong enough to jump or do any strenuous training program.
Don't start any upper level work, jumping or extensive training until the horse
is fit and at least between age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10
months (especially if the horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped
or worked in the last year).
16. Appreciate what you have and be
thankful. Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank
those people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more
that will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look around
and enjoy those things.
17. Get used to using favorite mantra's
and visualizations every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can
do this, I will do this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I
deserve the best' or 'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back'
and take two minutes every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep
to visualize the life you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts become
things, what you see is what you get, if you expect the best, the best will
happen, change your self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your life
will change for the better..
18. Each person is put on this earth for a
reason, each of us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find,
finding is a journey ... in the journey and the search you'll find your life
purpose. If you died in your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done
that you need to do or want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt
bridges to fix? People you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you
fulfilled your purpose in your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make
this better? Who do I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was I put
on this earth? What is my purpose?
19. Be an inspiration to your family, co
workers and friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get
discouraged, most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a
nudge. Instead of being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration.
You do believe they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is
negative, then you be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to
say it and believe it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or
causes more failure, achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in
a negative cycle, break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk,
achieve something small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of
achievement.
20. We all file a flight plan every single day
for our life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying, the
winds, the gravitational pull will change your flight and take you off
course, so you must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make
your destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps
in your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal
and figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan
is find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be... it
is obtainable.
21. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it
is sometimes) to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at
least one bite of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short
to not enjoy it thoroughly.
22. We learn the most and do our best work
when we have fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried,
scared or frustrated, when we are anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is
then that you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant
ideas come to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless
or hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
23. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to try and wasted
energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with you at any given
time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50% becomes a lot of
people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not hurting anyone and you are doing the right thing, then go
ahead and do it. If you are wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually
the harder thing to do, the toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely
the right thing to do. Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or
says about you, do something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least
have them sitting on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she
has guts". One person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
1. There are at least two people in this world
That you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world Love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you Is because they want to Be just
like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, Even if they don't Like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you Before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, Something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has
Turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Always in hope and admiration,
Celeita
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home
today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he
smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a
visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just
been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or
not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my
mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when
I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the
difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of
bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and
all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Our lives with
horses...
Our lives with horses are rich with feeling. You know this if you've ever.... choked back tears watching a new foal wobble to his feet for the First time ...or watched your good horse wobble to his feet
after surgery.... or seen the ends of the reins float straight out as a reining horse spins beneath them . . or chuckled to yourself as you watched a tiny tot on a patient pony trot through a barrel pattern at a saddle club payday ... or felt the building tremble as an eight-up hitch of feather-legged giants towed a hand-carved beer wagon into the arena ... or had your heart stop when you saw your horse lying motionless in the pasture on a sunny day and waited breathlessly for an ear to flick ... or cheered at the screen when 'The Man From Snowy River' slid Dennie down the mountainside, .. or when Seabiscuit made his final surge to beat War Admiral ... or cruised along the highway and seen a horse in a pasture and wondered what he's like to ride or pictured him as a prospect ... or sucked in your breath as a horse and rider approached a six-foot wall ... or sworn a solemn oath to your horse that together you would triumph ... or flipped through the TV channels and stopped when you saw a horse even when it was a commercial ... or laughed aloud when you rubbed your horse's face and he rubbed back ... or gotten chills hearing Dave Johnson's 'and DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!' (or 'Run for the Roses' circa 1980 ish?)
... or stood in awe at your horse in morning play as he sprinted around the pasture, then stopped, head erect, and snorted defiance at the rest of the world
... or been thankful to see wild horses grazing casually at the foot of a hill ... or felt calmed by the sleekness of a silky
haircoat beneath your hand ... or felt your jaw drop as you watched a Lipazzan
perform a capriole ... or if you've ever seen someone in the grocery store wearing a certain kind of hat, or boots, or buckle, or have a certain cut and length to their jeans, and felt some remote kind of connection ... or felt warmed by a soft nicker greeting as you entered the barn ... or slid your hand under your horse's blanket to straighten it out, only to pause in the glowing feeling that you get when you touch the
warmth of his coat... or riding on a trail with your horse, thinking how that trail over there looks nice and almost without asking, your horse has sensed your slightest movement in the saddle and he's now taking you there. ... or pulled up to your barn where you board and only your horse greets you with a welcoming hello from the sound of your car or your voice.
HEROES AND HORSES
SOME NOTABLE HEROES AND THEIR HORSES ARE MENTIONED AND WE KNOW YOUR HORSE IS
YOUR HERO AND VICE VERSA.
1. Kanthaka - Buddha's horse, the one he used when he was still Siddhartha the
prince, to escape from his father's palace and begin his journey toward
enlightenment. Kanthaka's hooves made no sounds as they fled together and he is
often depicted being lifted on his four feet by benign spirits.
2. Pegasus - the mythical winged horse parented by Neptune and Medusa and
ridden by Bellerophon to rid the world of Chimera, the monster. Athena, the
Greek goddess of wisdom, was able to capture and train Pegasus when he allowed
her to place her golden bit in his mouth.
3. Phosphorus (Light Bearer) - the great Roman racehorse immortalized by the
4th century Roman poet Ausonius (at the emperor's request) in a beautiful
eulogy: Fly with haste to join the wing-footed horses of Elysium; may
Pegasus gallop on your right and Arion as your left-wheeler, and let Castor find
a fourth horse for the team.
4. Babieca - famed white gelding of El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, the Spanish
hero who united Christians and Muslims against a Moorish onslaught from Africa.
Babieca lived to be 30 years old and carried El Cid into all his battles.
Babieca means "crazy" as Rodrigo made a crazy choice since the colt was the runt
of the herd.
5. Bucephalus (Ox-head) - beloved horse of Alexander the Great who bore the
Macedonian hero on his back from Greece to India. Odds against a horse living
past 20 in that era were great, but Bucephalus, in his 20s, endured until he
fell in battle in India.
6. Sleipnir - the eight-legged war horse of Odin, the Norse god, was able to
fly without wings and shape-shift.
7. Balios and Xanthos - a grey and bay, both sired by Zephyros, the West
Wind, who together pulled Achilles' chariot.
8. Vivasat - a Hindu sun-god who often took the form of a stallion.
9. Al Burak - Mohammed's horse, on whose back he ascended to heaven, was
brought to him by the archangel Gabriel
10. Chiron - the centaur who taught Achilles, Jason and the first physician,
Ascelpius, all he knew.
11. Rakhsh - blue-eyed and dappled red horse of the legendary Persian warrior,
Rustam. Rakhsh was highly intelligent and saved his sleeping master from a
lion's attack, killing the predator.
There are many more famous mythical and real horses and we will be adding to our
list. Can you help us add to this list?. thank you Harmony Horse Works.
The question is not: "do you
support horse slaughter."
The question is: "do you support the cruel, terrifying transport for days
without food and water in their journey to death?"
The question is: "do you support the torture and abuse of the killer
chutes, even for crippled horses, pregnant mares, wild horses, protective
mares with foals by their sides?"
The question is: “Do you support the horse slaughter factories that lie to
their consumers about the many chemicals that taint the horse meat, and call
it Organic?
The question is: do you support the breeder who breeds hundreds of horses
just to pick out the good ones and cash in the rest to the killer buyer?
The question is: Do you support the person who uses the horse its whole
life and when it gets to an old age sends it to slaughter as a thank you?
The question is: “do you support the slaughter workers who cheer a horse on
that struggles extra hard for its life?
The question is: Do you support the killer buyer who not only buys up the
strong, fat and healthy horses and leaves the meek weak and unhealthy for
society, but also bids against the good homes and horse rescues?
The question is: “Can you see though the lies of the ones who stand to
loose a buck with the end of horse slaughter?
The question is: Do you support ripping the last of our wild horses away
from their families and peaceful lives to be slaughtered?
The question is: As a nation, can we allow this to continue and still call
ourselves a civilized country?
The question is: "Can you look at the footage of innocent horses with their
eyes gouged out, hooves ripped off, legs broken, beaten by the workers, faces
smashed in from being on the transport trucks, horses stabbed in their spines,
horses conscious for the entire killing process and do nothing?
That is the question, so what is YOUR answer?
Resolve to make the world a
better place for animals (credit: PETA)
| If you haven't already done so,
have the companion animals who depend on you spayed or neutered. These
simple procedures help protect your furry friends from many types of
cancer and prevent thousands of animals from being born only to end up
abandoned on the streets or dumped at severely crowded animal shelters.
|
| If you live with a dog,
pledge to walk him or her every day, even when it's cold outside and you'd
rather hide under a blanket. If you share your home with cats, set
aside some "kitty (or horsey) quality time" every day to play
with, brush, and bond with them. It's sometimes too easy to overlook our
feline friends, but they can get bored and lonely too. |
| If there is a lonely "backyard dog" in
your neighborhood, try befriending his or her guardian. Start by
politely talking to him or her about the dog's needs, such as
companionship, daily portions of fresh food and water, and a weatherproof
doghouse filled with straw. Many lucky dogs have had their lives changed
because someone like you cared enough to intervene. |
| If you're shopping for yourself or
buying holidays gifts for your loved ones, stay away from fur,
wool, leather, and companies that make or sell products made from the
skins of animals. |
NOTE: Crossed Sabers can not fully guarantee the accuracy of
every page on this website which is huge (38,000 files and over 300
pages). We do not have the personnel or time to keep it up to date and accurate
for every situation as this Stable and all its programs have always been a
dynamic entity, ever changing and improving itself to meet the needs of horses
and horse people. We do try to make sure each
page is up to date and accurate but the best thing to do If you have a question,
is email or call us. Additionally Crossed Sabers can not guarantee anything that
anyone says about us on line, we have no control over other people and their
websites, forums or ads, all we can tell people is if you do not know the
person, their name, address and their experience, age or history/background/education and location
do not trust what they say. That is true for everything on the internet. Some things said about us have been grossly inaccurate and did not come from CSS,
some come from past employees we fired for cause (for hurting horses or stealing
from us), people that are pro-slaughter
and hate our mission and what we do for horses enjoy trying to make us look bad, some are horse traders that
we've helped put out of business and some are people we helped put
in jail on neglect cases. Again,
if you have questions about us, our services, our company structure, how we are
licensed, how we pay taxes, how we do things or anything at all, please feel
free to contact us, just don't assume that all you read on another website is
accurate because 99% of it is not true, especially if you read it on a forum,
blog or chat room and don't assume that it came from us, just call 304-873-3532 or email us at
secondwindadopt@aol.com,
or better yet, come and see our operation and you will see how we do things. I
can guarantee it's 1000 times better than what the liars and frauds say who are
jealous of our work.
All programs and services listed on this website, including
SWAP is a part of Crossed Sabers Stable which has been licensed in WV for the
last 13 years. The Mountain State Horse School and Second Wind Adoption Program,
Inc. and Crossed Sabers International Horse School, Inc. was incorporated on 4
Sep 08 to address the education needs and life challenges of people and horses.
Buyer and Seller Beware!! Update on the
Robin Hollingsworth of Blacksburg, SC
(she has several alias's and about 10 fake names) fraud case for those of you who have been asking. The SC prosecutor accepted a
plea bargain from her and dropped the case if she paid the people she ripped off
(the people she took money under false pretenses from when she sold them horses
she did not own), she did that so she was
let go but the 3 arrests will stay on her record and the record of what she did
to all those people is still on the books and will stay there. If she is caught
again I'm certain she will go to jail but people who are cheated by her must
stand up and testify.. If more people that she ripped off would have not
chickened out and backed out because of fear (Quote from them was we are scared
of her, she is crazy) she would be in jail right now but beware, she is still
loose and still taking free horses or companion horses that have things like
ringbone and navicular and drugging them and then selling them as high level
jumpers and competition horses on the internet. Her daughter works with her,
Amanda or Mandy, she helps her rip people off. Beware, I'm getting calls almost
every month where Robin has committed more crimes against people, taking horses,
not paying for them, bouncing checks, buying vehicles and horse trailers and not
paying for them. BEWARE OF THIS WOMAN!! If you want her history or to check a
person's name against our black list (our do not adopt to, do not sell to, do
not buy from, do not hire or even rent to list), then contact us.
BEWARE: Do not buy a horse from anyone you do not
know, ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET, unless
they have websites like ours, their names and addresses listed and they show
they have a long long history
on their website and
do not buy unless you go to see the horse and have it vet checked and you have
contact with the vet, not the seller or even trainer telling you what the vet said. DO NOT GIVE
YOUR HORSE OR SELL YOUR HORSE WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT IS TO
HAPPEN WITH THE HORSE, RESELLING, USE/LIMITATIONS, FACILITIES NEEDED, ETC. It
you sell or give away a horse with no agreement, they could go to slaughter the
same day you release them or they could be sold and misrepresented,
living a life of neglect, abuse, over use and miss use the rest of their lives.
We hear stories all the time where a best friend or neighbor, the nice lady you
gave the horse to sent the horse to slaughter or is neglecting it and there is
not a thing the owner can do now because they no longer own the horse and they
made no written agreements signed by both parties.
If you need help doing written agreements, back ground checks on buyers and
sellers, just contact us, that is part of our 'SAFE SELLING' SERVICES. Your
horse's life depends on you being safe and thorough!
BEWARE: People are selling horses on the
internet that don't even exist so beware, the horse industry is full is liars,
cheaters, and thieves, even we have had to deal with them from potential
adopters who were in jail applying to adopt, to employees and former trainers
who totally ripped us off by stealing tack and tools, asking for huge advances
and then leaving after they get them, people who don't even know us or had any
experience with us slandering us on forums, harassing us and our supporters,
interfering with company operations and even adopters who don't think twice
about breaching their contract or forging their vets signature on applications &
annual updates or even selling their adoption horse to programs like ours and
even 501c3's public charities selling horses to slaughter auctions or being put
in jail for neglect and animal cruelty. We are bringing each person that has
wronged our horses to justice one at a time and winning all our cases but that
does not protect the general public from these liars, thieves, con-artist and
cheaters. Your horses life can easily be ruined forever, they could end up in a
fate worse than death so buyer and seller beware, your horses life depends on
you keeping them safe and you being thorough with doing things like getting
references and making sure the people have stable employment, that they really
own the farm they say they do, doing background checks to check for criminal
records. The horse world is full of dishonesty which ruins it for honest people that really care
and always try to do the right thing, such a shame. Just be very careful and get
proof that your horse is going to a good home, get more than a feeling because
we promise you about 50% of the time when it comes to horses, your feeling that
its a 'nice' person or a 'good' person' is wrong. And even when you pick a
good home, they can turn around and sell or give away to a bad home.
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers.
This includes age, weight and height. Let the
doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches and negative people pull you down. People who like to cause trouble
will shorten your life and make you just like them... miserable.
3. Keep learning.
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain
idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh
often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for
breath.
6. The tears happen..
Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is
ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love
, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT
to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love
them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.
| | 
 Our Rescues
(This page shows a small number of our rescues, there are many more beyond what
is on this page. We do not consider rescue our main mission but we are more
a Rescue Prevention program
but we try our best not to turn away any horse in need. These are just a few of
the before and after pictures of some of these horses that were either taken
from their owner by authorities or they were released because of lack of care).
All these horses are in great homes now, most are in wonderful homes, the more
recent ones are still waiting for a their home.
"If it feels like
something is wrong, it probably is, trust your instincts"
IT WAS ALL A DREAM
Dreamer when picked up from owner (before)
 arrival
at the foster 1 week later (4 surgeries completed)
 34
days after pick up, Dreamer is still getting better at this time, when his rehab
is completed he will be placed into a home
LUCKY MIDNIGHT BLUE
 Lucky
Midnight Blue, 5 yo
walking horse at arrival at SWAP HQ, found abandoned in a strip mine in McDowell
Country
.JPG) 25 days at
SWAP
.JPG) 45
days at SWAP, much better and ridden on that day, Lucky has been adopted and is
in a wonderful home in Ohio
ARMBRO LENNY
.JPG) Lenny at arrival
 Lenny
after 35 days at SWAP
.JPG)
80 days at SWAP with new adopter just before leaving for his home in NC
 Emily, taken upon
arrival December 13, 06 (Wanda Williams neglect case in Lewis County)
.JPG)
Emily at just under 90 days at SWAP
 Less
than a year later,
Emily is now in a wonderful home in Frederick, Maryland
Serendipity
 how he
looked upon arrival in 12 May 07, arrived with 16 other rescues from a
neglect case in another county
.JPG)
taken 3 August 07, less than 90 days
.JPG)
taken October 09 in training, Serendipity is now in a wonderful home around
Grafton, WV
General Patton
Patton, taken upon arrival in May 07
.JPG)
taken 3 August 2007, Patton is in a wonderful home in Salem, WV
DAISY
MAE
before
 after,
Daisy Mae (on the left) at 34 years old, Daisy Mae is now in a home in
Smithfield, PA
TWO
WAP
before
after, Two Wap went to a home in West Union, WV, she is now gone from us but
lived until well over 30 years of age
BANDIT
before
.JPG)
after, Bandit was placed into a wonderful home in NC
SMITTY
before
.jpg)
after, Smitty is in a super home in Missouri
LENDY
before
after, Lendy was placed into a home around Chesapeake, VA
MEG
 sorta
before (the before picture was taken after eating 24/7
for a month, we were too scared she was going to fall over dead when she
arrived, so she just sat and ate for a full month before we felt like we could
walk her outside and take some pictures)
after, Meg was placed into a home in Ohio
LEXINGTON
before
after, Lexington went to a home in Virginia
BIG BOY
sorta before (after a month of eating at our place)
 after,
Big Boy is in a home in Ohio teaching kids how to ride
SOUL
before
after, Soul went to a home in Virginia
sheila
before
after, Sheila is in a home in Virginia
WILD WILLIE
before
after, Wild Willie is in a wonderful home in Connecticut
MADAM IRS
before
after, Madam IRS went to a super home in Tennessee
LEVI
before
after (the biggest change with Levi was her emotional change, it took us 6
months to get him to trust us and put him under saddle.. the longest of any
horse that has come here, including the wild mustangs. He was just flat
terrified and dangerous because of that. Levi went to a home in South Carolina
FANNY
before
after, Fanny went to a wonderful home in California
|
