Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Painted Pony Fundraiser

We have several Painted Ponies in a fundraiser to help cover hay and food costs through the winter.  These were graciously donated by Patti Stevens, who sent her collection to EqWBR to use as a fundraiser.  These are all 1st editions, new in the boxes with all the tags and wrapping.  We can't thank Patti enough for this very special way of helping the horses here.

If you are interested in one of these, make a donation and let me know which one you are donating for and we will get it to you in the mail.  You can email me your info, including your address for shipping.  Shipping runs about $5-10 depending on how far away you are.    

If you are not sure how much to donate, most people have been checking on eBay to see what similar ones are going for and made a donation based on that.   I have a "donate" button below and mailing instructions if you want to send a check.  

These make wonderful holiday presents, or just a nice present for yourself.  These funds will help us feed the horses through the winter......



Polar Express retired 1st edition #3.050


Northern Lights - retired 1st edition #4.271


The Magician - retired 1st edition #5.370


Let it Snow - open 1st edition #0.893

Spirit of the NW - retired 1st edition #3.050

Do your holiday shopping on line, right here!!!

Thank you so very much and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Christine
President


If you would like to donate so we can continue to help horses in need and save them from starvation, abuse, abandonment, and other unfortunate circumstance, please click the donated button below or mail a check to the address below.   Your donation is appreciated so very much!





If you would prefer to send a check to EqWBR, PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065
The generosity of so many caring people allows us to care for these horses in need.


Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc. is a 501c3 Public Charity
Donations are tax-deductible
Federal Tax ID# 45-2835562


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Injured Palomino Filly at Fallon Feedlot

Time for Thanksgiving

A recent post by Debra Hawk at Stinkin Rose Ranch listed several horses at the fallon feedlot needing to be rescued so they wouldn't ship to Canada's meat plant and one of those horses listed was a foal with an injury.  You all know how I have a special place in my heart for the young ones so I immediately asked for details and told her I would pay her bail to save her and bring her to Ramona.  But not knowing the extent of her injuries, I wasn't sure she could make the trip all the way to So Cal.  

Debra said she would find out more and then posted pictures.   Look at this sweet face.  The poor thing can't seem to put weight on her hind leg.


I immediately posted on Facebook to see if we could find someone to haul her for us if we found out she could transport this far. Thank you so much Ashley Henry for offering to make the trip for me.   Here is a picture of her injury up close.   It appears to be older and I hope it is something that will heal. 


Today a lady named Pattie, who lives in the Fallon area went to the feedlot to see her and the extent of her injuries.  Her leg is not broken, but it appears that the wound is infected so she will need to be on antibiotics immediately.  

We have offered to pay her bail and fees with the help of donations from Susan N & Johanna D and Pattie is going to pick her up and get her immediate care before she transfers to a rescue environment.  She will also need to be in quarantine so Pattie will probably have her for at least 30 days.  She will then go to Northeastern Nevada Equine Rescue and they will continue her care and find a home for her.  

It is your generous donations that allow us to help save these lives and for this little girl, get her to a place where she can get the medical care that she needs and eventually a good home.   With the fabulous network of caring horse people and rescues that we work with we were able to get her taken care of in just a few days with us paying her bail and for her travel documents, Pattie picking her up and providing initial care and then her going to a more local rescue where travel won't be so hard on her leg.   All of this coordinated with the help of Debra Hawk.

It was August of 2011 that we started working together with Debra Hawk, when I posted I would raise funds to bail a palomino filly off the Fallon feedlot, by the time we were done with that fundraiser, EqWBR raised funds and facilitated 22 weanlings and yearlings coming to So Cal.   That started a great relationship and since then we have worked together to save over 100 from being sent to slaughter via that Fallon feed lot.  


Seeing this palomino filly with the injured leg makes me realize what we have all accomplished since the first palomino filly I wanted to save last year.  With your donations we have helped first hand, networked to assist, transport and rehome over 250 horses this year and with her, another fur baby gets saved too!

We are truly blessed to be able to help as many as we do and are thankful for everyone's support.  Your continued donations make all this possible.  As we sit down for this Thanksgiving dinner, my prayer we be of thanks for each and everyone one of you and how we all worked together to help so many horses.   You are a true blessing to the horse community!
,
On behalf of this filly and all the others, Thank you so very much!

All our love,

Christine Griffin,
President

If you would like to donate so we can continue to help horses in need and save them from starvation, abuse, abandonment, and other unfortunate circumstance, please click the donated button below or mail a check to the address below.   Your donation is appreciated so very much!





If you would prefer to send a check to EqWBR, PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065
The generosity of so many caring people allows us to care for these horses in need.


Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc. is a 501c3 Public Charity
Donations are tax-deductible
Federal Tax ID# 45-2835562


Friday, October 26, 2012

A Precious passing of time.




Several months ago I was forwarded an email with the picture above of an old, beat up looking mare that was on the ‘to be put to sleep’ list at the Riverside Animal Shelter asking if we could help.  She had been abandoned and found roaming around rural Riverside by animal control.  EqWBR had never worked with any of the animal shelters as this point so this was a new venture for us.   
Her arrival at EqWBR 2-12-12 skin and bones with arthritic legs
We made the arrangements and thanks to a group of wonderful people got donations for transport, medical care and groceries, she needed lots of groceries.    Dr. Ryan Heaton of West Coast Equine Medicine in Fallbrook met me in a large dirt area off Hwy 76 & Hwy 15 on our way to Ramona to give her a wellness check.   Bad arthritis in her knees,  a fused pastern/fetlock area (ankle) probably from severe ringbone and that same leg having a slight bend/twist from walking on the fused foot, but other than that, heart and lungs were great and she just needed food.   We determined she was in her early 20’s.

2-12-12 heading home to EqWBR from Riverside Animal Shelter - Her wellness vet check
Food she got, while we had pasture available she was able to graze to her hearts content.  She was fed grain daily and Previcox to help with the arthritis pain and quickly she put on weight and it was astounding to watch her run through the pasture and kick up her heals even with that stiff front leg.  She got along well with other horses and had her overseeing some of the youngsters we had here, and then keeping company with some of the others.   She was a hussy around the geldings….. lots of spunk to say the least.

The grass is greener on her side. 4-20-12 two months after arrival.
Trimming her feet was a challenge since she could not sustain and balance well with the arthritis and fused leg.  She could only balance on three legs for a very short time and when she had to put weight on the fused leg it was even shorter.  We were blessed to have several patient trimmers work with her over the months.  Thank you Ilona, Claudia & Dani for her great foot care. 

We got a call from neighbor and close friends, Dawn & Clint, asking if they could borrow Precious to keep their 30+ year old mare company.  So we agreed EqWBR would continue to provide for all her needs while staying with the neighbor keeping sweet Bailey company.  They became fast friends and both continued to thrive.

A birthday present for Johanna - spending time with Precious  6-18-2012
Last week, with the colder days and nights it became apparent that the pain reliever Precious was taking wasn't enough to help the added pain caused by the cold weather and she started to struggle walking, then even standing.  To get the weight off her front leg, she transferred it to her back end and that had now started weakening.  When I went to visit her and it was so hard to watch her.  She had even started bobbing and weaving her head out of the discomfort.   Both Dawn and I, being equine practitioners knew this was very bad, chronic and treatment would only be temporary. 

On Tuesday, Dr. Christi Garfinkel came over to examine her and we came to the same conclusion.  Though her mind was good and her spirit still feisty, her poor legs could no longer support her body without causing great pain and discomfort.   The hardest decision of all was made, to release her from her pain forever and that we did.  Having to let a horse go always brings tears, even from the vet.  Quite prayers were said and Dr. G lovingly placed a beautiful fall leaf on the shoulder of her deceased body as a tribute to her life. 

Sad and tearful moments watching her pass, crossing the rainbow to heaven.  It has been a few days and I am now able to rejoice in her life and you should rejoice too.  So many people helped, in small and big ways, to make her last months on earth HAPPY and love filled.  She thrived, she ran and kicked up her heals, she squealed at the geldings like a young hussy and brought smiles and laughter with her antics to so many people. 

Precious with Bailey late summer 2012
Thank you all for your support, thoughts and prayers for this sweet mare.   Abandoned and left to fend for herself till picked up by animal control.  She was a fighter and taught us all to try just a little harder and give life all we can.   If she could, we can too!

Blessings to all who touched her life and if you are having a down day or struggles in your life, please think of Precious and her fight and will to live on and draw strength from that. 

She touched many lives with her spunk, sassy attitude and was truly a Precious treasure. 

RIP Precious mare and run pain free!


All our love,

Christine
President

Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc. is a 501c3 Public Charity
Donations are tax-deductible
Federal Tax ID# 45-2835562

If you would like to donate so we can continue to help horses in need and save them from starvation, abuse, abandonment, and other unfortunate circumstance, please click the donated button below or mail a check to the address below.   Your donation is appreciated so very much!





If you would prefer to send a check to EqWBR, PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065
The generosity of so many caring people allows us to care for these horses in need.

Thank you all so much!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Chica's Summer Vacation


Chica’s Summer Vacation August 2012

It’s the middle of August and boy has it been hot at home, over 100 degrees for many days.  I sure am glad we have air conditioning.  Who would think you would need it in San Diego, but we are 35 miles northeast of San Diego in the lower mountains and the temperature is somewhere between the coastal temps and the desert temps and this time of year the coast is 20-25 degrees cooler. 

Luckily we were going on vacation to the mountains in Arizona.  A place called the Sitgraves National Forest near a town called Forest Lakes.   Funny, because my mom graduated from Forest Lake High School in Minnesota, and both of those towns have lots of pine trees.  This was the first trip to Arizona I have been on in a couple years so I was really looking forward to it. 

The temperate in the deserts has been 110-120 during the daytime, so we left after a long, hot work week, on Friday night about 7 p.m.  We stopped in Yuma, AZ, a desert town , just across the border from California to get gas because it’s way cheaper there, filled up with fuel and on the road. 

Didn’t get too far down the highway when someone pulled beside us waving their arms for us to pull over, and we did, only to find out we had no tail lights or running lights.  Mom was driving, so she had to leave the flashers on till we got to the next exit with a gas station in a tiny place called Tachna, to see what was wrong.  It looked like the town only had the gas station and a few other buildings and that was it.  Dad tried to figure out what was wrong, but we kept blowing fuses and he couldn't fix it that late at night.  Did I mention the inside door handle broke of the door while he was trying to fix the lights?  He was pretty mad so we got back on the highway, driving with our flashers on till we got to Gila Bend.

Driving all the way with our flashers on didn't seem to be a problem.  Up and down some hills in the heat of the night, pulling a trailer, it made sense we would be driving slower so that justified our flashers being on.  It was still close to 100 degrees and it was almost midnight.   Good thing we could run the generator and the RV air conditioner the whole time while we got a couple hours sleep.  Boy is it hot in Gila Bend. 

We got up early and drove around and to the other side Phoenix as quick as we could.  It was almost 90 degrees already and it wasn't even 9am.  Up this long highway and we got to a really pretty place called Payson.  I saw I a sign for a cabin Zane Grey used to live in, don’t know who he is, but must be someone important that they were telling everyone where he lived.  Nice thing was that it was cooler up here.   A little shopping and we were on the road. 

We finally made it to camp mid-day on Saturday.  Scotty, my husband, and Bella, our daughter, who live with Miya and Steve, got to the camp several hours before us.  I was sure glad to see them. Since they live in Santee, CA, I don’t get to see them that often.   Now we would have almost a week to be together.  Scotty, handsome as ever, was very glad to see me.  I guess they are right when they say ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’.   He looked good, really good!  Bella looks a lot like me, but has longer hair and typical teen, talks all the time.  

I don’t know that I have ever seen such tall trees and so many in one place.  We have pine trees at our house, but these are really, really tall.  Almost everyone at the camp had dogs and most of them were friendly.  I like to go visit them all, but mom gets a little mad if I am gone for too long because she has to come looking for me.  I like to visit Juan and Kathy’s the best.   What can I say, the owners are really friendly and sometimes they give me treats.   Why wouldn't I want to go visit them all?

All these people belong to a trail group called the White Mountains Open Trail Association (WMOTA), and they build and maintain trails throughout the region, and this was their monthly camping trip, this month in the Sitegraves National forest along the Mogollon Rim.  The small group of people that were there when we arrived call themselves “Razr Ratz”, funny since they don’t look anything like the rats I have seen.  They drive “side-by-side” utility vehicles that can go for miles and they carry tools and winches to move fallen trees and rocks off the trails so everyone can use them.  I think that’s really nice of them.

Every day they went out on the trails so I got the RV all to myself to nap as long as I wanted.  When they would get back, I would hear all about the trails they had been on.  Mom and dad were really disappointed after the first trip out, Bill and Lynn (they live with Lucy and Bella), saw Elk, but all mom and dad saw were a bunch of sheep grazing on both sides of the trail.  We have a sheep at home called Griffn, nice guy, but I can see why they were disappointed.

After the rides, we’d all go sit around the fire and have happy hour.  One of my favorite times because everyone would give me treats when mom wasn't looking.  I like happy hour!   Everyone would tell what happened on the trip that day and make plans for the next day.   They were driving up and down as many trails as they could find and trying to put them together to make one long ride for the group to all take on Saturday.  Each day more people arrived and sadly some had to leave, like Bill and Lynn, and Doug, Laura and her sister Donna. 

Scotty, Bella, Steve and Miya left too.  They were going to stay in Show Low and visit a place called Fort Apache and Hawley Lake.  I guess Bella got in real trouble while they were at Hawley Lake.  She was chasing after cows they let graze around the lake and went running after them, barking and got into mud so deep, she couldn't get her feet out and was stuck up to her belly.  Mud all over.  Steve had to go unstick  her and Miya was pretty mad she had to give her a bath when they got back to their RV.  Now I can say she’s a real ‘stick in the mud!”.     She must get that from her father.

It rained here a little almost every day or night.  The air was really fresh and things were green all over.  One day mom and dad went out by themselves to ride on trails further away from camp and they said it poured on them part of the time.  They were laughing about it and say they were really glad they had rain suits because they saw other people that didn't, trying to get out of the down pour by driving under the trees. 

They went for a long ride that day and parts of the trails they were on didn't get any rain.  That was also the first time they saw Elk.  All the sudden tree were running beside them so they stopped and those three crossed the trail in front of them and another eight crossed the trail behind them.  They got to watch them all, cows and babies, prance of into the woods.  Then later that same ride on a different trail they saw two bull elk, one with a huge rack run in front of them on the trail.  Guess they are quite a sight to see if you don’t have them where you live. 

One day we borrowed John and Tracie’s truck (they live with Frankie, Shadow & Lilly), so we could drive to Snowflake and Show Low to look at houses.  They want to move out here with the horses because there is so much more room.  They run a horse rescue at home and have been thinking if they had a place out here too, they could help more horses.  They already have land to grow hay, now they need a house to live in.  So we drove all over and looked at about a dozen different places.  There were three that were pretty nice.  I got to sit in the back seat all by myself and could see out all the windows, it was great.  

Several errands to run while we were there, the post office, store and Motor Vehicle Department to get something called tabs.  Dad and I hung outside while mom took care of that.  We ran into some really nice people that lived in Ramona, not far from where we live, before they moved out to the Show Low area.  They said they really liked it in Arizona.  Seems like everywhere we went, there were people who had moved there from southern California.   On the way back to camp we got caught in a really big thunder storm.  Thunder and lighting and lots of rain, we even pulled off the side of the road for a few minutes because it was raining so hard.  Wow, never see that in California.   And after the rain stopped, it smells SO good.  Got back to camp and it hadn't rained there.

More people had arrived and kept coming with everyone looking forward to that big ride on Saturday.  Lots more people at the happy hour and then they did a pot-luck, yum!   People all brought something called ‘comfort food’ and there was a lot of it.  They all seemed really happy then sat around the fire and told all kinds of stories.   Lots of laughing as they talked about something called the “flag of ill fate”.  Guess if you mess up really badly or do something pretty stupid, you get to fly the flag on your vehicle.  It sounds like someone new tries to win it each month, but John wins it more than anyone else.  If John wins it that much, they should give him a trophy or plaque or something to show how great he is at it, don’t you think?

While mom and dad were at the pot luck, they met some new people that drove over from San Diego too.  It was their first time to ride with the club and they were surprised to find two other families that lived not far from them at the same camp. They had lots to talk about and were even wondering if they knew some of the same people from back home.

Saturday morning came and it was time for the big ride.  Mom and dad did something called “tail gunner’, guess they were the last ones at the back of the ride in case anyone got lost or breaks down.  Maurice was the lead for our group, John and Tracie were lead for the other group and Juan was their tail gunner.  After all the rain we got the last few days there must have been lots of puddles because the Rzr came back covered in mud.  Glad I didn't go on the ride.  

We left first thing Sunday morning and we to see the “Rim Lakes View” not far from where we were camping.  I loved that.  We were the only ones there so I got to run around the paths, through the tall grasses and even out on the rock ledge.  Dad picked me up so I wouldn't fall off.  Boy could you ever see for miles.  It was really pretty watching the sun come up with all the trees down in the valley.   I think we were at about 7,000 feet elevation. 

After that we headed down in ‘the valley’ as everyone called it, meaning the Phoenix area.  People come up to the White Mountains to get out of the heat in the valley all summer long.  Even so, we had a nice private campsite that was free and compared to some state and national parks, there was hardly anyone here so it was wonderful. 

One stop on the way home was at Cablea’s because there isn't one anywhere close to us.  Mom said they had lots of elk, antelope and fish inside on the wall, taxidermy or something like that.  Does that mean the got a ride there in a cab?   Whatever, what I thought was so cool was that they had dog kennels outside and lots of grass to use, they even had horse stalls and water for people who wanted to shop and let their horses out of the trailer.  Pretty cool, I think!

I slept most of the way home.  Guess I was pretty exhausted after such a fun filled vacation.  Other than the heat, I will be glad to get home and see the rest of the dogs and Milo the cat and find out if they did anything fun while I was on vacation.  Hope I get to go again soon, mom and dad are lots of fun! 
Hope you enjoyed my vacation too!

Chica


   

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Dignified Death of JJ



My heart is breaking and I am so angry at the same time, I can't reason this out in my mind.  How can someone bring a horse into this life and then discard him with an injury with no care in the world?  Well that is exactly what happened to JJ.  

Two weeks ago I got a call from a young lady who was worried a young horse she had been working with was going to be taken to auction and end up on a truck to Mexico to be slaughtered.  She explained that he was obviously lame, but the owner still felt he could get good money for him at the auction.  She needed help and turned to us.   I asked her to offer the owner $200 and if he said yes, to just bring him here and we would take him in.   

She told me that a chiropractor had seen him the week before and her prognosis was not good.  That is what prompted the owner to take him to auction.  He didn't want to pay for rehab and there was no guarantee he would ever be sound.  

I waited to hear back from her and the day of the auction she called me again saying he was still planning on taking him.  We upped the offer to $300, knowing that horses were going for pennies on the dollar these days at the auction and there is NO way he would get that much with an obviously lame horse.  Again he turned her down and blew her off about any kill buyers at auctions.  

She called in tears and told me with disbelief what was happening.  Knowing what his outcome would probably be, I looked at my husband and said, "I won't sleep tonight, or for many nights, if I don't go up and try to get that horse."  He offered to go with me and in that moment our plans changed for the rest of the day.  

I posted a fundraiser with a few of the details on Facebook and sent it in email, in hopes that we could raise $400 to cover fuel and to out bid anyone on this horse, then off in the truck we went.  Almost a two hour drive on a blistering hot day with temps over 100 degrees, I felt bad for this horse who had to endure the ride hardly able to stand on his hind leg. 

By the time we arrived, other people who are on Facebook had seen the posts were at the auction too.  They had already started telling people who were looking at this beautiful gelding that he was lame and that was why he was at the auction.  We continued to do the same with the help of our friends, Dawn and Clint, we told everyone who looked at him in hopes they wouldn't bid so we could without a bidding war.   

So hard to watch the poor horse tied up to the fence with hardly room to move his head, no water and standing on the cement in the hot summer heat. What a sweet boy though, he loved having his face rubbed and people around him.   His desire for attention was unmistakable, he loved people. His beautiful grullo coloring drew people right to him.

Number 68, we had a long wait till he was called in.  So hard to watch as some horses were being sold for as little as $25. He finally came in with the owner leading him through the gate and he was wobbling he could hardly walk on his hind end.  At least the seller was honest and admitted he was lame, said it was a pasture accident that needed rehab and he just didn't want to deal with it.  



The auctioneer started the bidding at $300, dropped it to $200, then dropped it to $100.  The kill buyers hand went up and now it was our turn, $125 for us, $150 the kill buyer, $175 for us, $175 come $200, $175 come $200..........sold for $175 to bidder number 2017.  There was a round of applause and loud cheering from all those who knew we were there to save this guy.  The seller looked stunned, only $175 and why were people cheering.

A very nice lady who knew the people running the auction had offered to help us pay for him, made several calls and told me to call her when the bidding was done. To my surprise she had left her credit card number to pay up to $200 on his bill. As I stood in the 'buyer' line I cried, still in shock that we had to come all this way to buy a horse from home and overwhelmed by the number of people who had been donating and helping to save this horse.  The emotion of it all had finally caught up with me.  

With papers in hand, Lary went to get the horse from the stall. The seller was there and said, "should have left him at home, I got a $300 offer from someone at the ranch".    Didn't ask or care what we were gonna do with him, just realizing he didn't make as much money as he thought.  After all his fees were paid, he only got about $100 for him.  We didn't mention that we were the ones who had offered the $300 through the person at his ranch.

Before we loaded him on the trailer we gave him some pain reliever knowing it was another long two hours back to Ramona and lots of bumping around in the trailer.   It was almost midnight by time we got home.  He unloaded and settled in for the night.  The next morning he was checking out the other horses and getting used to his new surroundings.   

A little on the thin side we started him on some feed and supplements.  Because he had been at the auction we had to quarantine him from the other horses, just in case he picked up any germs from viruses like strangles while in their pen.

JJ had several visitors his first week here, including the lady who called me about him in the first place.  She was over his first day here.  Her love for him was obvious as the joy on her face when she laid eyes on him.

After a week, he showed no signs of virus so I called the vet to come take a look.  The lady offered to come for the lameness exam and tell the vet everything she knew and to hear what he thought could be wrong.  Dawn came too so we could all see together what was going on.

Even with all the rest and pain reliever he had been given, he was still not putting weight on his right hind in the stall, maybe for a few moments, but most of the time he stood with it cocked.  When the vet tried to lift up his right hind not only did he try to kick out, but his left hind started the shake and it was clear he was in pain.  We were told they had trouble trimming his feet because he couldn't pick it up without pain.

Through the series of normal lameness tests, it was clear that thing weren't looking to good.  Not knowing exactly what happened to cause the issue made no difference at this point because the result of a year with no treatment was painfully obvious.   Was it from kicking the fence, casting himself, fighting with another horse?  Didn't much matter at this point because the damage was done.


click for video of JJ's walk from the side

The news wasn't good.  Here is what the vet wrote,  "The rescued horse JJ was evaluated for chronic hind limb lameness, upon examination JJ was grade 4/5 lame in the right hind.  With any manipulation of the upper aspect of the right hind, JJ winced in pain.  During movement he could not bring the right hind limb forward past vertical.  It was suspected that a pelvic fracture or injury may be the cause of the chronic lameness, so a rectal exam was performed.  Rectal examination revealed that the pelvis was off set at the pelvic symphysis with a small calus.  This rotation of the pelvis can not be fixed and humane euthanasia was recommended due to the persistent pain.



click for video of JJ from behind

At approximately 11am this morning, after a bucket of wonderful grain. The lady who called me two weeks ago, held his head in her arms and hugged him with tears in her eyes.  I said a prayer for his release from pain and when we all shook our heads the vet did one of the hardest things they do in their job, he put him down. We all had tears in our eyes as we watched him pass, this sweet horse that loved people even after some had failed him miserably.  He went peacefully and with dignity, being loved to the end.

This is hard, so very hard and I cry as I write this because it hurts.  After going to such lengths to save this horse from the kill buyer, we had to do what the seller wouldn't be responsible enough to do himself.   Nope, he wanted his $100 and to let someone else deal the problem he wouldn't.   I am mad and I just want to tell him how utterly selfish he was, but a person like that would never hear the words.

We are linked in time, this lady who called me two weeks ago for help, my husband and friends who went to the auction, all those who donated to help JJ with what ever he needed and we four who stood with tears in our eyes and let him go on to a heaven where there is no pain.   We are all linked by the love we all felt for this beautiful boy, even if it was for such a very short time.

Rest in Peace with No pain our sweet Jaz Silk Smoke.........



Jaz Silk Smoke   May 27, 2008 to July 17, 2012


Monday, June 18, 2012

Precious after 4 months

This is going to be a pretty short blog because I think the pictures speak a thousand words.  We rescued Precious on Feb. 21, 2012 from the Riverside Animal Shelter where she was scheduled to be put to sleep.

Not quite four months later and this is her today:
Precious 6-18-12

Below was Precious on her first day at Equine WellBeing Rescue notice her ribs, spine and bony hips:


Precious 2-21-12 first day at EqWBR

Now look how nice her hips look today:
Precious's nice booty
We are so thankful to those who have donated for her care and those who donate to help all the horses here.  Without you we could not make this possible and we are truly blessed to be able to help these horses regain their health and move on to happy lives.

Thank You!

Thank You!

Thank You!

If you would like to make a donation to help the horses here, just click the donate button!






If you would prefer to send a check to EqWBR, PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065
The generosity of so many caring people allows us to care for these horses in need.

Thank you all so much!

Christine
Founder & President

www.EquineWellBeing.org 



Sunday, May 27, 2012

Miya the feedlot filly....RIP sweet girl!

Filly left at the Fallon Feedlot 4-10-12

Miya was a last minute package on a load coming back from the feedlot in Fallon, NV.  On my way to pick up two mature horses and return them to the San Diego area, I got a last minute call asking if I could put a baby on board too.   Her bail had been paid by Lisa Bone of Toby's Legacy Equine Rescue and Debra and her network were working on placement for her during our trip southbound.


Loaded in the safety of our trailer 

No immediate takers, so we made room for her at our place and when I was putting a halter on her before unloading her from the trailer I noticed she had a corneal ulcer, something we were very familiar with because SHALA came to us in September 2011, with corneal ulcers in each eye. 

Based on her teeth we figured her to be about 6-8 months old and not know how long she had been moved around before getting to the feed lot, she was underweight.  Usually that is accompanied by a parasite load that needs to be treated right away and sometimes anemia.  We started treatment right away to deal with all these issues. 

A few days later, mid-April, we got hit with some unusually hot days and unlike a normal horse sheds their winter coat, her hair was coming off right down to the hide.  The excessive heat and mal-nutrition probably played a roll in that, but I had never seen hair shed down to the hide before.  Over the next several days she lost half her body hair.  Though she has dark skin that wasn’t likely to burn, we kept her where she would get shade during the hottest part of the day.  Sunscreen irritated her skin.   We also gave her a medicated bath to deal with any fungus or bacterial that may have exasperated the hair loss.
Loss of hair to her face and neck

Loss of hair on her neck



Loss of hair on her hind legs and thighs

Not knowing her history, we can only assume that she was pretty much unhandled when we got her.  Having put a halter on her before she got out of the trailer made working with her so much easier, she quickly found out she enjoyed being brushed a couple times a day and though she was not fond of getting ointment in her eye, she stood very still for me to do it.  She even allowed fly spray without much fussing.   At her age a lot of young ones fear they spraying part of the fly protection so her calmness was a blessing and definitely allowed us to provide the care she needed.

Sadly when Dr. Heaton came out to visit the ranch we determined that she has permanent scaring to her left eye leaving her little visibility.  Ryan felt she already had some scarring when she arrived, but the treatment was able to stop the rest of it.   Her overall health prior to her rescue probably was much of the cause for it scaring rather than healing.  He felt she compensated for her sight loss well, so it may have been going on for a few months already.

The white is the scarred area to her left eye

Her hair has started to grow back in, she has had complete parasite treatment, we got her feet trimmed and now her eye treatment was finished.   We continue to feed her supplements and feed in addition to hay to get her good and strong and have put her in the pasture with SHALA and Cinnabon.

Keeping a close eye on her while she made her adjustment to being with the girls and also in a large enclosure with fencing we wanted to be sure she didn’t injure herself or the girls push her around too much.   It has been joyful watching her run, kicking up her heals with gay abandon in her new found freedom.

She loves people and will approach the fence for attention and if we go in the pasture she walks over. .  She is a little easy to startle from her left side if you don’t talk to her while approaching and I try to touch her left shoulder rather than approach her face first and that seems to help her.   But her adjustment is amazing.   

I took her halter off when we moved her into the pasture so she would get hung up on anything and the girls wouldn’t grab it with their mouth and try to pull it off or pull her around in it.  

Horses will do that.   If only one is wearing a halter, the rest feel like they are obligated to harass and pick on the horse.  We see it all the time with the geldings.  Fly masks are also a fun target for their playfulness.  I am pretty sure that more fly masks have been ruined from other horses trying to remove it from the one wearing it that any other reason.  Just like kids picking on each other. 


Miya's hair finally growing back in and she's enjoying pasture life

Miya seems to have settled in.  She is the youngest of the three, but won’t let herself get picked on.  One morning last week it was almost chilly out and the girls were full of their Wheaties, running and bucking back and forth across the pasture.  They decided to chase after Miya and showing her wisdom at a young age she put a stop to it by running and standing behind me.  I had to laugh because SHALA and Cinnabon put the brakes on looking at me and she stuck her head around from behind me and I am pretty sure she had her tongue sticking out at them.  Neener, neener, neener!   


She runs like the wind, has confidence and enjoys human interaction and handling.  We have found her such a fast learner.  I guess she has had to be with what she has been through in her short life so far.   We need your help!  We are not a long term facility and try to rehab and rehome the horses into loving families.
Miya & Cinnabon
She is healthy enough to go to a new home where she can settle in, stay and build a relationship with people for years to come.  Her ability to compensate for her limited sight on her left leads me to believe she will be rideable and her ‘can do’ attitude is not seen in all horses. 

If you can give her a home, or know someone who can give her a home, please contact us about adoption.   In the meantime we need to raise funds for her food and other needs while she is here, so if you can help us get the word out, help with donations and help us to provide for her needs she will continue to grow strong and healthy, even with her sight deficit. 

UPDATE: In October of 2012 Miya, SHALA and Dixie all went to a sanctuary in central California to leisurely live out their days with 400 acres of land to roam.  Sadly on 2-1-13 Miya hadn't come in with the rest of the horses and when they found her she was distressed.  Returning with a halter to bring her into the ranch they found she had passed and suspected perhaps she had run into a tree or hit her head on something as the herd was coming in.    RIP sweet Miya.   Your days were few, but filled with love. 

Donations can be made through PayPal using email address  Donate@EquineWellBeing.org , checks can be mailed to EqWBR at PO Box 324, Ramona, CA  92065.  

No donation is too small to help feed and care for the horses here and all are appreciated so very much.   Please help us help her. 

Thanks so much,

Christine Griffin, President
Equine Well Being Rescue Inc.
760-703-4860

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Entertain Yourselves (Rescued Amusement Park Horses)

Free at last, Free at last and yes, the grass is greener on the other side.


Meet the three geldings that came home with us on Saturday to enjoy a new life of leisure after years of pulling around and entertaining tourists.  Two others are at a friends rescue in Imperial Beach after a very difficult time loading in the trailer. The poor horses were so nervous about the trailer and their surroundings she had to call in a vet to sedate the horses.  Once unloaded though at their new destination and safe, they relaxed and quickly got acquainted with their stable mates. 

The donations we received were enough to pay the "bail" on all five horses and cover our fuel to go up into Orange county to get them.  Thank the Lord!  Here I thought they would be easy to handle, dead broke horses, and we got big and bulky boys who were jumpy at any noise or movement.  Clearly they were not happy with their circumstances.  

Sheriff (not his real name) the one in the center in the above picture stands 68 inches at the shoulder.  I am only 64 inches to the top of my head.  So just picture this guy scooting to me to save him from some strange sound or movement.  I bet he weighs 1200 pounds if he weight 10.  Well these three loaded good and stood for sometime while we tried to help load the others, but not wanting them to stand too long with a long ride home yet to be made, we chose to get on the road.   We arrived home about 3pm, the other trailer arrived at home about 8pm.   But they all arrived safe and sound with no new injuries.

So let me introduce you to the three that are here till adoptive homes can be found:

Meet Marshall

This big bay was one of the lead harness horses, I am guessing this because Sheriff runs behind him in the pasture.  He stands 16.0 hand high (64" at the shoulder) - my height and probably weighs 1200-1300 pounds.  He still has shoes on and his feet should have been done a few weeks ago so his hooves are too long.   There was so much dirt and manure in the bottoms of his feet, collected by the shoes, that he couldn't put his feet flat on the ground.  We cleaned it out this morning and he has a severe case of thrush (bacterial infection on the bottom of their feet that causes the tissue to die off and smell foul), especially in his left front hoof, that I think that may be contributing to his difficulty walking (he looks sore when he walks). 

I think they are unaccustomed to water troughs because they were very timid in their approach and started splashing the water inside around with their faces.  As you can see from the picture above, he felt the need to play with the hose.  Fun to watch them explore their new surroundings.

Below is Piston (we called him Deputy at first, but Pistol fits him better) the smallest of the horses at 15.2 hands high (62 inches at the shoulder) and he probably only weighs about 1100 pounds, only!!!  He is chestnut in color with a small star on his forehead and his is the easiest to approach of the three right now and other than his color is a carbon copy of Manzanita. Both him and the bay above look to be Quarter horses based on their big chests and hind ends.  Beefy boys.  He is in the best shape of all.  Though he still has his shoes on and had mud and manure packed in, it was not bad and there was very little thrush.  He really doesn't have many scars, a few here and there typical for a horse his age 12-15 years old.  He does seem a little sore at the walk, but that could be from the trailering and his long hooves that also need to be trimmed.

Meet Deputy

Below is the big red horse we called Marshall.  He was in the center in the very first picture so you could get a perspective of how tall he is in comparison to the others.   I think this guy is a Thoroughbred (TB) or a TB cross with a Quarter horse which is called an Appendix.  He stands 17 hands high (68" at the shoulders).  He doesn't have a tatoo on his inner lip so we know he was never raced on the TB tracks.   He follows the bay around like they were still harnessed to a buggy. 


Meet the Sheriff

When we unloaded them into their stalls it was clear that they were not used to wide open spaces.  They spent much of their time standing along the fence closest to the pasture just looking out over our little valley.  Things like the tarps moving in the breeze and the goats made them nervous.  I wonder if they have ever seen a goat or sheep?  They let us handle them pretty well this morning and I was able to put new halters on each of them. 

Thank you Lisa H, who sent halters to us (small ones for Diesel and the babies and 3 large one for whoever) before we new these guys would need them.  I think I picked the perfect colored one for each horse.    Then we cleaned their feet and measured their height.  They were all nervous about the height stick so I didn't even try using the weight tape.  We can do that tomorrow.  

A quick look at the dried blood trail on the Sheriff's left hind leg showed it was just a little nick that is healing nicely and doesn't look like we need to worry about infection or anything like that.  He does have a nasty scrape on his back and white hairs on this stomach on his left side, the type of hairs that grow out after an injury, but there is no scar under the white hairs that we can see.  Not sure what scraped his back, but it is healing OK and will just take a while for hair to grow back in and that too will probably grow in white.  

We decided to put them out in the pasture for a few hours and let them eat real grasses.  You need to start them on real grasses slowly so it doesn't affect their metabolic system.  It didn't take long before they realized they could move around freely.  Mostly trotting, but an occasional canter.  They were having FUN. 

Heads up, tails up, flashy movement to their feet.....FREEDOM!!!!   What a sight to see.   They checked out the trees, the round pen, the goats, the other horses and had no interest in the grass what so ever.  Our horses practically knock each other down to get to the real grass and these guys didn't know how to eat it out of the ground.  Well guess we don't have to worry much about their over eating.  They had to sneak up on the water trough too and it took quite a while before they actually put their mouth in and tried drinking.  

I can't tell you how awesome it is to sit and watch them in their new found freedom.  My husband and I pulled up chairs under the big fruitless mulberry tree in the front yard, grabbed a beverage and just watched them go.  Little power plays across the fence with our horse, but no more than touching noses and squealing.   Leroy, my big (what I think is big 15.3hands high) Tennessee Walking Horse, ran along the fence line with the chestnut, back and forth, back and forth, for a good fifteen minutes.  Lots of horse talk followed over the fence after that.   Then they saw the girls across the drive way and all stopped.   I just happened to catch that in the video below.  Are they having fun or what??   



We still have a lot of work ahead of us with these guys.  Getting their feet trimmed, treating the thrush, they will each need a bath and general grooming to get the filth from the place they were at off of them, they will get dewormed, vaccinated, complete dentistry done and a check with the chiropractor.  Mini Me needs some additional weight so we will probably put him on some pellets and then we will need to find them each homes.  

Additional donations to help cover those expenses are still needed and also for the hay.  At a bale a day between the three of them, that's $600 for a month over and above everything else.  We appreciate your spreading the word and helping support the cause.  The two young fillies, Miya and Little Miss are still recovering.  Miya has a corneal ulcer requiring drops and ointment twice a day and severe alopecia (she has lost over half of her body hair) and Little Miss was bitten by a snake or spider a month ago and has a wound still healing on her neck.  So all help is greatly appreciated.

I placed an urgent call for help two days ago and so many people sent in donations to pay to help these guys.  We can't thank you enough.  They can't thank you enough.  These guys put in years of service giving tourists the enjoyment of a horse drawn ride and they deserve the kind and easy going years ahead we hope to find for them.  You all have such big hearts it truly brings tears to my  eyes the support we see helping horses in need.  You gave these guys a future and the gift of life.  

If you would like to stop by and visit them or the fillies, please give me a call or send me an email.  We love to let people meet the horses they are helping and we love to meet you ourselves.    

Blessing to you all.

Christine
President
Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc.
PO Box 324
Ramona, CA  92065


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