Tuesday, April 29, 2014

EqWBR wins Scholarship from HSUS & Doris Day Equine Center

"Plan 4 Progress - Congratulations are in order", that was the subject line of this email we just received:

From: Melissa Rubin <@humanesociety.org>
Cc: "@carterranchhorse.com>

Congratulations,

We are pleased to inform you that your organization has been selected to receive a scholarship for Plan 4 Progress.This scholarship entitles your organization to join The Humane Society of the United States and the Doris Day Equine Center in partnership with Carter Ranch Horse and Trevor Carter in an 8 month long program designed to support rescue centers who train horses that have been through traumatic experiences, and help increase their adoption success rates.



We couldn't be happier than to have this fabulous opportunity to educate ourselves to further help horses we assist both here at the rescue and those off-site as we have for the last many years.   

EqWBR has helped dozens of orphaned foals and weanlings from slaughter feed lots and auctions in recent years, and I have worked gentling several mustangs through the Mustang Heritage Foundation prior to our incorporating EqWBR in 2011.  

Liam, the weanling (3-6 months old) needing surgery who dumped at Mike's Auction in Mira Loma in Feb. 2013 and rescued by us after seeing him on Auction Horse Rescue's Facebook page, will be the first to benefit.    
We rescue Liam as a baby from Mike's Auction in Feb. 2013
Now a yearling, Liam is the perfect age to work with and that will be a HUGE help to whoever adopts him.

This is another way for us to stay up-to-date on training methods and have access to experts we would otherwise not be able to afford and to provide our adopters with exclusive training materials too. 

We will also be able to network with leading, like-minded rescue organizations and trainers to implement standards for rehoming horses humanely, efficiently and effectively.  This program will be tailored around our needs to help us achieve the most success in rehoming horses.   Something we take very seriously.  

In November we may have the opportunity to attend part two of the Basic Skills for Difficult Horses Clinic at the Doris Day Equine Center for hands on learning, coaching and instruction.   What a dream come true!

Boy, I thought moving to rural America would put us in the slow lane, but that just doesn't seem to be the case as we continue to get such wonderful opportunities to help more horses.   

Thank you all so very much for your continued support!  

Christine

Christine Griffin, Founder & President
Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc.
A 501c3 Public Charity
760-703-4860


Checks can be sent to PO Box 2722, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
We are a 501c3 Public Charity #45-2835562 so your donations are tax-deductible.



Members of: Unwanted Horse Coalition, Homes for Horses Coalition, A Home for Every Horse program, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc., Fleet of Angels and many more.

Please rate EqWBR in 2014 to help us maintain our 'Top Rated' status by clicking the link below.







Recipient of $2000 food grant in 2013.

   ASPCA (link)




Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Arizona Department of Agriculture awards EqWBR new standing!

HUGE NEWS!!!!!!


Though we may be on the bottom of the list, it is only because we are the newest approved facility for the Equine Rescue Registry with the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

There are many horse rescues throughout the state, but only a few go through the rigorous process of meeting the rescue guidelines set forth by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and submit to the veterinary inspection process for this classification.  This inspection not only includes the care and husbandry of the horses, but the facility, environment, equipment, record keeping and so much more.

We would like to thank Dr. Kari Christianson of North Country Veterinary Clinic, who contacted us about the need to rescue of Babee earlier this year, for her support of EqWBR and her encouragement and willingness to see us complete this process including the inspection.  Thanks also goes to Lary Griffin and Dee Corcoran who both helped get the facility better equipped and organized for the care of the horses and preparing us for the inspection.

Here is a link to the Department of Agriculture's website if you want to check it out yourself:

http://www.azda.gov/ASD/equinerescuefacility.aspx

If you click on our name on that page, it opens up to our application and approval documents.

This is AMAZING and we THANK YOU ALL for your continued support.   Please consider making a donation to help provide for the horses in our care and to assist even more not only California and Arizona, but throughout the country.

We are ECSTATIC!!!!

Christine
Christine Griffin,
Founder & President
Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc.
A 501c3 Public Charity
760-703-4860


Checks can be sent to PO Box 2722, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
We are a 501c3 Public Charity #45-2835562 so your donations are tax-deductible.



Members of: Unwanted Horse Coalition, Homes for Horses Coalition, A Home for Every Horse program, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc., Fleet of Angels and many more.

Please rate EqWBR in 2014 to help us maintain our 'Top Rated' status by clicking the link below.







Recipient of $2000 food grant in 2013.

   ASPCA (link)



Friday, April 18, 2014

Babee needs our help! Only 7 years old and almost put down.

Funds are needed to start her rehab!

Meet Babee.  A seven year old quarter horse mare.  She is standing this way because the pain in her feet from laminitis will not allow her to stand upright.   After 3 long months the owner finally agreed to let us intervene on Babee's behalf.   Originally contacted by Dr. Christianson (Dr. C) in January to see if we had room for Babee, both of us made many attempts with the owner to get her help.   He finally agreed to let us come and do xrays of her feet to she if the rotation of her coffin bones (bottommost bone encased by the hoof capsule) were beyond rehabilitation on 4-17-14.


What he hadn't told either of us was that Babee could barely walk and spent much of her day laying down. Her grass founder (laminitis) was diagnosed 2 years ago by another vet and at that time the owner was told she needed to lose weight. That didn't happen.  He kept her on irrigated pasture and fed alfalfa as a supplement. Nothing any of us said caused him to change her diet.

He started giving her Bute for the pain, fed in a coffee can amount of sweet feed, but the additional sugars only added to the problem. As of yesterday he had been giving her 1-2 grams of Bute a day for many months.  That sort of long-term use causes ulcers and those were not being treated.


It wasn't until we arrived at his house that we realized she was in much worse shape than he had lead us to believe.  So much so that when we walked up, he said it was too late for her, meaning she should be euthanized. Well he may have thought so, but Dr. C and I weren't ready do give up on Babee yet. No body puts Babee in the corner.....

Taking xrays was difficult because we could not get her hoof on a 2x4 block, off the ground to have the xray show to the bottom of the hoof, but we were able to get diagnostic level xrays that showed mild rotation on the left front foot and moderate rotation on the right front along with an abscess that will also need treatment.

Dr. C and I discussed the prognosis and needed treatment in privacy and we also spoke with our farrier. All agreed that for this mare who is just barely 7 years old, we would give it a go.  The owner still seemed shocked that anyone would spend money on her but agreed to giver her up and let us try.

I have the best husband in the world because I called him and told him as soon as he got home from a 10 hour day at work, he needed to hook up the horse trailer and I would meet him for the 150 mile round trip to pick up this mare.   When we arrived the sun was going down. Thankfully Dr. C hung around her office after it closed because for us to get Babee in the trailer, we needed to give her nerve blocks that would numb her two front feet.  She could barely walk even then.   With prayers, coaxing, and brute strength we were able to move her 25 feet and into the trailer.

Arriving home at 9pm, we filled her stall with wood shavings (as we had the trailer) and got her unloaded and settled in for the evening.   This morning started her first day of rehab. She is going to need a long term diet change. At only 14.2 hands high, she is over 1300 pounds, which is more than 300 pounds overweight. That is a huge contributing factor to her pain.   A low starch and low sugar diet, she has been switched to grass hay and a small amount of  Nutrena's Special Care Horse Feed which is designed specifically for horse with her needs.


We need the pelleted feed to administer the powder Bute pain reliever and the ulcer medicine, Ranitidine. Because she needs so much Ranitidine at her weight to be effective, we will be feeding 13 - 300mg tablets in the morning and 13 more in the evening which is not cheap.  If we got the tablets for Costco, we would need to feed her over 50 a day and that would be difficult at best.  She will need this treatment up to 60 days beyond the end of her needing Bute for pain relief.  

Our farrier will be out first thing to start the long process of correcting her angles.  Her feet will need to be trimmed so the angle of the bottom of her hoof mirror the angle of her coffin bone as it heals and returns to a normal position. This will take months. Special trims will be needed every six weeks to keep pain at a minimum.  We are researching boots to help pad her feet.   In the meantime we have padded them.



In a few weeks we would like to do blood tests to see if she has either a thyroid issue or insulin resistance issue which may also require some treatment or specific diet.  As she loses weight this may resolve itself too, but testing will be the best way to see what her long-term needs may be. 



We brought in 7 loads of sand to spread throughout her stall to keep it softer for her to walk, stand or lie down.   We also bought straw and shavings for her interior barn stall to keep it soft.  When she is able to move around more freely, she can then join the herd of oldsters for the duration of her rehab.   




Babee is a trained saddle horse so once her weight is down, ulcer resolved, laminitis healed and she is given the ok by Dr. C., she can be adopted to someone who will maintain her dietary needs and enjoy this lovely horse. While her prior owner could see, but would not accept that his feeding behavior was killing this sweet mare, it is a HUGE lesson for us all that emaciation is not the only thing that can be so deadly to a horse.   

PLEASE help us give Babee a chance to live a healthy life.  At seven years old and sweet as can be, she deserves a chance.  We need donations to help with her rehabilitation.  

So far we owe Dr. C approximately $250 for xrays, drugs for transport and ulcer medication, we will need more pain and ulcer meds soon. Farrier costs will be several hundred dollars for the pads, EquiPak and special shoes every six weeks over the next several months and the work needed to relieve the abscess she has now. Straw is $8 a bale, shavings $8 bag and she will need several of each over the next several weeks till she is comfortable. The Nutrena feed is $18.99 bag, timothy grass hay is $12 for a 60lb (small) bale. And if we can raise the funds, we would like to do the blood tests for thyroid and insulin issues with will be approx. $300.

Any funds that you can spare would be so greatly appreciated. Checks can be mailed to 8369 Buckskin Trail, Snowflake, AZ 85937 and PayPal accepts credit card payments, just click this link.   



This is a sweet young mare, that through no fault of her own, has been living in horrendous pain for months. Babee needs our help.  We can rehabilitate her and she can once again be a riding horse for loving family.  It will take many months, but this precious girl deserves that chance. Please share her need with your friends so they may help if they would like.  Together we can do this!    I will do the daily nursing and health care, EqWBR just need your help financially to get her everything she needs.

Thank you all so much for your continued support from Autumn, Babee, Danny, Fancy, Gwen, Liam, Max, Ruby & Tucker.   RIP sweet Maverick!

Christine
Christine Griffin, Founder & President
Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc.
A 501c3 Public Charity
760-703-4860


Checks can be sent to PO Box 2722, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
We are a 501c3 Public Charity #45-2835562 so your donations are tax-deductible.



Members of: Unwanted Horse Coalition, Homes for Horses Coalition, A Home for Every Horse program, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc., Fleet of Angels and many more.

Please rate EqWBR in 2014 to help us maintain our 'Top Rated' status by clicking the link below.







Recipient of $2000 food grant in 2013.

   ASPCA (link)




Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Farewell with much love to Maverick

Our journey with Maverick started in January of 2013 when we received a communication from Donna Caplan, a long time volunteer at Riverside Animal Services (animal control), who was trying to save the life of a horse found abandoned and starving in Riverside. Being unadoptable, he was on the 'to be euthanized' list.    

Though we were in Arizona, the horses were still at the ranch in Ramona so we stepped in to save his life.   With the help of our dear friend Jen at Baker Ranch Equine Rescue, we got him transported to her for triage, initial vet care from Dr. Garfinkel and to start the proper feeding for an emaciated horse.  This picture shows his condition upon his arrival 1-31-13, emaciated and depressed. 


A few weeks later with some weight on, he joined the oldsters at our Ramona ranch.  Even though his knees were cripplingly big and his legs no longer straight, he loved to run and it was a joy to see him take off in those short bursts where he was seemingly remembering the agility of his younger days. 


April 2013, all the horses were transported to our Snowflake, AZ facility where they had even more room to roam.   In late May we noticed that Maverick was not able to straighten his left hind foot.  With no obvious new injury we got x-rays and several veterinary opinions and applied various homemade splints to slowly straighten it so he could put weight on it again.  After about a week, he was able to walk normally again.  I figured out later while giving him therapeutic massage, that the pressure he was putting on his hind end to take the weight off his knees caused the muscles, tendons and ligaments to tighten, resulting in his bent foot. 



During the winter we covered him with a long blanket to help keep his legs warm and gave him Previcox to help with long term pain management.  We were blessed in December receiving a gift from Sox For Your Horse with two sets of Whinny Warmers to help keep his arthritic knees warm.   He seemed to like them and enjoyed the time I spent daily pulling up or changing his socks.  I know they made a difference for him.  We also received a few more sets in various colors from Casey at The Golden Carrot. He sported gray, red and purple socks.  







As they days passed I noticed Mav spending more time resting.   He had several spots where there was deep sand that were his favorites.  Standing or lying down he enjoyed the massages that contained and the application of liniment.  When I was putting it on his knees he would always reach down with his face and give my hands a kiss.


This last few weeks we noticed he spent time laying down and was much stiffer walking when he got up.  The vet was out 10 days ago and we decide to add a topical medication called Surpass to his therapy regimen and we upped his pain medicine giving the topical pain relief time to kick in.   His saucy side still came out even at rest. Seems he is sticking his tongue out at the world as if to say "living the good life even with bad knees".


After seeing no real change and knowing that things would only get more difficult we made the heartbreaking decision to let him. Never wanting him to suffer, last night he was laid to rest.  To his final minutes he had short bursts of frivolity, still the flirt, sticking his tongue out at the world saying, "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was!"

We have been totally blessed to have him with us these last 15 months and we will always cherish his antics. As the sun was going down on his final day, I snapped a picture of the western sky which was blazing colors of magenta, red and gold as though the sky were on fire.   To the south soft, cotton candy clouds and when I looked at the pictures this morning, I couldn't believe what I saw.   There he is, our Maverick running across the heavens.  Head held high and four legs running pain free.
 

From the bottoms of our hearts we thank you all for your support the horses.   You save lives, you change them and make them better.

You are a true blessing!

Christine

To read his other blog post, just click the title:
Maverick's one year anniversary
Maverick's left hind leg injury
Meet Maverick
Gelding in jeopardy

Christine Griffin, Founder & President
Equine WellBeing Rescue Inc.
A 501c3 Public Charity
760-703-4860


Checks can be sent to PO Box 2722, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
We are a 501c3 Public Charity #45-2835562 so your donations are tax-deductible.



Members of: Unwanted Horse Coalition, Homes for Horses Coalition, A Home for Every Horse program, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc., Fleet of Angels and many more.

Please rate EqWBR in 2014 to help us maintain our 'Top Rated' status by clicking the link below.







Recipient of $2000 food grant in 2013.

   ASPCA (link)