Age 26, pregnant and skinny! Meet Missy.

I have been very worried about this mare ever since I got a Craigslist ad forwarded to me from a fellow rescuer for a "4 in 1 package deal" last week. The ad was for a pony mare who was pregnant and as a bonus you got a 20+ year old mare also pregnant stating they had "lost our home".  The photo showed the older mare was skinny. I contacted the seller the day before Christmas Eve and offered to provide a home for the older mare so she could sell the pony mare unencumbered.  

She did not immediately take me up on the offer. Instead I was questioned via text to be sure that I was capable of properly taking care of a mare and eventual foal among other questions that had me shaking my head. Especially when the seller told me she was only feeding her a scoop of feed a day and some hay, that she was skinny and not putting on weight. On Christmas Eve day we waited for her to show up and see our facility, again to be sure that 'we' could take proper care of the mare.  

I worried about this mare all through the Christmas Eve high winds, blowing snow and cold temps, wishing she was tucked in our barn safe and sound. Worried through the Christmas snow and cold, did she have a blanket, was she out of the elements. After many changes of plans she finally arrived this morning, even thinner than I expected.  I am SO relieved she is here. 

Meet Missy. 

The things I have been told, "She was thinner when I bought her in 2014.", "I rescued her from the people selling her.", "Two vets told me it was ok to breed a 26 year old horse.", "The stud got loose by accident.", "She was bred sometime between July and August 2016.", "We rode her bareback because we couldn't get a saddle to fit."  No vaccines, no vet visits, last trim four months ago, etc.

Not only is she very malnourished from not enough to eat, she has an injury that causes her to drag her right hind leg. I truly can't believe anyone who ride her, even bareback. There are so many things I can't wrap my head around, but then it seems to be the situation so often when these sweet souls get sold on down the line till they need a real rescue to step in and truly save them.

Though she needs at least 300 pounds to be a normal weight, we also want to confirm her pregnancy. She is nicked up from other horses that pushed her around which I already treated.  She needs her feet trimmed, chiropractic for her hind leg, dentistry, deworming, probiotics and supplements and a good healthy diet. 

I spent quite some time telling the seller about proper nutrition, what feeds we have found to work well and can be very affordable, gave her some handouts to help her figure out what her various horses may need.  We talked at length about the dental needs of older horses. Several of hers are thin and she appreciated the time I spent helping her.  I let her know she could contact me anytime for advice or assistance in hopes it will help the other horses she has.  Many times what we do goes way beyond taking in and rehabbing the needy, it is helping educate horse owners too. 

We need to get Missy healthy and meet her prenatal needs. If you were thinking about a year end donations and who to donate too, we would sure appreciate being on your list. You know we will put them to the very best use. Donations can be made via PayPal using this link:

Checks can be mailed to Equine WellBeing Rescue, 8369 Buckskin Trail, Snowflake, AZ 85937.  All donations are tax-deductible because we are a non-profit public charity recognized by the IRS.

It is through your generous donations and support that we are able to help so many. Missy makes the fifth emaciated horse for us this year and we still have a pregnant mini donkey at the rescue of the dozens that came here in April and May.  Two expectant mommies at the ranch.

Missy, today is the first day of the rest of your NEW life!!!!

Thank you all so very, very much!
Christine

Horrendous neglect case leaves 810 horses in need of homes.

We have three new residents, rescued from a horrible neglect situation in South Dakota affecting 810 horses, mustangs.  There has been lots of drama surrounding this situation, but our goal was to offer help to horses in need and we were immediately asked to take three horses that have been together since they were little, two of them orphaned foals, one who lost his ears to frostbite in a huge blizzard.  They arrived November 3rd.

Meet Peyton, formerly Takini. We chose the name Peyton because it means, royal and regal, even without his ear pinnas he has such a thoughtful expression and kind demeanor. Based on the date of the awful blizzard that hit a multi-state area in October 2013, he is about three years old.  I have not gotten a chance to lift his lip and age him from looking at his teeth.  I don't want to rush him.

This is Caleb, formerly Akicita whose lineage is from the Virginia Range mustangs.  A large number of that herd were taken in by ISPMB many years ago.  Caleb was bred in captivity, rejected by his mare as a foal and bottle fed as a baby.  Based on his teeth he is four years old.

We kept Thumper's name, he is cute and fluffy, just like the rabbit he is named after. Thumper is the youngest of the group at just three years old and very friendly.

Sadly for the rest of the original 810 horses impounded by the law enforcement agencies in South Dakota where the horses reside, if they do not find homes by November 30th, the Dewey County Sheriff will be auctioning them off to anyone, including killbuyers.  As of today about 100 have actually found homes and left the property some blind, with deformities, hooves that look like slippers and many mares with foals at their sides and probably pregnant too.

 
We continue to help the effort by sharing the need for homes with as many as we can. This is a very sad situation where it is a long established, highly visible International Society for the Preservation of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB) rescue that is in need of rescuing. I said earlier there is lots of drama surrounding this with many calling for the arrest of the woman running the rescue and her in return not wanting to let any of the horses go and people in the middle, boots on the ground, helping get horses into new homes.  You know me, I jumped in, ignored the drama and got these three horses out of there and safely to EqWBR.

At our limit on the number of equine we want at the ranch heading into winter, the recent adoption of Jack and Jake, Naco donkeys numbers 5 & 8 and the unexpected adoption of Brandy (I will update you on her in another post) allowed us to say 'yes', and rescue the three geldings.

Artist Marty Bower offered one of her gorgeous framed prints to help us raise funds for transport and vet costs for transport documents.  Through that Facebook auction we raised about $1300.  Transport was $1050 and vets bill $285.  Marty ended up donating two of her framed prints to our top bidders and our friend and adopter Rebecca Davey offered jewel decorated horse shoes to our 3rd, 4th and 5th highest bidders.  We can't thank both ladies enough for stepping forward to help and to all those who donated via this auction.

Thanks also goes to Diane and Linda L who helped me set up the quarantine/catch pen so the hauler could off-load the dozen horses from the trailer so they could stretch their legs, have a drink and eat while taking short break from the travel. To Richard who helped unload, feed and sort the horses getting our three into their small pasture and to Linda of Linda Gayle Photography for taking and donating such beautiful photos of their arrival.

Peyton, Caleb and Thumper are settling in.  They are very friendly and approach us anytime we go out there. Their feet really need to be trimmed so we are working on getting them used to having their feet picked up while they get used to their new home. Peyton is thinner than I would like so having access to hay round the clock will help him gain the weight he needs.  Other health care is on their 'to do' list, one step at a time.

Thank you all for your continued support which has allowed us to help these three in great need. 

For anyone interested in adopting a horse(s) there is a page on Facebook called ISPMB Horses Emergency Adoption Mission or you can contact Elaine Nash at 970-799-1000 to start the process.

Autumn's 3 year anniversary.

This was Autumn in September of 2013 when Riverside County Animal Services was looking for someone to take her or they would euthanize her.  Her owner relinquished her to avoid prosecution.

Fellow rescuer, Jen at Baker Ranch Equine Rescue had Autumn picked up and brought to her in Ramona. With her initial rehab started, 5 weeks of TLC and 100 pounds weight gain, her condition stabilized enough for long-distance travel to our rescue. The collage below was made by Jen the day Autumn left for EqWBR.

Arriving 11-1-13 and continuing her rehab, she gained an additional 300 pounds and has blossomed at 1200 pounds. Today is her three year anniversary of her arrival at the ranch.  She is a little standoffish, not really buddied with anyone but gets along with all.

Still head shy, she will has learned to enjoy a good rub of the ears and cleaning any eye boogers without needing a halter. It makes me wonder what was done to her that her immediate response is to pull back her head. She has arthritis with a large scar on her right front foot and calcification in the bones causing her to lack range of motion and uneven hoof growth.  Autumn gets Previcox for pain management, joint supplements and frequent trims to make walking easier. She is starting to show her early 20's age with gray hairs showing on her face.

Very slow moving and gimpy she is living proof that a discarded horse can have years of happiness with a lot of tender loving care.  She loves a gentle grooming and sweet words whispered in her ears. Every once in a while she will act like a young filly again, kicking up her heels. bucking, rearing and running around, but most days she basks in the sun that warms her achy bones and just enjoys the uncomplicated life she has at the rescue.  

Happy Anniversary our sweet, sweet girl.  We love you so much!

Poor girl, tied to a gate and abandoned.

10-23-16

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Linda, a local horse transporter asking us for help. Someone had left a mare tied to their gate in the middle of the night and just drove away.  After contacting the sheriff and following their instructions, she asked if we would have room for her at the rescue.  So on the 9th, we picked her up and brought her here to the rescue.   Meet Brandy.

She is in her mid 20's and clearly has seen better day.  Though she received food, deworming and an initial hoof trim at Linda's she was still very, very thin and bony.  Upon her arrive we noticed there was no muscle at all along her spine and hips and you could easily count all of her ribs.

Dr. Helzer was here that Sunday to give Princess stitches where she injured her left ear and gave Brandy an exam too. Brandy was very depressed and we noticed she had swelling, abrasions and bruising of her vulva area so to prevent any infection we treated her with antibiotics.  She also had rain rot along her top line which Linda had treated but still wasn't completely gone and her feet still needed further trimming,  We put her on a healthy diet plan and let her settle in.

Brandy is doing so much better now. Many people have come to visit her and she enjoys every bit of company.  She has a very gentle personality and not a mean bone in her body.  She has put on weight, the rain rot is gone, her vulva is almost healed and her mood is even happy.   She engages with the horses and donkeys and when she sees me, she approaches for hugs.  Brandy still has 100+ pounds to gain and we need to get her teeth done but we are taking one step at a time.

It is very hard to understand anyone just tying a horse to a gate and leaving, especially the far away location of Linda's home.  But we are so happy that we can help her get healthy and live out her days not having to worry where or when her next meal will come.

Big thanks to those who have donated for her care and have come to visit her.  Also to Justin Burt for fixing her feet at no charge to the rescue and many, many thanks to Linda and her family for untying her from the gate and helping her in those initial days until we were able to bring her to the rescue.

We will keep everyone updated on her progress.

2016 annual "FUN"draiser online silent auction.

It is time for this years online silent auction to raise much needed funds for the horses and donkeys at Equine WellBeing Rescue and others in need of our help. 

Our fundraising goal is $5000 so I hope we have some fun bidding wars to help us meet that goal. So far this year we have had over 60 donkeys and horses come to the ranch, most have found homes, but the others still need our TLC. So please help help by bidding and also sharing this album with others.

We have one photo for each of the 150+ items that have been generously donated by our supporters. Goodies include glassware painted by our supporters, lots of tack, jewelry, home decor, holiday items, Halloween costumes and so much more. New items added daily to our Facebook "FUN"draiser photo album. 

Huge selection of glassware painted by our volunteers and supporters:

Books from Author Rose Miller

Books from Auther Cheryl Gardarian

Over 50 pieces of tack and gear

20 Beautiful collector plate from Bradford Exchange

Several beautiful pieces of jewelry

Custom Sawscroll work and other household decor

AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!

Just click this link: 

2016 "FUN"draiser online line silent auction

So please take the time to scroll through the entire album. Click on the picture to enlarge it and read the description of the item. Check for new items to be added as we receive them. Please make your bid in the comments section of the pictured item. 

Auction runs Sept.15th through 5pm Arizona (MST) on Tuesday, Sept 20th. You will be notified if you won and cost of shipping for your items. Heavy items will be local pick-up only and noted as such. 

If you would like to just make a tax-deductible donation checks can be mailed to EqWBR, 8369 Buckskin Trail, Snowflake, AZ 85937 or you can click this link: Click to make a Donation

Please have fun and help us raise some much needed money for our equine in need.  Don't forget to share this with all your friends.  

The horses and donkeys thank you very much. So do we!

RIP our red-haired Danny Boy!

The rain started to gently fall as we were putting the last of the dirt on his grave.  Tears from heaven as the angels knew our hearts were breaking.  How fitting for this beloved horse that brought so many so much joy over his lifetime.  A horse that exuded love from the moment he arrived four years ago.

To our surprise we found out he had been a lesson horse for many, many years when our friends Nancy and Katie came out to visit us in Snowflake during the holidays in 2013. That is when he was reunited with Katie after more than 10 years. Danny had been the first horse she had ever ridden during a summer camp as a young girl. It was a tearful reunion for all and a chance for us to learn more about this gentle mannered horse. For old times sake she saddled him up for one more ride and he obliged.  The smile on her face lit up the day. What are the odds after he'd been so many other places before us, they would have the chance to share this touching moment in time.

It was obvious that Danny loved children and he was always willing to show them the love of a horse. Zara came with her grandparents hoping to get a chance to see some horses, her dreams came true when she got to ride Danny around the ranch with her grandfather at her side. 

Each time our niece Alex would come to visit he was a favorite of hers to care for and ride. He was so very good with the children.  Our four-legged babysitter. 

 

He followed Alex everywhere!

Arthritic joints and the aches and pains of a 28 year old horse, Danny really started to slow down this year. Even with his pain meds we didn't think he could take another winter with those poor old joints. His eyes started to get hazy, possibly cataracts, making his sight more difficult and most recently he started to loose weight too. We took good care of his teeth and fed him complete feed so his body just wasn't processing the food like it should.  He mostly just wanted to rest. 

In an emergency many times you are forced to quickly make the decision to let them go to immediately relieve pain, but when it is not an emergency, making the decision is so very, very difficult.  Our goal is for the equine here to not suffer or to have continued bad days. Danny got to the point where food didn't interest him and he would refuse to take his pain meds. He was telling me it was time, but I wasn't ready, I'm never truly ready because my mind reasons over my heart and it takes a while for my heart to catch up.   

The barn and pasture seem so empty. His bucket, fly mask and halter reminders he is gone. Very thankful we were able to bury him at the ranch in a special place we picked for him long ago. He touched our lives with his antics, gentleness and love and he will be missed everyday. But I look to the heavens and know his soul is there with those that went before him, reunited with old friends. 

RIP - Run in Paradise our beautiful friend. Until we meet again.  

1988 to 8-16-16

Update of Sig

First of all, THANK YOU to all who have answered our call for prayers and donations for Sig, the response has been just so wonderful and we have received donations for Sig and all the equine at the ranch which is such a tremendous help.  

Sig is doing better as each day goes by.  His appetite has picked up and his snarky attitude is starting to return which are all good signs he is on the mend.  But he is not out of the woods yet.  He still coughs but not as much and still has opaque drainage from his nose but not as frequent as before.  

He finished his doses of Excede and today we started him on a round of Uniprim based on the lab results from the culture sent in last week.  I may also put him on an expectorant help with the phlegm. We are very glad we did the culture because the results were not as expected.  The pneumonia he has is from an uncommon bacteria and we can't rule out that it could have been caused by the dental issue we have been dealing with, periodontitis, the infection in his gums causing his canine teeth to be loose. We will continue to treat the pneumonia and treatment for his periodontitis over the next several weeks. 

Additionally concerned about lungworms we have given him a dose of Moxidectin (Quest) since he has already been treated twice with Ivermectin.  I was surprised to find this in his stall this morning and likewise happy that we gave him the addition treatment which is eliminating more worms from his system.   You can see the small white deceased worms being eliminated in his manure.   I know the picture is gross, but hey, this is a learning process for us all.  We usually do Moxidectin once a year because it will treat tapeworms and Ivermectin doesn't, so we will get them all the equine a dose of it soon too.  I costs quite a bit more than Ivermectin, but with the recent donations I can get enough for all 22 on-site. 

I am happy with how his recovery is coming so far.  I am tearfully joyful that you have helped us so very, very much.   This is such a huge team effort and we all can play a part.  Thank you, thank you so much for being part of the team the cares for these donkeys and horses in need.  

YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!  

Christine

Sig has pneumonia - our tiny old donkey.

Poor old Sig is suffering from pneumonia

Only 34 inches tall and 300 pounds our elderly miniature donkey is feeling really lousy in this summer heat with pneumonia. This sweet guy is 22 years old and was so feisty on arrival. Underweight with a dull coat, covered in mud up to his belly and feet in need of trimming, he got a deep cleaning after his arrival in June and we started his rehab.  

He needed some immediate dental care because his canine teeth were completely hidden under years of calculus and tarter. So much that both his lower canines were loose and the gum tissue surrounding them red with infection. I cleaned them thoroughly and we put him on a round a antibiotics in hopes that the gum tissue with reattach to the teeth. More work is needed.

Recently I noticed him a little moody and the other day noticed him coughing. Taking his vitals it seemed pneumonia was probably the cause.  All the vets were booked, but Dr. C squeezed him in so we hauled him to her clinic 70 miles away and confirmed his illness. A culture has been sent off to the lab and we should have results sometime next week. In the meantime, she started him on an antibiotic called Excede which requires two shots 4 days apart and depending on the results of the culture we may need to do a second round with a different drug. 

We love this old guy that no one wanted to adopt.  At 22 and a bit of a pistol, I named him Sig after my Sig Sauer Mosquito (22 caliber pistol).  He now comes to his name and if let loose will follow me around the barn while I am doing chores.  Why someone dumped him at a killbuyer we will never know, but I suspect they just wanted to get rid of him because he is old. 

Not feeling well now he just walks up to me and puts his head against my chest and wants some TLC. Breaks my heart to see him feeling so bad even though I am doing all I can to keep him comfortable. Our 100 degree days this past week certainly haven't helped.  Luckily it will be in the 80's next week. 

Help is needed to cover his health care expenses.  In addition to the meds he had for his prior dental care ($30), trip to the vet ($50), vet care ($35.70), tests ($144) and current meds (74.08), possibly another round of meds and he will need more dental work when he recovers from the pneumonia. Dr C has generously given us a discount. Our goal is to raise $500. 

If you can help with a tax-deductible donation of any amount so we can get him well again it will be a huge relief. Being older, the vet says his prognosis is guarded, so we want to do all we can to give him a few more happy years.  He deserves that after the rough life he has had. 

Donation can be made with a credit card by clicking this link:

Checks can be mailed to EqWBR, 8369 Buckskin Trail, Snowflake, AZ  85937.

We have been very frugal and it has been many months since we have asked for funds but we really need your help now and appreciate it more than you will know.  Please say a prayer for his recovery.

Many blessings to you all!
Christine

Moving Day 7-22-16

14 of the Naco 20 donkeys head to their new digs 7-22-16.

The Naco 20 donkeys have been relaxing in their large pasture here since the first part of May. During that time we have sure gotten to know them well.   Now that they are ready for castrating and adoptions, we will be keeping a total of six (donkeys numbered 4-9) and the rest we are transporting to Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge in New River, AZ, where they will be closer to people in the Phoenix metro, Prescott and Flagstaff areas making adoptions easier.

We are very exited that HHARR has offered to be part of the large, multi-rescue effort saving and caring for these sweet guys.

Today was a busy day with volunteers, Patty, Betty and Diane who helped me to put numbers on all the donkeys (for the 3rd time since their arrival) which is quite a task looking at the original numbered photos and matching them up again with the donkeys.  We had a lot of fun doing it and the donkeys loved the attention.

Big thanks to the Coyle family for offering the use of their trailer so along with ours, we can fit the 14 donkeys between the two rigs for the 460 mile round trip.

For anyone interested in adoption please contact me or Adam at HHARR via his email: awhite@healingheartsaz.org and you can also check out their Facebook and Website .

This has been such a wonderful group effort by so many.  Working together for all these wonderful donkeys!!!!

Christine