Horses, Horses, Horses in Need!

Jake ~ Arabian horse weighting 752 pound

I take a deep breath, turn on the computer and get ready for a conflict. Not a day goes by that that phone calls and emails come in begging for help to save a horse. The conflict is how I can help without actually taking the horse myself. I read on...This horse is at animal control and will be euthanized if rescue not found. Another horse has nowhere to go because owner lost farm and will be foreclosed on in 5 days. Oh, how I wish this owner planned for their horse welfare before it got this close to the eviction. Then a young  untrained horse is placed on Craigslist. The owner just doesn't care about the horse any more and  is giving away to the first person who shows up. That could mean kill buyer. Free horses can be sold for a per pound price for meat. How many colts, healthy and unhandled because they have not been gelded are being given away every day. A person acquires an ungelded horse, hoping they can make money with a stud by breeding. The horse is not quality breeding stock, nor does this owner have experience with a stud horse because it is nature who makes this horse react badly. It is a stallion. The owner realizes he can't profit so the horse is placed Free. That means a certain danger of slaughter. This free horse will cost $200-300. just to have him gelded. Then training starts.  More money! Instead he is sold per pound for meat for human consumption. 

Some of these horses are out of state. Many are at big auctions where they are brought in and caring horse lovers bid to save them.  They surely are in danger of slaughter. That is really another costly problem. Gas prices are skyrocketing, that means transport costs and health certificates across state lines are an added expense  Getting the lowest bid to transport could actually cost the horse to become ill or even die because an inexperienced hauler may not stop to rest or give the horse adequate care along the route. There are starving, needy horses in my area. It is just heartbreaking to read these stories day in and day out.

SaveTheHorses if full! We have 'time-share' stalls now. With winter coming, more horses will need to be in stalls. I will help the next horse by blasting out the information and finding a home or at least foster home. 

Jake when he arrived

Then, I read another email about an Arabian that was losing weight. The email said he was 6 years old and was ride able. I told myself, we will help find him a home. He is 6 years old, we can surely find someone who would love a young Arabian gelding who just needs some weight on him. He is sound. When the next email came with pictures, I thought  the words 'losing weight' was far from what was wrong. He was going to die soon if I didn't bring him here now. He needs several small feedings a day to get him up to weight and health. I made arrangements to pick him up and met with the owner. He told me Jake has always been fat on grass in the past. They had a beautiful home, beautiful pasture and a skinny horse. Then he told me Jake is 26 years old. 

Very underweight

Now the story made a little more sense. Jake needs grain. He can't eat grass, his teeth are bad. He can't even eat hay unless it is chopped hay. I don't know why the owner waited until Jake was so thin. They said they dewormed him. I was also given a bag of Triple Crown Senior just purchased to give Jake. Jake loved it so we put some in a bucket for the trailer ride back to the rescue. It was a 30 minute ride. I parked and walked back to the trailer to open the door and get Jake out. He was peering out looking at where he was. He gobbled the Senior food so fast he choked. His food was coming through his nose. He could not get the food down. It was stuck in his throat. Dr Duvall Mohoney was at the barn in a short time. Two hours later, and a mess all over the ground, it was nearly cleared up but it was time to stop and not stress him any more. She had to slowly insert a tube into his nose and slowly work it down to the blockage. He had a quiet night. Dr Duvall Mohoney came back in the morning and the tube went all the way down to his stomach. That meant it was cleared, no more choking. Now we are careful to give him small portions of wet food and chopped hay. Jake really needs a sponsor until we find a him a permanent home. We are not a sanctuary (though we hope to have a sanctuary some day) but we keep horses as long as we have to. We do not euthanize for space. We are totally funded by donations, no government funding. We use the space wisely and do everything we have to to keep the horses healthy and safe. 

Jake with Todd

It seems we have more questions than answers. Why didn't Jake's owners call a veterinarian or ask someone who may have horses for suggestions, I don't know. It does not matter now but it made me come to the conclusion that horse owner need more education. 

We are planning on classes for horse owners and non owners, anyone interested.  Please let us know your ideas, interests, what you think is needed most. You all have supported Save The Horses in every way. Please help us again as the horse lovers you are and let's make more horse owners more knowledgeable. We need to hear from you. 

Adopt~Foster~Volunteer~Donate 

www.SaveTheHorses.org

All Volunteer   Come Join Us.

A Lil' Hump Of Love!

'Eh, Why don't you put that horse down?', someone said to me in disdain.'

Why? I answered. 


Most visitors to the Save The Horses rescue farm see beyond the disabilities, They look into the heart and souls of our horses.

The lady asking me about the little horse was referring to Lil Humphrey. 

This Miniature horse came to the rescue a few years ago as a 4 year old. He came from a local breeder. I guess the breeder thought he shouldn't breed Lil Humphrey because he may breed that hump into another horse. Good thinking! At 4 years old, his hump was still growing. It looks like Kyphosis or Scoliosis that humans get. It was worrisome watching his hump get bigger and bigger. We surely didn't want it to cripple him. Finally when he turned 5, it stopped where it is. The vet said we should not have him gelded because his organs at being pulled in different directions internally and Anesthesia could be fatal. I sure do not want stallions here but he is an exception. I would never forgive myself if we decided to geld him and he died during the anesthetic. I didn't want to have to isolate him but I couldn't have a stallion causing havoc either.

Right about that time, we took in, Rowdy, a little mini gelding with some dwarfism. He was sent down from an auction in Pennsylvania. Lil Hump and Rowdy became best buddies. They both love to play and run. 

They look as though they are playing rough but they never hurt one another. They are both favorites of many who come to the farm. Horses do not judge another horse by how they look. These guys prove that everyday. 

Humans can learn so much about relationships from horses. Horses 
keep you honest. I tried to add this video 4 times .. unsuccessfully so please click here and ENJOY! I think you will agree, he is not aware of any disability. 
 https://www.dropbox.com/s/5v33pzxsispaagb/2012-09-13%2020.19.36.mp4

www.SaveTheHorses.org

105 How Many More?

What does a home made brand with a number 105, on a horse's hip mean? 


This is what I think from my experience with this type of mare over the years. It means there were many more horses than her at the Premarin farm she was living at. I shouldn't really use the word living, I should stay existing at. An average Premarin farm holds 200 mares and has 2 workers. The mares stand in straight small holding areas for over  6 months a years or more, unable to move forward, backwards or lay down. They also are hooked to a catheter so the urine is collected continually. They are given 1/3 of a normal water intake so the mares are constantly thirsty. This make the urine mare concentrated.  Did I mention these mares are pregnant? Yes, Premarin is PREgnant-MARe-urINe. PREMARIN! 

No way for a horse to exist 24 hours a day...and pregnant.( from Premarin.org)

This drug has been used for woman with menopause symptoms since the late 1940's but it was never tested until the early 2000. In 2002, a landmark Women's Health Initiative  (WHI) study provided compelling evidence the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is linked to breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer and other diseases including heart disease. After this study came out, the Premarin use in the USA dramatically decreased and the market was flooded with these mares and foals. 

This article was in the AJC 1/2/2004

Drug maker's cutbacks send 20,000 horses to auction block
Bill Hendrick - Staff
Friday, January 2, 2004

A decision made in a sterile, glass-and-chrome pharmaceutical
laboratory in New Jersey might affect horse barns in Georgia and other states.

Pills produced by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals that use chemicals
extracted from the urine of pregnant horses to ease menopausal symptoms for
women have come under fire in recent months, causing the market to crash.

The drop in sales has forced the company to decide to cut its
horse herds, leaving at least 20,000 horses at risk for slaughter.

An auction of hundreds of these horses is being held Saturday in
Roanoke, Ala., just across the Georgia border, 26 miles from LaGrange.

In July, federal researchers said hormone replacement therapy, or
HRT, was potentially harmful to tens of millions of post-menopausal women who
had taken the drugs.

And later, a study of Prempro, another drug that uses ingredients
from horse urine, was halted earlier than scheduled. Researchers found the
chemicals seemed to increase risks of breast cancer, stroke and blood clots ---
outweighing the benefits of lessening colon cancer and osteoporosis.

The result: A significant decline in orders for Prempro, from 3.4
million to 1 million, and a crash in sales of Premarin, a top-selling HRT drug,
from 6 million to 3.5 million, said Natalie De Vane, spokeswoman for Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals of Madison, N.J.

The company's sales of HRT products dropped by 33 percent, to $1.1
billion, in the first three quarters of 2003.

In response, the company has fired some of its horse ranchers.
Wyeth used to contract with 400 ranches in Canada and North Dakota, but within
the past month, it has cut that number by 25 percent.

That leaves a national glut of horses for sale --- not nags, but
healthy animals whose owners "milked" them for urine.

Farmers are trying to sell the excess female horses, called mares,
and their babies, called foals, because it costs too much to feed and graze
them.

De Vane said the company is trying to help the ranchers find "good
homes" for these horses. And equestrian experts say most of the animals are
strong and suitable for adoption.

Quarter horses are the most common breed found on Wyeth's ranches.
The next most popular, Percherons and Belgians, are said to be valued for their
gentle dispositions. Most of the horses up for auction are between 3 and 8 years
old.

Even so, horse activists say the reality is most of those horses
are not going to find homes, and are instead likely to be slaughtered.

The Humane Society of the United States said that "equine
sanctuaries and rescue group facilities are already filled to capacity" and
can't absorb an influx of thousands of horses. "Most of them will inevitably end
up at slaughterhouses," according to a statement released this week.

Cheryl Flanagan, who runs a group called Save the Horses in
Cumming (save thehorses.org), and Shana Wingate, who heads Just in Time Equine
Rescue in Douglasville (groups.msn .com/wingatefarms), are concerned that if
horse lovers don't show up at the auction Saturday in Alabama, most of the
animals will end up dead.

The women say they are planning to buy some of the horses and put
them up for adoption.

Both women operate nonprofit groups aimed at saving horses from
early deaths and are part of a network of similar organizations nationwide.

But Don Green, who is running the auction and is owner of Roanoke
Stockyards, does not believe the adult horses are in danger.

"I don't think one will go to slaughter. They are well-bred. Some
will be bought to ride," he said. However, Green added: "I don't think you'd
want these for a pet, or a child. You're not going to find any Seabiscuit."

He expects 400 or so horses will be sold for prices between $500
and $1,250.

Green does acknowledge that the foals are at high risk because
they are not immediately useful to riders or ranchers.

The controversy could also stretch across the ocean, to the china
plates of European restaurants, where horse meat is served.

Europeans have been buying more horse meat since mad cow disease
was discovered two weeks ago in the United States, Flanagan and Wingate said.

We managed to get publicity on CNN, ABC and CBS, too. Every horse at that auction was bought by a caring person. There are usually about 40 people attending the auction but it was over filled with about 350 people. They even had to put a TV outside so people could see. Horses went for $750 - $3500. The auctioneer was from TX and he told me earlier in the week that he planned on taking most of the mares to TX, I am sure for meat. There was a full running horse slaughter plant near him. That motivated me to do even more. 

Some of the foals we cared for until they were released. 

The market was also flooded with PMU foals. We took in 26 youngsters in June of 2004 to help another rescue, AC4H. The foals were coming from a PMU farm in North Dakota en route to Florida.   Over stuffed in a trailer, stressed from the ride, they all had the Strangles virus. They stayed for over 4 months in a quarantined area under the supervision of GDA. 

Now Back To Destiny!

Sandy giving Destiny some loving.

She was saved more than once. She was saved from a PMU farm sometime in her life. She ended up as a Craigslist post. There may have been a few years in between that were good or bad. 

 A family wanted an older safe horse for their grandchild. They saw the Craigslist ad and went to meet #105. She wasn't at all what they expected. She was big but very underweight and a bit strong to handle. Surely not what the grandchild could handle at all. The owner assured them there was someone coming who wanted a plow horse. She could go to work and earn her keep.  They couldn't turn their back on her though so they took her home. They called SaveTheHorses looking for help. I picked her up Saturday and she already has some cheerleaders! She needs a special diet to gain some weight and lots of love which she has no trouble getting here at the rescue farm. I did bring a sweet older mare, Caraway,  to the people who took in Destiny. The grand daughter may fall in love with Caraway or may want Destiny back when she's healthier. We just want Destiny safe and loved. 

Are horses born with a destiny? Are they destined to be slaughtered? To be someone's loving pet? To become a work animal without love?  I am afraid their lives are ruled by chance. She is a lucky one saved by a kindhearted person who couldn't walk away from her. Can we change the destiny of horses? Yes, we can. Together we can change the destiny of the horses we come in contact with and support. 

Adopt!
If you can't adopt, Foster.
If you can't foster, Donate.
If you can't donate, Volunteer. 
If you can't volunteer, educate everyone about the 'destiny' of horses and how it can go wrong without caring , compassionate humans like you helping in some way!
Thank you for all you do!


www.saveTheHorses.org 

 

Roy At Peace

I went out Saturday night to feed Sweetie like I do every night. I like to know she is OK before I go to sleep. She is 34 and if she falls down, she can't get up without the help of our sling and tractor. While I do this, Roy, Annabelle and whatever horses stayed in the barn also get an extra helping of feed and treats. 

I have been doing this for a few years now. Since Roy had his spinning problem in late September of 2010, it has been even more important. Roy walked out of the barn late that night, walked about 20 feet from the barn door and started spinning to the left. He couldn't stop. I eased him into the covered ring since it has a sand base, I thought if he falls hard, at least he would land on soft sand. I stayed with him. I was happy he slowly eased himself down. He laid there for about an hour and he looked very comfortable. He then got up walked away and several times a day for the next few weeks, he would start to spin again. I have a vet come out who said she believes he injured his hip. We gave him anti inflammatory medications for a few days but no change. I asked another vet who thought it was heart syncope causing it. As it slowed down a little, Roy learned to lean against a pole to not spin and keep his balance. Another vet came out and thought it may be a brain tumor. He said Roy is not a good candidate to go for an MRI and sedating him could kill him. I felt like this diagnosis may be the closest to the problem because he only spun to the left and he developed a small spot on his left eye. They vet said the spot didn't have any thing to do with it but I truly believed it did. So now if he does have a brain tumor, what to do? How can we fix it? The vet gave me some antibiotics and little hope.  

Roy laying in the sun napping next to his old girlfriend, Sapphire. 

So many people knew Roy, he had been here 8 years. A big, golden Belgium draft horse stands out in everyone's mind. People came from everywhere to say good bye to him. We were facing a decision so hard to make. Picking a date and time to die, to end a life. We all work so hard rescuing horses is to save their life. This part was the saddest thing anyone could do, a decision not taken easily. It weights heavy on your heart. 

A volunteer, Libby, told me she was giving a dog the spice, turmeric, which has been known to shrink tumors, and suggested I try it on Roy. How could it hurt? What was there to lose? It was actually hope, hope it could help Roy live longer. We started with a tablespoon and eventually increased it to 6 tablespoons a day. It worked like miracle. Roy's spinning slowly stopped for nearly two years. Turmeric gave us more time to love Roy. About  a month, ago, Roy started to walk and turn around a little more often. I did increase the turmeric and prayed it wasn't happening and getting worse. 

You can see where Roy was circling.

I saw a few more signs of Roy spinning. It not have been noticed by anyone else but I saw places in the gravel where Roy was spinning. I pointed it out to some of the volunteers, I think in my heart, I was preparing everyone, including myself, that this was close to the end. 

Early this morning, I walked into the barn to make sure Sweetie was OK. I saw Roy laying in the shaving pile, his favorite place to rest. He looked comfortable. I did notice his eyes were opened. I walked over to him, waved my hand in from of his eye. no reaction. Then I called him, he couldn't hear well anymore so I was louder and louder. I patted his leg and moved it, still no reaction. Was Roy gone? I was not grasping this at all. I walked all the way back into the house and I kept thinking, he is just sleeping. My mind was recalling Roy's almost 10 years at the rescue and all the people who love him. I had to go back in the barn to confirm my crazy thoughts.   I was mistaken, yes, I surely hoped I was. 

Sadly, I was right. Roy had died peacefully in the place I have seen him lay down for many years. He was gone. 

Albert being comforted as he lays on tarp covering Roy's body.

Everyone is sad but we all agreed he died in peace. He was given a cross to be buried with, he was given love and blessings by everyone. We will buy him this afternoon in a nice place where he can look over the farm. Our heart aches for Roy but it also aches for Albert, our Nubian Goat. He was Roy's stall mate and companion for many years.  Roy was covered with a tarp in the barn.  Albert is laying on the tarp, almost on Roy's lifeless body. Albert is going to take this hard. He cried for his blind horse friend, Stevie Wonder, over 6 years ago when Stevie died at UGA. Albert mourns. Albert stood outside the barn and cried for a few months, crying for Stevie. I know it will hurt all the volunteers to know Roy is gone but will be so hard to see Albert mourning along with them. 

This is a blog from when Roy started spinning. 
http://hrrf.blogspot.com/2010/09/roy-september-27-2010.html

Our banner with our lovely Roy.

Rest In Peace Sweet Roy. 

www.SaveTheHorses.org 

"Cumming Man Arrested For Cruel Hog Tying"

You won't read this in the news because it doesn't seem newsworthy to many people. Pigs, hogs, who really cares anyway? 

Actually, contrary to some people's belief, animals do matter to many Americans. 

Here at SaveTheHorses.org rescue farm, animal lovers come together to help horses and other animals in need. A few weeks ago, my neighbor, Al, stopped by to ask if we saw the pig tied near the road about a mile away. We all piled in the truck, grabbed a crate and drove down to see what was going on. I thought someone may have found a pet pot belly pig and tied him for safe keeping so the owner could find him. That seemed like a reasonable thought. 

When we got there on this very hot and sunny afternoon, we found something horrible. Here was a 250 pound female hog, tied very tightly with hay strings by both back legs, to a telephone pole. No shade, no water, no food and no way to get away from dogs or coyotes. She would have been eaten alive. She was gasping air because she was dehydrated and over heated. She was already suffering. The hay strings were so tight on her back legs, the were swollen into her skin. This wasn't a Good Samaritan trying to help a lost pig, this was animal abuse. 

I called 911, this was serious. A few minutes later a Deputy from Forsyth County Animal Control came to help. We called on a neighbor to bring some water. She drank and drank some more. Then we poured water into the small whole she was digging for herself to try to escape the burning down rays of the sun. She wallowed in the cool water and mud mix as we got the crate ready to get her out of her predicament.  The Deputy was appalled by the blatant abuse as we were. He took a snare out of his truck and was able to hold the pig so we could get her legs cut from the pole but we couldn't relieve the pain from the strings. They were tied too tight. Once in the crate, we all helped carry it to his truck. The Deputy took her to the vet to have the strings cut off safely. He was going to find out who had purposely created such an act of cruelty. 

The pig has been in custody of animal control and the abuser was arrested yesterday. This was not his first abuse arrest. That is such good news for all of us here at SaveTheHorses farm. We do care about all animals. Did it make headlines? Not to my knowledge but it made us happy to know the authorities did see this abuse as important. Thank you to Deputy McKinzie for his detective work and persistence in making an arrest.

Now the question is how do we change the animal world? Why do some people not see it as abuse?  Each of us has to become a humane educator. Imagine a world more compassionate, not only to animals but to other humans as well. People who care are kinder, others learn and follow your example. You are teaching the world everyday, keep your compassion going. You are the difference. 

Pig On A Pole!

Seeing my neighbor come down the drive seemed odd. I wondered what he wanted beside just saying 'Hello'. Some of the volunteers and I were sitting under a shade tree taking a break from stall cleaning, when Al walked up and asked if I sat the pig on the road. He said he saw it in the morning and had just went by again and it is still there, tied to a telephone pole by the back legs. We all jumped up and had to go see what was going on. We loaded a large dog crate into the back of the truck and headed down the road. I thought is may be a pet pig that was lost and tied so the owner could find it. As we drove about a mile, we were all looking to the left as Al said it was there but we couldn't see it. He told us to pull in the driveway and we still couldn't see it. 

We got out and walked up a hill and there was this young female hog, tied to a telephone pole by her back legs, tied so tightly it cut off the circulation in her back legs. She was panting hard with no shade to protect her and no water to drink. Julie ran to a neighbors to get water. I was shocked at such deliberate abuse so I called 911 for help. This was criminal. Felony animal abuse! 

Why would anyone do this? Was someone trying to teach the pig a lesson?  Someone cruel and heartless did this and left this pig to suffer and die from heat exhaustion or to let coyotes kill it as it had no way to run. She was terrified of us, imagine is dogs or coyotes where attacking her! The pig drank the water as fast as we could get it to her. She also laid in it and created a great puddle to cool off in, which she desperately needed. She panted hard with her mouth open gasping. Pigs don't sweat, they wallow in mud to be cool.  The twine was so tight, there was no way we could get it off. It was hard to look at knowing it cut deeply into her circulation of her back legs.

Officer McKinzie came prepared. He had a snare and put it around Ms Piggy's neck so we could cut her legs free from the twine and ropes. Once she was in we had to secure the crate with extra ropes so we could carry her into the Sheriff's vehicle. He was taking her right to Dr. Orr's veterinary hospital to sedate her and cut the strings off. She is now at Animal Control. Investigations are underway  trying to find out who owned her and prosecute on animal cruelty charges if he can get enough evidence as to who did this. 

She is going to be a 600 pound hog. I hope she can come here and I can find a farm animal sanctuary for her to live out her life sloppin' in mud! We just don't have room to offer her sanctuary with all the rescued horses on the farm but I surely can find her safety, she deserves it. 

We never know what we will be doing on any certain day. Come join us if you have some free time, we guarantee you won't be bored. 

www.SaveTheHorses,org 

A Box of Memories

As I walked toward the back door to the house, I saw a package the mail man dropped off. It was just a plain cardboard box. The label read, from the University of Georgia. 

I picked it up and put it aside. Seeing the label brought back memories about Sapphire. We just lost her after a 2 week stay at the University hospital. She was so chronically ill and even the necropsy couldn't give us enough answers as to how or why or how long this was going on. She was such a trooper. She never complained, never was mean or angry. She was a sweet horse and everyone at the rescue has wonderful memories of her. She came to us in deplorable condition. Malnutrition and hit buy a car. Was her problem started then? It sure didn't seem like it because she gained weight well. She was hurting bad on one of her legs. She would get locked in place in the pasture. It would take 4 or 5 of us to get her moving but then she be good after the first few steps. At my age, I am like that too! Dr Kimberly Parker, DVM, who does equine Osteopath worked on Sapphire and few times then she walked without pain. We took her in April of 2009. We never rode her because of what she went through. With horses, there can be pain you can't see. We are here to help the horses, riding is so secondary, we just want horses safe and happy. 

The next morning I looked at the box, grabbed a knife and opened it. I took a deep breath when I looked inside. Tears just started streaming down my face. In the plain cardboard box were Sapphire's memories. Her halter, her lead rope, a very kind card signed by all my wonderful friends, doctors and students at UGA and they cut and braided a piece of her hair. It was a bad experience at UGA because we, with all our love and care, couldn't save Sapphire but it was a wonderful experience at UGA at the same time because we all became 'one' trying to save her and care for her and sharing our thoughts and concerns for her. My special thanks to Dr Erin McConahie, who lead me though daily talks, helped me make decisions and kept me very informed about Sapphire progress and regress. It was a roller coaster ride that I hope to never got on again. Also thanks to Dr Leah Patipa Beccar Varela for having the Sapphire's bast interest at heart since she first met her in February and for being patient with my many questions and her friendship.