Feelin' it Friday

The foal I wrote about the other night is finally in an emergency equine facility......on IV fluids and currently unable to get up. He is being nursed round the clock by a caring crew of equine specialists. The folks could not make up their minds about relinquishing him....but finally decided to give him up today when he could no longer stand.

Although he is 9 months old, he is the size of a three month old foal. He had to be carried on a tarp from where he lay to the transport trailer and then again into the equine hospital. He was very weak but hungry.

This is what happens when:

1. a horse/foal is given away and no one checks references or does a site visit

2. the horse/foal is fed the "lawn" diet......as in he is given nothing to eat but the front lawn

3. uneducated people take on an animal that they know nothing about and have no desire to learn

We are not sure if the foal will make it. He is in bad shape that is for sure.......critical condition. Such a shame and so heartbreaking.

On the flip side, I want to give full credit to the equine hospital that took him in, who are caring for him non gratis......free of charge.........because they love and care for equines. ...however...I did not get permission from them yet.......and so I cannot mention their name....but I will tomorrow and then I want everyone to know.....they took mercy on him. We have offered to take him him if he can get on his feet.........we have a transitional home for him while we prepare a foal suite.

......please keep him in your prayers. If you would like to make a donation for his care, please see our website or email us. We would like to give the veterinary hospital who is caring for him...a little something.

EDITED TO NOTE: you may use the regular PAYPAL button and please mark your donation for "the foal".

It was a gorgeous day today, I cleaned paddocks this morning, then ran errands, then went to see Winston........then to the feed store..

Pony UP meeting tomorrow........see you there?

Pony UP fortune for tomorrow.......

Good things come in small packages.

Hang on Little Man....hang on......you have a group of volunteers who want to help you!

well it's Wednesday

Up early and to the barn......it is lightly misting and the sky is streaked with pink.....like cotton candy that you pull from a cone.......I have hopes that it will be nice out today.
Vinnie is pacing the fence.....hungry for his grain and I can hear Max calling to me from the back paddock. A more normal morning by far.
I feed the cats, throw seeds to the chickens......then I throw hay. Vinnie is not satisfied with hay......he wants G R A I N......and he wants it now. He is a little pushy at the gate and I make him back up and give me some space. He does and I reward him. Vinnie needs to go to work and we need to assess his soundness. I have not seen anything wrong with him beyond some scarring on his right hind.....but sometimes things surprise you.
I feed everyone else .....no drama.......no issues....
I sweep up the floor and then it is off to work........I leave the door open for the barn cats, who have decided after all this time that they can now go out. I hope they catch some mice today...we seem to have a lot of mice.
I receive a call today and someone is asking for help with a foal..........a foal who is starving.
A foal who was given to some folks who never owned a horse before.....and did not know how to feed him.......they fed him "lawn" grass........and that was it. The foal has crashed....starved almost to death. I am not sure what we can do........we can perhaps offer him a gentle euthanasia......we have offered to help in anyway we can. I will keep you informed. It is heartbreaking to hear.

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow::

Take inventory of your life and go forward with a solid count.

Toss and turn Tuesday

I didn't sleep well last night. I got up several times, took the dogs out.....surveyed the moon in the west of the sky, along the treeline.........pale as blue cheese, with a perfect ring of fir boughs around it.......I wished I could take a picture as it was so perfect looking...like something you see in a magazine.
I checked email........I made coffee.......took an advil.........heated a rice bag and finally slept around 4am.
I got up at 5:15, put the dogs out again, fed everyone, made toast......put some laundry in.....and dreaded going to the barn. But to the barn I went at 6 thirty......it was eerily quiet..no one called to me........no horse noise.......no Jake. I choked back a few tears and got through the feeding, then cleaned TarBaby's stall and paddock. It is so quiet, I think that perhaps we are all feeling the same thing. The horses in the upper paddocks watched the euthanization yesterday......they stood a distance away......a polite distance and they were quiet in their watching. I had Kim try to distract them, but I think they knew.
This rescue business is Russian Roulette.......save one and he goes to a new home where he is a superstar and your heart swells with pride...........save another and he has been so abused or injured that the kindest thing you can do is to euthanize him and your heart breaks in two.
We have euthanized five horses in a year. I hate that part....really hate it. I try to focus on the good...........but somedays the good is hard to find........even still I go on and try to continue to do some good......for someone........somewhere. When I think I have not made much of a difference I still remember the starfish story and it comforts me a little.
We have a waiting list at the barn......a waiting list of folks who cannot for some reason keep their old horse or young horse or sick horse.....I have a hard time prioritizing........I get caught up in emotion. I am a sucker for old horses....but a starving horse too. oh and if you tell me it is a Thoroughbred........I love them best...............BUT....BUT.............We are full right now even with Jake's death. We have some very adoptable horses who must be placed first.
Sully, Breeze, Yukon, Vinnie...... and then we can think about who can come into the fold.
I must be responsible as well as compassionate. I don't know how larger rescues do it.....so much work everyday......I can hardly keep up somedays even with help.....and we have less than ten horses. The manure never stops.

Again, today I will take the time to thank our volunteers.......people who give up their time for the love of a few horses. As well, I thank our veterinarians, the feed stores and others who send help our way. We depend on you and your kindness. Thank you.

Kim and I have worked on fencing in the barn paddocks with no climb fence and I have to say............IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD. We do good work. We will fence in the filly's paddock next and a couple of short stretches around the out buildings.......we look like a real horse farm........it is coming together....by this summer.........voila..........maybe we will finally be DONE!

We are working on a grant to help us replace the arena fencing..........we need 35 posts and three rolls of non climb......as well as some sand footing.........we are hopeful!

A refreshing change of weather today.........it felt like spring. A walk around the farm and I noticied budding trees........the rhubarb is starting to come up, clumps of daisies are starting to sprout......is winter over?

Pony Up fortune for tomorrow:

Hug the monster and he will become less monstrous.

Morose Monday

I cannot write much about my day that seems more important than loving Jake.
We let Jake go today.......
We fed him a big breakfast, groomed him, gave him kisses and fed him apples. He was euthanized shortly before noon. A gentleman to the end, Jake was obedient and quiet.....I whispered in his ears how much we loved him and told him not to be scared......and then we layed him down.
I took his death hard. I cried and held his head for a long time....I feel a little empty and emotionally wiped out.
I guess you just feel what you feel and I felt heartbroken to have brought this guy back from the brink, just to let him go.
The only bright spot was knowing that for a small space in time Jake was loved and pampered by the whole Pony Up crew and our supporters. People emailed and asked about him.....he got lots of attention, food, kisses and in the end, he got dignity. He will not suffer again.

Jake is buried in the wooded part of our property. I could not bear for him to be taken away or roughly handled. He is buried in his halter. It is a quiet patch of ground at the far side of the arena.

It is funny, the things you get used to, the noises.......the whinnies, the neighs......cribbing noises......and you come back to the barn and one thing is missing and it might as well be ten.
The barn was not the same without Jake's low throaty whinny. We will surely miss him.


Pony UP fortune for tomorrow.

Do not wear your heart on your sleeve, wear it on your forehead.