The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive

The Golden Carrot

December 2010 Newsletter

SaveOldHorsesTOO/Facebook Fundraiser

First, for my 55^th birthday, a lot of people donated to my cause, Save the Old Horses TOO on Facebook. $1,010 was raised - $962.12 was the total Network for Good forwarded 45 days later. A bulk feed delivery from Sacate Pellet Mills is scheduled for Saturday 12/11! Whoohoo! Thank you all for helping the oldsters, and for such a great birthday present for me! And PS, if you’re on Facebook, please friend me, and/or join the Golden Carrot Group page, for another way to keep up to date - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86590671866&ref=ts

Then, on October 24^th, Inch was bitten by a snake. It was a horrid 29 days that followed, ending in my girl’s death. You can read her story at http://goldencarrotrescue.com/GoodbyeToInch.aspx.

Suffice it to say that this has been a truly awful year for losses at TGC. Mary and Deb and Beau are still clearly grieving, and every time I see them, I find myself looking for Inch... After 17 years, a terrible loss.

As more and more people find that the economy is not improving, and they run out of unemployment benefits, all horse rescues are getting more and more emails and phone calls from people trying to place their horses. And TGC is stepping up as best we can.

Chief (above) came in a few weeks ago, a 16 year old QH gelding, who, as far as I can tell, is perfectly healthy, just a little jumpy sometimes. He gives me the impression he was once a well trained guy, but had some experiences which make him a tad headshy, nervous about his ears, and quick to "start" when something unexpected happens. However, he is very smart, a very easy keeper, and a great size (not too tall, not too short, jussst right!). I was contacted by Barrie Young, who owned Chief for one year, having obtained him from a woman who saved him from auction. Barrie’s history of Chief is summarized as follows:

She got him from a woman who had him a week, having got him from auction. Barrie thinks the woman didn’t realize he was a little lame when she bought him. Barrie worked with her vet and farrier to bring his feet into good condition, had her chiropractor adjust him, and removed an odontoma (tooth which grows up from the jaw, and out the ear). She worked with him for almost a year, rode him about 10 times with no problems, but he was antsy and jumpy on the ground so most of her work was gentling him there. About 2 months ago, her job changed and she was no longer able to afford either Chief or her other horse. Her other horse went to a friend who had owned him prior to Barrie. She found a home for Chief with another woman, who after 1 month stated that Barrie had to take him back, or she would euthanize him. That woman was not experienced with horses, but I don’t excuse her for that. She made no effort to place Chief, or get the vet out for him, or get a trainer. Just insisted the woman who couldn’t afford him one month ago take him back, or she would kill him. Barrie did some quick work, found me, and Chief ended up here at TGC as, with his training and mystery gait issues, he wasn’t easily placed.

Barrie has already come to volunteer, helping me fix stalls, and brought other volunteers; she donated a lot of horse-y "stuff", and she’s working on some other projects for TGC that I will report on next newsletter. An owner who is really stepping up for her old horse, even though her finances are too strapped to support him.

Our Fair Lad ("Laddie")Then, just a few days ago, I got a call from Deborah Jones. This lady works with other Thoroughbred rescues - the kings of the rescue world who take in so much money for these glamourous babies who run to live and are thrown out when they can’t. The OTTB rescues she was familiar with could not help her with a 4-5 year old OTTB gelding named Our Fair Lad. Now, you know I don’t take youngsters most times; and although "Laddie" had been injured and given away to a 16 year old in Compton, the kid had been riding him, so I don’t know the nature and extent of his injury yet. But pictures that Deborah provided me showed that Laddie is definitely underweight. Deborah raised $450 for the kid. (Don’t get me started on someone who gets a free horse, underfeeds it drastically into this kind of shape, and then gets paid $450 for it). Deborah also found Kim Ruzich to haul Laddie, for only gas money. And Deborah found me. Laddie made his way from Compton to Anza in good form. Kim deserves a huge thank you for spending 9 hours on the road, from Vista to Compton to here and then home, for no pay at all. And she wasn’t even given the gas money up front, which considering her unemployed status, clearly demonstrates her dedication to helping horses in trouble. Of course, Laddie too comes with no support at all, so I’m hoping someone will want to contribute towards his feed bill, at least!

Now, it’s my plan to put some weight on this boy and do some ground work, and maybe, if his leg looks ok for it, ride him a bit to assess his personality, training and physical abilities. Hopefully, he’s not completely unsound - maybe a 4-6 month layup will take care of any issues - and then he can be placed. Karin of Neigh Savers, with her expertise with rehabbing/retraining/rehoming OTTBs, has promised to work with me to place him when that time comes. Unless he’s completely unsound, which I do NOT see at this point, he’s too young to stay here. But he did need to get out of the situation he was in.

Keep your fingers crossed for these two sweet horses (who BOTH need sponsors, hint hint "-), that we can overcome their man-made problems and bring out the good equine citizens I believe they both are, so that they can have a good life in good homes....

You all should know by now that I believe all horse rescues should work together. I’ve tried different ones in the past, and mostly found they take what they can get from me, and that’s it. With Gina of Heavenly Horse Haven, I’ve found the rescue with whom I can work, as our missions don’t overlap a lot, meaning we do more for the horses working together, without interfering with each other’s mission. Gina helps to place those horses that are placeable; I take the older and damaged horses who can’t be placed. We trade ideas and knowledge and resources.

So, Gina and I made a request to the Equine Affair people to be allowed to share a booth at the upcoming ginormous horse event in February. And, EA agreed! Ironically, we’ll be in the Breeder’s Pavilion. I’ll report later on particulars, in case you can come by our booth... We’ll be wanting to hear from anyone who can give a morning or afternoon to manning our booth. The fee for the booth totals $630 and since EA has allowed us to share a booth, we can split that fee between our organizations. I would appreciate any donations toward that fee - even a half fee is a chunk! We will be posting photos of our sponsor-able (me) and adoptable (Gina) horses, and may even give a talk in one of the arenas, about rescue in general, and our different missions, and the ongoing need of the horses. I believe Gina will have photos and maybe videos of her adoptable horses, and adoption applications on hand. We also hope to have videos of the rescue horses to play on my laptop (generously donated to TGC last year by John Chun!). I don’t know what kind of donations we can hope to get but at the very least, we can bring these rescue horses and their needs to the eyes of the horse community... you know, they say there is no bad publicity...

I have had some nice visits from my friends/volunteers, Julia and Lisa Brozek (on my birthday, and on Thanksgiving Day), bearing wonderful mac and cheese and brownies (my favs) and working like DOGS for me! Cleaning stalls, filling water barrels. They didn’t even ride on my birthday, but Julia had a nice lesson on Falcon on Thanksgiving day.

In addition, one surprise day Michele Snyder showed up, as she was doing a quick job in Sun City, bringing carrots and a hose! She thought this hose was long enough to do barrels on my whole stall line, but no, it’s just the same length as what I was using. However, all once piece, no holes, I’m using it! Thanks Michele! Now that winter is setting in, I don’t expect to get a lot of visitors, but please feel free to call if you will be in the neighborhood and would like to see the horses...

My wonderful workhorse "Lou" broke down - a piece of metal that controls the steering sheared in half; my neighbor went to the golf cart repair company recommended by my feed guy at WW Feed, and got the part, and installed it in minutes! Whoohoo! Three days of dragging around that little wagon with 2 bales of hay on it really remind me how much I love Lou! I admit it would be nice to have a little roof on it tho - I decided to walk out in the rain rather than get the seat wet...

It’s holiday time, and I hope everyone who makes a decision to shop on-line will try the www.iGive.com site, and choose The Golden Carrot as your charity. A small percentage of your purchase price is donated to TGC when you do - it costs you nothing, and the iGive mall has zillions of stores, I’m sure you can find what you need there. Right now, iGive has a promotion that every new person that signs up and does a search will earn $5 for TGC.  If you haven't registered, would you?  Would you ask your friends and family to register, so when they shop, we can earn? Doesn't cost you a cent, I swear....

As of Saturday, my feed bins will be full and I have a good supply of breakfast hay. So I’ll only be needing senior feed ($500 every 10 days) until mid January. But feed needs never end. In January, I'll be ordering more bulk pellets.  And January is when the real weather begins in Anza, so getting feed is something I can't leave to the last minute. 

Please please don’t forget these old horses, or any rescue you choose, over the holidays. We need a lot of feed at this time of year, as it is the first line of defense against the cold. And with all that is going on at this time, you might forget..... remember, only three more weeks to donate and get a 2010 tax deduction!

Your support is greatly appreciated, by each and every horse, and by those of us who care for them!  They wait, patiently, each morning and night, for their breakfast and dinner, trusting that we will provide. 

Casey