The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive
August 2007 Newsletter
The heat of summer has been stifling here in Anza, but we’ve survived despite the outbreak of strangles. Donations have been low as always in the summer, low in June, less in July and the usual agony of August. Two sponsors have faded away. But we’ve held on through another summer and are hoping for a renewal of interest in the fall. STRANGLES: The strangles outbreak has so far stayed limited to Falcon and Hava. And Falcon’s abscess is healing slowly but well, and he showed no other signs of the bacteria. Hava, difficult girl that she is, heals very very slowly from her first abscess, and the second one has not opened. I want to get Dr. Zadick out to lance it, once I have a chance to talk to him. My reading indicates that it cannot just ‘sit there’. I think the healing of the first abscess might be slowed down by the continued existence of the infection in her system. I check everyone every day, and so far, no new cases have cropped up. This is due, I’m sure, to their age, which for once works in their favor. At the age of these horses, they have been exposed to the strangles bacteria many times in their lives, and developed an immunity. One job I’ve had this month was working with much younger horses, including two babies (ages 2 and 5 months), so I’ve had to change clothes and shoes and wash thoroughly before leaving TGC to go to that job. Although these horses are all vaccinated, and the babies are still working with mom’s immunity, vaccinations do not guarantee immunity; at best, they will make a case of strangles a little less virulent for them. Keep your fingers crossed - this bacteria is hardy, and apparently cases could still crop up anytime in the next 6 months. JEEPERS With the promised support of Sharla Sanders, TGC has welcomed Jeepers, a 16 year old pinto gelding. Jeepers was rescued at Under The Angels Wings Rescue, but they are having serious difficulties there, and put out a plea for help. I thought I had a home for Jeeps, but that fell through, and then Sharla stepped up. Jeepers is a sweet little guy, about 14.2hh, and very handsome, in excellent flesh. He is supposed to have ringbone which restricts his usefulness. He’s fast, sound, and looks like he needs a job! I don’t even notice any restriction of movement. And ringbone is simply a specific type of arthritis which causes first inflammation, then calcification, just at the coronet band of the affected foot/feet. So once the first acute stage is past, you have a horse with a little less flexibility in his feet. I don’t see it. With his size, this might be a great lesson horse to help relieve older horses like Prophet, Falcon and Sunny. You know we don’t get a whole lot of activity here at TGC, so he won’t be overworked, but it’s my impression after just 10 days that this guy will like it. However, he has become desperately attached to Queenie (not Anna as I had hoped). I tried putting Queenie with him in the doublewide stall once shared by Anna and Tango, but he’s the dominant one of this pair, and I didn’t get the feeling that Queenie was able to eat in peace, or lay down to sleep, so I will have to do some shifting of horses around so he can be in a stall next to her instead, as now I have to listen to his screaming for her until I put food in front of him. They are a very cute couple - exactly the same size and of similar conformation, her a dainty white beauty, him striking and strong looking. See Jeeps on his new page on the website.... ANNA ADJUSTS As I mentioned when contemplating bringing Jeeps in as a friend for Anna, it might not work out. On his first day, Jeeps was afraid of every mare that approached him, which included Topper, Anna and Hava. I guess what he wanted was a more submissive mare, and found Queenie to his taste. Leaving my sweet Anna still alone. But she is part of the herd now, and walks the line of stalls every morning saying hello to everyone. Each night, I’ll hear a squeal or two as she interacts with Ronan or Prophet, who she lives between, and her appetite is excellent. She knows her name and comes when called, and every now and then gets willful about insisting that she will go into her stall when SHE decides, and altogether seems to be adjusting well. I think like Malika she’ll be solitary until she finds someone that suits her. TDNAHA I am happy to report that the Tierra del Norte Arabian Horse Association has continued to be supportive of TGC. Debra Duncan, of the Board, came to visit, and brought with her a HUGE stack of used blankets, including many nice thick ones to replace those damaged beyond repair last year. In addition, there were about 10 helmets donated from REINS via Debra, and these will be helpful if I get a group of kids out again to ride all at once (something I think Jeepers will help with too). The dollar value of these used but still VERY useful blankets is enormous - and the comfort value is beyond price. Many thanks to Debra and TDNAAH for their generosity! PLACEMENT EFFORTS My efforts to place horses continues, but without any real success. Stormy is happy with her new owner Anjeannette Martin, who had the farrier out to see her in the first week, with great results. Ben is living with Amy in Arizona, but in her remote situation, and with Ben so lame he can’t cooperate well with the farrier, she is having difficulty helping him. Sierra is doing well in her new home with the Frileys, and of course you know the horses who have come to TGC. But Star, and Anna, and ET and Queimada are still looking for homes. I’ve had several people express interest in Star and ET and Queimada, but no one goes further. And wierdly, a new internet ‘scam’ has cropped up. I keep getting strangely illiterate requests for information on how to get a free horse, or wanting to adopt horses from TGC. These turn out to be people who are looking for horses for a variety of expressed reasons, but who have no experience, who can barely answer questions about their facilities or lack thereof, and who it turns out are simply acquiring horses for the slaughter trucks still traveling to Mexico and Canada. One clue is how quickly they disappear when you indicate they will be required to sign a written agreement that if they can’t keep the horse, they must return it to TGC. Another clue is how infrequently they will provide any information other than their yahoo email address. And I also got another email from a woman purportedly running a dog rescue in Georgia, who in the same email referred to her own organization by two different names, was selling puppies for $200 plus cost of transport, and admitted that she was somehow connected with a rescue in the UK - a famous breeding ground of endless scams. Watch out, folks. If you go to place a horse, or get contacted by ‘rescues’ - CHECK THEM OUT CAREFULLY. The deadbeats of the world have found this new way to make money at the expense of our canine and equine friends ..... DONATIONS As is always the case in the summertime, donations are low. Only Christmas rivals the summer for loss of donations. I was lucky to have work this summer which has enabled me to pick up the slack, but I’m holding on by the fingernails! I’m hoping for a renewal of interest in the fall, and possibly some visitors as well. I cannot stress how much I appreciate the help I’ve got from a clump of donors who send $20-25 per month, like clockwork - even those relatively smaller amounts make such a difference when I can rely on them, and when many people make them. Some of these sponsors have arranged a monthly credit card donation, and some do on-line bill pay through their bank, so it’s done automatically, with no effort on their part. But remember, there are other ways to donate - you can send a check; donate on your credit card by accessing the "Please Help" links on the front page of the website; send money to The Outlaw of Hay & Grain in Anza 951-763-0800, with GOLDEN CARROT in the memo line (and let me know you did it!); or even just go through the iGive.com website when online shopping, as a percentage of your shopping will be paid to TGC without cost to you. And our wish list is the same - lumber, used or new, in the form of 2x6s, 2x4s, 4x4 posts, or 4x8 plywood of any thickness; a little tractor or utility vehicle in decent mechanical condition (for moving feed; dirt for stalls, lumber for repairs etc); a delivery of bermuda grass hay, bermuda blend hay pellets, alfalfa hay pellets, or senior feed; and finally, land - 10 or more acres; hopefully with water and electricity, to make a forever home for TGC. Finally, I could really use a work day/weekend with a bunch of volunteers who really want to work. Last weekend, a dirt devil came through the property, and tore the roof off my hay barn, flinging it partly into the stall line, crushing a pipe corral fence, and partly over 50 yards over the south stall line into a ravine. This roof was at least 24 feet long by 8 feet wide. It took the tractor to haul the one part out of the stall line and I’ve got to go into the ravine to disassemble the other part and pull it out piecemeal. In addition, two panels were pulled off the stall roof line. What this does is call attention to the derelict condition of my stalls. I’ve been asking for help from the neighbor for literally years, but he’s not available, so for these type repairs/replacements, I need help. The work will involve pulling old panels off (ones warped out of shape, or with holes in them) and putting new ones on the roof (so.... ladder work!), and resetting poles etc. Also, I need to drag dirt into the stalls to level them, and in some stalls where the inhabitant ‘digs’, I want to lay down the stall mats (45 pounds each) donated last month. Now, I need the lumber first. I’m pretty much OUT. I can put some ‘patches’ on some of the roof panels with holes in them, but for any replacements, I’m out. But if you might be willing to do work like this, can you let me know when would be a good time for you? For instance, Saturdays or Sundays? One day of a 3 or 4 day weekend? School breaks? I can provide hammers; even some power tools, ladders, etc. But Winter is coming .... and I could really use some help. There are many ways to help these horses. If you think you have an idea, I’d love to hear from you. The horses truly appreciate the help that all of you have provided - their playfulness with each other, interest in visitors, and bright shining eyes show it. Many of them know just how bad it can be .... and a chance to live a life more normal to horses, in safety and comfort, is one that they deserve, just as we all do.