The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive

 

Golden Carrot Newsletter
August 2012
 
 

Hay everyone, here’s more information about our new fundraiser, our participation in

 

Race for the Rescues

at the invitation of After the Finish Line.

 

 

 

The organization that runs this event is Rescue Train, a shelter caring for dogs and cats. But they love horses, and indeed all animals, and last year invited After the Finish Line to participate, which they did. And Dawn Mellen at ATFL this year requested that other horse rescues be allowed to participate, as sub-teams to the ATFL Team - and here we are!

 

You know that I’m no expert at this kind of thing - and would never be able to put together an event such as this, including prizes, celebrities, and the fabulous Rose Bowl as a venue. I’m ever so grateful for Rescue Train, and ATFL, for allowing us to be part of this, with no out of pocket expense for our Organization.

 

It’s important to use my link (http://tinyurl.com/thegoldencarrot) to donate for us - because we are a "sub-Team" under After the Finish Line. Otherwise, if you just join in through the main page, although your donation will benefit animals, it won’t necessarily be allocated to After the Finish Line, or TGC. The page will allow credit card donations. If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Rescue Train. Then send it to me, and I send it to our Team leader ATFL so she can credit our sub-Team, and they forward it to Rescue Train


 

I’m so happy to report that The Golden Carrot will have several people actually running, and I hope to have pictures to post after the event. Runners who raise money for TGC are eligible for prizes (www.racefortherescues.org at the gray "Prizes" tab). Please go to our page at http://tinyurl.com/thegoldencarrot to make a donation to help all the animals! You CAN register to raise $ for us as well, even if you can’t attend the event, as a "couch potato" - let me know if you want to do that and I’ll send you the information on how to set it up!

 

 

I think this site is pretty self-explanatory, but Rescue Train has been kind enough to provide me with Word documents telling you how to register and support The Golden Carrot, so if you need help, shoot me an email at cocarrot@earthlink.net and I'll send them to you, or contact Lorraine at 818-421-6419 - she's been very patient with me and I know she'll be able to answer your questions!

 

 

Please help the animals.  Please help us.  Instead of my usual plea to send money for hay, farrier, vet and medications, this is a chance to donate for those purposes, and still have some real fun and be involved in a special event. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa and Jules visit

 

On September 4 I had our longtime friends and supporters, Lisa and Julia Brozek, visit. As always, the girls work HARD for us, and I was happy to have Julia ride Silver again. Julia has been getting some horse time elsewhere since early in the year when she last rode Silver, and she was a different rider! She rode bareback, and in the big arena, and did a LOT more with Silver - who clearly understood she knew more, so he could do more too!

 

In addition, I’m very proud of Lisa who, by herself, walked our big boys Jed and Gio back to their stalls, and walked Laddie back to HIS stall! I laughed as she told me she talked to Jed and Gio all the way, because it turned out she used EXACTLY the same words I used when they first arrived - let’s go to your house now, dinner is waiting, etc. - and it worked perfectly. Remember, Lisa is about 5 foot tall and maybe 100 pounds soaking wet - it was funny to see her reach up to tug on Gio’s fly mask ... but this woman spends zero time with horses ... it was a feat accomplished largely because while she’s no ‘horsewoman’ in the traditional sense, she IS a mother .... and our baby boys recognize that!

 

 

As the Stable Turns

 

As always, it was a quiet summer at TGC. Hot weather, and better things to do, mean few visitors, so summer is a time for the horses to gain weight and hang out. I had two months of work (yay! Some of my bills got paid!), so my attentions to the horses were usually just fixing the occasional booboo and running the hose on them. Largely, they’re doing well.

 

Sunny and Victor continue to thrive on the pergolide -

 

 

Smokey is finally settling a little bit now that he’s chosen Dion and Peanut as his friends and they’ve accepted him -

 

 

Dominic has relaxed a little, but I suspect will always be a pain about the ladies - here he's in hog heaven with Star by his side, and Medina waiting in the wings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dion has cancer. Like so many gray horses, tumors are popping up. Like Comet, this likely means he has others inside, and like Comet, this means his end could come at any time. I wondered if this explains his acceptance of Smokey - someone to have his and Peanut’s back.... Here he walks with Julia after a good bath and some pampering...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buck has maintained his weight, and since Rocky’s passing, has at least escorted Surely out each morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got a recommendation for a new mineral supplement, Dry Creek Minerals, and so far, the horses have been slurping them up like ambrosia! I was given a one-time deal by the manufacturer, in consideration of our rescue status, and if it seems to be benefiting the horses, I will continue with it. In particular, it was recommended to me for horses who are having skin problems, and we've been battling skin and itchy problems all summer, with the humidity.  In particular, Brave, Shine, Victor (who is improving by leaps and bounds since the pergolide began) and a little bit some others. 

 

In addition, RhythmnBeads helped us with rhythm beads for Hershey to wear, in an effort to get Brave accustomed to associating the jingle with Hershey, for that fateful day when the last of his vision goes. I don’t know if he might be able to survive when that happens. Neither Allie nor Lola had someone like Hershey to depend on. Although it turns out the horses are hard on the beads, I’m going to try to keep a set on Hershey all during turnout, to help Brave keep track of him.

 

 

 

And finally, at Dr. Zadick's recommendation, Sara got a new set of shoes, called "rocker shoes" to help with her aching feet.  The "procedure" from early in the year was short term relief. Once her sole begins to grow over, the pain returns.  I dread her reaching the same stage Rocky did. These shoes are designed to protect, and enable her to easily break over, and  sort of change the center of her balance.  It's all a little technical for me but I'll try anything.  So far, minimal change, but at least she is not laying down too much, as she had been, and her appetite is still good.  Fingers crossed that this can make the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donations still lower than I’ve ever seen, and costs continue at higher levels than I’ve seen for this time of year. I’m trying to buy as much hay as I can now, before scarcity in winter raises the prices even higher.

 

 

And I STILL need help with labor. I need to winterize several stalls, including Jed’s; I need to redo the roof for Spencer; I have a number of repairs requiring physical strength that I just don’t have. One supporter is trying to reach Boy Scouts for us, but so far, nothing. I need a physically able person, who can handle a hammer, maybe power drill or saw, and post hole diggers. I’m doing my best, but with everything else, I must admit that the work needed is daunting. Not that any single task is awful, just that there is quite a LOT of it! Help! Please? Ideas?

 

We’re holding on, and doing our best here. The horses are looking good (knocking wood frantically) and with some help, I could get their stalls ready for winter; with some more donations, I could stockpile the feed necessary to get thru the winter before costs will make it prohibitive. We’re talking bare necessities folks - a couple of meals a day; a basic shelter. If you can, donate. If you can, spread the word. If you can, participate in our Run for the Rescues! You CAN make a difference....