The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive

 

Newsletter, July 1, 2014    

 

Well, here we are again, and you’ll laugh to know that I had to review our FB page in order to remember all that’s happened since the last newsletter!

Anya, new resident

We’ll start with our newest resident.  Having open stalls, I recently let fellow rescuers know that if there was an elderly or disabled horse at auction, I’d be happy to help bail and transport them to TGC.  The auction ended with the four oldest horses finding good homes with decent people, and I thought, ok.  But the next morning, one rescue advised that another had committed to four horses, one of which turned out to be a TB mare,  “older” and  untattooed.  Both things make a TB harder to place, and I was asked to take her.  We did, and what a jewel we got for that!  This lovely mare was someone’s baby.  In great shape, inside and out, with full shoes on, it’s impossible for me to understand how she ended up at auction, with only the kill buyer bidding.   She’s wide eyed, innocent in her ways, friendly to all horses, and a cookie/carrot monster.  She reminded me of Audrey Hepburn’s character in Roman Holiday, so we’ve named her Anya.  Our lovely girl needs sponsors, will anyone step up with a partial or full sponsorship commitment for Princess Anya?

Next, I must report that we have lost our Song, and Smokey. Please read their tributes by clicking on their names.   Irene was Song's sponsor, and has generously agreed to transfer her sponsorship to our Donks, Sancho and Diablo.  Katja was one of Smokey's sponsors, and has asked me to transfer her donation to help Shelby (who she already part sponsors), or anyone else who needs it.  I'm grateful for their continued support.

And please forgive the grimness of this next - we must prepare to lose Prophet, Topper and Queenie soon.  Prophet is developing more and more evidence of cancer, and Topper and Queenie are both doing poorly.  As you may recall, Topper has lost two teeth in just the last year, and both ladies are having trouble eating. Mush doesn't seem to appeal, and no matter the format I offer, always some is left.  We know Topper and Prophet are in their mid-thirties, and I'm betting Queenie is even older.  It will be devastating, but this final service to them is necessary.

Training of Dominic and Basky

With a new generous sponsor for Basky, and the money I’ve been saving to get some training for Dominic, I was put together with a young trainer named Danica Reslock, and hands wringing, sent our kids off to school!  It turns out that Dominic is smart, but afraid; and Basky was described as “buffalo-y” - as we know, a big mare who knows how to get her way!  While Danica was able to get on Dominic’s back in only two weeks, he really seems afraid of her putting her foot in the stirrup!  She’s working on that, as having a horse move away everytime you try to mount defeats the hope of riding!  

Basky was FURIOUS that she had to be in school, and threw temper tantrums in the round pen for a couple of sessions.  She does have some difficulty with that bad foot in hard going or tight circles, so Danica works her in softer footing and exercises her by ponying her.  We have decided to go for another 30 days on both of them, hoping more progress can be made, at least with Dominic.  Because of her disabilities, Basky is almost 100% likely to come home - no one will want a big bully mare that is limited in her usefulness. But trained to ride, and with better ground manners, she will be easier to deal with, and hopefully have a better chance at some sort of home should something happen to me.  I feel that Dominic, on the other hand, is sound, and strong, and beautiful and not too big or small, and he could possibly find a good home, so the more Danica can get him rideable, the better for him.

An update since I started this newsletter is that both Dom and Basky will come home on the 31st, tomorrow!  I will assess them then, to let you know their level of education.

Interesting Donations!

I was so happy to receive some interesting donations too. 

I had bought some green metal garden carts to drag around the evening buckets, but they were a horrible design - too tall and narrow and VERY prone to falling over!  My neighbor was suddenly willing to 're-do' my old style of garden cart, basically disassembling the old warped up ones, and putting them back together with new wood and hardware I provided - OMG I can NOT believe how much easier they are to use!  Thanks Mike!

Then, I received a donation of a DR Power Wagon!  (This came just after my GEM had been non-op for 12 days, during which I used a garden cart to haul 200+ pounds of hay all around the place for breakfast, and a pickup truck to move pellets - hugely labor intensive to say the least!)  I think Teresa heard my mental screaming in Idyllwild, because out of the blue she contacted me, and in a few days, showed up with this little devil!  Gas powered, self-propelled, good to move hay if I have to, pick up firewood, move rock and if I use a tarp to line the bed, even dirt for the stalls!  I can also use Carrot Annie for some of those tasks, but Annie can only get the dirt CLOSE to a stall - this little beast can haul it right inside!  Yay, thanks Teresa!

I'm fond of 5 cubic foot wheelbarrows for cleaning the stalls. It's the "Goldilocks syndrome" - not too big, not too small!  But they are almost impossible to find anymore.  A supporter in Tennesssee, Dionne, found some, bought them and shipped them to me. Thankfully, Katja was here to help me assemble them! 

4th of July Booth in Idyllwild

Well, once again I thought having a booth at a local event would be a good idea.   This is what we expected: TGC would have a table at a parade/event in Idyllwild, a lovely mountain community nearby, for dog and cat rescues in the area.  There will be a chili cookoff, dancing in the streets, pie eating contests and a Strut your Mutt competition!  We hoped to get a little more exposure for TGC, and Katja and Irene and neighbor Mike manned our table, selling Tshirts, hats, personalized TGC items such as key chains and magnets, some nice jewelry, and etched glass items.

I mean, I must be stupid!  Equine Affair was a Huge Bust; the Orange County Pet Expo was a Huge Bust, Horses Head to Hooves in Temecula was a Huge Bust, Earth Day was a Huge Bust. Guess what?  The Idyllwild Festival was ... A HUGE BUST!  By far the worst, all of the animal rescues were put far away from the Parade, contests, entertainment, in a dark corner you could only reach by crossing one street and one HIGHWAY. I felt really bad for those rescues who brought adoptable animals with them - what a lot of work for next to no exposure! Needless to say, my volunteers probably saw 10 people. Bless their hearts, Katja, Irene and Mike did their best, practically mugging people to make them take a flyer!    I really don’t think I’ll impose on volunteers again for this kinda thing. So much work for me and them; and paralyzing boredom to boot, for no return.

Luckily, Katja and Irene were able to salvage the disaster of that booth by putting all our stuff up for auction on our FB page, and raised some very nice money for us that way.  Thanks for that extra effort, girls!

Kelleric identified

Recently, fellow rescuer Cathy of Polo Pony Rescue came to visit us, particularly Medina, Corazon, Shelby and Cinnamon, and she took some pictures of our Keller’s lip tattoo and put her supporters on the task of identifying him for sure.  Turns out, based on what we can read of the tat, his markings and cowlicks, we do believe he is indeed Kelleric, and is 21 years old (at least 5 years older than we thought). During his racing career (1997- to 2001) he raced 20 times, winning 10 of those, winning $105,000. Please note that his owner/trainers at the time allowed Kelleric to become 4 years old before he raced, probably explaining why he came out of it with clean legs and a sound mind.  He raced at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos, Golden Gate and Bay Meadows - all OVER this state!

How did our boy end up in the hands of people who almost starved him to death?  So badly that Animal Services seized him!?  Animal Services kept him one year, and then gave him to another local rescue, who told me they didn’t much like Thoroughbreds, and couldn’t place them, and gave him to TGC.  Here, he has blossomed.  He befriended Pepe Grillo, first as an admiring follower, and now, as Pepe ages, as Pepe’s protector.  There was some talk about sending him for training (he doesn’t care at all about having a rider on his back, but is dead-sided and completely uneducated about regular riding cues), but at age 21, and with his special protective attachment to Pepe, I don’t think I want to send him away even temporarily.

Help for Jordan!

YAY, After the Finish Line has stepped up again for Golden Carrot OTTBS!   Our dear Jordan (Slewsinthefastlane) has only had one part sponsor since he came to TGC (why? He’s Soooooo sweet!?)  But with his size, age and disabilities, he is a high maintenance guy.  I had the idea to see if ATFL could give us some help with the big boy, who eats more than any horse on this lot, and has arthritic knees requiring supplements, and needs routine (at least once every three months) chiropractic care to stay comfortable.  And they DID, offering financial aid which will cover ALL of Jordan’s expenses for SIX MONTHS!!  Thank you Dawn, and ATFL, for being there for these ex-racers, and for TGC!    

This particular kindness really hit me hard.  Dawn Mellen, who founded and runs ATFL, was a part owner of Dance with Fate, a beautiful black colt who, to give you an idea of his talent, ran 6th in the Kentucky Derby this year.  This beautiful 3 year old died in a freak training accident at Del Mar just a short time ago.  I was facing the end of Smokey and Song, and feeling terrible about it but had to pause. At least my oldsters had some retirement time to be horses.  How much harder to lose a baby, in all of his strength and glory, with his whole life ahead of him?  My heart goes out to Dance, and all of his connections.  I know how much it hurt to lose him.

 It is the nature of things that death comes to us all.  We see a lot of death at the Golden Carrot, as we take in the elderly, and the abused and disabled.  Sometimes I'm lucky - they will be with me for decades.  Sometimes, their time is short. We do the best we can to make them comfortable, and respect their wishes.  We can't do this without you.  Please let us know that you support these old warriors,  and believe, as I do, that they deserve their golden years, after a lifetime of service to humans.  Please help us show them the true meaning of humanity, show them our appreciation, convince them that we are worthy of their effort and their love, which they give so unconditionally and forgivingly.  Please don't forget us.  And please know how much I personally appreciate your concern and support....