Posts Tagged ‘happy threads’
I <3 My Readers!
Remember this guy?
That’s Alaska Bowtie. Auctioned for $190. I wish I could find the auction ring pic but I can’t – if you know where it is, please post it to the comments! Bailed out of the kill pen by one of my readers in October 2009 and sent to an eventing trainer. Very appropriate show name, by the way 
Love it!
So I understand all the pro-slaughter asshats are having a conference to discuss how they can deal with their unwanted horse bills problem. Animal Rescue Unit wants to send a video truck out to drive around and play some anti-slaughter footage. I think they should use THIS footage. This horse is a classic example of why I’m anti-slaughter, and always will be.
For those of you like myself who love TB mares, Carefree is a newly adoptable 9 year old mare at Shiloh Horse Rescue in Nevada. I bet she’d love a real home for Christmas!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Heading off to the barn, back to clean up and then off to celebrate like most of you, so I won’t be online as much today but I wanted to write something quickly…a friend and I were just discussing this the other day.
It is always so easy to go through life not being thankful and it’s all about looking up. We wish we had a lot of things we don’t have that someone else does. We imagine other peoples’ lives and families and relationships are better than ours (of course, we don’t really know and our perception of who has a perfect life may be wildly skewed from the reality). Ultimately, if you want to be thankful today, spend a little time while you’re doing your barn work or the stuff in the kitchen that you don’t have to think about to do focusing on all of the people who have it worse than you. (I don’t mean the people who have it worse because they’d rather do drugs than work, or they’re flat out lazy — you know what I think of THAT — I mean people who have it worse because fate simply has been unkind to them). Think about the people who are not alive at your age, because an illness or an accident or a crazy person stole that from them. (Think about the dumb, risky situations you’ve put yourself into in your life that YOU got out of safely! I know I have some of those, for sure.) Think about the people who can’t enjoy this holiday because they are miserably sick. Think about those who are in the military and can’t be home with their loved ones and who live daily with the fear that they may never see those people again — they’re doing it so that you can relax and feel safe at home today. (Would you do that for people you don’t even know? I never would have, I totally admit that. I feel very thankful that people exist who are unselfish enough to serve, people who even at a very young age thought about the big picture and wanted to do the right thing.) Think about the people who don’t have the things you have today…that’s what creates real gratitude.
So today I am thankful for: Still being alive at 43, and not having anything more than normal age-related aches and pains wrong with me, having six healthy horses, having three snuggly cats, having the world’s cutest dog (I may be biased), having a good job, having great friends, having amazing, totally trustworthy people to board horses with, having this blog and people who like to read it, having a ton of other opportunities that I’m so grateful for, having had just a great year full of wonderful surprises in many areas 
and I am always thankful that my 30 year old mare, Harmony, is still going strong! (Thank you to Paradigm Farm – you ARE the best!)
What about you guys? Was 2010 better for you? (It seemed like 2009 was just crap for everybody, didn’t it?)
And of course…go out and hug those ponies! I am heading out to do just that. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Happy Holidays – How can we help?
It’s almost Thanksgiving and that time of year is coming when many of you will think about doing something a little extra for animals with your holiday bonus money. So today, I’m going to let those of you who run or volunteer for rescues plug whatever holiday fundraisers you have going!
Please be clear about: Location, time, place, cost, and the name of the rescue that is benefiting. You can post events for other kinds of animals – I think most horse lovers are either dog or cat lovers or both so that’s cool. I’m also cool with events that are being run to help out horsepeople who have suffered an accident or other genuine health crisis, but you should realize that neither I nor my readership will take kindly to pleas to save someone’s home/farm/rescue when that person has not gotten off their posterior to get a damn job like the rest of us…so save the drama and don’t go there, kthx?
I’m also VERY interested to hear your creative fundraising ideas that may help other rescues. We had a ball with drag queen bingo in West Hollywood and it was one of the easiest and most fun ways of making some money for animal rescue ever. A lot of people who would never think of going to a traditional silent auction/dinner will head out gleefully for an evening of margaritas, screaming, singing and fun prizes! Think outside your usual box, and you may pull in a whole new group of donors. (And folks, the gay community is very animal-friendly in general and bursting with quality potential adopters, so if you are the least bit homophobic, get over it – not only is it wrong but you’re losing a LOT of donations and opportunities for education.)
So let’s hear it – what are YOU doing this holiday season? What can we come out and support? Remember, post all the details – we (usually) do not know what state you are in from your screen name.
Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue has received a grant to implement a terrific new program for their adopters. “On The Right Track” provides a voucher for up to $200 to each adopter to be put toward professional training of their new OTTB or just lessons with their new horse to help them start out on the right foot and get on track toward being a successful team. What a great idea, huh?
If I could pick one, I would go pick up Phantom I mean, what is not to love? This is a registered Thoroughbred, despite the Paint markings, and he is cute as a bug! He’d make a great stocking-stuffer for a deserving teen or her even more deserving Mom this Christmas. Check him out!
But what can I do?
I hear this question all the time from people who (wisely!) realize they do not have the time or money to rescue a horse themselves right now. Some of you are in school, some of you have little kids, some of you are out of work. You live in the city, you don’t have a car, and going out to volunteer at an existing rescue is not an option. So, today I want to tell you a story about something that any of you can do, something that someone did with ten minutes of their time that made all the difference in the world.
At this last Enumclaw Auction, a tall chestnut Thoroughbred was dumped off. The tail tag read “Abby Chill” so this is most likely the person who dumped him. He was one of six horses she dumped, but she bought four, so she most likely fancies herself a horse trader. Too bad she cannot also master feeding them or having their feet trimmed! He was thin and sad and his hooves were terrible. Thoroughbreds don’t do well at auction in general — most “real” buyers at auctions are looking for quiet, family horses, and this guy was not only “too” tall, he was plenty stressed and scared. He went to kill, of course, and while he was sitting there in the pen, someone took ten minutes of their time to post him and the other horses on Craigslist, with pictures. I haven’t heard who did it, but probably someone from the Auction Horses board.
Many years ago, this horse had a wonderful home but his owner married Mr. Wrong (most of us can totally sympathize). Mr. Wrong said the horse had to go. She found a home for him that checked out and seemed good.
Years passed and she divested herself of Mr. Wrong, so she was free to pursue her horsey dreams once more. She kept looking, but the trail had gone cold. Late one night, she was surfing Craigslist, as so many of us do, and there he was…her horse. She had the meltdown you can all imagine at his condition, but he was there! He was still alive! She got in touch with Katie at Second Chance Ranch and they got Sunny quickly snatched off the lot. Within days, he headed back to Portland and back to his loving former and now once again owner, Amy. Here he is, this week.
Sunny has his own Facebook Group – check it out.
So, the next time you are wondering what you can do, how about contacting former owners when you see a horse in jeopardy, whether that’s in a kill pen or being given away for free or scary cheap. You can easily find this information on registered horses online at most breed registry sites. You can also check Horse Reunions and Net Posse to see if someone is looking for the horse. Or just google the registered name. If it’s a grade horse, try posting the pictures to Craigslist’s Farm & Garden section in the area. I’m not saying harrass anyone but a simple note saying “hey, I see that you used to own Horsey Name, and wanted to let you know s/he is currently in the kill pen/being given away/whatever in case you are interested in helping or taking her back. Here is the contact information (or the link to the ad) if you want to help.” So, all you are doing is doing a favor and of course that may be ignored, but you have tried. And any of you can do it. Maybe the next happy ending will be because of you!
Functional, Fantastic Fugly Friday!
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