11-15-09

First off, we apologize that the blog was never emailed out on Friday. It was posted, it just never got emailed. If you would like to read the blog from Friday, it's not just a rescue story, click here.

We are very excited to announce that the auction fund has been completed with $35 left over! Thank you so much for donating for the rescue and care of horses at livestock auctions this month.

The next thermometer that needs to be filled up is the hardship fund for those that are unable to afford the low cost euthanasia clinic, but who have an equine that needs to be put to sleep gently and with dignity. Our goal this month is to be able to provide free euthanasia services for 7 horses. Please help us provide a loving end to their magnificent lives. The euthanasia clinic is this Wednesday, so any donation to bring us to our goal is greatly appreciated, every dollar helps! Click here.



The horses were all so full of life this morning! The crisp, cool mornings really encourages the horses to kick up their heels with joy and trot around.

The stalls were done being cleaned and the shavings were being spread out when Mr T decided to come make his inspection to make sure Linda was doing it just right.

Some really nice folks came to the rescue today who were looking for a companion for their other horse. They looked at Abby and really liked her. Then they met Honey and fell in love with her too. They put them both in adoption pending and now they'll have 2 companions for their horse, 1 that they can ride and 1 they will just love on. We are really excited that Honey now has a home lined up, let's hope everything goes through and Abby and Honey can go home soon.

Next Intrepid Monarch's potential adopter came to meet him. They really hit it off and soon you could see a bond developing.

Soon Monarch was carrying his soon to be queen around like she was royalty. He is such a beautiful mover. His potential adopter can hardly wait for her application to be processed so she will know when she can take him to his new palace. She has had an application with us before, but since it was over 6 months ago she had to redo her application.

While she was at the rescue she said she just had to see Macho Man in person. She enjoys reading about his adventures so much she just had to meet this precious little guy for herself. She was amazed on how little he really is. She says in the pictures he looks bigger, but in person you can see he really is so tiny!

Some of the day was spent in cleaning the tack room. The cleaning part got done rather quickly....

...but then for some reason the people got sidetracked in there and started pulling everything every which way. Quickly it became a mess once again.

Whatever could they be doing? While everything was being cleaned and organized, April and Tawnee started realizing there were a lot of little visitors hiding in the tack room just waiting to scare them. Every once in awhile you'd hear a shriek and a squeal from Tawnee or April. There were mice, lots of mice. Linda and another volunteer decided to remove the mice so they could be relocated. They also did a good job of tearing the tack room apart in the process.

All in all, 8 mice, some hiding under the hay, were relocated today. Yes, they did put the tack-room back together too. Tawnee says she just wouldn't have the heart to "smack the mice" as some people put it, and she's happy to knowing they are relocated now.

Many thanks to the rescue heroes who donated over the weekend. Suzanne F. and Elizabeth K., your donations are greatly appreciated!

11-13-09

Sorry no rescue story this weekend, too much happened today and we thought you would like to hear about it.

Thank you so much for your generous support for the auction rescue. The auction rescue fund is currently at $805, only $195 left to go! We can do this with your help!

This morning some of the horses figured out a way to open up their pens and enjoyed a great adventure around the rescue. Soon they were all back where they belonged. We always recommend for horse owners that they have double fencing so if the horses get out of their pen they cannot get onto a road where they could be hit by a car. It is best to have the perimeter of your property fenced and then separate fencing for your horses.

Prince was a good boy. He just stood there watching everyone wondering what they were up to.

We had a special visitor today. Donna from Home at Last Sanctuary came down to learn how to write blogs and other horse related computer activities. Jason and Tawnee enjoyed teaching her how to get it all working, and hopefully soon they will be up and rolling with ease. Click here to view their blog.

Some potential adopters called up this morning and asked if they could come visit Molly the mule. After they spent some time with her, they realized she was not quite the mule they are looking for. They said they will keep an eye on our blog to see if one is rescued. Tawnee suggested to them that they may want to contact Yosemite stables. They have mules in their program that they may no longer need. Hopefully they will find the perfect mule soon!

One of our board of directors stopped by this afternoon and volunteered his time to beautify the rescue. Trimming up some of the dead limbs around the rescue really makes it look a lot better.

A big thank you to the following horse heroes who stepped up and donated today: Donna A., Danielle C., Rebecca U., James G., Sandy E., Susan L., Sue K., Charlotte K., Maureen R., Karen H. and those that donated who wish to remain anonymous. We cannot rescue horses without your support, thank you so much!

11-12-09

We would like to take a minute to talk about the auction rescue fund for this month. As you know, Roseville Livestock Auction closed and no more horses will be facing an unknown future at this place. Anyone that has been there knows it is not a surprise that it was closed down, the conditions for humans and animals was certainly not good. There are, however, still livestock auctions near enough for us to easily attend. We will have to drive longer distances, but the KB's will too.

When we first started rescuing from auctions in 2003, we were going to Shasta Livestock Auction. They quit selling horses. Then we began attending Orland. They quit selling horses. We then rescued primarily from Roseville. They have closed their doors. All in the matter of 6 years. The economy hurts everybody.

We have only $570 towards this months goal of $1,000 for the rescue and care of horses at livestock auction. Our goal is to attend an auction next week, and that leaves until Sunday to raise the remainder of $430. Please help us if you can! Click here. If you wish to be anonymous, please let us know.

This morning was a funny morning. First off, everything was bright and beautiful. The chores were done and then the fog rolled in. Jason had to head out on a long rescue trip, he was absolutely dreading driving in the fog.

A quick turn around and he was off. The good news is, the fog didn't even last out the driveway, it left quickly and big fluffy clouds were floating by instead.

Today a tour was schedule to a small group of students. This is a wonderful opportunity for the kids to get out and get some hands on time with horses. Education is extremely important, and if we all put an effort into educating the young, the world will be a better place in the next generation.

Macho Man was in his element, he loves having kids all around! The kids loved playing with him too.

After the little people helped clean Dottie and Macho Man's pen, and get acquainted with them, their next assignment was to help put shavings in the stalls. We saved this morning chore for them, we knew they would love it. Soon they were running back and forth from the bedding pile to the stalls with such glee and excitement.

The bags were opened and they really enjoyed spreading them all around.

They did such a perfect job on spreading the shavings out and making the stalls look great. We really appreciate their help!

Next they all enjoyed hauling the feed buckets around and graining the horses. They were so cute helping out! We didn't quite have enough buckets so everyone could have two, but they were willing helpers and got the job done.

After they were done feeding the horses with April, Tawnee showed them a picture of Phoenix and told them his amazing story of recovery. They were all very sad to see his before picture of when he was rescued. Then Tawnee told them to look closely at the picture and go find Phoenix. It was like a treasure hunt for them!

Sure enough, they found him, pretty quickly in fact. April gave them some hints during feeding so it wasn't too hard for them. They are very happy to see he is doing so well, and are amazed at his difference. We are still amazed ourselves that Phoenix survived his terrible ordeal.

Around this time, a potential adopter came out to see Sadie. When he called yesterday to see if we would be available, we warned him that a group of school kids were coming out and that we wouldn't have a lot of time to spend with them. He seemed to enjoy his visit but said he would come back later when we weren't so busy.

We are excited that Jesse had come to us because he is the perfect horse to teach the kids about horse care today.

Being a former lesson horse, he stood there like a pro soaking up all the attention.

He just loves being brushed and groomed. Each of the kids had a chance to clean his hooves.

The best was saved for last: a real ride on a great big horse! They were all so excited! For many of them, it was the first time they had been on a horse. Their squeals and shivers of excitement, along with their huge smiles, were so rewarding.

Jesse was the perfect gentleman, we would love to find him a home in a therapy type situation. He really does very well with all the action and the sidewalkers.

After some of the students had left, a few got one last picture with Jesse. He's pasted the perfect picture of a big strong beautiful horse in many little kids minds today. We heard multiple times that this was the best field trip they have ever done, and they hope next year they can come do it again. Of course we said they are welcome back!

Meanwhile, Jason was working with a cow. What? It was not the intended rescue of the day, but it sure wanted to get in the trailer. John got all the way in, and the dialog between the cow and his owner went something like this: "John, get out of the trailer, get out of the trailer. GET OUT OF THE TRAILER NOW!" John turned and said: "nnoooOOOOOO" It was definitely a little different than the normal day...

Jason was not there for cows, he was at a horse rescue that had ran out of money and is closing. This is the second rescue this year we have had to help. They had placed all the horses they could, but there were still 6 horses they could not find homes for, so they turned to us for help. We love helping other rescues, but we cannot do it without your help. It is so sad that horse rescues are having to close their doors. During these hard times, there needs to be more horse rescues, more support for the horses, but with the lack of donations, more and more are closing their doors.

The horses loaded into the trailer without any trouble. The ones in the front settled while the ones in the back were being loaded.

Soon all 6 were in the big trailer and ready to head back to the rescue.

On the way Jason fondly remembered Pregnant Mare Rescue, which is right down in the same area but is not the rescue these horses came from. Years ago, Lynn (the founder of Pregnant Mare Rescue) was adopting Rosey, a pregnant mare we had rescued from the Fallon Feedlot. Jason and Tawnee delivered Rosey to Lynn that day, but had a terrible time of it. Lots of flat tires, multiple delays, it was just a rough day. Lynn graciously purchased a motel room for them so they could be rested for their trip back to NorCal Equine Rescue the following day. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and it was greatly appreciated. Sadly, Pregnant Mare Rescue announced they are closing their doors, at least for the winter, and hoping to possibly begin rescuing again in the spring. That makes 3 horse rescues that have stopped rescuing and dispersed their horses this year. It is not a good year for most horse rescues. We are all hoping and praying that Pregnant Mare Rescue will begin rescuing again in the spring.

Jason finally arrived at the rescue long after dark.

The horses were unloaded. They were glad to get out and stretch their legs a little bit before being put in their stalls for the night.

A few of the horses were unsure about getting out of the bright trailer into the dark, but each one finally came out safely.

We want to assure you that NorCal Equine Rescue is in a strong financial position to continue rescuing horses for many many years to come. As we continue to reach out to those that are struggling, and rescuing the great many horses that we do, we will continue to count on you for your support, both emotional and financial. Even the largest of nonprofits are suffering the affects of the recession and NorCal Equine Rescue is not immune. Even $5 helps save lives, thank you in advance for your support!

There is also some great news we would like to share in this blog. A wonderful new rescue is opening its doors to horses in need this year in southern California. Jason and Tawnee have visited their facilities and bring back glowing reports. They have now uploaded their website, you can visit it by clicking here.

We would like to thank Teri C., Anna P., and Faye M. for their generous support. We cannot tell you how much your support is appreciated.

11-11-09

We are very excited to announce that we have been awarded a large monthly grant specifically for spreading the word about NorCal Equine Rescue! This is not a fund that can be used for any other reason other than to spread awareness about our organization. We are all very excited about this opportunity!

Today Linda came out to work with and evaluate the horses. First she worked with Abby, who came to us on Sunday.

Abby was a good girl and is trained to ride. She is waiting patiently for her forever home, maybe yours? She is about 14 years old.

Then it was Dakota's turn to be messed with. He is very adorable, and we are please to announce that he was placed in adoption pending today! Once the adoption application is processed, he will hopefully be going to his new home.

Intrepid Monarch was next in line for being ridden. First of all, he enjoyed showing off in the round pen.

He is a very elegant looking boy and is very well trained to ride. He was also placed in adoption pending today!

Monarch had one huge problem: his mane and tail was a tangled mess. Linda took scissors to his mane and soon the tangles were gone. When it got time to do his tail, Tawnee raised her eyebrows and said "It looks like he needs a haircut..."

Linda and April were determined that a haircut was not what he needed for his tail.

They spent a long time on his tail, and soon the ground was covered with dead hair that had been matted up in his tail.

Finally the big job was over. Thanks to Linda and April, his tail looks very beautiful now! We are sure that his adopter will be thankful that his tail hair was not just cut off.

Jesse was also evaluated today. He is a big giant horse that is such a loving guy. He is very well trained to ride. He is looking for a light / walking riding home. He will move off your legs and is a been there, done that kind of horse. He has a lot of knowledge after 27 years of life.

Our little mini trio is doing great. We are still working on transportation arrangements to get Petie to her forever home. It looks like it will come together within a few weeks!

Today was a good adoption pending day. Linda would be evaluating a horse, when Tawnee would walk down and say "Yay, that horse has an adoption hold on it!" In all 3 horses were put in adoption pending today: Indie, Intrepid Monarch and Dakota were all put into adoption pending to 3 different homes. Let's all hope they go home soon!

Many thanks to Erin A., Robi H., Gail G,. and Gloria C., for their generous support today.

11-10-09

Today at the rescue was a farrier day. The farrier was scheduled to come first thing this morning as we have him on a monthly schedule. First up was Phoenix. As usual, he was a perfect gentleman.

While Honey was getting her feet trimmed, Brighty just couldn't wait for her turn. She was so curious and inquisitive. She wasn't due for a trim, but we wanted to have her shoes pulled so she got a good trim too.

Sadie and Tilly were good girls for their trims as well. We sure are glad they are looking so good these days. When we first rescued them, they were really emaciated and it's often hard to know if a horse will make it or not, but they pulled through like the champs they are.

Spirit wasn't very keen about getting his feet trimmed. His old owners told us they had his feet trimmed last year when they evacuated from the fire. Apparently they hadn't been trimmed in about a year, so no wonder he was a little nervous about the situation. His hoof abscess is gone and he is feeling good on his feet. We'll be evaluating his riding ability soon. We were told he is trained to ride, but we believe he is most likely pretty green.

Ronan wanted his feet trimmed today too. He wasn't scheduled today, his feet are still in fine shape, next month is his turn. Hopefully, he will be in his new home by then. All in all, 9 horses were trimmed today. Ronan was disappointed he was not one of them.

After the farrier left, Placer County Animal Control came to the rescue with 3 horses so we can hopefully find them homes. We love Placer County Animal Control! Everytime they bring us a horse, it is up to date on its shots, wormings, feet, teeth, etc and they always bring bags of feed to donate. Like we said, we love Placer County!

The first horse to get out of the trailer was a beautiful dark bay registered Morgan gelding.

Next was a young grey Arabian gelding. He was a little nervous when it came time to get out of the trailer, but he was a good boy and thought about it logically before walking out.

Last of all, a beautiful older Palamino gelding gracefully stepped out. It was easy to tell he has stepped out of trailers hundreds of times.

Then of course, the piles of donated feed bags started coming out. We always love it when the dog kennels are filled up with horse feed. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness. Tawnee had spoken with them earlier in regards to Roseville Livestock Auction closing. At the time, they were shocked that it had closed, but today they had the official word on why it had closed. The fire department red tagged the entire complex due to fire danger, and it must be brought up to code before public can be allowed back onto the premises. They chose to close rather than spend the money to repair their facilities. Once again, thank you for the feed!

We are excited to announce that we will be having another open surrender day at the Loomis facility next month on the 13th. We will be taking in any horse with a $150 surrender fee. We are making a great option for horse owners who have no other option. We wish the surrender fee could be waived, unfortunately at this time it is not within our financial resources. Horse owners should be able to afford $150, it is only 1 month worth of care for their horse.

All three horses were put into the round pen to stretch their legs. They all enjoyed running, bucking and having a jolly time. We would like to thank the folks who donated for the care of these horses in advance prior to them coming to the rescue. Your donations and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated, we cannot thank you enough for your support!

Dakota is a 3 year old Arab gelding. He is a very gorgeous boy, and he knows it. He is halter trained, we are looking for a home that has the knowledge to train him, or the resources to have him trained, when it is his time to be trained under saddle.

This is Jesse, he is a very sweet boy who is young at heart at 27 years old. They told us he is an easy keeper and was used for lessons. They hadn't seen any lameness. He would be the perfect companion for your horse or for light riding.

This is Intrepid Monarch. He is a 16 year old registered Morgan gelding. He was surrendered to Animal Control, his owner was no longer able to keep him. His owner originally paid $5,000 for him. He is great on the trail, and he has been packed. He is kind of a been there, done that horse. He is supposed to be very well trained to ride.

Larry, April and Tawnee hit the office to file away all the paperwork. It took quite some time, as paperwork always does.

Finally, the last pages were being filed away. A new filing system has been arranged to help keep up on the paperwork. Thanks so much April and Larry for stepping in and helping out today.

As you all know, Equine Destiny is what we believe is going to be an amazing documentary. Today they released their official trailer. The horse in this screenshot is Phoenix, the horse seen at the very beginning of the blog today. Watching this documentary makes us hardly be able to wait to watch the whole video. Click here or click the picture below to watch the trailer.

Many thank to Carolyn H., Anonymous, William E., and Gail G. for their very generous donations today. We cannot possibly thank you enough!

11-9-09

Just in case you are wondering, yes we will continue rescuing horses at various livestock auctions. There are several other large auctions with horse sales in northern California that we will be attending as space and funds permit. We will continue to keep it a monthly program, this month the goal is $1,000 for the rescue and care of auction horses. The funds for this month are currently at $555, we are over halfway to our goal!

Today was a very quiet day at the rescue. Many 'behind the scenes' things were done. Jason and Tawnee met with a board member to discuss various pressing issues. A couple volunteer positions were filled for some programs starting up in 2010 today as well. One is for a sponsorship/donation leader and another to write thank-you cards. After that was accomplished, Jason and Tawnee went to another meeting that was scheduled about a particular piece of property that may be an excellent permanent location for an adoption center / horse shelter facility.

But, since no pictures were taken today, we are bringing you Friday's events to catch you up on what happened on Friday.

Friday morning found Tawnee driving through the pouring rain to transport a horse to the vet for one of our previous adopters.

When Tawnee arrived she saw Gage and Daisy standing there, all fat and sassy. Daisy was having some skin irritation problems and needed to go to the vet. Tawnee just had to try out the new horse trailer so off she went. Daisy had been fostered until her court case was settled. Recently we were given the "Ok" to adopt her out, so Daisy was officially adopted on Friday.

Daisy was rescued in April of this year severely emaciated and at the point of death.

It was hard seeing this poor horse so thin, but it was easy to tell she was full of life. It is so wonderful to see her recovered and doing so very well!

Tawnee stopped at the Post Office and took a picture of the truck and trailer all hooked up in the daylight. All nice and clean from driving through the rain too!

Tawnee ran into the Post Office to find a package from Pamela M. It was full of lovely tack and a very cute picture of her two adorable horses: Pete and Bear. They are definitely adorable, thanks for sharing the picture and donating the tack Pamela, we really appreciate it!

Daisy arrived at the vet safe and sound. She waited patiently to be seen by the doctor.

She was examined and it was determined that she will be just fine. She was given some medication to help with her skin condition.

Many thanks to Pam R. - Jeanette C. - Odette P. - Suzanne M. - Sara H. - Lee E. for their extremely generous donations. We really appreciate your support, and the rescued horses do too!

11-8-09

This morning at 4:30 am all the trailers were hooked up and ready to go. Panels were loaded in one trailer and the other trailer was ready for horses.

A large stack of papers, both in English and Spanish, were ready to be handed out.

Jason, Tawnee and a volunteer were off before 5:30 am!

Many miles down the road the first glimmers of sunlight began to filter through the broken clouds.

The sun peeking up over the Sierra mountains made a beautiful sunrise.

They were all headed to Roseville Livestock auction.

The auction yard is permanently closed, but we knew that horses would need help there today. The gate was locked, they had no signs posted that they had closed, but all the Roseville Livestock Auction signs had been taken down. We found out that the auction was closing about a week ago when a local killer buyer was telling us his woes.

The auction unexpectedly closed, and we anticipated that there were going to be horse owners in a desperate situation that were unable to keep their horse bringing horses to the sale today. Since 1949 the auction has been holding sales, and it was closed without a warning or notice of any kind.

Tawnee posted the bilingual signs on the gate, explaining that NorCal Equine Rescue was operating a temporary shelter in Loomis where horses could be surrendered into the rescue if their owners were no longer able to keep them.

Horses began arriving at the locked gate. The people were all bewildered and confused as to why the auction was closed. They were grateful that we were there to answer at least some of their questions. It was all second hand information the killer buyer had given us, we hoped it would help ease their confusion.

Tawnee left Jason and the volunteer at the auction gate and headed to the temporary shelter location to get it ready for horses.

Soon the welcoming sign was hung along the road.

The temporary shelter was at the property where the mayor of Loomis would like to see a horse rescue / sanctuary set up. It is currently leased by a wonderful person named John, and he graciously allowed us to use the property as a shelter today.

Tawnee began setting up the booth and table.

Back at the rescue, things were going normal for a Sunday. It was a great group of staff and volunteers at the rescue today that kept everything running smoothly, other than the phone was having issues today, we apologize for any inconvenience.

April helped clean the stalls and then spread the wonderful shavings. Notice the color of the shavings.

Thanks to the donation of all the shavings, we have fancy green bedding in the stalls.

Larry did a picturesque job of harrowing the round pen.

At the temporary shelter, the panels were being unloaded from the trailer for temporary holding pens.

Soon they were set up and waiting for horses to come. We had no idea how many horses, if any, would need our help today. We wanted to be ready for the worse case scenario of 30 horses showing up needing help.

At the closed auction, Jason was still busy explaining to people about the auction being closed and what options we were able to provide for horse owners in tough times.

These folks chose to come to the temporary shelter and surrender their horses. They had no other options and were extremely grateful that an option was available to them.

The two mares were unloaded safely.

They were led to a holding pen...

...and soon goodbyes were being said. While the paperwork was being done, the lady's husband was talking to one of the volunteers about how glad he was that we were there. They tried to give their horses away, but had no luck, they called the auction two weeks ago and the auction said to bring their horses today. When they arrived, everything was locked up tight. They said they were very concerned about who would get their horses and if they would be starved or not had they gone through the auction. They just had no other option within their means.

At the temporary shelter, volunteers discussed pressing issues and enjoyed relaxing for the most part, waiting for the flood of horses that could come driving in any minute.

Finally, it was closing time at the temporary shelter, and the two mares were the only horses that came thankfully. The canopy was being broken down and things were being cleaned up.

Jason and a volunteer loaded the panels into the trailer.

We would really like to thank Deanna from A Chance for Bliss for coming to help today at the temporary shelter. We apologize to her for getting her website wrong on Friday's blog, her correct website is: http://www.achanceforbliss.com/. They are the kind people that adopted Spike on this weekends rescue story.

After everything was packed up, Tawnee and Deanne got the horses out of the holding pen and got ready to load up. They posed for a quick snapshot.

One of them is lame and we will have our vet evaluate her. The girls names are Abby and Rosie.

They both loaded without a fuss and were soon ready to go.

A quick u-turn in the field...

...and they were on the road. Once again we would like to thank John and his wife for providing the land and facilities for the temporary shelter.

At the rescue, Linda was evaluating horses. It was Sadie's turn to be evaluated. She is so beautiful!

Through her rehab we have not evaluated her riding abilities, but today was the day now that she is fat and happy.

She did great! She is trained to ride and is looking for a wonderful home, maybe yours? She is definitly very striking looking with her buckskin color, big blaze and four socks.

Along with a lot of other horse, Linda also evaluated Cindy, who came back to us on Thursday. She did good as well, but she definitly needs her tail washed.

Larry and April showed horses to potential adopters.

Jason and Tawnee continued driving the long road back to the rescue. They were glad that the trailers were not filled up with horses and that not very many people brought horses to the closed auction. Most of those that did took their horses back home. They were also glad they only got 1 flat tire today.

Finally the 16 hour day was almost over and the horses were being unloaded at the rescue.

April and Larry had come back to the rescue to be there when Jason and Tawnee got back. Thanks guys, we really appreciate it!

You all know that we rescued a lot of horses from Roseville Livestock Auction since 2005 when we first started attending. If you're wondering what the grand total is since we started rescuing from Roseville in 2005: 322! That is a lot of lives saved from an unknown fate, where many known killer buyers attended each and every month. Please consider making a donation in honor of the 322 horses that were saved from Rosville Livestock Auction, click here.

Many thanks to Yvonne P. and Patricia F. for their donations over the weekend. Every dollar really helps!