5-31-09

Walmart donated a bunch of feed last Friday. Thank you so much for donating it!

After the grain Walmart donated was unloaded, we had 2 giant tubs full of nice yummy cracked corn for the horses and half a tub of sweet feed. We cannot possibly thank Walmart enough for the feed that they donate on a continual basis. It really helps out!

Some volunteers donated some various things the rescue needs this morning. A couple salt blocks and a big bag of feed. Thank you so much for bringing it out!

Tawnee's eyes lit up when she saw the neigh-mobile coming down the hill. Neigh stands for "Need Equines In Good Hands." The girls had been scouring the horse community for donations, and had brought a truck full of goodies out once again.

The girls also greatly enjoyed playing with Honey and her baby, Prince. Last time they were here they were able to feel Prince, still inside Honey, moving. It had brought huge smiles to their faces. This time, they got to play with the little guy, and that was even more fun.

Mid morning a big pickup came rolling down the hill with a tractor on the back.

Volunteer Larry's brother and his son came out today to help get the roof on the new mare motel. There was an extended period of time where a lot of discussion got accomplished on the best possible way to get the roof on top of the panels.

A horse was surrendered into the rescue today. She is a 29 year old mare. She is trained to ride, and is currently seeking a retirement home. She is a real sweety! Please let us know if you are willing to open your heart and home to this sweet old girl.

After she was unloaded she enjoyed sweet feed and was soon settled in.

It was decided that it would be easier to put the roof panels up by hand, so that's how it happened. With some heaving, grunting and hard work, it was coming together.

Finally one side was all done.

Buddy was adopted today! His adoptive mommy really loves him. He impressed us from the day we met him at the auction with his kind, sweet spirit. We wish him and his new mommy the best in their new adventure in life together.

Before loading Buddy, 75 lbs of carrots were unloaded so the horses here at the rescue could have a treat. Thank you guys so much for bringing them out! The horses really enjoy carrots.

The neigh girls visit was coming to a close, and so they started unloading their precious donations.

Soon they had it all unloaded. They had decorated their shirts with bright colors and cute sayings. We tried to get it with the camera, but their sayings are too hard to make out. Thank you neigh girls for doing such a great job and for getting the donated tack. Hopefully we will see you at the skating party!

Toby's Golden Moonlight barn was almost completed by this time.

Meanwhile, in the other mare motel, some great volunteers where out making it sparkle. Belle was standing tied in breezeway, looking as if all the work had been done just for her.

We would like to thank the volunteers who moved wheel barrow after wheel barrow of manure around and put it in the big pile. We absolutely appreciate your hard work! It is so wonderful when volunteers come out and really pitch in.

About 40,000 fly predators were dispersed today. Hopefully all the baby flies will not survive to make it to flying adulthood. We already have a bunch of fly predators, but it was time to replenish the stock.

Some more visitors came out this afternoon look at the horses. They are looking for the perfect match to add to their family.

Belle was the first resident in the Toby's Golden Moonlight mare motel. Becky enjoyed playing with Belle's beautiful mane. It was great having Becky out again today, she claims she will be here next weekend... Hope to see you then!

Tawnee and Jaime got "stuck" in the office this evening working late into the night. Finally about 9:00 Jaime started getting homesick so she headed off, and after that Tawnee decided she too should head out of the office. A lot of office work got done!

Thank you Anna P, Wendy S, Cindy T and the United Way for donating! We really appreciate your financial support.

5-29-09

Phoenix Update

We canceled our usual rescue story when we got a call from the vet this morning. Phoenix is doing good, but after his latest blood test the vet was concerned. She said that he needed some help and she wanted to give him a plasma transfusion. We agreed and soon Jason and Tawnee were at the vet. Phoenix greeted them with his head out of his stall as if to say "Hi!"

Kayla, the vet tech, led him into the hospital for the transfusion.

Kayla began to prepare the site for the IV, she got the shavers out, but he doesn't' have enough hair to shave. Poor guy!

He is still very skinny, but has gained some weight. Most of his hair is gone, but he has a peach fuzz that is growing in.

Phoenix's eyes are more alert. He is receiving the best feed and supplements available for him. It is starting to show, but he still has terrible diarrhea.

The IV was put into place for the plasma transfusion. He was a good boy and just stood there through it all.

Soon the plasma was being dripped into his system.

It is always comforting knowing that he is getting the best care possible.

Next was his biosponge treatment. A tube is placed through his nose down to his stomach.

The biosponge should help control his diarrhea.

Finally, all the stuff was done and he received his reward. Tawnee said his reward should have been served on a silver platter, he deserves it! Phoenix has come a long ways since the day he was rescued. If you missed his rescue story, click here. Please keep this boy in your prayers, he needs all the prayers he can get! The good news is, his appetite is growing daily and he really enjoys his food.

Another horse that was almost as skinny as Phoenix, but not quite as bad, was Charlie Boy. Charlie made a complete recovery, to read his amazing story, click here.

Charlie Boy's Rescue Story

We would like to thank you all for your support, which enables us to rescue horses such as Phoenix. Rescue, medical and care can be very expensive, but you can be a part in helping. Please consider donating, helping horses like Phoenix, click here.

5-28-09

We have been asked to provide information on planned giving on our website, so today Jason and Tawnee tackled the project. An estate donation is what launched us from rescuing 50 horses a year to hundreds. Please click here to read the information and consider making NorCal Equine Rescue part of your financial plan in the future.

Benji and Roy were adopted and headed off to their new home today! We were sad to see them go, but we are excited for their new future. They are both really sweet horses, we are sure that many wonderful adventures lay ahead of them.

The adoption papers were signed, and then the loading began. Benji was a little hesitant at first, but then he hopped in. Roy was the best yet, he got right in without a fuss.

Benji stuck his nose out to say "Goodbye" to the rescue, and they were off.

It was pretty hot today, when Tawnee was making the water trough rounds, she made sure the horses got cooled off too. They really enjoyed the cool water.

Some liked playing in the hose, lapping up the water as it splashed on their nose and mouth.

One of the horses that came down from Plumas County stood there and soaked up the water. She enjoyed every minute of it!

Mid afternoon some clouds came rolling over and gave the rescue some relief from the hot sun. All the horses certainly enjoyed the break from the high heat.

We had been expecting UPS all day. Naturally they were later than usual, just to keep us waiting. Finally, the big brown van came roaring around the corner.

The eagerly expected box arrived from CustomInk.com.

What was in the box? It was green and said something...

T-shirts! Lots and lots, over 30 shirts. The official uniform shirts for staff and volunteers. We can't tell you how many times an event has come up, like the Animal Planet filming, the Nebraska rescue, interviews, etc and we always wish we had shirts to wear that proudly display who we are. Now we have them!

These sure beat having to draw "NorCal Equine Rescue" on green shirts with a sharpie, or printing out the logo on photo transfer paper and ironing it on. And, in the end, these are cheaper too. Jason and Tawnee modeled the shirts. The shirts look great! We would like to thank CustomInk for making great shirts, and for making a donation after we placed the order.

There are almost 20 people signed up to go to the skating party. We are looking forward to having a lot more people there than that, so invite all your friends! Remember, June 24th (Wednesday) from 1:00 - 8:00 pm. You can even come after work. If you are planning on coming, it would be great to know, please click here and sign up.

A beautiful Australian saddle was donated for the silent auction today. Thank you Deb for your thoughtfulness.

We would like to thank Judy H and Mad Hen Creations for their generous donations today. Please remember to check back this weekend for the Friday Rescue Story, next regular blog Sunday night! Have a great weekend.

5-27-09

Thanks to some generous donations, the auction fund is currently at $540. We really appreciate your gifts of life! The auction is coming right up in a few weeks, let us hope that there are not as many horses in need as there were this month. We would like to thank Lori H, Sara H, Cynthia B and Carolyn H for their generous donations today. The rescue cannot run without your support!
Bay Area Equestrian has posted the video that Jason co-starred in. Click here to watch the video. It was nicely done, and hopefully it will educate people on what happens if they dump their horse at an "easy out" option like a livestock auction or place a "free, 1st come 1st serve" type of add.

Naomi came out today to pick up some extra tack to be sold at a yard sale. Hopefully the yard sale sells the tack for a lot of money that will then be used to rescue and care for the horses. Thank you so much for your help Naomi!

Belle, the pony that came in yesterday, amazes us with her beautiful long mane. She is really a stunning little horse to look at.

The entire office day was spent taking pictures of the items for the skating party silent auction, cataloging them, and building the webpage dedicated to the skating party. It just seemed to keep going and going... But, it is finished for now. Read on to learn all about the skating party and what items will be at the silent auction. There is also a link on our home page. Also on our website you can sign up to let us know if you are coming or not. It will help us know how many people to expect, so please click here to be taken to the Skating for Horses page where you can sign up. The following is the writeup that is on the website for your convenience.

Skating For Horses!

You are invited to join NorCal Equine Rescue at Cal-Skate in Chico, Ca. Come celebrate the horses that have been saved while enjoying a day of exciting fun for the whole family.

Admission is only $5 for adults, free for kids under 12. You can "sneak" in for free, but be prepared to be thrown in the fundraiser jail and you can't get out until the jailer is satisfied you have raised enough bail donations by calling your friends for donation pledges! A plaque on the jail will keep track of the best jailbird.

There are also many games and entertainment planned for this day. It will be a fun filled day that the whole family will enjoy and remember! Keep an eye on this page as the activities are ironed out for updates. There will certainly be roller skating, miniature golf, and a silent auction. We are also planning a skating gymkhana, with skating Barrel Racing, skating Pole Bending, and more! If you are planning on being in the skating gymkhana, you will be able to sign up the day of the skating party. We would like to encourage you to bring a new or gently used item to be sold in the silent auction.

What: NER Skating Party - Skating for Horses

When: June 24th, 1:00-8:00 PM

Where: 2465 Carmichael Dr, Chico California

Many retailers, craftsmen, and other generous individuals have donated lovely items to be sold
at the silent auction during the Skating party. Below is a partial list of the items you will find at the silent auction.

Silent Auction Items:

14" Hand-Crafted Crates Saddle Nice light weight barrel saddle. It has beautiful silver Conchos. It's virtually new - only looks like it was ridden once. Donated by: Bare Hoof Trimming
Services

2-Day Rafting Trip - Valued at $335.00 Imagine a guided rafting trip through miles of forested canyon in the beautiful Siskiyou Mountains of northern California. With its combination of whitewater, wildlife, and fabulous mountain scenery, the Klamath is a perfect summer vacation. At evening you'll camp on a large, secluded beach. We'll prepare a delicious meal, tell stories by the campfire, and settle in for a night under the stars. Donated by: Turtle River Rafting Company

Show Dressed Up Gift Certificate $125 gift certificate good towards the purchase of one of
their beautiful show shirts. Show Dressed Up's items run from $19.99 to $125.00, so this gift certificate could get you a really amazing western show shirt. Click here to visit their website, and plan on coming to the skating party, bidding, dreaming, and getting your new show shirt. Donated by: Show Dressed Up

Equine Massage $80 gift certificate good towards an equine massage for your horse friend. Star Equine Massage is committed to the whole horse, body and mind while generating a
valuable life long horse and rider connection that produces measurable differences in the quality of life, health and performance ability.Donated by: Star Equine Massage

Gourd Art This is a beautiful gourd that has been stained and decorated. Has a Native American look to it. Donated by: Renate S.

Horse Book End This beautiful heavy book end (we believe) has a wonderful picture of a horse on it. Donated by: Adam L.

Handmade Necklace Jasper alternated with lamp work beads, carved bone dangle. Donated by: Kabbo Unique Jewalry

Handmade Necklace Rose quarts, shell dangle, sterling silver closure. Donated by: Kabbo Unique Jewalry

Handmade Necklace Glass Beads, silver dangle, sterling silver closure. Donated by: Kabbo Unique Jewalry

Handmade Necklace Aventurine green, beads alternated with crystals, sterling silver closure. Donated by: Kabbo Unique Jewalry

Handmade Necklace Bluish beads, heart dangle. Donated by: Kabbo Unique Jewalry

Bracelet This a beautiful bracelet with rose quarts and a whole lot more. Donated by: Ciao Bella

Pink Baseball Hat Show off your love of horses with this bright pink baseball hat! Donated by: Adam L.

Red Vest Duluth Trading Co. size small vest. Donated by: Adam L.

Black Horse Shirt Brand new Wrangler size medium vest. Donated by: Adam L.

Purple Vest Made by: Black Crater Clothing Co. Donated by: Adam L.

Socks Socklady solmate socks. Mismatched with care in Vermont! 80% Cotton, 19% Nylon, 1% Lycra. Made in USA, size small. Donated by: Adam L.

Purple and white slinky show shirt Almost brand new, very nice. Should catch anyone's eye! Donated by: Tawnee

Lion Chair Portable folding lion chair. Kid size. Fun animal design, opens and folds in seconds. Durable weather resistant fabric. Strong powder coated steel frame. Lock and spacers for safety. Comes with a matching carry case. Donated by: Kim P.

Elephant Chair Portable folding elephant chair. Kid size. Fun animal design, opens and folds in seconds. Durable weather resistant fabric. Strong powder coated steel frame. Lock and spacers for safety. Comes with a matching carry case. Donated by: Kim P.

Cinnamon Mug Mat Place a hot mug or dish on this trivet to release the fragrance! Donated by: Adam L.

Orange Mug Mat Place a hot mug or dish on this trivet to release the fragrance! Donated by: Adam L.

Multitool Hawk 15 function stainless steel multitool with carrying case. Donated by: Adam L.

Red Purse Kathy Van Zeeland purse. Brand new. Style: "Tomato, quilt to my heart, medium stitch." Price tag says $89.00 Donated by: Donna R.

Ivory Purse Kathy Van Zeeland purse. Brand new. Style: "Bone, quilt to my heart, fold over." Price tag says $99.00 Donated by: Donna R.

Decorative Handbag "The Sak, Pink Label" with leather trim. Brand new. Donated by: Donna R.

Black Purse "Dooney and Bourke, All Weather Leather." Very nice handbag. Donated by: Donna R.

Ariat Cowboy Boots Size 9 1/2, brand new. Never worn. Sand and Green color. Price tag says $149.99 Donated by: Kim P.

Riding Boots Ariat lace up riding boots. Brand new in box, size 13. Donate by: California Vaquero

There is still time, if you would like to donate items for the Skating Party and are unable to bring them the day of the event, we would love for you to mail them in. Gift certificates are a great way to show your support. Our mailing address is: NorCal Equine Rescue, P O Box 6108, Oroville Ca 95966.

5-26-09

Thanks to some generous people who donated to help save lives, the auction fund is currently at $50. Thank you so much!
Today was an office day for the most part, there is a lot of planning that is going into the Western States Horse Expo booth, and quite a bit of it got done today. 2500 business cards and 2500 brochures were designed and ordered. Is that enough? We don't know either, it is our first time attending the Horse Expo. The staff shirts are on the way, it will all get pulled together in time!

This afternoon a horse was brought early for the euthanasia clinic. His previous owner had exhausted all financial capabilities trying to help him, and she called us as a last effort.

We are going to have our vet examine him, but we don't feel his quality of life is very good. When he got out of the trailer he laid down and didn't want to get up for quite some time. His hind leg is causing him a lot of trouble.

He was very thirsty, so Tawnee brought some water in a small bucket over to him. He was very thankful for the water. It is really sad that such a beautiful, loving horse is in such sad condition. He has had over $40,000 worth of training, but received an injury that has financially exhausted his owner.

A few hours later a cute little pony was surrendered. Her owners had been on the waiting list and today was their day.

She is a real cutie pie. She took all the new sights and sounds in. She is halter trained, is leery of people, but hopefully with time she will realize that people are not out to hurt her.

She was brought with another horse who came in for the euthanasia clinic. He is in a lot of pain...

...and has a lot of issues going on with his feet. It's always sad when horses come in that we know we will have to say "Goodbye" to right away due to medical reasons, but we are comforted knowing we can provide this service for horse owners who are at the end of their ropes financially and who have no other options. We are so thankful that this horse is not in the slaughter pipeline. Every 5 minutes an American horse is slaughtered. Not this sweet horse!

And now we would like to take some time to highlight what we believe is a cruel and unnecessary risk of horses well being and life. When an event injures 6 out of 17 horse contestants to the point they cannot compete the second night, that should raise some concern right? That is 35% of the contestants being injured to the point of not being able to compete the next day during the very first race. No it does not happen every year that badly, but how high of odds does it take to assume that the entire event should be called off? We are talking about the Omak Suicide Race. Click here to watch the Humane Society video.

Perhaps a brief history lesson will help quench the argument "But it's a long standing tradition!" The Omak Suicide Race started in 1935 by a furniture salesman named Claire Pentz. The race was started as a publicity effort to attract visitors to the Omak Stampede. The race consists of a gallop / slide (oftentimes tumble) down a 62 degree hill, across a river (where horses have drowned during the race) up a hill and into an arena. There are many events that are steeped in tradition that should be stopped. Dog fighting. Cock fighting. Horse fighting. You get the idea. Just because something has been happening for years, does that automatically make it right? We don't believe so either. Click here to read the Humane Societie's article on the Omak Suicide Race.

What can you do to help? Contact the sponsors that support the suicide race. If there are no sponsors, there will be no race. The list of sponsors can be found on the Humane Society page dedicated to the Omak Suicide race by clicking here.

Many thanks to Bridget D, Suzanne M, Gail G, Scott C, and Amanda H. CustomInk .com, who we ordered the NER shirts from, visited our website and donated to help our cause! Thank you all who donated today, you can see your name here tomorrow! Click here. One of the donations today was for $3, no donation is too small to make it on the list, because every dollar helps!

After some deliberation we have decided to make the comments so that we don't have to moderate them, but you will need a Google account. We hope that you enjoy giving feedback!

5-25-09

We have a lot of updates today.

Mr Watson's adoptive family wrote us: "It's been a while since you guys have seen Mr. Watson so I thought I'd send a photo. Yesterday my hubby and I went for a ride and the three handsome guys posed for a photo for me... "

Bailey also is living with Mr Watson: "Bailey is doing well. He's had four rides now. The pic of me on him is from his first ride. Mr. Watson still needs a bit more weight but he is gaining steadily. I discovered that he has had some dressage training. I'm guessing he was trained to first or second level (he knows how to leg yield and extend the trot). He also has some arthritis. We got our shelter up just in time for the heat! The boys are enjoying it. We're also installing a mister in it for them. We love them to pieces! Thanks again."

Moto Moto's adoptive family also sent an update: "I took Moto on his first extensive trail ride from Cal Expo to Old Sac where the Jazz Fest was going on. He handled all the bikes along the American bike trail, responds well to leg pressure to move off the trail as they came whizzing up from behind. Never kicked out at any of the horses. Some issues going under the busy freeway overpasses but who could blame him there. Once we hit Old Sac he handled the wooden planks of the walkway between the Delta King and the steam engine train which was going back/forth with Jazz Fest passengers. Hung out, there were mobs of people who would approach from behind or kids would just come running up to pet the "horsey" take photos, etc. My teacher mode went into effect warning kids & their parents alike, hey you don't just run up to a horse especially from behind! Overall the ride was about 7 hours long. He sure loves to stop off at the river for a drink and wanted to go swimming but not with my new Aussie saddle buddy!!!"

And the last update is from Dakota Flash's family: "Beauty (Dakota Flash) is doing great. We went for the health check on 5/7 and she received rave reviews. She was a very good girl. "

This morning one of our Board of Directors, Scott, was here so he helped with the morning chores. One of his hobbies is rock climbing, so it was no problem climbing right up the hay stack and throwing some off.

Ever wonder how to get down once you are up there? Just leap and hope you don't break any bones!

Scott also did some trimming on some of the low hanging branches. Thanks for your help this morning Scott, it is always nice to have some extra hands to get the work done.

Some visitors came out to spend some time with the horses, and they definitely enjoyed spending some time with Honey and Prince.

While in the round pen, Prince got to experience something new: a halter. He wasn't very keen on the idea, but something else distracted him, Honey rolling in the sand.

Prince decided to run over and give his mommy a bite in the back to help her get up. "Come on mom, don't hang out on the ground!"

Then he stood there standing over her as if he was her superior. Poor Honey, sometimes she gets the bedraggled motherhood look. He is quite the rambunctious little guy.

But, Honey got up and all was well again. Tawnee attached the lead rope and it was time for his first lead lesson.

He was definitely a bit unsure of the situation.

With Mommy there to coach him along, he did great. It was a short lesson, but he is a quick learner.

Cocoa was adopted today! She has come a long way from the first day she came into the rescue, a sad bedraggled little horse. Now she is striking and beautiful. We would like to thank each person that has opened their hearts and homes to horses at the rescue, you have made an amazing difference to the horses lives.

Being Memorial day, it was nice to have an afternoon for the staff to take off. A rare treat indeed!

We would like to thank Jean S, Sonya Z, and Yvonne W for your donations today! Thank you very very much.

5-24-09

Our current needs have been updated for June. The Euthanasia Clinic is starting with $1,200 for the June clinic. The auction fund is starting at $0 as all the funds were used in rescuing 26 horses. The Auction goal is $2,500.



The May Hay Days will continue into June. We have not yet gotten enough donations to purchase hay in the quantity we need to get it really cheap. Thanks to generous donations, it went over the $2,000 mark today! There is still a long ways to go, but it will get there with your help.

There were a lot of visitors that came out today. It was certainly a busy Sunday, despite being Memorial day weekend. Tawnee showed horses to potential adopters. Deb couldn't make it out today, we all missed her greatly.

Another horse that came to the euthanasia clinic went to his forever home today. His previous owners were in a desperate situation, and he had to go. He was adoptable, so he came into our adoption program, and now has left for his new home. Jake is a really sweet boy and is greatly loved.

A horse was surrendered today. She is an Arab mare that her previous owner was no longer able to keep. They said that she is fine in the arena, but gets anxious out of an arena and she needs a more experienced rider.

The pallets where the shavings sit was empty after the stalls were cleaned this morning. Tawnee had a moment to sit down at the picnic table, looked down at the pallets wishing some shavings would be there, and what do you know, there some where! One of the visitors had brought out 5 bags of shavings. Thank you so much for your generosity!

One of the folks who came out today brought a goat stand and Mr T got his feet trimmed in the official way. He was a good boy, and it was definitely a surprise to have someone to offer to trim the goats hooves!

After the goat trimming was done, they loaded up their two new girls. Pearl and Georgia were good girls and got into the trailer without much fuss and were ready to head off to their new home.

Jason and Larry got busy screwing the roofing down on the supports for the new mare motel. Hopefully soon it will be tractored up into place and the new mare motel will be ready for residents.

Kate was here last Sunday and fell in love. Today she was here to take them home. Spike was happy to see his mom again. They cuddled right up for their adoption photo.

She also adopted Priscilla, but somehow she didn't get a face shot for the adoption photo. Instead she got the happy tails picture instead.

Some folks came out today and groomed the horses. The poor skinny ones sure do love the attention they get.

Tawnee decided to make some tea, not normal tea, but alfalfa tea. She went down to the bales of hay, pulled a clump out, and boiled it up. Well, it tasted very alfalfay, and made your breath like the horses. No one was too keen or wild about it, so she decided to try it out on Dottie. Dottie absolutely loved it! She couldn't get enough of it. No doubt Dottie will be begging for her alfalfa tea on a daily basis.

Finally the day settled down, the visitors all left, and the horses were able to sit back and relax.

We would like to thank Cindy M, Tina S, Tamra Y and Debra B for your generous donations! It is donations like yours that enable us to continue rescuing horses in need.

5-22-09

Alla’s Story

Today's story comes from a friend in Australia. It is sad to realize that other countries suffer from the same legal red tape that Animal Control's so seem to be plagued with in this country when it comes to horses suffering. She wrote:

"I do not claim to be an expert about horses, I do not claim to have every single fact of every single side of this story…I just felt the need to tell Alla’s story to the world.

"I first met Alla in Warrnambool the first date to be exact was the 8th of January 2003. I was 13 years old. I have been mad about horses since grade 2 and I had been staying at my Auntie’s I decided to use some of my money for a trail ride with my sister. Originally Alla was called Ella there but I assume as time went on the pronunciation of her name changed. The trail ride went well and I really thought nothing more of it.

"Years later I saw Alla again at an old friend’s place and her new owners were agisting [boarding] her on their paddock. She was a little flighty and didn’t come over for a pat. Apparently the riding school had closed down and the horses had been sold off. I only figured out it was the same horse by a photo and uncanny identical markings. Then they moved to a paddock out the back of my place. The paddock isn’t ours and it’s often the closest I can get to horses. I recognised a grey mare from that old friends place and soon with rummaging through old photo’s found that once again the bay mare in the paddock was Alla…only she wasn’t so well.

"Life had been hard on her and I’m still not quite sure who really owned her but the other owner of the grey mare discovered her rug [blanket] was cutting into her chest on the 18th of June 2006. The kind young girl treated the wound and eventually took off her heavy rug to find she was barely more than skin and bones. She was horribly emaciated and because of the commotion the previous day about her cut chest I came out and chatted with the owner of the grey pony. Looking at her with her head bigger than her shrunken body was horrible and my first concern was what happened if she went down and couldn’t get up?

"On the 20th June 2006 my worst fears were realised when she went down. When the owner of the grey mare turned up I entered the paddock. She didn’t even try getting up as we approached. We called the RSPCA out to be advised on what could be done. They needed to get her up. She was drenched with sugar and water. Alla tried to get up twice. She collapsed back to the ground which was heart breaking to watch. By now the whole neighbourhood had heard the news and even my mother was calling the ranger to see what could be done. Since we didn’t have any officials here then the RSPCA couldn’t legally confiscate the horse and instead they contacted the owners and asked them about what was going to happen. I remember at around 4 or 5:30 on that same day the owners decided the knackery was where she would go. She had been down since early that morning.

"At first I admit I unrealistically thought if she was given enough attention she’d be able to pull through and I was shattered by the lack of caring her owners showed…to just dispose of her. When it finally dawned that she wasn’t getting up, that she had severe infections and her organs were most likely shutting down I resigned myself to the fact that no matter how much I didn’t like it that she was going to be killed no matter what. The knackery seemed so final and torturous…I don’t like horses going there but I don’t like them starving to death either…

"The neighbourhood offered to buy a needle for her, to end her life with some dignity…to even get people in to dig a hole and bury her….the owner refused. The knackery was late…very late. All the while we tried making Alla’s final moments as peaceful as possible bringing things to her that she couldn’t reach herself. We patted her and we knew by now her legs would be numb and her attempts to rise had ceased. She still sat up and she watched us with patient eyes, trusting us.

"Numerous calls throughout the day were futile…the rangers hands were tied, the RSPCA couldn’t go beyond what the owner had said and by the time some high authority figure turned up Alla would be dead. Three of us stayed with her as the sun went down and the knackery still hadn’t arrived. I was finally driven in by the cold with the woman closest to the paddock promising to check her hourly in hope that she’d pass away during the night. Alla was a fighter…she didn’t know the fight would end in death either way.

"I got up early the next morning to find people out with her again. She’d thrashed during the night and dug out a circle around herself. She could no longer sit up in resting position. She no longer wanted to eat. She looked horrible –trust me you don’t want details. My parents and the whole neighbourhood were horrified that she was still alive by nearing to 12 the next day and she’d been down for over 24 hours….the RSPCA were called again, the ranger was called and eventually because of all the commotion even the cops arrived. Neighbours were outraged by her condition and all the red tape we were being faced with. We hadn’t been able to save her, we couldn’t end her life in a respectful manner and she was suffering badly.

"Finally one of the policemen got the okay to shoot her. I didn’t stay to watch….but I stayed to listen when I couldn’t see her. At exactly 12:45pm on the 21st of June 2006 Alla died. That shot…and I felt relief. She was no longer suffering. She wouldn’t have to wait any longer numb and suffering for the knackery man to finally turn up. I was sad that there was nothing I could have done to prevent her death in the first place. She was an innocent caught up in neglect and confusion. It’s been several years since her death now…I keep photos as a reminder, that some people shouldn’t own horses if they can’t provide what they need to survive. When I first met Alla, as I have met many horses but never owned them, I never thought I’d cross paths with her again…but I followed her life and I was there on the day she died. I remember her because I don’t want to forget her and discard her like her owner did and I write this story as a tribute to her life so she didn’t die in vain."

This person wrote this story in hopes that Alla's death would not be in vain. If you see a horse that is suffering, contact the proper authorities, media, rescues, whatever it takes to help the horse before it is too late. Hundreds of horses die from neglect every year, let us all be vigilant to put an end to needless suffering!

5-21-09

Today Tawnee was out and was able to stop by and see Redneck at his foster home. He is doing great and seems to be really happy there. We are so thankful that his foster family is taking such great care of him.

After visiting Redneck Tawnee had to stop at a store, and while she was walking up to the door, a stranger said to her "You sure have been busy haven't you!" Tawnee nodded her head in agreement and continued on her way. Tawnee says it is strange running into people who know you so well, but you don't know them at all.

From there Tawnee went to visit Phoenix at the vet. He is doing as well as can be expected. He is happy to greet people who walk by his stall. He sure has a long way to go, but he'll get there.

To keep people from falling over in a dead faint when they see him, our vet has erected a plaque and had it laminated on his stall door. It says "Hi, I'm Phoenix. I'm a 7 year year old retired race horse who was mistreated by my previous owner. Thanks to NorCal Equine Rescue I am on the mend and getting all the food I can eat. I haven't had good food like this for awhile, so it is a little rich and I get full really easy. I get hand grazed three times a day, I love green grass!"

One of the vet tech's at the vet office gave him a bath today. He really enjoyed it. Of course he lost more hair, but he does have a little fuzz growing in to replace it, but he definitely looks strange. He likes to drink out of the hose.

Cameron was getting his final round of xrays when Tawnee was at the vets. He is such a good boy, he stood nice and still and is so great with his feet.

All the xrays have been passing with flying colors, including this rounds, so it looks like he will become a beach bum soon.

Dottie got to meet Dottie today. Some of you have asked if Dottie, the mini, is a dwarf. Yes she is, as is Macho Man. The little mini's are not up for adoption, they are mascots and go on fundraisers. The new Dottie is available and needs a home. This mare had been rescued by some concerned people and rehabbed nicely. She was pretty much a bag of bones when she was rescued, but she is beautiful looking now.

She was too much horse, both in spirit and size, for her rescuer to want to keep, so she brought her to our adoption program today in hopes we can find her a loving home that can make a great match. She is trained to ride but needs an experienced rider.

Neko was adopted and left to his home today.

He loaded right up and was a very good boy. Neko is a smaller horse, but his new mommy is very petite so they look great together.

We received a few comments and emails, both positive and negative, about the "Bo Needs a Friend" campaign. We are a horse rescue, but we heard the pleas from many of the dog shelters out there. If the first family had adopted a dog, most likely people would be rushing out to adopt a rescued dog as well. The media and attention that would have been focused on dogs in shelters would have contributed greatly to reducing the euthanasia rate, and that is why we posted about the campaign. Anything that can be done to save lives should be done. We checked on Petfinder this evening, and currently there are about 9,352 dogs that are considered to be in the hypoallergenic family. Many of these dogs are no doubt purebreds that would have worked equally well as a family pet as a fashion statement dog. Such as the cute little dog below, Luci. She's a cute little girl that needs a home! Click here to view her page.

An update on the Nebraska case our rescue team went out to help with. Mr Meduna was in court, he is facing 149 class 4 felony's. Each one can give 5 years and/or $10,000 fine. That's a lot to think about, more updates later no doubt as the court case drags on. Click here to read the article.

We would like to thank Charlotte A. and Jenny S. for your donations today! It really helps out, and our hay fund could really use some help. We still have $13,327 left to raise to reach our goal for the summer hay budget. Please remember that every dollar will help! Click here.

5-20-09

Before president Obama was president he said he would adopt a shelter dog "They are mutts just like me."

Unfortunately, he broke the promise and accepted the gift of a rare exotic breed that no doubt came from a puppy mill at worst, or a "high class breeder" at best. Instead of adopting a dog from a shelter and saving thousands, if not millions, of lives by their example, they chose to promote puppy mills and mass produced dogs. Well, now that the damage is done, Bo needs a friend. Simon Cowell of American Idol fame has offered to buy all the food the dog will eat in its lifetime if the Obama's rescue a dog from a shelter. You can help out by writing the Obama's and encouraging them to make our house, the white house, a multi-doggie home. Read all about it by clicking here.

An adoption update. Brecc, the Tennessee Walker, is doing great! His family put a video of him on YouTube, Brecc racing a Paso. Click here to watch it.

The two skinny girls that went to be fostered yesterday arrived safely and are enjoying their new home. Thank you Sandy for taking such great care of them. Their foster mom says "Both horses seem to have settled in wonderfully well. Both got a good grooming and further 'make-over' this morning - manes shortened, hooves painted w/rainmaker, derma-gel on all of their 'boo boos', swat around eyes and a good wipe down with fly spray. Lyla & Tehya both really enjoy their carrots and horse cookies as well as their portions of hay three times a day."

Animal Control came out to visit us today. Yesterday they had talked to Jason and made arrangements to bring out a couple horses that were abandoned. Then Jason promptly forgot about it. Today Tawnee was manning the phone's and Animal Control called up to say they were on their way. Sure enough, they soon arrived and two beautiful horses were ready to get off the trailer.

They were abandoned in someone's pasture, and then the owners of the pasture turned them loose on the road. Animal Control headed out to pick them up and take them to safety. After the required wait to see if the owner would turn up, they brought them here.

They definitely enjoyed rolling in the round pen for awhile before going to their temporary pen.

The lady who have a hold on Benji and Gage came out to visit them today. It as decided that Benji was not a good match, but Gage is still tugging at her heart strings.

They also donated a couple bales of hay, thank you so much! It's something we sure use a lot of around here...

Shortly after they left, we got a phone call "Hi, I've got 5 bales of oat hay I would like to bring you." It seemed to be the hay donation day. They came out and also brought apples and carrots for the horses, which of course Dottie and Macho Man laid claim to immediately.

Dottie headed off to roll in the sand. She looks like a round barrel with toothpicks her legs are so short.

After she was done rolling, she used the apples and carrots to transform herself into Dottie the super horse as she galloped around the round pen.

After Dottie was done, Prince and Honey were given use of the round pen. Prince didn't roll, but he really enjoyed prancing around.

He is growing so fast and is becoming quite the handsome young horse. He really loves people and has no fear. He will walk right up to people and want you to play with him. He definitely got imprinted with all the handling he received from birth.

The visitors were getting ready to leave, so Jason and the lady unloaded the hay. She kept remarking that she had brought her trailer so Dottie and Macho Man could go home with her. Certainly not!

"AQHA Official Celebrates Pending Slaughter of Quarter Horses." If that is as upsetting for you as it is for us, click here to read the article. Unbelievable that the AQHA wants horses to be slaughtered so they can make more money registering new horses.

Debi, thank for your donation dedicated to your daughters: Amber & Ileia. And thank you Joyce D and Rebecca O for your generous donations today! It really helps out, especially with the feed bill of just hay being about $100 a day. Click here to donate, helping us help horses, and see your name here tomorrow!

5-19-08

This morning while doing morning chores Tawnee brought the camera along. It is one of the delightful things about the rescue, seeing all the happy faces waiting for their breakfast.


Dottie and Macho Man wanted to get a carrot from the tack room. They are so cute, and their little faces always bring joy to everyone who meets them.

After the chores were done, the day got hectic. People started arriving to look at horses. We had an appointment at the vet in early afternoon, so Jason had to take over helping the people look at horses. It interrupted his email blitz, but in the end he got 99% caught up anyway, 75 emails were written by Jason today!

Neko was shown to a potential adopter, and they really seemed to bond. It was so wonderful watching them. The potential adopter laid her head on his forehead as she gently stroked his face. You could see the love and the bond that was developing.

About this time Tawnee was loading up Priscilla for her vet appointment.

Jason loaded up Lyla and Tehya. They were going to a foster home for rehabilitation and TLC.

On the way to the vet, Tawnee had to pull over not once, but twice for the giant house boats heading up to Lake Oroville. At least there is enough water in it to float the big boats, late last summer it was practically a mud puddle.

Another reason Tawnee was heading to the vet was because Phoenix was on his way! Sandy, a previous adopter, had volunteered to drive the many hours to bring Phoenix from Taylor vet to our vet. Thank you so much Sandy! Taylor Equine Hospital was truly wonderful to work with. The day we found out about Phoenix's condition, we called them around 11:00 am asking if we could have a vet go examine Phoenix. At 1:00 Dr Kristin Fosnaugh was out there. At 5:00 pm she was back out there with a trailer to transport him back to the hospital where Phoenix has been since then. Thank you so much Taylor Equine Hospital for taking care of sweet Phoenix and for giving a 25% discount on his care! Click here to visit their website.

Phoenix arrived at the vet safely. When Tawnee arrived he was already settled into his new stall. He was nibbling on his food.

After Tawnee had taken a quick peek at Phoenix she unloaded Lyla and Tehya from our trailer and into Sandy's trailer. She will be helping them get back to being fat and healthy once again.

We can't thank Sandy enough for taking time out of her busy schedule to drive all over for us to get Phoenix up here, and then for fostering the two girls.

After Sandy had left Tawnee headed back to get better acquainted with Phoenix. He is so so so emaciated.

He is the skinniest horse that Dr Fosnaugh, Dr Weaver and Tawnee have ever seen alive.

His skin is shrink wrapped around his distinctly visible skeleton. He is, literally, a walking mummy.

Dr Fosnaugh believes he has gained about 75 lbs since he was rescued. Can you image Phoenix weighing 75 lbs less?

He is about 16 hands and Dr Weaver believes he is currently around 500 lbs underweight.

He is bright eyed, and seems thankful for being rescued. He is one of the sweetest horses, it is as if he knew that his life was spared and he wants to thank us, but he has no voice. So he looks at us with those big eyes as if saying "Thank you."

Priscilla was patiently waiting for her pre-adoption exam. She is such a pretty girl, everyone that sees her just oogles over her. Their mouth drops open when Tawnee says she was at an auction 9 days ago and sold for $100, meat price.

Her pre-adoption exam went wonderful. Dr Weaver called her potential adopter, Kate, informing her of everything she saw during the examination. We got an email from Kate this evening that says: "I love your vet she is fantastic would love to meet her, I was very impressed." We all here at the rescue love Dr Weaver too! She is awesome.

After Priscilla's examination Tawnee visited Phoenix one last time for the day. He was standing comfortably in his stall taking in his surroundings. He has a long ways to go, but there is a lot of life left in this young horse.

Ever hear of a Sheriff being suspended and demoted for enforcing animal cruelty laws? Click here to read about it.

One of the donors to the silent auction for the Skating Party (June 24th, don't forget!) emailed us, and told us that she will donate 20% of the purchase price for items bought on her website with the promo code Norcal. Click here to visit her website. Thank you so much Laura!

A big "Thank You!" to Constance, Bridget and Gail for donating today. Every donation really helps the rescued horses in our care. Click here to see your name (or your company name) here tomorrow!

5-18-09

The New York Times ran an article on May 1st about why horse slaughter is "necessary." We all know that horse slaughter is not only not necessary, it is wrong, inhumane and cruel. They also stated "Last fall, a certain town in Northern California announced that horses could be brought to town on a certain Saturday for no-questions-asked euthanization. It was the most merciful thing to do." No doubt that jab was referring to us, but, can't they even get the day right? The clinic is on Wednesday, not Saturdays, and the town was not taking horses, we were. If they didn't get those simple facts right, how much of the rest of the article is wrong?

They also stated that $400 million is needed to care for the unwanted horses, along with the following quote: "We must recognize that there is a market for horse meat (not only for human consumption, but also for zoo and circus-animal consumption) and that in a starving world, a source of protein should not go to waste for sentimental reasons. It is sentimentality that has resulted in profounder cruelty to our horses — because we don’t accept that they are animals and have a utilitarian purpose, we hide from what happens to them, and so what happens to them happens in secret." Let's put this in another light. There are only roughly 100,000 horses that are shipped for slaughter every year. Average euthanasia and disposal is $150. That would be a mere $15 million. A far cry from the $400 million they want to claim is needed. There is a big market for dog and cat meat too in other countries, why let the 4-6 million dogs and cats that are euthanized yearly in the United States go to waste instead of feeding hungry children? As stated in the New York Times article, horses are animals and have a utilitarian purpose, well, don't dogs and cats too? A good heavy dog weighs in at over 100 lbs and can feed a hungry child for quite some time... It's because it is inhumane and wrong! We don't ship our dogs and cats to slaughter, and it is time to stop shipping our horse companions to slaughter too! Click here to read the article. Humane euthanasia is the humane solution for the over breeding of horses that has already happened, just like it is humanity as a whole's responsibility to euthanize dogs and cats that do not have homes.

The Modesto Bee must hire better writers, their article was much better... Back to the rescue happenings of today. Tawnee and Jason worked on the computers a lot of the day. There were lots of emails to catch up on, and there still are almost 100 in the inbox. Last week was so hectic with 30 horses being rescued that almost no emails were written.

We have an exciting announcement. There are a small number of people who receive the blog entries in their email every day, previously reserved for the board of diretors, large donors and NER Members. But now, if you are on the mailing list, you will get it too! That's right, the daily blog will be sent to your inbox every evening after it is published. We hope that you enjoy reading the blog in your email. This is a great way to keep involved with what happens here at the rescue on a daily basis.

There are a couple new items on the home page, click here to check them out!

And, there is a new program on our website that has been started. It is "The Gift that Lasts" and you can read all about it by clicking here.

Tawnee showed horses this afternoon. Donna came up to take Passion home, and when her transporter pulled up, Tawnee said "That's a big trailer, you'll probably be leaving with more than one." Sure enough, she ended up adopting Cloud and Little Man as well. Cloud was in adoption pending, but after his evaluation he was not a good match for his potential adopter. Tawnee called them up and explained, and so he got to go home with Donna, who was the perfect match. Little Man will be going to a trainer to get some education.

Since they did not have 4wd, Jason just hooked up the tow chain before they headed up the hill and pulled them along. If you come to the rescue you'll be fine in the car, but if you are pulling a trailer, you'll need 4wd or we will just have to tow you.

The hay guy, Troy Hay Sales, came this evening with a load of hay we had ordered. He brought some great news with him: there is hay coming in that should be $7.50 a bale delivered. We are going to get a couple bales to see how the horses like it. Any donations to the May Hay Days are definitely needed! This load was over $2,000 at $10.50 a bale.

As the hay was being unloaded the sun was setting.

We would like to thank you for your support. For everyone that is reading this for the first in your email, welcome! If you do want to unsubscribe for any reason, there is a link below that will do that automatically. We will still be sending occasional Special Edition E-News to the mailing list as well.

5-17-09

An update on Phoenix. Jason talked to the vet this evening and Phoenix is doing really well. It is so nice that he is pulling through. Modesto Bee did an article on Phoenix, and it is really good. Click here to read it, feel free to add a comment if you would like. It was one of the featured stories in the Sunday paper.

Honey and Prince are still both doing great. Today Prince got to explore Dottie and Macho Man's pen. Dottie and Macho were turned loose and Prince was thoroughly amazed by his new surroundings. He is used to walking on flat ground, so it was a good change for him to find some hills to climb.

He was definitely putting on a cute show as he checked everything out.

Jaime was the first to arrive this morning, with bags of shavings. We just used up the last bag of shavings we had when she drove in.

Tractor Supply generously donated 6 bags of shavings, the ones Jaime brought out this morning. Thank you so much for your support Tractor Supply!

After the shavings were unloaded, Deb had arrived, as well as a new horse. She is a Paso mare, about 8 years old. She was in a bad situation, her rescuer brought her here in hopes we can find her a wonderful home.

Kate came out today to meet Priscilla, who she has in adoption pending. She also brought a huge bag of carrots along to sweeten up every ones day.

In the mare motel, the 4 emaciated horses got a good grooming and makeover today. It is a lot warmer here than where they are used to, so they no doubt enjoyed getting all that excess hair brushed off. The sad thing is, it just made them look even skinnier.

Jaime brought Popsicles for everyone. We doubt she had Macho Man in mind when she was buying them. He absolutely loved munching on them today! Dottie wasn't too keen on it, but Macho Man couldn't get enough.

Macho Man also enjoyed a picnic with Kate, as he gently took the chips from her hand. The little guy got spoiled today!

Everything was fine and well until Dottie came running over and took charge. She grabbed the chip bag and claimed it for her own. Kate jumped up to reclaim her chips and that was the end of the picnic.

Pike's mommy came out today to take him home.

Pike seemed so interested while the adoption papers were signed, it was as if he knew his life was changing for the better. Poor Pike, his previous owner had been thrown in jail, and the owner called her brother to let him know "I've got some horses [Pike and Jack] out in a pen. I'm in jail now, so find someone to shoot them..." Her brother contacted us asking for help, so we brought them into our organization and now they both have forever homes. Thanks so much Carrie for opening your heart and home to Pike.

Meanwhile, Prince was taking a nice sunbath. He was tired out from the excitement of being in the new pen.

Deb and Kate were hanging out in the shade, it was over 100 degrees, so the shade sure was a good alternative to the blazing hot sun.

A lot of the horses were evaluated today and shown to potential adopters despite the heat. Many horses are now in adoption pending.

Kate also fell in love with Spike, and she now has two horses in adoption pending. As soon as her application is approved, she should be taking them home. She was approved to adopt from us previously, but it's been over 6 months so her application must be redone.

And yes, Tawnee was out of uniform today. It was her 25th birthday, and she says she wasn't going to wear no stinkin' uniform on her birthday. She was going to be as cool and comfortable as possible. At the end of the day Honey and Prince were put back into their large pen. It was neat seeing how much more confident Prince was about unlevel ground by the end of the day. He just gets cuter by the moment!

5-15-09

The Grey Goose

Grey Goose, known as Mariah while at NorCal Equine Rescue, was rescued at a livestock auction in 2008. He was skinny and sad, looking quite hopeless.

After he was rescued and he had gained a little weight, he went to the vet for his examination. He checked out great, he just needed some more groceries.

About that time we were contacted by a very nice lady in Hawaii who said she was looking for a horse and wanted to adopt one from us. She came out and fell in love with Goose.

She signed the adoption papers, and then transportation arrangements had to be made. He went back to the vet for his health certificate, coggins, and all the other stuff needed to start his journey.

Among everything else he had done at the vet he got his teeth floated.

Finally the big day came, he was off on the next stage of his journey.

He headed down to the transporter that would take him across the ocean.

He was transported in a specially made transport container made just for horses.

He had his own comfortable stall.

Soon his voyage began.

On Valentines day, Goose was able to meet his dad who is serving in Iraq.

Goose is enjoying life in paradise, eating yummy grass and spending his days frolicking with his friends.

He is quite a different boy now, so full of life and joy.

Goose is receiving hunter / jumper training and soon we should have show pictures. We are so glad that Goose is doing so well and is truly happy. It's so sad to think about what his future could have been if he had not been rescued at the livestock auction.

5-14-09

We would like to let you know about a new fundraiser going on at SC Equine. They make wonderful horse hair key chains, and with every purchase of a keychain $5 is donated to NorCal Equine Rescue. Click here to visit SC Equine.

Transportation arrangements were made for Jazzy, and Tawnee transported her to Ron and Claire's, where she will be boarded until further arrangements are made.

The trip over to Ron and Claire's was uneventful and she settled right in. Ron has been busy with his new job and Claire is a full time mom now. Congratulations! We appreciate them being able to take Jazzy since there are so many horses here at the rescue.

After Jazzy was moved, Tawnee headed out to the vet. Horses needed their examinations and Cameron needed his pre-adoption exam. First his vital signs were taken, a visual lameness check, etc.

Cameron's feet were thoroughly checked out, everything was A-OK and soon his examination was over. X-Rays will be taken tomorrow just to make sure everything inside looks great before he ships out to Hawaii, but the visual inspection was great.

After his examination he enjoyed a nice bath. It's definitely getting warmer and warmer with each passing day. He really enjoyed the cool water.

After Tawnee got back from the vet, Jason loaded up the tractor and took it back to its home. We cannot possibly thank Rico and Kim enough for letting us use it for so long, it has been a tremendous help, especially over the muddy winter. It was a lifesaver!

Jason arrived back at the rescue after midnight. There was lots of road construction going on that delayed his trip, but he did make it back safely.

5-13-09

The only fundraiser currently going (other than the ever needed, never donated enough to general operating) is the May Hay Day fund. It is currently at $1,598 thanks to your generosity. Thank you so much for providing funds to buy hay for the rescued horses.

We have some great news! For the first time ever, we will be at the Western States Horse Expo. We are excited to announce that the Horse Expo is sponsoring our booth, booth 2002 in building B. Jaime has been working diligently on getting them to donate a booth, and she was successful today. The Expo runs from June 12-14 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento. Jaime is heading up the Expo, Jason and Tawnee will be there on Friday, and maybe on Sunday. Thank you so much Horse Expo and Jaime for making it happen this year! Click here to learn about the Horse Expo.

Just a reminder to put on your calender, June 24th is the Skating for Horses fun day at Cal Skate in Chico, CA. You won't want to miss this fun event. There will be roller skating, miniature golf, Macho Man and Dotie will be there, just a whole lot of fun things to do. It is from 1-8 pm June 24th. Don't miss it, fun for the whole family. Click here to visit the Cal Skate website.

Today was the euthanasia clinic, here Tawnee is loading up the poor mare with Melanoma. It is so sad, but it is the only way to end her suffering.

Cameron also went to the vet for his pre-adoption exam. We always recommend that people get the horse they are interested in adopting an examination. This guy just might be heading off to Hawaii to join Mariah, the Grey Goose, living in the lap of luxury.

For the first time ever, the Euthanasia Clinic was not overbooked, but only 1 horse came to the clinic from the public. We believe this is a positive sign! It is great that people are being able to care for their older horses now that winter is over, grass is growing and hay is getting cheaper. It is looking better for the horses out there. There will be a bunch of funds left over for the June euthanasia clinic.

From the vet Jason and Tawnee headed to Taylorsville where NorCal was started. A guy was not caring for his 4 horses, and the county decided to seize them. On the way was the mandatory road construction that delayed the trip a bit.

The tunnels of hwy 70 are always fun to drive through.

Finally after the long drive up the canyon, the beautiful green Indian valley stretched out before them.

When we arrived, we had to arrive for the 2 sheriff deputies. Come to find out, Tawnee knew the owner of the horses. He had wanted to adopt from us previously when we were in Taylorsville, but he did pass the adoption application and was denied. And a few years later we were at his house to seize his severely neglected horses.

Once everyone was grouped together, they all headed out.

They arrived at the man's house and pulled into his driveway.

The faces that greeted Jason and Tawnee seemed really sad. 1 horse had already died. Since Tawnee was in the Taylorsville area for so long, she believes she knows one of the horses.

It is hard to tell since they are so emaciated, but the bay Arab mare she believes is a gymkhana horse, and she has seen her performing magnificently in many gymkhana's, back then sleek and beautiful. It was so sad to see these starved horses.

The horses were just so sad and dejected looking, it was awful!

Jason and Tawnee, along with the county officials, got to work catching and haltering the horses.

It was nice having the Sheriff officers there, just in case the owner caused trouble.

Soon all the horses were caught and were being led out of their pen.

And then they were loaded gently one by one.

You could see glimmers of hope in their eyes as they were loaded. "Am I actually leaving this horrible place with no food or water?"

The terrible neglect is obvious.

Once the 4 horses were loaded, it was off to the closest vet office to get them examined. It was a treat for Tawnee as it was the vet NorCal used to use when it first started.

At the vet the horses were peering out, wondering what lay ahead. Glimmers of hope were plain to see in their eyes.

Each of the horses were examined by the kind vet. Each one was given a body score of 1. They still have their winter, shaggy wormy coats so it is hard to see in the pictures how skinny they truly are.

One by one the horses were examined. When Tawnee went in to get this horse out of the trailer, she couldn't help but see the pain of abuse in its eyes.

Her poor little body is so skinny.

The horses were all dehydrated. At their home there was no water in sight. Every time the county worker was there, they had no water either. They were very grateful as the vet techs brought buckets of water out to them.

The Arab mare enjoyed nibbling some grass while waiting for her examination.

Soon it was her turn. She stood there like a good girl while she was examined.

Finally all the horses were examined, loaded up, and ready to head off to the rescue. Each one is fine medically other than lack of care.

The community has been very supportive of the rescue efforts. Hay has been donated to the rescue. Locals have stated they are hoping to get some donations coming our way to help with the horses. We greatly appreciate this! We know there are a lot of people local to the situation that have been calling us. Thank you so much for your concern and efforts, you can rest assured that the horses are in a much better place and are receiving the care they so desperately need.

One the way back down the canyon, everything was going fine until they came upon this truck that had wrecked on the road. You can almost never drive up and down Hwy 70 without seeing a wreck alongside the road. It's nice to see the wreck, the scary ones are the ones that go off the other side of the road, down the bank, and are never seen again... Several Highway Patrol, fire trucks, ambulance, etc went flying up the roads several miles down the road. We felt sorry for the poor horses ears as the sirens screamed by.

Back at the rescue, the poor skinny horses were unloaded without incident and put into the comfortable stalls.

They're definitely happy to get some good food and clean water after their big ordeal.

Any donations are greatly appreciate for our herd of emaciated horses. It seems to be growing by the day. Phoenix is doing somewhat better, and will be strong enough to travel next week, hopefully Monday. Thank you all for your support, it really makes a huge difference in the lives of so many horses.

5-12-09

The May Hay Day received a few more donations today, it is currently at $1,499. Let's all pull together and get some hay brought in for the rescued horses!

The auction horses are waiting patiently for their chance to be evaluated and adopted into forever homes. They are all doing fine and so far there is no sign of sickness among them. They will be on the available page as soon as we have some basic information on them and their intitial evaluation is done.

Bay Area Equestrian Network in association with Padma Video, LLC is producing some great video's for horse lovers. The latest one they are working on is about options for horse owners facing the need to give up their beloved friend. The video is co-hosted by Jason, so Kathy came out today to film for a few hours.

Different horses, many different lines to be spoken into the camera.

A lot of film was shot and we are waiting anxiously for the video to be edited and released. You can see Bay Area Equestrian's other video's by clicking here.

Tawnee rode the big Warmblood, Cameron, today and he did get great. He will hopefully be adopted by the person who placed a hold on him. She has adopted from us before, and no doubt Cameron would enjoy living in Hawaii. A lot of the horses that were rescued at the auction are trained to ride, let us know if you are looking for a riding horse to add to your family. Many of the horses are in adoption pending, and will be adopted after their evaluation is completed. If you are interested in one of the horses, please contact us prior to putting a hold on it.

Jason and Tawnee headed down to Roseville to get the last load of horses. The trip is getting to be quite routine! Thankfully, no flat tires today.

The horses seemed pleased to see us, no doubt wondering where all their new friends have been going over the last couple days.

Down the alleyway they walked, and then loaded without incident into the trailer.

On the drive back, the sunset was so beautiful in the rearview mirror.

They pulled into the rescue right about sundown.

The last group of auction horses were unloaded, excited to be at the rescue.

They all are happily eating hay and drinking nice clean water. They can rest easy, knowing that we will do everything we can to insure they will never go through the horrors of a livestock auction again.

5-11-09

First of all we got a great update from the vet attending Phoenix: "Phoenix is doing well. He greets me at the stall window now with his head out. The diarrhea is still coming but I started him on Biosponge to help a little. He also greatly appreciated his hind end bath and tail grooming session. "
" We were able to get out all the burs, foxtails, and diarrhea clumps along with the knots."

"He looks pretty silly though with his nice tail in a braid and the rest of him looking, well, you know. He also got his feet cleaned and the foxtails out of his gums. " We are so glad that Phoenix is getting the care he so deserves. He is so sad looking, but holds himself quite regally despite his condition.

The May Hay Day fund could certainly use some help! Even if you only have an extra $10, that can certainly help buy some hay. It is currently at $1,418.

The May Euthanasia Clinic is this Wednesday, we still have $1145 left to raise. Well over half way there.

First thing Jason and Tawnee went to town to get the tire fixed and do some errands. We would like to thank the anonymous person who came while we were gone and cleaned stalls. We appreciate the help, but due to liability issues we cannot have people wandering around the property while staff is not here. We are not open to visitors during the week except by appoint. But, smile, you were on video, and thanks for walking the wheelbarrow full of manure all the way to the far pile. Back in town during the errands, Les Schwab gave the call that the tire was ready, so Jason and Tawnee could head down to the auction yard to get some more of the rescued horses.

The big trailer was hooked back up. Jack and the buckskin that volunteer Jaime had fallen in love with, were loaded up to go to Jaime's home to live forever.

They arrived at Jaime's house, and the horses were so excited to be at their new home.

They love their stalls and settled right in as Jason and Tawnee were leaving.

They finally arrived at the auction yard. They backed up to the loading area, and to their horror they heard the altogether too familiar hissing sound of a flat tire. Yes, that is right, another flat tire. This time the tire had picked up a screw.

Jason got right to work changing the tire, and as he has almost as much experience as a Nascar pit crew, it was quickly done.

Tawnee grabbed a chair, sat back, and was tickled pink that she was not changing the tire this time.

The horses were patiently waited to be loaded up in the trailer. This horse a few years ago sold for $60,000. He's an imported Warmblood and is truly a gorgeous boy. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The horses all loaded up with no problems and 9 were brought back to the rescue.

On the way back to the rescue, Jason and Tawnee's were at the stoplight. The car beside them rolled down their window and the driver started pointing frantically. Jason rolled his window down and they both heard her yell very enthusiastically: "You're Jason and Tawnee, I read your blog every day, I love you, you're the bbbeeesssttttt!!" as she drove away. Thanks for cheering their spirits!

Back at the rescue, the horses were unloaded and settled into the holding pens for the night. They enjoyed a great supper, lots of good water and are waiting to see what new adventures tomorrow will bring. We still have 1 more load of horses to bring them all back.

5-10-09

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we are going to mostly let the pictures do the speaking this blog. It was a huge auction rescue day, and 1 horse went to his forever home.

Moto Moto was loaded up to head to his new forever home before the auction. After he was in the trailer Tawnee and Jaime headed off towards the auction.


On the way, since we mentioned that we had not had many flat tires, Tawnee noticed pieces of tire flying off the trailer.

The tricky part was, pieces of the flat tire had actually ripped the wheel well into the tire.

With some heaving and hoing from Tawnee, the lug nuts were loosened.

Then Jaime took action on the wheel well and started whacking it back into place. Slowly it got bent away from the tire.

Then the spare tire was put on, the lugnuts were tightened, and off they went.

They finally arrived at Moto Moto's new home. His adopter had to show off Smokey, who she had adopted previously. He is doing great and is a beautiful boy.

She is tickled pink to have Moto Moto as a permanent addition to her family.

Then it was off to the auction. Right away Tawnee and Jaime noticed there were a lot of horses and not a lot of buyers. There were 83 horses there today! A woman walked up to Tawnee and handed her a $500 check. She said "I read your blog every day, I wanted to meet you for mothers day." Wow, thank you so much for your generosity Jan! As the bidding continued, more and more horses just kept coming in, and they were almost all going for $50-$100. We were planning on rescuing 8-10 horses, but the need was far too great. There were just not a lot of people wanting to buy horses. If a horse does not sell for $50 or more, it is passed out no sale. About 8 of the horses were $50 that we rescued today. By the end of the auction 26 horses were lucky enough to be heading to the rescue. Enjoy their pictures! More details will be coming soon on the available page.

Poor hocks.

Worse case of melanoma we have seen at the rescue.

The horses were taken out of their holding pens to a large holding pen to await transportation.

Soon the large holding pen was full. This was the view to the right...

...and the left. All horses that we we rescued today. Jaime fell in love with an older buckskin gelding, she says he is the perfect friend for Jack. Her place is all set up and ready for them, so they'll be going home soon.

All the young horses were separated and loaded up. We wanted to make sure they made it in the first trip to the rescue.

They all hopped in the trailer like good li'll horses.

Then some of the big ones.

Jaime and Tawnee headed to the rescue and arrived well after dark. No fun Mother Day's parties for them. For them (both mother's of small children) it was a day of changing tires and saving horses. There are still 2 more loads of horses at the auction to pick up to bring them back to safety at the rescue.

The horses were ready to be unloaded into waiting empty pens.

They were all put into holding pens to await daylight.

They enjoyed fresh clean water.

Then Jason fed them their supper (which, for many of them, may have been breakfast.)

They are all enjoying some nice yummy food.

26 horses owe their lives to your generosity! Thank you for saving their lives.

5-8-09

No rescue story today, too much happened. Do enjoy reading the days events though!

First thing this morning the stock trailer had to be unloaded. 80 some bales later, Jason was done with that job.

3 horses and mule went to be retired at Home at Last. Boo-A had become great friends with Dancing Drum while at the rescue. Dancing Drum was on the sanctuary list, so we added her best friend too. Little Blue was heading to her adoptive home today as well.

A film documentary crew arrived at the rescue shortly after 8:00 this morning and began videoing the days events.

Roddy rode with Jason and Tawnee and did in truck interviews.

Our first stop was at the vet office to get some film shot of Honey getting her teethe floated.

Honey was a good girl and is quite the great looking movie star despite being sedated and woozy.

The film crew stood back and got some great shots we hope.

From there we went to Home at Last. Home at Last is a great horse sanctuary that we work with closely. We always love visiting their place and we especially appreciate the enthusiasm that Jim and Donna have for the well being of horses. We wanted them to share their perspective for the documentary, and they did great on film.

Tucker the Mule was quite intrigued by the camera, he is such the sweet loving guy.

Jim and Donna did an interview, told some stories, shared their thoughts and ideas, and overall really stood up for the horses.

The film crew was great and even sent one of them up the tree for a different perspective on the interview.

After filming at Home at Last we took Little Blue to her new home. It is so great that Little Blue has a forever home.

The film crew enjoyed filming the adoption of Little Blue.

Little Blue's mommy donate some extremely beautifully decorated gourds for the skating party silent auction.

And then it was back to the vet. Jason and Tawnee were interviewed there, the film crew was running out of time and so they did the interview there.

Jason was the first one to get the spotlight, literally. They had a huge reflective thing they would hold that was more like a magnifying glass, and Jason felt like the ant.

Tawnee thought Jason was being a bit silly about the lighting, until it was her turn. She describes her eyes feeling as the same as when you go to the dentist, get your teethe cleaned, and they have the squeaky clean feeling. Instead of your teethe feeling shiny and slippery, that's how her eyes felt.

The film crew headed off, they had a 10 hour drive to go to make it to a livestock auction tomorrow. We would like to thank Change for Balance for tackling such a huge project. They are making a documentary titled "Equine Destiny: Facing the Future of America's Horses." Click here to visit their website.

Midge's feet were xrayed. We wanted to make sure he was doing OK. He was having a lot of foot problems during his previous adoption, and we wanted to make sure there was nothing permanently wrong with him. We are pleased to report that with more corrective shoeing and some rest, he will be fine.

Next Red got his xrays. Red has been very ouchy with his feet ever since he was surrendered into the rescue. His feet were very long when he was surrendered, and despite all the trims, he still had pain.

The xray revealed why: he has founder, navicular and side bone. There is only one thing that will end his pain and suffering: humane euthanasia. He is such a beautiful boy, it is so sad, but we know that allowing a horse to suffer is not humane. He's had a good long life.

Prince turned 30 today! 30 days that is, which means, it was time to be born. Prince was born on April 8th, and now it's May 8th, and he should have been born today. Now he is strong enough to come back to the rescue.

Everyone at the vet office was sad to see them go. But we are glad to have them back! They are also glad that he is doing well enough to head back to the rescue.

When he went to the vet it was a 1 person job to carry Prince, since he only weighed 30 lbs, now it is a 2 person job to carry him to the waiting trailer. He is strong enough to run around, play and kick, it's just the easiest way to get a baby into the trailer.

Back at the rescue they were happy to get out of the trailer and into a nice stall.

Prince is just such a cute little guy!

5-7-09

First Phoenix's update. The Vet sent us some more pics of Phoenix, she says "This is how he greets everyone."
"It is amazing to see his bright eyes considering the state that he is in."

"Everyone here loves him and takes him out to the grass on their breaks for short periods of sun time." The vet says that he will most likely lose all of his hair except his mane and tail, no doubt he will be a very beautiful boy once his hair comes in.

The May auction rescue fund is currently at $1235. Almost half way there! 49% of the goal has been raised, together we can make it 100%!

After the morning chores were done Jason and Tawnee loaded up 4 horses into the trailer to go to the Gridley pasture.

Of course there had to be a flat tire involved. It's actually the first one in awhile, surprising enough. No we haven't just been hiding them from the blog, it has just been awhile.

Harry, Sweety Pie, Tabby, and Tweet are certainly enjoying the 10 acre irrigated pasture.

Passion was adopted today! Her adoptive mommy came out to meet her, they fell in love with each other, and transportation arrangements are being made. Passion's adoptive mommy has adopted from us before, and the time was right to add a new family member.

When Jason got back he started working on a chore that needed to be done for a long time. The lattice has been sitting around waiting for someone to take the 30 minutes to get it up, and Jaosn finally had 30 minutes that he took to get it done. The tack room and the office now have pretty white lattice around their foundations.

About this time Tawnee headed off to the vet. Some horses needed to get checked out. Their appointments are for tomorrow, but it worked better in our schedule to take them out today.

Tawnee arrived safely at the vet, got the horses unloaded and into their pens, and headed back to the rescue.

The horses all settled in and are enjoying a nice supper at the vets.

Tawnee was just dying to see a face she hadn't seen in awhile: Prince!

He's getting to be a big boy now! He's big enough to be born and is ready to come back to the rescue.

He loves running and playing. It is so wonderful to see him so healthy, full of life, and enjoying every minute of it.

He's just so cute!

He finally grew into his head. When he was born his head seemed to be bigger than his body, but now he has a nice proportion.

He has a voracious appetite and is growing like a weed.

Back at the rescue, the fencing is coming along great. It is almost ready for the wire to be stretched tight.

The tack room looks so much better with the lattice underneath.

Tawnee cleaned stalls late into the evening, making sure everyone was happy.

There is quite the interesting picture posted on our new forum with a "Caption this" contest. Go check it out! There are 34 members, if you haven't signed up yet, you should consider it! Click here to visit our new forum.

5-6-09

First off, we all know you wanting an update on Phoenix, so he is first on the blog. The vet said she found him covered in shavings this morning, he had laid down for a good nights rest. He is no doubt basking in the comfort of his stall and remembers his plush race days. The days he took the stable hands for granted, the ones that would give him his meals, make sure he had good water, and groom him.

The vet took him out for a little walk. He certainly cannot just sit in a stall all the time.

He is still very weak, skinny, and his hair continues to fall out by the lightest touch.

He definitely enjoyed going out and getting a nibble of green grass, basking in the warm sunshine. The vet says his stomach is working good, and you can hear his gut noises working away just by standing outside his stall. Good going Phoenix, we are all rooting for you to pull through!

The May Hay Day fund got some more donations in today, it is currently at $1195. Please donate what you can to help us feed the rescued horses this summer!

The free euthanasia clinic is only $70 shy of being at $1,000. Surely someone will be generous enough to push it over the $1,000 mark by tomorrow's blog!

For several years now we have debated amongst ourselves about having a public forum. Jason and Tawnee did not want to get bogged down in moderating a forum, as they already work between 12 and 16 hours a day for the rescue. Recently, however, a volunteer offered to moderate the forum if we would set it up, so we agreed. You should click here to visit the forum, get signed in, and at least say "Hi!"

Tawnee worked on the website today, and the old Available page has been replaced with a new available page. This is how it used to look.

And this is how it looks now. Feel free to leave a comment and let us know if you like the new look better or not! We are hoping that the bigger pictures will grab at heart strings...

Jason worked diligently on emails this morning after the outdoor chores were done. He got over 40 written. Then, after the computer work was done, he headed out to get some cleanup done. The tractor is going home soon, we are certainly going to miss it. So, the big pile of manure where the stalls are cleaned was moved to its final resting place.

It is really nice to have the pile of manure moved out of sight and out of mind. It just makes it all look cleaner. Volunteers piled the manure there when they are cleaning out the stalls, and we just don't have the heart to tell the hard working volunteers they have to push it another 150' up the hill with the wheel barrow.

And then a couple pens were cleaned out. With the rain they had gotten some surface mud, but it's gone now.

Ranger got a little injury on his forehead today, so Tawnee spent a good deal of time tending to his minor surface wound. It should heal up just fine.

Since the hose was sitting in the sun, with nice warm water inside, Tawnee gave him a sheath cleaning as well. You can tell by his ears that he wasn't too thrilled with the situation.

Gingles decided to explore the rescue and escaped out of his pen today. He found a spot of green lush grass and he enjoyed hanging out, eating away.

Soon Tawnee had him haltered and was leading him to the 5 acre pasture. She snapped this silhouette picture on the way.

The horses are enjoying the 5 acres. We had seeded it, and it really shows. They are wandering around through the green grass, eating a bit here, tasting it there. We were hoping to let the grass grow a little more before we put horses in there, but with the loss of the 20 acres next door it will have to do.

They are certainly enjoying the warm, dry weather. The two old guys in front, Pike and Jack, are enjoying it as well. Jack has been adopted and will be heading to his home soon, and Pike is in adoption pending. It will be sad to see them separated, but they are both going to homes that will give them the best care possible. It's still sad when best friends have to say "Goodbye."

Don't forget to visit the forum, click here!

5-5-09

The entire day was focused on saving one life, in addition to all the daily chores here at the rescue. The rescue started yesterday and has consumed our time ever since. Please get a couple boxes of tissues ready to catch the rivers of tears.


It all started yesterday afternoon, a woman named Diane was driving down a road in central California, when a horse caught her eye. It was standing in a field, all alone. He was very skinny and didn't look healthy in the least. She turned the car around for a closer look. She almost didn't, but something inside her head told her she needed to investigate.


She is an ammature photographer, so she took pictures and posted them on her blog and put a link on another major horse blog, hoping to get help for this horse. Deb saw the pictures and forwarded them to us at the office. Tawnee got in from showing horses yesterday to see the pictures of this sad, bedraggled emaciated horse. There had to be something that could be done.

The pictures from the lady's blog were so heart wrenching.

Tawnee was searching for answers, looking at the horse's pictures seeking to evaluate him to determine what help he needed. She didn't' see signs of old age in his face, just starvation, but it was really hard to tell.

The poor guy, his skin was literally shrink wrapped around his bones.

His hair was falling off just by being touched. Over his body there were large portions of bare skin where his hair was just gone.

The lady looked around for signs of food. He was in a large dry pasture with lots of fox tails. The makeshift barn was empty, no signs of food anywhere.

As soon as Tawnee was done looking at the pictures she called Diane to find out more about the situation. Diane did not know who owned the horse, she had just been driving down the road and took pictures. She was eager to help, but lost at where to start. She called Animal Control's phone #, and was transferred multiple times to different county offices. She finally left a message. Finally someone from Animal Control called her back. He stated he had been keeping an eye on the horse for about a month and they would be coming out in the morning to check on him again. She relayed all this to Tawnee, and Tawnee asked her if she would be able to go out to the property to try to find the owner, talk to the neighbours, whatever it would take to get the horse surrendered. Diane headed out, yesterday evening, to get more pictures to send to us and hopefully find the owner.

The horse was getting water only because one of the neighbours had taken pity on him and had set up a water bucket for him. The neighbour was very helpful, but said she had no clue who the owner was, just that he comes out about once a week. The neighbour had called Animal Control multiple times, but nothing would be done. She was doing what she could by making sure he had water to drink. Diane also took a picture of the horses teethe and emailed them to Tawnee. Tawnee estimated him to be 7-8 years old. There is never an excuse to let your horse get into this condition, but it is especially evil since he is so young.

Early this morning Diane was out at the horses pen to give him some food and await the arrival of Animal Control. While Animal Control was there, Tawnee called Diane and was able to talk to the Animal Control officer. He explained to Tawnee that the horse was a very old horse, there was food for him on the property in the form of some green grass, and that he has been improving in weight and health, other than his hair seems to be falling out. He went on to say that he checks on the horse 2-3 times a day. Tawnee urged him to talk to the owner to see if the owner would be willing to surrender the horse directly to us. The officer told Tawnee that he was planning on putting up a notice that the owner should have a vet out within 48 hours. Tawnee knew from the pictures that 48 hours would probably be too late.

The owner of the horse was contacted by Animal Control. He didn't speak any English, so the neighbour had to interpret the phone call. He stated that he would be willing to surrender the horse over to us. Immediately we went into action. The officer gave us the owner's phone #. Thankfully we have a bilingual speaking volunteer, so arrangements were made for the owner to meet Diane at 5:00 to sign the horse over.

By late morning Tawnee was in contact with a local veterinarian office to get a vet out as soon as possible to evaluate the horse and determine what would be best. The vet office soon called back, they were really great and they offered to reduce the bill by 25% since it was a rescue situation, and they could have a vet out by 1:30. The horse wasn't surrendered to us at this point, but the horse had to get help right away, even if the owner changed his mind.

The vet arrived, and started her evaluation. She was horrified by what she found.

She stated it was the skinniest horse she had ever evaluated that was still alive.

There was just nothing left of him, no reason for him to still be alive.

She aged him at 7 years old, confirming Tawnee's estimate based on a photograph. She also found a lip tattoo, meaning he is an off the track race horse. Just a few years ago he would have been living the life of a true athlete, now deserted and neglected, only hours or maybe a few days from death.

The vet also stated that the dry field he was in was full of fox tails and he had sores throughout his mouth. Every mouthful, of what he was hoping was nourishment, was just causing him more pain.

Diane had brought some oat hay out, so the vet offered it to him, which he gratefully ate and enjoyed.

After the evaluation was done he was turned loose. He wandered off as if there was nothing more people could do for him, sorrowfully hanging his head.

Tawnee was on the phone all day coordinating the rescue effort. Long distance rescue is not nearly as much fun for Tawnee as being hands on, but she did a great job of getting it all pulled together.

We have been in contact with a film production company that is making a documentary titled "Facing the Future of America's Horses." They were planning on visiting the rescue on Thursday and Friday to film part of the documentary, but they were only a little over 100 miles from the emaciated horse, so Tawnee called them to cover it. Like a flash they stopped filming where they were, jumped into their car and headed to the site.

At 5:00 the owner was there to meet Diane and surrender the horse. But he had changed his mind and showed up with 5 bales of hay and 2 sacks of grain. He told Diane that he had changed his mind and going to keep the horse. Diane, being translated by the neighbour, talked him out of it, reminded him that Animal Control was involved, told him there was a film crew that was going to be documenting it, etc. He decided to sign him over and head out as quick as he could. Shortly after the previous owner left, the vet arrived with the trailer to take him to the vet hospital.

There was a short wait for the film crew to arrive, but they were able to make the horse, by now named Pheonix, feel loved and cared for.

Poor Pheonix, he is just so skinny and in such terrible condition.

Soon the film crew arrived and began documenting the rescue.

They were saddened by the terrible condition that Phoenix was in, and they were brought to the reality of horse abuse by filming one of the worst cases we have ever seen of abuse by starvation.

Soon Phoenix was being led to the waiting trailer.

He was carefully loaded into the trailer. It's always a huge worry with an emaciated horse that they will fall over and be unable to get up.

He had enough inner strength to make it the short ride to the vet, where he is resting comfortably now, and enjoying the luxuries of shavings once again. The film crew followed him to the vet office and documented him getting settled in. The vet also gave us a report and states that he was very happy to see some green grass when he got out of the trailer, and was more than delighted to see a fresh clean stall. His blood tests show that he is anemic, among other things, but he must know that life is looking up!

Diane is the true hero in this rescue. She didn't have to stop her car and turn around. She could have kept on driving and Phoenix would die soon. She could have taken a couple pictures and not looked for help. Click here to visit her blog.

Please take a minute to stop over at Diane's blog and thank her for saving this horses life. Yes it takes a rescue team, donations, a good vet, and a lot of people to save this horses life, but if it wasn't for Diane, no one would know about this horses plight. Please click here to visit her blog and leave her a thank - you comment.

On a side note, the E-news did get sent out today despite everything else. If you didn't receive it, click here to view it, after you have thanked Diane!

5-4-09

The May Hay Days fundraiser marches on, due to the generosity of Lloyd and Lynn, and others, the fundraiser is at $1076. It is going to take a lot of green to fill it up, but we know we can count on you. Already over 7% there!

Lloyd and Lynn also generously donated to the auction fund, putting the fund at $1195. That is 48% there! We would like to thank everyone that donates, great or small, it really does add up. You can be a part in saving lives.

All the horses were moved off the neighbouring 20 acres. We will definitely miss letting the horses roam over it. They enjoy their 5 acres pen, which they had access to all along, but now they have to spend their days there.

We hadn't seen Twiggy since the Nebraska rescue, Tawnee was worried that he had been lost in the storm, hit by a car, or maybe shot by a hunter. She was greatly relieved to see him sitting in the tack room doorway. He is such a cute guy and he always brightens our day. He doesn't seem to spend nights at the rescue, he just comes when he feels like it.

Tawnee showed horses to some potential adopters today. It was a tossup between Midge and Athena, but in the end Athena won and they placed an adoption hold on her. Midge is still tugging at their heart strings though...

Jason headed out to get hay, and ran into rain storms half way there. Thankfully he took the stock trailer so the hay would be kept dry.

Once at the hay place, thankfully it was all under the barn so everyone (and the hay) stayed nice and dry while it got loaded up. This hay was only $6 a bale, if the horses like it, we'll certainly buy more!

All loaded up and ready to head back to the rescue.

Jason arrived back at the rescue long after dark.

The E-News got worked on a lot today, and hopefully it goes out tomorrow, but you never know what tomorrow will bring.

5-3-09

We received word towards the end of last week that we had to get our horses and fencing off of the neighbouring 20 acres. The neighbour immediately south of the rescue, who owns 10 acres, is going to be putting it on the market. They have contacted us off and on over the last few months inquiring if we were interested in purchasing it. At first we were interested in the property, and started looking into what it would take to purchase it, but the more we all thought about it, the more we realized that this is just not an optimal permanent location for NorCal. Among other things, the 3 miles of dirt road really hinders adopters, volunteers, visitors and donors. The 10 acres further south past the immediate neighbours has no water access for the horses so we will not be improving the fencing to keep horses there.

The neighbours were kind enough to allow the horses to roam freely over it, for which we are thankful, but now it is time to take them off the 20 acres and put them back into pens. This means that unfortunately we only have room to rescue 7-10 horses this month at livestock auctions, so the auction fund has been reduced to $2,500. We still have use of the 10 acres in Gridley, we are hoping to have the grass baled this week, if the rain lets off, then we will be able to take horses out there. All in all we went from 40 acres to 20, two 10 acre parcels separated by 25 miles.

Today we officially kicked off the 3rd annual May Hay Days! This is the time of year where we ask you to help us purchase a lot of hay for the rescued horses. This year we would like to purchase around 1600 bales, which would feed the rescued horses for a long long time. Click here to learn more about the May Hay Days.

We got some updates on three horses that have been adopted from us. Two different pictures, but they are all so beautiful that we put them in the blog.

First, the bay, is Promising Lady / River, rescued from a Livestock Auction, and the chestnut is Paso, who's owner could no longer keep him, and he made his way down from Washington to us where he found his forever home, along with...

...Comet. All the horses are doing great and are truly looking beautiful.

This morning we were greeted with water everywhere. Puddles of it seemed to be sitting everywhere around the rescue.

Faithful Deb came out to work with the horses, and she is quite thankful it did not rain on her all day. Half of the round pen was dry enough to work in.

Deb utilized the dry side of the round pen and was soon showing horses to potential adopters.

Soon the rescue had a lot of visitors parking here and there. We were getting reports from visitors that in the hills it was pouring rain. Later in the day we also got phone calls from volunteers stating they would have come but it was raining too hard. One of the benefits of living in the valley, it stopped raining about 9:30 and didn't rain again all day.

Lippy Conner talked his way into someones heart today. After his leg surgery he has been in rehab, but now his leg is now completely healed and it was time to find a new home. We will really miss his insightful insights! His adopter definitely enjoyed riding him around and Lippy enjoyed showing her all the tricks he knows.

Lippy's mommy was pre-approved and she was wise enough to bring her trailer. It was hard saying "Goodbye" to this comedian of a horse, but we know he's going to have a great home.

Little Blue was excited to meet her new potential mommy. Remember the picture of the phone call with Tawnee standing on the hay bales? Well, she was talking to this lady, who is looking for a companion to her little donkey. She came out today and fell in love with Little Blue. She's just waiting for her application to be processed, and she can't wait to open her heart and home to this sweet little mule.

Deb showed horses off and on throughout the day. Buddy had a potential adopter test ride him and they seemed to be a great match. Now all the arrangements are being made and hopefully soon Buddy will be on his way to his new home.

Jamie was out today and helped out in the office and other places, despite feeling under the weather. Thank you so much Jaime for your dedication and hard work. By the end of the day everyone was happy to sit down on the picnic table and rest their tired legs and muddy boots.

There is a website that has been made for the Nebraska horses we helped load so they could be taken to safety. Click here to view it. So far there are over 100 stallions / geldings, almost 50 mares, and various mules, donkey's, etc that need homes. They are still posting information as they get it.

You can view the horses pictures on the website above, it is really sad how starved and skinny they are. It looks like a horse refugee camp, which, it really is.

5-1-09

Nebraska Rescue Story

Around 3:00 PM on Tuesday, April 21st, we were contacted about a huge horse rescue that was about to proceed in Nebraska. We were asked if we knew of anyone that could assist in loading the wild mustangs. Jason and Tawnee felt they could really help out, so they began a flurry of phone calls to find people to care for the rescue in their absence. They also contacted long time NorCal volunteer Deb to find out if she would be willing to accompany the rescue effort. Jason and Tawnee felt that having another qualified person on the scene would be a tremendous help, and Deb is one of the most qualified person around. NorCal staff were up late getting everything situated at the rescue and didn't manage to get to bed until well past midnight.

3:00 AM found Jason, Tawnee and Deb leaving the rescue for the long trip.

The road was amazingly empty at that time of day, and their progress to the airport was unhindered.

They arrived at the airport, made multiple notes of where the truck was parked and headed in to get their boarding passes.

It seemed like they were dreaming, were they really at the airport, were they really heading to Nebraska? Yes, the backpacks were heavy, yes the boarding passes printed out with their names on them, they really were off.

Jason took advantage of the free wireless Internet at the airport and got some work done.

There were long lines to get checked in, but they were wise enough to do electronic tickets and only had carry-on's, so there was no waiting in the long ticket counter line.

Around 6:00 AM they were boarding onto the airplane for the short flight to Denver, CO.

It was a full flight and they were all separated in different parts of the airplane. Tawnee's seat was between two large guys who snored the entire trip.

The snow capped mountains were quite beautiful with the early morning sun reflecting off of them.

The flight was very uneventful and around 9:30 AM Wed morning they were taxing up to the terminal at Denver International Airport.

It was nice to be able to stretch their legs and soon they were off the airplane.

They were glad they only had carry-on's as the sign said "You are here, but your luggage is in Pittsburgh!"

The first horse they came in contact with was a huge picture plastered on wall.

Denver's airport is quite large and it took a lot of walking to get where they needed to go.

And there was the train shuttle.

And then the shuttle bus.

Then finally they arrived at the rental place and rented a car. This was the first mistake, a car. If you are called to rescue horses, go ahead and spend the extra $$ and get an SUV or a truck. More on that later.

The car was quite nice and soon they were checked in and on their way.

Then they were off on the 5 hour drive.

It was over 250 miles from the airport to where the horses needed help. Everyone on the team had less than 3 hours of sleep since Tuesday morning, and no one really wanted to drive.

They finally arrived at the fairgrounds where the horses were going to be moved to.

The first load of horses arrived and soon we were in the line of vehicles heading out to help with the second load. If you notice there are trucks and SUV's, no other little rental cars.

Mile after mile of sandy dirt roads stretched on and on.

We kept seeing signs for 3-Strikes Ranch, so we knew we were on the right road, but it just seemed to be endless.

The road got worse and worse, and soon it was nothing more than deep sand.

But, we finally arrived at the 3-Strike ranch, oddly enough there was a noose hanging from the entry way sign.

We got our first glimpse of the situation. Channel 9 was there doing a news story, click here to see it. Due to the ongoing investigation we cannot show you pictures of the horses, the ranch, etc. Click here to see footage on Channel 9's website.

After a long day, they were on the road once again. This time to a restaurant to finally get some food and then to the hotel to finally get some sleep.

The waiter was extremely talented and soon dozens of plates of food were coming out to feed the hungry crowed.

It was a good thing they had taken the laptop, as they were able to keep the blog updated and Cathy (fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com) was there, but her luggage did not make it including her laptop. It probably ended up in Pittsburgh. She posted on her blog from our laptop Wed evening. By the time everyone was done it was well after midnight.


Thursday morning they ate a quick bite at the motel breakfast bar.

NorCal team headed out to try to get some more horse trailer and truck's to move horses. There could not be enough trailers, there were a lot of horses that needed to be safely moved.

They visited a local feed store to ask around.

But the best resource was the University of Nebraska Agriculture Extension office.

They were very helpful and started writing down a list of phone numbers that could prove to be useful.

Once they had a good list of phone numbers they stopped by the local grocery store to get some snacks and drink for the day. They had no idea how many hours they would be working and they did not want to be caught unprepared!

Back at the hotel there was a briefing where safety and procedures were discussed in depth. All of the volunteers were gathered, jobs were assigned, and everyone headed out to their designated jobs. Tawnee gave the list of phone #'s to the team leader, who passed it on to the person in charge of trailers.

Large horse trailers were starting to line up, ready to move horses in need.

Then it was back out the long, nasty road.

Since so many volunteers were heading out, they all parked the cars far away from the horses and crammed into a SUV for the rest of the way.

Everyone worked extremely hard that day and by nightfall almost all of the horses were off the ranch and to safety. There were two different loading teams, our team worked with Jill Starr from Lifesavers, a horse rescue / sanctuary from southern California. She was great to work with, and NorCal's team would be honored to work with her in the future. It was definitely challenging loading so many horses, every horse had to be documented for the police report, color, marking, and sex. Night had fallen and it was time to call it a day.

Back at the hotel, everyone had rosey red faces from being in the sun all day. Cathy, from Fuglyhorseoftheday, was a valuable member of the loading team. She really knows horses, some people think she just sits around all day and writes on her blog, but we saw first hand that she knows what she is doing. Once again it was past midnight before NorCal's team was able to get some sleep. Some decisions had to be made, and it was decided that Deb would stay behind to continue volunteering. Jason and Tawnee had to get back to the rescue, as they had not scheduled help for longer than they had already planned.


Friday morning, around 4:00 am, Jason and Tawnee packed up and headed out.

It was still dark, and everyone was extremely sleepy.

The dark road just kept stretching on and on...

But then, a faint glimmer of daylight started to brighten on the eastern sky.

While you're driving 250 miles through Nebraska there is really not a whole lot to see, other than the excitement of seeing the occasional hill, and maybe a bulletin board announcing the annual mouse race. One town, however, they will remember for the rest of their lives. The town's name is "Gurly..."

..."Home of the Warriors." Would that really be "Gurly Warriors?"

Finally they arrived at the rental car place, and soon Jason and Tawnee were on the shuttle bus to the airport. Inside the mammoth maze known as Denver International Airport they managed to get boarding passes.

A quick ride in the train and they were at the gate.

While waiting near the gate, Tawnee looked down at her boots and realized they needed a good shining.

She had never had her boots shined before, but there is always a first time.

The shoe shine also doubled as a well deserved foot massage. At least on the top part of the foot, but anything helps after being on your feet for so many hours. In the nice comfy chair it seemed too good to be true.

Tawnee's boots turned out so well that Jason just had to spend the $5 to get his done as well.

Soon they both had sparkling shiny boots, better than the first day they had bought them. These boots have carried them more places than can be counted, through more manure and mud than anyone cares to admit, and the boots deserved a good conditioning job.

Finally they were on the airplane to Sacramento. They had a total of 12 hours or so of sleep since Tuesday morning, and it was now Friday morning, and they were looking forward to sleeping on the plane. They slept quite soundly until the pilot announced "We are now beginning our finale decent." They lifted up the window cover and looked out, quite bewildered. A vast desert spread below, not the green California landscape they had left just a few days before.

But, the plane was landing and there was nothing they could do about it.

Click the play button below or click here to open the video in a new window. Tawnee explains what happened.

Soon they were back in the air for the flight to Sacramento. They all slept most of the way, and on the finale decent the beautiful Sacramento valley was plain to see.

It was really nice to be back on the ground once again.

The drive back to the rescue was hard with the limited amount of sleep they had had in the last few days.

Soon they were almost back to the rescue. The rescue is back a dirt road, but at least it is nicely graveled.

It was nice for them to be back with the horses at the rescue once again. It was an amazing trip, and the entire NorCal team was thrilled to be a part of it. It was great working with so many amazing people in the rescue world, coming together to help horses in need.