The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive

 

The Golden Carrot

January 2012 Newsletter

 

Allie

 

First, as many of you will not be surprised to hear, on the day after Christmas Allie died. It was time. Despite the horror of December 2011, Allie was the one who needed that help onward - the quality of her life had simply deteriorated too much. Please read her story, and remember her, at http://goldencarrotrescue.com/GoodbyetoAllie.aspx

 

Website Help?

 

I’m still freaking out about my website. I have no help, and no real expertise. I only have a couple of months left within which to complete the site, before the existing one is closed. I’ve moved almost all the text, and most of the pictures. But ridiculously, because I can’t really figure out how to complete it and make it accessible in the new location, I have to keep doing newsletters and posting pictures on the old site, which I will then need to move! ARRGGGHH. Sometimes, folks, I get real depressed at how many things I have to know or learn and do, to keep this all going. I’m trying, but really, if you know people who can walk me through some things web-site building related, I’d appreciate hearing from them. The website is my ONLY form of advertising, and I think from what people tell me, a good source of information about the horses and what we do here. I really need it to be operational, AND fixable by me. Sadly, Microsoft’s 365 option is not as good as their Office Live Free site was - and I can’t help but wonder why I now have to pay $8 a month for LESS than I got on the free site - but once I’m set up, I think I can keep it going. But ....I need HEELLLPPP!! And if you’re good with this stuff, be prepared to be irritated by me - I definitely do NOT speak the language! But once set up, I think I can keep it going without help.

 

GEM acquired - EZGo still disabled

 

With the EzGo Lou still disabled after three months, although I’ve got all the necessary parts to fix it, I had a chance to buy, fairly cheaply, an electric cart which is well configured for my purposes.

 

It’s a little low to the ground (meaning it can’t handle some of the terrain here), and had been modified for a handicapped guy so it’s kinda hard to operate. (Hence, the low cost). I can use it, tho, and it is helping me to distributing the morning hay with a little less effort, as well as move pellets to the southstream stall line. Having a backup in case of mechanical failure will relieve a LOT of stress and effort if the EzGo should ever get going.

 

My Helper!

 

Luis is working out very well (fingers crossed) He has appeared, on time, and worked his butt off for me over two weeks now - woohoo! I think I may have finally found my ‘helper’. He does a lot of good work every time he’s here. So ... can anyone send me $10 for him? Each $10 buys me another hour of his time. I’d also like to have him working on the roofs of the stalls, but would prefer to have his brother working with him to not only speed up the process, but for safety’s sake. His brother would cost the same ($10 an hour is really the bottom dollar these days). So more donations towards this help would be appreciated. I have 11 stalls whose roofs are .... well, rickety might be the word I’m searching for. The panels are warping and may come loose in a good wind; there’s no doubt most of them leak at least a little. Luis has used up the materials bought for us by Kathryn McDonald (Sunny’s sponsor) and is working with some more that I got last weekend. So I’m looking for funding for that as well. I’m pretty worried that I’ll run out of money, and when he finds other work, I won’t be able to get him back. This is a way that a $10 can make a huge difference!

 

 

New Addition - Reflection’s Blue Bayou

 

 

On January 2, 2012, Bayou joined us. This young (11 year old) Tennessee Walker would not normally qualify for TGC, but a myelogram has been performed which points to a problem in his neck - and when he flexes, he stumbles. This makes him handicapped (our mission, older and manageably disabled). Although the hospital which did the myelogram never used the term, Dr. Zadick says he has classic findings of Wobbles. There is a lesion at C3-4, and he does have the slow response time in his back end. It’s a very mild case. I will be keeping his Vitamin E levels up (deficiency of this vitamin can cause wobbles), have him checked on a regular basis, and give him no work that entails a lot of flexion so as to hopefully make this very well trained youngster useful. His owner has fallen on hard times, no fault of her own, and yet is going to be providing sponsorship for him. He has astonishing blue eyes, and a tough intelligent demeanor. After his long trailer ride, he was a little weaker, but has built strength and learned the routines here quickly. Hilariously, he seems to gravitate toward the other "horses of color" (not sure why they call white horses that....) He hangs around Jeeps and Queenie; Peanut and Dion; and Silver and Lola .... I had hoped he might like Anaba, and he certainly tried to, but she won’t have a thing to do with him - even though SHE has a blue eye as well! Dang. I feel certain he would have given her more protection and attention than Ronan does - but some girls just like the bad boys...

 

New Addition - Montego

 

In addition, TGC welcomes Montego,  a 24 year old gray Arabian gelding.  Montego's former owner, at 80, has lost her husband and had to sell her home. Her friends are struggling to place her four other horses, but TGC offered a foreever home to this handsome guy.

 

 

This picture was taken tonight, and hopefully I'll have some new ones up, and a page completed for him, soon.

 

 

Visitors

 

 

 

January has already had several visitors - including Jan Heppert and her son Patrick, and friend Jody; Marilyn Braly and her friend Kathy, Nancy Aziz and her daughter and two friends, and Margaret and Mooney (sponsors of Sara) all the way from Idaho! They were all kind enough to clean stalls, or feed horses, or groom dreadlocks out, as well as generous enough to bring lots of carrots to feed everyone. Thankfully, the weather cooperated too, so there were some great days in 2012, already!

 

Alexa and Shine

 

 

 Jody and Bayou

 

 

 Patrick inspects Shirley's moustache...

 

New sponsor:

 

Georgia has offered a part sponsorship for Spencer! With the part sponsorship of his former owner, almost all of Spence’s feed costs are covered now. He continues to be deeply attached to Shine, and a complete pain to catch for his trims! And thank you Georgia, not only for stepping up to help with Spencer’s expenses, but for gathering up some good blankets and other items of tack to donate to TGC.

 

"As the Stable Turns"

 

Cassidy had taken an enormous dislike to Bayou (in the stall next to her) from the second he came in, and in his tough guy way, he returned the sentiment. So except when Ronan was pestering her, Cassidy has begun hanging with Comet! That solved my problem immediately - all I had to do was make a slight adjustment to the stall and moved her over one - and she and Comet are in hog heaven.

 

 

Yes, I definitely need to get my grooming kit out for her, but is it me?  Has she got more belly than anything?

 

I continue to fear that despite that first exam, Cassidy MAY actually be pregnant. The geldings do NOT respond to her the way they do to other mares .... and she’s gaining weight belly first. Her eye is finally starting to improve - after 45 days of daily application of opthalmic antibiotics, her strangles abscess broke out and I saw immediate improvement (my vet laughed at me, as he is convinced there is NO connection between the two things .... I have my doubts!). In addition, discussing the problem with my farrier brought me a suggestion that has really helped - a hot saline poultice on her eye! Man, she seems to LOVE it, and the eye is already running less! It will probably always look kinda icky with that big ulcer/scar, but I think we may have a handle on that infection finally....

 

 

 

 

 

Pepe Grillo had a brief bout with drylands distemper and colic (both at once!), but bounced back with immediate treatment. And then his buddy Keller tore his right foreleg up, which is healing after a week of cleaning and wrapping (he never took a bad step but it DID swell a little at first, and the wound was about 5 inches long). Cassidy’s strangle’s abscess broke out at day 37 - 7 days after I put her in with the herd out of quarantine, dang it, but it drained and healed quickly and so far, no one else seems to have any problems. In an old herd, they mostly have immunity to strangles, and she may have erupted mostly due to her poor condition and her system already fighting the eye infection.

 

 

Sooner continues to look like he needs to be rescued.

NOTHING seems to put weight on him. I have him on a joint supplement, but with my new reading on Wobbles, I’m beginning to wonder if he has something like this going on as well as his hip and low back old injuries! He does lay down in his stall now, so at least I feel he’s getting some rest. He has shown a HUGE interest in the mares recently - in particular Sara, and Medina. So, as long as he continues to amble around, play with the geldings and pursue the ladies, I’ll have to be satisfied that I’m doing all that can be done for him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, Laddie continues to be a pest. When Margaret and Mooney visited, Laddie was still out, but I left the gate to the feed area open thinking he was in his stall. I looked up to see him strolling out - could have got him right back in except for my ridiculously stupid dogs. So, after 30 minutes of "catch me if you can!", tearing up and down the outside of the stall line and eating other horses food through their feed windows when I wouldn’t chase him, I finally got the stinker back in the stall area, and he ran directly to his house "like a good boy". O yeah. Now, he checks out EVERY gate - that was a FUN game, and he’d like to do it again! Makes getting in and out with breakfast more difficult for me .... but I find myself laughing most times. When I thwart his effort, he’ll hop up and down and buck as he runs away, head tossing, frustrated .... ok, you got that one, but I’ll find a way, you’ll see!

 

Misc

 

Yes, here it comes. The part maybe you don’t read .... but I have to try. I feel I am the voice of these voiceless, quiet, enduring souls. They need your help, and a little goes a long ways. Last year we lost some donors completely; others cut back; and very very few new donors have appeared. In fact, if it was not for one donor who gave enormously, I’m not sure my doors would be open.

 

I’m scared every day. Rescues are closing daily. "Faux" rescues are getting help, and then closing their doors, glutting available homes with their horses. Although so far the horses have been ok, and I’ve even been able to get some things done like hiring Luis and getting materials for repairs, I’m forging ahead on something that I have little of - faith. I’m hoping against all evidence that things will improve, and these vulnerable lives can be saved. I’m hoping that the kind hearts I know are out there can be reached, and will reach out to these horses, telling them yes, we think you’re worth it.

 

 

My own income and life are barely hanging on. I found and worked a job that actually paid about $1 per hour. Really. I didn’t know there were jobs out there like that. But I’d have to work that job full time, 40 hours a week, just to pay my electric bill. So I’m still looking for work, and hoping I’ll find something. So I know, truly I do, how bad things are and how scared you might be, how tempting it is to hold tight to every penny.

 

But I also know that the human race has advanced to its present state of supremacy in this world largely through cooperation with each other, and reaching out to help one another. Let us expand that successful strategy to include the other living creatures on this planet - and in particular, yes, the horses. I don’t need any one person to do it all. I need all of us to help, as much as each person can.

 

If you can’t send $10 a month (or better, of course! :-), please spread the word of our need. If you can’t get here, and feel odd endorsing a rescue you haven’t visited, I have several volunteers who have been here and will report to you directly what they saw. And I can provide current pictures anytime at your request, to clarify that the horses are well kept and safe.

 

Wish List

 

Ok, some people always want to know what I need most.

 

1. Feed - Well, as I’m sure you know, feed is the single most important expense of any rescue - and I spend $500 a month on breakfast for the horses; and $3,800 a month on the pelleted feed, and senior feed for evening buckets.

 

2. Help - I need the services of Luis, for stall and fencing repairs, at $10 per hour (usually 4 days a week, 7 hours a day, for $280 a week). So you can buy an hour of his time at $10; or a day at $70. This deserving young man needs the work too, so this kind of donation is a double bang for your buck - help the horses, and help Luis!

 

3. Land - The Golden Carrot needs a parcel of land to call it’s own, at least 40 acres (more would be fab) to be donated for the long-term security of these horses and hopefully more.  Less acreage would work, just for these horses, but I admit that with 40 acres or more, I dream of doing much more .....

 

4. And donations, donations, donations - if donations could rise, I can pay the bills, and when I apply for grants, the amount TGC would qualify for will be increased (many grantors will only give a percentage of your last years’ donations - so the more you get in donations, the more you can get in grant money!). I remind you here that every single penny goes to the direct benefit of the horses - I don't get paid for anything I do.

 

Those are the four most important things we need. In addition, please join with me in being a voice for the voiceless - spread the word about our rescue, or any reputable horse rescue near you, so that people know where they can donate to help horses ..... Try to help rescues you can either visit, or where there are people who HAVE visited who can report to you directly what they’ve seen. There are a LOT of scammers out there - and every penny that goes to them is a penny that could have helped horses, and now won’t. I work with two other rescues, Neigh Savers (www.neighsavers.org) in Northern California, and Under the Angel’s Wings (www.uawr.org) in Phelan, CA, for whom I can vouch if you get sick of my begging! Those are two organizations who will use your money as I do, directly for the benefit of the horses.

 

 

Let’s all open our hearts this year, and say, hell no, we won’t give in to the fear! We can survive on less, and we still can help others too. The world is changing, I believe and hope, and we need to change our ways too. Let’s focus on what matters, what IS good more than what LOOKS good, and remember that no matter how dire our circumstances, it’s a rare human being who faces death - but that death is the only alternative for these horses, if TGC and other rescues should have to close their doors. We need to reach out and help. It’s the right thing to do, and we CAN do it. I look forward to working with all of you this coming year, to show these horses that their contributions are appreciated, that they are respected and we know they are worthy of our love.

 

I believe with all my heart that the people who receive this newsletter do feel this way. Please show me I’m right! "-)

 

Happy New Year!

Casey