The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive
Despite the recent week of endless rain, snow and wind, I actually have some good news to report that I didn’t want to leave until February.
Supporter Nancy Perozo’s recently wrote to tell me about a social event she organized, which she calls the First Annual Christmas 10K. She had her son, his friends and parents/siblings who wanted to join walk 3.2 miles to a friends house, for hot chocolate and cookies, and then back to her house for lunch and ‘fun/hang out time’. She told the kids she would donate $10 per kid who completed the walk, and she did, in fact, donate $150 to The Golden Carrot! The kids who walked were Leeann, Ryan, Andrew, Kevin C., Brianna, Vinnie, Erik, Kevin P., Raven, Jeff, Ali, Marilyn and Nancy. Thanks Kids, from the horses at the Golden Carrot! Maybe next year, we can have the therapy students we hope to have riding here join in the annual Walk...
Despite the difficulties, the calls and emails continue to flood The Golden Carrot and other rescues, begging for homes for horses. Shirley Puga (who sent Surely and Brave here) has two horses looking for homes, who are both middle aged, slightly disabled, and trained to ride. The gelding (age 18-20), whom we have named Oso, was so terribly poor off the feedlot that he had to be fostered for a while just to see if he’d make it - now, the foster family hopes to be able to rescue a younger quarterhorse and so I agreed to take him. He’s still very thin but stable. In addition, a middle aged pony mare (age approx 15), whom we have named Anaba (Navaho for "returns from war" also very well broke and relatively sound, who had an adoptive home that fell thru, and apparently has an occasionally locking stifle. This is a manageable disability in my opinion (Falcon has the same). These two have come to The Golden Carrot both because they fit our mission, and because they should be useful in the therapy riding program that we’re trying to start. My best therapy horses currently are Falcon, Prophet, Topper, Hershey and Peanut, ages 23-30, and these new horses can provide much needed relief. Other TGC horses that I used to use for lessons are getting too old (Buck, Debbie, Victor).
Finally, I was approached by Animal Services of Riverside County, asking for help in placing 5 horses seized from a neglectful owner in November of 2009. I have agreed to take a 24 year old mare (looks painfully thin in the pictures, but I’m not clear if that was in November, or more recent), and Gina Perrin at Heavenly Horse Haven has agreed to take one of the 4 year olds. There are three more looking for homes, two 2 year olds and another 4 year old. If you know anyone .... well, let me know please?
These three new horses will live in what was my Quarantine area, with Happy until his own stall dries out. I will still have two stalls I can use for quarantine purposes if that becomes necessary, and which can be used as spares if my main stalls become damaged.
Weather of course is uppermost in all of our minds these days. TGC didn’t do too badly in the first two storms, as they occurred largely in the late afternoon and evening, and were so tremendous that they actually drained very quickly, so I was able to turn the horses out as usual during the day. But on Wednesday, the rain began at 4PM and did not quit until late Friday night. Tremendous amounts of rain, snow and sleet, terrifying winds and thunder, and bitter cold has made us all miserable here. Because of the level of rain, I didn’t actually blanket everyone (only so many waterproof blankets), but so far, the stalls have held up pretty well. Except for Happy and Sara, everyone has at least a little dry area in their stall to stand in, altho everyone has to slog thru mud to get a drink of water (I put a bucket in Chacha’s stall because with her shaky back end, I wasn’t sure she could navigate the mud safely). We need some dry time before I can turn the horses out, and we are anticipating some very cold temperatures once the sky clears..... Rain is anticipated again starting tonight and for the next three days. Of course, conditions like this, and the bad dirt road leading to TGC, have prevented any visitors/volunteers. In my last newsletter, I let everyone know that I had signed up for the Give a day, Get a Disney day program, where Disney encourages people to volunteer in exchange for a free ticket. That did not work out very well, and I’ve cancelled it. Sorry, it seemed like a good idea, but ...not so much.
On January 13, I was excited to meet Jacque and Michael of the ASPCA who came to visit and be sure that I spent their generous grant given early in 2009 to good effect. I’m pleased to report that Jacque, after viewing the rebuilt stalls, my cross-tie cover, hay cover and the entire quarantine area, stated that I’d clearly stretched their money as far as was possible! I really enjoyed chatting with these two wonderful people, who work for an important organization working to help animals in a practical and effective way. I am a member of the ASPCA and I encourage those of you interested to join as well. They truly do help animals everywhere.
Finally, I’m happy to report that my volunteers, despite being unable to visit, have made some progress in some interesting ways. To see how they were helping before this weather, please . Now, it’s possible we may be able to enjoy some help from Mark Connors, a country western singer, with a soft heart for horses. Mark is willing to do a benefit concert for TGC, and we’re right now looking for a venue, hopefully in Temecula or in the desert. If anyone has ideas in this regard, please contact me asap!
Shela has submitted at least one request for permission to submit a grant application requesting help to set up our therapy riding program. In addition, after a frustrating attempt on my part to reach NARHA and register for their instructor course, I sicced her on them and lo and behold, I had everything in hand in one day! Shela’s a wonder of patience and persistence! So, I’m starting to work on the instructor on-line course. Hopefully, we can find grant money for this endeavor and I’ll be ready to instruct .....
The Golden Carrot’s main and never-ending mission is always the horses - their care, their welfare, their quality of life after a lifetime of service. But as I’ve always known since Bobby Sox, some horses really enjoy having a little job, and it’s long been my dream to have these older and disabled horses helping disabled people - in particular, I hope to get the Wounded Warriors here. Since many of my best lesson horses have been with me for a long time, and are approaching their final years, I don’t want to work them - save them perhaps for the littlest visitors - and thus, my decision to take some other horses whose younger ages may make them suitable. I’m trying to be optimistic about the future here - does anyone feel like stepping up as a part or full sponsor for any of these new horses, or for the other TGC horses not already sponsored? Please help me help these horses! And again, I cannot say it enough - Every donation in any amount is so needed, and so much appreciated. But remember, if everyone were to send $10 per month, so much good could be done. You can schedule a monthly on-line-bill-payment, or do a monthly credit card donation, and never have to think about it!
Remember: You cannot change the world by helping one horse, but you can change the whole world for that one horse you saved.
Casey