The Golden Carrot Newsletter's Archive
July 2012 Newsletter
The Golden Carrot
New horses
Ok, now, I like to start with exciting new news, and we have a boat-load of it! First, our three new residents. Yes, I said THREE. But they all come with at least some support.
Having lost Lola and Falcon so recently, I had the space to take in a couple of horses for Neigh Savers (www.neighsavers.org), who you have heard me mention before as a Northern California rescue that specializes in Off Track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) whom they rehabilitate, retrain and rehome with great success. They take any horse at risk that they can, and had two who, it turned out, probably can't be rehabbed. If TGC takes them, it leaves Neigh Savers with room to bring in two more racers off track that hopefully they CAN help - they CAN rehabilitate, retrain and rehome.
Karin sent the boys, with a fresh supply of Gio’s painkillers and complete medical records including x-rays for Fred Zadick DVM’s review. (In addition, Karin commits that if something should happen to me, she will not only take the boys back into her program, but Laddie as well. LOVE having a backup!) Please welcome these youngsters, so sadly damaged at such a young age, and read their stories:
- Go Giorgianni Go (Gio) is 6, yes SIX, and huge, and sweet as can be. And, thanks to a trainer (stupid or what we don’t know), he’s been so badly damaged on the track that he may never be sound enough to ride.
- Jet Iron (Jedi) is 9. In his lifetime, he’s had 10 different homes. Think about that. Every year, everything he knew and was used to was changed again. He ran his heart out, but the damage has cost him. He’s gorgeous, but high strung and DESPERATE for love. He’s bonded with Gio, and for a while can be Gio’s protector .... but I do hope that maybe Jed can be brought into better form and do some light riding work... He needs an outlet for all that energy! Please read his story...
-A
nd Dominic - It Takes A Village. This lovely little guy is only 10, but had a bad injury approximately 1.5 years ago where his halter caught on something, and he hung for who knows how long. He has a big scar on his right hip. When found, they thought he was dead. We’ve already had Laurie Henkel look at him, and she thinks skeletally he’s straight, but he does have some issues of nervousness if he thinks someone is getting on his back. His feet are badly out of balance and he was very resistant to having his hind feet picked up and trimmed. He was abandoned by his owner, and after a year, the boarding facility could no longer carry him. Facebook worked a miracle, and 8 people have all committed a small amount each month, totaling a full sponsorship for the boy!
Sponsors ROCK!
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Still MORE Horses need homes
Zeppelin is a 27-ish ex lesson horse is looking for a home. The person contacting me is working on getting full sponsorship for him too. I’ll keep you posted on this guy.... she wrote:
I am desperately looking for a new home for a Trakhener Gelding that is in his late 20's, I was told he was 27 or so. I've been volunteering at a Rental Stable for about 3 years and I fell in love with "Zeppelin" he's a very well trained former Dressage/Jumper that was dumped (from what I know) at Griffith Park Horse Rentals. I've been riding him regularly for the last 3 years. He's smart, well trained and sweet. The owner now wants to retire him and asked me if I could find him a place where he can live the rest of his life in peace or he's going to be euthanized. I'm crying even thinking about that.
He has arthritis and he also has "Thrush", I've tried everything I could to get him better, supplements for arthritis (I don't even know if the and medication for the thrush, but because I am only able to see him on weekends, and nobody else to the time to take care of his feet on a regular basis, his feet just aren't healing. I believe that if he would just get his feet treated right, he could be still a good lesson horse for light work. I'd be willing to contribute at least $25.00 on a weekly basis towards his care (more if I make more), that's pretty much what I make on tips every Sunday, taking people out on the trail. I'd also love to come out and spend a day once in a while helping you on your ranch.
I also do have a blog and would really like to put a link or donate button onto the site, so people can contribute to your sanctuary. Thank you for your consideration.
Katja Tootle-Pizka
Now, you can see this guy is MUCH more like the kind of horse we usually take here. And I want to help here. If you’re interested in contributing maybe $10 or $20 a month toward his board, making you a co-sponsor for him, let me know!
Now, I’ve taken these three and am considering the fourth partly because some support came with them, and partly due to their need. Despite the fact that as usual, donations are so low this summer, I feel that I have several old horses who are not long for this world. At least Bucky and Victor may not make another winter here. But if you can support our efforts, even $10 or $20 a month will make a huge difference, as it has for Dominic. And spread the word, please, as we need more supporters.
I can’t emphasize enough how strongly I feel that these horses should not be punished for our mistakes. I consider them to be the same as children - innocent victims in our world. Please help any way you can - and know that I, and each and every horse, truly appreciate your help!
Updates:
Biscuit is doing great, and he and Silver have a kind of odd companionship going. Silver of course continues his ‘tough guy, I don’t need nobody’ attitude, but they are always close together so.... Biscuit is calmer now, and a LITTLE less likely to run you down if he thinks you have food....
Sunny and Victor on Pergolide now - Cushings horses - When Dr. Z came out to do his wellness checks on the boys, I asked him to look at these two to see if he had ideas on how I can help them more. He immediately said Sunny is Cushings - no matter how much hair she lost in spring, she’s still waaay too hairy, a dead giveaway of the condition. And when I told him of our failing efforts to clean up Victor’s wretched skin, which I’ve been thinking was a form of fungus or rain rot, he felt that it probably was, but Victor too was a Cushings horse, which condition impairs the immune system. So the two are now on pergolide, and I’m grateful they both have sponsors as this is an extra $65 a month per horse for medication! But I’m hopeful it will help them...
With regard to sponsors, I'm thrilled to welcome Jill Dobyns as Song's new, FULL sponsor! Jill lives a couple hours away, so we're having trouble getting her here to meet the little one, but when we do, stay posted for photos! THANK YOU JILL for stepping up for our crazy little pony mare.
If anyone wants to help with medication expenses, I would be so very grateful. I keep things like SMZ tabs, and bute, and penicillin and banamine on hand, but now with Gio’s need for Previcox, and these two needing pergolide, and extra expense for opthalmic ointment (Boo, Prophet and Brave all are reacting to the dust and flies of a dry hot summer), our medical expenses are much higher every month.
Regression of Rocky and Sara, dang it. Unfortunately, our miracle procedure has regressed. Once the opened up sole regrows and closes, both of these horses are gimpy as hell again. I don’t know what to do here.... As always, Rocky is worse ..... They’re both seeing the farrier tomorrow - maybe he’ll have some ideas..... And push come to shove, we could consider opening the soles again - I have them in equicasts anyway ....
In this regard, it seems our farrier, Juan Mercado, has been worried about the decline in the equine industry, and has taken a 5 day a week job installing light fixtures! This means that he has only weekends to do farrier work, and while I appreciate that 'm one of the customers he wants to keep, I'm not the only one and he simply will not have time to keep up with 40 horses, in my opinion. So, while I hate doing it, I'm looking for at least a back-up farrier. Have had one referral. But most of the local guys are unwilling to do the older creaky horses, and I'm afraid anyone I get will be much more expensive. So, this is another way you can help. A farrier-sponsorship would be $40 every other month for horses just getting trims; and $60 every other month for shoes. Anyone?
Www.iGive.com news - Interestingly, with a big bump from supporter Jan Heppert, people seem to be using iGive.com more to do their online shopping, and designating us as their charity. I’m getting notifications several times a week and hope to report a nice fat check in another month! (In the past, I get a check every three months for $25-30. But that was mostly a reflection of my own shopping...) This is the easiest way in the world to help us - just go through the mall at www.iGive.com to do your online shopping! When you register, note The Golden Carrot as your cause, and it all is automatic after that. NO COST TO YOU!
Our GEM still broken, and I’m trying to find a mechanic. It may need a new charger ($700 for a new one, and $300 to “redo” this one) but I’m not actually sure we need that. I need a mechanic who will actually diagnose the problem, which could just be a wiring problem. The GEM is a lot better for moving hay (easier for me to load and unload), so I’d love to get it going again. If anyone knows a good mechanic who won’t cheat me, let me know?
And one day while I was cleaning stalls, filling water barrels and the horses were crowding up for dinner, Laddie and Boo decided to see if they could dismantle the EzGo. Now, the damage to the seat was bad enough.
But in dropping the whole seat in the process, they cracked out a huge hole in the top of the plastic gas tank. It's the top, so I thought I could tape it up, but it turns out, the tank gets pressurized and in that way provides gas to the engine. So, I can barely get it going anymore! New gas tank on order, as well as materials to repair the seat but dang..... Had to feed the 40 horses this morning by hand, and hauling 250 pounds of hay all over the property on a little garden cart .... well, I admit it, I'm spoiled. I need my utility carts! The new parts have cost almost $200; and my neighbor has committed, hand to heart, that he'll install them when they arrive. But we could use some help with this....
Visitors!
June was fun with visitors, old friends and new. Please check out more photos at this link.
I was so thrilled to see Jay Porter again - it’s been years, and it turns out for some reason he thought I wasn’t still in business! (He does not have the internet). But he came to visit, with his friend Jennie Swenson. She was kind enough to send me the pics she got of our visit ... and btw, if you love Tupperware? Let me know. Jennie sells it. Tupperware lasts and lasts and there’s a ‘ware’ for every need! Jay was “carrot guy” for an hour or so, and then I had to doctor a little booboo ... but I think he and Jennie enjoyed their visit and hopefully will return soon.
Rick Freeman and family. You may recall that Rick is my hero - our ‘webmaster’! He got our website moved to its present location and is now working on finding ways to bring more traffic to our site. Rick and his family finally had time to visit on the 23rd, and his daughter Riley is now my best helper! (This is her with Prophet after chores and a ride) Please enjoy the pictures of their day here ....
I want to thank Rick too, for putting a Donation button on our Facebook page - I'm sure that helped get Dominic the sponsors he needed!
My friend and supporter Jan finally showed up that day - 3 hours late! I was convinced she was dead on the road somewhere, that was so uncharacteristic! She’d dropped of her son and friends at Boy Scout camp and decided to take back dirt roads to TGC - and we’re lucky she made it .... what a nut. She was distressed to find that we had saved some stalls for her to clean ..... “-D
The Freemans and Jan Heppert visit with Laddie in the herd.
As you can see, our new residents are young. I'm being hopeful for the future, and thinking this way - if I delay, waiting for my oldsters to die, it could cost these darlings their lives. And I feel strongly that it's a disgrace that horses like Jed and Gio are so damaged, so young. It's possible with time that Jed and Dominic may be "useful" at least to a limited degree, but poor Gio, dang. He did his best, even with a bad injury. And we owe him. It's harder for me to handle these enormous youngsters, particularly Jed and Dominic who can get very excited! But they try to behave and hopefully as they become accustomed to the routine here, and perhaps feel a little better and less vulnerable, they'll be easier. I'm out there cleaning their stalls and feeding them and fixing booboos every day.
Can you help me help them? Donations small or large - spreading the word of our need - perhaps a half day spent hammering and doing some chores? I truly need help with this - as we saw with Dom's sponsorship, we can accomplish so much together. I hope you can find it in your budget to send a few bucks a month to keep our facility open and able to meet the needs of these true innocents.....