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Dear Friends and Patrons:
The good news is that, with a lot of help from our Friends and Patrons,
THE GOLDEN CARROT has been granted tax exempt status, and donations to
the GC are now tax deductible, pursuant to the IRS, effective January 15, 1998 - yes, last
years generous donations are deductible! WHOOPEE! Please give me a call if you need a copy of
the IRS's determination letter. This is a temporary status (through 2003) as they need
to see that the public will in fact donate with this added incentive of the tax
deductible receipt. So please, send what you can as often as you can, and get your friends
and relatives to do the same!
I want to thank everyone who sent a letter to the IRS agent on behalf of the
GC, as these were helpful in swaying him to the belief that the GC does provide a
public service. I don't know who all sent letters, but I received copies of letters from the
following, and some of these letters had me in tears!
Patricia
Keliher
Donna Finley
Susan Squires
Michele Hughes
Leslie Tripp
A special thanks to these individuals, for letters that moved me and assured
me that you support this venture and feel it IS important.
NEW
RESIDENTS
I'm sure after my plea in August that no one send me more horses, you didn't
expect to see this category. Please note that although we have two new residents, I've
turned down two other horses.
SARA, on January 14, 1999, a Belgian draft horse/thoroughbred cross
with what appears to be a cyst in her hock joint came to TGC. Now, Lisa Vladimiroff
promised on several occasions to get the x-ray and other radiographic studies to my vet, and
to date, that has not occurred, so I can't give you the benefit of Dr. Moore's thinking on
that. She has adjusted Sara twice and donated a magnetic hock wrap, to help reduce the
soft-tissue swelling. As long as I've had her, Sara hasn't been useful at all. She is a three
legged horse, and should probably have been put down long ago as my inquiries have discovered
that the vet who did the most work on her suspects a fracture in that joint which he
was never able to visualize on x-ray. She is in pain, and only a lack of finances and her
taking ways has kept me from putting her down. She's just a baby and has been "adopted" by
Joey. Lisa donated some tack with Sara.
LADYHAWK
is an approximately 16 year old Thoroughbred mare, 15.3 hands, who has been donated
by Christine Day with a generous dollar contribution and lots of tack. Ladyhawk has a number
of physical problems, most of which I think will improve at the Golden Carrot, except a
marked reduction of vision in her right eye. She is extremely shy of the other horses,
and keeps her right side protected - I'm hoping as time goes by one of the TGC horses will
"adopt" her and protect that side so she can move about a little bit. Dr. Moore has adjusted
her with noticeable improvement, although she is still on the list for the July visit,
and Paul Turner has already reshod her twice, with an eggbar shoe on her left forefoot (badly
deformed, and showing evidence of prior abscesses). Lady has obviously got a lot of good
training - even with her skittishness caused by blindness, she is very sociable with
people and behaves well on lead - she shivered in the cross-ties until she discovered Paul
would be kind, and then perceptibly relaxed. She has actually gained weight since she's been
here and I think given time, she will be a useful and happy member of TGC.
CHILDREN
PROJECTS
As you all may remember, this is the year I'm supposed to send some of TGC
horses to the Boy Scout's Lost Valley Reservation for about 3 months this summer. Just
thinking about it brought on a painful case of separation anxiety. I never did hear from
them, and expect that the HART Rescue people, who have provided horses to the Boy Scouts in
the past, simply filled their needs. The good part of this is that the HART Rescue is
an organization which does similar work to mine, on a larger scale, and so probably needs
that 3-4 month home for their horses more.
Jim Stroman, the Ranger in charge at Lost Valley, had told me that his program
was running at a loss and the rental of the HART horses was partly why - I am assuming
(as I haven't had a response to my inquiry) that they either reduced their rental fees or he
has more funds to work with this year. I advised them that I and TGC horses are still here,
and perhaps this program will move forward next year. In the meantime, I was very
fortunate to hook up with Michelle and Michael Hughes, and their three little daughters
(Lauren 7, Rachel 5-1/2 and Anna 4), and Jackie and Bob Lyons and their three kids (Craig,
12, Shannon, 9 and Erin 8) through the referral of Big Horse Feed. These folks, as all
who have multiple rug rats can attest, don't have money to burn and thought they'd only be
able to afford lessons for one child. However, in exchange for assistance with chores, I'm
letting all the kids ride. Obviously, the older kids do more chores and are really
making progress with their riding, and Shannon may be the definition of a 'horse crazy' kid,
but even the littlest girls try to clean stalls and do some grooming in exchange for the
privilege of riding. I can't afford to make copies of the pictures we have of all the kids
riding, but hope to be publishing them soon on the internet (see below).
On the day before Easter, we had an Easter Egg Hunt and weenie roast, and
since Katie Davis and her friend David Keliher were visitors as well, the girls groomed
up Zayler and that old man actually carried little Anna around and around the arena - you
should have seen Katie's face to see her old friend back on the job - and it was obvious that
he loved it too! Both Mike Hughes and David Keliher took digital photos (video for
David and regular pictures for Michael) of the events.
NEW
BUSINESS
Carol Cooling is designing a web site for the Golden Carrot and I hope to be
on the web soon where we can display pictures of the horses, and events such as our
Easter Egg Hunt. This is important for me because no one comes to visit - my suggestion about
an open house in the August 1998 newsletter met with a complete lack of interest - but I want
you to know that the horses are well - this may be the way to do it. The web site has
encountered delays - the project has been "pending" since March, but I truly hope to see
something on line in the next month. Ms. Cooling is donating her time, and has to squeeze it
in between her own job, school, husband and personal life committments.
In addition, I've registered with www.givetocharity.com. If you wish to make a
donation via MasterCard or Visa, they accept credit card donations, and I get them,
minus their 15% fee! (So, a $100 donation is $85 in my hands - way better than nothing). Once
the web site is up, there will be a link to them, and to www.amazon.com, where if you buy a
book from them, by accessing their web site from mine, they will kickback a 15%
commission based on the price of purchases, to me! That may not add up to much, but I keep
telling you - EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!!
I have joined NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) as
an individual member, as well as American Hippotherapy Association and Equine
Facilitated Mental Health Association. I'm not sure what benefit I may derive from
association with these organizations, but I'm very interested in the therapeutic aspects of
horseback riding and hope they will help me to find handicapped people, children or
otherwise, who want to try riding for either pleasure or therapy. Since this is a very
controlled type of activity, I believe almost all of my horses can do this.
The Fran Joswick Center in San Juan Capistrano is NARHA's closest
facility for riding instructor training for therapeutic riding, and I will be inquiring
into their programs in this regard. Obviously, I have only so much time and money I can give
to that, but we'll see. Interesting note is that Dr. Moore works at the Joswick Center, she
told them about me, and when she visited on May 27, she brought with her a box of
halters from them, as a donation. Pretty nice, huh!
DONATIONS
At this point of the year, I have received donations totalling exactly what I
received last year, from basically the same people. Unfortunately, I have 3 more horses
than I had at this time last year. I'll admit to some disappointment in this regard - I had
thought that the tax deductible status would encourage more giving.
Please take into account that I am supporting 21 horses now - with feed, vet,
farrier, and miscellaneous expenses such as fly spray, lumber for stall and paddock
repair and so forth. I'm a lowly word processor and my efforts to find more work are still
unsuccessful. Of course, I don't have much help with the daily cleaning of 21 stalls, and
feeding three meals to 21 horses, and couldn't spent much more time than I do working
anyway. Mike lets the horses out in the morning and puts them away the two evenings a week
I'm at work in LA, he tops water barrels most evenings and helps me to get hay (a huge help
since no one will deliver here without an enormous delivery fee, or markup of the hay and
I can't rent a flatbed to haul it with). Otherwise, the weekly visits of the Lyons
family are the only help I get cleaning stalls and Bob Lyons usually makes a repair or two
with each visit.
Last year I spent over $15,000 on the horses - and made $25,000 for the year,
with $2,000 in donations. Sigh. I would appreciate your consideration of my situation.
If I can expand awareness and obtain donations to help pay for the horses I have, I can
expand and save more horses, and educate more children. This will allow the Golden Carrot to
continue in existence and provide this sanctuary for horses in the future, as well as
these programs for children for years to come. I am only one - I need your help to
continue.
A small monthly donation of $10-20 (not much more than you pay for your
checking account, right?) - from enough people - can make all the difference out here.
If you're concerned I might go to Bermuda with your money, how about buying a gift
certificate for me from Big Horse Feed - 33320 Highway 79 South, Temecula, CA 92592,
909/676-2544, fax 909/695-5202, or 877-BIG HORSE. I spent $600 a month there - any help would
be appreciated.
In addition, I'm happy to provide account information if you wish to
arrange with your bank to send a monthly donation to the Golden Carrot account directly
- saving you the problem of writing a check, posting it, etc. I'll do anything I can to help
make donating easy for you. I will keep you all posted on the progress of TGC. I thank you
all for the donations received this year, including SANTA, who anonymously sent $100 to
TGC. Please feel free to call, e-mail or write with any suggestions or comments you may
have.
Casey O'Connor,
President The Golden Carrot
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