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Dear Friends and Patrons:
Well, the good news is that escrow closed on May 1, 2000, and The
Golden Carrot will be, and is now in the process of, moving to 44700 Terwilliger Road,
Anza, CA 92539. We’ll be on 27 acres with an area already cleared (but not yet fenced) for a
paddock and a nice riding arena.
The bad news is the only place to put the stalls has required
extensive tractoring. In an effort to save money, Mike found what we thought would be a
deal on a tractor for him to run. As it turns out, moving brush and boulders was doable, but
the actual process of moving DIRT and leveling the site is an art that Mike cannot be
expected to learn in just two days. Unfortunately, trying to find someone with the
experience and equipment to finish the job is just about impossible. Quotes are ranging from
$600 to $1500. With the $750 already spent for tractoring and post holes dug, you can imagine
we’re in a financial bind. The property had one house on it, in which Mike will live. I
had to find and pay for and transport a house for myself at a cost of $3,000 - and it’s a
wreck. No flooring, no paint, roof falling in, all fixtures gone and most windows out. I’m
not too concerned about myself - I can take the time to get the thing livable once the
utilities are operational. But getting the horses moved and housed is more important. So Mike
is installing fencing at least in the paddock area. Mr. Kurt Stone dug approximately 50
holes with his tractor ($200 per day), Mike sets the fence pole, and adds the cross rails.
But it is very slow work. I’ll be providing Carol Cooling (my web designer) with photos of
the "before" and "during" photos we have so far, to give you an idea.
I had thought we’d be moving the horses by the end of next week
(May 19) but so far, we have NOWHERE to put them. Though Mike is on vacation, 8 hours
is about all he can do each day and his vacation time is used up next week. I don’t have paid
vacation and have to pay for feed and farrier and my own living expenses - I move and
help build weekends and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and work evenings, often till
midnight.
I know we are too far off the beaten track to get actual
assistance, but any donation at all at this time will help. If it only pays for the horses’&
#160; feed and farrier, it frees my own paycheck to pay for tractoring. Even $5 - enough of
you donating at that level can make a difference. A donation to Big Horse Feed (909/676-2544)
would be great - I have to buy $300 worth of feed this weekend. It seems unlikely, but
maybe someone knows of a tractor guy, or equipment outfit who will help out. A break on
move on and off costs, or hourly rate, or willingness to accept payments could make all the
difference.
So far, the horses don’t have a clue. I haven’t changed anything
for them yet except removing the round pen (for the materials). They are all suffering
a little with the very hot days and very chilly damp nights we’ve been having, but we blanket
Joshie, and make sure they have plenty of food, and I hose them off when I feed at
10:30 or 11 AM. We had a little scare last night with Domino, who was obviously
suffering from a belly ache, but used Tellington’s belly lifts to good effect and by the time
I fed the evening hay, he was feeling well enough to eat. Mr. Tough Guy scared me when
he WANTED to be cuddled! Thank god for the Tellington Touch program!
Thanks for any support you can offer. I’ll try to keep you posted
on the progress of our move. Keep an eye on the web site for photos when Carol can get
to them.
IN MEMORY OF ZAYLER
On May 22, 2000, after a 24 hour bout with colic, Zayler passed
away.
The timing is bitter - when Zayler came to The Golden Carrot, he
was terribly thin and wasted after an abusive and neglectful owner had simply not bothered to
feed him. His prior owner, Katie Davis, discovered his wretched condition and took him
away from his abusers, but wasn’t able to do much to rehabilitate him. She sent him to TGC,
in the hopes that at least a little easier life would enable him to recover somewhat.
In fact, with his great heart and TGC’s brand of care, Zayler
made an incredible recovery. He was in his mid 30s, and the abuse was so severe I didn’t know
what to expect. But with a diet of senior feed, a couple of adjustments by Dr. Adrienne
Moore to help his aching hips, and proper foot care by Paul Turner, Zayler was scampering
around the paddocks in pretty good form within a year. He was always a little teetery on his
feet - and always had a little trouble getting back up after laying down for a sunbath
- but considering everything, Zayler was one of our great success stories.
But that wasn’t enough for this courageous horse. He showed huge
interest when the little Hughes girls came to ride, and finally, one day, I said - let’s put
little Anna on Zayler. Look at the opening page of our web site - and that’s Anna
riding Zayler. Eventually, I used Zayler for Erin Lyons also, and his obvious pride and
tender care of the youngsters would cause a lump in my throat. Walk trot was all he could do,
but he was hugely pleased with himself and the girls loved it.
Lastly, for the first year, this Spring Zayler showed a lot of
interest in having his own mare and pairing up. He chose Ladyhawk. She’s not an easy conquest
- very leery of other horses due to her blind eye, but they were eating together, and
hanging together head to tail in the hot sun. It breaks my heart to report that the last time
I could get Zayler on his feet, he headed straight for Ladyhawk’s stall - ‘Look
sweetie, I’m better, really’. And she’s missing him. Each day when she comes out of her
stall, she heads towards his and gives a cry or two - something she never did till he was
gone.
I hope the time at TGC made up for Zayler’s past difficulties. I
believe he was happy here and I know he was loved. Zayler, more than many, exemplifies the
contribution even an older and disabled horse can make to the lives of those around
him. His kind heart and fighting spirit brought him through hard times and made many people
happy. I miss him more than I can say.
Bye Bye, Zay
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