March 19, 2006

Whew... what a week!

I am still recouping after the Illinois Horse Fair in Springfield, as I am sure everyone else who was involved is as well. I want to thank Dondi Polzin and Maggie and Larry Fehrm for taking the time to bring Springtime Beauty and Christopher Too to Springfield to demonstrate! I want to thank John Cisna and the ISOBA for the hospitality and for the donated stall space to our organization. It is so wonderful to have these caring people who want to share the Standardbred enthusiasm with the public! All of us paid for our own motel rooms, no one asked for gas money mileage, motel reimbursement... wow! That is such a blessing to be with people who love doing what they are doing and give it willingly. ASAP could not exist without volunteers! So thank you to Maggie Larry and Dondi, and to Rachel and Zachary and my wonderful husband Craig and to Lake Hills Texas and Janimal! I will enclose pictures, but I also want to link you to the ustrotting web site which featured ASAP and the Standardbred on their home page last Sunday. Tim Jones, a reporter for the USTA, did very thorough coverage and took some great pictures of the horses (I looked like a worn out washed up woman!)... thank you to Tim for the questions, the interest, and the support!

I was touched by a family who approached us during the horse fair and shared their story about their own Standardbred, an aged horse now, who is dear to their heart. They truly had the passion for the breed, and during our breed demo they were there cheering us on! On Sunday as my two children were riding Janny and Tex in the outdoor arena to warm up, the family approached me and told me they had visited vendors and asked for donations for our program. They were proud to hold up a canvas saddle bag, and five halters! They also had treats for the horses that had been donated. It just brought tears to my eyes to have people go out of their way to help the horses they believe in so very much! I want to thank this family from Kentucky (I think right over the Illinois border) and we believe we have made some new friends who also want to help us get the word out a little further south about our program!

We also want to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Bill Rassano to the ASAP family - they have volunteered to offer their farm as a foster home for horses coming off the track, and already have Egyptian Lace and Missile Mike at their place. Missile Mike is recovering from his castration nicely, and is going to be a great horse for someone. Gridlock is also there, and Dondi is going to be retraining these horses to saddle. If any of you would like to visit Savanna Illinois and the horses currently available for adoption there, give me a call or write me at asapinc@mwt.net and I will put you in touch with Dondi.

The horse fair was great - the weather was a bit frigid and always windy in Illinois, but the horses made quite an impression - even more so than past years, and we were in a prime spot (near the heated bathrooms!). Tex was simply a poop in the barn - he got himself so worked up being apart from Janimal that he spent his first night whinnying and pacing in his stall. Janimal knew the routine and took it all in stride. Tex, on the other hand, became increasingly stressed and he must have known something was up on Friday because he had diarrhea in anticipation of his trailer ride down there. In the stall Friday night he passed a couple of piles but more diarrhea on Saturday. The only way to soothe him was to get out and ride him. He loved being out, weaving in between the crowds of people and trotting up and down the fairgrounds. Dondi and I enjoyed a long jaunt in the morning. When it was just about time to demosntrate, Tex started in with his head butting - something he never does at home. He must have butted me a million times before I mounted him - once under saddle he became the perfect gentleman and as long as he was moving he was fine. By Sunday morning I was getting concerned, as he stood in his stall and crossed his back legs. At first I thought it was the ribbons in his tail (which he HATED) but as I watched more closely and after removing the ribbons I was certain he was having some type of discomfort. I called the grounds veterinarian and he told me to get him out of his stall and get him moving. Again, we rode much of the day until our demonstration tme... and he passed two piles of stool as soon as we were out and trotting around. I guess he doesn't like the stress of a horse fair, and this may impaet whether or not we take him to Black Hills Horse Expo...maybe 24 year old Randy will have to go in his place but I thought I would give Randy a break this year. Somehow Randy and Janimal are still the two true blue boys that take it all in stride.

Rachel loves to ride Janimal, and it just makes a mom cry to see her little girl so proud of herself and so confident in the saddle. I think Rachel and Janny are going to be together for many years to come. Zach thinks he has adopted Tex, as the two seemed to be a good fit! I was very starry-eyed with them both.

As I went through this week I became discouraged with some people who were demanding, rude, and once again broke contract with their application. These people, who I gave an entire day to one day last year without grumbling, and who later decided to foster and possibly adopt Inside Straight, are supposedly Christian people. Then if Chrisitans are supposed to do the right thing, and have God as their conscience, why would they just simply give a horse away and not tell ASAP? I cannot tell you the anger, bitterness, and frustration I encounter when dealing with people who profess to be Godly.

I am now in the process of very matter-of-factly letting them know that they will be in court very shortly if they do not return the horse within seven days. They are, so far, cooperating for fear of having to go into court... but why does it have to come to this? As I read over the placement contract rules, word for word, about the transportation back to ASAP being their responsibility, and that a horse may never be sold, given away, or transferred without notifying ASAP, it seems so easy to forget those things when it is convenient. It doesn't have to be hard... but people make it hard by their own dishonesty. I need someone to pray for me that I do not develop a hard heart towards people like this... and rest assured Inside Straight will be found, as he is at the neighbor's house... sigh...

We are increasingly hopeful more and more horses will get homes, as the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department is interested in at least four for their mounted police unit. Spring has brought us many potential adopters!

I want to thank Rhonda V. in Springfield for all the years she has provided quality foster care to horses in need, without ever asking for anything in return. She has been a true gift for the program and the horses, and is now moving on with her life as she sold her farm and will move into town in order to travel more with her husband, who is a professional baseball player! Rhonda, we love you! Thanks so much.

Also a thanks to Tabitha, Denise, Dondi, the Martins, the Kaskis, Holly for fostering Holly, Rebecca for fostering Rhett aka Smoky, and Orlin for fostering Chardonneigh and Jasmine! Everyone without a complaint, without asking for a thing, you selflessly give of yourselves. ASAP is only as good as its volunteers... you are valued!

It is supposed to be 58 degrees today - hmmmm... wonder where I'll be?

Until next week!

Susan