March
28: An extra message from Susan
We have had many people who have
come forward to donate Strangles vaccine for all horses
coming in to the ASAP. Although we will not expose any new
horses at this time, we appreciate the offer to donate the
Strangles vaccine and willingly accept any vaccines shipped
to us. Since we have had conflicting reports on how long
the Strangles bacteria can actually linger outdoors, we
will routinely vaccinate and booster any incoming horses
once they arrive AFTER the illness and its symptoms have
cleared from all horses in our care at this time. As of
today, Haiku and Friendly Explosion are experiencing symptoms
- all other horses are healing well. Thank you for your
concern.
Also, Thank God For Granny is now back at her foster home
and has a clean bill of health. Unfortunately she also has
another bill totalling close to $1,100. Anyone having any
ideas on who we can solicit for small and/or sizeable donations
(TB rescue groups, other rescue organizations, or private
donors) please let ASAP know. Otherwise Granny's adoption
fee will be the balance on the vet bill. Thanks for any
help you can give! |
March
26,
2003
Hello Everyone,
I am sitting upstairs
in my classroom with the sun shining in, eager to get home to
the horses and my family, but thought I might drop you a line
or two first.
I am watching
the Fox News Channel with my peripheral vision as I type - and
it seems as though the war has gotten me "down" a
bit these days. I am intent on knowing what is going on at all
times, and have the television on both at home and during my
lunch break at school. Sometimes I wish I could just disconnect
from it, but part of me won't. I am sure you know what I mean.
When I wrote you
in my last farm update, my last statements included praise for
the fact that all was well at the ASAP farm. It seems that as
soon as those words came from my mouth, something happened -
and we suddenly have illness among our horses for the first
time in 12 years. Apparently a horse was exposed to Strangles
and did not show any symptoms until 48 hours after he arrived
at our farm. Not realizing that he had been exposed to anything
contagious, he was turned out with other horses waiting for
adoption. Needless to say, Craig has been running around with
a 20cc syringe and a bottle of penicillin for almost two weeks,
and I have been busy phoning vets. FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS! I
guess we should count our blessings - at least that is what
our veterinarian said................ we have not had a sick
horse coming off the track for that long! When it happens, however,
it makes for more worry on my part (okay, call it hysteria),
sleepless nights, and a pit in my stomach that makes me feel
like crying all the time. The good news is, however, that everyone
is "on the mend" with no complications from the Strangles.
The vet also reassured me that he has only seen one case of
death from Strangles in 27 years of practice, so I have to remember
that to keep things in perspective.
The vote is "in"
on the Minnesota Horse Fair - overwhelmingly, our Minnesota
adopters are requesting a booth there . We originally felt we
could not attend due to lack of funds for demos and expos, but
graciously people are offering to cover the costs just to have
our presence at the fair. Special thanks to Kim Cleminson, and
to Sue (Master Kut) and Linda Bair (Stormy) for their moral
support as well. How can we resist being there, when some of
the best adopters in the history of ASAP come from Minnesota?
In case you don't remember, Kim and her family adopted Indy
(aka Musical Mickey) and you can view the pictures she took
recently of her adopted horses Izabeau, Nonobadfilly, and Indy
with her children. Those pictures speak a thousand words to
me, and our gratitude is eternal for giving Indy the life he
deserves, as well as the others! So - be looking for ASAP at
Minnesota, in addition to the Iowa Horse Fair April 4-6 and
Madison's Midwest Horse Fair April 11-13. We are truly looking
forward to Iowa this year, and have enjoyed getting to know
Iowa Harness Horseman's Association Mary Lou Lawless as we prepare
for a dual demonstration with our Standardbreds!
We want to thank
Dale for the hand-made leather bridle which will be offered
in a raffle, and it looks as though State Line Tack will sponsor
us at Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, so be looking for raffles
which include gift certificates from them. Many prizes will
be offered, so be sure to stop by the booth to sign up for your
chance to win!
The nice weather
has brought about more opportunities to ride, and I plan on
doing just that when I get home tonight. We are rounding the
corner towards the end of the school year, and I have made a
decision, along with my family, that I will work towards being
home full time this fall. That would allow me to devote 100%
of my energy to my family and to ASAP. Things have been crazy
this year for my husband, who has played Mr. Mom to the degree
that he deserves an Academy Award, but as a result of being
a full time dad, our sign business has suffered and so has Craig's
identity! The longing of my heart is to be with my children
and husband at home, and even though it may cost us in terms
of finances, we believe it will be best for everyone in the
long run. My mother's symptoms of Parkinson's have also gotten
worse this year, so we have to factor in the possibility of
her needing my assistance more as time goes on in order to keep
her as independent as possible and in her home. There has been
talk of taking her driving privileges away from her, but we
have fought hard and strong not to allow any doctors to make
that decision for her, so for now she is still booking around
town and fending for herself (which is what she wants!). To
take that car away from her would destroy her, in my opinion.
So you see - life
goes on - with the ups and downs we all encounter. We need to
uplift each other and encourage one another each day and appreciate
every good moment we have in life! Every day when I go outside
after school I can't help but breathe in deeply - appreciating
the horses and the opportunity to care for them until someone
else does. Have a great week and we'll share more next week!
Hugs,
Susan
Nonobadfilly soaks up some attention
