June 19, 2005

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WHEW!!!!!!!!!!

Who am I? What am I?

I have come to the realization that life has been a lot bigger than me recently! As a mom, I have had graduation parties, class field trips, driver's license exams and tests, and crises in my life in regards to the job of foster care. I have felt a bit like a hamster on a wheel that got off its base and has just been rolling all over the place! I apologize for the lack of pictures, but promise to get back on track now with the horse program in front of me and milestones in back of me for the moment. I am sitting on this computer catching up on mail and letters and work while my children relax in the living room watching television. Every once in awhile I get one of them walking in, asking if they can go swimming, or call someone to do something, or go to a friends, and all too often already this summer I have heard the words, "I'm bored".....which sends shivers down my spine!

Craig and Zach returned from four days of fishing with Grandpa Wellman up at the flowage in northern Wisconsin (okay so I called it the"spillage", which got me a lot of laughs). Zach was in his glory, catching northerns and fish I cannot even identify. I think he has found his passion - darn, it's not horses... but Rachel, now there is my hope! Last night she sat and watched Dennis Reis and John Lyons on RFD TV with me and was enthralled by it. She is such a little cowgirl! You should have seen her at Yellow River Park a couple of weeks ago atop Janimal. Now, Janimal is 15'2 hands tall and Rachel is 40 pounds soaking wet and only six years old. She kept wanting to run through fields and on the trail, and was totally disgusted with me for not wanting to just take off all the time! I have to admit I love that spirit in her!

Some updates: Haiaku has not been doing well, either with or without the splint. I have resorted to backing up the tension on the splint to a "3" and keeping it on him for support, then putting a professional's choice boot on the other leg which is breaking down to help support the tendons that are taking so much stress. I have both phoned and emailed a vet and blacksmith in Tennessee who have designed what is called the Faulkner Walker for weak horses. It is a frame with wheels and a canvas support for under the belly. Horses can move around and eat grass while in this walker since it is mobile. They have not yet gotten back to me and I am feeling a bit desperate at this point. Haiaku is just getting weak... and as his other leg breaks down I sit and watch and don't know what to do other than cry. He is getting two grams of bute a day and today managed to get down to the neighbor's yard to eat grass (not a good thing!) so Craig had to go and "shoo" him back to the barn. Precious is doing a bit better and there is no rhyme or reason to it other than the fact that winter is gone and her pain is more manageable on two grams of bute a day. We have a special farrier, Mark Stuber, coming on Saturday and we will work together to try to build some shoes with lifts in the back to see if it helps her pelvis and legs. I think with a little more height in there she might do better - but it is a theory. Thank goodness she is feeling good, although she looks very thin.

Special thanks to:
--Chrisoula in Florida for donating 20 doses of Potomac Horse Fever vaccine!
--Lori Hahn Wedermeyer for donating 20 doses of 4-way with West Nile!
--Annie Kane of Chicago for donating numerous grooming supplies and tack
--Linda Bair for her donation of a bottle of Ivermectin!
-- Thanks to Sheryl Perko of Colorado for her recent monetary donation!

I hope I haven't left anyone out, but thanks to all of you for your donations. We are at a time of year where the checkbook balance is $0 once we have paid all bills. This is very scary, since it is almost time to buy hay again. If any of you are able to donate hay, please let us know... we are trying to find a less expensive source of round bales. We pay $75 a round bale but this is for very good hay with alfalfa... wouldn't it be nice to find something more around the $45 price delivered to us? We also have a stack of flyers we have not yet been able to gather the extra money for in La Crosse. The flyers are $95.........if anyone is interested in donating money towards supplies that will enable us to get the word out that would also be so nice.

We have been doing some investigating about the recently rescued horses. It turns out that "Ranger" is really Motor's Running. He came from Maryland originally, and his sire is Sonsam and his dam is Famous Michelle. He only made about $28,000 before being sold. Now you might ask how a horse born in Maryland and raced out east can end up in a horrible situation like he was in at the end in Wisconsin? It is amazing how horse traders make the rounds, isn't it? The owner bought him in February, and the horse's last start was in October of 1998. He must not have done well, and was sold.
So he was entitled to seven years of pulling the Amish buggy. I am not sure how he got so run down, but maybe seven years of hard work will do that to any horse, although I have seen many Amish who take impeccable care of their Standardbreds so I stand on both sides of the Amish issue! All I know is that thanks to God Ranger is in his new home with Andrea and doing great. So that is Ranger's update.

The other horse that was amazingly rescued from an uncertain fate after a brief stay with a Wilton Amish family is doing well thanks to Lori Hahn in Iowa. He has swollen legs and we thought, at first, it was from standing on concrete day after day at the Amish. This horse, through tattoo, has been identified as Wawatassi, who was originally born in Canada and brought to the US and was stabled in the Quad Cities area. We have been in touch with the racing owners and hope for a response. This great horse made $132,000!!!!!!!!! After his racing career ended he must have gone to a sale and been purchased by at least one other family (we heard they were Mennonites) before being put on the horse trader's truck and taken over to the Amish in Wilton WI. The man there explained to me that he gave good money for this horse, and didn't believe he would be able to use him due to his legs but he had driven him several times anyway. When I found him he was so very very thin and his spirit was completely broken. I was so happy to have Lori (who has adopted Taken By Surprise) come to the rescue, as our organization is unable to put up sometimes hundreds of dollars to help horses in danger of meeting their fate with the slaughter truck and slaughter sale. She reports that he is still a bit head shy, is a bit dominant, but has put on weight and I will bet this gentle giant looks even more HUGE now that he is on grass! His legs are still a bit swollen, but she is diligent in being the best possible home for him. So... two horses have been spared and are getting a new start. Not to mention May, whose son Mayson is growing like a sprout and May looks fantastic as well, and 025, who got a new home with Bonnie F. and is putting on weight. We are still hoping for the $150 it will take to get another rescue gelding from the woman who purchased him for us. She has already received the money she paid to save him from kill, but is asking for $150 in additional costs to cover his feed and coggins. Once we are able to get that to her we can bring another rescue home.

Horses are waiting in line to come to the farm. We ask you to please, if you can provide a home for a horse, to let us know. We have Thoroughbreds and POA"s and Standardbreds that need rides, homes, and foster families. As always, we encourage your support as we follow up on another abuse case in Sauk County. There are as many as 20 horses in danger of dying of starvation if we don't get there soon. Say a prayer for the horses and guide the sheriff's department as the pursue the complaints.

I will give you an update as soon as I can.

As always,

Susan