Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Buckskin Beauty on the Washington Feedlot

This is one stunning guy (even just from the pictures). Image what he looks like in person!
Orris - Buckskin Quarter Horse Gelding - $400

Orris is an older saddle horse who should still have many years left. He appears to be in good condition and sound from what I can see. He was not wanting to be caught as there were new horses just added into his pen and it was a bit chaotic. He has a scar on his hip that looks to be from an ols injury. He is supposed to be in his teens but I did not look at his teeth to verify. I would guess him to be about 14'2hh.

Location: Sunnyside, WA
Deadline: 7/03/15
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115

#NPCommPix - July Challenge

I didn't get to do the other photo challenge from Stride for Success so maybe I'll get July's photo challenge accomplished instead.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Not Goodbye but See You Later

I knew it was coming and yet I still turned a blind eye. In my mind my brain knew but my heart wasn't ready. I came home Friday night to discover that our faithful little house dog had had a stroke. She didn't improve. We spent the night with her, snuggling on the couch and called the vet in the morning to make arrangements. I'd known a month ago that we needed to put her down a month ago but neither Mike or I could make that call. We said goodbye Saturday morning. I'm still a little in shock and am heartbroken even though I knew it was coming and had to be done. But I hate saying goodbye. This goodbye was a lot harder than some of the others for some reason. I'm guessing because I spent 12 years living with the same dog and being responsible for 12 years. Only Dude has been with us longer. But it's a little different because Trouble lived with us. She snuggled with us, slept with us, ate with us, went on family vacations with us. She wasn't just a dog, but a family member.

I have dealt with death many times and for some reason didn't understand what others were going through when they lost their beloved house dog. Now I do. We lost LeRoy, my beloved shepherd mutt on Christmas Day 2007 and that was a heartache but the passing of Trouble seems to be an even bigger heartache.

I'm not sure if it's better to plan for it and cry for the few days between the phone call and the actual deed or if it's better to have the shock of making the decision and having to act quickly. I think I'm still reeling but being that Trouble was with us for 12 years is probably the biggest deciding factor. I'm not sure how many times in the past 24 hours I've thought "oh I need to let Trouble out" or "oh her water dish is empty" but then I remember.

And the worst is she gave me the look. That look of "what are they doing to me" just before she passed. That will haunt me for awhile.

So while we continue with our daily chores and tasks at the Sanctuary, our hearts are very sorrowful and we all need time to adjust. If I'm not  posting anything (or at least not posting about the daily activities at the Sanctuary, it's because I dont' want to bring anyone down and I'm simply at a loss for words because I'm still dealing with the loss.)

This is not goodbye but See Ya Later Alligator.

18Yr old QH in Texas Feedlot



Sacramento - 18yr Chestnut Quarter Horse Type Gelding- $775


Sacramento is a sweet and gentle gelding who has a larger frame and should be able to carry a larger rider at 15h+. He seems like a been ther, done that, good ol' boy just ready for his next chapter in life. This horse was accidentally loaded to safety but returned when the mistake was discovered. Being so close to freedom, it would be really nice if he were to get a chance. I am guessing he is 18-20 years old.

Location:Bowie,TX
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115
Deadline: ASAP Can ship anytime



20yr old Buckskin at Washington Feedlot

From the same family that owned the older Arabian. Doesn't seem fair.

Old Faithful - 20yr Buckskin Gelding - $300

Old Faithful and his buddy came to the feedlot together after a change of circumstances from their elderly owner. He is a very sweet gelding who is polite and easy to handle. He has had the same owner and has been with his buddy for his whole life. He is broke but has a swayback so would probably be best suited for light riding. Old Faithful stands approx 13'3hh and will need routine basic care. 

Location: Sunnyside, WA
Deadline: 7/03/15
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115





26yr old Arabian at Washington Feedlot

This guy doesn't deserve the ending that he's getting. Can anyone help?



Olden Daze - 26yr Gray Arabian Gelding - $300

Olden Daze is a good old boy who has been with the same owner for his lifetime and was only sent to the feedlot due to a change in owner circumstances and finances. He is broke to ride and was used for endurance and should be well broke to ride. He will need basic care and general TLC. Olden is a sweet hose, very easy to handle, polite, and quite the sweetheart. He is approx 15hh.

Location: Sunnyside, WA
Deadline: 7/03/15
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115

Thursday, June 25, 2015

101 Horses in Kill Pens

All 101 horses currently at a kill pen in Washington and Louisiana (and I think Texas) are posted at the following link if you are interested in reading more about each one (and possibly saving a life).

http://www.auctionhorses.org/horses.asp?Page=kphorses

Dressage Mare at Feedlot

This one's description blows my mind. How did this beauty get here?


Rescue Works - 17yr Dark Bay Thoroughbred Mare - $550

Description

This sweet mare has been used for dressage and has been ridden English and also used as a hunter/jumper. She has gained weight since these pictures were taken and is said to be in good health and sound.


Older Belgian Mare at Feedlot

UGH. I just saw another old Belgian. I have a soft spot for old drafts. This breaks my heart that they aren't given the proper retirement after working all their lives.

#8916  Ruby Eye
Ruby is an aged draft mare, she is gentle and easy to handle Shipping is Thursday, June 25 @ 12 p.m.

Purchasing Information

Location: Kaufman Co, TX
Contact: Katrina (870) 703-9996 Text is Preferred
Shipping Deadline: Thursday, June 25 @ 12 p.m.


Older Belgian at Feedlot

I missed this guy in the postings. He definitely deserves a good retirement home.

#8922  Right To Be
Right To Be is an aged Belgian gelding. Previous owner did not take care of him. For him to have lived this long. Looking for someone to give him a loving home. Shipping date is Thursday, June 25 @ 12 p.m.

Purchasing Information

Location: Kaufman Co, TX
Contact: Katrina (870) 703-9996 Text is Preferred
Shipping Deadline: Thursday, June 25 @ 12 p.m.



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

This N That

The last few days have been a bit of a blur. I've been under the weather for most of those days and the days that are good are too darn hot so I'm not out messing with the horses like I would like (and need).

Mike does have two of the four tires back on the stock trailer. We'll be going up next weekend to pick up Ivan and Brego from their "summer retreat". I'm not sure if our pasture will hold but I'm hoping that by dividing it, that it will.

Mom and Dad came down on Sunday to help around the place. Mike and Dad tackled switching the fence around so that the horses could go into another quarter of the pasture. It always takes longer than what you expect. I'd figured within an hour or two, it would be completely done. Nope. Always seems to be the case. With the heat and NO wind, it took a lot longer. But we were able to put the horses out Monday after the storm. Unfortunately, someone blew through the fence yesterday afternoon and Mike had to go back out and repair it. I have NO idea why the horses are blowing through the electric fence these days. It's infuriating.

Two years ago we had horses over at the neighbors (when it was different neighbors) and they did great. But then I remembered we didn't have the entire herd over there. The runners/fence pushers were still back in our pasture. I just can't remember who that was. I think it was King and Jim that I left back in our pasture and it's King who seems to think he can blow through a fence. If that continues, he'll be removed from the big pasture and I'll have to come up with plan B.

But I DID finally order and get a grazing muzzle for King. Put it on yesterday but he wasn't going to have anything to do with it today but I pushed the issue. He was going to have to run me over to get out to the pasture without his muzzle on. I feel bad that he has to wear it but he's foundered at some point (under my care no less) so I'm doing what I can to fix the issue. I forget that he's such a big guy some times (until I'm trying to get the muzzle on).

Skippy and I are still going round. He is out on the lawn but I've had to picket him instead of letting him wander the lawn pasture. I don't like it, not one bit but otherwise, he'll be rendered a drylot horse. But if things continue to progress they way they are, King and Skippy will just have to hang out in a dry lot if they continue to blow through fences.

We are still waiting for one more utility company to arrive, then we are going to do some major cleanup with a hired excavator. But with the winds and terrible storms that blew through Monday morning our plans are on hold until the utilities can get here and I have no idea when that will be. I was hoping that the excavator would come this weekend but that's asking a lot. So hopefully by mid summer we'll be able to tackle some major cleanup around the place. But we'll have to wait and see.

Happy Birthday Mayhem

Happy Birthday Mayhem! Hard to believe that you are five years old. So much has happened in the past five years. Wish you hadn't been put on the back burner because of all the other health and other crazy schedule issues going on. Hopefully we can rectify that this coming year!

So glad you've grown from a tiny little filly into a muscular mare. Who cares that you were born the wrong color. We love you the way you are.


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Website

I have very slowly (and painfully) been updating our website. I thought maybe you all would like to meet the Sanctuary horses. Go to Horses and click on each horse's individual picture to read more about him/her. I'll slowly be adding more to the site as time allows. Now that I'm housebound due to the heat (and no it's hot that hot but it's too hot for me), I'll hopefully find time to work on the website a bit more.

http://borderlandshorsesanctuary.com/

Platte Livestock Horse Sale Reports

I hopped on to the Platte Livestock Market website and found their report from the past few months of horse sales.  Unfortunately, Platte is too far away for me to go on a weeknight. I can't figure out the reason for the changes in price on the loose horses. Why some months it's 20.00 and some months it's 40.00. Come August, there will be many more loose horses flooding the market and very little chance of those horses finding a permanent home. They'll be headed in to the slaughter pipeline.

HORSE SALE MON. JUNE 1ST, 2015
SOLD 78 HORSES
HORSES SOLD  35.00-60.00/CWT
STUD HORSES  25.00-30.00/CWT
NEXT HORSE SALE MON. JULY 6TH, 2015

HORSE SALE
SAT. MAY 9TH
SOLD 183 HEAD
BIGGER LOOSE HORSES              40.00-65.00/CWT
LIGHTER LOOSE HORSES                        20.00-40.00/CWT
ROPING STEERS                             1100.00-1165.00/HD 
RIDING HORSES                             UP TO $4050.00
T.TALSMA                GELDING      $4000.00
D. VLASMAN           GELDING      $4050.00
M. JANDREAU         GELDING      $3000.00
J. MCGREGOR         GELDING      $3500.00
T. DELANGE            MARE            $3900.00

NEXT HORSE SALE MON. JUNE 1ST 4:00 (TACK) 5:00 (HORSES)




MON. APRIL 6TH, 2015
SOLD 86 HEAD
LIGHTER HORSES  20.00-40.00/CWT
BIGGER HORSES    50.00-75.00/CWT
NEXT MONTHLY HORSE SALE
SAT. MAY 9TH, 2015
LOOSE HORSES @ 1:00, RIDING HORSES @ 3:00
 

MONTLY HORSE & TACK SALE MON.MAR. 2ND
LIGHT HORSES                 30.00-40.00/CWT
BIG HORSES                       60.00-75.00/CWT
NEXT MONTHLY HORSE SALE MON. APRIL 6TH
(TACK 4:00, HORSES 5:00)


MONTLY HORSE SALE
MON. FEB. 2ND, 2015
LOOSE HORSES                                40.00-65.00/CWT
RIDING HORSES                               1000.00-2000.00/HD
ROPING CATTLE                              475.00-700.00/HD
NEXT HORSE SALE MON. MAR. 2ND, 2015
TACK 4:00, HORSES 5:00


NO SALE JAN.---INCLEMENT WEATHER


MONTHLY HORSE SALE MON. DEC. 1ST
WEIGH UP HORSES                         35.00-50.00/CWT
RIDING HORSES                               750.00-1500.00/HD
NEXT SALE MON JAN. 5TH TACK @ 4:00, HORSES @ 5:00

 


HORSE SALE MON. OCT. 6TH 
SOLD 47 HEAD
WEIGH UP HORSES                                     35.00-55.00/CWT
RIDING HORSES                                          $700-1500.00/HD
NEXT HORSE & TACK SALE MON. NOV. 3RD
TACK (6:00)  HORSES (7:00)




HORSE SALE MON. SEPT 8TH
WEIGH UP HORSES                         45.00-60.00/CWT
RIDING HORSES UP TO $1850.00

Missed the Storm and Winds

We missed the storm but thought I would post a bit of info on the wind speeds. We seriously lucked out. Had we had 100mph winds, we would have lost A LOT at the Sanctuary (and we still need to repair a few things from last year's near miss of a tornado).

For those not familiar with the area, Garretson is close to an hour away (to the north and east). I drive almost to Garretson to the paying job and the route I took was close to the storm's path. I'll take another way home just to see if the storm was actually north or south of my normal route to the paying job.

PS.. Just the other day, a farmer was out baling hay and they found a stock pot. I'm guessing it's from the neighbors 1/2 mile to the north of us that lost their house. I'm sure through the years, they will find their belongings scattered through the fields.

I'll post more but wanted to show the wind speeds that we missed. Thanking our lucky stars for that!


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
530 PM CDT MON JUN 22 2015

...WIND REPORTS GREATER THAN 55 MPH RESULTING FROM LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS /BOW ECHO/...

LOCATION                     SPEED     TIME/DATE
GARRETSON                    100 MPH   0458 AM 06/22
2 N SHELDON                  95 MPH    0537 AM 06/22
5 W SIOUX FALLS              82 MPH    0448 AM 06/22
3 WNW ROWENA                 80 MPH    0459 AM 06/22
1 NNE GEORGE                 75 MPH    0520 AM 06/22
3 SW CHAMBERLAIN             73 MPH    0230 AM 06/22
3 NNW SIOUX FALLS            69 MPH    0456 AM 06/22
SPENCER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT    66 MPH    0607 AM 06/22
GARRETSON                    65 MPH    0501 AM 06/22
3 N WINDOM                   62 MPH    0556 AM 06/22
1 SSW PARKSTON               61 MPH    0410 AM 06/22
1 S HARRIS                   60 MPH    0548 AM 06/22
MOUNTAIN LAKE                60 MPH    0602 AM 06/22
4 SSE MOUNTAIN LAKE          60 MPH    0607 AM 06/22
3 SSE LAKE PARK              59 MPH    0600 AM 06/22
BALTIC                       58 MPH    0500 AM 06/22
3 S SALEM                    57 MPH    0418 AM 06/22

...NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND REPORTS GREATER THAN 55 MPH ASSOCIATED WITH INTENSE
LOW PRESSURE WHICH DEVELOPED BEHIND THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS /WAKE LOW/...

LOCATION                     SPEED     TIME/DATE
3 NNW DE SMET                81 MPH    0455 AM 06/22
2 N JACKSON                  76 MPH    0714 AM 06/22
2 NNE WORTHINGTON            74 MPH    0655 AM 06/22
3 NNW SIOUX FALLS            72 MPH    0609 AM 06/22
LAKE ANDES RAWS              68 MPH    0441 AM 06/22
3 N WINDOM                   68 MPH    0654 AM 06/22
BALTIC                       67 MPH    0600 AM 06/22
1 W SLAYTON                  67 MPH    0633 AM 06/22
2 W MARSHALL                 66 MPH    0615 AM 06/22
BROOKINGS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT  64 MPH    0535 AM 06/22
BRANDON                      64 MPH    0606 AM 06/22
2 S LUVERNE                  63 MPH    0633 AM 06/22
2 NNE WORTHINGTON            63 MPH    0635 AM 06/22
3 NNW SIOUX FALLS            63 MPH    0545 AM 06/22
1 SSW VERMILLION             60 MPH    0515 AM 06/22
LUVERNE AIRPORT              60 MPH    0614 AM 06/22
2 W BROOKINGS                59 MPH    0555 AM 06/22
WHITE LAKE - SDSU            57 MPH    0400 AM 06/22

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

$$

Friday, June 19, 2015

Skippy in Timeout

Skippy is in timeout for the second day in a row. Unfortunately, Tommy is having to deal with Skippy's bad behavior as well. For the next three days, Tommy and Skippy will be separated because I am tired of Skippy's antics.

Yesterday, I put Skippy in to his pasture (along with Tommy). They've been out on the little lawn pasture for awhile. Apparently, Skippy has figured out that we don't always keep the electric fence on (can't have it on when our son is around). So when I went to put Skippy in to the pasture, I turned my back to walk over to the barn to plug in the fencer. Apparently, the wires were twined together so he pushed just a little and snuck under the fence. I figured that was my bad but I still put him in timeout for the day.

This morning, I put him and Tommy back in the pasture. Before I could walk to the barn to turn the fencer on, Skippy decided to plow through the fence. Didn't bother trying to go under. He decided to go through, ripping all the fence down. That meant that Tommy couldn't enjoy his time out on the pasture. I was furious to say the least.

So Skippy is back in timeout all alone and Tommy is in the old mares' pen until I can get the pasture fence fixed. Tommy can at least see the herd when they come and go for water. It wouldn't take me long to fix the fence but I was in a rush to get to work so it'll have to wait. And at this point, I think it's time for Skippy to be separated. He is doing it on purpose. If it happens on accident it's one thing but he's doing it to spite me now.

I'm thinking that I'll electrify his pen and he'll remember what it's like to be a nice mini and behave and respect fencing. Otherwise, he'll be banned from all grazing opportunities and Tommy may simply  join the big herd and Skippy will be by himself. I'd rather not do it that way but it'll be up to Skippy to decide if he's going to behave himself.

No more ponies or minis at the Sanctuary from here on out. Just old, cranky big horses.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Gray Mare at Feedlot

Guess I have a thing for grays....Don't know her age but she deserves better
her face on the second picture says it all

Verizon - Gray Mare - $450
Verizon is said to be a well broke mare and she is as sweet as can be. She has what appears to be an old hoof injury or wire cut but did not have visible lameness issues. She gets along well with the other horses and is easily handled, but was not cooperative with me looking at her mouth. She is very friendly, comes right up to you, and has marks on her back like she was recently ridden. She needs her hooves cleaned up but they weren't too terrible. She is a larger mare 15+hh. 

Deadline: ASAP Can ship anytime
Location: Sunnyside, WA
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115 @ 8am-9pm




26yr old Mare at Feedlot

Another one that deserves a retirement

Vivica - 26yr Chestnut Quarter Horse Mare - $500
Vivica is here at the feedlot with her daughter. She has not been ridden for some time due to previous owner health isses but she was well broke and used both English and Western. She is a very sweet and well behaved mare that deserves a nice retirement. She appears to be sound and will need a little tlc as she has a puffy eye probably due to dust irritation. She stands approx 15hh. 

Deadline: ASAP Can ship anytime
Location: Sunnyside, WA
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115 @ 8am-9pm

EF2 Tornado

Tonight will be one year since we missed an EF2 tornado by a mere half mile. I'll be much more cautious from here on out. We might have missed the tornado but we still had wind damage. In fact, we still haven't repaired some of the damage. It's on the "To do" list but we just haven't had enough time to tackle the projects (new roof on the run in shed, new fence, etc.). All are time consuming and we just haven't made it a priority but we need to....very soon.

All I can say is that we were darn lucky. What little damage we had is fixable. The neighbors lost their entire house and the farmer neighbor lost his barn. So I won't complain about a little bit of repair that still needs to be done.

I have been much more edgy when storms roll through ever since the tornado. I've never been closer to a tornado than I was a year ago. There have been a few that have hit our area and we were three or four miles away but never that close. I'd like to keep it that way. I still look at the power lines and power poles and see all the new poles and lines. I can still see the path were the tornado hit. The trees tell a story, even if the houses are rebuilt and the new growing season is upon us.

I know other areas are much more heavily trafficked with tornadoes but in our neck of the woods it doesn't happen all that much. So this summer season of thunderstorms and tornados, I'll be more on edge and ready to run to the basement.

Hard to believe it's been a year. Time really does fly.

Evacuation Procedure

Saw this and thought it was pretty handy. I'll be going through some of the resources for the Sanctuary but wanted to share.

http://www.thehorse.com/features/35909/natural-disaster-are-you-and-your-horse-ready

Blind 15yr Gelding at Feedlot

This guy bothers me. He looks like a total gem, who cares whether he can see or not!

his sweet gelding is losing his vision and looks to need some groceries. He is said to be very gentle and easy to handle. 

Location: Kaufman County, Texas
Volunteer Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115 Text is best
Deadline: ASAP 



Slow and Steady

The last few days have been a blur. We are somewhat busy with the Sanctuary but also busy with life in general. The Sunday before last, Mike and I made a flying trip to Sanborn, Minnesota to buy a "new to us" bale spear for the tractor. I can't remember if I posted about that or not. It was a solid two hour drive up and another two hours back, but the time will hopefully be worth it this winter when put in round bales. The current bale spear works best for big squares and tears apart the strings/netting on big rounds. Since we are going with big rounds this coming winter to help cut down on chores (having a toddler and an infant doesn't give much time), we opted to try this method. Hopefully this way I can focus more on checking over horses and making sure they are keeping up with the proper weight rather than trying to struggle with hauling hay through snow drifts. I may have to play musical pens to make sure everyone gets in to eat but that'll be something I worry about this fall/winter.

Because I can't ride and we aren't hauling horses all the time, Mike tore into our trusty stock trailer. There's been a few things that have needed repair over the years that we haven't had time to fix. We have the big trailer we can always use but also bought a different stock trailer (only good for hauling horses in the summer) that I can use (bought it for the tires). Once Mike got in to the project, he realized that there was more that needed to be done rather than a bit of superficial surface rust. We've had it for 12 years and haven't put any money into it except for tires and the latch (which broke). So now we'll need to keep it for at least a few more years before we get rid of it. Hopefully by then I can find a reasonably priced three horse slant bumper pull. Mike is hoping to have the trailer completely fixed by the time we pick up Ivan and Brego in a week or two. But the way things are going, we may be taking the blue stock trailer. The gray trailer is currently on jack stands with all four tires off. It's an interesting sight.

Last Sunday we ran up to Madison to check on Brego and Ivan during their "summer retreat". We decided to haul two horses up to the "summer retreat" to help cut down on pressure on our pastures and to eat down a decent pasture at Mom and Dad's. I think Brego and Ivan are liking all the grass. There's a bit more hands on at the "summer retreat" because there's less competition. The other day the wood chip guy came to drop off wood chips. He wasn't sure where to go because the horses were in the way. Mom through a lead rope over Ivan and lead him out of the way. Ivan has always given me grief about leading. Apparently he prefers mom's special touch. Once the truck was in the horse pasture, mom let Ivan go (Brego followed like the normal shadow that he is). Well the horses walked over to the truck and the guy standing there. Mom had to laugh because Ivan came up and stuck his nose right in the guys space and the guy apparently wasn't comfortable with horses. But Ivan and Brego behaved themselves.

I think having Ivan and Brego away from Dude is a good thing (or at least having Ivan away from Dude). He's less pushy and seems to really be mellow up at the "summer retreat". Hopefully he keeps that mellow attitude. If the pasture holds out, I'll pick them up in another week or two and then keep them at the Sanctuary until mid August. Hopefully the "summer retreat" pasture will perk  back up if we don't over graze it and they can enjoy the fall in Madison.

I need to do some quick fencing this week. The horses have been in a quarter of the big pasture but after two weeks, they've eaten it all down. Now there's just thistles. I need to flip it so they get a different quarter of the pasture. I also need to get the pasture sprayed because the thistles are going to start blooming. Unfortunately because I'm pregnant, I can't spray so I'm going to have to go out with a tree trimmer and whack them off instead. I haven't been feeling the greatest over the past couple of days so I haven't done anything. Hopefully I'll start feeling better and get out to the pasture before the thistles bloom. I'm afraid we need to spray every year to keep the thistles down.

So we've been busy and hopefully this weekend we can do a small fencing project. I don't want to get too grand of an idea on fencing because I have no idea what the weather will be like or what I'll be up for. Now is the time to be busting butt on getting stuff done but I can't seem to move fast enough to get anything accomplished. Guess that's just how it'll be. Slow and steady.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Giving a Chance

We were asked to take in a horse this weekend. The mare fits the criteria and deserves a retirement. Unfortunately, without her (or any of the other Sanctuary horses) being fully feed sponsored, we can't take anyone else on.  It's frustrating because I know it's my fault. I need to get the paperwork figured out but there's so many hoops to jump through and I don't have the mindset for that kind of stuff. I've always struggled with paperwork. And when it's very important paperwork, I freak out even more.

So instead, I'm forced to turn away horses that deserve a permanent retirement. All the information is in my head to answer the questions, but it's mastering the paperwork that has me stuck.

I'm on the Auction Horse Forum and they are daily putting new horse pictures up. These are  horses that have hours to escape certain death. There's nothing I can do. I can share their pictures and that's about it. But some of those horses that are being posted, are horses from South Dakota. I always assumed that the horses of South Dakota would be shipped to Canada, because its' closer and at least the slaughter would be more humane. Then I watched Alex Brown's documentary. I. was. wrong.

South Dakota horses ship to Mexico. That's much farther away, much harder of a drive, and now I'm seeing the faces of these horses. I'm glad that the lady is going the extra mile for these horses. I only wish that I could do more, be a part of spreading the word and helping save the horses. But I can't even seem to help one horse out that needs retirement.

If only the Sanctuary could be better funded (other than my paycheck) with steady grants or donations, we could do more. There's four senior mares (I'm guessing all had been broodmares at one point), at a feedlot in Washington. They dont' deserve that type of end. Of course, none of them do. But why is it that at the golden year, people want to get rid of their beloved horses? I guess we push our elders into retirement homes so that we can continue with our lives, so why not dump a horse at an auction or a feedlot so that we can be free of the facts of old age.

We are currently watching our senior dog, grow weaker every day. She's a few months shy of being 15 but we both know she's not going to make it. I guess I'm a little bit more heartless and am ready to say goodbye, whereas Mike isn't ready yet. I've seen it before. It's that look, the body condition, their daily struggles, etc. But every once in a while you'll get that glimmer of hope and that's what we hang on to. But it's difficult to watch as they grow old and feeble. It's part of life. I guess because I deal with old age on a daily basis, with the worry every day of the horses and their care, that I'm more immune. I don't know. I hope that my heart hasn't turned hard against death. It could simply be pregnancy, or it could be simply facing the truth and acknowledging it.

But I have a hard time facing the truth that so many good horses, horses in their prime, are headed to slaughter. That fact I can't wrap my brain around. These are not horses that are crazy. These are horses that ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. I see all these horses doing fancy dressage moves, jumping huge jumps, doing reining moves, etc. It's because someone put time into them. I look at these horses standing in the slaughter pipeline, given a number, and waiting their turn to load into the next waiting semi, and I think, why aren't these horses given a chance? With a little bit of education, I bet most could excel at one discipline or another if given a chance.

I dunno. I know I'm rambling. It's partly pregnancy and party whatever bug I caught that's keeping me home sick. I just dont' know what more I can do without other people's help. I am but one person.

19 Yr Old Mare at Feedlot

Tossed out after who knows why...and this poor mare is possibly bred back. No one gave her a thought. Can anyone help?

One of these days I can hope this mare will have her own person and a loving home. She has been used as a broodmare in the past and I don't know what training she has had or if she is broke to ride. She is very easy to handle, affectionate, and gets along well in a herd. She is a larger mare, about 15hh, and in good body condition. She appears to be sound, healthy from what I can see, and has a medium build. She has a hangman brand on her hip as shown. She is suspected to be in foal but it has not been confirmed. 

Deadline: 6/03/15 extended to 6/17/15
Location: Sunnyside, WA
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115

27 Yr Old at Feedlot

This old girl doesn't deserve to be at the feedlot! The pictures of her break my heart.

Vivee - 27yr Palomino Quarter Horse Mare - $500

This sweet mare was used as a trail horse in the past and is in excellent body condition for her age. She is a love who is easy to handle, picks up her feet, tolerates weight without issue, She is right about 15hh and at a good weight. She gets along well with the others and appears to be sound from what I can see. She had an injury above her eye that looked to be healing well when I saw her last. 

Deadline: 6/17/15
Location: Sunnyside, WA
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115



Friday, June 12, 2015

Kill Pen Trailer

Whoa....no words....

Kill Pen Trailer....might need a strong stomach and I don't recommend children watching it for some of the foul language and graphic details.
https://vimeo.com/103562851

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

#SFSHorsePhotoChallenge - June

I do so love photo challenges...if only I had more time to take pictures... but I'm going to try my best at accomplishing the June photo challenge from Strides for Success.

Gorgeous Gray at Texax Border - Ready to ship

This guy is GORGEOUS! Wanting to spread the word... he doesn't fit the bill for Sanctuary but WOW he's too much of a looker to not share...

Reed is a dapple gray 6 year old geld , 15.1'H, gentle and is in immediate need of a safe home or placement. No additional information available at this time. 

Reed - 6yr Gray Gelding - $850
Location: Kaufman County, TX
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115
Deadline: Wednesday 6/10/15 - 10 AM Central Time



20yr old Mule at Texas feedlot

Not sure if he's shipped or not, but he doesn't deserve to. He is passed due but wanted to spread the word in case someone could offer him a retirement home.

USPS - 20yr Mule Gelding - $375
USPS is ready to arrive and join your family. This adorable 20 yr old mule has done it all….riding, packing - you name it. I do not yet know if this cutie is a Molly or a John Mule, but wanted to make certain they were seen and had their deserving chance. As soon as I am informed of the price for this gentle soul, I will update. 

Deadline: 6/09/15
Contact: Sabrina 206-250-5115
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Mares and Pastures

After two or three days of trying to get out and walk a fence line, I said the heck with it and just dumped the  mares in to the pasture and kept my fingers crossed that the fence line is at least half way up and secure.

I put them out in a different pasture (usually the one I have reserved for fall) for a couple of a hours last night. I don't think they moved more than 10 feet the entire time. I'd pulled Mayhem first from their drylot and that started a bunch of whinnying. Of course that set off Rabbit to calling back. And who should come trotting up to see what all the commotion is about....Junior. I don't think he liked being separated from his mares (although he's passive he still considers them his best friends).

I had a meeting last night so I left the mares in their new pasture and let Junior standing at the fence watching the mares. When I came back, I was heading out to call the big herd in and they came up on their own without me even calling. I'm afraid it was the  mosquitoes that drove them in but I'll take it.

I put Junior in the barn to let him have his grain ration. He takes SO long in eating that I've given up thinking he'll get his food done before I'm done with chores. I also decided to pull the mares out of the pasture. I'm still a little leery of putting them out to eat 24x7.

Instead of taking them back to their pen, I opted to stall them. Mostly it was a laziness issue on my part (both in that it's a long walk when pregnant and dealing with a horse that walks faster than you can, and knowing that morning chores would take a lot longer and I'd be drug along by a horse to get to the pasture first thing in the morning). But the mares were happy to get back out on pasture (the big herd had to wait and they were most displeased. I pulled Junior out and put him in with the mares. That's where he's the most comfortable, so that is where he'll be as long as the pasture holds out. Everyone else is paired up in the big herd and Mayhem flips back and forth between her mother and Junior. So it all works out. I need one more horse so that there's an even number and everyone can be buddied up with another one. :-)

Last night when I pulled the mares out, the big herd was already up. When I pulled Mayhem out, Rabbit went to whinnying and that set the rest of the herd of whinnying. I haven't heard so many voices whinny at the same time in a very long time. I'm sure no one knew what was going on but they were all talking. I just wish I knew what they'd been talking about.

Tonight I hope to get the ponies out on grass. It's going ot be challenge because I'm not sure where to put them. They need to work up to eating grass but I have a perfect spot for them. I may have to rearrange some temporary fencing so they can get out ASAP.

And speaking of temporary fencing. I've lost a pasture because the small drylot fencing fell down and we haven't been able to fix it yet. I don't see getting it fixed any time soon. So I'm either going to have to sacrifice the dry lot or not use the pasture. Neither are ideal. I'm going to have to come up with some type of solution in the very near future. Wish my brain was working better to come up with a good solution.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Just for Laughs

Chaos

Just because I needed a laugh.

That's Chaos destroying the treat. I lost the bottom of the apple and he's figured out that he doesn't have to lick it to destroy the thing. He can bite it and eat the entire thing without sharing with anyone.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Fugly Quote

Fugly blog has returned (with a different author) and they have proceeded to point out all the flaws of poor salesmanship, which I think is funny. Unfortunately, it shows the lack of interest in people's ability to try and find their horse a new home. At the end of Fugly's latest post were the best words said and I can't out do them....

Instead we like to dump them on the internet like an old sofa.  Then expect others to be the perfect, loving, caring, responsible home that they couldn’t be.  Beggars can’t be choosers people and in the end it is the horse that suffers.


So true. And that is clearly why we have the horses at the Sanctuary that we do. Not all fit the requirements that we have set in place but the horses came before those criteria were established. Take for instance Dude and Brego. Neither of them would I dump at a sale. Someone would see Dude and think he's a pretty horse, buy him, ride him, and constantly get bucked off not knowing what is wrong. He'd end up as a piece of meat on a plate. Same goes for Brego, although maybe not considered not as "pretty". But in any case, to keep them safe and to keep people safe, they stay at the Sanctuary until their quality of life is no longer there. But I've made that sacrifice because I don't believe the horse should suffer.

Horse ownership is not a right but a privilege and commitment.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

First Day of Pasture 2015

Just a few pictures from the first day of letting the herd out on pasture. Not a lot of running and farting going on. A lot of chowing down and enjoying grass.








Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Weekend Productivity

We had a productive weekend! Finally getting something done around the Sanctuary. The lawn "pasture" was pretty well eaten down by the big herd and I usually release the herd to the big pasture over Memorial Weekend, except this time around Memorial Weekend snuck up on me.

On Saturday morning, I was finally able to hook up with the farrier and get a bunch of the herd taken care of. I'm behind on trims so it was nice to get almost everyone on the list done. We started with the Tommy and Skippy and then progressed to King. The farrier was in rare form so he was ready to tackle some more of the herd. I went for Zeke but he wouldn't let me catch him (so he's one that needs to be taken care of yet). So I pulled out Dude and the farrier trimmed his fronts only. Left front he was ok but showed some discomfort but the right front he showed a lot of discomfort. Luckily the farrier works quickly. I should have buted Dude before we started. He's 18 years old but I'm not sure he's going to see 25 because of those hips. I pulled Junior out but the farrier said his feet look pretty good so no need to do any trimming. I was also able to get Rabbit's fronts done. She's been off for a while so hopefully the trim will fix that. I still need to work on Mayhem and Maverick. Both refuse to pick up their feet and at this point, I'm not in a position to work with picking up their feet. I can barely bend down to put shoes on, let alone work with a 1000lb horse to convince them they need to pick up their feet. But Saturday was a productive morning for getting things taken care of. Unfortunately, the morning wiped me out and I didn't get anything else accomplished Saturday.

On Sunday Mike volunteered to put in some temporary fencing in the big pasture so that we could divide it and hopefully rotate the pasture instead of letting it be a free for all. I have no idea what to expect this summer for grass. So I'm going to rotate and see how that works out.

Mike got everything set up and ready to let the horses out.  In the morning, I pulled Junior, Mayhem, and Rabbit out onto the lawn pasture so they could start adjusting to grass. I think everyone was pretty happy. That freed up their pen so I pulled Ivan and Brego because I was planning on hauling them to their "summer retreat" location in Madison in the afternoon.

I went out in the afternoon after Mike finished with the fencing and lets just say Dude was the typical jerk that he is when it comes to thinking he's in charge. Fencing in the drylot isn't perfect. We used all of our corral panels because the original fencing and the fencing we put in a year ago were destroyed (by you guessed it... Dude).

But earlier the horses had popped the big gate off the hinge and it was hanging by one hinge. At the time I didn't want the herd out on the pasture so we put a corral panel sort of in the way and tied the gate shut. Now that we are using the pasture, that gate HAS to be fixed. But I digress.

While I was moving the corral panel so that I could move the gate, Dude took that as his sign to blow past me and rush in to the little itty bitty spot between the corral panels and the old fencing. Little did he know that it was all weeks and NOT the pasture. I have no idea what he was thinking other than he was being a jerk. I proceeded to untie and unhook the big gate and lock the SOB in to his little "domain" while the rest of the herd rushed out. Some of the herd was confused because Dude wasn't in the lead but they all decided to head to the pasture after a few minutes of confusion.

Once all the horses were out, I had to close the gate (very gingerly so that the gate wouldn't fall off the remaining hinge. I also had to make sure Dude didn't try and rush the gate while I was closing it. Least to say there were curse words involved. Once Dude flew passed be, I reopened the gate so that he could get into the pasture (keep in mind, it's only on one hinge). I stepped out of the way knowing that he'd be coming full bore down through the gate and passed me.

Yeah, so that didn't happen. Dude misjudged his speed and the location of the gate. He slammed right into the gate and tipped it over. Luckily it stayed on the hinge. He hit it so hard, that he flew backwards and tipped over. I think he was in more shock than I was. I was able to get the gate back up and reopened before he could shake it off. But once he did, he flew out to the pasture, which got Brego and Ivan all riled up because they couldn't go out to the pasture. I'm sure Dude was a hurting guy the next day and is probably still stiff and sore today after ramming the gate and falling over. But he didn't seem to let that bother him when I let him out onto the pasture. I'm sure glad I got his feet done on Saturday instead of Sunday (or Monday).

I did get a few pictures of the herd while they were out enjoying the grass. I ended up catching Garrett's cold so I haven't gotten anything accomplished.

After the big herd settled down, we hooked up the trailer, loaded Ivan and Brego and headed to Madison. It was a flying trip (although we still have to take the detour which adds 15 minutes). I'm sure most wouldn't complain about those 15 minutes but it makes a one hour round trip into a 1.5 hour round trip. But we scored supper out of the deal so I won't complain. :-) We let Ivan and Brego out and they wandered around their pen. They grabbed bites of grass and wandered around scoping out their new digs. We'll keep them in Madison for a month and then pick them up around the first of July so that we can possibly take them back up to Madison mid August (if the pasture holds).

I'm hoping that having Ivan and Brego alone, that Ivan will settle down and stop being such a jerk. I like to keep the best friends combos but I was sorely torn about who to take. I wanted Brego because he needs to put on a little bit of weight. I want to keep Junior and Bo near the Sanctuary so I can grain them. But I did think about taking Dude and Ivan just because they are the problem children at the Sanctuary. But I didn't want to break up any friendships so I guess we'll just have to keep it this way for a little bit. If Dude continues to be a jerk, he may go into timeout (although I dont' have a timeout spot for him yet).

When we were getting ready to leave, I was walking to the truck and Brego let out a whinny. He sure does know how to warm my heart. He understands that there's something different about me. I'm not sure if he was whinnying for me, or if he was asking for another horse but it was a definite whinny in my general direction. He's unrideable due to a back issue but he is definitely a joy to have in the herd.

The rest of the week is going to be fairly quiet for Sanctuary stuff. I managed to catch Garrett's cold and it's a mighty fast moving cold. In less than 12 hours, I have a full blown head cold that makes me want to crawl into bed and sleep for four days. So we'll see what more gets done. Mike is talking about buying a new bale spear for the tractor. The one we have is perfect for big squares, which we will always have some. But with the new baby, we'll be moving over to rounds. And the current bale spear shreds the twine or netting to pieces and then the bale unrolls before we can get it into the drylot, let alone the hay ring or a net over it. So we may be making a mad dash to buy a bale spear that works before our winter supply of hay comes. Oh don't get me wrong, we aren't looking at getting hay any time soon (just trying to get a few things done ahead of time...you know, pre-baby). We still have to come up with the money for last year's hay. So that's my goal right now. A bit hard when we aren't doing any fundraising but I guess I'll continue to scrape two pennies together and see what happens.