It was a very good day for Benjamin on Wednesday! He woke up with clean ears, he wasn’t starving, the fleas had died off, his breakfast was awaiting and he received his very first toy which he absolutely loves! The vet said he’s between one and two years old. His bloodwork results weren’t really bad, as the good nutrition he’s been getting for the last week has really helped. The many bite/puncture marks on him are healing – he may have been a bait dog. He has decided he really likes human attention now, and follows me everywhere. He is also warming up to others as well, since he has learned that the humans here at the rescue are very kind and caring.

Benjamin has truly morphed into a very sweet and inquisitive boy who wants to go everywhere and be a part of everything.

After working hard these past few days, in preparation for the open house tomorrow, we were all so totally exhausted last night. As we were completing last minute tasks in the barn, I looked down and there was Benjamin, fast asleep! He looked so peaceful and I just wanted to curl up next to him. What a difference there has been in just one week! It’s so good to see him play and not run away from everyone or be frightened of new things. As you can see in the video by clicking on the image above, Benjamin is truly an overcomer!

Thank you, all, for helping us to make all of his tomorrows everything his past should have been…

Sincerely,
Theresa


Open House Tomorrow!

We are looking forward to meeting everyone tomorrow at our Annual Open House in ‘Celebration of the Horse,’ from 11am – 3pm. Ivory Pal will be performing between the hours of 12:00 – 1:00 pm. For event details, click here.


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I think Benjamin has lived a very tough life, but now all he really wants is to trust and be loved. Since the first time I saw him, he would do this odd thing with his back legs. Oftentimes, he would turn and look at them for no obvious reason and then kick out like a horse as though a ghost was attacking him and he was trying to get away. And he would mumble. He has never chased a horse here nor has he been aggressive. He would run away when he heard a sudden noise and he always seemed to be on the alert, but this appears to be improving by the day.

A few days ago, Benjamin started following me to the north end of the property where the barn is located and I had to take him back down to the paddock and leave him with a couple of treats. On Monday, however, he decided that he preferred the north end and decided to stay. Shadow, our GSD, is usually at the barn and he had not as yet met Benjamin nor had our two little dogs that usually remain in the house.

We were concerned about Benjamin meeting our dogs, so Bob suggested that I try to get a collar on him and take him to the vet for a full examination, bloodwork and other tests, as well as to be neutered.

It wasn’t hard getting a collar on Benjamin. I don’t think he knew what it was but he accepted it like a very good boy. The only trouble I had was getting him into the car – he wanted no part of it. If Bob tried to help, Benjamin would just back away or freeze himself to the ground. I ended up picking him up and putting him in the car – it wasn’t easy as he has gained a few pounds since he has been here! Once at the vet’s office, I had to pick up Benjamin yet again to get him out of the car and then practically carry him inside.

I don’t think he’d ever been inside a building before. He had no clue what was happening and it was very difficult to leave him but it needed to be done.

I gave him a hug and promised him that I’d be back – that we were only trying to make his life better by making all of his tomorrows everything his yesterdays should have been. I do believe he knows his name now!

After a long night worrying about Benjamin, I picked him up from the vet yesterday afternoon. What a very brave boy he is! He did okay at the vet’s and came back up to date with vaccinations, a microchip, trimmed nails, and even clean ears, in addition to being neutered.

As the evening went on, Benjamin really started coming out of his shell. He stood by the barn and looked out over the farm like he was so very proud of himself and was truly glad to be back home.

If anyone would like to contribute to Benjamin’s veterinary care, it would be so very greatly appreciated. Just click on the ‘DONATE’ button below.

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Sincerely,
Theresa

Last Tuesday morning, we found this sweet boy in one of the south paddocks. Someone must have dropped him over the fence. He stayed in the paddock next to the road most of the day, but would go to the fence line now and then and look around as though he was expecting someone to come back for him. Whenever someone approached, however, he would run into the next paddock. We opted to feed him – he was very hungry – and decided to give him more time.

I was concerned that he may be sick or injured as he laid down the majority of the day. I have named him Benjamin.

On Wednesday morning, Benjamin was still under the shelter in the paddock by the road. He kept his distance, but came a bit closer than previously. I fed him and was able to get a Capstar in him as he had been scratching terribly. We had a horrible storm and I was so worried about him. After the storm, I went down to check on him and he was fine. I fed him dinner and this time, he approached me instead of running the other way.

I sat for a bit while he ate and thought how sad it is that anyone would abandon him, if that is what happened.

We have no explanation as to how he could have gotten onto the property for when we walked the perimeter, there is no place under which he could have dug.

On Thursday morning, I thought we might be able to get Benjamin in the golf cart by the end of the day. He might have made it had it not been for the rain. On Friday, Benjamin and I had our first nose bump – actually it was a nose to hand bump, but that still counts! He kind of ‘mumbles’ and looks like he’s smiling at times. Sadly, he has indications of bite injuries that are healing over and he’s very reactive with a sudden or new noise – especially coming from behind him.

It appears that he has not had a very good life. We believe he may be a Belgian Malinois or a Malinois/Shepherd cross.

Benjamin is now doing much better at overcoming his anxieties! Now that I’ve had a really good look at him, up close, I can see many puncture marks all over him. Some are hard to see because of his coat – but they are there. But he’s going to be okay.

Sincerely,
Theresa

Fans of our beloved Beauty’s Haven herd of rescued equines, felines and canines, you’re going to LOVE this FUNdraiser! Starting immediately, for each suggested donation of $5, you will get the opportunity to become the recipient of a beautiful original art print featuring members of our rescue family.

What could be better? Well, a Match Game! A generous supporter has offered to match all donations up to $500. This is a perfect way to double your impact while making an incredible difference in the life of each and every animal here at the rescue.

The fine art print, produced from an original painting by Bruno Belesso, was very kindly donated by a friend of the rescue. Reminiscent of the folk-art style of Grandma Moses, it features Betsy Rose, Hope, Little E, Gentleman, Jake, Max, Cookie, Duke, Solace, Penny, Kitty Cat, Mila and Sisco in  the clouds, and Beauty, JoJo, Jazzy, Sassy, Shadow, Peggy Sue, Lucy, Aaleyah Belle, Peaches, Chloe, Magic, Frodo, Ace, Mishka, Oreo and Ruby on the grass.

What will we do with your donation?

  • Pay $435 for our last round of farrier visits, which commence again this week at a cost of $1080
  • Apply it toward the remaining bales of alfalfa needed for Gabe, Jo and Dancer, coupled with this week’s hay run for their current need as well as one ton of Coastal for the other members of our beloved herd at $705
  • Pay our equine dentist, with whom we have an outstanding balance
  • Use $510 to repair our UTV, critically important to the day-to-day work at the rescue

Yes, running a successful equine rescue is a very costly enterprise which we simply could not do without your invaluable assistance. Contributions have been rapidly dwindling whilst the price of hay and other daily needs continues to rise.

How to enter

You may make a donation here on our website or on Facebook*, simply click the appropriate button below and note or comment “For the Art Print” on the form. (If there is no space in which to designate your contribution, please send an email with your name and the amount of your donation to events.bhfer@gmail.com. In addition, anyone who donates $125 or more will be eligible to receive one of the four available prints.

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*Facebook takes care of the donation processing with no fees.

The winner will be selected in a drawing at Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue, Inc., located in Morriston, FL, on 17 September 2022, at 2:00pm.

Thank you all for your love and support, and GOOD LUCK!

Sincerely,
Theresa

Over the past many weeks we have been replacing broken fence boards which has been quite the task! We are very grateful to those that donated to help make the paddocks safer for the horses. Our next phase is electric tape. We have spliced and done what we can with what we have, but we need to replace about 1600′ of 1.5″ electric tape. The image on the lower right above depicts the quality of the fencing, and while one can find less expensive tape but it won’t hold up as well – this tape has a 20 year warranty and it contains 15 strands of 12-millimeter stainless steel wire.

The tape in Magic’s (stallion) paddock needs to be replaced as does a couple of our south paddock fence lines. If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. The total amount needed to get this done is $259.90.

Would anyone like to help sponsor Magic’s tape? Other horses impacted include Mo, Oasis, Mishka, Valley Girl, Chloe, Aaleyah Belle, Nadia and Venus. Would anyone like to help any of these?

Tax deductible donations can be made here on our website, just click the button below. If you can help, please note that the donation is for “electric tape.” No amount is too small.

Thank you, very much.
Theresa

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It’s dental day for some of our horses! Would anyone like to help sponsor dentals for Venus, Nadia, Mishka, Dancer, and Jo? In addition, some of our “Velvet Nosers” are still awaiting sponsors for their “hooficures,” so if you would like to help your favorite Beauty’s Haven equine have “happy feet,” we would appreciate that as well. The average cost for a hooficure is $40

Just click the button below and please note that your contribution is for either “Dental” or “Hooficure.” No amount is too small and donations are tax deductible.

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Thank you so much for your support.

We had a great day at the North Central Florida Outdoor Expo event that was held at the World Equestrian Center on Saturday! We met some awesome new people and saw a number of friends who have adopted from us in the past.

It was great to see Bill and Judy who adopted mini horses Timmie and Foxy a few years ago. Foxy was, and is still, quite the little pistol! Stephanie and her family who adopted Bryce many years ago, also stopped by. Bryce is doing great and may be looking for a friend in the near future. Hopefully one of our horses will meet their need.

It was so wonderful to see Patti and Peter who adopted Annie, Velvet, and Sophie, as well as three precious cats – Jasmine, Jasper and Piper. Last year, Patti and Peter made a heartbreaking decision to let Sophie go to Rainbow Bridge, after a consultation with the veterinarians and us. Sophie had arthritic hip issues for quite some time and Patti and Peter helped her along with it as long as they were able. Jasmine was also lost due to a freak accident which left her with neurological deficits from which she was unable to recover. When we adopt out any animal, we don’t look at it as though we are losing them, but rather, we look at it as gaining more family members.

We met many new people, who sadly had absolutely no idea that some horses end up in horrible situations.

Spreading awareness and getting youth involved is one of the smartest things that we as a rescue can do, for they are the horse owners of tomorrow.

Many people do not realize that students can even get credit hours at nonprofit organizations such as ours to help with a Bright Futures or other scholarships. We are so very thankful that Elizabeth had a few people sign up to potentially volunteer, as volunteers are truly the backbone of this organization and we desperately need many more.

Many thanks to everyone who helped make the day a wonderful success including 92.5 Wind-FM and 93.7 K-Country as well as Karen, who did an awesome job putting together our lovely display boards.

Sincerely,
Theresa


Open House

Please join us at our Annual Open House in ‘Celebration of the Horse’ on Saturday, September 17, 2022, between the hours of 11am – 3pm.

You may register for the event by clicking on the image to the left or by forwarding an email to BHFERopenhouse@gmail.com or by texting Elizabeth at 352-339-2784.

GreatNonprofits

Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community. GreatNonprofits is honoring highly regarded nonprofits with their 2022 Top-Rated List. We have been on their Top-Rated List for many years and hope to make it again this year. Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? Just click on the GreatNonprofits logo.

Peggy Sue’s Hooficure

We used the new winches today with the sling when it was time for Peggy Sue’s hooficure. They worked great and were much safer than the manual ones that we’ve been using for years. Winches with the sling are most necessary tools to help equines like Peggy Sue.

Peggy Sue can’t bend her bock left leg at all. Her pelvis was fractured in three places many years ago when her humans opted to ‘help’ her deliver her baby. She’s really a precious and determined little mare and she truly gets around quite well.

A number of our ‘Velvet Nosers’ ore also scheduled to have their hooficures this week, so If you would like to assist with this most necessary need, we would be forever grateful. The overage farrier fee per horse or donkey is $40 and this week’s visit will total $535. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below and note thot your contribution is for ‘Happy Feet.’

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On behalf of Peggy Sue and the Herd, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

 

Don’t forget to RSVP for:

Celebration of the Horse
Saturday, September 17, 2022

We are excited to announce a special guest appearance and performance by “Ivory Pal” at our Celebration of the Horse Open House event this year!!! Ivory Pal, the golden palomino champion Tennessee Walking Horse stallion – owned, trained, and loved by Rafael Valle – is an extraordinary performer and partner with exceptionally great temperament. This will be Ivory Pal’s first public appearance in Florida in 13 years after returning from Nashville, TN. To learn more about this amazing duo, CLICK HERE.

Details about the event can be found at https://bhfer.org/event/beautys-haven-annual-open-house or https://www.facebook.com/events/822279948753292.

Email BHFERopenhouse@gmail.com or text Elizabeth @ 352-339-2784 with any questions.

Celebration of the Horse
Saturday, September 17, 2022

We are excited to announce a special guest appearance and performance by “Ivory Pal” at our Celebration of the Horse Open House event this year!!! Ivory Pal, the golden palomino champion Tennessee Walking Horse stallion – owned, trained, and loved by Rafael Valle – is an extraordinary performer and partner with exceptionally great temperament. This will be Ivory Pal’s first public appearance in Florida in 13 years after returning from Nashville, TN. To learn more about this amazing duo, CLICK HERE.

Details about the event can be found at https://bhfer.org/event/beautys-haven-annual-open-house or https://www.facebook.com/events/822279948753292.

Email BHFERopenhouse@gmail.com or text Elizabeth @ 352-339-2784 with any questions.

Here we go again! Farrier week is upon us and Bouie, Frodo, Dancer, Jo, Mo, Peaches, Oasis, Valley Girl, Ruby, Nadia, Venus, Luiji, Warrior, Gabe, JoJo, Mishka, CaryLou and Lucy are just a few who are scheduled to receive a “hooficure” this week.

The average cost of a farrier visit has increased to $40 per equine, and we need help with this most important and necessary need. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below or on our Facebook page. Also, please note on your contribution that it’s for farrier care, and include the name of the horse you’re designating it for.

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Thank you! We are grateful for your support!

Sincerely,
Theresa


Surgery Success!

Oreo is back home and recovering from a total ear canal ablation that was performed at the Institute of Veterinary Specialists in Gainesville. Oreo had been treated for a chronic ear infection for more than a year without much luck. The surgery went well and the vet stated that Oreo is in great shape and will soon be feeling much better.

Many thanks to those who made Oreo’s surgery possible!

 


Upcoming Events

We have exciting news to share about two very special upcoming events, the return of our annual Open House and our always enjoyable Trail Ride! Click the links below to learn more: