We are scheduled to leave the rescue at 8 am to take Peaches to the hospital.
And so the work up begins. Peaches is so sweet.
Neurological tests. Peaches cooperates so well.
More neuro tests at UF.
Blindfolded tests. Need covered arena like this so bad at the rescue!
Peaches getting scoped at UF.
Peaches was pretty stressed when we got to the hospital. Katie came to help her relax. It worked.
Peaches back from x-rays.
Our #ASPCA Help a Horse Day / 6th Annual Celebration of Life was AMAZING as well as a huge success! First, I want to give many thanks and much love to my family. They presented me with beautiful flowers and very kind words at the event – totally unexpected, thoughtful, and lovely. They have supported my passion for helping horses and I am so very blessed. Bob and I have two wonderful adult kids that make us very proud. Joshua, Katie, and Bob – I love you all to the moon and back!
Robin and Sylvie did a great job at the registration table!
We got to visit with old friends and make new ones!
The band, food, presenters, volunteers – everyone did a great job! We had a great turnout and I feel confident that many people left with more knowledge about horse care and cancer and that makes me very happy! The presentations by Dr. Porter, Dr. Mangan, and Dr. Simonson were very informative and much appreciated.
Waylon was rescued in honor of #ASPCA #helpahorse Day!
Volunteers helped make our #ASPCA #helpahorse Day a success – couldn’t do it without them!
Volunteers are so very much a part of making this rescue a success!
The band was absolutely amazing – I think the horses loved the tunes too! Thank you Jean for bringing the the “West Melbourne Municipal Garage Band”!
The food was great! Many thanks to the chefs and everyone that helped out!
Yummy deserts!
Misty, Dave, Eva, and others did a great job with our silent auction table and tack table. Many thanks to them and everyone that donated and/or bid on/won!
Everyone loved the mini’s!
Peggy Sue got her name from her back leg issue. Humans pulled her baby out some years ago and fractured her pelvis in 3 areas. It healed wrong and now she can’t bend her leg. We must put her in a sling to do her hooficures.
Lucy with Tess and Finn!
Bouie flirts with all the girls.
Lucy made an appearance to show everyone what a tracheotomy looks like on a horse. She needed a permanent trach a couple of years ago because her airway was obstructed – she has “Big Head Disease”. Horses with a trach can’t whinny nor can they go swimming. But they pretty much live a normal life. We just wipe the trach area daily (being careful not to get anything in the hole).
Daisy, JoJo, and Jazzy! The boys were adorable – they were excited about making new friends!
Little Lily hoping for a photo op.
Dr. Michael Porter (PHD Veterinary Services – http://phdveterinaryservices.com/projects/phd/) was the first speaker. He drove his mobile unit to Celebration which has lots of high tech equipment on it! Some of you may remember that Peaches was scoped a few weeks ago and put on medications. She got better and all was good. Then, she started to cough again and her breathing became a bit labored. We were going to schedule her to be scoped again but when Dr. Porter and I were discussing his presentation, he asked if we had a horse that needed scoped – well, yes! Unfortunately, what he found was not good but it could be worse. And, it was a double whammy but he may have solved a years old mystery of why Peaches often trips.
One of the issues is Arytenoid Chondritis – a disease of the upper airway that limits the amount of air Peaches breathes. She likely needs a permanent tracheotomy, like Classy and Lucy have. Follow this link to Dr. Porters’s blog to learn more about this condition and see photos. http://bit.ly/1b7HzTc. The second issue that Dr. Porter discovered is that Peaches has evidence of a condition termed THO (Temporohyoid Osteoarthropathy). If this is the case it would explain some things. Here is a link to information on this. http://bit.ly/1PNORv1
Dr. Porter referred Peaches to the University of Florida. She is only 15 years old and one of the sweetest little mares you could ever meet. Peaches used to be a games pony before she came to us and if she did not perform perfectly she’d get bopped hard between the ears. Please keep her in your prayers. Thank you Dr. Porter!
We have lots more info and many photos to share from our special, so, stay tuned for more posts – we’ll get to Dr. Mangan’s presentation which was also very informative! Dr. Mangan is a board certified ophthalmologist with Affiliated Veterinary Services (http://www.affiliated-pet.com/news/affiliated-veterinary-specialists/) that has been treating Daisy. He is also the vet that did Cookie’s surgery which was a big success! http://on.fb.me/1b7Pj7X. The third speaker was Dr. Julia Simonson (Holistic and Integrative Medicine – http://juliasimonsondvm.com/) and her presentation was also very informative. We’ll be posting more in this too.
We apologize that our updates have not been making it to the blog. We will be posting several from the last few weeks so stay tuned!
April 16th – 20th, 2015
April 16th
Sisco, Athena, and Serenity. A cute little herd. But Serenity will be going home soon. She’s has a new human family! Phil Yarborough has opened his heart and home to this very special girl!
April 17th
Willow was introduced to Peaches yesterday. It’s the first time Willow has had an equine friend in 8 years!
April 18th
Eva adjusting JoJo’s attire. 
“Ok mommy Theresa the coast is clear!” JoJo – some things will never change!
Matilda cooling off in the sprinkler. 
In June 2010 the owner of a TB foal decided he didn’t want the baby – the foal had a large hernia and leg injury.
We brought him to the rescue. He was simply stunning – I named him Armani. 
Even as a baby, he has always been a big boy. It turned out that he is a great-great grandson of Secretariat!
We had his hernia repaired and he grew strong. Armani was adopted by Kateri and Dean in Colorado where he is a happy boy that is still growing! Kate Chenery and LeeAnn Ladin (co-wrote Secretariat’s Meadow” visiting with him in August 2011. 
This photo of Armani was taken a few days ago. Thank you Kateri and Dean for taking such good care of Armani! Another happy story…. 
April 19th Breakfast!!!
Happy mini’s! CaryLou, Daisy, Jazzy.
The officer team of the DeLand SR FFA spent the day here and it was simply awesome! Not everyone could make it here on April 25th to our ASPCA Beauty’s Haven Equine Rescue’s Help a Horse Day & Celebration of Life 2015 so we had our get together today. We had lots of fun and so much got done – it was great! I’ve lots of photos to share tomorrow but for now we’re calling it a day! Thanks Jenna! You and your team did a great job! 
Beautiful view from the front porch!
The STRIDE Dressage Poker Run to benefit Beauty’s Haven is Saturday in Ocala! 
As is our Celebration of Life!
Don’t forget to register for the Beauty’s Haven Obstacle Challenge 2015 SOON! We always have a blast! We are looking for volunteers, sponsors, and participants! Let’s all get together and have a great time – we all deserve a break for a day!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This past weekend was very busy. On Saturday, UF students came out to visit and to do an interview. I always love it when we have an opportunity to share the horses, their stories, and raise awareness about helping horses! 
The joy seen on the ladies faces when they put their hands on the horses, was priceless!
Daisy is simply adorable. She LOVES to be loved on. She comes over and literally lays her head across my lap (on those rare occasions when I get to sit down) asking for scratches.
Dr. Mangen was out a few days ago to treat Daisy again – he’s very pleased with what we are seeing. The mass under her right eye is smaller and appears to be sloughing off. We still believe!!!!
Our trio of trouble! They are hilarious – just love them all!
"Shhhh Mommy Theresa! We can’t talk now, ok? We’re playing Hide and Go Seek with CaryLou and we don’t want him to find us behind this tree!"
So we have two diva’s living at the barn now. They’ve come to some sort of mutual understanding which is very good. Beauty senses that Betsy Rose is fragile, I’m sure. Anyone else and she’d pin her ears to warn them away or just simply run them off. Beauty stands in front of Cookie’s stall door a good part of the day and makes faces at Cookie.
What is the first thing the girls do after a bath? That’s Aaleyah Belle standing and Baby Girl rolling.
Can anyone guess whose nose was peeking around at me in the golf cart? It’s a give away! LOL
Two simply stunning horses – Donovan and Athena.
Yesterday was a perfect day for laying sod – it was overcast with a nice breeze. We had a lot of help for this project and it got done in record time! Now, we just need a few more pallets to try to fix erosion issues around the barn and at the smaller paddocks.
Betsy Rose, Freckles, and Vermont Bear checking out their Easter basket! So cute! Betsy Rose is always so thankful for every little thing.
The boys sure enjoyed their Easter Day!
"Jazzy do you think we look like bunny rabbits? We have whiskers, a cotton tail, and long ears! Do you think mommy Theresa is going to make us wear our masks today? I don’t think bunny rabbits wear masks. Maybe we’ll get out of it today! Let’s go try to hop on down the bunny trail! I know we don’t have a bunny trail, but we can make one up as we go along!"
The boys most certainly, loved being bunnies for Easter…..
"Vermont Bear do you think me and Jazzy look like bunny rabbits? I think the bow tie thing on the head looks a little silly. Bunnies don’t wear bow ties, do they?"
JoJo practiced his hopping skills – he hopped up on the porch when Elizabeth and I started to put things away. Oh my gosh these boys don’t realize they are not humans at times!
Daisy seemed to really understand how it important it was to the boys that they look like bunny rabbits for awhile. And they did – by the stretch of our imagination.
I think Daisy enjoyed watching the boys get their wish of being bunnies for a day! She’s like a big sister to them. They all got an Easter basket.
How often can you see the sun and the moon in the same photo? It was beautiful! The moon is off to the right – little white dot in the middle of the sky.
I told Willow she’s coming to the rescue tomorrow! Her response was simply priceless! Her coggins came back and she’s all set. If anyone would like to help with her monthly care costs, donations can be made via various ways through the "Donate" page of our website at bhfer. All donations are tax deductible and no amount is too small.
Today Willow begins a new chapter in her life.
Willow looks much better without her fuzzy coat. I think she’s even gained some weight over the last week. Everything is so new to her. She’s talking up a storm!
Willow will be getting her teeth done on Thursday by Dr. Bess Darrow and her Hooficure later in the week – maybe Saturday.
March 31st
Beauty getting her acupuncture treatment today. She’s no worse. We are still icing her feet.
I said I’d never ride a horse again with an English saddle but I couldn’t resist. I’m an incomplete quadriplegic and can’t feel anything below my neck – I’m just not comfortable in an English saddle. Well, yesterday Kylie had just finished riding Romeo and the saddle was calling me – I couldn’t resist! And I needed a little break – it was wonderful.
We do have someone coming to meet Romeo tomorrow – he’s so sweet. Please pray that she will be the right one for him – he deserves his own home where he’ll get lots of one on one attention!
April 3rd
I should have known when I got to the barn this am and found one of Betsy Rose’s friends floating in her water bucket that the day may not be a normal one. Freckles stayed with her until help arrived.
Amber Cream looks a little silly in this mask – it’s too big for her. But I wanted to show you all how beautiful she is – look at those dapples!
Amber is a Tennessee Walking Horse looking for a forever home. She’s young, smart, and willing.
Beauty gave us quite a scare today when she experienced choke for the very first time in her life. Thankfully, we were able to clear the choke before the vet arrived.
Her choke, coupled with her feet issues, really shook us up here today. I’m waiting for the vet to get back to me upon reading the x-rays but there is more rotation. Please continue to keep Beauty in your prayers.
April 4th
Beauty today. Makes me feel better.
Willow is the mare whose owner recently passed away. This sweet girl is our Easter save and I can’t wait to get her to the rescue – she needs a total makeover, but she’s a diamond in the rough!
We have enough funds to cover her initial vetting, dental, and farrier needs but she needs sponsors to help with her monthly care. You can sign up for a recurring monthly donation through our website, over the phone, etc. Or, snail mail works too! Donations are tax deductible and no amount is too small.
I need to ask everyone for prayers for Beauty. She’s my heart horse and I love her dearly. It’s because of her that Beauty’s Haven came to be. If you are unfamiliar with her story, a short version can be found on the "About Us" page of our website at www.bhfer.org.
Beauty foundered a couple of years ago – it was bad, very bad – she rotated a few degrees. But thankfully, she recovered and just recently, I got on her for the first time since she foundered. I only rode her for a few minutes and it felt so good to be upon her back once again and she truly seemed to enjoy it too!
Beauty has been living at the barn with Betsy Rose these last few days. She’s in Soft Rides and we are doing ice wraps, Essential Oils, massage, etc. Beauty will be having lab work done and I’d like to get Dr. Julia to do acupuncture on her. I’ve been a worried wreck. I do believe in the power of prayer and there’s strength in numbers – so I’d appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers possible. Thank you.
March 24th
JoJo had lost his mask. Again.
Donovan is doing well. No more abscesses. Now, if only he would sweat!
Matilda’s eye is much better.
Presley is doing better.
Daisy loves running and playing with the boys. They are so fun to watch! She was having such a good time she wiped out and got her left side filthy! She got up, shook off, and kept going.
The masses around Daisy’s eyes continue to shrink – you can see her left eye now!
March 25th
“It’s my birthday! My wish is that I can do anything I want today! I haven’t told mommy Theresa that yet but I’m sure she’ll find out soon."
Happy dance!!!!! Thanks to our village the tractor is back from the repair shop!!
No sooner did the tractor get back to the rescue today Bob put it right to work! It’s such an important tool here – thank you to our Village for helping to get it fixed and back to the rescue!
Not sure what CaryLou was trying to talk Lily in to this morning but – I think he was trying to get her to go up the stairs to the office.
Like 3 peas in a pod.
Baby Ray is stunning! He’s so sweet with such a kind soul.
Ruby – she’s one of the kindest mares you could ever meet. Just don’t stand in between her and another horse that may pass by her stall or you could get nipped.
Sisco is another handsome horse that is looking for a forever home.
LouAnn and Joshua did a great job today getting quite a few feet got cleaned – it’s great because my back needs a break!
March 26th
Magic – Such a beautiful boy. Calling it a day here. Have a good night everyone.
March 27th
Guard dog. Guard donkey.
STRIDE Dressage of Ocala, FL has most generously designated Beauty’s Haven to be the recipient of one half of each entry fee for their Poker Run Trail Ride on 25 April 2015!
Come to our ASPCA Help a Horse Day event on April 25th and meet Daisy and her awesome care team! Drs. Porter, Mangan, and Simonson will be there! Learn about how to help prevent and recognize tumors and what the various diagnostics and treatments are. It could save a life! Please make sure to RSVP! #bhfer #ASPCA #helpahorse
March 21st
Yesterday, we were blessed with a group of visitors from the Equine Photographers Network! What an awesome group of people! EPN is an international association of 200+ photographers! Betsy Rose was the main attraction and she soaked up the extra attention (and the cameras)! EPN is having their Winter Meet Up in Ocala through this week and we greatly appreciate Carien Schippers including us in the schedule – it’s truly an honor!
Betsy Rose is in front of all of those cameras!
The weather was a bit toasty and we didn’t have any volunteers yesterday so we weren’t as prepared as I would have liked to have been. All the horses did get a good makeover on Thursday by volunteers but we had a very heavy dew early Friday am and, of course, most of the horses decided to roll and get filthy.
It was awesome seeing Carien again, and Darlene. And it was a pleasure to meet so many other wonderful people that are passionate about capturing the beauty that horses offer! Take a few minutes to look at Carien’s website at www.imageequine.com and her ImagEquine Facebook page. If you visit the EPN Facebook page, or website, you can learn more about their great network which is an excellent online resource for equine photographers – it represents photographers worldwide! And, oh my gosh, be careful – you can find yourself looking for hours and hours at the many beautiful photos! If you are looking for an equine photographer, career development through education, portfolio reviews by peers, and so much more in equine photography – EPN is the place to start!
I came across this photo tonight of Princess and Gentleman and wanted to share. I still look out my bedroom window each morning, remembering Gman under his tree and wishing he was still there. I miss them both, very much.
Katherine, one of our wonderful volunteers, on Donovan – a big, comfy, sofa horse.
March 22nd
Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! And the fact that ALL of the horses/donkeys here now have the cost of their spring vaccinations covered is a HUGE worry off my plate! Thank you Jeanne for sharing my wish to make it happen and thank you to those that donated!
So, tomorrow is my birthday. "Tomorrow" really is a good word! But we never really know if tomorrow will come for any of us, do we? I think we always need to make the best of our tomorrows starting in this very moment.
The past year, well, where did it go? There were lots of ups and downs, tears both good and bad, and memories made that can never be taken from me that I’ll cherish forever. We lost so many beloved horses over the past year – it takes a toll on the heart. But most of them come to us in poor condition and the effects of neglect take a toll – we are blessed to have the time we are granted with them – be it an hour, a day, no matter how long.
I’m blessed with a great family – a wonderful husband who has helped me achieve my dream and he continues to work hard beside me to maintain it, and our two wonderful (adult) kids who support my passion and make us so very proud with their accomplishments! I’m blessed by the support of a Village of great people who believe in what we do and help us to continue in our mission to help horses. We have awesome volunteers and I’m surrounded by horses that are happy! What more could I ask for? Well, maybe a few more volunteers; a few more hours in a day and a couple more days in a week; a short family vacation with my family would be nice; and a winning lottery ticket which would enable us to help more horses which would be great!
Thank you all for being part of our Village and thank you for all you do! I know you also make sacrifices to help the horses – we truly appreciate all of you. We’re calling it a day here – have a great night everyone, and thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes!
