I spent a good part of yesterday reading, through teary eyes, the very thoughtful and much appreciated emails and posts about Ambrosia – and the artwork is lovely.
First, let me say she is, and always will be, quite the mare – she had a heart of gold. Even though humans let her down tremendously by ignoring even her basic needs and by turning her loose to wander a rural community as a homeless horse – she didn’t hold it against us. This was Barbara comforting Ambrosia the night we met her.
The next day when we picked her up and took her to the rescue she walked off the trailer, looked around, and held her head up high – for the first time we saw light and life in her eyes. She was immediately started on antibiotics. She settled into her stall and went to eating her hay and Fibre-Beet mash – she loved food! She got groomed at least a ½ a dozen times a day and was pampered to the max. The day we loaded her up to go the hospital she loaded without hesitation. Once there, it took her all of about a minute to settle in before she started eating her hay.
After her initial assessment at the hospital, we discussed her diagnosis – pleuropneumonia (infection of the lungs and pleural space). Her care team determined that to get a good indication of whether or not there was a chance for her to recover they would need to drain her chest and see how quickly it would refill. This procedure (drained about 7 gallons of fluid) gave her quite a bit of relief. Her breathing was better – she stayed upbeat. She trusted humans to do to her what was needed – I truly believe she knew we were trying to help her. She cooperated – always. Her temperature was normal and her heart rate went significantly down – she continued to have a good appetite. She was only 13 years old.
Through every step of the way we evaluated her quality of life – it was constant throughout our decision making process. It was identified early on what aftercare would be needed and we were committed. While we knew from the start she likely would never be horse to be ridden we did think she would be happy being a pasture pal. And we agreed, from the beginning, that should her comfort level not be able to be controlled, or should she develop another issue such as laminitis, and her quality of life was poor with no relief in sight, we would help her to cross. We would not let her suffer. One of the key tools in determining her quality of life was by observing her will to live which was enormous. She had a great appetite and didn’t appear depressed. She would hold her head up high and was interested in what was going on around her – she would even whinny to Billy the goat or a passersby.
I spoke with the doctor on Thursday night – he recommended giving her some time to recover from the first surgery before going through the second. Friday morning the doctor called and said overnight Ambrosia’s temperature had risen as did her heart rate but she was quite the Champion – she was still eating and drinking fine. She did have increased swelling in her legs. The doctor decided to ultrasound her heart and said he had some concerns and said that he wanted the cardio team to conduct an ultrasound. While we waited for them we took Ambrosia out to graze for a bit, which she really enjoyed.
We went back to her stall and she became interested in a very handsome horse that was being evaluated.
Once he was left she seemed tired – her breathing had been getting more labored and she began to sweat. I played songs for her on my cell phone – she seemed to really like “Lost in Love” by Air Supply. I guess I did too – we must have listened to it about 4 times. I told her about the many people that loved her and were helping her. I apologized for what humans had, or hadn’t done, for her. And I prayed.
The cardio team arrived and did another ultrasound. The cardiologist determined that Ambrosia had developed congestive heart failure. Her heart had been working overtime to compensate for the decrease of lung function. The right side of her heart was weak. We once again reviewed her quality of life and determined that, while we could prolong her life it was not in her best interest, the time had come to let her go. This is never an easy decision or one taken lightly – but we loved her enough to do what was in her best interest.
Ambrosia had several days of a full tummy and clean fresh water, she had been kept comfortable, she was doted on constantly, light in her eyes had returned, and she was genuinely interested in humans and what was going on around her. She had regained her dignity and was loved by so many and that’s important – she crossed Rainbow Bridge knowing she mattered.
I want to believe that at some point in her life she was loved and properly cared for. We will never know but we were able to prevent her from dying alone, hungry, and in pain. We knew going into this that she could take a turn for the worse at any time and we may have to let her go. God had other plans for her and we accept that. I held on to her and told her she was so very loved and I hummed “Lost in Love” as she crossed the Bridge. I could picture her holding her head up high towards the sky and running, reaching for the stars, as her body grew whole and strong again – what a glorious vision it was! I sat by her and held her and let the tears flow.
Before returning to the rescue I sat for a long time in the car in the parking lot at the hospital. I folded my arms across each other and rested my head on them against the steering wheel – as I did I could smell her. I had washed my hands but not my arms and her scent was still on them – a sense acceptance came over me. Acceptance is needed in order to move on. And I know that Ambrosia wants us to continue to help others that end up homeless, hungry, cold, alone, or in a bad situation – and with your continued help we can.
I’m sorry that Ambrosia was dumped in a rural community and had no human to care for, or about, her. I am sorry that we could not fix her health issues. And I am sorry that we could not keep her comfortably with us for a long, long time. But I’m not sorry, not in the least, that we tried. God bless each and every one of you for caring and helping in some way. Ambrosia had a huge love for life. She would have kept going until her heart burst – she was that kind of horse. She was quite the mare and had the heart of a Champion!
I have learned to fight the good fight to the end
And if I had to I would do it all again
And when the sun goes down
I won’t fear the night
I will keep my head towards the sky
Knowing that the Lord is on my side
And when the darkness falls
I won’t fear the night
I will keep my head toward the sky
Knowing that the Lord is on my side
(From the song Heart of a Champion)
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Ambrosia remembered…
http://iacmusic.com/stationGen.aspx?stationID=7428
Artist: Greg Jones
Cisco today
Having a rainstorm here and need to get to the barn but here are a couple pictures of Cisco today that I took with my cell phone. He’s an absolutely wonderful Halflinger gelding – very, very sweet.
I have more pictures that I took when Dr. Ryan came today but my camera isn’t working tonight so I’ll have to try again tomorrow – could be the battery. Have a good night everyone!
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Patti – beautiful paint mare needs home ASAP!
Patty was adopted, but circumstances changed for her adoptive family and Patti now needs to find a forever home, fast. She is a 4 year old dun and white splash overo and she is up to date on everything. She is deaf. She was born deaf because of the lethal white gene. She has never been unhealthy or unsound. She can be ridden by an experienced rider as she did have 90 days of professional training. She has good ground manners and is not jumpy or spooky.
This is what her current adoptive mom says about her:
"She has ground manners, and stands well for the farrier. She is also very low on the chain of herd command. She does not like her mouth to be touched at all, the vet had a hard time trying to look at her teeth for her age. She LOVES people. When we walk outside to the pasture, she nickers and comes right over to the fence. I haven’t noticed any vices at all. She loves to be pampered as well. She is SUPER sweet (I can’t emphasize that enough). She will put her head in your hands and literally fall asleep."
If you are interested in giving Patty a forever home, please e-mail me at: bhfer.melissa
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Haffie is here!
Thanks to Jenny and Pamela (Double B Transport) our little Haffie is here – I’m calling him Cisco. Cute little older guy – he’s underweight and has a horrible mouth but he’s in great spirits. And many thanks to hubby, Bob, too. He’s just now heading home. He had to wait at the truck for AAA to show up. I’ll get more pictures tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Halflinger Pony
We have received enough funds to pick the pony up and bring him to the rescue and to cover first months expenses!
We’re still looking for sponsors for monthly care. I’ll update once he’s here and settled in.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Halflinger Pony – Urgent
We received an urgent plea this morning to pick up a 20+ Halflinger pony. If we don’t pick him up he could end up back in a dangerous situation. He had been living in an environment where drugs are part of the equation. The pony was being very neglected. A relative of the owner had been watching the pony’s health decline and was very concerned about him. During an appropriate time, the relative ask the owner if he would give her the pony and he did. The relative has been able to put some weight on the pony but we are told he is in dire need of farrier care and his teeth need to be done. Things happening have made the relative afraid that the owner will take the pony back which could put the pony back into harm’s way. This is a delicate family situation and I can tell you the person that currently has the pony is very concerned about the pony’s future and wants him in a safe place ASAP.
We need sponsors in order to make this happen. We are estimating the combined cost of helping this pony to be about $430 for transport, initial vetting, farrier, and teeth as he not received any of these things in a long time. We need sponsors to help with his monthly care – we are estimating $250 per month after the initial month. If anyone would like to help us to help this pony, please visit our donation page at the link below – mark your donation for “Meth Pony”. https://www.bhfer.org/donate.html
We are working on a current fundraiser to help as well.
If anyone would like to call in a donation directly to Peterson & Smith the number is 352-237-6151. No amount is too small and all donations are tax deductible. God bless and thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Ambrosia
It appears we have about $200 over the amount needed (includes donations, Horse & Man Bucket Fund, raffle funds) to cover Ambrosia’s bills. I know everyone that donated to help her truly hoped and prayed she would make it. I am sure there are a lot of disappointed people – including me. If anyone would like a refund on funds donated to help Ambrosia please email me by the last day of the month. Whatever funds then remain at the end of the month will be used towards other vet bills.
Even though we lost her I’m not sorry that we tried to help her. Her love for life was huge. While with us she seemed happy and content – perhaps she basked in things she’d never had before – good food, clean water, and lots of love. We’ll never know about her past except that she had been found wandering the streets of a rural county – very neglected. I do know that the light we saw in her eyes was real and I find comfort in knowing she will never be neglected again –she runs with the heavenly herd.
And this is how I choose to remember her – a beautiful, kind, appreciative, and loving mare with a huge love for life.
Thank you all for caring about her. She is, and always will be, quite the mare.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
BHFER Update 09/16/12 evening
I want to at least share some photos taken over the past several days. I wanted to give more info on what’s been going on here but I need to get to bed soon – tomorrow is another busy day.
Warrior and Ouiji have gone to their new home – they are next door neighbors to Kami and Haley!
Alyse and her new human. A match we’ve waited on for a long time and Alyse won’t be far from the rescue! We had an application pending and the family visited today and it was like they’d known each other for quite awhile. Everyone was smiles!
Darling little Penny.
Melissa on HighTower.
Visitors came bearing carrots – the horses adored them (the humans and the carrots!)
Met a very nice mare yesterday – she’s looking for just the right home.
Great food and friends over the weekend!
Two very nice horses looking for a home. One is an Appendix and the other a TB.
And two adorable mini’s looking for homes.
Morgan LaFaye is quite the sweet mare. She’s ready for a home.
Everyone loves little Penny!
Dora is absolutely beautiful and will be ready for weaning soon.
If anyone is interested in any of the horses looking for homes please contact Melissa at bhfer.melissa@hotmail.com
Thank you all for your continued support – have a blessed week everyone!
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
09/16/12 Afternoon update
Ending up a nice weekend here with a cool and quiet afternoon. My cell phone is broken so no texting or calls for a couple of days which was kind of nice. Even though it was busy all weekend it was pretty quiet – we even got to ride for a bit! J I really needed this. Losing Ambrosia took a lot out of me and accepting such a loss can be hard and sometimes moving on can be really difficult. She is missed.
Haven’t been at the computer but hope to put out an update tonight. Busy day tomorrow. I did get to visit with Domino yesterday – she’s almost as big as Tony.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
On-line Auction
On behalf of Beauty’s Haven Equine Rescue, I’d like to thank the wonderful people who donated items for the auction (April Hughes, Marie Riordan, and Dianna Haynes)!
I’d also like to say a BIG thank you to those who bid on the items and congratulations to those who won! We raised a total of $595 towards Ambrosia’s medical bills!
Melissa Ingram
Adoptions/Events/Web Marketing
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Thoughts of Ambrosia
I spent a good part of yesterday reading, through teary eyes, the very thoughtful and much appreciated emails and posts about Ambrosia – and the artwork is lovely.
First, let me say she is, and always will be, quite the mare – she had a heart of gold. Even though humans let her down tremendously by ignoring even her basic needs and by turning her loose to wander a rural community as a homeless horse – she didn’t hold it against us. This was Barbara comforting Ambrosia the night we met her.
The next day when we picked her up and took her to the rescue she walked off the trailer, looked around, and held her head up high – for the first time we saw light and life in her eyes. She was immediately started on antibiotics. She settled into her stall and went to eating her hay and Fibre-Beet mash – she loved food! She got groomed at least a ½ a dozen times a day and was pampered to the max. The day we loaded her up to go the hospital she loaded without hesitation. Once there, it took her all of about a minute to settle in before she started eating her hay.
After her initial assessment at the hospital, we discussed her diagnosis – pleuropneumonia (infection of the lungs and pleural space). Her care team determined that to get a good indication of whether or not there was a chance for her to recover they would need to drain her chest and see how quickly it would refill. This procedure (drained about 7 gallons of fluid) gave her quite a bit of relief. Her breathing was better – she stayed upbeat. She trusted humans to do to her what was needed – I truly believe she knew we were trying to help her. She cooperated – always. Her temperature was normal and her heart rate went significantly down – she continued to have a good appetite. She was only 13 years old.
Through every step of the way we evaluated her quality of life – it was constant throughout our decision making process. It was identified early on what aftercare would be needed and we were committed. While we knew from the start she likely would never be horse to be ridden we did think she would be happy being a pasture pal. And we agreed, from the beginning, that should her comfort level not be able to be controlled, or should she develop another issue such as laminitis, and her quality of life was poor with no relief in sight, we would help her to cross. We would not let her suffer. One of the key tools in determining her quality of life was by observing her will to live which was enormous. She had a great appetite and didn’t appear depressed. She would hold her head up high and was interested in what was going on around her – she would even whinny to Billy the goat or a passersby.
I spoke with the doctor on Thursday night – he recommended giving her some time to recover from the first surgery before going through the second. Friday morning the doctor called and said overnight Ambrosia’s temperature had risen as did her heart rate but she was quite the Champion – she was still eating and drinking fine. She did have increased swelling in her legs. The doctor decided to ultrasound her heart and said he had some concerns and said that he wanted the cardio team to conduct an ultrasound. While we waited for them we took Ambrosia out to graze for a bit, which she really enjoyed.
We went back to her stall and she became interested in a very handsome horse that was being evaluated.
Once he was left she seemed tired – her breathing had been getting more labored and she began to sweat. I played songs for her on my cell phone – she seemed to really like “Lost in Love” by Air Supply. I guess I did too – we must have listened to it about 4 times. I told her about the many people that loved her and were helping her. I apologized for what humans had, or hadn’t done, for her. And I prayed.
The cardio team arrived and did another ultrasound. The cardiologist determined that Ambrosia had developed congestive heart failure. Her heart had been working overtime to compensate for the decrease of lung function. The right side of her heart was weak. We once again reviewed her quality of life and determined that, while we could prolong her life it was not in her best interest, the time had come to let her go. This is never an easy decision or one taken lightly – but we loved her enough to do what was in her best interest.
Ambrosia had several days of a full tummy and clean fresh water, she had been kept comfortable, she was doted on constantly, light in her eyes had returned, and she was genuinely interested in humans and what was going on around her. She had regained her dignity and was loved by so many and that’s important – she crossed Rainbow Bridge knowing she mattered.
I want to believe that at some point in her life she was loved and properly cared for. We will never know but we were able to prevent her from dying alone, hungry, and in pain. We knew going into this that she could take a turn for the worse at any time and we may have to let her go. God had other plans for her and we accept that. I held on to her and told her she was so very loved and I hummed “Lost in Love” as she crossed the Bridge. I could picture her holding her head up high towards the sky and running, reaching for the stars, as her body grew whole and strong again – what a glorious vision it was! I sat by her and held her and let the tears flow.
Before returning to the rescue I sat for a long time in the car in the parking lot at the hospital. I folded my arms across each other and rested my head on them against the steering wheel – as I did I could smell her. I had washed my hands but not my arms and her scent was still on them – a sense acceptance came over me. Acceptance is needed in order to move on. And I know that Ambrosia wants us to continue to help others that end up homeless, hungry, cold, alone, or in a bad situation – and with your continued help we can.
I’m sorry that Ambrosia was dumped in a rural community and had no human to care for, or about, her. I am sorry that we could not fix her health issues. And I am sorry that we could not keep her comfortably with us for a long, long time. But I’m not sorry, not in the least, that we tried. God bless each and every one of you for caring and helping in some way. Ambrosia had a huge love for life. She would have kept going until her heart burst – she was that kind of horse. She was quite the mare and had the heart of a Champion!
I have learned to fight the good fight to the end
And if I had to I would do it all again
And when the sun goes down
I won’t fear the night
I will keep my head towards the sky
Knowing that the Lord is on my side
And when the darkness falls
I won’t fear the night
I will keep my head toward the sky
Knowing that the Lord is on my side
(From the song Heart of a Champion)
Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
www.bhfer.org
Ambrosia remembered…
http://iacmusic.com/stationGen.aspx?stationID=7428
Artist: Greg Jones