The ‘Velvet Nosers’ here at Beauty’s Haven are eagerly awaiting Valentine’s Day and they truly hope that each of their ‘Aunties’ and ‘Uncles’ will send them a ‘Virtual Valentine!’ All you have to do is forward a $10 donation with the name of the equine, dog or cat who you would very much love to be your Valentine. Of course, you may send a Valentine to more than one member of our beloved herd and if you wish to forward a donation greater than $10, that would be so very much appreciated as well.

Our beloved little herd is comprised of: Aaleyah Belle, Addi, Amira, Arabian Mare, Bouie, CaryLou, Dancer, Dani, Ebony, Elka, Flint, Ford, Frodo, Jazzy, JoJo, Jo, Lily, Lucy, Luiji, Magic, Mishka, Mo, Peaches, Sassy, Tobias, Valley Girl, Walker, Warrior, Willow, Shadow, Allie, Gizmo, Oreo & Pearle.

So, if you would like to make one of our ‘Velvet Nosers’ truly happy this Valentine’s Day, just click on the ‘DONATE’ button below and please include the name of your very special Valentine.

Sincerely,
Theresa

I apologize for the delay in providing a more timely update; things have been incredibly busy here. I’ve received a surge of calls over the past few days from people wanting to surrender their horses. This has been quite overwhelming for me – I hate having to turn any horse away.

Yesterday, the vet came out to examine and perform bloodwork on the new Arabian mare. The results indicate typical issues for horses that haven’t been getting adequate nutrition. She also has a large knot on the right side of her head which most likely, is the result of a previous injury, possibly a kick.

The melanomas around her anus are quite pronounced. We plan to place her on the same protocol as Magic in hope of preventing any further progression. Magic has had significant melanomas in the past, but thankfully, they have remained stable for many years.

Her mane and tail were brushed and it took her quite some time to adjust to having a usable tail again, but she’s very sweet and she seems genuinely appreciative of the care she is receiving. She was scheduled for a much needed hooficure today.

We accomplished much today, thanks to our volunteers, Jenny, Pam, Tara, Melissa, Rachel, Jan and her daughter, Amethyst. They all do such a great job and we truly appreciate them very much.

Yesterday was truly a backbreaking day to say the least! As the tractor is no longer functioning and is in need of major repairs, Bob and I had to manually unload big bales of hay which was not only tiresome, but took away many valuable hours from caring for our herd. The tractor, like the golf carts, is one of our most important tools here at the rescue, as we use it to haul hay, pull fence posts, together with many other tasks. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to address erosion issues until it is repaired.

Since the cost of repairing this essential piece of equipment is quite expensive at $3,500, any help with this need would not only be very much appreciated, but would greatly reduce our work load here at the farm.

If you are in a position to assist with this need, please CLICK HERE TO DONATE. If you are unable to contribute at this time, we truly understand.

The bright spot in all this? Our beautiful and sweet Addi, strutting around the farm and showing us how all the “Pretty Girls Walk.” See video below. She is most certainly Beauty’s Haven’s resident super model!

Thank you, all, for your love and support and please stay safe and warm!

On Friday, Stephanie, one of our awesome farriers, came out to trim Peaches, Danni, Magic, and Jazzy. Of course, CaryLou made sure to oversee Jazzy’s hooficure – he’s a hoot! Laura, another of our amazing farriers, came on Sunday afternoon to give Frodo and Bouie their hooficures. As several other members of our herd are scheduled for farrier care this week, we would be forever grateful to anyone who wishes to help sponsor ‘Happy Feet’ for their favorite Beauty’s Haven horse, mule or donkey.

We were blessed on Saturday, to welcome members from the GFWC Williston Woman’s Club who visited the farm to meet the horses, together with new volunteers, Tara and Melissa and her husband, TJ. Pam, another of our wonderful volunteers, was also here as she is on every Saturday. We were also so very blessed to receive a most generous donation from the WWC.

On Sunday morning, we awoke to one of the worst sudden storms we’ve had in quite a while – it almost seemed like a microburst. We are grateful that Cindy and Kristi came out to help with the morning chores, once the rains temporarily stopped. Temperatures continued to plummet throughout the day and night on Sunday bringing extremely cold weather, so blankets will likely stay on for the next couple of days. Thankfully, we do have a blanket for each and every member of our little herd. The porch on the storage building where the feral cats visit is also all set up with heat lamps, which I am certain they truly appreciate. As the terrible rains continued throughout Tuesday, while it was still light, we took Mishka and Willow up to a paddock on higher ground as the big guy’s feet would not do well on wet ground for very long.

Flint continues to do very well and he appears to have a renewed sense of purpose as he carries himself with greater confidence. His eyes are brighter and he’s holding his head higher. He is such a precious and very kind soul. He truly enjoyed meeting our visitors on Saturday and he was literally basking in all the love and attention he received! We are deeply grateful for the support he has received. He still has a ways to go, but his future is looking more promising!

Lastly, during the winter months, we go through many tons of hay on a weekly basis so if anyone would like to contribute to this most important need, it would be so greatly appreciated. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below.

Thank you, all, for your love and support and please stay safe and warm!

Sincerely,
Theresa

Dr. Valle came out last week to do a follow-up examination on Flint as well as perform another round of blood tests. He was very pleased with Flint’s progress. Flint seems to have a renewed sense of purpose and is carrying himself with greater confidence. His eyes are brighter and he’s holding his head higher. He is, truly, a precious and kind soul.

We are deeply grateful for the support he has received. He still has a ways to go, but his future is looking more promising!

Shai is a mare who came to us from a Citrus County seizure a few years ago and was adopted out to a really nice family. In early 2024, her adoptive family had some life changes and Shai came back to us. She lived in a paddock with Amira and they got along fine. Once the grass became dormant, however, and we had to put out hay, we sadly, had to separate Shai from Amira. Amira cannot have hay due to chronic choke – she has to have many smaller soft meals a day. We tried placing Shai with different horses but nothing seemed to work – she just wasn’t happy and we want all of our horses to be happy!

We reached out to Paul of Retirement Home for Horses Inc in Alachua and explained the situation. He was happy to welcome Shai into their program. What a blessing! Shai was transported to RHH yesterday and received a warm welcome from everyone. The door is always open, however, for Shai to return to Beauty’s Haven, but we think she will be much happier in her new environment.

Much gratitude to RHH! We hope and pray that Shai will be happy and content in her new home. And we truly appreciate Chris for taking such good care of Shai during her transport.

Pictured Clockwise from Top Right:

  • RHH Team Member, Dakota Bell, takes Shai’s official portrait!
  • RHH Volunteers Ann Carey (L) and Amy Sweeney welcome Shai
  • Chris who safely transported Shai to her “Forever Home”
  • Shai’s new best friends come out to greet her!
  • Ann, along with RHH Team Member, Brad, walk Shai over the creek to the Arrival Paddock

While we were encouraged by new rescue Flint’s excellent demeanor for his vet exam on Monday, being much more alert and vocal, Flint’s body condition was scored just below a 1 on the Body Condition Scoring Scale by the veterinarian. In this scoring system, which ranges from 1 to 9, a lower score indicates a more difficult rehabilitation process. Sadly, beneath Flint’s fluffy coat, there are only bones.

The majority of horses with a BCS of 1 and below usually don’t make it, as starvation takes a toll. We have had several cases of this nature, and while the majority have pulled through, there have been a few that we have sadly lost. The next couple of weeks are critical. We use the UC Davis protocol in our rehabilitation/refeeding process.

Although the vet assessed him to be 25-plus years of age, I truly believe that he wants to be around for many more years. He has a great mental attitude, which is very important in the healing process and his eyes are bright with hope.

During the process of starvation, the body depletes fat and muscle, causing a slowdown in metabolism and resulting in weakness. The horse struggles to regulate its temperature, and the immune system becomes compromised. The body first utilizes fat for energy, and once that is exhausted, it turns to muscle tissue, including the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and heart. This depletion of muscle leads to a loss of electrolytes and proteins, causing a deterioration of the digestive system and reduced nutrient absorption. Flint’s gastrointestinal function has been significantly affected, and restoring his ability to digest and absorb feed will take time.

We are committed to supporting him through this, with patience, a proper refeeding plan, and plenty of tender loving care. He truly deserves it.

On Tuesday, we received Flint’s bloodwork results, which reflected those commonly seen in a starved horse. While there are some highs and lows, it’s encouraging that there are no signs of infection, but his fecal exam did reveal that he was positive for parasites. Flint’s stool has become more formed, his appetite remains strong as you can see by clicking on the image above, and he is drinking well.

He was slightly less active on Tuesday, and that is okay – we don’t want him burning much needed calories. He remains very vocal and engaged with everything happening around him. We will repeat the blood tests in about a week.

While I can’t guarantee Flint’s recovery, his determination to overcome is apparent. We will do everything we can to improve his chances.

Last night, with the cold temperatures rolling in, we had Flint all tucked in with a cozy blanket which I’m sure he truly appreciated. It’s a bit large on him but we ordered a new one that should be a better fit. Hopefully, it will be here within the next few days.

Lastly, the farrier came out today to take care of Flint’s neglected feet which made him quite happy.

We will schedule our equine dentist once he is stable and gains a bit more weight.

Please keep Flint in your thoughts and prayers. Your positive support is greatly appreciated. Here, we firmly believe in the power of prayer and in miracles.

Flint, our most recent rescue, successfully made the trip and unloaded just fine. He seemed to be a bit more chipper and he even managed to say ‘Thank you’ which you can hear by clicking on the image above! He had a good night and was happy to go out this morning. He’s such a very sweet and kind horse. He was so hungry when we picked him up, but he now appears to truly love and appreciate his delicious hay and slurries.

Upon his arrival, my initial assessment revealed that Flint’s heart rate was normal, his gut and lungs sounded okay, his capillary refill rate was about normal, albeit he was a bit dehydrated. His temperature was a bit low but he was out in heavy rain before we picked him up so once at the rescue, we placed him under heat lamps to make him feel more comfortable. He taped in at about 600 pounds.

There was quite a bit of sand in his feces – I could even hear sand sounds in his gut.

We let him relax and adjust to his new surroundings last evening and scheduled the vet to come to the farm today in order to perform an examination and run necessary tests.

Although he is not out of the woods yet by far, he is thankfully on the right path now. We will have a better idea of his health once his blood test results come back.

Mentally, he certainly is in no frame of mind to give up. I do believe this sweet horse wouldn’t have made it much longer – there was no grass, no hay, nothing for him to eat except perhaps, bark off of trees.

Thanks to all in advance for allowing us to grant yet another precious soul a second chance at life.

We will update once again when Flint’s test results have been evaluated.





LAST CHANCE TO DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!

A dear friend and supporter has come forth and has offered to match all donations up to $2000 in order to assist us in procuring our much needed gates.

This is a perfect way in which to apply your year-end contributions while keeping the Beauty’s Haven herd safe at the same time. Just click on the ‘DONATE’ button above if you would like to contribute.

Thank you all for your love and support throughout 2024.

And so a new chapter in life for him begins. I think he came to us in the nick of time.

We wanted to start the New Year by helping this poor twenty-five year-old Quarter Horse gelding. The photo above on the left was taken last week, while the image on the right was taken just this morning. Since temperatures will be dropping down into the 30’s this coming week, he needed to get here sooner than later, so we decided to take possession of him a few hours ago. After meeting him, his condition seems to have worsened as he is much weaker, but he is so very very sweet.

We are asking for your help as this poor boy needs a full veterinary examination, including bloodwork, as well as dental work and farrier care.

We don’t know what medications and supplements he may need until his blood test results are evaluated. He also will need quality alfalfa hay in order to get started on the UC Davis re-feeding protocol. We would be forever grateful if you could help us help this sweet gelding. Just click on the ‘DONATE’ button below.

Thank you, all, in advance for allowing us to grant yet another precious soul a second chance at life.

We will update again tomorrow once he has settled in.

I share this story each year at Christmastime. Some know it as “Only for Love” and some call it “The Old One.” We have several ‘old ones’ living out their sunset years at Beauty’s Haven and we are truly privileged to be able to share our lives with these incredible ‘Wise Old Souls.’ Our ‘old ones’ who are twenty years old and older, include Amira, Bouie, Dancer, Ebony, Frodo, Jo, Luiji, Magic, Mishka, Mo, Peaches, Shai, Warrior and Valley Girl.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the ‘old ones’ is their wisdom. They have lived through countless experiences and have developed a deep understanding of the world around them. Their interactions with humans and other horses, have shaped their perspectives and given them a unique insight into life. It is through their wisdom that they teach us valuable lessons about patience, trust, and resilience.

Many ‘old ones’ have special needs, but that does not diminish their worth or the love and care they deserve. In fact, their special needs often deepen the bond between them and their caregivers, as we work together to ensure their comfort and well-being. Their longevity is a testament to their resilience.

These ‘old ones’ are not just horses who have lived a long time; they are living testaments to the profound impact that animals can have on our lives. They remind us to cherish every moment and appreciate the wisdom that comes with age. We are truly blessed to have them in our lives, and they continue to inspire and enrich us with their presence.

*************

“The young couple had made their usual hurried, pre-Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt the elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine which topped the hill behind the farm, and through the years had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The old folks no longer showed their horses, for the years had taken their toll, but they sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day’s end.

Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks. “Why do you not at least dispose of “The Old One.” She is no longer of use to you. It’s been years since you’ve had foals from her. You should cut corners and save where you can. Why do you keep her anyway?” The old man looked down as his worn boot scuffed at the barn floor and his arm stole defensively about the Old One’s neck as he drew her to him and rubbed her gently behind the ears. He replied softly, “We keep her because of love. Only because of love.”

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley. So it was, that because of the leave-taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the “Old One.”

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire’s fury.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife. They thanked those who had come to their aid, and the old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulders as he clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, “We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared.”

And so, he took her by the hand and helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they looked up and gasped in amazement at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy as he pulled his wife forward. There, beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift. Bedded down about the “Old One” close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe. At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping daintily through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares pressed uneasily against the “Old One” as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now, she lay among them and gazed at the faces of those she loved. Her body was brittle with years, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift- because of love. Only because of love.”