We know Hope has dwarfism characteristics, contracted tendons, cataracts and neurological deficits. But, she also has a bright spirit and a determination that we can’t, and won’t, ignore. She’s a precious and wonderful living being who deserves a chance.
We have seen an improvement in her tendons due to the Dynasplints, but she still has not been very active. Her muscles need to be put to work – she needs to do weight bearing exercises and build stamina. We had to find a way for her to get moving on her own as part of a good rehabilitation program in order for her to become more self sufficient.
Remember – Hope laid on the ground, almost 24 hours a day, every day for more than a month. We plan to take one step at a time, through support and physical therapy. Yes, it will take a great deal of our time, but since I have been in a somewhat similar situation due to a spinal cord injury (I was a quadriplegic), I can attest to the fact, that with the right tools, therapists, tons of determination, a wonderful support system, and much faith, I did overcome the odds and am able to use my limbs again (although I’m an incomplete quad with no feeling or proprioception below my neck). I am not saying that Hope will do so as well, but unless we give her a chance, we will never know.
We did some research and found a wheelchair from Walkin’ Wheels that is absolutely perfect! The wheelchair isn’t meant to be a permanent solution, but rather, a tool.
As we pray for a good outcome for Hope, if it turns out it is not meant to be, we will find peace with the knowledge that we gave her the chance that she so justly deserves and she will leave this world knowing that she was very much loved – she will be surrounded by those who love her and she won’t die alone in a field. Miracles do happen and we have borne witness to many.
This VIDEO was taken last night after I removed Hope’s Dynasplints in order to clean them, prior to tucking her in. Hope’s back legs were not supported in the wheelchair but her front legs were – but she used them to move herself forward which is a very good thing!
As I mentioned in our last update, a majority of our horses are scheduled for hooficures this week so we need to raise $820. In addition, the arthritis in Chloe’s knees has worsened to the point where she needed injections. Dr. Cardona was here this week to take x-rays and administer the injections. We currently need $400 for Chloe’s veterinary fees. We also need to make a Hay Run this weekend, for three large compressed bales of hay at a cost of $330, plus a ton of three string orchard hay bales at cost of $610 for a total of $940.
Any help for these needs would be so greatly appreciated. Donations can be made via various means on our secure DONATION PAGE. Please note in the comments section that your donation is for ‘Happy Feet,’ ‘Chloe’ or ‘Hay.’ All donations are tax deductible and please be assured, that no amount is ever too small.
Thank you to our wonderful friends and supporters who have already donated!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
SHHH! It’s a Surprise!
07/06/19
Hi Everyone,
I spoke to Theresa this morning and she is quite overwhelmed to say the least! The horrific lightning and extremely strong winds coupled with driving hail, had a devastating effect on the farm. The horses, donkeys, dogs, kittens were all quite terrified throughout the ordeal, but thankfully, all seem to have settled down by this morning.
As Theresa mentioned earlier, one of our custom-built shelters was totally destroyed as you can see in the images above, and boards and debris are strewn throughout the farm. Fences and several of the barn’s large motion sensor security lights and cameras are down (non functioning) as well. Theresa believes that the barn must have received a direct lightning strike as Bob had quite a shock yesterday when turning the door knob to the feed room! There is also a new ‘lake’ on the property which the horses do not seem to mind at all!
I would like to start a fundraiser to help Beauty’s Haven with the cost of repairing and replacing all that was lost or damaged, but presently, I do not have an estimate as to the amount needed. Please keep this a secret, though, as we would like to surprise Theresa!
A dear friend and supporter has also come forth to offer a most generous Match Game whereby, all donations up to $500 will be matched dollar for dollar! If you wish to contribute toward this effort, you may do so via various means here on our website. Please note that your contribution is to be designated for ‘Storm Damages/Match Game.’
Thank you all, so very much for your kind words and prayers as well as to everyone who has contributed thus far. Now, lets ‘rock on’ to help Theresa, Bob and the ‘Velvet Nosers’ recover from the ‘Wrath of Mother Nature.’
Warmly,
Jeanne
Catastrophe at Beauty’s Haven
07/05/19
We had a microburst storm hit us out of the blue yesterday with horrific lightening strikes, very strong winds, and hail. The horses were truly alarmed and are now totally exhausted from this terrifying experience! We lost power, but thankfully, we have generators.
The fairly new arena shelter literally blew apart – it’s in shambles. There were boards with exposed with nails, and metal roofing, strewn throughout the property. We were very blessed that none of the horses were injured but we will be checking them closely again this morning. JoJo is still a bit upset.
We sustained more damage than just losing the shelter – I’ll update later today after we assess the property and get the shelter mess completely cleaned up. As we speak, everything we could gather is in the arena, and to ensure their safety and well being, the horses have no access to this area.
Please keep us in your prayers.
A Match Game For Our Special Needs Horses!
We are in need of a pallet (50 bags) of Fibre-Beet from Emerald Valley as we are down to our last four bags. Buying it by the pallet directly from Emerald Valley is the most economical way in which to purchase this amazing product (even with the cost of shipping.) Elyza Rose, Little E and other special needs horses that comprise our beloved little herd, are fed Fibre-Beet daily. Some are fed multiple times a day (smaller portions). The product is soaked in water and fed as a mash.
When we have colicky horses, this product is a great way in which to keep them hydrated. Fibre-Beet is excellent for horses that have, or are at risk for, laminitis, ulcers, and Cushing’s. A bag retails for $41 but we do receive a discount. We would like to raise $1775 to cover the 50 bags, including the cost of shipping, which will last us about one year. Please CLICK HERE to view a testimonial that we wrote several years ago about the way in which Fibre-Beet made an incredible difference in the lives of our beloved Asiya, Mystical, Itsuko and Baby Girl.
To kick off this fundraiser, two wonderful friends and supporters are offering a Match Game to assist with this effort, and all donations up to $500, will be matched dollar for dollar! If you would like to participate in the Match Game, you may do so via various means on our WEBSITE. Please make certain to note that your donation is for the ‘Fibre-Beet Match Game.’ All donations are so greatly appreciated and no amount is ever considered as being too small.
On behalf of all the ‘Velvet Nosers’ at Beauty’s Haven, thank you so very much for your love and support!
Hope and Her Amazing Silver Whinnys!
06/24/19
I know that we still owe everyone a detailed update on Hope. A lot has happened during the last month and I have been working on an update, but no matter how well we plan our day, something unexpected seems to happen and I am unable to finish it. I promise to do my best to get it done within the next few days.
In the meantime, I want to share how happy we were to receive Silver Whinnys from Sox for Horses for Hope! We use them under her Dynasplints in place of gauze and vet wrap. The Silver Whinnys take less time to put on and they are easy to care for. When Hope isn’t wearing her braces, the socks keep her little legs protected from pesky flies that simply, refuse to go away. When we brought her to the rescue she had a couple of bed sores that are being slow to heal and the socks protect them and speed the healing process.
Thank you Raymond Petterson and Sox for Horses – y’all are amazing – we appreciate your support and wonderful products very much!
When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”
When It Rains, It Pours, And Kittens Galore!
A Surprise at the Store!
When Theresa went to the store on Tuesday to get supplies for the rescue, a kitten approached her and wrapped herself around Theresa’s legs. Theresa picked her up and walked back into the store thinking perhaps someone left their car window open and she had escaped. Store personnel were surprised that Theresa was holding the kitten. Someone said they had been trying to catch her, and her babies, for a few weeks and that sometimes they put cans of food out for them but they hadn’t seen the babies in a few days. Someone had dumped the mother cat some time ago and she had been living under the trash dumpster where she had a litter of five kittens. That’s so sad! Momma Cat is just a kitten herself!
Theresa knew Momma Cat had no milk and that the store personnel were putting food out for the others, so she decided to take Momma Cat to the rescue and return to try to catch her babies. Momma Cat needed to be spayed – she definitely did not need to have another litter of kittens! Theresa put her in the car and went back to the curb to get the shopping bags. While walking back to the car, two little eyes peeked out at her from beneath the bushes after which she heard a tiny ‘Meow’ and another smaller kitten that looked just like Momma Cat walked up to Theresa and looked up at her as if to say “Take me too!”
Theresa scooped the baby up and went back into the store to advise them that she had one of the babies too. Before leaving, she searched the area for the other babies but didn’t see any of them. The manager of the store, however, said they would continue to be on the lookout for the remaining kittens and promised that they would leave out food for them.
Safely Home!
Once back at the rescue, Momma Cat and her baby settled in. Even though Theresa is allergic to cats, she couldn’t help but to hug on both of them. It was nice to watch them come to life after getting proper nourishment. Momma Cat is thin and has no milk whatsoever but baby still tries to nurse. The baby was comfortable enough to start playing with toys, seemingly, without a care in the world. Momma Cat, however, was not feeling as well which is understandable with everything she has been through and trying to sustain her babies. She looks like a baby herself.
Throughout the night, Theresa could not stop thinking about the other kittens. She called the store manager the next morning who stated that they would attempt to catch the four remaining kittens and that three were already spoken for which left one unwanted baby. Beauty’s Haven would, of course, take the remaining kitten if need be. Theresa did not hear back from the manager, so she decided to return to the store, with Momma Cat in hand, to see if the kittens would respond to her ‘Meows.’ Theresa saw and tried to catch three of the kittens – she did not, however, see a fourth. The kittens were playful and in fairly good condition. They came within three feet of Theresa, but did not want to be touched nor were they the slightest bit interested in Momma Cat. They were eating on their own and exploring – just busy, carefree little kittens! If only they could understand that bad things could happen and that they needed to be caught. Not only are they at high risk of being run over by cars entering and leaving the parking lot of the store, the danger that would befall them should they innocently wander into the busy highway is beyond unthinkable.
A Visit to the Vet
Momma Cat and baby were vetted on Wednesday and were found to be underweight and full of parasites and fleas. We, sadly, learned that Momma Cat is likely pregnant again and is only about ten months old – she’s still just a baby herself. Baby Boy is four months old which means his siblings are the same age so if any of the remaining kittens are females, it is possible that they, too, may become pregnant. This is yet another reason why it is imperative that the remaining kittens be caught as soon as possible.
Many thanks to those who are helping us to help these precious little ones. If you would like to sponsor a kitten or contribute to their care, donations can be made on our website. CLICK HERE TO DONATE. Please note in the comments section that your donation is for the ‘Kittens.’ Please be assured that no amount is ever too small and all donations are so greatly appreciated.
If anyone is interested in adopting either or both kittens, please contact us.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
A Hope Raffle, But First Things First!
Hi Everyone!
Mommy Theresa is so busy taking care of me and all my horsey friends that she has not had time to send out an update. She spent a lot of time yesterday setting up my new sling since Betsy’s sling is way too big for me!
We want to share some exciting news about an upcoming raffle which will be loved by all the ‘Hope’ fans out there but before doing so, we have to complete our Hay fundraiser. The hay bags have been filled and will be given out tonight but now, the hay trailer is empty. We still need $145 so if you would like to help with this, it will make all my horsey and donkey friends jump for joy and hopefully, I will soon be able to jump for joy as well!
Contributions can be made via various secure means on our WEBSITE. Please note in the ‘Comments’ section that your donation is for ‘Hay.’ All contributions are so greatly appreciated, and please be assured, that no amount is ever too small. Thank you to all my aunties and uncles who have already contributed! Gotta go now!
Love,
Hope
It’s Me, CaryLou!
Hey Everyone! It’s me, CaryLou!
Mommy Theresa is very busy taking care of Baby Hope so she has asked me to help with this week’s Hay Fundraiser for all the ‘Velvet Nosers.’ We are in need of one large compressed bale of hay ($107) and one ton of three string orchard hay ($640) for a total of $747 so if anyone would like to help with this need, we would be forever grateful!
Contributions can be made via various secure means here on our WEBSITE. Please note in the ‘Comments’ section that your donation is for ‘Hay.’ All contributions are so greatly appreciated, and please be assured, that no amount is ever too small.
Thank you!
Love and Horsey Kisses,
CaryLou
Busy Times & Best Buds!
Our family had a busy but wonderful and blessed month of May which started with Katie’s graduation from UF (Doctorate of Physical Therapy). Then came preparations for the wedding – last Sunday, Katie and Cole were married – to say it was a beautiful wedding would be an understatement (I’ll share some pics tomorrow)! A few days later, we took a trip to Miami for Joshua’s graduation from Larkin University where he received a Doctorate of Pharmacy. We then traveled to Georgia to visit with family and returned home on Monday evening.
It’s rare for both Bob and I to be gone from the farm at the same time, especially out of the area, but it was made possible by a team of truly amazing people! We want to thank all of the wonderful friends/volunteers who gave more time to the rescue these past few weeks which enabled us to be away for periods of time – God bless you all! One of the most valuable things anyone can give is their time – many made sacrifices to ensure everything was taken care of and that is a huge blessing!
With me being offline so much this past month, we haven’t shared much of what has been happening here at the rescue. Donations have dropped quite a bit and that’s not good! I’ll work on an update tomorrow. I know we need to ask for help with hay and a few other things but we need to do our math first.
The image above shows Derek poking his head into Magic’s stall – they’re best buds now!
Match Game for the Horses
We are forever grateful to our wonderful little village of supporters for always ‘being there’ to ensure that our ‘Velvet Nosers’ forever remain happy and healthy. The thirty plus equines and other precious animals that comprise our beloved little herd, require special diets, farrier, dental and veterinary care, as well as medications and supplements on a daily basis. And it is because of the generosity of each and every one of you, that their needs are met.
We recently posted about our current expenses and we are over the moon to share the news that two amazing friends and supporters have come forth to offer a Match Game whereby all donations, up to $1000, will be matched dollar for dollar.
Once again, our needs/expenses are as follows:
*Hooficures: $820
*Hay Run: $1076 which includes the following:
Three large compressed bales of hay ($330)
One ton of three string orchard hay ($610)
Forage ($120)
Two bales of coastal hay ($16)
*Chloe: Injections and x-rays for her arthritis ($400)
*Magic: Eye Medications ($130)
Contributions can be made via various secure means on our Donation Page. Please note in the ‘Comments’ section that your donation is for the ‘Match Game.’ All contributions are so greatly appreciated, and please be assured, that no amount is ever too small.
Thank you, all, so very much, for your continued love and support.
Hope Wheelin’ Right Along!
We know Hope has dwarfism characteristics, contracted tendons, cataracts and neurological deficits. But, she also has a bright spirit and a determination that we can’t, and won’t, ignore. She’s a precious and wonderful living being who deserves a chance.
We have seen an improvement in her tendons due to the Dynasplints, but she still has not been very active. Her muscles need to be put to work – she needs to do weight bearing exercises and build stamina. We had to find a way for her to get moving on her own as part of a good rehabilitation program in order for her to become more self sufficient.
Remember – Hope laid on the ground, almost 24 hours a day, every day for more than a month. We plan to take one step at a time, through support and physical therapy. Yes, it will take a great deal of our time, but since I have been in a somewhat similar situation due to a spinal cord injury (I was a quadriplegic), I can attest to the fact, that with the right tools, therapists, tons of determination, a wonderful support system, and much faith, I did overcome the odds and am able to use my limbs again (although I’m an incomplete quad with no feeling or proprioception below my neck). I am not saying that Hope will do so as well, but unless we give her a chance, we will never know.
We did some research and found a wheelchair from Walkin’ Wheels that is absolutely perfect! The wheelchair isn’t meant to be a permanent solution, but rather, a tool.
As we pray for a good outcome for Hope, if it turns out it is not meant to be, we will find peace with the knowledge that we gave her the chance that she so justly deserves and she will leave this world knowing that she was very much loved – she will be surrounded by those who love her and she won’t die alone in a field. Miracles do happen and we have borne witness to many.
This VIDEO was taken last night after I removed Hope’s Dynasplints in order to clean them, prior to tucking her in. Hope’s back legs were not supported in the wheelchair but her front legs were – but she used them to move herself forward which is a very good thing!
As I mentioned in our last update, a majority of our horses are scheduled for hooficures this week so we need to raise $820. In addition, the arthritis in Chloe’s knees has worsened to the point where she needed injections. Dr. Cardona was here this week to take x-rays and administer the injections. We currently need $400 for Chloe’s veterinary fees. We also need to make a Hay Run this weekend, for three large compressed bales of hay at a cost of $330, plus a ton of three string orchard hay bales at cost of $610 for a total of $940.
Any help for these needs would be so greatly appreciated. Donations can be made via various means on our secure DONATION PAGE. Please note in the comments section that your donation is for ‘Happy Feet,’ ‘Chloe’ or ‘Hay.’ All donations are tax deductible and please be assured, that no amount is ever too small.
Thank you to our wonderful friends and supporters who have already donated!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!