February 7th, 2014

I spent part of the day yesterday with AC discussing the case involving Serenity, Bryce, Persuasion, and Dodger. There were six other horses remaining at the same farm – I met AC there and ended up bringing the two worst remaining mares here (very depressed, tummy ache, very emaciated) and the other four horses were taken by AC but will be available for adoption in a couple of weeks. AC determined the horses were abandoned.

I know the look Bryce had when he was experiencing painful sand colic – these two mares wore the same look. I was so worried about them – we just had to help them. Dr. Julia vetted them both as soon as I got them to the rescue. They are in about the same shape that Bryce and Serenity were in when they arrived.  I named the older Mahogany and the younger, Eliza.  Mahogany is Eliza’s mom – they seem quite close.  Like Bryce, both have a lot of sand in their poop which is not good.  Bryce is still dealing with sand colic and parasites – he’s been having quite a time but is slowly improving.  Mahogany’s temp was pretty low (95.5).  Both had tummy aches and looked so depressed.  We are awaiting the results of their blood work.  I’m sorry the photos are not great – the weather was lousy.  I want to thank everyone who made it possible for us to get another used truck – it’s saved many lives in the short time we’ve had it.

I feel badly for the entire herd but at least they are all safe now. If anyone would like to help these two mares, it would be a blessing. We brought them in with a lot of faith that help would come. If you would like to donate to help them, please mark your donation for “The 2 Mares”. They both need sponsors.

Eliza was working through some tummy discomfort last evening. I’ve been worried about this herd and am so glad they are all now safe. It’s frustrating at times, to have to follow the “rules” but laws, like them or not, are to be respected.

This is Serenity getting a treatment by Dr. Julia Simonson yesterday. Dr. Julia couldn’t believe how much better Serenity looks. While she was here, we reviewed our refeeding program for each of our new arrivals and Dr. Julia said she is very impressed with our progress with all of them – including Oscar (donkeys are a bit different then horses).

Dr. Julia visited with Bronson to make sure he forgave her for his castration. He’s looking for a home – he’s likely going to be small pony size.

Bryce enjoyed his treatment by Dr. Julia – the photo speaks for itself! He’s got a long way to go. Sand colic can wreak havoc on a body and be deadly. More tests need to be run next week.

Gentleman got a treatment as well – he has a sponsor for one treatment a month and they really make a difference. He is elderly, has high ringbone in his front right, and some issues in his back end. He is of good weight – anymore weight may work against him. He is happy and comfortable. We adore him – he is loved, very much.

Solace is still not doing well. Based on blood tests, symptoms, treatments to date, etc. it is possible he has lymphoma. Please keep him in your prayers. He’s had a good year with us and I hope he has many more. We will do our best to keep him comfortable – quality of life is always important in making decisions for these precious horses.

Oscar is so cute! I was trying to explain to him how much easier it would be for us humans if he could get up on his own. He is staying up longer when he is up though. Time – it will just take some time to build those muscles. Baby steps…

Morgan’s eye is better. There is still some swelling and the lavage is still in – she’s getting meds every four hours now and will be checked again next week.

This is a beautiful blanket that was donated to Betsy Rose several months ago which swallowed her up. It now fits!!! She loves modeling new clothing!

Oscar getting his fluids this morning. Teaching the youth of our today will only help the horses of our tomorrow’s! Roxy is a quick learner!

We are an all volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit equine rescue organization that operates totally off of donations from the public – we are not funded by County, State, or Federal funds. Please consider making a one time or automatic monthly do…nation to help us to help the horses. Funds are needed for vetting, farrier needs, hay, grain, dental needs, equipment maintenance, and there is so much more. There are various ways to donate – visit our “Donate” page on our website at theresa. All donations are tax deductible and no amount is too small. Please share us with friends, family, and co-workers – it takes a village! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer

February 4th

Oscar’s first night here last night was a calm one, thankfully. He’s too weak to do much – but he’s alert. He can graze for short periods of time but is still too weak to get up on his own if he goes down.

Oscar learned through the night that he could sleep in the sling and lay his head on his pillow. This sling and gantry have been a lifeline so many times – we’re very blessed to have it.

After taking Oscar out of the sling this am, he grazed a bit and then took a good long nap but when he woke up he could not get up on his own so we put him back into the sling.  He just has no muscle, no fat. Dr. Madera will be back out later today.

To the left of the photo is Dr. Madera. To the right is Dr. Bess Darrow (her assistant is in the middle). How great it this?  Two awesome vets here at the same time!  We are very blessed to have such a great care team! We reviewed Oscar’s meds, diet, etc. We should have blood work results back this evening.

We opted to run more fluids this afternoon – Oscar’s poop was too dry and we didn’t want to take any chances of an impaction or dehydration. He loves his Triple Crown Safe Starch Forage and now and then he will munch on a little orchard grass. No grain for the little guy.  He does everything in slow motion – he doesn’t have much energy to burn. He also gets supplements to help his tummy, prevent dehydration, and improve his immune system. We monitor everything – both Dr. Darrow and Dr. Monroe said we are doing a great job! Dr. Bess even suggested we write a book on our refeeding practices and rehab experiences – that was quite the compliment!

“Pistol! Kamanchee is my best friend and you can’t have him!” Mary is a sweet 27 year young Arabian mare that is looking for a forever home. What would be perfect is to find a home for her and Kamanchee together!

Wally is hilarious! He tried to get in Dr. Bess’ trailer before the ramp was even all the way down!  Dr. Bess was here to do dental work on some of the horses.

Dr. Bess trying to leave amidst an obstacle challenge of mini’s. Check out Pistol “talking” with Matilda.  That’s Lucy to the right of the photo.

February 5th

Serenity has a long way to go. But we’ve got all the time in the world to get there. The temps were near 80 today and the water heater decided it would work so she got a tea tree treatment for the rainrot. The hot water tank works sporadically but thanks to a very caring person a new replacement tank is being shipped to us!

Serenity thanks you all for caring!

This is LouAnn taking Oscar for a walk today. The photo isn’t great – I took it while I was standing under the sling.

We are supposed to be getting some rains the next couple of days so this evening we fixed up a nice stall with straw bedding for Oscar. He still can’t get up on his own – he just has no muscle. But the muscle will come over time with proper diet and exercise and rest.

Oscar’s blood work results came back – values are all over the place indicating lack of nutrition. But his organs, according to the blood work, are not too bad.  We do need to re-run some blood tests in a few days. We will be adding Wel-Gel to his forage. Please pray for this little guy.

February 6th

Good morning everyone! It’s going to be a beautiful day! We do have overcast skies and it may rain and the temps are lower than I’d like. But my day has already been blessed – I woke up this morning and I BELIEVE! Dr. Julia Simonson is coming to work on Oscar with acupuncture and electrical stimulation (like a TENS unit) which will stimulate his muscles – we need to get the nerve pathways back on track! I invite all of you to share in my day of positivity and believing – together we can move mountains!

“Good morning everyone! SMILE! It can be contagious!!”

Oscar was a good boy for Dr. Julia. Hopefully he won’t have to stay in the sling much longer. He just can’t get up on his own after he goes down.

Solace still isn’t feeling well and his temperature is up. He was just examined on Tuesday and everything was ok. I’m really worried about him. Please include him in your prayers too.

Sincerely,
Theresa
Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.

February 1st – 3rd, 2014

Joanne Kelley and Elaine visited yesterday – it was so nice to meet them! Putting names to faces and introducing the horses is something I truly enjoy! I probably talked way too much! LOL

Joanne wanted to get slimmed by the famous Aaleyah Belle – well, she got it ok!

All of the little boys wanted to be the first to say “Hello!”

Indy and Baby Ray are doing great!

Betsy Rose is almost looking a little chunky.

Solace wasn’t feeling so very good today. Hopefully it is just a change in weather.

Cookie is such a sweet girl. I’m not liking what I’m seeing in her eye though. Hopefully Dr. Porter can get out to the farm in the next few days.

Bella is doing better at her foster home with Kim Furse. She’s been started on a new protocol for her respiratory issues which are better. Bella is happy getting more one on one attention at Kim’s and she has a best friend mare named Winnie!

Don’t forget….

Have a great week, everyone!

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

February 3, 2014

I was in the city at the doctor’s office this morning when I received a request to help a baby donkey. He was located about 30 miles further north of where I was, but I did my best to get there as fast as I could. It was sort of in the middle of nowhere and I know that getting a vet out in that area can be hard. This little guy is not quite 2 years old and has been unable to get up for a couple of days.

When I got the call I was in our mini van – I had just left the doctor’s office. Once I got to him, it didn’t take long for others to get him in the back.  I truly felt there wasn’t enough time for me to go all the way back to the rescue for the trailer.  I prayed he would hang on – the vet would be waiting for us at the rescue.   Prayers were answered.

Dr. Madera was waiting for us at the rescue. He greeted her with those darling long ears.

It didn’t take long to get him out – he was a really good boy for the hour long trip. I sang and talked to him all the way to the rescue. I have to wonder what he thought. He was likely very glad when I finally shut up!

It made me feel a lot better to have him out of the car. And I was so glad Dr. Madera was already here. The little one is pretty thin and very, very weak.

After Dr. Madera examined him, we gently rolled him over and into the sling. He was like a rag doll.  But I think he knew we were helping him.

He never complained and never tried to get up. He moved his front legs a little but not the back legs. Not knowing what caused his condition, that was reason for concern.

Once he was in the sling, we positioned the gantry. Still no movement in the back legs.

Once the sling was hooked up to the gantry, Bob started to raise the sling. The baby got his front legs under him but didn’t even try to get his back legs under him – he just hung there in the backend.

We gave him a little time – when the body has been down for awhile, things start to go to “sleep”. It took a couple of minutes and a little massaging and encouraging, but he finally got it.

Seeing him try to move his legs under him really made us feel good. We didn’t know if there had been any spinal cord/nerve damage.

We offered him some forage while an IV fluid concoction was run – he was very dehydrated. He stood with the sling supporting him. When the gantry was rolled into the paddock, he tried to walk so we let it down some – he did carry his own weight for a couple of steps!

After giving him some time to rest, he looked like he was interested in the grass. He was holding his own weight. So, we said a prayer and removed the sling/gantry.

He was still weak but he grazed, drank water, urinated, and went poop.  I want to thank the family who owned him for reaching out for help and then for letting him go. Life can be challenging at times and unexpected things happen. I am a believer that God puts people in our paths just when we need them at times. I am glad we are able to help.

He is still too weak to get up on his own if he goes down so he will be staying in the sling tonight. Prayers for this baby are very much appreciated. We hope it’s a very calm night.

If anyone would like to help with the baby’s expenses it would sure be appreciated. No amount is too small. Donations can be made via our website at www.bhfer.org. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

I want to give Serenity a good bath but will have to wait for better weather. She is full rain rot. But she is a little more energetic.

A very sweet girl.

Busy day here today – started out blanketing the horses before the rains come. We got blood work results back and Bryce is a mess. Dodger is doing well – he will be ready to go to his new home by the weekend. Serenity isn’t feeling very well today. We’re keeping a close eye on all of them. They are all tucked in with blankets.

Mary’s potential new home didn’t work out – please help us find her a great home. She’s a very sweet 27 year young Arabian mare with no health issues. We need to make room for others.

More prayers please. We went to check on the horses where Serenity came from to make sure they had hay and they do. But we found this little filly with a tummy ache and diarrhea. It took a bit but the owner let her go. The vet is here now. She’s grinding her teeth really bad which means she’s uncomfortable.

I thank God this little girl won’t be out in the freezing cold tonight, colicing.

The rain has arrived. I hope and pray the horses stay under shelters tonight and munch on their hay. The temps are just above freezing. Wee early hours are going to be horrible.

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

I just got back to the rescue with 2 more – a yearling and a 4 yr old with explosive diarrhea and an eye injury. We believe we have places lined up for these 2 but will be getting their immediate vet needs addressed today and we’ll see whe…n the vet says they can travel. I’ll update on the others – the vet will be here any minute. The remaining ones are not as bad. The baby and the worst are now here and are getting necessary care. Thank you all for our support. I am sorry I have not responded to PM’s or emails but it’s been non-stop.

This is the yearling colt.

This 4 year old gelding has explosive diarrhea and an eye injury. He’s about a 2 on the Henneke scale.

Please pray for the gelding. He has explosive poops today and is showing signs of colic. Still waiting on the vet. It’s a busy time for colics. I’m sitting here with him just talking about how life is going to get better.

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

This mare had an appointment with the local animal disposal company today – in other words, she was scheduled to be shot. The owner was given our name by another rescue and he called me yesterday afternoon. I then discussed the case with the AC Officer working the case and was told this mare is in bad shape – not even a 1 on the Henneke scale. The owner asked if we can take her – if not, she doesn’t have a chance – she would be shot. There are other horses at the farm but they are not nearly as bad as she is and the County has an active ongoing case on them. Cases like this rip me up – this mare deserves more so I hooked up the trailer last night and brought her back to Beauty’s Haven.

She walked right into the trailer.

This little Appy girl, covered in mud and muck, is very sweet but she’s in rough shape. She is not quite a 1 on the Henneke scale. The kind and unbelieving look she gave me when putting a blanket on her last night broke my heart. Blood work was done. It’s so sad to think that she would have been put down this morning. At least now, she’s got a chance. I am concerned about what she was fed yesterday and we’ll be praying that she doesn’t colic. This mare is going to need quite a bit of rehab. But she is the worst and the others had hay last night. Please keep her in your prayers. It’s going to be a long road to recovery for her – I’m keeping the faith that she can do it.

Serenity’s blood work results have come back and they were what we expected – levels typical of starvation case. Her temp has been up and down but she is drinking and urinating. She’s gone poop a few times. She nibbles on her hay at times – her gut is making quite a few noises. One of my concerns is what she was fed yesterday before we got her – a sudden feeding can be detrimental. Refeeding a starved horse can actually be deadly if not done properly. I just got off the phone with AC and am headed back over to where we picked her up from. It was pitch black there last night and I couldn’t get a good look at the others. I’ll update when I can. It’s going to be another long day.

I can’t thank all of you enough for your support – please keep Serenity in your prayers. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

Dr. Julia Simonson stopped in yesterday to check on a few of the horses and to go over the protocol of supplements for Bella’s coughing. Bella is doing better now that she is at a foster home with Kim Furse. I’m sure that all the dust that blows around here contibuted greatly to Bella’s issues.

Wow – I just saw this photo for the first time! This is Deborah Hill taking some photos of the "kids."

The little ones are so much fun to watch! That’s CaryLou out in the lead!

Wally is quite a character – he pretends that he doesn’t like humans very much – but he really does.

Oh – and Indy! Here’s Indy soaking up some sun too!

Peggy Sue got a hooficure today – she has to be trimmed in the sling.

Roxy and Kathy Breakall on poop patrol yesterday. The golf cart that pulls the poop spreader was in the shop – we sure do miss it when it’s broken.

Pistol is a hoot! I would never be surprised to find him on the porch knocking on the door for some attention.

Katie playing with Pistol today – he’s calmed down a lot. That’s Barbara and Santana and Bronson in the background.

Santana and his little buddy, Bronson. Santana is looking for a forever home. He is pasture sound only – he does have navicular. He’s a happy horse – very sweet.

"Mommy Theresa I know you’re in there! Can we have some treats, please?" Little Bronson is growing up – he’s a sweetheart too. He’s also ready for a forever home.

I know I say this all the time, but Santana is just a sweet and magnificent horse! He’s so patient with the little ones. Lily walks under him to get to the other side sometimes. LOL

Mollie is an Arabian filly with a great mind. It’s hard to believe that two months ago, she was at death’s door.

She has a huge love for life. When she puts her mind to something, she will give it her all. And she’s honest.

She does have a bit of Brio in her but it’s beautiful and she will make someone a wonderful horse.

And last, but not least tonight, Betsy Rose taking in some sunshine.

Thank you all so very much for your love and support.

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb

January 22nd

I’m in a rush, as usual, but I wanted to say GOOD MORNING to everyone! I have many things to update and share but have to get the horses fed and some things done. You are ALL amazing – truly. It takes a village to make this rescue a success – we have the best village anyone could possibly hope for and we are very blessed!

Here’s momma Daisy with Blodwyn.

Betsy Rose got her treatment by Dr. Julia yesterday. She’s feeling better. She actually did a weak double barrel kick when one of the acupuncture needles went in! She always feels and moves better after the treatments.

We have a little pony that came in a couple of days ago. He had been on a waiting list for months. Dr. Julia also worked on him. He has issues in his backend. Possibly a fracture in the pelvic area. He used to be a pony that went in circles all day long at fairs.

This is Mary and Kamanchee. Mary has a potential adopter visiting this weekend. They are both very sweet.

January 23rd

Kathy Breakall is here for a few days. The horses will just get more pampering!

January 25th

A most beautiful day at the farm! We needed this nice weather really badly!

Jenny got to visit today. We sure miss her but I am glad she is able to come for a day or two every few weeks.

Santana is such a great horse. He makes friends so easily.

Matilda is such a love too.

Pistol has calmed down significantly since his castration. He is looking for a forever home.

Molly is also ready for a home. She is going to be stunning once she sheds out!

Had a great dinner date last night for our anniversary! Dinner, dancing, and pool! It’s rare that Bob and I get off the farm at the same time.

Magnum is doing very well. I started a little ground work last week. He’s a good boy. Here is a link to a very short video.

[youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=LKMSVkX5QG0&feature=youtu.be]

Thank you all so very much for your love and support – have a great week, everyone!

Sincerely,

Theresa

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
Website: https://www.bhfer.org
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bhfer.tb