
Elyza Rose got a much needed bath yesterday. It wasn’t easy – her coat was so thick. Really thick. Cushing’s thick. I simply could not stand the thought of how warm she must be, even on the cooler days, so I opted to give her a quick body clipping. I can’t say I did a good job – I was losing daylight and I still had a ton to do. But I’m sure she has to feel a lot better and that is what is most important. She stood like an angel the entire time and I know that she is very grateful for her new ‘haircut.’
I also introduced Elyza to Freckles today. Freckles is a very special little one too – she was Betsy Rose’s BFF. When Betsy Rose came to us, she was only a 0.5 on the Body Condition Score (BCS) scale – it is a miracle that she survived. Once a body reaches a BCS of 1, the organs have started to fail and most horses are not able to recover. During the starvation process, the body feeds off fat, then muscle, then organs. All odds were against her survival. I was determined that Betsy wouldn’t be alone if she had to go to Rainbow Bridge. A human was with her every minute, 24/7, for the first two months. A few weeks after her arrival, Freckles arrived via USPS to keep her company too! At the 2 month mark, Betsy was able to walk on her own and we let Freckles take over the nightly watch for a few hours (we did have them on camera though) and he did a great job. Betsy and Freckles formed a strong friendship. Over time, friends of Freckles would show up to visit and most of them stayed. Our little family grew larger.
Thankfully, Elyza Rose isn’t in nearly as bad of shape as Betsy Rose was. (Dr. Julia rated her a BCS of 2). After I introduced Freckles and Elyza, I heard Freckles tell Elyza Rose how good it is to have her here. He asked if she would mind if he shared some stories about a special little pony mare that inspired many humans to never give up and to believe. He was so excited! As I walked away, I felt a familiar tickle on my left cheek and I had to smile. Believe…..
#betsyrosestrong #believe #bhfer #elyzarose #freckles
It took forever to get that thick and dirty coat clean.
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Elyza was such a good girl. She kept licking her lips so I think she was happy about losing all that fur.
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Those eyes – that proud stance!
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“Elyza, did you know that you’ve made mommy Theresa smile a lot? You have! And that’s a really good thing. She’s been kind of ‘out there’ since Betsy Rose left us and it seemed there wasn’t anything we could do to help make her feel better. We all appreciate that you’re here and we hope you’ll like it here. I’ll introduce you to some of my friends soon, ok? Oh, and let me tell you about JoJo and Jazzy…”
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Freckles is happy to have a new friend. She’s missed Betsy Rose very much, too.
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And a new chapter begins…..
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We are currently in first place in the SunState Federal Credit Union Charity of the Month Contest. A vote per day through the month of February, could help us win $1000 which will greatly assist the rescue with the purchase of hay and/or other needs. Just click here to cast your vote and please share amongst family and friends. Please note that you will be prompted to “Like” SunState’s Facebook page prior to casting your vote and you must be a Facebook member in order to do so.
We are still awaiting the results of the Eagle Rare Life contest – the winners will not be announced until March.


Elyza is about 16 years old.
Elyza needs her eyes examined by Dr. Mangan – there’s something going on in her right eye which is the same eye that Betsy Rose had issue with.
Her teeth are a mess and I’m going to bet she puts on weight nicely once her teeth are taken care of by Dr. Bess.
She’s pretty thin (a 2 on the BCS) but she has a great appetite.
Elyza’s feet needed to be tended to and Stephanie trimmed them today.
When I hugged Elyza Rose for the first time, I felt an overwhelming and much needed sense of peace.
Getting Fancy and Rosita ready the evening before they were scheduled to leave was bittersweet. But I appreciate the extra time that I had with them that day.
A big ‘Welcome Home’ from Bernice.
A ‘Welcome Home’ kiss for Fancy.
And another for Rosita.
Beauty isn’t any worse – so that’s a good thing. She could use some good thoughts and prayers. – with Jessie Lotrecchio.
Rosita, Mishka, and Zahara are all beautiful! – with Jessie Lotrecchio and Lynda Oakes O’Toole.
Ruby is a barn resident during the day. She goes out during overcast days and nights. – with Jessie Lotrecchio
A trio of trouble. lol – with Marie Riordan.
Kiana absolutely adores all of the attention she can get. – with Jessie Lotrecchio.
And then there is that tongue! Aaleyah Belle is stunning just like her momma – Momma Sue. – with Jessie Lotrecchio.
Magic even enjoyed scratches! Go Magic! – with Jessie Lotrecchio.
Sisco and Chloe hang out with Aaleyah Belle. – with Jessie Lotrecchio.

We also have a Match Game in progress to assist with this week’s purchase of hay and all donations up to $225 will be matched!
Lastly, please continue to keep our beloved Beauty in your thoughts and prayers.
Yesterday, Sophie and I made a trip to her new home! It’s not far from the rescue and she has a new friend named Dancer. Dancer is a 30+ year young TB that lost her BFF (who was also 30+ years young) a few days ago. Their human mom raised them from babies and Dancer was very, very sad with the loss of her BFF.
Dancer became more animated by the second and we let the girls meet over the fence. Then we hand grazed them for awhile. When I felt the time was right, we took our leads off and the girls walked off like they’d known each other for years. It was a warm and wonderful feeling!
I stayed for a couple of hours and watched the girls and chatted with Sophie’s new mom – it certainly didn’t seem like we were pretty much strangers. We have a lot in common and could’ve talked for hours. With every adoption, our family just expands!
And so, a new chapter in Sophie’s life begins.
This was Sophie when she came to us in 2015. She was skin on bones and had terrible teeth and feet. With proper TLC, Sophie blossomed into a beautiful and happy mare.
Please remember to cast your daily vote in the Eagle Rare Life contest and please share amongst family and friends as well. Just click on this 
Theresa is currently in Sixth Place in the ‘Most Read’ category of the Eagle Rare Life contest, thanks to each and every one of you! Please continue to cast your daily vote by clicking 
November 9th, 2017
Little Grace just loves her new home! And her foster family has fallen in love with her – so much so that they are adopting her! Grace has been blessed with her own human family! And we were blessed to be able to help her when she needed us, thanks to the wonderful assistance and support from our village!
Magic is still stunning! Notice the two birds? They are never very far from him. Magic was a bit under the weather for a few days, but thankfully, he is now feeling better.
There must me something magical about the stairs to the office – I never know who I’m going to find there!
Penny is such a sweet and trusting girl. She’s a Belgian that was born blind and is about 30 years young. Please consider giving Penny a home for the holidays. She’s an absolutely wonderful and kind mare with lots of love to give.
JoJo knocking at the office door – he wanted to make sure we didn’t forget to turn the clocks back an hour on Sunday. He was so excited at the thought of turning back time! Silly donkey!
Beauty in 2004. We were getting ready for our first ride at a park in Tampa. She’s the mare that started it all…..
Elizabeth and I gathered up the boys and got to the show just in time.
Luija and Warrior were really good about getting into their costumes.
Luija and Karen led the way. Warrior was a bit shy and was happy to follow.
Both boys seemed to be very proud to participate. Especially Luija – he’s the animated one. Warrior is a really mellow “in your lap” boy.
Just look at those ribbons! So proud of Luija and Warrior!