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Rain, Rain & MORE RAIN!

We have had so much rain during the past several days! The ground is saturated and everyone here at Beauty’s Haven is constantly soaked! The saving grace is that the temperatures have been about ten degrees cooler so that is a very good thing! The air conditioning at the barn died last evening together with the large swamp cooler; hopefully this was not due to a lightning strike. We will have to assess the situation later today.

Amira just wasn’t herself last evening albeit her vital signs were fine and she had good gut sounds. She’s up there in age and like Jo, who is forty years old and has very short teeth, she is at risk of choking on long grass. Amira was swallowing okay but out of an abundance of caution, the vet is scheduled to see her today so please keep her in your prayers. Thankfully, the paddocks were mowed yesterday and we will be forever grateful to everyone who contributed to our lawnmower fundraiser. We are so very happy to finally have the mower back!

Pictured above, top row left to right: Mo, so very handsome; Amira, a precious “Old One”; and Tobias, who always makes me laugh!

Middle row left to right: CaryLou, still looking for that last drop of grain; Oreo, who turned twenty years old on July 31st; and Aaleyah Belle, the Queen of Slimes.

Bottom row left to right: Danni and Beau helping with sandbags; Elka and Willow, always so sweet; and Jo, another of our precious “Wise Old Souls.”

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Sometimes it’s not the dramatic emergencies…

Sometimes it’s not the dramatic emergencies that bring a rescue to its knees – it’s the equipment we depend upon every single day. This morning, our zero-turn mower suffered a catastrophic engine failure. The engine seized up without warning. This mower isn’t a luxury for us. It is one of the hardest-working and most valuable tools at Beauty’s Haven. We purchased it in 2021, and it has been meticulously maintained and cared for. Unfortunately, even with proper maintenance, mechanical failures can still happen. The cost to replace the engine is $3,500, and will take 7-10 days. Sadly, the grass won’t stop growing while we wait.

For many of our horses, tall grass is a serious health risk. Amira, Peaches, Jo, and many others can choke while grazing. Because of age, dental issues, or medical conditions, they cannot safely eat long grass. Their paddocks must be kept mowed to protect them from another choking episode, which can quickly become a life-threatening emergency.

Until our mower is repaired, we have no choice but to rent one.

Our Immediate Needs:

Zero-turn mower rental: $350
Replacement engine: $3,500

Total urgent need: $3,850

We know that you have already stepped up to help with our ongoing veterinary fundraiser and Match Game, and we cannot thank you enough. Those funds are desperately needed for the horses’ medical care and cannot simply be redirected to cover this unexpected expense. This mower crisis is a separate and urgent need that we never anticipated. As a nonprofit, unexpected expenses like this hit us incredibly hard. We do all we can to maintain our equipment because every dollar is precious. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, things simply break.

If Beauty’s Haven has ever touched your heart – if you’ve celebrated a rescue with us, mourned a loss with us, or cheered as a horse was gramted a second chance at life – we’re asking for your help once again.

Whether you can give $5, $10, $25, $100, or more, every gift brings us closer to renting a mower immediately and getting ours repaired. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this message may help to reach someone who can.

From all of us at Beauty’s Haven, and especially from Amira, Peaches, Jo, and the many horses who depend upon us every day – thank you for believing in our mission and standing beside us through every unexpected challenge. Together, we can get through this – just as we always have.

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Summertime Blues

As we approach the summer months, which is generally, the time in which to reevaluate our facility and maintenance needs, as well as to get caught up on our outstanding veterinary bills, we are reaching out to you in hope to garner your support as we launch our summer fundraiser with a goal of $10,000, in order to address these pressing needs:

Beauty’s Haven has three trailers, all of which are essential for our daily work and are considered one of the most important and versatile pieces of equipment at the rescue; sadly, they are quite costly to maintain.

One of our two horse trailers is currently in the shop for important repairs and maintenance which include:

  • Complete safety inspection
  • Replacement of four brakes and drums
  • Repacking of the bearings
  • Replace breakaway brake system lanyard
  • Replace cable and 7-way plug to truck receptacle which controls electrical components
  • Replacement of two running lights and a plug
  • Re-rivet/repair the leaking roof
  • Repair of a damaged wall mat
  • Replacement of DOT tape.

We also had to replace the rear door protective cover on this trailer recently, as the old one was badly deteriorated, allowing the stored hay to get wet.

The total maintenance cost of this trailer is $3,110.

Once this trailer returns, our larger gooseneck hay storage trailer (we can also use this trailer to haul up to three horses) will need similar maintenance and repairs. Plus, each of our three trailers require an application of “Kool Seal” reflective roof coating at $1,000 each. This protective coating will extend the life of the roofs on the trailers, prevent future leaks which will keep stored hay dry, and keep the interior significantly cooler – a benefit greatly appreciated by our team when they’re working inside filling hay bags during the hot summer months as well as by horses when being transported.

Our third trailer, a two-horse trailer which we use for local horse transport and is always at the ready for an emergency trip to the hospital, will also need a routine inspection and any necessary maintenance and repairs which are discovered during said inspection.

While we realize that helping us maintain our trailers may not seem as exciting or adrenalin inducing as rescuing a horse, it is an essential tool in the actual act of SAVING a horse; to transport a horse in distress to and from the hospital at a moment’s notice, oftentimes in the middle of the night, or simply to bring a horse home from a dire situation in hope of saving a precious life as we did with Aaleyah Belle and Momma Sue so many years ago. By assisting with this need, you are making a difference by actually helping us save another precious life in the future, whether it be in days, months or years. Think of it as a win win situation! In addition, we unfortunately do not have a barn in which to store our hay, so our trailers are priceless when it comes to keeping our hay dry and free from mold, making it safe for consumption by our beloved equines.

On the veterinary side, our recent bills are just over $3,000. These cover treatment for:

  • Jo’s Pigeon Fever (culture, aspiration, draining)
  • Addi’s eye issue
  • Mo’s neck swelling
  • Extensive diagnostic bloodwork (thyroid panels, ACTH, Insulin, CBC, Chemistry, glucose, and more) for many of our horses.
  • We also had sheaths cleaned for JoJo, Jazzy, Danni, Mo, Skye, Willow, and Walker (JoJo and Jazzy made their opinions on this procedure very clear!).

As we are hoping to start Autumn with a clean slate, any help with our veterinary bills as well as with the maintenance and/or repair of our trailers will be so greatly appreciated. Please remember that all donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below. If you are unable to help at this time, we truly understand, but we would be forever grateful if you could share this most important fundraiser amongst family and friends.

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Fire and Rain

We thankfully escaped the Cow Creek brush fires that raged throughout Levy County this past week covering two thousand acres, as the winds were blowing in a westerly direction.

As per the Levy County Sheriff’s office: “Even though fire activity has thankfully decreased in the last 24 hours, smoky conditions still exist in the area, especially in the overnight and early morning hours and especially on CR326 which remains closed. It is not safe to visit the fire area. In addition to the poor visibility and health concerns of smoky conditions, trees that ignited are randomly falling throughout the forest. There are also hot pockets in the ground and stepping in one of these could result in severe burns.”

On Thursday, we had a very productive day prior to the arrival of today’s badly needed rain, with horses being groomed, several gates/fencing being fixed, shade cloth put up for the littles, Spring cleaning at the barn, heat lamps collected, cleaned and stored away until next year, and much more! Many thanks to our volunteers – we appreciate them all, so very much!

We continue to struggle with raising enough funds for Farrier Friday and are still seeking “hooficure” sponsors for Lucy, Ebony, Lily, Sassy, Jazzy and Danni.

The average cost per hooficure is $45, so if you could help these sweet horses and/or donkey have “Pretty Feet,” it would make us all so very happy indeed! Just click on the donation button below. If you are unable to help at this time, we truly understand, but we would be forever grateful if you could share this need amongst family and friends.

Thank you all, for your love and support!

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Springtime at Beauty’s Haven

I’d like to share a few images of some recent happenings at Beauty’s Haven Farm over the course of the past week. Pictured above:

Upper Left ~ When the driveway camera went off, I went to check out what was happening, only to discover that a big ole Tom Turkey appeared to be reading the ‘Visitors by Appointment Only’ sign, while his friend was strutting about, attempting to get Peaches’ attention. Peaches paid him no mind and continued to graze.

Upper Right ~ Magic loved sharing a special few minutes with Joan and Steve, volunteers who come on Tuesdays. I am so proud of Magic – he has come such a very long way. He is a proud Arabian stallion that was used in the barbaric ‘sport’ of horse tripping before we rescued him many, many years ago. He is now twenty-six years old.

Lower Left ~ Some of you may remember Captain’s Skywalker, aka Skye. He has returned from an adoption, but he continues to be the sweetest boy ever.

Lower Right ~ Bae and Walker, aka the ‘cleanup crew’ after a rainy morning at the farm.

Center ~ Cowboy announcing the first ‘Farrier Friday’ of Spring, hoping to get “hooficure” sponsors for his friends, Lucy, Ebony, Lily, Sassy, Jazzy and Dani. The average cost per trim is $45, so if you would like to help your favorite Beauty’s Haven horse have ‘Pretty Feet,’ we would be forever grateful. All contributions are tax deductible and please be assured, no amount is ever too small. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below.

Thank you, as always, for your love and support!

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$1000 Match Game & Summer Fundraiser Update!

A dear friend and supporter has recently come forth to offer a Match Game whereby all donations up to $1000 will be matched dollar for dollar. Once the Match has been met, our Summer Fundraiser goal of $5000 will be complete! This is a wonderful opportunity in which to not only double your contribution, but to make an incredible difference in the life of each and every member of our beloved little herd.

The Tractor & Mishka’s Paddock – Covered!

With the rainy season upon us, horses with thin soles, like Mishka (who carries 2,000 lbs. on his feet), need extra attention. It’s essential that he has soft sand upon which to stand, but the rain has washed away much of this footing material. We plan to fix this issue by adding an additional load of sand ($250) which will be kept in place by adding fabric at the front and side of his shelter. This is a big job that requires a tractor, but the tractor needs repairs – a parking brake, hydraulic actuator seal, hood latch, 4-wheel drive shift lever, and seat replacement. The estimated repairs are $1,800, but we will not have to schedule the next regular maintenance check until we have utilized fifteen hours of run time.

Fence Boards Still Needed

As the seasons change, our fence boards expand and contract, oftentimes breaking. This creates a safety risk for our horses. We need to replace at least 20 fence boards and keep 5 spares on hand. The 1”x6”x16” pressure-treated boards cost about $19 each, and we’re hoping our wonderful supporters will help sponsor a board to assist us in maintaining a hazard free environment for our little herd. And, with the Match Game, each donation for one board, will automatically, translate into two!

Beauty’s Haven Truck

The BH truck, essential for our daily work, needs its annual maintenance to keep running smoothly. We’ve received an estimate of $2,400 from the dealership which does not include 5 new tires with sensors, which would add another $1,700. We plan to get the tires done at Sam’s Club for a lower cost.

Miscellaneous Expenses

In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, we’ve had the generators serviced for $440. We also still have veterinary bills ($3,000+), farrier and hay expenses, as well as additional ongoing needs.

If you’re able to participate in the Match Game, please click on the ‘Donate’ button below. If you’re unable to help financially, we completely understand, but you can still assist us by sharing our fundraiser amongst family and friends.

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More than HALFWAY THERE!

We are more than halfway there in our Summer Fundraiser thanks to the generosity and love of our wonderful little village of supporters! As we still have a ways to go, we would be forever grateful for your assistance with any of the much needed items listed below.

The Tractor & Mishka’s Paddock – Covered!

With the rainy season upon us, horses with thin soles, like Mishka (who carries 2,000 lbs. on his feet), need extra attention. It’s essential that he has soft sand upon which to stand, but the rain has washed away much of this footing material. We plan to fix this issue by adding an additional load of sand ($250) which will be kept in place by adding fabric at the front and side of his shelter. This is a big job that requires a tractor, but the tractor needs repairs – a parking brake, hydraulic actuator seal, hood latch, 4-wheel drive shift lever, and seat replacement. The estimated repairs are $1,800, but we will not have to schedule the next regular maintenance check until we have utilized fifteen hours of run time.

Fence Boards Still Needed

As the seasons change, our fence boards expand and contract, oftentimes breaking. This creates a safety risk for our horses. We need to replace at least 20 fence boards and keep 5 spares on hand. The 1”x6”x16” pressure-treated boards cost about $19 each, and we’re hoping our wonderful supporters will help sponsor a board to assist us in maintaining a hazard free environment for our little herd. And, with the Match Game, each donation for one board, will automatically, translate into two!

Beauty’s Haven Truck

The BH truck, essential for our daily work, needs its annual maintenance to keep running smoothly. We’ve received an estimate of $2,400 from the dealership which does not include 5 new tires with sensors, which would add another $1,700. We plan to get the tires done at Sam’s Club for a lower cost.

Miscellaneous Expenses

In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, we’ve had the generators serviced for $440. We also still have veterinary bills ($3,000+), farrier and hay expenses, as well as additional ongoing needs.

If you’re able to participate in the Match Game, please click on the ‘Donate’ button below. If you’re unable to help financially, we completely understand, but you can still assist us by sharing our fundraiser amongst family and friends.

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Summertime Blues & Freedom at Last!

I apologize for being remiss in keeping everyone informed about the latest happenings at Beauty’s Haven, but as you know, we have been dealing with Pigeon Fever here at the rescue, which, unfortunately, has affected our donations significantly. The extra biosecurity measures and daily care required a great deal of time, making it difficult for me to stay active online. Thankfully, things are getting back to normal, but now, we have a lot of catching up to do. We are, thereby, reaching out to share some of our current needs, hoping for your support as we move forward. As of today, we are, therefore, launching a fundraiser with a goal of $5,000 which will help cover these pressing needs:

With the rainy season upon us, horses with thin soles, like Mishka, who carries two thousand pounds on his feet, need extra attention. It’s essential that Mishka has soft sand upon which to stand, but the rain has washed away much of this soft footing. To fix this, we plan to add fabric at the front and side of his shelter to help keep the sand in place. This is a big job which requires a tractor, but the tractor currently, needs repairs – a parking brake, hydraulic actuator seal, hood latch, 4-wheel drive shift lever and seat replacement. The repairs are estimated to be $1,800, and a regular maintenance will not be needed for another fifteen hours of run time, so that is, most fortunately, not an immediate expense.

As the seasons change, our fence boards expand and contract, oftentimes breaking. This creates a safety risk for our horses. We therefore, need to replace at least 20 fence boards and keep 5 spares on hand. The 1”x6”x16” pressure-treated boards cost about $19 each, and we’re hoping our wonderful supporters will sponsor a board (or part of one) to help us maintain a safe environment for our herd.

The Beauty’s Haven truck, essential for our daily work, needs to have its annual maintenance done in order to keep it running smoothly. We’ve received an estimate of $2,400 from the dealership to perform this work, as well as an additional estimate of $1,700, for the installation of five new tires with sensors. We plan to get the installation of the tires and sensors completed at Sam’s Club at a lower cost.

In preparation for hurricane season, we’ve had the generators serviced for $440. We also still have veterinary bills ($3,000+), farrier expenses, hay, fuel, as well as many additional ongoing needs.

While these needs might not be as exciting as rescuing a horse, they are crucial in ensuring our mission of rescuing and rehabilitating horses in need, so if you are in a position to donate, please click on the ‘Donate’ button below. If you’re unable to help financially at this time, we completely understand, but you can still assist by sharing our needs amongst family, friends and social media.

Special Thanks!

We were blessed to receive a $1,000 donation from the Pine Ridge Equestrian Association, which helped cover our most recent hay run. We are so deeply grateful for their generosity! We have also received a most generous Match Game offer whereby, all donations up to $250 will be matched dollar for dollar.

Freedom at Last!

Horse running free in a fenced field.

This is what freedom looks like! Valley Girl is back out with her friends and she is so very happy! I am happy to say, we are, at least for today, free of Pigeon Fever! It’s still in the surrounding area so we will continue to take precautions. But we are thrilled that Valley Girl is finally out and about once again. Please click on the image to view Valley Girl’s joyous return to freedom.

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Summer at the Farm

Summer – a time of fireflies twinkling in the early evening light.
Summer- a time to light sparklers and eat watermelon and let both drip down.
Summer – a time of homemade cookies and lemonade on the porch.
Summer has a magic all of its own!

As we navigate through the intense heat and torrential downpours of summer, we continue to count our blessings for our remarkable little herd, our wonderful volunteers and our truly loving supporters.

After several attempts to trap a sweet little cat for quite some time with no luck, we were blessed that somehow, she managed to catch herself one evening last week. She is small with beautiful eyes and markings. I named her Opal, and after transporting her to the vet to get spayed, she was then released within a few days. I believe she is the last feline here who needed to be fixed, although we did spot two kittens a couple of weeks ago who appeared to be just passing through. Opal is TNR Feline Sixteen.

One day last week, Jo didn’t come in with Dancer for her breakfast. We checked her vitals which were normal, but we decided, nevertheless, to give her some IV meds, which made her more comfortable, and she was, thankfully, soon back to normal after a few minutes. Jo does experience ‘dementia days,’ but this is the first episode she’s had in quite some time. We are truly grateful that she recovered so quickly.

The ‘Three Amigos’ constantly bring us so much joy each and every day with their silly shenanigans! They love their little excursions into a small paddock with lovely green grass. I release them from their dirt paddock once or twice weekly for a few minutes as they are all a little on the ‘porky’ side. Their paddock also appears to be quite conducive to growing melons to which Kathy and I can attest after discovering seven nice melons the other day, which were just ripe for picking and so very delicious!

Mishka recently enjoyed a cool shower and brief respite from the hot weather. He’s such a big love! Peaches, in the mean time, so loved showing off her new fly mask, gifted to her from her Auntie Gillian.

We are so very appreciative of our kind and wonderful supporters who continue to assist us in fulfilling our mission by supporting our needs here at the rescue – needs such as hay (fundraiser below), our farriers, our equine dentist, our veterinary expenses, as well as a myriad of additional necessities such as fly spray, fly masks, meds and supplements to name just a few. Click here to donate.

We are so truly blessed!

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All Hands on Deck as Pigeon Fever Descends

I didn’t want to let another week end without sending out an update. To say we’ve been extremely busy would be an understatement. As some of you know, Valley Girl got sick about a month ago. It started with edema under her tummy. She was examined by the vet and blood tests were done. Over the next couple of days without improvement, the vet came back and did an ultrasound. A culture was also done and, unfortunately, the results were positive for dreaded Pigeon Fever. Valley Girl had already been separated from other horses and the barn was placed in lockdown. Valley has had a few abscesses rupture from her tummy to her chest. She had another, hopefully the last, to open yesterday.

Each horse is inspected from head to toe daily, sores are treated, SWAT and fly spray are applied, and fly masks are changed.

A couple of weeks ago, we found swelling on Addi’s chest that was suspect, so we put her in quarantine. The vet examined her and performed blood tests and a culture. Most recently, Mo also had some chest swelling so the vet came again to examine him, do a culture and run blood tests. Cultures for both Addi and Mo came back negative, but, out of an abundance of caution, we continue to treat them as a worst case scenario. Since then, the vet has lanced the swelling on Addi’s chest in order to drain and collect the discharge, but there is still some swelling. Mo had one open under his tummy on Friday and although I collected the discharge, he continues to experience some swelling.

Pigeon Fever is transmitted mostly by flies carrying the bacteria when they land on a horse that has open sores or wounds. It is, thankfully, not transmitted nose to nose like strangles. We don’t know where it originated but we are located in an agricultural community and have farms all around us with cows, horses, goats, etc. and the flies are absolutely horrible this year. It is possible that it was already in the ground, but we’ve been here almost twenty years and never before have had this issue.

Bio-security is real and it takes time and resources, all day, every day. Volunteers have been very good about following protocols put in place. It’s been quite an expensive, and exhausting, endeavor with no end yet in sight.

We’ve invested quite a bit into bleach, exam gloves, fly spray, SWAT, etc. If anyone would like to help, we would greatly appreciate it. Donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. We don’t know how much the veterinary bill will be, but we will share it once it is received.

A few of our needs can be found on our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/363QQBR2KM14O

Thank you and have a safe and blessed weekend.

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