New Rescue: Senior Arabian Gelding in Dire Need

As time was of the essence, we decided to pick up a black Arabian gelding in dire need. Approximately twenty years old, “Cowboy” loaded successfully onto the trailer and did well on his ride to the rescue. He settled in nicely in the quarantine paddock and enjoyed the enthusiastic greeting from JoJo, Jazzy, and CaryLou in the next paddock. As always, they put on quite a show!

Dr. Valle came out to do an exam, administer blood and fecal tests, as well as a Coggins. Cowboy is not healthy, by far. A poor diet and starvation can impact many things. He is underweight, his feet are in dire need of a series of trims, and his dental needs have never been addressed. He doesn’t like anyone touching his mouth, most undoubtedly, due to discomfort from sharp dental points, blisters, etc.

Cowboy’s heart rate was extremely irregular during his exam, almost as if he was having an anxiety attack. I was fearful that he might pass out! He may have heart disease, but we just do not know.

Cowboy’s skin is also quite horrible. A horse’s skin is the largest organ on their body which helps control blood pressure, regulate the immune response, protect against the environment, and is an overall indicator of general health. Cowboy also has a sore on each of his front legs that will need to be treated with perhaps, injections, debridement, etc. When he is strong enough for this issue to be addressed, tissue will have to be sent off for analysis.

Cowboy is in such poor health that we cannot do anything to address his teeth or leg sores at this time (other than protecting them from bugs) as it wouldn’t be wise to sedate him. Sedation comes with cardiovascular and other risks and he is just so very, very fragile at this time. Dr. Valle also stated that Cowboy has the highest parasite count that he has ever before seen. Cowboy’s other numbers were out of the normal range as well.

Our plan is to tackle the parasite issue, provide him with good nutrition, supportive care, supplements, and time, and we’ll regroup next week. For now, Cowboy seems to be loving the attention bestowed upon him from his human family and he adores his mashes and chopped forage. I’m afraid to give him hay because of his dental issues which may cause him to choke.

Cowboy is truly a sweet, kind, and deserving horse, and at least for now, he has a chance. He could really use – and I am sure very much appreciate – good thoughts and/or prayers.

I’ll be adding items to our Wish Lists on Chewy and Amazon to support his needs and I hope to post an update on him daily. If you would like to help Cowboy, donations can be made via the Donate button below. Donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. And please feel free to share this post amongst family and/or friends who may wish to help Cowboy as well.

/by

MORE HORSES IN NEED

Recently, we were contacted about four horses that needed homes. We couldn’t take them all, but we did bring in one, an older Arabian mare who needed extra care sooner than later. We named her Kalista and she is doing just fine as is our sweet boy, Flint. As for the other three, prayers were answered and we were able to find a good home for them, together! They were vetted last week; their Coggins arrived on Friday and they traveled to their new home over the weekend.

We would also like to introduce Beau, another newcomer. We don’t know much about his past but I can tell you that he’s been through quite a bit emotionally.

He was vetted a few days ago and his blood tests results showed quite a few high and low values – his immune system has truly taken a beating. He’s in quarantine with a snotty nose and cough, believed to be caused by allergies. His temperature is normal as are his respiration and heart rates, he eats well and he is active. He has been dewormed and his fecal count came back positive.

Physically, Beau doesn’t look very bad, but mentally, he has some healing to do. Mental stress can lead to physical illness. For now, he gets to just mellow out and experience the joy of just being a horse. If anyone would like to help sponsor Beau by making a one time or recurring donation, please click the donate button below. Sending good thoughts and prayers for Beau would also be greatly appreciated.

We don’t post updates as often as we’d like, but please believe that we are constantly working to help horses here and anywhere we can. But we can only do this because of your support. You ALL make a difference! Thank you!

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by
, ,

His Name is Flint

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.

/by

Saved in the Nick of Time

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.

/by
,

Rejected Baby Goat in Dire Need

We never know what will turn up in our driveway next. Today, it’s a baby goat that was born last night but was sadly rejected by her mom.

While Bob went to the feed store to get colostrum / milk replacer, we cleaned her up and treated her umbilical cord. She’s tiny – not quite 2 lbs. – and very weak, so I gave her a little syrup which perked her up a little. When Bob got home, she was ready for her milk. She had trouble standing but there did not appear to be any injuries.

We don’t know how long she had laid on the ground before she got here, but we got her up and started working her legs and rubbing her all over. I guess the nourishment from the milk kicked in and she started to try to stand. And she did! Once she found her legs, she became more and more mobile. Prayers do get answered!

We’ve checked with friends and neighbors for goat milk but haven’t been able to find any, so we’re getting colostrum and milk replacer from the feed store.

Would anyone like to sponsor this precious baby’s needs?

We realize that so many others are in dire need of assistance following hurricanes Helene and Milton, so if you are unable to assist at this time, we truly understand – but you can still help by sharing this with family and friends. If you are in a position to help, please click on the ‘DONATE’ button below.

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by
,

A Moment in Time

We hope this message brings a smile to your face, a moment in time where good fills your heart if only for a second. This beautiful Belgian mare is our latest intake. We’ve named her Adelaide, aka Addi. She’s thought to be around fifteen years old. Addi is very sweet, despite coming from a bad situation.

Addi will get a physical, her feet will be taken care of, and her dental needs will be addressed, hopefully, in the upcoming days. We don’t know how soon all of this can happen as people are still without power in many counties here in Florida. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

A ‘Welcome to BHFER’ Match Game in honor of Addi, has been kicked off today by one of our dear supporters, whereby all donations up to $100 will be matched dollar for dollar. If you would like to participate, please click on the DONATE button below. In addition, if you would like to view a brief video of Addi, please click on the image above.

Thank you in advance for your love and support in welcoming sweet Addi to our beloved Beauty’s Haven herd.

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by
, ,

DUSTI ROSE – A PONY SAVED IMO BETSY ROSE

June is a very special month for us here at the rescue. Betsy Rose, a very special pony, came to us on June 14th, 2013 and JoJo and Jazzy’s birthdays are in June. We usually have a birthday party each year to honor Betsy Rose as well as to recognize JoJo and Jazzy’s birthday, but this year, we didn’t have time to put it together. For those who do not know Betsy Rose, and her story, there is a link on our website blog where you can learn about the day she arrived as well as the years we had with her. https://bhfer.org/pony-mare-update/

Betsy Rose was much more than that one special horse who comes into your life – she was a friend, teacher, comic, helper, healer and a heroine. Her story about overcoming incredible odds is one that should never be forgotten – she will never be forgotten.

Betsy, literally, helped many people to believe in themselves, to overcome, and to never give up. Sadly, we lost Betsy on December 22nd, 2017, due to her inability to swallow. With tears flowing, I held her tightly as she peacefully transitioned to Rainbow Bridge while I promised her that her legacy would forever live on.

Recently, one of our supporters notified us about a pony mare that desperately needed help. As she viewed the photo of the pony, she immediately thought of Betsy Rose. The pony had been run through multiple auctions as a no-sale and her next stop would have been Mexico where horses are slaughtered for human consumption . When I saw a photo of the mare, my heart skipped a few beats and memories of our Betsy Rose came flooding back. In honor of our Betsy, we quickly made the decision to rescue this precious little pony mare providing she was able to make the trip here. And with that, a new story begins.

We named her Dusti Rose. She arrived thin, her coat was unhealthy, her mane and tail unkept, and her feet had not been trimmed in months. Like Betsy, she has vision loss in her right eye. She had multiple auction stickers and/or glue from old stickers in her mane, on her backside, and in her tail.

Dusti’s personality is so sweet – she’s almost like a younger version of Betsy. She warms the heart and is good for the soul. And like Betsy Rose, she appreciates everything done for her.  She really enjoyed her first bath.

With all of the losses we have had over the past year or so, the toll it has taken on my heart has been great. I’m still trying to accept the loss of my heart horse, Beauty. There are times that the tears flow and nothing takes away the pain. But I do believe that, sometimes, God puts people, and animals, in our lives just when we need them (or they need us) the most. I think we needed little Dusti as much as she needed us. From the moment I met her, she had my heart. We have promised her that we will make all of her tomorrows everything her past should have been.

We have much going on here, 24/7, and it’s challenging to post updates which impacts our presence on social media which in turn, impacts donations. It’s a very stressful time. Grants are hard to come by, but we constantly apply.

However, we do have some good news!  A couple of dear friends and supporters have joined together to offer a $6000 Match Game!  

All donations up to $6000 will be matched dollar for dollar… $5 will morph into $10, $50 will morph into $100, and so on.  These funds are desperately needed and can help us recover from vet, facility, maintenance and equipment repairs, as well as other expenses. We also need assistance with the ongoing expenses for the feral cat colony that lives on the farm.

If you would like to play the Match Game, you can contribute via the ‘Donate’ button below. All donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. We will be posting a thermometer on our social media pages on a daily basis, and in upcoming emails, that will indicate the total amount of donations received across all platforms (BHFER website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) as of that day/time. We would also ask that you please share this out to family and friends.

A very special “Thank You” to our dear friends who are making this Match Game possible.

We thank all of you for your continued generosity, love and support.

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by
, ,

Kittens & Cats Galore!

Please click on the above image to view a sweet video of Momma and Baby.

As we may have previously mentioned, during the past year, we have been trying to catch a feral cat who had four kittens about two months ago, in order to get her fixed. As a feral, she has had at least four litters since she was born here at the farm. We have cameras set up throughout and we have seen momma with her four kittens in tow, coming for their nightly meal which indicated the kittens were able to eat on their own. Since the opportunity arose to catch momma and one kitten, we opted to proceed. Since the kitten was not big enough to get fixed, she stayed with us, accompanied by a warm, stuffed sloth and she did just fine. Momma was spayed and upon her return home on Thursday, her kitten was so happy to be reunited with her beloved momma once again. Both are presently staying in one of our A/C storage cabins for a few days and then will be released together. Since the other three kittens have been visiting routinely to eat and get fresh water, we know that they’re all doing just fine.

Last week, Jessica found a kitten in the middle of a paddock who was approximately, just seven to ten days old. We waited and waited, but sadly, the momma did not return, so we had no choice but to help this sweet little kitten. Jessica took her home and, thankfully, she is doing well. Then yesterday, we found two additional kittens who appear to be the same age, and once again, we watched and waited. Since the mother cat, perhaps a first-time momma, had not come back, the kittens were becoming weak, especially the smallest one. The kittens received KMR, were bathed and had as many fleas removed as was possible. They are presently in our bathroom, contentedly napping away in a little cat snuggly house, accompanied by a cuddly stuffed rabbit. Have I mentioned that I am very allergic to cats?

If anyone in the area is skilled with raising orphan kittens and could take these two precious and innocent little ones, please text me at 352-258-9309.

I know kitten season is upon us and everyone is full, but I’m praying for a miracle. Sadly, with all that is happening here at the farm, we have not had time to send weekly updates for which I truly apologize, but for the past five weeks, both Bob and I have had a severe case of bronchitis, yet we are trying to do our best. Our physician changed our medications this past week, so hopefully, we are, at long last, well on the way on the road to recovery.

We try not to ask for assistance for our TNR efforts but we could really use it at this time. KMR and cat food is not inexpensive. We have trapped and had over a dozen cats fixed and including the new kittens, there are at least, nine to eleven more cats/kittens that are in need of TNR.

All donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. Just click on the “Donate” button below where you may contribute in a variety of ways, or, if you prefer, you can help by visiting our Chewy Wish List by clicking here.

Thank you, all for your continued generosity, love and support.

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by

Nowhere To Go

Would anyone like to help us help this senior gelding? The property he was living on was foreclosed and he needed a safe place to land. His name is “Cracker.”

Cracker needs a physical examination (including bloodwork, Coggins, fecal, etc.) as well as dental and farrier work. He would also love to have monthly sponsors to help with his ongoing care.

If anyone would like to help this sweet boy, it would be so greatly appreciated.

Contributions are tax deductible, and please be assured that no amount is ever too small. Just click on the donation button below.

Thank you in advance for your love and support!

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by
,

What are the Chances?

When I received a call about a little pony that had been down since early morning and saw a picture of her, I knew I had to take immediate action. Memories of Betsy Rose came flooding back. Jessica was at the farm so we gathered up some things and went to see if we could help her. She was still down when we arrived. It wasn’t colic but she was extremely weak and couldn’t get up. We were told she was about 30 years old.

I called the vet and she came out to evaluate the situation and run fluids. Since it was dark and the pony was dehydrated, finding a vein proved to be quite challenging. The situation was not good and time was of the essence. We opted to roll the mare over onto a tarp and pull her into the trailer to get her back to the rescue where we had more resources. I sat by her side soothing her as we headed back to Beauty’s Haven, which was less than five minutes away.

Once at the rescue, we shaved her neck and the vet was able to hit a vein in order to start running IV fluids, but then, her vein collapsed. My husband, Bob, had gotten the sling together in a stall so we moved her to the stall and gently rolled her over into the sling and secured her in it.

The vet advised that her prognosis wasn’t good at that point, but I could sense Rosie’s desire to keep going and I believed good nutrition, and time, might help.

We opted for the vet to go ahead and run an IV cocktail via another vein. I named the little pony, ‘Rosalita’ – ‘Rosie’ for short.

When the fluids were almost finished, Rosie started perking up. The vet drew some blood in order to perform tests. – we will have those results tomorrow. We offered Rosie a small amount of senior grain in warm water as a mash and that really motivated her. She was so hungry! It made me so sad to see how hungry she was. After she finished her mash, and having given her some time to collect herself, we lowered the sling and prayed she would make it on her own. She stood for a few minutes and I held my breath as she took her first wobbly steps. But she did it! She looked exhausted, but relieved. Rosie will be getting small mashes every few hours.

Rosie has a thick coat (likely Cushing’s Disease), but she is quite thin. Her teeth are really sharp which makes it painful for her to eat. She can’t grind food in order to properly digest it so her body has just been wasting away. She has diminished vision in at least, her right eye. She is drinking and becoming more vocal. She’s had several bowel movements and has urinated a few times. She certainly hasn’t given up.

Her odds are a bit better today – at this point about 50/50 but getting through the next few days is very important. I know she’s very fragile and she could take a dive at any moment, but I truly feel that she deserves a chance.

Many people think it’s normal for an older horse to be thin but that is far from the truth. While there may be some medical reason(s) why an aged horse is thin, most aged horses can keep weight on if fed the right diet with the correct frequency. Our aged horses get an annual physical, with blood work, in order to identify and address any potential issues. They also get their teeth done by an equine dentist (not by a farrier or anyone but a DVM dentist) at least annually. The older they get, the more worn their teeth get. Many have to be fed many smaller (soaked) meals a day. If not, they drop weight which can lead to being in the condition Rosie is in. They also should be fed while separated from other horses that could take their food.

And, I have to say this: if an owner is not in a position to provide an aged horse multiple smaller, mushy meals a day and provide for an individual horse’s needs, humane euthanasia should be considered. No living being should ever be starved to death. It’s inhumane!

If anyone would like to help with Rosie’s medical bills, it would be greatly appreciated. Prayers and/or good thoughts for her recovery are also appreciated, very much.

Sincerely,
Theresa

/by