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Welcome Home, Jo!

Jo loaded like a champion and unloaded just fine too. She’s a 35 years young QH mare that’s likely, a “been there, done that,” type of horse. I don’t know how much longer she would have lasted and yes, reaching out for help should have come sooner, but she’s here now and she has a chance. Please keep Jo in your prayers. She’s truly a very sweet and kind old soul.

Jo’s First Meal

It’s always very gratifying to watch a horse enjoy their first meal here. The look on their face is priceless and it reassures us that we are making a difference. And we are only able to do what we do because of help from others – we operate totally from donations. So, know that all of you are making an incredible difference in Jo’s life. We don’t know if Jo has days, weeks, months, or hopefully, many years left on this earth, but we do know that she will get the best of care in her sunset years.

We have had many calls about horses that need help lately and the cold season isn’t even upon us yet. Hay is expensive here and the calls for help always increase when the grass goes dormant – many people just can’t afford needed hay and the horses suffer. Sadly, we expect the number of calls will only increase over the next couple of months.

Skin on Bones

Jo’s vetting will soon be done (including bloodwork), to identify issues, including if there is damage to her organs. Weight loss can be due to dental issues, chronic infection, parasites, cancer, or other issues or a combination of issues. When a body starves, it feeds off its own fat, then muscle, then organs and once a horse reaches a body condition score (BCS) of 1, its prognosis for recovery is very poor – Jo’s BCS is 1. Other than being skin on bones, her skin is unhealthy with open sores, and she needs to see the dentist and the farrier.

The “Other Two” Horses

We weren’t planning on taking in any horses for awhile, our paddocks are full and resources are very tight, but this mare needed help and it was obvious that time was of the essence. There are two other horses where Jo came from – a mare that is somewhat underweight and a gelding that is slightly underweight. We need to find a good home for the other mare – we’ll be working on that. We’re not 100% sure if this will change, but the gelding isn’t looking for a home at this time. However, in the meantime, we want to take 2 salt blocks and 2 large compressed bales (est. 800 lbs each) of hay to the 2 horses on Monday. They live in separate paddocks and can’t share a bale. This will cost at least $210 but the hay should last at least 2 to 3 weeks. If anyone can help with hay for the other 2 horses, please designate your donation for “The Other 2.”

Also, the farrier is coming on Monday to do several horses and we need help with that as well. If you would like to help any of the horses with their hooficures, please note that your donation is for “hooficures.”

Jo is also in need of sponsors so it you would like to help Jo, please note “Jo” on your donation. You may forward your donation via various means here on our website or via PayPalMe. Donations are tax-deductible and no amount is ever too small.

Many thanks to everyone – you are all amazing and we truly appreciate you!

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SWEET MARE IN DIRE NEED

We posted on Facebook earlier this afternoon that we were seeking sponsors to help us help a sweet Quarter Horse mare. Although we did not garner a sufficient number of sponsors, time was of the essence and she was transported to Beauty’s Haven earlier this evening. Her name is Jo and she is still in need of sponsors. Jo will need a complete exam including bloodwork, as well as have her teeth and feet done. When she is strong enough, she will then need vaccinations etc. Jo’s initial expenses will be great, and we will need assistance with her ongoing and long term care expenses as well, however long that may be. Ideally, we would like to receive enough commitments from our supporters to sponsor her care for several months. Lots of little bits add up!

Would anyone like to make a one time donation or sign up to be a monthly sponsor for Jo’s care? Donations are tax-deductible and no amount is ever too small. There are many ways in which to donate. You may donate via various means here on our website or via PayPalMe. Please note that your donation is for “Jo.”

Thank you, all, for your love & support. Please keep sweet Jo in your prayers.

Donate Now

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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!

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Hope’s Evening Update

Dr. Sonday and Dr. Simonson met with us yesterday to review Hope’s test results.  We will be scheduling Dr. Mangan, our veterinary ophthalmologist to do an eye exam on Hope and we will be consulting with a neurologist.

At this time, even though the odds are not in Hope’s favor, we all feel that she deserves a chance.  She’s alert and in good spirits, she’s comfortable, she’s eating and drinking, and she’s mobile (to an extent).

I’m so thankful that Hope is here and will at least, be given the opportunity to overcome her issues.  Thank you all for caring and for helping this precious little girl.  I wish you all could meet her.  Everyone who has met Hope, simply adores her.

When the world says “give up”, Hope whispers, “try it one more time.” Believe…

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Baby Hope Update

When I met Hope on Wednesday morning, the first thing I noticed besides the issue of her legs, were her eyes. They were odd – at times they would roll back under the socket and you could see much of the white of the eye. She didn’t seem to watch us move about, but she did seem attuned to noises. After she was carefully loaded into the SUV, I took her to the vet for tests. Once back at the farm, she settled into Betsy Rose’s stall.

Hope can get up on her own at times, with effort, but she doesn’t walk much and lays back down soon thereafter. She’s eating and drinking some, not enough in my opinion, but hopefully, that will improve. She seems most content when someone stays with her, and she simply loves to lay her head in my lap and have her face rubbed.

There appears to be neurological issues, so we will gather our team (optometrist, neurologist, traditional vet, and a holistic vet), to assess her overall health.  

Her crooked legs is one thing, but the apparent loss of vision and being wobbly in her backend and seemingly, being unaware as to where her legs are, is something else. Once we have reviewed all test results, we will plan a course of action.

It makes me sad that Hope was pretty much alone for almost four weeks – down on the ground lying in the scorching sun and even torrential rains. And during all these weeks, Hope didn’t wander from the spot where she was born which supports the thought that she may not be able to see – she had no clue as to where to go or what to do. And when her mom would go off to graze and get water, she was all alone.

She’s a very brave little girl. I’m very grateful to the humans who stepped up and contacted us and to the wonderful support from all of you.

I can’t tell you how sweet and trusting Hope is. She is simply precious. She needs prayers, lots of good energy, and likely, a miracle.

Thank you, all, so very much, for caring.

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Precious Angel Hope

We Named Her Hope!

The little one had a tough time getting up yesterday morning.

She’s just precious.

She was gently picked up and loaded into the back of the SUV.

When I first saw Hope, I felt she had more issues than just contracted tendons. I will update as soon as she is seen by our team of veterinarians.

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Please Pray for Baby Cow

Someone reached out to us about a baby calf with contracted tendons that lays, alone, in a paddock everyday because she can’t walk. Her legs/tendons need to be stretched out several times a day. She may need splints – we don’t know yet. The mother goes off to graze and get water, but returns to give her baby a chance to nurse but as of late, she has been wandering off more frequently and has been gone a bit longer each day. Mom and baby should have been placed in a small area where the mom would be unable to wander too far and the baby’s chance of being hurt by other members of the herd, or even coyotes, would be greatly lessened.

A couple of good samaritans have been stopping by to help the baby get up and give her water. Yesterday, we learned that the owner, not wanting to be bothered with this baby, was going to give her to a neighbor who would fatten her up and use her for meat and her hide.

I couldn’t help it – we had to offer to take this baby.

We want to get her here today and get her settled in. Perhaps the sling and hands on manipulation will help her. Once she is better, and doesn’t need hands on manipulation throughout the day, we think we have a foster home she can go to until a permanent home is found. The thought of her not being mobile and laying in the hot sun, and in the rain, is maddening. She’s going to need milk replacer and vetting.

Would anyone like to pledge to help this precious little girl?

MORNING UPDATE
We need prayers for baby cow – she’s weak this am and couldn’t get up. The owner has finally agreed to release her and we’re getting ready to go get her. I’ll update when I can.

Thank you all for your love and support.

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A Close Call!

We have been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to share some things we’ve been working on in recent months.  Pictured above, are two Arabian horses that we were asked to take in December, but since we were full, we sadly, could not do so.  The Arabians’ owner also asked Morgan, at HPAF, if she could take them, but they, too, were full.

The mares had been rescued from a bad situation more than a year ago, but the owner had not handled the girls during the time they were in her care.  The black filly is almost three years old and had never been touched when she arrived at the rescue.  The mare, the filly’s dam, was so sweet and approached me when I met them the first time.  I haltered her and spent just a little time with her and she is very sweet.  The filly, however, was unsure about humans, but like her dam, was quite inquisitive.  We took the girls grain and hay while we searched for a safe place for them to land.  When we took them hay on Christmas Eve, we noticed the fencing at the property where they were living had worsened and was unsafe.  The girls had been leaning on it and it wouldn’t have taken much for them to escape.  The thought of them getting out and into the road was horrible.  I talked to Morgan again, and, by working together, we thought of a solution for the immediate problem.  We agreed to bring the girls to Beauty’s Haven until March, at which time, HPAF would take them.

A week before the girls arrived, and before we had come up with a plan to bring them here until March, the owner called me to advise that she had found them a home.  She had met a man at a feed store who offered to take them.  I suggested that she have the man fill out an adoption application and return it to me to process.  I asked her to not let the girls go until we did some research.  It didn’t take much for us to determine that this would not be a good situation for the girls, or any horse for that matter!  We asked the owner to wait a bit longer for us to figure out something and I’m so grateful that she took my advice.  The man that wanted them was arrested yesterday in Alachua County for using his horse as a deadly weapon!  You can read the story by clicking HERE.

These girls are so sweet and I truly enjoy the time I have with them.  The filly approaches me now and actually gives kisses!  Her mom loves to be scratched on her backside.  Bringing them here displaced some minis from their paddock (we had to double up horses in another paddock to make room) but it’s only temporary.  I’m thankful they are here and safe and I’m so very sorry for the horse and animals that the man owns (we did alert authorities about other animals that may be in his possession to ensure that someone was taking care of them).  Hopefully, the horse will never be returned to him.

If anyone would like to help with the expenses of caring for the girls, you may do so by forwarding your contribution via the ‘DONATE‘ page here on our website, or  PAYPAL.ME. If donating via PayPal, please designate your donation to ‘The Two Arabs.’ If you select the tab, ‘Send Money to Friends or Family,’ no fees will be deducted from your contribution. As always, thank you all so very much for your continued love and support.

Sincerely,
Theresa Batchelor
President
Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue, Inc.

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Mo Shahtef’s Prize

This is Mo Shahtef’s Prize – Mo for short! Mo is a 20-year-old registered Arabian recovered from an “adoption gone bad.” It was truly a relief when we learned that Mo was okay and where he was located, thanks to social media, prayers, and good-hearted people willing to do the right thing.

Mo was given or sold to someone by the adopter and then went to a number of other homes. Thankfully, he landed with someone who reached out to us when they learned of the situation. This person has a huge heart and has dedicated her life to helping animals and we’re so very grateful that she and her family opened up their home to Mo when he was in need. And, contrary to the assumptions of some, the person was offered the opportunity to adopt Mo but since she has other horses and animals that she has rescued and wishes to continue to help others, Mo’s departure opened up a space for yet another precious animal in need.

When we reached out for help to find Derek and Mo, many of you took precious time to share our posts, make calls, etc. Your support was a reminder to us that we weren’t alone and that there are still good people in this world. You all set an example for what can happen when people work together to do the right thing. The light from our village of supporters shines brightly and I’m so very proud of each and every one of you! As our village grows, so does the light and as long as we stay in the light, we’ll never be alone. And all of the time we were searching for the boys, Betsy Rose was always in my head and heart reminding me to never give up and to believe.

Mo and Derek both need sponsors as soon as possible to cover vetting, dentals, hooficures, supplements, feed/hay, etc. If you can help with a one time, or recurring monthly donation, there are many ways in which to do so. Donations can be made via our WEBSITE, via PAYPAL, or via PAYPALME. If donating via PayPal, please designate your donation to “Derek/Mo”. If you select the tab, ‘Send Money to Friends or Family,’ no fees will be deducted from your contribution. All donations are tax deductible and no contribution is ever too small. God bless you all and thank you so very much!

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He’s Been Located – It’s Truly a Miracle!

Mo Before Adoption

We are thrilled to announce that through the power of social networking, our beloved Mo has been found and will be returning to Beauty’s Haven!  Our quest to find Mo has been quite daunting to say the least.  As you may know, we have been searching for Mo for many weeks.  Mo is an Arabian gelding who had been adopted out a few years ago along with another one of our Arabian geldings, Derek.  We were blessed to have tracked Derek down to a boarding barn in New Jersey and we arranged to have him returned to us.

We spent countless hours trying to find Mo and that he had been sold by his original adopter to someone in Malabar, FL which was a breach of contract.  At some point in time, Brevard County Animal Control became involved due to him being in very poor condition.  The person to whom the original adopter sold/gave Mo, subsequently, sold/gave him to another person who, in turn, gave Mo to yet someone else in another county!  It was believed that Mo was living on large acreage with other horses in a county north of us and that his caregivers had trouble keeping weight on him – it was thought he has ulcers.  And, based on his teeth, it was thought that he was older than 19 years old.  This age is confirmed on his Arabian Horse Registry papers (born in 2000) which have been in our possession.  Upon learning this, we were concerned that Mo may have special needs similar to those of Little E, a senior Arabian gelding, who will spend the remainder of his days here at the rescue.  Little E must be fed a special diet five times a day while being separated from other horses, in order to maintain his weight.  If Mo had special issues, or suspected health issues that needed attention, we thought it may be in his best interest to return to Beauty’s Haven.  We continued in our search to learn of his specific location.

Thanks to social media the person that Mo had been given to contacted us!  After some discussion, we made arrangements to have Mo returned to us.  The person that was caring for him has a huge heart for helping animals and we’re very grateful to them for opening their home up to Mo when he needed it.  They were offered the opportunity to adopt Mo but they have other horses and animals that they have taken in and want to continue to help others – Mo’s departure opened a space for yet another that may need their help.

There are many victims in this case to include those who unknowingly purchased or took in Mo, not realizing that he belongs to Beauty’s Haven.  Because of the selfish and immoral actions of someone to whom we had entrusted the care of two Arabian geldings (Derek and Mo) through the process of adoption, our time, funds, and donations have been impacted considerably.  The time and energy spent looking for both Derek and Mo should have been dedicated to applying for grants, trying to adopt out horses, helping others in need and raising the necessary funds to care for our beloved little herd.  A substantial amount of money ($1400+) to transport Derek back to the rescue from New Jersey, the fee for his care at the boarding stable, expenses of vetting, including blood work and Coggins, dental and farrier work, and the ongoing cost of his nutritional needs has been truly expensive.  Mo’s expenses will be significant as well.  In addition to the cost of transport, Mo will be vetted upon his return and he will be scheduled for both dental and farrier care as well.

Derek and Mo desperately need monthly sponsors to assist with their intake and ongoing care.  We never like to ask for donations but we must – it’s what a non-profit charity organization has to do in order to survive.  Tax deductible donations make it possible for us maintain care of the horses here and to help others.  Please consider making a one time, or recurring, donation of any amount and know that it will make an incredible difference in the life of each and every member of our remarkable little herd.  If you are not in a position to donate, you can still help by sharing our information with others – perhaps you have friends, family, and/or co-workers who would love to help.

Donations can be made via our website’s Strive for Five Page where you have the option of making your donation ‘In Memory,’ or ‘Honor,’ of someone and you can designate specifically, where you would like to apply your donation.  If you wish to make a donation via snail mail, our address can also be found on the same page.  Please designate your contribution to ‘Derek’ and/or ‘Mo.’  No amount is too small.  As always, thank you all, for your love and support.

Theresa Batchelor
President
Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue, Inc.

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