Tag Archive for: Rainbow Bridge

We Named her Minnie

Minnie (aka Molly) had a good evening. She walked her fence line and was interested in others on the farm, especially the little minis on the hill.

She loved her alfalfa. She got a soupy mash every three hours through the night which she loved. She had even started to give a little bray when she saw us approaching with a meal.

She passed poop four times through the night after each meal. She was fed at around 5am and she seemed fine.

When I went back out just after 7am, she was gone.

There was a fresh pile of poop. No signs of a struggle. I am still in shock.

The vet said it could have been her heart, a clot, or perhaps an acute colic.

The only comfort I can find is that she finally knew what it was like to not be hungry, to have no demands placed on her. There were no expectations of her here, just a simple life surrounded by love. And she was truly loved.

Thank you all for caring about this very sweet mule.

My heart is simply broken.

Theresa

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Grief is the price we pay for love

Early last evening our beloved Ruby went down, and sadly did not attempt to get up. She was very peaceful and did not appear to be in pain. As we were awaiting the arrival of the veterinarian, we placed a pillow beneath her head and took the canopy out of the storage shed to shield her from the falling rain. I sat and softly talked with her about many things. Even though she appeared to be fine all day, I feared that this could be her time to leave us.

Then at 8:33 pm, while cradled in my arms, our beloved Ruby peacefully transitioned to Rainbow Bridge.

What a joyous reunion it must have been as Cookie and all of her other old friends greeted Ruby at Rainbow Bridge, but it sure leaves a big hole in the hearts of everyone in our Beauty’s Haven family. Ruby was such a very special mare, at approximately 30 years of age she was a very wise old soul. She had been with us for many years, and knew that we all loved her beyond measure.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers during this most devastating time.

Grief is truly the price we pay for love.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Mindi Update, Presley’s Passing and Oreo’s Surgery

Mindi on the Mend

Mindi is becoming a bit more animated each day. Mentally, she’s still processing and adjusting. It may take her days, weeks, or even longer to come around. But she will. She’s approaching me now instead of walking off when I go into her paddock. That’s a very positive step in healing, in my opinion. Her coat is looking much better and her eyes are brighter. She needs to gain quite a bit of weight and muscle.

Regarding Mindi’s physical health, her blood test results were what we typically find in malnourished horses. She needs a few supplements; Liver Kleen, Ferrofood from Standard Process, Transfer Factor Stress Pak, a Panacur Powerpac, and Succeed. If anyone would like to gift her any of these supplements it would be greatly appreciated. I’ll try to post links to them tomorrow. Dr. Julia will be back tomorrow to do an Infratonic treatment on Mindi. Hopefully we will be able to get on the dentist’s schedule soon. The farrier comes on Sunday.

If anyone would like to gift any of those products to Mindi, please contact us. Thank you.

Presley

Our beloved Presley transitioned to Rainbow Bridge yesterday afternoon. Presley was truly precious and we will miss him so very much. Grief is truly the price we pay for love.

Oreo

Oreo’s ear canal ablation surgery has been scheduled for July 7th! Thank you to our wonderful little village of supporters who have made this possible.

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‘Til We Meet Again

It is with a heavy heart to inform you, that Mila, the blind cat that Shadow found in one of our paddocks just a few weeks ago, went to Rainbow Bridge on May 27th. At first we believed Mila to be one of the two feral cats that live under the storage building who we feed nightly, but she was not. We have no idea where she came from or how she found her way to one of our paddocks which is farthest from the road. We do know that she was very lucky to have survived. I can’t imagine being a blind little cat, all alone, not knowing where her next meal would come from, where to find water, or if her next few steps would put her in danger of becoming a predator’s meal.

She was such a brave little girl and it is truly remarkable that she survived on her own despite her condition when we found her.

Mila’s initial visit to the vet revealed that she was approximately five years old and weighed just five pounds. She was visually impaired (only able to see shadows) likely due to some sort of trauma. Mila’s fecal and blood tests for other potential issues were done, her little ears were cleaned and she was treated for fleas and other parasites. She had a good size hernia, but, thankfully, it was not painful. As per our vet’s recommendation, she was not microchipped at this time, as he wanted to wait until she was a bit stronger. She did, however, get her vaccinations.

Mila’s blood test results came back the following day with elevated numbers. Since her kidneys and liver were of concern, additional tests were performed. After Mila was started on an antibiotic, she became a bit more active, she ate and drank well, and she became quite talkative. She would follow me wherever I went, but I had to be careful not to stop abruptly as she would run into me. She was a real trooper though – she’d run into walls many times but she soon learned to navigate her way around.

She was such a sweet little girl who loved curling up next to me whenever I sat with her which truly melted my heart.

When we took Mila back to the vet for additional tests, we learned that her kidney and liver values had remained elevated and her cognitive impairment was getting worse. In her final days, when she tried to navigate her room she would walk into a wall and stop and drop and that’s where she’d stay for quite a while. During her first few days with us, she’d respond to our voices or a noise, but in her last days, she would not. Her quality of life was not getting better – it was getting worse.

I’m very sorry for whatever happened to Mila before we found her, but at least, she went to Rainbow Bridge, knowing she was so very loved.

Until we meet again, Mila. You will forever remain in our hearts.

Theresa

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Please keep Tilly in your Prayers

It is going to be a very sad day – an emotional one. Little Tilly’s COPD has progressed to the point where her quality of life is just not there and the kindest thing we can do is to let her go to Rainbow Bridge.

Tilly is so very sweet. She still has spirit and spunk, but she is now really struggling. Over the last couple of weeks, she’s lost weight and is having a significantly harder time breathing and she’s not finishing her meals.

Dr. Elizabeth spent time with her yesterday and after reviewing her condition, and what options there are (we are out of options, really), we agree it is time to let her go.

We lost Ceri a few days ago to colic and I learned that we lost Reese yesterday. I will update about them after tomorrow. They were both very sweet mares that were adopted out years ago.

We have lost so many this year. It’s very, very hard on the heart.

Please keep Tilly (and those of us who love and adore her) in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you & God bless.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Bria’s Story

 

In mid-November we received a call about three horses that had been abandoned on foreclosed property. We had just taken in Dancer and Jo and had no plans to bring in more horses for the cold season – resources were very tight. But we had to do something so we went to work reaching out to others to see if we could find help for them. We were very blessed to find a great home for two of the horses.

The third horse, a mare named Bria who was almost 30 years old, would need special care so we decided she would live out her sunset years here at the rescue.

We promised Bria that we would do everything we could to make her comfortable for as long as possible. We also promised her that when she got to a point where her quality of life was not good, and there was nothing more we could do to help her, we would love her enough to let her go. She was quite thin and she had Cushing’s Disease along with degenerative suspensory ligament disease (DSLD). Unfortunately, there is no cure for DSLD – it progressively gets worse and, at some point, the horse’s quality of life declines to a point where the most humane thing to do is euthanasia. Bria’s coat was terribly unhealthy and her mane and tail hadn’t been brushed in years. Her teeth needed attention as well, as she had sharp points and waves. Her front feet were a mess – she had thin soles and coffin bone rotation (with bone loss) in both.

Fortunately, Bria was comfortable in Soft Ride boots. She wore them 24/7 and, at times, she could even be seen trotting around. She was a beautiful mare and had a way of communicating very well – I’m sure in her younger days she could be very opinionated, sassy, and a fireball of energy. Little E became Bria’s best friend and they could usually be found hanging out together under the Friendship Tree by our house or wandering about, grazing. Bria made other friends, too – Peggy Sue, Cricket, Tilly, Lucy, and even Nina would hang out with her. She also made friends with many humans – all of the volunteers truly loved her.

Over the last couple of weeks, Bria had been less active as were some of the other horses – we’d had some pretty high temps and humidity. But this past Friday morning, Bria didn’t want to move when I took breakfast to her.

She gave me a look that clearly said she needed help and she was resting her back left leg in an odd way. I can’t feel anything with my hands (due to my spinal cord injury) so I couldn’t tell if there was heat in her back foot and/or leg. I gave Bria pain meds and waited to see how she would respond. When she tried to walk, it was obvious that her back leg/foot had issues so we called the vet to come out to the farm.

Dr. Rigby found heat (increased pulses) not only in Bria’s back foot but also in both front feet. Bria was a horse trying to walk on one good foot and that is just not possible. Dr. Rigby advised the most humane thing to do would be to help Bria go to Rainbow Bridge.

Little E had stayed close to Bria all morning – I’m sure he knew what was happening. We let them have time together as Dr. Rigby got meds ready that would release Bria from her pain.

As much as it broke our hearts, we kept our promise to Bria to let her go when the time came. I prayed for a smooth transition and she did go peacefully – I stayed with her the entire time.

After awhile, I left Little E alone with Bria so he could have time to process what had happened. He’s up there in years (37) and sadly, he has had to say good-bye to many of his friends – I do worry about him.

I’m sure Cricket, Nina, and Bria met up at Rainbow Bridge where they now frolic in green grass free of pain. They will always be in my heart and I know we’ll meet them again someday. They were all loved and we were blessed to have them with us for as long as we did.

Thank you all for caring.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Niña’s Blessed Last Months

It’s been a tough few days here, losing Niña and then Bria the day after. I want to share what happened with each special mare but will first start with Niña. I’ll share about Bria tomorrow.

When Niña came to us in late February, she was shy, underweight and a bit frail. She hadn’t lived with another horse for years. She was vetted the day after her arrival and on the following day, we found her down and unable to get up. After running fluids and giving her time to rest, she did get up, with assistance. After Niña’s blood tests came back and speaking with the vet, we adjusted her feed and added Succeed to the supplements she received and she started to improve and gain weight.

Niña was in our quarantine (QT) paddock for the first two weeks where she would stand by the fence and watch the other horses. She received lots of attention and warmed up to humans.

After two weeks in QT, we opened the gate to her paddock so she could wander about on the two acres surrounding our house, get good exercise, and make friends – but she did not do so. Niña would simply, walk to the gate and stand for a bit but she wouldn’t leave the paddock. We haltered her and hand walked her around the property a few times, and tried to encourage her to go out, but we weren’t going to force her. But then one morning, I went by her paddock, opened the gate, and continued up to Frosty’s Knoll to start soaking hay. I thought I heard something behind me and smiled when I realized she was there. We went up the Knoll and she stood and looked out over the farm (it’s the highest part of the property) for a couple of minutes.

I gave her some scratches and then she trotted down to the fence line at the main paddock and followed it to the far side of the house where I couldn’t see her. I later found her under the “Friendship Tree” with Peggy Sue and Cricket – it really did my heart good!

Niña continued to put on much needed weight and muscle – her transformation in such a short period of time was truly amazing. She was beautiful inside and out. She would go out and graze with her new friends and could sometimes be found just hanging out under the “Friendship Tree” with them. Unfortunately, we found her down again in early March, but after getting some fluids and rest, Niña was able to get up (with assistance). Niña had her 30th birthday in March.

Niña did well throughout April. It was a pleasure to see her trot around here and there. Sometimes, she’d take off and run like she was going to be late for something and she looked so happy. Cricket adored her and they could often be found together.

In early May, Niña was exploring a paddock she hadn’t been in before when she took off, slipped and fell on wet grass, and couldn’t get up. We let her rest for a bit and tried to help her up but we weren’t successful. I called the vet and gave her some fluids and her meds. When he arrived, Niña received additional fluids/meds, and DMSO. Thankfully, after the meds/DMSO took effect, we were finally able to help Niña stand after several attempts to do so.

This past Thursday, Niña went down for no apparent reason while she was up on Frosty’s Knoll. It was like a rerun of the previous falls but sadly, this time, even with help from the vet, we couldn’t get Niña up.

The look in her eyes reinforced what we knew – it was time. The decision to let any of them go to Rainbow Bridge is never easy.

But if there is nothing more our care team can do to help them, and it’s in their best interest, we love them enough to let them go knowing we will see them again someday – and I do believe this.

Many thanks to everyone who helped Niña and cared about her. And even though we wish she were still here, we feel blessed to have had her with us, where she was surrounded by love, if only for a few months.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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BABY HOPE HAS HER WINGS

It is with a heavy heart and deepest sorrow that we must inform you that our beloved Baby Hope has gone to Rainbow Bridge. Our precious little calf died peacefully in her sleep at 12:03am surrounded by Theresa and Bob. Theresa will provide a complete explanation in a few days, but at this time, she, understandably, needs time to grieve.

Please keep Theresa, Bob, Baby Hope & the Beauty’s Haven family in your prayers.

Warmly,
Jeanne

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Forever in our heart

We lost Betsy Rose a year ago today. I rejoice for the miracle she was and that I was blessed to be part of her life. It would be wonderful to hear from all of you about how you remember Betsy Rose.

Betsy Rose was much more than that one special horse that comes into your life – she was a teacher, friend, comic, helper, healer and a a hero. The day we met Betsy, she lay dying on the ground where she had gone down days before, discarded like trash. She had withered away to nothing but skin on bones.

Even though euthanasia was recommended, I sensed a great force within Betsy Rose – it was the same force that enabled me to overcome the odds when I was told that I would never walk again. It’s a force, when coupled with faith and believing, that can enable us to do the impossible.

She clearly had purpose and was holding out for the chance at a miracle, a miracle which a higher power absolutely knew would come.

Based on my personal experience, I knew Betsy’s rehabilitation would be absolutely physically and mentally demanding. It was going to be a long road to recovery but I believed in her and promised her that we would do everything possible to make all of her tomorrows everything her past should have been. And with that promise, we ventured into a realm of supernatural wonder. Without hesitation, she led the way for us to accomplish what should have been impossible.

Betsy and I had an unwavering bond of trust and love – she communicated very clearly. We both believed in the ability to overcome that which cannot be explained, and that faith can overcome fear. She was the guiding force on an incredible journey that led us to realize that love truly is the most powerful spiritual force that exists. It knows no boundaries and overcomes all obstacles. Her love was rare, enduring, and eternal. Betsy Rose was, simply, the very essence of love and she was quite the inspiration. She turned tears of sadness into tears of joy; trials into triumphs; and in the darkness, she showed us there was light. Throughout her journey, she drew a following from all around the world – from every continent there were people who reached out to let us know they were behind us all of the way.

Betsy Rose recovered and we were blessed to have been given over four years with her. Sadly, we lost her on December 22nd, 2017, to a condition that prevented her from being able to swallow. Being the hero that she was, Betsy Rose understood what had come to be. The fierce determination to live life to its fullest that we once saw in her beautiful eyes was replaced by a sense of peace and acceptance. I believe that Betsy knew that this peace and acceptance would help us make the heartbreaking decision to let her go to Rainbow Bridge. That was the last and greatest gift of love we could give to her in this realm.

Betsy Rose was angelic and captivated countless hearts from around the world. There is simply no way to measure the love this little pony generated amongst people far and wide, just as there is no way to describe the devastation of losing her. Her perseverance, determination, and courage to never give up were beyond measure and she led many to believe. And to this day, we still believe. Betsy Rose will always be in our hearts and she will never be forgotten. Her spirit will continue to be our guiding force and her legacy will live on through our work and through others that she inspired. Her mission had been accomplished and we will forever be indebted to this little mare with the flaxen mane who taught us to believe.

To place your horse’s need for you to let her leave her failing body above your need to keep her with you – that – is the greatest and purest love. ~ Cynthia Garrett

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Precious Baby Ashton Has His Wings

Ashton-Angel-Wings
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April 20th, 2018

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Ashton, our sweet baby Alpaca, now has his wings. The vet called Theresa a few minutes ago and suggested we stay the course tonight and regroup in the morning. However, when she returned to check on Ashton, he had taken a turn for the worse. Blood tests revealed that he was suffering from meningitis. The vet advised Theresa that it was time and Theresa gave her permission to help this innocent baby cross Rainbow Bridge.

Ashton was a premie and we knew from the beginning, when the vet stated that his chance for survival was only 50/50, that we just had to try, for that is what Beauty‘s Haven is all about – to grant a second chance at life to those in need. Little Ashton tried his best as well. In his final hours, Ashton was surrounded by warmth and love.  He didn’t die on the ground, confused and all alone.

We want to thank each and every one of you for responding so quickly to our plea for help. We are so very touched by your outpouring of love, kindness and most thoughtful generosity for this precious baby boy. We do not know yet what the final hospital bill will be, but once we do, we will ensure donations are applied and refunds for the overage will be issued.

Once again, thank you all for your love and support.
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