I received this email this morning that I would like to share with you thinking that there may be one among you or among your family or friends who has a place for these horses. Please help me spread the word.

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In the past 18 months we have found homes for almost 100 horses. But with slaughter being legalized I have to really vet where the horses are going. So I thought I would start networking out with like minded people.

The two horses I spoke about are: Maestro and Fourth Tenor. (I renamed them) Their registered names are “A Little Dash” and “Foster’s Dash.” Registry numbers are below.

Maestro is approx. 8 years old, 16.2 hands, impeccable manners. Bright chestnut color. He’s appendix QH, Dash For Cash bred. He was a high money earner and didn’t stop racing until 18-24 months ago. Was used as a pony horse for a year after that – then came to me. No problems. No vices, loads of athletic potential, but he’s a real poor keeper unless he’s got adequate feed. This is a horse who needs individual attention, alfalfa and 2 proper meals a day to maintain weight. Where he goes is more important than anything else.. But he’s free to a good home on a permanent adoption agreement.

An Appendix QH. His AQHA # is 4317075. His tattoo is: 3670W. His registered name is “Fosters Dash.” I re-named him “Maestro.”

He’s not a young horse, but he is a very stable horse so re-training wouldn’t be that difficult. He’s just a real sweet boy. I really like this horse a whole bunch and he needs to be used.

I have another gelding, from the same breeding facility. He’s my pride and joy but I can’t get around to doing anything with him.. And that seems like such a shame. His registered name is “A Little Dash” but I renamed him “Fourth Tenor.”

He’s Appendix AQHA# is X061606089. His tattoo is 4747W. Fourth Tenor isn’t as tall as Maestro, but he’s a fair size. Perhaps 15.3-16 hands. He’s a lot different “type” of horse, a lot more bone and not quite the stride. I didn’t realize that he was so much younger until I looked at the papers an hour ago. Maestro is a 10 year old. I thought he was 7 or 8. Fourth Tenor is a 5 yr old. I thought he was 7 or 8 also.

Everyone falls in love with Fourth Tenor. His dappled grey color is beautiful. But he’s one of those characters that just follows you around like a puppy dog. A real “family” horse. But I’m just not too sure about him for a youth. And his front legs are not as clean as I would like them to be… No bows, ring bone, no splints.. But he just stands a fraction over on those knees.

Again, I would only let them go on an adoption agreement.. Which simply means that I don’t want them sold and resold and risk them heading to slaughter or worse.

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If you are interested in either or both of these horses or you have any questions, please contact Denise.

What a difference groceries and a month makes! This baby is looking good!

You may remember that my neighbors found this horse on the side of the road in early November looking quite literally like a bag of bones.

The animal communicator was consulted for one more conversation. We wanted to know where she wanted to live and what she would like to be called. Here is her response:

Daisy Sunshine Strider

any grass is appreciated, but dirt lot is okay – she is not a beggar this horse

just if you put her on grass use a muzzle – she can founder easily from shock

she just cannot express her gratitude for you all taking her in – says she walked a country mile to get here

she would love to go to the other place with trees, but can she come back here to live after she heals?

So I am blessed. I get to watch Daisy Sunshine Strider get healthier and stronger every day. She stops and looks at me some days rather intently. Not sure what she is saying yet. Maybe she remembers our walk home along that country mile. Maybe it is a “thank you.”

My neighbors found this young buckskin as they were heading for church Sunday morning. I walked her back to our corner of the world and put her in another neighbor’s pasture while we sort this all out. Maybe a wildfire evacuee? Or maybe she was turned loose due to financial hardship. Or both?

An animal communicator relayed this message from the horse:

“The dun mare says that her people were unable to feed her and she ran from the fire. Asks to please have some sand psyllium stuff because she ate some plastic bags from some bread – and the plastic is in her digestive tract. This is not a problem, she is young and healthy and it will pass through — just needs some of that sand colic in a bucket stuff.”

“She says that some folks had her and she got out. She says be careful. After you get her pretty, they will show up and want her back, but they cannot care for her properly.”

“Does not report any lameness or health problems — just thin from poverty.”

Several people have said, “I saw her Sunday morning standing along the side of the road.”

She’s kind of hard to miss; she’s 300 pounds underweight! A walking buckskin bag of bones. By the vet’s estimate, she is 8-9 years old. Appears to be in good shape; especially “once she gets some groceries in her,” as a friend told me.

The good news is that many people have shown an interest in offering her a home. So she did the right thing in running away from the last two homes. Perhaps the third one will be her charm!

Sadly, this is a living, breathing example of what is happening all over. As the reach of financial hardship stretches it grasp further into our communities, our animals are the first to suffer. In many cases, animals are left to fend for themselves — either in overgrazed pastures or simply on their own. There are reports that people are simply leaving the gate open and letting their animals go. That’s how desperate things have become. Sadly, this is the reality of our times.

Best to you, baby girl!

Demand a Stop to the Calico Removals!

Please copy the following letter and email it to the same addressees!

To: Ramona_DeLorme@blm.gov
Cc: Monika Court tcourt5096@aol.com, Equindeliverance@aol.com, bkwarner@windstream.net, Elysesings@comcast.net

Subject: Wild horse and burro program: MUST NOT KILL THEM!!!

TO: Bureau of Land Management, National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260,
Attention: Ramona DeLorme
340 Financial Boulevard
Reno, Nevada, 89502-7147 USA

I regret that I cannot attend the RENO ADVISORY BOARD MEETING next Monday, December 7, to be able to stand up and help save our American wild horses. However, I am strongly opposed to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management)’s planned roundup in the Calico Mountain wild horse range of 2,400 to 2,700 horses in the dead of Nevada’s winter.

I feel it is nothing less than immoral to chase down and kill these peaceable, freedom loving beauties in mountainous, rocky terrain, with cliffs and gullies and foxholes. The terrorized horses are sure to suffer terrible injuries and die. Soaked, sweating horses in freezing temperatures — which they will most definitely be after being run to capture — will be at serious risk for respiratory vulnerabilities and pneumonia.

I firmly support Craig Downer’s lawsuit in conjunction with In Defense of Animals to stop this carnage.

This Calico Mountain herd is one of the last remaining large herds of horses. It is deplorable that your agency has brought almost all remaining herds down to below viable numbers, meaning inbreeding and normal die-off can e n d the horses’ legacy in their respective herd areas. It is unconscionable that BLM has set up these beautiful animals, unique to North America, for extinction.

PLEASE understand that the majority of Americans and Canadians – if they were informed about it – would oppose this terrible deed just as vehemently as this American woman does.

Ask yourself: could you in good conscience explain this terrible plan to a child?

Please stop this terror from happening. On behalf of the wild horses and burros, I thank you with all my heart.

Sincerely,

your name
your address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FWefEkv85Q&feature=player_embedded

For immediate release
Contact: Lisa Franzetta, ALDF
Stephan Otto, ALDF

SAN FRANCISCO – New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Quebec are the best provinces and territories in Canada to be an animal abuser, according to a new report released today» by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). Based on a detailed comparative analysis of the animal protection laws of each jurisdiction, researching twelve distinct categories of provisions throughout hundreds of pages of statutes, the report recognizes the provinces and territories where laws protecting animals have real teeth, and calls out those like the Northwest Territories and Nunavut—tied for worst in Canada this year for animal protection laws—where animal abusers get off easy. The annual report, the only one of its kind in the nation, ranks every province and territory on the relative strength and general comprehensiveness of its animal protection laws. In a dramatic turnaround, Ontario, which last year had the infamous distinction of ranking lowest in the nation for its animal protection laws, moved from worst to first this year due to a host of new laws.

Best: Ontario
Worst: Northwest Territories, Nunavut (tie)

Top Tier: British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario
Middle Tier: Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Saskatchewan
Bottom Tier: New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec

Why are some provinces and territories in the dog house when it comes to getting tough on animal abusers? The legislative weaknesses seen in the jurisdictions at the bottom of the animal protection barrel include a lack of protections for most kinds of animals, minimal fines and sentences for offenders, and no provisions for the warrantless seizure of animals in emergency situations. On the other end of the spectrum, recent legislative improvements in Ontario that skyrocketed the province from the worst to the best in Canada for protecting animals include standards of care for animals, requiring veterinarians to report suspected offences, higher penalties, and restrictions on the future ownership of animals by offenders. Manitoba, which ranked highest in last year’s report, came in a close second. In 2009, the field of animal law is getting real legs in Canada; currently seven law schools are offering courses in the field, and the first-ever animal law conference in Canada is taking place this week, from May 21-22 at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

“ALDF’s report moves beyond the federal laws to identify what each province and territory is doing individually for animal protection,” says Stephan Otto, ALDF’s director of legislative affairs and author of the report. Regardless of where each jurisdiction currently ranks in the report, all still have room for improvement. “It is our hope that these ongoing reviews help shed light on this important issue and garner support for both their strengthening and enforcement,” says Otto. “Animals do not vote, but those who love and care about them do, so we encourage lawmakers to take notice and work on improving these vital laws.”

ALDF was founded in 1979 with the unique mission of protecting the lives and advancing interests of animals through the legal system. The full report, including a rankings map and overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the animal protection laws of each province and territory, is available at www.aldf.org. ALDF’s latest edition of the “Animal Protection Laws of the U.S.A. and Canada” compendium (on which the report is principally based), is also available on the site.
………………………………….
Copyright © 2009 ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
Reprinted with permission of the ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
www.aldf.org

Horse Slaughter Ban Survives
The HSUS remained on guard throughout the session to monitor attempts to legalize horse slaughter for human consumption. Fortunately, the current ban will remain, which is a victory for horses in the U.S.

Animal Fighting
The Texas legislature had an opportunity to consider two bills to strengthen the animal fighting laws in Texas. Fortunately, the legislature passed S.B. 554» which prohibits possession of dogfighting paraphernalia. However, legislation to strengthen the state’s cockfighting law wasn’t as successful. Although cockfighting is a felony offense in Texas, it is legal to possess birds for fighting and attend cockfights, making it hard for law enforcement to crack down on cockfighting. H.B. 1320» would have closed these loopholes, and it passed both the House and the Senate, only to get stuck in a conference committee on the last day of the session. This was a setback for animal advocates, but we will continue our fight to strengthen the Texas cockfighting law.

Puppy Mills
Animal advocates waged a tough battle this session for legislation to crack down on puppy mills in Texas. Legislation — H.B. 3180» — to license and regulate puppy mills passed the House but failed to make it through the senate before the legislature adjourned. Similar language was amended on to another bill, but was removed before final passage. This was another incomplete outcome, but we will continue to fight to crack down on puppy mill cruelty next session.

Other Animal Protection Measures Considered
In addition to these major issues, the Texas legislature considered several other important animal protection bills. Legislation — H.B. 853» — to allow the inclusion of pets in protective orders came close to passing, and the legislature also considered a measure — S.B. 634» — to prohibit cruel tethering of dogs.

It was a challenging year for animals in the Texas legislature, but we are committed to continuing to fight for these issues during the next legislative session. To learn how to take your passion for protecting animals even further, please join The Humane Society of the United States and other leading national animal protection organizations this July 24-27 at the Taking Action for Animals 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. Register before June 19 to secure your special rate.

Mike Markarian
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
The Humane Society of the United States
………………………………………………….
reprinted from the Texas Humane Alert email, HSUS
June 12, 2009

I’m not really sure when Zymox became available on the market, but I recently “discovered” this great product.

What actually happened is that one of the many drug sales reps that come by our clinic every few weeks tried to talk me into trying this great new ear treatment he had.

He made it sound too good to be true and I’ve already tried many, many other highly touted treatments that turned out to be poor or only so-so.

This one supposedly worked enzymatically to digest wax, pus, and other crud in the ear canal leaving it nice and clean.

Well, he got me to try a few bottles, and Lo; they worked well.

We vets see a lot of pets with chronic ear problems. I quickly ordered a couple of dozen bottles and called clients who I knew were constantly fighting ear infections in their dogs. In all but a couple of cases, Zymox worked really well.

Zymox is a bottle of clear looking drops. You place a few drops into the ear canal and massage.

Once a day is adequate but it works faster if you’ll apply 2-4 times daily for the first few days. Once the ear is looking and feeling a lot better, once or twice a day is sufficient. You may be able to quit entirely after 1-3 weeks or you may need to treat periodically to keep things under control.

There are no known side effects except for the possibility of the ear canal being sensitive to the product.

You can combine Zymox treatment with oral antibiotics etc, but you shouldn’t mix Zymox with topical antibiotic ointments or apparently the antibiotic will kill the enzymatic action of the Zymox making it ineffective.

Zymox Otic ® (formerly Zymox-E ® ) contains 3 active enzymes that have been shown to be antibacterial,antifungal and antiviral. Zymox Otic ® is the natural antibiotic free treatment of choice proven to be highly effective against yeast and bacterial infections. Completely safe and harmless if ingested by the animal. The once a day protocol makes it very to use.

Warning: Do not use on punctured eardrums. Do not use on pregnant or lactating females.

Each enzyme has its own unique properties and when combined, pack a powerful antimicrobial punch. The 3 enzymes are derived naturally from milk products so they are 100% safe and gentle. For years, it has been known that milk has a natural ability to kill bacteria, viruses and yeast.

Only recently have the protein and enzyme system responsible been identified and reproduced. The three most effective are Lactoperoxidase, Lysozyme and Lactoferrin. Their antimicrobial activities are briefly listed below:

Lactoperoxidase A known milk peroxidase which when combined together with hydrogen peroxide, thiocyanate and/or iodide produce a potent antibacterial system known as the Lactoperoxidase System. The hypohalous ions produced are either the hypothiocyanate ion or the hypoiodite ion. Both are bactericidal substances. Hypoiodite is also a known fungicidal agent. The antibacterial property of the Lactoperoxidase System is based upon inhabitation of vital bacterial metabolic enzymes brought on by their oxidation by hypothiocyanate or hypoiodite.

Lysozyme An enzyme present in milk and egg whites.
Lysozyme kills bacteria by disrupting the formation of a glycosidic bond between the two components of peptidoglycan, a constituent of the bacterial cell wall. Lysozyme is effective against a number of bacteria including Escherichia coli and Salmonellae.

Lactoferrin An iron binding protein. It is found naturally in cow and human milk, tears, saliva, seminal fluid and in some white blood cells. Lactoferrin is only partially saturated with iron (5 to 30 percent) so it has a high affinity towards iron. Lactoferrin is bacteristatic against a wide range of microorganisms including gram-negative (coliforms) and gram-positive (staphylcoccus) bacteria. Lactoferrin has the potential to inhibit the growth of bacteria and kill them by depriving them of iron, which is vital for bacterial growth.

Linda Tellington-Jones, who developed the TTouch method, did EEG studies on horses 25 years ago. What she found was, both the person performing the TTouch and the animal receiving TTouch experienced an activation in all four types of brain waves, in both hemispheres of the brain. Beta brain waves, which are active in humans for logical thinking, were surprisingly present whenever the circular TTouches were applied. Alpha brain waves, which have to be present for people to learn, were present in the animal. Tellington believes that the activation of Beta and Alpha waves in animals helps them focus and learn. The activation did not occur with petting, stroking or massage.

So what is this magic touch? The TTouch Method is comprised of gentle circular movements, lifts and slides of the skin with your fingers. For the basic circular TTouch, you do not rub over the skin, but rather gently move the skin in a circle, once and a quarter around, then slide to another spot on your pet’s body and repeat the motion. Visualize the face of a clock on your pet’s body, and perform these circles in the 6, 9, 12, 3, then 6 positions; ending at 9 on your imaginary clock.

How can you use TTouch as a pet owner? If your pet is healthy, well-behaved and has no issues, it can simply be used to relax your pet, and create a closer bond. But, if your dog has barking problems, is aggressive, tugs on the leash, is fearful, too excitable, nervous or other problems, TTouch could help. Or, if your cat is too nervous or aggressive to be handled or too frightened to have a life, especially when people come over, or gets carsick on the way to the veterinarian, TTouch could help resolve these issues.

TTouch releases fear at the cellular level, awakens the mind, and helps your pet feel more comfortable in his own body, and over time, improve health or promote healing. A few minutes of TTouch each day, and especially just before something stressful happens, such as an agility competition or a trip to the veterinarian, will put your pet in a relaxed, focused and trusting frame of mind. TTouch often achieves the desired result in just a few sessions, but has an accumulative effect over time, so the more you do it, the better the end results. One of the surprising results is, as the person performing TTouch, you become more relaxed, focused and connected with your pet!

Tellington has discovered that TTouch works on all species of animals, including humans, and her method is now used by animal behaviorists, animal trainers, shelter workers, veterinarians and zoo staff. For animals in shelters, who are too skittish or too aggressive to be adoptable, TTouch transforms them into calm and trusting pets, which gives them a chance at a life in a loving home.

TTouch is easy to learn. There are trainings and workshops happening all over the country (and abroad!) as well as books and DVDs on TTouch for cats and dogs.

If you want to learn a little more about TTouch right now, watch these YouTube videos:
Unleash Your Dog’s Potential
TTouch for Senior Dogs
TTouch for Cats
TTouch for Aggressive Behavior in Cats

The story captured Valerie’s attention and she told Nancy the story. Nancy is a friend of mine from high school. We have not seen each other since probably graduation in 1974. Funny as it may seem, we both migrated from Delaware to Pennsylvania, then to Texas. Always near each other but never knew it. We connected this summer when she emailed me. Shortly after came an email from her about this horse named Molly.

Funny thing is I am a volunteer with a handicap equestrian center and Molly was coming to one of our facilities the coming weekend. As a matter of fact, Molly was arriving the next day and I was going to shoot some photos of her.

We were both blown away by the coincidence and the timing, so quick plans were made for Nancy and Valerie to come see Molly. It was a magical thing. You see, Valerie had cancer and wasn’t really expected to overcome it, so this was a special trip… almost like a “make a wish” moment.

So they came, watched the presentation of Molly, posed for photos with her and then we went to lunch and we talked like friends who had known each other forever. It was a really great day!

Nancy emailed me Thursday morning that Valerie had passed away a few hours earlier. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her, especially under such a serendipitous occasion.

A friend emailed me a link this morning to a video about a horse rescue in the Netherlands. Seems 100 horses got stranded on a very small high spot of land by a fast moving storm. Several horses died from drowning or exhaustion before four women on horseback were able to ride out to them and lead them to higher land. It just brought tears to my eyes to watch.

More tears came from reading that Barbaro was put to sleep this morning. Seems the latest round of setbacks were just too much this time. I was so pulling for his success. Especially after seeing the movie “Seabiscuit” again last weekend. You were something special, Barbaro — wonderful to watch run.