Libby and Karen

Today we celebrate our first adoption of 2012!

Libby went home today, a beautiful sight on a gorgeous winter day.

Congratulations, Libby and Karen!

And thanks to all who helped with Liberty’s rehabilitation.

Looking toward the future

Libby at the trailer

Libby steps willingly into the trailer.

Bye, bye for now!

The Expo will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Mar. 15 and end at 3 p.m. Sunday Mar. 18 at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds just east of Cortez, CO.

Volunteers are needed to help feed, water, and care for the horses at the Expo. Additionally, we will need help Wednesday the 14th, with transporting, settling the horses in the pens, and feeding.  ”Contact Us” to sign up as soon as possible.  See you at the Expo!

Arroyo Royal was a very special friend. He exuded vitality, love, and high spirits. He could also be fussy, herd-bound and difficult. We loved him a lot, and even after he became blind, he enjoyed being ridden, taken on walks, and learning new things. Whenever he was brought out of his stall to play, he trumpeted his excitement, and made sure every other horse on the place knew he was the one in the spotlight!

He became an icon for Fresh Start, embodying the heart and soul of the rescue. Shivering and starved nearly to death, he arrived here safe and sound in February, 2010, with his friend Raven. And they began their recovery together. Their journey became an inspiration and a story that illustrates the meaning of the work of horse rescues everywhere. Arroyo enriched many lives.

On Jan. 21, 2012, almost two busy years after his rescue, our distinguished old gentleman, Arroyo Royal, passed over the Rainbow Bridge, apparently in his sleep, in his favorite spot.  He appeared comfortable and relaxed. The barn seems big and empty without him, and he will always hold a special place in our hearts. Here follow some recent photos of his life:

Best Friends

Royal's pretty head

Blindness is no obstacle when heading back to the barn!

Learning voice commands to navigate terrain

Playing with a buddy

Enjoying his Christmas gift

Link to Arroyo’s page

This is the second grant awarded to FSHR from CUHA and we are gratified to be able to continue to be a resource for horse owners by providing reimbursement for area residents who have stallions and colts gelded (neutered). Residents of Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, and Dolores Counties are eligible.

To receive the rebate, after having stallion(s) gelded, send your name and address with a copy of the veterinarian’s itemized receipt showing the line item “castration” to Gelding Assistance Program, P.O. Box 124, Lewis, CO 81327. There is no limit to the number of colts/stallions per individual. Eligible surgeries are performed on or after September 1, 2010. It is not too late to send in receipts for castrations done last fall. So we may help as many horse owners as possible, rebates are based on the cost of line item castration surgery only, and do not cover farm call or any other procedure performed at the time of castration. Complications such as cryptorchid will be capped at $125. Receipts that are not itemized may not receive a rebate for the full amount shown.

By participating in the program, horse owners are taking an active step toward reducing the number of unwanted horses produced in Colorado by backyard breeding, accidental pregnancies, or surplus stock.

To learn more about the unwanted horse in Colorado, visit the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance at http://www.counwantedhorse.org.

Below are the horses’ wish lists.  The main intention for these lists is to provide separate grooming supplies and saddle blankets for each horse to prevent the exchange of germs, dirt and irritants; and for the Empowerment Horses and other permanent residents to have complete sets of everything.  Items in red are “under the Christmas Tree” already! Below the wish lists is how giving will work.

Coco (lime green)

“I am an Empowerment Pony, depended upon for many jobs.  As a permanent resident, it is important for me to have my own tack. FSHR does not own a pony saddle, and must borrow one every time I’m ridden.  Also, the shanks on my bit are all bent and wonky, which is very uncomfortable and confusing.”

grooming supplies: dandy brush, soft body brush, mane/tail brush
new bit (needs to be measured to fit)   – $15 to $45 depending on brand
barrel style saddle pad (lime green)  - $35
western saddle (youth/pony size) – $200-$300
overreach boots (lime green) – $20
tendon boots
halter size small & lead rope (green) – $13 & $10
bridle and breast collar (Pam Spangler)*
My own rubber feed tub!(Pam Spangler)*
Curb chain – $6
fly masks (pony size)
Next Level joint fluid – $35

Pepper (tan/hunter green)

$200 will buy a hand-held red light therapy machine for the arthritis in Pepper’s knee.  Our newest Empowerment horse, Pepper is a great sport and we want to do everything possible for his comfort.
Tan & hunter green halter & lead (Paula Bostrom)
Tan & hunter green saddle pad (Mimi Gates)
metal curry comb, dandy brush (Montezuma Vet Giving Tree), soft body brush, rubber curry, mane/tail brush
overreach boots – $20
tendon boots
Next Level joint fluid (Pam Spangler)
B-L pellets 10 lb. – $59
Bridle headstall
hunter green vaquero-style reins with tan accents (Mimi Gates)

Arroyo (Teal/Royal Blue)

A large size English bridle and Eggbut or Dee ring snaffle bit.
English half pad
Fly masks – size XL
Vetericyn eye wash (Mimi Gates)
fly sheet
fly leg wraps
mane/tail brush
*hay bag with catch tray* (Joyce Armstrong)
Next Level joint fluid – $35
Ulcer guard – $34
B-L solution 32 oz. – $17 – $26
Super Gain supplement (Big R)

Blizzard (red)

“I enjoy my busy life as an Empowerment Horse! Properly fitted tack would make it easier for my riders, for all we use in Empowerment is borrowed.”

*red saddle pad* (Scotti Bagwell)
*Rubber feed tub (Pam Spangler)*
Arabian sized saddle
bridle headstall adjustable on both sides
reins (red if colored)
fly masks (size Arab or Yearling)
*shedding blade* (Pam Spangler), rubber currycomb, soft bristle brush, mane/tail brush
*a gate for my stall 6′ gray* (Scotti Bagwell)

Brandy (pink)

“As a healthy, adoptable alpha mare, I spend a lot of time out in the herd, waiting to be noticed.  I would SO love to have something of my own, even if it’s just a halter or a brush!”

Pink *halter* (Pam Spangler) & pink lead rope
*fly mask*(Pam Spangler)
new grooming brushes (dandy brush, *shedding blade (Pam Spangler)*, rubber currycomb, soft body brush)
*saddle pad, Saddle, bridle, snaffle bit & curb strap(Pam Spangler)*

“So for Christmas, guess what I got. A SPONSOR! I really love my Pam.” – Brandy

Comet (purple)

“A 2-y-o cutie, I have a lot of potential for cutting and reining. While I wait for my forever home, I will receive basic training and work on Empowerment skills.”

purple saddle pad ($25 – $50)
purple overreach boots – ($20)
stall pacifier – ($28)
purple lead rope ($10)
grooming supplies: shedding blade, rubber curry comb, dandy brush, soft body brush
fly masks (regular)

How this works:

You may choose an item from the list and pick it out yourself, or make a monetary donation in the approximate amount needed for the item and specify what that donation is for.  If you want to help with feed instead, please feel free to specify THAT! To prevent duplication, it would be very helpful to email us what gift you are ordering or donating for, so we can change it to bold red as an indication that the item is “under the Christmas tree”!  If accidental duplication occurs, the item will go to a horse that also needs that item and hasn’t received one.

If giving monetarily, you can use the “donate now” button, where there is a field to enter a specification for your gift.  Or you can send a check to Fresh Start Horse Rescue, P.O. Box 124, Lewis, CO 81327 and write the horse’s name and item in the memo field.  Your horse will thank you!

Today there were three.  Two were regulars, whose enthusiasm kept them undaunted by the cold.  The third was a new person, who, in addition to being a hard worker, decided to bring two bags of senior feed, one bag of complete feed, three rubber feed tubs, two salt blocks, three currycombs, flax treats that look and smell like gingerbread cookies, several rolls of vetwrap, a fly mask, and five brand-new halters and so help me if I left anything out it is because I was so overwhelmed by her generosity.  Her senior feed filled the senior feed bin which just happened to have become EMPTY the night before.

Brandy with her new halter and saddle blanket

For the first time I can remember, I sat down and ate my lunch while three other people lugged out the hoses and hooked them all up and strung them over to the barn and began filling the water troughs.  They worked hard and got the stalls clean while I mixed up all the grain and supplements.  I fed Coco out of a new feed tub that is now HIS.  Then we all got to catch horses that had never had their OWN STUFF before and assign them halters and distribute grooming supplies.

It was super-fun….because…a couple of those horses hadn’t been handled in a while, and it was so very good for them and for us to bring them in out of pasture and into festivities.  Sweets and Brandy, two peas in a pod, are now both the proud “owners” of brand-new, matching pink halters!!!  Clover and Princess now wear red…Princess got to shed her weanling halter for a yearling one today.  Of course knowing me there WILL be pictures!

Our goal is for each FSHR horse to have his/her OWN halter & lead, grooming supplies, food pan and saddle pad.  These measures will help prevent the spread of germs, dirt and skin irritants.  I was working on wish lists for each horse when Pam showed up with all these wonderful things.

These needs are beginning to be met and I haven’t even asked yet. Wow.

The wish lists will be going up in the next few days.  The horses are pretty happy.  And I’m just babbling.

Welcome Pepper!

Today we welcomed a splendid gelding to our “family.”

Pepper is a 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding who is reputed by his previous owners to have been ridden hundreds of miles, both as a working horse and a cherished family horse, a kind and reliable mount for a rider of any age.

Pepper came to FSHR because his previous owners ride for long distances over hard terrain, herding cattle, among other things…and as a result of an injury, Pepper developed arthritis in one of his knees.  He became no longer suitable for hard use, but continued to tolerate being ridden lightly.  His owners care deeply for him, but have no place for a horse who can only be ridden lightly.  They feared he would have to be taken to the sale barn.  We feel that Pepper may serve well as a program horse, and/or prove to be adoptable as a child’s horse. With the arthritis and his ample size, it is unlikely the livestock auction would have ended well for him.  After meeting him, we could not bear to see that happen.

Erin has test ridden him on two separate occasions, with nothing but a halter and a lead rope that she flicks over his head whenever she wants to bend him in a different direction.  The first ride was a brief walk around at his previous home, and the second was today. He listened attentively, responded with willingness, and seems unfazed by his new surroundings… even the large flapping tarps that cover the hay, obscuring the view of our beautiful new barn!

Pepper turns left

His knee is swollen, and when we first met him, we saw that he limped out in the pasture at a walk and a trot, but cantered willingly and easily, without a hitch.  Each time Erin rode him, the joint seemed to loosen up as he walked and the limp became less and less noticeable.  A more thorough assessment awaits him, but for now, he is content in his stall, eating from one of the ten bales brought with him from his previous home.

Pepper has a very kind eye, a friendly disposition, and a beautiful stature.  If you are interested in adopting this special guy, or sponsoring him as a program horse, please email us through our contact form.

Pepper's pretty head

Pepper left view

All summer I have been trying to find Arroyo Royal a buddy…someone he might eventually be able to share a patch of grass with for next summer.  Coco would be okay, but they really don’t think that much of each other.  Disdainful is the best way to put it.

Arroyo and Tucker

Tucker and ‘Royal are well acquainted because of Tucker’s long hours stalled with Princess during her weaning.  They get along fine, I already know.  They are “sort of” buddies in turnout. So today, I decided to try someone new.

After ‘Royal had his alone time in the arena, instead of putting Tucker in with him, I put my old Arab gelding, Stormy, in with him, and sat down to observe.  There were no fireworks, but ‘Royal was very tuned in to wherever Stormy was.  This was because Stormy moved ‘Royal’s feet, but not in a mean way.  The two wandered around the arena, Stormy interested in moving Arroyo out of his way, and Arroyo interested in tracking him wherever he went.  What I am really hoping for is that ‘Royal might find a horse to look to as a leader….but a benevolent, friendly one.  Could it be Stormy?

They stood napping, and I went in for lunch.  When I came out, they were eating together at a pile of hay!

Later on, with my camera ready, I got Tucker out too.  ’Royal and Stormy were doing fine, but Stormy and Tucker had never met.

Stormy meets Tucker

They became immediate buddies!

Kisses!

These silly Arabs…they always form their little exclusive clubs.

So, conclusion?  The three get along fine together.  While Tucker was happy hanging out with either ‘Royal or Stormy, Stormy clearly preferred Tucker over ‘Royal for an associate.

Tucker sticks out his tongue after a roll, while Arroyo looks at him with a surprised expression!

Arroyo walks by Tucker

Tucker approaches

Hangin' out

Da Boyz

Oh and btw, all these guys are wearing halters because I’m getting forgetful…whenever I have a group of horses in the arena, there are usually some that need to be turned back out, and others I need to “put away.”  After accidentally turning out a number of horses I forgot I needed to keep in for one reason or another, I figured out to halter the “keepers”!

(Ya see…I’m trying to get my Celtic New Year’s resolutions going early, one of which is going to be keeping this blog updated).

Today we had a new farrier, Charley Blackmer, visit our facility.  Charley had generously donated three hoof trims to our silent auction/Navajo taco fundraiser.  Those who bid on trims donated them back to Fresh Start, thus donating the cost of their bid plus saving the rescue additional money for the three trims!  Today, Charley trimmed Brandy, Tempo and Arroyo to redeem the certificates.  To him a big thank you!  Charley gave the horses all very nice mustang rolls (a special bevel around the toe) and finished them off with hoof dressing…a nice touch!

He and Wilson arrived at almost the same time, very shortly after the volunteers arrived.  I was still playing “musical horses”, moving the ones who needed trims to one area and those who didn’t to another area, and getting others that were the volunteers’ favorites handy.  The volunteers were supposedly still in the “stall cleaning” stage of their day, but who would have guessed that they would have ended up helping the farrier too!

Brandy

Brandy is one of those horses who has always been really nice, really healthy, and never suffered abuse; hence, not as consistently handled (read- “not as well-mannered”) as the “troubled” horses.  Some days she can be really good about her feet and some days a snot.  With the new farrier, she decided on “snot.”  I warned the volunteers away, that this horse would not be the best one for them to observe the farrier process, but volunteer Stella hung around anyway (at a distance). Brandy jumped out of the farrier’s grasp, bounded forward, then pulled (!) which she has never done before.  (New farrier maybe?) So I untied her.  Then we started again, me holding her (not tied). She reared up a little and jumped away again.  I disciplined her right away by asking her to practice some backing up.  Then we started again.  Stella came right up and started petting Brandy and talking to her while I continued holding Brandy.  Stella calmed Brandy right down and she was an angel from then on.

Sweets & Arroyo Royal

While Wilson was doing a corrective trim on Sweets, he wanted to show me what and why he was doing what he was doing.  So, since “Royal” (Arroyo) was doing so good standing for Charley (he is always a well-behaved horse), I let ‘Royal’s best friend, volunteer Sebrina, hold him while I hung out with Wilson.  Sweets turned out beautiful; Wilson is a great farrier. Between him and another great farrier Keith Bean, Sweet’s feetses are always improving.

Sebrina held ‘Royal for his whole trim and he stood like a statue.  Then, for the first time, ‘Royal put his trust in this volunteer to lead him back to his stall.  I always lead him; he very seldom has to trust anyone else.  What a big day for Arroyo Royal!!

Princess and the rest

Now that Charley had done his three donated trims: Tempo, Brandy & ‘Royal, I asked him if he would like to trim volunteer Peggy’s “Great Dane” (aka Princess). So Peggy, who takes Princess for a lengthy walk every Tuesday, brought her big dun dog ’round and Charley gave her a royal princess manicure.

Meanwhile Wilson trimmed Star, Sweets, Zil and Violet.  He had done Liberty, Clover, Sunflower, Blizzard and Coco last week, (and boy do they look good now!) which makes everybody current except for Comet, who is on pasture at a foster home.

And the volunteers got all the stalls clean, and they even cleaned the arena very thoroughly too. Fewer horses were groomed because of the farriers, but Clover gained a best friend in another new volunteer.  Which reminds me of a whole ‘nother story about Arroyo Royal, Coco, and new volunteers…for another time.