August 2008 Newsletter

Summer is fabulous!  I love the coast.  I love the fog.  When my mucking chores are done, my daughter and I zip down to the beach and soak up some sun.  Does life get any better?

You readers have made it possible to save some equines very much in need!  I appreciate each and every one of you.  Each time I commit to taking in a horse, it is a leap of faith that the money will come in.  Hay is so expensive.  Foal Lac might as well be gasoline or gold.

Speaking of Foal Lac, I stand there watching them slug it down; Nick tries the old hoof in the bucket routine and I’ve seen this liquid gold spill down the hill.  That only happened once!  Now the buckets are in a bigger bucket to prevent spillage.  I figured it's running me about $25.00 per day just to keep the babies “drinking”.  (Yep, that’s $750.00 a month). That doesn’t even address everything else coming in, plus all the other equines!  So please, every single donation helps, every single time.  Thank you!!

For those of you who do not know, we are now posting a daily blog.  I will keep an important story on the home page, but will provide daily updates under the “daily blog” section.  There is so much going on, it’s crazy sometimes!

The Jonas Bros are thriving.  Please read about them on the home page!  Of course we are waiting to hear from the Real Jonas brothers...

We are getting Bridget ready to have her umbilical hernia repaired.  We haven’t raised all the money yet, but it’s getting bigger and that poses a threat. So she is haltering, and getting used to leading.  She’s ready for weaning, and she’ll head down to Steinbeck Equine Hospital.  They are very good to us.  If you can help with Bridget, it’s appreciated!

Suri, as you know is Bridget’s mom, and unfortunately has been bred back.  She is getting bigger daily.  It is time to wean Bridget and get Suri on some supplements. We have no idea when she is due to foal.  I can only guess we have another couple of months...

Treasure is a lovely thoroughbred mare that needs a ride some 360 miles to her sanctuary home for life. We have posted a thermometer on the homepage to help raise funds to get her moved asap.

Lakota, Titan, May, Fancy and Roxy are all up for adoption.  Please take a moment to think about who you might know who’d love a new equine in their lives. These wonderful horses are ready for new homes.  Roxy is going to make someone a fabulous mount.  She is such a nice little horse!

Patriot is everyone’s love.  We still have never seen this guy pin his ears.  Broken, fractured legs, abandonment, strangles, the Trabing fire, Hernia surgery…did I mention he’s just a yearling?  He’s a fabulous boy.  He is growing everyday.  I was told his growth plates are closed,  but nobody told him, he keeps growing.  He’s perfect for therapy.  If you know anyone who’s looking for an EGALA horse, he’s the man.

The Madera Foster Facility

I have wanted to share with all of you how wonderful my foster facility is.  Karie is amazing, as is her husband Lee.  She has new help, Jolene, and the two of them are “bringing down the house”.  They have more energy, and get more accomplished than I can in a month.  Rumor has it we may be receiptients of a trailer.  Jolene has been working with us about, oh…7 days.  Geesh!  Sign that woman up!

John Arrington, another fabulous person, has offered a trailer and possibly a truck for towing as a donation to our rescue.  These gifts/donations are unbelievable for us.  He also may be drumming up some donated pipe panels.  We really need those at both ranches!

I will be adding a link on the side bar of our website, “Foster Ranch”.  Check out what’s going on down there in the Central Valley.  I hear they’re planning a fundraiser down that way. When?  Not sure yet...

Here are some pictures of some of the horses Karie and Lee are taking care of down in Madera.  We couldn't do all this without them!

Beautiful May...she's looking for her forever home.

Miss Fancy Pants getting some saddle pad training.

Fancy demonstrating the horse version of "wearing a lampshade on your head"...actually, this is very important training to de-sensitize horses.  She looks pretty de-sensitized to me...

Lee, Lakota and Titan share some male bonding time.  These two boys have come such a long way from the little, wormy, scared fuzzballs who arrived at PMR in February.  They would love to find their forever homes...

Golf at Seascape, Aptos

We are in the beginning stages  of putting together a golf tournament /fundraiser for the rescue in Seascape.  It is scheduled for next May/June of 2009.  I will let you know when so you can secure the date.  My dad, who has been a golf professional for over 55 years is an incredible individual.  He is putting the entire tournament together for us.  It will be on a Friday, and spouses, non golfers, and significant others will be invited to attend the dinner and silent auction after the golf!  Check back for details!
 

Last but not least…Im leaving you with a very important thought...Please make sure the money you give, your hard earned cash, does not go to rescues that kill horses after a certain amount of time.  I recently discovered, and noted in my daily blog dated August 4, 2008, that there are  large West Coast rescues that kill their horses after a certain amt of time if they haven't found homes, and for no other reason . Think of “the pound”.  I don’t care if they shoot them in the head (yes, that’s what I’ve heard) or euthanize them (needle to the neck), a "rescue" should NOT be publicly fund raising, "saving" horses with those funds, then shooting them because it's taking too long to place them.

Pregnant Mare rescue does not endorse this behavior; while within the guidelines of what is legal, we find it inexcusable.  There  is no such thing as a “Kill Shelter” in my book.  You either shelter them or you don’t.  With that said, I want to reiterate that all of my donated money goes to equine care.  Not fencing, not tractors, trailers and trucks, not being bailed out for poor management practices, or leasing land.  It goes to the horses. They need it.  Period.

Go have a great month.  And please keep the horses close to your heart.

~Lynn

PS  Here is some good news we heard about recently:

Dear Friends of Cloud’s Herd;

The BLM has informally indicated that the removal of Pryor Wild horses will be postponed! Thanks to all of you for sending emails and placing calls on behalf of Cloud, his family and herd. Your comments in tandem with photographic evidence of the health of the horses and their habitat have, at the very least, delayed the planned bait trapping and removal of wild horses that was scheduled to begin in late July. Thanks so much for all your work. I believe that on some level, Cloud and his family, and his herd know they have guardian angles out there. You are great!

Happy Trails,
Ginger Kathrens
Volunteer Executive Director
The Cloud Foundation, Inc.