What's new?

Wow, what a glorious day Wednesday was. 70 degrees and now as I type this we are socked in with fog. Thursday will be cloudy and cooler and Friday brings more rain.

Great news, Hunter has yet another prospective adopter coming to meet him today. Maybe third times a charm...if not we will let him stay until the perfect person comes into his world, he really deserves just the right home.

A humongous thank you to Betty J who is sending us 4 more flat backed buckets. They are perfect for the stalls. They actually work really well to gauge how much Gem and Ballet are drinking. Poop we can count, water.....not so easy. Cleaning them is a breeze!

As for Hunter and Jayce it is really hard to tell how much they drink since they like to play in their water troughs.

Hoping our good friend Laurie D will be able to make a visit soon. Laurie adopted Patriot and they make a great team.

We still continue to get calls to help owners find homes for their horses. If you can adopt please do. The more we can adopt into loving, caring, knowledgeable homes, the more we can help.

We continue to hope that we will hear from at least one of the 12 companies we sent letters to requesting donations of lumber. We didn't even get a "Nope, sorry can't help you" response. Seems Santa Cruz Mountains must be short on lumber these days.

The barometer moved to $928.00...for every dollar donated to us Gauge Point will match it up to $1000.00, we cannot let this slip through our fingers. If you can help please do.

Some of you may remember Ty, who was Shila's colt. I got word that he left for training last weekend. It's so exciting for us to hear that he is doing well, is loved and is thriving. Thanks to Wendi and Mike L for all you have done for us and all you have done for Ty.

Ballet will be checked on Friday so all of us will finally know the answer to the big cliff hanger....Is she or isn't she pregnant?

Hunter and Jayce spend most of their time playing and laying in the sun. Too bad the rain starts on Friday. Showers every day until Wednesday. We're hoping to get the tractor into the lower pasture to level some areas and prepare a spot for a shelter so mom and babies can get out of the sun and or rain in the Spring. Pray the ground will be firm enough to do that before the rain starts again. Nothing worse than getting the tractor stuck in the soft ground. Time to turn the manure pile again. ...will be a great day when we finally have a real manure bunker and can compost it. PMR has so much to do and then we come up with more projects. All in all it will make the facility easier to run and more Eco friendly.

It was a beautiful day today so I spent most of my time outdoors grooming everyone. If I could sell hair I would be a millionaire. Wish I had remembered my goggles and respirator though.

A gorgeous day again....thank you, thank you, thank you to the powers that be...Our duck ponds are now puddles once again and fortunately no ducks arrived and called us home. Not that I don't like ducks but I would worry about them also. Flies are just around the corner. Urgh!!! If you have spray bottles you aren't using we can use them . No matter how many chickens we get will still need fly spray.

Gem is definitely not feeling comfortable, baby is rocking and rolling inside. Time to price and purchase foal predictors. We are so excited and anxious about her new foal...I will relax more when he/she is safely on the ground and mom is doing well.

I think Jayce has figured out that we are up to something. Both Katy and myself checked out what parts do not need to belong there and he knows something is up. Dr Phinn are you available THIS week? Jayce would make an awesome addition to a family. Both sweet and very mellow he is ready for a new home. I know Katy would take him in a heartbeat if she could. He is pocket pony #1

We are looking for someone to make another You Tube video for us. We have the photos but not the technology. Sandy made an awesome one for us last time. If you are able to do this please contact us asap.

Katy is busy with something but she will NOT tell me what it is...any ideas? I can buy you a coffee in exchange for information. She did ask me to mention Santa Cruz County Pony Club though. Katy's daughter was a member until college rolled around. This organization is fabulous so check it out. Here is the main link.

A lot of these kids own Off the Track Thoroughbreds...which means another life saved. Way to go Pony Club! Oh, and your horse does NOT have to be a pony, or highly bred by any means. They even have a new version of Pony Club for older people like you and me. "The Old Folks Club". I think that's what it's called. Katy will put you in touch with the right people if you are interested.

Still need 4 flat backed buckets for $32.00 asap and 5 stall mats at an incredible deal.

Warm and sunny and not a fly to be seen...won't be long now. I have heard that chickens are amazing for pest control so we are going to get some to help with fly control. They will go through the manure and eat the fly larvae. I am definitely all for preserving life but have to draw the line somewhere. Chickens seem to be cheaper than fly traps too and very Eco friendly.

The mares Ballet and Gem where so happy to be out in the sun, but Gem was rather bad tempered this morning. I could see the foal kicking at her sides and since she is a maiden mare she looked at me as if I was the one doing the kicking. I think some of us may remember when we were having children that a kick in the belly did not feel good sometimes. Gem is bagging up and as soon as she starts dripping milk we will go and get straw to prepare her stall. This is such an exciting time for us. Our first foal of 2010...who, without your support, both the mare and foal she carries could have easily ended up in harms way . Gem is one of a kind...born with a birth defect, then bred, then thrown away. She still trusts us. So with that thought in mind, I ask....Please, unless your mare is absolutely exceptional in conformation and temperament and you can guarantee the foal and or mare a home "Do not breed her", there are too many horses born each year that the Kill Buyers just scoop up. We all need to realize that over breeding is every ones responsibility to control. I believe we can make a difference!

Today I would like to thank my neighbors "Dr. John and his dear wife Jackie" for putting up with us. :) They are the nicest neighbors anyone could hope for. Trailers have arrived at all hours of the night ...up the driveway and making noise. I have to thank them for their patience and understanding. I dream of the day when my eucalyptus trees are gone and I can expand my driveway at the top..then the trailers could turn round without disturbing anyone. But for now I just wanted to mention how grateful we are. We could not do this without you...here's to you!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today, no other words to explain it. T-shirt weather for us. We haven't had much of that lately.

Katy is still sick and so we haven't seen much of her...feel better soon. She did email and let us know that she has a surprise for us, but would not elaborate beyond that...what is she up to now?

Mike B from Horsefriendly www.horsefriendly.com dropped off the "Zoey Leads" for our new foals of 2010.....these are the first of their kind, so be sure to check out their website for the new product.

We still need 4 more 5 gallon flat backed buckets, if you have one laying around we will gladly put it to good use. If not we can get 4 more for just $32.00

Today we met our new volunteer Rosie. Thank you so much for making the effort to come out and help us with the horses, you don't know how much we appreciate it...we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Gem and Ballet enjoyed time out in the pasture and the boys, Jayce and Hunter once again basked int he sun. I know I am biased, but Jayce is just a stunning horse and sweet beyond words.

Friday was warm and humid. We set off to go to Home Depot and Monument Lumber to price fencing just in case we do not hear back regarding the letters we sent. Corral boards are only $7.43 a board. That is the long piece of wood that goes in between the 4x4's. Cement is only $2.67 for a 60lb bag. 4x4's are only 8.97 each. If you can help at all the mares and foals would really appreciate it. It is paramount that we have a safe area for them to play. Work begins Sunday to rip out the old no climb fencing and tear down the old boards.

I still couldn't get the photos to load but was able to get one of Wyatt helping clean out the shed in preparation for the hay delivery. Here is Wyatt helping....not!

Wyatt really has turned into one of the best ranch dogs though, and he is always at our sides.

Thanks to Jill (my daughter)for mucking the stalls while we were pricing fencing.

A huge thanks to Mike and Barbara Benack of Horsefriendly. www.horsefriendly.com who are providing custom foal leads for us which will be called "Zoey Leads" so we can catch the little rascals when they arrive and need to be imprinted. The "Zoey Leads" will be great. Zoey, you may remember was one of our first rescues and proved to be very difficult to catch when she first arrived. Thanks again Mike and Barbara you are always so generous to us, come and visit anytime.

Katy is sick at home so she has decided to spend time on the internet making sure we have everything we need in preparation for our first delivery. Thanks Katy.

We have a new business in our midst called "My Stylish Cowgirl" lots of bling and a portion of each sale will go directly to care for the horses. The volunteers are fighting over the blingy purses,shirts, belts and boots. Working on a new web page for that also.

Betsy J works tirelessly for us...even in the shower. Seems she gets some of her best ideas in there.

Hunter and Jayce loved the warmth today and settled down to bask on the warm ground.

Ballet and Gem who have to stay out of the pasture until the ground hardens decided it would be good fun to see who could get more shavings on them. Seems Ballet won, she had them everywhere!

Yikes... the hay was delivered a day early. All 35 bales of it. It feels wonderful knowing we are stacked to the brim with good quality hay. Robert and Matt were there to help unload it and I had photos but cannot get them to upload. Will keep working on it.

All the letters were mailed out today and we anxiously wait to hear if any one of our extra large stores will help with fencing materials and gravel. We are determined to keep this project going...the place looks so different and I know the horses are happier with the improvements.

Gem seems so much better with her wedge shoe on. She no longer shifts her weight every two minutes. She must be so relieved not to have to keep moving so much in order to be comfortable. No pain but annoying all the same.

Ballet is shedding like a fiend. Time to put the ski goggles and respirator on and help her shed out. She is so funny....she loves the face brush and like any thin skinned Thoroughbred hates the stiff brushes...she will try to make the ugliest faces but she still has a kind eye even while she is pinning her ears. She will be sleek before we know it.

We have started to redo the lower pasture fencing in anticipation of the babies. Dr Phinn is going to call me tomorrow with an appointment time for Ballet's pregnancy check and Jayce's brain surgery.

No rain today...hurray! Now fingers crossed we have no more rain for at least a week. Katy spent most of her morning printing requests for donations of gravel and fencing supplies, looking up addresses and then stuffing envelopes, then off to see her own horse and then off to work for 9hrs...not sure how she does it but she does. Thanks to all our volunteers. Without your dedication we could not do this.

A very special prayer goes out to Jolene today, who's horse old horse will cross the "Rainbow Bridge" today. Jolene just recently lost her other old horse. Jolene, you are to be commended. You gave your horses your everything. They received incredible care and a gracious ending. Our thoughts are with you at this time...it is not easy but he has shown you he is ready to go. God's speed to your guy.

Thanks to our new Grant writer Betty J. She not only is researching grants for us, but also picks up and delivers donations. She comes up with some great ideas which you will hear about in a couple of days.

Thanks to Karen A, for your donation, it brings the barometer up to $908.00. ONLY $92.00 more and we have reached our goal of $1000.00 Meaning......Gauge Point will match it and it becomes 2000.00......I know we can do this. Check your car seats for change, we accept pennies too...heck I'll even let you watch me roll them.

It's going more than 140.00 to pregnancy check Ballet and we need to do it soon. We promise very soon. Although we were told by the people who relinquished her that she was..she was never checked. We have learned that sometimes they look and act pregnant and in fact are not..Phantom Pregnancy. So best to just find out for sure what is going on. Now the weather has dried up we hope to geld Jayce too, his gelding will be $450.00. Too cold for flies and the mud will dry out. Perfect conditions.

We continue to get calls daily from desperate owners trying to rehome their horses, but there are two very special cats looking for a home asap. Angel and Midnight. Both declawed, both neutered/spayed, 1 all black, the other all white. Both 6 years old. Total love bugs by all accounts. We pray they can go together but if they cannot then their owner will understand. Their owners health is failing and he would like to re home them before he is no longer able to care for them. Very sad but very responsible! If you call me I can give you Katy's number and she will help with getting you together.

Have a great day and remember "It's all about the horses" oh, and sometimes cats!

Rained through the night and now our puddles seem more like a duck pond. Does this mean more mouths to feed? Hopefully wild ducks can find their own food.

Big thanks to Laurie D. We received the check for hay today. 35 bales are scheduled for delivery Friday. It always makes me feel good when we have the shed filled to the brim.

The stalls are much easier to manage with them all enclosed. Ballet waits patiently every lunch hour. She gets her rice bran, Probiotics and mare and foal supplements but has to roll in her fresh shavings first. She loves a clean house. Who doesn't?

Mike and Ty will be out to check on Gem tomorrow and see how her hoof is doing, and then we'll head over to Tom’s place. Rose is due for a trim and Nevada will be trimmed as well. If you’re looking for a GORGEOUS pasture ornament Nevada is your girl. I'll take pictures of our visit tomorrow.

Thanks to Barbara M for the donation of horse items, halters and lead ropes. We appreciate it!

We are going to have 1 possibly 2 little ones on the ground very soon. I really want a nice turn out area, that is absolutely 100% safe, where they can scamper, buck and play. This winter has been so wet, that we are unusually muddy. We are used to some rain and lots of sun & time to soak up and dry out. Not this year. We have experienced flooded stalls, & soggy clay mud. My boots have been yanked off more than once. It's a lovely site as I stand there asking my horse to please stand still as I bend down to yank a boot slowly disappearing into the sludge. That’s why the stalls are so wonderful! Nice dry hooves, overhead covers. If you are just itching to try out your solicitation skills (LOL) we need to get course sand and more gravel. I have some really great landscaping connections. If you’re game, I'll send you on your way with letter and brochure in hand. Every donation helps us beyond words! Don’t forget to use www.Igive.com as your browser. They donate to us. Also, we are looking into getting the grocery stores to donate. Each time you use a club card, money could be donated to us.

So when I checked the weather on Monday morning it was going to be sunny until Tuesday. I received a weather alert on Monday evening that said it was raining....I got it after the fact...well no poop Sherlock! Thanks for the heads up! No worries though, the mares are in their stalls and Jayce and Hunter are very happy just to be allowed out.

Mike the farrier came by and tried a number of shoes for Gem. After trying all different ones I agreed with him that the wedge seemed to make a lot of difference. She was able to stand more comfortably and not have to keep shifting her weight. Until her foal is born we cannot do the surgery. I did feel the baby kicking around tonight and being feisty. Gem does not look too big but that in part could be because we were advised by our vet to not let her gain too much weight too quickly. Just not good for her bad leg.

Pretty much a quiet day today but got a lot of office work done. Working on invitations and plans for the Open Day, May 15th.

No word about when the painting will be available from Leslie Ann Webb, but we promise you will be the first to know. The quick peek I was allowed showed masses of little legs. "A Sunday Stroll" is bound to be a success. Hoping she will accept our invitation to the Open Day and have some of her items to show the public.

Not sure if it is going to rain or shine. Our weatherman is a little sketchy. Have a great day. They say snow in the Santa Cruz Mountains Tuesday night, snow as low as 2500 feet. Think I will dress in layers, may need a bathing suit instead.

Well I never was much for football but that was a great game and we enjoyed having our friends over. Sorry that some couldn't make it because they had to work. They were missed.

A quiet day around the ranch for the horses. They weren't into the game as much as we were. They were more interested in the treats being handed out.

Fabulous news! Our friend Laurie D with Blue Horse Design www.bluehorsedesign.net has raised enough funds for 35 bales of hay. Laurie this is absolutely amazing. We cannot express in words our gratitude to you and your friends. The hay will be delivered Friday but we need lots of help to load it into the new hay storage. Please, if you have time come and help unload it. Kids if you have community service hours you need to complete for school now is the time to do it and get it out of the way...refreshments will be provided! Katy promises they will be good too!

A quick update from Tom who fosters Rose and Nevada........Tom, I cannot thank you enough for all the help with Rose and Nevada. We truly appreciate you!

Lynn, it was thrilling to watch Rosie and Nevada go through such joyous gyrations this afternoon. They'd just had a little treat of oats and carrots and gone down below, the last part of the descent at a full gallop. Once down there, they spent at least 10 minutes, flying around, bucking, kicking, crow-hopping. Rosie pretty well keeps up with whatever Nevada is doing - and sometimes leads the parade herself! She's showing more and more life. For one thing, she keeps her head up and ears pricked more. Also, she comes up the hill faster than before, particularly if I whistle that I have some treats for them.

The barometer is stuck at $888.00 don't forget for every dollar you donate Gauge Point will match it up to $1000.00 that is a lot of hay, grain and wormers. If you can help please do. Our horses depend on your generosity.

Hope you can all make it to the grand re-opening of PMR on May 15th. We had planned on doing it May 8th but just realized this is Mother's Day Weekend. So the 15th it is!

PMR is looking for an accountant or someone to help with the books....if you know Quick Books and have a couple of hours a week to help out we could really use your expertise!! We hear there is a new bookkeeping software out there specifically designed for 501(c)(3)'s does anyone know the name of it?

Saturday we finally put the finishing touches to the third large stall. Looking forward to the fourth and fifth. The ground is all leveled and all as we need are the shelters, stall mats and some plywood. This can be done!

Gem and Ballet seem to be getting bigger by the day. The weather was on again off again all day but the girls didn't seem to mind. I think they like their stalls. As much hay as they can eat and their blankets on. A horses day in heaven. Or at least for our pregnant girls. The barometer stuck at $888.00...

Big plans for our grand re-opening on May 8th. 4 year anniversary of when we started the rescue. Looks like Hunter may be our new 4H project for the County Fair. It would be wonderful to see him compete...he is such a sweetheart and to think of the exposure that he may get and a possible home is just wonderful.

4 new muck forks arrived today...thank you Sandy and Jillian...this will really help us out.

Thanks to Lisa Van D who donated money toward the flat backed buckets. We were able to purchase 3 today from Royal Oaks Feed. First thing tomorrow before the thunder and lightening Scott will be over to measure up for the plywood for the 3rd stall. This will finish off enlarging all the stalls and enclosing them..Wow, can't believe we will have 3 large enclosed stalls. Plans in the works for the 4th and 5th.

Ballet seems to have an upset stomach so while I was out looking for Prebios for her I came across an amazing deal on excellent quality Forage hay. It is only $6.95 a bale. I really would like to take advantage of this deal. If you would like to buy a bale for the rescue you can donate securely through Paypal. The link is on the side bar. Please put Buy a Bale in the memo line. Our goal is to fill the hay shed with Forage and Alfalfa. Alfalfa is 10.95 a bale but the feed store said they would only charge us $15.00 to deliver. We cannot beat this deal right now, so if you feel you can help us reach our goal. Please do. We will schedule a delivery for Friday but I have to call the order in by Monday to secure the 6.95 pricing on the Forage.

Hunter's adopter has decided he is not what she is looking for. That's ok, it has to be a perfect match. Hunter seemed quite happy today. After all, he got a bath, a new hairdo, wormed, his feet trimmed and exercised this week. Not much more our guy could wish for.

Have a great day...stay out of the impending storm, stay dry and remember.."It's all about the horses".

I need to explain that when I said we had no rain and posted it on yesterday's blog I meant we didn't have rain Wednesday. Oh boy, did we have rain Thursday night though. I am so thankful that I no longer have to try to tarp our hay and we have stalls to put the horses in. It would be really really nice if we had enough stalls for all the rescues and Jayce and Hunter did not have to share a large stall when the weather is bad. We can purchase one from Royal Oaks Feed for around 900.00 so we will put that on our wish list. A friend said if we can raise the money for the shelter she will buy all the stall mats...the barometer is now at $888.00 and with the match up to $1000.00 we will be able to stock up on hay, grain, wormers, and all the necessities. Scott said 'No problem" to helping put the shelter up when we are ready. He even stopped by and hopped on the tractor to make a spot for it. It is so great that he has the time to do that and doesn't mind driving the tractor. It can be a little bumpy at times.

Here is a quick picture of him marking the walkways...note he is in a t-shirt. It definitely wasn't taken today.

Thank you Lisa V for your generous donation, we will be able to buy 5 gallon flat back buckets with it. The horses seem to keep their water cleaner when we hang buckets rather than have buckets on the floor, and thank you for offering to come and paint. We will let everyone know the date soon. Still raising funds for the posts and boards for the new fencing.

Hunter's potential adopter came out to meet him. We will let you know if we hear from her. Kio is doing really well in his new home and Brianna keeps us updated on his progress. A match made in heaven. This is what rescue is all about. Success stories make it all worth it.

Jayce is still available for adoption and he is just as sweet as can be. He will follow you anywhere and if he was given the chance would probably come right into the house.

Well I can hear the rain pouring down and need to go and muck stalls...more tomorrow from muddy, wet, cold Central Coast..Santa Cruz.

Friday is a good day, Kate's day off and she will be over to order me around.

Ha! The weatherman was wrong about rain today...the weather was warm and we had beautiful blue skies. Hope he is wrong about the thunder/lightening and rain on Sunday. We'll see.... Day four of fibersyll week for the horses.

Hunter has a potential adopter coming today. We took advantage of the nice weather and bathed him. What a champ, he took it all in stride. We even had time to pull his mane which was a little messy....Jayce loves to chew it out, who knows why, but he thinks this is quite fun. Hunter looks quite respectable after his spa day. He looks a little less like a Yak everyday as we head toward Spring. We really hope this lady will be his forever person, but you just never know. I felt so sorry for him when the last person came to see him and chose not to take him...I wonder if horses feelings get hurt? If they do, then I know his were. He tried so hard to be polite and well mannered. It is very important that it be just the right match though..so a blessing in disguise.

Ballet is enjoying being out of her stall and even Gem is able to play with her on dry days. Ballet is a really really nice mare. She is very friendly, and we found out today that she loves to drink out of the hose and play tug of war. She has a wonderful, warm personality. We learn something new about her everyday.

Wishing the weather would give us a break of at least a week so can we pull some old fencing out and replace it with new posts, boards and paint. Anyone interested in a painting party?

A special Happy Birthday to young Lauren B...we are sorry to hear you had to postpone your birthday party and we hope you feel better soon. The horses are looking forward to you visiting.

Have a great day...more tomorrow! Superbowl just around the corner...go Colts! Well since I am not a pro at football you have to root for the team with the appropriate names.

I can't believe it is already Wednesday. The days seem to be flying by. We had a good rain storm this morning. Rain, rain go away!! More rain all the way til Sunday. Will we ever dry out? We shouldn't complain, but I just can't help it. The hillsides are emerald green just calling for our horses, unfortunately a little too rich for them right now.

Ballet, Gem, Hunter and Jayce all got wormed today, so we should be good for another 6 weeks. Rose and Nevada are due for theirs at the end of the week.

Busy marking more small euc's to take down. That way if we can ever afford to remove the larger ones it will make it a little cheaper. There is one whole area of them that needs to go, would be the perfect spot for a small barn.

More calls coming in from people trying to rehome their horses. Until we find homes for our 5 rescues we cannot take in another. If you can find it in your hearts to adopt please do. Jayce and Hunter deserve to have their own person. They are current on everything...Farrier, Vet, Vaccines, Wormer. Their adoption fees are very reasonable and they are both sound and do not come with issues. This is the perfect time to adopt, we are almost into Spring.

A couple of calls from people who would like to volunteer which is great news. We cannot do this without you!

A mega thank you to Betty J. for your donation today. It puts the barometer up to $868.00 which does not include the match....Gauge Point will match every dollar donated up to $1000.00......This money can buy hay, grain, wormers, and help in the overall running of the rescue. Thank you Betty!!!

A special thanks to Bob and Vickie. Bob will be taking professional pictures of our rescue horses and Vickie will be helping around the ranch!

Today has been lovely day. It's always a lovely day when my farrier comes to call. He's handsome, charming and does a fabulous job. Just like Manny at Royal Oaks Feed and our vet, Dr. Phinn, he gives the rescue horses a professional discount. This helps us out tremendously! Our horses aren't always the easiest to deal with. Hunter and Jayson were rather naughty today. But Mike and Tyler did thier magic and all went fine. The horses settled and hooves were all trimmed. I'm always amazed at people that have that calming effect on animals. It's a gift. If you are thinking about changing farriers, or looking for a farrier call Mike. You wont be disappointed. His number is listed under my favorite tabs!

We are looking quite spectacular . Gravel is down, pipepanels reconfigured and all the brush is cleaned up. My son and His friend have been cleaning up round the ranch, working tirelessly. I appreciate them!!

It's already the first of February...All the horses will be wormed today. A call in to our ever faithful farrier and time to preg check our newest arrival. We finished up phase 2 of 500 for the back area and will be ordering sand soon. Don't forget for every dollar donated Gauge Point is going to match it up to 1000.00........barometer reads 768.00 we need to reach that $1000.00 mark! I would keep posting the barometer but it is huge and takes up the whole page. I never was that computer savvy.

Big big news for us! Leslie Anne Webb has almost completed her painting of Angel and the 4 foals that we rescued. It will be called "A Sunday Stroll". This is fantastic news and as soon as it is ready we will let you know. She is truly an amazing artist and we are sure you will not be disappointed. www.lawebb.com

All the horses enjoyed the warm sun today. We were actually able to wear t-shirts without 8 layers over it. Weatherman says rain Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...urgh! The gravel is definately going to help with that though. If only we owned stock in a Landscape Supply store our problems would be over.

Ballet and Gem have decided they really do like each other, so we will be moving pipe panels once again to make a mom and baby area for them. We are hoping in the not too distant future to actually afford to be able to build permanent fencing for them rather than pipe panels.

Rose and Nevada are happy in the foster pasture and enjoy each others company. No fighting there, they share everything. Thanks Tom!

Just got word that Pat Parelli will be in Fresno in August. Linda Parelli was so generous to us the last time we went. She donated halters, leadlines, dvd's etc.

Have a great Monday, enjoy the dry weather and if you have time to volunteer please let me know. Spring will be here before we know it and so will our new foals.

The weather was beautiful today, but not enough to dry the puddles left from last nights rain. Even the tractor was hard to maneuver through the soft ground. If we stay this wet we may as well have webbed feet. We got some trees down and worked on marking all the walkways. Finally the eucalyptus are useful for something. If only they weren't so tall. Oh well, we made good use of them. 3 euc's down, 10 million to go. We now have an area to park the tractor and a place to store all the free shavings. We also did a dump run. Thanks to Cheryl S. for helping us load items. 1 trip down, 5 million to go. A work in progress. Hitching post should be set in place today. Who knows maybe a wash rack in the near future. Believe me your donations help tremedously! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We haven't seen a fly in months but not long before they show up. We need to stock pile fly traps. Does anyone know how to make their own? There has to be a way.

Gem and Ballet enjoyed their turnout time. Ballet has settled in really really well and she has decided that my quarter horse Dually is the new love of her life. We did get the detangler for her mane and that will be a job for tomorrow and we also need to work on the fungus on her back legs. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything we want to do. We could use 100 more volunteers. Stalls mucked, feet picked, fresh water for everyone and off to the feed store. Once again Manny from Royal Oaks feed was extremely generous to our rescue horses. Thanks Manny! After the feed store we went to the hardware store to price a tire for the wheelbarrow that had been donated to us. Yikes, I can get cheaper tires for my car. We will have to wait on the tire, unless someone has a broken wheelbarrow with a good tire they can pull and send our way. Speaking of donations, Betty came through with a wonderful printer/fax copier. She even bought ink. Thanks Betty!

We had wine barrels donated. They are in great shape so we'll make planters out of them. We need to find a plant that the horses and deer won't eat. Any ideas?

While Katy cleaned the water trough, Wyatt, our new Golden Retriever pup decided to just hop right in. Seems Wyatt loves the water and was showing his new found swimming skills much to Katy's dismay. She had to dump it again, and start over. Wyatt is not the cleanest pup with all the mud. He's going to be really fun at the beach though.

The barometer is at $748.00 and that does not include the match! For every dollar donation, Gauge Point will match you up to $1000.00. Let's hit that thousand.

Don't forget you can donate directly to our vet, Dr. Phinn. You can contact her at:

DrPhinn@coastequinevet.com It really eases my mind when we actually have a credit with our vet. If Ballet is indeed pregnant she will need to be closely monitored. Ballet previously had a fractured pelvis. Why people would breed her is beyond me, but if this is the case this could be a really risky pregnancy. Whilst on a medical note, everyone needs worming on February 1st. Thanks Royal Oaks feed for the awesome deal on wormers. (why this font is huge is a mystery to me LOL) but it won't let me change it. Looking forward to our new and improved website.

Fingers crossed the weather stays on our side for another week. So much to do, so little time!

It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming in 2010. I can't believe it will be February on Monday. So much has happened at PMR since January. The fabulous donation of the van, the return of some wonderful volunteers, a new horse arriving and best of all, a brand new makeover at PMR. Without your donations none of this would be happening. A huge thank you to each and every one of you who have contributed. We could not have helped Ballet or even thought about building the PMR stalls.

The hay shed is built, but until the last 6 yards of gravel is tractored in we cannot call the project complete. Believe me, this won't be the last gravel story though. We promised the horses this will be the last time we flood and come hell or high water we will keep our promise. We will be felling some of the smaller eucalyptus to use as walkway markers. Thanks again to Scott for all his hard work. Thanks to my son Robert and his friend Matt for helping Scott with this project. It will be nice to see some of the euc's down. Since the wildfire I have been extremely worried about them. There is a possibility that we may be able to fell more of the euc's in the future and are looking into bids for that job? If you can recommend someone please contact us asap.

Thanks to Zoey who's mom donated a brand new Kensington rain sheet for Ballet. Ballet got to wear it just in time for the downpour we had Friday night. Our weatherman must hang his head in shame at the local grocery store because we were not expecting that.

A big thanks to Sandy, Jillian, Bill and Daisy for the donation of 4 brand new muck forks!! You will never know how much this meant to us. We miss you, and hope to see you soon.

Big plans in the works for an open day at the new and improved PMR facility.

Ballet was going to get a beauty treatment today, but she was none too thrilled as we tried to brush the dreadlocks out of her mane. So off to the store for a gallon of detangler and an extra large hairbrush. Katy insists she needs a hot oil treatment...mmm...can't wait to see her try to do that.

So, here's to a fabulous February, one month closer to Spring and the hopes that none of our American horses will go to slaughter.

For two days in a row the sun has shown her face. What a nice change in the weather. Our huge mud puddles are finally drying up. The young boys, Jayce and Hunter have been enjoying their turn out time. Of course, like young boys do, they have found every mud puddle they can find to roll in and pretty much just get filthy dirty.

Ballet arrived yesterday. What an absolute sweetheart she is. We are told she is pregnant but until the vet confirms it we won't be sending out shower invitations. If confirmed, look for your invitation in the mail.

Gem is doing great. It was time for her to be turned out today since the ground is finally firming up.. With her bad leg it is just too risky to turn her out when it is slick. She is continuing to gain weight at a slow rate which is a good thing. We don't want her to founder on her good leg. So, slowly but surely we put weight on her. Gem is so sweet and will put up with just about anything. Gem is very itchy and has rubbed out a lot of her mane. One of our volunteers, Katy, is going to Tea Tree shampoo her and see if that helps.

We finally got the enclosed hay shed up. It looks fabulous and will save us a huge amount of money. We lost some bales of hay to water damage last week. More gravel is being delivered today. PMR is looking more and more organised as the days go on. We still need more muck forks. With all the weight of the muck and mud after the flooding we broke the best ones. We could also use some heavy duty shovels.

The barometer is rising!!!!! Don't forget for every dollar you donate until the end of February, Gauge Point will match that donation up to $1,000.00.................We have raised $729.00 so far and that does not include the match! That means you have raised $1458.00

Plans for this weekend: Anyone who would like to volunteer is invited to a weekend of grooming. All the horses are a dried muddy mess. Do you have time to groom a horse. We have 5 rescues that need a beauty treatment. All our horses are shedding....Hooray, a sign that Spring and Summer are finally on their way!!!

Special jingles go out to Zoey and Bill this week. Both horses have not been feeling too good but are well on their way to recovery.

Meet Ballet. She is even more lovely in person. Pregnant, bred to a TB stallion. Her foal can be registered. More on her later today. Trying to find out when she is due.

I have 2 horses that need to be rehomed. One is a sound trail horse. If you want details email me.~

The weather was glorious. Thank goodness for a break in the rain. We finally got all the stalls cleaned up after the flooding. It's amazing how heavy mud is, sore backs all around tomorrow for sure. Thanks go to Nia who was the wheelbarrow dumper. That is some heavy stuff to push. Thanks to Katy for loading the wheelbarrow, and thanks to Scott for hanging feeders and clearing the area for the new hay shed. Plans in the works to stop the flooding again.

Off we went this morning to Royal Oaks Feed in Aromas to pick up more mats and feed buckets. Manny, how can we ever repay you? Your generosity toward our rescue horses is phenomenal...dinner at our place anytime you and your family are available!

Tim, Alex and Wyatt you were so helpful, were so awesome!!!! Nice to meet such great hardworking, polite guys! Kudos to their parents. You should be very proud. If you are ever disappointed in your customer service at your feed store, try Royal Oaks Feed. Their customer service is impeccable. If they don't carry it, which is unlikely, they will get it for you.

Our match the donation is coming along well..thanks to all our donors..without you we could not continue to rescue pregnant mares and foals, and could not continue to feed Jayce, Hunter, Nevada and Gem. Talking about Jayce, it looks like he may have broken one of his baby teeth, so we will have Dr Phinn come first thing this week to check on him.

He does not seem to be in pain. He is eating and drinking well, but all the same we will have Cori come out to check on him. We don't need a nasty infection or abcess setting in. Please remember Jayce (Jayson) is available for adoption. He's a lovely sweet boy, almost 3 years old now. Ready for his own person to love him.

Thanks to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. We were featured in this mornings paper. We appreciate the paper keeping the community informed, and of course in the updates keep the rescued horses in everyones thoughts!

This just in. This is happening in our own backyard. Fallon is where Jayson is from. Your..(our) money is is paying for this nigtmare. The BLM must be stopped.

While I am cleaning up flooded stalls, and preparing for the next round of rain, you can send the rescue money to help us help them (we can then take more horses by spring) or get on the horn and make your voice heard. Search wild horse roundups and you will get an eye full. I'm sorry this blog is a little sharp..I'm so furious at the torture going on...that we are paying for! Aughh!!!

Calico Wild Horse Roundup Update

MARE AND FOAL DEAD, DEATH TOLL RISES TO SIX

Hello, everyone.

You have heard the phrase, run off your feet. Well, this happened to a foal, literally, following more roundup activity in the Calico Complex, Nevada.

The colt is dead. A mare also died.

The Cattoors/BLM ran the feet off a colt on Tuesday, let him stand for a day, then made him ride four hours in a trailer to the Fallon Facility where he was unloaded and then shot. At least two of his hooves had fallen off.

It appears this colt and his family were run by helicopter up to 14 miles on Tuesday. It is unclear how fast he was run over the rough volcanic rock and terrain. The consequences are that he died a cruel, painful and terrifying death.

A mare was also down in the trailer, arrived at Fallon alive but died shortly thereafter.

No members of the public were allowed to observe today and no one will be allowed to go to Fallon Facility until next Tuesday, January 26th.

The death toll is now up to six at the Fallon Facility.

This absolutely unnecessary cruel winter roundup at taxpayer expense must stop.

Opinion: Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse

Tighten up your Cinch as our Ride is not over, yet!

The frustration mounts and the tension increases as each day the news is worse than the day before. Almost on a daily basis we hear of damaged wild horses dying during and/or after being chased through the Calico mountains by the BLM chartered Cattoor choppers.

As advocates we attempt to stay the course as our cries, pleas, emails and calls appear to go unanswered or unheeded. Terry and I are in there with you folks; she almost hates to walk into my office in the morning and hear the latest bad news, but we plod forward.

You have read the recent news about the dead colt, the shot mare and the past others that have succumbed during the Calico roundup while the BLM insists it is doing the humane thing by putting these “suffering” animals down.

So what do we do and where do we go from here? Publicly, I do have a few recommendations:

1.) Work well amongst ourselves. We all come from very diversified backgrounds and callings hence our collective power is fueled through this great intellectual dexterity. But don’t allow our individual differences to become lightning rods for internal discontent, the dark side feeds on any weakness that we may portray. For them it’s easy as they do stupid very well. It’s just a matter of reciting misinformation mixed with junk science over and over again. Non human life forms can do that. But for us, we are constantly seeking the truth with our eyes wide open. Stick together, bond like glue and learn from your neighboring advocate. We are a team and we are in this for the long haul so I, for one, celebrate your uniqueness while appreciating our collective perspective.

2.) Keep the calls and emails coming into the President, I firmly believe that sooner or later one of his aides or confidants is going to say, “Hey, Mr. President, these people are not going away, we have to do something.” And it is that office that is going to have to call for the moratorium and Congressional hearing into the BLM and their blatant misconduct and twisting of the Federal law. Keep up the calls, don’t relent. Be polite, show respect for the office and keep calling. Remember, we are the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves.

3.) Pray. Not trying to be religious, here, but pray to whatever deities or spirit that moves your heart and empowers your spirit. Pray to all that is good, all that cares and all that loves for a stop to this senseless slaughter and abuse of our gentlest neighbors upon this planet. Pray to our collective power to make a positive difference and ask that we center ourselves so that we may have the strength to continue, just pray your personal and unique prayer and it will make a difference if not to the whole, it will speak to you.

When I was younger, what seems like many centuries ago, I wondered about what it would be like if and/or when we made contact with intelligent life from an interstellar lifeform. What would it be like to commune with a sentient race of beings with a different take on life, love and the spiritual well being of the universe as a whole.

But as I have aged and become a tad more jaded I have looked around and realized that we do have the opportunity to commune with alien and different sentient beings. That we have not only allowed the opportunity to learn from them slip through our fingers we have bastardized and reduced their significance to nothing but garbage by hunting them down and even slaughtering them for food.

The list of these thinking, alien beings is a long one starting with the Cetaceans, the whales and the dolphins and for the sake of what we are speaking of, today, Equus the Horse.

Why would an advanced society of any life form, circling our little planet want to make an effort to contact us as they are fully aware that we cannot communicate nor live in peace with other life forms on earth let alone ourselves. It’s bad enough that we hunt down and eat all that is beautiful, here, but we cannot even keep ourselves from hunting down, killing and destroying the souls of our brother man. Why would any “intelligent” life form think that we would treat them any differently? To think differently would make them less than intelligent.

It’s a lonely place we have built for ourselves, here, on planet earth. It’s time to do some cleaning up and rearranging and it is the horse that is leading us in that very direction.

Keep the faith, make the calls and stay the course. Our future depends on you, all that you are and everything that you have the potential to be.