Horse champion hands over reins
Sandra Shearer has rescued thousands of horses from abuse and neglect, guarding the welfare of the animals nationwide for 22 years.
Now the former International League for the Protection of Horses chief executive has resigned, leaving the role to the SPCA’s Auckland horse welfare auxiliary.
The league was established in New Zealand in 1990 to act as an equine lobby and welfare protection group.
But when its umbrella organisation in the United Kingdom restructured, the New Zealand league became affiliated with SPCA Auckland.
Working for the league Mrs Shearer investigated complaints of neglect, organised re-homing of rescued horses, ponies and donkeys, lobbied to improve legislation and codes of practices related to equine welfare, provided professional advice, and fundraised to keep the league going.
The rest of the article is continued here.
Rescuing horses takes hard work and tears
CHINO HILLS – It’s really tough for Susan Peirce to talk about the horses at her ranch without crying at least once, maybe twice.
The founder of Red Bucket Equine Ranch and its 400 volunteers are on a mission to save and rehabilitate horses who have been abused, neglected or malnourished.
The nonprofit was founded in January 2009 by Peirce.
To date, Red Bucket has rescued 109 horses and found permanent homes for 48.
“We’ve taken horses that are shattered; they don’t even expect to be fed, let alone us being kind to them,” said Peirce, who has rescued horses from breeding scandals, euthanasia or even being fed to mountain lions.
“We believe in the intimacy of the horse. When a horse comes to us, they have nothing of their own, so when they come here they get a red bucket and they get a name,” Peirce said.
Once the horse gets a bucket with its name on it, it also gets a goal and a training plan to prepare it for adoption.
Every horse’s first goal is to whinny.
Once they’ve done that, Peirce said, is when she and her volunteers know they’re getting somewhere with the rehabilitation.
Read the rest of the article here.
Hearts & Horses Friends Cliff Uber and Bud Win Big at PATH Intl
Cliff with Ms. Molly at the PATH Intl Awards
Cliff Uber has been recognized as the 2012 PATH Intl. Independent Adult Equestrian award winner! He will be honored as a special guest at the PATH Intl. Awards Banquet held at the 2012 PATH Intl. Conference & Annual Meeting on November 2, 2012 in Bellevue, WA. Thanks to Purina Mills for providing travel schloarships for the equestrian award winners. As the Independent Adult Equestrian National Award Winner he receives scholarship reimbursement funds of up to $1500.
You may recognize Cliff from his appearance on the “Walk On, Part 1″ episode of Those Magnificent Mules, and we are extremely proud of his success!
Bud (Sir Rocko) has earned the PATH Intl. Horse of the Year for Region 10 and will also be honored at the awards banquet. As a regional winner, he is a finalist for the 2012 PATH Intl. National Horse of the Year Award, which will be announced and celebrated at the awards banquet. Bud has been with Hearts & Horses since 2005 and is a most deserved recipient of this award!
Congratulations to Cliff and Bud!
Cliff with Ms. Molly at the PATH Intl Awards
Cliff Uber has been recognized as the 2012 PATH Intl. Independent Adult Equestrian award winner! He will be honored as a special guest at the PATH Intl. Awards Banquet held at the 2012 PATH Intl. Conference & Annual Meeting on November 2, 2012 in Bellevue, WA. Thanks to Purina Mills for providing travel schloarships for the equestrian award winners. As the Independent Adult Equestrian National Award Winner he receives scholarship reimbursement funds of up to $1500.
You may recognize Cliff from his appearance on the “Walk On, Part 1” episode of Those Magnificent Mules, and we are extremely proud of his success!
Bud (Sir Rocko) has earned the PATH Intl. Horse of the Year for Region 10 and will also be honored at the awards banquet. As a regional winner, he is a finalist for the 2012 PATH Intl. National Horse of the Year Award, which will be announced and celebrated at the awards banquet. Bud has been with Hearts & Horses since 2005 and is a most deserved recipient of this award!
Equine Therapy Park set up in Golconda, India
A physically and emotionally-challenged child enjoys a horse ride at Equine Therapy Park set up at Artillery Centre, Golconda, on Wednesday. Photo: M. Subhash, The Hindu
A few children were curious, a few others apprehensive. Some sat secure, and some were cautious. One or two waved and upped their thumbs at friends sitting in the gallery, while many others just enjoyed sitting on the horseback, perhaps for the first time in their life.
Coming out of the classroom proved to be a greater learning experience for many of the children with special needs at the Asha School, Artillery Centre, Golconda, where the city’s first ever Equine Therapy Park was launched on Wednesday.
Inaugurated by the Deputy Director, Family Welfare Organisation, Artillery Centre, Archana Sharma, the park has two trained horses to carry the children, along with two handlers. Each child was assisted over a podium onto the horseback, and allowed to take in the fun of equine saunter around the field, stopping occasionally to play a game of ball or to pluck leaves from tree-branches, as per the directions by the coaches.
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Rest in Peace, Besty Hutchins
As a proud representative of the American Donkey and Mule Society, Lucky Three Ranch is deeply saddened to say goodbye to our close friend, and co-founder of ADMS, Betsy Hutchins. She was one of a kind and shared our love for longears. We will miss her very much.
Betsy with Frosty
Statement from the ADMS:
It is with great sadness that the ADMS announces the loss of one of our co-founders, Elizabeth “Betsy” Hutchins. For over forty years, Betsy devoted her life and her home to the promotion of longears around the world. She and her family spent time not only in the daily operations of the ADMS (originally housed in their hundred-year-old farmhouse in Denton) but raised, trained and showed donkeys and mules as well. All four of her children were brought up with the animals and can be found in pages of the older Mr Longears and Brayer magazines.
Betsy and husband Paul converted part of their home into the operations center for ADMS. The BRAYER magazine used to be hand-typed and copy pasted up on the dining room table. Large built-in shelves all around the house were filled with donkey and mule figurines of every type. As the ADMS grew over the years, it began to encompass the sun porch of the house, gaining more equipment and taking up more time. Betsy and Paul ran it solely for many years, with the occasional volunteer for help. Betsy wrote many articles on donkey and mule care, much of it taken from her own experiences dealing with the longears living in their large acreage property.
Betsy with husband Paul
While Betsy always maintained she loved air conditioning, if animals needed care, she was outside taking care of them. If a friend came by needing a place to unload a donkey for the night, she’d make sure the gates were closed, the water tubs full and the hay brought out. She would stack hay if needed, hold heads or hooves for hoof trims, give medicines or baths to the animals, whatever was needed. She truly loved all animals, whether longears, dogs, cats, or guinea pigs, which she raised for years as a hobby.
When Paul and Betsy retired some 12 years ago, her involvement in ADMS slowed, but never stopped. She still joined the staff (by then hired on to continue to run ADMS) at shows, sitting at the information table and talking to everyone with a smile. She often handed out ribbons at shows, while husband Paul was judge or ring steward. Even though she had retired, she could still be counted on to answer questions that just couldn’t be solved, except through experience.
Betsy at a Donkey Show in the 1960s
She loved to travel the world, and went on cruises over the years, the latest just last month. With a passion for gardening, she found lovely plants and had over 160 cuttings potted at last count. A friend recounts that she heard the news of Betsy’s passing while watering cuttings from tea roses Betsy had
cultivated.
Betsy is survived by husband Paul, children Scott and wife Tammy, Melissa “Missy” and S.O. David, Melinda “Mindy” and husband Steven, Patrick and wife Katie, grandchildren Clayton and Audrey, and friends around the world too numerous to count.
Long time friend Becky perhaps has put it best in her note to ADMS: I know there is an ass or two in heaven braying in happiness that Mom has come over the Rainbow Bridge to be with them. And no, that was not thunder. It was a stampede of critters running to meet their Mom. Godspeed, Betsy.
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