What’s New with Roll? White Line Massage
Roll hasn’t had a massage in quite some time, so we thought he was definitely overdue. I think he thought so, too! Roll is still happy and not showing any pain. This is encouraging.
He has had quite a struggle with White Line disease and we are being very pro-active in his treatment. Today we checked his foot and he has more new growth which is encouraging, but we have had severe and very wet weather lately which is causing the new growth to get a little soft.
We checked with the vet and short of keeping him penned in his stall (not an option), we are limited in what we can do. We opted to have the vet come down and take a look for himself and not just look at the pictures.
We agreed that it might be beneficial to clean his foot twice a day and then dry it off before putting it back into the boot. This could help some. The switch from Styrofoam to neoprene inside the boot is working much better.
Joanne, our equine masseuse, started by working on both of Roll’s hips since that is where he is having the most trouble with weight-bearing, but so far, he is staying balanced even with his severely damaged foot. The pressure remains centered on his damaged foot and is not listing one way or the other. This is a good thing!
Then she worked over the croup area where muscles can easily get strained in his back. Roll seemed to really enjoy his massage.
Joanne massaged the insides of his legs to relieve the gaskin muscles…and into the flank area. Since we do regular “imprint” touching with him all over his body, he was less touchy in these areas than he might have been otherwise and actually enjoyed the relief she provided for him in these areas.
Then it was on to the withers, shoulder and neck…
…but when she began massaging his face, he was in pure ecstasy!!! Roll continues to improve and we are hopeful for a reasonable recovery. Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Newest Arrival at Chilly Pepper: Miracle Mustang!
As I write this, I am remembering how quickly you get “baby brain”. The time when your brain turns to mush from lack of sleep.
Wow – it seems like the Rolling Foal Hospital never stops. We are so very pleased to be able to let folks know just how important this trailer is, and that it is constantly being used to save the lives of our beloved horses.
We left last Tuesday to take Seanna, Cicero and Go Go Boots to their new home in Idaho. We had to meet with Doc on Wednesday in NV to procure the proper paperwork and off we went.
We arrived to a stunning property and an amazing woman waiting for the babies. God has once again blessed us with the help we needed for these young horses. They have a wonderful place with a river, many streams, a clean and clear pond and wild life all around. They have space and will have folks to continue their training.
They have settled in well and although there was the usual heartbreak as we drove away, all was well and it was the best scenario we could hope for.
All the way there, and even prior as we were prepping the trailer, something kept telling me we would not be coming back empty. So I made sure we had our “new baby kit” well prepped. On our way back home, we received an emergency call. Shirley (my friend in NV who was caring for Velma), was in the hospital and we needed to come and pick up the baby. We are blessed as I am Shirley’s back up and she is ours if we have emergencies.
So we picked up Velma, (whom I had had quite a bit of time with the night prior to our vet visit with Doc), whose world was once again upside down. Although pretty scared at first, she traveled beautifully, and as always we took our time and gave her lots of rest stops. Here is the link for a short video of her enjoying one of her bottles. (Beware – this is cuteness over load at it’s finest.)
Angels in Idaho
WE WAN
TED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!
Exciting news – We received a message yesterday that our new “Angels in Idaho” will be taking three babies. Seanna, (shown in photo), Boots and Cicero will all be heading to their new home this week.
Matt and I will be transporting them. We will need roughly $375 fuel for transport and a little for Health Certificates and needed blood work for transport. So we are looking at between $400 – $500 to secure these three great homes.
(Unfortunately it won’t reduce our monthly board as they have been at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang and we do not receive any funds for “boarding” even though they were part of the 55)”. ) But it will certainly be a reduction for feed expenses and leave me more time to help gentle other wild ones and care for the upcoming orphans.) Finding them homes is the biggest blessing ever :)
Chilly Pepper Rescue: Bad weather postpones the roundups
Hi, Sending out a quick update to keep everyone informed. We are in a “hurry up and wait” state, but thanks to y’all we are ready for that call.
I am happy to share some good news. Thanks to the wet weather, the roundups in Yakima, WA have been postponed. This is good for all the babies as they have a better chance of spending more time with their moms. Of course we are praying the roundups simply do not happen, but at least the older the babies are, the better chance they have of surviving.
So far, we have not heard any news about the Warm Springs roundups having started yet either. Once again, the weather is a big factor. PTL! So for now, we have been blessed. Please send your prayers that the roundups don’t start.
On the home front, we are still prepping for babies. Things can change in a heart beat, and you have to be ready to go. Prior to last year, our babies came locally in CA or from NV off the range. So although that is our normal source, we are now on board for the “slaughter babies” once again this year. We are trying to establish a “direct relationship” with the auction yard. Once these horses are brought in, they go straight to Canada as the gentleman running the operation has a direct contract with Bouvry Exports, in Alberta Canada.
In the meantime, we are also gentling and training the wild ones that are here. I am so happy to report that Lacy has made a huge break through and she is bonding up nicely. Prior to this she would bite and was very unsure and unhappy with any type of touching. She is going to make an amazing partner for someone and will be available for adoption. If you would like to see Lacy’s progress, you can follow the attached links. :)
“Seanna” has also made huge strides and her training is coming along nicely. “Go Go Boots” is just a tiny bit behind her, but we will be needing homes not only for these girls, but for Cicero. Cicero is from Yakima Washington and is coming on a year old. He will need someone with experience, but promises to be an amazing horse. He is very spirited and intelligent (shown below).
We so appreciate everyone who is part of this rescue and helping us keep these horses safe. Please share far and wide so we can find forever homes for these horses.
If you want to help You can go to You caring – https://www.youcaring.com/let-em-run-foundation-for-55-wild-horses-orphaned-foals-415297 to help us save these horses.
You can go to Paypal – Palominodancer@yahoo.com or go to our website
www.chillypepper.org if you would like to help these horses.
You can donate via check at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, 34694 Sidebottom Rd., Shingletown, CA 96088
530 474-5197 If you are interested in visiting or adopting one of these beautiful horses.
We Can’t Let This Happen
Earlier this month, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director Neil Kornze told Congress that his agency was heading toward “spaying and neutering” wild horses on the range.
It sounds benign, but it’s not.
Using never-before-seen footage, AWHPC has just released a video that shows the type of risky, invasive and archaic sterilization procedures the BLM is proposing to conduct on wild mares.
It isn’t pretty, but it’s necessary to show the American public exactly what the BLM has in store for our iconic and federally-protected wild horses and burros.
We can’t let this happen. Here’s how you can fight back for wild horses and burros:
► Watch the video and become educated about the BLM’s barbaric plans.
► Share the video far and wide to spread the word.
► Sign the petition and share it with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. These are ourwild horses, they live on our public lands, and the American public overwhelmingly does not want our national icons treated in this horrific manner!
Stop BLM’s Brutal Sterilization & Slaughter Plans
Our wild horses and burros need your help, and they need it now.
The federal government is trying to hand off captured wild horses and burros to states and local governments, which will be able to do whatever they want with these national icons. That means one thing — slaughter!
Nearly 50,000 wild horses and burros in government holding are at risk right now!
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director Neil Kornze admitted in Congressional testimony this month that his agency’s 2017 budget proposal contains no protections from slaughter for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of horses the BLM wants to turn over to other agencies, ostensibly for use as “work animals.”
Kornze also told Congress that “it looks like” BLM is heading toward wide-scale sterilization of wild horses on the range. The BLM wants to subject these animals to risky and invasive surgical procedures that will endanger their lives and destroy the very essence of what makes them wild — their natural behaviors!
As step one of its sterilization plan, the BLM is poised to conduct barbaric, invasive and dangerous sterilization experiments on over 200 captured wild mares — most of whom will be pregnant — at its Burns Corrals in Oregon. The experiments will cause many of the mares to suffer abortions and others to bleed to death or die from infection.
We’ve hired a lobbying team that includes a former Congressman. We’re mobilizing the grassroots through a powerful public education and social media campaign. And our top-notch legal team continues to wage the battle against sterilization and slaughter in federal court .
This is happening RIGHT NOW on Capitol Hill. Please click below to help us stop the sterilization and slaughter of America’s wild horses and burros. Thank you!
Chilly Pepper Babies are Coming
The following is an excerpt from the latest Chilly Pepper-Miracle Mustang Rescue Newsletter.
Baby season is here, and all around the country mares are giving birth to their new little ones. Meet VELMA, the newest baby in Shirley Allen’s nursery in Dayton NV. The following is her update:
PLEASE Keep Her in your prayers. She’s doing so well it sort of scares me. She came in just a few hours old and the first 3 days to a week are ALWAYS very stressful with watching and monitoring every single little thing she does and move she makes. As always we’re praying that NOTHING unforeseen raises it’s ugly head. We are in the so far, so good mode and SHE is nothing but a TOTAL JOY. She was born in the very early morning and because of the rains and weather we had she was unfortunately born basically in a puddle. She was totally wet and shivering with hypothermia setting in fast. Her Mom, although interested in her didn’t seem to have that motherly instinct and went back to eating. Thank goodness, the girls happened to be out there that morning or we wouldn’t have the little sweetie. We had rain, snow and wind coming in again that morning and she would not have made it much longer in those conditions being wet and no way to get her dry. Mom sort of tried a couple of times to get her up to nurse apparently but basically gave up and went back to eating her breakfast. Velma at that point was unable to get on her feet because her little legs were too cold and wet already to make her muscles work. It took a little while to get her dry and warming slow to get her up so circulation could get to those tiny legs. Now that she’s doing well, she has just started yesterday running and playing a bit. We had a play session this morning at 3am right after her 2:30 feeding. Please send good energy for Velma, we’re holding on and doing our best to get this little kid happy and healthy. Will try to update soon. HUGS ALL !!
THIS IS THE HAPPY SIDE OF FOAL RESCUE. HOWEVER, I LEARNED SOME UTTERLY DEVASTATING NEWS THIS LAST WEEK.Read More
American Horse Council Tax Bulletin Update
Tax Court Finds Riding Arena Repairs Not Deductible
The taxpayers, husband and wife, purchased in 2006 a 10 acre parcel of land in Santa Ynez, California, on which they built their residence and various other structures. These structures include three barns and a horse riding arena used in a horse boarding and sales business operated by Santa Ynez Valley View Farm, LLC, a California limited liability company the taxpayers formed and at all times wholly-owned.
Construction of the riding arena was completed in early 2007 at a cost of $150,000. As it turned out, defects in the construction of the riding arena required taxpayers to expend more than $100,000 in 2007 and 2008 in order to remedy the defects. They sued the original contractor for defective construction and in 2009 settled the lawsuit for a payment of $50,000. The taxpayers reported on their 2009 tax return an itemized deduction of $69,100 as a casualty loss deduction resulting from the repairs to the riding arena.
The IRS disallowed the casualty loss deduction taken by the taxpayers on their 2009 return on the grounds that it was not a “casualty” as that term is used in the tax code. The taxpayers did not agree and took the disagreement to the U.S. Tax Court. The husband represented himself and his wife at trial.
The Court noted that to be deductible a casualty must be from “unusual and unexpected events *** caused by sudden or destructive force.” Accordingly, the court found that expenses paid or incurred to correct damage caused by faulty construction methods are not deductible as a casualty loss.
State Bill in Arizona Amended: Now Protects Salt River Wild Horses
A new legislative update from the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign brings good news regarding the Salt River Horses.
A bill in the Arizona State Legislature to protect the famed Salt River wild horses has been amended and now has the AWHPC’s full support. Previously they opposed HB 2340, because it asserted state ownership of this cherished herd, which resides on federal land in the Tonto National Forest near Phoenix. However, the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Kelly Townsend, amended the legislation to remove the state ownership provision and better protect the horses. Last week, the bill passed the Arizona House of Representatives and is now in the Senate.
What’s New with Roll? White Line Farrier
Roll had his shoes replaced on the two front feet and the right rear today. Dean was very pleased to discover that on the left hind that has White Line Disease, he is growing hoof back at a rate of about 1/8th of an inch a week! We are encouraged that even though we are looking at months of recovery, if we can keep him balanced, he might actually make it! I am convinced that the balancing of his body and core strengthening exercises he has been doing for the past six years has really been the primary reason for him doing as well as he is. He weighs 3000 lbs. and that is a lot of weight to put on a damaged foot. Without the balance, the dispersement of his weight could have been irregular and put undue pressure on the fragile and damaged pieces left of the hoof wall. This could have caused a complete collapse of his hoof. This is always a consideration, so we are checking him regularly and will be replacing the Styrofoam pads with neoprene support pads in his boot every other day going forward after we can get them. The Styrofoam pads are wearing out too quickly. The other three feet are holding up well with no real signs of additional stress. He has yet to have one day of lameness at all since we got him in 2010. He is happy and showing no signs of pain. We will just continue as planned and make adjustments to our approach as needed.
Action Alert: Dangerous BLM Budget Request Opens Door for Slaughter
The following is an Action Alert from the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Neil Kornze testified before Congress regarding his agency’s budget request, which includes language that opens the door to sterilization and slaughter of America’s wild herds. The BLM wants to turn over captured wild horses to local and state government agencies, many of whom lobby for the mass mustang removal and slaughter. In his testimony, Kornze confirmed that his agency’s budget proposal will not include protections from slaughter for these horses. Alarmingly, he also indicated that the BLM is poised to implement a broad-scale sterilization program on the range.
This is a grave threat to our remaining wild horse and burro herds, and we, the people are are quite literally the only line that stands between our wild horses and burros and doom. . . . Now is the time to demonstrate massive grassroots opposition to the BLM’s catastrophic plans. If you have already signed the petition to Congress – thank you, now please share it widely. If you have not yet signed, please add your signature today. The budget process is underway and there is not a moment to waste. If you want to save wild horses and burros, please take action now!
Not Just the Mustangs but Our American Heritage as Well.
The following is an excerpt of an Op-Ed by Christopher Ketchan for the New York Times titled “The Bison Roundup the Government Wants to Hide”.
THE National Park Service is set to begin its annual roundup of wild bison in Yellowstone National Park today. A portion will be slaughtered to reduce the number of animals that migrate beyond the park’s borders.
This culling is done largely outside of public view. Journalists have been barred in the past from watching the roundup, though it takes place on public land. The reason, according to the park service, was “for the safety of the public and staff” and also for the bison’s welfare.
This year, in response to litigation, the park service will allow a glimpse of what goes on. But only a glimpse. Access for journalists will be severely limited.
Let’s be honest here. This isn’t about “safety and welfare.” The real reason the park service doesn’t want journalists to view the roundup in its entirety is that the brutality of the cull would be revealed.
The buffalo is perhaps the iconic American mammal. More than any other animal, it is emblematic of the American frontier.
It also symbolizes the savagery with which we have treated the natural world. Tens of millions were slaughtered in a few brief decades during the 1800s — for their hides and fur and, not least, to subjugate restive Plains Indians by eliminating their food supply.
By 1900, out of a population once estimated at as many as 60 million animals, as few as 700 bison remained in private herds, and only 23 at Yellowstone.
Under the protection of the park service for almost a century, the bison have multiplied to an estimated 4,600 animals in Yellowstone.
So why would the park service, whose mission includes preserving “native wildlife species and the processes that sustain them,” opt to help kill one of its most historically and ecologically important wildlife populations?
I’ve covered the controversies over bison management in Yellowstone for almost a decade. The explanation, I’ve concluded, has nothing to do with ecology and everything to do with politics.
Horse Deaths Related to Endurance Rides
The following is an except from recent article by by Nancy S. Loving, DVM for thehorse.com.
The best ways a rider can reduce the risk of fatality is to be in tune with their horse, manage him properly through the ride, and voluntarily withdraw when their horse is not performing as expected, Schott said. Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
“Endurance” is an aptly named riding discipline. The sport requires horse and rider to complete more than 50 to 100 miles of trail in a single day. Depending on the competition type, terrain, and climatic conditions, horses might be actively working anywhere from six to 24 hours. Because of the nature of the sport,dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and heat stress can arise, sometimes leading to fatalities.
To investigate causes of fatality in endurance horses, Olin Balch, DVM, MS, PhD, of North Fork Veterinary Service, in Cascade, Idaho, and Hal Schott II, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of large animal medicine at Michigan State University, reviewed 13 years of endurance ride veterinary reports. Schott presented their findings at the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.
For their study, Balch and Schott compiled results from American Endurance Ride Conference post-ride surveys and veterinary reports from 2002-2014. During this time there were 96 fatalities out of 270,070 horses entered in endurance competitions—that’s 0.32 fatalities per 1,000 starts. Of the fatalities, 69 were euthanized and 27 died. Eighty-seven had participated in the ride, while nine others died or were euthanized due to injuries sustained by escape from an enclosure, kick injury, or colic unassociated with the demands of endurance exercise. There were no differences among sex or age and the number of fatalities did not differ over the years studied. Although there were no statistically significant regional differences, the Southwest had more fatalities than the West, which had more than the Mountain region, which had more than the Northeast.
“Despite veterinary oversight, which is arguably the highest of any equestrian sport during competition, fatalities do occur,” remarked Schott, who presented their findings. During endurance rides, horses must stop at mandatory rest points for examination by a ride veterinarian to determine that they are “fit to continue.” At the finish line exam, horses must again be examined and deemed fit to continue in order to receive a completion and placing.
Balch and Schott’s study included all fatalities that occurred over the four-day period from check-in the day before the race to two days following the competition. If a problem developed at the ride, then they investigated that horse’s outcome beyond those four days. “An increase in ride distance often leads to gastrointestinal problems and metabolic compromise,” Schott explained.
They determined that 26 deaths (30%) in competing horses were not fatigue-related. These resulted from falls, catastrophic injury, gastrointestinal disorders, or sudden death, and one horse was lost and later found dead. There were 61 fatalities (70%) attributed to the demands of endurance exercise, including consequences of severe muscle cramping and exhaustion.
“Exhaustion was commonly associated with decreased intestinal function due to a long period of decreased blood flow to the intestinal tract, as blood was diverted to the exercising muscles during exercise,” Schott explained. “Affected horses showed a poor appetite and colic signs, attributable to ileus (poor intestinal motility). A disastrous consequence was stomach rupture in several horses, with no apparent relation to stomach ulcers, while others developed renal failure and/or laminitis.”
Another important finding, he said, was that 20 of these 61 horses actually finished the ride and received completion awards, yet developed signs of exhaustion after the ride with fatalities developing over the next couple of days.
“This finding emphasizes that riders must monitor their horses closely after the ride and seek veterinary attention when any concern over recovery arises,” he said.
“Finally, it warrants mention that owners of 19 horses that ultimately died or were euthanized declined fluid therapy and/or referral to a hospital for further care when recommended by veterinarians at the ride site,” Schott added.
Working Equids
The following is excerpted from an article by Alexandra Beckstett for thehorse.com
A donkey can increase a family’s income by up to 500%.
Out of sight, out of mind. This is often the harsh reality for working equids, while owners and veterinarians in developed countries are busy caring for their own horses. But, argues Derek Knottenbelt, DVM&S, Dipl. ECEIM, MRCVS, these animals serve a very important role across the world and need our attention.
A longtime equitarian (volunteer veterinarian on trips to developed countries) and professor of Equine Medicine at the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Science, in Scotland, Knottenbelt described the working equid’s plight as well as importance during the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.
His philosophy, he said, is that by improving working animals’ welfare, we are in turn relieving human burden.
More than 100 million families in rural communities worldwide depend on working equids for transportation, farming, economic value, and social value. “They play a fundamental role in individual family prosperity and in the local and national economics,” Knottenbelt said. “Indeed, it could be said that if the working horse or donkey were to be removed from society, the economy of the world would collapse.”
Unlike in the Western World, however, where equids generally come at a high price and enjoy quality veterinary care and legislative protection, working equids aren’t blessed with trained veterinarians, well-educated owners, or government support. They’re victim to ill-fitting harnesses, malnutrition, and preventable diseases, such as tetanus and rabies.
This is not, however, because their owners don’t care about them. “A donkey can increase a family’s income by up to 500%,” Knottenbelt said, so it’s in a family’s best interest to keep it healthy. It’s because they’re caring for these animals the only way they know how, while doing all they can to care for themselves.
What’s New with Roll? White Line X-Rays
On February 25, we discovered more White Line Disease on the medial side of the foot. We also discovered some strange growth that looked like new hoof growing out of the front of the coronet band and continuing around both sides of the hoof in a uniform fashion. It was pliable which caused some concern, so we opted to follow up with x-rays today.
We weren’t sure about what was really happening with this foot. So, we called veterinarian Greg Farrand to come to see this new development and get his input.
I clipped the area around the coronet band so we could see the new growth clearly.
When Greg saw this, he thought he could be trying to slough the involved hoof wall and trying to grow a new foot. We thought more x-rays would be in order to determine if the old hoof wall was dead tissue and if the new hoof wall was healthy and not detached.
Greg prepped the area with Barium/Mineral Oil beads to identify the band between the new growth and the old hoof wall so it would show up on the x-rays.
Roll was so sweet and cooperative as we asked him to get back up on his blocks again. He stood like a trooper! But then after going through our sequential training program, he should and does. The x-rays showed that the new hoof growth was healthy and that there was still live tissue in the old hoof wall. This was very encouraging news!
Roll has yet to have one lame day since he came to us, so we all agreed that things looked good…at least for now…and that we should continue forward with his boot and Styrofoam protection.
We realize through this treatment process that we need to be alert, notice when things change and be flexible and willing to alter our plans at every turn. Roll is certainly appreciative as are we for all your support and prayers! And he is appreciative for a lot of extra oats as well!!!
ASPCA Equine Fund Grant Accepting Applications
This is a notice from the ASPCA Pro website. Please visit them for full information on the grants available and to learn how to apply.
The ASPCA Equine Fund provides grants to U.S. nonprofit equine welfare organizations and other animal welfare organizations that care for horses, mules, donkeys and ponies in alignment with our efforts to protect all equines. The ASPCA Equine Fund grants program seeks to award equine organizations that strive to achieve best practices both in nonprofit management and equine care. Unsolicited grants are generally awarded in amounts from $500-$5,000 and seldom exceed 10% of an organization’s current annual operating budget.
ASPCA Equine Fund will consider grants to those organizations whose focus and expertise are concentrated on reducing the suffering of equines who have lost their homes or been cruelly treated. Applicants must have already received their 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS or be a governmental/municipal agency in order to apply. Equine rescues and sanctuaries must care for at least ten equine concurrently to be considered for funding.
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