WILL YOU HELP US DO IT ONCE AGAIN?Only the day before yesterday Matt and I picked up the 9 McDermitt babies and the mare just before the shipping deadline.You saved them all!
Just last night we got the 911 call to save 12 more. These babies need a Christmas Miracle and that means we need your help.
We simply cannot save their lives without you.
One more Christmas Miracle and 12 more souls escape the slaughter train. I know we can pull it together one more time and “git ‘er done”.
As always, YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE! YOU make it possible for us to get these kids to safety. It will not happen without you. It is a package deal. LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!!
I know y’all have helped save so many other lives, but look into his eyes and dig deep. Thank you once again for making this happen.
As always, we have an imminent deadline so we are running on faith. They are on hold, waiting for us to give them their CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!
Please donate now and save this beautiful child and his friends!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
Zena doesn’t have a long story, but it’s a common story. Zena is about a 23 year old Percheron mare. Her former owner came to us for help when she was no longer able to provide for her. It’s a story we hear all to often. We can’t say it enough; before you take on horse ownership, be sure you have done solid research on the cost of feed, the costs for maintenance care needs (e.g. hoof care, dental care, vaccines, deworming, etc.), appropriate housing, veterinary needs, costs for tack and equipment, transportation, emergency care costs, end of life costs, etc.
We get far more requests for help than we are able to take on.
Taking on ownership of a horse should be a lifetime commitment.
Zena is a big, beautiful and lovable beast! She loves (did I say LOVES) attention, grooming, really any human interaction. Look what happens when you scratch her belly.
She is another amazing gentle giant….well, except when there is food involved. If she sees food, she turns into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Imagine food instead of belly scratches. Anyone see the resemblance? I bet most of our volunteers will agree. They might even consider themselves the food.
All joking aside, we love this big girl, and so did Kasey. She was a perfect buddy for Kasey after losing Angus, and we had great hopes for a happily ever after story!
We had a bit of fun arranging a little wedding day or these two.
Sadly, it wasn’t long lasting. Kasey’s story will follow soon. Regardless, Zena is a big beautiful girl living out her golden years as a resident at AAE.
12 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
This holiday season, you can set up your own fundraiser for wild horses and burros through Facebook! It’s a fun, easy way for you to make a difference for mustangs and burros, and to share an issue that you care about with your friends and family.
All proceeds from these campaigns will go directly supporting wild horses and burros, and help us reach our end of year fundraising goal. You can add your own goal, share your reasons for raising money to save America’s wild horses and burros, and invite your network to take part.
Kiwi was about a two year old filly relinquished to AAE by her owner in August 2016 after she lost interest, and her boarder asked for help. Kiwi was thin when she arrived at AAE, and her hooves were much overgrown and upright. She was somewhat curious, and lacked confidence around humans.
Little was known about Kiwi, but we were told she was a mustang from an Indian reservation. She was reactive, untrusting and had a tenancy to bolt when pressured too much and when exposed to new scary things (like mini horses).
She needed frequent trims, and ultimately, she did quite well. She lived in pasture with the rest of the herd on rolling hills, and she ran and moved without limitation. She was very active with the other youngsters in the herd, and she was quite the bossy mare.
In time, Kiwi made good progress all around. As she learned her basic ground skills, and yielding to pressure, she grew some confidence and overcame her fears. She loved water and the hose. Eventually, she was introduced to a saddle and bridle and accepted very well. Kiwi developed into a confident, personable, and fun girl who was ready to be adopted, and finally, she was! Kiwi’s stay was a long one, but she found her forever person who continued her saddle work, and now she’s a riding horse.
13 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
There are 16 babies at the Fallon Feed Lot who ship THIS Thursday if they are not rescued prior to 8 pm. We are so over full, but how do we watch them ship to their death?
We need funds to purchase them, and I do not know how much that will cost at this point, but we HAVE TO HAVE FUNDS TO FEED AND CARE FOR THEM if we are going to go get any or all of them. It is not just about “saving them”, it is about being able to properly care for them and feed them. At this point it is a very difficult decision. However, the phone has not stopped, my message box is over flowing and this is in our own back yard.
So it is up to our Chilly Pepper Family if we can save any or all of them. As always, we will step up to save as many as we can, based on our ability to actually rescue and care for them. IF, by some miracle, they are all safe at the time of the deadline, we would rescue others.
As usual, we are having a crisis in the middle of a crisis. Matt is standing by for the paperwork to bring the mini’s home.
So please help us save these babies and give them a very Merry Christmas!
THE MINI’S ARE ALMOST HERE! Cuteness overload below!!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
We couldn’t have predicted at the beginning of the year how difficult it would be for wild horses and burros in 2018. Efforts to legalize slaughter in the federal budget. Brutal roundups almost year-round. A plan to move forward with cruel and risky sterilization surgeries on wild mares. A federal agency’s attempt to sell wild horses knowingly and directly for slaughter for the first time ever.
It’s been nonstop attacks for the entire year — but we’ve been able to fight back, because of your support. We’ve worked with our allies in Congress to maintain slaughter protections in the budget, documented the worst of the roundups so that Americans know how their tax dollars are being spent, and successfully stopped the inhumane sterilization experiments in court.
But this fight is not over. The fate of the innocent wild horses pictured above — rounded up just months ago from our public lands in California and now in danger of being sold for slaughter — and so many other wild horses and burros hangs in the balance.
By making a donation, you can help us carry on the critical work to defend wild horses and burros into the coming year… work like the litigation and grassroots/political action that has so far held off the slaughter of cherished California wild mustangs.
Remember, now through December 31, your contribution will be DOUBLED, thanks to a generous matching gift offer up to $100,000. That means your gift goes twice as far for wild horses and burros!
AAE welcomed Waylon, one of three young geldings, from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in June 2017 to support DreamCatcher’s recovery and herd reduction efforts after the long illness and passing of their Executive Director, Barbara Clarke in November of 2016. Waylon was introduced to humans in May 2017 when the boys were separated from the herd and castrated.
Waylon is a 2015-ish captive born mustang gelding. He had minimal handling, but accepted humans quite readily. He was a calm, confident, and social guy that quickly took to grooming and hanging with two leggers. He was sweet, calm, confident, and willing. He could also be a little pushy at times.
Waylon was adopted in October 2017, then returned to AAE in May 2018 after being diagnosed with EPM. Waylon was treated with a three month course of Marquis, and he responded very well.
In October, he was re-evaluated by our vet, and he had no signs of neurologic deficits. Waylon is a super nice, big guy, and he is looking for his forever home. He is a big, playful, people-loving boy. He is curious, willing, and very active. Due to his EPM history, he was cleared for casual/light riding. He is not considered a prospect for competition, endurance, or hard/heavy riding.
Waylon is about 15.1hh and still growing. He is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof and dental care, and he has a microchip in place.
16 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
I “came of age” in the sixties; a wonderful time for all kinds of music. I am still very into music and often think of songs relating to my work. The Beatle’s classic All You Need Is Love came to mind this morning. If only that were so!
All of us committed to the animals here love them unconditionally and get that back in spades. Unfortunately love will not buy hay. Love will not pay vet bills. Love will not pay the plumber when the hydrant seizes up. We have more than enough love to go around, but not enough money.
I realize that the “we need more money” song gets really old, but it is a sad fact of running a nonprofit animal rescue. I came into this work very naïve in regards to what it really entailed. I love all animals; have since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I have fond memories from when I could not have been more than seven or so, helping my dad raise orphan squirrels. Our family had a membership to the Bronx Zoo where I could not be taken often enough. I learned a lot about many different animal species and their needs at the “backstage” visits, a perk of being a member. I learned enough to know at a young age I would someday be involved working with animals.
Fast forward to now. I am so lucky! I still love all animals and enjoy most people as well. The rescue allows me to engage with both on a daily basis. I have amazing helpers who work very hard to keep the farm looking ship shape and the animals well cared for. I am very grateful for what I do have and really dislike having to ask for more. The part I didn’t factor in at the beginning was that asking for help would become part of my job.
Please know that every penny donated is very gratefully appreciated. All of it goes toward the care of the animals and upkeep of the farm. We have one full time paid employee. Everyone else who is here on a regular basis, including myself, are not paid. We are volunteers.
I thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.
ChEARS,
Ann
p.s. — A heartfelt thank you to all who are shopping on our website as well. Your support is greatly appreciated!
This youngster came to AAE with a group of youngsters in June of 2016. Rio was a about nine months old. He had minimal handling and was pretty much terrified of humans. He took considerable time to get comfortable with a halter, and he was one those we say every introduction seemed like 50 first dates. It was just as scary the 50th time as it was the first, no matter every time was uneventful. Every introduction to something new was the same reaction, no matter how consistent we tried to be, and even if we changed things up altering our approach.
Rio needed a very experienced person to help him conquer his fears, and someone with the patience of a saint. Rio was a friendly and inquisitive toddler. He was very athletic and a nice mover. He could excel in any discipline, and he could be a wonderful all around mount, if only he could conquer his fears. In time (lots of time), Rio learned all the young horse basics. He was halterable in pasture, he could be led, lunged, and learned to tie. He picked up his feet, and he was good with a calm and patient farrier. He loved water, enjoyed other horses, and really tried hard to please. If only he had courage.
He needed lots of positive exposure and lots of positive experiences to develop confidence. He was respectful of people and for the most part stays out of his handlers space even when spooked (which was quite often).
Rio needed a confident leader that could support him and help him through learning new things.
In May of this year, Rio found just what he needed!!
A forever home with the perfect family!
17 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AAE welcomed Tae and her days old filly, Maddie, from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in May of 2018 in continued support their herd reduction efforts. Tae’s maternal instincts had not kicked in. She was not allowing Maddie to nurse, though Maddie figured out if she nursed from behind Tae, mom wouldn’t resist. Tae would bite her when she attempted to nurse from the side.
These two needed some help.
Tae had minimal handling, so it was difficult to offer much assistance to Maddie, and it was difficult to watch. We tried using panels to hold mom, but the biting continued. Ultimately, Mom and Baby were separated for a couple hours. Thankfully, when reintroduced, Tae was much more accepting and willing to let Maddie nurse. Maternal instincts kicked in!
Tae and Maddie along with the other moms and foals were given several months to settle in, live in the presence of humans and other domesticated horses, and simply be horses. Tae is a sweet and fairly mild-mannered mustang mare all of about three years old. She took some time to accept human touch, but once she did, she accepted a halter fairly easily. Tae has been haltered and handled some, and she is willing and tries to understand. She needs more time socializing, and she is learning to trust. She is a smart girl with a lot of try. She’s still a work in progress.
Tae is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming.
Maddie was only days old when she arrived. Maddie was persistent and clever! Her new tactic continued, even after she won Mom’s heart.
Maddie is kind, curious and confident. She has been introduced to a halter and lead, and did well from the start. This lil’ gal will make for an amazing partner and a super horse.
Maddie is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof care. Maddie has an adoption Pending
18 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Wild horses and burros face unprecedented threats – from slaughter to mass sterilization and roundups. But this movement keeps winning – and it’s thanks to you.
Now, with end of year fast approaching, we’ve got to be prepared for the battles 2019 will bring.
Your donation will help us keep up the fights in court that protect wild horses and burros from federal attempts to sell them for slaughter and reduce their habitat on our public lands; in Congress to stop members from stripping critical protections; and in the arena of public opinion to continue to shine a light on cruel roundups and other inhumane government management practices.
Our End of Year Fundraising Campaign is the biggest fundraising event of the year – and we rely on our donations from this time to fund the critical work that lies ahead in 2019 to protect America’s mustangs and burros.
We won’t stop working until wild horses and burros and our public lands are protected and managed properly, safely, and humanely. With your help, we’ll be able to make this goal a reality.
Do you remember Blue? He’s been at AAE for some time now, trying to heal after a nearly seven pound mass was removed from his hind fetlock in Fall of 2017.
Graphic photos of his progress are included below.
Blue is a 2010 Virginia Range (NV) mustang gelding who came to AAE March of 2017 after a request for assistance from the Virginia Range Wild Horse Sanctuary and Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. Blue had been carrying around a large mass of proud flesh (granulation tissue) over his left rear fetlock/pastern area for some time. Although he had been haltered and handled some previously, he was not halterable when he arrived at AAE, and we knew we had a big job ahead in helping Blue.
Before we could evaluate the mass, he had to be gentled, haltered, and his legs/hooves had to be handleable. With a straightforward mustang, not a big deal, but Blue had some substantial fear/trust issues. Initial efforts with befriending and haltering him were lukewarm. Thanks to Dr. Stolba and Team LBEMC (throughout Blue‘s journey), he had made enough progress that we were able to sedate him, radiograph the bony area beneath the mass, and collect tissue samples for biopsy. We wanted to make sure there was not an underlying reason for the mass other than old injury before getting too deep into corrective measures if they would be for naught. It was not an easy feat. Even with sedation, he kicked quickly and with purpose.
Radiographs and biopsy showed no obvious issues, so the work continued. Weeks in, Blue seemed to have had a reaction to something and developed a mysterious condition that turned out to be a form of vasculitis. He developed sores/ulcers throughout his mouth. They were horribly painful. Though his history and symptoms didn’t suggest, we had to quarantine him and test him for vesicular stomatitis. Thankfully, it was negative. We scaled back our efforts to reduce his stress and allow him to heal. But, the mass was growing.
After several weeks, he improved, and we resumed course. He would take a few steps forward, then a couple steps back. Finally, after many weeks with nominal results, we had a marathon day. We worked until we broke through, six hours. The next day, our learning curve was much shorter, and the next and the next, until finally, we could halter, touch all over, and pick up his left hind and handle it all over. We practiced with bandaging materials and wrapped it up, and he was a gem!
We scheduled surgery, and in late August 2017, he lost nearly seven pounds in a matter of minutes. The mass looked like a big brain, and it weighed in at nearly seven pounds. Imagine what that must have felt like with every move. Needless to say, it was done!
However, the mouth lesions returned. There were more, and they were worse this time. They were on his body, around his anus, and on his sheath. Poor guy, these things were awful, and they appeared to be an autoimmune issue. At one point, we questioned his prognosis and quality of life, but before jumping to conclusions, we biopsied the tissue. We ended up with a vasculitis diagnosis. The best thing was, we changed up his meds, and the sores began to heal. The area where the mass was removed was beginning to heal. In the meantime, the next test came when it was time to change his first bandage. With a bit of sedation, it went fairly smooth, but cleaning the lesion was a little challenging. But, wow, it looked amazing! Such a tremendous improvement. It was like a victory in and of itself, even though not healed.
Healing was progressing nicely!
After several bandage changes, Blue was getting resentful of the needle for sedation, so we tried without. It went well with cleaning a few times, but oddly, after a few times, he didn’t like it when placing the medicated bandage over the lesion. It seems he was healing and he could feel the area again. He stomped the bandage off, over and over. The stomp was a little intimidating, but really, he was only trying to get the “big white bug” off his leg. He didn’t kick out or kick at. His stomp was purposeful in knocking the bandage off his leg. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the bandage on, so we had to go back to sedation for a bit. Eventually, we could remove the bandage, clean the lesion, and replace the bandage without issue, without sedation, thankfully. Healing continued.
By November 2017, the lesion was almost healed, but there was a small area where the granulation tissue was persisting, so it was trimmed off. By January 2018, the lesion had nearly healed again. Blue made tremendous progress. However, as the months went on, the small area persisted and started to grow again. We lasered the area and biopsied for a third time, and this time the biopsy revealed a sarcoid. Persistent little buggers!!!
We tried some different medication over the months, but nothing resulted in complete healing, and by Fall, we decided to laser again; however, by November 2018, the sarcoid was growing, it was removed, and another course of treatment began with new medications.
Blue stands quietly for bandage changes weekly. He’s still not healed, but he’s healthy, happy, and in much better shape than when he arrived. He’s dealing well with his bandage changes and seems to understand the routine these days. He continues to have challenges with trust, mostly when introducing new things, but he continues to show progress, one baby step a at a time. As long as he stays healthy and happy, we’ll continue to work on conquering the sarcoid. He continues to love his carrots, and he also enjoys being Uncle Blue to the younguns,
a job he does well!
Like we said last year, Blue‘s story is not an uncommon story in terms of the hurdles we cross with any intake with special needs. We have unexpected bumps in the road that required more than anticipated. For Blue, it was the bouts of vasculitis and later, the discovery of the sarcoid. For some, it’s colic; for others, abscesses, lacerations from tree branches or scuffles with others. We can’t plan for these things, but need the resources to handle them when confronted. We are grateful to have your support now and throughout the year to assure we can manage most any unexpected issue along the way.
19 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
In mid-April, AAE welcomed three mare/foal mustang pairs from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in continuing support of their herd reduction efforts. The moms and their little one’s needed to come down from the frigid weather up there.
Kelsea and Rucker
Kelsea arrived a sweet, but timid mare. Rucker, her little colt was about five days old. Kelsea had minimal handling and wasn’t fond of human touch. Moms and babies had time to be moms and babies, but due to an eye infection, Kelsea had to learn quickly so she could be treated. Kelsea was haltered and handled some in preparation for treatment. She was sedated, her eye was treated, and we took advantage of sedation to trim her front hooves. She did great. Mom and baby spent more time together.
She needed more time socializing and learning that she could trust, and we revisited again before her dental. Kelsea was willing, and she had lots of try, but still some reservation. Fortunately, each time was a little easier than the prior.
Kelsea had her teeth floated, hooves trimmed, vaccines, and deworming. Then little man Rucker was gelded before weaning. Shortly after weaning, Kelsea was ADOPTED!
Rucker is an April 14, 2018 mustang gelding. He was a super cute, curious, and independent little guy from the start, even though he had not been handled much. He’s a little character with a big personality.
Rucker has a huge heart and a ton of try. He’s very playful, and a bit of an instigator. He halters leads, and does well with handling hooves. He’s getting better with the farrier. This lil’ guy is going to be a very fun partner that should develop into a super horse, and he’s looking for his very own, young-horse experienced forever home.
Rucker was gelded, and he’s current with hoof care, vaccines, and deworming.
He has a microchip in place.
GYPSY and CALICO GIRL
Gypsy and her filly, Calico Girl were quite the confident pair when they arrived. Gypsy was very laid back and interested in humans. She’d accept a rub on her forehead and neck, but she made clear it was on her terms (in a nice way). “Nope, nope, don’t think so”. She was bossy with the other mares and foals, and Cali Girl aspired to be just like mom. Quite boldly, and only weeks old, she would push the other moms and foals off feed. They quickly made their way to their own paddock so the others could eat in peace.
Gypsy was captured as a yearling/long-yearling in the Calico Roundup in one of the Calico Mountain HMAs in NV in 2009/2010, so she was born 2008-ish. She was subsequently adopted as a long-yearling/two year old from the Broken Arrow (aka Indian Lakes) holding facility in Fallon, NV, then placed at DreamCatcher. Gypsy is a stout and dominant mare with a kind soul. Since weaning her filly, she has softened and become a most agreeable, sweet, and willing gal. She’ll test with a little resistance, but quickly think and soften. Gypsy halters and leads, she enjoys grooming and attention, and she’s fairly good with handling her hooves, but still learning patience with the farrier. Her teeth were floated, and she is current with vaccines, hoof care, and deworming. She has a microchip in place. She’s ready for her forever person, someone that has experience with mustangs.
Calico Girl was a curious and bossy little gal, and she had not been handled much. She wanted to know more about humans, but strictly on her terms (pretty funny!).
Calico Girl is a March 30, 2018 filly, and she was named to honor the horses of the Calico Roundup where her mom came from. Cali halters and leads, and she does fairly well with her hooves. She’s also still learning patience with the farrier. Cali-girl is still learning it’s ok to be with humans, unconditionally. She is is quite active and athletic, and she enjoys giving the other youngsters runs for their money. She has a very independent tenancy, but lacks confidence and needs a compromising approach to find her try.
She will be a challenging, but fun filly to develop a long lasting relationship with, and her forever person should be a young-horse experienced person.
Calico Girl is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof care, and she has a microchip in place.
TEGAN and AUSTIN
Tegan came to AAE with her little guy, Austin, only a couple weeks old.
Tegan is a sweet, independent, mild-mannered mare. She wasn’t too opposed human touch, and she accepted a halter fairly easily. She has been handled some, and she is a very smart girl. She needs more time socializing and learning to trust, but she is very kind and has a lot of try. She’s still a work in progress, but surprises with every activity.
Tegan is a cute and flashy 2013-ish mare. She’s an easy going, middle of the pack, no nonsense little gal. She has a clean slate and should make a pretty straight forward effort to bring her along. She is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines and deworming. She has a microchip in place. Tegan is looking for her forever home with a mustang-experienced person.
Austin is an April 3, 2018 mustang gelding. He was a shy, but curious little guy, and he had not been handled much. Austin isn’t quite as confident as Rucker, but he, too, has a huge heart and a ton of try.
Austin is very active, playful, and super athletic. He loves to play with the big boys in the herd, and he explores all of the pasture with the big guys and the lil’ ones, too.
Austin halters, leads, and does well with his hooves. He’s fairly good with the farrier. He is current with hoof care, vaccines and deworming, and he has a microchip in place.
20 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
If we could list every single one of you in the credits at the end of the video, we would. Why? At every step, it has been you – your calls, emails, donations, and action – that has propelled this movement.
We’ve fought for wild horses and burros in court, warding off threats to wild herds and their lands. We’ve joined with elected officials in retaining all-important slaughter restrictions in the federal budget. We’ve been able to document the BLM’s inhumane roundups to hold them accountable and bring public awareness of the issue to a whole new level. And through press and media attention, we’ve grown our movement to new heights, as more people than ever have become champions to these threatened, majestic creatures.
AAE took in this handsome TB gelding in November 2013 after relinquishment by his owner resulting from a neglect situation. He was thrilled to hop onto the trailer when we picked him up. Smokey was a 20-ish Thoroughbred gelding. He seemed to be an absolute gentlemen, and we were told he was an ol’ trail string horse. He was thin and suffering from a respiratory issue. Smokey was visited by Dr. Stolba soon after arrival, and he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection/mild pneumonia.
He was started on course antibiotics while in quarantine.
Fortunately, he rebounded and quickly became a volunteer favorite. Smokey was truly a kind ol’ soul, but he had a few quirks that needed exploring and work. Some days he’d meet you at the gate, other days, he’d rather be alone, and he would play hard to get….and he was hard to get. In time, and with lots of love and kindness from AAE’s volunteers, Smokey softened tremendously.
He had a some additional vet needs taken care of once he was in better health, including much needed dental and hoof care, as well as vaccines and deworming. Later, he had a sarcoid removed from his inquinal area. He also had a swelling adjacent to his wither evaluated. Turns out, radiographs showed an old fracture of one of his vertebrae. We didn’t discover this until after trying to saddle him. Although he accepted a saddle and bridle without issue, any pressure on the horn or gullet when mounting, he would bolt forward. It didn’t take long to realize there was a problem. It sure made sense after seeing the radiographs. A piece of a vertebra had fractured off and lodged between his spinal column and shoulder blade. Poor ol’ guy!! No more riding for this guy!
Sadly, Smokey had two failed adoptions over the past few years, one due to his anxiety after being moved, another due to a financial distress situation.
Thankfully, this earlier this year, Smokey moved on to a family with 10-acres of beautiful green pastures, and he became buddies with an older gelding. Here he is going to meet his new buddy for the first time on his way to happily ever after!
21 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
THE MINI’S ARE FINALLY AVAILABLE!! (Shown above are some currently at Chilly Pepper)
A quick update and plea to help us finally get the mini’s safely home to Chilly Pepper.As of today, all 17 are scheduled for their Coggins tests this coming Thursday. The paperwork should be back 3 days after and we will be bringing them home in time for Christmas!
YOU SAVED ALL OF THE 15 BABIES THIS LAST WEEK! THANK YOU FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! We were down to the wire, but we made it. Thankfully, several of the folks we work with on a regular basis stepped up to each take 5.As we have 7 babies and 18 adults here right now, this was a huge blessing. Of course we incurred THE EXPENSES of getting them, vetting them etc.. Matt drove 2300+ miles, and most of it was on ice to get them all picked up, vetted and taken to their temporary homes for adoption. I am happy to say that many of them already have committed adopters.
It’s hard to keep asking for help.You have already saved so many lives. But the simple fact is, without your help, we cannot save these horses. I have been planning the latest update, where I could simply thank all of you for the amazing love and support and the fact that we were in fact successful in saving ALL of the babies. Sadly, there are more lives to save, and we do need help to do it.
We have been praying for a break in the emergencies, but we have been waiting so long to get these mini’s to safety that we simply cannot turn our backs. So please help us if you can.
We ended up sending the money to the fire victims as opposed to physically taking hay. After checking with the folks in charge, due to the poor weather and lack of dry storage we were given two people to contact and they were ecstatic to have the help. So thank you again for making that happen.
So we are hoping and praying that y’all will come through again and help us save the new kids. We have had some wonderful donations, and we are so grateful as we would normally not have anywhere near this number of horses at this time of year. They are not being “hoarded”, they simply need more time to heal and when they are ready we will get them adopted.
Thank you and God Bless!
BELOW ARE THE BABIES YOU JUST HELP US WITH! THANK YOU FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!
Have a “MINI CHRISTMAS”!!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
Billy and Luna came to AAE as orphan foals. Billy was about three weeks old,
and Luna was days old. Luna came to AAE with Billy as her buddy, while her new mom was traveling over the spring and summer.
…and good buddies they were. Two peas in a pod!
Big Brother Billy tended to pester Little Luna,
but she new exactly how to keep BBB in check….
They were introduced to the herd to learn more about herd behavior and horsey life…
and the “Brat Pack” was born…Grammy Sierra, Billy, Luna, Rascal and Foley
Billy is a lil mustang born on the Virginia Range, Nevada around March 1, 2018. He was orphaned when his mom was run off by a bachelor band when he was just a lil’ guy, only days old. He was fostered by local volunteers in NV before coming to AAE. We were told he had a scrotal hernia and additional veterinary needs were anticipated.
This lil’ guy was absolutely adorable.
…and looking super handsome now! He is active, athletic, and quite inquisitive. He’s very social and loves grooming and any kind of attention. He’s playful, yet respectful, and he does well in halter and with his hooves He’ll continue his learning as he grows.
His castration was delayed a bit due to the suspected hernia and the need for surgery in the clinic, just in case. Thankfully, surgery went well, and no hernia was found.
So, Billy is finally available adoption.
He is current with vaccines, deworming and hoof care. He has a microchip in place. Until he’s adopted, he’ll continue entertaining the volunteers at AAE…
and hangin’ out with Grammy Sierra.
His new person will be experienced raising a young horse.
Luna was also an orphan, a filly from the Virginia Range. She’s about three weeks younger than Billy (DOB around March 21, 2018). She spent her first few months at AAE, getting lots of love and attention from volunteers and it didn’t take long before she was another volunteer favorite.
This lil’ gal is such a gorgeous girl. Looking forward to a bright future for her and following her progress!
22 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Congress has extended the time before it votes on a final government spending bill by two weeks.
Some lawmakers are using this extension to try to ram in all sorts of clauses into the final bill, including language that would strip critical protections for wild horses and open the door to slaughter.
Members of both the Agriculture and Interior committees are considering dangerous changes that could end the prohibition on horse slaughter for human consumption. Other changes to the bill could include allowing cruel and untested sterilization experiments on mares.
This is not the first time we’ve faced this threat from Washington, and we know that if we raise our voices, we’ll win the protections wild horses need. We’ve won before. And we can win again. Please act now.
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
help horses in need as we move into a new year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
It’s AAE story-time! Horses of 2018:
Cahill and Maya
CAHILL
Cahill came to AAE on March 9, 2018 when his family was unable to care for him. They rescued him from a pasture where he was alone and neglected. They were told he was a former sheriff’s horse. His family found they were unable to provide adequate care and sought help. When he arrived, he was very thin, very depressed, and had skin issues.
Cahill was started on a refeeding diet, and slowly began gaining weight. Shortly after arrival, on the first sunny day, Cahill was treated to a spa day. He got a medicated bath and was groomed head to toe. As his skin condition was healing, he ultimately lost most of his hair. He was nearly bald, but he seemed relieved. Once his weight and condition improved, his teeth were floated, hooves trimmed, deworming done, and vaccines updated. He was started on a daily med for his arthritis.
Cahill was a kind ol’ guy that enjoyed grooming and attention. He enjoyed other horses and was fairly passive in a herd environment, but didn’t have a lot of herd savvy. He did better in his own paddock beside or with another horse. He had some arthritis and was quite stiff in the hind end and we felt he would do best as a companion.
MAYA
Maya was a beautiful 12-14 year old-ish mare that was rescued by her former owner from extreme neglect and abuse. Maya was relinquished to AAE at the end of September 2016 when her owner was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and was no longer able to care for Maya or work with her due to her illness and terminal prognosis.
Upon veterinary exam, Maya was diagnosed with Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis or DSLD. Due to her DSLD, she would need a companion home with relatively flat ground where she will not be “forced” to move by other horses. Her teeth were floated, hooves trimmed, deworming done, and vaccines updated. She was started on a daily med for her DSLD.
Maya was untrusting when she arrived, but slowly began trusting humans and finally accepted haltering, fly masks, fly spray, and grooming. Maya was good with handling her front feet, but fearful of activity around her hind end and did not tolerate hind hoof handling without sedation.
We were excited when this duo was welcomed into their forever home together.
Their new family is thoroughly enjoying caring for them.
23 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
help horses in need as we move into a new year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
It’s AAE story-time! Horses of 2018:
Martina and Valentine
Martina and Valentine came to AAE from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in March 2018. Valentine was only days old. AAE has been supporting DreamCatcher’s herd reduction efforts since April of 2017 after the long illness and passing of their Executive Director, Barbara Clarke, in November of 2016.
Martina is a BLM branded mustang about nine years old. She appeared to have minimal human contact. Martina was thin and hungry with baby in tow, but she new where to go. She showed up at the barn with Valentine after not coming down for winter. Sadly, winter conditions at the sanctuary are fierce (for California anyway), and AAE got a call.
Martina was a great mom, but not interested in humans. She was given lots of time to be a mom and replenish her body. Initially, she was confident, and avoided humans like the plague. With intermittent rounds of human interaction, her curiosity and interest in humans is growing. We’re hoping by spring she’ll be ready for adoption to a mustang-experienced home.
Valentine was a curious and sassy little gal, with little human exposure as well. She wanted to know more about humans, but only from a distance. Valentine was a little toughie with a big opinion. She didn’t stray far from mom, so early efforts to handle her failed. Subsequent efforts were strongly avoided, but soon, she figured out no harm would come and humans were fun.
She’s still honing her skills, but she’s a smart little gal with a big future. Valentine is very active and athletic, and she enjoys romping around with the other youngsters. She will no doubt be fun partner to grow with in a long lasting relationship.
Valentine is current with vaccines and deworming. She is still learning about hoof care and farriers, but making very good progress. Valentine has a large umbilical hernia that needs surgical repair, and we are preparing to schedule soon. She’ll be ready for adoption once she has recovered.
If you want to donate to her umbilical hernia surgery click here
25 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!