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Little Filly Fund

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The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:

Donate today!

In the hustle and bustle of our busiest time of year, we have a critical case, an orphan filly that was not only rejected by mom, but reeling from the effects of mom’s rejection, malnourishment and selenium deficiency, topped of by stress of transport and dehydration.  She needs your help!

We go the call yesterday (4/5), a plea for assistance with an orphaned foal who was just a few hours old. She had been rejected by mom and needed help.

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So transport was arranged and off we went. She was about 4.5 hours away, but we met in the middle.  Gosh, what a precious lil’ filly we met, but it’s been a really rough start!  Unfortunately, she was very weak, and definitely in a fragile state.  She plopped down on the ground to rest, so we layed her down in the back seat and hightailed it back to Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center (LBEMC) to check her out.

Turns out she looked better than she was.  Her blood values were not good, and she was hospitalized.

Lots of attention and supportive measures were taken.  A catheter was placed, blood drawn, and meds administered.

We left her looking fairly good and feeling hopeful.

But with foals, things can change quickly.  A call at  midnight informed us her blood values moving in wrong direction, and we were being prepared for not so good news by morning.  HOWEVER, she was up and drinking milk replacer on her own, so that was good!

This morning, she was holding her own, but still quite sick. She was still getting up on her own and drinking her milk replacer with a good appetite. That offered some optimism to keep pushing forward.  This afternoon, she was up, she was eating, and her blood levels were finally trending in the right direction, and the 9p update is things are still moving in the right direction.

She wants to live! She’s a FIGHTER and AAE wants to support her as she continues her battle.

Although she’s not out of the woods, the docs think she’s moving in the right direction.  It likely she’s dealing with the results of being rejected by mom, and secondary effects resulting from mom’s malnourishment and selenium deficiency, as well as stressors from long transport and dehydration.  It’s a lot for any young, new life to endure.  Docs are hopeful that with 5 +/- days of hospitalization and supportive care, she has a good shot at a relatively normal life.  However, there is a chance there will be some long lasting effects, but it’s too early to know.  We need a few more days to have a better picture, but so far, the trend is good.

A BIG THANK YOU to the docs at LBEMC for their quick actions and the outstanding care provided for this little filly.  We are all hoping for continued progress.

Without hospitalization, she has little chance of survival at this point. The unfortunate reality is that we are looking at a big expense for this one little life, well over $5,000 to get there.  She needs your help.

If our big community can help in little bits, the hit isn’t so hard to any one, and for those that need, AAE is a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax deductible.

No donation is too small.  If everyone that can will help just a little, we can give this precious girl a chance to live a full life.

Some folks may think because of the costs that euthanasia is the better choice.  Fair enough, and if you feel that way, you are under no obligation to donate.  But if you are like many others and believe every life counts as long as there’s a good chance for a good quality of life, please help if you can.  Because this little girl has a good chance for a good quality of life, we think she deserves the opportunity.  This girl wants to live!

This little girl thanks YOU for caring enough to help her live.

“By saving the life of one horse, we may not be changing the world, but we are changing the world for that one horse.”  – Author Unknown

Please note, should there be excess funds, they will apply to future AAE veterinary needs.

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AHC Update: Register for the AHC’s Annual Meeting

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The following is an update from the American Horse Council:

Registration is open for the AHC’s 2017 Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum.  Registration information, along with a tentative schedule and link to make room reservations is available on the AHC website Events tab.

New this year, the AHC is offering discounted registration for those who register before  April 15th– so be sure to register as soon as possible! 

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The theme of the National Issues Forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, will be “The Power of Unity,” and will feature keynote speaker Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association. The Issues Forum will feature two panels: a Research Panel and a Youth Panel.

The Research Panel will be moderated by Allyn Mann of Luitpold Animal Health and will feature researchers from AQHA, AAEP, Grayson Jockey, Horses & Humans, and Colorado State University. The panel will focus on why research is important to our industry, and some of the research they have recently completed that is transforming the industry.

The Youth Leader Panel will be moderated by Julie Broadway & Dannette McGuire of the American Youth Horse Council and will include youth leaders from Arabian Horse Youth Association, Harness Horse Youth Foundation, US Pony Club, AMHA and AQHA. They will focus on what their respective organizations are doing to engage youth and give attendees some insight as to what the industry should be doing in order to remain relevant to the younger generation.

The AHC will also provide an overview of its new Strategic Plan, and Tom Zitt of the Innovation Group will give attendees an update on the progress of the 2017 Economic Impact Study. Two members of Congress have also been invited to speak on why the horse industry means so much to them and what we can do to ensure it remains successful and thriving. Finally, in a new part to the Issues Forum, breakout group discussions will take place at the end of the presentations with various topics being discussed.

The AHC’s Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum is the only meeting where every single segment of the equine industry meets! We hope you will take advantage of the discounted registration if you register before April 15th.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the AHC at info@horsecouncil.org or 202.296.4031.

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A Happy Update for Rio the Rescued Mini Horse

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The following is an update from HorseChannel. 

ADOPTION ALERT! This handsome, and spunky mini is going home! Rio came to DEFHR with Quest in August 2015. Rio had spent most of life life isolated in a stall by himself. Upon arriving at DEFHR, he stole Michelle’s heart. She quickly became his unofficial mama and today it is official! Congratulations Michelle and Rio!

Back in August of 2015, we brought you a story on two rescued horses, Quest and Rio, who had been discovered after 15 years of neglect. The pair, along with another horse called Piper, had been locked in their stalls with minimal food and most likely no veterinary care. Most striking was the result of their total lack of hoof care. The horses’ feet were measured at approximately three feet long, so overgrown that they curled back on themselves several times over.

The three horses were rescued by the Humane Society of Washington County, Maryland, and Days End Farm Horse Rescue with the hope that it wasn’t too late for the horses to be rehabilitated with the veterinary and farrier care and nutrition they had lacked for so long. Unfortunately, Piper was euthanized at the farm due to the extent of her injuries and neglect. But Quest and Rio moved to Days End Farm to begin their recovery.

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Reversing the overgrown hooves in a case as severe as Quest’s and Rio’s isn’t as simple as chopping off the excess hoof. It took months of careful farrier work to bring their feet back to a near-normal length, and care continues to get them to a condition that could be considered completely healthy. But both geldings are worlds ahead of where they were a year ago. And just this month, Rio got the happy ending that rescuers had hoped for. He has a forever home.

Herald-Mail Media reports that the Mini Horse was adopted by Michelle Marraccini, a Days End Farm volunteer who has known Rio since he first arrived at the rescue. His teeth and hooves are in much better shape and his weight has reached a healthy level. He still has some lameness issues that may never fully resolve, but he’s learning to trust humans and live with other horses.

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Media Roundup is now UHC Roundup

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The following is an update from the UHC Roundup.

The Media Roundup is now the UHC Roundup, a publication with a new name and a broader scope.  In addition to news articles and events, the UHC Roundup highlights member programs and success stories spanning all breeds, disciplines, and regions, plus it has a new photo feature and a link to the UHC Blog.

If you wish to share your story of unwanted horses becoming wanted again, contact UHC Director, Jennifer Purcell, at jpurcell@horsecouncil.org.

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In The News

More than three dozen articles about programs and events to help unwanted horses were published in October. Click on the title to read the full article.

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AWHP Update: Feds Broke Law In Wild Horse Roundup

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LATE BREAKING UPDATE:

This is an update from the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.

We have been fighting for five long years to stop the BLM’s wipeout of Wyoming’s wild horses. Today, for the second time this week, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has handed wild horses a major legal victory! The court ruled that the BLM broke two federal laws when it rounded up 1,262 wild horses from the Wyoming Checkerboard in 2014.

unnamedThis is huge! It means that the BLM’s proposed 2016 Checkerboard roundup is also illegal! The BLM just notified the court that it was pulling the plug on this latest roundup of 500 wild horses, which was scheduled to start on October 18! Not only that, the decision permanently prevents BLM from treating the public lands as private and allowing ranchers to dictate whether or not wild horses will be allowed to live on our public lands. 

This is our third major victory for wild horses in just over a month! On Monday, the Tenth Circuit ruled that BLM is not required to remove horses from public lands just because the population exceeds arbitrarily-established population limits. And on September 9, the BLM dropped plans to conduct dangerous surgical sterilization experiments on wild horses in Oregon, citing the lawsuit filed by AWHPC and The Cloud Foundation as the reason for its decision.

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Read more about the Tenth Circuit’s precedent-setting decision and savor this latest victory for wild horses and burros.

We are proud to tell you that we succeeded in stopping anti-mustang ranchers and their political allies once again!

Yesterday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out a lawsuit filed by the State of Wyoming against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) demanding the removal of hundreds of wild horses from public lands in that state.

This is our second major victory for wild horses in just over a month! On September 9, the BLM announced that it was dropping its plan to conduct cruel and risky surgical sterilization experiments on wild mares, citing the lawsuit we filed with our coalition partner The Cloud Foundation as the reason for its decision.

Unfortunately, there is no time to pause for celebration.  We’re actively defending wild horses in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California and we need your help to score more legal victories for wild horses and burros!

It’s hard to overstate the importance of yesterday’s decision. This precedent-setting ruling should put a stop to several frivolous lawsuits that have been filed by pro-ranching interests across the West. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has now soundly rejected the ranchers’ spurious claim that the BLM is required to remove wild horses from the range once their populations exceed the arbitrarily-established “appropriate” management levels (AMLs).

AWHPC is pleased to have funded and led this legal fight, in which we were joined by The Cloud Foundation, Return to Freedom and photographers Carol Walker and Kimerlee Curyl.

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You can help keep the wins coming for wild horses and burros! Please donate as generously as you can to our litigation fund today.

Thanks to your support, our wild horses and burros have a powerful legal team to defend them against anti-mustang assaults!

In Freedom,

Suzanne Roy, Executive Director

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Hands-on help in bid to improve lives of Tanzania’s working equines

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cahw-picha-tanzaniaMAWO, a non-profit organization, was founded by Johnson Lyimo in 2016, and its hands-on work with animals including rabies vaccination clinics, donkey vaccination and spay days and weekly dog dipping. But MAWO also contributes much of its time into educating the younger generations on animal welfare. We believe this is where the change will begin.

Johnson Lyimo stands proud in his community as an animal rights ‘activist’ but holds respect among others for the way he shows it. Education is key.

As of now MAWO is running hands-on animal welfare workshops in schools and communities; it is the tip of the iceberg but we are seeing a difference. We teach ‘stand proud and feel committed for your animals’. Take on responsibility.

Beside that we spin weekly and monthly, veterinary clinics (It’s Africa Time Anything Can Happen) in varied locations throughout Tanzania, one place being Lorborsoit. This was where I saw distress in an animals’ eyes I had never seen before. Not on a large scale, some were looked after but there were a few that were forgotten.

Equine Welfare on the Rise in Minnesota

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This is excerpted from an article by Kyle Kuphal in the Lakefield Standard.

The condition of Minnesota’s horses is on the rise after a dramatic increase in investigations into horse welfare during the Great Recession. To continue the positive trend, experts encourage people to learn what it takes to care for a horse before purchasing one.

Between 2008 and 2013, the Humane Society was called in to investigate the conditions of an average 1,400 horses a year, a 400 percent increase over previous years, according to the University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension. The number of horses in the state has remained level at over 92,000, but the number of investigations into their welfare has decreased in 2014 and 2015 to an average of 894. Horse experts in the state attribute the improvement in horse welfare to an improved economy, preventative measures and education.

“Education is really important,” said Krishona Martinson, U of M Extension equine specialist. “The more research they can do, before buying a horse, the better.”
Horses can live into their 30s, so purchasing one is a long-term commitment. Martinson said basic nutrition and health needs can cost between $1,500 and $2,000 a year.
“I think it’s a shock to people how much they eat,” said Nancy Turner, president of the board of This Old Horse, a non-profit horse rescue located near Hastings, noting that a horse can eat around 20 pounds of forage each day.

Horses also require adequate space and accommodations. Martinson said a minimum of 400 square feet per horse is recommended for an outdoor dry lot or turn-out, and access to shelter and shade is a must. Extension also recommends two acres of pasture per adult horse.