The American Horse Council (AHC) is pleased to announce that 2018 National Issues Forum will take place on Tuesday, June 12th at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. The theme will be “Let’s Capitalize On It!” and will focus on ways the equine industry can learn and grow from both equine and outside industry segments as well as expanding technology beneficial to both humans and equines.
“This year we wanted to bring in a combination of equine industry and outside industry speakers,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “It’s always interesting to hear from outside segments about what they are doing to cultivate their own industries and how the equine industry itself can learn and grow from what they are doing. Additionally, we thought it would be fascinating to gain some insight into new technologies that are not only enhancing human lives, but equine ones as well.”
The Forum will kick of Tuesday with speaker Luis Benitez, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, where he will give an overview of his roles and responsibilities, as well as explain how other states could adopt a similar model. Following Mr. Benitez will be a panel titled “Survey Says” and will examine various data trends within the equine industry over the past several years. The morning will also include a youth engagement panel, “Building the pipeline of future horse enthusiasts,” and will feature representatives from the PGA “First Tee” program, Outdoor Industry Association’s “Outdoor Nation,” and the Center for Creative Leadership.
The afternoon session will start with Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). AZA is a nonprofit association dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science and recreation. Fran Jurga who will examine emerging technologies in the equine industry in a segment “CES 2017- Equestrian Style.” The afternoon will also include panels of Congressional representatives, and equine aftercare, followed by round table discussion on topics of interests.
New this year, vendors will be set up to provide live demonstrations of emerging technologies including health monitoring sensors for horses and virtual reality demonstrations.
The AHC’s Annual Meeting will take place Sunday, June 10th – Monday, June 11thwhere the various committees of the AHC will meet. The Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum are open to both AHC members and non-members- we encourage anyone involved in the equine industry to attend to learn about new developments and how they can become involved!
AHC Encourages Horse Industry to Complete 2018 Ag Census
The USDA is a little more than one week away from the 2017 Census of Agriculture response deadline of February 5. The American Horse Council (AHC) would like to remind farmers and ranchers of the importance of their input. A national press release was sent out this week and individuals can find it, as well as past census press releases, at www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/ . Also on the census website are video messages from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, testimonials, the latest ads, and more at www.agcensus.usda.gov/Partners/.
The response rate for the census has been good across much of the United States. However, from the southeast across to Arizona, the return rate has been slightly lower compared to other parts of the country. States with lower return rates at this point are Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. It is important to note that these states have a considerable equine presence, and it is important to make the horse industry impact in these states known.
The AHC will release the National Economic Impact of the United States Equine Industry study later this month, and we are fortunate to be able to have our information come out the same year as the national agricultural census. The population figures the USDA collect, while not comprehensive, are also crucial for the equine industry and the efforts of the AHC here on Capitol Hill.
JANUARY 2018
The UHC Roundup is an online publication that compiles news articles and events related to unwanted horses. It highlights UHC member programs and success stories spanning all breeds, disciplines, and regions.If you wish to share your story of unwanted horses becoming wanted again, contact the UHC at afurst@horsecouncil.org.
UHC NEWS
UHC Announces New Program ‘Operation Chip’
Starting in 2018, the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) will be offering a new service to its popular Operation Gelding program called “Operation Chip.”
“My horse dream did not come true as a child. My family situation just didn’t allow for the luxury of horse ownership. So I grew up, got married, raised a family, and got to see the world thanks to Uncle Sam, …. but I always held onto my dream.”
It was in 2009 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale that bloodstock agent Mike McMahon first laid eyes on a dark bay colt that would eventually be named Believe In You.
2,341 stallions gelded $154,275 in funding provided 186 gelding clinics supported
Clinics offered in 33 states 306 vouchers distributedUPCOMING CLINICS January 17, 22, 24, 2018
KSU College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, KS January 27, 2018
Edisto Equine Clinic, Yonges Island, SC February 13, 2018
Waller Equine Hospital, Waller, TX April 11, 2018
VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA April 28, 2018
Horse Haven of Tennessee/University of Tennessee Vet Med, Lancing, TNClick HERE to see full list of clinics.
We received an urgent call for a baby mustang who is fighting for his life, but at this point barely hanging on. I apologize for the photo, but it is what we have and it clearly shows he is starving to death and in extremely critical shape. If you look closely, you can see his top line is completely exposed and simply skin over bones.
His coat is ragged and he is obviously wormy and most likely has ticks. When babies get this thin (adults too), the body starts eating itself to survive. (Honeybandit’s blood work showed his body was in that mode). That is when you start getting organ damage internally. He has been getting good food, but he obviously needs immediate attention to his health issues. As he is in urgent need of critical care, Matt will be leaving tomorrow to go get him.
We are delivering 3 horse kids on the way to WA, so although we will have a couple spaces here, Racoon needs to go immediately to the quarantine nursery. Thankfully, Matt just finished the inside stall this morning. (They say timing is everything lol).
We need to purchase stall mats and some panels for an exercise pen so he can begin his rehab once we get him home.
We need help with expenses for fuel, Coggins, vet care and special groceries for this baby. We are not sure if he will be ok but we are going to give it our all. We do have to finish his nursery prior to his arrival and we would really appreciate any help you can give this baby.
Please help us give “Racoon” a chance to live a long and healthy life. He needs immediate care so he won’t have to suffer anymore and we also need prayers that too much damage to his internal organs has not occurred. He was not expected to live this long, so it is obvious he is a fighter.
We are already in contact with the vet in his area so we will be working closely together to give him the best chance possible. Please help if you can!
Baby season is coming early this year.
I am still on crutches but will have to stay home to feed and take care of the critters.The timing isn’t convenient, but when God puts a “baby in need”, in front of you, you just “git ‘er done”. Babies can’t wait. Please say a prayer for Raccoon and help us save him if you can.
Thank you for all the love and support and all the lives you’ve saved! We could not do this without you!
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives..
What we have all accomplished in 2017 is beyond amazing. Y’all have made it possible to save so many lives. Please remember, every single horse that was saved in South Dakota was partially due to the love and support you continue to show. Our rescue spent a great deal of money on that situation. Although it was only a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of thousands donated by the big organizations, for us the thousands plus that we spent was mind blowing. YOU DID THAT!You made it possible for Matt and I to do what we had to do. In turn, we made it possible for FOA to do what they did. Elaine Nash and Barbara Jo Rasmussen also are partially responsible for the hundreds that we saved this year. If they hadn’t stepped up and taken on the re-homing of the horses at ISPMB, we wouldn’t have been able to save all those orphans and all the families that you helped us save his year. So by working together, the affects reach further and further down the line without us even realizing it.
I wanted to share this. As one of our favorite “family members” so eloquently said,
“Hi Lauri! My name is Tina. I am the mother of the young girl you are referring to in your post above. I have to THANK YOU for bringing Frosty into my daughter’s life. Frosty lights up her world! Your rescue efforts trickle down to giving a young girl the ability to use her determination, compassion, and love to pour into this sweet and gentle boy! She absolutely loves him. Thank you!
I am going to post a few pictures of Madelyn and Frosty’s growing relationship. Enjoy! :)
As you can see, kindness and love trickle down and keep on going. ALL OF YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN! An old blind stallion who most likely would have not had much of a chance because he was “too old to geld” as well as being blind, now is in the perfect place. THANK YOU!!!
I know it seems that sometimes we take on a lot of the “lost causes”. But these are the ones who need the most help. Lots of people can help with the “easy ones”, but at Chilly Pepper we have seen more miracles than even seems possible. I don’t believe in killing a horse because it is inconvenient. I truly believe God puts them in front of us so we can do what is best for them.
I am sorry it has taken so long to do this update, but we started the Christmas Holidays with some heartbreak. We lost my lil brother Tim, 4 days before Christmas. His passing was a complete shock and like everyone who loses family, we simply needed some quiet time.
So many folks have been asking for a leg update. Well the good news is that the Doc said it looks great as far as the break healing. The scary news is that Doc also wants me to start seeing his joint specialist. He is afraid I will end up with a Catastrophic Failure of my total knee. (I guess once they are over 10 years old they can fail?) Of course I haven’t told him yet that it’s baby season and that means we will most likely be crazy busy again. I can say I am not looking forward to them taking the rod out of my leg.
So we are back on the proverbial horse, and working like crazy to get the kids their new homes and figure out where our new “permanent residences” fit in with the other kids.
So I am still on crutches but hoping to keep healing quickly. It has been really hard not being able to do much with the horses, especially with so many critters here.
We have a couple of guys who need to be gelded, and lots and lots of hoofers to get trimmed. We think that Kyle (our long yearling draft) is starting to stand a bit higher on those front legs. The vet said if he doesn’t improve he may only be comfy for 3-4 years? So we are praying that with special feed he will be another miracle. It’s go time now, and we need to be ready for the upcoming foals, so we are getting the new quarantine area ready to go.
Thank you and God bless you for sharing this wonderful journey with us and for making the Chilly Pepper family so amazing.
Thank you for all the love and support and all the lives you’ve saved! We could not do this without you! Another one of our “too old to geld, blind stallions“. The day he walked up and said hi I swear he knew it was a life saving moment.
If you want to help You can go to You Caring – to help us keep saving lives..
If you contacted Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to protect the Virginia Range wild horses – thank you.
You may have received an email response from the Governor’s office outlining “criteria” for the state’s ill-conceived plan to give away the 3,000 Virginia Range wild horses. Unfortunately, what the Governor failed to even mention is that by the state giving away the horses, the state and citizens would have NO power to stop the new owner from killing healthy horses. The state can have whatever “criteria” or “intent” it wants — but the final decisions about the horses’ fate would rest with the new OWNER. The horses would be deemed privately-owned and would be subject to all laws pertaining to domestic horses/livestock (e.g. branding laws, liability laws, etc.)
The Governor and his Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) know that transferring ownership of these horses to a private party is not viable especially from a liability perspective. Currently, under Nevada law, the state owns the horses and is exempt from any liability of damage or injury caused by the horses. This exemption from liability would not pertain to any private owner of the horses. Thus, the transfer of the 3,000 horses to a private entity that has good intentions for the horses is not practical. AWHC strongly believes that no legitimate advocacy organization could take on this type of liability.
While what the Governor wrote sounds nice. However, the Governor and NDA are disingenuous when they asssert that this is in the interest of protecting and preserving the horses because their scheme cannot be implemented as advertised.
Lastly, we need to remind you that the only supporters of this giveaway plan is Protect the Harvest, the organization lobbying to legalize the killing of America’s wild horses and burros, and ranchers who have long pushed to kill wild horses.
Please let us know if you have questions. We stand ready, as we always have been, to resume the public/private partnership for all aspects of humane management of the Virginia Range horses.
AHC’s Tax Bulletin is Sponsored by The American Horse Council keeps you up to date with important tax court cases and regulations with its bi-monthly Tax Bulletin. The Tax Bulletin is a member benefit, and thus is not intended for reproduction. For more information on federal legislation, equine health and regulatory issues, taxes, animal welfare, racing, recreation, and showing please visit our website at www.horsecouncil.org .
Horse Industry Faces New Tax Landscape in 2018
Following President Trump’s signing of the new tax law on December 22, federal policy makers began immediately to discuss the likelihood of moving legislation in 2018 to address technical changes and clarifications to the 1100 page law. While AHC takes a deeper dive into the tax law to address in more detail those provisions having a direct impact on the horse industry, please click to lin below to login and view the highlights that will impact your tax filing for Fiscal Year 2018.
Tax Court Rules Owner Did Not Operate Horse Activity as a Business for Profit
By Thomas A. Davis, Esq., Davis & Harman, LLP
Since childhood, the taxpayer has been an amateur horsewoman. In 2005, she started Big Dog Farms (BDF) for the purpose of breeding, selling, and showing horses. Operations at BDF ceased in 2011.
Horse Owners Ability to Utilize a Section 179 Deduction Against Income from Multiple Active Trades or Businesses
By: Joel B. Turner, Esq. and Nelson D. Rhodes IV, Frost Brown Todd, Lexington, KY
While the Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”) allows taxpayers to deduct from taxable income all ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out an active trade or business, generally, when purchasing tangible business assets with a useful life greater than a taxable year, the asset must be capitalized rather than deducted from business income for the year the property is placed in service. Under the Code, taxpayers are generally allowed to take an annual depreciation deduction for the wear, tear, and deterioration of their capitalized tangible property used in an active trade or business over an applicable recovery period. For race horses, the current applicable recovery period is 3-years from the time the horse is placed in service (i.e., begins training). For broodmares and stallions, the current applicable recovery period is 7-years.
The AHC Tax Bulletin is a digest of current tax developments affecting the horse industry. The AHC Tax Bulletin is for informational purposes only and not intended to take the place of professional tax counsel.
2017 was a very special year, and we are glad we got to share it with you.
We hope you enjoyed the stories and thank you for your continuing support during
the Deck the Stalls campaign. Although we haven’t reached our goal, we are in a much better position to get ready for another year of horse rescue.
In 2017, AAE started the year with 35 horses in our care. We took in 36 horses, and we adopted 33. That’s an intake to adoption ratio of about 92 percent!! Intakes were due to a variety of reasons including two orphan foals (Rascal and Cowboy), Blue – the mustang with the large mass on its leg, an abandoned horse with a rope around it’s neck, a neglected and emaciated horse, several senior horses in need, and many wild horses and burros in need. Sadly but compassionately, we helped four of our horses cross the Rainbow Bridge due to severe colic and pain/quality of life issues.
With 2017 in the books we are now focusing on the great stories we will be creating in 2018. Our goal is for each of these adoptable horses to find permanent homes this year!
(Please note in “special instructions” that you are purchasing a calendar and if you need us to mail yours, kindly add $3 for shipping.)
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
1 Day Left, AAE Residents!
The heart of our volunteer activities begin with our residents. it all begins with our minis, ponies, and our full-sized horses. Our new volunteers learn about basic care and handling with our most reliable, trustworthy, and dependable horses. They have their stories, too, but we don’t often talk about them because their story came and went. Let’s revisit….
RUSTY
Rusty is our 31, soon to be 32-year old Arabian gelding that came to us in 2010 due to a financial distress and an impending deployment situation. Rusty was loved beyond words, but his mom knew she couldn’t give him what he needed, and she worried that when she was deployed, there wouldn’t be anyone experienced enough to provide the care he needed for as long as it might be. So she made the difficult decision to find a safe home for him.
Shortly after he arrived, we discovered some really nasty summer sores on his “private parts”. Sadly, they were well hidden, and they were discovered during his vet exam. It took several vet visits for cleaning with sedation before he healed. A while later, we found a sarcoid in his ear that started getting irritated and growing. Ear sarcoids are challenging to treat because the meds can spread into the ear canal and damage the inner ear. Once again, Rusty had several rounds of treatment with Dr. Stolba until his ear finally healed. Fortunately, it has been several years, and the sarcoid has not returned.
Rusty has been an AAE steady since he got here. Early on, he gave lessons. Then he became our go to guy for birthday parties and kids programs. He has given many a child their first horseback ride! He’s also one of our favorites for new volunteers. Many of our new volunteers come to AAE with no horse experience. Some haven’t been around horses since they were a child. Rusty is one we can count on to take good care of the newbies. They love him, and so do our veteran volunteers.
Some call him Grandpa Rusty or Uncle Rusty, too. He loves the youngsters. When Rusty is turned out with the herd, you might find him acting like Rico Suave, as he swaggers up to the girls. Or, you might see him acting like a young buck, rearing and playing with the boys. He’s the best. We love this ol’ guy to the moon and back! Typical of a older horse, he’s worth his weight in gold!
KAYA
Kaya came to AAE in 2014. She was rescued by another group at auction in Nevada after outbidding the slaughter-buyer, then placed with AAE. Kaya was a 20-something ranch horse that had been neglected. She was lame in front when she unloaded, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise. Her hooves were excessively long, and she had on an old pair of shoes. It looked like she was months past due for a trim and new shoes. It took considerable time to work through her hoof issues. Initially, you could see she was sore if you asked her to move any faster than a walk. She would trot, barely, and surely couldn’t lope. Fortunately, we stuck with it and when we finally got her hooves “unjammed”, we noticed her running with the herd. This girl could gallop!
Kaya is a true gem. She was a diamond in the rough. She IS the most dependable, trustworthy, reliable, and safe horse we have at AAE. Ask her for anything, and she’ll give you everything. She’s a party girl, too. The kids love her. She loves the kids. They could dress her like a doll, if they tried.
Kaya is another senior horse worth her weight in gold.
KASEY
Kasey came to AAE in Spring 2016 with his big buddy, Angus, and his little pal, Daisy after a family health issue. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Angus earlier this year. Kasey is a 21-ish Clydesdale. A gentle giant is truly what he is. Kasey has a working history as a driving horse. We were told he has a tremendous amount of experience working anywhere from a team of two to a team of eight. Prior to retirement, he competed at the Draft Horse Classic.
Kasey is a big, handsome, lovely hunk of horse. He loves attention. He loves being groomed. He’s simply a big happy guy that enjoys every moment of every interaction. Well, maybe not every, like standing patiently for all four of his big heavy hooves to be trimmed or shod. He’s got some arthritis so sometimes it’s hard for him to stand on any one leg for an extended period. As big as he is, he’s pretty agreeable to most anything you ask, but beware of the head. You don’t want to be on that side when he turns to see what the heck that noise was. Big head meeting little head: big head wins!
Kasey and Angus were the first drafts to come through AAE, and we hope they won’t be the last. If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting one of these big guys, you must. Be sure to visit sometime or get out to the Draft Horse Classic. They are special. Kasey is special!!!
SIERRA
Sierra was one of the founding horses of AAE. She was a feedlot rescue that came to AAE with her two boys, Dayton and Clayton, in July 2009. She’s gotta be getting close to 20 by now. Clayton’s mom had shipped to slaughter, and he was left behind at the feedlot to fend for himself. We can all imagine the horror that must have been for him. Sierra and Dayton adopted him. Actually, Clayton nursed on Sierra, and neither Sierra nor Dayton objected. Reality, they were probably too weak to care. The trio came to AAE in such sad condition. Sierra was depleted. She was skin and bones, and the boys were thin and pretty banged up. Sierra’s body was working overtime feeding two lil guys, and she had little energy left for herself. Her eyes were weepy, as if teary, and her head hung low. Her hooves long, her hair falling out, and her mane dead. Poor mare, but she fought so hard to live.
At AAE, we were only able to halter her because she was literally too tired to resist. It wasn’t until a little later that we realized she probably hadn’t been haltered before, and she surely didn’t know how to lead. Thankfully, she was willing to learn. She took such amazing care of the boys, watching over them with her wisdom, always. Slowly, she gained weight and started looking like a horse again. Much to our shock one day after she had been here a month or so, we looked over, and she had a long, bloody strand hanging from her vulva. My heart sank. We had only been in the horse rescue world for a couple months, and we hadn’t established with a vet yet. We called all the nearby vets, but none could come on an emergency call. After hanging up from the last one, much to my horror, there was the reason in the distance. Sierra lost a baby. Sierra had passed a stillborn fetus that looked to be about about four months along. It was horribly sad. Not only for the loss of baby and mom’s loss of baby, but for mom. What she must have been through. It sheds some light on how hard her body had been fighting for life. Not only her life, but she was supporting her lil’ guy and another mama’s little guy, and baby, too.
That IS Sierra. She takes care of everyone at the sacrifice of herself. That has been Sierra from day one. In 2009/2010, we had 12 foals at AAE. Our focus was mare/foal pairs and pregnant mares. Sierra was like Grandma to all, even some of the moms. You’d look out in pasture, and you would see Sierra eating from a tub, and she would be surrounded by five or six foals and another mom or two. Always!
Even today! Sierra has since been the matriarch of the herd. No matter how many horses come and go, she is queen bee. Everyone looks to her. She has that presence; she has the look. She’s had several mares challenge her along the way, but in the end, Sierra it is!
Sierra has not been an easy mare to handle. She has some deep seated trust issues, and no doubt someone did her seriously wrong at some point. She’s got a strong spirit; it’s palpable. She’s one you recognize the privilege it is to be in her presence, to touch her, to feel her. Sierra is a very special mare.
DANNY
We shared Danny’s story earlier, but he’s so special and now a resident, he’s worth sharing again for anyone that may have missed it. Danny‘s story isn’t one of neglect, abandonment, abuse, or poor care. Sadly, it’s one of human health and aging. Danny was loved beyond words. So much, his former owner considered euthanizing him rather than risk him having difficulties transitioning to a new home, ending up in a bad home, or worse, the fear of auctions and the slaughter pipeline.
Fortunately, the timing was right and Danny has a couple special people in his life that paved the way for him to get to AAE. Danny is the most kind, mellow, and affectionate horse we have known, and we are grateful he landed with us. Danny‘s owner’s health was failing, and she was unable to provide ongoing care for him any longer. Danny is 27. He knew no other owner, as he was born to her mare. Mama rejected him for four days, and on the 5th day, she finally accepted him. Danny spent those four days with his surrogate mom while she held mom and made sure he was able to nurse. It was a rocky start, but Danny and his other mom grew a bond like no other. She trained him; she rode him; they competed together. They spent 27 years together until they had to say good bye, and not because of death. To say it was a sad day when we loaded Danny in the trailer is an understatement. We all shed tears.
Danny will stay on with AAE as a resident, helping new volunteers learn about horses. He will also participate in youth activities and any other related equine programs where we need a most trustworthy and dependable horse. We are lucky to have this ol’ guy, and I think he’s enjoying befriending volunteers and visitors, alike. Danny, you are loved!
FINN
Finn was born at AAE in April 2014. Finn’s mom, Kai, was one of a group of mares rescued from one of the Nevada auction’s. Mom had been here about seven weeks when she delivered Finn. He was this precious little palomino package.
Sadly, mom had dripped milk for a week before a difficult delivery, and Finn didn’t get any colostrum. He and mom were examined after delivery, and poor little Finn had no antibodies. He got a plasma transfusion to boost his immunity. It wasn’t enough though. At about three weeks, he contracted some “bug”, and he was passing neon green diarrhea. It was really bad diarrhea, and we all know how susceptible our little guys are when diarrhea strikes. Finn was given fluids and antibiotics, but his condition worsened. We ended up administering fluids and meds, and we were with him pretty much 24/7 for about 10 days before he stabilized and we could breathe a sigh of relief.
Finn grew to be a handsome young lad, but trouble he was! He was adopted when he was bout 14 months old, but it wasn’t long lasted. He came back about six months later because he was a bit of a trouble-maker. Must be why we love him so much! He’s been a volunteer favorite ever since, and since Uncle Dayton left for Colorado, Finn was the perfect guy to take his place. Hoping to start Finn under saddle in 2018. He’s ready! He has some time to grow into one of our dependable, trusty steeds, and look forward to his journey to a “dopey” old man.
So, many of our good stories involve senior horses. Senior horses! Senior horses are worth their weight in gold. Sadly, so many people think an old horse is a throw away horse. More sadly, so many more people won’t consider an old horse when looking for a new horse because they are an “old” horse. My biggest wish for 2018 is that more people open their eyes and hearts to everything an “old” horse has to offer….the joys, the wonder, the wisdom, and the love of an old horse. Old horses may be old. They may not have a lot of years left to give, but they give you everything they’ve got. They’ve been there, they’ve done it. They’ve lived it, they’ve learned it. When you consider pairing a 1,000 pound horse next with a child, consider a wise old horse over a young inexperienced horse any day! For a small child that wants to learn, a few good years with an old horse is so much better than a few years with a “bad” horse or worse, a few moments with a young, not so wise horse.
If you are enjoying our stories and
would like to help more horses get the help they need,
1 day to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next 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!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
It’s another cold one today but I am feeling very grateful… I’m not living on Mt. Washington, in Northern NH where the temperature was MINUS 78 degrees this morning!!! I’m also very grateful for all our wonderful supporters who have already helped us get closer to our end of the year fund raising goal of $35,000.
I’m writing to encourage any of you reading this who have not yet made a donation to please do what you can to help. Reach underneath those couch cushions and send what you find! Every bit really does make a difference. Our supporters are the best. I have become friends with so many who have adopted from us, who donate to us and even those who just call for advice in dealing with issues they may be having with their donkey or mule. Making these friends is a huge bonus of the job.
We currently have one, fantastic, full time paid employee. But we have reached the point in our growth that in order to sustain the level of care the animals require and deserve, another part time employee is needed. With the new tax laws taking effect donation write offs will be subject to change. So NOW is the time!
Every penny we receive goes toward the care of the animals. Again, I am very, very grateful for the funds raised thus far. Please, on this last day of the year, do whatever you can do to help us continue our mission.
I wish everyone all good things in the coming year. May we see more peace, love, and kindness toward each other as well as our animal friends.
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
2 Days Left, Mighty Mini Ones!
Every day throughout the year, our mini herd is here to put smiles on the faces of our volunteers and visitors. Our little guys are some of the best ambassadors for AAE and horses alike. Each has his or her own story of how they came to AAE.
PATCHES
Patches, the little princess, ha ha! Patches is an older mini (20-something) that came to AAE from a dog rescue in Fall 2012. She was on the thin side and a bit lonely. We thought she’d be perfect for the kids around AAE. Little did we know, kids weren’t her forte. She tolerated them at best. Patches idea of a job is eating. Eating hay, eating grass, eating pellets, eating anything. Really, eating everything. If Patches isn’t eating, she isn’t happy, haha. Patches is cutest when she trots down to the barn for her morning treat. She bounces, she smiles, excitement exudes from the tips of her hair. The trail back to the “farm”, on the other hand, is a slow, dreary trip. Ho hum! Really, Patches is adorable. She’s a little sass, and a little sweet. She’s the perfect Thelwell pony that needs a story written after her.
MARSHMALLOW
You met Marshmallow earlier this month, but now you can hear the rest of the story. Marshy-man came to AAE in March 2014. He was quite sickly. He had been at another rescue, and they were unable to solve his problems. He had been rescued once by this rescue, gone to a therapy home, and returned to be rescued again. The back story isn’t entirely clear, but what we know is that Marshy was a sick guy when he came to AAE. This was not long after he arrived.
He was bony. He lacked muscle tone. His eyes said it all. Marshy was eating but wasn’t holding weight and he wasn’t feeling good at all. He’d stand parked out and wait for discomfort to pass. We tried a variety of things from diet to meds. He would have short periods of relief, but nothing helped for any length of time. Nothing stuck.
With the help of Dr. Stolba and Dr. Fielding throughout and an array of diagnostics one step at a time, we finally learned Marshy had an intestinal issue. His intestinal walls were much thicker than normal, so he wasn’t absorbing nutrients like a normal intestine. Fortunately, once the issue was identified, we were able to help him with medication. Thank goodness!! This little guy is truly a remarkable horse. Unlike Patches (hehe), he LOVES kids. He LOVES activity. He LOVES people. He LOVES working. He LOVES life! He’s a kind, curious, gentle old soul. And he is old (at least 20-something, probably more), but he would say “PTHHH, no I’m not!” Marshy has put smiles on so many faces at AAE. We were so saddened when he developed rapid onset cataracts last year. BUT, we were so thrilled last year when you all came to the rescue and helped Marshy regain sight in one eye. Marshy is a gift to everyone that meets him, and our AAE community has been such a gift to him. Marshy thanks you, we all thank you!!
DAISY
Daisy is a little (not) mini donk that came to AAE in 2016 with her gentle giants, Kasey and Angus, after a family health crisis. Daisy ruled the roost with her massive counterparts, and it was quite evident in her waistline. She’s lost quite a bit of weight since coming to AAE, and she could still benefit from losing a bit more. Check out that neck. Gotta love those ears!
Daisy is one of our teachers at AAE. All the new volunteers are privileged to meet this girl, and no doubt most would like to call her a three letter word (*ss) before the day is done. She teaches many of the volunteers what persistence and stubborn go together. She teaches many that not all hooved creatures are like all others. Daisy has a subtle way of teaching many what “humble pie” is. Truly, she is the sweetest, cutest, and most stubborn lil’ critter around AAE. That being said, treat her with kindness, and she will oblige. We LOVE her to pieces.
ROBBIE & FLAME
These two special boys came to AAE in 2016, not because they weren’t lavished with love or not cared for. Theirs was a downsizing effort, and we’re so thankful we had the opportunity to welcome these “mature” gents to our herd. They came at just the right time. Marshy had lost his vision and we did not think he would be able to “entertain” kids and teach new volunteers. Robbie is a handsome and talented guy. He enjoys working with the kids, celebrating birthday parties, walking in parades, and being a bossy guy in the mini herd. Really, he has a secret crush on Patches, but wants everyone to think he’s just the big man on the block. Go get ’em Robbie, you’re da’ man!
Flame is more the gent of the two. He’s loves attention, he loves working, he loves to entertain, and like Marshy, he loves life. He’s a happy-go-lucky little one. He and Marshy make a great team, now only if they’d like each other! PTHHHH!!! These two are the perfect blend of perfect, but they’re like oil and water when together. For now, they have paddocks next door to each other and they are like grumpy old men when it comes to the “two” of them. Maybe they’ll become the “Odd Couple”, bicker, bicker, bicker but hate to be apart. ‘Til then, the four minis and the donk get playtime in the arena together, and some days, it’s really a great show.
SPARKY
Sparky isn’t a mini, but he’s part of our little’s crew. Sparky was one of the first arrivals at AAE in 2009. He came from a backyard breeder that raised ponies on a small lot in a mobile home development. There were about 8-10 adult ponies, including a stallion, and a few youngsters. Sparky was with his mom, and he was only a few weeks old. They were kept in small pens and had no real turnout. Their hooves were long, and they were sad. Loading onto the trailer and coming to AAE was an adventure!
Sparky is another entertainer. He’s an absolute character. Give him an inch, he’ll take it a mile. Treat him with kindness, and he’ll do the same in return, usually. He’s another teacher in the bunch.
There are lots of Sparky stories here, but he tells ’em best in person.
HOLLI
One more for fun…our favorite little four-legged friend around here!
If you are enjoying our stories and
would like to help more horses get the help they need,
2 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next 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!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
The clock is ticking for wild horses. When Congress comes back into session next week, they’ll immediately begin
deliberations onwhether or not to legalize the mass killing of wild horses and burros. But we promise – we’ll be there every step of the way, fighting for the freedom of these Americans icons.
Whether it’s on Capitol Hill, in the courts, or on the range, we’re always there for wild horses. Can they count on you to be there for them, too?
Right now, a generous donor has agreed to match every gift we receive up to $25,000 before midnight tonight.Pitch in today to help us take advantage of this huge opportunity.
No horse should ever be chased by a helicopter until he or she collapses of exhaustion – and no horse should ever be slaughtered. Wild horses and burros have a right to live free with their families on our public lands. Please help us protect them.
Mother Nature has offered us the splendor of a snow-covered landscape and the glinting beauty of ice-coated trees this final week of 2017. But she is also challenging us with these continued days of sub-zero temperatures.
Doing anything outdoors right now is difficult if not dangerous. Seeing to the daily needs of numerous rescue donkeys and mules in this extreme cold is downright dreadful.
There is good reason to worry more about the herd as this bitter cold can cause colic among other things. Ann must venture out regularly to make sure the heated water troughs are always topped off. She maintains separate heated water sources containing electrolytes and in these brutal, arctic days keeps hay in front of every animal 24 hours a day. Just the three draft mules alone are going through half a dozen bales of hay a day at $5.50 each!
Ann and Hannah have also been making hot mashes for the long ears consisting of herbal-tea-soaked hay stretcher pellets and a handful of black oil sunflower seeds. All of this plus the usual chores requires Ann and her help to be outside more often for long stints and it is NOT easy.
On top of the cold and extra weather-related tasks, yesterday the farm tractor seized up and is currently awaiting pick up by the “tractor ambulance.” Who knows what THAT will cost??! Then one of the big water heaters died with a nearly full tank of water, the barn camera kicked the bucket and the “bad ass” mules ripped the big, heavy door off of the tack room! In warmer weather these things would be annoying, maybe even somewhat humorous. When you’re working outdoors on a windy 12 degrees below zero day, they are a nightmare.
Suffice it to say that this severe weather is sapping the Save Your Ass coffers and sucking the life out of Ann and her workers. We REALLY need your financial help right now!
I know that Ann is sick with worry about the animals in these severely cold conditions. Knowing that donations are coming in so there will be enough hay in the barn and enough money in the budget to fix the tractor will help the animals, help Ann worry less, and help ALL of us who care about these noble long-ears great and small.
You still have TWO days to make a tax deductible donation to ensure we can provide the SYALER rescue animals with what they need as well as what the humans need to keep things running smoothly.
Let’s shoot for the Hay-O-Meter to reach $20,000 by midnight tomorrow! Pitch in whatever you can. It all makes a difference.
Thank you and a hearty Happy New Year 2018 to each of you.
As I write this Ann is out doing chores this frigid night, lugging hot water from her house to make mashes for the animals who get them, carrying and spreading hay for each group so every donkey and mule has access, graining and medicating those who need it, filling water troughs (yikes, don’t let the spigot run over and cause a skating rink now!) and most importantly checking that each animal appears bright and healthy as the day flips from dusk to dark.
In that manner, Ann works her way around to all four barns until every creature on the farm is fed, watered and content.
Come daylight, she will do it all again and hope once chores are complete she has the energy to go back to scoop manure and add fresh shavings so her charges can be as comfortable as possible.
While she has an amazing employee to help her, Ann is in the trenches caring for these lucky beasts day-in and day-out.
Rain or snow or heat or hail, there will always be Ann on the job delivering food and care to every rescue animal on the property.
Ann is not a salaried CEO. She gets paid in brays, nuzzles and eventually down the line… happy adoptions. Her commitment and dedication is out of love. Love for the animals and the mission. That sounds noble and heartfelt but the reality is that caring for a farm full of long ears is HARD work!
So while we need hay and we need vet care to be paid for, I am appealing to you tonight to send donations that will make Ann and Hannah’s job of caring for these animals 365 days and nights a year just a little bit easier.
Toward that end, please consider Long-Ear-Marking your year-end donation for:
* A new run-in shed – to make care easier
* A farm truck – always helpful when needed
* Electrical updates – a matter of safety
* Part-time employees – everyone deserves a day off
I believe it is immensely important that SYALER supporters give what they can to help keep the LABOR involved in daily care of the animals sustainable.
As President of the American Wild Horse Campaign, I am honored to have supported AWHC for more than six years. After working hard on this issue for nearly a decade, I can tell you that we are having real impact – in the halls of Congress, on the range, and in the courtroom.
My strategy from the start has been: let’s lawyer up to protect our wild horses. We work with the nation’s top environmental/public interest law firm, and together, we’ve been racking up the wins. Just this week, we won a huge case against the BLM in Idaho to stop the inhumane sterilization of an entire mustang herd.
Our opponents may be powerful. But we keep winning because we have science on our side, we have the facts on our side, and we have people like you on our side. Because of you, our wild horses and burros have the best legal team available to defend them.
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
3 Days Left, Blue!
Blue is a young mustang gelding out of Nevada who came to AAE at the beginning of the year after being asked for assistance by Virginia Range Wild Horse Sanctuary and Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. He had been carrying around a large mass of proud flesh (granulation tissue) over his rear fetlock/pastern area for some time. 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 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), we were successful enough 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 for testing 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 few steps forward, then a few steps back. Finally, after many weeks with nominal results, we had a marathon day. We worked until we broke through. 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 tested with bandaging materials and wrapped it up, and he was a gem!
We scheduled surgery, and in August, 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, and more and 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. Before jumping to conclusions, we biopsied the tissue and a couple rounds later, ended with the vasculitis diagnosis. The best thing was we changed up his meds, and the sores began 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.
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. He stomped it off, over and over. It 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.
Today, the lesion has almost healed, but there’s a small area where the granulation tissue is persisting. Next week, Dr. Stolba will be back, and we’ll be trimming it off. All in all, Blue has made tremendous progress. The lesion should be healed soon, and Blue can finally be a horse. He deserves it. He’s faced so many challenges. He’s a fighter, and he continues to battle on! Love this boy!
Blue still has concerns when approached for haltering. He really prefers to be in the stall when haltered, so now he practically heads to the stall on his own, then waits. Once haltered, he stands quietly for the routine, and it seems he’s truly beginning to enjoy the interaction. In time, when there’s no more strings, he’ll cross over entirely. “Til then, we’ll keep on keepin’ on until he’s healed.
We don’t get over trust issues just because someone tells us we should. Trust is earned
For Blue, it’s the same. We take baby steps, and we must earn it. In time, we will.
One more thing, Blue LOVES carrots….carrots and apples. They became the secret ingredient in his medicine. Early on, he wouldn’t eat anything, only alfalfa, no pellets, no grain, nothing. When we discovered how much he liked carrots, it was a new day. When there was a carrot, nothing else mattered.
To say he is food motivated is an understatement. He loves feeding time. He really enjoys greeting volunteers as they walk down the drive or come to his stall. His favorite is meeting volunteers at the gate at feeding time.
Before coming to AAE, Blue’s future looked grim to none. None of the other rescues or sanctuaries that were contacted were willing to help him. He sat, and he waited. The “E” word was discussed several times.
AAE set out to give this gorgeous boy the best future possible. He’s not healed yet, but his future is looking better and better thanks to everyone that has supported his journey to healing.
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. 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.
If you are enjoying our stories and
would like to help more horses get the help they need,
3 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next 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!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
GREAT news: yesterday we learned that the Governor of Arizona signed an agreement to save the famed Salt River Wild Horses. Two years ago, these horses were almost removed from the Tonto National Forest and sent to auction. Now they are protected under state law from roundups, harassment, and slaughter.
Let’s Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
4 Days Left, Aziza, Nailah and Layla!
Today’s story is about four Arabian horses that came to AAE in early 2015. It was back in fall of 2014 that AAE got a call from Janis Jones about several horses left on a ranch after the passing of their owner. It turns out, there were four beautiful bay mares and a gorgeous black stallion. These were the last of the horses at Coffey Arabians. Janis Jones, the former Mrs. Michael Coffey, assisted AAE in this rescue and ended up adopting the black stallion (now a gelding). Per Dr. Jones, “The Coffeys were known as one of the finest breeders of Egyptian Arabians in the United States, and these mares are most probably of the Shiko Ibn Sheikh line, a line known for beauty and performance”.
Mr. Coffey passed without a will or trust, and the horses were caught up in probate. An administrator was appointed to oversee the estate, but there was no information about the horses. No records of care or feeding practices, no veterinary history, no pedigrees, nothing. No one knew who the horses were, how old they were, whether they had any health conditions or special needs. However, it appeared they had lived on the ranch’s 80 acres of lush green pastures without much care.
Their hooves were long, and it appeared one had been dealing with chronic laminitis/founder for some time. Fortunately, the administrator was a compassionate animal person and sought veterinary and farrier care. Unfortunately, there were probate issues that limited her ability to provide for the horses via estate funding, so personal funds were used. Further, being from well known breeding stock, there was belief that the horses had substantial value to the estate. Reality was that without any specific information about the horses, they had little value to the estate, and the cost of care would exceed the value of the horses. Ultimately, the horses were released from the estate about six months or so after the death, and AAE was finally able to pick them up.
Upon visiting the ranch, two of the horses were friendly and social, while the other two were feral. Once at AAE, the mares were named Skye, Layla, Nailah, and Aziza. Skye and Layla were the friendly two. It appeared Nailah and Aziza had not been handled, but it quickly became apparent they were familiar with humans and halters, and at the same time, terrified. Nailah and Skye spent several weeks at the Monty Roberts International Learning Center (MRILC) where they regained their confidence with humans while participating as project horses during MRILC courses. They were socialized, learned basic groundwork and long-lining, and they were started under saddle (light work with no riders).
Skye was adopted not long after the journey back to AAE. After returning to AAE, Nailah became a very sweet, social mare, and she learned to really enjoy grooming and attention.
Layla was very social and interactive from the start. It didn’t take long for her to settle in at AAE and enjoy all the attention she got from volunteers.
Aziza was another story. When we brought her back to AAE, her hooves were in really poor condition, and we weren’t sure we could help her. After spending some time with her the first evening, she shook like a leaf on a tree, and her eyes were wrinkled with fear. It wasn’t until the first touch we both sighed with relief. That was the moment we promised her we would never give up on her. It was a big commitment. She could barely be haltered, let alone handle her hooves. The journey had just begun. We had the vet out, and sedation became our friend. We took radiographs of her hooves before trimming and shoeing. Poor girl, the rotation of her coffin bone was substantial.
That being said, she managed unbelievably well. One visit, led to two, then more, and we were making progress. Slowly she began to trust. Aziza was willing. Though scared, she slowly let us handle her hooves, then the farrier and vet. Before too long, her hooves looked like hooves again. Unfortunately, she got Pigeon Fever and developed a huge chest abscess, and shortly thereafter, she battled another round of laminitis. We nearly started over. Fortunately, she rebounded and did really well.
The journey was long, but these girls were ready for adoption. However, turns out they were older mares, and they were so bonded. After all, they’d run together on their 80 acres all of their life. It didn’t take long to realize these three needed to stay together. When introduced to the herd at AAE, they kept their distance from the other horses. They had a place on the hill where none of the others would go. That was their hill, their place,they weren’t bothered. Months passed, then a year, then two, and they never integrated with the herd. With each month and year, the need to keep them together grew.
FINALLY, one recent day, our prayers were answered! Our three girls found their forever together home, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the incredibly kind and caring family that opened the doors to make this possible.
Layla, Aziza, and Nailah, you touched us all, and we’ll miss you every day, but we’re so happy you finally found forever together!
Many of the calls we get at AAE are from family members or friends of horse owners who have passed, or become incapacitated. They have passed without any instruction of funding to provide care for their horse(s). The family or friends usually have no experience caring for horses, no space for the horse, and/or no resources to provide housing or proper care. If you own a horse(s), please consider what would happen if tomorrow didn’t come. Who would care for your horse? Where would it go? Who would pay it’s board or buy it’s food? Who will make sure he/she doesn’t end up in a free ad on Craigslist only to be picked up by a dreaded kill buyer whose only concern is how much meat is on its bones. Please, find the courage and the resources to talk about the “what if’s” of death. Find the time and resources to plan for your horse(s). Find an attorney, draft a will or trust, do whatever it takes to make sure your animals are safe in the event of death.
If you are enjoying our stories and
would like to help more horses get the help they need,
4 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
Join AAE as we Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty. As the year comes to an end, we are sharing stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2017. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2018, please help us as we prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for unexpected veterinary needs as we move into our next 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!
Save The Date!!
Our 5th Annual Boots and Bling Event is on May 5, 2018.
Tickets are available now, get them while they last! Buy Tickets Here
Event sponsorship options are available or you can donate items for the event’s silent and live auctions?
For more information contact dani@allaboutequine.org
Daily Horse Care, especially pm shifts
Used Tack Store Support, all areas
Barn/Facility Maintenance
Foster Homes, Long-Term Foster/Sanctuary Homes
Capital Campaign Support
Board Members
Fundraising/Events
Grants – Writing and Research
Volunteer, Project, and Activity Coordinators
Outreach Activities
Youth Programs
Therapy Programs
Veteran Programs
Special Projects
Admin Support
Marketing
Graphics
Social Media
Bloggers
Photographers
Media and/or Photo Librarian
Thanks to YOUR input in 2017, AAE is once again a Top-Rate nonprofit!
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community in the future.
GreatNonprofits is the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback, and it honors highly regarded nonprofits each year with their Top-Rated List.
Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
Did you know YOU could earn grant money for AAE from your employer just by volunteering?
Many Employers offer money when their employees volunteer. Here are a few examples:
Intel provides a $10 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee or retiree.
Microsoft provides a $17 grant to a nonprofit per every hour volunteered by an employee.
Apple provides a $25 grant to a nonprofit per every volunteer hour by an employee, and matches funds dollar for dollar up to $10,000 per employee.
Verizon provides a $750 grant to a nonprofit when an employee volunteers for 50+ hours.
State Farm provides a $500 grant nonprofit when an employee volunteers for+ 40 hours.
Others top 20 matching gift and/or volunteer grant companies include
Starbucks
CarMax
Home Depot
JP Morgan
Chevron
Soros Fund Management
BP (British Petroleum)
Gap Corporation
State Street Corporation
ExxonMobil
Johnson & Johnson
Boeing
Disney
Google
Merck
Aetna
Dell
Outerwall (CoinStar and RedBox)
ConocoPhillips
RealNetworks
Time Warner and subsidiaries
AllState
and more
Check with your employer. You could help purchase our next load of hay!
The slaughter lobby has launched an all-out assault on wild horses and burros. They are desperate to destroy our progress and strip away the rights of wild horses and burros once and for all. Worse, they’re willing to sink to almost any level to do it.