Pony Gets Prosthetic Hoof

I think it's cool that they can make a prosthetic hoof for a horse!!  ~Declan

Pony gets a prosthetic hoof in Bismarck

Bismarck, ND
By: WDAY Staff Reports, WDAY

Bismarck, ND (WDAY TV) -- You've heard about prosthetics for people, but what about prosthetics for ponies?

This is Rafiki, a miniature horse who lost his entire hoof. Triple H Miniature Horse Rescue rescued him from Minnesota, where they were told he was fed only bread and watermelon.

Raifiki will soon be fitted with a prosthetic hoof, but it'll be a long road to recovery. Veterinarians will have to amputate part of his leg first.

Alison Smith with the Triple H Miniature horse rescue says, "He does have a long road ahead. He has to have further amputation. They have to amputate above where the damaged tissue and bone are first, but he will be able to walk immediately after his amputation. Without putting any pressure on his stump. That takes 45 days to heal and then they fit him with a prosthetics then they watch for pressure sores, things like that, so that takes a while. And then he should be home I m thinking around Thanksgiving."

Smith says the procedure and follow up care is estimated at 12-thousand dollars.

Mascot's Journey Continues

Here is an update on Mascot's amazing story and adventure!!!  You can read the original story by Susan Salk on my blog post called "Mascot Found at New Holland Auction" on August 9th, 2012.  ~Declan

To a horse rejected by meat-buyers come riches

By Susan Salk on September 25, 2012 as posted on Off-Track Thoroughbreds

Mascot in his beautiful, new home

Gone is the look of terror, and so too, the tufted, matted coat that once hung on the skinny frame of a quarter-million-dollar winning racehorse who was mere steps away from slaughter.

To look at him now, standing regally in his European-styled stall in Florida, Mascot looks more like a prized stallion than a charity case who, by chance, ran into his savior at the New Holland auction as time was running out.

Saved on Aug. 6 by A-Circuit rider Melissa Rudershausen, who just happened to walk past the lame, frightened animal as he snapped his ties and bolted toward her, the mangy animal who looked like a poster child for unwanted horses is now living the good life.

On Sept. 18, Rudershausen drove Mascot from Pennsylvania to her gorgeous, eight-stall barn in Ocala, Fla., where he has been recuperating.

Filled out after a month of eating 60 pounds of hay a day, his once-tattered coat shines in good health, as he walks in dappled sunlight and with confidence, toward his new life.

Read Susan Salk's full update on Mascot's new life at Off-Track Thoroughbreds here.

Love For Horse Leads To Helping Others

This wonderful woman loves horses and now loves helping others through her horses!  This is a very intersesting story and I hope you like it!  ~Declan

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Olivia Pringle, 16, a Brockport High School student, feeds Princess, a horse owned by Debbie Fogg. Olivia takes every opportunity to be around horses. / MARIE DE JESUS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Written by Alan Morrell 

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Debbie Fogg of Sweden shares a moment with her horse Princess. Fogg is a hall monitor at Brockport High School and often shares her love for horses with students. / MARIE DE JESUS//STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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As a hall monitor at Brockport High School for the past 17 years, Debbie Fogg has gotten to know a generation of students.

Fogg, 50, makes sure students get to where they’re supposed to be and that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing in school. She frequently lends a helping hand and sympathetic ear — and she has her own way of connecting with students.

“I’m such a jabber-jaw,” Fogg said with a laugh. “All the kids know me … If you were talk to any of the upperclassmen and ask them, ‘What does Mrs. Fogg go on and on about? they’d roll their eyes and say, ''Horses. Horses.''

Fogg has been a horse lover all of her life. She got her first pony when she was 7, when her family lived on a 120-acre farm in Chenango County. She now owns two mares and shares her equestrian enthusiasm with anyone who is interested. Over the years, about 25 students have trekked to Fogg’s barn on Reed Road in Sweden to visit the horses.

She doesn’t call what she does equine therapy. What the animals provide, Fogg said, is an emotional connection for people who sometimes need a boost.

“This generation of kids comes with a lot of baggage,” said Fogg. “When I see kids struggling in school, I introduce them to my horses. They talk with them, brush them, not necessarily ride them, but some of them do. It helps with coping skills.”

Halle Griffin, a 2012 graduate of Brockport High, first met Fogg about five years ago. Griffin said she loved riding horses when she was in elementary school, but stopped when the hobby became too expensive. Fogg invited her over.

“Everyone loves her,” said Griffin, who since has joined the Army and is awaiting basic training. “I went over every Tuesday, from 4 to 9 p.m. I helped her with the chores, cleaned the stalls and fed and watered the horses. I really enjoyed it. And I lost a lot of weight, too, so that was an added benefit.”

Fogg has used her approach with adults as well, usually through a Christian-based stable in Wyoming County. The benefits, she said, are readily apparent but hard to put into words.

“It’s more of an inner thing than a verbal thing,” Fogg said. “You can wrap your arms around them, if you will. Horses are so vulnerable. You would think because they’re so big and strong, that they would be kind of invincible, but they’re not. And they all have personalities.”

As a youngster, Fogg regularly had 12 to 15 horses at her family home, along with chickens, rabbits, dogs and a pet sheep that she would sneak into the house as often as she could.

She moved to the Brockport area in 1980, and she and her husband, Donald, now have just the two horses — Princess, a 7-year-old Grade horse, and Dusty, a 22-year-old Morgan. The Foggs have two sons, Donald, 28, and Devin, 24.

Fogg said she can relate to students who might be going through tough times. As a kid, she said she loved working on the farm but hated school. She notes the irony that she now works in a school.
“I guess it’s my punishment,” she said with a chuckle. She worked part-time in the cafeteria for six years before she became a monitor.

Todd Hagreen, an assistant principal at Brockport, said Fogg’s job can be difficult, but said she has a tremendous relationship with students.

“She’s about as genuine a person as you’ll ever meet,” Hagreen said. “She’ll do anything for kids, and they’ll do anything for her. If we have a kid who’s going through some kind of crisis, she’ll bring up her horses … It’s wild what things like that will do for them.”

Fogg’s affinity for equines comes with a deep respect for animals that she learned early. She never has fallen off a horse, but she once got kicked in the chest as a youth, leaving her with two broken ribs.

“It did teach me something — fear of the back end,” she said. “It was my own fault. I’ve never had a fear of horses … but some horses are just mean, and they’ll kick you.”

Fogg said her horses aren’t that way. A lot of times, she said, ornery horses learn to be better behaved, more loving and respectful. The same, she said, is true of youths.

It’s all about the approach you take with them, Fogg said.
“Kids know that I don’t put up with stuff,” she said. “I try to reason with them. I talk with them. And they know, I’ll try to help you a lot quicker if you’re honest with me.”

Fogg estimated that she has worked with 50 adults through her horse connections over the years. She describes them as people who have “lost their way,” but often gotten back on track after visiting the ranch in Wyoming County.

Nothing is more important than helping someone turn his or her life around, Fogg said.

“With the kids, they realize they’ve got to do something with their lives and stay focused. You never give up on them.”

Famous Horse Ollie Rescued After Neglect

Ollie is a great horse and I am sad to know that he was neglected, but I am happy that he has been rescued!  Do you have an "Ollie" Breyer Horse?  ~Declan

Famous Horse Was Discovered Neglected And Saved By A Rescue

As Posted: Sep 19, 2012 5:33 PM EDT Updated: Sep 19, 2012 5:43 PM EDT on WTRF.com
By D.K. Wright, Digital Journalist

Full Video Story About Ollie Here

On August 18, a draft horse rescue in Cambridge took in a black stallion.

They knew his name was Ollie, and he was in bad shape, with two teeth knocked out, sore feet, a skin infection, dull hair and malnutrition.

"He was probably 400 pounds under where he should be," says Lisa Gordon, of Frog Pond Farm Draft Horse Rescue.

Ollie thrived at Frog Pond Farm.

 He came around quickly on his rehabilitation diet of five meals a day, gradual gentle exercise, and vet and chiropractic care.

Ollie was shockingly charming and polite, and quickly became Lisa Gordon's favorite.

"I always tease her about favoritism, how she favors him over everybody else," said Emmi Gordon, Lisa's 15-year-old daughter.

Then Lisa discovered something amazing.

Ollie wasn't any old draft horse.

He was Fox Valley Oliver, champion and reserve champion in the United States and Canada.

Of all the Shire breed, he was a rock star among horses.

He was chosen by the prestigious Breyer Company to be the model for their special edition Breeds of the World toy model horse.

But since then, he had gone from rock star to rock bottom.

Now at age 16, Ollie has found himself a permanent home at Frog Pond Farm.

He is the chilling illustration of what can happen to horses as they are sold and re-sold, as owners lose interest or fall upon hard financial times.

"It just shows everybody that it doesn't matter what horse it is," says 18 year-old Taylor Gordon. "It doesn't matter if it's an old Amish work horse or a top-of-the-game show horse. Any horse can end up where he was."

And even Ollie was just two step away from the fate of many horses these days.

"You know, that's for our horses to be shipped and slaughtered and to be sent overseas to be eaten," says Lisa Gordon.

This happens to be the tenth anniversary of Gordon's very first horse rescue.

Since then she has rehabilitated and re-homed nearly 1700 horses.

But she says nobody tells the story better than Ollie.

The World's Tallest Horse

THE WORLD'S TALLEST  HORSE!!!  Isn't he awesome!!!  ~Declan

World's tallest horse and donkey named by Guinness World Records

Melissa Hawkins

14 September, 2012

Standing at 20 hands 2¾ inches or 210.2 cm, Big Jake, an 11-year-old Belgian gelding, is officially the world's tallest horse.
His owner, Jerry Gilbert, says Big Jake weighed 240lbs when he was born and now tips the scales at a mighty 2600lbs. Jerry, who lives in Ostego, USA, explains: “Jake’s got a great personality, he’s really friendly and loves to play around. He’s kind of a big jokester actually.” Big Jake’s got a big appetite too. He eats a bale and a half of hay a day, while his stable measures a massive 20x20ft.Jerry adds: "We are proud to hold the record and enjoy the people who visit the farm. We enjoy the reactions and when people leave our farm happy from the experience of seeing Jake."



Big Jake’s not the only new equine addition to the Guinness Book of World Records. Oklahoma Sam has been crowned as the world’s tallest donkey. She measures in at an impressive 15.3 hands.The four-year-old record-breaker lives in Watsonville, California, with a duck, goose and four cats. Her owner, Linda Davis, said: “It's fantastic to get the record. People are always shocked by her size and say it must be a record. Now I can show them the book!”However, it seems there could be a dispute over this title, following H&H's recent news story that a 16.2hh donkey had been given a home by the Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary in Lincolnshire.

 

Horses Who Help Teach High School Students

I would sure like to be taught by horses and be with them at school!  It sounds fun and exciting!  I am glad the kids at this school like school better now and are learning more and having fun and enjoying being with horses.  Horses can be such GREAT teachers!  ~Declan

Students learn how to care for horses in new program at Horse Park

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/09/17/2340505/fayette-schools-open-new-program.html#storylink=cpy

September 17, 2012



Zack Friedman, foreground, and Matthew Kennedy led horses to the stables as part of their morning routine at the Kentucky Horse Park.

By Jim Warren

Mist rises over silent green fields and white-painted fences curving into the distance at the Kentucky Horse Park, early morning sun just kissing the treetops as horses nibble sweet grass wet with dew.
Time for school.

At The Stables, a new program that the Fayette County Public Schools opened this year on the horse park grounds, students head for distant paddocks to round up horses and take them to the barn.
Meanwhile, their classmates are busy at the barn, mucking out stalls, mixing up tubs of feed, and putting down fresh bedding and hay so all will be ready when the horses arrive. Some other students at The Stables are in class, but they'll get their turn with the horses later.

This is not your typical school. The Stables is based at the headquarters of Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, a nationally accredited center for therapeutic riding, which is located at the horse park.
The Stables program is intended to offer new opportunities for kids in grades seven through 12 who, for various reasons, haven't been successful in traditional classrooms. Some needed academic intervention, others required individualized help or discipline, some simply needed a smaller, closer-knit school environment.

The Stables provides all that and more, staffers say.
Students in the program can take core content academic classes, plus various vocational classes, all on site. But they also can get a taste of various jobs around the horse park — from clerical work and events planning to food planning and preparation — to see if any might match their interests and skills as future careers.

Finally, every student spends part of the day taking care of about 30 horses at Central Kentucky Riding For Hope. Those tasks — feeding, grooming, cleaning stalls — are a keystone of the entire Stables program.

It's not to prepare students for equine careers, though some are interested in such work. Rather it's to instill more basic things: being responsible, being punctual, taking ownership of a job and finding pride in doing it well.

The idea is that lessons learned around the horses will apply in the classroom and, ultimately, in life.
"We want these kids to consider that, if you're not here and available to help, the horses might not get fed, they might not get groomed. The horses are relying on you," says Brian McIntyre, academic dean at The Stables. "That's a sense that a lot of them haven't had before."

When school began last month, many of the students had never been around a horse before. Some were afraid to even take hold of a lead rope.

"Most of them were in culture shock the first week," McIntyre said. "Now they're pitching right in, team building, relying on each other. That's a valuable tool for life; if you can be a team player you can be successful."

Roughly half of the 35 students now attending The Stables are on Individualized Educational Programs. Some plan on college, many do not. McIntyre says the program's aim is to help each find his or her own niche.
While the program is in its infancy, students say they like it.

Zack Friedman, 17, who was leading a horse named Annie from a paddock to her stall one morning last week, said he prefers The Stables to Bryan Station High School, which he used to attend.
"Over here, the teachers care a lot," he said. "I'd never been around horses, and I was a little bit scared at first. But you get used to them, and now I like it a lot."

Matt Kennedy, 15, said he took to the horses immediately and eventually might like a career in the horse industry.

"I just like coming out here and taking care of them," he said.

Connor Mitchell, 16, doesn't plan a horse career, he wants to go into video design, but likes the overall Stables program.

"I had some problems in school, but I definitely think being here has helped me," he said. "The classes are small, so the teachers have more time to pay attention to us. If you need help, they'll give it."

The school also is giving students other ways to pursue interests.
When Kentucky Education Television sent a crew to film a story about Central Kentucky Riding For Hope last week, school officials arranged for Datonik Edwards to work with the crew and tell about The Stables. Datonik, who is interested in journalism, said she was excited about the opportunity.
The creation of The Stables dates back about two years when Brian McIntyre, then an employment trainer with the Fayette Schools, began bringing a few students to work around the stables at Kentucky Riding For Hope. Soon more students wanted to come.

Riding For Hope, which has been in operation more than 30 years, had long wanted to do some kind of school program. Serious talks began and The Stables was born.

"It evolved out of a lot of conversations, and as we began to see benefits students were getting, it grew into the program we see have today," said Denise Spittler, program director for Central Kentucky Riding For Hope.

Winston Churchill supposedly said that "the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man." Spittler says she believes that, and that The Stables proves it.

"There are so many life lessons that can be learned from interacting with horses," she said. "You can see that when you're out here at 7:30 in the morning and the kids are here motivated and actively engaged."
Right now, The Stables is working on a new way to engage students, according to McIntyre.
The plan is to take a large pond adjacent to Central Kentucky Riding For Hope, clean it up, stock it with bass for fishing, and make the entire effort a science project, he said. Students could take and study water samples, learn about the biology of algae that grows on ponds and the growth of fish, he said.

To help make the learning fun, McIntrye also plans a bass fishing team made up of Stables students (bass fishing is a high school varsity sport in Kentucky starting this year). Some students already are interested.

Rachel Baker, who oversees The Stables program as the Fayette Schools' high schools administrator for special education, acknowledges that it's still a work in progress.

"But we feel like we're seeing pockets of success," she said. "I don't think I've ever walked into classrooms where kids are this engaged. Some people see alternative programs as negative. But these kids are gifted. These kids are going to make it."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/09/17/2340505/fayette-schools-open-new-program.html#storylink=cpy

Metro The Horse Who Teaches

This story is very amazing because even though Sarah Noll knew this horse might be dangerous, she still wanted to take the challenge and train him and be with him!  I love this story and I love how committed she is.  ~Declan

Metro: A Dynaformer son who towers, teaches

By Susan Salk on September 14, 2012

Growing up riding her mother’s delicate-looking Arabian horses, the towering, grumpy- faced son of Dynaformer presented a bit of culture shock to Sarah Noll, upon first meeting.

Nothing like the equine eye candy that pranced around her mother’s Cincinnati farm, Metro, was big and rangy; he was a plain bay with a bad reputation.

“I was told that he liked to bite and kick,” Noll says. “I was prepared not to consider him, because there’s a lot of little kids at my barn, and I couldn’t have a horse like that around children.”

And yet, she agreed to sit on him anyway. Sometime in 2007, she can’t remember exactly when, Noll took a ride on Metro that was so amazing the details are still etched in her memory.

“Shortly after I mounted him, his owner asked me to trot, and do a leg yield down the right side,” Noll recalls. “I never felt a horse move like that. It felt like we floated over to the wall!”

In that brief encounter, she felt the power and stamina in the well-muscled horse who also had the quick responses of a sports car.

Race name: Metro
Sire: Dynaformer
Dam: Braided Way

Foal date: Feb. 5, 1999After she dismounted and put Metro away, Noll decided to ignore his reputation, and take a chance. She arranged to lease the strapping 17.2 hand gelding and start learning the foundations of eventing—a discipline she’d longed to try.

Metro had previously trained for dressage and in the next two years, he proved to be so good at his job that at times Noll doubted she could equal his effort.

“He’s got such a natural ability that sometimes I feel I’m holding him back,” she says. “I really haven’t progressed to his level.”

But they have made great strides: They have cleared three-foot-six jumps in practice sessions. But alone, Metro has free jumped six feet!

Working in agreeable harmony

To get the best effort from him, she has struck a balance between being no-nonsense-allowed boss on the ground, and a silky soft rider in the saddle.

“I just handled him like I wasn’t going to put up with anything bad,” she says. “We’d handled a lot of different horses at my mother’s farm, and they all had to behave. So with Metro, I had it in my head that he was going to behave, too.”

What she didn’t have in her head was that the huge racehorse would also take on the role of babysitter. But that’s exactly what he did with a young boy who took lessons on him.

Within two months of trying the ex-racehorse, the 14-year-old student, who’d previously only ridden gaited horses, was jumping cross-rails at the country fair with the persnickety bay.

“I wasn’t sure how Metro would respond to a rider who didn’t know exactly how to give cues,” she says. “But Metro took care of him. He became the babysitter!”

Metro has also taught Noll to refine her cues and riding style.

Expressing his opinion on the jump sequence

Instead of using a lot of leg on him to ask for a canter, for example, she simply lifts an inside rein to signal him. Admitting that when she gets nervous at a show, she uses a little too much leg, and has had horses buck, she finds the subtle signal brings the best upward transition.

A casual observer might not know it by glancing at Metro’s ears, angled backwards as they approach a jump, but this is not the expression of a total grump.

In fact, he’ll move his ears back when he thinks the course should be approached differently than does his rider.

At one show, after Metro watched the other horses jump the course ahead of him, he actually tried to copy what he’d just seen.

Metro eats the snow

But this competition did not dictate how a course should be ridden. So when his efforts to go in the same jump sequence as the other horses were thwarted by Noll, who piloted him in the free-style competition, back went his ears.

So never mistake the ear position for anger. With this towering progeny of the late, great Dynaformer, his ears signal his determination to win, and his eagerness to jump it his way, Noll explains.

“After one horse show, I had a judge tell me that she really liked Metro. She said he was one horse she always looked forward to seeing because he seemed to enjoy so much, what he was doing.”

Veterinarian Signs Postcard Posse Cards Against Horse Slaughter

Me with my postcards at the veterinarians  :-)

This week, I went to our veterinarian's office with my mom to get all our pet's their annual check-ups and my cat's teeth cleaned.  I brought postcard campaign postcards with me and guess what - not only did the person at the front desk sign it, but everyone else did too!!  

The postcard posse is a great way for you to tell your legislators you are against horse slaughter and want to see it stopped and I am happy to have teamed up with the campaign to create a design for them.

Please use this link to get your postcards.  You can choose my design or the original and can get any amount you want.  You can even get "thank you" postcards for legislators who are already co-sponsors.  If you get a bunch, you can ask your friends to send them too!!  Postcards come with stamps and address labels so it's really easy to send them - you don't don't even have to look up your legislators address  :-)

Here's the link for the Postcard Campaign page on Facebook,  If you "like" it, you will get updates from the page.

Help me get my postcard with myself and my favorite girl Scarlet, on every legislators desk!!  Please don't ever stop fighting for our horses - I won't!!

And don't forget to visit my Children 4 Horses page on Facebook!!

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Horses Do Bond

Horses have feelings too and this story proves it.  This horse is willing to help and protect a blind horse from danger.  A horse's instinct would tell them to stay away from the blind horse because it would make them more vulnerable.  ~Declan

A most remarkable bond between two horses

September 13, 2012  By: Heidi Ruck

There is a picturesque old property in our town that used to be a working farm. Its barns and fields are mostly silent now, except for one fenced paddock in which two horses graze contentedly.

At a distance, these two horses appear normal – one is a bay color and the other is a chestnut. They are always beside or near each other, grazing in the same direction. Both horses most certainly are best friends.

If you walk up to them, you’ll be astounded. One of the horses is blind in both eyes. He belongs to a humane owner who chose not to put him down but instead is giving him a safe, loving home. That’s amazing these days!

If you observe the horses a while and listen, you’ll soon hear the tinkling of a bell. It is attached to a breakaway halter worn by the sighted horse – the bay – and each time he moves or takes a few steps, the bell rings softly. This lets the sightless fellow know precisely where his best friend is, and he can safely follow or move next to him.

As you watch these two horses more closely, it becomes apparent just how tight their bond really is. The big bay is on constant vigil, and checks on his blind friend often, while the blind buddy listens for the tinkling sound and moves nearer. He shows complete trust in every step.

Observing these two remarkable buddies is a pleasure, made more astonishing by their silent communication, the absolute and total trust, obvious bond and mutual comfort they derive from each other.

When the owner calls his horses home to the barn, the bay immediately responds and leads the way, periodically pausing to be sure the blind friend is coming too. In this way they go to the barn each day. The caretaker horse assures himself frequently that the blind buddy is close behind.

It’s just as amazing to see these two go to the watering trough or decide where to graze. Their communication is subtle. An occasional nod, nibble and nicker can be observed. They never quarrel. They run and romp and frolic just like to sighted horses. Mainly, though, these two have an amiable and caring relationship.

These horses have an owner with heart. Both hustle to him when he’s in sight or if he calls. Family members visit them often, bring them goodies and give them a fair share of brushing. Both horses whinny when they become aware that the owner is coming.

Watching these two horses always cheers me up. I find them remarkable. Best of all for me – the horse lover - I can see a loving care and friendship between horses and humans that warms my heart.

Horse Facts

I found this with google and thought this would be a cool post. There are some really awesome facts in this article from National Geographic!  And look where the horses pictured are from - they are wild horses from the Pryor Mountains in Montana!!  ~Declan

Horse

Equus caballus

Wild horses in Montana's Pryor Mountains run through a field of wildflowers.  Photograph by Raymond Gehman

Map

Horse Range

Fast Facts

Type:

Mammal

Diet:

Herbivore

Size:

Height at the shoulders, 30 to 69 in (76 to 175 cm)

Weight:

120 to 2,200 lbs (54 to 998 kg)

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Horses and humans have an ancient relationship. Asian nomads probably domesticated the first horses some 4,000 years ago, and the animals remained essential to many human societies until the advent of the engine. Horses still hold a place of honor in many cultures, often linked to heroic exploits in war.

There is only one species of domestic horse, but around 400 different breeds that specialize in everything from pulling wagons to racing. All horses are grazers.

While most horses are domestic, others remain wild. Feral horses are the descendents of once-tame animals that have run free for generations. Groups of such horses can be found in many places around the world. Free-roaming North American mustangs, for example, are the descendents of horses brought by Europeans more than 400 years ago.

Wild horses generally gather in groups of 3 to 20 animals. A stallion (mature male) leads the group, which consists of mares (females) and young foals. When young males become colts, at around two years of age, the stallion drives them away. The colts then roam with other young males until they can gather their own band of females.

The Przewalski's horse is the only truly wild horse whose ancestors were never domesticated. Ironically, this stocky, sturdy animal exists today only in captivity. The last wild Przewalski's horse was seen in Mongolia in 1968

Rescue Pony Little Ted Becomes A Champion

Little Ted, a Dartmoor gelding, was rescued and now is a champion and the pony of the year!  This story is really cool because Little Ted, even while recovering from abuse, could still do all sorts of things and win prizes!  

Horses are really amazing animals and I want to see horse slaughter and abuse to horses stop!  I also want to see abuse to all animals stop!!  ~Declan



Rescue pony Little Ted becomes a champion
By Horsetalk.co.nz on Sep 01, 2012 in News

Little Ted has proven to be big achiever.


Eighteen months ago, he was found so badly emaciated he had to be placed on an emergency drip.

Now, he is Britain’s Champion Rescue Horse of the Year, taking out the top award at the recent RSPCA and PRP Rescue Services Rescue Horse/Pony of the Year.


Little Ted, a bay Dartmoor gelding, first won the in-hand class, then went on to take the supreme prize.

Little Ted was removed from his owner in March 2010 after being found severely emaciated and collapsed.

He had to be placed on a drip at the scene and his condition was described by an RSPCA officer as the most distressing thing she had seen.

Little Ted’s former owner, a show judge and breeder, was banned from keeping horses in September 2011 after admitting causing the pony to suffer.

Little Ted made a remarkable recovery and is now owned by Sharon Harris who adopted him from the RSPCA in July along with Jessie, another Dartmoor pony who came second in the in-hand class.

Harris, who came from her home in Cheshire for the show, said: “We were thrilled when Little Ted won. He was so well-behaved. He had already been very well-handled while being cared for on behalf of the RSPCA and we’ve been able to give him and Jessie lots of attention as they’ve settled in with our other four native ponies.

“People’s perception of a rescue pony is often just a coloured cob, but the show proved that the RSPCA has a huge variety of horses and ponies which can all go on to lead successful careers in any equine discipline and which desperately need caring owners.”

The show attracted 25 entries for the in-hand class and another 18 for the ridden class.

Ten of the best ponies and horses in each class then went into the championship in the Peterborough Showground Arena.

Show judge Clare Frost, who judged the ridden class won by a chestnut cob mare named  Sundae, said: “It was an honour to be asked to judge the show and one of the most heart-wrenching, but fulfilling experiences I have had as a judge.

“It was wonderful to see the animals coming into the ring, having seen the horrific pictures and read their histories, then seeing how beautiful and loved they now looked.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house on Saturday night and by far the best part was to see the trust which these horses and ponies had regained in humans,” she said.


Overall reserve champion Sundae.
Sundae, who was reserve overall, came from the notorious Spindles Farm in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. In this case a horse dealer was imprisoned and banned from keeping equines after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 40 horses and ponies and failing to meet the needs of a further 114.

Sundae is now “school mistress” at the RSPCA’s Felledge Equine Centre in County Durham, where she is a permanent resident.

The rescue classes were part of Equifest, which  attracted more than 10,000 entries for its showing, show jumping, dressage and carriage driving classes.

RSPCA national equine coordinator, chief inspector Cathy Hyde said: “The new rescue classes went so well and we will be doing it all again next year when we hope it will be even bigger.

“It was so well received, with people visibly moved to see these horses and ponies alongside a slideshow featuring photos showing them in the awful states that they were in before being rescued and adopted by fantastic new owners.

“I think it helped to introduce many new people to the RSPCA who might not have been aware of the work we do in rescuing and rehabilitating horses.”

Woman Sees Praying Image in Horse's Markings

RT Fitch posted this story on his blog today and I think the horses markings are really interesting.  I think it looks like someone praying too - do you?  Like I said when I testified at the NH State House against horse slaughter in my state, when I look into a horses eyes, I see love and the healing hands of God.  God reminds us He's still with us, even when things in our lives are bad, and I think that's what He did for Mrs. Lott.  ~Declan


North Alabama Woman Sees Praying Image On Side Of Horse

Posted: September 2, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, The Force of the Horse
by Claire Aiello and Matt Kroschel of WHNT 19 News

Do You See the Image?

“It’s ‘Feel Good Sunday’ and as we do every weekend we attempt to bring something uplifting and/or positive in nature to cleanse the mind and refresh the soul before we head back onto the equine battlefield first thing Monday morning.  So today we bring you a positive story with an unusual twist for you to ponder and one family’s victory for you to enjoy.  Keep the faith.” ~ R.T.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

photo by Trudy Lott

FYFFE, Ala. (WHNT) – Do you see a hidden image in the picture above?  A woman in DeKalb County says the side of her horse shows a child and a praying man.

Trudy Lott mailed this photo to WHNT News 19 with the following message:

“This is a picture of a young child facing a man bending over in prayer that is on the side of my paint horse. I had never noticed it until after I brought my husband home from the hospital after having surgery for pancreatic cancer.  He was diagnosed in October of last year.  After surgery and a series of chemo he at this time is cancer free.  I truly believe God had a hand in this, don’t you?”

After passing the photo around to the WHNT News 19 newsroom staff Thursday it was clear Trudy was not the only one who saw the faces. We wanted to know more about the horse and his owners.

Trudy and Gary Lott have owned Bandit, the five-year-old paint horse, since he was born. In 2011, Gary was diagnosed with cancer in his stomach and pancreas. After months of treatment, Gary finally came home on Christmas Day. Trudy says she was looking for strength and asked God for a sign.

The next day, she was out in the barn feeding Bandit and the other horses when it hit her.

“It’s like looking at a painting — sometimes it just comes to you,” Trudy Lott said.

Since that day, Gary continues to heal. Trudy believes the sign on the side of her horse was a sign from God that everything was going to turn out well for their family.

“Everything is so bad in the world right now,” Trudy said.  “I thought it would be nice to let someone know there is good happening too.”

Click (HERE) to visit WHNT 19 and to view Video of story

Man Rides His Horse From Illinios to Ontario To Help Others

Bryan Brant is a decendant of the Mohawk Chief, Joseph Brant and is concerened about horses and Indian protection.  He is riding his horse along the trail of Chief Brant from Illinios to Ontario, Canada, to stop horse slaughter and animal cruelty and to talk with the elders of the Indians about how horses can be used to help with some problems on the Six Nations Indian Reservation, like drug and alcohol abuse.  ~Declan

Man riding through region on horseback has mission to help others

By Mandy Gambrell, Staff Writer

Posted: 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 31, 2012

Bryan Brant is seen on Rockford Drive in Hamilton on Aug. 26. Photo contributed by Stuart Forsythe

HAMILTON — A man traveling through the area with a horse, mule and dog has captured the attention of many in recent days.

Bryan Brant, a native of Kansas, rode through Butler and Warren counties in the past few days and is currently in Montgomery County. His mission is to retrace the steps of Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant, from whom he is a descendant.

The trek began in Illinois in early June.

“I’ve been traveling for two months and three weeks this Sunday,” Brant said Friday. He has traveled more than 250 miles and is headed to upstate New York and then to Canada.

Brant said he is going to the Six Nations Indian reservation in Ontario.

“Once I’m there I am going to meet my family and begin to write a book about the trip I took,” he said. He also wants to speak to leaders there and propose a mounted honor society made of veterans to work with people on reservations as a form of therapy.

“I can’t propose it to anyone if I can’t do it myself, and that’s what this is about,” he said. “I want to meet with the elders there to propose an idea that might be able to help with some of the issues we see on Indian reservations, such as alcoholism, drug problems and homelessness.

“There are a lot of different issues that need addressed,” he said.

Part of his goal is to speak to people along the way about the positives of riding horses and prevention of horse genocide.

Brant relies on others to help him along in his journey. He has stayed mostly in barns and in the homes of people he has met along the way.

He said many farmers allow him to take shortcuts through their land.

Brant once stayed in the barn of an Amish family who owned a restaurant where had had stopped to dine.

             

Pepper is the dog traveling with Bryan Brant, 

who is headed to Canada on horseback. 

They started in Illinois. 

Contributed photo from Karen Johnson

Others have offered him food and water for the animals and aided in his travel safety.

“The sheriff’s department of Butler County was extremely kind to me,” he said. “They gave me an escort down a dangerous road. It would have been a recipe for disaster had they not been there,” he said.

Brant is legally allowed to travel along all roadways, he said, but because of vehicles and safety, he must go off course and take back roads. That’s why several locals have seen Brant traveling along their residential streets.

He chose to travel through Shandon, Millville and Hamilton because going along the Ohio River in Cincinnati proved to be too dangerous, and private businesses prevented it.

“It was pleasant to see the city of Hamilton at night. Beautiful,” Brant said.

The trip has had a few bumps, Brant said. He was fined $160 in Brown County, Ind., where he stopped in a state park to allow the animals to graze.

“I didn’t have the proper bridal tag for Abby (the horse), which you had to purchase inside the park,” he said.

Weather also causes him to delay arriving at his destination.

Hamilton resident Karen Johnson said she met him recently at a Tractor Supply store on Ohio 4 in Liberty Twp. She called Brant “interesting” and “inspiring.”

“I wish I could be like him,” she said.