Notinrwildestdremz

I like this story because it says that the owners did not race their horse until it was 4 and did not use drugs, even though they knew it would mean she wouldn't finish as well.  I wish the family that rescued the horses did not have to because then that would mean the horses were not abused in the beginning of their lives.  I am thankful for the people who own her now and how their barn is called 5R Race Horse Stable - Rescue, Rehabilitation, Racing, Re-training, Retirement.  ~Declan



May 18, 2012 10:07 AM

"Notinrwildestdremz": Abused horse, rescued, runs in race

By

Erica Hill of CBS News


Full CBS News Story Video Here

(CBS News) In the stands of Belmont Park Wednesday, Sean and Angelika Kerr were nervous.

Their four-year-old filly was about to run her first race.

The expectations for the rookie were admittedly low - in so many ways, her name, "Notinrwildestdremz," pronounced: not in our wildest dreams, said it all.

"I don't know if you remember the news, where some of these horses looked like Holocaust victims," recounts Sean.

In the spring of 2009, police and a local humane society raided an upstate New York breeding farm, where they found deplorable conditions: 177 horses close to starving, their bodies ravaged.

The animals were confiscated and put up for adoption.

Among them, two young fillies and a gelding - each of them severely underweight and in desperate need of care.

"So we drove up," recalled Angelika, managing partner of the 5R Race Horse Stable, "looked at them, and the decision was to be made which one we take. ... So, we said, 'Let's take all three of them."'

With that, Captain Crime Scene, Driving Miss Dixie, and Notinrwildestdremz suddenly belonged to the Kerrs.

With three recovering horses now in their care, the couple knew they'd need a little help.

They created 5R Stables, and sold shares to finance their new mission.

What are the five Rs?

"They stand for rescue, rehabilitation, racing, re-training and retirement," says Angelika.

More than 100 people have a share in 5R, whose goal it was to rehabilitate the three horses.

For two of the horses, the focus was on rehab - physical conditions as a result of their time at that breeding farm in upstate New York meant they'd never train as racehorses.

But Dremz - that's her nickname - stood out.

"She came out of the barn with this confidence. I went, 'Oh my God, she's a racehorse!"'

Through careful nurturing and rehabilitation, Dremz's potential began to emerge, and the Kerrs went looking for a trainer.

They found Billy Turner, who has a rich pedigree of his own. Turner trained 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. And though nobody imagines that kind of success for Dremz, Turner agrees there's something special about this horse.

"I must admit," he says, "I've been amazed at the progress that she's made."

Two weeks ago, on the muddy main track at Belmont, Dremz impressed during a training run. The Kerrs and Turner knew she was ready to compete.

Which brings us back to the nervous couple up in the stands and Wednesday's sixth race.

In the end, Dremz did not win. In fact, she finished dead last.

But that's OK, because the race itself was a victory. She'd already beaten the odds.

As Sean and Angelica hugged, he said, "She did it. She did it!"

Police Horse Saves a Foal

Here is a inspiring story about a police horse who saved a foal.  I thought it was so cool!  This story also proves that America does care about their horses.  Could you tell me how much you liked it??  ~Declan

Off-duty police horse alerts rescuer to foal in trouble

By Horsetalk.co.nz on May 19, 2012 

Police horse Jeeves is dedicated to his calling, even when off-duty.

His diligence has saved the life of an abandoned foal believed to be no more than 48 hours old.

Jeeves alerted rescuers to a tiny foal abandoned or lost on Sunday in South Norfolk, England.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary is currently caring for the foal and is appealing for the foal’s owners to come forward.

Jeeves, the partner of Mounted Special Constable Acting Inspector Richard Tallent, had been turned out after an afternoon patrolling the rural lanes of Norfolk.

When he checked his horse after dark, Tallent noticed that the 14-year-old bay gelding was on edge and kept nervously looking to a neighbouring field.

Tallent investigated and found a cold and bewildered newborn foal, clearly confused and alone.

Local police have been alerted, but the owner has yet to be found.

The foal, named Dodger by his new carers, is currently being looked after at Redwings’ headquarters in Hapton, South Norfolk, where he is receiving around-the-clock care and two-hourly feeding sessions from its vet team.

Richard Tallent visits with Dodger. Tallent's police horse, Jeeves, was responsible for finding Dodger.

When found, Dodger was estimated to be less than 48 hours old. He was suffering from dehydration and may not have survived had Tallent and Jeeves not found him when they did.

“This is such a sad situation not just for the foal, but for the mare as well,” Redwings vet Eve France says.

“Her body will be ‘programmed’ to nurse a new foal, so she will be wondering where it is. Plus, she is at risk of mastitis as her milk will be building up, causing her discomfort.

“If the separation was done on purpose, to intentionally take a foal from the mare at such a young age is a completely heartless act.

“It will also cost us, a publicly funded charity, an average of £2000 to £3000 a year to look after this foal until he is ready to be re-homed, if he is suitable, at four or five years old.

“Our message is always to encourage people to think about a foal’s future before even contemplating breeding from your mare. Abandonment is illegal, immoral and completely irresponsible.”

Tallent said: “It appears that the foal had been abandoned rather than lost, as so far no-one has come forward to report a lost foal. It is possible that the foal had simply been separated from its mother accidentally, so I would appeal to anyone with information to contact Redwings as soon as possible.

“Had Jeeves not reacted in the way he did, it could have been a very different story.”

Dodger is the second abandoned foal to join the 1200 residents at Redwings in the last two weeks.

Gin, a chestnut foal, was found alone and cold in the Mountain Hare area of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and taken in by the RSPCA. His mother and owner were never found; Gin is now doing well with his adopted mum, Monique.

ASPCA Helps Minis in Massachusetts

Here is a great example of why I would like to use my birthday wish this month to help horses all over the country through the ASPCA's Equine Fund.  Please help me reach my goal of collecting $500 for the ASPCA's Equine Fund and make my special birthday wish come true for the horses!!!!!  No amount is too small - it will all add up!!!! 

Here's the ChipIn link: Declan's Birthday Wish Fund for Horses

~Declan

ASPCA Grant Helps Support Neglected Miniature Horses

Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 12:45pm

Last month, the Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Boston and the MSPCA Nevins-Farm rescued 34 miniature horses kept on a small property in West Boylston, Massachusetts. The overwhelmed owner voluntarily surrendered the severely neglected animals after a state veterinarian concluded their basic needs were not being met.

"These horses were extremely malnourished due to an alarmingly high level of intestinal parasites," explains Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, director of veterinary medical services at the ARL of Boston. Dr. Smith-Blackmore adds that the horses' hooves were in very poor condition, and that they were also suffering from severe skin infections known as "rain rot" from living outside without shelter.

To help cover the costs of caring for and medically treating the horses, the ASPCA granted $9,000 grant to the ARL of Boston.

The ARL of Boston is happy to report that 17 of the 19 mini horses in its care have been placed in loving, permanent homes. The remaining two minis continue to be cared for by ARL of Boston’s Animal Care and Adoption Center staff in Dedham. Both horses require additional socialization and are growing more confident every day. The ARL of Boston is hoping to place them in permanent homes soon.

"We would like to thank the ASPCA for being there when we needed them," Dr. Smith-Blackmore says. "Their financial support allowed us to focus on these horses' care and rehabilitation by relieving some of the budgetary pressure of such large-scale rescue effort."

I Spy Horse

Just for fun... Here's a really cool picture of a horse.  Can you tell what is so special about it?

Please don't forget about my special birthday wish!  I would really like to raise $500 for the ASPCA's Equine Fund this month as a special birthday present from me to the horses in America!!!!

You can use the link on my blog or click right here: Declan's Birthday Wish Fund for Horses

~Declan

Horses Helping Veterans

Here is anawesome story that proves that horses have feelings and really listen and care for us.  I especially like this story because it talks about how the veterans feel while riding the horses and interacting with them.  I love horses and one day I hope every one will come to have a relationship with horses and care for them.  ~Declan

Equine therapy helps veterans cope with injuries of war

By David Breen, Orlando Sentinel
9:30 p.m. EST, May 7, 2012

Dave Vernaza came close to death while serving in Iraq. Eight years ago, a mortar shell fired by insurgents exploded near him at a base in Ramadi.

He refers to the day it happened as his "Live Day" because he survived. Five of his fellow Navy Seabees did not.

Vernaza suffered shrapnel wounds, a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, like many returning veterans, he's prone to anxiety and feels unsafe in public. But he's finding refuge and healing from his injuries in an unlikely place -- on horseback.

Vernaza, a 40-year-old Orlando resident, is one of eight veterans who are part of Horses for Heroes, a project that aims to help wounded warriors recover through interaction with the animals and each other.

On a recent day at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, the eight men talked softly and groomed their horses as they prepared to ride. They brushed out their mounts' horseshoes, then patted them down and saddled them up before heading to a nearby field.

The men, veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, had been riding for just eight weeks, but they trotted around easily, moving in a pattern one onlooker likened to "a square dance on horseback."

"It's allowed me to do something that's enjoyable, that relieves the anxiety and creates a bond with fellow veterans in an environment that feels safe," Vernaza said. "It frees my mind from an everyday battle that I struggle with."

Horses for Heroes is a collaboration of UCF's College of Medicine and the equine-therapy groups Heavenly Hoofs, in Kissimmee, and S.A.D.L.E.S., in Eustis.

Mänette Monroe, a physician and an assistant professor of pathology at UCF who is leading an effort to build a permanent equine-therapy center for veterans, said the group already was showing benefits. "Their self-confidence is through the roof," she said. "It's amazing to see them developing and blossoming."

The action of riding builds core strength. Stronger backs and abdomens help those with severe physical injuries -- one man in the group, Noé "Lito" Santos, had a leg amputated at the hip -- as they learn to stand and walk again.

But another key benefit is emotional. Longtime equestrians say horses are intuitive and forgiving.

"Horses pay attention to their leader, and the human is the leader; if the human is calm, the horse is calm," Monroe said. "[The vets are] learning better to deal with the situations that cause them stress."

Cliff Bruton, 46, of Orlando, is living proof of the benefits. He served 20 years in the Navy, including time in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operations. When he retired, he had trouble adjusting.

"I found myself becoming reclusive," Bruton said. "I shut the world out."

Riding with the group, Bruton said, "takes us out of our comfort zone."

With help from their horses and each other, the men are finding their way back from the war zone.

rebecause he survived. 

Heart Horses!

To show how much I love and care for horses I created this rock!  I would have put on a million more hearts if I had the room, but I think the big heart I made shows how much I care for horses.  I heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart HORSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I LOVE HORSES!!  STOP SLAUGHTERING  THEM!! ~Declan

My Birthday Wish for Horses!!!!!!

This month will be my birthday and this year, I have a special birthday wish.  I would like to help America's horses by collecting donations for the ASPCA's Equine Fund. I love helping animals!  I think I can help the most horses this way since their fund helps horses all over the country.

The ASPCA Equine Fund's grant programs provide funding in the areas of emergency feed support, large-scale cruelty seizures, capital improvements to improve safety and increase capacity, safety net programs such as hay banks and vet vouchers to help keep horses in their homes when horse owners fall on hard times, disaster support, and training grants to improve adoption rates. The equine rescues and sanctuaries supported by the ASPCA's Equine Fund range in size from small groups caring for barely a dozen horses to groups caring for hundreds of horses a year. Each year groups in about 35-40 different states are helped through the ASPCA's Equine Fund. Last year, the ASPCA's Equine Fund distributed almost $1.5 million to over 160 rescues and sanctuaries in 38 states.

Please consider helping make my birthday wish to help horses come true by making a contribution via "ChipIn".  All money collected, will be given on your behalf to the ASPCA's Equine Fund.  Just click on the link below and it will take you right to the ChipIn I have set up.

ChipIn for Declan's Birthday Wish Find to Save America's Horses

For more information on the ASPCA's Equine Fund and an application to receive a grant, click below:

ASPCA's Equine Fund

There is also a widget on the main page of my blog if you need to find it.  Thank you SO MUCH for helping me make my birthday wish come true and helping horses all over the country!!!!  ~Declan

Amazing!!!! Wild Horses Respond to Native American Drums

This is an amazing story which shows you how horses, even wild ones, are loyal to the end.  It is simply amazing to see how the horses interact with us and are our friends.  

We are all connected on this earth.  The horses were attracted by the beating of drums to the rhythm of the earth and hearts of the students.

Horses are AMAZING creatures!!  So what I want to know is,  why America wants to slaughter our incredible horses and friends!!!!!!!!  ~Declan

WILD HORSES RESPOND TO NATIVE AMERICAN DRUMMING

Analysis by Jennifer Viegas 
Thu Mar 18, 2010 01:44 PM ET

This week at Discovery News you can read about how horses remain loyal to their human friends. Jill Starr, the president and founder of Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue in Lancaster, California, whom I interviewed for the feature, shared a wonderful story with me, that I'd like to share with you now.

Starr works to save American mustangs and domestic horses from abuse, neglect and slaughter.

(Wild mustangs running free; Credit for images: Jill Starr)

Her organization now includes Red Horse Nation, which helps Native American youths by enabling them to connect with the rescued horses through direct contact, teaching and more. During one program, student participants were allowed to select a specific wild horse for "gentling," meaning they could assist in taming and training that animal.

One sunny afternoon, when they had finished their tasks, the students and a few elders within their group brought a tribal drum to the site, much to the surprise of the instructors and staff.

"It seemed to just be a spontaneous happening," Starr told me.

The students sat around the instrument and began to chant and drum.

"When this happened, the horses followed the drums and, mesmerized, made a semi-circle around the students," Starr said. "Most of the kids were so involved in the drumming that they didn't notice, even though the horses had gathered just 12 to 20 feet away. It was so moving that many of us watching were crying."

Below is the only photo taken of that moment, just as the horses began to gather.

 

Video of My Speech at Horses on the Hill

Here is the video of my speech at Horses on the Hill on April 25th, 2012.  I think I did a really good job and I know I made a difference that day.  The fight is not over until there is a ban on horse slaughter FOREVER!!  ~Declan