Baba Yaga's Mirror

New Year's Resolutions: Short Form

2012-01-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

Create.

Ride.

Be Kind.

Love.

The Second Day of 2012 was Just Wonderful

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

There was sun, dogs, and horses . . . key ingredients for a glorious day.

Autumn couldn't make up her mind, first she wanted to come in . . .

. . . then she had second thoughts.

Lyra was ready for dinner . . .

. . . and gave me a big kiss when she got her halter on.

My new slow feed hay bag from Chick's Saddlery was an excellent deal.

Red Horse enjoyed an early supper in his cozy stall . . .

. . . and at the end of the day appears quite pleased with life. Me too!

Solutions Instead of Slaughter: Euthanasia

2011-12-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

This is a hard post to write. There comes a time that a loving, dignified death free of fear may be the best option for your beloved horse. This is NOT transportation in a crowded truck to a death plant with the sounds and scents of a thousand terrified horses. However, euthanasia can provide one of the solutions for slaughter.

It was a surprise to discover that the meaning of Euthanasia is from the Greek εὐθανασία meaning "good death": εὖ, eu (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death) refers to the practice of ending a life in a manner that relieves pain and suffering (from Wikipedia). Could there be such a thing as a "good death"? When might the carefully thought out, intentional ending of life be an act of mercy? How could choosing death ever be a preferred option for our dear horses? Let me volunteer my sweet Lyra as an actual horse who may someday be a candidate for euthanasia.

Some folks would have you think that slaughter is a merciful solution.

The primary instrument of death for horses in Mexican slaughter houses is the
knife. They are stabbed in the neck until they die. In Canadian slaugther houses
and formerly in American slaughter houses is exsanguination. The horse is bled
out. Prior to having their necks cut, they are stunned with a captive bolt gun.
They are stunned, NOT DEAD when they are bled out.

Some people would like you to believe that this is a compassionate and painless
death for your equine partner. Ask yourselves, what is it like trying to worm your
horses or put medication in their eyes (thanks Becky for this question). Even the
most well-trained horse will often attempt to evade such an intrusion into their
space. They will move and throw off your aim. When the aim of a captive bolt gun
in not accurate, the liklihood of an animal retaining or regaining partial
consciousness increases. Please view this short video from Veternarians for Equine
Welfare, it shows a horse struggling in the kill pen (the horse is not stunned in
this brief footage) Click Here.

In their "Procedures for Humane Euthansia", written as a guide for those who must
perform euthanasia with the assistance of a veterinarian, Drs. J.K. Shearer and
Paul Nicolette caution that a disadvantage of using the penetrating captive bolt
gun is that "Death may not occur unless followed by exsanguination.
The operator must be close to the animal and have it adequately restrained
in order to get proper placement of the captive bolt. The penetrating
captive bolt should not be fired when the animal is moving its head."
This advice is directed at the relatively contained situation of ending an animal's
life in an agricultural setting, not in the chaotic, overwhelming environment of
the slaughter house.

The death found at

the end of the

slaughter pipeline

is not one that I

will ever choose

for any of my

horses.

This means that if, for any reason, I part with Red, Autumn, or Lyra I will
need to be extremely certain that they safe, sound, sane, and capable of
doing their jobs as horses. I need to carefully screen prospective buyers
and keep track of what happens after purchase or rehoming. This might
work for Red and Autumn. But what about Lyra, my senior TB mare?

Lyra came from a local rescue. She has been starved twice. I bought her

because she proved to be "too much" for her intended rider. She is

extremely sensitive and reactive. She cannot tolerate being in a stall.

She paces in a small paddock and will lose weight if contained in one.

In winter I struggle to maintain her weight. She is a hard horse for most

people to love and a harder horse to keep. I despise the Craigs List adds

for older horses. I will never do that to her. There is no way I will ever

part with her. So?

I will provide for her because I am responsible for her. When the time

comes, I will turn to euthanasia. I promise her "a good death".

If readers have doubts about what the horse experiences when stunned by a

bolt gun, here is "bird's eye" footage of what happens in the stun box. This
was filmed on July 13 - 14, 2011 in a Canadian "regulated" slaughter
facility. It is beyond appalling. Thank you "Golden Days" for including this
in your blog post. This link takes you to "Pasture to Plate", the investagive
findings by the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition. In the report you will
find a second-to-second analytical review of the last moments of each horse's
life in the stun box.

Think Dr. Temple Grandin is Supportive of the Horse Slaughter Industry? Think Again!

2011-12-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

How can anyone believe that the BUSINESS of horse slaughter will EVER be humane? Pro-slaughter folks and folks on the fence re: this abomination often cite Dr. Temple Grandin as an "expert" supporting horse slaughter. Hmmmm, she sounds pretty outraged by the reality of practices in Canadian slaughter houses, after REPEATED citations.

To read about her presentation at the pro-slaughter "Summit of the Horse", click HERE.

Congressman Dan Burton,Thank You for Your Work on Behalf of America's Horses!

2011-12-01T00:38:00.000-08:00

(for some reason this letter was removed from my blog, it is posted many placed online.

If it is removed again, you can read it at "Saving America's Mustangs".

If you care about the lives of horses, Congressman Dan Burton is someone you might want to learn more about. The Illinois Republican legislator is one of the sponsors of H.R. 2966, The American Horse Slaugher Prevention Act of 2011.

On November 7th, Congressman Burton wrote a letter to Jack Kingston, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture in an effort maintain the "Moran-Amendment" in the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that President Obama signed on November 18, 2011. The Moran Amendment was the key to continuing the prohibition on funding for U.S.D.A. inspectors to work in horse slaughter plants. Without these inspectors, the three existing horse slaughter facitlities were forced to shut down. In spite of Congressman Burton's efforts (and those of so many other advocates), funding for the U.S.D.A. inspectors was included in the Agricultural Funding Bill. The horse slaughter industry received a green light to again set up shop in the United States.

The Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 is the remaining opportunity to turn back the tide of misery that threatens the lives of vulnerable horses. Senate Bill 1176 was introduced in June, 2011 by Senators Mary Landrieu and Lindsey Graham. If passed, these bills will made horse slaughter finally illegal in our country, as well as prohibit the transport of horses for slaughter to Canada and Mexico.

Horse slaughter advocates are making a case for slaughter as a humane solution to the challenge of too many horses in hard economic times. Such a solution is an immensely profitable one for international corporations that market horse meat for human consumption globally. More than ever, NOW is the time to take action to prevent the nightmare of horse slaughter from returning to America!. Use social media, blog, write to your State senators and congressmen. For more information, please visit the Animal Law Coalition website.

Dear President Obama, HOW COULD YOU? This was NOT the "Change" I Voted For!

2011-11-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

I used to call my grandfather "worry wart". The older I get, the more I seem to share the worry gene with my beloved "Bop". Last week, barely mentioned by the media, Obama signed the Omnibus Bill that included the restoration of funding for USDA inspectors to work in equine slaughter houses. This means that once again slaughter houses can open up for business with us tax payers footing the bill for the mandatory USDA inspectors that make it all possible. Dear President Obama, HOW COULD YOU unleash such misery?

When I heard this heart breaking, deeply discouraging news, my inner worry meter cranked up a bazillion decibels. I have three horses, all of them seniors. What if something happens to me? What will happen to my horses.

I was actually considering rehoming Autumn who is thriving at 24 years old. Any thought of finding my sweet mare a great home came to a skidding halt last week. I fear that soon there will be a slaughter house operating just over the Oregon/California border. If I rehome Autumn I will lose the ability to control the end game when she is no longer able to jam down trails and her quality of life becomes diminished. There is NO WAY I will gamble that my sweet, sweet, easily worried, tries so hard to please, needs tons of reassurance, once starved-almost-died beautiful girl will ever face this HELL . . .

Or my grannie mare, Lyra who is somewhere way, way over the far side of 25. Winters have become difficult, even in the midst of summer she maintains a ghost of gauntness in her profile. Yet she looks for me in the general pasture, continues to trade kisses for carrots, and enjoys every moment of her life. What would be her fate if I wasn't around? A kind, respectful euthananization that maintains her dignity and minimizes her fear? Inclusion in a sancturary for senior horses? Or the terror of a hot, over-crowded trailer to a feed lot where she can hear and smell death while she waits her turn in line?

There is still pending legislation! Now, more than ever, it is crucial that Congress pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 2966) to permanently prohibit the slaughter of American horses.

Humane Alert!

For More Information.

Confession Time!

2011-11-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

OK, all I really want to do is be with horses, do rescue, do art, make quilts, take photographs, trim hoofs, research articles, write fiction and non-fiction, and be a hermit.

Detail from "Nasturtiums"

Detail from "An Old Fool"

Detail from "Indra's Net". All images rendered with Pentel colored pencils.

Meanwhile, Back in the General Pasture . . .

2011-11-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

After spending some quality time with Red Horse on Thanksgiving I turned

him back into the general pasture and headed out to find Lyra and Autumn.

A week of rain had transformed the fields into the sea of mud that will be with us until spring.

Red had to check out the "stud piles" and . . .

. . . find the perfect place to roll.

As Red headed for the south side of the pasture, who should appear but my grannie

horse Lyra, who decided she wanted some Thanksgiving attention and good things to eat.

On the way, I said hello to some of my horse friends. Cayenne.

Fino.

Shaheen.

And Steamer.

Good thing horses don't care about fancy hair junk.

Clothes pins make perfectly fine hair clips in a pinch.

Red settled in under a favorite tree, getting nice and comfy.

THEN he noticed I was leaving the pasture with the two mares.

There was NO WAY he was going to stand for them getting special treatment

that did not include MORE good things for Red Horse!

Other horses decided to see if they might be included. Mytar came running.

Followed by this lovely new mare. I haven't learned her name.

Red led the way, walking next to Lyra.

Once in the Redwood Barn, he made sure that he got some of whatever I served the mares.

My "kitchen" was open . . . alfalfa, soaked beet pulp, Nutrena Safe Choice, Remission,

poly copper and zinc, and a pinch of kelp were featured on the menu.

I love every second I spend in this place!

At the end of the day, I ran out of goodies.

Red Horse was SHOCKED, no goodnight treats.

The Thanksgiving that Lives On in My Heart

2011-11-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

In my heart there is one Thanksgiving table I treasure more than all others, the one at my grandmother's house.

I am grateful my memories of all the Thanksgivings at Nana's house.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

I'm Grateful for My Step-Dad, Harvey Morisoli

2011-11-23T01:27:00.001-08:00

My step-father Harvey Morisoli died in the early morning hours on September 10th. While the cause of death was pneumonia, he had been suffering for at least 18 months from dementia and related health issues. On Sunday September 25th Harvey would have celebrated his 79th birthday.

I first met Harvey when I was in first grade and he was dating my mom, Lois. I liked Harvey best of all the fellows she dated because he liked me right back. He would talk to me and took me to see Old Yeller - just the two of us. He took the time to build a relationship with me. I absolutely adored him when I was a little girl.

From first grade on, Harvey was a constant in my life. He was one of the reasons that I made it through a sort of rocky childhood with enough pieces of self intact enough have the foundation required for a pretty good life. I will be forever grateful Harvey, for the many gifts he gave me over the last 53 years.

When I was in second grade, my mother and I were in a serious car accident. We moved from Toluca Lake, California to Watsonville to live with my grandmother (Nana). Harvey was a regular visitor. He finally asked my mother to marry him and she accepted his proposal. They day we left I was SO excited that we would soon be a family.

We lived on El Nido Street in Pasadena. I think that Harvey recognized my deep loneliness and helped to "negotiate" my mother's approval for my first animal companion Tamio. Often mother-daughter relations were rather prickly with me and my mom. Over the years Harvey helped buffer and diffuse the conflict.

I was a geeky kid who dreamed of horses and read for hours on end. Harvey would get me laughing with his goofy jokes, take me shooting in the high desert, and take me to the laboratory where he worked. I was in heaven sitting on a lab stool and looking at bacteria through the microscope he would set up for me.

My memories of Harvey are linked with the cars that he took such pride in: the blue Plymouth with cool fins, the shiny brown Valiant, his sleek Karman Ghia, and the white Plymouth he let me drive once I got my license. On the day I took it hot-rodding, jumped a curb, and threw out the front end alignment he took it all in stride and remained calm as he grounded me. Usually, though all the heated emotional dramas of adolescence, Harvey kept a cool head.

From the time I was a toddler until kindergarten I lived with my grandparents. Then there was a rocky couple of years. Thanks to Harvey, I got to grow up with some sense of having a home. When I was in 5th grade he was able to buy this house on Chatsworth St. in Northridge, California. I remember how proud he was of his first home and the hours and hours he worked landscaping the yard. We had a perfect dicondra front lawn and a rose garden in the back yard.

It was here that I got my first dog, Trixie. Harvey was in on this, as he was in on most of the important experiences that sustained me through elementary school and junior high.

He was there for all the important events in my life. Often my dad was there too. Harvey kindly and skillfully negotiated the potentially volatile weddings, graduations, and eventually family gatherings surrounding the birth of a grandchild.

During the years that I was distant from my family, Harvey helped maintain connection. When I was living in Oregon and needed a car after my divorce from my first husband, he took me car shopping. I think he enjoyed my constant canine companions as much as I did.

Throughout my teen years and my early twenties, our differences sometimes strained our relationship. I remember once I visited and got out my tools to change the water pump on my 1967 Galaxy. Harvey was outraged, just furious that I - a woman, would work on a car. He was staunchly conservative, a devoted member of the Republican Party to his death. Me, not so much.

Harvey was loyal and steadfast. He understood commitment. Now, years later, I appreciate how difficult it can be to be a step-parent. Conflicts with spouse or partner often influence the shape and extent of a step-parent's relationship with their step-children. Chronic resentments about ex-wives or ex-husbands can become toxic weeds that threaten to choke the growing connections in second families.

My brother Doug was born on March 8, 1962. I think that the greatest joy Harvey knew was being Doug's father. I idolized my brother - still do. I'm happy that Harvey got to experience the deep joy, satisfaction, and pride of watching Doug grow into a talented, kind, humorous, brilliant man who is devoted to his family . . . like his Dad.

I moved to Oregon shortly after this photo was taken. Harvey tried to find to encourage me to move to Contra Costa County where the family was moving. He had a new job as the CEO of a major chain of laboratories. Eventually I found my way to college and moved back to California. I regret that I missed out on a lot when I moved, especially being around to see my little brother grow.

Harvey did an amazing job as my step-father. He did an amazing job raising my brother who is one of the best fathers I know. He learned it from his dad, my step-dad.

For the last 20 years, twice each year, Harvey would head North to visit friends and family. I treasure these memories, the sight of him smiling on my door step, ready with a joke and a hug.

Harvey's work played a major part in his life, as for many men of his generation. Over the years he enjoyed photography, collecting firearms and cameras, target practice, music by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, caring for his roses, dining out, silly jokes, his grand children, going for long drives, sight seeing, and visiting his family.

Our visits followed a certain rhythm. We would dine out, visit the local gun stores and sports stores, and look at mobile home that were for sale. He talked about moving to Humboldt every time we talked. After he retired, Harvey got a real estate license and sold mobile homes in San Mateo.

The bottom fell out of the mobile home market about the time he started to get serious about moving. While he could have sold his lovely home in an adult park, he didn't want to take the loss. Then the thought of moving became overwhelming. I will always think he would have been really happy here.

A couple of years ago, I started to notice some subtle changes on our visits and during our phone conversations. Always somewhat introverted, Harvey became more and more quiet. His humor was still there, but it seemed difficult for him to really talk about anything personal. Once he said he felt bad about this, but he just couldn't think of anything to say. He began to complain of vertigo and anxiety while driving. He lost interest in the things that had given him pleasure.

I never dreamed that I was seeing the first signs of dementia.

I suspect my mother was the great love of Harvey's life. They divorced in 1979 but once the dust settled, they talked every day. Once I moved to Humboldt County (1983), Harvey would always stop in Contra Costa to see her when he came north to visit. After my mother moved to Eureka, he would take her to her favorite restaurants and ensure that we spent time "as a family". He kept his visits up until he became too ill to manage the long journey from San Mateo. This picture was taken on his last trip in April, 2010.

My step-father's physical and mental health deteriorated very quickly. My brother did an amazing job dealing with the maze of health care providers and the hard decisions that must be made with an elderly parent is no longer able to manage their own affairs. Harvey's strong sense of independence and pride, strengths that had served him well throughout his life, became difficult barriers that made the heartbreaking job of managing end-0f-life health care long distance more difficult for my brother.

Harvey often said that he didn't have many connections. Yet throughout his final illness and death it was very evident how many, many friends, business associates, and family loved and cared deeply about this kind-hearted, often lonely, private man. He was one of the most consistent men in my life, helping me to maintain connection even through difficult times.

Harvey has been laid to rest in the same ground in Santa Paula as his mother, father, brother, and many other family members. My brother saw to it that he had the Mass and funeral that were exactly as Harvey had wished.

In my prayers, I tell Harvey how much he means to me, how grateful I am for all he gave me over the years. I wish so much I had done a better job of doing this while he was alive. Of course he knew that I loved him. Yet in the final months of his life I let the symptoms of his illness become barriers to letting him know how much I appreciated him and of my gratitude for all that he gave to my me over the years. My life is far, far better for having been blessed to have Harvey as my step-father.

Thank you Harvey, may you be at Peace.

Goodbye Captain Jack

2011-11-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today a very good horse was given the gift of a dignified end.

Captain Jack had been fighting for recovery from a broken jaw, laminitis,

severe abscesses, and probable Cushings. While never without discomfort,

Jack kept making it clear to his team that he still had enough quality of life to keep up

the battle for recovery. Today things changed and yet another crop of abscesses

had him in such pain he did not get up, did not want to eat.

He was given a loving and dignified end.

Jack was a good friend of mine. He will be missed.

Stella Has a Thyroid Deficiency!

2011-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

My dog Stella has had a lot of changes over the last year.

Increased shedding with a dull and greasy feeling coat, no matter how high the quality of dog food and the amount of essential fatty acid
Weight gain, even though she gets a regulated,diet-portion sized serving of food
An eye infection that seemed to persist no matter what
Re-occurring ear infections
Thinning hair along the sides of her back.
Less energy - her exuberance dulled
Re-occurring skin infections

My vet felt these were allergy symptoms and encouraged me to go on a raw food diet. I declined as it would just add more stress to my already maxed schedule. I found that salmon based dog food was the only variety that didn't aggravate everything.

The eye got better, but then got worse, then better, then worse. When Stella developed a vaginal discharge I decided to go back to my old vet. There we met Dr. Schroeder. She tested Stella's tear production in each eye - almost none in the right eye. Dr. Schroeder diagnosed dry eye syndrome and prescribed the treatment that will help.

When she considered Stella's weight gain and listened to my insistence that my dog gets small portions of dog food, Doc Schroeder looked more closely. The texture of Stella's coat, the excessive hair loss . . . these suggested a thyroid deficiency to Dr. Schroeder. Test results came back this morning!!!!! Stella has a thyroid deficiency.

While we could do additional testing to absolutely confirm this, I think that Stella has just about all of the symptoms. Here is a chart that lists the most common symptoms of thyroid deficiency in dogs and the percentage of dogs with low thyroid that present with each symptom

Clinical Symptoms	Percentage of Dogs Showing Symptoms
Lethargy/mental dullness	70
Hair loss	65
Weight gain/obesity	60
Dry hair coat/excessive shedding	60
Hyperpigmentation of the skin	25
Cold intolerance	15
Slow heart rate	10
High blood cholesterol	80
Anemia	50

from the online article "Thyroid Diseases: Hypothyroidism in Dogs"

Stella has every symptom but hyperpigmentation and a slow heart rate. I am delighted that there is an explanation for the cluster of symptoms that started slowly and eventually really effected Stella's quality of life. I really wish I had been more informed about how low thyroid manifests in dogs.

If your dog has any of the symptoms I discussed, please read this excellent article "Care of Your Hypo-thyroid Dog" by Dr. Hines.

Stella and I are very grateful she now has an accurate diagnosis. Thank you Dr. Schoeder of Sunnybrae Animal Clinic in Arcata.

My Summer Vacation So Far . . .

2011-08-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Has been pretty busy! I am re-posting a blog entry I just wrote for a blog belonging to Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue . . .

About a year ago, something wonderful happened at Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue. A new team of six committed people took over the management of the non-profit. New volunteers were recruited, an effective corporate structure was re-developed, and once again horses started to be rescued. Today HRHR is responsible for the welfare of 10 horses. Each horse has rehab needs: think of this as being healed and prepared for continued productive relationships with humans. We have long known that rescuing horses is a community effort. Today we are asking all of you to become horse rescuers! Here are the horses that need your help.

Bryron is a stunning four year old, still a baby in many ways. He was bred to race but the economy and other issues changed those plans. Left at pasture for almost two years, Byron just came to HRHR. He will need ground training and saddle training - a complete foundation to enable him to share his amazing qualities safely with people.

Miss T has spent over a decade producing babies for the racing industry. This kind, lovely 16 year old mare is very polite on the ground. She appears sound and will need training from the ground up. There will be a no breeding stipulation in her adoption contract. There are enough horses needing homes in our world.

Chip is a breath under 14 hands and is coming to HRHR tomorrow. He is SUCH a good boy! Born in July, 2007 he is halter broke and leads. He needs extensive training.

Charlie is approaching the point where he will be available for adoption. His story is a good illustration of how we work at HRHR. When Chuck was surrendered to the Rescue he was a 17 year old, neglected mustang stallion. First stop was North Coast Veterinary Hospital for a gelding appointment. Chuck needed time to recover emotionally and physically. He is now in training with Jody Swanlund. Thank you Jody for donating your time and skill - it is part of the rehabilitation process that is changing and saving Charlie's life.

Levi came into the Rescue in July. In severe pain from her badly foundered front hoofs, she needed some immediate relief. Xrays and a treatment plan following the founder rehab protocol developed by Pete Ramey and Dr. Debra Taylor at Auburn University were the first step. Talented trimmer Jessica White is donating her time as an essential part of the team desperately trying to save this mare's life. To make a difference we need to continue to provide her with expensive therapy boots and pads, mineral supplements, and weekly White Lightning treatments. We think we can make a difference and that in the end Levi will be sound.

Angel. LOOK AT THIS MARE!!!!!! She is SO adoptable. Trainer Heather Snow-Flamer said she has had extensive training at one time in her life (thank you Heather for all you do for us!). Angel is great little riding horse. Senior horses have SO MUCH TO OFFER. Please adopt this mare.

Captain Jack joined HRHR on June 21st. His "savior" was a kind-hearted woman in Fort Dick who took him in when he was abandoned by his long time owner. Jack had some medical needs and HRHR was contacted. Dr. Branch of NCHV has been wonderful with this boy, treating a long term low grade infection. Just cleared for exercise and light riding (to start), Jack's "horse team" can now begin the process of preparing him for adoption.

Long time friends of HRHR will recognize Olive, who was one of the 40 horses seized by Humboldt County in 2008 in a heart-wrenching hoarding case. Currently in training with Heather Snow-Flamer, we believe that Olive will soon be a very adoptable riding horse. Heather, thank you for donating you time and talent to give Olive the best chance for a wonderful life.

Bodie . . . after five years in a small, manure filled enclosure, Bodie is delighted to run free in the pastures donated to HRHR. We have many "silent" partners whose generosity makes it possible for the team to exist. Bodie would be such a wonderful companion horse. How would you, her adopter benefit? You would get to share her infectious joy.

In addition to these nine horses HRHR is responsible for the life-long care of a senior pony, Legacy. We are very grateful to our foster homes who are providing exceptional care for Sophia and Quincy.

Our Board of Directors recently met to review HRHR's expenditures between June 2010 and July 2011. Here is a "snapshot" of those expenditures (click on image to make it bigger). We are highly committed to ensuring that the funding generously donated by our community of fellow horse rescuers is effectively managed. All donated funds go for the welfare of HRHR horses.

As we move into our fundraising season, we want to thank all of you for what you have helped to create over the last year. Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is again thriving and rescuing horses. The horses who come to us have needs that must be met to prepare them for adoption. We will continue to need your help and would like to invite you to be horse rescuers, your generous donations make the work possible.

Charlie getting a lesson from Jody Swanlund.

Levi's damaged front left hoof upon intake.

Levi getting her first trim from Jessica White.

Lena Loves Summers

2011-07-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lena was rescued from a pound in Redding by Bones Dog Rescue. When I adopted Lena about 5 years ago I was told she had been "picked up" while running on the streets of Redding. What I was not told is that Lena LOVES to run away. She is very, very adept at the art of escape. Here is what is takes to make Lena a happy dog - action. She thrives around horses, on the trail, and herding me through life. If I leave her at home for a couple of days she finds a new escape route out of my back yard and trots along her happy way, probably looking for a bit of attention and excitement.

Deceptive in her cuteness, Lena is a hard-core alpha girlie whose middle name is determined. As a rescue dog, her breeding is uncertain. I'd lay my money down on a kelpie and aussie heritage. Stella, who is a pit bull mix, puts up with a lot from Lena who has never learned to play, share, or give an inch. Stella regularly comes to me to referee . . . "Mom, Lena stole my bone again and won't give it back."

During summers, Lena gets all the excitement and action she craves. It is during the school year that she pouts about, begging me for adventure and any kind of break in what I admit is a bit of a boring routine for dogs. I get up, go to work, come home, change, go to the stable . . . I LOVE this routine, Lena likes the "go to the stable" part.

Today we have a busy day - I have to White Lightning Levi's feet. Levi is a badly foundered, lovely 10 year old quarter horse Heart of the Redwoods Rescue took in on Tuesday. We need to help set up a new pasture, and finally catch that stinker Autumn who has been determined to avoid me when I walk through the general pasture.

Enjoy your Saturday everyone, Lena will be enjoying hers here in Humboldt County where our heat wave of 70 degrees is continuing.

"Horse Camping" From the Horse's Point of View

2011-07-04T16:15:00.001-07:00

Autumn: Here is a picture of me and Cherie, taken while we were "horse camping" by Horse Mountain in Six Rivers National Forest. Cherie is the one with the ear-to-ear grin. I'm the one saying, "Can we go home yet?"

One thing I learned about horse camping is that humans take lots and lots of pictures. This is a picture of mountains and fog. Sheeesh. What is the big deal? I went up and down lots and lots of mountains. I don't like mountains.

I also learned that humans do lots of weird things that make absolutely no sense . . .

. . . and they keep taking pictures of mountains at different times during the day. Humans are very puzzling. I would prefer to forget the mountains I hauled Cherie's not exactly petite self up and down.

Here is a picture of me before all the "trail riding". When Cherie came to get me from the pasture a few hours before this picture was taken, I ran to hide in the trees. I was hoping she would mistake me for an elk or a moose. Here I am hiding in more trees in our "base camp".

More mountains. I was starting to get very concerned that Cherie and her friends were taking pictures of all those mountains because they planned to have us carry them over them.

This is Cherie's dog Lena. I don't really mind dogs. Marcel, a very large horse who has a human named Nanette, hates them. He kept giving Lena the stinky face.

This is Marcel thinking about squashing Lena. Now that I think about it, Lena was a bit annoying. She did not have carry anything or anyone on the trail. Why do canines have it so much easier than us equines? I would like to go "dog camping" and watch the dogs do all the hard work.

This is a picture of Tag, Marcel, Jericho, and their humans going up a hill. Hills are little mountains. Still don't like them.

See what I mean? Mountains are not good for horses! We had to squeeze across this teeny, crumbling trail with a steep mountain side millimeters away from our hoofs. Cherie rode me through. HUMANS, listen up! We are horses, NOT pegasi!

It was a good thing that Cherie and the other humans brought lots of good food for us because the smelly cows that lived in the area had eaten most of the good grass. Here is a picture of some kind of useless plant. I could not eat it. Cherie said it was a "dogwood" but I did not see any kind of resemblance to any dogs I know.

This is a forest service road marker. Jericho, Laura's horse, found the trail it marked. When it comes to finding the fastest way home, he is amazing.

Maybe I shouldn't have pushed him into the electric fence. This was my favorite trail ever. It cut many miles off the ride. Pounds x miles = tired horses. Even with Jericho's short cut I was VERY tired by the time we got back to camp.

This is where Cherie slept. When she was younger she used to do lots of back packing. Do other people start horse camping when they get too old (lazy) to carry their own pack?

Ha Ha Ha Ha. Look what happened to her tent. Serves her right. On the last day she rode me into a spring-fed water hole that camouflaged a horse-eating bog monster. It tried to suck me into the deep, deep mud. The other humans were surprised she stayed in the saddle when I tried to spin around and run into a tree.

Just look at me! See what horse camping does to horses? I am much thinner looking than in the first picture of me when we had just arrived at camp. And that wet stuff is water Cherie threw at me to wash the sweat off. There was LOTS of sweat to wash off.

More of the strange things humans do on horse camping trips. Jericho told me I should be happy that we didn't have to go "back country horse camping" and haul all that stuff that humans eat to some awful wilderness camp.

Eeewwwwww! Someone needed to get stupid Lena off of our food. It was just wrong that she used our yummy hay for a bed. Why was she tired? She didn't do any hard work. Cherie, how would you like it if Lena took a little nap on that tri-tip you kept making so many mnnnnmnnnnn noises over when you ate it for dinner?

Well folks, I survived horse-camping. I don't really recommend it. Jericho seemed to have fun going up and down tiny trails and over all kinds of dangerous-for-horses kind of things. His human Laura called this "trail trial practice." What do you expect, he's an Arabian.

This is Tag. He used to be a "working horse" and told me that horse camping was actually easy compared to what humans make some horses do. I thought he was pretty cute. In fact, I wouldn't mind getting to share his pasture.

When I get home I am going to tell that faker Red Horse that the next time Cherie starts talking about going horse camping, I'M going to be the one that gets to be lame. Just wait until the next time she tries to catch me. I don't think so.

Going Camping on Horse Mountain

2011-06-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going HORSE CAMPING someplace close to Horse Mountain (love the synchrony). Because Red is a bit sore still growing out abcess channels, he is not really in trail shape. I'll be riding Autumn.

Autumn: Hey, I heard my name. What is this baloney about

ME carrying you up and down some mountain? I don't think so, Cherie.

*Looks around* Just take me back to the general pasture. We'll talk about this later.

So Red, we've got to talk. I think its a crock of manure that you are "too sore"

to make it on this trip. Admit it, you're totally faking, aren't you. And while

you're at it, tell me more about "horse camping", is it as horrible as it sounds?

To be continued . . .

Terror Vanquishes Colic?

2011-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last night, in the middle of scarfing his crunchies, Red stopped eating. This almost never happens. In the past, Red Horse turning away from his beloved crunchies has tended to be the first red flag that we were headed towards an expensive vet visit.

Sure enough, Red started pawing and turning around to gaze at his hip with a very unhappy expression. Immediately we headed out of the barn to see if a little walk and some grazing might help. It was drizzling and sometimes eating moist, tender grass has helped head off a bellyache for Red. This time he showed no interest, not even when we went to some of his favorite grazing spots. He was more interested in trying to lay down.

As a last resort we headed out behind the arena where the grass grows belly high and assorted piles of junk are hidden in shadowy piles. Red has always been convinced that these junk piles are really starved, hungry for Red Horse predators. As we approached his head went up, then his tail. Adrenalin flooded his system and he began to dance . . . and then I heard it! Plop, plop, plop . . . Red dumped a large pile of manure in preparation for flight. YES!!!!

As we headed back to a nice grassy spot, Red dropped his head and eagerly began to graze. Thanks to the "terror" technique of colic prevention, a $300.00 after hours vet call was avoided.

Angel - Still Waiting for a Home

2011-06-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

It has been over a year since I started volunteering with Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue. Last August I became a board member. Recently we got a couple of boxes of records from the previous management and I spent an afternoon reading up on past and current horses.

When I came to Angel's file, I was just heartsick. She has been in the rescue since 2003. Oh, there have been a couple of foster homes and one adoption that didn't work out (inexperience rider and Arab mare not a good match), but HRHR has literally been her home for EIGHT years.

She is now 25 - and as these recent pictures show, still has SO MUCH TOO OFFER.

I would love hearing adoption strategy ideas from folks. We do the basics - petfinder, craigslist,

flyers at feed stores. Angel is an amazing horse, everyone who knows her adores her. I just really want her to be adopted into a home that will give her the appreciation she deserves.

For more about Angel, visit her page on the HRHR blog.

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle . . .

2011-06-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

. . . a large, noisy creature was thrashing about. Oh WAIT! That's my backyard! And THAT'S my SON!

My son Jesse and his wonderful girlfriend

Shauna surprised me with some badly needed assistance reclaiming

the overgrown jungle that was once my backyard.

Jesse and his Husqvarna weed whacker made easy work of the months

and months of overgrown foliage that defied my lawn mower when

I tried to tackle the wild blackberry, choke vine, and nettle that thrived where

formerly well-tended flower beds once enjoyed the southern exposure.

What on earth created this fierce, tangled jungle?

Actually three things contributed to the overgrowth.

Red, Lyra, and Autumn! While I'm horse rich when it comes to the

joy of time spent with my little herd, as Jesse said, I'm horse poor

when it comes to having enough time to attend to all the parts of my life.

Thanks to Jesse and Shauna, the back yard is coming close to

being manageable once again. This summer I'm looking forward to reclaiming

my flower beds and maybe planting a vegetable garden.

Thank you SO much Jesse and Shauna for your amazing suprise!

How wonderful that I can actually use my lawn mower now.

Autumn Runs Like the Wind - In the Wrong Direction

2011-06-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight my friend Laura called and invited me to go riding. By the time I got up to Freshwater Stables and entered the general pasture, my mind was full of anticipation and excitement. I am hitting the summer trail a bit late this year and just working on getting me and my horses back in shape. Walking through the gate I could see the herd, they were close. I had already decided to ride Autumn again. As I entered the meadow, I saw my lovely mare . . . running fast in the opposite direction.

Autumn: I heard that thought! NO MORE RIDING!!! I'm so outta here.

Cherie: A few cuss words, actually many cuss words got muttered as I

watched my mare get smaller and smaller in the distance.

Autumn: Like how I canter? Watch me RUN. Far away from YOU!

WHAT! She's still there? Impossible.

I'll just head in this other direction.

And maybe skootch in behind my BFF Cayenne (who pins ears).

STILL there? FINE. How do ya like the sight of my tail . . .

Heading even farther away from YOU.

HA! That'll stop her.

Nooooooooooooooooo. She just keeps on coming after me.

Autumn: Red, hide me from her.

Red: Forget it, Cherie's middle name is relentless, just give it up.

Autumn: Fine, whatever. Let's go on your STUPID ride and get it over with.

And it was a mighty fine ride. At least for one of us.

Are You Listening to Your Horse?

2011-06-22T12:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue took in a new horse. Misty, our President, and I went up to Crescent City to get Captain Jack. A good-hearted guy, Jack is VERY communicative. He was pretty anxious to be leaving his familiar surroundings. On the trip, at the vet, and in his new stable Jack let us know in eloquent equine language about his concerns.

When I listened, Jack gave me his very best. It got me thinking, how often do I fail to "hear" what horses are trying to tell me? Now I'm not talking about things at the "animal communicator" level. I'm talking about regular equine language - what you can hear and see when you take the time to pay attention.

Our "dialogue" went something like this:

Cherie: I walk in Jack's directions, stopping occasionally, moving slow. Jack sees me and walks away, showing me his butt.

Jack: Who is this strange person? I feel her attention. Oh Oh. I don't know her. This worries me, what is going to happen? I'm going to tell her to slow down or better yet, just leave me alone.

Cherie: He is walking away. He isn't too sure about me. I stand, breathe slowly, turn sideways, get smaller, point my center away from Jack. Wait. He cocks an ear my way. I take a couple of sideways steps not looking at him. He shifts his weight away from me. I stop, wait, breathe, and start talking about what I'm doing and who I am. He is still.

Jack: I'll just skootch over here away from her. Maybe she will get the message and go away. Oh good, she stopped. Now what is she doing? Hmmmmm. She feels sort of soft, not sharp, no poking-at-me energy. Let me check her out again. Points ear. Oh-oh, she got closer, but it doesn't feel too bad. Maybe she is ok, she is talking to me.

Misty, our President at HRHR, knows how to listen to horses.

To often I get caught up in the "business" I am about and forget that I have a sentient partner with their own preferences and ideas about what works best. I wonder how many times horses get labeled when the real problem is that their human is "hearing impaired" when it comes to listening to equine language.

When we listen, the rewards are tremendous - the eye softens, our bond deepens, and our beloved equine companion dares to reveal more of their self to us.

If you want to learn more about the language of horses, here is a very well written article, "How To Tell What Your Horse is Saying". It starts with this quote from an old cowboy:

Horses are always quietly talking to you with their body, and horses don't lie.
It's very subtle, but if you are very patient and watch closely,

what they are saying to you will come to you like a whisper.

Click HERE to read more.

If you would like to read some great descriptions of how a troubled horse is being helped along as he works with a human who knows to "listen", visit the blog of Quincy & Another.

Have You Ever Gone On An Orb Hunt?

2011-06-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

A WHAT? I can just hear everyone. Some of you may be smiling and thinking, "of course, ORBS!" Others may now be convinced I've finally gone round the bend. Come on folks, have you ever noticed that sometimes when you take a digital picture there is a odd little, round distortion? Or maybe a couple? Or hundreds!!!!!! What the heck do you think they are?

The first time I went orb-hunting was when I went on a three day ride. I was with my friend Laura. She had discovered orbs in some of her photos taken in the Trinity Alps. Silly us. We decided to go traipsing across the fields in the dark, pointing our cameras at weird angles and taking flash shots.

At first, we saw nothing.

Then one orb made an appearance. See it in the lower left corner.

Then suddenly many orbs appeared. My first successful orb hunt! I was hooked.

I have gotten into the habit of snapping a few "orb hunter" shots at night when I wait with Red while we go through our last ritual of the evening. We always stop on the way back to the pasture so he can munch on some of the "special" grass at the end of the driveway. He looks forward to this and reminds me if I forget.

See that little yellow light to the right of my face?

This is what it looks like close up.

It has turned up many times when I stand with Red while he grazes at the end of the drive way.

Here the little silly got into my hair.

Ye old manure pile is always certain to be a rich source of orb shots.

Sometimes a few show up inside the Redwood Barn, sometimes not.

This is what they look like enlarged. There are many variations.

Now you can bet that I have googled the heck out of the word "orb". OMG! I've found so many opinions about what orbs actually are: digital distortions, angels, pollen, extra-terrestrial beings, dust, inter-dimensional beings, moisture, fairies. There is even a book about orbs. I posted a picture on facebook and someone I know asked me if I could offer a "scientific explanation". I fretted about that one, worried that that person had just relegated me to her lunatic fringe list.

I can offer no explanation about orbs. I'm a little partial to the idea that maybe, just maybe, the flickering lights I capture with my flash are the result of an alchemical blend of science and old magic offering a momentary glimpse into the land of fae - ah, my wild imagination is showing. If your curiosity has been triggered, have fun orb hunting via google.

Meanwhile, if you ever drive by someone standing in a field in the dark, taking flash pictures of the sky, you will know you have witnessed an orb hunter fast on the trail of . . . well, I'll leave that to your imagination.

The Official Start of My Summer Trail, 2011

2011-06-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

I am lucky - really, really lucky. For the last 14 years I have had summers off. One of the many blessings of my job as a school social worker. I love my job! And I an grateful for the time summers give me to replenish my physical and emotional cup. The last winter was a bit on the intense side and I have some serious replenishing to do.

A couple of weeks ago I was home sick (again) and slogging through the internet looking for immune boosting ideas. I stumbled upon the paleo diet. It felt REALLY interesting to my body and I decided to try a modified version. So I'm going slightly paleo for my summer journey. This means no flour or grain which is fine by me. Two weeks into this and I definitely have more energy. I've dramatically increased my meat intake (grass fed if beef - no corn fed). And found a recipe for coconut flour pancakes when I am really craving something yummy. I also learned that all food has tendencies towards inflamation or anti-inflamation. Here is a really cool page where you can find the inflammatory rating of what you eat - Self Nutrition Data.

It is easy to figure that my summer trail will be filled with horses, horse rescue, and some wonderful trail-riding around Humboldt County. I want to include more photography, blogging, a return to painting, and a regular practice of mindfulness. And more time with these characters:

Spring Cleaning and Random Updates

2011-04-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

In just a minute I'm going to go and mow the calf-high grass in my front yard. I'm still warming up from falling in mud while dealing with horse fight issues in the pasture for the rescue I volunteer with. Mud sucked my boots and over I toppled. Sigh. Here are random pictures from the last few weeks.

Autumn has a new beloved, Web.

All the horses have had their hoofs in water or muck for what feels like months.

Frogs are not looking so pretty, abscesses are taking over.

Stella is still terrified of horses. I have to pull her out of the car to take her for a walk.

Autumn fared the winter quite nicely.

Lyra had a much harder time.

Last week she was diagnosed with moon blindness - she is doing much better this week.

Quincy, who went into a rescue a few months ago,

has lost his dangerous weight and looks like a regular horse.

The rescue is looking for a trainer to deal with some of his bad behaviors - he has a serious "lunge" when being leg that rips the rope out of the leader's hands.

I'm working on re-balancing all the parts of my life. I got behind

during a family crisis in January and am still working on catching up.

Lyra and her friend Zindi are the two "granny horses" of the general pasture. They are BFF.

Even Red Horse has been effected by the endless rain of this winter. Some nights he let me know he really preferred to stay in his stall where it would be nice and dry. Usually Red is not a stall kind of guy.

When a Health Crisis Strikes a Senior Loved One - Be Prepared, I Wasn't . . .

2011-02-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

On Christmas my step-father was hospitalized. He was so weak that he was unable to walk and over couple of months had lost a tremendous amount of weight. Late last spring he had experienced a physical/mental health crisis that may have been triggered by a change in medication after decades of stability. Over the summer my brother and I successfully put together a care system using the excellent resources of the local VA system. For many reasons, many of them not rational, he refused to use these resources.

In California (for good reason) a senior citizen has to be extremely impaired for there to be a mandate to take over making their medical decisions. Regretfully, my step-father's decision- making process was severely impaired and his medical choices resulted in his near death and apparently the loss of all quality of life. It is unlikely that he will ever return home until the day comes when hospice can assist. He currently has a conservator for medical decisions due to mental health impairment. Dementia is one aspect of his diagnosis.

When my brother called and told me I needed to come, I was not prepared emotionally but I was, I thought, skilled regarding how to access resources and put together systems of care. I am a social worker, this is what I do but with children and families. What I found was a nightmare of fragmented services, overworked professionals, and an almost complete lack of coherency in the medical systems serving seniors in the urban area where my step-dad lives. At the end of our journty, the Adult Protect Services supervising social worker (APS was not involved due because when I made the report my step-dad was already in the hosiptal) told us we did one of the best jobs she has ever seen negotiating our way through the jumble of services. This saddened and troubled me. It was exhausting and overwhelming for us, what is it like for others?

I thought I was ready when it came to info and skills. I wasn't even in the ball park. The most helpful professional we met in the hospital was an ex-Navy chaplain who became a hospital chaplain upon leaving the military. He took time to sit with us and hear the whole story, to meet my step-dad, to see the person that still existed among the delusions. He made a few suggestions that were helpful and helped us to work successfully toward a transfer to a geriatric-psychiatric unit in another hospital specializing in geriatric care.

Near the end of life, when lightning strikes, it can be catastrophic and confusing and require choices and knowledge that few of us have even considered let alone prepared for. The one thing we can be pretty certain of is that most of us will be required to be involved in making medical, financial, and legal decisions for elder parents.

My brother had thought he was well- prepared with a durable power-of-attorney for medical related needs and a springing power-of-attorney for financial needs. Not so. No one at the necessary banks knew what to do. Do not count on there being knowledgeable and compassionate professionals present to assist you on this journey. While they may exist, you will have to have the skills to find them.

Hindsight is 100%, I know. I wish I had collected important phone numbers, researched terms like SNFF, and bookmarked websites. If you have senior parents who are enjoying wonderful health, now is the time to do it. If you have moved out of middle age and have started the next part of the trail, consider putting together for your children one of the most important "care packages" you will ever give them.

Here are a list of resources that I found helpful and now have in my senior crisis "emergency kit":

Your local Area Agency on Aging (a national program structured with local resource and referral services available by county) http://www.n4a.org/about-n4a/
Visiting Angels is a Home Health Care Agency that has some good information available. Here is an article on Senior Preparedness for Emergencies. It lists the basic info that is critical to have access to when disaster strikes.
Know what a hospital medical social worker does (Click HERE) and be prepared to insist on talking with one soon after your loved senior enters a hospital. While they put together discharge plans, they can also arrange for and facilitate a patient care conference which will give you slightly more information than hurried 1 - 5 minute pressured contacts with medical professions in the hospital.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of care or treatment of your loved one or family members while in the hospital, ask to meet with the Charge Nurse of the ward. I found this professional to be respectful and compassionate.
Know where your loved senior's family doctor has Hospital Privileges. Go to those hospitals. Otherwise your family member is very likely to NOT have a medical professional who knows their history and is invested in them personally.
Know what medical insurance/medicare coverage your family member has. Understand what it covers. Click HERE.
Learn the confusing alphabet soup of home health care vs. nursing facilities vs SNFF and learn about which local facilities are hell holes and which ones provide quality care. I wish I had found this excellent resource link before our family crisis. Click Here. You will be able to research detailed information including the specifics of successful or failed govt. evaluations.
Know how to choose a skilled nursing facility (and what it is). This excellent medicare brochure has really useful information. Click Here.
If your loved one qualifies for services through the Veterans Administration, know what they are and how to successfully access this system. The VA medical social workers were the most helpful people we found.
If you live far from your loved one, consider hiring a geriatric care manager. Visit the National Geriatric Care Manager Website by clicking HERE. Usually a licensed clinical social worker in a very specialized practice, a care manager is not covered by medicare or insurance yet we found the service to be indespensable. We have no local family members available for the many case conferences where we wanted someone to represent our family goals and ensure that my step-dad's best interest was the primary consideration for all decisions.
AARP - I completely forgot about this useful resource. Probably because I am in total denial that I have personally been AARP eligible for many years. For a link to the AARP health resources page CLICK HERE.
Discuss with your bank representative exactly what protocol to follow to activate a "springing" power-of-attorney. Get this in writing with the name of someone in authority to back it up should you need to deal with a bank branch in another location.

It feels deliciously good to be blogging this story, just to be blogging again. My trip to help with my step-dad took some wind out of my sails and I have just started to catch up. Diagnosed with dementia, he is not doing well and our journey through the world of senior services is just beginning.

If you find yourself on this particular difficult trail my prayers for the kindest possible journey will be with you.

Sunday Stills: Pets

2010-12-12T13:05:00.001-08:00

Lyra: 25 yr. old + TB mare from Miranda's Rescue

Autumn: 24 yr. old quarter horse mare rescued from neglect.

Red Horse: 18 yr. old appendix quarter horse.

Stella: 8 yr. old pit bull/German shepherd rescued from pound

Lena: 8 yr. old aussie/kelpie from BONES rescue.

I love these five more than I can say!

For more Sunday Stills of pets please click HERE.

Time to Stop The Pain!!!

2010-12-11T13:02:00.001-08:00

Updates From the General Pasture and Beyond

2010-12-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted that there might be a chance for Moose and Autumn to be placed together in a potentially wonderful home. I agonized about this decision and got some really excellent advice that helped me make my choice. One of the best questions suggested to "measure" the possibilities of this new situation was "Will this move make her any happier than she is now?" Here is Autum's opinion . . .

Autumn stayed where she wanted to be, much to my delight. Moose stayed too because his caretaker Jennifer and I agreed that he was not fully appreciated by his potential adopters. But recently Moose was ridden by the husband of a good friend who fell in LOVE with Moose. This very sweet man is now Moose's new owner. Autumn has spent almost a week in the general pasture without her devoted gelding. What has been her fate?

In a herd where the geldings outnumber the mares 3 - 1, there are many contenders for Autumn's affection. The handsome Jarvis is currently at the top of the list.

Lyra has been enjoying her almost complete retirement, well deserved at over 25 years old.

We are now in the hardest season to keep her at a decent weight, yet she is doing fine.

Some of my greatest moments are shared with my Red Horse. I am deeply touched at the way our partnership continues to deepen. Red makes himself heard on many levels. He continues to have distinct opinions about most things. In this photo he is saying "Why NO I do most certainly NOT want to leave this cozy barn until I can crunch down on more good things to eat."

In August I went on the Board of Directors of a small equine rescue in my town. Wanna guess why I haven't been able to blog so much lately? We have put together a fine team. With our last recruitment of volunteers, the disintegrated internal structure is rebuilt to the degree that we can once again respond to horses in need. This was the organization that told me they could not take Autumn last winter. I didn't want that to happen to other people trying to help a horse.

Angel (pictured here) has been "in" the rescue since 2004. While she has was in a couple of foster homes, she needs and deserves her own loving family. She is a lovely, sweet senior mare.

The rescue is preparing to take in a 15 year old mustang stallion, Charlie. It is amazing that he has remained a stallion since his capture many years ago in Nevada.

Not so amazing, definitley disturbing, has been the neglect and abuse he has suffered.

His sad, wise eyes tell the story of a courageous soul who in spite of his misuse by human beings still responds politely and kindly to human requests. We are making arrangements for Charlie, starting with a trip to the vet to bring his status as a stallion to an end.

At a recent clinic with Heather Snow-Flamer, I learned about finding the edge of my horse's "comfort zone" and then gradually increasing his exposure to pressure through the delightfully challenging trials that Heather had devised for us. If I had tried the umbrella a few years ago, I would be holding it on my way to the moon.

I love this expression on my Red Horse's face as he watches another horse go through the "tunnel of doom".

What do you think he is trying to tell me?

After a long, exhausting weekend . . .

2010-11-07T23:09:00.000-08:00

. . . there is nothing like a horsie smile . . .

Angel agrees and thinks . . .

. . . that there is nothing like a good scratch if you have just moved into a new pasture.

I've Been Learning About What it Takes to Run an Equine Rescue . . .

2010-11-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

My learning curve is steep. In August I went on the board of directors of Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue, a small rescue in Eureka, California where I live. In the last few months I've been learning about . . .

. . . the intensely, heart-rending, exhausting, soul-ripping, rewarding job of rescuing neglected horses and nursing them back to health.

. . . the hours and hours and hours of fundraising to support the horses currently in the rescue and to make it possible to rescue more.

. . . the need to keep rehabbing horses engaged with humans, building or rebuilding their capacity to trust the very creatures who once betrayed them.

. . . the agonizing questions about how to manage resources and what to do with those dear horses that will never be sound.

. . . the moments when everyone is exhausted from one more rescue event, its time to go home, and that final horse just won't load.

. . . the grind of day-to-day operations, the endless cycle of feed & muck & feed & muck, and the need to staff morning and evenings feedings in each facility of the rescue.

. . . the need to maintain facilities and keep donated resources in top shape.

. . . the need to recruit, orientate, train, schedule, coordinate, encourage, and appreciate the many, many wonderful volunteers that keep non-profit rescues going.

. . . the challenge of maintaining a strong internal structure, day-to-day operations, and an healthy, transparent organization with volunteer staff.

. . . the tears shed for those horses you couldn't help.

. . . the challenge of finding homes so you can welcome more horses in need into your care.

. . . the need to provide daily care, grooming, and exercise for all the horses in the rescue.

. . . the amazing, committed, caring, give-their-all-and-keep-on-giving people you will meet.

. . . the community that will support you and that you depend upon for the funding to continue to help the horses.

. . . the need to train horses that would otherwise not be adoptable, and the need to find quality trainers that are committed to the rescue.

. . . the knowledge that it takes a community to save a horse.

Dandelion

2010-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sort of a belated Wordless Wednesday ;)

Where You Go, I Will Follow

2010-10-10T01:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow a very nice sounding person is coming to look at Moose. He may go to live on a ranch in the rugged and beautiful coastal mountains just south of Ferndale.

This person is actually hoping to get two horses for herself and her husband. She wants to be sure the horses she buys will be good companions.

Moose already has a beloved companion - Autumn. Moose and Autumn could give workshops for couples wanting to learn move about loving devotion.

I love Autumn. If you know our story, you will recall that she asked me to save her when she was close to dying from starvation last January. Jennifer rescued Moose, I rescued Autumn. If I could, I would get Moose. He is an awesome horse. I don't have the resources to sustain four horses.

Tomorrow I am going to meet the woman who is interested in Moose. She is also interested in Autumn. I had no intention of parting with Autumn, ever. Yet how can I let these two sweet horses, horses with one of the strongest relationships I have ever known, be separated forever?

Red Waits for Me . . .

2010-09-25T21:49:00.001-07:00

. . . almost every night. I got to Freshwater quite late tonight after a successful fundraiser for the rescue I volunteer with. Grabbed Red's halter, called to Lena (one of my dogs) and headed to the general pasture thinking I would have to walk the full 90 acres, looking for Red. Before I could even call for him, my Red Horse appeared at the gate. It didn't take much imagination to see that his "arms" were crossed and his toe a 'tappin. "WHERE have you been?"

He might be hungry, he might want his yummy crunchies . . . but when I hug him, scratch him, and listen to his big sigh, I like to think he was waiting just for me.

I Could Not Save Mr. Blue Eyes

2010-09-18T22:17:00.001-07:00

There is only a small part of this story I can tell.

Like so many others, the welfare of the horse takes a second place

to legal threats and law enforcement apathy.

Mr. Blues Eyes was substituted for another horse, by "mistake".

Never mind that he has stunning blue eyes

and the other horse has brown eyes.

Mr. Blue Eyes endured a very long trailer ride and could barely walk,

barely stand on his long, neglected feet when he arrived on the coast

where I made his acquaintance. We promised him

he was safe and that his life would be better.

A few days later the actual horse that was supposed to be shipped was recovered.

The person who let Mr. Blue Eyes get in this sad, sad shape came to retrieve him.

Even though I made a neglect report, local law enforcement returned him to this person.

Mr. Blue Eyes, my heart breaks for you.

I am sorry beyond words.

Know that I wanted you.

In Between the Rising Full Moon and the Setting Sun . . .

2010-08-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

. . . we found the perfect ride. Words won't do it justice so here are the pics.

Hmmm, What is Red Horse Thinking?

2010-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday I was late getting to the stables. I heard that Red Horse had been waiting by the gate for a couple of hours. Funny. He sure ran from me when I tried to catch him earlier in the week. He has been working really hard and got in a lot of trail miles this summer. Hmmm, wonder what he was thinking?

Red Horse to Cayenne: "FINALLY! She is here.

Geeez, don't humans know how to keep a schedule?"

Red Horse to Chere: "Oh, so you're here? I've exhausted myself standing here waiting."

Red Horse to Cherie: "Ah, do you still have those peppermint crunchies?"

Red Horse to Cherie: "You DO! So open this gate already, get me outta here."

Watch This Angel and Enjoy His Gift

2010-08-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Summer Trail is Coming to an End . . .

2010-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

It wasn't long ago that I posted Sha-na-na's Summertime on fb

and enjoyed the exhilaration and anticipation of the first days of summer.

I'm so lucky that I am an adult and I have the blessing of summer vacations.

Now the wheel has turned and here we are in the last days of summer.

(my friend Steamer)

Sweet, sad days full of longing. For? For childhood hopes

and dreams long slipped away into the stream of experience.

For the days spent living in my barn clothes, dirt under nails and hay in my hair.

A misplaced cowgirl, I've got to rejoin the grown up world.

I love my job, love those I work for, and those I work with.

And deep in my bones I will cherish the memories of strolling

through late afternoon sunlit meadows, calling for my Red Horse.

Wordless (almost) Wednesday: Our New Stall in the Redwood Barn

2010-08-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

My horses are rarely stalled, they hate it.

Our new stall is in the Redwood Barn, close to our tack room and friends.

The well-used window opens to the world.

It will help simplify feeding challenges this winter.

Neck Thread Worms, Part 2

2010-08-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Arrrgghhhh!!!

One and a half years ago I did a post on Onchocerca cervicalis entitled "Neck Thread Worms and Midline Dermatitus". In spite of what I learned, I somehow avoided the sad fact that keeping Red comfortable from the effects of neck thread worms will require lifelong vigilance - an ongoing battle for the rest of his life.

Onchocerca cervicalis, AKA neck thread worms, do NOT go away. Adult neck thread worms are not touched by worming compounds and can live from 8 - 14 years. Every year when biting midge season arrives, their nasty life cycle starts over again with very uncomfortable consequences for your horse.

Yep. This totally sucks! However, the effects of neck thread worms CAN be controlled.

What the heck am I talking about? Onchocerca cervicalis is a member of the genus Onchocerca, the Filaroidea tribe, of the Nematoda Phylym. The common name of Onchocerca cervicalis is "Neck Thread Worms". It is estimated that 85% of older horses are infected with Onchocerca cervicalis (Gary Richard Mullen, Gary Mullen, Lance Durden, Medical and Veterinary Entomology, pl 178).

These nasty buggers live contented lives deeply embedded in the connective tissue of our horses. They do not show up in fecal counts as they never enter the digestive tract. Females may grow to be 30 cm. (think 11 inches). They coil and can often be felt as a bump under the skin of your horse (http://www.fundamental-horsemanship.com/info/Deworming-Your-Horse-and-Parasite-Prevention/Deworming---Internal-Parasite-Prevention.html). It is NOT the adult O. cervicalis that causes most of the problems endemic to this parasite, although heavy infestations can cause swelling and pain. It is the 4th stage larvae that is responsible for skin and eye reactions.

The lifecycle of the neck thread worm depends upon the help of their best friend, the two winged biting midge (Culicoides gnats).

These worms rely on a tiny two-winged fly called a biting midge to assist in the infection of the horse.
Neck thread worm microfilariae live in the tissue under the horse's skin.
When the biting midge bits into the horse's skin, the microfilariae will then leave the horse and attach to the midge's mouth.
After about a month in the midge's mouth the microfilariae will develop into infective larvae.
During the infective cycle the larvae transfers from the midges as the fly bites the horse.(http://www.fundamental-horsemanship.com/info/Deworming-Your-Horse-and-Parasite-Prevention/Deworming---Internal-Parasite-Prevention.html)

Thank you SO much, biting midges of the world. O. cervicalis depends on this vector both to complete its lifecycle, and to spread from horse to horse.

For a visual represenation of the lifecycle of Onchocerca cervicalis - Click HERE.

What are the symptoms of neck thread worms? Surprisingly, some horses are hosts to very large numbers of microfilariare without showing symptoms. Mordecai Siegal, et al, (UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Book of Horses, 1996, p. 161) suggests that symptoms arise once the horse develops a sensitivity to the dead microfilaraie. There are two different "patterns" of affliction:

Lesions (itchy, crusty spots) develop around the eye and face. Bloody, itchy lesions in the center of the forehead are generally due to neck thread worms. There is evidence to suggest that some forms of uvitius are due to neck thread worms living within the eye.
An inflamatory response involving the underside of the body, centered around the midline, resulting in intense itching. This is called "midline dermatitis".

Basically, your horse itches like crazy with itching centered along the midline. They will literally swoon when you do them the favor of scratching. Folks may see the condition and say your horse has sweet itch. This is a separate condition. O. cervicalis is often misdiagnosed as "sweet itch".

According to The U.C. Davis Book of Horses (pp. 161-162), the diagnosis of neck thread worms involves a thorough history, the finding of microfilariae in skin scrapings, and/or the response to treatment. Treatment may temporarily increase the discomfort of your horse as they often experience a severe, allergy-like response to the dead microfilaria. Ivermectin is usually the treatment of choice:

The dermatitis caused by Onchocerca microfilariae is 100% responsive to ivermectin at the regular dose. Disappearance of the skin lesions also validates the diagnosis, although complete resolution of the lesions might take up to a month. Midline edema within the first 48 hours after treatment was a common problem when ivermectin was first introduced. This was thought to be due to the acute death of the microfilariae. Relapses might occur within two to eight months because adult O. cervicalis continue to live happily in the nuchal ligament. They are not killed by any of the anthelmintics that are available and can continue to produce filariae, making repeat treatments necessary at appropriate intervals (although ivermectin might disrupt their reproductive success (The Horse.com, PARASITE PRIMER PART 5—BOTS & BEYOND: LITTLE-KNOWN PARASITE ENEMIES, pp 22-23).

Treatment is NOT a one time event. Once your horse becomes infected, it will have repeated

seasonal recurrences of microfilaria-induced itching. This is going to be linked to the arrival of biting midges and will continue throughout their season. This will differ depending upon your geographical location.

Does your horse seem to share the misery afflicting my Red Horse? Prepare your strategy of attack:

1. Keep records and take pictures. Talk to your vet. Your vet may be very familiar with Onchocerca cervicalis, or not. You might need to share information to help obtain an accurate diagnosis. Ask for a biopsy to see if microfilariae can be found in the skin scraping.

2. Develop a yearly treatment plan.

If there are neck thread worms in your horses' eyes BE VERY CAREFUL and have a plan with your vet to treat the secondary symptoms caused by the microfilariae die off.
Because O. Cervicalis depends on the biting midge for assistance in the completion of its life cycle, be prepared and worm with Ivermectin at the onset of midge, or gnat season. Consider worming with Ivermectin at 8 week intervals throughout the season. Consult with your vet about how to include this in your rotational worming schedule.
Be prepared to treat your horse's response to the die-off of microfillariae. Things may get worse for a few days. What started as many small, hard bumps up and down Red's neck opened, oozed, and finally went bald, all the while itching like crazy. Many articles recommend asking your vet to prescribe something to help reduce the intense itching.

Best Wishes to My Friend Joe

2010-08-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Joe was sold today. He won't be walking up to me in the general pasture, hoping I have a spare carrot yet content for a few scratches. I accompanied his Mom to "show him". When the deal was closed, we both cried.

How can horses tolerate being traded amongst humans?

I think Joe went to a good family. If I didn't already have have 3 horses, he would have stayed with me. I wish I could have a herd of 20, no 40 horses. I wish all the horses of the world could be guaranteed the safe, loving families they deserve.

Joe was as good of a friend as many of my human type friends.

Joe, I'm really going to miss you.

Skywatch Friday - Season 4 Episode 4

2010-08-06T08:25:00.001-07:00

Skies from the farmland at Ferndale, California.

Please visit Skywatch Friday!

Wordless Wednesday (almost): Autumn and Moose

2010-08-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

A brief discussion . . .

Autumn to Moose: Can you see her, do you think she's after me?

Moose to Autumn: Don't worry sweetie, I'll wait for you like always.

Autumn to Moose: *huge sigh of relief* Ah, she got Red and Lyra, we're OK then.

Groundsel Will Kill Your Horse

2010-08-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you love your horse, if you love horses period, you need to know about this plant. I thought I was well-educated regarding plants that could harm my horses. This weekend I heard the chilling story of four horses who lived in the Central Valley of California and died after eating, over weeks or months, enough groundsel to destroy their liver. The groundsel was in their hay. I have never considered that the yummy looking hay I buy, imported from outside of Humboldt County, could be the delivery system for this deadly, toxic plant.

The scientific name of common groundsel is senecio vulgaris. It is a member the senecio genus, the Senecioneae tribe, and the vast clan of the Asterceae family. Members of the sencecio genus are responsible for more livestock poisonings than all other the other poisonous plants in the world combined (Gravendeel, Barbara, van der Meijden, Ruud, Pelsen, Pieter B., Tackling Speciose Genera: Species Composition and Phylogenetic Position of Senecio sect. Jacobaea (Asteraceae) Based Onplastid and nrDNA Sequences, American Journal of Botany. 2002;89:929-939. Web. 1, August, 2010).

Tansy and Ragwort are other well known and equally deadly members of the Senecio Club. Thriving in the Pacific Northwest and California, they especially love pastures and hay fields. These deadly plant thugs kill through pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). While the taste of PA compounds tends to repel animals under most circumstances, when dried the taste is much less noticeable.

The Merck Veterinarian Manual stresses that exposure to PAs is usually chronic and clinical signs may not become visible until some time after initial exposure. Damage occurs over time and results in liver failure. We need to know the symptoms of PA poisoning. While symptoms of PA exposue vary, here is a list of the symptoms most consistently described in online articles (each symptom is linked to the source):

Crusts, especially on the coronary bands
Photosensitization (often shows up as pink, crusty scabs on white noses)
Weight Loss, lack of appetite and energy, dull coat
Head pressing
Aimless wandering (Walk-About Disease) or wandering in circles
Sluggish, uneasy, and anorectic
Yellow coloring (jaundice) of mucous membranes

The tragic truth is, by the time symptoms are visible our horses are already compromised. If you suspect that your horse has been eating hepatotoxic plants, call your veterinarian immediately.

Prevention is possible!! Learn how to recognize the deadly plants in your pasture and in your hay.

116 Lost Comments Suddenly Appeared. What's Up With This, Blogger?

2010-07-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read my blog, posted a comment, and wondered where the heck it was? Well I'm wondering too. Two days ago I got a notice on my blog dashboard that said I had 116 comments to moderate. 116? YIKES! Some are from as far back as February 1st. For those of you who did not have your shared thoughts posted, thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my posts. I value your comments and view my online contacts as my modern-day pen pals.

Please accept my aplogies for whatever I did to bungle this up so hugely. Wierd thing was , some comments were posted all along and some were . . . sucked into the same black hole that eats socks and earrings in my house. They weren't there. Then they were. And I was so pleased to see them and read them.

Because I don't want to lose anymore precious comments, I've been trying to figure out what happened. Thing is, some comments slipped through and showed up, so I never realized that there was a problem. I still am not sure what "ghost in the machine" was messing with my blog. If you have been wondering what happened to your comments, check the settings of your dashboard. I have never turned "moderate comments" on, but had to do so to access the 116 comments that reappeared with the directive "need to be moderated".

Did a big of research to try to figure out where those 116 comments have been hiding. I learned that problems with comments are pretty common with Blogger. I had not knowingly made any changes in my comment settings, however I do have a customized blog. Here is a link to the Blogger Help Forum with my query "comments never appeared". There are dozens of possible answers but I still don's have a clue to the "mystery of the missing 116 comments". Just in case this ever happens again, please drop me an email or visit me on facebook to let me know you had something to share that didn't get posted. Thanks for your patience, friends.

ps the photos are of a grotto by Centerville Beach, Ferndale, California. It used to shelter an icon for an unknown saint. Sadly, it appears to have been vandalized.

Thank You Red Horse

2010-07-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of all the things I ask of my horse - to leave his herd and cozy pasture, haul my substantial self up and down mountains, be brave, and keep his head down when he wants to look all around for things that eat horses. Oh, and do weird things at Trail Trials. Does he enjoy any of this? I rather doubt it. Yet he keeps on trying and giving me what I ask of him. We have come so far together.

I'm no great rider and have to work for what seems to come naturally to folks who have grown up in pony clubs and riding groups. This is not a chore. It is what I love doing more than anything and if I had chosen where my spirit would land, I would have been born into a ranch family living high in the mountains.

We do some things a bit differently than when I started trail riding with Red a couple of years ago. No more treeless saddle. I ride in my Wintec Pro Dressage saddle with CAIR. It works well with Red's slightly swayed back and has the stability of a saddle tree.

No more bitless bridle. I'm still an advocate of going bitless, but have found the Myler bitting system most helpful in reminding Red to keep his head level. I can get off his face now. It really seems to have helped. We are still barefoot. Red was actually able to do several miles without boots this summer.

There is one thing that hasn't changed one little bit and never will. It is just as true now . . .

. . . as it was true back in the summer of 2008. I adore my horse and am so grateful that in my 5th decade on earth I have been able to fill my life with what I love most of all. Horses.

Red and I have come far and, Creator willing, have far to go. Thank you so much for stopping by to check in on our stories from the trail home.

Skywatch Friday, Season 4, Episode 2

2010-07-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Sunrise and My Little House

Please visit Skywatch Friday.