Post by Exceller Fund on Oct 10, 2006 0:04:14 GMT -5
Well, it's Back to School time for many people, and The Exceller Fund finds itself busy with more rescues. A lot happened in the month of August, and I'm just getting all of the information together to present to you.
Did many of you receive the July/August Update? I received very few responses, and we did not have many people respond to the Rich In Dallas contest. Those who did received a NEW Exceller Fund MagnetShoe which our now available in our Giftshop for only $5!
excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=E&Product_Code=MAG&Category_Code=OT
Here's a brief list of what this update will cover:
1. We have THREE new horses!
2. Two more horses helped by a member of The Exceller Fund
3. Our two mares at the Secretariat Center have relocated to TRF's Blackburn facility.
4. We have moved some horses from New York to areas further south.
5. See how well our horse, Upon The Roof, did in his first ever horse show!
6. New update on Sully's Silver - his chance to be a therapy horse
7. Cooperative Efforts: We continue to be involved in cooperative efforts with other groups to rescue horses the would otherwise go to slaughter.
a. Changes taking place with the Finger Lakes Track
b. New opportunities in West Virginia and Nebraska
8. Upcoming Paddock Sale at Fairmount Park - we would like to save one horse if we can.
9. Fundraising:
a. eBay Auctions!
b. There are still some wonderful sponsorship opportunities for the First Annual Exceller Fund Charity Horse show taking place October 28th in Virginia.
10. Welcome New Members
11. We have a new Member Message Board - come check it out!
12. Don't forget your dues! Without them, our horses won't eat!
THREE NEW HORSES
We have two more horses that we acquired in the last few days of August. We had been keeping our eye on two wonderful horses, one well bred but ill-fated gelding, and another hard knocking gelding that won a lot of money for people but his time was up.
SPECTACULAR WON
Chestnut Gelding; Foaled 2001 by Thunder Gulch out of Play Keno (by Spectacular Bid)
Yes, you read that right. One of our newest "boys" is by a Kentucky Derby winner and out of a mare by a Triple Crown winner. "Spec" ran 30 times from ages 3 to 5, winning once, placing 5 times, and taking the show spot 3 times. He was injured in his last race and wound up at a dealers. We have been in contact with his previous owners, the ones who had him before his last claim, and they have said they would send some money to help support this very classy gelding. So far, Spec is sound in the pasture but he has not been ridden. We are giving him some time off and will have a vet examine him.
www.excellerfund.org/horses/specwon.htm
WILD EYE BILL
Dark Bay Gelding; Foaled 1998 by Alaskan Frost out of Stormey Lovenote (by Notebook)
This hard knocking gelding ran 52 times from ages 2 through 8. He won 8 races, placing 6 times, and taking the show spot another 8 times. At eight years old, his career on the track was over and he wound up at a dealers. He seems a bit body sore and showed some lameness in his hind legs, so we will give him some time off to relax with his new buddies and will have vet examine him.
Both of these horses have gone to Triple L Stable in New York. The dealer had contacted us on these two horses. They had been with him for too long and he was not able to sell them to private buyers. He was ready to take them either to auction to place them on a shipment depending on the schedule. He offered us the opportunity to take both horses, and pay for one now, and take a couple of weeks to pay him on the other. We could not look at these two guys, one a classically bred beautiful gelding who may be sound for flat disciplines, the other a hard knocking gelding who won all $53,800 the hard way, and say no to such an offer.
www.excellerfund.org/horses/wildeyebill.htm
Take a look at their photos, and I think you will agree we just couldn't turn them away. However, we need to replenish our bank account because we have at least one more commitment coming up. Details below!
GIFFORDS KID
We were contacted by someone who works with a trainer and who was desperate to find a place to take this 4 year old gelding. He has chronic laminitis in his left front foot. The horse was in good spirits as far as attitude, appetite, and willingness to walk and exercise. However, the trainer could not keep the horse, and the gal did not want to risk having him go to sale. Our member Teresa Oliverez offered to take him in at her place located near Hesperia, California. Teresa is donating the first two month's care to The Exceller Fund.
Upon his arrival, Teresa gave the horse the barn name of "Adam" since he is the first rescue horse at her ranch. He is currently going through some corrective farrier work to align the coffin bone. Teresa reports that "Adam" is super sweet. She reports:
"Adam" (Gifford's Kid) is doing very well..he is such a gentle soul...he has been off the track for 8 months now and has learned how to take care of himself....he is so mellow....we are awaiting Lisa's shoer to come and start on the foot rehab...Lisa thinks if we can get him sound he might make an awesome lesson horse as he is so grounded and wants to please....thanks for letting me foster for you!!
Photos of Gifford's Kid
His hoof:
HORSES HELPED BY THE EXCELLER FUND
BEAUDAZZLER
With the Santa Rosa, CA track set to close in a few days a trainer posted a gelding on the Bay Area Equestrian Network Classified Ads. She did not want to take this 10 y/o gelding with her after the track closed due to a lack of trailer space. The gelding had a fractured sesamoid. Beaudazzler had 59 starts earning over $111,000. A member was alerted to the ad, quickly purchased him site unseen and had him shipped to Washington state for a well deserved retirement.
Our member would like to send special thanks to Michelle who laid him up while shipping was arranged and especially to Dean at Pacific Equestrian Center who refuses to take board payments from our member for this wonderful horse who needed a place to go ASAP.
He is a very sweet horse and has grown to be one of the barn favorites. All who meet Beau are impressed with his good looks and friendly personality. He seems truly appreciative of his care.
Beautiful Beau:
SLEW SIX
We received a call for help from a gentleman who was very concerned about a horse at the stable where he took riding lessons. The horse looked poor and had an injury that made his pastern "turn out." He started to ask questions about the horse and discovered the gelding is an off-the-track Thoroughbred who had been sent to a gal as a dressage prospect by a relative who was a race trainer. However, soon after his arrival, the gal found out she was expecting and did not spend much time at the barn. She was paying her barn trainer to take care of the horse who was not sound for dressage work. The gentleman was concerned that the horse was not getting the treatment needed for the injury and asked if anything could be done to help.
It was difficult to understand exactly the nature of the injury based on description alone, so we asked if he could get x-rays and some photos of the horse. We cautioned that since he did not own the horse, there was not much The Exceller Fund could do. He was just grateful to be able to talk to someone about the horse. Three weeks later, he sent the x-rays and photos. The x-rays did not present a good situation. The horse appears to have suffered an injury involving the long pastern bone, and it is out of alignment with the short pastern bone. It appears the injury happened a few years ago, so surgery is no longer an option. We were able to forward opinions from various vets and farriers as to ways to keep the horse comfortable.
The gentleman was very grateful for the information and has been working with the trainer to get proper farrier work, a vet exam, as well as supplements and a light exercise routine to keep the horse comfortable. He reports that since he started working with the horse, the improvement has been amazing, both for the horse as well as himself. He understands the long term prognosis is not good, but he is happy to help with what the horse needs right now. Below, I excerpted some quotes from his e-mails. They are most inspiring to read, especially when you consider he does not own this horse, yet he has gone out of his way to help a horse that was in need.
Thank you for your kind words. In this case, some think that I am doing a good deed; some may think that I am a complete idiot. As from my own view, I’m just helping out a friend when he is down. It is much easier to be friend with a horse than with human. They may not be capable of complex thinking, but they are honest and in Slew’s case, he experienced being used, being neglected, betrayal and mistreatment all because of people’s greed. Yet he can still find room in his heart to trust a human. How big of a heart is that? How often do we find a person has a heart to match that? And how much is too much to help some one willing to open their heart 100% to welcome you into their world? I am just doing very little for one horse that came across my path. You ladies had done far more to help many horses. In my view, what you do is the true inspiration from the big picture perspective. If not for people like you, one day our children may have to take a lesson from the horses to learn about humanity.
This poor guy had just been locked in his stall for far too long and did not have the chance to experience anything new. Now that he is feeling better and when stimulated, his energy just pours like ocean. He gets all kinds of praises from people who saw him – “check out that horse”, “ what a gorgeous horse”…. Some people who knew Slew can’t believe this is the same sickly horse they saw in the stall before. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked – “What did you do to him?”, “How did you fix him up?”. All I can do is laugh for I really have not done much to fix anything. All I did was just simply gave him a little attention and exercise and that is already enough to bring out the “inner” Slew and got himself a small group of audiences.
I know his leg is all screwed up. But he sure acted like a million bucks this weekend and turns heads every where he went. Other than having a sore arm from handling Slew, we had a great weekend. I hope you did too.
On a separate subject, I agree what you said about two way street. I am working in a very intense and often very frustrating environment. After working here for 10 years, I am out of shape, mentally tensed, have variety of health issues such as high blood pressure….etc. In the course of working with Slew, all that has been improved. I have been steadily loosing weight, have more energy, my blood pressure is now normal and people told me that I seem happier too. It is indeed a two way street.
Photos of Slew Six and his pastern:
Reverse image of the x-ray. You can see how much the bone is out of alignment:
MISSY WON AND MIGHTY SUE are now at the TRF Blackburn facility near Lexington.
We were contacted by the farm manager at the TRF Makers Mark Secretariat Center about our two mares. Missy Won had been diagnosed with a chip in her ankle that was causing her a lot of discomfort. In addition, she was displaying some very strong hormonal tendencies which were very disruptive to every horse that came near her. TRF received an offer from Hagyard Vet Clinic to donate the surgery for the ankle and surgery to remove Missy's ovaries. They would use the new technique for ovary removal that goes through the vaginal canal thus eliminating the trauma that used to be associated with this type of surgery.
The surgery was performed in August, and Missy is now recovering at the Blackburn Correctional facility near Lexington. Time will tell if she will be sound enough for light riding, but our hopes are high.
You can look on Missy's page for the most recent photo of her at Blackburn: www.excellerfund.org/horses/missy.htm
The news for Mighty Sue is not as good. After treating her for continual abscesses, it was discovered the "Sue" had chronic laminitis. She has also been moved to the Blackburn facility where they will work with corrective shoeing and trimming to control the problem. We are keeping in contact with the staff to let us know her progress..
HORSES ON THE MOVE
We were starting to get a little "horse heavy" up in New York, and had 3 foster openings further south, so we took the opportunity to move three horses into new areas in hopes of increasing chances for adoption all the way around.
UPON THE ROOF
"Topper" was a barn favorite with Lisa Leogrande at Triple L Stables in New York. Lisa feels Topper is an exceptional Thoroughbred and although she would have loved to have adopted him herself, she felt that he would command a good adoption fee and should be in a home where he would have a chance to show off his talents.
"Topper" was moved to Virginia with Paul and Kelly Linn. The Linn's have a fantastic network of horse people who trust the Linn's judgment and are eager to acquire horses from them. Just 3 days after his arrival, Paul and Kelly took Topper to a local 4H Horse show where one of Kelly's students had entered. They decided to enter Topper into 5 classes to see how he would do. Here is Paul's report:
The show was down the road at the Patrick Henry Girls Home and was pretty well attended. Just a local thing, not rated, but great for the experience. We were in 5 classes and got 5 ribbons! They were:
1st: Model English (in-hand, judged for suitability in conformation and movement for english riding)
2nd: In-Hand Trail Class! He did everything, and was one of only two horses that would sidepass over an obstacle. We worked on that Friday night)
2nd: Model Western (same as Model english, only for western riding)
3rd: Open Showmanship (not sure what the heck we were doing!)
5th: Open Walk (Judged at the walk. Includes reverses and backing up, collected and extended walks)
Mr. Topper did GREAT for his first-ever show. I could have taken him in a few more riding classes, but they all include trot and canter and I don't want to do more than a walk with him until I have the vet examine his bow. Today was also the first time I'd ever ridden him with a saddle and bridle - doesn't he look smart in his tack?
Of course the riding class was the real test for him and he was pretty cool throughout it. I couldn't ride him on a totally loose rein like the rest of the slow-motion western ponies in his class yet, but he did fine and never broke gait. The only time he got a little excited was when a rider went to pass him - he was like "That ain't happening mister - I'm gonna win this race!" lol. He did real good with his halts and standing still and backing up.
Kelly had given the announcer a little card to read, so everytime he won a ribbon it was announced that he was an OTTB rescued by The Exceller Fund and available for adoption. Quite a few people were asking about him, but we'll have to see what comes from that.
PATRIOT
Patriot has been moved to a new foster home in North Carolina with Lisa Schuler. Paul and Kelly have known Lisa through their training classes, and Lisa's Foster application was reviewed and approved by Karla Phaneuf. Poor Patriot was adopted in 2004 by a woman who wouldn't listen to what she needed to do, and what Patriot's limitations were, and returned him a few months later claiming he was lame and uncontrollable. He remained in New Hampshire for over a year with no serious adoption inquiries. We moved him to New York in hopes that his adoption chances would improve, but we still had no serious inquiries.
The "market" for OTTB's seems to be a bit better in Virginia and surrounding states, so we decided to see if he would generate more interest from potential adopters in that area.
Here is the report from Patriot's Foster mom:
Patriot shows so many signs of wanting to trust, but he's so leary because he doesn't know what to expect. I've just been trying to gain his trust and it's like it takes him by surprise that someone cares what he's thinking and feeling. He has the sweetest eyes I think I've ever seen on a horse.
We're getting over his eating aggression. He's doing much better. No more swaying. He would sway so much that his feet would actually leave the ground. Poor boy. Then he'd try to nip and once he realized he couldn't nip me, he'd start nipping anything else. The fence, the gate, anything close. Poor boy. I told him that was fine, as long as he didn't nip me. LOL. He quickly learned the fence and gate didn't taste good and he stopped. LOL. He now waits more patiently for his food. He tosses his head and nickers, but has learned he will get fed just like everyone else and he's not going to be passed up. LOL. I do feed 3 times a day because I feel it's better for the horses.
Patriot gets along great with our other horses. He loves the girls and even gets a long great with our gelding. They sniff each other and put their head together over the fence and get along great, even when the girls are around. No troubles at all.
So, we're doing well and he seems very happy. He's a good boy and is so pretty. He's learning to trust us all and is settling in well. He comes to the fence to make sure he doesn't miss any attention. Once he gets there, sometimes he realizes he's not sure if he trusts us yet and gets leary, but that'll pass soon enough.
KINGS TEMPER
King's Temper was also moved to a new foster home in Alabama. We moved Topper and Patriot to "test" the adoption potential in the mid and southern states. Alabama does not have Thoroughbred racing, so OTTB's are not as numerous as in other areas. "Randy" is such an easy going horse that he takes everything in one giant lazy stride. He is reported to be very calm horse for even a beginning rider. His one drawback, King's Temper is a cribbin' FOOL! He will crib anywhere and on anything - fence board, stall door, metal pipe, a tree - it does not matter. Consequently, he is a bit on the skinny side. So "Randy" will need to find an adopter who doesn't mind cribbing. Here is a report from Randy's Foster mom:
Kings Temper arrived in Florence, Alabama, on Saturday evening August 12, 2006! He got off the trailer like he had lived here all of his life! He is such a handsome horse and tall with very long legs. (He's about 16.2 hh). His "jet- black mane, forelock, and tail" make him look stunning! He is thin, but we hope to "add some weight" to him here in the deep South! He ate and ate and ate and drank water until we filled it up again! He did not come with his Miracle Collar on, but we did put it on him the next day while he was out. He is a terrific cribber!! He will by-pass the grass and hay when outside and just crib continuously! When the collar is on, he will try to crib a time or two, but he cannot manage it with the collar and he is distracted to other things. He loves the green pastures! He can eat his sweet feed and hay and drink water very easily with the collar on. I give him carrots for a treat and he is so gentle and easy to accept them from me!
Today Temper took his first trail ride with the owner of the Equestrian Center where he boards here in Florence. Larry reported that he was very good and so well behaved! He had an excellent walk (he LOVES to walk, of course), a fairly good trot, and even a smooth canter! Wow! I am so proud of him! He did not like crossing the two creeks, but he did do it led by the pony and rider in front of him. He was perfect for tacking up in cross-ties and he never blinked an eye at anything! He stood still as Larry mounted him from the block and he stood still as he dismounted to the ground. I had gone to the barn very early this morning and groomed him. He was an angel for me, as well! He loves the dirt! As I was using the curry mitt, I felt like I was in a "dust bowl" out West! He loves the attention of being "fussed over!" He did not have on his cribbing collar during any of the tacking up or riding or cool-down or in the transitions from one barn to the next. He looked so handsome! Larry called him "long and tall!" He is just that!
SULLY'S SILVER
We received some very encouraging news about Sully's Silver. We had new x-rays taken of his knee and received digital images that we were able to send out for review. Paul and Kelly Linn forwarded the images to their vet who then referred them to her contacts at the Virginia Tech equine clinic. The vet feels that Sully is an excellent candidate for surgery to remove the large chips as well as some of the arthritic degeneration, and stands a good chance of recovery for either light riding or as a therapy horse. Here is the vet's response:
The joint actually does not appear that bad and the lameness may be from impingement of the osteophytes and enthesophytes in the RC joint. We recently debrided one similar and removed "alot" of this. Honestly, it takes alot of effort to do it surgically and my follow-up on these has been good for the short term, but I do not do enough of them to give you a good long term prediction for "soundness"
Basically, arthroscopic surgery to remove the response to the chip fractures will help his ability to move more freely. Cost can be packaged at $1250.00.
This is amazing considering that less than a year ago, we were told we may have to euthanize Sully. A change in location seems to have done him some good. So now I must ask you, Members of The Exceller Fund, shall we do some fundraising to get this surgery for Sully? I will add that Sully absolutely adores kids. Lisa Leogrande reports that when kids come to the stable, they adore going to Sully's stall to pet him and fuss, and he has been wonderful with them. $1,250 is no small amount for us, but we have seen other organizations spend that to give one of their horses a chance at a second career.
Here's a photo of Sully enjoying the "drive thru lane" for some horsey "fast food!"
Maximum characters exceeded - update continued on next post
Did many of you receive the July/August Update? I received very few responses, and we did not have many people respond to the Rich In Dallas contest. Those who did received a NEW Exceller Fund MagnetShoe which our now available in our Giftshop for only $5!
excellerfund.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=E&Product_Code=MAG&Category_Code=OT
Here's a brief list of what this update will cover:
1. We have THREE new horses!
2. Two more horses helped by a member of The Exceller Fund
3. Our two mares at the Secretariat Center have relocated to TRF's Blackburn facility.
4. We have moved some horses from New York to areas further south.
5. See how well our horse, Upon The Roof, did in his first ever horse show!
6. New update on Sully's Silver - his chance to be a therapy horse
7. Cooperative Efforts: We continue to be involved in cooperative efforts with other groups to rescue horses the would otherwise go to slaughter.
a. Changes taking place with the Finger Lakes Track
b. New opportunities in West Virginia and Nebraska
8. Upcoming Paddock Sale at Fairmount Park - we would like to save one horse if we can.
9. Fundraising:
a. eBay Auctions!
b. There are still some wonderful sponsorship opportunities for the First Annual Exceller Fund Charity Horse show taking place October 28th in Virginia.
10. Welcome New Members
11. We have a new Member Message Board - come check it out!
12. Don't forget your dues! Without them, our horses won't eat!
THREE NEW HORSES
We have two more horses that we acquired in the last few days of August. We had been keeping our eye on two wonderful horses, one well bred but ill-fated gelding, and another hard knocking gelding that won a lot of money for people but his time was up.
SPECTACULAR WON
Chestnut Gelding; Foaled 2001 by Thunder Gulch out of Play Keno (by Spectacular Bid)
Yes, you read that right. One of our newest "boys" is by a Kentucky Derby winner and out of a mare by a Triple Crown winner. "Spec" ran 30 times from ages 3 to 5, winning once, placing 5 times, and taking the show spot 3 times. He was injured in his last race and wound up at a dealers. We have been in contact with his previous owners, the ones who had him before his last claim, and they have said they would send some money to help support this very classy gelding. So far, Spec is sound in the pasture but he has not been ridden. We are giving him some time off and will have a vet examine him.
www.excellerfund.org/horses/specwon.htm
WILD EYE BILL
Dark Bay Gelding; Foaled 1998 by Alaskan Frost out of Stormey Lovenote (by Notebook)
This hard knocking gelding ran 52 times from ages 2 through 8. He won 8 races, placing 6 times, and taking the show spot another 8 times. At eight years old, his career on the track was over and he wound up at a dealers. He seems a bit body sore and showed some lameness in his hind legs, so we will give him some time off to relax with his new buddies and will have vet examine him.
Both of these horses have gone to Triple L Stable in New York. The dealer had contacted us on these two horses. They had been with him for too long and he was not able to sell them to private buyers. He was ready to take them either to auction to place them on a shipment depending on the schedule. He offered us the opportunity to take both horses, and pay for one now, and take a couple of weeks to pay him on the other. We could not look at these two guys, one a classically bred beautiful gelding who may be sound for flat disciplines, the other a hard knocking gelding who won all $53,800 the hard way, and say no to such an offer.
www.excellerfund.org/horses/wildeyebill.htm
Take a look at their photos, and I think you will agree we just couldn't turn them away. However, we need to replenish our bank account because we have at least one more commitment coming up. Details below!
GIFFORDS KID
We were contacted by someone who works with a trainer and who was desperate to find a place to take this 4 year old gelding. He has chronic laminitis in his left front foot. The horse was in good spirits as far as attitude, appetite, and willingness to walk and exercise. However, the trainer could not keep the horse, and the gal did not want to risk having him go to sale. Our member Teresa Oliverez offered to take him in at her place located near Hesperia, California. Teresa is donating the first two month's care to The Exceller Fund.
Upon his arrival, Teresa gave the horse the barn name of "Adam" since he is the first rescue horse at her ranch. He is currently going through some corrective farrier work to align the coffin bone. Teresa reports that "Adam" is super sweet. She reports:
"Adam" (Gifford's Kid) is doing very well..he is such a gentle soul...he has been off the track for 8 months now and has learned how to take care of himself....he is so mellow....we are awaiting Lisa's shoer to come and start on the foot rehab...Lisa thinks if we can get him sound he might make an awesome lesson horse as he is so grounded and wants to please....thanks for letting me foster for you!!
Photos of Gifford's Kid
His hoof:
HORSES HELPED BY THE EXCELLER FUND
BEAUDAZZLER
With the Santa Rosa, CA track set to close in a few days a trainer posted a gelding on the Bay Area Equestrian Network Classified Ads. She did not want to take this 10 y/o gelding with her after the track closed due to a lack of trailer space. The gelding had a fractured sesamoid. Beaudazzler had 59 starts earning over $111,000. A member was alerted to the ad, quickly purchased him site unseen and had him shipped to Washington state for a well deserved retirement.
Our member would like to send special thanks to Michelle who laid him up while shipping was arranged and especially to Dean at Pacific Equestrian Center who refuses to take board payments from our member for this wonderful horse who needed a place to go ASAP.
He is a very sweet horse and has grown to be one of the barn favorites. All who meet Beau are impressed with his good looks and friendly personality. He seems truly appreciative of his care.
Beautiful Beau:
SLEW SIX
We received a call for help from a gentleman who was very concerned about a horse at the stable where he took riding lessons. The horse looked poor and had an injury that made his pastern "turn out." He started to ask questions about the horse and discovered the gelding is an off-the-track Thoroughbred who had been sent to a gal as a dressage prospect by a relative who was a race trainer. However, soon after his arrival, the gal found out she was expecting and did not spend much time at the barn. She was paying her barn trainer to take care of the horse who was not sound for dressage work. The gentleman was concerned that the horse was not getting the treatment needed for the injury and asked if anything could be done to help.
It was difficult to understand exactly the nature of the injury based on description alone, so we asked if he could get x-rays and some photos of the horse. We cautioned that since he did not own the horse, there was not much The Exceller Fund could do. He was just grateful to be able to talk to someone about the horse. Three weeks later, he sent the x-rays and photos. The x-rays did not present a good situation. The horse appears to have suffered an injury involving the long pastern bone, and it is out of alignment with the short pastern bone. It appears the injury happened a few years ago, so surgery is no longer an option. We were able to forward opinions from various vets and farriers as to ways to keep the horse comfortable.
The gentleman was very grateful for the information and has been working with the trainer to get proper farrier work, a vet exam, as well as supplements and a light exercise routine to keep the horse comfortable. He reports that since he started working with the horse, the improvement has been amazing, both for the horse as well as himself. He understands the long term prognosis is not good, but he is happy to help with what the horse needs right now. Below, I excerpted some quotes from his e-mails. They are most inspiring to read, especially when you consider he does not own this horse, yet he has gone out of his way to help a horse that was in need.
Thank you for your kind words. In this case, some think that I am doing a good deed; some may think that I am a complete idiot. As from my own view, I’m just helping out a friend when he is down. It is much easier to be friend with a horse than with human. They may not be capable of complex thinking, but they are honest and in Slew’s case, he experienced being used, being neglected, betrayal and mistreatment all because of people’s greed. Yet he can still find room in his heart to trust a human. How big of a heart is that? How often do we find a person has a heart to match that? And how much is too much to help some one willing to open their heart 100% to welcome you into their world? I am just doing very little for one horse that came across my path. You ladies had done far more to help many horses. In my view, what you do is the true inspiration from the big picture perspective. If not for people like you, one day our children may have to take a lesson from the horses to learn about humanity.
This poor guy had just been locked in his stall for far too long and did not have the chance to experience anything new. Now that he is feeling better and when stimulated, his energy just pours like ocean. He gets all kinds of praises from people who saw him – “check out that horse”, “ what a gorgeous horse”…. Some people who knew Slew can’t believe this is the same sickly horse they saw in the stall before. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked – “What did you do to him?”, “How did you fix him up?”. All I can do is laugh for I really have not done much to fix anything. All I did was just simply gave him a little attention and exercise and that is already enough to bring out the “inner” Slew and got himself a small group of audiences.
I know his leg is all screwed up. But he sure acted like a million bucks this weekend and turns heads every where he went. Other than having a sore arm from handling Slew, we had a great weekend. I hope you did too.
On a separate subject, I agree what you said about two way street. I am working in a very intense and often very frustrating environment. After working here for 10 years, I am out of shape, mentally tensed, have variety of health issues such as high blood pressure….etc. In the course of working with Slew, all that has been improved. I have been steadily loosing weight, have more energy, my blood pressure is now normal and people told me that I seem happier too. It is indeed a two way street.
Photos of Slew Six and his pastern:
Reverse image of the x-ray. You can see how much the bone is out of alignment:
MISSY WON AND MIGHTY SUE are now at the TRF Blackburn facility near Lexington.
We were contacted by the farm manager at the TRF Makers Mark Secretariat Center about our two mares. Missy Won had been diagnosed with a chip in her ankle that was causing her a lot of discomfort. In addition, she was displaying some very strong hormonal tendencies which were very disruptive to every horse that came near her. TRF received an offer from Hagyard Vet Clinic to donate the surgery for the ankle and surgery to remove Missy's ovaries. They would use the new technique for ovary removal that goes through the vaginal canal thus eliminating the trauma that used to be associated with this type of surgery.
The surgery was performed in August, and Missy is now recovering at the Blackburn Correctional facility near Lexington. Time will tell if she will be sound enough for light riding, but our hopes are high.
You can look on Missy's page for the most recent photo of her at Blackburn: www.excellerfund.org/horses/missy.htm
The news for Mighty Sue is not as good. After treating her for continual abscesses, it was discovered the "Sue" had chronic laminitis. She has also been moved to the Blackburn facility where they will work with corrective shoeing and trimming to control the problem. We are keeping in contact with the staff to let us know her progress..
HORSES ON THE MOVE
We were starting to get a little "horse heavy" up in New York, and had 3 foster openings further south, so we took the opportunity to move three horses into new areas in hopes of increasing chances for adoption all the way around.
UPON THE ROOF
"Topper" was a barn favorite with Lisa Leogrande at Triple L Stables in New York. Lisa feels Topper is an exceptional Thoroughbred and although she would have loved to have adopted him herself, she felt that he would command a good adoption fee and should be in a home where he would have a chance to show off his talents.
"Topper" was moved to Virginia with Paul and Kelly Linn. The Linn's have a fantastic network of horse people who trust the Linn's judgment and are eager to acquire horses from them. Just 3 days after his arrival, Paul and Kelly took Topper to a local 4H Horse show where one of Kelly's students had entered. They decided to enter Topper into 5 classes to see how he would do. Here is Paul's report:
The show was down the road at the Patrick Henry Girls Home and was pretty well attended. Just a local thing, not rated, but great for the experience. We were in 5 classes and got 5 ribbons! They were:
1st: Model English (in-hand, judged for suitability in conformation and movement for english riding)
2nd: In-Hand Trail Class! He did everything, and was one of only two horses that would sidepass over an obstacle. We worked on that Friday night)
2nd: Model Western (same as Model english, only for western riding)
3rd: Open Showmanship (not sure what the heck we were doing!)
5th: Open Walk (Judged at the walk. Includes reverses and backing up, collected and extended walks)
Mr. Topper did GREAT for his first-ever show. I could have taken him in a few more riding classes, but they all include trot and canter and I don't want to do more than a walk with him until I have the vet examine his bow. Today was also the first time I'd ever ridden him with a saddle and bridle - doesn't he look smart in his tack?
Of course the riding class was the real test for him and he was pretty cool throughout it. I couldn't ride him on a totally loose rein like the rest of the slow-motion western ponies in his class yet, but he did fine and never broke gait. The only time he got a little excited was when a rider went to pass him - he was like "That ain't happening mister - I'm gonna win this race!" lol. He did real good with his halts and standing still and backing up.
Kelly had given the announcer a little card to read, so everytime he won a ribbon it was announced that he was an OTTB rescued by The Exceller Fund and available for adoption. Quite a few people were asking about him, but we'll have to see what comes from that.
PATRIOT
Patriot has been moved to a new foster home in North Carolina with Lisa Schuler. Paul and Kelly have known Lisa through their training classes, and Lisa's Foster application was reviewed and approved by Karla Phaneuf. Poor Patriot was adopted in 2004 by a woman who wouldn't listen to what she needed to do, and what Patriot's limitations were, and returned him a few months later claiming he was lame and uncontrollable. He remained in New Hampshire for over a year with no serious adoption inquiries. We moved him to New York in hopes that his adoption chances would improve, but we still had no serious inquiries.
The "market" for OTTB's seems to be a bit better in Virginia and surrounding states, so we decided to see if he would generate more interest from potential adopters in that area.
Here is the report from Patriot's Foster mom:
Patriot shows so many signs of wanting to trust, but he's so leary because he doesn't know what to expect. I've just been trying to gain his trust and it's like it takes him by surprise that someone cares what he's thinking and feeling. He has the sweetest eyes I think I've ever seen on a horse.
We're getting over his eating aggression. He's doing much better. No more swaying. He would sway so much that his feet would actually leave the ground. Poor boy. Then he'd try to nip and once he realized he couldn't nip me, he'd start nipping anything else. The fence, the gate, anything close. Poor boy. I told him that was fine, as long as he didn't nip me. LOL. He quickly learned the fence and gate didn't taste good and he stopped. LOL. He now waits more patiently for his food. He tosses his head and nickers, but has learned he will get fed just like everyone else and he's not going to be passed up. LOL. I do feed 3 times a day because I feel it's better for the horses.
Patriot gets along great with our other horses. He loves the girls and even gets a long great with our gelding. They sniff each other and put their head together over the fence and get along great, even when the girls are around. No troubles at all.
So, we're doing well and he seems very happy. He's a good boy and is so pretty. He's learning to trust us all and is settling in well. He comes to the fence to make sure he doesn't miss any attention. Once he gets there, sometimes he realizes he's not sure if he trusts us yet and gets leary, but that'll pass soon enough.
KINGS TEMPER
King's Temper was also moved to a new foster home in Alabama. We moved Topper and Patriot to "test" the adoption potential in the mid and southern states. Alabama does not have Thoroughbred racing, so OTTB's are not as numerous as in other areas. "Randy" is such an easy going horse that he takes everything in one giant lazy stride. He is reported to be very calm horse for even a beginning rider. His one drawback, King's Temper is a cribbin' FOOL! He will crib anywhere and on anything - fence board, stall door, metal pipe, a tree - it does not matter. Consequently, he is a bit on the skinny side. So "Randy" will need to find an adopter who doesn't mind cribbing. Here is a report from Randy's Foster mom:
Kings Temper arrived in Florence, Alabama, on Saturday evening August 12, 2006! He got off the trailer like he had lived here all of his life! He is such a handsome horse and tall with very long legs. (He's about 16.2 hh). His "jet- black mane, forelock, and tail" make him look stunning! He is thin, but we hope to "add some weight" to him here in the deep South! He ate and ate and ate and drank water until we filled it up again! He did not come with his Miracle Collar on, but we did put it on him the next day while he was out. He is a terrific cribber!! He will by-pass the grass and hay when outside and just crib continuously! When the collar is on, he will try to crib a time or two, but he cannot manage it with the collar and he is distracted to other things. He loves the green pastures! He can eat his sweet feed and hay and drink water very easily with the collar on. I give him carrots for a treat and he is so gentle and easy to accept them from me!
Today Temper took his first trail ride with the owner of the Equestrian Center where he boards here in Florence. Larry reported that he was very good and so well behaved! He had an excellent walk (he LOVES to walk, of course), a fairly good trot, and even a smooth canter! Wow! I am so proud of him! He did not like crossing the two creeks, but he did do it led by the pony and rider in front of him. He was perfect for tacking up in cross-ties and he never blinked an eye at anything! He stood still as Larry mounted him from the block and he stood still as he dismounted to the ground. I had gone to the barn very early this morning and groomed him. He was an angel for me, as well! He loves the dirt! As I was using the curry mitt, I felt like I was in a "dust bowl" out West! He loves the attention of being "fussed over!" He did not have on his cribbing collar during any of the tacking up or riding or cool-down or in the transitions from one barn to the next. He looked so handsome! Larry called him "long and tall!" He is just that!
SULLY'S SILVER
We received some very encouraging news about Sully's Silver. We had new x-rays taken of his knee and received digital images that we were able to send out for review. Paul and Kelly Linn forwarded the images to their vet who then referred them to her contacts at the Virginia Tech equine clinic. The vet feels that Sully is an excellent candidate for surgery to remove the large chips as well as some of the arthritic degeneration, and stands a good chance of recovery for either light riding or as a therapy horse. Here is the vet's response:
The joint actually does not appear that bad and the lameness may be from impingement of the osteophytes and enthesophytes in the RC joint. We recently debrided one similar and removed "alot" of this. Honestly, it takes alot of effort to do it surgically and my follow-up on these has been good for the short term, but I do not do enough of them to give you a good long term prediction for "soundness"
Basically, arthroscopic surgery to remove the response to the chip fractures will help his ability to move more freely. Cost can be packaged at $1250.00.
This is amazing considering that less than a year ago, we were told we may have to euthanize Sully. A change in location seems to have done him some good. So now I must ask you, Members of The Exceller Fund, shall we do some fundraising to get this surgery for Sully? I will add that Sully absolutely adores kids. Lisa Leogrande reports that when kids come to the stable, they adore going to Sully's stall to pet him and fuss, and he has been wonderful with them. $1,250 is no small amount for us, but we have seen other organizations spend that to give one of their horses a chance at a second career.
Here's a photo of Sully enjoying the "drive thru lane" for some horsey "fast food!"
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