77 TO GO!!

Yesterday, BITS aided in the castration of two more stallions. Their owner contacted us to be part of our April 3rd gelding clinic; however, Jamie felt it would be better to castrate them at their home because the 6 year old stallion had not been handled in a while and the 3 year old had never been in a trailer and was not halter broke. Thanks to the donated funds from the Sammie’s Friends Horse Fund, we were able to do just that.

The stallions owner was a very sweet woman who due to the recent economy has had to cut back and without a stable job is having a hard time making ends meet. She was concerned for her horse’s welfare and open to Jamie's suggestions regarding the care and feeding of her herd. It has been her life’s dream to breed beautiful horses, but without the proper breeding stock or funds to support her horses she is beginning to understand that she needs to shut down her operation.

The life of a stallion is not very luxurious; many times, they are kept in smaller pens and are unable to be turned out to socialize with others. They are often assumed to be dangerous; therefore they get little handling from inexperienced stallions owners. This was one of those cases. Lotto a 6-year-old Polish Arabian is living in stall with a 20x20 run with no pasture time or hoof care because his owner is apprehensive when it comes to his handling. He has helping in the tearing down of his stall out of frustration and boredom and there is evidence of atrophy.

As you can see, his hooves where overdue to be trimmed and his mane has gone without combing for a long time.

Yesterday was Lotto’s first day as a gelding and hopefully his procedure will help him find a new home and a new life. If you are interested in Lotto please contact Jamie at Jamie@backinthesaddleproject.com, his owner has agreed to sell him.

Next up was Star, a 3-year-old Arab cross. Star was breed and born on this property and for never being haltered or having much handling, he was a gem. As with Lotto, we are hoping that after being castrated his owner will feel more confident handling him and hopefully this will lead to a better quality of life for him.

BITS is not here to judge, condemn, or ridicule horse owners; we are here to educate and shed light on the 100,000 unwanted horse epidemic. For every stallion we geld, we can save an infinite number of unwanted horses by stopping them from potentially producing another foal. Please consider the unborn horse before you choose to breed. Breeding horses with poor confirmation, undesirable genetic traits, and unproved performance will most likely result in giving them a one-way ticket to Mexico. Breeding to improve the quality and integrity of the breed should always be the main objective; we can all help the horses before they need it by promoting ethical and responsible breeding. Thank you again to Sammie’s Friends for their generous pledge to our gelding project. If you are interested in helping us continue our fight to save the unwanted horse, please consider donating to our much needed program. We have a goal to aid in the castration of 100 horses in the year 2010, so far we have completed 23 and with your help we will reach our goal!

Opening

We still have one opening for a mini horse to be gelded on May 11th. Please refer this to anyone who might qualify for our gelding program http://www.backinthesaddleproject.com/geldingform.html.

Cathing Up

I cannot believe it has been so long since I did a post, so much has happened it is hard to know where to start! If you are a friend on facebook then you know most of the things that have been taking place, but if not then you should join. We are trying to get 300 fans by the April 3rd Low Cost Gelding Clinic, so please become a fan and help us achieve our goal.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Back-in-the-Saddle-Project/161382019757?ref=ts

Here goes the re-cap, it’s gonna be a long one:

First, we have officially filed for our 501 (c)(3) which means we can act as a legitimate non-profit and are able to send out tax deductable receipts the day our status is confirmed. This is huge since it now allows us to really go out, fundraise, and start applying for some grant monies. We are in need of so many things, one is funds to help supplement the gelding of horses in areas where a low cost option is not available at this time! Which brings us to our second item:

Our gelding clinics are such a success that we are on our second month with a May clinic in the works. We cannot thank Dr. Dewey of Bear River Mobile Vet and Cheryl from The Shiloh Foundation enough. Without the help of these two great people, none of this would be possible. Our April 3rd clinic is full and we have added a new gelding clinic form to help with all the inquires. http://www.backinthesaddleproject.com/geldingform.html.  We currently have a 30 horse waitlist!

Today I was out to see a sweet little donkey who was in need of a new home. Thanks to a friend on facebook, we were able to collaborate and find Lin Donald and Tom Manuel of Indian Hill Ranch and Gardens. They have been looking to add a Jenny to their herd and fell in love with little “Pixie” today. She is 3 and has never really been handled but was extremely receptive to them and was very interested in the molasses treats and carrots they brought.

Arrangements have been made to pick her up and take her home on Saturday. Erika Williamson a barefoot trimmer and friend of The Hole in the Head Gang, helped out today and is ready to assist “Pixie” and her new owners with halter breaking and basic handling. It is so nice when we can all work together to find homes for those who need them without having to send them to a rescue. Together we can do big things and today we found “Pixie” a great new home with two donkey’s ready to greet her at the gate. I cannot wait to go see her at her new home at Indian Hill Ranch and Gardens, I picture her like this in a few months...

Today I was also up at Shiloh to meet Star. Star’s owner contacted me last week and wanted to talk about us helping her daughter who owned a 22 year old horse who was “skinny”. After several phone calls I was able to talk with the equine veterinarian who last saw Star in February and confirm over the phone that dental work was done on her and at the time she was a body score of 3, but had a healthy heart.

The owner was concerned about driving all the way out to Marysville since she was under the impression that we were located in Auburn. Knowing that Star needed our help as the owner stated many times that she could not afford to feed her the special equine senior diet she required I called Shiloh. No need to beg and plead with Cheryl who has a heart of gold, she gladly agreed to allow Star to be dropped at her place. So Star was left in Cheryl’s loving hands on Wednesday afternoon.

Cheryl said she was caked in mud and diarrhea so a nice warm bath was given and then she was showed to her very own stall where she whinnied happily at the other horses at Shiloh. When I came out today, I was amazed to see her with a little stumble here and there but a sweet demeanor and content look in her eyes. I put a blanket on and left her to eat her bran mash and senior with Galazy looking over her. We are not positive that we will beable to re-home Star, so if you are interested in sponsoring her care please let us know, with your help she could have her forever home here at BITS.

It was decided that Star will make the trip here to us on Saturday, as I am coming back up to see Hoss and Little Joe do some ground lessons. Last time I saw these two they were being penned up at our February 14th gelding clinic, untouched and wild.

Today , only a few weeks after coming to Shiloh they are happy, playful, halter broke and people loving little guys. I am so proud of them and Cheryl for their progress!

Okay, now the part I have been putting off for a week or so. I promised to be upfront and honest with all of our supporters all the time, and so our March 18th euthanasia clinic went off without a hitch. It was sad as always to let these horses go, but comforting to know that because of the help of Dr. Jen Jeske, Sacramento Rendering Co. and Lisa Dixon of Whimsical Farms we were able to help owners lay to rest their beloved pets without having to compromise comfort. The cost of rendering has gone up so much that many owners are unable to afford the cost of euthanasia and therefore many horses are left suffer due to lack of funds. The horses that come to the clinic were ready, and everyone who helped out was there to comfort and help in any way they could. Frisco Bey was 33 years old and a high prized champion in his younger days. His owner was upset to let him go, but I let her know what a rare treat it was for a horse to be with one owner for all those years. He was very much loved and cared for until the end.

Sunny was TB whose owner had moved and was unable to help him in his last days. She was trying to figure out how to lay Sunny to rest being so far away. When she saw our ad she asked if we could help. Thanks to Wendy, a great volunteer, we were able to arrange pick up of Sunny and overnight stay at Whimsical Farms. She could afford the normal cost, but needed help in facilitating the procedure. She was happy to sponsor a spot for a horse in need in as a tribute to Sunny and thanks for our help. It was a pleasure to be with such a sweet guy in his last moments, as he walked out of his stall you could tell his hind end was off and he was dealing with discomfort. Sunny was a gentlemen to the end, he enjoyed a big bucket of sweet grain and quietly went to sleep.

Sis was an older mare who was never trained to ride, but was able to spend her days out to pasture in peace. She had a few young ones who loved to brush and love on her into her old age. As the years went on she got old and her body began to fail her, so much so that she was unable to stand so that her front hooves could be trimmed. She was laid to rest knowing tons of love her whole life.

Angel was a sweet, loving 2 year old with sever club foot in both front legs. Her condition could not be corrected and she was uncomfortable. It is such a shame because this little one was as kind as they come. We are happy she was loved in her short time here and never knew a bad day.

Cammie, Walter and JP were all older horses who had been surrendered over to a rescue in the area. All were elderly and having a hard time getting around. It is so hard when a body fails, but there pain is over and they are in a better place now.

Sammy was brought to our clinic after he went blind in his second eye. He has been the beloved horse for a 4 year old cowboy for the last year and has known love, love, love from his family. The recent loss of sight was hard on him and he was showing signs of nerve damage. His owners wanted him to be laid to rest prior to any further deterioration. His owner stayed with him until the end; he was extremely grateful for all Sammy had taught his little boy.

Hope was a mare who had been rescued form a feedlot and then surrendered after her new owner realized how hard it was to keep and care for a horse. That was 4 years ago and Hope has known only comfort and love at her home with Lisa. Her eye was like this when she came,

and so was her bum knee. This winter was the worst on Hope, and she showed signs of pain and struggle more and more each day. There was little else to do to relieve her discomfort, so with tears in her eyes, Lisa let Hope go.

Our last girl was in retirement for 2 years with a mummified foal in her belly. She was lame the day her owner acquired her, but was now hurting too much to function. Lacey was so lucky to get 2 good years in at the end. She was extremely cherished and loved.

At the end of the day I was sad and tired, but thankful for all the help we received. Without compassion and understanding, we would not be able to help those who need it right now. I was not feeling so great as I stopped by my cousins house on my way back home, but thanks to a little dog named Thistle I had a great laugh as I was locked out of my car. Waiting for the tow truck to arrive with tears of laughter in my eyes I silently thanked God for all the animals in our lives, is there a better way to end a day?

We strive to help those who want the best for their horses. Today with the job loss and foreclosure rates horse owners are having to make tough choices and we promise to be there to assist them in any way we can. It does not all have to be doom and gloom, this week we were able to re-home a lovely little Jenny, save Star from further starvation and help 10 horse owners give their horses the respect they deserved at the end. Now I am off to write an article on our gelding clinic for an e-magazine with 22,000 subscribers. I will post the link once it is out. And if you missed it, BITS was featured in TheHorse.com the other day….

Busy Busy Busy

Today was spent talking with Animal Control about how to better assist them. With today’s economy not only is Animal Control working with a slimmer version of its once bigger self, they are dealing with a rise in calls and cases of animal abuse and neglect. BITS wants to make sure we understand their position and also help educate them on equine care such as proper hoof care and body scoring. Many Animal Control officers are unfamiliar with equine and the care they require, just as I would not know the first thing about rabbits and the care they need. Most of their training is with dogs and cats, and while it may be frustating to us who know the differnce between proper horse care and nelgect, it can be hard for someone who is not familiar with equine to tell the diffrence between a fat horse and one that is bloated with worms. Rather then be upset and complain about the slow movement on many neglect cases, BITS has chosen to reach out and assist Animal Control anyway we can. Many of us want results when it comes to those poor horses in need, so we are stepping up our efforts to make sure we available should our assisance be needed.

Since Jamie was in town, she went ahead and posted flyers for our April 3rd gelding clinic. It is so important that we are out there advocating responsible breeding especially in today’s dismal horse market. We must make an effort to curb the number of horses born and bred. While we at BITS applaud those who are responsible with breeding, it is those who are unphased by the unethical breeding of horses with poor confirmation and health issues (papered or not) that are putting so many horses in danger. It is no secret that there are more horses in the United States than there are homes, so please help us spread the word, GELD YOUR STALLIONS TODAY and save an unwanted horse prior to its conception. We are currently working with other rescue groups around the USA to collaborate in a National Gelding Day! In the mean time, feel free to post the attached flyer regarding our local $50 Low Cost Gelding Clinic, click here to print.

Jamie is trying her hardest to update our website. The site was constructed and send out to the world wide web in less than three days and now that the 501 (c)(3) paperwork is lessening and the medical contacts have been made she has a little time to really make it shine. Please keep checking back to see the great changes to come. Also we are on FACEBOOK!!! Please help up reach our goal of 300 fans by the April 3rd gelding clinic!

Gelding Clinic a Success!!!!

Our first low cost gelding clinic was a success with 11 horses gelded! As you know BITS has been working on offering a low cost gelding clinic for some time, so when it finally took place on Saturday, February 13th we were overjoyed, if not exhausted. Our goal is to help geld 100 horses in the year 2010 in hopes that our efforts will mean a decrease in the unwanted horse population. We can save an unwanted horse today-prior to its conception-with castration.
Our clinic was supported by Shiloh Foundation, a pregnant mare and foal rescue, Dr. Jennifer Dewey of Bear River Mobile Vet, and a few volunteers who are also students of the UC Davis Veterinarian school. Horses started rolling in at 7:30 am. Coffee, donuts, fruit and yogurt were available since many folks drove 2 hours to get their horses gelded for $50. Thanks to our great volunteer Becky and Jamie's organizational skills, all the horses were numbered, tagged and stalled by 8:00 am and we were ready to begin!

A short meeting with the vets and handlers took place and we were off. We had two teams, A & B, and both were in for a few surprises. As you can see from the pictures, the Shiloh Foundation barn was made specifically for clinics and nursing rescued horses. This barn is completely rubber matted from wall to wall, with large stalls, heaters, fans, skylights, and giant automatic waters. The large isles and gates made it easy to run unhalter broke horses through. Cheryl built this barn knowing that rescuing horses was her passion and she would not have it any other way.

Dr. Dewey set off for our first horse, a three year old named Deja Vu. This horse along with 9 others are rescues. It is comforting to know that this clinic is allowing other rescues the opportunity to help out a horse in need, while saving money which can now be used for other things- like hay and vaccinations.

Once everything was underway we were off..here is a shot from the outside. All these guys are awaiting their turn at a nice nap and some quite time!

And here is Chocolate who was unanimously voted the cutest colt around. Chocolate and his mother were rescued from a feedlot in NV and brought to Shiloh Foundation. His mother, is a 9 year old untouched mare but Chocolate is quite interested in us humans even if mom is not. One great thing about Shilo, they take the time to gentle horses like this mare. I cannot wait to do an update on her in a few months!

All the horses were given a number when they checked in. The number coordinated with the tag the owner was given to retrieve the horse, the stall and also the paperwork which detailed the horse. The system worked well and will be in use at our next clinic as well. It was so nice for the vets and handlers to know who the horse was, age, personality and whether it was halter broke or not just be looking at the sheet taped to the front of their stall.

Here is Herbie, a 2 year old grade pony who was taken in from a rescue in Colorado after they closed their doors. Lucky for him, he already has a new home in Elk Grove!

As you can see, Herbie's poor hooves were very long. Thank god we had some farriers on board to help out, they would not let Herbie leave without a proper trimming. Thank you Jim for donating your time to get Herbie back on the right hoof! It is amazing what can be accomplished with team work and sedation drugs.

One of our older stallions had a distinct heart murmur and everyone was curious to hear it. It was amazing to see the students whip out their note pads and write about the unusual sounds heard from this guy. Jamie was so excited to see our future vets getting a dose of what is come, she was so proud of their dedication and eagerness to learn and help out.

Our next guy, Hoss, was an untouched yearling. He was also rescued by Shilo Foundation with his friend Little Joe who were both found in a feedlot nursing off the same sweet mare. Unfortunately, they have not been at the ranch long enough to be halter broke. So, how to do you sedate and geld an unhalter broke yearling?

You pen them to the wall with a panel and talk sweetly to them as they drift off slowly to sleep. Hoss was really not interested in anything we had to say, but he did eventually cooperate and he is no longer able to reproduce! Little Joe was not interested either, but he succumbed to our sweet voices and was okay with a halter on after some persuasion. Both these cuties will be available for adoption once they are halter broke and have basic ground manners.

Not only did these generous vets pull these..

they pulled Wolf teeth as well..

 

Ouch

Thanks again to our volunteers, we had a successful day and all horses are doing well. Our next clinic is tentatively scheduled for April 3rd , so please tell those who might benefit from the low cost and if you are interested in sponsoring a horse contact Jamie by email at jamie@backinthesaddleproject.com.

Our hay bank is still in effect and we have been able to help a few families in the last two weeks. We are however running low on feed and funds, so if you have some leftover feed in the barn or a bale or two to donate please contact us. We are always in need of monetary donations as well, which can be made directly to Dave's Hay Barn 42 She- yo Lane, Oroville, CA 95966 530-534-9026
Thanks to Fran and Theresa, Jamie will driving to Grass Valley in the morning to pick up some bags of left over foal feed, which will come in handy!

If your facility is interested in hosting a clinic in your area for gelding or other services please contact Jamie@backinthesaddleproject.com

Low Cost Gelding Clinic Details & More

Today "Jamie spent the afternoon touring the Shilo Foundation facility with Dr. Dewey and Cheryl, founder of this great rescue. Shilo Foundation specializes in the rescue of pregnant mares which makes the low cost gelding clinic near and dear to their heart. This amazing facility is equipted with a 20 stall barn complete with heaters and fans for the comfort of the pregnant mares, an arena with lights, round pen and 9 wonderful pastures. Every horse is given the utmost care and Cherly agrees that all horses must have the basic training they need to help them survive in this rough market. Without proper training we are giving the horses nothing to help prevent them from winding up back in a rescue or worse situation!

After viewing the property and doing final touches on logistics, the $50 Low Cost Gelding Clinic has been officially scheduled. We will have space and time for 10 horses, all horses admitted to the clinic must be visually intact.(Unfortunately, we cannot accept cryptorchids at this clinic.) If you have a horse that needs to be gelded and have been hit by this economy, like many of us, please contact Jamie at 916.849.7953.

All details can be viewed here

Jamie also got in touch with Brittany from Distric 3 High School Rodeo. The CHSRA is selling $10 raffle tickets for the chance to win a 2010 3 horse logan slant trailer! BITS bought one ticket and our fingers are crossed that it will be the winning ticket which would mean a new trailer for the rescue. Please support this great organization which helps keep youth involved in horse related sports, allowing them to compete in an american tradition and all the while keeping horses in homes! For more information you can contact The Thundering 3.

Sunday Jamie will be off to a barn in Elk Grove to check out the layout in hopes that it might serve as our Sacramento based euthanasia clinic. With no where to take horses and little money to afford the expensive rendering many horse owners are left with little options. Together we can make a difference by offering a low cost option for humane euthanasia. Remember for every 2 horses able to pay the $100 euthanasia and rendering fee, we are able to offer the service to 1 horse at no cost.

Please consider making a donation to our organization. We are partnering with local Animal Control to assist  horses in our area from abuse, starvation and neglect while using our man power to offer low cost clinics and help horses and their owners provide nessesary services at a discounted cost. Our Hay Bank is a great way to donate some extra feed to those who might be on some rough times and our Books for little BITS is still accepting horse related books.

Thank you in advance for you consideration. We at BITS pledge to be an ethical, trustworthy and campasionate organization. We will always do what is right for the horses and will use all funds in a proper way. We promise to make you proud of the rescue you support!