But he isn't skinny?

Ok guys, lots of emails asking about Smutty's story and more pictures so here goes. No, he is not skinny or sickly but he still needed help. He was left behind at a boarding stable and nobody else wanted this big of a project so, here he is getting  a restart at life   Smutty is a result of too much RFDTV DIY NH and probably some real rough handling too. Wiggle the rope, he backs up.  A neat trick but someone over did it because  he also backs up when you try to pet him, pick his hooves, or try to mount. If backup racing ever takes off Smutty will be the Triple Crown Winner. So even though he is a pretty and healthy horse, he is still a horse that needs rehab to find a new home Sometimes just fixing the bodies is easier than fixing the minds . But he has a great attitude and tries so hard.
He is getting better every day , he just needs to unlearn a few things and get a lot more forward and confident.

He is about 9 years old and a smidge over15.3 He is very very quiet , easy to handle, calm and very gentle  just scared but he is starting to relax a lot more already so we are off to a good start. He does have some old scars on his neck and shoulder areas and is in really bad need of some farrier care , his hooves are a wreck right now, so the first thing we are working on is getting him to pick up his feet - without racing backwards.He is wearing a bridle in the pics but it was because the only halter that actually fits him was missing when I took the pictures . He is a big boned guy and 'average" horse size didn't fit. Quest was too tiny for average halters and Smutty was too big - Tractor Supply is starting to really love me, but these are both such nice horses that are well worth the trip .

The quest for Quest

I don't think Aurora and I have ever been on a short drive together and Saturday was not going to be the exception. We got up super early to go pick up Quest . She was being housed at the feedlot in Fallon, Nevada. A rescue had a man buy her and a few others at the auction but her potential adopter backed out and the rescue's rig was out of commision. Sooo the next thing you know we are on a 4 1/2 hour drive to Fallon. Remarkably for the first time on a drive together we did not have any car problems or get lost. We stopped in Boomtown for lunch . The only thing in Boomtown was Denny's. We got a huge kick out of the menu . The menu is divided into sections; hand held food or fork and knife. I'm not sure what the average IQ  is of the regular Denny lunch clientele but I'm guessing there must have been a reason they had to put that on the menu.  They also served something called "Basket of Puppies" which was a little creepy. Glad to find out they were mini pancakes. How ironic that they dumb down the menu to explain how to eat your food but then think mini pancakes isn't clever enough.
Really glad we stopped there though, when we did because there was major construction right outside of Reno for miles that really slowed us down

Hmmm. knife &fork or hand held lunch?

Spaghetti is not a hand held food item, who knew?

After lunch we got into Fallon and drove out to the feedlot. It looked like just any ordinary little ranch and Quest was the only horse there. She was very sweet and friendly and walked right into the trailer. So back on the road we went and managed to hit more construction going the other direction as well.  It just wouldn't be a road trip with Aurora without major delays somehow.

We finally made it back and all went well . Quest will be in quarantine for a while because auctions and feedlots hold a lot of animals and its a good chance she may have picked up a few bugs along the way. She is super sweet and very mellow. I know Arabians get a bad rep for being snorting spook machines but this girl is so very calm, and easy going. We went for a walk , past dogs, flapping flags and a few birds flew out at us and she did not even care She is registered and we do have her papers. Her registered name is Bey Street Blaze .  She is even cuter in person than she was in her pictures and I hope I did her justice. Its hard to take a picture of her because she wants to be right next to you. Not crowding just friendly.
I don't have a halter small enough for her tiny face so I had to use the one she had on when we picked her up.After she is vet checked and ready for work we are going to send her to All Terrain Training to see if she is going to be the calm trail buddywe think she will be. We decided that each horse will have it's own training blog so the potential adopter has a good idea of if the horse will be a good match .

On the way over to Fallon , Aurora had asked me to explain a little about feedlot saves and how they work . I am not trying to start the slaughter / anti slaughter debate I just don't see the logic and would rather see people do more productive things with donations.

While Quest was bought at an auction not from the feedlot itself, there are other groups that say they are against slaughter but  who are actually paying kill buyers money for horses . The kill buyer does not just quit his job, he  just uses that money to buy more horses. The same number of horses go to slaughter , just different ones. I know people who are very anti- slaughter and they get so frustrated at these types of saves. Sure it's high drama and tear jerking to some people, particulary people who are against slaughter , it's counter productive, a waste of donations , explotive to the horses and emotional backmail  to the donors.  ,. I think, and this is just my opinion, but I think it's a bit like the Denny's menu and people are treating donors  like they are so dumb that they don't think behind the sad horsey pictures to where the money is going. You would not buy drugs from a dealer and think you are stopping drug abuse or buy blood diamonds in an effort to stop that trade.
Why would you bankroll a kill buyer if you want to stop slaughter?
. Or is it just an effort to save the one in the picture regardless of how many others take it's place . Nobody seems to be able to answer that question yet and I am tired of trying to figure out the logic
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BITS would rather help a horse before the situation is so desperate the horse ends up neglected or sold at auction  and  when nobody is rewarded financially for failing the horse.
It might not be as exciting but we know this is the right thing for the horses and adopters.
Off the soapbox about that subject

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The other problem with helping a horse from just a picture is that you don't get to know very much about the horse. With Quest we don't know her history and she could be pregnant or have medical issues so we will get her checked out and before she is adopted out we are going to talk to the vet about having her marbled . Marbling  is not always foolproof but it is the only option we have at the time to try to keep horses from getting pregnant.  If she turns out to be an amazing show horse that should be bred things may change but considering the number of amazing horses selling cheap and not so amazing horses being given away  , there does not seem to be a rush to make more horses just yet.

Well, this was a lot longer post than I had intended. I wanted to tell you guys about the other horse we have in as well. He is a BIG STOUT  smutty  buckskin  that is going to need a name because I keep calling him Smutty and that's just not right. Here is a sneak peek of "Smutty"

The End-pun intended

As always your support is most appreciated and we could really use some for these guys and a few other horses that need help. Any donation amount helps  and goes right back into the horses and programs.

This is the hardest part !

Most of the emails we get are asking for information on when the next clinic is, but lately we have had quite a few emails and calls about horses and owners that need help.
 When we first started we had been concentrating on getting  the clinics going and have not had the time to do fundraising. Something I dread doing but seems to be needed if we want to reach more horses.
 We will continue to have proactive programs like the clinics  , but we still want to be able to help horses that are already in trouble or will be shortly.
 I pay for BITS horse's care out of my own pocket and the adoption fees go to help pay for help for other horses we take in or are not ours but need help. So far we have not had to ask for any help caring for our own horses.
 The clinics pay for themselves and only require our time and gas money as a donation.
 After last month we have $304 left from adoption fees and your donations to help any horses that need it. Remember we are only a few months old now.
Eventually we would like to see BITS be able to be much more self sufficent with plans to add a lot more programs , but it may be a few years for us to grow and we do have to prove that we are public supported to stay non profit.
Here is the part I hate to have to do but
 We would really appreciate your help so we can help the people who have contacted us.
Here are the situations and if you want to help only a particular one you can state that. We consider everyone part of the BITS team and your support is what keeps us going so your input is appreciated . .If anyone is interested in fostering or adopting please send us an email.  I should add that foster care can't be reiumbursed but it is deductible.
Here are the horses and owner's situations. We may not be able to help them all and people may feel like some of these horses should be left alone or the owner's should give them up. The problem is there really is not a lot of options for horses with issues or medical problems and the owner's are  good horsepeople that are just trying to do what they feel is best first. It's not easy for most people to ask for money from strangers and the owner's have offered to help donate their time and services  in return I said I would ask for help for the horses so I am. .
The first two are not owned but need a new owner

There is a 3 year old bay filly who was adopted by a rescue , but the new owner backed out so she is at a feedlot. Regardless of how you feel about slaughter it's just not a good place for a horse so young . She has 90 days training and is sound.and I'm told very sweeet.  She is already paid for so we only need gas money, our time is free or course. PS she is gorgeous and a registered Arabian

Late 20's bay QH gelding. The young lady emailed asking if we could help . She was a camp counselor and brought the horse home with her but is heading to college and can't take him. The horse has been a summer camp horse for years and packed elk in the winter. The original owner no longer wanted him this winter because he didn't think he could pack elk anymore.

Two ends of the spectrum a young horse that didn't get much of a chance and an older horse who probably deserved to be Sainted for being a rental his whole life

The next group are owned already and can stay in their homes if the owner's can just get through a temporary rough patch with a little help.

A pony that was adopted out by a rescue at the end of winter and the owner realized when the de worming didn't help the coat shed that the pony is probably suffering from Cushings   . She did not plan on having a pony with so many medical problems so quickly and could use a hand getting him treatment and medication. She does not need to rehome him and he is a perfect pony for her daughter but just needs a little help. Returning it to a rescue that didn't catch it in the first place is probably not a great idea either.

A mare that was hurt badly because she was flipped on concrete by a new buyer trying to force a horse into a two horse trailer. The horse got left behind at a property by the buyer and seller . The new owner is paying for chiropractic care and vet treatments but the horse also needs dental care badly and they are asking for help.

Three older horses that need soaked pellets to eat. The owner doesn't feel they need to be put down  but is having trouble with the extra expenses right now.

Also Shiloh Horse Foundation has hit a rough patch as well and have a few horses that need training and adoption. If you are looking for a project please check them out.

So there we have the list
I know some people will say they should just get rid of the horses  but
 Rescues are crowded and can't take them in.
Adopting out horses with issues is hard
BITS is too new to take them all in.
I could ask my day -job boss for a raise but that seems unlikely.
So are options are to walk away or we, all 300 or so of us on FB,  can all pitch in a few dollars  to help the owner's keep their horses and help the first two get a second chance with a new owner.
As horsemen we need to keep our  community strong , and we should help each other and be grateful we are not the people asking for help this time, but  that if we ever were in the same position that someone would be there to help us.

BITS is seeing a real  need to have a fund set up specifically to help horses that need it like Holly or Thirsty and others we helped in the past. We can do more with your help and remember you have every option to designate what your donation is for and we will always try to post the situation so if you disagree with helping we will respect that and not apply your donation towards it.
Thank you for your past and future kindnesses for the horses.



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Rain in August?

This August was definitely full of surprises and extremes. The hot summer weather suddenly turned  cold and rainy.
Just when the last available horse was adopted  , we suddenly had several horses that we were asked to help out with and while we were trying to figure out which one of those to take in first, because they were not urgent situations, suddenly we had  horses that were in urgent need.
Never say to yourself or anyone else "Wow, I'm actually out of project  horses." It is an invitation for it to start raining horses.
It had been pretty quiet for a while when  suddenly we  had to plan a euthanasia clinic as quickly as possible. The clinic was the last day of August. While we were glad we could help the horses and owners  it's not a happy event by any means.  Now we need to get back to planning the clinics for Sept and October and get back to trying to sort out which horses to help first. Again -I say first because they are not urgent situations and again any urgent situations will take top priority

Ill post another blog with the information and pictures I have if anyone would like to foster  or in some of these cases adopt directly from the rescues that are asking us to help.

What to post?

We have been going over what to post about the euthanasia clinic today.
Of course the first thing is to thank the amazing and kind donors and volunteers and of course Dr Gillen all of you are truly compassionate.  

We don't want to post pictures of the horses because it feels wrong to exploit what happened and disrespectful to the horses and their owners.
It was an emotionally draining day for several reasons and we don't want to pass those feelings on to anyone but we do feel obligated to report what took place.
We did take a few pictures but we were more wrapped up in taking care of the horses than documenting the day.  It is not easy for horse lovers to do this Nobody wants to do this. Some of us used our vacation days or rearranged our schedules it isn't easy but it is something we feel strongly about, are glad we can offer to help end suffering for the horse and owner and want to be sure is handled correctly.

It was decided to just state the facts of what happened without trying to stir anyone up emotionally.

The vet made it very clear he was NOT going to put down any horses out of convenience to the owners or to the rescues, only horses that truly need relief from incurable conditions. Which is our stand as well. This clinic is to end suffering only not resolve financial issues.

5 horses were evaluated by the vet this morning. There was a stall and trailer ready in hopes that a particular horse was going to be fine even if just a pasture pet, but it turned out she was the worst off of the group. This was a real disappointment to hear. She had advanced arthritis causing lameness pain and an inability to balance. It was very obvious when she moved and after the vet tested her and evaluated her it was very clear this horse was not healthy and ride-able as we were told.

These were the guidelines from the AAEP and actual questions from our application
Guidelines for Recommending Euthanasia – The following criteria should be considered in evaluating the immediate necessity for intentional euthanasia of the horse to avoid and terminate incurable and excessive suffering:

1. Is the medical condition chronic and incurable?
2. Does the immediate medical condition have a hopeless prognosis for life?
3. Is the horse a hazard to itself or its handlers?
4. Will the horse require continuous medication for the relief of pain for the remainder of its life?
5. Will the medical condition result in a lifetime of continued individual confinement?


Each horse that was accepted and put to sleep met the AAEP guidelines and and the vet's own strict guidelines. Each horse was treated kindly, fussed over and everything was done so calmly that each horse passed on without any issues. They did just appear to go to sleep peacefully and although incredibly hard for everyone there , including the vet, you did sense the relief as each passed. The vet report will be attached below. 

The following codes and laws are also something we want people to understand as there is talk of rescues putting down animals needlessly.  We pledge that euthanasia is only done as last resort , under recommendation of a vet and with kindess and respect to the owner and horses.

California Civil Code
1834.4. (a) It is the policy of the state that no adoptable animal
should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home.
Adoptable animals include only those animals eight weeks of age or
older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is impounded or
otherwise taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a
behavioral or temperamental defect that could pose a health or safety
risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet,
and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, or congenital or
hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal
or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the
future.
(b) It is the policy of the state that no treatable animal should
be euthanized. A treatable animal shall include any animal that is
not adoptable but that could become adoptable with reasonable
efforts. This subdivision, by itself, shall not be the basis of
liability for damages regarCalifornia euthanasia laws.
Business and Profession Code, Section 4827(d), and in the California Code of Regulations, Section 2039.

“(d) Administering sodium phenobarbital for euthanasia of sick, injured, homeless, or unwanted domestic pets or animals without the presence of a veterinarian when the person is an employee of an animal control shelter and its agencies or humane society and has received proper training in the administration of sodium phenobarbital for these purposes.”

BITS volunteers and board members do not perform euthanasia they are done by a licensed vet at each clinic to be sure the animal is given a proper medical evaluation.We appreciate the vets who understand the need and volunteer their time We would prefer to rehabilitate , retrain and re-home a horse but we also have to do what is right for the animal and in some cases all we can do is spoil them for a few days and relieve their pain.

Upcoming Euthanasia Clinic -Tuesday Aug 31st

We have come across some very sad situations where horses who were long overdue for a peaceful end are being left to languish. Today a 30 year old mare was left behind at a property. The water had been turned off on Monday and the feed she was receiving was sparse. People concerned about the horse left her some hay but contacted us about the empty water buckets They asked us to please do something so they didn't have to watch the horse die. The person living at the property stated he did not want the horse and signed her over. It was just in time as today was another scorching hot day .

Holly the sweet and now spoiled mare from the flea market gave the last ride her body could handle and should never have been asked to make.

Rather than take a chance on her tired body giving out on a trailer ride we were able to find a way to bring the euth clinic to her. So the clinic will be in North Highlands this time

A very special thank you to Melody and Jed Durnay . They have volunteered for us at past clinics,offered Holly a soft stall to rest in , took in the Thirsty 30 mare from today and offered the use of their property for the clinic . They are the kindest hearted cowboy and cowgirl you would ever want to meet.

We have been contacted by a few other rescues with horses that need relief from constant pain.
There is room for a few more horses if the horse truly needs the service and the owner does not have the financial capability to pay the normal costs .
The horses will be treated with kindness and the owners are allowed to stay to say goodbye if they wish.

The low cost clinic is Tuesday and you can contact us at help@backinthesaddleproject.com.com for application forms and information.
We would appreciate anybody who wishes to help sponsor a horse, fully or in part, any amount will help us be able to continue these clinics. Any sponsor donations are tax deductible. Another clinic is planned for September as well.

A horse community coming together

Monday was a hard day. As many of you know BITS has been raising money to help Gina, a 29 year-old Rocky Mountain mare with severe laminitis. Her owners had come to the conclusion that no more could be done to ease her pain and that her time had come. After much heartache they realized that they could not afford to lay her rest.

 

 A caring friend offered to help find a solution to their problem and was able to find our low cost euthanasia clinic on-line via Google. Unfortunately, she found our information just days after our June 17th clinic. Once Gina's condition was made know to us we knew we could not turn our back on this poor gal and her owner. Thankfully, BITS has an amazing team of generous vets and we were able to secure Dr. Jeske for Monday. This gave Gina and her friends time to say goodbye and they took every opportunity to spoil her rotten. Gina's last days on earth were filled with grass grazing, baths and lots of treats.

As you can see from these photo's Gina's hooves had been casted to try an alleviate her pain caused by laminitis. Her hooves would gently rock with each step.

There was also a large growth on her right leg

as well as many body sores from her constant laying down.

It is obvious that even a short trip in the trailer to our Elk Grove clinic would have been extremely hard on Gina. BITS is grateful to Naturally Cowgirl, Horses, Hope & Healing, the friends at Craigmont Equestrian Center as well Kat, a very dear friend of hers, for their generous donations which allowed for Gina to pass on peacefully at her home.

On a brighter note, our trip to Sacramento for Gina resulted in our meeting up with Horses, Hope &Healing a youth program in the Sacramento area. Tiffany Oreglia, founder, was available to show us around, introduce us to the horses in her program as well as explain her organization and the great work they are doing for the underprivileged youth in the area. Her program includes gang intervention and education, homework assistance and tutoring, teaching leadership skills, safe after-school and week-end activities as well as giving the children the opportunity to participate in horse related competitions.We cannot wait to meet up with her again!

We are also extremely excited; Kate, Gina’s friend, has pledged to be our first monthly Hay Bank donor! With these funds BITS is able to help support and feed horses of responsible owners who have come on hard times. When life throws us a curve ball we need our horses more than ever. Their friendship and trust is what gets us through on our hardest days. Please consider becoming a donor as well, and help keep a horse in it’s loving home during job loss, illness, military duty and family displacement. Together we can make a difference in the lives of our fellow horse lovers.

We hope everyone is enjoying this great riding weather and we wish you all a great 4th of July!

June 17th Euthanasia Clinic

On June 17th, BITS held it's 3rd Low Cost Euthanasia Clinic. We had only 6 horses this month which is 5 less than our last clinic. We are hoping the drop in numbers is a indication that horse owners are doing better during these summer months. Euthanasia is a last resort, it used when nothing else will keep a horse safe, healthy and pain free. We hope that by offering these low cost clinics that we are keeping horses out of horribly uncomfortable and dangerous situations.

BITS had a double whammy when it came to passing of two "first horses". Mandalay, was a 26 year old Arabian show horse who had made it to Arizona 10 times. He was retired from his career and has spent his last 5 years being the first horse to a lovely little girl. The condition of Mandalay showed how much he was loved and adored. His girl had taken just as good of care of him over the years as he had her. They were best friends and he had the charm to prove it.

Putting Mandalay down was not an easy decision for his owner, and as a single mom of two and an employee of a county agency that is being shut down, she was grateful that we were able to give her the option to do what was right by a horse that had given her family so much. Mandalay's girl was there and was able to sit with him long after he was gone. She was also able to take a piece of him home with her since the family made a mold of his hoof as a keepsake and a way to remember a first horse who was worthy of all the tears his girl shed in his honor.

Our clinic is a compassionate one, we are happy to allow horse owners the opportunity to stay with their horses until the end, we are also happy to take on whatever part of the process they feel they can not handle. Our goal with the euthanasia clinics is not only to help relieve the suffering of horses but also to aid horse owners in the process. It is one thing to have to make the decision to put a loved horse down, it is quite another to be unable to afford to do. We know that those who come to us for help as doing so by putting aside their pride and doing so for the best interest of their horse. At our clinics we begin to build a friendship based on a common bond. We are all here to help the horses and our compasion for one another is evident in the sharing of the hoof compound used by Mandalay's owners.

Danskin was a 26 year old Arab mare, a first horse that was sold 17 years ago. She was recently reunited her with her first "girl" who now had a "girl" of her own. She was older but still the same old horse with the same old babysitter instinct. Unfortunately, it was not long before she showed signs of fast growing tumors all over her body. Her first girl was hoping to spend a few final years with her but after the tumors showed their aggressive side, she made the decision to put her to rest before the pain got any worse.

On top of all the sorrow she was laid off. BITS was able to take away the finaicial burden and allow her to lay Danskin to rest with her old girl and her new girl by her side. After she was gone, her "girls" were able to make a print of her hoof to take home, thanks to the generosity of Mandaly's "girls".

Mooley, a blind 32 year old gelding, and his seeing eyes companion, 34 year old Avalon, were laid to rest. These two older gentlemen had worked on the pack trail together for over a decade. After Mooley lost his sight Avalon led him around daily and they were able to retire to pasture together for the last 6 years, thanks to a local rescue. This last winter left it's mark on these two old men and everything about them was saying "it is time to go". They were laid to rest side by side and now live together pain free. Many horse rescues are functioning on limited funds. The average donation base has decreased by 20% with the recent economy. BITS is proud help others who have the same passion to help horses. If our low cost clinics can help save rescue funds, funds that can be used on vaccinations, training and medical expenses for horses in need, then we feel that everyone benefits.

Two other horses, a older TB mare named Big Momma and a BLM mustang, were also laid to rest. Big Momma had lost all use of her incisors and was unable to process her food. The BLM mustang was untrained and aggressive to humans, she was deemed unadoptable by the rescue and brought to our clinic as a last resort. With the amount of horses looking for homes in a time when many land owners are unable to afford them, rescues are having to make hard decisions when it comes to the horses who have potential to be re-homed and those who are simply unwanted. Limited funds and growing numbers of abandoned horses make it obvious that we cannot rescue ourselves out of the unwanted horse epidemic. We must take pro-active measures such as proper breeding regiments, increasing the number of low cost castration clinics, and educating new horse owners on responsible horse ownership.

As many of you know the average cost to euthanize and render a horse is $500 which many horse owners are unable to afford, which is why we are coordinating these clinics. I have heard "if they can't afford the cost then they should not have horses" too many times. I would like to ask everyone to take moment to walk in the shoes of a horse owner who after 15 years of working for the same employer has just been laid off. For 15 years you have been able to make your house payment, trim and shoe your horses regularly, send your children to horse to camp and team pen every Saturday night. Now you are faced with making a mortgage payment on unemployment benefits, canceling Dish Network and selling off extra vehicles. You may be faced with the cost of $500-$1000 a month payment on Cobra benefits so your children have health insurance. You may also have to take a look in your pasture and sell some of your livestock, only to find that many of your horses are not worth money on the current horse market. An older lame gelding who totes your young children around on the property may be worth their weight in gold to you, but realistically in this horse market is worth "free". With no monetary value, we are unable to guarantee our older horses a safe place. Many of our young horses, even those with great bloodlines, are fetching a low percentage of what they are really worth. What is a horse owner to do?? They may no longer be able afford a horse that they could rightly pay for 3 months ago, but what options do they have today? The answer...very few.

Please keep an open mind, BITS has set up low cost gelding clinics to help offset the cost of castration for stallions helping to reduce the number of foals, we have a hay bank available to aid in the feeding of horses whose owners are under financial crisis and we have the euthanasia clinics to help end the suffering of horses at a cost their owners can afford. We are here to help anyway we can and with your donations we can help all those who walk into our barn.

Well-oiled machine

Our third Low Cost Gelding Clinic last Saturday went on without a hitch. All the horses brought in were halter broke and easy to handle which allowed us to geld all 11 stallions in 4 hours! I think I can safely say that we have perfected our system; we are a well-oiled machine.

A few of our regular UC Davis Equine Vet volunteers were unable to make this month’s clinic, but lucky for us we had two new hands ready to help out. Let me introduce Dr. Gordon Bunting D.V.M. of Bunting Veterinary Services, who flew all the way from Bend, Oregon to take a closer look at how we facilitate our clinics. Dr. Bunting is interested in hosting some Low Cost Gelding Clinics in his area and we were happy to share our system with him.

Once all the horses were in their proper stalls, we were underway. The first horse of the day was Star who was recently adopted out from a rescue as an 8-year-old stallion with only one eye. Thankfully, his adopted family did not see a need for him to stay a stallion and brought him to our clinic. Adopting out a stallion is a recipe for disaster; this is exactly the type of scenario that could have easily led to the production of more unwanted horses.

Dr. Dewey and her team of volunteers were able to show Dr. Bunting our clinic charts and describe to him the process before entering Star's stall to sedate him.

My favorite part of our clinics is the educational element. I am thrilled to see the Veterinarian and Veterinarian Technician students get a hands on feel for their chosen profession. Here is Naomi doing the pre-castration exam on a little, 2-year-old, Morgan colt, named Bolt.

Here she is getting some one on one time with Dr. Dewey during the actual procedure. Dr. Dewey is a fantastic mentor and is always willing to show the students something out of the ordinary or give them scenarios and tips for problems that they may encounter in the field.

Out of the 11 horses that came to the clinic, I voted Sonic, a 10-year-old mini as our cutest patient. He was such a good boy and hopefully after our clinic he will be easier to handle and will have a much happier life as a gelding. He has been kept a stallion all of these years simply because his father was a grand champion. He was recently picked up “free”, underweight, with grown out hooves and has since been taken in from a private rescuer where he will be rehabilitated, taught to drive a cart and then re-homed. Good luck in your new life Sonic.

The Jim was back this month and ready to lend a helping hand as usual. It is so nice to have a farrier around when a horse comes in with overgrown hooves. Thanks Jim for all your help, you are a great leg holder too!

Allison was able to make us these great calculation sheets. They are proving to be a wonderful tool for the students who are still learning to the drug calculations in their heads.

After a lunch of pulled pork sandwiches, Grandma Lee’s homemade cheesecake and some good stories, we were all full and ready to finish up.

So, it was back to the stalls to cut a few more….

pull some more wolf teeth and

check more dosages

As Dr. Jeske demonstrates, practicing Veterinarian medicine is a dirty job; thankfully, everyone here is ready to do it!

Again, this clinic was only a success because of our wonderful vets Dr. Dewey and Dr. Jeske our great host Cheryl Rankin of The Shiloh Foundation and all of the volunteers who are willing to sacrifice a Saturday morning in an effort to help the unwanted horse.

Together, we have successfully gelded 34 stallions through our low cost clinics; many would not be geldings if not for our low cost option. We are all very proud of our work and will continue to host our low cost clinics as funds allow. You can help us reach our goal of gelding 100 stallions this year by donating to our cause, just click here. We are an official 501c3 and all donations are tax deductable.

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!