Coming up on two years and what a couple of years they were!

Well, we are rapidly approaching our second anniversary this spring and a lot has happened in these years. We're picking up steam and, baby, we're just getting started!

First of all, I should mention what a generous bunch of people Islanders are.  Not only did our Avon Christmas basket draw bring in over $600, but we had donations as well totalling another $700!  Thanks to Marlene from Summerside,  .  This is a wonderful thing because, as we all know, the bills don't stop once you buy the horse, there's always something happening.  These Christmas donations will allow us to either send two horses for a month of saddle training, or will keep the whole crew in hoof trims and wormer for the better part of the year, while leaving us with a little emergency fund. 

We also had two Islanders step up to sponsor the board for horses that were in desperate need of a home.  For those of you who worried, yes, Jake is fine and is being boarded in Clyde Rivert.  His sponsor has offered to pay his board until the spring.  Duke has half of his board sponsored until the spring, but we are looking for people to help with his board costs, so we don't have to dip into our precious emergency fund. Please consider a small donation to help Duke out, as he is a lovely boy and deserves all the good luck he can get.

Sara Fraser of CBC PEI did a 2 minute story on Sadie's Place.  Featuring (drumroll please...) Janie and Admiral!  You can see the video here.  And doesn't Admiral look good under saddle?  These horses are so smart, it really doesn't take long to teach them things.

I've been getting requests for an update on everyone, so here goes:

Chance had his teeth floated again today.  Boy, does he love to see the vet coming!  (NOT!)  I swear, if his eyes got any bigger, they'd pop out of his head.  But, he was a good boy and, while his teeth are definitely not the teeth of a teenager, he is eating hay.  He has lost a bit of his summer flab, but has generously agreed that we can substitute grain for fresh grass, subject to his approval.  He has a LOVELY winter coat this year, thick and soft, with long guard hairs, and the most lovely mahogany colour.  So different from the dull yellow brown he wore all last year.  I'm glad he updated his wardrobe. (I'll add in a picture of him in his new duds as soon as I remember to charge the camera!)

Lily is coming up on three years and is proving a very good girl.  She still has a lot of pep and is a typical youngster, but looks like a very good prospect for a riding career.  She was retired because she was too slow, but slow for a racehorse is probably plenty fast for the rest of us.  She hasn't had any saddle training yet--possibly the spring. Her foster mom says she has a lovely, high movement in her front legs--dressage potential, perhaps?

Devil is still in the Moncton area and we have had a number of inquiries about him, but so far no one has submitted the necessary paperwork for us to start processing his application.  He is working well under saddle and his foster mom loves him dearly. 

Duke has moved into a sponsored stall in Brookfield.  He is currently being worked with by several very enthusiastic ladies and is being a perfect gentleman, both in the ring and in the barn.  He has already had some professional training and is ready for a loving home.  Right now, his stall is NOT one of our foster stalls--his stall is being sponsored.  We have a promise of half sponsorship for his stall until the spring, but he needs generous people to sponsor the other half of his board, until another adoption goes through and we can move him to a donated stall.  Please consider sponsoring his stall--you can donate through Paypal, just click!

Wyatt is growing into a typically gangly teenager,  all bum and legs, but we are sure the rest will catch up soon--it always does, doesn't it?  He absolutely adores being the center of attention and will take any grooming, scratching, cooing or flirting you are willing to send his way.  He leads and crossties and, after a few more visits from the farrier, his foot is getting much better!  Oh, and he has had his "brain surgery", having certain important (to males, anyway!) portions of his anatomy removed.  He is available for long term foster, as we would like to keep closer tabs on his foot until he has stopped growing.

Yankee is still in Nova Scotia, in the Antigonish area and working hard.  He's a lovely guy to work with too. We have a picture coming of him wearing a set of reindeer antlers from Christmas--I'll get it up as soon as it arrives in my mailbox, lol!

Janie is currently in work, as well, but is showing some signs of having some back pain, so we are having that looked at. She is a well behaved mare, but is very smart and that is something that must be kept in mind as, the smarter the horse, the more likely they are to start questioning who REALLY should be the boss and then what do we end up with?  Something that looks like a horse, but acts more like a cat. And, cute as she is, she is WAY to big to crawl into my lap and purr. Before we decided to have her back looked into, she was doing walk/trot and was excellent.

Jake is in a sponsored stall in Clyde River, where he is taking a bit of R&R time and learning how to be just a horse again, instead of an athelete.  He has been racing all his life and needs some time to adjust, which is typical of horses when their racing career is over.  In a couple of months, once he has completely relaxed, he will be reevaluated and sent for training, unless he is adopted before then.  His sponsorship is also only until the spring--please help Jake out and sponsor a part of his monthly board.

Title is boarding in Clyde River (with Jake) while he waits for a foster home to open up.  We are totally impressed with how quiet he is and he is going to make a stunning and enthusiastic partner for someone.  He really is absolutely gorgeous and I am going to be so jealous when he gets adopted, because I want him myself, but I am too busy to look after him the way he deserves--he's way too nice to just be a pasture ornament.

Teela is waiting for a foster place to open as well,  She was just too slow for the track and her owner can't afford to keep her if she isn't paying her way.  She is a big girl, a lovely solid brown bay with a dishy face--very elegant!

And, last but certainly not least, there is little Golly, the weanling filly who suffered a minor injury which effectively ended her race career, but which is absolutely no bar to a long and happy career as someone's trail riding/pleasure class/driving buddy.  She is adorable and has outstanding bloodlines--a high class lady all the way!  She, too, is waiting for a foster home to open up.

Admiral was adopted in the fall and is very happy in his new home, as you can see in the CBC video above.  Bandit, too, was adopted, and is living the life of Riley as a saddle horse.  Both adoptive families are hugely pleased with their decisions to adopt a standardbred.

One sad moment in the year, though...after a lot of discussion with vets and among the board, it was decided that the kindest thing we could do for Apple was to have her put to sleep.  Her knees were so arthritic that she was in constant pain, even with medication, to the point where she was losing weight just from dealing with it.  So, this fall, after a summer spent on a lush pasture, we took her to the vet college and she was euthanised.  Goodbye, Apple, you know we miss you.

The last thing on our plate is our Cookbook fundraiser. Our deadline to get the recipes in is Monday.  I know, I should have had this out earlier, but I honestly only thought about putting it on here today.  If you have a favourite recipe, one of those sure fire crowd pleasers, and are willing to share it, we would greatly appreciate it!  Just email us with the recipe and we will include it in our cookbook, with your name as the person donating the recipe.  I'll tell you, the horses are ALL excited about this--who would ever have guessed that Chance could cook?  Though the fact that the horses are all donating desserts should tell you something about their food preferences.  And that Duke, well, he's some sophisticated, from the look of that recipe...want to find out what they included in our book?  Buy a copy when they come up for sale in February--just in time for Valentine's giving, though we will be continuing to offer them through the year!

And, of course, don't forget to hug your horses!

All the news that's fit to blog!

Wow, has it really been that long since I last blogged? I can't believe just how busy it has been. Horses in, horses out and lots of news, both good and bad.

First off, it looks like Bandit is going to have a new home. We just received his paperwork and all that is left is the site visit. This is just such good news, because he really has been overlooked by a lot of people. Here are some recent pictures of him at his current foster home.

Big hug.

Getting kid handled.

Snugglin'.  (Or at least permitting himself to be snuggled.  He really is much too dignified to suggest the idea.)

 

And, finally, a bit of peace to fill his belly, after a hard afternoon of being spoiled.  Tough life, boys.

Tilly has moved again.  He is officially in foster, but, if he works out, he may be adopted straight out, which would be nice for him.  Here's a couple of pictures.

In their last email, his new foster family stated that he seemed very kind and gentle, and was especially patient with children and timid adults.  This is a recurring theme with him--people are amazed at just how kind he is.  He is not yet in adoption pending so, if you are interested in a kind, versatile horse, old enough to have grown out of the silliness you often see in young horses (and people!), please contact us.  He's too sweet a guy to languish in foster--if I wasn't full up, I would be looking at him for my own personal mount, regardless of my short legs.  I can stretch.  I think.  Anyone know of a good yoga class?

Now, on to the bad news.  We've determined that Apple's knees are very arthritic, so she will never be suitable as a riding horse, only as a companion horse.  However, she is BEAUTIFUL and if you have a single horse that needs a companion, she would be ideal.  Bottom of the pecking order and just as cute as a button.  See her most recent pictures here.

Cute, cute, cute

Doesn't it just make you want to say 'awwwww'?

The news about Wyatt's ankle keeps getting less optimistic and treatment options are getting both more expensive and less likely to help.  We are right now trying to determine his quality of life and pain level, so we can figure out how much support he will need to have a decent quality of life.  I don't have pictures of his ankle--I should get some someday, to give an idea what we are up against.  It's a shame, because it could have been corrected right after he was born, but now the ankle has grown and damaged itself more.  Only time will tell.

Admiral has arrived at his foster home (Apple's old digs) and we'll soon have a post on him.  As well, we have an older pony on our courtesy page, if anyone is looking for a companion horse or a leadline pony, please check him out.

Devil, the tall, dark and handsome guy, is still looking for a home.  Give him a donut and he's yours forever.  Jane, too, is looking for someone to take her home.  She's a pretty horse, already trained to saddle, just a bit rusty and used to getting her own way. 

Updates soon on Chance, as well, who has slicked up lovely and shiny.  Like most boys, though, he'd rather be dirty than clean.  What is it with you guys and dirt?

Looking ahead to fall, we already know that we are going to be 3 foster homes short for the winter, as we are losing some of our fosters temporarily.  If you have space and a bit of time, please consider fostering a needy horse. It really is a good feeling and you get to 'dip your toes in the water' a bit if you are considering getting into or getting back into horses. Our support network is great, and remember, Sadie's Place will pay for vet bills, farrier costs and worming directly, so it is somewhat less risky than outright buying yourself a horse.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  You know you really need a horse, to save you mowing the lawn.  Just think of all the extra hammock time you would have, if you had a horse to mow your lawn.  And remember how the girls ooh and ahh over the cowboys in the movies. Just a suggestion. No pressure.  Hint, hint. 

Don't forget to hug your horses! 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Wow, 2 months since our last entry.  Part of that was midwinter blahs, part of that was just startups for a number of different things we hope to have going on this year.  So, a quick update on everyone and everything, who's where and what they're doing.

First of all, the website.  We've changed a few things around and renamed some others.  The adoption page is now call Sadie's Horses.  We've added a courtesy listings page, as well.  Because we get more requests to find homes for horses than we have foster homes, we decided to add this page, so that people can see what horses are still waiting for foster.  Horses can be obtained directly from the owner on this page--Sadie's Place makes no guarantees to either the horse owner or the purchaser/adopter as to the personality, fitness or suitability of the animal, or of the facility it will be living in after transfer of ownership.  That being said, you also don't have to go through our inspection process, if you obtain your horse through that page. This is a good option for both the horse owner and the person wanting a horse--the horse owner knows that people looking at our website are already predisposed to a 'rescue' horse, the person wanting a horse may be able to obtain the horse for much less than our usual adoption fees.

As well, we are in the process of setting up a page where you can personally sponsor a horse that tugs on your heartstrings.  Some of this money goes towards training, an emergency medical fund (the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare fund covers regular visits, but as we know from Chance, emergencies do happen), equipment, extra feed if the horse needs more than the usual and any rehabilitative farrier or veterinary work. 

Now, on to the horses:
Tilly--still in Mayfield, hanging with Wyatt. Had another chat with his former owner, who says he stopped racing because of a bowed tendon and that his best time was 1:56.  He's still absolutely adorable and, if I had room for another, you'd all be cryin' in yer corn flakes, 'cause he'd be MINE! For someone who wants an all around horse who will give his all to whatever you ask of him, he really is a good choice.  I just can't say enough good things about him.

Wyatt--growing, playing, manipulating his foster mom and dad into feeding him carrots every time they go by.   Hmmm, who's supposed to be training who? Wyatt is going to have his fetlock assessed by a vet soon, to see if corrective shoeing or some other treatment will help. We'll keep you updated on his prognosis.

Bandit--scheduled to go for saddle training on April 1.  Since he's already had a saddle on, this should be old hat for him.  He's really settled down and has gotten a lot more cuddly.  Better snap him up, because he is going to make someone a right fine riding horse this summer.  Here's a photo of him from the winter--isn't that adorable?

He loves to come up to the fence and just visit with you.  And, I can tell you, from personal experience, I have grabbed his head and done the "Oh, what a cute little pookey poo!" thing to him, and he didn't even twitch.  Probably thought I should get back on my meds, but was very tolerant of my bizarre behaviour.

Apple--still the diva, but is very good at training humans.  We're trying to get her into a clinic in Nova Scotia to help with some of her socialization issues.  She's discovered alfalfa cubes, which are rapidly becoming an obsession for her.

Yankee--BORED!!!!Someone come ride me!!!!! Please!!!!!  I'm bored!!!!  Yankee is still classy looking, even with his now rather ratty winter coat, but he really needs a job.  He's too young and has too much life left in him to sit and get flabby in the field.  If you are looking for a young prospect with a good attitude and lots of get up and go, you should come visit him.

Duncan--gone to his new home!  Congratulations, Brian, Chantal and Anna!  He's finished his month of saddle training and has upped stakes to his new digs.  Here's a picture of him inside the arena at his new home.  Way to go Duncan!

Isn't that a happy looking boy?

Chance--gaining weight, looking a lot better.  The difference in him is really what inspired the name of this entry. We'll get his 5 month anniversary blog up a day or two.  Gotta get the pedicurist out first and it's going to take more than a couple of days to deal with that dandruff...but, boy, what a personality, when he starts to relax! Unfortunately, he still thinks everyone is out to get him, but he is getting better.  He reached out to sniff my had the other day, all his own, which I'm taking as a promising sign.  Ultimately, it would be nice to have him come to be caught and to be able to relax when you are touching him.  Work to do still...

That's it for today.  Hope you are all enjoying your sunshiney week of March Break, here on the Island.  And, hopefully you all remembered to eat some pie on Sunday, in honour of Pi day. (You know, 3rd month, 14th day, 3.14, circumference of circle?  OK, who booed?  That wasn't very nice at all.  Me, I'll take any excuse to eat pie.  Or cake.  Or cheesecake. )

Don't forget to hug your horses!

Happy Holidays and some Happy Holiday stories (and one sad one to remind us of why love is so important)

First of all, Happy whichever holiday you are celebrating or will be celebrating.  Having friends and neighbours who are, among other things, Ukranian, Ba'hai, Jewish and Buddhist (just to name a few), we would like to pass on the hope that everyone is in for a happy, fulfilling year, with lots of successes and contentment.

And, now, a little picture from Santa Chance and Mrs. (Penny) Claus:

He was such a good boy about this, although it was pretty obvious while we were putting it on him that he was totally embarrassed at being forced to wear the hat.  Well, Chance, you should see what we do to the kids in our family!

So, I've promised some Happy Holiday stories, as well.  First of all, the happiest story we have, is a continuation of the story of Andy, the young gelding with the shivers.  The last we had heard, he was headed for the vet college, in theory to be used for research. His owner could no longer afford to keep him and was hoping to find a place in PEI to take him because of the cost of the ferry crossing.

In actual fact, unbeknownst to us, he was slated for euthanasia in late July.  Luckily, someone (and I'm sorry, I don't know who it was) contacted EarthArc (click on their name to go to the site).  Earth Arc is a retirement home for large animals in Nova Scotia.  Early in December, they contacted Sadie's Place to let us know that Andy was now with them.  We were terribly excited to hear that! Earth Arc housed him temporarily at Handiber Hills and found someone coming over for Old Home Week to transport him across and he's been living there ever since. Here is a picture I pulled from their website--they were going to send more, but they had a batch of miserable weather and got tied up in looking after their animals.

They have him on the same high fat, high antioxidant diet that we recommended when we were looking for fosters for him.  Doesn`t he look happy?  We are so glad he was able to find someone to take care of him. They tell me that on the new diet he is doing well and his symptoms have diminished somewhat. He is still not rideable, but is now able again to trot, jog and run in the field.  Thank you Earth Arc!

While I don't have any pictures (yet!), I can tell you that Devil is very happy in his new home.  He has a lovely barn, lots of good food and a lovely mare to keep company, which is just what would make any man happy.  What else would he need?

Mr. B, or Duncan, as we have gotten into the habit of calling him, has arrived at Sadie's Place.

And, boy, is he excited!  He's the funniest thing on 4 legs.  After years of a stall at the racetrack, he's got an outside run, with free access to the barn.  His roomate is Bandit and the two couldn't be more different.  While Duncan is instantly curious about ANYTHING going on in the yard, Bandit rolls his eyes (figuratively speaking!) and, from the  greater wisdom of his 3 extra years of life, seems to say, "What are you going on about now?  Don't you know there's food over here waiting to be eaten?"  Duncan is perpetually amused and amazed by everything.  He is like a cross between that one person in the neighbourhood who sees everything that goes on and a 5 year old just before Christmas.

He's a mid-sized horse, with a lovely mane and tail and that beautiful dishy face.  On his assessment visit, he walked out, lifted feet and was just very happy to do whatever we wished.

Look at that lovely mane!  We think that, once the initial excitement of the new digs is over, he will settle down into a lovely little riding horse.  He has a very nice trot and seems very smart, for someone who wants to take the time with him.  At only 9 years young, he's still in good shape and has lots of years left in him. 

But he's still hilarious when he follows you along the fence line, doing the horsey equivalent of, "Whatcha doin'?  Can I come too?  Can I see?   Where ya going'? Can I help? Watcha got there?"

Ok, now for our sad story and how a sad story can still become a happy one.  Dottie, another adoptee, was recently euthanized.  She had developed an infection and accompanying lesions in her spine and, despite aggressive treatment (including the AVC), it was determined that her condition was not going to improve and the decision was made.  However, in the midst of their grief, her adopters were still able to open their hearts to this little fellow:

Now dubbed 'Wyatt', this is a weanling standardbred colt, who was shipped with a livestock dealer.  He was born with a crooked leg and was obviously not going to have a race career, so was not registered (although we are trying to track down his breeding, just because it's always fun to know where your horse comes from). 

 

Dottie's adopters took him in to foster.  Doesn't she look like a good mom?  He is going to be so well looked after!  Wyatt needs some time to grow and for us to see if his crooked leg will interfere with his ability to be a pleasure horse.  Right now, it certainly isn't slowing him down, as he trots and gallops all around the pasture and tries to drive his extrememely patient roomate around the bend.

Yes, you're right, that is Yankee!  And is he ever a fantastic babysitter!  Like all young kids, he can be a bit hyper and pesty, but Yankee handles it all like a pro.

Except at supper, when he reminds the young fella that his is older and therefore more important :P . (Sounds like many of the conversations I have had with my little brother. It worked about as well with him too.)

Yep, mom saves the day.  Story of our lives, isn't it, ladies?

Wyatt is not currently available for adoption, although if someone wants to sponsor him, I'm sure he would be grateful.  At some point, we are going to have to do some x-rays and other procedures, to see what is going on in that leg--just the thought of it makes me say Ouch!  But, Yankee is still available for adoption, and definitely has the makings of a very good saddle horse--he did very well during his training and really enjoys working under saddle.  Someone really needs to take him home and polish him up for the show season.

Well, just want to wish every one, again, Happy Holidays, and hope you come back in the new year rested and rejuvenated.  We'll be blogging Chance's 2 month anniversary in a few days.  We have the pictures, but this entry was getting too long!  Keep checking back and, while you're waiting, don't forget to hug your horses!