2009 in review

It's been a year full!

WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY SURRENDERED HORSES AT THIS TIME!


If you have a barn and would like to take owner surrender horses, please send us your contact info; we are still turning away 2-3 calls per week! Although we cannot accept your horses here (no barn, limited fencing until we rebuild), we may be able to help you place your horses/ponies.


Updates:

The Spooktacular Fun Show in October raised $200 for rescue horses and ponies. Thanks to all our participants, volunteers, and our judge, Christine Allard of Forever Green Stables, for making it a wonderful sucess!

We have re-homed over 30 animals since we arrived here in 2006. Thank you to all our volunteers, sponsors, supporters and new homes!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a horse (or even a chicken) for us this year, we wouldn't be able to do it without you!


*** Stud fees for our stallions are to help cover costs for the horse rescue. We do not promote unchecked or irresponsible breeding!***

NOTE: We spay and neuter all our dogs and cats to prevent "littering", ensure all our animals are vaccinated against rabies and other diseases, and encourage everyone else to do the same. Only horses and ponies with responsible owners should be bred: adding more unwanted foals to the auctions is not acceptable.


Classy (Classy Bingo Bar, registered Paint stallion) is expecting up to 4 foals in 2010, all should be wonderful show prospects. He bred mostle Canadian Sport Horse mares this year and we can't wait to see the foal pictures. Stud fees have increased for 2010.

One in utero foal available. Classy Bingo Bar x Dreamscape's Delilah (buckskin WB type mare)

Spot (Spot My Dream, registered International Spotted Pony) is expecting 2 foals in 2010 Definitely should be super cute small show ponies for driving or children's pleasure mounts.
Spot's stud fees have not increased at this time. (One foal available in utero: Spot My Dream x Beautiful Dreams.)

Donna Delicious (pregnant registered Paint mare rescued from auction) is expected to foal in May. Bred to a 16hh black and white paint. Get your bets in as to what it will be!

Once Donna foals, there will be 3 generations on the farm, Reba (My Jet Star, registered Paint mare), Donna and foal. Reba is the foal's great-grandmother. Reba is 37 years old now, and still enjoys being groomed and occasionally ridden.

Breezy (Call Me A Dreamer, out of Beautiful Dreams by Call Me Starmaker) was Reserve Champion Sport Pony (Foal & yearling division) at Summerfest Breeder's Show

Spook (Cool Blue Dream, registered Paint stallion) tied for Eastern Ontario Paint Horse High Point Halter Stallion!

Spook will stand for his first season in 2010, by private contract, contact for info!

We still have horses available for adoption, please consider opening your heart and home to a rescue horse. See the sidebar for more information on Breezy, Firecracker and Serenity, among others. If you're looking for a new horse, let us know what you need, and we'll pass on any information from owner surrenders, too.

Porto from Forever Green Stables and I placed 2nd in our first national Para Equestrian competition, the 'Sea-to-Sea' Para-Dressage Video Competion Series. For information on Para Equestrian competitions, please visit http://www.paraequestrian.ca/

We started a branch of the Canadian Pony Club in the St. Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Region, EastWind Pony Club. We're a small branch at the moment, but open to new members. Email our District Commissioner at sneakypony@yahoo.com for more information.


Barn fire:

Thank you to Liberty Lane for giving us a Christmas tree! It helped bring back Christmas spirit.

The clean up has started; so far the cost is up to $3500 for clean up alone. This is well above the amount provided by the insurance company for that purpose.

Thank you to everyone who has offered us a helping hand, the help is apreciated tremendously.

Thank you to everyone who had made a financial donation, big and small. Every penny goes into the clean-up and rebuilding efforts! We will be better and have a greater facility to continue our rehab efforts for rescue animals.

Thanks to family and friends (old and new), just over $2500 has been donated to our facillity since the fire.

Thank you to everyone who has donated hay and offered hay. We have a limited ability to transport hay (our trailer is frozen in the ice from the fire hoses - and a pickup truck) that means we can't take all that is offered (even though it would be wonderful!).

If you have means to transport large square or round bales and are willing to haul some for us for free (or very inexpensively), please let us know!

We hope to have a reopening celebration in July so everyone can see what has been done. Keep watching the blog for updates and the date of the open house!

We can't say thank you enough to the barns who are fostering horses: Forest Lane Horse Farm (Breezy, Serenity and Firecracker), Aspen Creek Stable (Soul and Reba), Forever Green Stables (Classy).

Fostered ponies at Forest Lane are available for adoption.

Thank you to Horse World in Carp for their generous donation of blankets, halters, quilts and wraps!

Thank you to Becky Rogers of the International Spotted Horse Registry for their donation of halters and lead ropes.

Thank you to the Eastern Ontario Paint Horse Club for their donation.

Thank you to everyone who went through their tack trunks and donated various items (especially waterproof blankets, halters and lead ropes) that were needed!

Thank you to Dundas Veterinary Services (Dr. Jeff Sleeth, Dr. Glen Smith, and Dr. Heather Murray) for always coming when we call. We recommend them highly for their considerate and careful care for all our animals, and for their compassion when we have to euthanize an animal in pain or distress that can't be helped.


Gone to greener pastures

2009 saw the passing of a few animals on the farm.

May they enjoy green pastures with sunshine, cuddles and treats.

In memory of those that crossed the Rainbow Bridge this year

Belinda, Limosin heifer (unknown cause)
Princess, aged adopted pony
Chickens: including Mama, Chip, Blackie, Funny Feet, and the un-named Aracounas killed in the barn fire.
Dusty Diamond Rose, varnish roan Appaloosa mare (colic on December 31st)

Gone but not forgotten.

We are looking for donations of goods and services (not necessarily horse-related) for a silent auction in July to raise more money for the rebuilding fund. If you can help, please email or call.

May 2010 be a great year for everyone!

After the fire

From the back porch, this morning - about 5 am. The fire fighters brought seven fire trucks and did their best to save what they could.


The fire fighters saved the tack room and the hitching post.



The backhoe came from Casselman Cement. It was used to dig through the wreckage so the fire fighters could thoroughly soak any hot spots.




The hay is ruined. It didn't all burn, but it's soaked and smoky. Some of it is still smouldering.

Serge's hitching post survived - the fire fighters tried to pull it out by hand and then with the backhoe, but it's still here.




The pile of ruined hay. We had 800 bales of good horse hay in the loft at the end of September. Some of it had been fed, but there were still 650-700 bales up there.

The tack room, hitching post and the dog run that we used for the chickens all survived. The shingles on the tack room are scorched and melted, as is the solar panel on the side of the tack room (Christmas lights inside the tack room).

You can see the melted and scorched shingles - but the roof is intact and we saved all the stuff that was inside the tack room.

As it grew dark again this evening, the lights in the tack room came on. Despite the heat and damage, the solar panel is still powering the lights.

Thank you

Thank you to all the generous friends, neighbours and strangers who have offered places for the horses and ponies to stay while we clean up, and to those who have donated cash, blankets, halters and lead ropes, and to all those who have offered labour when we can rebuild. You've all made this bleak day much brighter!

Serenity, Firecracker and Breezy are now at Forest Lane in North Gower with Celine, Soul will be going to Jen Pretty's place, and Classy will go to Forever Green this week. Lori has the healthy surviving chickens in her coop. I still have three chickens here in intensive care.

Thank you, too, to Serge at the Embrun Rona - Co-op for finding a couple of fence chargers for me at a very reasonable price - and for the "fire sale" discount on the rest of my purchases today. We're trying to stretch every penny right now and put aside what we can to put towards the rebuilding fund.

Updated list of adoptable ponies

So far, since we moved here, we have adopted almost 30 animals to new homes! Let's keep up the good work!

Thank you to all of our volunteers and adopters!

Half sisters ready for their new home(s).

Dream's Firecracker, 2 yr old bay pony filly (June 2007). Should mature 12.2-13 hh. Excellent prospect for riding and driving. ties and cross ties, loves to be groomes. Fire has worn tack in the barn. Sire was 14.2hh and Dam is 11.2.

Call Me a Dreamer, weanling (Apr. 2009) pony filly. Reserve Champion Sport Pony at Summerfest Breeder's Show. Perfect hunter and driving prospect. Breezy clips, ties, and trailers. Sire was 15 hh and dam is 11.2 hh.

Both fillies are by Appaloosa stallions.

$500 each or $800 for both.


Pony for adoption:

Daisy, approx. 7 yrs old 11hh pinto pony. Daisy foundered in the past but can be managed by restricted diet and exercise. Daisy was exposed to a 39" ISHR pony stallion and she would be due June-July 2010 if she caught. The foal would be eligible for ISH Registration as Pintaloosa.

Daisy is green broke to ride and has been ground driven. She has not been hitched to a cart. She stands on cross ties, ties, enjoys grooming and is UTD on her shots and worming. $800 neg to perfect home.

We need to find great homes for these ponies, so we can take more rescues in.

Please email me if you're interested in adopting any of our ponies.

More updates on Simon

The vet in Ste Hyacinthe says Simon can go to his new home today. Yes, that's right: Simon has been adopted!!

His last culture was clear and his digestive system is functioning normally. He'll be on antibiotics for a couple of weeks, and he needs a diet high in fibre (lots of hay) and unlimited water, but the vet says that he seems to be fully recovered.

Simon's former owner dropped off the signed owner surrender sheet along with his vet and farrier records, as well as a 2009 Coggins. We'll pass that information along to his new owner, Jeanine, so that she can add it to her records.

Jeanine plans to pick Simon up in Ste Hyacinthe, pay the remainder of his vet bill, and take him home to her farm this evening. We wish them both all the best and look forward to updates on his progress.

Many thanks to Christine Allard of Forever Green Stables in Glen Robertson, Ontario, for helping us find the perfect home for Simon so quickly!

Horse needs immediate adoption - please call

Simon is a 16 1 hh Thoroughbred gelding, 15 years old, and fully trained English & Western. He's currently at Ste Hyacinthe Hospital for colic and needs to stay for another week of observation. He could make a great school horse.

Financial difficulties mean that the owners can't pay for the next week of observation - they need approximately $750 more to pay the rest of the vet bill. Pay the vet bill, and he's yours.

The colic was not severe enough to require surgery. We will call the vet to get more details tomorrow.

Watch this space for updates...

More catching up!

Cooba had her calf yesterday! It was a bit surprise - she wasn't expected to calve until September. Chuck, her new bull calf, appears to be a full-term calf, so I guess she had fun with the bull earlier than recorded. Cooba and Chuck are in the barn now, but will probably go back outside in the next couple of days.



Natasha and Miella represented EastWind Pony Club at the Regional Prince Philip Games (PPGs) at Pony Express Stables on Canada Day. Miella rode Sneakers in a mixed team with members from United Counties Pony Club. Natasha was her helper and led Sneakers. Miella and her C-level PPG team placed second! Congratulations, Miella!



Natasha rode Fancy in her Masters level PPG team. She did really well handling Fancy at a new venue with all the excitement. Not only did their team place first in the Masters division, they also won against the A-level team. Natasha's team had riders from United Counties and Rideau Pony Clubs - and even though they never managed to practice together, they played well. Congratulations, Natasha!



Natasha finished her school year and is busy working on the farm and planning her next ride on Fancy, Dash, or one of the other horses. Exams are over, and I'm sure she did well. UPDATE: Natasha passed with flying colours! She has excellent marks on her report card! We're all very proud of her (okay, even more proud than before)!

Natasha is going to a C-level Pony Club rally at Hawkridge in July. She'll be on a team with girls from United Counties Pony Club. The C-level rally is a teaching rally, so Natasha will have a chance to ride on the flat, do stadium jumps, and cross-country. Hawkridge has palatial accomodations for the horses (beautiful box stalls), but the kids get to sleep in tents. I'm sure it will be lots of fun and learning. As with the D-level rally, there will be a stable management competition as well as other learning opportunities.

Many thanks to Lawrence for donating round bales of hay! The horses are enjoying it. Another farmer down the road donated his 10 acres of hay, too. We just have to cut and bale it. Yay! Every little bit helps!

Natasha has a new pony! Her name is Dreams Fancy Pants, aka Fancy. I bought her from Marie at Rosewood Stables so that Natasha would have a larger pony who could take her further than Dash or Coconut. Fancy is an Appy pony and loves to play PPGs.

Kathrine rode Otis while Natasha worked with Fancy out in the back part of the race track.

After Kathrine rode Otis, Mom rode him in the riding ring.

We have two new additions after the Galetta auction in June: Ash, a 4-year old Arabian gelding that belongs to Jennifer G., and Tabby, a 9-year old Paint mare (may be in foal) that belongs to Lori M. Both horses have settled in well already, but were confined to the riding ring (quarantine) for two weeks. They're now in the paddock beside Delilah's field.



Spot has a girlfriend in the round pen with him. Miss Daisy, a pinto pony co-owned by Jennifer L. and me. She's not really interested in Spot - she keeps looking longingly at Classy in the big field. Hopefully she'll decide that Spot is good enough and give us a foal next year.

Buddy, Jennifer N.'s Springer Spaniel stud, came to stay with us for a couple of weeks while their other dog went through her heat cycle. She had a litter of pups in the spring and they didn't want to accidently rebreed her this early. Natasha took good care of Buddy and he had lots of fun with Jasper and Daisy.

Warning!

Sneakers and Reba are loose on the property. There are a few binder twine "fences" to keep them on the racetrack and in the unfenced field at the back. Be careful if you plan to ride or walk out on the track - some of the strands of binder twine are hard to see. Reba and Sneakers are mowing the grass on the track and looking good.

Sneakers is on special ulcer medication and gaining his weight back.

Mom brought Annie, her neighbour's puppy, out to play with Jasper. Both Annie and Jasper had a great time playing in the water-filled ditches at the end of May. Both dogs were soaked - Jasper dried off outside, but Annie's fine fur needed a rinse. Annie got along with all the dogs (Daisy, Jasper and Tink) once she figured out that Jasper was the one who wanted to play the most! She was one tired puppy when she went home.

S'Heir has gone to Lisa L.'s place (just down the road) to keep Levi company for the summer. Lisa's sister Gina took her horse off to camp with her, and Lisa and her parents asked if they could foster a horse for the summer to keep Levi company. Natasha rode S'Heir (Lisa led S'Heir as she still doesn't understand the leg) to show how quiet she is. S'Heir is thrilled to be "chosen" and saddled up - and thinks she should stand absolutely still. I hope that she gets lots of love and attention this summer!

Lisa adopted Levi from us last year.

Breezy is growing like a weed! She's just 2 months old now and absolutely adorable.

Adoptions

Nikki has gone to her new home. We'll miss her, but know that she'll be well looked after. Her new owner says that she's doing very well.

Coconut and Maggie have been adopted and gone to their new home, too. Coconut is doing well as a lesson pony and Maggie will have surgery on her eye (she has glaucoma in the eye with uveitus and it needs to come out). Once she's healed, she'll become a lesson horse, too. Both Coconut and Maggie already have admirers and new friends at their new home.

Other news

Laura and Linda decided to move Gwen to DB Farms in Vars. We wish them well and hope that they let us know how Gwen progresses with her training.

All of the ponies had their feet trimmed in the last month except Delilah. Everyone is now up to date on shots and worming, too.
The chickens have a new run. Serge's brother donated a chainlink dog run which we've connected to the coop. That means that the chickens aren't out all over the farm (and the neighbour's) anymore. We're back to getting 3-4 eggs a day now that Lori has the chicks at her farm. We're looking for a few new hens (unrelated to Roo) to add to the flock.

The chickens really enjoy the flaxseed that I buy for them at the Bulk Barn - our eggs should be full of Omega 3 and other healthy components.

Mom bought tomato, pepper, cucumber (we hope - the labels in some pots had been removed or switched) and herb plants. Most of them are now planted in the garden by Classy's paddock with the cucumbers planted in the raised bed by the riding ring. We're looking for some raspberry or blackberry canes to plant, so if you know of anyone who has some who might be willing to share, please let us know.

Serge hung a gate at the end of the driveway (thanks, Kim and Randy). We'll be able to close it to keep out trespassers and to keep horses in. Brett helped Serge put in the fence posts across the front yard and I put the boards up with Natasha's help, so our property is now completely fenced along the road.

Kim F. and Brett came out to see Classy and the other horses. They plan to donate a gate and some cedar posts to us. They rescue Great Danes (and occasionally other large dogs) from "death row" all over North America. They also have a few horses and are thinking about breeding their mare, Lark, to Classy. Mom collects blankets, sheets and towels for their Great Dane rescue. If you have any old linens that you would like to donate, you can drop them off at the farm and we'll pass them along.

Classy and Dreamer have a sturdy fence around their paddock now, thanks to Kim and Randy in Simcoe. Kim and Randy of Jericho Stud donated the steel pipes and PVC pipes that we used for the fence, as well as the gate. After Serge and I put in the posts, Mom, Natasha and I attached the pipes and strung the electric wire. Now we just need to build a shelter in there and Classy will be all set for the rest of the summer.

Serge cut and raked some of the hay over on the property that we're renting. It's now dry and baled, and in the loft! The horses think it's yummy - lovely and green and very tasty. We still have more to cut, though. Hopefully it will stop raining soon and we'll be able to cut and rake the other part, too.

The swimming pool that Lori M. gave us last fall was up and filled. The water started to warm up, but then a combination of wind and water pressure (the ground wasn't quite level in spots) collapsed one side. We have to start over and relevel the ground before we can put more water in it.

Catching up - March and April

My goodness, the last few weeks of March went by quickly!

Neala was adopted by Kim P. She left for her new home last week. Kim will stay in touch and let us know how Neala does. We're happy she has a new home and Gwen is putting on weight now that she's no longer nursing Neala. Gwen is out with Reba and a round bale.

Tira was adopted by Glenna. Glenna also adopted Einstein the rabbit (now renamed Eugene). Tira leaves early next week - as soon as Glenna's face heals after having her wisdom tooth out. (Ouch!)

UPDATE: Glenna decided to adopt Finnigan too! Both Finnigan and Tira are in their new home now.

We celebrated my birthday on the Saturday after St. Patrick's Day. Mom, my grandparents, Serge's children, and baby Karen came to celebrate with me. Mom made spaghetti, garlic bread and a cake, and Granny brought a green salad with homemade dressing and croutons. Yummy!


On Sunday, we held our Spring Fling open house. The kids made a craft out of horse shoes and various craft supplies that Mom donated.




Jennifer S. made a frog out of pompoms and googly eyes.

Natasha, Miella, Michael and I decorated horse shoes.




Tink let the kids decorate her with the stuff that we had to dress ponies. She's a good dog.



Even the dillyboppers didn't faze her.




Jasper wasn't as keen - Jennifer S. had to hold the hat above his head for this picture.





Miella and Natasha dressed Sneakers in green. He was thrilled to be chosen, and proudly showed off his green hat, blanket, wraps, and shamrock collar.




Miella wore all the trappings, too!

Mom made a cake to celebrate our third anniversary here, and everyone who came to the open house had a piece. Yum! Chocolate cake, chocolates on the cake, and buttercream icing.

Serenity

Serenity is now wearing soft casts on all four legs for a week at a time. They have to be changed every week so that she doesn't get rubs or end up with them moving out of position as she grows.

Although we thought about the Dynasplints - and thought they'd do a good job - they turned out to be too expensive for our budget. Even their "payment plan" put them beyond our reach.

Jeff Sleeth, our vet, came out and xrayed Serenity's legs. She was very good for the xrays - and for me holding the plates in place wearing 100 lbs of lead apron and gloves. Jeff took three pictures of her worst leg (near fore) and showed them to us on his laptop. He saved the xrays on a CD for us, too, so we have copies.

He didn't see any damage to the pastern joint, so he thinks that the soft casts (or the Dynasplints, if we could afford them) combined with stall rest, selenium and other minerals, and a restricted diet will help Serenity outgrow the contracted tendons. He also said that rather than the deep digital flexor tendon being contracted, it appeared that it might be her suspensory ligaments that were too tight.

After a week with the soft casts, her legs look better already! We're really hopeful that this will work.

The angles still aren't perfect, but with hand walking, soft casts, and lots of care, Serenity has a better chance at a good life now.

Her rain rot or rain scald is clearing up, too, and she enjoys a gentle grooming with a soft brush now - or a thorough scratch from a human. She's also finished her antibiotics for the infection caused by the open sores from the rain scald. She was a very good girl for her needles.

The snow is just about gone. Natasha, Kathrine and I spent a bit of time last Saturday opening little ditches to allow the water to drain off the fields.

The boys all lined up to watch us playing in the water.

Spot, Coconut, and Classy had a quiet chat in the sunshine.

Classy must have said something funny - Otis looks like he's laughing.

For sale

Maggie is still for sale. Jennifer N. needs to sell her soon. If you are interested in a beautiful, registered Paint mare, please scroll down to see her photos. Jennifer N. will accept any reasonable offer to sell her quickly.

Thank you!

Thank you to Serge Bergeron at the Embrun Rona Co-op for donating wormers.

Thank you to Glenna for adopting Tira, Einstein the rabbit, and sponsoring Serenity, plus donating hay nets, halters and an automatic water bowl.

Thank you to Kim P. for adopting Neala.

Thank you to Winn for donating a bag of cross-cut shredded paper.

Linda and George W. for donating a new to me used computer and their time.

Thank you to all our sponsors:

Alex for sponsoring Firecracker

Jennifer G. for sponsoring Delilah

Glenna for sponsoring Serenity

Laura and Linda W. for sponsoring Gwen

Without you, we couldn't help nearly as many horses. Thank you!

Thank you too for all the lovely cards for my birthday!

Aeva - for sale by owner through this site

Aeva is a Paint-type mare (chestnut and white). Aeva is 2 years old, going onto 3 this year. She is not registered. You can see more pictures here.

She is just above 14.1hh and level from wither to croup. She has been dewormed and vaccinated against Influenza, rhino, EEWEE, tetanus and rabies. She was a rescue purchased through the United Pegasus Foundation, but the owner cannot afford to keep her. We want to see her go to her forever home now.

She can be microchipped at buyer's expense. Although the owner is asking $1200, her price is negotiable to the right home. It is not about the money. It is essential that she is matched with the right home or person.

The owner says "Aeva is really one of the smartest ponies I've ever met - I am currently taking her through level 1 of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program. If you are familiar with horsenalities, she is innately a LBE and a RBI in learning situations. With Aeva, it's very much a balance between unconfidence and dominance. The biggest challenge has been to accurately read which one presents itself and respond appropriately. I believe that she would be suitable as a games pony, trail horse, etc. with the right amount of training, but not a child at this moment."

If you purchase Aeva through us, we will receive a small donation to help with our horse rescue. If you are looking for a horse, check out this mare. To make arrangements to see her, please call or email and we'll forward the owner's contact information.

March onwards ...

We have a new resident - Chubby Cheeks, an Angora-type rabbit, donated by Jennifer N.

He's very friendly and is turning into a big puffball as we brush him. Pictures will be posted this weekend.

Jeff Sleeth of Dundas Veterinary was out on Tuesday to give some of the horses their shots. He gave Neala and Gwen a thorough check up, too. Jeff will be back later in the month to do the rest of the horses.

Mom came out to lend a hand herding Neala into the barn while I led Gwen. Neala appears to be learning that leading isn't all bad. Yay!

All of the horses in Soul and Reba's paddock got their shots, as did Spook, Neala, Gwen, and most of the boys in the bachelor paddock.

Last night was the third session at Kemptville College for the free OVLAC seminars. This one was on parasites and pasture management.

Melanie Barnam, DVM, recommended that horse owners use the different types of dewormers in rotation, something we do already, to ensure that parasites don't become immune to the wormers. She warned against using daily wormers (currently only available in the US) as they may produce more resistant parasites.

If you suspect a horse may have a heavy parasite load (some of our rescues have not been dewormed regularly or properly), Melanie recommended a fecal test where the number of eggs and larvae can be counted. Once you know how bad the infestation is, you can work with your vet to plan a safe procedure for reducing the load.

She also recommended that paddocks be dragged to break up the manure and spread it out so that the sun can kill off any larvae and eggs. Pasture rotation helps, too, as do our cold winters.

We drag and bush hog pastures regularly in the summer to keep weeds under control and to control parasites and rotate the horses out of the "winter paddocks" once the ground starts to dry up. That helps reduce the reinfection rate, too.

As part of the clinic, we had an opportunity to have a free "float" fecal test done, so Mom took in a piece of Sneakers' manure and Tash and I took in one from Gwen. Since it's still wintery, neither showed much in the way of parasite eggs. Gwen and Neala will get a full test done in April before we deworm them, just to be sure.

You can read more about parasites and their lifecycle in horses here: http://www.myhorse.com/assets/Health/Natural-Holistic/asset_upload_file589_11959.pdf

Caution: Graphic images of worms - not for the squeamish!

You can find lots of interesting articles on horses and horse health here: http://www.thehorse.com/. You'll have to sign up for a free account to read some of the articles. Many of them are written by vets, and verified by other vets.

Dreamscape Acres is starting a herd health program for worming that will be administered by our vet. Deworming costs will not increase because of this - but it will ensure that we give the right wormers at the best possible time to get rid of parasites.

Catching up - it's the end of February already!

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post.


We had a Valentines party on Sunday, February 15th combined with a contest to determine the winning logo for our new branch of the Pony Club. All of the Valentines party attendees had a chance to cast their vote for one of the logos entered by Sunday afternoon.


We had four submissions to choose from:






All were carefully thought out and drawn, either on the computer or by hand, and every one got at least one vote.



The winning logo was submitted by Jennifer S. Her daughter will be joining the Eastwind Pony Club in March.


Jennifer coloured the pony dark blue grey (in honour of Sneakers, perhaps?) on the printed copy that she submitted for the contest, but we could pick another colour if the members feel strongly about it. The font is called Jokerman - I'll look for it online and if I can find a free version, we can use it for letterhead and thank you notes (for clinicians and volunteers).

Thank you to everyone who participated by either submitting a logo or voting!

Natasha created a great themed costume for Dash with lots of hearts. He looked absolutely adorable in his flashy multicoloured halter and the heart covered breast plate.




Natasha took Miella out for a ride on Dash in the field.



Natasha later helped Alex saddle up Reba to ride and took her out for a stroll, too.



It was too icy to go very fast or very far, but I know Miella and Alex appreciated the opportunity to ride a little bit.

Thanks, Natasha! You're a big help and a good sport!


Farrier

Our farrier (Yvan Roy) came out on Tuesday, February 17 and trimmed some of the horses. Serge held Malachi and Kane (Katherine and Michael's horses) out in the field and both of them were very good. Neither of them like to come in the barn for a trimming, and Yvan is happy to accommodate them.

Cinder and Finnigan had their feet trimmed, too. Both of them were well behaved.




Arrivals and departures

Scrappy left for Petawawa on Saturday, February 21. I hope that Amelia and Scrappy enjoy their new homes!





Two new horses, Gwen and Neala, a 9-12 year old mare and her 6 month old filly, arrived shortly after Scrappy left. They were rescued from a neglectful situation by Laura W. and her mom. They plan to continue to sponsor them and work with them this summer.



Gwen is a bit thin, but has already put on weight since she arrived. Neala had never been handled - she's wearing her first ever halter now! Gwen likes people, and especially enjoys treats. Neala needs some regular handling to teach her how to behave around people. She's very curious, though, so we hope she'll learn quickly.

Neither was sure how to drink water from a bucket - there was no water in the field that they lived in previously - but they figured it out pretty quickly. Both need work on their feet and a full course of innoculations (Jeff, the vet, will be out next week). Gwen and Neala's feet are way too long and Gwen has "skis" because her toes are so long.

Neala is available for adoption for $300.




Announcements


Happy birthday to Jasper! He's a whole year old now - maybe he'll finally stop growing!

Spook (Cool Blue Dreams) turned 2, too! He's really grown in the last year and doesn't look like a baby anymore!




Upcoming events


March brings us St. Patrick's Day and hopefully the start of spring. The vet will be out later this month to start doing shots and Coggins, so please let us know if you want a Coggins or think your horse(s) need their teeth floated or anything else.


The vet checked Beauty and confirmed that she's carrying a healthy foal. She's due around April 12, 2009. He checked Cinder, too, and thinks her foal is due in July.


We're planning an event on Sunday, March 22 to celebrate everything green! Look for more details here soon. Hopefully everyone will be back from their March break vacations by then.

(Note from Susan: Elly's birthday is on March 17, so we can celebrate that, too. :) Sssshh! It's a secret for now.)


Natasha, Mom and I attended the second of six lectures put on by the Ottawa Valley Large Animal Clinic (OVLAC) at Kemptville College last night. Last night's lecture was all about breeding and gave us all a lot of useful information. Next week's lecture is all about parasites.

More November news

Elisha came today and adopted Squish (Perfekt Song)! She's gone off to her new home in North Gower - we hope that she settles in well and enjoys the "princess" treatment. Squish will have a stall as well as regular turnout there, and hopefully, provide Elisha with a foal in 2010.

Elisha dressed Squish in shipping boots and her winter blanket before walking her into the trailer.

Elisha's friend adopted River, the female kitten, when they came out to see Squish last week. River is now an adored and loved house cat.

Whisper and Stripe are busy chasing bugs and mice in the barn. They're both boys, so they can stay. They'll be neutered as soon as they're old enough so that they don't stray looking for the ladies. They know their job and have already caught a mouse or two even though they're only 10 weeks old. Good kitties!!

Whisper has more black on his head and Stripe has a white bib under his chin. Whisper had a collar on, but managed to lose it within a day.

Many thanks to Jennifer G. for cleaning out her garage and donating all her horse stuff! It is very much appreciated - and all of it will be put to good use. Jennifer was out today and brought Delilah in and groomed her thoroughly - Thanks, Jennifer! I'm sure Delilah enjoyed the brushing, and it's really good for her to be handled regularly.

Kirsten, the lady who leased Gilligan when he was here, was out today and rode Nikki. She brought her dog, Sky, and took all three dogs with her when she went out for a hack. Jasper is tired out after running with Sky and Daisy - he's sound asleep now.

Jennifer N. would like to find someone to part lease Maggie. She's found that money and time don't stretch as far as she'd like now that she has children, hubby and job to squeeze in as well as "horse time". If you, or someone you know, would like to part lease Maggie, please let me know and I'll pass on the information.

If you part lease, that means that you pay part of Maggie's board, farrier and vet expenses in exchange for riding privileges. The cost would be negotiated between you and Jennifer N.

Kittens for adoption

Some inconsiderate, irresponsible pet owner tossed a cardbox box of kittens in the ditch out front earlier this week. The kittens were filthy and encrusted with feces when I caught them walking up the driveway. Six hours later, all four were clean and dry - and I only got one small scratch!

We've named them Eeney, Mini, Miney and Moe for now. Two are male and the other two female. Mini had a dislocated hip, so he's already run up a $90 vet bill and Miney is on antibiotics to clear her eye infection. All have been dewormed and are litter trained.

If you'd like to adopt a cute little kitten, please let me know. They all have long fur, so they're not suitable for barn cats. I'd like to find good homes for all of them - and Jasper would like them to get out of his cage (they're in there so I know where they are).

Bart-allo-Mew is missing
Barty-cat disappeared a couple of weeks ago. He's gone exploring before and been away from home for a day or two, but never this long. We walked all over the property calling and listening for him (he got stuck in a tree once), but didn't find him.

He may have found someone who let him in, fed him and turned him into a full-time house cat. Bart delighted in lounging on the bed and couch, so I hope that's where he's gone.

We miss him, but hope that he's happy wherever he is.

The chickens now have a heat lamp in the coop to keep their water from freezing. Please make sure the big door stays closed so the heat stays in - the chickens come out during the day and go back in at dusk. We still have eleven chickens - Mama hen still protects them from Jasper and any other perceived threat. We haven't found any eggs yet, but they may start laying in the spring since we don't keep them in the coop all the time.

Correction: We new have 10 chickens. Fluffy (black and white with yellow legs) refused to be caught and didn't go in the coop last night. He died of exposure. RIP, Fluffy.

Alexandria, who sponsors Grandma Reba, runs a pet service to help raise her sponsorship money. It's called Pet's Matter, and she offers walking, feeding, and visiting services in her neighbourhood in Orleans. You can see Alex's website here. If you need a responsible pet sitter and you live in Orleans, why not contact Alex?