April_May

05/27/09	Thank all of you for the poems, kind and encouraging words, donations, emails, phone calls, and for caring. We're working hard to make sure justice is served for Tonka, Dingolay (Layla), and Sienna Rachel; but I will tell you that it is exhausting. We learned more today about the case that sent me into orbit, and emotions are still high. Anne and I have been busy at our desks while the volunteers care for the horses during the day. I try to get away from my desk and to the barn for a bit throughout the day, and I'm back at the barn after they leave. Then I'm back here at my desk for a bit, then back to the barn. Getting to bed around 1:00 am, but there is no sleep. I have had nightmares since Tonka died. With others, like Nicky, most of my dreams were comforting. But not with Tonka. He didn't know a good day in his life. He never got to run and play in green grass, carefree, like all babies should. We didn't have much time together to make good memories with. His whole life was full of hunger and pain. Tonka even had to watch another TB mare, Brook's Approval, give birth to a stillborn foal. She was euthanized because she was in such poor condition from neglect. Can you imagine Dingolay (Layla) and Tonka seeing all of this happen? The mare looked as bad as Dingolay. And this mare also belonged to the same person Dingolay belonged to! And this happened only a couple of weeks before Tonka died. Something is wrong with the way things are done or not done, and we have to push for change. For Tonka, Dingolay, Sienna Rachel, and all those we don't know about -- and those that we did and it was too late. Starvation is an absolutely horrible way to die. Reading the AC report today brought many, many tears. And anger. This isn't a new case -- it has been going on since March! We will be asking for you all to send letters, make phone calls, etc. -- but we have to get the facts first. Again, thank you all for your support.
05/26/09 (evening)	It was another rainy afternoon at the rescue today, but at least the morning was clear and sunny. We leave two stall doors open at night at the barn, one for Val and Captain and one for Layla, but yesterday morning I found Val, Captain, and Layla all in Layla's stall. Captain and Val are both holding their own and are doing OK. Dr. Das says she's pleased with Val's improvements even though we still have to clean her out each day. We have had to put her on a diet. She is huge! She's not happy about it, but it's for her own good.
05/24/09	Theresa put together a touching video tribute for Tonka and Layla (AKA Dingolay): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF6sNQrZCZc&feature=channel_page. Please take a few minutes, make sure a box of tissues is nearby, and view the video. (If the video will not come up, search BHFERS.) We hope you are all enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend.
05/22/09	Captain is holding his own but this morning he started having a tough time with his right front and back left feet. It has been raining for days here, and rain runs under the shelter in the paddock he was in. We brought him into the barn yesterday to dry out. Valentine is always nearby. GMan is still a big teddy bear. Play time! Aaleyah in the lead followed by Buttercup, Chloe, Momma Sue, and Silver Belle. Casper has taken on the roll of gelding in charge of Granny and Abby. They couldn't care less, but he feels like he is doing a great job keeping watch over them and he is. He's doing better and the several small meals a day is doing him well. He has gained some weight. Amadeus' play ball went flat today. Does anyone know of a brand that is durable and will hold up to daily rigorous play? We moved Sienna to a separate paddock today because she's feeling so good she wants to push Layla around. You could almost see a sigh of relief come over Layla once Sienna was moved. Sienna doesn't like it, but Layla is just too fragile right now. Her eyes were brighter today and she seemed more interested in life. It was good to see. Robbi is as handsome as ever. Classy and Princess don't give the new grass much time to grow. The rains have been good for the grass but we just wish they would come a little at a time and not in downpours. And then there is Magic. His new concrete patio is doing just what we hoped it would do trim his feet down. The electricity to his run-in was reconnected this past week, so now he has his fan back to help keep him cool on the hot days. This morning we received sad news from Susie Q's Mom that she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She came out to feed this morning and found Susie. She said it looked like she lay down and went to sleep, but never woke up. There were no marks in the ground around her to indicate anything otherwise. The four new trees will be coming after the first of June. Since hubby has a big project due at the end of this month for our client and we;re having such heavy rains, we thought it best to wait until then. The first group of trees is doing well. A couple of them have lost their leaves; we were worried about them, but it seems new leaves are coming. Mystic will be treated by Dr. Das again next week. Mystic would surely appreciate a few angels to donate for her treatment ($125). After this treatment, she will be made available for adoption again. The farrier will also be back next week. We thank you all for your support, prayers, and donations for Layla, Tonka, and Sienna -- but please don't forget about the others that call Beauty's Haven home. We hope you have a happy, safe, and blessed Memorial Day Weekend.
05/21/09	As you've all heard, baby Tonka lost his valiant battle to overcome starvation and crossed Rainbow Bridge on May 18, 2009. Many thanks to all the volunteers at Beauty's Haven for everything they did to try to save him, plus thanks to everyone else for saying prayers for Tonka throughout his struggle. Unfortunately, prayers won't cover the huge vet bill for his care, so we're raffling off two wonderful gift baskets -- donated by Alli in honor of Tonka -- so we can cover these expenses. Please follow this link to join in! But hurry, the raffle ends on June 12, 2009!
05/15/09	The first photo shows one of our latest rescues, Tonka, who arrived here today along with his mom, Dingolay (aka Layla), and their friend (who doesn't have a name yet). Please click here to read updates about all three of them. Casper's foster mom and dad came to visit today. Casper was glad to see them. He's slowly gaining some weight, and we're waiting for Dr. Bess to mend from her surgery to come out and work on Casper. Casper will likely be staying at the rescue for the rest of his life. He turned 40 this year. Casper's foster dad explained to the baby how blessed he was to have so many people care about him, his mom, and the red filly. Dr. Das worked on Val and Mystic today. Thank you to those of you that donated so they could be treated today. She is pleased with Val's progress. She also worked on Mystic, and hopefully we will soon be able to offer Mystic for adoption.
05/11/09	Sammi and Joy's human mom, Kara, called yesterday to wish me a Happy Mother's Day and to tell me the girls are doing really well. Little Joy hasn't been shy at all, and both are enjoying the attention. We're looking forward to pictures, and we'll share when we get them. The lighter colored top board fence behind Casper is one that was broken when he jumped this fence two years ago. He cleared it but cracked the board going over. Chloe was much smaller then; she was chasing him along with Cookie. He was 38 years old then and still jumping fences. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I thought for sure he was going to be injured but he wasn't. I'm glad to report that he is doing better -- so is Captain. Velvet and Amadeus like to run the fence line when the neighbors' horses are out and playing. There is a six aisle way between paddocks. Amadeus doesn't have Joy to play with, so we got him a big red ball today. He kicked it around with me for a little this evening but preferred to be scratched. Jenny and Blodwyn gave Chloe and Little E a bath today, and they looked really beautiful. I had to sit in front of the computer all day to work after pulling two huge buckets of weeds this morning.
05/08/09	It's a bittersweet day today. Joy and Sammi left for their new home this morning. I keep telling myself that this is what we are supposed to do: rehab them and find them good forever homes. But when they go, each one takes a part of my heart with them. To read the entire story and see more photos, please click on thumbnail at the right.
05/07/09	Casper started lying down and getting up this morning -- looking at his tummy. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable. I gave him some Banamine and, within an hour or so, he started making mud pies! And the oil appears to be passing through him! He's made many more since then. And Captain is making road apples! Life is good right now. I know we're far from being out of the woods with both of them, but we're on the right path. Neither is drinking much, so they're getting electrolytes. Casper's foster family calls me about four times a day. They came to visit Casper yesterday. Clancy, his little mini donk pasture pal at his foster home, misses him, too. At this time I can't say if Casper will go back to his foster home, but that is our goal. He has become a hard keeper. Dr. Bess, the dentist, had surgery this past Tuesday and is doing well. She expects to be out to work on Casper in about two weeks and at that time she'll get to the three other horses she didn't feel up to doing this past Sunday. We're going to give Casper a few weeks here to get on his feet, modify his daily feeding plan, and try to get some weight back on him. His foster parents are very good people, and I have no doubts that they will follow any feeding schedule that we define. But we want to figure out what that schedule will be and get him stable first. I also want to make absolutely sure his recent weight loss isn’t from something we haven’t discovered yet. If he goes back to his foster home, he will have to be separated from Clancy during feeding times; and he will have to be fed a few times a day – smaller portions. It is 94 degrees here now - feels like 97 and the heat is hard on everyone - but especially the older horses. We have sprinklers on all over the property - at least one in each paddock so the horses can get wet to cool some, and it helps the grass. We put the birthing stall middle wall back up in order to have four stalls at the barn. And they're all full. Thanks so much to everyone that has helped with Casper. Please keep the prayers coming. He is a tough old guy that has been through some really bad times. I just couldn't imagine him having survived the many times he was starved before he came to us in 2006 only to die from colic while getting good care and lots of love. This picture is of Casper with Clancy.
05/06/09 (PM)	All eyes are on Max! He's the watch dog but the girls were all watching him this evening! YES!!! That's right here are the first of what we hope are many more road apples to come! There weren't any signs of oil but its got to be coming! Hopefully Casper is on the road to recovery now. He's been oiled twice by the vet and today he got 10 liters of fluids (IV). It really is amazing how happy poop can make us. I was on the phone with Anne when Casper passed these few apples and she can tell you I screamed pretty loud! Jenny and I gave Casper a bath today and he seemed to really enjoy it. When I think about things that were done to this pony many years ago, before he came to our rescue, it just makes me so angry. He's a tough old guy and he just has to be ok. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and Anne passed on to me today the many emails received from others saying they would pray for him. Thank you all please keep them coming. He's not out of the woods yet, by far. Bernice and Jenny gave Val a bath today and boy does she look spiffy! She's such a beautiful girl. She's still getting cleaned out everyday and is such a trouper about it. Captain has been staying in a stall during the day the heat doesn't do well by him. Captain hasn't passed any poop now in several hours. He's not been drinking much and he's getting electrolytes throughout the day. Val normally stays right outside of his stall. She's a vocal little pony and when she whinnies you cant help but to smile. And today, believe me, smiles were much needed. Its been a rough few days. The moms and babies today. Yes, that is what it appears to be in front of Aaleyah coming out of the ground water! This evening Momma Sue and Aaleyah managed to break the water line again! Only this time they broke one of the timers to the trees! Ugh! No rest for the weary here, that's for sure. Here are John and Bernice with Cookie. Cookie just loves John! Whenever she gets near him she gently nudges him with her nose. She sneaks up on him when she is in a paddock and gently nudges his back and then looks at him for attention. She has to stay inside during the days because her face burns so easily. John and Bernice come twice a week and are just awesome people that truly care about the horses and are dedicated to helping them. Jenny has spent every day at the rescue for the last week. All volunteers work hard and I don't know what we'd do without them. We are truly blessed. I just love this picture! Princess is back in the barn tonight. I found her with her eye swollen again this evening. The dust that comes off the lime rock road is just terrible and other then keeping flymasks on the horses there isn't anything we can do. Thank you all for your prayers, emails, calls, donations, and good thoughts. I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight. I tried to get a little rest today but the day was just too busy. Hopefully tomorrow will be a very good day.
05/06/09 (later AM)	Okay, Dr. Ryan came out and treated Casper. Casper was tubed and oiled. A rectal exam was also performed, and Dr. Ryan removed some manure from him. Casper is urinating okay, passing gas, and he does have gut sounds. Dr. Ryan believes he has an impaction. Theresa is very worried about him. Please continue to hold Casper, Captain, and Theresa in your prayers. Bernice, John, and Jenny are at the rescue today to help out; so Theresa is going to lay down for a bit. It was a very long night last night with Casper, and the night before with Captain.
05/06/09 (AM)	I wish I could say Good Morning, but it just isn't. Below is a quick email from Theresa. Please read it through. I spoke with her briefly last night when she was on her way back to the rescue with Casper. We had to hire someone to transport Casper back to the rescue because our trailer is not safe to pull at this time because it needs new brakes. I would like to start the fundraising with the Wine Gift Box I previously sent out. Casper's bill today will be in excess of $300, I'm sure. If we can start collecting donations to help with his vet bill that would alleviate some of Theresa's stress, as I am sure after the vet leaves that will be another thing she will worry about. How about some angels for Casper? I know times are tight believe me, I know, but Casper is bright eyed, he is urinating, passing gas, and does have some gut sounds. So I am asking, please consider being an angel to Casper. **For each donation of $10 or more I will enter your name in the drawing for a Gift Box winner gets to choose either the Wine Gift Box or a Movie Night Gift Box. Details will come later. I will send out another update after Dr. Ryan leaves. Thank you all for your support. Casper is 40 years old. He came from a neglect case in 2006 and after months of rehab went to a wonderful home. For reasons I can't get into at this time, we returned him to the rescue late last night. Casper is very special to my family. He is the first pony my daughter learned to ride on many years ago in Tampa long before we knew Beauty's Haven was to be. How he came back into our life in 2006 was nothing short of a miracle. This pony has been through hell and back many times before he came back into our life in 2006 as a rescue. I know I have been guilty of not providing updates since the girls birthday, I am sorry, but believe me when I say that life here with the horses has been an extreme roller coaster non-stop ride for many days now. It was another long night here at the rescue. With Captain colicing the night before and last night with Casper - I'm tired, very tired mentally and physically. We have a wonderful support network, and I have to say I need you all now more then ever. Please pray for Casper, pray for Captain, and pray that I find the strength to do the right thing, always. Dr. Ryan is on his way back out. I'll update Anne when I can. Thank you all.
05/05/09	Just a little note to let you know that Captain is doing better this morning. Theresa sounds wiped out. Will have more later.
05/04/09	Theresa was working on an update to send out, but Captain started exhibiting colic signs. The update will have to wait until tomorrow. She spoke to Dr. Ryan and has administered meds. She will be monitoring him throughout the night, and I will update you in the morning. If Captain has any changes, I will put out another update. Please pray for him. It was a very busy weekend at the rescue, and there was a birthday celebration for the girls. We will have plenty of pictures in the next update. And I am guilty, my son will pull the winning name in the Mola Raffle tomorrow. We have one item that I couldn't put on eBay. This wine gift box: Wine Gift Box to Benefit Beauty's Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc. This gift includes: 1 bottle of Mill Creek Merlot (2002, Dry Creek Valley CA) 1 bottle of Mosaic Chardonnay (2004, Sonoma County) 1 package of Merlot Wine Soaked Oak Chips for Barbecue 1 set of Four Wine Glasses Made in Italy The first $100.00 takes it, and that covers shipping, too! This will make a great Mothers Day gift, birthday gift, or buy it for yourself because you deserve it!! Your purchase is giving the added gift of helping the rescued horses that currently call Beauty's Haven home. We have two new babies, which brings our total to 33 horses. All proceeds (minus shipping) go directly to help the horses.
05/03/09	The girls aren't babies anymore! This past Saturday we celebrated the first birthday of our three girls! Aunties Jenny and Blodwyn and Uncle Bill made party hats and carrot cake muffins. Auntie Bernice and Uncle John made carrot bouquets. And there were many cards that were received from all over the US! More cards arrived in the mail the next day along with a box of peppermint candies. The girls felt special they know they are loved!	"It's mine, Silver Belle!" "No it isn't Aaleyah! Momma Sue says it's OURS! You have to share!"
04/30/09	We have received $100 toward the needed hay but still need $190 for tomorrow's hay. We have until the 6th before the farrier comes. So far, we have taken care of dental care for three of the six of the horses that need it. Please don't forget about the items we have listed on EBay and the beautiful place mats being raffled. Have a great day everyone and thank you! Sincerely, Theresa
04/29/09	Equine Dentist: These are the horses that need an angel for their dental work. Dr. Bess has to have surgery done and will be off work until she recovers. She is going to work us in over the weekend before her surgery, which is scheduled for early next week. We'd really appreciate any help we can get to have as many of these horses' teeth done as possible. The total needed for the dentist is $750 and we'll get as many done as possible. If we get, for example, $300 in donations, two of the six horses will get done. Every $1 helps and no amount is too small: Velvet, Ruby, Bud, Peaches, Cookie, and Nash: $125 each. Farrier: The farrier is scheduled to come on May 6th. We need angel help for 10 horses, $35 per horse, for a total of $350.
	We still need help with hay. From a distance and in pictures, it looks like we have big grassy paddocks, but we don't. We have a little grass and you can see, if you look between the weeds, that we just can't get it under control -- but we're working on it. We have 33 horses on 17 acres, which is not enough grazing area without killing what little grass there is -- we will have to supplement with hay throughout the summer. We received a generous donation this past Friday to help with hay, but we are still short $290 toward buying what is needed before Friday. It's hard to believe Amadeus is only 3-1/2 weeks old, he's even more huge! Buttercup checks Amadeus out. Aaleyah is trying to figure out how to open the gate without anyone seeing her. Momma Sue was just relaxing. After the morning feeding, I took Velvet and Amadeus to the paddock where Sammi and Joy stay. The babies played today for a short time -- it was good to see, but I didn't have my camera with me. When I was walking Velvet and Amadeus there, Velvet stepped on my little toe and side of my foot. I couldn't feel it then, but in no time it was throbbing so I spent most of the day with my foot up and on ice. Sue Ann was here today -- she did a great job. She hasn't been with us long, but she learns fast and we are very blessed that she is committed to helping the horses. Remember Sand Storm? Here he is a couple of weeks ago with his friend, Sugar Belle. I'm going to try to finish up my chores and get to bed somewhat early tonight Jenny comes tomorrow! She won't believe how big the girls have grown. Sincerely, Theresa
04/26/09	Captain is doing better. Val is the same, no worse, so that is good. She's still being cleaned out once, sometimes twice, a day. You can see she's got lots of light in her eyes. It was a beautiful day today. Susan and Kathy visited and the horses really enjoyed the extra attention. The tree that Susan donated IMO her Nikki has a beautiful wind chime on it now. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow. Chloe is a big girl now and as beautiful as ever. She is my next project now that the round pen is back in place. Bouie and Frodo are, as always, as cute as can be. Anne body-clipped them about a week ago, and they look much more comfortable. Jake and Gman are still hanging out. If they aren't by their tree, they are by the sprinkler. Susan brought Velvet a beautiful halter today, and it looks awesome on her. Pink is definitely her color! Amadeus got lots of attention from Susan and loved every second of it! He likes to nap most of the day, then run around and play in the late evening. He has lots of favorite spots where he likes to be rubbed, and Kathy found many of them. Susan bought him a handsome leather / brass halter that he really likes. Sammi and Joy were moved into the paddock with the new shelter. She's got quite the personality! That's Silver Belle napping in the background. Little Joy is getting big! She's still like the Energizer Bunny -- she goes and goes and goes! And this is our latest rescue, Miss Daisy. She's a stray that landed in our front yard a couple of nights ago. She was full of fleas and is very thin. She's got the sweetest disposition. We're not sure what she is -- part Beagle, part Terrier? She'll be visiting the vet again tomorrow. Yep, she's a lap dog! Aaleyah is still quite the beauty!
04/23/09 (AM)	Just a short note to let you all know Captain is doing better today. Thank you for praying for him.
04/22/09 (evening)	Captain has been up for the rest of the day. He seems to be feeling better, and we pray he continues to improve. He is moving about and hanging with his best friend, Val, who is his constant companion. He is showing interest in grazing and eating, so those are good signs. Thank you for all of your prayers and well-wishes. I will update again tomorrow and let you know how he is doing.
04/22/09 (mid-PM)	Captain has been up for almost 2 hours now. He stands for a bit, then takes a few steps. He shows interest in grazing, which is much better than interest in lying down and rolling. We are praying that he continues to recover and does not have another painful episode. We will update again later this evening, unless his condition changes again. Thank you for your prayers and your continued support for this grand guy.
04/22/09 (AM)	I just spoke to Theresa, and Captain got up while I was talking to her. Please continue to pray, light candles, and pray more. Due to his condition, I am confident Dr. Ryan will be back again. If anyone would like to be an Angel to Captain and help with his vet bill, we would be grateful. You can call in a credit to Peterson and Smith at 352-237-6151. Let them know it is for Captain at Beauty’s Haven. Thank you so much. I will keep you updated throughout the day.
04/22/09 (AM)	Captain is having a violent colic episode. He ate his breakfast this morning while Theresa was with Princess and Dr. Ryan. Shortly after Dr. Ryan left, Captain began trying to throw himself down and roll. Bernice immediately began walking him to prevent him from rolling. Theresa called Dr. Ryan and she administered Banamine. Dr. Ryan is on his way back. Captain has very loud gut sounds, but is in a lot of pain and distress. We think it’s a gas colic. His back end shook violently a few times, and he almost couldn’t stay up -- he has us pretty worried. Dr. Ryan didn’t want to give him Buscopan because it increases the heart rate, and Captain’s heart murmur is a bit worse. Before Dr. Ryan left, Captain was back down again. He’s still down –- so now we wait and pray. Please, please pray for him. I have started a candle thread for him. Please light one for him by visiting: http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=Capt%2E Princess has the same eye problem as Buttercup, but the laceration is not as deep. She is being treated with ointment rather than a catheter. The vet visit for her will be around $125.00, but she will be OK.