October 20- 24, 2014

Alfie yesterday, Alfie in April, Alfie in January when he arrived

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p6DewDpfbA&channel=UC4rjEmx__dtcgfitgiAD6aQ

Look for the eye catching, adoptable Miss Blake down at our horse show this weekend! She will be in some of the western oriented classes

Tara has some navicular like symptoms and we will be taking her to a specialist to find out more about it.

Navicular changes seem to be a common problem with many horses. Here is an interesting little video explaining a bit about it.

http://www.thehorse.com/videos/30437/dr-vernon-dryden-on-navicular-syndrome

Memphis well settled in his adoptive home

The 2nd Story of The People Behind Heart of Phoenix

At the end of 2010, the rescue was poised to become a collaborative effort spanning WV, Ohio and Ky. I just did not know this yet.

Jessie (now our vice president) and her husband, Tony, had been working doing some rescue on their own on 50 plus acres in Kentucky.

They would go to Cattletsburg’s stock auction (and had for years. . .) and pull a horse to rehab from the meat buyer pen and find the horse a home when the horse was ready.

Here I was doing a little rescue on my own. They were doing a little rescue on their own, and finally I guess you could say the stars lined up, and I received an email about posting a horse they had pulled from auction on Petfinder to help them hit a better audience of adopters.

Little did I know that email would lead to so much good. . . reaching years in the future.

The first rescue we worked on together was that of a Senior OTTB named Dodger. He still lives with them as their daughter’s horse today, years later.

One thing led to another, and before I knew it, they were holding 4 horses at a time for the rescue, we had our 501(c)3 status in the works, we found Sonora W, and we had no idea what we were in for.

The thing I find so often in rescue, though I have to tell you that you do not find it with us, is too often Everyone on board wants to be in the spotlight (for there is such a thing in rescue as social media and local media makes it this way), wants more thanks than is likely ever coming, love to disagree and have a flare for the dramatic while the animals pay the price. It drives a lot of good people away from doing rescue, at all.

Jessie would never even want noticed for the work she has done with HOP since 2011. She may track me down for this “Ode to Jessie” post, yet! Haha!

But truly, these two people have always had the motto: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. . .” and that is it. No big event – bring the horses here, we will fix them. And they have. . .

Of the horses we are most known for, Scarlett stands out as the most remarkable, and it was with Jessie she was saved, loved and brought back from the very brink of death (I’d argue her body had crossed over and only her mind held on – the body didn’t get the Memo)

Of our foster board members, she has rehabbed more horses on her farm than any of the rest, and there is no fan fare ever needed. . .

Just pure rescue at the most beautiful level –

And we couldn’t be where we are without them, and I’m not sure I’d plunge on ahead minus them, either.

Tallied up our 2014 Year to Date vet bills with our Regular vet.

Brown Veterinary Service is awesome. . .and thanks to our amazing discount, the year to date rescue costs have been just a bit over $7,000 since January of this year.

This is an amazing price considering HOW many horses they have vetted for us! You can imagine!

Head over and thank Dr. B for being awesome They come whenever we need them, no questions asked, though like all large animal vets, they are always slammed.

This tally above doesn’t factor in the various other vets we use when needed, but Brown Vet Service is our primary go to Vet – Always.

Thank you Matt Holland of Signs Unlimited off Rt 60 in Barboursville, WV / Huntington area.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Signs-Unlimited/189632664382933

They rushed a shirt order for us in spite of having A HUGE Marshall U order to complete so we could have long sleeve and sweat shirts ready for the SHOW Saturday!

A promising app in on Ellie

Honey was adopted from HOP in 2011.

She was rescued from Blaine, Ky with a quite a few others, including her filly, Amber (adopted in 2013)

Honey was THE right horse for one girl 3.5 years ago. She and Caity make a fabulous team.

This was posted today. . . note, no bridle while running barrels. . .The video of her riding this mare without a saddle or bridle while doing barrels is just awesome. Hopefully, I can get that posted soon.

She is a special, kind mare. . .with a wonderful home

And she has continued to shatter the idea that rescue horses are “dangerous” or “worthless” for each year following her adoption

Arizona is enjoying these lovely fall days!

Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue An Introduction

4:34

Atlas. . .adopted last year. . .today and last June. — with Donna Wenger Ayash.

Calli

The 3rd story of the People Behind Heart of Phoenix

My husband, John C. . .

This guy, what can I say?

He has carried multiple nurse mare foals from auction for us, Loaded and hauled 90% of the horses we’ve saved and been there for through most every tragedy we’ve experienced. He has been the work horse time and time again. . .

I am sure Facebook has a word limit that would be maxed out if I were to try to tell you the entire story here, and John would scowl at me for it, as well.

He was kind enough to stick this rescue work out with me even when the funding came all from him, the work landing on only us. . .when it made just regular life nearly impossible. When our children were infants and young toddlers and rescue trips often ran 12 hours long until 3 am with a truck full of cranky, tired babies.

I can’t promise you it was motivated for the good of the horse. Truthfully, it was motivated more by knowing it was what I believe had to be done, was the right thing to do. . .knowing that my soul would never be quiet until this work was done, and so he has done it with me. . .

Day in and out for years and years now, and I can tell you – HOP would not be here, the first horse would not have been saved without him.

— with John Creamer.

There are times the animals aren’t exactly thrilled to get their pictures taken or I just manage to get some rather candid shots. Today happened to be one of those days…

Rudy the HOP foster colt, “Don’t bother me while I’m soaking up the sun”.