December 19 – 25, 2014

And who knows who this pretty little dark beauty is?!

Claire! How she has blossomed!

She is 10 years old. She is about 13.3hh. She has been very mistreated, but she has learned to trust and made great strides while with HOP! She has beautiful movement in the field. We do not believe she has been placed undersaddle

Her breed has us a bit up in the air, but we wonder if there isn’t a bit of Hackney Pony in there. Maybe some Morgan? What do you all think?

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15 year old Red Sabino TWH gelding. 17hh. Adoptable soon. We are accepting applications. His fee will likely be $800.00  wvhorserescue.org

This has been someone’s show horse at one time. He takes this all very seriously, and so he probably thought he had quite the silly person on his back today. . .a light-hearted girl am I in the saddle. . .soft and a push over, I admit.

What a JOY he is to ride. This was a super short ride, and I am a light rider, as he is still rehabbing, but it was a good time to do an evaluation.

I know little about riding gaited horses, so when we get a good gaited rider to volunteer, we will get a heck of a video of this gorgeous giant.

(Bit choice was simply what was on the bridle that fit his massive head we had on hand. I ride with super light hands. This boy would ride fine in the simple snaffle without question)

Interest has been and will remain high in this guy. Please understand applications will be accepted for a period, screened and approved applications will be considered by the board to chose which will be the best fit for him.

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Look how nice Noel looks after such a short time with great care! She is bearing a bit of weight on the leg, but it will be months before prognosis will be known. (With foster/transporter – Angela K)

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If anyone has an unused size 75 and 78 waterproof Blanket to donate for Holly and Knox, we’d sure appreciate it. If you would like to donate a new one: http://www.horse.com/…/waterproof-600d-turnout-bla…/E014168/These are $59.99 plus 20% off and free shipping with the code you find on the link.

Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, INC
PO box 81 Shoals, WV 25562

We are happy to report that Sophia is really mowing through the hay since her teeth removal.

But oh, medicating her holes with the peppermint flavored antiseptic is quite the challenge.

On the bright side, when she spits it back at you, it really does taste like peppermint! LOL

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Alex in his adoptive home this evening

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Merry Christmas from Hershey and Finn

(and HOP’s awesome foster/transport volunteer, Angela – with Husband, Scott)

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ALL rescue horses deserve the chance to be someone’s treasure. Adopting an animal can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do!

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http://www.wvhorserescue.org/

Zip, Scarlett and Rowan’s recoveries

To date, the rescue mare I’ve loved most and one of top 3 of our most amazing rehabs.

Rowan

Her video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phRymD1DacA

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Arizona has proven to be quite the challenge for some members of our team. Many people have told us that mules do not think anything like horses. One mule expert opined that once a mule is abused, they never forget it and are pretty much impossible to rehabilitate.

But Arizona has made great strides with a lot of time, patience, and group effort. We feel that she is not hopeless, despite what we were told.

Here is a short video which may not seem like much. But considering that her go to behavior has been to run away (and mules are incredibly strong even if they are short) this is MAJOR PROGRESS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

Headed with our vet back out to see Jake. He isn’t doing as well as we would have hoped 

Updated:

Our vet with Jake earlier.

He has taken a turn for the worse.

Sadly, it seems, as some mentioned before he came back to us from Rood and Riddle, recovering from from enteritis is not a quick or certain thing. Jake, who has lost so much condition at this point, will not be put through more days with a tube in, on an IV only, etc. We are monitoring him and staying in touch with the vet. If he starts to go downhill tonight, he has fought long enough and asking more of him, for us, would be inhumane. We pray things turn around. He deserves that. If not, we will be with him and not allow continued suffering.

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For those following Jake’s chronicle. . .

These were from a bit over an hour ago with me.

Much earlier today when the vet came out on an emergency call to see him, he had to be tubed again, hind gut not working so well, not drinking or wanting to eat, a lot of coughing, banamine, elevated heart rate and starting to get a temp.

We collectively felt it was looking very bleak.

We’ve kept watching him, as he wasn’t refluxing back into his stomach yet, thank God.

He seems brighter late tonight, has passed a lot of manure, still no interest in drinking, but he did eat a safe, pro-biotic filled mash, so we will hope that his system, having been ravaged from all the treatment and the tubing causing his pain has just got things “off,” instead of the enteritis refusing to stay at bay.

He couldn’t take another round of the refluxing, IV only and tubing for days.

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I will be heading tomorrow to see the senior mare in this post. I will be taking donated senior feed, soakable hay pellets and a blanket while we see what can be done long term for her.
https://www.facebook.com/…/a.485813968116…/887131221318174/…

Jake Still needs your prayers

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Headed to the Senior mare with supplies

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Tater Tot and Sophia got some desensitizing today. If you want a “quiet” and low reactive horse, these are the kinds of games to play with them

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I took a blanket, senior feed and soakable hay cubes to the partially blind senior mare we posted about yesterday this evening. I checked her over as best as I could.

I believe the kindest thing for this mare I feel is about 30 years old, dealing with cushings disease and serious dental issues is euthanasia, but the location she is in doesn’t allow for burial.

This is a very bad case. This is the only decent thing we can offer.

Thank you to The Tyler Creek Farm for allowing us to arrange her to be laid to rest Monday, if all goes correctly

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Jake has a whole bunch of groupies 

I’m headed out to start Excede, as it seems he has developed Pneumonia from the days with the tube down him.

We do feel if he responds, this may pull him through

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Jake is brighter today with the start of the Excede and is drinking more

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Tater Tot is about the cutest lil fella!

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

A lot of hay delivered today to one foster location

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Dexter with his girl, Cammy

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Jake got a special visitor in tonight. His original foster Momma

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HOP is keeping Rood and Riddle busy lately! Sophia has an appointment in the morning to have her troublesome tooth removed.

The location of the tooth causes this to be a tricky procedure. It is situated over top of an artery and will leave a hole to her sinus cavity when removed.

Please send well wishes her way as she undergoes this procedure!

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We live to see these afters

Claire

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Simon, the senior QH type gelding, rescued more recently had been making progress, but suddenly has started to appear to have heaves. Today while out seeing hay delivered, getting photos and evaluating Schmidtty, they were quite severe. I suspect this will be a case that will need daily medication, so he will be seeing Dr. Taylor to see about what will best control this for him. We are sure it will resolve with treatment. He is a darling old fella!

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Lovely Meg!

She is such an easy going, personable beauty!

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Updating on Jake. . .
Originally, after he returned from Rood and Riddle, we feared the next day he was dealing with a relapse of enteritis. We felt that putting him through more treatment for that was not acceptable as the chances of recovery after a relapse would have been poor. We kept close watch on him for the next 24 hours, and symptoms pointed to Pneumonia instead. This makes sense given the tube being down him for days at Rood and Riddle. We did banamine and started Excede, and as is typical with this treatment, he was showing good improvement today with better appetite, brighter and drinking more. Fever was gone. He enjoyed some time out with today meandering around a paddock. As you see, I was thrilled with the changes. He has had such a steady stream of visitors over the past few days!

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15 year old Red Sabino TWH gelding. 17hh. Adoptable soon. We are accepting applications. His fee will likely be $800.00  wvhorserescue.org

This has been someone’s show horse at one time. He takes this all very seriously, and so he probably thought he had quite the silly person on his back today. . .a light-hearted girl am I in the saddle. . .soft and a push over, I admit.

What a JOY he is to ride. This was a super short ride, and I am a light rider, as he is still rehabbing, but it was a good time to do an evaluation.

I know little about riding gaited horses, so when we get a good gaited rider to volunteer, we will get a heck of a video of this gorgeous giant.

(Bit choice was simply what was on the bridle that fit his massive head we had on hand. I ride with super light hands. This boy would ride fine in the simple snaffle without question)

Interest has been and will remain high in this guy. Please understand applications will be accepted for a period, screened and approved applications will be considered by the board to chose which will be the best fit for him.

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Update on Sophia, Lettie and Finn. . .

Sophia is at Rood and Riddle. She ended up having to have two teeth removed. One was very infected, and she leaves with a course of antibiotics.

Photos from fosters, Suzanna and Raven, coming once they arrive back home in Ky with her.

Finn visited Dr. Walker today with Lettie, who is having her eye removed. He was unable to located the second testicle, as it is too high in the abdomen. Unfortunate as it is, at least we know he will have to have the crypto surgery now.

Photos coming from Dr. Walker’s office of the eye surgery and Finn out like a rock coming in a bit, too.

We have NEVER had so many medical expenses in a two weeks period. Just wow.

Bless her heart. . .

Lettie’s chronically painful, blind eye has been removed by Dr. Walker at Equine Medical Center. She is recovering there now. Thank you to Danielle, one of his assistants, for the photo!

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UPDATE! SOPHIA IS NOW EATING HAY!

This must mean she feels so much better already since she has not eaten any in the time she has been with us!

HOP is very appreciative of Rood and Riddle and Dr. Tanner’s excellent services today! While Sophia went in to have one very loose tooth extracted, her white cell count came back too high. He began to suspect that something else was going on. Upon investigation, Dr. Tanner discovered that there was a very infected tooth on the opposite side from the other.

He expects that she will recover well from these procedures, though she did have to be put on Excede (like Jake) and will need her teeth floated every 6 months to keep the bottom ones from growing too long.

We have had several expensive procedures in the past several days. Thank goodness we have these wonderful veterinarians who are available resources for us!

(Thank you also to Dr. Tanner for feeding our youngest minion, Raven’s, desire to become an equine veterinarian)

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Dr Walker and his team with Finn today attempting to feel the retained testicle. No dice. He will need abdominal surgery to remove it, it seems, at a surgical center.

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Lettie during prep to remove her bad eye

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Blake in training

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Joyous Noel now has a monthly sponsor!!! Hooray!

Ziva. . .the gray QH filly we saved from Ohio in her private rescue placement at RaiderHollow Farm rehabbing

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Reba…one of Calli’s foals, who was also networked to RaiderHollow Farm. She is learning to tie.

(the other of Calli’s foals has already been placed in her forever home!)

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Skye says, “Seriously? What next? Rabbit ears?”

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Poppy in her adoptive home

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We were just in time for this poor girl. As you see, she went down in the trailer. She was more than ready for this merciful end. Thank you to Dr. TAYLOR for kindly walking her over the bridge.

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The Christmas Gift we made for our volunteers.

I wanted to surprise them with these wrapped in person, but too much horse rescue this week has made that impossible.

Naturally.

So here you go guys, it is waiting! haha!

A photo book of all the horses rescued in 2014 

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Please head over and thank The Tyler Creek Farm (Aimee and Chris Figgatt) for spending many hours in the rain this evening giving the senior mare known as “Red” a loving burial.

Okay HOP Supporters. . .

We’ve got an interesting Fundraiser IDEA running through Christmas Day!

This guy right here is the fellow who has carried nurse mare foals from auction, loaded the nearly unloadable and driven about 100,000 miles in his personal truck to rescue the majority of the horses that have come through rescue to this day. . .

My partner in all good deeds. . . John is seeking to shave this beard as he says he can no longer stand it.

Those who know me best know there is basically nothing I love more than a great beard. Before it was cool, trendy and a hipster thing. . .he had one, I loved them.

I cannot just let it go that easily.

We’ve made a deal, he and I. He can shave this beard completely
ONLY IF we can raise $500 for the rescue through Christmas Day. This is only 48 hours!

A photo will be posted promptly where he will then look like the youngest part of the rescue team. . .say age 12 or so.

I’m not giving him very good odds, as I’m cruel like that. I am counting on everyone preferring this bearded horse rescue man over a clean shaven look, BUT If I am wrong and $500 is DONATED in time, he gets some time free of the beard and the rescue benefits, as well . . . That is the only way I can really say Bye, Bye to this look for even a short while.

If you wanna help this awesome guy out, donate and let US know what it is for: http://www.wvhorserescue.org/donate.html

If you’re on my side, then High Five! 

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Just totaled up over $5,000 for two in hand invoices and one approx. invoice for veterinary bills for Jake, Sophia, Red, Finn, Noel and Lettie and all the routine care for the last 6-8 weeks from our go to vets at Brown Vet Service.

HOW awesome is that:

These vet practices give us amazing discounts because this bill would be MUCH higher (as you can imagine knowing all we’ve had done lately) otherwise.

Thanks to our supporters, a grant from the ASPCA and 3 awesome vet practices:

Rood and Riddle
Brown Veterinary Service
and Equine Medical Center

These bills will be paid right as they have come into us.

That is a blessing and makes for a very Merry Christmas for a LOT of horses here at Heart of Phoenix.

Buckshot with his adopter in a Christmas parade

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Sophia wishes all of the HOP followers a very Merry Christmas!

All rescue horses deserve the chance to become someone’s treasured family photo

(for now Sophia is a very loved foster pony)

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So many children received Turner’s Story as a present this year. We would love to know what your children thought of it!

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3 Happy HOP horses  Two adopted, one being fostered. . .at Pauley’s Rowdy Acres (one I helped them find years ago, as well, Huck)

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Teza, who was adopted several years ago, is quite the character!

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Jake in still improving – eating better, drinking better. . .time for his second and last Excede shot. . .let us hope it knocks the rest of this out of his system!!!

So. . . we didn’t make the $500 donation challenge, but we made it halfway, and since I was in the Christmas spirit (ha). . .

I gave in and told him to shave! Ha. . .for those who wanted to see the rescue guy with the other options, you get those, too.

Thanks to those who participated in this goofy fundraiser. You did, at least, give one of the HOP team his Christmas wish to be beardless for a time.

I’m traumatized at him without facial hair, but I will get through this. . .somehow.

https://www.facebook.com/HeartofPhoenixEquinerescue/photos/pb.356449524386349.-2207520000.1419556453./890067697691193/?type=3&theater

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Help us see 7,000 likes by the New Year!

https://www.facebook.com/HeartofPhoenixEquinerescue

Thank you so much for your continued support!

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