DoubleHP (New Hope Horse Shelter) 2007-2009

2010-01-05T11:46:00.003-06:00

Please go to our new blog. We will keep this old one published, for those of you who want to read about us in 2007 through 2009. But for our new happenings, go to our new blog, link below. thanks.

www.newhopehorseshelter.blogspot.com

Happy New Year from Flicka

2009-12-26T20:50:00.001-06:00

remember to click on the pix to enlarge them.
I guess all the horses want their feature blog. here's one for Flicka. Flicka is not a rescue horse. I have had her since she was a yearling. She is about 15 now. Today while we (me & the horses) were waiting (patiently) for Greg to plow out the horse yard (I couldn't put them out for supper until he was done), Flicka and I went for a little ride in the snow. we went out and checked the pasture fence. It's all up, but boy are there some big drifts. I think I can let them go out there and run tomorrow though. Flicka was a perfect ride today. all by herself. out in the scary tundra. She is as close to a perfect horse as you can get. I have vowed that I am going to do less stuff with other people's horses and more stuff with the horses who live here at DoubleHP Horse Shelter. So the ride in the snow today is part of that. I smiled the whole time. I used to ride in the snow a lot. It was really beautiful. These photos don't have anything to do with my ride today. These photos are from last weekend. But they are of Flicka. My friend Flicka.

questions or comments,

email Shelter Manager Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

Lily December 2009

2009-12-26T13:23:00.002-06:00

This is for all of you who have emailed me to tell me how much you enjoyed Prince's snow pictures. And it's especially for Pat who helped sponsor Lily for several months in 2009. And for Jennifer & Virgina Meadows and Rolling Meadows Farm of Lore City, Ohio, who helped sponsor Lily this month. Jennifer purchased a sponsorship through our ebay sales. She says "God cares for all of his creation and gives us dominion over it. Thank you for caring for the animals that otherwise would not have a chance. Merry Chirstmas and God Bless!!!"

I will post more snow photos for you over the next few days etc.. Everyone seems to enjoy them. And I guess now we will have snow for a long long time. I can't let the horses out in the pasture right now because there are some drifts that are covering up the fence line. So they just have to play in the horse yard and barn for now.

questions or comments, email me here. Darci, Shelter Manager doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

p.s. forgot to mention that I am unable to update our website doublehphorses.org until I can have a computer guy help me with it next week. I think we have to do some stuff to my new laptop to get it to work right.

Happy New Year

2009-12-22T22:02:00.005-06:00

this is Butterscotch, a couple of weeks ago. the horses were playing in the first big snow.

click on photo to enlarge it. (and her tongue)

oh boy, sounds like we have lots of new snow coming this week.

DoubleHP annual meeting

2009-12-18T13:58:00.002-06:00

Our annual meeting is scheduled for Saturday Jan. 16 at 11:30 a.m. at Big Ern's in Crooks. There will be a lunch menu. everyone on their own for food & beverage orders & bills. If you would like to attend, please let me know so we know how many tables to push together. We are not doing a big invite.
mostly we will name 2010 Directors & Officers
do a little treasurers report
the main issue will be brainstorming about what direction doublehp should take, in addition to continuing to care for and train the rescued horses that live here at our shelter.

Personally, what I think needs to happen around where we live are 2 things mainly:
1. horse owners need to quit breeding low-value horses if they are not going to keep them for themselves, and they need to quit breeding altogether if they cannot afford to feed, deworm, shelter, vaccinate, provide hoof and dental care, and train the horses they already have.
2. everyone involved in the horse industry needs to work toward decreasing the cases of inhumane treatment, toward ending the cycle of neglect, toward ending the irresponsible reproduction of these already-neglected horses. Emaciated horses standing around with no vet care is not acceptable. Period. These horses need to be helped. Their help needs to come sooner and it needs to be more aggressive; and these horses need to be treated like victims, like living beings who feel pain when they are not cared for properly, not as piles of dirt or bags of garbage. And their irresponsible owners, who need to be held accountable, need to know that treating horses like this is no longer acceptable. That inhumane treatment is a serious crime. Everyone needs to know that. Inhumane treatment to animals is a serious crime. And once it is treated that way, the number of cases will decrease. It's the only way that will happen.

So, anyway, how can DoubleHP in some small way address these issues?

or should we give up on the big picture, and just do some fun things that don't involve neglect, legal issues, any of that? maybe we should just be a horse lovers group who does fun things with the horses we have promised to care for. what should DoubleHP do? if you have ideas or want to help us brainstorm and decide and then carry out those ideas, let me know.

thanks, Darci, email doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

computer crash

2009-12-18T12:14:00.000-06:00

my computer finally died. we kept it going for about a year and a half once it became sick. I did have a back up hard drive and so I am really hoping the computer guys can get all my stuff off of there.
If you have been to the doublehphorses.org website lately you will notice no updates for a little while. it's because I have it saved on the dead computer. I do have a new little laptop that I am using right now. I am seriously considering doing away with the website. It's one that I do on my computer and upload it to the host. so it's not quite as easy as this blogspot. I may redo this blogspot to serve as our website.

Celebrate the Beauty

2009-12-14T17:03:00.001-06:00

tonight, they say, will be 12 below, without figuring in wind chill. yes the horses are all in their stalls for the night. Saturday was a nicer day though. and I took advantage of it with my camera. I took 160 some photos until the battery died. here are some of my faves of Prince. Prince is the one with severe arthritis in his back right hock. as you can see, though, he enjoys life immensely. He is only 7 years old. he may make a trip to Iowa State next spring, where they have more advanced equipment, just to see if there is anything else that can be done for his hock. besides the injections that don't work as well as they used to. and some experimental type pills that I have not experimented with yet. anyway, as you can see, he is not moping around yet. He limps but I don't think he knows there is anything wrong with him. questions or comments, email Darci, Shelter Manager, doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

make sure you click on the pictures to see them bigger!

Sadness for Lindsey & Charity

2009-12-11T09:35:00.002-06:00

We received an update from Lindsey in Georgia, regarding her horse Charity. The hole in her tongue is because of cancer. And Charity will be euthanized. Charity is lucky to have Lindsey for a horse mom, and now Lindsey will have Charity watching over her all of the time. We are very sorry for your sadness, Lindsey.
any questions or comments, email Darci, DoubleHP Shelter Manager, doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

Hole in horse's tongue

2009-12-07T20:21:00.004-06:00

Photo of Star. Tyree's Gold Star AQHA. Almost exactly a year ago (I remember because it was soooooooooo cold, as it is now), one of my mares, Star, had a hole in her tongue.I blogged about it,
http://doublehphorseshelter.blogspot.com/search/label/Star
including photos of the cats Newman and Ralphie helping me with the meds. Star recovered completely and we will never know how she got that hole in her tongue. Tonight, I received an email from Lindsey in Georgia. Her horse has a hole in her tongue. Hers sounds bigger, probably more serious. They are waiting on biopsy. here is our communication so far.

Dear Darci,

I read your article about Star the horse who had the hole in her tounge. My horse is a 25 year old mare, she has been drooling nonstop, she eats so slow, and she is very off balance. I called the vet and he came out to check her. He opened her mouth and there in the back was a hole that went all the way through her tounge. He said she may have tounge cancer, and he is going to do a biopsy, and will let me know. My question for you is what exactly happened to Star, did she get diagnoist with tounge cancer? Is she still alive? If she did have tounge cancer, what did you do to treat her? I am very appreciative to any information you could give me. Any advice since you have gone through this. I just recently lost one of my other horses and I dont want to put down Charity, if that is the case, so anything at all you could tell me. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Thank you for listening Darci.
-Lindsey

hi Lindsey,

My Star had a strange hole in her tongue that was very hard to find. It was underneath. The Vet could feel swelling and so looked and looked and looked and finally found it.
We will never know what it was. poke from something??? even a big sticker or stick or something might cause an abscess etc.
or sometimes they can even bite their tongue and cause things like this.
We were lucky. The vet flushed it several times and said if things don't improve in a few days we would need to xray her tongue to see if there was something in there.
Star began to eat again. and made a full recovery.
so if there was something lodged in there, it must have come out in the flush.
her hole was not all the way through. More like a big poke from the bottom up.
where are you? who is your vet? can they exray the tongue?
also, are her teeth ok?
I'm just trying to think of everything the vet told me and asked me and looked for when this happened here.
also, my Star could eat some soft hay while this was going on. I had some really soft orchard grass hay that she could eat kind of.
but she absolutely could not eat course stemmy stuff while this was going on.
do you care if I put this on my blog? people will be interested in this.
thanks, Darci.

Thank you for your prompt response. I dont mind at all if you put this on your blog. I am in the Atlanta GA area, and my vets name is Dr. John Elliott of Horner & Nash. Her teeth are in good shape, and he has done xrays on her. The hole is about a golf ball size, and I can stick my finger all the way through. He also flushed it, but that didnt seem to help. Charity cant eat any hay, or grass, she has a horrible time trying to swallow it, and ends up spitting it out. It takes her about three hours to finish breakfast, and another three for dinner. We are waiting on the biopsy and hopefully it will be good. If you have any further information that would be great. Thank you so much

Lindsey

oh wow, that sounds much bigger than what my Star had going on here.

are there any kind of hay pellets that will get soft with water, that she can eat?
sorry, I know you and your vet have probably covered all of this. I will put this on the blog.
oh, I hope it is just a really bad injury and not cancer.
stay in touch.
Darci.

any questions or comments, please email Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

if you need proof, watch this video

2009-12-03T11:42:00.002-06:00

Here is another example of how law enforcement in other parts of our country are joining horse rescue groups in our feelings about horse neglect. This one is from Texas. Once again, they go in and remove the animals and very quickly charge someone with inhumane treatment. No messing around trying to figure out if it's really neglect or not. Of course it is! There is a video at this link (below) that is very graphic. If you have not watched vidoes like this before, you might want to think about it before you decide. The images stay with you forever. And they are not pretty or happy images. The media groups who are brave enough to show this stuff are high on my list of "good guys." For so long these secrets of the horse industry have been silent and invisible. But now the silence has been broken. The images are real. And it's only when we know the truth that we become motivated to voice our own opinions and take action to join in the mission to make things right. If you watch this video, you will be able to see that most of the horses going to slaughter here are very healthy looking horses. They are not old, blind, lame, skinny horses. There is no need for horse slaughter in our country. There is, however, a strong need for more responsible horse owners and especially more responsible horse breeders. When they breed so many horses that they don't have time to get them trained and so they just send them to slaughter instead of training them, well, it's time for them to quit breeding. To them, it's just like taking their garbage to the dump. To us, it's like getting paid to allow someone to brutally murder our friends.
When you go to this link, you will be able to read the story first. It won't start the video unless you click on it. If you are new to all the fuss about what's wrong within the horse industry these days, this video will open your eyes. In a wide way.
http://www.khou.com/news/Horse-neglect-cases-spike-78268742.html

If you have questions or comments, you may email Shelter Manager Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

more info. about hunting safely around horses

2009-12-03T11:19:00.001-06:00

here's another post about hunting around horses and buildings. If you would like to talk to Shanna about this, email her at shannanevada@yahoo.com

Darci,

I just read your blog. I've been worried about hunters shooting into my CRP which lines my pasture. If anyone is intersted, they can contact the Game, Fish, and Park Service and request Safety Zone signs to place around their pasture. I contacted the GFP and they sent me six Safety Zone signs to place around my pasture. The signs do not incidate that where ever I put these signs is a no hunting zone. The signs simply indicate that people are near buildings/livestock. If anyone wants any additional information, just send them my way.
Thanks!
shanna

Hunting Safely Around Horses

2009-12-01T22:16:00.002-06:00

I received this note a couple of days ago. And I am happy to post it for Lynn.

Darci,

My name is Lynn Stoltenburg and I check out your page frequently. I appreciate everything you and your "family" of helpers do to protect and rehabilitate horses. Recently, we noticed one of our horses had a bad limp. Upon closer inspection, we believe she was shot in the right front shoulder, possibly with a 22. We hope that it was not intentional, but would like to remind hunters to be extra careful during this hunting season. Our horse was probably shot by someone who was out shooting at signs, not actually hunting. Their
carelessness and deliquency has caused a great deal of pain for our horse and my 16 year old daughter who thought her horse would have to be put down. Our vet says that with time and TLC this injury should heal. We hope that no other animals are injured, wether intentionally or accidentally, during this hunting season. Because so many people read your blog, maybe you could help to remind hunters to think before they shoot. Thanks for all you do!
Lynn Stoltenburg
If you have questions or comments, please email Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

National Welfare Code of Practice

2009-11-29T20:51:00.001-06:00

This is a good thing. If they practice what they preach. I believe this all just came about this month. It addresses what DoubleHP and groups like us have been talking about for years. Of course we will let these big guys take the credit for it. Even though it has taken them many many many many many years to climb on board. I know a lot of this has to do with the show industry. But it also has to do with trail riding and just plain horse ownership. You know, how we take care of our horses at home. My very favorite part is this: "WE ARE COMMITTED to promoting responsible breeding practices and to produce better horses, not just more horses." Can you imagine how good this could be, if orgs. like AQHA, APHA, etc., really believe in this? Then, if all the wanna bee cowboys would just follow along, we would begin to see fewer and fewer cheap, untrained, neglected, and unwanted horses. All of those things go together, by the way. I mean cheap, untrained, neglected, and unwanted. They all have to do with each other. And they all have to do with irresponsible breeding. Over production. Mass production of a product that no one is buying.

I'll highlight my favorite parts. I took this off of the American Horse Council website, but I learned about it from the HSUS. ok, here it is.

National Welfare Code of Practice Endorsed

A national Welfare Code of Practice has been endorsed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Quarter Horse Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the U.S. Trotting Association. The Welfare Code of Practice, drafted by the American Horse Council, outlines in generic terms what it means for an organization to be committed to the responsible breeding, training, care, use, enjoyment, transport and retirement of horses.

“We hope that as many organizations as possible will endorse it to show that the industry as a whole is committed to the welfare and safety of the horse,” said AHC President Jay Hickey. “We know that the safety and welfare of our horses is very important to us. We hope that this code will be another indication to others that the horse community takes its responsibilities to our horses very seriously.”

... it is hoped that the endorsement of a broad, more generic Welfare Code of Practice by as many organizations as possible will be another indication to the public, the media, federal and state officials and the horse community that the horse industry “Puts the Horse First.”

“We fully support the AHC Welfare Code of Practice and encourage everyone associated with the horse to abide by its principles,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. “It is important that the horse industry as a whole, regardless of breed or discipline, affirms its individual and collective commitment to horse welfare and safety. It is equally important that the industry communicate with one voice on this important issue and the AHC is the right vehicle for doing so.”

“This Code of Practice stands to unite the equestrian community in it’s commitment to protect, honor, and ensure the safety and well-being of the horse which is the core of our sport,” noted John Long, CEO, United States Equestrian Federation, the National Governing Body of Equestrian Sport.

The AHC Welfare Code of Practice will also provide a guide for equine organizations that are formalizing a welfare philosophy and policy for their respective organizations. “The American Horse Council Welfare Code of Practice provides a standard for the horse industry and equine organizations to evaluate their individual welfare policies and initiatives. It clearly states the principles necessary to achieve a level of stewardship for the horse that always puts the welfare of the horse first,” said Dr. Jerry Black, past-President of the AAEP and Chair of the AHC’s Animal Welfare Committee.

"I would strongly encourage all equine-related organizations to join us in signing the code of practice demonstrating their commitment to continuously ensuring the safety and welfare of our horses,” said Don Treadway, Executive Vice President, American Quarter Horse Association. “By agreeing to a code of practice, we send a clear message to the public that we are committed to ensuring our horses are treated with compassion, dignity and respect.”

“We hope that as the Code is reviewed more organizations will endorse it. Our goal is to have as many associations as possible sign on,” said Hickey.

The AHC Welfare Code of Practice follows.
Welfare Code of Practice
American Horse Council
Introduction
American society has grown away from its agrarian roots of only a few generations ago. The horse, which was once a staple of American agriculture and general transportation, is now used primarily for breeding, competition, sport, recreation and entertainment, although there are still many horses used for work on farms and ranches, and in urban areas and exhibitions.

The horse industry is committed to the safety, health, care and welfare of all horses and to always “Put the Horse First.”

We address equine welfare and responsible care (1) by supporting a uniform Code of Practice regarding the responsible breeding, training, competing, care, use, enjoyment, health, transportation, and retirement of horses; and (2) by initiating communication with the public, the media, federal and state officials and within the horse community regarding these issues.

Our Commitment to all Horses and the Horse Industry
The organizations listed below are committed to the principle that the welfare and safety of the horse is the guiding principle in the decision-making process for all owners, service providers, organizations, events and activities.

WE ARE COMMITTED to the dignity, humane care, health, safety and welfare of horses in all our activities and care. These are our highest priorities. We are the stewards of our horses and must be firm in the standards and practices that guide us. Our first principle is:

The welfare, safety and stewardship of the horse is the guiding principle in the decision-making process for all segments for the horse industry.

WE ARE COMMITTED to promoting responsible breeding practices and to produce better horses, not just more horses.

WE ARE COMMITTED to responsible training techniques. All training should be done with the maturation and ability of the horse considered. Horses should be prepared for competition with proper training and conditioning methods. Excessive disciplining methods, whether in stables, training areas, or during competition, will not be tolerated.

WE ARE COMMITTED to educating owners, trainers, veterinarians, competitors, exhibitors and recreational riders to ensure that they know and respect their horse’s abilities and limits, and their own, so as to not push the horse or themselves beyond their ability level.

WE ARE COMMITTED to making all competitions fair and ensuring all competitors an equal opportunity to succeed. Performance-enhancing drugs, practices or equipment have no place in competitions or exhibitions. Effective drug testing by accredited laboratories is essential to the safety and welfare of our horses and the public support of competitions, with appropriate penalties levied for violations. The welfare of the horse must take precedence over the demands or expectations of owners, breeders, trainers, sellers, buyers, organizers, sponsors, officials, or spectators.

WE ARE COMMITTED to the welfare of the horse as paramount during competition. The horse industry should invest in the infrastructure, environment and facilities to provide a safe environment for all horses in all activities, whether breeding, competing, or simply riding. Any facilities that house horses should be committed to the appropriate care and treatment of all horses while in their facility, and should be designed with the environment and the intended use of the horse in mind.

WE ARE COMMITTED to minimizing injuries to horses during training, competition, use, or work. Whenever possible injury data should be collected, documented and reported to the governing body of the competition or any other injury database for analysis in order to ensure a safer environment.

WE ARE COMMITTED to the continual review, evaluation and improvement of all rules, regulations, policies and practices in all equine activities, based on science (where indicated). When warranted, they should be refined or changed. This includes existing practices to ensure they are not being perceived as acceptable, particularly if new research has called them into question.

WE ARE COMMITTED to providing continuing education on all activities involving horses and eliminate inhumane practices as well as strengthening sanctions for non-compliance.

WE ARE COMMITTED to educating all people who own or work with horses to ensure they are knowledgeable in the proper husbandry, care, and handling of horses. Each horse should be observed frequently to ensure that they are healthy. In consultation with a veterinarian, all such individuals should develop a sound health care program, appropriate to the facilities, environment and needs of the horses.

WE ARE COMMITTED to providing an environment in which anyone aware of equine cruelty or neglect is willing to report it to the proper local, state or federal authorities. Should an incident occur at an event it should be reported to judges, stewards, responsible authorities or the sanctioning organization.

WE ARE COMMITTED to improving the health and welfare of horses through scientific research, collaboration, advocacy and the development of appropriate rules. The industry should continue to support and work with the many individuals, universities, veterinarians and foundations doing and funding equine health and welfare research in order to reduce injuries and improve health.

WE ARE COMMITTED to horse owners and caretakers ensuring horses in their care are current on vaccinations and following best practices to minimize infection and disease. When a disease outbreak occurs horse owners and events must act quickly and responsibly, monitor the horses, report the outbreak to, and cooperate with, veterinarians, authorities, facility management and all stakeholders to bring a rapid resolution to the outbreak.

WE ARE COMMITTED to ensuring that our horses will have an opportunity to transition to additional careers, uses or activities as the need arises. When necessary, owners and veterinarians may have to consider end-of-life decisions. The welfare, safety and dignity of the horse must continue to be the guiding principle in deciding how and when to provide a humane death.

WE ARE COMMITTED to being transparent about our activities in order to ensure the public, the media, federal, state and local officials and the various segments of the horse community understand what we do, why we do it, and support it.

Overproduction recognized by salebarns

2009-11-28T21:46:00.002-06:00

This (below) is from the website of the Corsica Salebarn, from their Nov. 16 2009 horse sale.
This is a perfect example of the low-end horse breeders' nonsense.
Good grief, has it really taken them 12 years to figure out what their problem is?: Overproduction. Notice, though, as you read the report, first they admit that overproduction is the problem. They mention it twice. But, at the end of the report, they just can't stand it anymore, and they have to blame an outside source: The HSUS. Like it's their fault there are too many horses born every year.
Why did the rest of us know many many years ago that overproduction was the problem? DoubleHP has been doing horse rescue for about 8 years now, and we knew that overproduction was the cause of the problem way back then. I'm sure the HSUS knew it way before that. The low-end horse breeders are the last to figure it out. Surprise Surprise! I've always thought these low-end breeders must not be too smart. Feed and care for an untrained broodmare all year, sell her baby for $50 or $500, and call it a business. Please tell me, where is the profit? That is, if you are properly caring for the horses. If they can't figure out in about a second that this is not a good business plan, no wonder it took them 12 years to figure out that overproduction is the problem. Well, at least they know now. Thank you to the Humane Society of the United States for helping us all understand what the problem is: overproduction!

here's the report:

"Loose Horses – sold 128 Head. The big cleanup of over production from when the horse market was at its high peak 10-12 years ago is about over. We have been selling lots of stallions & broodmares these past several years as people got out of the business when the price of weanlings dropped drastically due to the over production that had been going on. Again, foreign slaughter horse plants taking big advantage of the fact all horse processing plants closed in the U.S., no alternative but to use them & show it by prices paid. PETA & HUS has hurt the economy a bunch."

If you have questions or comments, please email Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

Goal: to end a cycle of neglect

2009-11-27T13:27:00.003-06:00

there is an update to the story about the 80 horses rescued in Tennessee.
All of the horses already have been signed over to the HSUS, and this rescue just happened a couple of days ago! Upon Vet approval, the horses will be adopted by responsible horse owners. I do not know the status of arrests, charges, all of that. But I do so hope that whatever else happens, these irresponsible horse owners are not allowed to own animals for a long long time if ever again. And that they will not be allowed to breed animals either. That, to me, is the final step. Ending the cycle of neglect for that group of horses, for that location, for those neglectful owners, forever. Without that, the mission is not completed. I realize that every situation is different. But this should be the goal every time. The unified goal. The goal of the Sheriff, the States Attorney, the State Vet. office, the neighbors, the community, and any animal welfare groups involved. And actually, this should be the goal of the Horse Industry as a whole too. What good can these irresponsible horse owners possibly do for the industry?

For me, the arrests, charges, convictions, sentences, fines, all of that can vary. And personally I do not care about all of that as much as I care about what will happen to the horses and making sure that these people do not repeat their crime of inhumane treatment to animals. And then they do need to be held accountable. They need to somehow come up with some money to help with the rescue and emergency care expenses. Their names have already been made public. So now they can live with this embarrassment, shame, and disgrace too. And try to pull themselves up out of it. If they have children, their children will have to deal with this publicity too. And that is sad. But if we want to move toward fixing this social problem, and that is exactly what it is, these are the things that must happen. This accomplishes several things. It sends a message out to other irresponsible horse owners. That they need to clean up their act or the same thing will happen to them. People are not so afraid to report these cases anymore. And they will get reported, eventually. It also helps to decrease, not increase, the numbers of horses born through irresponsible breeding practices which leads to more neglected and more unwanted horses. What it really does is this: It makes things better, not worse. It is a step toward progress, compassion, kindness, education, responsibility. Instead of a step backwards toward further cruelty, stupidity, failure, and crime. Let them get away with it, the situation will get worse and our Counties will find themselves having to deal with it more and more and more. instead of less and less and less. Deal with it now, without hesitation, without last-second sympathy for the offender, deal with it now as though it were a crime of significance. Because it is. Inhumane treatment to animals is directly and almost always related to violence against humans. Inhumane treatment to animals should be reason enough to act. But add in the relationship to violence against humans, and it becomes even more serious. Or it should anyway. Ending a cycle of inhumane treatment to animals is progress no matter how many animals are involved, one or one hundred. Ending a cycle of inhumane treatment to animals is huge! It will make the next one easier. And the one after that even easier. And on and on. And soon we will see the number of cases decreasing instead of increasing. I really believe this to be true. The laws are in place. And if we can work toward that unified goal of Ending a cycle of neglect, we will start to see a difference. We will start to see things get better, not worse.

I realize that as we go along, Society sometimes decides that certain things really aren't so bad anymore Society thinks these things should be more acceptable and "less illegal." Sometimes that's because so many people are doing it anyway, or because it's just the easiest way to deal with it. Make it legal so we don't have to deal with all the arrests. But starving an animal. Fencing it in with no food, no water, no shelter, must never become acceptable. Think of what acceptances would soon follow.
I just keep going back to the question: would we like to make things better or worse? And to make things better, we have to make certain things unacceptable. And inhumane treatment to animals is one of those things that should remain unacceptable. Or we will all lose the emotions, the compassion, the respect for ourselves and for the earth that we live on, we will lose all of the things that make us human and hold us together.
If you have comments or questions, please email Shelter Manager Darci at doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

Toward Greener Pastures for 80 Starving Horses - Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

2009-11-26T09:01:00.006-06:00

Here is a new post from the HSUS. The Humane Society of the United States. USE THE LINK BELOW. The link will take you to the story and a video. Notice they did not hesitate, and all entities were in agreement, that they must remove ALL not some of the animals on this property.

The horses in this story look and act like the horses we rescue. I can honestly say that in all of our rescues, only once did we have trailer loading issues. And we had prepared for that because we expected it with that particular group of horses. So we made sure we had some extremely experienced horse handlers and trainers with us on that rescue. But otherwise, we have never had trouble loading them. In most cases, the horses we rescue have had very little human contact in the months leading up to their rescue. Just standing out there starving. So, they are usually extremely happy to see us arrive with our trailers. and then when we get them to where we can give them hay and water, they quickly become our friends. Afterall, we are the ones who brought them to the food.
Bless Your Food on this Thanksgiving Day. And Bless the Animal Rescuers for the work they do. Sometimes they have to do it on Holidays, on weekends, after 5 p.m.. And many of them are Volunteers.

and the next time you hear someone around here say something negative about the mission of the HSUS, please set them straight. all you need to do is go to their website hsus.org and read their stories, watch their rescue and undercover videos. One of the hardest ones to watch is the one about the baby veal calves. And it doesn't have anything to do with eating beef, with eating baby beef, with farming, or about producing food. It only has to do with cruelty to animals. The way they are treated. The way they are piled up on top of each other. both the living ad the dead. The way they are splashed with water so the electric prod might be able to get them up on their tiny little feet, even though they are too weak to stand. The way the workers laugh at them, at their weak and wobbly condition, yelling at them to get up cuz "there aint nothin' wrong with you." Like I said, it has nothing to do with the production of food or farming. Only about cruelty.

here's the link to the new HSUS video. The rescue of 80 starving horses in Tennessee.

Toward Greener Pastures for 80 Starving Horses - Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation

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No, it won't get worse.

2009-11-19T15:42:00.011-06:00

Do you about throw up every time someone says, "it's only going to get worse," regarding the reports of starving horses in our area?

here is a response that I have found to be very satisfying:

"No, it won't get worse. Not in our area anyway. Because our Sheriffs and Humane Officers and State's Attorneys are investigating and charging people with inhumane treatment of animals, if they are indeed treating their animals inhumanely. It's getting better! not worse."

PERIOD. That's all you have to say. Your point will have been made.

Recently there have been several stories in our local news related to inhumane treatment of animals. the charges involve starving horses. emaciated horses. a horse with a damaged eyeball. a horse stolen and tortured. horses already dead by the time help arrives, puppy mills, dead puppies, injured dogs. And some people (even though they love animals and cry when they read these sad stories) don't think these stories should make the news. It's like, "yes I want the animals to get help and yes I want the people to get a little talkin' to, but I don't want everyone to know about it." I try and try and try to understand that separation and all I can come up with is they want the process to go so far and pertain only to that particular incident and hope that person never does it again and let that be that, but they don't want to deal with or be reminded of the big picture. They only want to go so far but don't want to take the last step that achieves progress, because that last step is a really really big one and can't be undone. They only want to go far enough so that others will notice they care and feel bad, but they don't want to go so far that their neighbors might get mad at them, even if the neighbors' animals are dead because they didn't get fed. They don't understand that when a crime is ignored, people think it isn't really a crime and it's ok to do it, that it's acceptable. And so it happens more often. But if the crime is dealt with as serious and unacceptable and punishable, people know that it is a serious crime that it is not going to be ignored. And so it happens less often. For those of us who concentrate on both the individual horse as well as the big picture, yes, of course, we want to help that horse. But we also, just as badly, want to make an educational point and influence in some little way, the big picture, to do what we can to decrease, not increase, the cases of neglected/abused horses and the cases of irresponsible horse breeders and owners. And you just can't do that by keeping things a secret.

You see, if people know it is no longer acceptable to treat horses this way, that it's not the norm, that it's not just some piddly little thing like spitting your gum out your car window, it will happen less often. Who wants to go to jail? pay fines? be totally embarrassed? have their kids deal with this kind of publicity? Who wants that? No one that I know! So, if people know that horse neglect is not exempt from all of this, horse neglect will happen less often. And that's why it is right that it is making the news around here. The stories need to be told. The problem cannot be hush-hushed. It exists and must be dealt with, in order to focus on the big picture and make things better not worse.

I would like to say that we are becoming kinder and smarter where animal welfare is concerned. That alone would make for fewer cases of inhumane treatment to animals. But the reality is that the thought of jail time and convictions probably outweighs the "be-kind-to-animals" theory.
So, let's try this again. Your co-worker who knows nothing about what's going on in the horse industry, comments on a news story involving a person charged with not feeding his horses. Co-worker shakes his head, noting the poor economy, "poor guy, hard times, and it's only gonna get worse," Co-worker says.
OK, and now what is your response?
"No, it won't get worse. Not in our area anyway. Because our Sheriffs and Humane Officers and State's Attorneys are investigating and charging people with inhumane treatment of animals, if they are indeed treating their animals inhumanely. It's getting better! not worse."

Yes! That is the right answer! Very good response!

This response addresses the no-clue "breeders" with no business & marketing sense who take their skinny wormy young horses to shabby little low-end salebarns to try to get $5 to $150 for them and call it a good day (I wonder what the mares look like at home). and that's if they have an ounce of ambition to get the horses in a trailer and haul them to the salebarn. Others just let them stand around at home and get skinnier and wormier until they die. With the poor skinny wormy mares bred back again for the next year, bred to the same stallion, the same product, the same packaging, and still no market. Stupid Business Plan. That's all it is.

And it also addresses the people who (with no money or facilities or ambition to do chores or knowledge of how to properly care for and train a horse) go to these shabby little low-end salebarns and buy these skinny wormy young horses for $5 to $150, take them home, fence them in, and provide even less than what the horses had before!

In all of our cases involving horses rescued from starvation, it's never been about the economy. It's never about anything. Except the situations mentioned above. The people with a legitimate excuse of "poor economy" and "poor market" are not going around buying more horses and they certainly are not breeding their mares back if no one would buy the babies the previous year. The responsible horse owners are not doing that. And we do not rescue horses from starvation when they are owned by responsible breeders and horse owners. Because responsible breeders and owners do not let their horses starve. It's the irresponsible ones, the ones mentioned in the above paragraph, who are causing the problem. They can't afford to feed a horse yet they go buy one. They can't afford to get the stud colts gelded so now the mares are pregnant and there wasn't enough food for them all the way it was! Those are the ones causing the problems. You think they have a clue about the economy? about the horse market? Surely not. Or they would not be buying and breeding these horses.

These are the people who need to read and see the news stories about other people doing time because they didn't feed their horses.

And at the same time, we can continue to focus in on the big picture too. We can continue to think about and remember the big problem of the cycle of horse neglect, and what it takes to break the cycle. So let's try to remember the big picture too.

Let's remember to ask questions and voice opinions about giving these rescued horses a chance at a good life now. In a new home. With guidelines or restrictions on breeding and re-sale.

Let's remember to ask questions and voice opinions about the future of all of the horses, not just some of the horses, that are owned by these people.

Let's remember to ask questions and voice opinions about the irresponsible reproduction of these neglected horses.

Let's remember to ask questions and voice opinions that may help lead to the end of a particular cycle of neglect for a particular entire herd (not just part of the herd), for a particular location, for a particular horse owner. Forever.

The photo above is Saint Nick, whose inhumane treatment resulted in his death. His owner was convicted.
No, it's not going to get worse. It can't. It can only get better. For the Horses.

Addition: I am adding this to this post. I just found it in the news but it happened about a month ago. DoubleHP received reports about these horses and forwarded the info. on to Second Chance Rescue. DoubleHP has no legal authority, so you are better off making your reports directly to a Sheriff or a Humane Officer. But here is an example of how it really does help to report things.

48 year old Kenneth Backes and 51 year old Johnny Backes were ordered to turn ownership for 13 of 14 animals previously seized from their property to the Second Chance Rescue Center. They also pled to one count of inhumane treatment of an animal for one of the colts seized. All other charges were dismissed. 14 animals were taken in the Hanson County community of Emery after authorities received a tip that the animals were malnourished. The brothers are also not allowed to have any other livestock on their property before June 1st of 2010 and after that they're only allowed three head of livestock total.

Spencer man charged with inhumane treatment to animals

2009-11-14T14:36:00.001-06:00

Man faces charges in animal case

Melanie Brandert, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.

Nov. 7--SPENCER -- A Spencer man faces 15 counts of misdemeanor inhumane treatment of an animal for neglecting several horses and two dogs.

Thomas A. Dykshorn, 33, is accused of failing to provide food, water and proper care for the animals on Oct. 6, according to the complaint dated Monday in McCook County circuit court.

Dykshorn's case is connected to 12 horses being seized from his farm three miles east of Spencer by Second Chance Rescue Center officials on Oct. 14. That was the center's third major animal seizure since early September.

Eleven horses were taken to Second Chance. One horse that had its eyeball removed because it was punctured was transported to Dakota Large Animal Clinic near Harrisburg.

Many of the horses had protruding ribs, vertebrae and hip bones, said Dana Wigg, Second Chance humane officer.

McCook County Sheriff Mark Norris has said he received an anonymous call on Oct. 6 from a concerned person who saw a stray dog at a rural home east of Spencer and thought it belonged to a neighbor.

Wigg met with Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Moen to pick up the dog, which had visible ribs and hip bones, that afternoon from Dykshorn's acreage, court documents said. They found another dog with several injuries, such as a partially collapsed head, swollen-shut left eye and indented skull.

The horses showed signs of being starved and underweight, and some had bleeding legs. Many of the horses had no food or water in their pens.

Wigg took the two dogs into her custody that day.

Rosey Quinn, Second Chance director, said the horses are recuperating, except for one that is not well. Three of the horses have been adopted, and the center is looking for homes for the others.

"They have got a ways to go with their recovery," she said. "They have had their feet done, gotten shots (and) been wormed."

Horses in poor condition usually take four to six weeks for any changes to occur with their health, Quinn said.

Dykshorn is free on $500 bond and will have his initial court appearance on Nov. 30.

'Tis the Season for Hope

2009-11-12T19:11:00.001-06:00

This is an early Christmas gift from Kelli Bultena at http://www.lennoxnews.com/.

it's going to run in the Eastern South Dakota Peach in late November. a PSA. Full Page! Thank you so much Kelli and The Peach.

Here's some info. about the Peach that you will find on the lennoxnews.com website.
Are you looking for an affordable way to reach thousands of potential customers? The Eastern SD Peach is the answer. Established by a group of neighboring newspaper publishers, The Eastern SD Peach provides a great market for any advertiser. It is an all advertising tabloid that is inserted into 11 different newspapers.

Place your ad today! Email kelli@lennoxnews.com or call 605-647-2284 for more information.

• Our publication is second in paid circulation in the immediate metro area to the Argus Leader with a readership of 30,000 and a circulation in excess of 12,500.

• It is very affordable advertising and will not stress your advertising budget.

• We have excellent demographics that target a wide variety of social audiences.

Participating newspapers (phone numbers) and coverage area include:

1. The Alcester Union/Hudsonite (605) 934-2640 Alcester/Hudson

2. Canistota Clipper (605) 296-3181 Canistota

3. Hartford Area News (605) 296-3181 Hartford

4. Hawarden Independent (712) 551-1051 Hawarden, IA

5. Humboldt Journal (605) 296-3181 Humboldt

6. Leader-Courier (605) 356-2632 Elk Point/Jefferson

7. Lennox Independent (605) 647-2284 Lennox/ Chancellor/Worthing/Tea

8. Madison Daily Leader (605) 256-4555 Madison

9. The Marion Record (605) 648-3821 Marion

10. The Montrose Herald (605) 363-5038 Montrose

11. Parker New Era (605) 297-4419 Parker

Well, I better get some sponsor details up on the web.

I think this is just beautiful. Kelli gave us permission to use it however we want to.

Kelli designed it. Isn't she good!

This is a special PSA. Some of you will recognize the children in this PSA. The Antonsens from Hartford SD. Paul is the little boy with the special heart. The family is coming to visit us and their sponsored horse Prince this Saturday. The next day Paul will leave on an adventure. It will most likely involve his fifth open-heart surgery and a pacemaker.

Yes, this PSA is special. Thanks again Kelli.

Thank you, it's never too late to help

2009-11-11T09:50:00.001-06:00

A while back I mentioned that when I go for a long time without blogging it doesn't mean there's nothing going on. It means the opposite. We've been very busy with a new group of rescued horses, which I'm still not allowed to talk about or show pictures of. This makes it difficult to get donations. How do people know we really are caring for these horses or that these horses exist? Anyway, thank you to those of you who have been able to help or donate. DoubleHP and my dad Wally Hortness donated the first 50 bags of stall bedding for these horses. And others have followed with an additional 40 bags through our program at TSC. Some of you I know, some of you I don't know yet. But when our program at TSC ends on Sunday and we do our raffle, I'll get the info. from TSC and I hope it will include your names and addresses so I can thank you all properly. In addition, we have received some cash donations from some of our loyal friends who help every single time we (the horses) need it. and also from a couple of new friends. I am hoping we will be able to reimburse the very generous person who opened up her stable, hay, and chore help resources for these horses during their first 2-3 weeks of rescue. This is a lot of extra work and hay and manure for one facility. And we don't have any room left here at DoubleHP. So we rely on other horse facilities to step forward and help out during the first 2-3 weeks of quarantine & Vet evaluation, before we can move the horses into more family-type foster homes.
Thanks also to those of you who have volunteered to help with chores for the new horses and for the shelter horses here at DoubleHP. The regulars are back to work now so things are getting back to normal whatever that is. And we also got about 20 sm sq bales of alfalfa donated. It's from a hay provider we buy from, so it's excellent hay! And the Vet had us start the horses on some alfalfa last week. Still mostly grass hay, but now a little bit of alfalfa too.
I wish I could say more, but frankly I have no idea what is going on as far as the legal part of it. I am not involved in that part of it. I can tell you that these horses needed our help and all we can do for now is keep helping them. I guess.
Thanks.

thanks for the poem

2009-11-04T20:34:00.002-06:00

oh, look what someone gave to me in a comment from previous post.
thank you whoever you are.

The Heart of a Horse

When your day seems out of balance
And so many things go wrong
When people fight around you
And the clock drags on so long…

When most folks act like children
And fill you with remorse
Go out into your pasture
Wrap your arms around your horse.

His gentle breath enfolds you
As he watches with those eyes
He may not have a PhD
But he is, oh, so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder
You embrace him good and tight;
He puts your world in balance
And makes it seem all right.

Your tears will soon stop flowing
Then tension will be eased.
The nonsense has been lifted
You are quiet and at peace.

So when you need some balance
From the stresses in your day,
The best therapy you can seek
Is out there eating hay!

Author unknown

TSC has made it easy for you to help

2009-10-22T11:28:00.004-05:00

this photo is Prince & Princess, about a year and a half old, rescued. They "lived" their first year and a half in a state of starvation. see their ribs? their backbones? this is a body condition score of 2-3. A 2 is emaciated. This was about 5 years ago.
But recently we have taken on the responsibility of helping with some new rescues. We do not have permission yet to say anything about them. But I can tell you that they needed our help very very much.
TSC on North Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls has set up a stall bedding program for the rescued horses we are helping with. Buy & donate one or more bags of bedding at TSC, they will set it aside for us, we will pick it up and take it to the horses, who will appreciate it very much.

Also, there is a raffle box at TSC. For each bag of bedding you buy & donate, you may enter the raffle. We don't have raffle details yet but there will be several prizes.

theequinest.com is wonderful, beautiful, fun, informative

2009-10-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

Paige from The Equinenest posted a super great story about our Unbridled Beauties Calendar.

Here's the link.http://www.theequinest.com/unbridled-beauties-calendar//

This website it really fun, and I highly recommend that you check it out.

Paige is from California but she travels a lot.

This picture is Paige's Facebook photo.

Today I spent all day with the horses here at DoubleHP Horse Shelter. I fed them inside. It rained all dang day long. But it finally quit this evening, so they got to have supper outside. Got some of the stalls cleaned but not all of them. And the riding arena is a mess because that's their main shelter. This was my second full day with no chore help. Our morning person is in California for 2 weeks. Our Tues-Thurs afterschooler is gone this week too.
Heidi usually comes on Wednesday nights, but she has been going at night to take care of the new rescues at one of our other foster homes.
I was so glad it quit raining though. I made it in the house just in time for the start of the baseball game. The Dodgers have a lot of work to do. They are down 3-2 right now.
I have not taken a bath yet today. I ran my water this morning. And then I got involved in something so I shut it off (I thought). And then when I went back in to finish running the water, I could not believe that I hadn't actually shut it off. You should have seen how full it was. And of course ice cold.
I have done things similar to that before. never ran it over but I'm afraid it will happen some day.
Dodgers behind 4-2 now. Their pitchers have been having some probs.
I'm having a new volunteer come tomorrow afternoon. someone emailed someone who emailed her. Nice to know our communication is still working.
Heidi hasn't called me yet about the new rescues. so that must mean all is well there. I am trying to keep my distance from them because I fall in love with them all and just want to bring them all home and I just don't have time for anymore here.

Unbridled Beauties calendar promotion in Mitchell on Friday Oct. 23

2009-10-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

The Unbridled Beauties will be in Mitchell this Friday, October 23, promoting our Calendar Project which raises money to help feed and care for our rescued horses.
in the morning at 9:45 a.m., Miss January and Miss December will be on air on Mitchell Radio KQRN 107.3 FM.
That evening starting at 6 p.m. they will host a Calendar Signing Party at Big Dummy's Bar & Casino in Mitchell. It's located at 112 N. Main. Owner Jason Bates is a sponsor of our 2010 Calendar. The phone number there is 605 990-3869.
The Unbridled Beauties will be there to sell and sign Calendars.

How dare you, and What Kind of an Organization are you

2009-10-20T21:34:00.002-05:00

today I got one of those calls: "are you that horse rescue place?" "Can you take my horse?"
Why in the world would I want to "take" your horse? is what I always want to say.
I didn't say that of course. I just let her talk.
Her horse needs a surgery and even the surgery will keep the horse as a "pasture pal" and she can't afford the surgery.
often I will ask some questions. like, do you have other horses? what vet? how long has he been sore? things like that.
But, with the recent starvation rescues we have done, and because I was out doing chores for 16 horses here at DoubleHP Horse Shelter (my morning chore person is in California for 2 weeks, my after schooler is gone this week, and the other one is going after a full day of "real" work to where the new rescues are, to clean their stalls and see how they are doing), well, I didn't feel like chit chatting or even trying to convince her to figure out a way to take care of her horse.
I just did my generic thing: "We don't do that, what we do is assist law enforcement with horse cases of starvation. And we think that your horse is your responsibility, and if you can't afford it then you just shouldn't have horses. I'm sorry." but of course she hung up before I was done.
As I was pushing the wheelbarrow around etc. I got some more incomings from this same number. I didn't answer. I figured she could leave a message. She did not. But, then, an incoming from a different number. I answered. "did you just talk to my daughter? how dare you tell a young girl..." blah blah blah. I don't remember those first words. but I do remember this "what kind of an organization are you?" And so I began to tell her, my generic thing: "We assist law enforcement with horse cases of starvation..." but she didn't hear a word because at the same time she was saying, "you called her a piece of shit" and "this is a young girl who is trying to do the right thing and you would rather have her starve her horse?" somewhere in there I said "I'm trying to tell you what kind of an organization we are, because you asked" and "no I most certainly did not call anyone a piece of shit" and "of course I did not tell her to starve her horse" and "I'm going to hang up now. Goodbye."

but what I really wanted to say is, "why in the world won't you pay for the horse's surgery for your daugther?"

I did know, before it even happened, that she would begin to blame us "do-gooders" for her horse problems. Like, why can't we take her horse? isn't that what we are supposed to do?
Sorry lady, volunteers get to choose what mission they want to follow. and our mission is "to assist law enforcement in horse cases of starvation."
It's pretty loud and clear on our website.
The only thing I regret is that I didn't ask her where she got our number. If someone told her to call us, that person needs to know this isn't what we do. We do not bail out horse owners. We have plenty horses of our own to care for.
Doesn't this person know how many thousands of unwanted horses there are? Is this person in some deep deep sleep with absolutely no awareness of what is going on in the horse industry?
We have trouble finding good homes for the horses we get trained. Why in the world would we want her horse too? I do of course feel sorry for the horse. Sorry because its owner won't take care of it and keep it, no matter what.
That's what we do. Once we rescue a horse, it's forever. No matter what.
But the horses that already have homes, they have to be able to depend on their homes to care for them.
We are here for the horses without homes.We figure if there is no food and water there is no home. Those are the horses we help. Sorry, but like I said, volunteers get to choose who they want to help.

help if you can, and thank you if you already are.

2009-10-17T19:56:00.002-05:00

URGENT:

I know things are tough all over, and If you are already giving all you can, to whatever mission you choose, thank you thank you thank you.
maybe we'll catch up with you next year.
But, if you are feeling somewhat fortunate and have been thinking about "giving" to a good cause, this would be a good time now.
DoubleHP recently has assisted Law Enforcement in the rescue, transportation, Vet appts., deworming, and providing foster homes and stall bedding for 10 horses. Several different cases.

One pinto colt, Rocket, and one pony, TooLoo, are available for adoption but the others are all in "legal limbo" right now.
They all have some legal stuff going on so we don't have much for details for you right now.
the 2 available for adoption can be seen on our website. http://www.doublehphorses.org/

the others are in a warm, safe off-site foster home with shelter, water, and lots of good food. We may need to move some of those in the next week though. It's a lot of extra horses for one family.
plus we do have 6 long-time foster horses here at DoubleHP horse shelter that we continue to care for.
That's 16 in foster care right now!
We desparately need bags of stall bedding.
If you have any extras or could afford to buy a few, please let me know.

Or, if you can provide excellent foster care, preferably for 2 horses but possibly just 1. They are all pretty young. this would include 24-hour access to shelter preferably to be able to get in a building, 24-hour access to water that does not freeze, you know, just all of the normal things we do for our horsey friends. except that these are not normal horses. they need some extra help getting through this winter.
money donations are good too. (I know I don't have to tell you that, I just feel bad asking the same people for help over and over again.)

also, 3 of our part-time chore helpers are all going to be gone the next couple of weeks but all at the same time! This will make it somewhat difficult for me to be here and at the other foster locations all at the same time.
anyone got any free time to clean some stalls? (volunteer opportunities only I'm afraid)

If you can help in any of these ways, please just let me know.
DoubleHP (Horse Help Providers, Inc) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization operating totally through volunteers and donations.
thanks you so much.
Darci, www.doublehphorses.org
605 359-0961.
25337 470 Ave, Crooks SD 57020

off to another rescue

2009-10-16T21:21:00.001-05:00

tomorrow I am meeting Law Enforcement to rescue some more horses. I have not seen anything, I don't know where we are going. I don't know what they look like or where they will go. But it will be a sad, long day.

Yes it is our business

2009-10-16T09:36:00.003-05:00

There is quite a bit of rambling in this post. sorry. but I wrote it in several different sessions and even different days and finally just got tired of rambling and pushed the "publish post" button so here you go.

There have been many dogs and horses rescued around here lately. And a lot of it is making the news too! I am so glad the horses around here are finally getting some respect and help. This is what needs to happen. People have to keep reporting these things when they are unlucky enough to see them, so that other people, those with the authority to act, can then do what they do.
I know for an absolute fact that this is working.
Lately I have been called to assist a Humane Officer with horses in a couple of different situations. The latest was a report of a horse who could barely walk. The report was called in to me, and I always have to explain that I don't have any legal authority but then I always give them the name and number of the right person to call. and I always check to make sure they did call. Well this person did call, right away! And I am so proud of her for following through right away. Then, the person with authority to act, called me and asked me to help. That is exactly how it is supposed to work! The horse owner said he had seen on the internet news all the animals being taken away from people. And there is now a Vet appt. scheduled for the reported lame horse, so its suffering will end, one way or another.
So, it's working. People know that if they don't take care of their horses, there is a good chance they will make the news about it and end up on the wrong side of a legal situation. People know that if they have a sick or injured horse, they need to take it to an equine Vet, or they have a good chance of making the news for it. Not because of the injury, we all know that horses get injured. But because of not dealing with the injury in a humane way. If we own animals, any animals, cows, dogs, cats, horses, we need to expect there will be some Vet needs and Vet bills along the way. And if we don't want to deal with the Vet stuff, then we shouldn't deal with the animals at all. I mean we shouldn't own animals if we aren't going to assume and accept that Vet bills go along with that ownership.
And people also know that if they have too many horses they need to find new homes for them -- before they reach the point of emaciation. And quit breeding so many of them too!
That is why you are not seeing the super skinny horses at the salebarns anymore. Well, that and because the salebarns are telling those people "no."
Because, of course, neglect is neglect. And a person who drops off an emaciated or seriously injured horse at a salebarn should be questioned just as a person anywhere else should be questioned. It used to be that, well, at certain little delapidated salebarns, the owners thought "if I can just make it to the salebarn I won't get in trouble." But this "safe haven" for neglectful horse owners is disappearing too. Which needs to happen.
Horse owners need to not have all of the little excuses and reasons and convenient dumpsites for their unwanted horses. They need to be forced to be responsible horse owners. We have all had plenty of time to become this on our own, just because it's right and because we believe in humane treatment, well, and because a lot of us really do love our horses and we don't want them to be suffering. But others need to be forced to do this. Because they have no heart, they have no compassion.

The person who reported the seriously lame horse told me that she hesitated with her reporting. Many people do. Because, even though they know in their hearts and minds that it is the right thing to do; all of the people telling them "it's none of our business, it's not our horse," makes them think twice. But you know what? It is our business! I told the caller, "you did right, it is our business, anytime we see a living thing suffering, it is our business." I am so proud of this caller for doing what she did. And I am so so so glad we are all starting to understand that horses are horses. They are not "pets" like dogs and cats. And they are not livestock like cows & pigs being raised for slaughter. (The SD Animal Industry Board told me that they know of no one in our state who raises horses for slaughter.) Horses are in a class all their own. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live with horses know this. they are in a class all their own. and it is a very classy class.

I don't know how all the sadness about all the horses around here that need rescuing can possibly bring me happiness. Directly, it doesn't. But the fact that there is so much more help for them now around here, and so many more people understanding the big picture, that makes me happy.
What is the big picture? The big picture is the same as it's been since we started doing rescue 7 years ago. Way back when the slaughterhouses were still open in the US. Way back when you could dump anything off at your little delapidated neighborhood salebarn. Dump them off and drive away, so no one will know it was you that brought them here in that condition. What ever happened to wanting to have the highest selling horse? instead of the lowest selling, skinniest, most neglected horse. The big picture is the same. TOO MANY HORSES. Too many horses being bred & born and then never trained, never dewormed, barely fed, never cared for, never loved, never wanted. Still the same big picture. TOO MANY UNWANTED HORSES!
What has changed is the view and the focus of this big picture. People are getting it, finally!
We cannot continue to empower and encourage people to treat their horses like this and say, "that's okay, it happens."
We have to keep reporting things that look like neglect, people who don't have time and money for horses need to find new homes for them -- before they reach the emaciated state. And people who are breeding their mares and complaining that no one will buy the babies need to quit breeding. WE DO NOT NEED ANYMORE UNWANTED HORSES!
I do not believe there is more neglect going on. How can it be any worse than our cases of Saint Nick and Jack Frost. What I believe is there is more reporting going on and more action being taken. And more people becoming responsible horse owners. More people understanding the Big Picture. Fewer people willing to look the other way, fewer people "bailing out" the irresponsible horse owners, no questions asked. And instead of making it even easier and seemingly ok for these irresponsible owners to treat their horses this way (because that's what we do everytime we bail them out, we empower and encourage them and tell them it's ok), instead of doing that, more people are doing what needs to be done. Looking the neglect straight on, not looking the other way. And telling Authorities there is something wrong, instead of telling the irresponsible owners there is nothing wrong.
It is our business. It is the Earth that we live on, and it is our business.

Oct. 10 is a date of significance

2009-10-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

Last night, Oct. 10, Greg & I went to the Paws to Celebrate fundraiser for the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. What a neat event! great food and lots of wine to sample. I was high bidder for a spay/neuter from one of the Vets in Sioux Falls. I figure Turtle will need to be spayed in a few months.
Seven years ago on Oct. 10 we were also doing Humane Society related things. But it was not so pretty, not so fun. On Oct. 10, 2002, we assisted the Humane Society with the rescue of 17 horses in Turner County. That is where Spirit and Butterscotch came from. They were 2 of the weanlings found locked in a building with no food and water.

SPIRIT AND BUTTERSCOTCH, SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THEIR RESCUE BACK IN 2002.

BILLIE, ONE OF THE MARES HIDDEN OUT IN THE TREES ON THE RESCUE OCT. 10, 2002.

The mares were like "the walking dead" tucked away out in the trees so no one could see them.
I think one thing that has changed over these 7 years is that people are not as afraid to report these situations of starvation. I could never understand this fear anyway. People afraid of getting their "good neighbor" in trouble. What I DON'T understand is how people can look at these animals and NOT report it.
Anyway, I just thought it quite interesting that Oct. 10 should be so eventful for us.

Oh, and this year Oct. 10 involved Law Enforcement just as it did 7 years ago during the horse rescue. But this year, it was because Greg got picked up for speeding on the way home. 65 in a 55.

Accepting sponsors and models for 2011 calendar

2009-10-09T10:23:00.039-05:00

Three of our Unbridled Beauties Models have volunteered to be in a 2011 calendar, so I guess the request is officially open to people and businesses interested in sponsoring and/or modeling for an Unbridled Beauties of DoubleHP 2011 Calendar.

Our 2010s are available for sale, and we still have a few 2009s left.

(this was our first one),

if you would like to start a collection of them.

For info. about the 2011 calendar plans, go here. http://www.ubcalendar.blogspot.com/

the photos here are the 2010 inside cover

pages (The Wanted Poster, these 2 pages go together top & bottom when you open up the front cover)

The bib overalls on the fence is the 2010 cover photo, the sepia with guitar is the 2010 Centerfold, and the last one here is the 2009 cover photo. As you can see, the theme is "conservatively sexy".

But if you don't like that, or if you are afraid to admit that you do, we have another calendar that is also available for sale. That is our 2010 Horses Only desktop calendar. Those photos are horses only, horses that live at DoubleHP Horse Shelter.

you will find info. about both of these calendars on our DoubleHP website. http://www.doublehphorses.org/
if you have any questions or want to order by phone, just give me a call. 605 359-0961. thanks, Darci, Moonshine's Mom.

turtle, week 2

2009-10-07T10:26:00.004-05:00

Turtle is doing better. She can walk now without tipping over. I don't think there is a neurological thing. I think she was just that weak. She continues to eat well and has now even tried the dry crunchy food. I am always glad when we get to this point. Not as messy. I still give her canned beefy/gravy stuff though too. and the kitty chow with warm water. we take turns. She still has some sneezes but her eyes are a lot better.

VOLUNTEER NEEDED: During Oct. 20 to Nov. 4, 2 of our chore helpers will both be gone. We could really use a volunteer. not necessarily all of these days. mostly Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday. the best would be a.m. or early afternoon for 2 or 3 hours. could you please let me know if you could help out on one or more of these days. mostly cleaning stalls & pens. Thanks, Darci.

so the little kitty will feel better Amen

2009-10-04T20:44:00.004-05:00

Today was Christina Antonsen's birthday party. Her birthday was several months ago, right after her family returned from Ann Arbor Michigan where her little brother Paul had not one but two open heart surgeries. He had already had two in previous years. Paul is 5. Christina's little sister Amanda actually had her birthday party in Michigan during Paul's surgeries. Christina wanted to have her party here, with the horses. So we waited until Mom Deb could get it all figured out for the whole family to be here and a cake and stuff.

So today was the day! We got out Prince and Flicka and the kids wanted Prince to be completely clean before we put the saddle on. I told them they better put up a tent with supplies. With this recent rain, well, the horses, have had wonderful mud rolling opportunities and took full advantage of it all. They did a nice job of brushing the horses out though. (okay, so Dad Randy helped a little). And around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around the arena we went. Today was the first day I can remember Gabe wanting to ride. He liked it too! The kids were all very interested in the new kitten Turtle. Turtle is getting stronger every day. She had a good day today. Before we had birthday cake, Paul suggested a prayer. And he delivered. The gist of it, which was entirely clear, was "we pray for the little kitty so it will feel better, Jesus, Amen"

bugs and turtles and too many horses

2009-10-02T23:12:00.006-05:00

this bug photo is from a few days ago. when it was still warm out. it's been cold and windy and today rain all day long. Did I miss summer? I can't remember having one this year.

new kitty Turtle is some better. She went to the Vet on Monday. RJ went along. RJ got some shots and got spayed. Turtle got some blood drawn. She doesn't have any of those deadly catchy kitty things. so we decided she needed a chance. Dr. Michelle kind of thought she might have a neurological disorder. that would fit with Greg's observance of her not walking right. But now she seems to be doing better. Maybe she was just that weak and cold and dehydrated. she has a long ways to go and I spose it could go either way. but she is eating and drinking and pooping. (sounds like my horse evaluations).

I got a call from a woman who needs a new home for her old mare. They brought a new gelding and stallion home, put them in a separate pasture, and the old mare is acting "out of control," running the fence, etc. The woman thought the mare didn't want the boys there. I asked her if she considered the possibility that she was acting that way because she wanted to be with them (well, the gelding would be good anyway). anyway, I tried to convince her to find a way to keep the mare. she has arthritis etc. and can't be ridden. told her things would probably be better if the stallion wasn't there. what I really suggested is that she have a trainer type person or at least a very experienced horse handler type person come and take a look at the situation. Maybe the mare just wants to be with the gelding. I can't tell from here, but with all the hundreds of horses needing new homes, we all really need to try to keep our old, lame, unrideables. I really cannot imagine kicking my old guys out just to make room for younger ones.

here is a link for you.

there are 2 huge horse adoption/auction type things. One is the 80 some horses rescued on SD Indian Reservation last winter. the other is a wild horse herd in ND. 90 or so I think. I don't believe either agency is putting breeding restrictions on these sales/adoptions. They are missing the whole point. They need to quit breeding these horses.

just want you to know what it's like out there. hundreds and hundreds of ponies available. Do we need to add any more to the pot right now?
here's the link for the SD horses. http://www.ospra.org/pages/default.aspx
I couldn't get the one for the ND ones to work but here's what i have.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/134784/

caring for other peoples' animals

2009-09-27T23:11:00.006-05:00

The 2 new rescues (the horses, not this kitty, you'll read about the kitty at the end of this post) went to the Vet last Friday. And spent the night. Rocket, the pinto, needed to become a gelding. They were both excellent for their shots and both hopped right in the trailer for us. Today Andy at the Humane Society called me and asked about Rocket. He is swollen. Bigger than a grapefruit size. She called the vet and they discussed what's going on and he told her not to worry. I know what that's like though. We rescue these guys from horrible situations and it seems we have to do more bad things to them to make them better. So yes, we feel bad and we worry for them. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but I'm guessing he'll be okay. The pony TooLoo is only about 8 years old. She is getting really nice now too. They are 2 really nice horses and they need homes! Please!

Here's the deal about my attitude. I get a call from a lady asking if we are the "horse rescue assistance place." I knew what kind of a call this was going to be. Seems her mother is in the hospital and her mother's horses will be without feed at the end of this month or sooner. She would be happy to drop them off someplace and not let her mother know where they went. She didn't want anyone to go to where the horses are. She would not give me her name or tell me where the horses are. She said there are 6 to 8 of them, 6-7 years old (so far it didn't sound too bad but I knew the bad part was coming). sure enough, none of them are broke. they are broodmares. Pregnant? not sure. no stallion there now. You have to know that I never know how much of any of this is true. okay. there is some reason she doesn't want anyone to go there. couldn't someone take them another round bale? couldn't a neighbor take care of them for a while? could you find one little stupid ounce of ambition and post a FREE ad on keloland.com, or something????????? But, at this point, I was still trying to find out the location of the horses. All I got was "near Miller." that was odd. the phone number was Mitchell. but I didn't ask.

"Are they registered?"

"I believe some are, but you won't be getting the papers with them."

"WHAT???????"

okay, here comes my attitude.

"listen lady, you called for help, do you have any idea how much money it will cost to get all of these horses trained? we are trying to find something marketable about them. Papers might make them marketable.

"Nope, we won't be signing them over."

she should have just told me they were all grade mares. then I wouldn't have exposed my "attitude." well, not as much anyway.

things went downhill fast at that point. She hung up on me because she didn't like "my attitude."

Here is the traceback number: 996-1212. It's the 1st Reformed Church in Mitchell. My thought is maybe the lady who called works there (there's a recording that sounds an awful lot like the voice that called me) and her mother's horses are near Miller. I forwarded this info. on to a Humane Officer and the Animal Industry Board. The AIB told me when they get a formal complaint they can check it out.

Okay, I understand it all. I understand how it works. but I was kind of wondering, could we get just a little creative, a little unscientific for just a moment? could a deputy or anyone who might just know this woman go find out where the horses are so someone can go check on them? I am sorry that I cannot just let everyone dump these untrained horses off here. How can people still be so fogged over about the horse industry and how the bad breeders (yes, there are good breeders too) have bred themselves right out of business? and placed the blame on us "do-gooders" as they like to call us. And, okay, really, how much effort does it take to post a free ad, or find someone to do it for you. anyone with a computer can do it!

Have I vented yet? I guess.

and then, this morning, I thought he was kidding but he wasn't. Greg says, "we have a new cat."

or something like that.

anyway, here she is. photo at the top of this post. She can barely walk so someone must have dumped her off here.

hey, thanks a lot! next time could you tie about $200 on to her bones please? just to get me started with her?

my my my my my. what a weekend I'd say. I did get her to eat some kitten chow in warm water. we'll see what tomorrow brings for her.

TooLoo and Rocket need new homes

2009-09-18T23:30:00.010-05:00

We are helping a Humane Officer with placement of the cutest little pony, TooLoo. And the friendliest 2-year-old horse, Rocket. Rocket has 2 names so far. Rocket and Lucky. We'll call him Rocket for now. Though he is a very lucky boy. We don't know a lot about them yet. There are some legal things going on that we are not involved with. But they have both been signed over to authorities and they are available for adoption.

TooLoo is a little pony mare. seems to be okay. sound. etc. The farrier said she was good to work with. She needs to have a vet exam though. shots, age estimate, etc. She was basically abandoned. A little thin but not bad.

Rocket was extremely thin. He was rescued from starvation. But after 2 weeks he is doing better. He is a pretty grullo paint color. seems to be sound and okay now. He too will get a thorough Vet check soon. next week we hope.

We will get you more info. as we get it. For now, if you think you might be interested in adopting one or both of these sweeties, just give me a call. Thanks, Darci. 605 359-0961.

Earlier this week I received emails from people about some horses in trouble in Emery SD. I had heard about this last year too I think. I forwarded the info. on to Rosey at 2nd Chance Rescue and to the SD Animal Industry Board. And Holy Horses if they didn't do a rescue over there too. I think 8 horses, some doggies and some bunnies. There have already been arrests in this case.

It was all on the news today.

Will it ever end? no, probably not. There are people who lock their 2-legged children in closets and starve them and beat them and worse. of course there will always be animal neglect.

But, we need to keep reporting, keep arresting, keep punishing, keep decreasing the numbers of cases of animal neglect. We need to keep saying

(1) it's okay and necessary to report suspected animal neglect

(2) it's not okay to let your horses starve to death or let their hooves curl up into their knees or die from parasite infestitation, and you will be punished if you get caught doing this.

This is a good time to do my lecture again about bailing people out whether it's from them directly or from one of the horrible little neighborhood salebarns that still exist (you know the salebarns I am talking about in our state). If you go to one of these salebarns and see skinny, sick, foundered, or otherwise neglected horses. REPORT IT! It's neglect! Why should neglect be lawful just because it's at a salebarn? It's not! REPORT IT! Take the poor babies home if you want to. That is wonderful of you. But REPORT IT! They should be able to find out who consigned the poor babies, and deal with it and for sure go check on other animals they most likely have at home. REPORT IT!

End of lecture. I'm sure I made my point.

recent rescues

2009-09-16T16:41:00.006-05:00

Please give your horsies some extra time and kindness today. The past few days Greg & I have been helping with some recently rescued horses. It is a legal deal and so we don't know much about it. We are just helping as we are needed.

Just please give your horsies some extra time and kindness today -- and tomorrow -- and always.

thanks.

and thanks Heidi and Rocky for this beautiful beautiful photo. and Jamie Flinn the photographer for allowing us the rights to it.

Photo Copyright Horse Help Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP) and Jamie Flinn of JF Photos in Sioux Falls.

Percherons in our yard

2009-09-15T10:59:00.005-05:00

Last Wednesday while Deb and I were out in the front yard with Paul & Prince, our neighbor Mary Gibson drove in and said they were having a big event at their house Saturday. (last Saturday, just a couple of days ago.) One of their sons was getting married and they were going to give horse & wagon rides to the guests and could they use our turn-around driveway. Sure!

They hired McCrossan Boys Ranch. And the team selected was a beautiful pair of Percherons.

I didn't get their names, but I'll try to find out.

Back in the Saddle Again.

2009-09-13T22:49:00.006-05:00

This is Paul and Prince. I wrote a little about them in the previous post. Paul has a Special Heart. And, well, I guess Prince does too.

Prince & Butterscotch back with herd

2009-09-13T21:55:00.008-05:00

This is Prince & Butterscotch, with Spirit in the background.

Prince & Butterscotch are very happy to be back out with the herd, after their recent Vet trips and stall rest.

The evening we got back from our Minnesota / Wisconsin vacation, August 23, we had visitors. Deb & Randy Antonsen and their children Christina, Amanda, Paul & Gabe came to visit. Paul is a 5-year-old boy who has had 4 open heart surgeries and now has a mechanical valve (as of June 2009) and I believe his status is still "congestive heart failure." Their whole family spent over a month in Ann Arbor Michigan in June-July for Paul's most recent 2 surgeries. And then of course he was not allowed to ride for a while. So, finally, he can ride again! But the kids didn't ride on this day. "Their" horse, Prince, was very sore. He suffers from severe arthritis in his right hock. I took him and Butterscotch to the Vet the following Tuesday. Prince had a total of nine needle pokes, and he was not sedated at all. The theory was to block out certain nerve areas with an injection of some numbing product (sorry can't remember the name). and, if Prince were to trot off with less lameness or no lameness, we would have found the sore area. We had him injected a couple of weeks before we left for vacation, but it did not help. So I knew something else was going on. Xrays show more of the same, severe arthritis in all 4 joints. with some more changes going on. Prince is only 7 or 8 years old. But lived the first year and a half of his little life in a state of starvation. His bones and joints did not have a chance to develop as they should have. other than this hock thing he really does pretty well. Anyway, by the time the Vet was done with the "blocking," he was numb from the top of the hock all the way down into the foot. And he was still as lame as he was when we started. Along with the "blocking" the Vet had injected some other stuff into the joints, hoping to help him feel better somehow. Sadly, however, I took him home just as sore as he was at the start. The Vet gave me some kind of "experimental" pills to try. For dogs. Which I am more than willing to try. But I thought I would give all those injections a couple of days to kick in before I started the pills. And sure enough! In a couple of days, Prince was doing much better. And he still is. He is lame, but at least he is back to where he was a few months ago. He runs so fast I can't believe his leg just doesn't fall off. I have not tried the pills yet. But I will, if he gets more sore again.

The following 2 Wednesday evenings, the Antonsens came to visit Prince again. The first Wednesday Princie was still really sore, it was the day after the trip to the Vet. But the next Wednesday, just last Wednesday, Prince was ready to ride again. Deb and Paul came just the 2 of them that evening. And Paul rode for a long time, out in the front yard. Prince was such a Prince! What a fine pair they are. We have more info. about our Paul's Prince Project on our website http://www.doublehphorses.org/

During one of these visits we also picked apples. Christina and Paul are quite impressed with the holes that Scarlet has been digging.

And while Prince was sore, the kids got to ride Flicka. Deb rode too! Christina told me she felt like she was going to cry because she was so happy to get to be riding again. I told her that was perfectly okay, that's the way the horses make me feel too!

I love this picture. Amanda & Christina with Flicka.

end of vacation

2009-09-06T21:38:00.008-05:00

Here's Greg, goin' down the road in his midlife crisis sports car.

and here's me, in my new vacation clothes. I don't know, I still like my "barn goddess" tee shirts, dirty jeans and boots.

on night 8 we stayed in Rice Lake Wisconsin. We had supper at a most interesting place. An old flashing neon sign. Lehman's Supper Club. Frank Sinatra music playing. "Serving travelers and locals since 1934." Greg calls it a "throw back" from an era long ago. The menu prices were very high! My little fillet was $30 or $40. Everything was $10 to $20 more than it should be. But, they did have several specials for around $20. And, with your meal, you got a relish/fruit tray, soup, salad, like in courses kind of. And my fillet was delicious. Greg's was really good too. It is a really neat place and family owned, handed down through the generations. I really liked it.

Oh, I almost forgot. Somewhere along the way, out in the middle of nowhere, is a little tiny town called Clam Lake. I found my very favorite vacation shop in Clam Lake. The Northern Post Gift Shop & Boutique. Beautiful womens clothes. I bought some summer vacation clothes there! really great sale prices. I highly highly highly recommend this boutique!

We were on the road the next day, Saturday, headed for Chippewa Falls, home of Leinie Lodge. We took the tour of the Leinenkugel's Brewery.

It was really a great tour. I learned the difference between ale and lager. It's in the aging. They have a new beer. Oktoberfest! For my Birthday I am sure! bought some shirts. They have a huge gift store with some old pictures and stuff from the brewery back in the "olden" days where they pulled the wagons with horses. Our tour guide was Seth. He was great. I had on my new Apostle Island tee shirt and he asked if we went to Madeline Island. We said sure. he said he had been there not too long ago. I asked if he wrote on the tables at Tom's and he said he thought he might have. We wrote on some brewery postcards that they would send out for us. I addressed mine to my sister Mick in Rapid City. Greg wrote his to his mom Hazel in Sioux Falls. He said we were there sampling beer, and then he started writing really crooked and bad and then said, "well, I guess we'll go drive some more now." But really, they just gave us 2 little 7 oz samples. and that was all you could have. We were there for quite a while, and then on the road again. At least it was nice out so we could have the top down on the little car. We arrived in Red Wing, Mn. Greg said he used to have some Red Wing shoes and we did see the building. across the water was a music gathering going on. Some guy on the stree told us that is definitely where we wanted to be. So over we went. It was kind of like a hippie gathering. the music was mostly like karaoke. A guy standing up there with his guitar playing along to his music system, with a white bird sitting on his shoulder. There were lots of people there having fun. We didn't stay long though. maybe an hour. Then, on the road again. We stayed in Winona. can't remember the name of the restaurant, but they had steak fajitas which I love. and they were good. the waitress was great, except she had the bad habit of saying "okay, but you'll have to remind me to bring your milk." Greg & I share this as a pet peeve. Me because I was a waitress all through college and after a few summers. Greg because he is in the hospitality business. Why don't you forget the mashed potatotes? why don't you forget the soup? why just the milk? we think we could have a restaurant where "we promise we won't forget your milk," and everyone will know exactly what we are talking about. Why do they forget the milk? I can't remember having a hard time remembering people's milk when I was a waitress. And now I can't even remember if we did have to remind her or if she remembered. anyway, it was another good meal.

Also along the way Greg educated me on Kwik Stops. I think that's how you spell them. They have the cleanest bathrooms! And in the bathroom is a sign from the owners saying that if you don't think the bathroom is absolutely clean and nice, to call them. and then there is the owners phone number for you. The bathroom really was clean in the Kwik Stop I went in. Oh, and Greg says they have the best coffee too.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast and headed for home. We got home before supper time on Sunday August 23. Heidi had called on Saturday and said she almost made it through the whole thing without any horsey incidents. But Butterscotch had an owie on her back right leg. didnt look like much but it was getting pretty swollen. She was right. It was really swollen. We went to the Vet on Tuesday. a puncture wound, all the way to the bone. but we followed the vet's instructions and got lucky and there was no infection and no apparant bone damage and Butterscotch is back out running with the herd now.

It was a great vacation. I missed the horses but quickly got used to having no horse chores to do. But now I'm back home, back in the barn, my new vacation clothes are packed away in the closet but I hope to throw them in a bag and jump in the little car again next summer. And maybe we'll have more time and Greg can do his Route 66 Drive. Maybe.

vacation nights 6 & 7 in Bayfield Wisconsin

2009-09-05T21:53:00.014-05:00

on day 6 of vacation we were headed toward the Apostle Islands. We stopped at a cute little village type town called Cornucopia. not much there. but several nice shops. arts, books, antiques. I bought a children's book called "Agate." Then I bought another one. One for me, and one for Heidi who took care of all of our horses while we were gone. It's about a moose named Agate. It's a beautiful book and I highly recommend it for young kids and old kids. We took some pictures of some really old boats and pretended that that's what the cruise ship would look like that would take us touring the Apostle Islands.

also some cute pictures of a mama Mallard and her 2 babies. Greg said he better not tell the guys that we were taking pictures of plain ol' Mallards on vacation. So now he won't have to tell them. They can just look at the picture!

Then off we went, and we did make it to Bayfield.
We decided to stay at the Bay Front Inn hooked on to the Pier Plaza Restaurant and Pickled Herring Bar where all the employees wore shirts that say "We're so brine." or "I'm so brine" or something like that. anyway, good food here! Always busy and not a lot of seating so you gotta be patient and grab a seat at the bar for a while. No reservations or hostess either. Seat yourself. We were invited to sit with a nice couple who were finishing their meal, because they noticed we had been waiting for quite a while. How nice of them! well of course, the woman's name is Darcy! Another really neat place to eat in Bayfield is Greunke's. Full of neat old art, posters, photos, etc. It rained a lot while we were in Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. But we did everything anyway. The first day we took the ferry over to Madeline Island. It's the Island that has a bunch of shops, hotels, bar & restaurants. lots of artsy stuff. Lots of vehicles went over on the ferry with us. It poured while we were on Madeline Island. We bought the last umbrella to be found on the Island, I'm pretty sure. I think it's one that is supposed to be displayed somewhere. It's really pretty and has a fancy design. but it kept us dry. We spent some time in Tom's Burned Down Cafe or Bar. Mostly a bar I'd say. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures. It's kind of like some old trailers and tents kind of put together and it does indeed look as though it has burned down. In fact a woman in a shop told us it has burned down a couple of times. Xmas lights strung everywhere. handwritten signs everywhere. kind of an anti-establishment, anti-government type of feeling. picnic tables where everyone writes and carves stuff. (we didn't). there were a bunch of tshirts hanging on a line, well, I can't remember how they were hung up, clips or something. some of them were pretty neat but I didn't know if you would actually buy that shirt that was hanging there or if those were just samples. and I didn't feel like asking so that was that. It is unique for sure. and you must go there if you go to Madeline Island. Because there really isn't much else to do there when it is raining. plus everything was all under construction when we were there. Don't get me wrong. Madeline Island is nice and beautiful and I would sure go there again. But it would be twice as nice with the sun shining and the construction equipment gone. There are a lot of Islands in the Apostle Islands. 18? 22? can't remember for sure but something like that. The next day we went on a tour of the Islands aboard the Island Princess (you know, we have a horse named Princess!)

This is a picture of part of Bayfield, taken aboard the Island Princess.

This was really a great tour. except it rained the
whole time again and it was kind of cold. We couldn't do the whole tour because of the rough waters. But it was nice. I think one of these islands in my pictures here is Rocky Island (you know, we have a horse named Rocky.) It was pretty neat because when you are near one island you can see several others around you and in the distance. really really pretty.

On vacation Day 8 we were I guess on our way home. one little town we went through not far from Bayfield is Ashland. I think it was in this town where I noticed this neat Lion head on an old building. Greg drove around the block so I could get the camera out because I thought this was so neat. And........ It wasn't raining, so we had the top down on the little car, for the first time all vacation.

vacation day 5, north shore, highway 61

2009-09-04T09:54:00.008-05:00

Well Greg has always wanted to drive Route 66. We will need more than 10 days for that one. But, Highway 61 would have to do on this vacation. To start off the day though (still in Duluth at this point), we had breakfast at a little coffeeshop type place. Amazing Grace Restaurant & Bakery. A really neat menu. Quiche included! At night they have musicians and poets, that type of thing. just real cute and laid back and the food was very good. The bakery was incredibly busy! Then we took off driving. This won't all be in the right order. These are just some of the names/places I remember. North Shore, Highway 61, Two Harbors, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse,

First for a couple of places that we didn't go to. Glensheen Historic Estate. I didn't know what it was. It looked big & beautiful though. when we got back, Volunteer Tina told me a family was murdered there! We also didn't go to Betty's Pies and a couple of people mentioned that so it must be good. Next time! And we did not do the whole Highway 61 drive. our destination was the Apostle Islands, and we still wanted to get there.

We did spend a lot of time though at Gooseberry Falls. Lots of hiking trails. We walked a lot on this day, and I was very hungry by the time the sun went down. But Greg was on a mission to get some neat pictures of Split Rock Lighthouse, so supper would have to wait. We stayed at Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior. We talked about staying there 2 nights, because there was a lot of relaxing stuff to do there, a beach, etc. But it started to rain again so we decided to move on, in search of the sunshine. I don't remember where we finally had supper on this night, we were very tired I think. next day, on to Bayfield Wisconsin, which is right across from the Apostle Islands!

vacation day 4 in Duluth

2009-09-03T11:26:00.010-05:00

On Monday morning we walked over to Fitgers for breakfast. Then we walked all over the place, downtown, Canal Park, and shopped for Darci because she only owned 2 pair of pants that are not barn jeans or riding jeans. and that simply won't do for a non-horsey vacation along the water. And Darci also cannot wear shorts because, well, because she only wore shorts once all summer. (I had big plans to get my legs tanned this year but it just didn't happen). So, I bought 2 pairs of capris for sort of a compromise. And then we found a great shoe store in the mall (I think Miller Hill Mall) so I got 3 pairs of slip ons. one black, one gray and one brown/blue plaid. Fun shoes. I had only brought one pair of shoes along. old sandals with a back strap that cuts in to my heel, because that's about all I had except for cowboy boots and other barn shoes. We also went to the Marine Museum and Great Lakes Aquarium on this day, and spent quite a bit of time there. There was a demo with the otters. but my favorites of course were the sea horses. and the educational info. about them. and I also liked the eels that bury themselves in the sand except for their heads sticking out. I think those are eels. We had supper at Bellisio's Italian Restaurant. I learned what a flight of wine is but we ordered a bottle instead. I can't even remember what I ordered to eat but it was a lot. And then I had some wonderful chocolate dessert. Then we went over to Little Angie's Cantina because there was music going on. And I had a margarita there. It was still early, so we went to the big Grandma's sports bar type place to throw darts. Greg had to leave his drivers license at the bar though, and would not get it back until he turned the darts back in. They had been losing too many darts. those cheap little generic plastic darts. Greg said only because he was on vacation would he agree to do this. And then later, we wondered why we didn't just buy the darts rather than risk losing his drivers license. We got a little nervous when one of the darts ended up under the dart board and not even the maintenance guy could retrieve it! We wondered if we would be able to get Greg's license back since we had lost a dart. We did. I guess we had put in enough quarters to make up for the lost dart. I must not have taken any pictures on this day, except of the brown pigeon who shared breakfast with us. We stayed in Duluth again on this night. And the next day headed up the North Shore. and the pictures for the next day will be much more interesting, I promise!

Vacation Night 3 in Duluth

2009-09-02T12:52:00.008-05:00

On Night 3 of our vacation we stayed in Duluth. The parts of Duluth I saw, I love! We went to Fitgers, the famous old brewery which is actually a resort type place with lots and lots of shops too! We stayed at a place within walking distance of there though. I think they call this area Canal Park. It's pretty much right on the beach. lots of restaurants and shops and of course watching the big ships go by. I took lots and lots of pictures of the sea gulls, who cooperated nicely. Greg took some of me surrounded by the beautiful birds. The white ones are the adults, and the more speckled ones are the youngsters. Greg's brother works for the Army Corps of Engineers so I had to take a picture of Greg by the sign. Our first night in Duluth was Sunday night. Kind of quiet but still plenty to do. We ate at Grandma's, up on the deck. Had some sandwiches and beer. Going to different restaurants is one of my very favorite things to do on vacation. We try to find places "with atmosphere or charm" without having to dress up. anyway, this is all I have time for for now.

Our Vacation

2009-09-02T10:22:00.004-05:00

I am going to wander away from horsey things for a little bit and blog about the vacation Greg & I took this month. We were going to take 4 horses out to the Black Hills for 10 days, but it was so hot the few days before we were going to leave, the thought of Greg throwing the bales on top of the trailer, plus just getting 4 horses ready & packed for them and us, well, we changed our plans.

And so, we threw some clothes in a bag, jumped in Greg's little sports car, and started driving! I have not been on a vacation without horses for many years. I didn't own any vacation clothes. So, I did get to do some shopping. But not too much because there is not much storage space in the little car.

Anyway, on August 14 some time after lunch our vacation began. Greg's mom Hazel stayed here to take care of the doggies and kitties. And Heidi was in charge of horse chores.

And off we went! The first night we stayed at Arrowwood Resort near Alexandria, Minnesota. They had a pasta bar set up in the dining room that night, and it was wonderful. you just went and picked out your ingredients, put them in a bowl, picked out your noodles and sauces and watched the chef sizzle it up for you and it was great. With a bottle of wine. I should have written this all down but I think we went to bed early that night so we could get up and get on our way.

On August 15, Saturday, I cannot remember what we did for breakfast or lunch.

But, we did find a little winery that was having a festival. Forestedge Winery near Laporte, MN. Music, art, food, and wine of course. Unfortunately it rained. It rained the day before so we did not get to take the top down on the car. We bought a couple of bottles of the blackberry wine, met a guy from ND who knew some people from the Sioux Falls area, and went on our way. It was a really pretty place and they were pretty busy, even with the rain. We drove up around Leech Lake and I don't remember where all. We did, however, get to a road under construction and had to drive the little car on some gravel/mud. When we got to the really muddy part though we took a detour. Good thing! the cars coming from the other direction got stuck. One of them was a big camper pulling a little car behind. Thus, my first vacation picture.

We stayed that night at Ruttgers Sugar Lake Lodge near Grand Rapids. and ate at Jack's Grill there. don't remember a whole bunch. it was a pretty nice place though. Jack's is on the golf course there. pretty nice. I think we ate fish and it was good. but they didn't have any milk which was weird.

after this the vacation gets more memorable because I took more pictures. next day, on to Duluth!

$900.00 from rummage sale!

2009-09-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

yea!!!!! Pam & Mae turned in more than $900.00 from the rummage sale they had to benefit our DoubleHP Horses. thanks to all who helped, shopped, and donated.

RUMMAGE SALE TO BENEFIT DoubleHP HORSES

2009-08-12T11:49:00.002-05:00

Pam Lostroh and her mom Mae Ranchau are, for the second straight year, having a rummage sale at Mae's house in Sioux Falls SD to benefit the Horses of DoubleHP.

It's Friday & Saturday August 21-22 at 2517 S. Main, 8a.m. to 5 p.m. in Sioux Falls SD. For more info., or to donate items, call Pam on her cell (605) 310-2094.

Pam was Jasmine's foster mom, and Hero was born at Pam's house. This photo is of Pam and Hero. "Confidence." It looks like Pam is helping him build confidence. And boy did he! The other photo is Hero as a 2-year-old, just a couple of weeks ago.

But anyway, if you have items to donate, please give Pam a call. Horsey or non-horsey items. doesn't matter. Thanks!

our horses on ASPCA Facebook

2009-08-07T15:55:00.005-05:00

This is the photo that is on ASPCA's Facebook. It's our Hero & Princess. I put the link down toward the bottom of this post. "Mom, tell him to quit looking at me." It reminds me of the breakfast table long ago, when we couldn't stand to look back and forth at our siblings that early in the morning. So we would put the cereal boxes in front of our faces.

So much is happening all at once! Of course it is! I am trying to get ready to go on a vacation. Last year I didn't get to go on one. It was the first year in about 20 years we did not take horses out to the Black Hills to go trail riding. With all the young rescued horses here last year, and special needs of various animlas, and chore helpers in and out, etc., etc., it was not a comfortable feeling thinking about being about 400 miles away from home.

But we are planning on doing it soon. We are planning to take 4 horses with us, for about 9 days.

On Wednesday of this week, our 2010 calendars arrived!

go to http://www.unbridledbeautiescalendar.blogspot.com/

so now I need to send them out to the sponsors and models and start selling them!

also on Wednesday I received an email from our friend Pam Lostroh. She and her mom Mae Ranchau are doing a rummage sale for us. It's August 21-22 in Sioux Falls, at Mae's house. Where in the heck do you think I wrote down that address? well, I'll find it. if you have things to donate, call Pam at 310-2094. I need to do a mass email thing to let people know about that. And take some tables over to Pams so she can use them. Yes, I will be gone on my vacation when the rummage takes place. Great timing Pam! sorry, and thanks, all together.

Also on Wednesday I got a call from a guy who is going to come here on Saturday and take away our bad hay from last year. we need to get it out of the shed to make room for new hay. This isn't really bad bad hay. It's just that we are so picky about what we feed to the horses here. This guy is going to feed it to his cows, who will love it.

And I got a call from a young gal from Dell Rapids who is going to start working here in the a.m.s later this month, when the other chore helpers go back to school.

And, Trainer Kinsey Risty decided on Oct. 2-4 for dates to do a clinic here. Which is a long ways off, but the fair is next week and she wants to start advertising the clinic there. So I've been working on a flyer for her to take to the fair.

I think I will try to get everything done, all of this type of stuff, 2 days before we leave for the Hills. then I can have a couple of days just for me. to pack, clean house, that stuff.

Anyway, it looks as though we will be having some fundraisers coming up. the calendars, the rummage, the clinic.

Lily and Rocky, 2 of our rescued horses, are going to make the big trip to the Hills with us. and then 2 of our own horses who have been there before. So next week they all 4 get to go get their shoes re-set! We have chores all figured out while we are gone. And we have people staying here. so I'm feeling good about this trip. Though I really don't like being away from home, I do love riding in the Black Hills. The gravel roads around here just don't have the same beauty.

I emailed a thank you to ASPCA for the hay money they sent to us. I emailed them pictures of the hay day we had here last week. They put one of our pictures on their facebook. It's of Hero and Princess. here is the link where you can see it on the ASPCA website.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ASPCApro/98324655996?v=wall&viewas=1076137365#/photo.php?pid=2803096&id=98324655996&ref=mf

If any of you do Facebook, could you do some linking there?

thanks.

Prince got an injection in his hock today. He has been limping more than usual. He has only had 2 injections, and the last one was last October. So it's been almost a year.

How can it be almost October already!

it has been crazy busy around here.

okay. gotta go out and get at least one horse ridden.

The Bugs of DoubleHP

2009-07-25T14:01:00.004-05:00

These photos are from back in late May. I was cleaning out my files and found them. I had my little old camera with me that night. wish I would have had my big one. these little fellas were not scared of me at all. what are they? I just call them Hummingbird Moths.

Two Birthday Girls

2009-07-20T15:26:00.004-05:00

Our Cowboy and his Family have returned from Michigan. And, on July 11, the Antonsen Family from Hartford SD celebrated Christina's birthday with Prince at DoubleHP Horse Shelter.

in the photo above. July 11, 2009. After being gone (the whole family) to Ann Arbor Michigan for over a month, the Antonsen Family returned home to South Dakota. Paul, the little cowboy, had TWO open heart surgeries there. Now he has a mechanical valve. Paul is 5 years old. His mom, Deb, stands by Hazel Schjodt (in the cap). Hazel won the this painting in our raffle while the Antonsens were in Michigan. The Artist, Lisa Madsen from Baltic, SD, drew Hazel's name. And Hazel immediately donated the painting to Paul & his Family. The painting is called "Prince in Paint." next to Paul in the photo above are his two sisters Christina and Amanda, little brother Gabriel, Dad Randy, and of course DoubleHP Prince.

In the photo below, Christina Antonsen (in the pink shirt) visited Prince on her birthday July 11, 2009. With the help of many nice people, the Antonsen Family is sponsoring Prince for another year!

We had other recent Birthday visitors too. The Heeney Family from Tea, South Dakota.

It was Brooklyn's Birthday on July 15, 2009. They came and visited King at DoubleHP Horse Shelter. Well, they met all of the horses. But they got a special treat from King.

Below is Brooklyn's little sister Kyla. She was afriad to even pet the horses when she first got here. But by the end of the visit, she wanted to ride. ALONE!

The Heeney Family Molly, Brooklyn, Dad Sean with Kyla, and Nephew Ben.

and of course DoubleHP King. Thanks for the donation and the visit. Come again, please!

We will send you a CD with the photos in the mail.

re-posting photos

2009-06-30T14:25:00.002-05:00

I reposted these photos, because in the previous blog they would not enlarge.

for the Antonsens

2009-06-30T14:10:00.004-05:00

This post is for the Antonsens. Click on the pictures. They get a lot bigger!

Deb, I forgot to tell you that also at our raffle in Hartford on June 20, we drew your name and you won some CDs by Brule'. Have you ever heard them?

On June 13 we had a photo shoot here, and the horses got baths. Here, photo above, is Prince looking oh so handsome. Heidi's sister Sadie was taking him for a walk, so you can see her hand.

Princess got to pose with Miss July for our 2010 calendar. So of course it was all red white and blue. Which was perfect for Princess. Since she is red & white, and she has a blue eye.

This is the little kitten who found its way to our home the day before Father' s Day. I made this picture into a card and gave it to my own dad on Father's Day.

3 Generations of Knobes

2009-06-29T23:22:00.002-05:00

For Father's Day, young and thoughtful Sara Knobe gave her dad Brian the gift of coming to DoubleHP Horse Shelter and doing horse chores! And then they got in a little riding. Below is a picture of Sara's Grandpa Rick Knobe, riding our Flicka. Rick has been here several times doing chores. Helping with special events. Taking horses to the Vet clinic. And then helping out at the Vet clinic by unloading feed sacks there too! And he knows how to ride too! The photo below is Sara and her dad Brian Knobe riding our Moonshine and Flicka.

Sara all pretty in pink on Father's Day.

The new kitten appeared the day before Father's Day, all alone in the road ditch by the little barn. As friendly as can be. It probably came from the neighbors (who do not spay and neuter) or got dropped off by someone who decided they really didnt want a kitten. Or both of those scenarios. It is a very nice and smart kitten. Sara and I tried to convince her Dad & Grandpa that she should own this kitten. But her Dad didn't think the Husky dog at home would be the best friend for a little kitten. Probably right.

update on Baylee

2009-06-29T21:45:00.002-05:00

How in the world do you blog every day!

Baylee's Vet appt went about as I thought. Xrays in Baylee's front feet showed good bones. No rotation. Very thin soles though, which we knew. And Hero's lump/knob is a mystery thing. Does not seem like a sarcoid. I think someone just got tired of his shenanigans and decided it was time for him to grow up and follow the rules like the rest of the herd, and gave him a good bite to encourage maturity in this independent brave little colt we call Hero.

As for Baylee, she and Flicka are quite satisfied to call the barn area home. They are "good wanderers." At our place, this means they can roam around in the barn/stall area. They don't pull too many halters off the hangers and really never ever mess with anything. And they get along great. So, they have an outside pen but can go in the stalls too. During the day when the rest of the herd is in the pasture, they get to go out in the riding arena too when no one's in there riding. The herd here only gets to graze for about 3 hours a day. We just don't have enough pasture for them to be on it more than that and last. This way, they get some grazing into October/November, whatever Mother Nature decides. And so we feed a lot of hay year round. Just a little less now that they get a few hours in the pasture.

When the herd is brought in from pasture, Baylee and Flicka get to be with them out in the big horse yard. So they really are doing fine. And luckily our grass hay from last year was really good. So they have good grass hay to eat. Baylee was running today. We did put just regular shoes on her fronts. She has gained weight though since we have not been riding her. So tonight we decided to cut back on their flakes of hay. 5 each per day, instead of 6.

Flicka is pretty much just being Baylee's friend. But she too showed some of this soreness last fall. She came out of it no problem though. but with these 2 gals, I just need to be really careful of what they eat now.

oh, and also, Baylee gets these little bumps on her neck and shoulders and also on both sides of her butt along her tail and down her back legs. I thought they were bug bites but can't remember her getting them before. they can be there in the a.m. and gone in a couple of hours. The whole thing is very strange. and if any one out there has experienced this or parts of this, I would love to visit with you about this. how any or all of this is related. the bumps, heat & humidity, thin soles, trimmed hooves, and what they eat.

Baylee will come out of this just fine. like I said, she was already running today. But I just have this feeling that no matter what I feed her, this will happen to her when it is hot & humid. And I so hope I am wrong about that. I hope that if I just don't feed her any of the good stuff, monitor her weight, and start riding again once she is not sore, that she will be fine.

Lovely Lily, on the Trail

2009-06-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

This is Lovely Lily, rescued from starvation. and now learning to be a trail rider. This is at Newton Hills state park near Canton, South Dakota. In May or June 2009.

Laminitis? and abscesses.

2009-06-24T11:45:00.009-05:00

Today I am taking Baylee to the Vet. Last year at this time she was sore in front. it would come and go. In October we finally decided to treat it as some type of laminitis. And she did need to lose weight. So we put her on a diet of grass hay. a little bit of dry alfalfa to help her through the cold part of the year. Volunteer Bridget began to ride her two or three times a week once she got over her soreness. Baylee lost weight, she was 100% sound, she was back to her old self. All winter long. We kept her on her diet but began to let her graze for 15 minutes. we would increase that every few days. We stopped increasing when we got up to 2 hours of grazing. She continued to stay 100% sound. On June 1 she had her hooves trimmed. The very next morning she was very sore. And she has been sore off and on, mostly on, since then. The hot and humid days seem to make it worse. Needless to say, Baylee gets no more grazing. She is on a diet of last year's grass hay. I don't know how much of her problem has to do with what she eats. I suspect a big part of it. But I also know it has something to do with the hoof trims.

I have used the same farrier for more than 20 years and I don't mean it has something to do with "his" hoof trims. I mean it has something to do with Baylee's feet when she gets her hooves trimmed. She has always been very tender on gravel. And sometimes does get sore for a few days after her hooves are trimmed. Until the last couple of years she has had shoes on during the summer. So maybe nothing has changed except that she doesn't have shoes on. Maybe if she had shoes on she wouldn't be sore.

It is hard to know. But I suspect we will do Xrays today to see what kind of damage has been done. And I suspect we will put shoes, and maybe pads on.

I also suspect she will be ordered to stay on her last year's grass hay diet.

I hate to do that to her. But I dont' want to have her sore either.

Wish us luck.

I am also taking Hero in. mostly just for a trip to town in the trailer. But he does have this lump on his shoulder area. It's been there for more than a month. I did think it was a bite mark. But someone suggested that it may be a sarcoid. So I think I'll have the Vet take a look at it. It doesn't seem to bother him any. But it is pretty noticeable.

I'm going to make a note about something else here too.

Hoof abscesses!

We have had one here and there over the 17 years we have been here. But this spring we had three! We treated Flicka for 2 months. She is now back to riding and is 100%. We treated Butterscotch for 2 weeks. By now I am really good with abscesses. So, when we noticed Prince walking on tiptoe, I immediately did a sweat wrap overnight. The next morning, just like magic, the abscess had blown out along the coronary band. So, we did not have to have a hole dug into his foot. We treated him for a few days. Soaked, tried to keep it clean. His abscess did not come back. Another thing I noticed is that Butterscotch's abscess was on her foot that she favors anyway. Her back left, where she has an OCD lesion in her stifle joint. And Prince's abscess was on his right back, where his arthritis bothers him the most. In his hock.

I am just making these notes so I can go back and look at them next year at this time.

Tri-Valley High School FFA Becomes a Prince Sponsor

2009-05-29T23:11:00.007-05:00

On May 24 the Tri-Valley High School FFA Chapter donated 6 months of sponsorship for the Paul's Prince Project. FFA President Juliane Burggraff has been a chore helper at DoubleHP Horse Shelter for more than a year now! Below: Juliane, Paul, Amanda, Deb, Christina, Gabe, Prince, and Randy.

KDLT TV Reporter Safeer Saini interviewed Deb & Randy.

Thank you for the beautiful story KDLT. It is perfect.

Our Special Volunteer Rick Knobe arrived all cheerful and smiley at 8 a.m. on his Harley.

He spent pretty much the whole day with us. First he cleaned and groomed the riding arena.

He was quite proud of his "swirl" design and, I must say, I was quite impressed.

Then he and Volunteer Tina H from Crooks hung up some DoubleHP Banners.

Which Prince, The Birthday Boy, loved very much.

Rick got to do some babysitting while Deb & Randy were being interviewed.

One of Paul's new games here is to convince Gabe to be a bull.

Then Paul opens a gate, and "the bull" comes running out.

Paul & his new friend Rick

Amanda & her new friend Rick

Rick watches as the kids share special moments with Prince.

Then it was time for Prince's Birthday Party. He turned 7 on May 25. He got a birthday cake & some cards, new riding helmets for his little riders, along with some stirrups that go short enough for his little riders.

Of course Prince had to open his presents himself.

His half-sister Princess got to come to the Party too!

Below: Princess, Randy, Prince, Amanda, Volunteer Tina H from Crooks, Paul, Moonshine, Christina A, & Hazel Schjodt. Hazel sponsored 5 months for the Paul's Prince Project.

Below: Hazel's son Steve Schjodt from Hot Springs, SD, is also a sponsor for the Paul's Prince Project. He brought his new puppy Jenny to Prince's Birthday Party.

Before the Party

2009-05-29T23:04:00.002-05:00

Artist Lisa J. Madsen

2009-04-30T09:25:00.009-05:00

Prince likes his painting!
This is Artist Lisa Madsen with Paul & Amanda Antonsen, and Prince of course. The day she showed us the painting she finished this month. AND DONATED to DoubleHP for fundraising purposes.
Lisa J. Madsen,
Baltic South Dakota
(605) 529-6059
lisamadsen@alliancecom.net

Talk to her about her work. For you! She painted this one from a photograph we had of Prince.
We will sell raffle tickets for this soft pastel painting by Lisa, "Prince in Paint."

We will also raffle off "Watercolors," a water/reflection photo of Prince that has been professionally printed matted and framed.

And a variety of other items including DoubleHP logo shirts. The raffle will take place June 20 during Hartford Jamboree Days. We will have a booth at the vendor fair in the park that day in Harford, SD.
More info. coming.
If you would like to help with this event, please call us (605) 359-0961. Thanks!

These last 2 photos are Lisa with Princess and Paul.

"Prince in Paint" by Lisa Madsen

2009-04-26T11:02:00.003-05:00

"Prince in Paint" by Lisa Madsen of Baltic, SD.
Lisa donated this painting to DoubleHP, and we will be selling raffle tickets for it.
We have booth space reserved for Hartford Jamboree Days Saturday June 20. We don't know what we will do before or after that date. More details re: the raffle coming.
and pictures of the Artist Lisa coming too!
The day she showed the painting to Prince and Paul and Amanda.

More Little Visitors

2009-04-25T21:41:00.015-05:00

Last Sunday Prince & Princess had visitors again. Paul and Amanda and their dad Randy Antonsen came. We were missing the other half of their family but hope more will come tomorrow for their next visit! Last week, we put a saddle on Prince so they could actually move around the arena on him, with Randy leading. A light synthetic saddle donated by Donna Jensen of Arlington SD. It hardly weighs a thing, which is great for Prince and his arthritis. Amanda learned that you really don't have to kick a horse to get him to go faster. Apparantly, last summer on their Dude Ranch trip, they had to kick the trail horses to get them to go up the hill. But Prince is so responsive. He was trained quite well as a show horse before his arthritis showed up. So, no, you don't have to kick Princie to make him trot. All you have to do is say "trot!"

We had more visitors that day too. Heidi, DoubleHP Vice President, her mom, and Heidi's niece Nala (yes, it's a beautiful name from the Lion King movie). So Nala got to ride Prince too! Prince was very proud and he does seem to love his new job which he is very good at.

Rick Knobe: Radio Guy, Rancher Guy

2009-04-21T21:29:00.009-05:00

"I am impressed with the quality of care provided to the animals. It is obvious the DoubleHP folks know how to properly love and care for them. It was a joy to be able to "work" with Darci and her staff. I am looking forward to the next time."

Rick Knobe
KSOO Radio
Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch

Rick Knobe from KSOO Radio came to DoubleHP Horse Shelter on April 8 to do some volunteer work for us. We put him right to work! We cleaned stalls, pens, the riding arena. We put hay out. We brushed some very hairy horses. We soaked Flicka's foot (abscess) and redid her wrap/boot. Rick might be a Radio Guy to most of us, but he is definitely a Ranch Guy too! He knew just what kind of clothes to wear and trudged through the mud many times to dump the wheelbarrow in the manure pile. He knew how to start the tractor, how to handle the bales, everything!

And when we took a little break from working, he treated me to some jerky from his Lazy RRse Buffalo Ranch. It is excellent jerky! Then, we decided to ride. Rick knew how to put the saddle on and everything! And he rode very well too. It was a wonderful day and Rick is a wonderful volunteer. He was here for almost 7 hours. And then, he returned on April 10, with his granddaughter Sara. They cleaned up the riding arena and some stalls. And then we rode. Rick and Sara are both very good riders, and I hope they will come back on a regular basis.

I forgot to take horse riding pictures. We'll get them next time! but here's a tractor riding shot that's kind of cute.

New Little Visitors

2009-04-03T00:11:00.002-05:00

Today we had visitors from Hartford SD. Deb Antonsen brought her children Gabriel, Paul, Amanda and Christina. They breifly met all of the horses and spent a lot of time with Prince. He had been seriously rolling in the mud, but he was slightly cleaner when they left. Prince loves the children. And really loved Pauls ears!

Paul has his own website. Please read his story about his special heart. And his mom Deb keeps a journal here too. Here's the link.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/pauljeremiahantonsen/mystory

And we took pictures and made a slideshow of the visit too. It's just below this post.

Thanks for looking. at this. and at Paul's story on his caringbridge website.

Visit from the Antonsens

2009-04-03T00:09:00.001-05:00

iK9Kare Pet Sitting

2009-03-17T09:25:00.002-05:00

One of our animal friends, Tanya Beckman-Compson, has a Professional Pet Sitting business. A long time ago I promised to trade links with her, and I am just now getting around to doing it.

(sorry Tanya, but thanks for your patience).

And thanks for your new business. I hope to be able to hire you this summer. Because that will mean I found time to go on a horsey vacation.

Her website is http://www.ik9kare.com/

Lassos and Legends Event March 7

2009-03-01T18:59:00.003-06:00

photo of Lucky Trailblazers with DoubleHP Spirit on Feb. 21, 2009.

When the Clay County Lucky Trailblazers 4H Club visited us on Feb. 21, they told us about an event they are producing. And I promised you some more info. So here it is:

It is the first annual Lassos and Legends on Saturday, March 7, in the Clay County Extension Office in Vermillion SD. Doors open at 5 p.m., meal at 6 p.m.

The Lassos and Legends event is an evening to pay tribute to a legend of the horse industry in South Dakota and to host a roundtable discussion featuring a veterinarian/equine chiropractor and area breeders/ trainers.

It is an evening to share with Frances Loiseau, breeder of Kristi Peterson's famous barrel racer "Bozo."

This event is planned with the following goals:
Empower our 4-H youth with a hands-on experience in marketing/producing an event in their area of interest.
Promote 4-H by recognizing area youth for their accomplishments.
Raise funds with proceeds going to facility improvements, local charities, and club advancement.
Honor a person who has accomplished much in the equine industry.
Provide a venue for people of all ages to broaden their horizons in the equine field.

More details at this website: http://www.lassosandlegends.webs.com/

Lucky Trailblazers 4H slideshow

2009-02-21T22:53:00.001-06:00

Lucky Trailblazers 4H Club

2009-02-21T22:39:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Lucky Trailblazers 4H Club from Vermillion South Dakota. They brought gifts for the horses today, filling up our grain room with bags of grain and salt blocks. I remember when Leader Karla first contacted me about this possibility. She said the kids don't have a huge budget but their hearts are in the right place. If you ask me, I'd say their hearts are huge and their budget was huge too! They brought a lot of bags of grain!

They learned about us at our booth at the SD Horse Fair in Sioux Falls last year. And decided they would like to help us. And we are so very appreciative.
And so are the horses, as you can tell from the slideshow above.

Visiting Trailblazers today were Karla Jake & Courtney, Kim Greg Dana & Blake, Jeanelle, Melissah Jason Zech Terrissah & Hannah.

This club is in to all things horsey, and they have a very special event coming up on March 7. It's a fundraiser and includes a dinner and an open roundtable type discussion featuring several horse professionals including an area Veterinarian. I will post the details on this event as soon as I get them. And I do hope I can attend. It sounds fun and educational.
Thanks again Trailblazers. Hope to see you on the Trail soon!

doublehphorses featured in worldwide art gallery

2009-02-15T21:13:00.005-06:00

My DoubleHP Horse Shelter gallery and related photographs are featured right now at http://www.imagekind.com/.

I think this only lasts for a day or two (as far as being featured right on the Imagekind home page), so better look fast!

But you can get to my galleries any time. http://doublehphorses.imagekind.com/

I am getting messages and new fans from many different countries. and even a purchase here and there.

WaterColors, featuring DoubleHP Prince, continues to be a favorite.

Kris won the stamps!

2009-02-14T08:25:00.002-06:00

Kris, you won the Equine Valentine stamps.

please let me know where to send them, or if you want to pick them up here.
either way is fine.

thanks. and congratulations.
Darci, Shelter Manager, doublehphorses.org

(605) 359-0961 or email me at
doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

"I LOVE MY HORSE BECAUSE..."

2009-02-06T09:30:00.004-06:00

"I love my horse because..."
or

"I love horses because..."
or

"I love (name of a DoubleHP horse) because..."

write a little comment according to one of the themes above, here on our blog, and you might win a neat horsey Valentines Day gift!

(we'll have a drawing on Feb. 13, and announce the winner on Valentines Day)

no money, no membership, no registration involved. just leave a comment here, below, on our blog.

If you have a few extra minutes.
Great activity for the kids. or the adults. Because horses are for everyone, young and old.
We all love horses!

More info. and comments in the post below this one.

any probs or questions, just give me a call. Thanks.
Darci, Manager, DoubleHP Horse Shelter, 605 359-0961

Oh, and Have a Happy Valentines Day!

"I love my horse because..."

2009-01-27T12:17:00.000-06:00

"I love my horse because..." or
"I love horses because..." or
"I love (name of DoubleHP horse(s) because..."

Leave a comment here, follow the theme/topic choices above, ENTER A DRAWING FOR CHANCE TO WIN SOME OF THESE STAMPS.
The photo is DoubleHP Hiroki (Hero) and DoubleHP Jet, two of our rescued horses.

These are official U.S. Postage Stamps. We are trying them out, and we need some opinions.

So we want to give some away to see what people think of them.

If we like them, we will design more Postage Stamps with various photos of our rescued horses on them. I think we will like them. They are available for sale in our Zazzle Gallery. Many other items in there too. We are just building our Zazzle Gallery, so check back there often. But there are many great items in there already, all with photos of our rescued horses on them.

http://www.Zazzle.com/gentlereins*

Anyway,
ABOUT THE DRAWING FOR A CHANCE TO WIN SOME OF THESE EQUINE VALENTINE STAMPS:
There will be 2 different drawings. Names will be drawn on Feb. 13 and announced the next day, on Feb. 14. That's right! on Valentine's Day!

One drawing will take place right here on our blog. This drawing is for 10 of these stamps. All you have to do to enter is post a comment here, to this blog entry. In about 50 words or so, comment on "I love my horse because..." or "I love horses because..." or "I love (name of a DoubleHP rescued horse) because..."

then, check back here on Valentines Day, Feb. 14, to see who won the stamps.
you may check back sooner, of course, to see if we got any other comments & entries.

If you are the winner, just give us a call. (605) 359-0961. We'll send your stamps right out to you.

Or if you live near us, you can pick them up if you want to.

But you have to post a comment following the theme mentioned above, you have to check back on this blog to see if you are the winner, and you have to call us to let us know if you will pick up the stamps or if we should send them to you. And we would appreciate your letting us know if you like the stamps once you see them for real!

That's it! easy! No entry fee. No donation. No raffle tickets to buy. Just leave a comment here and check back to see if you are the winner.

THE SECOND DRAWING is for 20 of these stamps, and you enter through our doublehphorses.org website, along with making a donation in any amount, to help feed & care for our rescued horses.

Link to our website here http://www.doublehphorses.org/

The directions for entering the drawing for 20 of these stamps will be right there easy to find on our website home page.

thank you. just give us a call if you have any questions or suggestions (or comment here).
(605) 359-0961. DoubleHP Horse Shelter, Darci Hortness

Laura's Xmas Horse Quilt gift

2009-01-08T12:45:00.002-06:00

Below is a slideshow of the quilt that my sister-in-law, Laura Hortness, made for me for Christmas. In our family, we draw names. And I am so lucky that Laura drew me! I'm sure everyone will be trying to pay Santa now to make sure Laura draws a certain name. It is already getting full of cat hair in my house, so I think I will display it as a wall hanging. It is so beautiful.
thanks Laura. And thanks Santa for making sure she drew my name for Xmas.

Oh, and this was my first attempt at making a slideshow to put on here. I think I will learn how to make them just a little smaller for my next one.

Lauras Xmas Horse Quilt

2009-01-08T12:45:00.001-06:00

Holiday Visitors

2009-01-06T11:40:00.001-06:00

We had a nice, pleasant variety of Holiday guests this year. Including Caitlyn in the light pink coat with her Dad Chad, and her friend Alyssa in the dark pink coat. They are all friends of Jamie Flinn, Photographer of JF Photos in Sioux Falls South Dakota (605) 254-3062. Jamie helped us with our Unbridled Beauties of DoubleHP 2009 Calendar, which you can see and purchase in our website http://www.doublehphorses.org/.
The palomino, Moonshine, is about 26 years young now. He has given rides to more people than we could possibly ever try to keep track of.
The chestnut mare is Flicka, just a teenager.

These are not rescued horses. I owned them before we started to do the rescue thing.

Hey Lady, Have a Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T10:40:00.000-06:00

Volunteer Tina Hillman and I love to visit the herd in the pasture.

Hero welcomed us on this day with open arms (mouth).

Butterscotch was very polite. And King just wanted to find some more hay.

Tina bought us a fantastic Christmas present. Fly Masks! Many of them! brand new! One of our favorite chores during the summer is to take the masks out to the pasture and put them on the horses. They pretty much come over to us one by one and put their heads down to get the masks on. Then they go back to eating and make room for the next horse in line to get masked. Ah summer. I am ready already.

CC the Christmas Cat

2008-12-30T13:09:00.002-06:00

Two years ago when my sister came for Christmas, we met Saint Nick, the little horse that was left for dead in the road ditch.

his story is on our website http://www.doublehphorses.org/.

Last year, my sister didn't come for Christmas. But Eli the cat did. I think you can find him in here in a post from last December possibly.

This year, we met CC. Our new Christmas Cat. She just magically appeared in our barn. As friendly as can be. This is how most of my 10 barn cats came to live here. Just magically appeared in the barn one day. I usually wait for a few weeks to make sure they really like it here. Then I take them to the Vet. shots, dewormed, spayed/neutered. I have had the same cat herd here for years. We don't do the kitten thing any more. And other people who live on acreages shouldn't do the kitten thing any more either. It makes me mad when these cats show up here. They aren't my cats. I didn't cause them to be born. If you allow your farm cats to reproduce, do you think your neighbors like it when the cats show up at their houses? especially if your neighbors are responsible like I am and make sure their cats are altered. And if you have enough kittens, I know they get sick and most of them do not live. Why not just get the adults altered? They will stick around, they are fantastic mousers. Mine are anyway. And their food is not really very expensive. A couple of shots a year, deworming from time to time, pretty inexpensive mousers. And when I control their health and population this way, they are quite a healthy bunch.

I agree with Bob Barker. Please have your cats and dogs spayed and neutered! Just becuase we live in the country does not mean we have an excuse to be irresponsible about this.

And while it makes me mad when these animals show up here, I know it is not the animals' fault. I feel sorry for them. And so I will try to give them a home here. No sense burdening the other animal shelters with more unwanted pets.

This is one of my Christmas wishes. That more people who live in the country will come out of the dark ages on this topic and get their cats spayed and neutered! Thank you for listening.

Update on Star's tongue

2008-12-18T11:00:00.002-06:00

Star's tongue situation seems to be all better. I gave her her medicine for a week just like the Doctor ordered. After 2 days Star seemed entirely back to normal. No drooling, no sliming, normal eating, no more moping. I have been instructed many many times by the Vet though, to continue the meds. for the entire prescribed time. They will fight off infection etc. I believe the day the Vet came out and flushed the hole in Star's tongue, she must have flushed out whatever was in there causing the problem. It was a bit of an unusual situation, but Dr. Jensen got it right again! Star's temp. was normal throughout this ordeal. She was pooping normal. She was not eating normal though. and the drool and slime certainly was not normal. None of us likes Vet bills. But it's important that we, as horse owners, notice what is Not Normal in our horses. Monitor the situation closely. It never hurts to call the Vet right away and tell them the symptoms. Learn to check temp. and other vitals. And know when the situation really does require a Vet appointment, like this one did. There was no way anyone could have found that hole on the underside of Star's tongue, without the Vet equipment to hold the mouth open and shine the light in there.

Anyway, Star seems back to normal with the herd.

These photos were taken yesterday. It was still plenty cold, but the sunshine warmed things up enough for a romp and sunbath. Before the below zero temps set in again. Then it was back to the barn for supper...and breakfast this morning. All 16 are still in the barn. But it's climbed slightly above zero now, at 11 a.m., so I think we'll do lunch outside. It's a sunny day again!

Below, Star in between Rocky (well, part of his hip anyway) and Hiroki (Hero), 2 rescued horses.

Lovely Lily

2008-12-18T00:17:00.001-06:00

Here is an update on Lovely Lily. We rescued Lily last February, not even a year ago. Her friend had already died of starvation. But Lily somehow survived. I thought about her a lot during these below zero temps. I thought about how different this Christmas will be for her, compared to last year. Lily is a super nice horse, beautiful, gentle, she loves people. I cannot believe her owners would just let her and her friend stand out there in the wide open South Dakota Winter with no food and water and shelter. She is registered too! APHA grullo color. Just beautiful. I don't know how these people can sleep at night. If they would just hang a poster up somewhere, someone would want these nice beautiful registered horses. But to just leave them there helpless, suffering, didn't they ever think about them at night, when it was 20 below zero? Didn't they ever think about them? Well, we did what we could. And Law Enforcement in this County, Brookings County (SD), was great. The person who neglected these horses did jail time and actually still owes us $600 and some dollars in restitution. I need to call the County Clerk of Courts and see about that.

These photos were taken today. The snow and trees really did make beautiful background.

updates on Star, Prince & Princess

2008-12-10T11:53:00.001-06:00

In a previous post, I think in November, anyway, not so long ago, I said that Princess can't go out in the pasture anymore. But now she can! The snow cover makes the ground softer and she can go out and run and play without getting too sore. (she is navicular. the neurectomy surgery helped some but not as much as we had hoped). So she has limited activity. But as long as the ground is kind of softer, I will let her and her half-brother Prince go out and play during the day and keep them in soft stalls at night, so they can lie down and rest their poor bones & joints. These are not old horses! They are only 6 years old. But they lived in a state of starvation and just deplorable conditions with 100 or so other horses of all ages and sizes, for the first year and a half of their poor little lives. Of course their bones and joints did not develop normally! I don't know if Princess is naviulcar because of that. No one knows that. But Prince, who lived just like her as a baby, has severe arthritis already in his hocks. They are only 6. This is not normal. And what are the chances. I think I would bet on malnourishment.

Anyway, they came to live at DoubleHP when they were about a year and a half old. They were skin and bones and full of worms.

But after a year of rehab, they seemed to be doing great. Especially Princess. She grew a lot. She is a really big horse. Prince didn't grow as much. And his mouth/teeth were slow in developing too. He has his teeth floated approx. twice a year. I can always tell when it's time. He'll be standing there looking kind of mopey when everyone else is enjoying their food. He'll start to drop weight. And then we get his teeth floated and everything's good (in his mouth anyway) for another 6 months or so.

Here is Prince. Looking very handsome yesterday as he always does.

When they were 3 (we waited, because they were so far behind in their growing), they were oh so nice and easy to train as riding horses. Prince even started going to shows! But then, little by little, signs of lameness. on and off. both of them. Princess first and then Prince. Xrays showed us what we feared. Princess is navicular, and Prince has arthritis. Really bad arthritis. We keep them as happy and comfortable as can be, and they will have an excellent home here with us for as long as their quality of life is good. They are just a joy to have around. and oh so beautiful. here they are playing yesterday, right before grain time.

UPDATE ON STAR: Star seems improved. She eats everything at night. She ate some straight alfalfa this morning, which she hasn't wanted to do probably because it is a little coarse and probably irritates the owie on her tongue. Normally of course this would be her first choice. But right now her first choice is something softer, so I am feeding her a grass/alfalfa mix which is really soft. She didn't eat everything in her stall this morning, but she ate enough. and drank and pooped. and I didn't see any drool or slime! So I let her go out with the herd for the afternoon. And I'll put her back in her stall tonight so I can observe her some more. I am not going to call the Vet for tongue Xrays so far. I think she is better, not worse. But we'll do some good observation tonight to be sure.

Star has a hole in her tongue

2008-12-09T23:59:00.004-06:00

Let us have an educational type of blog today.

About a week ago I noticed something wasn't quite right with Star. She is not a rescued horse. I owned her before we started DoubleHP Horse Rescue. Anyway, she would nibble on her food, go stand in a corner, and drool. And slimey stuff would come out of her mouth. She would hang around the barn when the others were out. She just wasn't normal. But her temp. was normal. There was nothing coming out of her nose, her breathing sounded good. Just the slimey stuff and a little bit mopey and not eating quite right. I called the Vet. He said maybe she bit her tongue, maybe she had a bad tooth, maybe something lodged in her mouth somewhere, maybe a poke or scrape or scratch. But the fact that she had a normal temp, was eating some, was drinking, was pooping, we didn't figure it was an emergency. I kept her in because I didn't know for sure what we were dealing with. I didn't know if she had something the others could catch. It didn't really seem like that, but you never know. Two days later things were about the same, so I had the Vet come out. It took a while, but they found a hole on the underside of her tongue. Dr. Jensen looked hard for something, because right away she thought her tongue felt "thick" like swelling. The hole was maybe not quite as big around as the tip of my pinky finger. And not real deep. But it was evidently sore. So we still have no idea what happened. But at least we found what is probably the cause of Star's abnormal behavior. My instructions from the Vet: 2 grams of bute daily, and 16 tabs twice daily. Observation, and if things are not improved in 2 days, bring her in to X-ray her tongue. To see if there is something in it. Dr. Jensen flushed the hole in Star's tongue while she was here. But there was no way to know really if there was/is anything stuck in there.

That was yesterday afternoon. I let Star go out with the herd for a while today, and she is in her stall with neighbors tonight. I do think she ate better tonight, and I really didn't notice any slime except for when I gave her her meds. Tomorrow I will observe closely. And if she does not eat well, or if I notice slime, I will call and make an appointment to take her to the Vet to have her tongue X-rayd. The hole is on a place on the tongue where I couldn't have found it myself. The Vet tranqued Star, put that metal device in her mouth to hold it open, rinsed, and shined her light in there. That is the only way the hole would have been found. I encounter horse owners all the time who say something isn't quite right with their horse. They are hard to bridle, or they don't want to do anything but walk or back up or rear up once they do have the bit in, or they seem skinny or sad or they eat real slow or this or that. I always suggest dental checks. People with young horses often think this is crazy. They still think dental checks are only for old horses. Bah! My young horses need dental work more often than my old guys do! I can't remember the exact percentage, something like 80 or 90 some percent. That professional trainers agreed upon. Whenever there was some sort of behavioral issue during training, it is related to a dental/mouth issue 80 or 90 some percent of the time. That's a lot! That's worth having checked out!

Anyway, here is how we try to give horses their meds. here.

We try to work with all of the horses here so they can be handled by their nose/head. I can lead most of them around by their head. Many of them, including Star, would not have to be haltered for this type of activity. Though there is certainly nothing wrong with putting a halter and lead rope on. And it is safer that way, if you or the horse is not used to this type of thing.

But here's how it is with Star:

Here are the pills she has to take, 16 of them, twice a day.

Here, Ralphie demonstrates the size of one pill.

While Newman guards the bottle.

Here's the type of tool that works best for me as a "pill giver." It's just a big syringe with a hole cut out of it. Make sure it slides fairly easy but that it stays in place until you want it to slide/push.

This size seems to work about right for me. It's 35 ml. and you can see about how much warm water I put in it. Looks like about to the 15 mark.

Then you just drop in all 16 tablets (in Star's case it's 16 twice a day, your Vet might prescribe a different amount for your horse.) and as long as the water is warm, they dissolve right away. And it will look like this.

This is the way I like to approach the horse for this activity. Same thing if I am deworming with paste dewormer, or giving bute paste. I am right handed, and this is what works best for me. Although almost everything else I do with the horse's head, like putting the halter and bridle on, etc., I like to do from the left side. It all depends on what my right hand needs to be doing. Of course when you are doing any of this you have to make sure you don't get hit by the horse's head. Or stepped on. You should always have an experienced person help you with any of this stuff the first few times you have to do it.

I like to rub the end of the syringe on the horse's side of nose and corner of mouth. I make sure she is okay with it before I go sticking it in. I really don't want to waste it all just because the horse is afraid of it.

Then I go ahead and insert it in the very corner of her mouth
and as long as she stays calm about it, I slide it back pretty far and gently push the medicine out and into Star's mouth. I might even want to lift her head up just a little, so the medicine doesn't all just fall back out. You want the stuff to stay in the horse.
Once Star has taken her medicine and I know she has swallowed it, I rub her nose a lot or wherever she likes to be scratched and tell her "good girl." I am not a big treat giver, but this might not be a bad time for a little bit of a treat. That medicine tastes icky, and something that tastes good will help them start eating their hay. I have noticed that after I give a horse bute or something that probably tastes pretty bad like that, they don't want to eat right away.

Anyway, here we are petting and saying "good girl."

and I might even rub the "pill giver" on her a little bit more, just so I know for sure she's going to be okay with it the next time we do it too.

Volunteer Tina with Minerva and Princess

2008-12-09T20:44:00.001-06:00

For those of you new to our blog: we take journal entries from our website doublehphorses.org and transfer them to this blog. To make room on our website.

journal entry from Nov. 14, 2008

We don't get a lot of regular horse-chore type volunteers at DoubleHP. Especially as Winter approaches. So whenever one lasts for more than a couple of months, we feel extremely thankful. Tina Hillman from Sioux Falls comes once a week, she trudges through the mud and snow and whatever else is here, cleaning up the horse stalls and yards and arenas. And every once in a while she has time to just enjoy the horses. Today Tina, along with Minerva and Princess, helped me practice with my new camera.
Both horses were rescued from starvation.

do you think Minerva likes being brushed?

Princess has one blue eye.

Both Minerva and Princess have some wild looking eyes.

Princess doesn't get to run out in the pasture anymore. She has to stay up in the barn area and not put too much extra stress on her feet. She is navicular. Her surgery did help, but if she plays too hard she gets sore again. She is not cooped up in a stall though. She has a big pen with soft ground and shelter at all times. And always at least one horse friend in an adjacent pen, so she does get some herd-type interaction. I do think she would like to go run in the pasture, but I also think she understands why she can't. She is a very happy, beautiful, well-behaved horse. And we are very happy to have her living here with us.

"Bless This Food" Hay Donation from Freeman, SD

2008-09-29T10:59:00.001-05:00

August 22, 2008
ah, what a joy it is to see the rescued horses, horses rescued from starvation, to see them eating!!!!!!
here are some of them enjoying Jim Leder's hay. Thanks again Jim, Ted, Greg, Bob, & Bob for getting this hay to our horses. They do enjoy it.

On August 15, 2008, Laura (Miss January in our 2009 Unbridled Beauties Calendar, www.doublehphorses.org) called me to announce that her dad, Ted Hofer (Merchants State Bank), and his friend Jim Leder, both from Freeman, SD, had put together a hay donation for DoubleHP Horses. So the next day, Greg Schjodt and Bob Corey, two long-time DoubleHP Volunteers from the Renner/Crooks SD area, hooked up some trailers and off they went to Freeman to pick up the hay. Then, when they got it here, Bob Oyen from Crooks came over with his big hay equipment and took it off the trailer for us! There are 7 big round bales, each weighing about 1,700 pounds. It is a huge donation! Thanks Guys!ABOVE : Jim Leder
BELOW: Ted Hofer

DoubleHP Eye on KeloLand TV story

2008-09-29T09:52:00.001-05:00

On July 21, 2008, we had visitors, reporters from KELO TV in Sioux Falls, SD. Angela Kennecke and Cameraguy Mike. We only had a few days notice that they were coming. DoubleHP Director Cindy Murphy and her friend Joey were available though, to help with the event. And Darci's husband Greg Schjodt was able to make it home for the event too! It was fun. The horses were all so very well behaved and most of them actually loved being filmed. The only real mishap was that right before Angela asked Darci her first question in the actual interview, a bird pooped on Darci's shirt so she had to run up to the house and change real quick. The horses were all in the barn because the farrier had been there that day too. But that evening, Cameraguy Mike came back and filmed the horses having their supper outside.
ABOVE PHOTO: Greg helps Angela and DoubleHP Prince get ready for the filming of the introduction to the story.

Angela interviews Greg & Darci, DoubleHP founders. DoubleHP Hero listens in.

Cindy and Angela make a plan for Cindy's interview. DoubleHP Princess listens in...

...and is very happy to hear the part about getting brushed and filmed.

Trainer Kinsey Risty was there too, for a lesson with DoubleHP Lily. Lily always enjoys the attention.

The story was televised on July 28, 2008
The KELOland story is perfect. you can watch the video from our website home page at www.doublehphorses.org

Or just read it here:
07/28/2008
Unbridled Passion
You've heard of puppy mill raids and people being charged with neglecting dogs and cats. But horses are big in this area too and not everyone takes care of them the way they should.
One Crooks woman with a passion for all things equestrian has made it her mission to stop animal abuse and neglect as much as possible.
A business called Horse Help Providers is coming to the rescue of horses otherwise left to die.
Horses appearing happy and healthy and are truly loved by Darci Hortness. But Hortness remembers all too well how sick they were when they arrived.
At one time, you could see their rib cages and starvation threatened to take their lives. Hortness is often on the scene to rescue starving horses.
“They don't all live," Hortness said. "They die of starvation. It's always very heartbreaking, but they don't all die.”
The ones that live are lucky enough to have Hortness watching over them, making sure all their needs are met.
Double HP Rescue began seven years ago when six neighboring horses were left abandoned and there was no plan in place on what to do with them.
“Nobody even had a network," Hortness said. "They didn't even have a list of people to call with trailers or foster homes for horses. It was always just starting over any time a horse had to be rescued. That's how Double HP started, we were a list of people and our phone numbers who law enforcement or other animal rescue places could call if they needed help transporting horses or feeding horses or fostering horses.”
When Double HP first started, it took in horses for a variety of reasons, often just because their owners didn't want them anymore. But now the horse rescue has evolved to just taking in some of the worst cases of starvation.
Horses like Lily, who was rescued in February. You'd never know by looking at her five months later what she'd been through.
"When we got there we thought she was a little Shetland Pony she was so little and scrunched up," Hortness said. "She was very dehydrated and the starvation; she was ready to give up."
But with the help of Hortness and other volunteers, Lily didn't give up. The man who was supposed to be taking care of Lily was charged. “The guy is in jail right now and he has to pay restitution and fines and the horse has been signed over to us," Hortness said. "She's registered paint, so we're hoping to get her papers soon.”
And then there was a group of five horse found starving outside of Mitchell.
“They had never had shots, hoof care; never had anything, basically,” she said.
DoubleHP Hiroki (Hero)
The colt's mother had a broken hip and had to be euthanized, but the rest have recovered and are now getting used to people.
“The ones that have just been starved, they love people because they just hope anyone has a little bit of hay for them," Hortness said. "The ones abused, beat or mishandled or through a horrible training program, they're different. They have serious trust issues and we've got a couple of them here too.”
Once Doulbe HP gets the horses, it tries to get them into foster homes and eventually adopt them out. The non-profit organization also relies on donations and volunteers to keep going. Cindy Murphy is a horse lover who was deeply touched by Double HP's mission.
"The first time I went to the website after I talked to Darci, I must have cried for an hour some of the stories on there," Murphy said. "And then I've been to a rescue with Darci and seeing conditions some of the horses are in; it's pretty sad."
Murphy's done everything from fundraising to working in the barn. She hopes to change the way some people view horses.
"If anybody can really get to know horses and what they can do for people then I think some of the cruelty, there wouldn't be so much of it," Murphy said. "If people would open their eyes and realize horses are just great therapy.”
Hortness carefully chooses the homes where these horses eventually end up. And it's always tough on her to let one go.
"Especially for the ones that have been so starved and to see them come back to life, they're really so appreciative and then when it's time to adopt them out, it's hard," she said.
Up to 50 horses are now in new homes thanks to Double HP. Hortness says even if she just makes a small dent in ending animal neglect and abuse she can face the ones she can't save.
"The hope that with each one that doesn't make it, the stories we can tell will save another one from just not going through that and educate a whole bunch of people around here on how to take care of their horse," she said.
Hortness says that would be a great way to ride off into the sunset.
It costs between $1,500-3,000 a year to keep a horse at Double HP. The rescue is now promoting a calendar with its horses and local horsewomen that it's selling on its website http://www.doublehphorses.org/ for $25 apiece.
Angela Kennecke
© 2008 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.

DoubleHP Minerva: A Roman Goddess of Many Things

2008-09-29T09:34:00.002-05:00

This is DoubleHP Minerva, rescued from starvation in South Dakota on May 18, 2007. She is DoubleHP Hero's big sister. This photo is about 6 months after her rescue.

BELOW is Minerva, Roman Goddess of many things. That white streak in her hair must be why our DoubleHP Minerva has the cute little white blanket on her butt! Minerva the Roman Goddess was born in an odd way. She burst from her father's brain, already fully grown and wearing warrior attire. In one legend, Minerva the Roman Goddess tells a competitor, "challenge your fellow-mortals as you will, but do NOT compete with a Goddess!"

And this (BELOW) is the logo for a wonderful restaurant in Sioux Falls, SD. Minerva's Restaurant and Paul & Karen VanBockern of Sioux Falls have been DoubleHP sponsors for several years now. We always wanted to name one of our rescued horses Minerva. And this was the perfect choice.

Celebrating The Beauty & The Honesty of The Horse

2008-09-29T09:14:00.003-05:00

Photo Shoot from April 15, 2008.

DoubleHP Rocky (sorrell) and Baylee's first encounter.

BELOW: Rocky's lifetime little friend, DoubleHP Minerva, letting him know what she thinks of his encounter with Baylee.

BELOW: "Girl Talk" -- Minerva and Baylee agreeing to share Rocky's affection.

Like This.

Hero and Kyrstin's birthdays

2008-09-28T23:01:00.000-05:00

This was a journal entry from May-June 2008:

DoubleHP Hero's (Hiroki) birthday is on Father's Day June 15. He will be one year old!
Kyrstin's birthday was on May 11, Mother's Day.
Kyrstin is one of our high school chore helpers. She has been around Hero since he was just a couple of weeks old and has watched him grow up.

Currently (Sept. 28, 2008) I am transferring journal entries from our doublehphorses.org website onto this blogspot.

I'm not saving everything, but most of it. At the very end of these Sept. 28 blogs is a really long post, all text. Lots of great info. in there sometime when you have the time to read it. It goes back to Nov. of 2007.

Also Currently (Sept 2008) We miss Kyrstin this school year very much. She is just too busy with school activities. But we hope to have her back next summer.

Hiroki (Hero) in Dodger Blue

2008-09-28T22:50:00.001-05:00

This was my May 3, 2008 journal entry:

(of course now we know that the L.A. Dodgers have won their Division. And Hiroki Kuroda is scheduled to be their starting pitcher in Game 3!!!!!!!!!!!)

But I wrote this back in May: Thursday night during the storm I was out in the barn. I love being in the barn with the horses during storms. I decided to try on Hero's personalized halter again. It's still too big! The halter was given to Hero by Lori DeVries, who won our Name That Foal contest. She chose the name Hiroki, which means "abundant strength and joy" in Japanese. So that's why we call him Hero. Well, before the MLB season started this year, my brothers told me that the L.A. Dodgers have a new expensive pitcher from Japan. His name? Hiroki! Hiroki Kuroda. But really, we had our Hiroki before the Dodgers had theirs. Ha ha! I've been thinking a lot though about getting a picture of our Hero with a Dodgers cap on. So I tried that last night during the storm. It didn't go too well. He doesn't mind the cap at all. I just didn't get a good shot. He was pretty busy and it was supper time, so he didn't stand still very long for me.

I did get to watch Hiroki's (the Dodger) U.S. debut.

And Greg has since purchased the MLB package for me. So I have been watching the Dodgers play several times a week now. It brings back some fond memories. Like how my sister Mickie and I used to climb up to the top of the stadium and look down at the people coming in. We did something kind of naughty while we were up there, which will remain our secret. We lived in California when we were in grade school, and we often went to the Dodgers games.

Hero's new halter

2008-09-28T22:33:00.002-05:00

DoubleHP Hero Got A New Halter!

Lori DeVries, the woman who named him, bought him this pretty new halter. Hero's real name is Hiroki, which means "abundant strength and joy" in Japanese.

It didn't take him long to get used to his new halter.

Now he just has to grow in to it!

This was around Christmas 2007.

Hero practicing for the soccer team

2008-09-28T22:25:00.003-05:00

This was from December 2007.

Eli, the rescued cat

2008-09-28T22:01:00.001-05:00

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR NEIGHBORS DON'T SPAY & NEUTER THEIR CATS!
This was my journal entry from Dec. 3, 2007, the night we found Eli in our barn.

At the end of this post is a photo of Eli now. He has become a barn cat by day and a house cat by night.

This is Eli. Named Eli because he is thin and slimy and black, like an eel. He does NOT have rabies. And, he also is not wild. He magically appeared at my house though, as so many of them do. But when they are friendly and nice, I believe they deserve a chance.

Was he someone's house cat? Or what? He is skinny skinny skinny. And, well, snot everywhere. Eyes, nose, mouth.

I am going to tell you what makes me the most mad about this. What if I didn't vaccinate my barn cats? They would all end up like this. The Vet thinks we are dealing with a viral thing. Can't remember the name of it, but a very common thing to vaccinate for. And if my kitties weren't vaccinated, well, does this look contagious to you? I don't think living in the country means you don't have to spay and neuter. I know that some people have no idea where some of their kittens end up. THEY END UP LIKE THIS, OKAY? They go over to the neighbors' house and they make other cats sick! and it makes the neighbors mad! My barn cats (7 of them) are all vaccinated, all dewormed, all spayed & neutered. They are the best hunters ever! I never see mice running around in my barn. Only the ones that the cats catch.
All of my barn cats are someone else's fault. But I know that if I don't take care of them, they will be sick and I will have kittens everywhere and they will be sick too. And then they will go over to the neighbors' house and make their cats sick too!
When we moved in here there were 6 wild female cats in the barn. Of course they all had kittens. I found new homes for 30 some kittens that first summer. We tamed a few of the mamas and got them spayed. The others just disappeared or stuck around and had more kittens, which I captured when they were 4.5 weeks old, not wild yet, and taught them how to be house cats and then found them homes as house cats. Eventually, after a few years, our cat herd was under control!
If I can do it, anyone can. It is important. SPAY & NEUTER AND VACCINATE YOUR CATS! Healthy barn cats can live for a long time and catch a lot of mice for you!
What will happen to Eli? I don't know. He's getting lots of medicine. He's in a big cage in the entry way in the house. He is warm. He has a heating pad under his blanket too. He ate a little bit tonight. I am cautiously hopeful. But I just don't have the heart to watch him starve to death, freeze to death, or die because he cannot breathe. I don't feel the same way about cats that I do about horses, but I can't stand to let any animal suffer. Greg & I also cannot shoot everything we see that we don't like. And so, Eli is getting a chance.

Here is Eli now.

Hero's First Snow

2008-09-28T21:26:00.001-05:00

This was winter 2007. just didn't want to lose this photo as I'm transferring things to here from our website journal.

Traveler, the rescued Crow

2008-09-28T20:59:00.003-05:00

push yourself to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary
In some cultures, the crow is viewed as symbolic of magic. These cultures believe that the continuous squawking and calling out is to remind us that magic is around us at all times, just waiting for us to use it in our own lives.
Many people see crows as thieves and a nuisance to be done away with, just an ordinary, everyday, trouble-making crow. But spend a day with a crow and you will be in awe of the intelligence and entertained by constant humorous antics.
Today we are treated to one of my sister's wildlife stories. It's about Traveler, a Crow.

My sister, Mickie, is a licensed wildlife rehabber out in the Hills. Often when she comes to visit she brings critters with her, because there is no way she could teach anyone how to feed them while she is gone from her home. I was lucky to meet Traveler when he was young. He was kind of sick when he came to stay at my house with my sister, I think it was June 2006. I've never taken the time to discover the magic of birds. But Mickie has always loved them.

Here is what she is sharing with us today:
Traveler’s Journey Continues
It is November 10th, 2007. It has been 5 months since I have seen Traveler. I still miss him every day. His intelligence amazed me and his ability to show tenderness touched my heart. We did have a very special relationship. It was almost like the two lovers in the movie "Ladyhawke". By day she’s a hawk and he’s a human and at night she’s human and he’s a black wolf. The only time they see each other as humans is for a very short time every morning as the sun is coming up.
In February Traveler started trying to feed me. He’d fill his mouth with food and then come and stand in front of me. He’d put his beak up to my nose like he was expecting me to open my mouth and accept the food he was offering me. One day I decided to experiment. I put a Cheeto, one of his favorite snacks, in my mouth and held it up to him. He took it from my mouth. He even started sharing his precious pistachios with me. I feed the squirrels a nut and seed mixture that has pistachios in it. Traveler would pick all the pistachios out of the mixture and stash them in my flower pots on the deck. It wasn’t at all unusual to find a pile of the nuts carefully placed in a pot with maybe a leaf or a stick over them to hide them.
He also started bringing me other little gifts. Sometimes there would be a special stone placed on the deck railing when I’d get up in the morning. Sometimes he would bring the gifts to me when I was out on the deck. It might be a piece of a stick, a stone, a brightly colored piece of plastic or a piece of wood. Each time he would come to me with the item in his mouth. He’d stand in front of me and make a sound over and over like he was saying, "Here. Here. Here." I’d hold out my hand and he would place the gift in my hand.
Traveler started staying here even at night. He had a special branch up in the maple tree where he would go to bed each night. I’d look up into the tree and see his little silhouette against the sky. He’d be preening and settling in for the night. It was somehow comforting to know he was up there watching over things. Every morning he started calling at 5:45. There were 3 or 4 other crows living in a tree across the street. They’d call back and forth with Traveler. Sometimes they’d join him in the maple tree for awhile. But he never went off with them. He always stayed here with me. Sometimes he’d look at me like he just couldn’t understand why I couldn’t go with him.
Traveler started showing me great affection. He enjoyed sitting behind me and playing with my hair. He was fascinated with the combs I use to hold my hair back and would often remove them. The greatest act of tenderness he showed me was when he would preen my eyelashes. He was so careful and gentle and it made me feel like he was saying, "I love you Mickie". This tender act touched my heart deeply.
But I always knew that one day he would figure out that he was a crow and I am a human. I remember that day vividly. It was June 11th, 2007. Traveler started calling at his normal time and the crows across the street answered him. They went on and on calling back and forth. They were particularly noisy. Finally, one of the crows joined Traveler in the maple tree. They continued their squawking. I had to leave for work and as I was walking across the backyard to my car Traveler came and perched on one of the lower branches of the tree. He started squawking and squawking at me. I said, "I have to go to work. I’ll see you for lunch." At lunch time Traveler wasn’t there but I didn’t think that much of it. He wasn’t there for supper either and I started to wonder what happened. The next morning he wasn’t up in the maple tree. Plus---the crows from across the street were gone as well. So, this is what I believe. I believe the crows from across the street kept yelling at Traveler that morning. I think they were getting ready to go and were saying, "Come on, we have to go!!" I believe Traveler was yelling back, "Just a little bit longer. I have to tell her good-bye!!" And when he was squawking at me that morning I think he was saying good-bye.
For the last two weeks now there have been two crows that come and sit in the maple tree. One of them is especially vocal and seems to be telling some lengthy stories. They never come down to me on the deck. But they will sit up there and listen to me when I talk to them. I tell myself that the noisy one is Traveler and he is telling his friend all about the days when he lived here. I imagine him coming down and sitting with me on the deck. He will begin to preen my eyelashes and I will start to cry. He’ll catch the tears with his beak as they run down my face. It’s as if he’s wiping them away and saying, "Don’t cry. I came back. I’m okay."

Here is Mick's introduction to Traveler, written while he was still with her.
Life According to Traveler
Take flight on Traveler's Journey
I have to say that I am fascinated by crows. They are one of my favorite birds. So when Traveler entered my life in June, 2006, it was a very good day. He was found on the ground after falling from the nest. He had long, clumsy legs that couldn’t yet support the weight of his growing body.
About a week after receiving the baby crow, I traveled to the eastern part of the state for my grandmother’s birthday. Since the crow was a rather high-maintenance baby requiring frequent feedings and clean-ups, he made the trip with me instead of staying home and having someone else care for him. I made the comment to him that he was a very good traveler and that’s how he got his name.
I wasn’t sure that I was supposed to have him in the motel room with me and because he was a rather vocal youngster I frequently had to tell him to be quiet. He was just learning to perch so I’d place him on the back of a chair in front of the television and let him watch Emeril. He seemed to really enjoy the cooking channel.
Crows stay with their parents for a long time, sometimes for up to a year, so I was prepared to have this baby for several months at least. Other baby birds grew up and left home. Baby bunnies, baby squirrels, the fawns—everyone grew up and started life on their own. But there was always my Traveler.
Fall arrived and I started letting Traveler out of his big cage to wander around in the yard. He always returned to the cage before dark. Finally one day he flew off. I was filled with mixed emotions. I was happy that he was exploring his world but I was going to miss his company and his "help" as I did things around the yard.
The following morning, just as it was getting light out, I heard a familiar squawking and I knew he was home. I was so happy that he’d returned. I jumped out of bed and went out on the deck and there he was, up in the big old maple tree. He has been here every morning since.
I fill his food dish every morning and put it out on the deck. On weekends, in addition to his regular dish of food, we have scrambled eggs, which he loves. Sometimes we have toast with cherry preserves or blueberry Pop Tarts. Some days we share a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. He stays all day and then disappears just before dark. I don’t know where he goes and I never see him leave. It’s as if he chooses a moment when I’m in the house to make his exit.
Traveler has a special friendship with my dog, Abby. They spend time out on the deck together. Sometimes he’ll clean out the bits of grass and leaves that collect in the long hairs on her toes.
He also enjoys spending time with my ducks. I think he thought he was a duck until the day he either jumped in or fell in their pool. Now when the ducks are swimming and splashing in their pool he just sits on the edge and bathes in the water they splash instead of going in the pool himself.
I was thrilled that Traveler was coming back every day. Every morning I wake up and hear his voice. It’s as if he’s saying, "Good morning, Mickie. Here I am. Time to get up!"
But what’s even more amazing is that now he is bringing a friend. And this friend will eat from my hand, too. Obviously there has been some communication between the two crows. Otherwise how would this newcomer have known that it could trust me? Why would it have accepted food from my hand without the slightest bit of hesitation the very first time I attempted to feed it? I marveled at the trust this wild bird had in me. I’ve named the new crow "Moocher".
Are they mates? I don’t know. I don’t think they choose mates at this young age. Sometimes I see them flying above me in unison like an Olympic event—Synchronized Soaring. It is so beautiful to watch. Like MAGIC. As I watch them in their joy, my eyes get all watery. I blame it on the cold wind.
I know there will come a time when they will not be here to greet the morning with me and I will, again, have mixed emotions. I will miss them greatly. But, I’ll be happy for them, knowing they’re enjoying a life that they should have and knowing that I did a good job of raising my Traveler.
Traveler has taught me little tidbits of wisdom and hopefully you too have enjoyed our travels and everyday "push yourself to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary."