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4/9/2011

Our Latest Arrivals Through Recent Horse Rescuing Efforts

Baybe

This past Monday morning we welcomed two new horses to our equine sanctuary, a 7 yr. old chestnut Thoroughbred mare named “Lexi” and a 7 year old Arabian gelding we presently call “Baybe”.

These two horses were in feedlot #10 at Camelot in Cranbury, New Jersey. No one had stepped up to buy them and prevent them from being shipped to slaughter.

Luckily for them, three people from our Spruce Meadow Family were interested in helping with rescuing horses. We were able to pull them from the lot just before the deadline.

Olivia Hannah’s dad, Marty Hannah, donated all the funds to save Lexi and Erin Cox, our barn manager and riding instructor, donated all of the funds to save Baybe. Violet Josik offered to donate a large portion of the shipping fees to bring them from New Jersey to the horse rescue and the proceeds from the “Soup’s On Fundraiser” was enough to pay the remainder of the shipping expenses.

Do you wonder what it costs to “pull” a horse from the feedlot? The following is what it costs to pull one from the Camelot feedlot in New Jersey…

Horse #051 (Baybe)

First you have to pay the amount that the proprietor of the lot paid for the horse, sadly this is generally based on its weight. There is then a $50 proprietors fee added on top of that as profit for the proprietor.

You then have a $20 fee for a coggins (a required test to make sure that the horse is free from equine infectious anemia, a highly contagious, incurable disease) and then you have a $35 fee for a veterinary health certificate.

I have seen the prices for the horses themselves range anywhere from $50 for a horse in very poor condition up to over $700 for a very large horse in fairly good weight and condition.

After securing the cost of the horse, you then need to pick it up or arrange for transport to your location. This generally costs $3-$4 per mile. Sometimes a better deal is offered by a shipper for horse rescuing and transporting to horse sanctuaries, or if they already have a load heading in your direction.

Arriving At The Farm

Lexi's Arrival

Lexi & Baybe arrived here on Monday morning around 7:00. Baybe was happy to get off the trailer, but Lexi was a little unsure! I think she had been to too many unfamiliar, somewhat scary places in a short time and didn’t know what to expect.

Once off the trailer we took them straight to the“old” back barn to be quarantined for three weeks.

Baybe Arriving At The Farm

They have nice 10 x 12 box stalls right next to each other and right across from the side door so they can see everything going on outside and get plenty of fresh air!

They got to just settle in for the day and get used to their new spot. On Tuesday they each got a good grooming and got to be turned out in the big pasture next to the barn…Once their quarantine is over the pasture will be seeded and then left alone for 6 or 7 weeks until it is ready for this year’s turnouts.

Lexi & Babe watching me take pictures!

So far they love laying in the sun, watching the other horses and activities around the farm, eating , being brushed and getting exercise in the pasture!

Fundraising For Rescuing Horses

So far this year we have had two fundraising efforts to help with rescuing horses.

Our first effort was the “Soup’s On Fundraiser” at our winter Fun & Games Show. A huge thank you to everyone that donated soups and baked goods!

And an especially huge thank you to Naomi Ward, Erin’s mom, for watching the “store” for us!

There was almost $200 raised towards rescuing horses at the show!

Candy Bar Fundraising

Al has been in charge of handling the candy bar fundraising efforts….there has been a lot of interest in buying & eating candy bars so we are seeing a steady profit for horse rescuing over time. So far the profits from candy sales are just over $100. If you are interested in heading up a candy bar sales group or just selling some candy bars yourself you can stop by and see Al…or you can text him at 741-2346.

4/5/2011

Where To Start?

Well, after so much time the question is “where to start”? First I think I will recap 2010…

Horse Rescuing Fundraisers

The Haunted House Fundraiser was such a huge success, thanks to the hard work of ALL involved. It is going to have a huge impact on horse rescuing efforts and bringing rescue horses to a safe haven in horse sanctuaries.

The first Haunted House was such a big success that we had a”Haunted House II – The Return”! Between the two we raised over $1000 for the rescue! Thank you so much to EVERYONE! In fact here is a video of our 2010 Haunted House…

Saying Goodbye

Sadly, we lost two of our favorite rescue horses, both ponies, this past year.

Sparkles

In July we felt it was finally time to have our beautiful Sparkles humanely euthanized. She had been living with an aggressive bone cancer for the past year and 1/2. She was still enjoying life, along with her mashes, but her body condition had begun to take its toll on her. Even though she ate frequently it seemed that the cancer was stealing all her nutrients.

Our beautiful Sparkles, sharing her love!

For her birthday, July 4th, she got several carrot cupcake mashes which she thoroughly enjoyed! She is buried out behind our back barn under a gorgeous willow tree where she can continue keeping an eye on things.  We miss her terribly. Sparkles was brought to the farm as a rescue 10 years ago. She had  chronic foot problems but was still able to do pony rides for small children and help us to teach youngsters how to groom, lead and work safely around horses. She was a true gem!

Chubby

In December we lost our barn mascot and great friend, Chubby. His spirit will remain with us always. Chubby was brought to the farm 21 years ago to prevent him from going to auction. He has led a long and happy life here.

Another "Great Escape"

There are more “Chubby stories” than you can count! We finally gave up on keeping him fenced in…he would break out of any pasture, stall or turnout area. We also finally realized that it saved everyone a lot of time if we just opened up his stall door and let him go where he wanted to! We did, however, have to devise a “Chubby-proof” system to keep him inside his stall because when he would get loose he would try to gorge himself on grain and let the other horses out.

Best Friends...Chubby & Kismet

Chubby had lost his best friend, Kismet, another of our rescue horses, over a year ago. It broke his (and all of our) hearts. He was never quite the same. I am glad that they are finally together again. Chubby is buried under the willows, next to Sparkles, where he can help her keep an eye out on all of us he left behind.

Welcoming Justin!

This past fall we welcomed Justin as a rescue horse. He was not from a bad situation, but was not needed anymore.

We were approached by a kind person who had fostered Justin in the past but was unable to take him when he recently became available this fall.

Justin & Sarah

She wanted to buy him from his current owners, who no longer needed him, and donate him to the rescue to prevent him from going to an auction.

Having recently purchased her own horse, she was unable to financially support them both. She loves him dearly and wanted to make sure he didn’t end up in bad circumstances.

Justin is a sweet and wonderful 15 yr. old Thoroughbred gelding. He is a handsome and gentle boy and is acclimating nicely to the lesson program here at the farm.

He has many fans and has received quite a warm welcome!

9/28/2010

You Are Invited To…

The Haunted House & Pony Ride Fundraiser!

Be sure to mark your calendar for Friday, October 8th from 6pm until ? so you can attend the Haunted House Fundraiser at Spruce Meadow Farm, 10333 Keller Road | Clarence, NY 14031. You are probably aware that the horses have moved into the new barn recently, and that right now the “old” back barn is empty….well, on Friday, October 8th starting at 6pm it won’t be so empty. It is going to be transformed into a “haunted house” (or if you prefer a “haunted barn”!) For a $5 donation to the rescue you will get a trip through the haunted house and a pony ride. There has been a lot of behind the scenes work going into this for the past two months so it should prove to be an exciting event! And the best part of all is that the proceeds will go towards helping with the building fund and medical care of the rescue horses!

Piper Update

Piper is doing very well! She is beautiful, active and sweet. She loves to play and run when she’s out and gets along well with all the other horses! At her most recent vet check, 2 weeks ago, her heart has improved a tad and has a bit less of a swooshing sound and more distinct beat and her gum and tongue color are better (pinker). We’ll have to get another picture SOON…this one is actually over 2 months old already! 5/18/2010

Basket Raffle To Benefit Rescue Being Held At Spruce Meadow Farm’s Spring Horse Show On SUNDAY MAY 23rd

Piper

Chubby

We hope you can come out this Sunday, May 23rd to enjoy the Spring Horse Show at Spruce Meadow Farm, located at 10333 Keller Road in Clarence. As well as lots of fun horse show classes, there will be refreshments and a basket raffle to benefit Phoenix Rising Equine Rescue! In addition to helping with housing and medical care for the rescue horses you will have the opportunity to win some wonderful “baskets” donated by local businesses and benefactors of the horses. For more information you can call 741-2346 or visit Spruce Meadow Farm’s website www.SpruceMeadowFarm.net Some of the early donations we have received come from Nelson Feeds of Akron, Watts Country Farm Market of Albion, Ken Spoths Farm Market of East Amherst, Golden Tails Pet Food & Supplies of Bowmansville, Alan Deacon of Spruce Meadow Farm, Hayes Seafood House of Clarence, Thompson Bros. Greenhouse of Clarence Center and Ohlson’s Bakery of Clarence. So come on out to have some fun and refreshments and most importantly, help save horses! 5/17/2010

Piper

Piper

Our newest rescue horse arrived 4 weeks ago. She is an 11 month old Thoroughbred/Trakhener filly named Piper. Having gone to see her, her subdued disposition and need of TLC, along with general less-than-healthy body condition and some digestive issues made us want to bring her to the farm. After getting her on a good feeding program and a probiotic she began to pick up weight, develop a better coat and show more energy. However, during a veterinary exam a substantial heart murmer was discovered and the veterinarian suggested she be taken to Ohio State University Veterinary Clinic for an echocardiogram to determine the extent of her problem. Piper was found to have several congenital abnormalities/defects of her heart. There is nothing that can be done to correct them at the present time. What we CAN do is continue to give her loving, supportive care, good nutrition and supplement her diet with digestive enzymes, CoQ10 and a heart tonic. She is currently enjoying life. She has lots of energy, runs, bucks and plays with her new friends and gets pampered and spoiled! We’ll keep you updated and post her most recent photos as time goes on…in fact we’ll have some new ones very soon! 3/1/2010

First Fundraiser

Our first fundraiser will be held at our Winter Fun & Games Show on Sunday, March 14th here at the farm. Everyone is invited and we hope YOU can attend! The fun & games will start at 10:00am and a Soup’s On Fundraiser will be held in the lounge attached to the indoor arena. There will be many varieties of soup & chili offered for your enjoyment! You can donate $5 and receive a cup, spoon, drink (bottled water or hot chocolate) and 5 poker chips. For a $10 donation you get a bowl, spoon, drink and 10 poker chips. With either donation you get unlimited access to all the “soups”. When you are finished you use your poker chips to “vote” on your favorite(s). There will be a cup by each soup pot. The chef of the most popular soup will win a prize. You can also bring along any laser and inkjet printer cartridges or cell phones. We will have a donation box available for these items! As always, every little bit adds up & helps with medical costs, feeding and housing of the rescue horses!