Helping out and becoming a Beggar!

I have said in the past that I rescue horses. Do I really?

It's not something I ever thought about before 15 months ago. Someone posted the link to Fugly Horse of the Day on a discussion board that I frequent and because I was bored out of my mind at work, I checked it out. And became totally addicted!

I'm addicted to the drama created in the comments. I'm addicted to the sound logic and "Oh yeah, huh!" obviousness of the posts that I never took the time to think about.

It was because of FHoTD, because of a teeny tiny mite of a woman named Cathy, I rescued my first horse. Well, first and second horses.

I was supposed to adopt a horse, but as it turned out, the mare was better suited for a dressage lesson barn. But Cathy turned me on to a pregnant mare in need named Heddy Weed (yeah...guess we know what THEY were smoking). She was young, only 6 years old, due in April, and free with papers. What more could I ask for?

When I showed up, Emily asked me if I could take more. There were 7 mares in the arena, and I could take as many as I could fit in my trailer. Mike and I decided that though we had a three-horse trailer, we really could only afford to take two horses. The second mare I chose was an 8 year old dark bay mare named "Honey in the Money". How cool is THAT?

Both mares had rain rot and were thin. Not neglected, but thinner than I like to see my horses. This is the reason I'm always broke...I FEED my horses!

In May, I saved Kaci's Friend. A 19 yr old TB gelding who'd spent the previous 8 years jumping, carrying his owner, then her daughter over fences, hauling thousands of miles, only to be dumped at the owners farm in 160 acre "pasture" teeming with sagebrush and ticks. He was COVERED in old, healing tick bites. Once I got him home, I began the task of removing actively feeding ticks. Gives me the willies just typing about it. Kaci went to a new home teaching a 13 yr old how to jump.

Then came Joy and the beginning of this blog. My first broken heart. I couldn't save her. Regardless of what I did, she just had so much going wrong, I couldn't fix it. So with her owner's blessing, I let her go.

Two weeks later, still not recovered from saying goodbye to Joy, Heddy colicked while I was at work. By the time someone found her, it was too late. She was in too much pain. We put her to sleep and released her from her pain.

My neighbor's boyfriend knew of a ranch that was "culling" their herd and wanted to know if I wanted one of their mares. Free. Papered. Sounds. Broke. Sane. "Well, HELL yeah!" Squirrel arrived a few days later. I can NOT believe my luck. She's a little "quirky", but hey, aren't they all?

Then came Thai. This red little mare that is the SWEETEST, easiest mare to deal with. Calm and quiet and patient and vocal. She is what everyone wishes all their horses could be like. Just a nice mare all the way around. When Cathy saddled her, she didn't even blink. When Cathy climbed on her, she just stood quietly until she was asked to move. Her head never came up, she never flinched. Cathy could have been climbing on a carousel horse for all that she moved.

And lastly, Classy has come to stay for a couple of months. I'd thought that Classy would be leaving here March 1, but the gals at SAFE have ask that she stay at LEAST another month.

So here I am, having rescued horses, and having fostered rescued horses. And I'm down to begging. The economy downturn does not disciminate. Everyone is a target. Three rescued horses need your help.

It won't take much, just the cost of a nice dinner out. The cost of a tank of gas. The cost of a Big Mac Extra Value meal. Every little bit helps, it helps ease the financial burden. It helps to spread that burden.

Let me know in the comments if you'd like to help.