Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Olive is Starting Training with Heather Snow-Flamer


Horses require the services of a rescue because of a need - frequently neglect, abuse, or an owner who can no longer provide for their horse's care.  It is rare that a young or middle-aged, well-trained horse is given to Heart of the Redwoods Hores Rescue.  Locally such horses are usually easy to sell, even in these times of economic "downturn".  If they are sound, HRHR tends to see horses that fall into the following categories:
  • the ground work is done and is the horse is ready for saddle;
  • there were too many horses and someone didn't have the time to work with this horse;
  • very green, just needs a few more rides;
  • or the heart-breaking, "this horse has helped me raise my children and now I want to find them a good retirement home".

For the first three categories rehabilitation means training, often from the ground up.  For a horse to finally be "safe" - from all the bad things that happen to unridable horses (sold for meat) and for potential adopters, that horse simply must be able to accept and carry a rider.  Few potential adopters have the interest or skills to take a horse with an unknown history and invest the time and/or money required for a solid training foundation.


HRHR is committed to providing the training necessary to help give our horses every chance at getting a good forever home.  Olive has just started in training with Heather Snow-Flamer.  Heather has already donated several months of free training for Quincy, who is now in a long term rehab foster home in Washington (check out his blog).  Our BOD agreed that the work required for Olive would be paid for.  We are starting a "targeted" fundraising campaign to help fund three months of training.  With Jerry Boots providing free board at his Hillcrest Stables, Heather was able to charge us a very reasonable $400. per month for training Olive.


Olive has been with HRHR since the Elsie Smith hoarding case.  She was one of the 40 horses that lived in horrible conditions on Mrs. Smith's property in Southern Humboldt.  It is believed that Olive was once a riding horse, but neglect and disuse eroded whatever training she once had.  Our volunteers have been working with Olive on the ground, it is time for Heather take her the rest of the way.

If you would like to donate to Olive's training fund, just click on the picture of Charlie (in training with Jerry Boots) and you will be able to make an online donation via paypal.  



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