Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue

The Excellence of Seasoned Horses

2011-08-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

(Autumn 24 yrs)

How old is too old for a horse? All of my personal horses are senior horses:

seasoned, experienced, nerve (heart), irreplaceable, "on-the-ball", and ridABLE.

Yet too often in the world of rescue we hear "oh, but we don't want a senior horse."

(Captain Jack - 16 yrs)

I often wonder why.

(Miss T -16 yrs.)

Maybe people are worried about expenses - vet and feed.

Yet face it, all horses are expensive. A little education might help.

Angel (25 yrs)

Seasoned horses may have specific feed requirements so they can continue to thrive.

Most will need their teeth checked and possible "floated" every year.

Yet with today's nutrition, it is common for horses to be working far into their twenties.

Sometimes people fear having only a few years to spend with a beloved companion,

yet isn't this the risk we take whenever we love deeply?

(Charlie - 18 yrs)

And what an honor to be able to recieve the amazing gifts that a seasoned horse has to offer.

So You Want to be a Horse Rescuer?

2011-08-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Lots of people love horses. Some want to be around horses. We appreciate that. We are recruiting new volunteers and board members. We want people who love horses and want to be with them. Of course we do . . . and that is just the starting place when it comes to what it takes to be a Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue volunteer.

You have to be ready to start from the ground up - literally!

We need folks who are not afraid to get their hands dirty.

People who say "count me in" when we put out the call for a work party.

We need volunteers who are ready to commit at least 5 hours a week doing some of the many,

many tasks that it takes to run a rescue: fundraising, public relations, and grant writing . . .

all in addition to the actual hands on work with horses.

If you don't know a lot about horses, that is ok.

You need to be willing to learn and to show initiative,

taking an active role in the process of learning.

We also need volunteers who are experienced horse handlers.

People who, once they are screened, can lend a skilled hand to

assisting with equine management tasks: grooming,

exercising, and if cleared by one of our trainers, riding.

When horses enter the rescue with serious medical needs,

we need skilled volunteers to commit to their ongoing care.

Our volunteers help with fundraisers and community events.

Be prepared to sign up for something every month.

There are matts, buckets, blankets, and feeders to be cleaned.

Stalls to be mucked out every night.

Hay rooms to be raked, hay to be hauled and stacked.

Sometimes you will work alone, maybe at night, in the rain.

Sometimes you will work with a full team.

In the winter, pasture maintenance requires slogging through knee high mud.

Maintenance needs seem to never stop.

And the need for feed, supplies, and other resources is relentless.

There is tack to clean, organize, and make ready for our semi-annual tack sales

Horses need to be promoted through events, distribution of flyers, and

work on the internet posting on forums, craigslist, facebook, and online equine adopton websites.

Sometimes your heart will break because you will have to say goodby to horses you love.

Our dear Ben had to be euthanized this year when his chronic pain destroyed all quality of life.

Sometimes your heart will break because you aren't able to help a horse that really needs you.

At times you will feel tired, exhausted, and even overwhelmed.

You will also feel exhilarated, fulfilled, and absolutely grateful for the amazing horses

whose lives you will be able to transform as you become part of our team . . .

. . . commited to our shared passion of the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of horses in need.

For more information visit the volunteer opportunities page on our website

or "friend" us on facebook.

Ten Horses, Adoption and Fundraising

2011-07-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, something wonderful happened at Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue. A new team of six committed people took over the management of the non-profit. New volunteers were recruited, an effective corporate structure was re-developed, and once again horses started to be rescued. Today HRHR is responsible for the welfare of 10 horses. Each horse has rehab needs: think of this as being healed and prepared for continued productive relationships with humans. We have long known that rescuing horses is a community effort. Today we are asking all of you to become horse rescuers! Here are the horses that need your help.

Bryron is a stunning four year old, still a baby in many ways. He was bred to race but the economy and other issues changed those plans. Left at pasture for almost two years, Byron just came to HRHR. He will need ground training and saddle training - a complete foundation to enable him to share his amazing qualities safely with people.

Miss T has spent over a decade producing babies for the racing industry. This kind, lovely 16 year old mare is very polite on the ground. She appears sound and will need training from the ground up. There will be a no breeding stipulation in her adoption contract. There are enough horses needing homes in our world.

Chip is a breath under 14 hands and is coming to HRHR tomorrow. He is SUCH a good boy! Born in July, 2007 he is halter broke and leads. He needs extensive training.

Charlie is approaching the point where he will be available for adoption. His story is a good illustration of how we work at HRHR. When Chuck was surrendered to the Rescue he was a 17 year old, neglected mustang stallion. First stop was North Coast Veterinary Hospital for a gelding appointment. Chuck needed time to recover emotionally and physically. He is now in training with Jody Swanlund. Thank you Jody for donating your time and skill - it is part of the rehabilitation process that is changing and saving Charlie's life.

Levi came into the Rescue in July. In severe pain from her badly foundered front hoofs, she needed some immediate relief. Xrays and a treatment plan following the founder rehab protocol developed by Pete Ramey and Dr. Debra Taylor at Auburn University were the first step. Talented trimmer Jessica White is donating her time as an essential part of the team desperately trying to save this mare's life. To make a difference we need to continue to provide her with expensive therapy boots and pads, mineral supplements, and weekly White Lightning treatments. We think we can make a difference and that in the end Levi will be sound.

Angel. LOOK AT THIS MARE!!!!!! She is SO adoptable. Trainer Heather Snow-Flamer said she has had extensive training at one time in her life (thank you Heather for all you do for us!). Angel is great little riding horse. Senior horses have SO MUCH TO OFFER. Please adopt this mare.

Captain Jack joined HRHR on June 21st. His "savior" was a kind-hearted woman in Fort Dick who took him in when he was abandoned by his long time owner. Jack had some medical needs and HRHR was contacted. Dr. Branch of NCHV has been wonderful with this boy, treating a long term low grade infection. Just cleared for exercise and light riding (to start), Jack's "horse team" can now begin the process of preparing him for adoption.

Long time friends of HRHR will recognize Olive, who was one of the 40 horses seized by Humboldt County in 2008 in a heart-wrenching hoarding case. Currently in training with Heather Snow-Flamer, we believe that Olive will soon be a very adoptable riding horse. Heather, thank you for donating you time and talent to give Olive the best chance for a wonderful life.

Bodie . . . after five years in a small, manure filled enclosure, Bodie is delighted to run free in the pastures donated to HRHR. We have many "silent" partners whose generosity makes it possible for the team to exist. Bodie would be such a wonderful companion horse. How would you, her adopter benefit? You would get to share her infectious joy.

In addition to these nine horses HRHR is responsible for the life-long care of a senior pony, Legacy. We are very grateful to our foster homes who are providing exceptional care for Sophia and Quincy.

Our Board of Directors recently met to review HRHR's expenditures between June 2010 and July 2011. Here is a "snapshot" of those expenditures (click on image to make it bigger). We are highly committed to ensuring that the funding generously donated by our community of fellow horse rescuers is effectively managed. All donated funds go for the welfare of HRHR horses.

As we move into our fundraising season, we want to thank all of you for what you have helped to create over the last year. Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is again thriving and rescuing horses. The horses who come to us have needs that must be met to prepare them for adoption. We will continue to need your help and would like to invite you to be horse rescuers, your generous donations make the work possible.

Charlie getting a lesson from Jody Swanlund.

Levi's damaged front left hoof upon intake.

Levi getting her first trim from Jessica White.

Thoroughbreds "Abandoned" at Local Stable are Now with Miranda's Rescue and HRHR

2011-07-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

The stories kept circulating around Humboldt County's equine community . . . FOURTEEN horses abandoned at a local stable. What happened to those horses? The story is complicated and is one played out countless times in the TB racing industry. Horses are bred in high numbers to produce the few stellar progeny who actually make it to the track. Of those, fewer still become moneymakers. What happens to the hundreds . . . thousands of horses who don't "produce"? They end up abandoned, given away, sent to auction. If you are interested in learning more of the plight of forsaken thoroughbreds, please follow the blog TB Friends, written by the amazing Joe Shelton who maintains a TB rescue of over 100 horses.

Back to our local story . . . 14 horses intended to be the foundation of a Humboldt County breeding operation were "left" at a local stable when their owners' fortunes changed. Over the last few months many people have assisted with these horses. Foremost is Shannon Miranda. Shannon, the driving force behind Miranda's Rescue, has been providing support, resources, and encouragement for the people who were left with the care of the "herd". Many of the horses have already been placed. Shannon has the remaining seven. Of these, two will be coming to Heart of the Redwoods. The horses are now clear for adoption.

Each horse has a story and needs. Some are immediately available for adoption, some have extensive medical needs. Potential adopters will be screened by the Rescues to ensure they will be able to meet the physical and emotional needs of each horse.

1. "Miss T"

The 16 year old chestnut mare is the mother of several of the other horses. A brood mare all her life, she is done having babies. She is well behaved on the ground. We do not believe she has ever been ridden Contact Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue for more information.

2. "Lilly" is 9 years old. She has been on the track. She was well - behaved on the ground. Contact Miranda's Rescue for more information.

3. Byron is a 4 year old gelding. We do not know the extent of his training. Contact HRHR for more information.

4. Yearling filly - this cute girl had an umbilical hernia and will be needing surgery. Donations can be sent to Miranda's Rescue.

5."Kiss" is a 3 year old chestnut mare with blaze. Training level is unknown. She was well behaved on the ground. Miss T is her mother. She is available for adoption through Miranda's Rescue.

6. Bay Mare - 9 years old . . . believed to be adopted.

7. Bay Gelding - 4 years old . . . believed to be adopted.

The cost of caring for these horses is significant. Miranda's Rescue would be very appreciative of donations to assist with their care. Donations can be made conveniently via their web page - click HERE.

If Wishes Were Horses We Would . . .

2011-06-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

. . . See all of our horses adopted at Heart of the Redwoods. One of our community friends asked a very good question: "How many of your rescues get adopted on average? How many are in your care currently?"

Our management team at HRHR is fairly new having started last summer with the exception of Misty Hunter who had just about single handedly been holding things together for most of 2010. We did quite a bit of rebuilding and revising over the last year and are feeling pretty good with the current shape of HRHR. We have a great pool of committed volunteers, a solid organization infrastructure, and a hard working Board of Directors with six passionate people committed to the Rescue.

Here is our current status when it comes to equines:

Quincy

His guy is on his way to physical and mental health. He weighed 1300 lbs when he came

to us in June, 2010. Now he is a trim 1030 lbs and living in a long-term foster home in

Grandview Washington. He even has his own blog! Visit him and Quincy & Another.

Sophia

This pretty mare was one of the horses from the hoarder seizure in 2008. She was untrained with some soundness issues. She is VERY happy living with her foster family in Loleta.

Legacy

This thirty year old pony came into HRHR years ago with a "legacy" to pay for his care for the rest of his life. He lives with his foster family and is doted upon.

Olive

In her early 20's, she was one of the 40 horses seized in the So. Hum. horse hoarding case in 2008. Olive is currently in training with Heather Snow-Flamer at Hillcrest Stables.

Bodie

Bodie is a senior mare, a quarter horse who used to do gymkhana.

She would be such a good companion.

She really deserves the very best for the rest of her life.

Charlie

An 18 year old Twin Peaks mustang, Charlie was a stallion when he came to HRHR in December, 2010. His first experience with the Rescue was a stop by North Coast Veterinary Hospital to get gelded.

Charlie has excellent ground skills

When Jerry Boots gave him his first ride, he just stood and stood. HRHR has been fortunate to have some wonderful trainers donate or give us reduced rates on their services. This can't happen all the time. We were told that Charlie was once a trail horse. Under saddle he acted like he did not know what to do.

Training and veterinary care are the two greatest expenses for the Rescue. Untrained, unsound horses are not very adoptable. Charlie, with his sound mind and athletic body, is an awesome horse who needs go into training.

Angel

Everyone who works with Angel loves her. It absolutely breaks my heart

that she has been in the Rescue since 2003. The reasons had nothing to do with Angel.

Our current BOD sees her as VERY adoptable - she is a delight to ride

and would be a perfect horse for a light adult or an experienced child.

Angel is a 25 year old arab mare. Help us find her a home!

Captain Jack

Jack is a 14 - 16 year old mustang/quarter horse who came into HRHR on 6-21-11.

He shows great potential, is a good trail horse, and quite a personality.

He weighs in at 930 lbs - about 70 lbs less than he needs.

In May we said goodbye to Ben

Ben came into HRHR around 2006. He had some serious neurological issues. HRHR ended up serving as a sanctuary for Ben. In May it was clear that he was unable to continue to live a quality life and he was euthanized under the kind hand of Dr. Branch.

Over the last year our new (not so new now) team has not placed any horses in adoption. We have placed two in foster care. We have had two in training. We have taken in four horses: Quincy, Charlie, Bodie, and Jack. We currently have five horses at HRHR facilities, one in training, and three in long-term foster care.

Our current potentially adoptable horses are Bodie, Jack, Charlie, and Angel. Bodie and Angel are adoptable now. Jack needs rehab and assessment. Charlie needs training. We hope Olive will soon be adoptable.

Do we have room for more horses? Yes, depending upon their needs.

How does someone surrender a horse to HRHR? Call 441-9402. One of our intake specialists will call you back and do a telephone interview. We may want to assess the horse in person. Our BOD will vote, considering if we have the current resources to meet the horse's needs. If we do not take in the horse, we will offer to take photos and post them on our website page "Local Horses in Need".

Horses Are Always Talking to Us, How Often Do We Listen?

2011-06-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Meet Captain Jack!

Yesterday Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue took in a new horse. Misty, our President, and I went up to Crescent City to get Captain Jack. A good-hearted guy, Jack is VERY communicative. He was pretty anxious to be leaving his familiar surroundings. On the trip, at the vet, and in his new stable Jack let us know in eloquent equine language about his concerns.

When I listened, Jack gave me his very best. It got me thinking, how often do I fail to "hear" what horses are trying to tell me? Now I'm not talking about things at the "animal communicator" level. I'm talking about regular equine language - what you can hear and see when you take the time to pay attention.

Our "dialogue" went something like this:

Cherie: I walk in Jack's directions, stopping occasionally, moving slow. Jack sees me and walks away, showing me his butt.

Jack: Who is this strange person? I feel her attention. Oh Oh. I don't know her. This worries me, what is going to happen? I'm going to tell her to slow down or better yet, just leave me alone.

Cherie: He is walking away. He isn't too sure about me. I stand, breathe slowly, turn sideways, get smaller, point my center away from Jack. Wait. He cocks an ear my way. I take a couple of sideways steps not looking at him. He shifts his weight away from me. I stop, wait, breathe, and start talking about what I'm doing and who I am. He is still.

Jack: I'll just skootch over here away from her. Maybe she will get the message and go away. Oh good, she stopped. Now what is she doing? Hmmmmm. She feels sort of soft, not sharp, no poking-at-me energy. Let me check her out again. Points ear. Oh-oh, she got closer, but it doesn't feel too bad. Maybe she is ok, she is talking to me.

Misty, our President at HRHR, knows how to listen to horses.

To often I get caught up in the "business" I am about and forget that I have a sentient partner with their own preferences and ideas about what works best. I wonder how many times horses get labeled when the real problem is that their human is "hearing impaired" when it comes to listening to equine language.

When we listen, the rewards are tremendous - the eye softens, our bond deepens, and our beloved equine companion dares to reveal more of their self to us.

If you want to learn more about the language of horses, here is a very well written article that starts with this quote from an old cowboy:

Horses are always quietly talking to you with their body, and horses don't lie.
It's very subtle, but if you are very patient and watch closely,

what they are saying to you will come to you like a whisper.

Click HERE to read more.

Olive is Starting Training with Heather Snow-Flamer

2011-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Goodbye Dear Ben, Run Free Always . . .

2011-05-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

This morning Ben was put to rest, surrounded by some of the many who loved him.

Misty, Carey, and Becky helped him leave this world. Thank you
Dr. Branch for your compassionate assistance.

Becky's heartfelt words say it all . . .

"Ben had the biggest heart of any horse I've met. He was beautiful, strong, funny and brave and always tried his best for you, even when he hurt. I wish Ben had been given an easier path in life, but I am grateful for having met him. He touched all of our lives and he will never be forgotten.

Angel Loves Her Hoof Trimmer

2011-04-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Jessica White, one of our volunteers and a mighty fine hoof trimmer. Jessica volunteers to keep our horses feet fit and healthy. Thank you Jessica!

See that soft eye - that was Angel all through the trim. Relaxed and loving the attention.

Jessica has been trimming for several years - she has an excellent feel for balance.

There was a bit of bruising under Angel's overgrown bars.

Jessica has a gentle touch with our senior mare.

Jessica, Thank you SO VERY MUCH for all you do for our horses!

What's this? Happy new feet AND a kiss? Thank you Shelby for all your help today!

We also appreciate the excellent trimming of our other volunteer trimmer,
Natalie Herman of Epona's Natural Hoofcare)

Charlie is Ready!

2011-04-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Do you have experience with mustangs? He could be yours!

To learn more, visit Charlie's page on our blog. Click HERE.

On the first day we met Charlie, he showed Becky that he was responsive to natural horseman ground work.

He ground drives.

Bridled and took the bit like a pro.

Calmly watched Jerry preparing to mount.

Acted a bit uncertain with Jerry on his back.

And just stood still.

Charlie's BLM freeze brand.

Charlie listens closely to Becky.

Easy to load and unload.

Gorgeous!

Gets along with other horses (just met Ben and shared food).

Calm and easy to handle in new and uncertain situations.

Gets along with mares (in the "castle" with Bodie)

Sometimes the Sweetest Spirit . . .

2011-04-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

. . . is found buried in the deepest mud

When we first laid eyes on Bodie, Becky and I instantly agreed there was no way we were leaving without making sure that she would be joining the Heart of the Redwoods herd. Bodie had lived in the pen pictured here for five years. She was loved, yet her owners were unable to provide her with the care they knew she deserved. They called HRHR, making the painful decision to relinquish Bodie to the rescue.

Once upon a time, this sweet girl ran gymkhana in Humboldt County. Currently she is recovering in one of the pastures kindly donated for our use by Doug Shaw. Though her body has paid a price, her spirit is absolutely undaunted. We renamed her Boadicea, Bodie for short.

While her back is significantly swayed, it does not appear to cause Bodie any discomfort.

She had gone quite some time without hoof care.

On her first trip out of her pen in a very long time, Bodie had difficulty walking. Even though she was in pain, she tried very hard to do everything Becky asked. After a trim and several days out of the mud, her movement improved dramatically. Bodie is kind, steady, and has excellent ground manners.

Once in our pasture, Bodie could not believe her good fortune.

"You mean I REALLY get to stay here and graze on this yummy grass?"

Bodie was amazed at the spaciousness of our round pen where she spent her first couple of days.

First she explored every inch of the round pen with Becky.

Then she expressed her absolute joy!

Bodie will soon be ready for adoption as a companion horse.

Getting Closer to a Forever Home

2011-03-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

(photos by Kira Hawk)

The work just starts when a horse in trouble is brought into a rescue. That horse, those horses, need to be fed, mucked, groomed, conditioned, and more than likely trained. The time comes when someone must take each horse for a "test drive" to assess if they are ridable and/or establish training goals. For Charlie, that someone was Jerry Boots.

Jerry is the owner (along with his wife) of Hillcrest Stables in Loleta. He is also a registered trainer for the Extreme Mustang Makeover events and a volunteer with HRHR. The man has a special place in his heart for mustangs and volunteered to see how Charlie would respond under saddle.Charlie took the bit like a pro. When it came to ground work, Charlie clearly had some advanced moves. Long-lining? No problem!

Getting saddled? Hmmm, not so much. Charlie had some serious sideways evasion when it was time to tighten the girth.

Having Jerry on his back? Ah, not really liking this. A little bit of back humping. For a minute by-standers were worried that Charlie was going to blow. But then he settled and stood still.

And stood.

And stood. What happened to Charlie's go-button? Folks were left wondering if Charlie had been a driving horse, or maybe ridden a very long time ago. Next week he will go back to Hillcrest and Jerry will work with him for a few more days.

HRHR Volunteers Know How to Make Hard Work Fun

2011-02-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today a few volunteers took on a giant job at Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue's Redwood Acres facilities. Our three paddocks were in dire need of rehabbing. Our hay room was ankle deep in hay. Stall mats, water buckets, and feed buckets were in desperate need of scrubbing. Hard work? You bet! But the job got done thanks to Carey Call's team coordination and the tenacity, determination, and hours of hard work by Abbie, Cat, Sarah, Thommie, Becky, Jo, and Cherie.

Guess what we found under the stall mats? Remember what adobe clay is made of?

Dozens of wheelbarrow loads to the manure pile and . . .

. . . hours of mean shovel work by some determined volunteers leveled the nasty mess.

Carey and Thommie perfected the art of moving stall mats so they could be scrubbed.

Abbie was our secret weapon! That girl is one incredible, cleaning machine!

Thank you Cat for leaving our hay room absolutely spotless!

Cat, Sarah, and Jo moved what felt like TONS of old, soggy manure and hay.

Once the paddocks were clean and leveled, it was time to bring in the new gravel.

We really appreciate the generosity of our friends at Taylor's Landscaping Supplies.

They donated

the use of this really

cool little dump trailer. It sure made our job a lot easier!

Becky showed some serious backing skills with her truck and maneuvered

the gravel dump trailer into the perfect position

When Jo says, "I'm in" she really means what she says.

Here is Abbie still hard at work. She wins the award for hardest worker of the day.

The third paddock did not get new gravel but was thoroughly cleaned.

And here is the finished product!

Just about anything is possible with a few, determined HRHR volunteers. Thank you everyone!

Our Horses Help Teach Our Volunteers Some Lessons About Safety

2011-01-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

We want to thank Dutch, Fancy, Angel, Olive, Raz, and Flora - six "dedicated volunteers" who assisted HRHR volunteer and trainer Heather Snow-Flamer and board member Thommie Haskins in teaching our "Safety on the Ground" clinic for our volunteers.

The clinic was designed to teach volunteers the following skills:

safe horse handling skills on the ground and working in-hand
a safe and complete grooming protocol
how to tie two kinds of quick release knots and how to use the Blocher Tie Ring to safely tie horses
hand walking a horse through an unpredictable environment

Heather Snow-Flamer demonstrated how to safely enter a horse's space, halter, and lead.

One of our volunteers shows perfect form, combining focus and intention to lead her . . . ah, well . . . first we had to practice on two legged volunteers before graduating to the four legged assistants.

Angel helped Christy practice her haltering skills.

Thommie and 14 year old Dutch watch volunteers practice their newly learned grooming skills.

Raz is a Trakehner gelding who was slaughter bound before being rescued by HRHR board member Becky McBain. He decided that the grooming part of the clinic was definitely his favorite.

Carey and Amy work on Dutch.

Volunteers learned how to tie a quick release knot.

While ever-patient, Angel let us know that she is really tired of teaching volunteers year after year and longs for a home of her own.

We are fortunate to have donated facilities at Redwood Acres Fairground. The final skill set of the day focused on leading a horse through an unpredictable environment.

Flora, Marie, Sarah, and Heather make the return loop, nearing the end of the clinic.

Our volunteers and horses may encounter race cars, a carnival, BMX riders, or 4-H pigs. It is important to be prepared for the unexpected.

Board member Kira Hawk shows how to "helicoptor" the lead rope to define a preferred space when a horse is rushing when being led.

Part of the mission of Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is to provide education for humans working with horses to increase the safety of both and strengthen the equine/human partnership. Our volunteers start with different levels of experience and knowledge of working with equines. This Saturday clinic provided an opportunity for us to learn together while enjoying one another's company.

We Promised Charlie We'd Be Back . . .

2010-12-22T04:46:00.000-08:00

. . . and thanks to all of you, our friends and volunteers, we were able to keep our promise!

On the shortest day of the year HRHR made the longest rescue

we may ever do - our first rescue as a new team. Charlie.

Charlie was born in 1993 in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA)

in California. His ancestors include Iberian, morgan, gaited, and draft breeds.

Twin Peaks mustangs are noted for their size, beauty, and wonderful temperaments

(Genetic Analysis of the Twin Peaks Herd, Dr. Gus Cothran).

From the moment we met Charlie, we knew he was a special horse.

Charlie needed no persuasion to hop right into Becky and Scott's trailer.

Our first stop was North Coast Veterinary Hospital in Arcata where Charlie had an

appointment with our friend Dr. Branch. Even though Charlie has a wonderful

temperament, there are just too many needy horses in the world these days to risk

maintaining a horse as a stallion that might sire one more baby. Charlie needed to be gelded.

Charlie has the most amazing manners. Even though he came from living on

two acres of mud, he waited to graze until invited. Carey stood by, enjoying his company.

We wondered how long it had been since he enjoyed the sweetness of fresh grass.

Throughout the long day, Charlie remained calm and took everything and everyone in stride.

Becky offered a few words of encouragement as we prepared to turn Charlie over

to the kind and capable hands of the NCVH staff for his operation.

While part of the team went to prepare the pasture to welcome Charlie,

Kira kept him company during his recovery from surgery.

He kept showing her where he hurt, first one side, then the other.

Our second stop of the day delivered Charlie to the pasture where he will recuperate and

live for a time while we assess his level of training and prepare him for rehoming.

With great dignity Charlie explored his new "home", the beautiful 12 acre pasture

that HRHR has use of, thanks to the generosity of our friend Doug Shaw.

Becky explained to Charlie that for the next few days he would need to stay in the 60

foot round pen we use as a "greeting" paddock for new horses. We want to give Charlie

and Ben time to get used to each other before they share the same fields.

If there was anything better than kind humans with crunchies and a spacious pasture

full of green grass, it was the sight of another horse. Charlie met Ben and for the first time

in a very long time experienced the relief of an equine companion.

Ben is a very alpha horse and Charlie is recently gelded, yet their show of equine greeting displays was understated and quickly shifted from pawing and snorting to synchronized grazing.

When horses are accepting of each other and bonded, they will match one another's

posture and rhythm as they move and eat. Ben and Charlie were eating side by

side and mirroring one another within minutes of their first meeting.

They sniffed noses and then . . .

. . . they shared a tasty bite from the same pile of hay.

After a few minutes of sharing hay with Ben,

Charlie gave a huge sigh, stopped, and looked around his new home.

Slowly he walked around, sniffing the ground, looking for the perfect place to roll.

Or so we thought. Charlie was ready for a nap after his long day.

Kira and Ben watched the mustang sigh, and visibly relax.

Kira told him, "Don't worry Charlie, we've got your back!"

And his body softened. And his head lowered.

Slowly his chin came to rest on the ground and his eyes closed.

For a horse to lay down and sleep, they need to feel safe.

On his first day with HRHR, Charlie rested safe in his pasture,

watched over by his new herd and friends at HRHR.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of Charlie's healing

and rehab as he gets ready for his new family.

The Story of Charlie

2010-12-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we got a call about Charlie, a 15 year old mustang stallion. Charlie had been rescued by his current caretakers from a very bad situation in Redding. It was reported to us that Charlie had been kept on a chain. He bears scars where his halter had become embedded in his face. Charlie's current caretakers are to be commended for stepping up for this horse and for recognizing that they do not have the level of horse keeping experience Charlie really requires.

Charlie has an amazing presence - kind, lonely, sad, and somehow very, very wise. We wonder how long he has lived without the comfort of his own kind and what he has suffered since his "capture" someplace in Nevada. It is rather unusual for a mustang to be adopted as a stallion.

Becky found that someone, once, had done quite a bit of work with Charlie. He put his nose

in the halter, was very soft on the lead, and responsive to Becky's requests doing ground work.

We will be voting on Charlie entering the rescue this Tuesday. For this horse, our vote in pretty certainly going to be YES. His entry into HRHR does have a unique set of problems. Our first stop will be a visit to North Coast Veterinary Clinic for a gelding appointment. Charlie will then need confinement in a paddock when he has adequate movement to ensure proper healing of his gelding incision.

Taking any horse into the rescue requires a complex team effort starting with an evaluation of the kind of questions we really hate to ask . . .

What will be the drain of HRHR's resources?
Do we have the funding, volunteers, and appropriate facility to meet the needs of the horse?
What will be required for the horse's rehabilitation? For how long?
What is the re-homing potential for the horse?

We cannot rescue horses without a solid team of volunteers. Fortunately for Charlie our recent volunteer recruitment drive was a HUGE success and many wonderful people have recently joined our team.

I simply cannot imagine looking in Charlie's eyes and saying, "Sorry, we are full" or "Sorry, we don't have enough people to help you." Fortunately, that is not the case right now. Thanks to the incredible group of people that comprise HRHR, thanks to the many, many people who support us through donations, we have have a solid organization and are able to again respond to horses needing our help.

We know that we will not be able to serve every horse we are called upon to assist. Yet we will never say the words "sorry, we are full" and hang up the phone. When we are unable to take in a horse, we will work with the owner to find alternatives. Perhaps we can help develop a plan to deal with a crisis situation through our Winter Horse Response Team. Maybe we can help find referrals that will be helpful. We can certainly help by listing the horse on our "Horses in Need" page on our website.

On Charlie's behalf we want to thank the community that enables us to continue to rescue horses. YOU are responsible for making a difference in the life of this special horse.

On This Day We Give Thanks For . . .

2010-11-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

. . . The community that sustains us at Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue

. . . Our incrdible, hard working, caring volunteers

Mary

Dorana

Lisa

Marie,

Carey

Vicky

Jennifer

Jennifer (on left)

Heather Snow-Flamer - trainer, clinician, riding instructor,

volunteer, and incredibly good-natured friend!

. . . The families of our volunteers and board members - for the time and support you give us.

. . . For our Board of Directors.

Misty Hunter, president

Robert Dorsett, treasurer

Kira Hawk, chair of the Horse, Health, and Hay Committee

Becky McBain, bookkeeper and corporate wizard

and Cherie Shipley, secretary.

. . . For the many, many businesses and professionals

who donate their time, services, and products (just a few are pictured here).

Natalie Herman, trimmer (Epona Natural Hoof Care)

Jodie Swanlund - trainer and riding instructor

Mackenzie Kincaid, photographer

Tim Shreeve and all the awesome folks at The Farm Store.

Jerry Boots, for your continued encouragement, support, and for

making it possible for Quincy to heal and rehab at Hillcrest Stables.

Doug Shaw, for our McKinleyville pastures.

. . . For our entire community of support - all of you who gave so much

through your generous gifts of time, services, and donations.

. . . For our Horses that are currently in the Rescue . . .

Sophia (needing a sanctuary home).

Olive (available for adoption)

Ben (needing a sanctuary home)

Angel (available for adoption)

Quincy (currently in training with Heather Snow-Flamer)

. . . For our newest volunteers who just finished orientation or are currently in screening.

Thank you for volunteering and for stepping up to this hard, hard yet endlessly rewarding work.

. . . For the Isaacsons who are no longer part of the

organization but had the vision and founded the Rescue.

. . . For those dear ones we couldn't save,

who continue to inspire our commitment to do this work.

We are so thankful for all you (and those we might not have mentioned).

YOU are the community that enables us to continue to grow and serve more horses.

Hillcrest Stables Riding Clinic with Heather Snow-Flamer

2010-11-22T00:17:00.000-08:00

Equine clinician Heather Snow-Flamer is a Humboldt County treasure! This talented,

eloquent equestrian donated her time to present a six hour clinic to benefit

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue on Saturday, November 20th at Hillcrest Stables.

Jerry Boots, owner of Hillcrest Stables, donated the use of his beautiful facility for the event.

Throughout the morning we practiced ways to center and balance our emotions

and bodies so we might encourage reciprocal balance in our horses.

Taking time to complete a rider's self-evaluation helped each clinic participant set personal

goals for the day. Setting our intention this way helped synthesize the morning's theory and physical exercised with the afternoon's application of concepts while on the ground and mounted.

Balanced riding calls for a centered body. Jennifer Walts shows her Xtreme balance.

And THAT is exactly why she is our evaluation rider at HRHR!

For the first part of the clinic, participants got to experience many exercises to increase body awareness. Working on this board helped to focus attention of our seat bones and how to move.

The concept of "neutral spine" was useful and let us experience how the alignment of hips,

back, and shoulders could create a shock absorbing pillar or collapse and direct force onto the backs of our horses. I loved the image of lights shining from the ends of our seat bone,

shining those lights straight down helps to promote a neutral spine.

Centered, focused, and aware, HRHR volunteer Carey Call is ready to use her newly

learned strategies to support Angel has they negotiate a series of obstacles.

At the end of the day Heather brought out her devious "Tunnel of Doom".

Red Horse is letting me know he is not overly impressed by of the idea of my "gradually increasing pressure" to build his confidence. Gotta tell ya Red, that concept was my favorite "lesson" and one we will use over and over as we prepare for the next season of Trail Trials.

Angel moved through the tunnel and every obstacle with steady grace.

This little Arab mare is waiting for her forever home.

Jessica White and her coming three year old Diego build their partnership skills.

While Angel waits to change partners, she enjoys a few scritches in her favorite itchy places.

Robert and Angel. They adore each other.

Jennifer and Vida take on the tunnel.

Vida is an HRHR sponsored horse that is ready for her new home.

Kira Hawk, HRHR board member, sharing a few words of

encouragement with an equine participant in the clinic.

This was SO cool. I was thrilled that Red had gained the confidence to stand

steadily while I spun the rainbow umbrella. Red not so much.

Throughout the afternoon, riders practiced the strategies they learned during

the morning. We paid close attention to how we used our bodies to help our horses

calmly and confidently move through a series of obstacles.

Here is Jessica excelling at one of the hardest trials of all - the "pie-eating while your

horse watches" obstacle. HRHR volunteer Mary Urbach made the most

amazing, mouth-watering apple pies for clinic human participants.

Part two of the "pie-eating" obstacle is defending your pie while horses

team up to try to take the cinnamon apple delight away from you.

Even though the weather was very cold for Humboldt, with rain

and wind, the clinic was so absorbing and full of rich information that

I wished we were able to spend another week or so working with Heather.

Jerry, Heather, and the HRHR volunteers who provided dessert, thank you SO much

for a day I'll long remember as Red and I move down the trail.

When You Think of Equine Rescue, What Comes to Mind?

2010-11-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

. . . the intensely, heart-rending, exhausting, soul-ripping, rewarding job of rescuing neglected horses and nursing them back to health?

. . . the hours and hours and hours of fundraising to support the horses currently in the rescue and to make it possible to rescue more?

. . . the need to keep rehabbing horses engaged with humans, building or rebuilding their capacity to trust the very creatures who once betrayed them?

. . . the agonizing questions about how to manage resources and what to do with those dear horses that will never be sound?

. . . the moments when everyone is exhausted from one more rescue event, its time to go home, and that final horse just won't load?

. . . the grind of day-to-day operations, the endless cycle of feed & muck & feed & muck, and the need to staff morning and evenings feedings in each facility of the rescue?

. . . the need to maintain facilities and keep donated resources in top shape?

. . . the need to recruit, orientate, train, schedule, coordinate, encourage, and appreciate the many, many wonderful volunteers that keep non-profit rescues going?

. . . the challenge of maintaining a strong internal structure, day-to-day operations, and an healthy, transparent organization with volunteer staff?

. . . the tears shed for those horses you couldn't help?

. . . the challenge of finding homes so you can welcome more horses in need into your care?

. . . the need to provide daily care, grooming, and exercise for all the horses in the rescue?

. . . the amazing, committed, caring, give-their-all-and-keep-on-giving people you will meet?

. . . the community that will support you and that you depend upon for the funding to continue to help the horses?

. . . the need to train horses that would otherwise not be adoptable, and the need to find quality trainers that are committed to the rescue?

. . . the knowledge that it takes a community to save a horse?

Join Us for a Wonderful Clinic with Heather Snow-Flamer

2010-11-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Join us on Saturday, November 20th from 9:00 - 3:00 at Hilcrest Stables for this exceptional clinic with local clinician Heather-Snowflamer. Using mounted and unmounted activities, each participant will learn: 1. how to use your body to influence your horse's physical and emotional balance; 2. how to select training strategies that are a good fit for the unique character of your horse; 3. how to apply gradually increasing stimuli to build versatility and confidence in your horse. Please bring a dressage whip or natural horsemanship training stick. There will be a question and answer session during our "working" lunch. Please bring a sack lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided. Cost of the clinic is $50.00 for riders and $10.00 for auditors. This is a fundraiser for Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue.

Duane Isaacson Leaves a Legacy of Love for Horses

2010-11-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

The Heart of the Redwoods Board of Directors has respectfully accepted founder Duane Isaacson's resignation.

Duane and his wife Sara Isaacson founded the Rescue in 1998 and successfully obtained a non-profit (501)(c)(3) status in 2003.

Thank you Duane for the thousands of hours, the commitment, and the heart you have put into equine rescue.

All who know Duane will always remember his deep love for horses.

Duane and Sara, we wish you the very best.

We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends

2010-09-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

A most heartfelt thanks from all of us, humans and equines alike, to our many friends who made our tack sale, dog wash, and pony ride at The Farm Store's Pet Adoption Fair a huge success. Thanks to you we raised almost $2000.

Board members Kira and Becky combined their talents and hours of hard work to create the professional, inviting HRHR information display. Our president Misty and volunteer Jen staffed the table to answer questions and help folks become more aware of the needs of local horses.

Members Marie and Carey take a break to visit and prepare for their next shift leading ponies so kindly provided by local trainer Jody Swanlund.

Jody spent the day donating her time to help HRHR raise the funds we need to prepare for winter. We can tell you from personal experience that Jodie is an amazing trainer. She jumped in to help us load Quincy a few weeks ago when our very upset boy was determined not to get into the trailer that would take him to Hill Crest Stable to work with another talented trainer, Heather Snow-Flamer.

Many people enjoyed visiting Angel who hopes that one kind family will return to adopt her and take her home forever.

Our semi-annual tack sale depends on the kind donations from many local friends. Thanks to our donars, we are able to fundraise and our supporters got some great deals on used tack.

Our member Carey worked hard all day sorting tack, answering questions, and helping people select just the right piece of tack.

If you missed your chance to buy one of our striking HRHR t-shirts for the great price of $10.00, visit our online store, or email us with your size, name and address.

A horse rescue requires many talents, united to maintain the organization, balancing healthy management with the passion of rescue. HRHR is fortunate to have a devoted group of volunteers working within a supportive community.

We are a horse rescue, but many of our members are involved in other community efforts as well. Board member Kira provides foster homes for dogs from our local county shelter. Here she is with Milo, an exceptional human/dog/horse friendly guy who really needs a great home.

Thank you Tim Shreve at The Farm Store, Thommie Haskins at The Farm Store; the hard working crew of California Conservation Corps members who assisted our member Mary with the dog wash; Jodie Swanland for helping us in a pinch and donating your time and your extremely well-trained gorgeous ponies for our pony rides; and all of our wonderful volunteers.

There's Something Strange, in the Neighborhood . . .

2010-09-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ben, Olive, and Sophia have been enjoyed the summer in a donated pasture near Arcata. Mid morning something strange caught their attention. Who could that be coming up the drive?

"Oh get over yourselves", said Angel, "there is nothing strange about me." In no time, Angel gave the three a quick refresher course in just who was the alpha queen of the universe mare. Hint: Not Ben, Sophia, or Olive

HRHR Horse Rescue has really been promoting Angel for adoption this summer so she has living in one of our pens at Redwood Acres and patiently waiting and dreaming about the joys of grazing like horses are meant to do. Today her dreams came true.

Sophia was not sure that she wanted to share the grass with Angel.

As far as Angel was concerned, there was no need for a discussion.

It is now her pasture, her grass, and maybe she might let the other

three stick around and nibble on some once in awhile.

Before another Sophia could give much of a response, there was another visitor.

Now who?

"Hi Robert, did you bring us some nice things to eat?" The HRHR horses just love Robert. When he isn't sharing carrots, he is the treasurer for the Board of Directors of HRHR. Good thing he can count the really important things like who gets how many carrots.

As much as Robert loves all the horses, Angel is his true love.

And he is her boy.

Do You Have Your Ticket to HRHR's Dinner With Mark Rashid?

2010-09-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Call us for more information. Just click on the phone icon to the right and enter your phone number, it will connect your phone with our new google talk account. We'll call you back!

Got Tack?

2010-08-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for our Annual Fall Tack Sale on Sept. 25 at The Farm Store Pet Adoption Fair. Thanks to the generous donations from our friends, our two yearly tack sales (Spring and Fall) raise critical funds for the rescue.

YOU can help!

How? Clean out the tack room and send those bridles, bits, pads, saddles, breast collars, reins, sidepulls, etc. our way. Donations can be dropped off during the day wit Thommie at The Farm Store (map) or in the evening with Cherie at Freshwater Stables. Thank you everyone!

Toxic Plants in Your Hay and Pasture - Be Informed!

2010-08-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Plant poisoning in horses is preventable, and being able to recognize plants that are potentially hazardous will help you safeguard your horse’s health and well-being. Several poisonous plant species are common to this general area, and may be found in both hay and pasture. Also, there are numerous plants that are not poisonous per se, but are mechanically injurious, and can cause marked discomfort for your horse. Because of this, you should be particular about where and what your horse is eating.

Why are some plants poisonous?

It is generally accepted that poisonous plants have evolved toxic components as a means of protection against predators and disease. Grazing animals are only one group of plant predators, and may, in fact be incidental victims of toxins that are present as protection against insects, and microorganisms, such as fungi. On the other hand, some plants are poisonous to livestock only after they have been damaged by freezing or inclement weather or because they are infested with fungi that produce toxins. The amount of toxic material in some poisonous plants can vary due to growth stage, season, and other environmental factors. Therefore, it is often difficult to specify the amount of plant material that needs to be ingested before poisoning is evident. As a general rule of thumb, poisonous plants are not harmful only if your horse doesn’t eat them.

COMMON POISONOUS PLANTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Plants that cause liver damage: Common groundsel, Tansy ragwort, and Fiddleneck.

Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris):

This winter annual appears in abundance in the spring, is a common weed in gardens and along walkways, and can be a contaminant of pastures and first-cutting alfalfa. Common groundsel can be recognized by its flowers, which are clustered, tight, yellow-tipped buds that open to expose silky-white-haired seeds. The leaves are elongated, with jagged margins that have smooth edges. Smooth stems may be single or have many branches. The entire plant may vary in size from 6 to 24 inches in height. It is generally avoided by horses in pasture, unless other more palatable forage is sparse. Alternatively, pastured horses may inadvertently consume groundsel that is hidden amidst lush stands of spring grass. Most poisonings occur after ingestion of contaminated hay. Groundsel is

toxic either fresh or dried

Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobea):

This hardy biennial plant can behave as a winter annual or as a perennial. It thrives in many soil types, from sand and gravel to clay. The flowers of Tansy ragwort are clustered at the tops of branches which arise from a single stem, and open to expose bright yellow petals, similar to daisies. The leaves have a ragged appearance, are 2 to 8 inches long, with a hairy, cobweb texture to the undersides. The mature plant ranges from 1 to 3 feet tall. It is found along roadsides and in pastures, especially in the Northcoast counties. Severe pasture contamination in Oregon has been responsible for many livestock fatalities in the past. The lethal dose for a horse is 3 to 7% of its body weight, or 30 to 70 lbs. for a 1000 lb.

horse. It is toxic either fresh or dried

Fiddleneck (Amsinkia intermerdia):

This California native annual is common to pastures and roadsides, is a common contaminant of untreated grain crops, and out hay fields, and may be found in first cutting alfalfa. The plant sprouts a flowering stalk which contains small orange-yellow flowers in a curl at the top (like a fiddle). Stems may be single or branched, dark to grayish green, with lance-shaped hairy leaves. The seeds are the most toxic part of this plant. Livestock poisonings have resulted from feeding seed-contaminated grain or grain-screenings, and hay containing dried fiddleneck plants. Inadvertent consumption in lush pasture is also possible.

Toxic Components
These three plants all contain compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA’s). The PA’s themselves are not toxic, but are converted in the liver (metabolized) to highly reactive compounds that either cause cell death or damage. Ingestion of large amounts of PA’s in a short time results in massive liver damage, acute liver failure, and death. A more chronic syndrome is often seen with ingestion of small amounts over a longer period of time (even seasonally). In these cases, the liver is damaged a little at a time, and clinical signs are not evident until a large portion of the liver has become non-functional. This may occur 6 months to years after ingestion of the toxic plants.

Clinical Signs of Liver Toxicity and Diagnosis

Clinical signs vary, and may include behavioral changes, such as dullness, depression, aimless wandering, head pressing, and photosensitization causing sunburn of pink-skinned areas, weight loss, bleeding disorders, and jaundice of mucus membranes. Blood and urine tests and liver biopsy are useful in diagnosing liver toxicity.

Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solsititalis):

This annual weed has become widely distributed throughout California. It is common in non-irrigated pasture, especially where overgrazing has occurred, and can be a contaminant of grass, grain, or alfalfa hay. The gray-green, cottony-leafed rosette sends up branching, woody stems topped with spiked yellow flowers. The mature plant may be 1 to 3 feet in height. Although the toxic constituent of yellow Starthistle is unknown, the entire plant is apparently toxic, either fresh or dried. Typically unpalatable and avoided in pasture, horses may acquire a taste for this plant and seek it out despite the presence of more palatable food. Contamination of hay results in inadvertent ingestion. Yellow Starthistle poisoning only affects horses, and causes an irreversible necrosis of two specific regions of the brain. A large quantity (600 plus lbs.) must be eaten, typically over a period of 1 to 3 months before poisoning is evident.

Clinical Signs and Diagnosis of Starthistle Poisoning:

Clinical signs occur abruptly and involve difficulty in eating and drinking. There may be uncontrolled twitching of the lips, and the mouth may remain open. Swallowing is not affected, but the horse cannot pick up, chew, and move food back to be swallowed. There is no treatment for this poisoning. Affected horses will die of starvation and dehydration if left unattended. Diagnosis is based upon clinical signs, physical examination, and evidence of access to the plant.

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

This common ornamental shrub bears mentioning because of its prevalence as a landscaping plant. It is not readily eaten, but poisoning of horses and other livestock has resulted from access to hardened trimmings, or when leaves are baled with hay. Bored horses might chew on plants which grow near their paddocks. A highly toxic cardioactive compound is found in all parts of the plant, especially the seeds, and the lethal dose is very small. Ingestion causes digestive disturbances, and cardiac arrhythmias. Treatment is often unsuccessful, and this type of poisoning is generally fatal.

Plants that Cause Mechanical Injury

Numerous species of grasses produce barbed seed heads (commonly call foxtails) that penetrate and can become imbedded in skin and mucus membranes. Ulceration and infection, and abscess can result. Ulcerations in the oral cavity may cause pain with eating and weight loss. Wild barley, wild oats, and yellow bristle grass are examples of barbed grasses that may be found in pasture or first cutting hay.

Prevention of Plant Poisoning and Plant Injuries

Provide sufficient high quality forage
Manage pasture to prevent overgrazing and to control weeds
Be knowledgeable
Be particular

Courtesy of UC Davis. More information available, including a list of all the poisonous species in the USA, at http://wric.ucdavis.edu/information/poisonous.pdf.

HRHR Play Day for Adults - Time for Fun . . .

2010-07-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

. . . and sharing some good times with our members and supporters.

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue President Misty Hunter is one of the hardest working people you will ever meet. Thanks to her tenacity and commitment, HRHR is reorganizing and preparing for the hardest season, winter.

Don't think Misty is all work, she also knows how to have fun. When she decides to invite the horse community to play, the result is thoroughly enjoyable day of laughter, relaxation, and the good company of people who share a love for horses.

Two of the other HRHR volunteers deserving credit for the success of the day are Lorraine Smith and Lisa Bethune who acted as "ringmasters" for the games. Dear reader, we hope you enjoy these photos and invite you to join us the next time Misty gets the urge for a little fun and puts out the call for another HRHR Adult Play Day.

Elizabeth Gent takes a break and enjoys the action with her lovely mustang Flicka.

It was impossible to not smile while watching the

hysterical first game of the day, the dreaded egg race.

Elicia Kamberg concentrates on egg-spoon unity.

Natalie Herman, Vanessa Munos, and Tracie Ahlberg

round the corner carefully balancing their very fragile eggs.

It was wonderful to see the partnership between horses and riders.

What could be more fun than watching great teamwork, beautiful horses,

and some . . . er, very creative strategies.

Whatever it takes to bring those potatoes home in the "potato races".

Tracie and Natalie prepare for one of the games.

At an Adult Play Day there is a slightly different meaning

to the phrase "ride and tie".

Tori Taylor rode Misty's Arab-Appaloosa mare Half-Pint.

Speed, balance, timing, smooth riding . . .

. . . Elicia and Natalie have it all and put it to

good use in the "fill the bucket" race.

Did they even spill a drop?

Tori and Elizabeth match strides for speed in the "ribbon race".

Tracy and Elicia ask their horses to bring it up a notch

yet manage to keep that crepe paper "ribbon" intact.

In a pinch, speed helped . . .

. . . and last Saturday at Redwood Acres there was plenty of speed . . .

. . . and plenty of smiles.

We would like to thank all of our friends who to came to play, and our volunteers for helping make the event so fun. Thank you Natalie Herman of Epona Natural Hoofcare for your donation of hand-made horse jewelry for prizes, and Lorraine Smith for your donation of tickets for the Madaket cruise. We are looking forward to the next Adult Play Day.

In Memory of Feather

2010-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the story of the lovely Feather,

as shared by her loving owners who knew her best . . .

Feather joined us as a companion for Rastafarian Bob because we anticipated the death of Breeze, the mare who’d buddied with him for several years.

When Feather debarked from her trailer, she looked around, chose for herself an area comfortably closed in by outbuildings and trees on three sides, laid back her ears and drove out the other two from her space.

Feather was able to hang on to dominance for a couple of months until, finally, Rastafarian Bob decided this was against nature. Despite the loving care while with Redwoods Rescue, she kept me on probation for six months or so just to make sure I was trustworthy.

Breeze lived another few years, then Rasty Bob and Feather became, in the nature of horses, inseparable.

Feather died on July 17, 2010. We’re grateful that we were part of her life and that I could be with her as she passed.

For a glimpse of Feather's story before she

was adopted into this loving family, click HERE.

Horsemanship From the Heart -Developing a True Partnership with Your Horse

2010-07-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

For a long time we have led our horses with our heads, but they really need to be led with our hearts.

True Horsemanship, that is, developing a real partnership with a horse requires a certain attitude, a certain frame of mind that is different from the way we habitually think. In fact, to call it a way of thinking is really not accurate. It might be more accurate to call it a way of feeling.

There is a world of difference between the common, everyday, normal horsemanship and the more appropriate, effective and natural development of a true partnership with the animal, the development of True Horsemanship. The normal, everyday approach to horses, rather than being practical horsemanship as you might think, is instead highly impractical. It leaves out the things that are most important to the horse and vital to the healthy development of any relationship. So, what are these two different approaches, these two different ways of thinking? How can we distinguish between the two?

The culture of man, for thousands of years, has been a culture of leading from the head. We have worshipped at the shrine of logic and reason, assuming that these functions of the mind were the ultimate way of dealing with reality. This head oriented approach to life led to the subjugation of women, the enslavement of animals, and the scientific approach to seeking truth. This attitude also led to the disintegration of more heart centered approaches to life and the destruction of cultures living in that way.

There is nothing inherently wrong with logic and reason, but we have been living for thousands of years with the cart before the horse. To get right to the point,we have been living as if the head should be in charge and the heart needs to be controlled. Feelings are to be controlled and sentimentality reduced to a minimum. But, this is really backwards. The heart is that still small voice inside of us, our conscience, that part of us that keeps us on the right track. The head, the mind, with its logic and reason, is for handling the details and solving the problems we encounter along the way. The heart should be in charge.

Of course, this sounds ridiculous to most modern humans, and is usually dismissed out of hand without thinking about it. After all, the mind does not want to lose its position of authority it acquired when the heart was dethroned. The mind will say that if the heart is in charge, everyone will just do what they feel, and no one will work, no one will aspire to improve the lot of man; everyone will just party, eat like gluttons, consume drink and drugs, and engage in wanton sex. course this is not true.

The examples of people who lived from the heart include Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Jesus - a line up of drunks and sex addicts if I ever saw one. It is the subjugation of the heart that leads to all sorts of problems. It takes gluttony, and drugs, and endless sexual adventures to shut the heart up. Heart centered living does not lead to these things. So, what does this have to do with horsemanship? In fact, everything.

- In order to feel empathy for your horse, it is necessary to check in with your heart.
- In order to understand what your horse is feeling you have to feel with your heart.
- To know whether something you are thinking of doing is right or wrong, you have to consult your heart.

Then, once you have felt what should be done, your mind is allowed to work out the details. That is the proper order of things - the horse before the cart. And the great thing about this is you don't have to learn how to do it, you merely need to stop shutting down the messages from your heart. You already know how to do it. In fact, you had to be taught how not to!

So, whenever you are working with your horse, work from the heart. Develop a partnership based on the heart.

Rein in your brain

and listen to your heart.

by Duane Isaacson

September 12, 2006

HRHR Volunteers for Redwood Acres Fair

2010-07-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

This has been a very busy week for the rescue. We started off at the Redwood Acres Fair Wed. passing out information pamphlets and selling raffle tickets for our endurance saddle. We also assisted the Six Rivers Pony Club with their pony rides. The rides didn't go so well due to the fact that we were set up right next to the fire department who was doing a demo with a very loud piece of equipment. The pony's were a little bit spooked by all the noise.

Saturday we had our 3rd Annual Play Day. Thank you Lorraine and Lisa for putting this all together for us. I would also like to thank Heather Snowflamer for volunteering her time as one of the judges. Some of the events included a trotting race, catalog race, walk trot canter, walk trot lead, a beginning obstacle course, and an advanced obstacle course. Each contestant went away with lots of prizes and goody bags for their horses. We had a lot of interest in the event and we might even put on another one in the future as a fund raiser for HRHR.

Sunday we helped out with the Exceptional Rodeo. This was a free event and everyone who attended went home with a T-shirt and a Rope. The kids were given free pony rides and there were several stations set up where they could practice their roping skills.

We also had an information booth set up with before and after pictures of some of the horses we have rescued within HRHR. Angel was also on scene getting lots of attention. Angel is also up for Adoption if anyone is looking to ad a new addition to their pasture.

We raffled off out Timberline Saddle and the winner was Carole Kindrick. Carole was not present to accept the saddle but we will be posting a picture of our winner shortly.

Thanks again everyone who came out and supported HRHR during this very busy week. Next month we will be putting on an adult play day. So get your horses ready and come out and have a little fun.

(ps, sorry about the double photo, blogger wasn't cooperating)

Horsemanship 1 Ground Work Clinic with Duane Isaacson

2010-06-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 30th, Duane Isaacson, Heart of the Redwoods co-founder, shared his respectful approach to training in a ground work clinic at Redwood Acres. Misty Hunter, HRHR's acting president, shared the following story about some of the folks and horses participating in the clinic.

Misty and Jeremy Hunter brought most of their herd to the clinic.

Ruben Mendoza came and worked with two of his horses. He's pretty experienced so he was helping Duane with a few demonstrations on how to keep your horse focused on you and not your surroundings. He also helped Jeremy Hunter a 12 year old member work with his mustang colt.

Jeremy Hunter came into the Clinic a little intimidated since his horse was not yet saddle broke and had very little training. His horse was also pretty big compared to his small frame so he had a hard time moving his front quarters. Duane and Kira helped him by showing him how to block his head so he couldn't lift his head over Jeremy's and bypass moving his front quarters. The two bonded really well by the end of the Clinic and Jeremy was even able to get his horse Shotgun's attention focused on him and they trotted around the arena together and got lots of exercise in.

Becky McBain brought the gorgeous Manny, one of Becky's four horses rescued from a Washington State feedlot. Manny was nervous at first but settled into learning some new moves.

Two of our members from Gold Beech drove 3 hours to come to the Clinic Tammy Walker with a beautiful Paint and Calvin Walz with a very dominant Dunn Gelding

Susan Marshall and her Daughter Elizabeth Marshall also came and worked with two of our Clinic Horses Cody and Sunny.
Overall all the horses benefited from the Clinic and were a lot more calm for their owners by the time we were heading out. Duane held up through the Clinic and was able to finish it out despite just having heart problems and having a stint placed. We really appreciate all the work Duane has done to help educate the public on how to be better horse handlers

How Things Get Done...

2010-03-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

On March 17th, the call for volunteer action went out via e-mail. We needed to get the Mad River pasture fixed up for the girls ASAP. And, because HRHR volunteers are awesome, that call was answered with speed and vigor! The pasture was fixed up- fences mended, weeds whacked, and water restored- the very next Saturday. The mares were brought back to their more spacious digs, and they were very happy about it!

Advisory board member Lisa Bethune sent this thank you note to the volunteers that participated that day.

"We had a WONDERFUL group of volunteers show up for yesterday’s work ‘party’ at the pasture!! It turns out there was a lot of work to do, and it would have been overwhelming if there had only been 2-3 of us. But many hands do make light work (or at least ‘lighter’ work….I did see some sweating going on)!!!

Please send out a THANK YOU to…

Norm for his hard work with his chain saw, battling it out with the briars

Reuben for attacking the briars and helping wherever needed

Paul and Robert for running the steel-bladed weed eater furiously and with finesse ( it cuts ‘like butter’, they said)

Marie and Robert and Carey….for walking the whole fence line, picking up wire waste and making repairs where needed

Mary…for being so dedicated that she even rented a weed eater so she could ‘bust’ some weeds with us (and she’s a pretty good plumber too)

Carey and Reuben…for digging out the water troughs and making them sparkle

Marie….for bringing Paul!

THANKS SO MUCH, you guys!! We really appreciate your hard work and can-do attitude!! It was fun working with you!

I’m sure by now we have three very happy horses happily grazing grass and sighing contentedly thanks to you!!"

(More Pictures To Come...)

Volunteering Opportunites Abound!

2010-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

The second membership meeting of the year saw an even bigger attendance than the first- and that's a good trend to set. Word is getting out about what the Rescue can accomplish- but we can only accomplish it with your help!

So, you want to help, but can only do so on occasion? Well, here's your chance to pick an occasion:

April 12, 6:30 -8:30pm (Monday)
The Farm Store is hosting an Equine Care Seminar at the Elks Lodge. They have invited us to set up an informational table. We need volunteers to set up and sit at the table. Don't worry if you don't know too much about the rescue- it's a great way to learn!

May 2, all day (time to be confirmed)(Sunday)
Redwood Acres is hosting a Tack Sale for the boarders. This is being held in conjunction with the regular Sunday Flea Market, so there will be lots of people! It's very important that we support Redwood Acres equine activities, as they donate a good deal of space for us to have horses and store equipment. We need volunteers to help clean, organize, and sell tack and other goods the rescue has a surplus of.

May 29, 9-4 (Saturday)
The Rescue is hosting their regular Horsemanship 1 clinic. We are currently offering slots to members first, as space is limited. Members can also audit for free. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up and registration.

June 20, 23-27
Redwood Acres Fair and Rodeo
The new CEO of Redwood Acres Fairgrounds has asked us to help put on a plethora, that's right, a plethora! of equine events during the fair. An example of events:
Horse show on the 20th (volunteers to help as stewards, tend the gate, etc.)
Kids Fun Day Sat 26th (Volunteers to help with organizing, set-up, clean-up)
Pony Club Expo (we'll just be supporting whatever the Pony Club decides to do)
Costume Parade
And Maybe More...
Details are still being worked out- we would welcome some volunteers willing to take on a leadership role and organize some of these fun and rewarding events!

To become involved with any of these activities, please contact Misty at 496-HOOF or Redwoodrescue@aol.com and let her know what you'd like to do.

HRHR thanks everyone who came out to the membership meeting this month, as well as all the new members of the feeding/cleaning crew!

Volunteer Orientation

2010-02-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

On Saturday,February 20, HRHR hosted its first volunteer orientation of the year.
The turn out was greater than expected, with 13 people showing up to meet the horses and find out what HRHR is all about.

Misty Hunter, who is acting president right now, started things off by handing out important paperwork and giving an overview of the rescue. She explained how to become a member and a volunteer, and what kinds of volunteer opportunities are available (lots!).
We then all trooped over to the paddocks where the horses are kept, and were introduced to Olive, Sophia, and Angel. They were certain this was a bonus feeding time! Instead, we introduced ourselves to each other, which is a great way to make a group of strangers a little more connected. There were people of all ages and many walks of life there- young boys and girls to grandmothers and grandfathers.
After we got to know each other a little, it was time to get to know the horses.

The three mares were fawned over like the queens and princesses they know themselves to be.

Also, pens were cleaned and gravel was smoothed out for better drainage. These are all things that need to be done on a regular basis. So many people pitching in made short work of it!

After everyone had a chance to fall in love with each of the horses, we gathered together again so Misty and Kira Hawk (long time volunteer and handler)could talk about what kind of work went into feeding and caring for the horses. Most anyone with horse sense and a strong back and feed and clean pens. People with horse experience can handle the horses, and get them out of the pen for exercise.

HRHR is so glad to see so many people interested in helping out. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come out and have a fun and productive day!