A Sponsor’s Golden Heart.

Giving to horses in need is a very noble thing… I honor anyone who helps the horses.

For me, I tend to dump my Piggy Bank when I hear of horses in desperate situations. You know the type… THIS HORSE IS GOING TO SLAUGHTER IN AN HOUR or, THIS MARE IS GOING TO FOAL ON THE WAY TO MEXICO or, THIS HORSE WHO WAS A KIDS’ PONY IS GOING TO THE KILL BUYERS TONIGHT!… You know the drill. The ones in immediate peril usually pull on my purse strings.

But, what about all the other horses who need ongoing help? Who helps them? Who are the tortoises in the human group, eh? Who are the people who drop a coin in their horsey bank account day in and day out? The Sponsors. Those who sponsor a horse have decided to put their pennies together for the slow and steady long haul. God bless ’em!

It is the sponsors who guarantee the rescues. It is the sponsors who pledge to keep the sanctuaries running.

So, today, I’m going to tip my hat towards a couple of wonderful sponsors of THE GOLDEN CARROT, our Bucket Fund Equine Charity for this month. (If you’d like to learn more about THE GOLDEN CARROT, a sanctuary for the old, sick and abandoned horses, please click here.)

Now, onward to these very moving stories of why these women help…

First up, in her own words Shela tells us why she sponsors both Cha Cha and Duke. Cha Cha is a 34 year old Appy mare whose previous owners called her anorexic because she was losing weight in a paddock with three other, younger horses who were stealing her food. Luckily, with the great care at TGC, Cha Cha recovered from her “anorexia” as soon as she was fed alone.

Duke is a 22 year old QH who is very crippled but is thriving at TGC.

“I came to TGC about 6 months ago…only at the request of a disabled friend who had heard about it and wanted to see the horses. The person who left the ranch that day was a different person than the one who entered it a couple of hours before. I had no previous experience with horses…I’m a dog person…and a little intimidated by the bigger guys.

Cha Cha, the "anorexic" 34 year old Appy mare...

But, there I was, in the middle of a herd…having a tour…seeing horses that had been worked to the point of injury, used-up and discarded…some would see them as broken-down old nags…I saw beauty, grace, dignity, spirit, love, gratitude, trust. Their stable area, which is more about function than form and Casey jokes about its less than pristine appearance…well, I saw a clean, safe place to have dinner and spend the night out of the weather.

Duke, the old but handsome, crippled gentleman

And the woman with the long strawberry braid down her back…she had so much to teach, I could tell…the way the horses responded to her…her skill with them…the mutual trust. I didn’t want to leave this place. What happens there is something quite extraordinary.

I first thought of sponsoring a TGC horse as a Christmas gift for my grandniece, so it didn’t start out as being about a particular horse. I went to Casey’s website to read about each of the horses…which one needed us the most? I chose ChaCha Native Dancer because she was very old, a little scraggly looking and somewhat aloof…I guess no one else had thought her particularly appealing.

Shela and Duke

She is beautiful to me…and I don’t mind that she doesn’t want to nuzzle…it’s not about me, after all. This old gal has enough spirit and leadership qualities to compensate for her disabilities and oversees the other mares with confidence. I respect and honor her.

Later, as I got to know more of the horses as individuals, I chose Duke because I didn’t want him to leave us without a sponsor. He’s so old and disabled, yet you can see his desire to keep on moving through each day, one at a time. He’s kind and sweet and patient…I’ve spent hours grooming him…and he allows me to hug him. I adore this horse and feel so privileged to know him. I’m very grateful to Casey for watching over him and allowing him to spend whatever time he has left with dignity and knowing he’s loved. When it’s Duke’s time, he will let me know which of his friends he’d like me to sponsor in his place, and I will do it in his memory.”

“I had a horse when I was a kid. But was stupid and let my high school activities come between Bayla and I. My father sold her to someone. Who, I do not know. My horse “bug” was dormant for years. I got back to horses when I was watching the Kentucky Derby when Eight Belles went down. For some reason her death really bothered me. I went online to search for information on her.

Sara, the very sweet BIG older gal...

I found the Alex Brown discussion forum and began to read. What an education I received. I learned for the first time about the horrors of slaughter. I learned about horse rescues and rescurers. I learned about horses who were thrown away when they, for whatever reason, became inconvenient to their owners. One day I read on that forum about a horse that had been abandoned in a California desert and about the rescue that took him in. I found that rescue’s website and started reading. I read about Casey and the residents of The Golden Carrot. Then I saw the picture of Sara. Oh wow! She looks a LOT like my Bayla. I read about her. Oh wow! She crashes through things, just like my Bayla did.

Sara nudging Margaret, the carrot lady...

I contacted Casey to see if Sara was unsponsored. Low and behold, Casey still needed a sponsor for Sara. Unfortunately I do not earn enough money to do a full sponsorship of Sara. But each month I send what I can. I told Casey that I wanted to sponsor her FRONT half! I also have a “Spare Change For Sara AKA Miss Piggy” jar on my desk. I throw my coins in it and when I get to $20, I send it to Casey to use however she needs. I work at a music store and several of my coworkers and customers add their change on occasion.

I had the opportunity to visit TGC last year to meet Casey and Sara. That was the first time I was in the midst of a herd of horses just wandering around. I loved it! I was covered with horsey slobber! What a wonderful experience that was! I am hoping to get back there one day, possibly to actually ride Sara.

Thank you HORSE AND MAN, for picking TGC as your Bucket Fund recipient!”

I know the horses at TGC are already “saved”, but care doesn’t end there… I really want our July Bucket Fund to help shoulder the load for these folks who take in the abondoned horses during their golden years.

Please let’s band together and fill the Bucket with our appreciation. I’m asking you to donate to the Bucket Fund now. Just put a drop in the bucket (anything from $1 to infinity) to hold the hand of those lovely few who carry the weight each month.

Thank you, everyone, for caring about the forgotten ones! It is so appreciated.