Tag Archives: Strawberry Mountain Mustangs

Update on our “Amazing Grace” Bucket Fund Mareextraordinaire… And another STOLEN HORSE!






Happy Friday to all!!  (The stolen horse info is attached after Grace’s story at the bottom of this post.  Please read it and cross post it!  Many thanks!)

I wanted to give you an update on Grace, our Drop in the Bucket Fund Charity for September.  She is the skinniest horse still alive…

Here are pics from 25 days ago:

POOR GIRL!

Just as a refresher, Grace was seized from a farm where she was living (barely) with three other (in good weight) horses.  Grace was more than emaciated. Her previous owners, sadly, had done nothing to help Grace fight for food, or eat at all.

The vets that initially saw Grace said that her condition was so bad, she could not be measured on the Henneke Scale.  She was less than a 1.  But, she had a spark in her eye and a will to live.  So, the Sheriff and Animal Control called in Darla Clark from Strawberry Mountain Mustangs to aid in Grace’s recovery.  If anyone could do it, Darla could…  You can read my original blog post here.

Because Grace has such a will to live and because Darla has such a will to help Grace make it, we made Grace our BUCKET FUND MAREEXTRAORDINAIRE this month.  For the entire month of September, any drop that goes into our Bucket Fund will be collected and accrued together to make one large donation at the end of the month.  Yippee for Grace and Darla!  The Horse and Man Group cavalry is riding in to share some hope and some of the financial burden!

WHAT’S NEW

Strawberry Mountain Mustangs has been caring for Grace (feet done, teeth floated, baths, rain rot remedies, natural fly relief, oozey area fixes…) and re-feeding her according to the UC Davis’ Re-Feeding program with great success!  Lookey!  Darla thinks that Grace has gained approximately 200 lbs!  She will be officially weighed on the 30th day.

Grace, finally settling in.

Darla says that Grace’s personality is really starting to shine!  Grace follows any human around, nickers at feeding time, loves to explore and has a newfound love of equine massage!  She is a bit reserved but demanding at the same time – especially when it comes to food!  Darla has had to reprimand the head-butting behavior from Grace, especially at food time!

I’m thrilled that Darla created a few videos for us to watch together.  This one below on the link is my favorite.  It shows a very spry and movin’ Grace!  The story is that it was starting to rain so Dora the Explora (Grace)  hurried back to her shelter but not before checking her grain tub!  Ha!

Click to watch Grace run (walk…) to shelter!

This video is Grace standing there sleeping after a nice meal and a full tummy.

Click here to get a close-up view of Grace sleeping/waking in this video!

Following are some more new comparison photos…  But, just for tidbit sake, no one knows Grace’s breed but some think Standardbred or TB.  Someone coined the phrase “Wonderbred” and I think that fits!  Grace the Mareextraordinaire is a Wonderbred!  She stands 14’2 and Darla thinks Grace will be all black once her healthy coat comes in.

New Pic of Grace as she grazes and explores...

THIS JUST IN FROM DARLA

I wanted to share a bit of info that just came in from Darla.  Here you go!

Talked to Deputy Bartholomew yesterday.  He’s getting buried with calls about horses and other animals around the county.  It’s going to be a very long winter –  and we’ll definitely need all the donations the blog can bring in. A huge THANK YOU to  your readers! (As you probably already saw – we’re taking in another starved mare from another county.  And it’s only September!!!)  Bartholomew assured me the criminal case against Grace’s owners is in the works, he just hasn’t had time to finalize the paperwork.

Grace rolling and easily getting up and down.

Grace is very inquisitive and curious. She roams around quite a bit sniffing and investigating, but her shelter is her safety zone – and she always returns there.  She will occasionally look out at the big gelding field across the driveway – but the 8 behemoths there must intimidate her.  They’re big fatties -and she really shows no interest in interacting with other horses just yet.

Her skin is much better! Thank you Equi-Spa THE BALM!

She’s reserved with people –  quite proud actually – would be the best way to describe it.  When she wants attention -she’ll do one of two things. She quite often walks up to me and puts her face about 4 inches from my face and just stares. Like she’s concentrating really hard!  =)  She’s not keen on having her face touched though –  although she likes the massages I give her at her poll.  Other times she will casually side step over and put her head at my shoulder – asking for a neck rub.  She seems to enjoy her massage more and more – rubbing away the old itchy hair and working the small muscles at her shoulder and on her rump.

Lookin' Good, Sista!

The weather has turned it seems…so she’s spending more time blanketed.

We’ll do an official weigh in on Sunday – the 30 day mark.  I wouldn’t doubt we’re pushing a 200lb gain at this point.”

I have a long way to go... Any helpers out there? I really appreciate all that has been done for me!

Amazing Grace is our Bucket Fund Equine Charity for September!  Please donate a dribble, a drop or a downpour and we’ll slosh it all together in the Bucket for our dear girl!  Please click the Pay Pal Donate button below.  OR, IF YOU RECEIVE THIS VIA EMAIL, CLICK HERE.


To see the amount in the Bucket Fund, click here.

NOW FOR THE STOLEN HORSE

Ugh.  Not again.  Here are the links to information and the link to the flyer .  Please cross post everywhere and if you are going to a horsey event or location, please print the flyer and plaster it everywhere!  As we have learned from Sandbox, miracles happen when the Internet Family works together.  Sandbox was also stolen from an event but the Cyper Posee turned up the heat and he was found, roaming the streets, a few days later.

This gorgeous roping horse, Chief,  was stolen from a group event in Arkansas.  Here is a photo of the flyer and then a blown up portion.  Please cross post this!

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!




HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!



GRACE IS AMAZING! She has survived the last two weeks! Grace is our September Bucket Fund Charity!






This is Amazing Grace, a very emaciated mare who was rescued 20 days ago by Strawberry Mountain Mustangs.

I pledged that we would make Grace our Bucket Fund Girl if she survived the first two weeks which were critical according to her vet.

And do you know what… Amazing Grace, the horse with hardly any chance of survival, DID IT!  She did it!

How can we NOT reward such a huge spirit?  How can we not get caught up in the emotion and help a horse who won’t give up?  This horse should be dead… yet her tremendously strong will to live keeps her going…  She did it!  She held on until help arrived and then she pushed through the pain to hang onto life.  After all she has been through, let’s pull together and make the rest of her days full of the fruits of her horsey efforts.

I’m thrilled to call Grace our September Bucket Fund Baby! She is a testament to all the horses out there who have been neglected.  She is choosing to fight back to health and we’re gonna help her!  Let’s start today!

Here is our original story on Grace…, in case you missed it.

HER STORY

Grace was reported to Animal Control in Oregon.  Luckily, Animal Control went right out there and seized her immediately.  She didn’t have any time to spare…

AC called Darla from Strawberry Mountain Mustangs.  They told her they had a horse that was on its way to the Equine Hospital, but most likely she would be put down.  Buuuuuut, if she wasn’t put down, they wanted Darla to take her and rehab her.  Darla said, YES!

Well, the vet at the equine hospital said that this mare was so skinny that she physical state could not be measured.  She was below the lowest grade on the Henneke Scale.  However, he also said that she was incredibly alert and she had a huge will to survive.  If her blood work indicated that her organs were not compromised, they would release her to Darla.

Lo and behold, her organs were OK!  OMG.  How could that be?  She looks worse than any horse we’ve ever seen, yet she is in better shape on the inside than many in better condition.

Darla said she had never, ever seen such a skeletal horse.  It was tough to believe that Grace was alive in there.  But, she was.  And, she wanted to live.  So, Darla fed her, bathed her, trimmed her and loved her for 20 days…(so far).  And, this girl is fighting to live.  She is fighting to make it.

RE-FEEDING

Darla is loving the UC DAVIS  Center for Equine Health re-feeding program.  It worked with two of her other horses who were starved and are now 30 and 40 years old respectively.  And, it is working with Grace…

Grace after her bath

Since our first story two weeks ago, I have heard that Grace is a little pistol!  She follows Darla all around.  They say she runs the fence line whenever a car goes up or down the driveway.  Darla laughs when she says that Grace is even a little “pushy” at times… Ha!

“She wants to walk fast when I lead her, and she trots behind me for food!”

After 20 days!

THE THING THAT KILLS YOU TO THINK ABOUT…

Since we know that Grace trots up and down the fence line when any person approaches, you know she was just begging her previous owners to feed her.  That just kills me.  As Darla says:  “The heartbreaking thing is the way she follows you along the fence line, nickering. It breaks my heart. I know she did that there too. They just tuned it out I guess.”

It is heartbreaking, but that is all over with.  Time to move forward.

Day 1. How could her previous owners not feed her but feed the others??

UPCOMING TREATMENTS

I asked if Grace has any teeth and the answer is YES.  She is around 20 years old and her teeth need attention.  Dental care is on the list as well as worming when she is stronger.  They are starting to give her ulcer medicine to help with the havoc the parasites are creating in her gut – until they can worm her.  UGH.  She also will need some basic shots like tetanus.  Other than that, it will be watching her like a hawk through winter and feeding her often and very carefully, the Davis way.

As you can see, Grace is doing WELL!  She has gained some weight and her skin is clearing up thanks to THE BALM!  The kind people at Equi-Spa sent Grace some of THE BALM and their natural Fly Spray.  Evidently it is working miracles on her skin!  Here is what Darla says,

“Now the EquiSpa products?! OMG.  LOVEEEEE them.  The fly spray is incredible. And it smells so yummy I want to marinate in it. In fact, I did spray my legs the other day.  I have the salve all along Grace’s spine where it was cracked and bleeding, and on her hocks where she scuffs herself when she gets up and down.  NO flies. It’s awesome.”

Cool!  I love it when products work miracles!

Her skin looks so much better!

SHE IS LEAVING FEED IN  HER BOWL!

According to Darla, “She actually left a handful of feed in one of her tubs last night.  =)  She’s getting a full tummy for once!  YEAHH!! Grace is finally full!”

Grace is so awake and alert that she is now DEMANDING… ;)  Besides Grace’s several wet-mash meals per day, she is asking Darla for more, more, more!  Now, Darla has to break apart an alfalfa flake and spread it all around Grace’s pasture so that she will have something to do.  Ha!  Grace is showing the spirit that has helped her survive!

She's exploring and eating!

SADLY, SHE IS AFRAID OF OTHER HORSES

It appears that Grace cowers around other horses.  That leads her caretakers to believe that the other horses in her previous pasture must have run her off of the food.  (There were three other, in fine shape, horses at Grace’s previous owner’s house…)  Of course, Darla feeds Grace alone and keeps her alone.  But, even “through the safety of the fence” visits from other horses has brought Grace to fear.

However, there is a new boy at the rescue named Perry who is a real marshmallow.  They are hoping Grace and Perry can become “across the fence” buddies for now.

Grace is tentative about Perry but her likes her!

GRACE IS BECOMING FAMOUS!

Grace has a FaceBook page with over 1500 Fans already!  According to FB, her fans reach:

141    United Kingdom
72    Canada
46    Australia
12    South Africa
9    New Zealand
7    Germany
4
2    Netherlands
2    Ireland
1    Nigeria
1    Qatar
1    Romania
1    Japan
1    France
1    Bahrain
1    Switzerland
1    Spain
1    India

GRACE’S VIDEO

Here is a little video showing Grace trucking outside her pasture in a larger field.  It is great for her to stretch her muscles and work her body.

Click on image to see Grace move around in her world!

WHAT’S NEXT?

I will keep you posted… but really, it is just a “time will tell” game.  She will need her special diet for many, many months and she will need special attention for even longer.  This is why Grace is our Bucket Fund Girl for September.  Strawberry Mountains Mustangs needs support to carry on this good work…

IF YOU GET THIS VIA EMAIL AND WISH TO DONATE,  CLICK HERE.

TO SEE THE AMOUNT IN THE BUCKET FUND, CLICK HERE!

THIS JUST IN FROM READERS WHO DONATED TODAY…

1)  A donation of an odd amount ($61) came in this morning, bright and early.  In my thank you note, I asked her why the odd amount…  Her reply:

Grace really pulled at my heart.  I work for a police department and we seized three starving horses in December 2008, the worst was a yearling filly that scored 1.5.  All three ended up at my place since the department had no facility for impounded horses.  The filly barely made it… but she did :)  She has since been adopted out, and is thriving.  I’ll have to send you before and after pictures.

So..the $61.  Well, I had it in my paypal account, and I have six healthy horses (four are rescues)… $10 from each horse, and $1 to grow on.

2)  This just came in a minute ago:
Please accept this donation in the memory of M & S, two sweet boys who didn’t survive their starvation.





HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!