A challenge for all of you to consider

[Frankie]

I have always watched the rescue board and see the wonderful horses who come through there that with just a little love and attention look so wonderful.

I know many want to help with the rescues and some do not have the time, space or money to care for them.

But, I too see these same people buying new stallions, mares etc. and I might add their right to do so.

I would like to put forth a challenge to all of you whether you show at the local, fair, or national level. A good time to do it as it will give you a good amount of time to look and prepare.

We all have goals for next year. We all have projects for next year. So look at all the horses out there that need special love, attention and good food.

The market is becoming so flooded with little horses, some are definately getting pushed out to pasture so to speak. Most of us have the opportunity to give them a purpose, and that is my challenge to you.

You do not have to actively search for that horse, but it may help. It may already be close to home.

But make your goal for next year to find that "diamond in the rough". Purchase him/her, get him/her in great shape and health and put that horse in at least one show. Any kind of local show will do, or take it all the way to nationals.

Keep a journal on this horse, with pictures and through the upcoming year, through nationals 2006 we will be asking for updates on your Frog To Prince Project.

I think it would be wonderful to see their progress.

Any sex, any age, but you can not pay a big price and it must be a horse that NEEDS you.

So what do you say, see what a little love can do for one horse, but if many take the challenge it will be for a bunch of horses.

I'm already looking!!!!!!!!! Make sure to see Kay if you would rather go the actual rescue route.

So, think about it??????? Maybe we could get them altogether at some point as well.

It will do as much good for you as it will for them. We all have room for one more, just look at what your horses have that this one little horse out there does not.

 

[susanne]

I suppose this doesn't count, since we adopted Mingus 3 years ago, but he was a rescue who is now showing...

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Well this is one of the horses we have rescued. She wont be showing though her head cant handle it but as you can see she has come very far. I am hoping she is bred to the Palomino Double Destiny son we used to own but no vet check for her again her head can't handle it she is getting over some severe tramua so we dont push her and let her go at her own pace.

Here is the picture of when she first came it was hard to show in a pic how truly skinny she was but I will tell you the transport company called and was worried that she might not make it on the trip over here.. think animal cops skinny

She was hardshipped last year just in the nick of time!

and here is a picture of her just a few short months after looking fat and happy well as happy as she can be on the end of a halter

she still hadnt shed out all the way here and wasnt groomed as being held for pictures was more then enough for her but you can see she looks much better this is Ruff N Tuffs Dancing Queen

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Lisa she is beautiful! Too bad her head doesnt want to go show![/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Dona]

Good idea Carolyn!

Hemlock Brooks CockRobin was a good example of this.

My friends found him at a pony farm, stuck in a stall 24/7 & so malnourished you could see all his ribs & his hipbones protruded. The had gone there to look at mares, but saw him & felt so sorry for him, they bought him too. They fattened him up over the winter & "as a lark" decided to take him to a Mini show they had entered some of their minis in the following summer. He won GRAND CHAMPION stallion at that show & went on to win many more with me after I bought him!

He was definitely a "Diamond in the Rough".

Here is how he looked last year at age 26...and he's now living the life of leisure at Hoofbeat Buckon Acres with Angie & Gary Sauer.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

thanks lyn she is a total nutcase one of the few horses that wouldnt think twice about running you over in fact she almost knocked my 6 ft 3 vet tothe ground cause she thought she would go thru him to get away it is very sad how scared she is but she is getting better i can now walk by her and touch her rear for a minute or two before she takes off

 

[Minimor]

Already did the rescue thing, almost 4 years ago now, but that's how we got started in Minis. Now with the ones we have bought & raised since there is no money or room for any more...does it count if I keep the ones we've got so that they will not become rescues somewhere down the road??? Please, no one send any rescues my way!

But, of the two little black boys we did rescue 4 years ago--one was shown at one fair the next summer. Dusty really isn't a halter horse but the judge at that particular show loved him, & Dusty won the Champion Miniature trophy. So there you have it, Dusty is "undefeated" in the show ring.

The other little guy, Dakota, may just get taken out to the local AMHR show next year--when we got him he was 3 1/2 & so thin he didn't look like much; his front legs looked like they came out of the same hole, he looked to have an upside down neck & very poor croup. It took a long time, but his chest eventually filled out, his front legs are now nice & straight, he's got a very nice neck & quite a level topline--I think he will show quite nicely as an 'under' gelding.

 

[CyndiD]

I think this is a GREAT challenge..

And Connie Ballard of Cherokee Stables has a leg up on this..remember that little colt she got a year or so ago?? He looked so pitiful.

Hope she responds with an update on him...

 

[Toyhorse]

Well my rescue may not count. But here is her story I will try to keep it short.

It may sound like a story many of you know but this is also Lady’s story.

Lady came from England as a weanling filly she went to a nice lady named Marilyn H

Now Marilyn had a nice barn and many new friends for her to play with one of Lady’s friends was moving and when the people who had bought her friend saw her they had to have her as well.

Now at less than a year old she had moved two times. But she was happy at her new home as she had her friend Melanie and a cute colt named Cecil. The three of them had moved on to a farm were they were the only mini’s and it was fun to scare the Morgan’s and other large horses as all she had to do was look at them and boy would they run.

Winter went away and along came summer. Mel and Cecil went to a few shows but Lady stayed home. After a show or two. One of my people decided to I should go to the show. I had a bath and a hair cut. Went in the horse trailer and of to the show I went.

I had fun no one knows what I got for a ribbon but boy did my person look funny I think she said it was a saddle seat suit that she wore. I had fun saying hi to all the kids that were their and went to many shows after that for a few years I learned how to do halter jumping and obstacles. Well the next year I had my first filly. I know that I was loved but the person I loved best did not own me. One day she came to the barn and I heard them talking something about being offered a trade for me and I was going to be moving.

I did not understand everything but my person wrote out a check and said my filly would never leave her and she wished she knew that I was for sale as she would buy me to. But it was too late I was to move. My person cried and told me it would be a good home and minder your manors and someone new would love me to.

I went on a truck ride for along time. When I got to my new home it was very different I had lots of horses and more room to run than I knew what to do with. When winter came it was not that cold but we did not go inside and know people came to take care of us like I was use to when it got so their was not much food I did not boss the others as I was taught to have manors. I foaled that spring he was a very handsome boy that fall the people rounded up all the horses and he was taken from me. They named him Woody if any one knows were he is I would like to know he is OK. Winter came and went again, I had a hard time finding food and I was going to have another baby. I did not feel that strong and I do not remember seeing people. I had a filly and learned to fight for our food although there was not enough for me to get fat I was able to keep both my filly and I alive. When round up came this fall the people decided to put me in the action with my filly. We had a picture taken and I was told that I needed to move on. I just hoped that my filly would stay with me as I did not think she was strong at all. The people gave us a bath and did our feet. I felt so much better.

The day before and the day of the sale I saw allsorts people I remembered what my other person had said mind your manners and someone will love just like she did. Well I did my best to show everyone how nice I was but people would say she is just so thin do and her foal do you think they would live. I would go up and give love to anyone who would look at me and stand just so I had a few people who had said to me do not worry girl you will have a new home soon. Well the day of the sale I told my baby to dance in front of the people and do not be scared. We did out best to show the people we would be a good addition to their families. People started to raise paddles and say numbers. In a few minutes we were back in our stalls. Everyone who had been by to see us earlier had come back by to say good bye. I saw all the other horses leave to in horse trailers why was I not going.

Two days went by I stayed at the barn and thought did I get forgotten about I did have food and water but still no one to brush me and tell me I was loved.

Early on the third day a big truck and long trailer arrived and a man came to my stall he took one look at me and was on the phone. I only heard one side of the talking but I knew he said I could not make the trip he was taking me and the filly to the vets.

We went their and he called on his phone again and said I can not ship them this time how about the horse go and stay with my wife and daughter take the medication the vet gave him for us and see if we would be ready for the next trip north.

Well many days and nights went by I stayed in a nice little shed with my filly and just like I was told I minded my manners and felt loved the little girl would place flowers in my hair and she would brush us. This is the life I wanted boy are we Lucky. The little girl called me Lady and the filly Lucky. We became stronger and the truck driver came back he said we could travel and tried to put us on the truck I would not go I did not want to leave my new home I was loved again. But he picked up my Lucky filly carried her on the truck. He placed us in the front in a box stall and made sure I had all the hay I could eat. Every time the truck stopped he took us out to walk so I would not get sore. I had been on the truck for over three days and had heard him talking to someone on the phone he told me not to worry I was going home. When the truck stopped and I was asked to go out I thought I was just going to go for a walk. I got off the truck and looked around would you believe I was back at the farm were I grew up their was my Person I looked around and everyone was crying I forgot about my Lucky filly and trotted up into my barn and into my stall would you believe it was all made just for me their was my person carrying my filly and placed her in the stall with me she sat on a bale of hay and cried. She told me this would never happen to me again I had a home for life.

This is not the end of my story it is just a good place to stop. I will tell you my person she had not told her husband about us but he was a good sport and built a barn for us all I went to live with my first filly, Lucky and I are still part of the family I have had to move but always with my person and she has kept most of my foals. I have made her very proud and I always show everyone the good manner. My person tells me I have a home for life and she knows were all of my foals are but one. So if you bought a foal named Woody form an action please e-mail my person she would love to tell me about him.

PS I only go to fun shows now and I do parades I like staying on the farm and watching my children grow. Also I get brushed every night as my person tells me she loves me and gives me a kiss before bed time. I know that I am one lucky lady. As I look around the farm and see all of the horses she has I see my children, grandchildren and yes even great grand children. My person has built a breeding program around me.

 

[fourhorses]

Carolyn,

What a great challenge

and one that is most appreciated.

 

[shadyacersminis]

Ive done it, Its a long story but, So Ill just do a before and after here

Heres Shaggy, she was a rescue, we saw lots of potenttial in her and others we bought and rescued at the same time, beautiful horses, just werent properly taken care of and underweight.... Can you guess where she got her name.

This was taken right after we brought her home... All the horses had never been handeled, so every one of them were as wild as could be, you could almost call them mini mustangs...

Here she is right after her first show, she is one of the smartest horses on our farm, she picks up on everything very fast and is also one of the sweetest horses we have.....She did very well at the show, I cant remember exactly what she took, but I know she took a couple firsts in Halter.... It was well worth the time we spent getting her ready...

 

[Frankie]

What wonderful stories!

We have over 3000 members of the forum. That is 3000 horses we can do great things for.

The horse doesn't have to be show quality, or even make it to that level. Just get it to a show and make him/her queen/king for the day! Like the person who gets to go to prom but didn't really have a date, was still special anyway!!!!

By you taking it in, the horse is gong to prom, by getting it to a show with all the attention and pampering, you are crowning them king of the prom!!!

Nothing like making your inside feel good, by making a horse feel good inside.

Kay, keep an eye on this thread, maybe someone here will have a home for one of your rescues.

All need to keep up on the rescue page.

We all want to complain, oh yuck at articles and stories, this is just an idea to get a large group together, one at a time to do some good.

 

[4mymirage]

We started with nothing but rescues...For those who are not familiar, my shining star was my beloved Joey

He went from a skinny wounded stallion kept on a logging chain in the woods behind an old farm house (I rescued him in Oct. 1992), to a young child's Christmas present gelding, to an ambassador for minis (Nursing home, schools, local parades and even played the donkey in the Christmas play in 2002), to a hardshipped WCMHR gelding and Champion driving horse, to a hardshipped AMHR gelding, to the Area III champion Youth Country pleasure horse and reserve champion ammy, to a National top ten youth driving horse and 2 National all star top tens (in only 4 AMHR shows

) and now a beloved memory in my front yard covered in wildflowers....

This is Joey and my (not so young anymore daughter), at their first AMHR show in Harrington DE in April 2004.

If you look closely, you can still see some scars on his nose even in this pic....

(I miss him sorely

)

The horse in our avatar is also a rescue - took 3 hours to get him out of a group of slaughter horses in 2000...

This is his first yr showing AMHR.....

 

[DunPainted]

Great idea Carolyn!

I'm so glad you posted this topic because there are so many minis out there in desperate need of routine care, brushing and hugs. Seems like many folks buy minis as a novelty, get bored, then leave them out in the pasture for months/years. Dona's story about Hemlock and the before/after pics of "Shaggy" are very touching and a perfect example of diamonds in the rough. Talking from experience, there is nothing more gratifying than taking a horse/donkey out of an awful situation, feeding them nutritious hay/beet pulp/grain/minerals, and watch them thrive and, quite often, see the gratitude in their eyes.

We bought a 20 year old standard donkey a couple months ago who was kept in an 8x8 stall that was never mucked out, had no light, and his hooves were 4 inches long. Clyde jumped right into our trailer full of fresh hay and didn't look back! This sweet boy walks right at our shoulder whenever ANYONE is in the pasture. The old boy is so happy and it brings our family and all visitors to the ranch a giant dose of joy guaranteed to make you smile! Clyde has a home for life.....and sure hope it's a long one!

Thanks for the post, Carolyn.....it's very thoughtful!

Cindy

 

[runamuk]

AMHR closed and taking care of my rescue(and the rest) was above paying registry fee's so ...that leaves me out of your game......oh well

 

[CountryHaven]

Bob and I are hoping our year goes better next year (as for being able to get to shows), and are hoping to take this little dude out a few times in the Senior Stallion classes to see what will happen. I'm not sure he has a huge chance, at 29" in the AMHR shows we go to, but it should be fun anyway.

 

[DunPainted]

Oh, Tami, he's GORGEOUS!

 

[CountryHaven]

  Oh, Tami, he's GORGEOUS!

449441[/snapback]

​

Thank you, Dun. Kaykay, and I found him (along with several others) tied in various spots around huge junk piles, and rusty equipment, standing in weeds, with nothing else to eat, and no visible water supplies. Chances rescued the others, Bob and I took Darth. He was horribly skinny, and full of burs, but amazingly no worse off than that. He has an incredible disposition, and we too, think he's beautiful.

 

[Robin_C]

What a great idea, Frankie! If anyone in Florida wants to jump on this bandwagon, I know where there are 5 minis in desperate need. I evaluated these horses in Sun City (central west coast) just recently. Unfortunately they are not free as this despicable place specializes in purchasing auction horses and reselling them. Sales prices vary between $350 - $775 (with another $100-125 added on for shots and Coggins -- their policy, not mine) and some supposedly are registered. Now, I know you can purchase a healthy, registered mini for that same money, so you'll really have to have an open heart/open mind to spend money on these guys.

Remember Buttercup from CMHR last year? These colts are in the same place and a few are almost in the same shape. They are all yearlings, except for a minimal dwarf who is 4. There are 4 boys and 1 mare -- all penned up together in a small pipe corral with nothing but sand and a roll of crummy, rained on hay. Conditions are pretty squallid. And before you say get the County involved -- believe me, this has been attempted many times. They will not take action because the law in that county only requires them to have hay and water -- they don't even require shelter. The proprietor here is a wiley fox and knows his way around every regulation. Back to the horses. Two of the boys are very thin, one is probably a 2 on a body scale, the other maybe a 3. The worse of the two ("Sprinkle") is a maybe a silver dapple (hard to tell) and the other ("Rembrandt", a gelding) has a pretty little sorrel sabino pinto coat pattern. There is also a bay pinto ("Peregrine"), a palomino pinto ("Vanilla"), and a bay pinto minimal dwarf (4 year old stallion, "Greystone"??) who is said to be registered. None of them acted wild or skittish -- they were all too busy with their heads buried in a new roll of hay. I was able to put my hands on all of them. They all looked relatively healthy except for the emaciation. Their eyes were bright -- none of them had the 1000 yard stare. Some are in better condition than others (none of them in GOOD condition), and they ALL need real homes instead of suffering at the hands of this unscrupulous facility.

I am full at my farm with 25, not enough stalls for my own horses at one time (I split shifts between daytime-out and nighttime-out horses). That's the reason why I cannot take at least one of these poor horses. BUT, if this thread has moved you to think about taking action for a needy mini, please feel free to contact me and I will give you all the contact information you need, would be happy to accompany you to the facility, and would even provide transportation to the extent that I could (either free if close by or for gas only if you were further away).

Robin C

 

[Frankie]

Ok, we may have a home/buyer for one of the horses in Florida.

The place where they are will offer discounts if you purchase 2 or more. Is anyone else interested in any of those Robin mentioned, then the discount could be split between the two buyers? Just a thought, it will lower the price and may help you out a bit.

If you are interested, please get in touch with Robin or me as soon as possible to see what can be worked out.