Friday, August 30, 2013

Can Horse Haven horses be ridden?

This is a question we hear a lot. It is one of the first questions a potential adopter may pose. And it's one of the last things we learn about a horse during it's stay at Horse Haven. It takes many weeks, sometimes months, before a horse is healthy enough for under saddle evaluation. We certainly learn a lot about each horse and it's level of prior training just by having it at the barn. Interactions on a daily basis help us piece together the horse puzzle. We quickly figure out if a horse is hard to catch in the field and if it leads well. We learn if it does or does not know how to stand patiently for grooming, the farrier or the vet. We can observe it's reactions when we introduce a saddle and bridle. But to actually evaluate a horse with a rider, somebody has to get on.
 We've recruited numerous "crash dummies" from our volunteer corps over the years and I am happy to report that we've not had any serious incidents. And I am eternally grateful to those brave souls who place their behinds on the backs of thousand pound critters with sketchy histories. Their service is so very important because any amount of under saddle education makes a horse infinitely more adoptable. The speed at which well trained horses are adopted is amazing.
 The horses that haven't been trained or haven't been evaluated yet are much harder to place. It is the truly brave adopter who follows his or her heart and picks a horse because they are drawn to it on a deeper level. Such was the case with Alyssa and Texas.
 Texas was part of a small herd that lived in and around a burned out cabin on a mountain in Morgan County. He was not much to look at when he arrived at Horse Haven. The neighbors had been tossing hay across the fence so he wasn't too awful thin. He was a little old, plain bay horse with good size ears, very narrow through his chest and a skinny little pencil neck. Alyssa and her husband had applied to adopt a donkey as a companion animal and were at the barn to meet the long ear, when Alyssa spotted Texas and he spotted her. Often times, the horse picks the person and Texas picked Alyssa. He seemed to know that she was "his" person, the one he had waited for. While he had picked up weight during his stay with us, he still had a lot of filling out left to do and had not been evaluated under saddle. He was a very friendly guy with very little personal space. And Alyssa fell in love.
Papers were filled out and arrangements for transportation were made. They picked up their new herd a few days later.  In addition to Texas and the donkey, Alyssa and Andrew decided to also take home Trio, a cute little spotted gelding.
Texas has became a large part of Alyssa's life and has proven to be up for anything.

Halloween themed horse shows......



Competitive trail rides........






And even Alyssa's wedding.












 So to answer the question.....Yes, Horse Haven horses can be ridden. And they can do a whole lot more.














    

Monday, August 26, 2013

Ode to our volunteers

                                                                                     


In today's blog post I would like to honor our volunteers. You guys really do make this barn turn. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. You clean stalls, you feed, you haul hay. And all the while you show the horses that they are loved. You show them with your touch, with the gentle voice and with your dedication. And the occasionally sneaked treat. You do all this in the heat of summer, in freezing cold temperatures, on weekends and on holidays. You attend meetings to learn how to make things better at the  barn, you help raise the funds that enable us to feed and house the horses and you attend training sessions to make yourselves better horse people. You see the horses come in skinny and scared. As they gain health and strength, you deal with their emerging personalities. As the once dull coat starts to shine again and the eyes regain sparkle, you rejoice in the progress they make. And your only reward is to see them leave. They leave for their new homes and new lives but they leave. The journey is bitter sweet. It takes a lot of emotional strength to take this journey again and again. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for the horses. 


picture courtesy of Randy Gracy, a volunteer 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Myth Busters

There's an old joke about horses and money. Question: How can you make a small fortune in horses? Answer: Start with a large one.
We love our horses dearly but they are expensive, very expensive. And horses that have been neglected for long periods of time are even more expensive. When Horse Haven receives a horse after it was seized by local officials, it is seen by a veterinarian right away. Blood is drawn to determine if there are underlying medical issues that would explain the poor condition of the animal. A Coggins test and a fecal exam are performed. Vaccinations are given. Skin conditions, which are very common in neglected horses, are treated. First myth busted.....Horse Haven receives free veterinary services. We may receive discounts, especially in surgical cases for professional services, but there is still a significant bill.We are responsible for those bills.
As we rehabilitate this horse, it will require farrier work. Sometimes extensive farrier work. Myth number 2 busted......we pay for farrier services. Our farriers donate some of their time but we still have a bill.
Myth three and four....we also pay for hay and feed. Horses at Horse Haven have very specific nutritional requirements. We have to feed a consistent feed and good quality hay. Malnourished horses' systems are already compromised by the lack of nutrition they've experienced, it would be ill advised to feed poor quality hay or feed.
Most horses stay with us three months to a year. When we add up the expenses for each horse and compare that to the $200-$500 adoption fee we generally charge, we effectively bust myth number 5, the biggest of them all, that we actually make money on adoption fees. The cost for the initial vet check is around $200. Add to that repeated farrier work, deworming, feed, hay over many weeks or months and we're lucky if we break even. Mostly we've spent much more than we'll ever recoup in adoption fees.
We don't charge Tennessee counties for our services. And we do not receive any sort of government money, local, state or federal. Our mission would be impossible if it weren't for the donations of caring people like you. Your financial support makes it possible for us to help these horses. Help them to become healthy, happy horses again and find their forever homes.      

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Trail Challenge fun


Another successful Trail Challenge is behind us and what great fun it was! It truly is an event that any horse can participate in. The pictures above prove it. It's a great way to get young horses out and expose them to new and interesting things, like horse twister. Yep, we play that. Or fishing for ducks, a skill every good trail horse should master. But all kidding aside, if your horse can navigate through the colorful and fluttery obstacles here at the Trail Challenge, there probably won't be much that will upset him or her on a "normal" ride. Our volunteers and judges are supportive and helpful and place great emphasis on fun and safety. Helmets are mandatory but there is no dress code.
The Trail Challenge event has also been a nice way to showcase our adoptable horses and get them  experience and exposure, right here at our barn. Our volunteers enjoy the one on one time they get with a favorite horse when showing it in the in-hand class. And a horse show ribbon is a great souvenir.
There are three more TC events this year. Mark your calender for September 21, October 19 and November 16. Registration starts at 9am, event starts at 10am. Spectators are more than welcome. The Tack Shack will be open for business and we will have a raffle with cool prizes.  
If you would like to help out, donate prizes or if you would like to participate, contact me at sonja.cowsert@yahoo.com.

Tune back in next week to find out if Twinkie qualified for the National Jumper Finals.....in..."As the Barn turns".

Twinkie picture courtesy of Linda Ripley with Ripley Photography

Friday, August 16, 2013

Look who's blogging now!

There has been so much interest in Horse Haven of Tennessee lately. Folks want to know what we do and they want to know about the horses we care for. It was inevitable that somebody was going to blog about it eventually. With all that is happening in and around the world of Horse Haven, it is sometimes hard to keep up. We also have lots of stories that should be told. Some are happy, some are funny, some are awesome and some are sad. I hope to share those stories with you here on this blog.

This is my first attempt at blogging, so if you would like to see something on a particular subject, or if you have ideas or suggestions, or even want to write a guest blog, please email me at sonja.cowsert@yahoo.com.

I would like to introduce myself and tell you a little more about me and my connection with Horse Haven.
My name is Sonja Cowsert. I am a single mother of an almost 12 year old boy. We live in Clinton, Tennesse, on a 22 acre farm with two dogs, numerous cats, 3 personal horses and 9 boarded horses. I caught the horse "bug" as a child and never lost it. I was the kid with the pony on top of the Christmas list. I took riding lessons as a child but didn't acquire my first horse until I was in my twenties. My involvement with Horse Haven started many years ago. I served on the board of directors, I fostered and rehabilitated horses and participated in various events. In 2010, a year after Horse Haven moved to the Reagan Road location, I was hired as a Barn Manager. I later worked as the Equine Manager and served on the Adoption committee. Currently I serve as the Assistant Executive Director.

As this organization grows and changes, my job changes and evolves with it. This blog is a tiny part of that evolution. I am looking forward to the journey.

Tune in again next week to find out what's happening on "As the barn turns".