Friday, September 27, 2013

What if?

What would happen to your animals, especially your horses, if you became very ill?  Or you were in a car accident?  Or became unemployed?  Do you have the resources and family or community support to see your animals through hard times?
Very few of us like to think about those possibilities but we at Horse Haven get several calls each week from people who find themselves in exactly those situations.

Sometimes we can help by educating the owner on how to best place the horse in a new home.  We suggest that they follow our policies and perform a facility and reference check as well as follow up with the new owner once the horse is moved.  Additionally we recommend drafting an agreement that outlines the expectations of both parties in regards to the upkeep of the animal.  In the event there is ever a discussion about what was said at the time ownership changed, it is very helpful to have something in writing.

Sometimes we can help an owner with our "Helping Hooves" program.  Helping Hooves provides hay and feed to qualified and responsible owners that find themselves in temporary financial difficulties such as a lay-off from work.  It is a short term program that covers two horses for up to three months. The horses have to be up to date on Coggins testing and vaccinations.  That's the "responsible owner" part of the application.

Sometimes we can help an owner with the "Ultimate Act of Compassion", a program which helps pay for euthanasia.  Often times owners are attempting to find homes for horses with expensive medical problems that they can't afford, or elderly horses that require additional feed and hay.  And while the decision to have a horse put down is never an easy one, it is sometimes the kindest and most merciful one.

Horse Haven of Tennessee does not accept horses surrendered by their owners. If we did, we would have had to close our doors long ago. We average approximately four calls a week from people looking to give up their horse, pony or donkey. Our barns and pastures would be full and our bank account would be empty. There would be no place to keep animals seized by law enforcement.  And if law enforcement doesn't have a place for a horse to go, that animal will have to stay in the abusive or neglectful home.

If you would like additional information on programs mentioned here, or would like to specifically donate to them, please contact me at sonja.cowsert@yahoo.com.





May the horse be with you.........
 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Behind the scenes

What a busy week it has been.
While the horses here at Horse Haven are our main focus and their care our first priority, there is much that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that we can continue our mission.  After all, our mission, as per our mission statement, is "to advocate for, protect and defend our God-given equine in Tennessee".  Given the opportunity, we try to affect long term change in the legal system and the legislator by meeting with interested parties.  We enjoy the chance to discuss equine welfare with government officials at the local and state level. Even though we spend a fair amount of time in the court room on animal cruelty and neglect cases, we are a long way from being legal experts.  So when the opportunity to meet with legal professionals presents itself, we always welcome it.
We work hard to ensure that we can continue to fund our mission.  Planning fundraisers, researching grants and other funding sources are all part of what we do. This behind the scenes work is not glamorous but vital to the health of this organization.  And it provides additional opportunities for interested individuals to get involved.  Not everybody lives close enough to our main facility to help on a shift every week.  However, almost everybody is able to contact a local official or representative about pending legislation affecting animal welfare. Practically anybody can ask a local company for in kind or monetary donations or fundraising event sponsorships.  There are many ways to support our efforts.
If you are interested in helping Horse Haven of Tennessee in ways that don't involve a pitchfork and a wheel barrow, contact me at sonja.cowsert@yahoo.com.

Tune in again on Friday to "As the barn turns"......

Friday, September 13, 2013

Adoption Day

It's that time of the month again....Adoption Day and Open House at Horse Haven!
If you've never visited our facility, this is a great opportunity to have a look around and meet the horses, our volunteers and our staff. If you are in the market for a new equine companion, our Adoption Day committee will be glad to show off our adoptable horses. If you've been thinking about volunteering and would like to find out more, tomorrow is your day. If you're shopping for a used saddle, bridle, bit, breeches or anything else horse related, please visit our Tack Shack. The Tack Shack is full of items that were donated by generous horse people and any item we sell raises funds that help support our mission.

Our address is 2417 Reagan Rd. Knoxville. Take Pellissippi Parkway to Hardin Valley Road. Turn right off the exit. Go about a 1/2 mile. Turn left on Reagan Road. Our driveway is the first driveway on the left.
The gates will be open from 10am-2pm. The weather will be beautiful and you never know what  you may find....

This is what I found a couple of years ago:






Hope to see you tomorrow.

And tune in again next week to find out if Thelma found her forever home and if Pi will finally get to go home....in "As the barn turns".

Monday, September 9, 2013

Exciting News!

Horse Haven of Tennessee is one of 250 finalists in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program! Toyota will award 100 vehicles to non profit organizations based on votes from the public beginning October 1, 2013.

We've been dreaming of and wishing for a "Twinkie Mobile" since Twinkie, our miniature horse and mascot, started making public appearances a couple of years ago. The Horse Haven trailer seemed overkill for the transport of a 200 pound miniature horse. We tried the back seat of the Horse Haven truck a couple of times but Twinkie didn't like that arrangement very much.


 The addition of a van to the Horse Haven fleet would enable more people to take Twinkie to more places to promote Horse Haven and educate the public on the subject of horse neglect.
I will post detailed voting instructions as our voting time draws closer. With your help we can make the "Twinkie Mobile" a reality.  

Friday, September 6, 2013

Friday afternoon smile maker

As a follow up to last week's blog, here are some more examples of very happy former Horse Haven horses in their new lives.

Annie


Chilli

 
Huggy Bear

August

Sam


I hope you enjoyed today's gallery of success stories. Have a great weekend!