Stay tuned to "As the Barn turns" for the rest of Strut's story in the weeks to come!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Strut's journey.....week 4
Strut is coming along very well. He's the first horse at the gate at dinner time. His appetite is fabulous. He has received his second round of de-wormer and is showing some definite weight gain. His ribs are much less noticeable. He stands patiently for grooming and the condition of his coat has improved. I feel very fortunate to be part of his journey. He is an exceptional little horse that deserves the best of care.
Stay tuned to "As the Barn turns" for the rest of Strut's story in the weeks to come!
Stay tuned to "As the Barn turns" for the rest of Strut's story in the weeks to come!
Friday, February 21, 2014
The long road to justice
The wheels of justice turn slowly. Anybody who has ever had any dealings inside the legal system is well aware of that fact. Between back logged court calendars, a shortage of judges, motions and appeals, it can take weeks, months and even years to resolve a legal matter . Every time Horse Haven is called in by local law enforcement to assist in the seizure of a horse or a group of horses, we help with the understanding that we may be caring for these horses for a long time. The animals are evidence of a crime and it is our responsibility to maintain the evidence.
As was the case in July of 2012 when we were asked by the Morgan County Sheriff's department to pick up three extremely thin horses in Deer Lodge, Tennessee. The owner of the animals was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
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We did what we always do. We loaded the horses and took them to the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine to have them checked over by the veterinarians. They were weighed. Blood work and parasite checks were performed. All three showed changes in their blood work that are consistent with malnutrition. We took them to the Horse Haven barn where they started their long road to recovery.
By November all three of them had gained a significant amount of weight and looked like normal horses again.
The owner had refused to surrender the horses after she was arrested, so even though they were now healthy, they were not available for adoption. She was offered a plea agreement by the District Attorney's office, which she refused. The case was handed over to a grand jury who returned a true bill. Finally, last Wednesday, 20 months after the horses were removed, the owner faced a jury of her peers. Seven women and five men took less than an hour to return a guilty verdict. Rose, Nelson and Daisy will be free to find their forever homes as soon as sentencing takes place.
Horse Haven is currently caring for 14 horses that are evidence in 3 different pending court cases in three different counties. In order for justice to be served, we need to provide these animals with the best care possible while the wheels of the justice system turn slowly. We support the District Attorney's offices that are prosecuting these cases with medical records, pictures and other documentation needed. We also testify for the prosecution if warranted.
Won't you help us get justice for horses like Daisy? Your gift to Horse Haven will help us feed and care for horses removed from neglectful and abusive homes while they await their day in court. Donating is easy. Go to our website and click on the pay pal button. Or you can mail us your donation to HHT, PO Box 22841, Knoxville TN 37933.
As was the case in July of 2012 when we were asked by the Morgan County Sheriff's department to pick up three extremely thin horses in Deer Lodge, Tennessee. The owner of the animals was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
We did what we always do. We loaded the horses and took them to the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine to have them checked over by the veterinarians. They were weighed. Blood work and parasite checks were performed. All three showed changes in their blood work that are consistent with malnutrition. We took them to the Horse Haven barn where they started their long road to recovery.
By November all three of them had gained a significant amount of weight and looked like normal horses again.
The owner had refused to surrender the horses after she was arrested, so even though they were now healthy, they were not available for adoption. She was offered a plea agreement by the District Attorney's office, which she refused. The case was handed over to a grand jury who returned a true bill. Finally, last Wednesday, 20 months after the horses were removed, the owner faced a jury of her peers. Seven women and five men took less than an hour to return a guilty verdict. Rose, Nelson and Daisy will be free to find their forever homes as soon as sentencing takes place.
Horse Haven is currently caring for 14 horses that are evidence in 3 different pending court cases in three different counties. In order for justice to be served, we need to provide these animals with the best care possible while the wheels of the justice system turn slowly. We support the District Attorney's offices that are prosecuting these cases with medical records, pictures and other documentation needed. We also testify for the prosecution if warranted.
Won't you help us get justice for horses like Daisy? Your gift to Horse Haven will help us feed and care for horses removed from neglectful and abusive homes while they await their day in court. Donating is easy. Go to our website and click on the pay pal button. Or you can mail us your donation to HHT, PO Box 22841, Knoxville TN 37933.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Strut's journey.....week 2
It's been a little over a week since Strut left the Horse Haven barn to be fostered at my facility. It's been a blissfully uneventful transition and he is acclimating very well.
Wednesday was farrier day as well as "first turn out with friends" day.
He was a very good boy for Randy, the farrier. He stood patiently for his trim and his feet are in surprisingly decent condition. He has a small crack in his right front hoof.
Since he obviously hadn't been trimmed in a while and the crack hadn't been treated, he has developed some "seedy toe" in that area. With appropriate treatment and regular hoof care, this should resolve quickly.
Strut had been turned out in a round pen adjoining the pasture and met this pasture mates over the fence over the last week. Once the farrier was finished with Strut, I turned him out into the pasture by himself. I wanted him to have the opportunity to explore the area before adding other horses. And explore he did, until he came upon the round bale of hay. All exploring stopped as his nose went into the hay. He took a small break from eating to greet Dudley, his pasture mate, but went straight back to contently munching hay.
Wednesday was farrier day as well as "first turn out with friends" day.
He was a very good boy for Randy, the farrier. He stood patiently for his trim and his feet are in surprisingly decent condition. He has a small crack in his right front hoof.
Since he obviously hadn't been trimmed in a while and the crack hadn't been treated, he has developed some "seedy toe" in that area. With appropriate treatment and regular hoof care, this should resolve quickly.
Strut had been turned out in a round pen adjoining the pasture and met this pasture mates over the fence over the last week. Once the farrier was finished with Strut, I turned him out into the pasture by himself. I wanted him to have the opportunity to explore the area before adding other horses. And explore he did, until he came upon the round bale of hay. All exploring stopped as his nose went into the hay. He took a small break from eating to greet Dudley, his pasture mate, but went straight back to contently munching hay.
He's had an increase in his feed ration and we've added soaked alfalfa cubes to his diet. We have also started the de-worming process. Strut is showing a definite increase in energy and I'm looking forward to watching his personality emerge.
If you would like to contribute to Strut's and other Horse Haven horses' rehabilitation, please visit our website at www.horsehaventn.org and click the pay pal button.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Strut and the rest of the Horse Haven herd in "As the Barn turns".......
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day!
Friday is Valentine's Day. Hard to forget with the never ending stream of chocolate and jewelry commercials and grocery stores with all sorts of heart shaped goodies. Instead of chocolates and flowers, why not give your sweetheart a "Heart for horses" in the form of a gift to Horse Haven this year? With your contribution of $25 or $50, Horse Haven can feed 2 to 4 horses for a week. A donation to Horse Haven of Tennessee will make a difference in the life of a neglected or abused horse.
Donating is easy. Just go to our website at www.horsehaventn.org and click the pay pal button.
Thank you for having a "Heart for Horses" and Happy Valentine's Day!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Oops...I did it again....
It happens to all of us at some point. Some of the animals that we come in contact with speak to us differently. They pull at our heart strings harder and more persistent than others. And even though we don't need another dog, cat or horse to take care of, we make room. We make room in our homes, barns and wallets. After all, what's one more, right?
Well, it happened to me last week. So this past Tuesday, Strut went home with me. Just for a little while. This is a "foster situation". At least that's what I tell myself.
Some of you may remember Strut. He was removed from horrid living conditions which resulted in the death of his pasture mate. Strut is also very thin but in good spirits . I will feed and care for him. I will get his feet trimmed. He will be groomed and loved and eventually evaluated under saddle. I will post updates about his progress on this blog.
Fostering is not for the faint of heart. In order to make the animal more adoptable, we spent more time with it, which leads to greater attachment which makes it harder to let the animal go when the time for permanent adoption rolls around. But fostering is also very rewarding. Seeing the animal restored to health and happiness and in a loving home is a great joy. But sometimes we can't let go. We lovingly refer to that situation as a "failed foster" which equals a successful adoption. Either way, the horse wins.
Stayed tuned to Strut's progress in "As the Barn turns"........
Well, it happened to me last week. So this past Tuesday, Strut went home with me. Just for a little while. This is a "foster situation". At least that's what I tell myself.
Some of you may remember Strut. He was removed from horrid living conditions which resulted in the death of his pasture mate. Strut is also very thin but in good spirits . I will feed and care for him. I will get his feet trimmed. He will be groomed and loved and eventually evaluated under saddle. I will post updates about his progress on this blog.
Fostering is not for the faint of heart. In order to make the animal more adoptable, we spent more time with it, which leads to greater attachment which makes it harder to let the animal go when the time for permanent adoption rolls around. But fostering is also very rewarding. Seeing the animal restored to health and happiness and in a loving home is a great joy. But sometimes we can't let go. We lovingly refer to that situation as a "failed foster" which equals a successful adoption. Either way, the horse wins.
Stayed tuned to Strut's progress in "As the Barn turns"........
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