Let's Deck the Stalls with Boughs of Plenty for 2018
31 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
On the 1st Day, there was the AAE Residents!
31 days to 2018, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped!
On the 1st Day, there was the AAE Residents!
The heart of our volunteer activities begin with our residents. it all begins with our minis, ponies, and our full-sized horses. Our new volunteers learn about basic care and handling with our most reliable, trustworthy, and dependable horses. They have their stories, too, but we don't often talk about them because their story came and went. Let's revisit....
RUSTY
Rusty is our 31, soon to be 32-year old Arabian gelding that came to us in 2010 due to a financial distress and an impending deployment situation. Rusty was loved beyond words, but his mom knew she couldn't give him what he needed, and she worried that when she was deployed, there wouldn't be anyone experienced enough to provide the care he needed for as long as it might be. So she made the difficult decision to find a safe home for him.
Shortly after he arrived, we discovered some really nasty summer sores on his "private parts". Sadly, they were well hidden, and they were discovered during his vet exam. It took several vet visits for cleaning with sedation before he healed. A while later, we found a sarcoid in his ear that started getting irritated and growing. Ear sarcoids are challenging to treat because the meds can spread into the ear canal and damage the inner ear. Once again, Rusty had several rounds of treatment with Dr. Stolba until his ear finally healed. Fortunately, it has been several years, and the sarcoid has not returned.
Rusty has been an AAE steady since he got here. Early on, he gave lessons. Then he became our go to guy for birthday parties and kids programs. He has given many a child their first horseback ride! He's also one of our favorites for new volunteers. Many of our new volunteers come to AAE with no horse experience. Some haven't been around horses since they were a child. Rusty is one we can count on to take good care of the newbies. They love him, and so do our veteran volunteers.
Some call him Grandpa Rusty or Uncle Rusty, too. He loves the youngsters. When Rusty is turned out with the herd, you might find him acting like Rico Suave, as he swaggers up to the girls. Or, you might see him acting like a young buck, rearing and playing with the boys. He's the best. We love this ol' guy to the moon and back! Typical of a older horse, he's worth his weight in gold!
KAYA
Kaya came to AAE in 2014. She was rescued by another group at auction in Nevada after outbidding the slaughter-buyer, then placed with AAE. Kaya was a 20-something ranch horse that had been neglected. She was lame in front when she unloaded, but it shouldn't have been a surprise. Her hooves were excessively long, and she had on an old pair of shoes. It looked like she was months past due for a trim and new shoes. It took considerable time to work through her hoof issues. Initially, you could see she was sore if you asked her to move any faster than a walk. She would trot, barely, and surely couldn't lope. Fortunately, we stuck with it and when we finally got her hooves "unjammed", we noticed her running with the herd. This girl could gallop!
Kaya is a true gem. She was a diamond in the rough. She IS the most dependable, trustworthy, reliable, and safe horse we have at AAE. Ask her for anything, and she'll give you everything. She's a party girl, too. The kids love her. She loves the kids. They could dress her like a doll, if they tried. Kaya is another senior horse worth her weight in gold.
KASEY
Kasey came to AAE in Spring 2016 with his big buddy, Angus, and his little pal, Daisy after a family health issue. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Angus earlier this year. Kasey is a 21-ish Clydesdale. A gentle giant is truly what he is. Kasey has a working history as a driving horse. We were told he has a tremendous amount of experience working anywhere from a team of two to a team of eight. Prior to retirement, he competed at the Draft Horse Classic.
Kasey is a big, handsome, lovely hunk of horse. He loves attention. He loves being groomed. He's simply a big happy guy that enjoys every moment of every interaction. Well, maybe not every, like standing patiently for all four of his big heavy hooves to be trimmed or shod. He's got some arthritis so sometimes it's hard for him to stand on any one leg for an extended period. As big as he is, he's pretty agreeable to most anything you ask, but beware of the head. You don't want to be on that side when he turns to see what the heck that noise was. Big head meeting little head: big head wins!
Kasey and Angus were the first drafts to come through AAE, and we hope they won't be the last. If you've never had the pleasure of meeting one of these big guys, you must. Be sure to visit sometime or get out to the Draft Horse Classic. They are special. Kasey is special!!!
SIERRA
Sierra was one of the founding horses of AAE. She was a feedlot rescue that came to AAE with her two boys, Dayton and Clayton, in July 2009. She's gotta be getting close to 20 by now. Clayton's mom had shipped to slaughter, and he was left behind at the feedlot to fend for himself. We can all imagine the horror that must have been for him. Sierra and Dayton adopted him. Actually, Clayton nursed on Sierra, and neither Sierra nor Dayton objected. Reality, they were probably too weak to care. The trio came to AAE in such sad condition. Sierra was depleted. She was skin and bones, and the boys were thin and pretty banged up. Sierra's body was working overtime feeding two lil guys, and she had little energy left for herself. Her eyes were weepy, as if teary, and her head hung low. Her hooves long, her hair falling out, and her mane dead. Poor mare, but she fought so hard to live.
At AAE, we were only able to halter her because she was literally too tired to resist. It wasn't until a little later that we realized she probably hadn't been haltered before, and she surely didn't know how to lead. Thankfully, she was willing to learn. She took such amazing care of the boys, watching over them with her wisdom, always. Slowly, she gained weight and started looking like a horse again. Much to our shock one day after she had been here a month or so, we looked over, and she had a long, bloody strand hanging from her vulva. My heart sank. We had only been in the horse rescue world for a couple months, and we hadn't established with a vet yet. We called all the nearby vets, but none could come on an emergency call. After hanging up from the last one, much to my horror, there was the reason in the distance. Sierra lost a baby. Sierra had passed a stillborn fetus that looked to be about about four months along. It was horribly sad. Not only for the loss of baby and mom's loss of baby, but for mom. What she must have been through. It sheds some light on how hard her body had been fighting for life. Not only her life, but she was supporting her lil' guy and another mama's little guy, and baby, too.
That IS Sierra. She takes care of everyone at the sacrifice of herself. That has been Sierra from day one. In 2009/2010, we had 12 foals at AAE. Our focus was mare/foal pairs and pregnant mares. Sierra was like Grandma to all, even some of the moms. You'd look out in pasture, and you would see Sierra eating from a tub, and she would be surrounded by five or six foals and another mom or two. Always!
Even today! Sierra has since been the matriarch of the herd. No matter how many horses come and go, she is queen bee. Everyone looks to her. She has that presence; she has the look. She's had several mares challenge her along the way, but in the end, Sierra it is!
Sierra has not been an easy mare to handle. She has some deep seated trust issues, and no doubt someone did her seriously wrong at some point. She's got a strong spirit; it's palpable. She's one you recognize the privilege it is to be in her presence, to touch her, to feel her. Sierra is a very special mare.
DANNY
We shared Danny's story earlier, but he's so special and now a resident, he's worth sharing again for anyone that may have missed it. Danny's story isn't one of neglect, abandonment, abuse, or poor care. Sadly, it's one of human health and aging. Danny was loved beyond words. So much, his former owner considered euthanizing him rather than risk him having difficulties transitioning to a new home, ending up in a bad home, or worse, the fear of auctions and the slaughter pipeline.
Fortunately, the timing was right and Danny has a couple special people in his life that paved the way for him to get to AAE. Danny is the most kind, mellow, and affectionate horse we have known, and we are grateful he landed with us. Danny's owner's health was failing, and she was unable to provide ongoing care for him any longer. Danny is 27. He knew no other owner, as he was born to her mare. Mama rejected him for four days, and on the 5th day, she finally accepted him. Danny spent those four days with his surrogate mom while she held mom and made sure he was able to nurse. It was a rocky start, but Danny and his other mom grew a bond like no other. She trained him; she rode him; they competed together. They spent 27 years together until they had to say good bye, and not because of death. To say it was a sad day when we loaded Danny in the trailer is an understatement. We all shed tears.
Danny will stay on with AAE as a resident, helping new volunteers learn about horses. He will also participate in youth activities and any other related equine programs where we need a most trustworthy and dependable horse. We are lucky to have this ol' guy, and I think he's enjoying befriending volunteers and visitors, alike. Danny, you are loved!
FINN
Finn was born at AAE in April 2014. Finn's mom, Kai, was one of a group of mares rescued from one of the Nevada auction's. Mom had been here about seven weeks when she delivered Finn. He was this precious little palomino package. Sadly, mom had dripped milk for a week before a difficult delivery, and Finn didn't get any colostrum. Dr. Stolba examined he and mom after delivery, and poor little Finn had no antibodies. He got a plasma transfusion to help support him. It wasn't enough though. At about three weeks, he contracted some "bug", and he was passing neon green diarrhea. It was really bad diarrhea, and we all know how susceptible our little guys are when diarrhea strikes. Finn was given fluids and antibiotics, but his condition worsened. We ended up administering fluids and meds, and we were with him pretty much 24/7 for about 10 days before he stabilized and we could breathe a sigh of relief.
Finn grew to be a handsome young lad, but trouble he was! He was adopted when he was bout 14 months old, but it wasn't long lasted. He came back about six months later because he was a bit of a trouble-maker. Must be why we love him so much! He's been a volunteer favorite ever since, and since Uncle Dayton left for Colorado, Finn was the perfect guy to take his place. Hoping to start Finn under saddle in 2018. He's ready! He has some time to grow into one of our dependable, trusty steeds, and look forward to his journey to a "dopey" old man.
So, many of our good stories involve senior horses. Senior horses! Senior horses are worth their weight in gold. Sadly, so many people think an old horse is a throw away horse. More sadly, so many more people won't consider an old horse when looking for a new horse because they are an "old" horse. My biggest wish for 2018 is that more people open their eyes and hearts to everything an "old" horse has to offer....the joys, the wonder, the wisdom, and the love of an old horse. Old horses may be old. They may not have a lot of years left to give, but they give you everything they've got. They've been there, they've done it. They've lived it, they've learned it. When you consider pairing a 1,000 pound horse next with a child, consider a wise old horse over a young inexperienced horse any day! For a small child that wants to learn, a few good years with an old horse is so much better than a few years with a "bad" horse or worse, a few moments with a young, not so wise horse.
If you would like to help more horses get the help they need, please donate here.
RUSTY
Rusty is our 31, soon to be 32-year old Arabian gelding that came to us in 2010 due to a financial distress and an impending deployment situation. Rusty was loved beyond words, but his mom knew she couldn't give him what he needed, and she worried that when she was deployed, there wouldn't be anyone experienced enough to provide the care he needed for as long as it might be. So she made the difficult decision to find a safe home for him.
Shortly after he arrived, we discovered some really nasty summer sores on his "private parts". Sadly, they were well hidden, and they were discovered during his vet exam. It took several vet visits for cleaning with sedation before he healed. A while later, we found a sarcoid in his ear that started getting irritated and growing. Ear sarcoids are challenging to treat because the meds can spread into the ear canal and damage the inner ear. Once again, Rusty had several rounds of treatment with Dr. Stolba until his ear finally healed. Fortunately, it has been several years, and the sarcoid has not returned.
Rusty has been an AAE steady since he got here. Early on, he gave lessons. Then he became our go to guy for birthday parties and kids programs. He has given many a child their first horseback ride! He's also one of our favorites for new volunteers. Many of our new volunteers come to AAE with no horse experience. Some haven't been around horses since they were a child. Rusty is one we can count on to take good care of the newbies. They love him, and so do our veteran volunteers.
Some call him Grandpa Rusty or Uncle Rusty, too. He loves the youngsters. When Rusty is turned out with the herd, you might find him acting like Rico Suave, as he swaggers up to the girls. Or, you might see him acting like a young buck, rearing and playing with the boys. He's the best. We love this ol' guy to the moon and back! Typical of a older horse, he's worth his weight in gold!
KAYA
Kaya came to AAE in 2014. She was rescued by another group at auction in Nevada after outbidding the slaughter-buyer, then placed with AAE. Kaya was a 20-something ranch horse that had been neglected. She was lame in front when she unloaded, but it shouldn't have been a surprise. Her hooves were excessively long, and she had on an old pair of shoes. It looked like she was months past due for a trim and new shoes. It took considerable time to work through her hoof issues. Initially, you could see she was sore if you asked her to move any faster than a walk. She would trot, barely, and surely couldn't lope. Fortunately, we stuck with it and when we finally got her hooves "unjammed", we noticed her running with the herd. This girl could gallop!
Kaya is a true gem. She was a diamond in the rough. She IS the most dependable, trustworthy, reliable, and safe horse we have at AAE. Ask her for anything, and she'll give you everything. She's a party girl, too. The kids love her. She loves the kids. They could dress her like a doll, if they tried. Kaya is another senior horse worth her weight in gold.
KASEY
Kasey came to AAE in Spring 2016 with his big buddy, Angus, and his little pal, Daisy after a family health issue. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Angus earlier this year. Kasey is a 21-ish Clydesdale. A gentle giant is truly what he is. Kasey has a working history as a driving horse. We were told he has a tremendous amount of experience working anywhere from a team of two to a team of eight. Prior to retirement, he competed at the Draft Horse Classic.
Kasey is a big, handsome, lovely hunk of horse. He loves attention. He loves being groomed. He's simply a big happy guy that enjoys every moment of every interaction. Well, maybe not every, like standing patiently for all four of his big heavy hooves to be trimmed or shod. He's got some arthritis so sometimes it's hard for him to stand on any one leg for an extended period. As big as he is, he's pretty agreeable to most anything you ask, but beware of the head. You don't want to be on that side when he turns to see what the heck that noise was. Big head meeting little head: big head wins!
Kasey and Angus were the first drafts to come through AAE, and we hope they won't be the last. If you've never had the pleasure of meeting one of these big guys, you must. Be sure to visit sometime or get out to the Draft Horse Classic. They are special. Kasey is special!!!
SIERRA
Sierra was one of the founding horses of AAE. She was a feedlot rescue that came to AAE with her two boys, Dayton and Clayton, in July 2009. She's gotta be getting close to 20 by now. Clayton's mom had shipped to slaughter, and he was left behind at the feedlot to fend for himself. We can all imagine the horror that must have been for him. Sierra and Dayton adopted him. Actually, Clayton nursed on Sierra, and neither Sierra nor Dayton objected. Reality, they were probably too weak to care. The trio came to AAE in such sad condition. Sierra was depleted. She was skin and bones, and the boys were thin and pretty banged up. Sierra's body was working overtime feeding two lil guys, and she had little energy left for herself. Her eyes were weepy, as if teary, and her head hung low. Her hooves long, her hair falling out, and her mane dead. Poor mare, but she fought so hard to live.
At AAE, we were only able to halter her because she was literally too tired to resist. It wasn't until a little later that we realized she probably hadn't been haltered before, and she surely didn't know how to lead. Thankfully, she was willing to learn. She took such amazing care of the boys, watching over them with her wisdom, always. Slowly, she gained weight and started looking like a horse again. Much to our shock one day after she had been here a month or so, we looked over, and she had a long, bloody strand hanging from her vulva. My heart sank. We had only been in the horse rescue world for a couple months, and we hadn't established with a vet yet. We called all the nearby vets, but none could come on an emergency call. After hanging up from the last one, much to my horror, there was the reason in the distance. Sierra lost a baby. Sierra had passed a stillborn fetus that looked to be about about four months along. It was horribly sad. Not only for the loss of baby and mom's loss of baby, but for mom. What she must have been through. It sheds some light on how hard her body had been fighting for life. Not only her life, but she was supporting her lil' guy and another mama's little guy, and baby, too.
That IS Sierra. She takes care of everyone at the sacrifice of herself. That has been Sierra from day one. In 2009/2010, we had 12 foals at AAE. Our focus was mare/foal pairs and pregnant mares. Sierra was like Grandma to all, even some of the moms. You'd look out in pasture, and you would see Sierra eating from a tub, and she would be surrounded by five or six foals and another mom or two. Always!
Even today! Sierra has since been the matriarch of the herd. No matter how many horses come and go, she is queen bee. Everyone looks to her. She has that presence; she has the look. She's had several mares challenge her along the way, but in the end, Sierra it is!
Sierra has not been an easy mare to handle. She has some deep seated trust issues, and no doubt someone did her seriously wrong at some point. She's got a strong spirit; it's palpable. She's one you recognize the privilege it is to be in her presence, to touch her, to feel her. Sierra is a very special mare.
DANNY
We shared Danny's story earlier, but he's so special and now a resident, he's worth sharing again for anyone that may have missed it. Danny's story isn't one of neglect, abandonment, abuse, or poor care. Sadly, it's one of human health and aging. Danny was loved beyond words. So much, his former owner considered euthanizing him rather than risk him having difficulties transitioning to a new home, ending up in a bad home, or worse, the fear of auctions and the slaughter pipeline.
Fortunately, the timing was right and Danny has a couple special people in his life that paved the way for him to get to AAE. Danny is the most kind, mellow, and affectionate horse we have known, and we are grateful he landed with us. Danny's owner's health was failing, and she was unable to provide ongoing care for him any longer. Danny is 27. He knew no other owner, as he was born to her mare. Mama rejected him for four days, and on the 5th day, she finally accepted him. Danny spent those four days with his surrogate mom while she held mom and made sure he was able to nurse. It was a rocky start, but Danny and his other mom grew a bond like no other. She trained him; she rode him; they competed together. They spent 27 years together until they had to say good bye, and not because of death. To say it was a sad day when we loaded Danny in the trailer is an understatement. We all shed tears.
Danny will stay on with AAE as a resident, helping new volunteers learn about horses. He will also participate in youth activities and any other related equine programs where we need a most trustworthy and dependable horse. We are lucky to have this ol' guy, and I think he's enjoying befriending volunteers and visitors, alike. Danny, you are loved!
FINN
Finn was born at AAE in April 2014. Finn's mom, Kai, was one of a group of mares rescued from one of the Nevada auction's. Mom had been here about seven weeks when she delivered Finn. He was this precious little palomino package. Sadly, mom had dripped milk for a week before a difficult delivery, and Finn didn't get any colostrum. Dr. Stolba examined he and mom after delivery, and poor little Finn had no antibodies. He got a plasma transfusion to help support him. It wasn't enough though. At about three weeks, he contracted some "bug", and he was passing neon green diarrhea. It was really bad diarrhea, and we all know how susceptible our little guys are when diarrhea strikes. Finn was given fluids and antibiotics, but his condition worsened. We ended up administering fluids and meds, and we were with him pretty much 24/7 for about 10 days before he stabilized and we could breathe a sigh of relief.
Finn grew to be a handsome young lad, but trouble he was! He was adopted when he was bout 14 months old, but it wasn't long lasted. He came back about six months later because he was a bit of a trouble-maker. Must be why we love him so much! He's been a volunteer favorite ever since, and since Uncle Dayton left for Colorado, Finn was the perfect guy to take his place. Hoping to start Finn under saddle in 2018. He's ready! He has some time to grow into one of our dependable, trusty steeds, and look forward to his journey to a "dopey" old man.
So, many of our good stories involve senior horses. Senior horses! Senior horses are worth their weight in gold. Sadly, so many people think an old horse is a throw away horse. More sadly, so many more people won't consider an old horse when looking for a new horse because they are an "old" horse. My biggest wish for 2018 is that more people open their eyes and hearts to everything an "old" horse has to offer....the joys, the wonder, the wisdom, and the love of an old horse. Old horses may be old. They may not have a lot of years left to give, but they give you everything they've got. They've been there, they've done it. They've lived it, they've learned it. When you consider pairing a 1,000 pound horse next with a child, consider a wise old horse over a young inexperienced horse any day! For a small child that wants to learn, a few good years with an old horse is so much better than a few years with a "bad" horse or worse, a few moments with a young, not so wise horse.
If you would like to help more horses get the help they need, please donate here.
