Doodlebug's Fan Club

Changes

2009-01-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

As with all things in life, we've seen many changes at the Rescue in the past couple of months. Our beloved Lucy lost her battle with squamous cell carcinoma of the eye and was gently put to sleep. Domino, her trusted companion and friend is learning to assimilate with the horses in the big pasture now. He seems to be doing well. My husband and I moved our Boys and have started some new adventures with them. Nicola has moved into a new home and taken her Boys, Ricky and Otto to be closer to her, and Chris has moved her TB Keta to a training facility closer to her house, and is awaiting the completion of their new barn and pasture area.

It's always sad to see horses leave because they have become so much a part of your family, but you always hope that in the leaving they have gone on to better lives. It's that Hope that brings you back to the Rescue to see the next horse, the next dog, the next pig, the next fur-critter, get healthy, get happy, and get adopted !

As with the leaving, there are always new beginnings too. We have seen Gracie, a beautiful foal who was hit by a vehicle and left, start to become stronger and healthier because of the love and attention of our wonderful volunteers. BlackTie came to the rescue a few short weeks ago, very underweight, but sweet as cotton candy from the Fair. He'll do great there. He'll get all the attention he needs, and all the food he can eat. Then there's Red Coat ... a beautiful TB, also with a sweet disposition, who is getting used to the daily activities of the barn and enjoying every minute. Two new foals are calling the Rescue home as well ... Tess and Buckeye. They're in the pasture with Sassy and Jitterbug, and they couldn't look happier playing together. And least we not forget, there's Skipper, the new Alpha in the Big Pasture who has taken over Buster's old position as Boss ! He's a beautiful dark bay gelding with a long mane.

So yes, much has changed at the Rescue.

An Insidious Case of Strangles

2008-09-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

"She was such a beauty"

When I first heard the word strangles I didn't think much of it. Everyone was saying it was the equine equivalent of strep throat and not to worry. Well, it turned out to be anything but.

For those that don't know, strangles is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called streptococcus equi. Of all the infectious diseases that afflict horses, this one probably causes the most angst and fear. Like most infections, it starts out with a fever, typically 103 or higher. Then you get nasal discharge. You know, its that slimy green stuff that runs out their nose like a spigot that's turned on. The lymph nodes might enlarge and cause them trouble with swallowing. The nodes might also become infected and drain. Your horse could have edema, swelling of the throat or their neck. And there are two complications of strangles that are particularly scary, Bastard Strangles( spread of the bacteria to other areas and organs of their body ) and Pupura Hemorrhagicia, a sometimes fatal complication where blood vessels become inflamed causing interactions between circulating antibodies and bacteria that are in the blood stream.

Strangles made it's way into the barn sometime in May, brought in by a new rescue. The Barn isn't set up with a quarantine area so every new horse that comes in is acclimated with all the others. Little by little the horses were coming down with strangles. The volunteers at this point weren't overly concerned. We used all the precautions we could. Having several nurses as volunteers and teaching others good sepsis helped. We washed everything down each day, didn't share tack, or brushes, and washed our hands religiously. Pretty soon half the barn had gotten sick. For some the disease lasted days, for others weeks, and for one it would become fatal.

Scarlet was a Red Roan beauty. She was only at the rescue for a couple of months and was a pasture horse. A woman named Pam fell in love with her and adopted her soon there after. Scarlett was one of four horses Pam had adopted and boarded at the Rescue. Scarlet got a mild case of strangles .. always a telling sign, and sometimes a precursor to something more sinister. Then one day Pam noticed that her legs had swelled up. Scarlett was brought down into the barn, bathed, and cooled off. The vet was called and she found nothing clinically wrong. The swelling went down, then continued. Scarlett was brought to UGA, and released. They didn't know what was causing the swelling and didn't think it had anything to do with her strangles. By the second week Scarlett wasn't getting any better. The vets still didn't think it was connected to the strangles, and off again she went to UGA. This time though, she wouldn't come back home alive. Scarlet deteriorated and Pam agonized. She felt helpless at times. The days dripped by slowly for both, and in the end the decision was made to gently put Scarlet to sleep. She rests now in the same pasture she used to run in, finally out of pain. Scarlet had lost her battle to Purpura hemorrahagica, the insidious side effect of strangles.

I don't think anyone took strangles as seriously as we should have until Scarlet. But because of Scarlet we now know all its symptoms and side effects and have since treated 3 other horses for bastard strangles. All three are doing great now.

It's been almost 30 days since the last case of documented strangles. We're all hopeful that this awful disease has finally finished its evil at the barn, and grateful we didn't lose any other horses.

Pam is adjusting to life at the barn without her beloved Scarlet. She is sad, and we are sad for her. God put Scarlet in Pam's path for a reason. Maybe that reason was to enjoy the love and trust of a human and the extraordinaire care Pam gave her while she was sick. We are grateful they had each other.

Getting My Mojo Back ......

2008-07-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

The term, "Getting Your Mojo Back" dates back to the early 19th and 20th centuries and has it's origins in Africa. In more modern times the term became prominent with the movie Austin Powers staring Mike Myers. It was even used in songs like L.A. Woman by Jim Morrison who called himself "Mr. Mojo Risin", an anagram of Jim Morrison. But, no matter how its used we all know its meaning.

Losing your Mojo at the barn is a scary thing. I lost mine when I got nipped by a horse I was smitten with. It was my fault .. I wasn't paying attention to the signs he was sending and he tends to be a pushy boy anyway. I know better. It wasn't a bad nip, but it totally took me by surprise. It was that 'surprise' that gave way to fear. I never gave a second thought to walking in a stall or pasture. It certainly made me more aware that these horses are BIG, powerful animals and they command respect. I was definitely gun shy around them and feeling really bad about it. That one moment took away the one thing I truly loved about the barn ... being around these guys without hesitation or fear. I wasn't oblivious to the dangers and always felt I had a healthy respect for them. So maybe it was an innocence that needed changing ???

It took about two months and some work but I finally am feeling like I'm back. Little by little you learn to trust your instincts again. Little by little you go back into a pasture, back into a stall, back to your beginning. That's how it started for me. I had to take some pictures of Jitterbug and Tango for the fan club and these two sweet, beautiful sisters kept coming up to me while I was in their small pasture. They were curious about the camera and what I was doing with it. And each time I tried to take a picture of Tango, Jitterbug would come nuzzle me. So, there I was in the pasture with them, all alone, and I found myself laughing out loud at their silliness. I wasn't afraid anymore, the fear left me just as quick as it found me. I can't quite explain it but I had a sense of calm just being around those two. . They helped me remember why I loved being here so much.

Two months is a long time to be off your game and for every person who gets nipped, bit, run over, chased, or challenged by a horse, the time it takes to recover will vary. I'm new at this and haven't had a lot of experience. And what little experience I did have, I had as a kid. That's a long time ago. I will always be grateful to Tango and Jitterbug for what they gave back to me and I will miss them when they leave the rescue soon, as they both have been adopted. They will hold a very special place in my heart.

HGTV at the Rescue

2008-06-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

HGTV's Vern Yip of Deserving Design was at the Rescue yesterday doing pre-filming for an upcoming show. They are going to do the feed room/kitchenette room over for the volunteers !

The Rescue was abuzz with activity. Between the film crew, a group of young girl scouts doing a week of day-camp, and the volunteers who came to see or be filmed for the TV program, it was a very busy place. The film crew came early in the morning and were holed up in the feed room most of the day. What they were doing in there nobody knows, and they weren't saying. We can only dream of what great changes they were going to make for us ! We're all so excited and thrilled to have this done !

When the crew finally did come out they spent a good deal of time interviewing Cheryl and walking around the Rescue. They were also going to speak with volunteers Nicola and Miaka and had asked Kathy to take some footage of her with Benny, one of her adopted horses. It all felt so surreal having them around. They were the nicest group of people and seemed genuinely interested in us and what we did at the Rescue.

The best part was having Cheryl recognized for what she does and all the work the volunteers do !

Thank You Vern Yip and the Crew of the HGTV show Deserving Design ! We Love You Guys !

Spring Rites of Passage

2008-05-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

You know it's Spring when the mornings are still cool and the days are only mildly warm, the trees are all getting their foliage back and the flowers are starting to bloom. And while you might be thinking baseball, Mom, and apple pie is the Spring rite of passage, well, you'd probably be correct if you're a sports fan. But at the Barn the Spring Rite of Passage is SHEDDING, and lots of it !

Seems all the critters who reside at the Barn are in the process of shedding their winter coats. Lots of grooming takes place during the Spring and lots of volunteers help out. Some of the horses whose hair is very think may get a shave, much like you have your dog groomed. Funny thing is, once all the hair is gone you might not recognize your horse !

And all this hair that drops off, sheds off, gets cut off or brushed off, doesn't totally go to waste. The Barn has lots of birds who make their nests using the hair thats fallen on the ground. Nature really does take care of it's own !

Welcome !

2008-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Doddle's fan club !

Doddlebug, QT, Jester, and Flash all hang out in the same pasture and its hard to talk about one without talking about the others. If you sit and watch the goings-on in the pasture it soon becomes clear who is the Alpha ( Jester ), who is the loner ( Flash ) and who is friends with whom ( QT & Doodle ). Somehow this all works out to a cohesive group of buddies.

I think one of the most rewarding things that happens when you help another living creature is the recognition that you've made a difference in their life. That some gesture on your part caused them to hurt less, feel safer, walk a little easier, be less hungry or feel less alone. And the fact that it didn't cost you anything but your time makes it even more rewarding. When you groom an animal , talk to an animal, pet an animal, or just plain luv on an animal, those simple acts of connecting with another living thing mean more to them than you may ever know. Scientist believe that animals are incapable of any thought or emotion but ask any pet owner and they'd disagree. Thank goodness things in the scientific community are changing and our furry friends are starting to prove them wrong !

The Rescue provides a Safe Haven for horses as well as other animals. Some have been abused or neglected. Some have been given to the rescue because their owners can no longer afford to care for them. They all need love and attention. You can help to support them with a donation of time or money. Please consider doing both.