Mom and I worked on an update so we can let you know how things are going with some expenses we need help with. As you know Strawberry Shortcake and Domingo have been adopted and we have since rescued two new geldings! So we have lots going on.
Mom told me that we still need help with expenses to meet our operational needs ongoing but we wanted to give you an idea of what’s happening lately.
Mom shared:
Domingo’s recent set of meds cost us $735 before Jay officially adopted Domingo. Jay paid this but we still had a balance from our previous vet bill. We were able to pay that down to $310 then add in the recent vet bill described below.
The farrier for this week’s bill was $207 for our horses this past Weds night. Our vet bills for Nemo and Bam Bam was $500 then add in $310. Plus we got shots via a pharmacy for equines and that bill was $185.
Any help there is very much appreciated.
We have a $350 grain bill(and bedding) with Keystone for this shipment yesterday. Due to funds coming in we were able to pay off last months bill of $500!
Vet came out for Bam and Nemo and they had their teeth checked and floated, blood tests, full body exam, fecal count. rabies shots and Coggins. The Potomac and West Nile were ordered online by Jill from an equine pharmacy which is described above.
We have had to buy miscellaneous things at tack store like buckets, brushes, mare magic, etc for which George donated $250.
Another bill coming up is the manure buggy. It has broken down and we have been repeatedly fixing it. A new one is $329. It lasts about 5 years with good care and that’s about how long we’ve had this one. We need to buy a new one this week.
Property Renovations for the pasture and all that has been spent so far, over $3500 which George has paid.
Friends we will still need ongoing public support as our rescue depends on donations in order to meet the operational costs. Funds we receive from our public auctions, Open Houses, monthly pledges, online store, horse sponsorships and Pudge Fan club go to the needs of our horses. Even though we are a small rescue we have some large bills to pay on top of our monthly bills but we will work on those with your help and the help from our devoted volunteers.
It is important for you to know that we really appreciated the support of Domingo. We were facing some very steep bills on top of our normal bills and it is not easy. Your sharing of his medical needs was so crucial in addition to the generous donations that you sent in just when we needed them was a tremendous and valued help.
Domingo is blessed and will now have a wonderful and kind owner who will ensure that he has everything he needs to recover from his ulcers and heal his fractured sesamoid. He has weeks of recovery ahead but with his hero Jay we know all good things are possible.
Thank you so much for your continued loyalty and support! Every donation adds up and keeps us going! Not one donation is too small.
Domingo’s last post revealed that we were going to do some additional testing to see if he did in fact have ulcers and if so what the severity would be. Thanks to many kind generous hearts donations came in so that Mom could have the vet do the necessary testing. Trainer Jill did suspect that there could be ulcers so that part was perhaps not so surprising. We found out that he has 4 to 6 severe ulcers after the scoping was done. So with that in mind, we know that this is treatable and will require some intensive but very expensive care.
Domingo’s initial treatment will be at least $1,000 or approximately $30.00 per day. After that it is likely that he’ll need to have a medication routine to keep the ulcers from recurring. The ulcers at this point are red, they’re angry and they hurt. So his treatment is imperative.
Trainer Jill told us recently that the first set of medication has been ordered but we need to bear in mind that we need a recurring donation ongoing to keep up with the costs of treatment. It is important to us to receive the outside public support so that we can cover Domingo’s treatments and meet the operational costs of running the rescue and the medical needs for our other rescues recently taken in. So while our rescue is small our need is substantial and we cannot afford everything without your continued and devoted support.
We have begun to see donations coming in and it is our hope that everyone joining together can help make this needed difference in Domingo’s life. Domingo is also recovering from a fracture sesamoid that was discovered when we brought him to Mt Hope after getting x-rays. He is a wonderful horse that did everything that was asked of him and he was dealt a tough set of cards in return sad as that is. We need to give him this care he deserves after he gave so much.
So the reality is that Domingo is a special needs horse and though he may not be Champion in the show ring, he is a beautiful dynamic horse that luvs to be luvd on. What greater companion than that! It is our hope that someone will want to make Domingo part of their forever family and be willing and able to deal with a horse requiring special needs. We really luv Domingo and he is indeed a very majestic horse. For those that follow pedigrees he comes from a very distinguished family himself and was a winner in his racetrack career.
So on behalf of Mom, Trainer Jill, our dedicated volunteers and most especially our treasured Domingo, please know your help is very crucial and we cannot do it without you!
So please share out our need with others, please donate and do both if you can! No donation is too small and we will be so grateful for your help. If many contribute together we can do what we need to do to for Domingo!
Donations can be made on our website via paypal or you may mail a check to the farm. Our contact information and our paypal donation button are on our website:
This month our volunteer spotlight takes on a new task! We have amazing volunteers that is for sure but we can use a hand with many important projects and fundraising so we need to add to our team!
Mt Hope currently needs volunteers! We need help in the barn, planning events and fundraising, office work remote from your PC with various projects, in person help in the office, online research, and maintenance and please bring your creativity!
There are many ways to help! If you are interested in a rewarding volunteer job, then Mt Hope is the place to be. You will be rewarded with a great opportunity to work with a wonderful and dedicated owner and have the chance to learn with a talented trainer and equestrian.
If you have time available and a skill that you’d like to put to good use, please contact Pat Potter, Director at pat@mthopehorserescue.org.
With distinct pleasure I am proud to introduce my new barn buddies! Meet Bam Bam and Nemo! Yups we are making some good progress here after one short week. Both of my equine friends are geldings and they came from a situation that was not the best. Their owner was not able to give them the care that is needed so we got the call for help. Trainer Jill and Mom took the trailer along and off they went to see what they could do. Trainer Jill was so taken with them and she and Mom knew we just had to help them so here we are.
Bam Bam is a 12 YRO Paint horse with a very kind way about him. He needed his shots, hoof care badly and was 200 pounds underweight. Nemo is a 6 YRO Paint pony, very sweet who needed his shots too. Nemo’s hooves really stink because they need a trim badly and he had not had a baff in who knows when. Somehow I can relate to not wanting to take a baff, but these boys sure needed one and fast!
So they have had their baffs and they look better. They saw the vet on June 20th and our Trainer gave us a note on the initial findings:
Our Trainer Jill shared:
“Nemo and Bam-Bam saw the vet yesterday. They had blood pulled to run multiple blood tests to make sure everything is going okay internally. So far Nemo the pony is healthy as a horse. He’ll be going into training as of Monday. He will also be getting his first introduction to the other ponies on the farm, including Pudge. Bam-Bam’s doctors visit was a little more concerning. He has a level 3 out of 5 heart murmur. He won’t be able to do any hard gallops but should be fine for arena work and trail riding. We will be waiting to start Bam’s training until he’s back up to weight.”
So as you can see her assessment indicates we have a bit of work to do. With time, patience, Tender Luving Care and some training we can be in a good position to help them find a great forever home. Please know that we will need your support throughout this process because our work depends on donations from your generous hearts to support our mission. This is very important as we will see an increase in our vet and other expenses.
So please join us in a hearty welcome!! They’re not too much into cards but Nemo likes technology and stuff like that and Bam Bam is more cultural and artsy I think. From a mascot perspective, I somehow think I am going to be the one learning from them!
Whoa, I am happy to share with you that our very own Strawberry Shortcake also known as the Little Caker is now adopted into a wonderful new forever luving home! I am so happy for him. I am sad to see him go too of course as he has been a good friend to me. This is what we work so hard to do for the equine friends that find their way to my barn so it is another success for Strawberry Shortcake and Mom. I know that he will be treasured and luvd.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to be friends with this magnificent little pony. He has a sweet personality and boy can he type! When I signed up for my online class, he volunteered his typing skills for my papers and assignments and that was a big help. Such huge talent coming from a little guy. He was such a good student here too. He followed all the barn rules and listened to what I had to share. He was also a star in our Barn Soap Opera As The Barn Turns! Gee but I think he may like to reprise his role remotely from time to time as that attention from his fans is sure to be missed. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep you in the mix! We sure had fun with the professor too! He could not get over two ponies doing all this college work! But we finished up with flying colors.
Strawberry Shortcake now lives in Temple PA on a beautiful farm. His new stablemate is named Rusty and they made an instant friendship. Rusty is so pretty and I think that they’ll be very happy together.
I sure will miss you but I know that you’re not far away and that with the help of tablet and laptop we can make our connections using the virtual way. Thanks for being so good at all you did and for being a great sport with all the little humans that came to our events. You sure know how to put a smile on their faces!!
Take care my goodly friend and you will always have a place in my pony heart. You are a special pony and I am glad you will live a happy life in your new home and with your new friend Rusty.
Cara has been very busy preparing a brand new series for us to learn. This multi-part series is on another tough disease that takes a severe toll on horses and that is Laminitis. Hopefully with more research, there will be a cure and many easier ways to deal with this terrible condition. Cara has put a great deal of thought and planning into the series and it is our hope that you not only enjoy learning more about it but find it helpful to you as you deal with your equine friends.
Cara wrote this with research from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
“Every day veterinarians across the country see hundreds of cases of laminitis, a painful disease that affects the horse’s feet. (Throughout this article they keep referring to the horse’s “feet” & I start to type hoof/hooves. LOL!) What is especially alarming is that some cases are preventable. In fact, it may be that we are killing our horses with kindness.”
“Consider that a common cause of laminitis is overfeeding – – a management factor that is normally within our control.”
“By learning more about laminitis and its causes, signs and treatments, you may be able to minimize the risks of laminitis in your horse or control the long-term damage if it does occur.”
(Boy, can I relate to this!! When I first had Jolly those “exact” words about “killing your horse with kindness” were taught to me by Darolyn, a professional horsewoman, trimmer, etc. I had to stop giving him his “most favorite” treat which was Nature Valley – Honey & Oats bars. He CANNOT have regular mints b/c the sugar affects his hooves, but I’ve found a suitable substitute; those small “sugarless” breath mints called “Ice Breakers”, but even though they’re sugarless, there’s a limit as to how many he can have. He can have carrots, which he loves, but I “always” get the mini carrots & much of what is in that one package goes to other horses b/c carrots do have natural sugar. It’s just best to give the other horses carrots when he’s not around b/c he’s a “very” jealous horse. LOL!
LAMINITIS DEFINED
“Laminitis results from the disruption (constant, intermittent or short-term) of blood flow to the sensitive and insensitive laminae. These laminae structures within the foot secure the coffin bone (the wedge-shaped bone within the foot) to the hoof wall. Inflammation often permanently weakens the laminae and interferes with the wall/bone bond. In severe cases, the bone and the hoof wall can separate. In these situations, the coffin bone may rotate within the foot, be displaced downward (“sink”) and eventually penetrate the sole. Laminitis can affect one or all feet, but it is most often seen in the front feet concurrently.”
(Jolly’s was in his front left hoof. Being off the Arabian track, a racehorse (in the U.S.) always race in a counter clockwise direction, therefore the most pressure & stress is put on that front left hoof (inside hoof closest to the rail).
“The terms “laminitis” and “founder” are used interchangeably. However, founder usually refers to chronic (long-term) condition associated with rotation of the coffin bone, whereas acute laminitis refers to symptoms associated with a sudden ini9tial attack, including pain and inflammation of the laminae.
CAUSES
“While exact mechanisms by which the feet are damaged remain a mystery, certain precipitating events can produce laminitis. Although laminitis occurs in the feet, the underlying cause is often a disturbance elsewhere in the horse’s body. The causes vary and may include the following:
· Digestive upsets due to grain overload (such as excess grain, fruit or snacks) or abrupt changes in the diet.
· Sudden access to excessive amounts of lush forage before the horse’s system has had time to adapt; this type of laminitis is known as “grass founder.” (I always look @ the time when I take Jolly to graze b/c his pasture is mostly sandy & the horses eat hay out of the hay huts. There are some areas where they can graze through the fencing, but not that much.)
· Toxins released within the horse’s system.
· High fever or illness (i.e., Paynter); any illness that causes high fever or serious metabolic disturbances has the potential to cause laminitis, e. g., Potomac Horse Fever.
· Severe colic.
· Retained placenta in the mare after foaling.
· Excessive concussion to the feet, often referred to as “road founder.”
· Excessive weight-bearing on one leg due to an injury of another leg (i.e., Barbaro developed laminitis in his left rear hoof; the leg that was shattered was his right rear leg. Many think he had to be euthanized due to the leg injury, but Dr. Dean Richardson had successfully repaired his injured leg; it was the spread of laminitis eventually into all 4 hooves which caused him unbelievable pain; they did everything they could possibly do…I never will forget Gretchen Jackson (his owner) saying when she looked @ the pain in his eyes, she knew he was telling her it was time to go…L) or any alternation of the normal gait.
· Various primary foot diseases.
· Bedding that contains black walnut shavings.
· Although controversial, prolonged use of high doses of corticosteroids may contribute to the development of laminitis in some horses.” (There is a huge debate about usage of certain drugs in the racing industry here in the U.S.; especially over Lasix. I’m not an expert on Lasix, but I do know that certain champion racehorses from other countries don’t use Lasix & they don’t bleed out. For instance, Black Caviar from Australia who just retired with a record of 25 starts & 25 wins, the undefeated Frankel in the UK, Animal Kingdom, who previously raced in the U.S. won the Dubai World Cup without Lasix, in the recent Belmont Stakes, Incognito came in 4th place without Lasix; I personally think it “is” performance enhancing & will do more harm than good in the long run, but that’s just my opinion.)
Thank you so much for your research and sharing your wisdom and experiences with us. I can easily see that this subject is an important one to learn and share about. I look forward to sharing the next article in this series!
Whoa and it is pony riding time at Quentin Riding Club Community days! Please mark your calendars for Sunday, June 23rd! Yups, starting at noon I will be there along with Buck and Fats all set to give rides for an afternoon of great family fun!
Mom will have a table with Mt Hope Horse Rescue and Pudge merchandise for sale too!
For directions to Quentin Riding Club please check out this link below:
It’s me Domingo and Tipsy Saint! We wanted to share with you all about our recent experiences with Standlee Hay and it’s all good! Yummy in fact! As you know, we’re the OTTB’s in Pudge’s barn and being such we have had to make adjustments to life after our racing careers were over. We are so fortunate to be living here with Pudge and his Mom, wonderful Trainer Jill and all the nice caring barn peeps who are here working hard each day taking care of us.
Trainer Jill being the ever vigilant and consummate horse woman and lover of all equines is very astute to know when things with us or any of the horses under her care are not quite right or perhaps something needs to be changed to better our lives. So she noticed that I was not picking up weight was well as I could be and Tip still has the racer tuck and needs to fill out a bit too. So we had our vet visit and it was discovered that I had some yucky parasites and perhaps I may even have an ulcer. But the latter will need more testing yet to determine but in the meantime Trainer Jill pondered along with our vet what could be done to facilitate a better change in my diet and to alleviate those pesky critters. Plus she wants to get the right kind of weight on us so we can be our optimum best.
So as Jill pondered what to do next we were fortunate to receive a donation from Standlee Hay company! Whoa, but this ultimately turned out to be a great option for our diets. We started using Standlee Hay after they sent us a donation and asked us to try their product. Trainer Jill looked at what they had to offer and thought, “This is the answer to one of our problems!” Seeing that they had beet pulp and hay cubes she said yes and went to the local Tractor Supply to pick up a few bags of each.
Because I was infested with parasites and with the preliminary diagnosis of ulcers me (Domingo) had been losing weight steadily. My buddy Tipsy Saint the other OTTB was also on the lean side. After picking up these products we both started to gain healthy weight and our coats got an extra glossy look to them.
Both me, Tipsy Saint and Trainer Jill would recommend these products to anyone trying to add affordable calories to their horses diets. They have many different products that fit a number of different needs. We are using Alfalfa and timothy hay cubes and shredded beat pulp. We both love our additional rations and Trainer Jill can see and love the results we are getting!!!
Of course any change in your horse’s diet should not be made without the input of your veterinarian and with input from your owner and trainer! You will be glad to know that Standlee products are available in Tractor Supply Company Stores just about everywhere and several local feed stores in your area may also be able to help you obtain the products and more information.
Standlee Hay has a solid reputation as a leader in the hay industry and has a wonderful website to give you the latest information on their products, their company history and how to contact them with any questions you may have. They are also on Facebook, Twitter and have a store locator so you can locate a retailer near you!!
To learn more about Standlee and their high quality products please check out their link! We highly recommend Standlee hay products!
Many thanks to Trainer Jill for evaluating this product and giving a positive change in our diet that has given us nice results! And in addition to looking great we are feeling better too!
Vicki with Buck at Mt Hope’s Riding into Summer Open House!
Strawberry Shortcake
Fats is watching for the Clinton Anderson Walkabout Tour!
Pudge and Patches
Patches
Tipsy Saint!
Pudge
Domingo
Hi Friends!
It is a great honor to introduce you to our June 2013 Volunteer of the month, Vicki Beale! She is a most wonderful young woman who is so caring and devoted to us and her work here at Mt Hope. Mom is perfectly smitten with her as am I! I luv to see Vicki come to the barn for her “me” time. She has a warm, welcoming smile and when we see her we know we are going to be in for a marvelous time!
Recently we chatted while at the barn during one of her visits and I asked her to tell me a little bit about herself to share with you. As you will soon learn she is a very busy but also recognizes the importance of taking time to do the things in life that matter. She is an avid learner and very loyal to her family. I think that she has many admirable qualities that will serve her well in life.
Pudge: Vicki! How nice to see you! Can you please share some thoughts about yourself, what you value and what brought you to our rescue?
Vicki:
“I came to MHHR in late July 2012. I’ve always been a horse lover and took lessons and participated in 4H horse programs as a teen. I even competed in some shows as a young teenager and earned several ribbons, but was never able to have a horse of my own. In my mid to late teens I drifted away from 4H and horses due to various life circumstances. For many years I was unable to give time towards my passion of horses due to getting my education finished, my career started and then being a wife and mother. My career is set and my children are now getting older (15, 13, and 9) and I’ve decided it’s time to do something for myself again and I naturally drifted back to horses. An acquaintance mentioned MHHR to me last summer and I checked out the website and filled out a volunteer application and have been volunteering in the barn and taking riding lessons with Jill ever since. After a few months of barn duties I was asked to be part of the staff and get more involved. I then started working on our website, fundraising, and helping at open houses or events in any way that I can.”
“Some personal information—I have my Bachelor’s degree in Business from Shippensburg University and my Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from St. Francis University. I’ve been in HR for 17 years and my regular FT job is as the HR Manager at Sechan Electronics in Lititz. My husband of 17 years, Rick, works at Johnson & Johnson in Lititz as a mixer operator. My kids are involved with ice hockey, scouts, softball, gymnastics, nature/birding, among other things. My life is very busy but I realize how important it is to have “me” time too so I’m committed to MHHR as the place where I spend that “me” time.”
“My long time goal is to have a horse of my own (finally!), to continue to support MHHR, become a better rider and maybe even compete in some shows again.”
Pudge: Wowie Vicki! You are very nice, kind and thoughtful about all the things you do. I think that any horse you own in the future will luv to have you for a Mom. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us and being a part of our team. You are a treasured and valued part of our Mt Hope family!
Soon Mom walked into the barn and I thought I’d ask Mom what she thinks!
Pudge: Hi Mom! How about Vicki, what’da say!
My Mom, Pat Potter:
“In every way she has been one of the most helpful volunteers we have ever had. She never complains and is always willing to lend a hand. She really puts herself out. She’s so fantastic, we wish we could clone this women, really. She helps with the horses and is attentive to detail. She understands the need for riding lessons and as time goes by she’s come to understand the reason why we do what we do. Fortunately for us, she makes time for us and is very dependable. Right now she working with Jill and I to make changes on the website to include additions to the website that are important. She has good insight on Fundraising and Publicity. I cannot say enough about her.”
Mom and I are in complete agreement as well as the boys and Barn Kittah. We give Vicki the high hoof and high paw for being the best friend to us and for coming to us for your “me” time. That makes our hearts just swell with luv and pride!!
We value and appreciate all the nice things you do for us and the awareness of our rescue and what we do have been enhanced by your efforts too! We cannot thank you enough for all your hard work but if you come to the barn you can be sure to be blessed with all the Snooter kisses and huggies you can handle!!
Hello and greetings from my barn in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Pudge’s Barn in Manheim PA, located in beautiful Lancaster County!
How about that Belmont performance!! Fortunately Pudge was able to catch the race on NBC after he got done with his pony rides. Strawberry Shortcake has the TV set up in the barn and a tub of cool ice water and fresh carrots all ready. He was sure pooped out from his day of fun with all his human friends at the big Riding into Summer Open House, but by the time he was watching the races he was all set to go!
And so away we go!!!
Date: June 8th, 2013
Track: Belmont Park
Race: Belmont Stakes, Grade 1
Purse: $1,000,0000
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
WINNER: PALICE MALICE
Palice Malice stole the show in very convincing fashion in the 145th running of the Triple Crown’s third jewel, the Belmont Stakes. The field was packed with 14 talented 3 YRO’s. An upset win and a stellar performance for Dogwood Stable’s prized colt. Palice Malice, considered a longshot (14-1 odds) in the race, outran both the Kentucky Derby winner and this year’s Preakness winner in an upset race. He did not wear his blinkers and did not tire out in his final gallop to the finish. He looked like he could run all day and then some. He dominated the field with is win over Oxbow by 3 1/4 lengths! They took blinkers off which may be the key to getting the colt to relax and enjoy his true potential.
The fractions for the opening mile were :23.11, :46.66, 1:10.95, and 1:36.47. The final time on the track upgraded to fast was: 2:30:70. The winner paid $29.60, $11.20, and $6.70. Oxbow paid $9.90 and $6.10, and Orb paid $3.90 to show.
Palice Malice’s jockey Mike Smith was very pleased about this performance and his trainer Todd Pletcher has felt very strong about the colt since day one. Todd felt he had great potential for a big run in the Belmont. Palice Malice is out of Palace Rumor and his sire is Curlin. Curlin was a top performer and Horse of the Year two consecutive years running.
His owner Cot Campbell who is part of the Dogwood Racing Stable partnership was extremely proud of his colt as he went to accept the trophy. It was an inspiring and touching moment for us to witness as they all gathered around the horse in the winner’s circle. It seemed that everything came together that day and it was their moment. A moment that was perhaps long in coming but very well deserved.
Pudge and I did feel that Oxbox ran a really tough and gritty race and we do feel that the best is yet to come with him. No shame in Orb coming in 3rd. He is a supremely talented horse and we’re sure to find him in the Travers next without a doubt. The filly, Unlimited Budget may not be best suited to this type distance but she still beat eight of the boys in the field!
The horses in this year’s Belmont are all talented and we will look forward to their next starts. The summer ahead will be an exciting one and we hope you stay tuned as we move ahead with a great season of racing for these 3 YRO’s and many others too!
Pudge 