Little Richard finds happiness

Little Richard (horse pictured with the halter) was a stallion when he was rescued in December 2009. He was used occasionally for breeding since his lineage went back to Man O' War and Seabiscuit. He was known as a "pacer"; always going back and forth on the fence line, wanting to be with the other horses.

Today, for the first time in many years, he finally got his desire as he was introduced to the herd. The herd consisted of one gelding, Our Man, who always longs for a companion and has been known to be a "pest" to the other horses; he has a strong urge to play with everyone and will intimidate until he gets a response, good or bad. Both Our Man and Little Richard have been kept by themselves for quite some time, but after weeks of being on the same fence line and leaving all mares totally out of the picture, we released Little Richard into the pasture with Our Man. At first, it was frightening because Little Richard took off like he was going out of a starting gate, beelining for Our Man, screaming with his ears pinned back. Volunteer, Mandy Preston was at the other end ready to "break it up", if Little Richard went in for "the kill". But much to our amazement, they bonded very quickly with no blows or contact by either one. They quickly became friends. They even hogged the water hose from each other as Mandy rinsed them off over the fence; both are true "river rats"! They took turns rolling and standing to be hosed off; it was very comical to watch!

We feel good that they both have pasture time with another; after all, horses are herd animals; they thrive when they are socialized and somewhere in a pecking order. While Little Richard is the leader of this herd, one day we hope to place him in his forever home, where he will bond with others and make new friends, but most importantly never be isolated again.

Magic goes to school!

Today, recently rescued Tennessee Walking Horse, Magic was transported to a two week yearling class where he will learn to lead, tie, load, back and give to pressure. He will also be introduced to baths and fly spray as well as obstacle training, picking up his feet on command, lounging and desensitizing to various objects. PER would like to thank Greg and April Violette for donating their services and giving this youngster such a good start. If you have a weanling up to a two year old; even one that has never been touched, that you would like to get a foundation on for a better future, then give April a call at 207-9069. Also, her husband, Greg is an awesome farrier! April will be happy to set up an appointment for you!

Spell

Recently rescued "Spell" was moved into a foster home today to complete his rehabilitation and then begin an evaluation of his training level. Now, he will begin a new life, free from abuse and neglect. He has many scars that show the pain he has endured such as "chains", "soring" and "blistering". These methods are used mostly with the Tennessee Walking Horse breed to get a horse to lift his feet high in a show ring. They are no longer permitted in the large shows, but unfortunately, this still goes on at small shows that are not regulated. Spell will never have to endure that pain again.










Here he is, greeting the mares at his new foster home.










Happy and content, Spell makes himself comfortable.













Spell with his new foster mom, Sarah-Jane.

Scam

Scam was rescued in December 2009 from a sure death in the cold of the winter. She was very thin and sick with a cough and runny nose. Today she is fully recovered and ready for adoption.




I spent the day moving her to a new foster home. Her original foster needed a break so she could bring in a bull for breeding purposes, so Ruth Martin was kind enough to provide a place for Scam. When I first saw Scam, my word was "Wow!". She was gorgeous! The picture of health! This 23 year old even ran laps for me and showed off a little bit.









Here is Scam at her new foster home.









Rescue can be difficult, tiring and heartbreaking, but watching a horse come back to life is very rewarding and what keeps us going. Thank you Debbie Trocki for doing an excellant job in rehabbing Scam!

Blueberry Jamboree

Today we set up our booth at the annual Blueberry Jamboree in Molino. We received donations and met many who were interested in fostering, adopting or volunteering. It was hot, but thanks to Matt and Vickie Bell who had a booth set up next to us, we we were able to plug in a fan. They brought a portable generator which is a great invention, especially on days like today! In the picture starting on the left are Mimi McClelland, Sarah Jane Conti and her husband Blake, myself and Werner Maucher. We had a great time and plan on being there again next year!

Raven Sadly Leaves

After almost two years at the isolation facility, Raven finally found the perfect foster home! She has gone down a long road to recovery of stomach ulcers, which almost killed her. We have been in search of a stress free environment for her and while we realize that is impossible, we have come pretty close to finding a very peaceful home for her to lounge around and not be asked to do anything but look pretty, which by the way, she is very good at!

We want to thank Dolly of Pensacola for giving Raven a special place to spend her days this summer. She has acres of pasture and plenty of companionship.






When we delivered Raven today, we arrived to find that Dolly had gone out of her way to welcome her with her own name plate decorated with beautiful flowers on her stall!












Ironically, Dolly already has three grey Arabians, two of which are almost identical to Raven! I suppose she favors that color and breed?






We were pleased to see that Raven settled in quite nicely. I think she will be happy there. Thank you Dolly for taking in this very special horse. I will miss her very much, but I am confident she is in good hands.

Miss Penny Returns

Miss Penny was rescued in December 2007. She and four others were surrendered by their owner. Penny was thin, but not as poor as her companions that were also rescued that day. She stayed in rehab for almost two months and was then tranferred to a rehab/evaluation foster home, where she remained until November 2008 and was then finally adopted.

She remained at this home for a year and a half, but was returned to PER on June 2, 2010. Circumstances had changed in the person's life who had adopted her and Miss Penny was no longer going to work out.

Since her return, Miss Penny seems sad somehow. When I first put her in a paddock to "settle in" she just stood at the gate as if to say, "I don't belong here. This is not my home." She stood at that gate for an hour before she finally decided to investigate her temporary home.

Tomorrow, Miss Penny is scheduled to go to another foster home. My heart breaks for these horses when they are shuffled around. It's stressful on them because it takes time for them to acclimate. We always worry that they won't fit in to a new home for whatever reason, whether it be that the herd won't accept them or that they won't be compatible for the person. We can only hope that they will find a friend to hang out with under a shade tree, like the story of Black Beauty. But all too often, even after it's been well over a year, sometimes that horse just doesn't work out any longer.

Such is the life of a rescue horse. Our promise to them is for their lifetime; so once again they go back up for adoption; once again they are seeking their forever home.

Little Richard gets some TLC

Little Richard got a much needed bath today. After a long winter and having suffered from severe rain rot and neglect, I know he enjoyed a good scrubbing from volunteers Mandy Preston and Jill Duncan. Thank you ladies, you did a great job!

Richard is seeking a special home, since he was a stallion most of his life. Someone familiar with the behavior of a newly gelded stallion and would not be intimidated by that, would be great. A separate area needs to be available, although that may not be necessary as time goes by. He is settling down a lot since he was gelded almost four months ago, but since it is breeding season, he finds it difficult to think like a gelding at times. But he is very respectful of the fenceline and will graze next to mares quietly. He loves attention from people and enjoys being groomed. He ties, loads, is good with the farrier and vet and can be ridden at a walk or trot. He is a great horse and we are hoping that we can find someone that will enjoy him as much as we do. We wish we could keep him around, but he must move on, so we can help others out there that are in trouble. If you would like to foster or adopt Little Richard, please contact us.