Our TV StarAugust 17th, 2010 12:18pm
How the time flies! We've been working hard making some beautiful improvements to the ranch and Rascal's been busy eating. He looks absolutely gorgeous as you can see in the photo above. He's gained a total now of 162 lbs. His overall weight is 994 lbs. and he has another 90 to go. At this rate, he'll be getting pudgy by the time his winter coat comes in. Rascal went on another drive to the Channel 9 News backyard last Friday. This time he was accompanied by Executive Director, Judy Smetana, and Equine Facilities Director, Jenny Logan, and he had twice as much time on TV! Rascal entertained the cameras for 6 minutes on the show "Colorado & Co". We're working hard to get ahold of the video so we can post it online for you all to view. There was an entire segment dedicated to CHR and Rascal appeared two other times during the show. The credits rolled to him munching grass, go figure! We're very grateful to 9 News for their continued support and their generous help in getting the word out about what we do. And, of course, we're grateful to Rascal for being such a good boy! Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookFirst 3 Minutes of FameJuly 19th, 2010 1:58pm
Rascal started his 15 minutes of fame off with a fabulous showing in the Channel 9 News backyard last Saturday. He stood nicely and gave a bright expression for the camera. He was even patient with having to forgo grazing on the lawn for the 3 minute piece. CHR's Exectutive Director, Judy B. Smetana also did a lovely job and was delighted to share her first appearance on 9 News with Rascal. In addition, Rascal was a dream to trailer. If he didn't need someone there to open and close the door and drive, the guy would have taken himself to Denver! We left him untied and loose in the trailer since he was the only one going, but he was still the most comfortable riding in the position where the slant would put him. Clearly this guy has been on a lot of trailer rides! He was a perfect gentleman with everyone who came to say "hi" to him and was completely unfazed by the chaos that is downtown Denver. We love that Rascal. He's the best! Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookSee Me on TV!July 16th, 2010 10:37am
Tomorrow (Saturday, 7/17) Rascal will be on Channel 9 News with CHR's Executive Director, Judy Smetana, between 8 and 8:30am. How cool is that? Judy's going to tell a bit of his story, let viewers know that his situation is like that of many horses, and encourage viewers to donate and support CHR. Rascal's the type of guy that likes to give back, so this worked out perfectly. Once the story airs on television, it will be available to view online. We'll be sure to post the link for you once it's available and we'll let you all know about Rascal's experience going to downtown Denver in next week's blog. In the meantime, there continues to be good news about Rascal's recovery. He has now gained a total of 112 lbs! His weight is at 944 lbs. The sore on his hip is healing very quickly. Rascal wears a fancy fly sheet that keeps it nice and clean. This morning he had his teeth floated by the vet. This dental work should definitely help him be able to ingest food more easily and thus recover quicker. We had to wait to have this work done on his teeth until he'd gained some weight because the vet needed to give him a mild sedative. Now he's all woken back up and waiting out by the gate for his next meal (see photo above). Rascal wanted to take this opportunity too to thank his sponsors. He tells us that he feels so flattered. TV appearances and sponsors. Life is good! Click here if you would also like to SPONSOR ME. Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookLots of NewsJuly 7th, 2010 1:53pm
Well, we have to get it out straigh-away and let you know that Rascal has gained over 80 pounds in the last month! That's news in and of itself and we're delighted. A couple other interesting developments have come about in the last week or so. Rascal has had a sore on his hip since before he came to CHR. The vet thought it might be from a splinter of bone broken off the hip, so today he brought out an x-ray machine. Rascal was mildly sedated and then x-rayed with the vet's portable machine right in our barn. The great news is that the bone is not splintered! He instead has a deep contusion that is just healing slowly. The contusion was probably from him knocking into a wall or gate where he last lived and with no padding on his hips to soften the blow it was worse than to be expected. So, we got it nice and cleaned up again and covered it with ointment. We'll continue to keep it clean and treated until it heals. We got a phone call last week from a woman who used to own Rascal a number of years ago. This woman was NOT the owner who abandoned Rascal. She was quite heartbroken to hear about the condition Rascal had been found in and was calling to check in and see how he's doing. It turns out that Rascal is in fact an Appendix as we'd guessed and that he was a roping horse in his younger years. Rascal was actually the woman's daughter's horse and was extremely kind and gentle with the little girl. He had done quite a bit of showing with youngsters and seemed to have a special way with them. The woman also shared how supportive and helpful Rascal had been to the entire family when her husband went on a tour to Iraq. We also found out how Rascal got his name... it was for stealing wallets out of men's back pockets! The new developments in Rascal's story remind us what the lives of many horses are like before they come here. Horses are commonly sold to a number of owners over the course of their long lives. Some owners love them dearly and only part with them when absolutely unavoidable, while others lose interest in them after a time and let them languish. We are here to help share the story from the horse's perspective so that hopefully over time the public's view will shift and these animals will always be treated like the treasurers they are. Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookHeat WaveJune 30th, 2010 2:37pm
It sure is hot here these days and everyone is feeling it. Shade is at a premium and the horses are not moving around much during the heat of the day. Rascal has moved to the mini pasture with his little buddy, Lily, and they are getting along fabulously, except for one minor detail. Rascal didn't get the memo that he's supposed to be using the larger shelter, and that the small shelter is for Lily. He prefers every time to duck his way into the mini shelter and leave Lily sulking outside. Isn't that the thing? Everytime you set something up nice for animals and make sure there's a space set up for each of them, they all want to be together in the space meant for one. We couldn't help but share the photos. Rascal's sure got a great sense of humor.
In this photo you can see that Rascal's come out to see if the photographer's carrying any food and Lily is making her opinion known. Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookLooking GoodJune 23rd, 2010 10:46am
Our barn is currently under renovations, so for the time being the scale is blocked by a tall pile of stall mats and we haven't gotten a chance to weigh Rascal. Regardless, we can tell just by looking at him that he's gaining weight. His appetite continues to amaze us all. Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookA New FriendJune 15th, 2010 12:03pm
The customary 2 week quarantine period has ended for Rascal and we've paired him with a new buddy, Miss Lily. Lily has had a number of jobs over the years being a companion for a yearling filly, a retired Arab mare, a 30-year old stallion, and a herd of mini geldings. She's on in years herself, but continues to adjust to the changing relationships and take it all in stride. You'll see in their photo here that Lily is happy to take advantage of the priviledge of being Rascal's friend. Rascal had sores on his hips from laying on hard ground and being so thin, so we've made him a nice bed of shavings to prevent those sores from opening. Clearly shavings are a luxury for all regardless of age, weight or size. Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookHappy WhinniesJune 9th, 2010 12:06pm
Rascal has settled in very nicely here at CHR Farms. He's getting that old shaggy coat groomed out daily, is receiving lots of yummy handouts, and is eating to his heart's content. More than most, Rascal is extremely generous with his gratitude. He knickers and whinnies greetings to each of us letting us know that he's pleased. Already he's showing signs of being picky about his food. He prefers grain over alfalfa and alfalfa over hay. That's always a good indication that they are starting to feel better. We wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know that we are running a campaign to raise funds to purchase a second horse transport truck. With your help we will be able to help more horses in need by doubling our transport capacity. Visit us on Facebook to learn more.
Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookYou Cute RascalJune 2nd, 2010 4:44pm
Today we picked up a red dun gelding that we guess to be an appendix from a temporary foster home in Watkins. "Rascal" had been pretty much abandoned at a boarding facility by his owner and the boarding facility had obviously stopped feeding him. The City of Aurora Animal Control was able to step in and save Rascal's life. He has been in foster care for two weeks and has received a full check-up including vaccinations and farrier work. They guess that he is about 17 years old and otherwise we don't know much about the guy. We do know that he has good teeth appears sound and has no medical condition that would contribute to weight loss. He just wasn't fed. CHR's vet put Rascal at 250 lbs. underweight. Today he weighs 832 lbs. He seems in good spirits, is very well mannered, and is eating well. He loaded onto the trailer easier than any horse we can remember. We're already being won over by this handsome guy. Stay tuned for updates and more photos!
Posted in: RascalAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookWhat a Beautiful Horse!April 16th, 2010 2:16pm
We wanted to take the opportunity to close up this success story and give you an update on Miss Chili. She's doing fabulously in the mare's pasture and is holding her own well amongst the other horses. We'd even venture to say she can be a bit bossy. Well, we couldn't be happier. Isn't she absolutely gorgeous in this photo? Thank you all for your support throughout Chili's recovery. Please consider adopting her or another beautiful CHR horse like her OR if you don't have space in your condo sponsor a horse instead! Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookChili Joins the HerdMarch 10th, 2010 3:36pm Stacey Couch
The time has come that we all look forward to from the first day a malnourished horse steps foot on the property. Chili got to join the herd! She had a couple solid weeks of integration time with one of our seasoned mares, Atta, and another new mare, Shannon. They ate, made acquaintances, and shared shelter in our mini pasture. Chili wasn’t too fond of the neighbors she had during that time and didn’t understand why Atta would spend her time making kissy faces with the miniature horses, but otherwise everything went off without a hitch. We have to admit, although Chili might not want you to know, that when she first went into the mini pasture she spent a good deal of the first hour trotting about with her tail straight in the air like an Arabian! We’ve posted a video of the short walk Chili made from the mini pasture to the mares pasture with her two friends. It’s so wonderful to see her trot out into the great open space of the pasture! To view the video CLICK HERE. Chili is still on 3 meals of grain and soaked beet pulp per day with alfalfa at breakfast and dinner. She has a few more pounds to gain, but is nearly there. She’s so full of life. It is such a delight to watch her trot around the pasture with the other horses. Now the next stage to this happy ending is finding Chili’s forever home. If you are interested in adopting Chili please fill out an application online and we’ll be in touch right away! Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookWhat I'm Made OfFebruary 17th, 2010 10:14am Stacey Couch
Chili had her first training evaluation in the last week with volunteer Natural Horsemanship Trainer, Emily Johnson, of Mountain Rose Horsemanship Training. This was Emily's first opportunity to interact with Chili and, like the rest of us at CHR, she adores her. Chili did really well in her lesson. She was willing, sensitive, kind, and forward. She is definitely a thoroughbred, but doesn't lose her marbles at the drop of a hat like some thoroughbreds can. Emily was very impressed with how well Chili holds herself together mentally and emotionally and how willing she is to connect with a human. As you can see from the photo of Chili's head stretched down to meet Emily on the ground, Emily worked on Chili's head shyness. She also worked on flexion and movement to see how well Chili followed direction and solved puzzles. Chili got high marks in all the work. This session was a preliminary evaluation to get an idea of Chili's disposition. Once she's integrated into the pasture, at full weight, and had a few more training sessions, she'll be tried out as a riding horse. Speaking of going out to the pasture. I hear the plan is for next week! Watch out girls! Here comes the tallest of all...
Above - Chili on the move. Sorry about the blurriness... she just moves so fast! Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookGetting to Be a HorseFebruary 4th, 2010 3:31pm Jenny Logan
We are delighted to report that after several months of round the clock feedings, Chili has gained enough weight to be able to move to a small pasture for the final stages of her recovery from starvation! During this transition time, she will have a friend to hang out with... a gray Thoroughbred mare named Atta who seemed perfectly content to leave the company of her herd mates to go to "work" as a companion for Chili. These gals match each other in age, temperament, and feeding requirements so we weren't surprised to see them take to each other right away. Chili's next stop on her journey here at the rescue will be to join our large mares' pasture early this spring. Just another 75 more pounds to gain and she'll be ready to go! Good job Chili! Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookWow! 198 Pounds!January 12th, 2010 12:14pm Jenny Logan
Chili weighed in at 1082 pounds today! She has gained 198 pounds since her arrival in October. You go girl! It has been very cold here during the past month but in spite of bad weather, she has managed to a lot of weight since our last update We are looking forward to giving Chili some long awaited exercise in our large arena once the snow melts off and the footing becomes more stable. Until then, she will spend her time being pampered by volunteers while keeping an eye on her gelding buddies in the nearby pens. Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookContinued ProgressDecember 18th, 2009 2:00pm Jenny Logan
Wow! Chili had a significant weight increase since our last update and has gained 142 pounds since her arrival in late October. Her hips are starting to fill out and her ribs are much less prominent. She also has much more strength and energy than she did several weeks ago. She continues to eat well and always nickers at us when we approach her pen at feed time. We have had several bouts of cold and snowy weather this fall so her new blanket and liner combination is really helping to keep her warm. Next up in her course of rehab is the introduction of some light exercise which will help with her muscle tone and give her another activity to look forward to. We'll keep you posted on how all of that goes. Until next time, have a happy holiday! Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookBlankets of LoveNovember 25th, 2009 1:20pm Jenny Logan
Our volunteers have pitched in to purchase Chili a warm winter blanket and fleece liner to wear whenever it is cold. We had to order a blanket tailored to her thin profile but found one that fits her perfectly! Because Chili doesn't have any body fat to keep her warm, she is very susceptible to the elements. By keeping her double blanketed, she will be able to utilize her food energy to help her gain weight and not just to keep her warm. Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookRoom ServiceNovember 18th, 2009 3:00pm Jenny Logan
Chili weighs 936 pounds today which is an improvement of 52 pounds! She is on a special feed recovery eating plan consisting of plenty of grass hay, soaked beet pulp pellets, and a bit of alfalfa along with some vitamins and minerals. She thoroughly enjoys her food and looks forward to seeing our volunteers every two hours as they deliver her rations throughout the day and evening. Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookShe May Not Have Made ItNovember 4th, 2009 3:00pm Jenny Logan
Chili has settled into her surroundings at the rescue and our vet has conducted a physical exam. Dr. Bluhm has ranked Chili a "1" on the Henneke body condition scale (the lowest possible score for a horse) and although she is alert, she is still very weak from starvation. Chili weighs 884 pounds today and a horse her size should weigh close to 1200 pounds so she has a long way to go in her recovery. Dr. Bluhm believes Chili would not have made it through the next winter storm if she had remained in her previous living conditions much longer. Posted in: ChiliAdd Comment: 0 | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, FacebookJust in TimeOctober 27th, 2009 7:00pm Stacey Couch
The skies turned a dark gray and the temperature began dropping. We drove the over hour drive to the livestock auction yard in Greeley, CO to meet with Weld County Animal Control Officer Gary Schwartz. It was midweek and the grounds were quiet except for a few men tending to repairs and operations. We called Officer Schwartz on his cell phone and waited for him to meet us where we parked the trailer. We watched a couple of men move Eclipse, a 7 year old stallion, from his pen into the aisleway. Eclipse was a small horse with a large presence. He floated in the obvious manner of a gaited horse and we admired his long mane and tail. Eclipse called frantically to the mare Chili that had been his companion on this journey. We heard her response, but couldn't see her yet. He was the first to be loaded onto the trailer. He obliged Officer Schwartz who went in with him to ask him to turn and stand while the divider was closed. Then Chili was haltered and brought through the maze of pens and gates. We had heard from Officer Schwartz on the phone that Chili was a 1 body condition score (1 is the thinnest possible), but that still never prepares us for what that looks like in the flesh. She was ghastly thin. We could see and count every bone on her body. Her hide hung over her frame reveling the lack of muscle and fat. Despite the horrible condition she was in she still carried an air of celebrity about her. Chili was all legs with a gentle eye and a slender, gorgeous face. She seemed to know she was beautiful and that shined through her run-down exterior. We see this more often than not in these starvation cases. The light still beams bright within these horses. According to Officer Schwartz, when they arrived on the property where Chili and Eclipse lived they found a third horse starved to death. Chili had survived the ordeal, but barely. Now we were bringing her to CHR Farms to warm blankets, a large shelter, and endless beet pulp just in time. That night it rained and then snowed and Chili had all she needed to brave the cold. (Pictured above walking Chili: Officer Kiera Hill, pictured below with them: Officer Gary Schwartz).
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