It’s hard to believe that I have already spent 35 years in the business with mules, donkeys and a vast array of equine-related activities. I have always loved horses and began riding when I was only two years old. I was about as horsey as a girl could be—when I wasn’t riding, I was reading horse books, drawing horses and engaging in anything that remotely resembled a life with equines. At one point, I even designed a 100-stall barn and vowed to rescue every horse in our country that was being abused. Little did I know then, my 100-stall barn would have been terribly inadequate.
I actually founded the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, in 1980, although I had many years working with horses and six years working with mules before then. I had moved to Colorado with the intent of going to Colorado State University to get my veterinarian credentials, so I sought out places to live in Fort Collins. It was a fluke that a contract fell through and this tiny little 10-acre sheep ranch became available. I remember standing in the driveway, my vision crystal clear in my head, and told my mother, “This place HAS LOTS of possibilities.” She gave me a bemused nod and said, “It definitely has lots of possibilities.” I don’t think she had any idea of what was to come, but, I had a vision!
Over the past 35 years, Lucky Three Ranch has slowly developed into the vision I had in my mind that day. My involvement in the equine community has grown into something much more meaningful than a 100-stall barn, as I’m now able to engage with people around the world through my equine training series, online school, and even on my Facebook page. I would love to teach all equine owners how to appreciate and enjoy their equines as much as I enjoy mine in a multitude of different ways. It is so incredibly rewarding when I see happy animals with happy owners doing the things that they love together. This is the gift that I have been given in life by my Maker to share with others and their joy is my reward! Thank you to all of my friends and fans for your loyalty and support. I couldn’t have made it 35 years without you and the magnificent equines that color my life!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has come a long way in its management of the famed wild horses of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range on the Montana/Wyoming border.However, the agency needs to hear from you now to help it go the final mile and make this a truly humane and sustainable management program!
The BLM is accepting public comments on a proposal to remove up to 25 horses from the Pryor Range. The agency no longer uses helicopters to round up horses in the Pryor Mountains, and humanely manages the population using PZP fertility control. However, due to previous restrictions (no longer in effect) on the number and ages of mares vaccinated with PZP, zero population growth has not yet been achieved in this herd. Presently, 160 wild horses, not including this year’s foals, live in the Pryor Mountains, a number that not only exceeds the maximum Allowable Management Level of 120 horses, but also, realistically, is more than this small range and rugged, sparse terrain can sustain.
No livestock grazing takes place in the 39,651-acre Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range. Our coalition partner, The Cloud Foundation, which has documented the Pryor wild horses for two decades, is calling on the BLM to place strict limitations on removals and to expand the Pryor range to restore lost habitat. Please join The Cloud Foundation in speaking up for expanding the humane treatment and protection of the Pryor Mountains mustangs by taking action below! Thank you.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning a roundup of wild horses living in the Cold Springs Herd Management Area (HMA) in remote eastern Oregon. Although the agency plans to utilize the PZP birth control vaccine to humanely reduce population growth, it also intends to remove as many as 186 horses from their homes on the range, and to reduce the Cold Springs wild horse population to just 75 – a number that is much too small to maintain the genetic diversity and viability of this herd. The BLM needs to hear from YOU to demand equitable and humane alternatives to the large-scale removal of wild horses from their homes on the range. Please take action today!
Hi y’all,
It is May 19, 2015 and so much has happened in the last few weeks. We were able to pick up the Rolling Foal Hospital trailer. This trailer is named “Maverick’s Legacy” in honor of his short life.
A good friend told me that maybe Maverick was never meant to be long here on this earth. His life was short and he was here to promote awareness of the horrors of slaughter and the unintended consequences, ie. the babies of slaughter. Although my heart is broken into a million shattered pieces, I will forever be grateful for every moment of his precious life, and will work even harder in honor of that little life.
We have been in contact with some folks who are actively trying to work with the people who are sending these horses to the auction yard, to come up with a mutually beneficial plan which would result in stopping the sale of these horse for slaughter.
Until then, we need to step up and support these babies and find them their forever homes. We are hoping that y’all will want to be part of this solution and be active in making these changes.
The base care for an orphan foal is approximately $300 each month for the first couple of months. After that the costs decrease. This does not include any type of veterinary care, medication, basics like bedding and all the other items we go through like crazy.
We now have 6 orphans that we are supporting. We had 8, but Mav is not with us and we found a wonderful home for one of the babies. So our base cost for feed alone is about $1800 per month and bedding is about $12 per day.
So please help us save these precious lives, and remember, they are available for adoption to good homes. We welcome visitors and donations at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More., 34694 Sidebottom Rd., Shingletown, CA 96088 You can reach us at 530 474 5197, or visit our website at www.chillypepper.org
Thank you for all you do for the horses!
Palomino, Matt and the critters at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More!
May is Burro Awareness Month and with wild burros at critically low numbers in the U.S., we are calling for the creation of a National Wild Burro Range in Arizona, the state where over half of America’s remaining wild burros reside. The Obama Administration has the authority to designate the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) as a wild burro range, an act that would confer greater protections to the iconic wild burros living there that are cherished by so many. The burro population in the Black Mountain HMA is perhaps the largest, most genetically healthy and robust burro population left in the U.S. Please sign the petition asking President Obama to honor the animal who is the symbol of his party by taking this action before the end of his term!
The following is a guest post from Deb Linne. See the original post here and check out her whole website as well.
I swear, his giggling began in his toes. In the way only an unselfconscious 8 year old can laugh, it filled his whole body and the whole arena, bursting out in millions of chubby bubbles. I could feel them around me, infecting me with joy. Pretty soon, I was giggling so hard that I was having a hard time keeping pace with the trotting horse. He lifted his chin into the air and declared, “LOOK AT ME! I’M HAVING SO MUCH FUN!”
Anyone who works with disabled kids will tell you that, on many days, we learn more from them than they learn from us. When I got to Hearts and Horses today, I was teary-eyed and tired. I had briefly thought about cancelling and staying home to regroup, but made myself drive the 20 miles. Well, needless to say, I left this afternoon feeling energized and light-hearted, my burdens put into perspective by some very special kids.
Here’s what I learned:
Ask for and accept help when I need it.
How often do I turn down help, insisting I can do everything on my own? How often do I cheat people out of the opportunity to minister to me because I have some delusion that I don’t need help? These kids are teaching me that there is no shame in asking for and accepting assistance. And, it blesses both the giver and the receiver!
Eyes forward – keep the big picture in mind.
Kids have no problem looking with wonder at what’s around them. One of the key aspects of being a successful rider is looking where you want to go, rather than down at the horse’s head. I rarely have to remind a kid of this. This is a big lesson for me! I often have my nose in the gritty details of life, buried in the things that can’t be changed. Looking up, looking around, and focusing on where I want to go is a game-changer.
Find my balance.
I am amazed over and over again how easily children take to riding, even kids with disabilities. Kids don’t over-think “how” they’re supposed to sit or hold the reins. They just do what feels comfortable, and they’re usually right! As the horse moves or turns or changes gaits, they naturally make minor adjustments to their balance. I am the absolute worst and getting stuck off-balance in my life. I’m trotting along, leaning left, eyes all over the place, hands flailing, thinking that’s normal. I could take a cue from them and make some minor, necessary adjustments to find and keep my equilibrium.
Laugh at the funny stuff.
How many things pass me by every day that I’m too pre-occupied or too grumpy to laugh at? This NEVER happens to children. If something is funny, they laugh. Outrageously. The horse went fast when they weren’t expecting it. Laughter! The horse peed. Big laughter! The horse leader tripped and almost fell (ahem, that was me). Gigglefest! Funny stuff happens in life, often disguised as something uncomfortable. When did I forget to laugh?
Celebrate little accomplishments like they’re a big deal.
One of the most poignant and humbling things I have learned is that some kids have such major challenges that when they tap their heads and say, “Helmet!” it is cause for an eruption of celebration from all of us. I have never been more excited than I was today when a mostly non-verbal little girl managed to say “Whoa!” to her horse. I could have cried with joy. There are a million little moments of grace in my daily life. I need to recognize them and celebrate!
Learn when to say “Whoa” and when to say “Walk On”
It is a really big deal when these kiddos finally learn how to command their horse to stop and go. It gives them a feeling of accomplishment and autonomy. When they finally figure it out, they use those skills happily and with great abandon. They make that horse stop just because they can. And sometimes, they make the horse stop because disaster would strike if they kept going! Learning when to say walk on (yes) and whoa (no) is a skill I could work on for the rest of my life, and still never have down pat. I definitely need to practice.
So I ask, who was helping who today? Well, I can certainly tell you that I walked away changed and blessed beyond measure. Some of the best lessons in life are the simplest, and come from unexpected places.
postscript: You, too, can volunteer at an equine therapy center! Two years ago, I had ZERO horse experience. They trained and molded me into a horsewoman. Contact your local therapeutic riding center and ask! In Northern Colorado, we are blessed to have the best of the best, Hearts and Horses, in our back yard. People come from all over the country to be trained here. Come join me and experience the magic! If you can’t help physically, you can help support equine care and rider scholarships by going to http://www.heartsandhorses.org/giving A little bit goes a long way.
This Friday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC) meets in northern Nevada. This citizen advisory board provides recommendations to BLM for a public land area that includes 33 wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas (HMAs).
Today, we ask you to sign a petition urging the RAC members to recommend two ways to help wild horses and burros. Please make your voice heard.
The deadline for signing the petition is May 13, so please act today.
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) is accepting public comments on an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposal to re-issue a permit to graze up to 525 cow/calf pairs year round in the Sunflower Allotment, a 158,000-acre area located in f the Tonto National Forest northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. It’s been more than a decade since cattle were allowed to graze in this sensitive and fragile Sonoran Desert ecosystem, which has not yet recovered from the effects of past overgrazing. It appears that the only reason for reauthorizing grazing in the allotment is that the rancher who holds the permit is selling his ranch, and the property holds far more value if the grazing permit is reissued than if the allotment remains in non-use.
Our coalition partners at the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group are concerned about the impacts of resumed grazing in the Sunflower Allotment, especially because of the allotment’s proximity to habitat used by the unique and publicly cherished Salt River Wild Horses.
The deadline for comments is May 10, so please act today to oppose the FS plan to reauthorize cattle grazing in the Sunflower Allotment.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking comments on a plan to hire a French company to conduct “social science research” on American public attitudes and values toward wild horses and burros. It’s clear from the information provided that the BLM intends to manipulate the process to elicit a desired response in favor of the agency’s mismanagement and plans to utilize surgical sterilization of wild horses on the range as a management tool. In addition, the BLM has already solicited, received — and ignored — hundreds of thousands of public comments over the past six years on its Wild Horse and Burro Program. Now the agency wants to spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to collect additional public opinion through a process it can manipulate and control! The BLM is currently seeking comments on the need for and ways to enhance the value of this proposed research project…. So please get your comments in today!
Today, May 5th, we are asking you to participate in another huge and historic event for our region, the BIG Day of Giving. This event starts at midnight and goes for 24 hours. Once this starts, All About Equine Animal Rescue will join with over 500 other nonprofits to raise $5 million, engage 25,000 donors, and make our region #1 as the most generous community in the country on this national day of giving!
As many of you know, All About Equine strives to support and further our mission of rescuing, rehabilitating abused, neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses. This year, our goal is to engage at least 200 donors and raise $10,000 and with your support we hope to use the money raised to match our recent $10,000 grant award from the ASPCA. This grant will help complete facility expansions and improvements for providing adequate shelter and housing to the horses we rescue. All About Equine is also looking for a larger facility to help further our mission, educate our local community, and expand programs for our youth, as well as veterans and their families.
How you can help on May 5th:
Make a donation to All About Equine Animal Rescue at Big Day of Giving – All About Equine.
Spread the word. Tell your friends, post on Facebook, and tweet about it. This is an opportunity to be part of something really big. Help us get there.
Visit Us Today at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall (130 Placerville Drive, Placerville, CA) from 3:00PM-7:00PM. Come by and Say Hi. Giving stations will be available to donate on site.
Your donation of any amount will help feed a horse, defer the cost of veterinary care or help with other costs associated with rescuing a horse (e.g. transportion, hoof care, dental care). AAE is an all volunteer organization. $25 helps feed a horse for a week or two, $50 helps feed for a horse for nearly a month and $100 helps with feed and basic care of a horse for about a month.
Be a part of the $5 Million giving community and help us improve our community while helping our horses by joining with others on May 5th for a BIG Day of Giving! BIG DoG 2015
It is with a happy heart that I am pleased to announce that YEA! – Youth’s Equine Alliance has officially closed its doors. With the help of adults and youth nationwide we were able to accomplish some amazing things. We collected over 250,000 signatures to save horses and burros and inspired many youth to get involved in efforts to save horses and burros, wild and domestic.
Now, our youth delegate Amber Neuhauser is taking the lead to be a spokesperson for kids everywhere on how to start creating change locally and on a national platform to benefit equines. Amber will be working with Matt & Palomino Armstrong of Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More, an LRTC Rescue & Rehab Project (CPMM) to continue to bring you updates and get more youth involved in the movement.
CPMM has a wonderful impact on kids locally and nationwide through their work with critical care foals. Children are naturally enamored with foals and learning the story of each foal rescued helps teach about the various issue wild and domestic horses face. Palomino and Matt Armstrong, the mangers of CPMM, also frequently participate in demonstrations at schools and libraries to enrich local youth.
All three of YEA’s featured horses – Ikey, Mikey, and Rocky – are only alive because of the critical care they received through CPMM at the loving hands of Matt & Palomino Armstrong. For that reason, we thought it was an appropriate organization to transition our readers and supporters too.
Ikey and Mikey are now living at an 80 acre ranch. Robin and Rocky have stepped out of the public arena in order to focus on training and their future together while allowing CPMM, a federally recognized non-profit organization with similar goals to take the lead. We hope you will continue to support kids and horses through Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang Equine Rescue and More, an LRTC Rescue & Rehab Project and we hope you are as happy as we are that your donations will now be tax deductible.
Sincerely,
Denise DeLucia
(Former) Director of YEA!
For questions about donations received in April, please contact me directly by replying to this email. All donations have been refunded with the exception of once received via mail – those are coming back directly this week.
May is Burro Awareness Month, and with fewer than 9,000 wild burros roaming free on America’s public lands burros, there is no question thatburros are in crisis in the U.S.
Yesterday, we just learned that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a huge roundup of burros from what is probably the largest burro herd left in the country — in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Arizona. Comments must be submitted by end of day tomorrow, Saturday May 2, 2015!
The Black Mountain burro population is one of the last healthy herds of wild burros in the country. Countless Americans and international tourists are aware of these burros, who are regularly encountered along Highway Route 66, and especially in the town of Oatman, Arizona. Cherished worldwide, these burros are now under the threat of a BLM roundup!
The BLM estimates the Black Mountain burro population to be over 1,500 and the agency only allows 478 burros on 574,000 acres of public lands where livestock grazing continues. It’s time to call for the BLM to designate the Black Mountain HMA as a protected “range” where the burros would receive increased protections.
This rare and historic, genetically healthy herd must be protected, not rounded up and removed by the hundreds! Please take action below to stand up for Black Mountain Burros today – the first day of Burro Awareness Month!