Because of your support, we were able to help one more. LoneStar is AAE’s last intake of 2018. LoneStar came from an elderly owner whose health was declining, and he was having a difficult time managing his care. LoneStar was his wife’s horse; she passed about three to four years ago.
He is a hefty, well-fed guy, but his hooves and teeth hadn’t been tended in quite some time. First stop was the farrier. Much improved!
He’ll be the first vet check of 2019 this week, his teeth will be floated, and it looks like we’ll do a little blood work.
Soon, this guy will be back in tip top shape.
LoneStar is a mid-20’s Morgan gelding about 15.1 hh. This guy is a big, sweet love bug. He is under evaluation, and more info will be available soon. Stay tuned.
2 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AmazonSmile donates to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.
AAE’S QUARTERLY MEETING
AAE’s Quarterly All Volunteer Meeting is an opportunity for all volunteers to come together for an update on current happenings, upcoming events, and updated volunteer needs. It’s also a good time for anyone interested in getting involved to learn more about AAE. Bring family or bring anyone interested in volunteering or otherwise supporting our cause.
As we say goodbye to 2018, we wanted one last tribute to honor three very special horses we lost this year,
three of AAE program horses: Marshmallow, Kasey, and Kaya.
Marshmallow
Our amazing little Marshmallow was helped across the rainbow bridge after a sudden decline with his health. When he came to AAE in March 2014, he had been sick, and past owner’s efforts to help him failed. After a plethora of diagnostics, he was diagnosed with either stomach cancer or irritable bowel disease. He responded tremendously well to medication (steroids), and he recovered quite well. He had a fabulous four and a half years with us at AAE, and he brought smiles and happiness to SOOO many people. Sadly, he started having occasional bouts of colic over the summer, and in November, he declined rapidly. It was quite obvious he was not going to get better this time. He made his last trip to Loomis Basin in the back of “his” van. It was his first trip in “Marshy’s Van”, a mini van we’d just acquired for transporting him and other mini’s to retirement homes, youth events, and outreach activities. We miss this little man so much!
Kasey came to AAE with his buddies Angus and Daisy in April of 2016. Kasey was another magically gentle giant that befriended another herd of humans while at AAE. His kind nature and gentle soul put everyone at ease in his massive presence. Kasey battled hoof abscesses off and on almost the entire time he was here. Usually, they’d resolve relatively quickly. Until the last one. Kasey fought valiantly. After what was looking to be a long, successful battle; inexplicably, his coffin bone rotated severely in a matter of days. As uncomfortable as he was, he gave his all. His pain was simply too much to ask him to endure any longer.
Kaya was another wonderful resident at AAE. She was the go to girl for kids, parties, camps, and any time we needed a calm, quiet, and trustworthy horse. Kaya came to AAE in February 2014 through another organization after she was saved from an auction. She was lame. She had served someone well for years, then she was dumped at an auction where known kill buyers shop. Fortunately, she was saved, and with time and good hoof care, her lameness resolved. Sadly, she colicked in January, then again in February, when we learned she also had a diaphragmatic hernia. A portion of her intestines had pushed into her chest cavity. It would have been quite a surgery to repair both issues, and there was also a stone in her intestines that complicated things further. It was simply too much to put her through and not the best of chances for recovery. We had to say good bye.
Thanks to your support, Marshy, Kasey, and Kaya were able to live out their lives at AAE with lots of love, and so many youth and adults were able to share the wonder of horses.
3 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AmazonSmile donates to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.
AAE’S QUARTERLY MEETING
AAE’s Quarterly All Volunteer Meeting is an opportunity for all volunteers to come together for an update on current happenings, upcoming events, and updated volunteer needs. It’s also a good time for anyone interested in getting involved to learn more about AAE. Bring family or bring anyone interested in volunteering or otherwise supporting our cause.
These two boys came to AAE after the unexpected death of their owner left them alone, and family was strained by providing care because they lived an hour away. Jesse and Jengo are two younger mustang geldings that are currently under evaluation.
Jesse and Jengo recently finished quarantine,
and we’re still getting to know them.
They’ve scheduled for hoof and dental care, as well as vaccines, deworming, and microchips. Stay tuned for more info about these guys.
Sadly, too often we get calls from families who have lost a loved one, and they’ve left a horse(s) behind. Often times, family doesn’t have the resources or experience to care for a horse(s), and they are burdened by physical and financial responsibilities.
Do you know what would happen to your horse(s) if something happened to you? Have you set aside some funding to assure they’ll be taken care of? It’s important to have those hard discussions, and make plans for unexpected emergencies.
Thanks to your support and foster care, two more horses in need have been helped.
4 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AmazonSmile donates to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.
AAE’S QUARTERLY MEETING
AAE’s Quarterly All Volunteer Meeting is an opportunity for all volunteers to come together for an update on current happenings, upcoming events, and updated volunteer needs. It’s also a good time for anyone interested in getting involved to learn more about AAE. Bring family or bring anyone interested in volunteering or otherwise supporting our cause.
This little Rascal faced a lot of challenges from her first moments on Earth! AAE’s call for help with Rascal came on April 5, 2017. DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary was in transition after the long illness and passing of their Executive Director, Barbara Clarke, in November of 2016. We are so happy they reached out for this little gal!
She is as special as they come.
Rascal was just hours old when her mom scaled a six foot paddock and left her behind. She was located over five hours away, so we mobilized and met in the middle in Reno to pick her up. She was very weak, and couldn’t get up on her own, so our first stop was Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center. She was hospitalized.
The initial outlook was good until her blood values took a dive in the night. Fortunately, by morning, she was fighting back.
As it turns out, she was fighting a severe selenium deficiency that caused white muscle disease, which also put her kidneys in distress.
This sweet little filly could not stand up on her own for the first 26 days of her life.
She’d wait patiently for a “boost”. (This pic is after 26 days, but this is how she’d wait).
Thanks to your support, the excellent care of the staff at LBEMC for 13 days of her life and 24/7 care of dedicated volunteers at AAE for another 13 days, she Rascal was finally able to STAND on her own.
Rascal had several more hurdles along the way including two bouts with c. diff bacteria causing nasty diarrhea, a large umbilical hernia surgically repaired (after the c. diff resolved), a massive hoof abscess, and a month after hernia repair surgery, chronic diarrhea that lasted for nearly a year. A plethora of diagnostics were done to rule out the bad guys (it was not another bout of c. diff ), a variety of feed changes, a variety of supplements, a few changes in housing and locations, and various other efforts didn’t resolve the mystery or the runs. Eventually, pasture life did.
Thanks to her umbilical hernia, she was often confused for a gelding.
This was surgically repaired.
Massive hoof abscess that rattled everyone, but we were all grateful
when it finally exposed it’s ugly self.
Chronic diarrhea, blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, and a variety of diagnostics couldn’t get to the “bottom” of it.
Looking gorgeous as ever, and still hiding the chronic diarrhea very well. She had an adoption pending resolution of the diarrhea that never resolved. Adoption fell through, but adopter fell madly in love with another cutie pie. Rascal just wasn’t ready to leave.
Today, she is healthy and thriving, and most significantly, she passes normal poop.
For Rascal (and all of us), that’s reason to celebrate.
That being said, due to her history of white muscle disease, there is potential her muscles were compromised, so she is not considered a prospect for hard work (e.g. endurance, performance work, competition, or anything that might be too demanding on her systems). Though she is very active in the herd and she runs up and down the sloped pasture at AAE, she is looking for a home where she can learn to become a casual, easy going trail horse or some other lighter activity.
Rascal is a gorgeous gal. She loves people, is a bit spoiled, and she will need a confident handler to maintain boundaries. She halters, leads, and is good with her feet, but can be a little impatient with the farrier. She is ready for her own bff in her forever home.
Click here to learn more about selenium deficiency?
6 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AmazonSmile donates to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.
AAE’S QUARTERLY MEETING
AAE’s Quarterly All Volunteer Meeting is an opportunity for all volunteers to come together for an update on current happenings, upcoming events, and updated volunteer needs. It’s also a good time for anyone interested in getting involved to learn more about AAE. Bring family or bring anyone interested in volunteering or otherwise supporting our cause.
AmazonSmile donates to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc.
AAE’S QUARTERLY MEETING
AAE’s Quarterly All Volunteer Meeting is an opportunity for all volunteers to come together for an update on current happenings, upcoming events, and updated volunteer needs. It’s also a good time for anyone interested in getting involved to learn more about AAE. Bring family or bring anyone interested in volunteering or otherwise supporting our cause.
Beau came to AAE in mid-July when his aging owner was no longer able to care for him, and his family caretaker was moving out of state. Beau is a 1990 Arabian gelding. He was a truly beloved companion to the family, he had been with them his entire life, and he had carried many a rider on his back. Still, his condition was saddening.
It was a bit eye-opening when Beau arrived. He was a bit on the emaciated side, and he was “empty”. Dr Stolba came to check him out and drew blood to evaluate his “systems”. His diet had been four scoops of senior pellets (AM and PM), about 20-25 pounds a day. You would think plenty for this lil guy, right? You could tell immediately simply eating was a challenge. He chewed very gingerly, and food fell all over around the trough.
Sadly, when Dr. Stolba opened his mouth, the exasperated sigh was palpable. Beau did not have many teeth, and the ones he had were much overgrown, some loose and one so long it was pushing into the roof of his mouth causing an ulcer. He could not close his mouth to chew. It’s no wonder the poor ol’ guy looked like he did; he couldn’t eat. Four larger teeth were extracted, one so sharp it could cut paper. The few remaining back teeth were floated, and he was finally able to eat comfortably.
Boy, did he enjoy it. Now it seems he’s eating for two.
Moving on to the other end, Beau’s sheath got some much needed attention, and he was beyond relief when a rock sized bean was removed. It didn’t take long to see the brightness return to Beau’s eyes and a little pep in his step.
Beau recovered very well and slowly redeveloping his svelte lil’ bod!
Well, does svelte have fat pads? Beau is a lovely ol’ guy. He loves attention and really enjoys a long grooming session. He was ridden a lot in his younger days. His last riding relationship was a couple years ago with a 12 year old girl in a lease situation. We were told it was a great relationship, but not much more about his girl’s experience or what activities they did, only that he rode very well for his age.
In his younger years, Beau was part of a three horse team that rode across the US on the Pony Express Trail. He rode about 800 of the 2000 miles. About seven years ago, he had a bout of laminitis/founder, but thankfully, he recovered very well. Dr. Stolba provided care for this guy back then, but unfortunately, when he arrived at AAE, she hadn’t seen him for a few years. His hooves didn’t appear to have been trimmed for a while. Updated radiographs showed no obvious changes in his hooves since his episode seven years ago. He had thin soles, and he was a tad tender footed, so he had shoes placed on his fronts.
Beau is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof and dental care. He has a microchip in place. He has very good ground manners, he ties and stands for the farrier. With a long history of riding, he should load and trailer fine, but hasn’t yet been loaded since he arrived. He was tested for Cushing’s and results were negative. Because he has only a few teeth left, he needs a strictly pelleted diet and a diet that is appropriate for a horse that has foundered. His future housing should not be in a green, grassy pasture.
Beau is looking for a new home where he will be doted on and pampered like the good ol’ guy that he is. He might have some light riding with a light rider in his future, but priority should be a solid companion home, and the riding should be a bonus (not a requirement). Beau should NOT be an only horse. During his time with AAE, he has bonded tightly to his neighbors, so a home with at least a couple other horses might be best. He gets anxious when he is in his paddocks and his buddies leave, are taken out/away or wander away from him. He does fine when he is taken away from his paddock.
8 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Skye is a beautiful Arabian mare that came to All About Equine from a former Arabian breeding ranch in March of 2015 after the last member of the family passed away. She is estimated to be about 16 years old (per teeth). She lived her entire life in large, grassy pastures that backed up to the Cosumnes River. It didn’t seem she’d had any care for several years. Skye was living with three other mares when we got the call.
She was social, but timid.
As a result of Skye’s neglect prior to coming to AAE, she experienced chronic laminitis. She was not lame when she came in, but she had very long toes. Radiographs showed she had developed a very slight tipping (ski tip) of her coffin bone. She has not shown any signs of lameness while at AAE. She was cleared for light/casual riding by vet, with the caveat that she might need shoes.
Skye spent several weeks at the Monty Roberts International Learning Center (MRILC) where she participated as a project horse during MRILC courses. She was socialized, learned basic groundwork, and she was introduced to ground driving and started under saddle (light work, no rider).
Not long after she returned to AAE from MRILC, Skye was adopted (August 2015). She came back to AAE earlier this year, in July 2018, after her adopter felt she wasn’t getting what she needed. Though he loved her, he felt she deserved more. While away, Skye got a ton of groundwork, and she was ridden a handful of times in an arena. Per prior owner, she did better with an experienced, smaller rider. He also thought he might be too heavy for her and worried about her hooves, but he said she never showed any signs of lameness.
Skye has grown into a very sweet, willing, mild-mannered mare (with humans), and she loves grooming and attention. She is mare-ish in a herd environment.
Skye is up to date with vaccinations, deworming, and hoof and dental care. She had a micro-chip in place. Skye recently (July 2018) tested positive for insulin resistance, and she is given a daily supplement (ThryoVet) with her feed.
She is on an orchard grass only diet.
9 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Clancey is a 25-ish year old Quarter/Arab mare that came to AAE through no fault of her own. Her owner was moving and she was taken in by another family on an impulse to help, but her new family’s other horses were not accepting her.
Clancey has a pretty face and really loves attention and grooming. Her previous owner rode her in all types of events: trail riding, gymkhana, high school rodeo barrel racing, polebending, and parades. Clancey has very good ground manners other than being a little pushy with her head. She follows along by your side, turns both directions easily, stops and backs up on command. She loads into trailer with no problem.
She stands for farrier with no fuss. Pictured here riding in a halter with a lead rope.
Clancey is swaybacked, but recent vet exam indicated she was in good health cleared for light riding. That being said, she’s an older mare and swaybacked, so a lighter rider is most appropriate. We were told she is great for kids. Her back teeth are worn to the gums, so she needs a diet of soaked pellets or soaked cubes. She is a very nice little horse — a bit spoiled and pushy right now, but responds well to signals and training. She is people oriented, lovable. She’d be a super horse for a child or teenager.
This sweet ol’ girl needs a home. Do you have room? Clancey is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming. She tested borderline insulin resistant and should get a daily thyroid supplement
This is the time of year we are overwhelmed with requests for help with horses. If you’re interested in adopting or fostering, please contact AAE.
10 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Shelby came to AAE in April 2017. She had basically been abandoned, then given to a neighbor after they found her roaming the neighborhood with a rope around her neck and contacted her owner. Her new owners contacted AAE after they realized they did not know enough about horses to provide proper care. Although they fed her, she was thin. Her new owners were unable to catch her or even touch her, let alone remove the rope. When we arrived to pick her up, she was on 80-acres of open land. It took about two and one-half hours to earn her trust and place a halter on her, and finally remove the rope. She was fearful and reactive, and acted as if she’d been mishandled.
She also seemed terrified to come out of the thickets.
Of course, poison oak was everywhere.
While at AAE, Shelby learned to trust and appreciate human interaction. Underneath the fear was a very sweet, sensitive and social mare. Eventually, she sought attention and enjoyed grooming. However, if she felt too much pressure, she was defensive/protective. No previous handling/training history was available.
Shelby spent her last months with AAE with a foster. Throughout her stay with AAE, she gained a lot of confidence with new situations. She learned to look to her person for assurance, and she was willing to trust and follow her handler. Her moments of anxiety became fewer and further between. She was not a spooky horse, but had a busy mind, so the key was to get and keep her focus without her feeling too much pressure.
She was always thinking and tried hard to understand what was being asked. A slow, calm approach to new things worked well, and not letting her escalate. Once she got over any initial anxiety, she was good to go.
Shelby learned her groundwork quickly, and she was saddled successfully. She was working on consistent forward movement with a plan to graduate to ground driving when her person came along.
11 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Zena doesn’t have a long story, but it’s a common story. Zena is about a 23 year old Percheron mare. Her former owner came to us for help when she was no longer able to provide for her. It’s a story we hear all to often. We can’t say it enough; before you take on horse ownership, be sure you have done solid research on the cost of feed, the costs for maintenance care needs (e.g. hoof care, dental care, vaccines, deworming, etc.), appropriate housing, veterinary needs, costs for tack and equipment, transportation, emergency care costs, end of life costs, etc.
We get far more requests for help than we are able to take on.
Taking on ownership of a horse should be a lifetime commitment.
Zena is a big, beautiful and lovable beast! She loves (did I say LOVES) attention, grooming, really any human interaction. Look what happens when you scratch her belly.
She is another amazing gentle giant….well, except when there is food involved. If she sees food, she turns into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Imagine food instead of belly scratches. Anyone see the resemblance? I bet most of our volunteers will agree. They might even consider themselves the food.
All joking aside, we love this big girl, and so did Kasey. She was a perfect buddy for Kasey after losing Angus, and we had great hopes for a happily ever after story!
We had a bit of fun arranging a little wedding day or these two.
Sadly, it wasn’t long lasting. Kasey’s story will follow soon. Regardless, Zena is a big beautiful girl living out her golden years as a resident at AAE.
12 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Kiwi was about a two year old filly relinquished to AAE by her owner in August 2016 after she lost interest, and her boarder asked for help. Kiwi was thin when she arrived at AAE, and her hooves were much overgrown and upright. She was somewhat curious, and lacked confidence around humans.
Little was known about Kiwi, but we were told she was a mustang from an Indian reservation. She was reactive, untrusting and had a tenancy to bolt when pressured too much and when exposed to new scary things (like mini horses).
She needed frequent trims, and ultimately, she did quite well. She lived in pasture with the rest of the herd on rolling hills, and she ran and moved without limitation. She was very active with the other youngsters in the herd, and she was quite the bossy mare.
In time, Kiwi made good progress all around. As she learned her basic ground skills, and yielding to pressure, she grew some confidence and overcame her fears. She loved water and the hose. Eventually, she was introduced to a saddle and bridle and accepted very well. Kiwi developed into a confident, personable, and fun girl who was ready to be adopted, and finally, she was! Kiwi’s stay was a long one, but she found her forever person who continued her saddle work, and now she’s a riding horse.
13 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AAE welcomed Waylon, one of three young geldings, from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in June 2017 to support DreamCatcher’s recovery and herd reduction efforts after the long illness and passing of their Executive Director, Barbara Clarke in November of 2016. Waylon was introduced to humans in May 2017 when the boys were separated from the herd and castrated.
Waylon is a 2015-ish captive born mustang gelding. He had minimal handling, but accepted humans quite readily. He was a calm, confident, and social guy that quickly took to grooming and hanging with two leggers. He was sweet, calm, confident, and willing. He could also be a little pushy at times.
Waylon was adopted in October 2017, then returned to AAE in May 2018 after being diagnosed with EPM. Waylon was treated with a three month course of Marquis, and he responded very well.
In October, he was re-evaluated by our vet, and he had no signs of neurologic deficits. Waylon is a super nice, big guy, and he is looking for his forever home. He is a big, playful, people-loving boy. He is curious, willing, and very active. Due to his EPM history, he was cleared for casual/light riding. He is not considered a prospect for competition, endurance, or hard/heavy riding.
Waylon is about 15.1hh and still growing. He is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof and dental care, and he has a microchip in place.
16 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
This youngster came to AAE with a group of youngsters in June of 2016. Rio was a about nine months old. He had minimal handling and was pretty much terrified of humans. He took considerable time to get comfortable with a halter, and he was one those we say every introduction seemed like 50 first dates. It was just as scary the 50th time as it was the first, no matter every time was uneventful. Every introduction to something new was the same reaction, no matter how consistent we tried to be, and even if we changed things up altering our approach.
Rio needed a very experienced person to help him conquer his fears, and someone with the patience of a saint. Rio was a friendly and inquisitive toddler. He was very athletic and a nice mover. He could excel in any discipline, and he could be a wonderful all around mount, if only he could conquer his fears. In time (lots of time), Rio learned all the young horse basics. He was halterable in pasture, he could be led, lunged, and learned to tie. He picked up his feet, and he was good with a calm and patient farrier. He loved water, enjoyed other horses, and really tried hard to please. If only he had courage.
He needed lots of positive exposure and lots of positive experiences to develop confidence. He was respectful of people and for the most part stays out of his handlers space even when spooked (which was quite often).
Rio needed a confident leader that could support him and help him through learning new things.
In May of this year, Rio found just what he needed!!
A forever home with the perfect family!
17 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AAE welcomed Tae and her days old filly, Maddie, from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in May of 2018 in continued support their herd reduction efforts. Tae’s maternal instincts had not kicked in. She was not allowing Maddie to nurse, though Maddie figured out if she nursed from behind Tae, mom wouldn’t resist. Tae would bite her when she attempted to nurse from the side.
These two needed some help.
Tae had minimal handling, so it was difficult to offer much assistance to Maddie, and it was difficult to watch. We tried using panels to hold mom, but the biting continued. Ultimately, Mom and Baby were separated for a couple hours. Thankfully, when reintroduced, Tae was much more accepting and willing to let Maddie nurse. Maternal instincts kicked in!
Tae and Maddie along with the other moms and foals were given several months to settle in, live in the presence of humans and other domesticated horses, and simply be horses. Tae is a sweet and fairly mild-mannered mustang mare all of about three years old. She took some time to accept human touch, but once she did, she accepted a halter fairly easily. Tae has been haltered and handled some, and she is willing and tries to understand. She needs more time socializing, and she is learning to trust. She is a smart girl with a lot of try. She’s still a work in progress.
Tae is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming.
Maddie was only days old when she arrived. Maddie was persistent and clever! Her new tactic continued, even after she won Mom’s heart.
Maddie is kind, curious and confident. She has been introduced to a halter and lead, and did well from the start. This lil’ gal will make for an amazing partner and a super horse.
Maddie is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof care. Maddie has an adoption Pending
18 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Do you remember Blue? He’s been at AAE for some time now, trying to heal after a nearly seven pound mass was removed from his hind fetlock in Fall of 2017.
Graphic photos of his progress are included below.
Blue is a 2010 Virginia Range (NV) mustang gelding who came to AAE March of 2017 after a request for assistance from the Virginia Range Wild Horse Sanctuary and Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. Blue had been carrying around a large mass of proud flesh (granulation tissue) over his left rear fetlock/pastern area for some time. Although he had been haltered and handled some previously, he was not halterable when he arrived at AAE, and we knew we had a big job ahead in helping Blue.
Before we could evaluate the mass, he had to be gentled, haltered, and his legs/hooves had to be handleable. With a straightforward mustang, not a big deal, but Blue had some substantial fear/trust issues. Initial efforts with befriending and haltering him were lukewarm. Thanks to Dr. Stolba and Team LBEMC (throughout Blue‘s journey), he had made enough progress that we were able to sedate him, radiograph the bony area beneath the mass, and collect tissue samples for biopsy. We wanted to make sure there was not an underlying reason for the mass other than old injury before getting too deep into corrective measures if they would be for naught. It was not an easy feat. Even with sedation, he kicked quickly and with purpose.
Radiographs and biopsy showed no obvious issues, so the work continued. Weeks in, Blue seemed to have had a reaction to something and developed a mysterious condition that turned out to be a form of vasculitis. He developed sores/ulcers throughout his mouth. They were horribly painful. Though his history and symptoms didn’t suggest, we had to quarantine him and test him for vesicular stomatitis. Thankfully, it was negative. We scaled back our efforts to reduce his stress and allow him to heal. But, the mass was growing.
After several weeks, he improved, and we resumed course. He would take a few steps forward, then a couple steps back. Finally, after many weeks with nominal results, we had a marathon day. We worked until we broke through, six hours. The next day, our learning curve was much shorter, and the next and the next, until finally, we could halter, touch all over, and pick up his left hind and handle it all over. We practiced with bandaging materials and wrapped it up, and he was a gem!
We scheduled surgery, and in late August 2017, he lost nearly seven pounds in a matter of minutes. The mass looked like a big brain, and it weighed in at nearly seven pounds. Imagine what that must have felt like with every move. Needless to say, it was done!
However, the mouth lesions returned. There were more, and they were worse this time. They were on his body, around his anus, and on his sheath. Poor guy, these things were awful, and they appeared to be an autoimmune issue. At one point, we questioned his prognosis and quality of life, but before jumping to conclusions, we biopsied the tissue. We ended up with a vasculitis diagnosis. The best thing was, we changed up his meds, and the sores began to heal. The area where the mass was removed was beginning to heal. In the meantime, the next test came when it was time to change his first bandage. With a bit of sedation, it went fairly smooth, but cleaning the lesion was a little challenging. But, wow, it looked amazing! Such a tremendous improvement. It was like a victory in and of itself, even though not healed.
Healing was progressing nicely!
After several bandage changes, Blue was getting resentful of the needle for sedation, so we tried without. It went well with cleaning a few times, but oddly, after a few times, he didn’t like it when placing the medicated bandage over the lesion. It seems he was healing and he could feel the area again. He stomped the bandage off, over and over. The stomp was a little intimidating, but really, he was only trying to get the “big white bug” off his leg. He didn’t kick out or kick at. His stomp was purposeful in knocking the bandage off his leg. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the bandage on, so we had to go back to sedation for a bit. Eventually, we could remove the bandage, clean the lesion, and replace the bandage without issue, without sedation, thankfully. Healing continued.
By November 2017, the lesion was almost healed, but there was a small area where the granulation tissue was persisting, so it was trimmed off. By January 2018, the lesion had nearly healed again. Blue made tremendous progress. However, as the months went on, the small area persisted and started to grow again. We lasered the area and biopsied for a third time, and this time the biopsy revealed a sarcoid. Persistent little buggers!!!
We tried some different medication over the months, but nothing resulted in complete healing, and by Fall, we decided to laser again; however, by November 2018, the sarcoid was growing, it was removed, and another course of treatment began with new medications.
Blue stands quietly for bandage changes weekly. He’s still not healed, but he’s healthy, happy, and in much better shape than when he arrived. He’s dealing well with his bandage changes and seems to understand the routine these days. He continues to have challenges with trust, mostly when introducing new things, but he continues to show progress, one baby step a at a time. As long as he stays healthy and happy, we’ll continue to work on conquering the sarcoid. He continues to love his carrots, and he also enjoys being Uncle Blue to the younguns,
a job he does well!
Like we said last year, Blue‘s story is not an uncommon story in terms of the hurdles we cross with any intake with special needs. We have unexpected bumps in the road that required more than anticipated. For Blue, it was the bouts of vasculitis and later, the discovery of the sarcoid. For some, it’s colic; for others, abscesses, lacerations from tree branches or scuffles with others. We can’t plan for these things, but need the resources to handle them when confronted. We are grateful to have your support now and throughout the year to assure we can manage most any unexpected issue along the way.
19 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
In mid-April, AAE welcomed three mare/foal mustang pairs from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in continuing support of their herd reduction efforts. The moms and their little one’s needed to come down from the frigid weather up there.
Kelsea and Rucker
Kelsea arrived a sweet, but timid mare. Rucker, her little colt was about five days old. Kelsea had minimal handling and wasn’t fond of human touch. Moms and babies had time to be moms and babies, but due to an eye infection, Kelsea had to learn quickly so she could be treated. Kelsea was haltered and handled some in preparation for treatment. She was sedated, her eye was treated, and we took advantage of sedation to trim her front hooves. She did great. Mom and baby spent more time together.
She needed more time socializing and learning that she could trust, and we revisited again before her dental. Kelsea was willing, and she had lots of try, but still some reservation. Fortunately, each time was a little easier than the prior.
Kelsea had her teeth floated, hooves trimmed, vaccines, and deworming. Then little man Rucker was gelded before weaning. Shortly after weaning, Kelsea was ADOPTED!
Rucker is an April 14, 2018 mustang gelding. He was a super cute, curious, and independent little guy from the start, even though he had not been handled much. He’s a little character with a big personality.
Rucker has a huge heart and a ton of try. He’s very playful, and a bit of an instigator. He halters leads, and does well with handling hooves. He’s getting better with the farrier. This lil’ guy is going to be a very fun partner that should develop into a super horse, and he’s looking for his very own, young-horse experienced forever home.
Rucker was gelded, and he’s current with hoof care, vaccines, and deworming.
He has a microchip in place.
GYPSY and CALICO GIRL
Gypsy and her filly, Calico Girl were quite the confident pair when they arrived. Gypsy was very laid back and interested in humans. She’d accept a rub on her forehead and neck, but she made clear it was on her terms (in a nice way). “Nope, nope, don’t think so”. She was bossy with the other mares and foals, and Cali Girl aspired to be just like mom. Quite boldly, and only weeks old, she would push the other moms and foals off feed. They quickly made their way to their own paddock so the others could eat in peace.
Gypsy was captured as a yearling/long-yearling in the Calico Roundup in one of the Calico Mountain HMAs in NV in 2009/2010, so she was born 2008-ish. She was subsequently adopted as a long-yearling/two year old from the Broken Arrow (aka Indian Lakes) holding facility in Fallon, NV, then placed at DreamCatcher. Gypsy is a stout and dominant mare with a kind soul. Since weaning her filly, she has softened and become a most agreeable, sweet, and willing gal. She’ll test with a little resistance, but quickly think and soften. Gypsy halters and leads, she enjoys grooming and attention, and she’s fairly good with handling her hooves, but still learning patience with the farrier. Her teeth were floated, and she is current with vaccines, hoof care, and deworming. She has a microchip in place. She’s ready for her forever person, someone that has experience with mustangs.
Calico Girl was a curious and bossy little gal, and she had not been handled much. She wanted to know more about humans, but strictly on her terms (pretty funny!).
Calico Girl is a March 30, 2018 filly, and she was named to honor the horses of the Calico Roundup where her mom came from. Cali halters and leads, and she does fairly well with her hooves. She’s also still learning patience with the farrier. Cali-girl is still learning it’s ok to be with humans, unconditionally. She is is quite active and athletic, and she enjoys giving the other youngsters runs for their money. She has a very independent tenancy, but lacks confidence and needs a compromising approach to find her try.
She will be a challenging, but fun filly to develop a long lasting relationship with, and her forever person should be a young-horse experienced person.
Calico Girl is current with vaccines, deworming, and hoof care, and she has a microchip in place.
TEGAN and AUSTIN
Tegan came to AAE with her little guy, Austin, only a couple weeks old.
Tegan is a sweet, independent, mild-mannered mare. She wasn’t too opposed human touch, and she accepted a halter fairly easily. She has been handled some, and she is a very smart girl. She needs more time socializing and learning to trust, but she is very kind and has a lot of try. She’s still a work in progress, but surprises with every activity.
Tegan is a cute and flashy 2013-ish mare. She’s an easy going, middle of the pack, no nonsense little gal. She has a clean slate and should make a pretty straight forward effort to bring her along. She is current with hoof and dental care, vaccines and deworming. She has a microchip in place. Tegan is looking for her forever home with a mustang-experienced person.
Austin is an April 3, 2018 mustang gelding. He was a shy, but curious little guy, and he had not been handled much. Austin isn’t quite as confident as Rucker, but he, too, has a huge heart and a ton of try.
Austin is very active, playful, and super athletic. He loves to play with the big boys in the herd, and he explores all of the pasture with the big guys and the lil’ ones, too.
Austin halters, leads, and does well with his hooves. He’s fairly good with the farrier. He is current with hoof care, vaccines and deworming, and he has a microchip in place.
20 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
AAE took in this handsome TB gelding in November 2013 after relinquishment by his owner resulting from a neglect situation. He was thrilled to hop onto the trailer when we picked him up. Smokey was a 20-ish Thoroughbred gelding. He seemed to be an absolute gentlemen, and we were told he was an ol’ trail string horse. He was thin and suffering from a respiratory issue. Smokey was visited by Dr. Stolba soon after arrival, and he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection/mild pneumonia.
He was started on course antibiotics while in quarantine.
Fortunately, he rebounded and quickly became a volunteer favorite. Smokey was truly a kind ol’ soul, but he had a few quirks that needed exploring and work. Some days he’d meet you at the gate, other days, he’d rather be alone, and he would play hard to get….and he was hard to get. In time, and with lots of love and kindness from AAE’s volunteers, Smokey softened tremendously.
He had a some additional vet needs taken care of once he was in better health, including much needed dental and hoof care, as well as vaccines and deworming. Later, he had a sarcoid removed from his inquinal area. He also had a swelling adjacent to his wither evaluated. Turns out, radiographs showed an old fracture of one of his vertebrae. We didn’t discover this until after trying to saddle him. Although he accepted a saddle and bridle without issue, any pressure on the horn or gullet when mounting, he would bolt forward. It didn’t take long to realize there was a problem. It sure made sense after seeing the radiographs. A piece of a vertebra had fractured off and lodged between his spinal column and shoulder blade. Poor ol’ guy!! No more riding for this guy!
Sadly, Smokey had two failed adoptions over the past few years, one due to his anxiety after being moved, another due to a financial distress situation.
Thankfully, this earlier this year, Smokey moved on to a family with 10-acres of beautiful green pastures, and he became buddies with an older gelding. Here he is going to meet his new buddy for the first time on his way to happily ever after!
21 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
Billy and Luna came to AAE as orphan foals. Billy was about three weeks old,
and Luna was days old. Luna came to AAE with Billy as her buddy, while her new mom was traveling over the spring and summer.
…and good buddies they were. Two peas in a pod!
Big Brother Billy tended to pester Little Luna,
but she new exactly how to keep BBB in check….
They were introduced to the herd to learn more about herd behavior and horsey life…
and the “Brat Pack” was born…Grammy Sierra, Billy, Luna, Rascal and Foley
Billy is a lil mustang born on the Virginia Range, Nevada around March 1, 2018. He was orphaned when his mom was run off by a bachelor band when he was just a lil’ guy, only days old. He was fostered by local volunteers in NV before coming to AAE. We were told he had a scrotal hernia and additional veterinary needs were anticipated.
This lil’ guy was absolutely adorable.
…and looking super handsome now! He is active, athletic, and quite inquisitive. He’s very social and loves grooming and any kind of attention. He’s playful, yet respectful, and he does well in halter and with his hooves He’ll continue his learning as he grows.
His castration was delayed a bit due to the suspected hernia and the need for surgery in the clinic, just in case. Thankfully, surgery went well, and no hernia was found.
So, Billy is finally available adoption.
He is current with vaccines, deworming and hoof care. He has a microchip in place. Until he’s adopted, he’ll continue entertaining the volunteers at AAE…
and hangin’ out with Grammy Sierra.
His new person will be experienced raising a young horse.
Luna was also an orphan, a filly from the Virginia Range. She’s about three weeks younger than Billy (DOB around March 21, 2018). She spent her first few months at AAE, getting lots of love and attention from volunteers and it didn’t take long before she was another volunteer favorite.
This lil’ gal is such a gorgeous girl. Looking forward to a bright future for her and following her progress!
22 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
help horses in need as we move into a new year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
It’s AAE story-time! Horses of 2018:
Cahill and Maya
CAHILL
Cahill came to AAE on March 9, 2018 when his family was unable to care for him. They rescued him from a pasture where he was alone and neglected. They were told he was a former sheriff’s horse. His family found they were unable to provide adequate care and sought help. When he arrived, he was very thin, very depressed, and had skin issues.
Cahill was started on a refeeding diet, and slowly began gaining weight. Shortly after arrival, on the first sunny day, Cahill was treated to a spa day. He got a medicated bath and was groomed head to toe. As his skin condition was healing, he ultimately lost most of his hair. He was nearly bald, but he seemed relieved. Once his weight and condition improved, his teeth were floated, hooves trimmed, deworming done, and vaccines updated. He was started on a daily med for his arthritis.
Cahill was a kind ol’ guy that enjoyed grooming and attention. He enjoyed other horses and was fairly passive in a herd environment, but didn’t have a lot of herd savvy. He did better in his own paddock beside or with another horse. He had some arthritis and was quite stiff in the hind end and we felt he would do best as a companion.
MAYA
Maya was a beautiful 12-14 year old-ish mare that was rescued by her former owner from extreme neglect and abuse. Maya was relinquished to AAE at the end of September 2016 when her owner was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and was no longer able to care for Maya or work with her due to her illness and terminal prognosis.
Upon veterinary exam, Maya was diagnosed with Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis or DSLD. Due to her DSLD, she would need a companion home with relatively flat ground where she will not be “forced” to move by other horses. Her teeth were floated, hooves trimmed, deworming done, and vaccines updated. She was started on a daily med for her DSLD.
Maya was untrusting when she arrived, but slowly began trusting humans and finally accepted haltering, fly masks, fly spray, and grooming. Maya was good with handling her front feet, but fearful of activity around her hind end and did not tolerate hind hoof handling without sedation.
We were excited when this duo was welcomed into their forever home together.
Their new family is thoroughly enjoying caring for them.
23 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!
‘Tis the Season, time to join AAE every day this month as we share stories straight from the barn to show how your support has helped horses in 2018. This year was very special, and there are so many stories to be thankful for!
As we count down to 2019, please help us prepare for another year of helping horses. Your donations will assure we have ample funding for veterinary care to
help horses in need as we move into a new year.
We want to thank everyone for their love and support!
We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we do!
Have a great holiday season!
It’s AAE story-time! Horses of 2018:
Martina and Valentine
Martina and Valentine came to AAE from the DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary in March 2018. Valentine was only days old. AAE has been supporting DreamCatcher’s herd reduction efforts since April of 2017 after the long illness and passing of their Executive Director, Barbara Clarke, in November of 2016.
Martina is a BLM branded mustang about nine years old. She appeared to have minimal human contact. Martina was thin and hungry with baby in tow, but she new where to go. She showed up at the barn with Valentine after not coming down for winter. Sadly, winter conditions at the sanctuary are fierce (for California anyway), and AAE got a call.
Martina was a great mom, but not interested in humans. She was given lots of time to be a mom and replenish her body. Initially, she was confident, and avoided humans like the plague. With intermittent rounds of human interaction, her curiosity and interest in humans is growing. We’re hoping by spring she’ll be ready for adoption to a mustang-experienced home.
Valentine was a curious and sassy little gal, with little human exposure as well. She wanted to know more about humans, but only from a distance. Valentine was a little toughie with a big opinion. She didn’t stray far from mom, so early efforts to handle her failed. Subsequent efforts were strongly avoided, but soon, she figured out no harm would come and humans were fun.
She’s still honing her skills, but she’s a smart little gal with a big future. Valentine is very active and athletic, and she enjoys romping around with the other youngsters. She will no doubt be fun partner to grow with in a long lasting relationship.
Valentine is current with vaccines and deworming. She is still learning about hoof care and farriers, but making very good progress. Valentine has a large umbilical hernia that needs surgical repair, and we are preparing to schedule soon. She’ll be ready for adoption once she has recovered.
If you want to donate to her umbilical hernia surgery click here
25 days until 2019, YOUR donation means more horses can be helped! Donate Today!