Don't Forget

Board meeting tomorrow night at 7:00 pm - meeting place TBA





Horse at Maywood Park and Cottonwood Farms both need immediate pick up........please call with any ideas 608-792-5126



IN LOVING MEMORY OF LAND OF WITCHES AND ANGEL SPIRIT


Thanks to Sheri H. and her husband of Cuba City (adopters of STB gelding Pancho) for their recent donation of 200 bales of hay - we are looking forward to receiving it!





Looking for Tom Dyer, formerly of Prairie du Chien - MOST WANTED


Looking for Joe Marth of Prophetstown IL - MOST WANTED - need an updated phone #


Looking for Roger Sigler - formerly of Kansas City MO - MOST WANTED - need updated address and phone number


Looking for Richard Warren, adopter of Laredo Hall - MOST WANTED - formerly of Quad Cities area





Thanks for any information you can get me on the above mentioned people!


Susan

Grieving Departed Horses

Have we survived the winter? In a way I think we deserve a medal of honor for even living where icicles hang several inches off the bottom of our horses' winter coats. Dogs dont even want to venture outside to go to the bathroom, and all we can hope is that our cars will start in the morning in the sub zero temperatures.

I am crazy, I am crazy, I am crazy - that is all I can think each day - I want to get out of January so I can feel as though there is at least some end in sight?

At least the horses here have weathered the cold without too much discomfort. We have so many horses in their 20's that I have to worry just that little extra bit, but each morning they all stand, present and accounted for, without even a winter blanket. In fact, most of the horses literally RUN from me when they see me coming with one!

Some of my friends have not been so fortunate this winter with their loved equine companions, and my heart goes out to each of them. Bonnie called to tell me that Starzie, a STB gelding she got from the Amish in his 20's several years ago, had been peacefully put to sleep after a two day battle with falling and not being able to get up. Delaney Rae passed a few days ago - she had a front ankle/leg injury that she had lived with for many years and this winter she just had not been able to keep the weight on. We are sorry for Elaine and Stephanie's loss.

Then only today, Carmen suffered the loss of a very young horse, and you may remember her as Angel Spirit, daughter of Land of Witches. This was a shock to us, as she was just on the beginning journey of her life, and had lived with Carmen for the past couple of years as a foster horse. Carmen has a $320 vet bill and a $95 necropsy bill to pay and is unable to do so at this time. I want to ask any of you who want to make a donation in her memory to do so contact me.
Carmen is our placement assistant and she also maintains the web site at no charge to us. We want to help her and ASAP will do so as much as it is able.....we are still in a state of shock as I write this and this is her second loss this winter, as Nougat also passed away of something similar. If you can help either mail Carmen a check directly to the address on the application on our web site in North Branch or email her at mkcar1@usfamily.net Angel will be sadly missed.

On a more positive note, Super Bowl Joe and Picasso were officially adopted, and Little Tyrone went to his new home in Minnesota. Dr. Helsing from Illinois adopted Skater Boy! A four year old filly was moved into foster care in the Springfield IL area, and two are waiting in Illinois and there is an urgent need to get them moved from the breeding farm and Maywood Park Race track. So it has been a productive week for people adopting and also volunteering their time shipping or fostering and we very much appreciate it. We are hoping that Rollin Jesse also may have a home, as she is now retrained to saddle and a different mare from the one she was last summer! We still are seeking a companion home for Idlewhile Niatros.

We had pony club this morning and it was great to feel warmth instead of bitter cold on our breath as the four girls and I went to the barn for grooming, identifying horse body parts, and a little bareback riding. I hope it gets warmer from here on in!

Take care and I'll write soon.
Susan

2008 and some of 2007

My sister and I, Jordan and Wolf

Grandma Lee

Julien and Cherie





It's a Peanut life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends





Parties, horses, friends and family....................and foreign exchange student from Brazil!

Classmates and family friends ride Janimal

More family, friends, loved ones, and horse fun!

I was going over some pictures of the past couple of months and thought I should post some, since they portray a day in the life of ASAP, and Susan and her family! If your name is Curt Armstrong, these pictures should reach you in frigid North Dakota! And for everyone else, enjoy and know that whoever comes to ASAP certainly enjoys the animals and wonderful horses who live here (and great people, too, I might add!!! Tee hee). Cherie, my oldest, has a two year old son as of January 1!! That makes me a.......a........a Nana! That's right - I am a Nana and Craig is "PaPa". It is so cute! We had a birthday party for him last weekend that I will share with you too! Last Saturday we had Pony Club at 11 am (Remmie and LakeHills Texas were the lesson horses), and Will came to ride Chief at 12:30. At 3:00 we were off to Wildcat Mountain for the torchlight sledding/ski get-together that Grandpa Snyder still enjoys at age 89. On Sunday was little Julien's party. So life never slows down here in our little neck of the woods, and I hope you get a kick out of the pictures.

GO PACK! Packer Party at my house Saturday!!!!!!!

The important things this week to remember are:

We have horses in Chicago that need a home, a haul, or a foster family.......looking for volunteers!

We are going through 4 800# square bales of hay every 3-4 days. We really would love and appreciate your donations of hay if you are able?

We are looking for business or corporate sponsorships for upcoming horse expos in Madison, Springfield Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa. The first horse fair will be on the last weekend in February! Let us know your ideas for sponsorships help defray the extreme costs of attending these event. Also looking for people to demonstrate in Illinois and Iowa.

Does anyone have a youth saddle with good adjustable stirrups for your shorter-legged pony club girls? Consider a donation, or give me your best price!

Thanks so much for your support!

Hugs,

Susan

Happy 2008!!!!

Wow - it's already January 3. Between working extra hours and all the company we have had it hardly seems possible. Now my outside Christmas lights are still twinkling and I face the stress of the Christmas tree staring at me, waiting to go back down to the basement until November.

I just am not ready!

Thank you to all who sent cards and pictures. I tend to keep the pictures out throughout the year to admire them. It was fun to share my wall full of greeting cards and photos, most of which were western-themed, or variously-colored horsey faces with proud adopters. Thanks also to all of you who sent a donation - it all helps so very much!

It has been below zero the past few days. I have been worried about our two littel pet chickens that we acquired at the Kickapoo Country Fair in August. I have put together a two-story apartment for them made out of dog houses, with roosts. I keep adding hay and shavings to keep them dry and warm. I bought a heated water dish so they have an endless supply of water. They see me come outside in the morning and start calling to me - the hen is so gentle and sweet that I can pick her up and cuddle with her, while the rooster looks on, skeptically.

I hate worrying about how cold everyone is outside each day. Arne was down by the running creek this morning, standing and contemplating a drink. The longer he stood there the more I worried about whether or not he was stuck....so I opened the window and called out to him. He perked up at first, then put his head down and took a big chunk of snow in his mouth. I believe that he must have decided against the path down to where the water was ebbing and flowing - maybe his leg was too sore. Nonetheless, he turned and boogied back to the herd that was huddled up by the barn taking in the first rays of sunshine to thaw the misty ice on their fur.

Precious is down this morning but lately she has been getting turned out with Taser Gun, who she absolutely adores. When I or Craig take her through the gate she literally runs to the water tank, then kicks up her heels to get to Taser. He thinks she is a bit too thin, but interesting. He enjoys being admired. After all, he knows he is "all that". I tried to put him in the day that we got special visitors Andrea and friends. I wanted to give them the opportunity to see him up close and personal in a stall in the barn. WELLL!!!!!! He was most put out with my decision, and spent the time dashing around, kicking stall walls, and pawing by the gate. I guess he is a horse that is happiest being on full turn out now with his buddies Steelin Apples, Bob Cook, Brandy and Strawberry. What a character.

Fellowship Divine, Cole, Shay N Telle and Mc Lock are still down in the lower turnout waiting for homes. Mc Lock is boss of the herd, and yet a bit timid around humans.....Cole is Mr. Mustang, fancy and quick on his feet, and boyfriend to Shay N Telle. Fellowship is my sweetie pie - always looking for someone to give him attention and love on him. It is neat how a 16+ hand horse can be so gentle.

I am busy working in the afternoons but it gives me time to be with the animals during the day.

I will share some pictures of some of my day campers and pony club girls - Remmie is quickly becoming a favorite with the girls. Hope all of you are having a happy and healthy new year!

Semi annual board meeting: Thursday Jan. 31 2008 7:00 pm - place TBA

Susan