Well after a week I am able to sit down and share pictures with you from the Midwest Horse Fair. What a bummer to come home to the usual routine after three full days of nothing but horses and horse lovers in Madison! I can say that our demo on Friday was good, but our demo on Sunday was even oh so much better! The horses all looked so GREAT, thanks to the hard work of Lisa De Garmo and Lexi and Sandee Wellman. The booth and display were patriotic, crisp, clean, new and beautiful. Horses were all decked out in matching polo wraps and saddle pad covers and red white and blue bling on manes and tails. Everyone did a fabulous job and we all were just one happy ASAP family. Thanks to you all for your participation. We hope to have all the same participants next year. In all, there were 11 ASAP horses from all over the state involved in the demo. It takes a lot of sacrifice on everyone's part to take off work and pay for motels and demo materials. You all are awesome.
The list of horses who demonstrated were:
Janimal
Remmie
Squire One
Springtime Beauty
Pistol Pete N
Sunny Forecast
Forrit Biskit
Victory Buck
Silent Pursuit
Tyler's Tanya
Johanna's Flying Star (participant in driving clinic)
Yesterday was a really sucky day. I had the couple whose family picked up Windswept Glory on the highway after he was struck from behind in December in my yard to ream me out. I was on the phone, trying to get our place in South Dakota rented or sold, and Craig saw these people pounding down the door. Apparently they came to explain that they were personally not the couple responsible for hauling Glory to Genoa, but their family member was. Craig was not at all happy about having to handle the situation. I apologize for communicating with them about the fact that ASAP now had the horse and he was rehabbed thanks to Andrea and Shannon and the farrier Dave and was placed in his new home.
After that I was really down, but then a wonderful woman who was an adopter about 11 years ago stopped by. She had gifts for ASAP!!! She had previously lost her husband and had to bring the horses back to be re-placed. She also donated JD and Chance the QH (JD is now deceased but Chance is doing well in his home of several years). She had a tack store and had made the decision to close and buy a great place in Missouri and is relocating. Wow, the boxes she brought! Bridles, bits, grooming supplies, hoof polish, leather cleaner, jewelry, watches, breast collars - the list goes on and on! We could have a great rummage sale! Thank you so much, Elaine Doyle, for your generous donations. It brings tears to my eyes that people think of the horses at ASAP.
Then Crisse and her friend stopped by. Another great event! She had heard we were out of hay, and were in financial distress. Crisse had asked some loyal friends and animal lovers for a donation for ASAP to buy some hay. She came to deliver the donations personally and to see the horse she will adopt soon - RT Rocky. Better yet, her friend is considering adoption also! Thank you Crisse.
We still have at least four adoption fees out, which is holding us back from paying hay bills. $1,400 is a lot of money!
Try as we might, people who owe are either not getting back with us. This creates such a hardship for horses here who are waiting for homes, or those who will never get homes due ot age or soundness. When I stopped to think of it, if we have 25 horses at the farm, and nine are our own, we can calculate 16 horses that need supporting. If we even state a minimum cost of $100 a month to feed them and care for them at a bare minimum, that is $1,600 a month that it costs us to do so. We are not anywhere near taking in that amount of money in donations, sponsorships, or adoption fees. How do we survive? Right now that is in question. After Timesareachanging comes, we need to close our doors to any more horses until adoptions increase and/or we can write some grants. We need to network to get more available foster homes for horses that must be returned due to emergency situations. We need to recruit more donations of hay. Thanks to Lori H. in Iowa, we received 30 doses of vaccines for horses here. Thank you Lori!!!! We have to hope for no illnesses and no emergency vet calls. I know we can make it, but right now is the worst, tightest situation we have been in for 16 years. I recently had a conversation with another rescue who is at 30 horses and cannot take any more in, and they are struggling. What is happening? The market is simply saturated with horses who need homes. Sigh.
Let's have an update on Hiawatha Hannah, the mare that was relinquished back to ASAP after suffering severe infections and thrush. She is being helped by Dr. Jan Schilling, Shannon, and Andrea of Comfortex Mattresses. They are working night and day, giving her iv antibiotics into the legs and keeping her moving when possible.
Yesterday at 4 pm Dr. Schilling performed surgery, placing a placenta (forgive me if this is wrong) over the infection to help accelerate the healing process. Her left leg became so swollen on Wednesday that they were gravely concerned about her ability to survive. I think things are looking up again. This horse has a strong will to live and a strong heart. Please pray for her!
Today was an emotional farewell for a wonderful family who had to return Royals Swan Song to ASAP. They have had him for nine years, since he was three, and would never have returned him if it were not for his allergies which have become worse over the past two years. They are hoping that by placing him in a different geographical area, those life-threatening allergies will not return. So far, so good here. If all works out, he will go to Crisse's along with Rocky. I assured the family that I would put Crisse and them in touch with each other to maintain contact with Swannie. He certainly is one big fellow!
Today we were supposed to be at a 4-H horse show but I woke up to storms and just didn't feel like getting rained on. Now it is starting to lighten up. It is a quiet day at ASAP.
Thank you for reading up on everything and I'll try to continue to keep you informed about all that happens. You are all blessings in the horses' lives!
Susan
