Sunshine

What an unbelievable effect sunshine has on a person's soul! I was out in it yesterday, for my daughter's fifth grade field trip to fish on the Mississippi River, then outside at home to play with the horses.

Our day was made perfect by a package that came in the mail - donated by Lori H....(W.)...

20 doses of vaccine!!!!!!!! Worth over $400!!!! Lori, what can I say? A public thank you is not even enough - someday we will repay you for your kindness!!! Thank God for such a great supporter and lover of T-Bone, or her adopted horse whose race name was Taken by Surprise. Lori is also an admirer of Arne and Bob Cook (who wouldn't be?)...and my hope is that someday she will be able to take them home. Thanks again, Lori.

Chevie Silverado is on the road to his new home in Illinois right now as we speak - going to Dr. Anna R. who is also a Illinois Department of Agriculture vet. I hope so much that Chevie and her have many years together. Chevie is a very special horse who deserves a very special person. Thanks to Craig for taking an entire day out of his life to transport.

Hoping for more sunshine today, then off to ride on an overnight camping trip tomorrow! Soooo excited.

Please send some adopters for our emergency horses DT, Goodnight Starship, Race for Home and Bart's A Bad Boy!!!! Race and Bart have a home if we can get vet work done to get them from Wisconsin to Iowa and transport for them as well. DT will come back here......he is so well trained to ride and so beautiful in body and spirit - this horse has my heart TOTALLY. Then again, which Standardbred doesn't?

Also don't forget Sadie and Holly!

More as I know it - enjoy the long-awaited warmth and sun!

Sue

Bills

Today's bill came to over $100.

This was to trim DT, Bart's A Bad Boy, Race for Home, Timesareachanging, Taser Gun, and Honey Fitz.

No sponsorship dollars to support even one of these six horses.

Feed bill: $140 - last Wednesday

Hay bill: $140 - last Saturday (I wrote a personal check)

Agenda:

Haul Chevie Silverado to new home in Illinois Saturday

Upcoming Needs:

DT, Bart's A Bad Boy, and Race for Home need homes

Sadie and Holly in urgent need

Look Della - coming from Iowa to ASAP in the next month if there is room

Referrals:

3 year old filly - Balmoral Park - blind in one eye but sound

18 year old black Standardbred gelding - broke to ride

18 year old Standardbred gelding - Florida - needs placement

That's it for this week - thought we would keep you updated on expenses, etc.

Sue

Wonders Never Cease

This horse had an adopter who neglected to pay board for a period of time. Luckily the horse is now in new and better hands with a new adopter. Who is to blame? I can't say all the blame should lie on the adopter, although people who bring this on a horse should be prosecuted! I know ASAP boards horses, and even if a boarder is behind, the horse NEVER goes without.

Your Support Is So Important

Hello friends,
I am sitting on the edge of my chair getting ready to go to work. I am looking at four horses on dry lot who peer over the edge of their arena longing for green grass that we are unable to provide. All four of the horses in this arena are trained to ride, none has ever offered to demonstrate dangerous habits, yet good homes remain few and far between. I especially feel for King's Royal Fella, who was ridden for two hours last week by a first-time rider on this horse. He was such a good boy - what potential for someone who is looking for a great riding horse.

I look at the hay supply and wonder where good hay will come from at a good price.

Then I look in our barn refrigerator and realize that our vaccines are all, now, at least two years old, so no one has received spring shots.

We scramble to provide day camp services to kids and lessons without pay. The joy of offering these wonderful horses to young people outweighs the need to charge, yet we must hope for support to keep our program running.

Three horses sit in urgent situations as they have been abandoned by previous adopters. Then, the news today that one of our horses was sold for a meager $150 to a local person who contacted us to let us know she had him. We had been following this situation, with the adopter knowing that the horse must be returned to a local foster farm that was also aware of the circumstances. Yet, they chose to SELL him. I guess in 17 years I have seen everything.

I am somewhat down about the state of things for ASAP, with limited funding coming from the racing organizations. A Chicago track had promised a 5K race held to benefit ASAP, only to find out that now it is benefiting another local non profit. I guess if you offer it to one group I would only ask the courtesy that if plans changed we could, at least, be notified. The group is a wortwhile cause to benefit homeless families in that area, so at least we are glad for that.

Still in the back of my mind the equine market license is sure to expire soon, bringing us yet to another $650 bill (give or take a couple of bucks) to pay. Last year without your support we would have never been able to acquire that license.

If you can offer a space for a horse in an urgent circumstance, please let us know. Thank you to Beth W. for her donation of $50 today, and thanks for the $20 donation received last week. Thank you also to Lori H. for her donation of $100 received last week. It all helps so much.

I will send pictures soon, but had to get my sentiments out so that people understand that all is not exactly well with ASAP. Mostly, I feel so badly for the horses waiting for that special someone to take them home, let them bask in the sun and eat grass and not hay. Is that special someone out there?

URGENT SITUATIONS

Please respond if you are able to help ASAP with the following circumstances:
3 horses abandoned by adopter in Sparta area - two are trained to ride - one trained to drive - please call 608-792-5126 if you are able to help give these two geldings and one mare a home

One draft cross needs relocating immediately - please call above number if you can help! Horse located in Janesville area of Wisconsin.

We need qualified families to step forward as adopters or foster families immediately - thank you in advance!

Chickens and Horses and Bunnies

OK, I don't believe anyone who says they know how to sex rabbits! What started as two "females" has turned into two rabbits who have produced over 25 babies in a six month period of time! I managed to get someone to take the daddy, so I breathed a sigh of relief - only briefly!

The mother rabbit produced more in April, and now another litter appeared today. I am going to SCREAM! I need to find a home for the white baby with dark spots who was dubbed "female" in February or March............since she he is clearly the daddy of the newest batch. Tractor Supply - get ready - I am gonna be calling! Anyone else - please come and get a bunny, but don't ask me to sex them, as I dont' want to be held responsible.

Still, Mr. Rooster could not be more proud. He could hardly wait to get his little chicken self into the doghouse to lay over the newborns to keep them warm. Seems he just weaned the last litter! At least it gives him a purpose in living.

Had a short ride on Timesareachanging Sunday before he proved that he just can't live without Cricket. She was in heat, as were all mares at the farm. So Remmie got the ride to the top of the bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Times will be ridden more this week, as will Taser, and Cricket!

I want to thank Kelly Wilde and his son Luke and uncle/brother Dave for coming out on Saturday. After spending a lot of time looking around, Luke fell in love with the little Appaloosa colt, and Dave became fond of Sandi. Looks like they will both be getting homes with them very very soon. Kelly is a huge public figure head in this area, and we are proud to say that he is stepping forward to put together a benefit for ASAP this year! Be watching for upcoming details!

Thanks to Linda for her recent adoption of Audnowyoudidit and Five Dollah.

Colonel Meacham will be getting a new home with Pam, all within close proximity of each other!

Unmasked will be going to Linda as well.

Wiregrass Jenny and two other geldings will move just down the road a couple of miles to a private farm with Sue and Brian, where they are volunteering to refresh the horses to make them more adoptable.

Special thanks to Judith Benison, who sent a $280 donation in memory of Terry Benison who recently passed away. It was so sad to hear of his battle with cancer, but also very heartwarming to hear Judith's many stories of their love and dedication (that spanned their entire marriage) for the horses and the other animals in their care. Terry and Judith donated several horses to our program, two being Hang Ten Hanover and TJ Ted Mak.

Thank you to the IHHA for their recent donation of $1,500 to support programs for children at ASAP using ASAP horses. This still puts us $4,500 short of our goal for facilities and services for students to last the rest of this year. We do believe it will come - God is always faithful!

I can't forget to mention Jean P. again for her donation to help get us to the Midwest Horse Fair.

Thanks to all the horse fair participants and to Carol Williams and Louanna Warpinski for their outstanding contributions to the demo and stall decorations! Thanks to Mom Wellman and Lisa De Garmo for helping, and thanks to Robin Palmer and Jordin Edge for making 400 cards from ASAP photographs taken of ASAP horses that made possible over $300 in donations!

Thanks to Louie for coming to help at ASAP so faithfully and to Judy and Jessica King for helping out with so many things to do with the recent horse show and just everyday things we need at ASAP.

Thank you to Lynette Laska for her hard work to get tack ready for the Horse Sense Tack Swap held in La Crosse. Lynette was the sole person responsible for helping ASAP raise $175 that weekend. Every penny counts so very much.

Thanks to Andrea T. and Shannon for continued care of Spect's Solution. The list goes on and on but I am feeling grateful in so many ways.

This week promises to bring Anna to our farm in hopes of finding the right horse. The little Appy foal will be gelded within a week, and who knows what else? Every day is a surprise.

Hope all of you are having a great spring! I'll attach some pictures.

Susan