Oreo's Story

Hello,

It is with a heavy heart that I must notify everyone who cared so much
that Oreo was not able to survive her episode of colic.

After consultations with four veterinarians, along with two clinics who
even refused to see her because they demanded "$5,000 up front for her to
even walk in the door", everyone worked as best they could to help Oreo
remain comfortable and hope for a good outcome.

Many thanks to Dr. Jim Hartman for taking time out of his Easter to come
and see her. Thanks to Dr. Terry Miller (both are from Cashton Vet
Clinic) for coming out yesterday. Two vets refused to make a farm call
even though they have 24 hour "emergency services". Cashton Vet Clinic
always seems to come through for our horses and for that we are forever
grateful.

Thanks, especially, to Shannon and Dr. Jan in Winona for accepting Oreo
into care last night, and working as best they could to figure out what
exactly was wrong with Oreo. Oreo made the trip to Winona like a trooper,
looking out the back window of the trailer at her owners who were
following in their car. She walked out of the trailer and into the barn,
whinnying at the other horses who are boarded at Shannon's. You would
have never been able to tell that she was running over 103 degree
temperature, and becoming septic.

The diagnosis was a displaced intestine, not twisted. There was no way,
without surgery, to correct it. The decision as not mine to make on
surgery vs. no.......I simply shook my head upon hearing, basically, the
death sentence, and walked out to my truck to cry.

The owners of Oreo and friends came out crying, feeling helpless and
unable to make a decision to end her life. Eventually, after much
thought, the humane decision was made. Dr. Jan gave Oreo a sedative, and
left the barn while the owners laid by her side to say their "good-bye's".
I could not go in. I spent my time getting to know some of the fantastic
horses Shannon has boarded at her farm, including a Gypsy Vanner named
Harry and newborn Thoroughbreds. My heart was heavy, as was Shannon and
Dr. Jan's. Through discussion, it was comforting to hear that Dr. Jan
does believe all animals go to heaven, and that they are waiting for us
there.

I had to leave when the backhoe arrived. Oreo was buried at Shannon's
farm last night, while I took the interstate east, headed home. The echo
of the sorrow and tears will be with me forever.

Thank you Andy, and Kathy, and Jamie, and Dennis, for being there with
Oreo. It wasn't supposed to end like this. I am sure she is running in
green pastures with our God now, and understands what we were all trying
to do with her these past few days.

Midwest Horse Fair! More Will Soon Come - Santa Fe Freight Still To Come

I am finally sitting down to share some pictures of Midwest Horse Fair.
You will see the handsome Pistol Pete N with adopter Ray, Tyler's Tanya, who got all "glammed up" by kids in Kids Korral Sunday and is shown with all her bling with adopter Mary Ellen and her husband, Mike.
Then you will see Rachel with her steadfast Janimal.
Santa Fe Freight pics still to come!

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Many Thanks To Hay Guys

Whew.......
isn't it great that, even in a blizzard, two people cared enough to come
down and provide hay to the horses????

Thanks to Ron M and his wife Diane, who have donated 100 bales of hay to
ASAP in the past month. He brought down 30 bales today.

Also thanks to our regular hay supplier, Kevin P.......despite 3-5 inches
of snow on the ground, he drove down with large squares for ASAP horses. ASAP owes him a great amount of money right now. I promised him that
either the grant money for hay will pay him soon, or I will pay him out of
my own pocket. He is so kind to trust that the debt will be paid as we
can pay it!

Empty

We are out of hay.
Barn is empty.
Hoping and praying someone can deliver tomorrow.
HATE that feeling!

Schedule

Check out ASAP at the Midwest Horse Fair!
We will arrive on Thursday late afternoon.

Our first lecture is right away Friday morning - check us out on the
schedule!
Our second lecture is in the late afternoon on Friday.

We will be in the Kids Korral each day, coordinating activities and Santa
Fe Freight will be giving cart rides while Pistol Pete N and Tyler's Tanya
bow, and do numerous other tricks at various times throughout the weekend!

We will be in the Andis Arena for three of the five scheduled times we
speak. Check your schedule and hope to see you there!!!

We are in barn 5 - stalls 5018-5023!!!!!!

Also, don't be shy - get your fly mask or bottle of fly spray for only
$5.00 at our booth while supplies last!!!

Sue

Family Counselor

Here is a touching photo of Standardbred gelding, Family Counselor, who
has lived with is adopter, Lori, in Iowa for several years.

They call him Sigi, and he is shown here with little Gabe, "chilling"
together on a colder day.

Goodnight Starship

Goodie is being fostered with Ray and Alice H. of Gratiot.
Since they have fostered him they have done so much - riding and, now,
driving!

Goodnight Starship is 15, black, a Standardbred, and currently available.
Contact Sue at asapinc@mwt.net for more details

Pictures of Yesterday!

I neglected to send pictures last night - my apologies - enjoy!

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Spring Fever!

Thanks to Lynette L. of Minnesota, we are once again a part of the big
tack sale this weekend.
Lynette and I were busy pricing donated products for the sale, while
enjoying a little bit of spring.

Enjoy the pics of Cobra, Taz, and the farrier! Have a great weekend.

Sue

Happy Day....

Hello everyone,
Thanks so much for your birthday wishes. I can only say, as life goes on,
I'd rather have birthdays than the alternative - LOL!!!
My computer keeps shutting down, but I wanted to say that even though this
is a happy day, there have been many challenges lately.
We are in the middle of involvement in an investigation involving an ASAP
horse who, currently, is in acceptable condition, but this ASAP horse has
been in a turnout with a dead horse, covered up by a tarp, who has been
there much of the winter. We are working with local sheriff's departments
and humane societies to assist in removal of the ASAP horse from this
adopter's property.

We also have been working on a Crawford County case which has, sadly,
resulted in three dead horses. There is so much more I want to say about
this case, but will not due to circumstances. The important thing is that
all of you know that lack of mans to care for horses was not a factor in
their deaths. Human beings ...... I am speechless.

Meanwhile we have not heard on the status of our emergency hay grant, and
my last spring plea, offering fly masks or fly spray for any donation over
$25 has resulted in ZERO donations. Thanks to Lynette for agreeing to get
items together for the tack sale this weekend in La Crosse - we will hope
for good sales for this.

To top it all off, a bill just arrived for $169.00 to renew our web site
for another year. This is not in our budget at this time so hoping for
donations in any amount to help us renew.

Just got a call on another Amish horse needing a home this spring - sounds
like she is 16 and has been with Amish for many years.....she is slowing
up and needs somewhere to go....let me know if you are interested.

Happy spring!
Sue

Close Call

What a busy Friday!
It almost ended badly for me today, and for one of our pet chickens. I
know I am crazy to be so sentimental about my pets, but my roosters love
me and even let me pick them up and handle them. Other family members and
strangers, well, they are not so fond of.

Today my school-to-work client was at the farm with his job coach. They
had filled all of the water tanks and replaced a fence insulator and
thought they would check to see if the chickens and rabbits needed water.
The job coach stepped into the kennel and was promptly greeted by two
angry Bantams. They sort of came at him in their usual aggressive
fashion, but he was quick to ignore them, fill their water, and walk away.
What he didn't know was that one of the Bantams was running right behind
him as if to attack his leg. He followed him right out of the kennel,
when we all realized there was a chicken on the loose. I asked him to
just pick the chicken up, but with an aggressive rooster, exactly how does
one do that? Instead, the rooster ran helter skelter down into the
pasture and up to the barn with the job coach running after him. I
realized that five dogs were out in the yard and became instantly
hysterical. I called to Girlie and Ebony, our two more aggressive hounds.
They chased the chicken and the chicken jumped into the air and tried to
fly. They leaped after him. For some unknown reason (God?), the next
time I screamed out their names, they stopped and came over to me. I
grabbed both of their collars and led them to the garage and put them in,
slamming the door. I realized then that three dogs were still at large,
the Corgie, the Heeler cross, and Mayatuk. I grabbed the Corgie and the
Heeler and led them by the nape of their neck to the garage, but had no
way to open the door. I continued wailing and screaming, thinking that
Mayatuk would be the next one to get my "Peep". A light bulb came on, and
the job coach grabbed Mayatuk by the collar and led him to the garage,
where we opened the door carefully and had all five dogs contained. I
could now breathe, but was still pumping adrenaline.

I went back to the kennel area and the Bantam walked over to the kennel,
where I opened the kennel door and walked in, with him right behind me. He is, tonite, one grateful peep, and I am one grateful gal. I literally
dropped to my knees after it was all over, in the solace of my husband's
shop, just to thank God for His neverending mercy. I just hate close
calls like that!

With that being said, we wanted to put out a plea for the springtime.
We have made a realization that we are mainly a Standardbred sanctuary at
this point. The adoptable Standardbreds come and are placed, yet there
are those with race related lameness, age, or just certain personality
issues that have not found forever homes. Some have health issues as
well. It is time that we step up and ask for sponsorship for these
horses, and will appreciate any dollars donated to sustain their care here
at the ASAP farm. Let's meet some of the horses:

Bob Cook - now 18 years old - broke his fetlock joint in a race several
years ago. Bob was put out to pasture with brood mares, then donated to
ASAP. He was unable to use the front foot for a period of time, but over
time with natural hoof trimming methods, Bob now walks and even trots on
all fours. With so many years spent at ASAP, we would appreciate
continued support to provide him with vet, farrier care, and the hay and
feed he needs and deserves. He has never found a permanent home and has
always been at ASAP.

Stylish Sharon - last raced in 2001, Sharon is 25 years old this year. She made over a quarter million dollars as a race horse before being
donated to us several years ago. Sharon suffered from some metabolic
problems a few years back that left her body without much hair. She was
treated and has since been healthy and held a decent weight. She was in
one adoptive home before the metabolic disorder occurred, and has been at
ASAP ever since. She received one donation of $100 from her former owner
in 2010 - we are seeking money for her continued care while she lives out
her life at ASAP.

Arne - Craig found Arne in a stall in East St. Louis many years ago with a
broken hock. Arne trailered back from East St. Louis with a Thoroughbred
that was also donated, and began being treated with supplements for an old
injury.
Arne's hock is so enlarged that it looks as though a softball is lodged in
it. He thrives despite this injury, with the help of supplements when
needed, and lots of hay and feed. He had a couple of scary moments this
winter when he went down and could not get back up - Craig had to roll
Arne over and get him to stand. Arne is not done living yet - today he
literally galloped across a large pasture just to get to us when we came
to grain - didn't think he had it in him but he sure does. He needs your
support for vet, farrier, and feed.

Steelin Apples - Apples is one of the smartest and most perceptive horses
in history. He has given countless little girls rides and even this big
girl has spent hours on Apples as he grazed in pastures, just praying and
contemplating life. Apples is a babysitter, pure and simple, but when you
want to ride he will lead out with out any other horse. He sustained
nerve damage to a front leg as a side effect of an injection, which ended
his career. He has been a therapy horse and a great pleasure horse to
many visitors. If he doesn't find a home, he will be with ASAP for the
rest of his life, and that may be as many as 15 years or more! Please
support Apples and the work he does to help heal broken hearts and the
confidence he gives those who are just learning about riding and driving.

Taser Gun- this famous race horse has been with ASAP since 2007. He has
been an ambassador for the Standardbred breed, while also being and
ambassador for ASAP. He has had some personality issues that have
lingered but are getting better with time. He has been a great riding
horse for experienced 4-H'ers and Girl Scouts, college students, and a
great trail horse for Sue in 2010. He does receive gifts from his
wonderful life long trainer and his wife, but Taser needs more support
than this to maintain his standard of living (LOL)....food, farrier care,
routine vet care, and dentistry. Please help support 'Illinois' Harness
Horse' who made over 1.3 million dollars in his lifetime!

Timesareachanging - this equally famous race horse made even more money
than Taser Gun, and landed at the ASAP farm in 2008, thanks to Tracy B.
and her paying for shipping on this great gelding.
Times has had ongoing herd aggression issues, but I want to say that I
believe this year he has settled in to being a calmer horse, and being
less aggressive. He has been with the same herd since 2010, and hasn't
run anyone through a fence since he took Fargo the Quarter horse for a run
in the summer of 2010. Times may always have this tendency, and, for this
reason, it may be in his best interest to have him remain a sanctuary
horse at ASAP. He has been ridden several times and is becoming very
affectionate and bonded with the Wellman family. ASAP would appreciate a
donation on his behalf.

DT - DT has had one adoptive home since 2005, and after being relinquished
to ASAP, he was in three foster homes. The first foster home proved to be
a bad experience, where he had a lack of feed. Thankfully, two other
foster homes were able to nurse him back to health, and he was brought
back to ASAP in the fall of 2010.
With all the things DT has been through, and a scar from an injury he
incurred on a right hind leg preventing him from being ridden without some
restriction, ASAP feels it to be in his best interest to remain at the
ASAP farm. He has been a great contribution to our youth programs, and
his beautiful conformation and gentle, gracious temperament makes him a
horse we are proud to have live at ASAP.

Cobrador Kosmos - this 13 year old trotting horse was donated by a very
caring owner. This owner also paid for Cobra's shipping to Wisconsin. Cobra had some healing to do after a rear leg injury, but it didn't take
him long to be under saddle and entertaining families who come to the
farm. Cobra is a character, and loves treats. He has bonded with Taser
Gun and has put on weight and is looking forward to the green grass of
spring and summer. We hope for your support to continue his care here at
ASAP.

Other horses who have been maintained by ASAP on a long term, sanctuary
basis include:
Little John
Strawberry
Brandy the Appaloosa (we need your support for her as well!) - now 25

Thanks to Marge B., who recently stepped up to volunteer to foster horses
for ASAP. She is currently fostering Sadie, Holly, and Kung Fu Guru.
We would love to have more foster families!!!

Urgent: Due to a death in the family, there are several horses in
Wisconsin who need to be moved immediately. These horses include:
Ginger the registered Quarter horse
Rocking Standout
Knee Hi - (half Belgian half Standardbred and Rocking Standout's foal)
Kokinos (?)
and more.....
Please help if you can!

ANYONE GIVING A DONATION OF $25 OR MORE WILL RECEIVE A CHOICE OF FLY MASK
OR FLY SPRAY, BRAND NEW AND IN THE BOX! SPECIFY YOUR CHOICE. ANYONE WHO
SENDS A GIFT OF $75 OR MORE WILL RECEIVE BOTH!!!!

Sue

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