Foster Famlies Urgently Needed / NEWSLETTER IS OUT!

Hi everyone,

As I write, we are in urgent need for foster care for two horses (I could easily name more!)......so contact me at asapinc@mwt.net if you would like to foster or adopt an aged Arabian gelding who is gray and very very kid safe, or a 6 year old mare who is sound.

The newsletter is now out - let me know if you have moved and did not get a copy. Also if you have the time email me your address if it has changed since adoption so we can update our records.

I heard from one owner today from Chicago who is sooo tickled to hear that his former race horse is thriving in his new home with the Huberts near Madison. He asked for three more copies of newsletters to mail to people he knows, since a picture of the horse he placed with us a few years ago is featured in it. It's great to have positive feedback!

From the USTA newsroom

I was blessed enough to be interviewed by Joshua Potts from the USTA. The article appeared on the usta web site today. Wanted to share it all with you! More later.... Susan
Oh, oops - sorry - it won't upload the article so if you can go on www.ustrotting.com
and click on the newsroom. I am sorry!!!
Susan

Happy Holidays

Hallelujah!!!

I have been trying to get into my blogspot all week. For some reason I have not been able to log on, feeling extremely frustrated. For some reason, today, it worked!

I wanted to share the latest pictures of Remmie the Standardbred we acquired from the Amish, and to let you know the latest goings on. I have finished the end of year newsletter and it is at the printer right now. So....in the next week the first copies should be arriving in your mailbox!

Horse adoptions are fairly slow, and this week another mare showed up at our doorstep so that puts us at five in the lower arena, and five in the two paddocks up above. Arne came back to the farm and is in with our own seven horses. Remmie, the Amish Standardbred, really has no where to go so we rotate him between the upper pasture (which has been shut off to our own horses) and the barn. He was so eager to get out of the barn two days ago that when I opened his stall and turned around to get the lead rope he SHOT past me and trotted, tail in air, down the driveway and up the road. I screamed "CRRRAAAIIIIIGGGG", but it was in vain.....so away I ran down the driveway and to the gate to the pasture. If any of you have ever been here you know our neighbor is not a big fan of horses, and if any hoof even comes CLOSE to his lawn he is out yelling profusely at us. Two teens and Zach spent an entire afternoon filling divets in the lawn after a nice rain last summer. Evidently, someone had left a gate unlatched and horses helped themselves to the lush green grass in our neighbor's yards. So I was in panic mode, knowing the wrath that was upon me if I didn't think of something quick to catch Remmie with. Now, I know better than to run after a horse who is feeling pretty good about having gotten away and is free, so I pulled one of Gawani Pony Boy's strategies and opened up the gate to the pasture really wide and walked into the pasture and bent over as if I were pouring grain out for Remmie. The dogs all ran up to see what I was doing, and Remmie, who was standing quite proudly smack dab middle of the cranky neighbor's lawn, couldn't stand it. I didn't dare look, but stayed bent over as if I was doing something veryyyyy curious, and I heard the hard clippety-clop of his hooves as he trotted about 20 mph towards the pasture gate, through the gate, and up to my "pretend" pile. I scrambled for the gate and chained it swiftly. Remmie put his tail in the air and headed up hill towards the greener part of the pasture and I humbly, gingerly, quietly, hoping to be invisib-ly tippy toed up the road to my driveway, praying "Please don't let him come out and yell, please don't let him come out and yell". Well, I was in luck! He and his wife must not have been looking, or better yet, they must not have been home! Whew.....I have learned that I will have the lead rope ready to clip on before I ever open the gate or stall door again to get Remmie out!!!! By the way, he does need a home very soon. Doesn't anyone want a horse that rides and drives? Please get ahold of me!

The weather has gotten me down a pinch, but not having snow is good. Wouldn't it be nice to not get any white stuff until January? It would make the winter seem so much shorter. I am already dreaming of Yuma, Orlando, or San Diego!!!!

Thanks to so many, our finances have almost recovered. We accepted donations in excess of $10,000 since I last wrote. Thanks so much to those of you who have supported us for 14 years now and continue to believe in our mission. We want to be faithful stewards, and we are learning that we don't know unless we ask!

Will write more before Christmas - hope everyone is well!

Hugs,

Susan

Wednesday's Horse

Here is a wonderful POA that you cannot pass up!
A family contacted ASAP hoping to find a lifetime placement with ASAP.
Jetta is a young POA mare - silver/gray in color. She has been ridden both Western and bareback, and occasionally with a bitless bridle. She is healthy and sound, but must be moved shortly. She is within the 920 area code in Wisconsin. Please get ahold of me quickly at asapinc@mwt.net or 608-689-2296 if you or someone you know is interested!

Also, special thanks to Jackie Tierney of Iowa for all her hard work in fostering Tilly the registered breeding stock Paint. She went way out of her way to help with a hard situation and provided great care for Tilly.
Hats off to you! And thanks to Katy in Wisconsin for providing for her in her new home.

The Amish horse is gaining weight rapidly and I will post pictures tomorrow or the next day. He is energetic and sassy despite all he has been through, and his bottom lip flops when he trots - oh so cute!

New Horses Needing Homes

Hey all.....
Until we get the new web master up and moving, I will post new horses that are needing homes right here. I don't have pictures yet, but as of today I have taken in the following:

12 year old Arabian gelding - in Wisconsin - healthy and well mannered, for personal reaons this horse needs a home. Please contact asapinc@mwt.net or call 608-689-2399

DICTIONARY
This 24 year old COAL BLACK stallion made over $800,000 during his lifetime. He has sired over 10 foals but it is time to find him a permanent home. He is currently near Effingham Illinois. He is easy to handle and is on turnout. Call 608-689-2399 or email me at asapinc@mwt.net

KINGFISH ELMHURST
20 year old Standardbred stallion. Bay, average height and build.
This horse raced until age 9 or 10, and has been a family pet ever since.
He is easy going and gentle - up to date on shots and worming - on turnout and located near Balmoral Park in Crete, Illinois. Elmhurst is sound and healthy and looks more like a 10 year old. Please call 608-689-2296 or email asapinc@mwt.net

ROULETTE
6 year old Standardbred gelding located near Barrington, Illinois. This horse had a hip fracture at some point and the owners feel he cannot be ridden, though he runs and frolics in pasture. If he is not placed he may be euthenized, as the boarding farm is accumulating other horses.
Please call the numbers above or email me! We want to save this wonderful sweet horse who still has years to give to the right person!

Web Site and Other Information

Can you believe it has been this long since I updated the blogs? Remmie is steadily putting on weight - he is the Amish horse pictured in my last blog. He now whinnies each time he sees me and has a bounce in his step that says, "Life is good!". We turn him out each morning by himself in his own big pasture. I am sure he is waiting for taking a trip into town, but it isn't happening! Once the fat covers his bones I will be eager to try him out for riding. His coggins is back and he is coming along better than we expected. Now to find him a good home!!

I think Dondi and I will coordinate the Midwest Horse Fair in 08. Now we need to know who will fill our 8 stalls. If you are interested please make sure to get with me quickly. I believe four stalls are filled already. The theme for next year's horse fair is "Dancing With the Horses". HMMMMMMMM.....the light bulb is on!

We need someone willing to, once again, update our web site, or teach me how to do it. The gal who was doing it has decided to resign for horse-related reasons. Since she was charging ASAP for her services it is money saved, but we are willing to pay someone else to maintain it if totally necessary. So please - this is urgent- think about it and if your heart is in it give me an email at asapinc@mwt.net

The Country Today paper was out to do an article on Taser Gun and ASAP. That should be out next week. And Hoofbeats will do an article on ASAP after the holidays! As far as John Lyons goes, I am thinking of having people collect pledges. Any pledges collected earns one ticket - one pledge sheet per person. What are your thoughts on this as opposed to a straight ticket price? Thanks to Heather F. (adoptive mom of Kokinos and Silent Pursuit) for helping us get the word out about John Lyons coming next July 19.

Gotta run, but hope to hear from you!

Susan

Remmie has arrived!

Well the Amish horse, the small black bay gelding, has arrived thanks to Terry Levendoski (hauler) and Andrea T. (the wonderful compassionate woman who paid for Remmie). The vet has been out and has listened carefully and has declared his heart and lungs healthy, although he said that this was one of the skinniest horses he has seen in quite a long time. Remmie was a patient boy while the doc stared at his teeth and throat. The vet did mention that whoever adopts Remmie will have to have some teeth work done, as he has at least one sharp point on each side. I have gotten a quote of approximately $125 from Town and Country Vet Hospital for a power float.....not too bad! We have given Remmie his first dose of panacur wormer, and we are giving it to him 1/3 dose at a time along with bute in case he is loaded with parasites, which is the vet's guess. He is soooooo hungry that every time he sees me he just whinnies, begging for food! He is getting all the hay he can eat, and we are slowly adding feed with equishine vitamins. I think he has gained weight already! The Amish did mention that the kids have ridden Remmie for years in addition to driving him. This horse, even though so thin, is no slouch! I can hardly keep up with him going down to the gate and out to pasture each day. We have to keep him separated from the other horses until his coggins comes back. I have to tell you I am already in love!!!

We adopted out Niobium N and Silent Pusuit two weeks ago. Both are quite happy in their new homes and their adopters could not be more pleased. Now new horses are arriving without invitation. It is squeezing us to our limit so we are waiving fees on several horses that are older but still sound...........

Hey! Thinking about quick get-away? We have a cabin (3 bedroom, 2 bath) in the Black Hills of South Dakota that we would love to rent you on a daily or weekly basis - . If you are interested in seeing pictures of the cabin/house, go to http://www.vrbo.com/ and go to listing #72975.

Please also consider taking pledges now for John Lyons tickets for next July. Every dollar you collect will buy a child or youth a ticket who otherwise could not afford one! Let us know if you need a pledge sheet. I will update the site as soon as I get battteries for my digital this week - and have new pics of Mc Lock and Fox Valley Spy to show you!

Until later,

Susan

Foster Care Opportunities

Hello - have you ever wanted to make a difference in the life of a horse?

I, myself, do foster care for children and also care for horses waiting for homes. As director of a 501 c 3 non profit, I can personally tell you that if you would consider providing a home for a horse in need, it would be 100% tax deductible. Most foster homes provide hay, feed, shelter, and farrier services for horses. Some even provide dewormer. And a few even pay for routine and emergency veterinary care. All of this entitles a person to a tax deduction. Most importantly, there are horses who have an urgent need for placement, with no place to go currently. Some of these horses include:

Ebony - 20+ Thoroughbred - black - sound - currently near Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Holly - 20+ Standardbred cross mare - sound - hard keeper - herd bound but would make an incredible pasture pal or companion horse

Shay N Tell - 6 year old breeding stock Paint mare - 16 hands - sorrel with white - an incredible sound, intelligent mare with tons of potential located near Fort Dodge Iowa (see list of Horses Available on our site)

Standardbred gelding in Springfield, IL

Standardbred gelding in Indiana

Both sound

Lester 20+ Quarter horse gelding. Thanks to Ursula, Lester has been on lush pasture all summer and looks GREAT. He is healthy and in good flesh.....easy keeper. Hard to catch but a dream to ride!!! Sound.

Sarajevo - Standardbred trotting-bred mare in Minnesota. Sound. 6 yrs.

Picasso - Quarter horse gelding - sound - show quality - in northern MN

Anxious Larry - striking sorrel Standardbred gelding - age 15 - sound - in northern MN

Washington state - Standardbred mare - needs placement in Washington or shipping back into Wisconsin ASAP....sound and trained to ride and drive.

Zeus - Thoroughbred gelding - 17+ hands - sorrel - sweet and gentle - trained to ride but has had some rear leg issues in past

Pinedon - Standardbred trotting-bred mare in her teens - easy keeper - sound - trained to ride and drive - in Wisconsin - bay

Black Standardbred gelding - coming from Amish this week - will probably need some TLC............

Just think of the opportunity you have to help a horse! Of course, adoption is the optimum hope for these horses, but at the same time there is some urgency in these horses going to a new home, so if you can help please call me at 608-689-2296 - this is my home number! Or try my cell at 608-792-5126. I thank you very very much!

Taser Gun and Me At Hawthorne

There was an article done by Cicero Life news publication in August that featured a picture of Miss Illinios and Broderick (former trotting champion adopted by Adrienne De Master) and Taser Gun and I that I would like to share.

Promoter Needed!

Sorry it has taken so long to write - I haven't known how to report that the silent auction at Balmoral on Super Night did not go well.....despite all of the hard work and donations by so many of you, there was miscommunication with track staff and we only had a table in the dining room and one in the Billy's Barn area. The table we needed so badly was down in the outside area where we usually are for maximum coverage but there were not enough tables. In addition, no staff was assigned to publicizing us during the races so we never got announced and no one knew there was a silent auction going on. This is such a contrast from how ASAP is treated at Hawthorne that it was a bit disappointing. It can be partly my fault but things are already being arranged more clearly for next year's Super Night to avoid this happening again. We only auctioned two baskets and sold t-shirts totaling $280.00. When you factor in gas to get to the track, 350 miles, and motel, it hardly paid off.

I am so sorry to all of you who had high hopes for this event as we did. We can only hope that we will once again be invited to the ISOBA dinner and a raffle with the items you donated will be used there.

We need a go-getter for the upcoming John Lyons clinic. If you feel you have the time and energy to promote this event via press releases, public service announcements, contacting all media, and the ability to sell tickets to see John please contact me. There is potential for income with this position. We would like to double our attendance next July from 175 persons to 350, but we need to get moving soon. Please contact me at asapinc@mwt.net if you think you have what it takes!

Gator Chaser, No More Compromise, and Fox Valley Equinox all went to homes this past week. Two will be placed together and one will remain with Weenonah, who has adopted four horses previously from ASAP. Thanks to Weenonah for helping us also ship Fellowship Divine to the ASAP farm this week! Penguin Beware and Sunny Forecast may also find a new home this weekend. They will be pasture buddies to Mini Happi Times and Pistol Pete N!!!!

Welcome to Niobium and Bell Valley Spy who arrived a few days ago and thanks to the gentleman who shipped them here!! So much goings on.

We need foster care or adoption for Lester, Arne, Cat (a 16 year old Quarter horse mare) this winter, in case any of you are interested. Arne always has a place here due to his racing injury, but it would be nice to see the others find a permanent home, as they have been waiting for so long. Many thanks to Ursula Cejpek and her husband for donating their land this summer for pasture - it was a perfect haven/heaven for Brandy and the rest!

So I will continue to keep you updated as much as I can. There is a horse at the local Amish who needs a home or he will be shipped to kill - he is thin and black and a gelding - I will need to rally donations if we are going to save this horse!

Susan