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Race to Rescue

Your contribution will fund the rescue of three neglected ex-racehorses desperately in need of veterinary care and a stable place to rehabilitate!

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Race to Rescue

Race to Rescue

Race to Rescue

Race to Rescue

Race to Rescue

Your contribution will fund the rescue of three neglected ex-racehorses desperately in need of veterinary care and a stable place to rehabilitate!

Your contribution will fund the rescue of three neglected ex-racehorses desperately in need of veterinary care and a stable place to rehabilitate!

Your contribution will fund the rescue of three neglected ex-racehorses desperately in need of veterinary care and a stable place to rehabilitate!

Your contribution will fund the rescue of three neglected ex-racehorses desperately in need of veterinary care and a stable place to rehabilitate!

Clementine Darling
Clementine Darling
Clementine Darling
Clementine Darling
2 Campaigns |
Sebastopol, United States
$975 USD 19 backers
30% of $3,200 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

My Story:

I am one of a handful of volunteers that work hard to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome horses that are neglected, abused, abandoned, and destined for slaughter. Well Trained Horses of Icssoma Farm is responsible for successfully rescuing and rehoming 16 horses within the last year. I have had the opportunity of working with the wonderful folks of Icssoma Farm and the gentle giants that reside there for over a year now. I have been able to participate in many rescue efforts and seen them come to full completion. There is no better feeling than watching your patience bloom into a relationship of love and trust with a formerly abused horse and witnessing his/her unique personality finally emerging. When the wall of trauma comes tumbling down, what is left is beauty and grace. It is just as much of a pleasurable experience for the human as it is for the horse. I often feel that these horses are helping me more than I am helping them, reciprocating the gifts of patience, love, and nurturing. It is my offering to the horse that leads me to create this campaign. Will you help me give back to these beautiful creatures?

Their Story:

Maki’s Pleasure, Idalena, and Spring Arrival are all ex-racehorses who belong to one unprepared, well-intentioned man. He took them in with no horse experience other than an equine rehabilitation program he had participated in. The experience left him wanting more. He, like so many others, was awestruck by the special connection he felt to these beautiful creatures. He bought Maki’s Pleasure, an ex-racehorse with great pedigree. Soon after, he purchased Idalena as a companion for Maki. Spring Arrival, a rambunctious young horse came later.

The owner of these horses, who I will call “Steve” to keep his identity anonymous, eventually realized that he was not in a position to keep the horses and has been trying to find them homes for about a year. After his own attempts at posting ‘for sale’ flyers around town with no success, he contacted us. I personally went to do a site check. After the horses emptied Steve’s pockets of horse treats, he started to open up about himself and his relationship to his horses. He made it clear that he loves them but does not have the time or money for them anymore. He told me how animal control had been involved last year until he had made a few adjustments to the horses’ living conditions. Then Steve moved. The horses also moved, but they moved to a property about 45 minutes away to a patch of land where 15 goats and two cows already reside. Steve admitted that he only could make it out to feed once a week. (Our organization has been supplying hay for these horses for several months.) “I don’t know what they do other than that.” Steve said, shrugging and surveying the bald patch of dirt full of half eaten cactus plants that surrounded us. My heart sank. Knowing what I know about horses and grazing, it was clear that they had grazed every bit of what grass had once been. They all seemed to be at a decent weight but I also took into account their winter coats and that the rains have yet to come this year. I realized then that I must act now to keep these horses healthy through the winter.

I began to examine the horses and noticed the cracks and splits in their uneven hooves. Steve admitted that he had not brought in a farrier in the four or five years that he had owned the horses. Nor had he kept up on the horses vaccinations or deworming.

I asked Steve for a halter and lead rope and began to move through a series of tests. Maki was a perfect gentleman at the lead and did not resist when I held up his hooves. Spring Arrival did well after I finally caught her. Quiet Idalena was a different horse as soon as I snapped the lead to her halter. When I went to walk her forward she lowered her head and planted her feet and refused to move. All my efforts to get her to take a step or turn were in vain. It wasn’t until I picked up a stick off the ground, as I often do in place of a whip, did she throw her head back in horror and jump backwards. Sadness filled my heart as I witnessed the clear signs of abuse. I quickly dropped the stick to the ground and tried again. Idalena braced herself and didn’t budge. This time I tapped her rump with the end up the lead rope. Each time I did this she lurched forward or backward in fearful response. I abandoned the idea of using a prop to make her move and after coaxing for 20 minutes I was finally able to lead her. It was only then that I realized that she was off in her back leg. Her refusal to move was a plea that I not make her hurt, not a challenge.

You can find Maki’s profile here: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=5317776&registry=T

Idalena’s lineage can be found here: http://www.pedigreequery.com/idalena

What can I do to help?

Horse rescue is as costly as it is rewarding. There are many steps in the process and many costs in each step. Our first step is getting these horses out of neglect and onto our farm. To do this, we must be able to pay for veterinarian costs, which will include deworming ($15/horse) and vaccinations ($20 per vaccine/horse). Before the horses can come to us, they must be dewormed and vaccinated to keep our other horses healthy. These horses have very limited time left. They can only stay on the land until the end of January, however, we are literally buying time by paying off the landlord until we can raise the funds to take them. We are also currently supplying feed for all three horses ($18/bale) and will continue to need support in our feed costs when they come to us. There is the cost of the farrier work that needs to be done on all three horses. Idalena likely needs injections to help with her lameness, which is very costly. We hesitate to make our best guess at Idalena's condition and eagerly hope to get a veterinarian to examine her as soon as possible to determine what is causing her pain and to get her out of pain immediately. (When we hit our first $1000 mark we will bring Idalena onto our farm and begin the lengthy process of helping her to heal!) With your help and time, we will put in the work to rehabilitate these three horses to the best of their abilities and find them loving forever homes. 

All proceeds earned on this campaign will go directly toward rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming these three horses. The donations range from low to high because we know firsthand the impact of just one drop in the horse trough. Anybody, anywhere can give something. If you can’t afford to donate, then please support us by sharing this campaign, spreading the word, liking our Facebook page, and loving horses. We have come up with some amazing perks donated by our volunteers. Unique images of our horses in the form of postcards, cards, photos, art prints, calendars, posters, and one beautiful large framed print.

I have set this campaign to end on Valentine’s Day. Let’s give these horses the gift of love!

Past Campaigns

Were you a part of the “Help Save Flash” campaign last year? We raised over $1800 to give an abandoned horse a forever home.

http://igg.me/at/HelpSaveFlash/x/3504716

With Gratitude

Have we seen you at one of our bake sales? Have you liked our Facebook posts? Have you been to our “First Saturday Barn Tour?” Did you sample our homemade Gravenstein Apple treats from our own farm apples? Did you buy your sweetheart a painted horse shoe last Valentine’s Day? Did we wrap your presents this Christmas? Did you make it to our recent fundraising dinner on the farm? If your answer is yes, THANK YOU!

You too can be a horse rescuer! Donate today! 

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Choose your Perk

Hug a Horse

$1 USD
I will personally give a hug from you to one of the horses (or you can come out and hug them yourself!)
Estimated Shipping
February 2014
1 out of 3200 of claimed

Flake o' Hay

$5 USD
Buy a meal for a horse. Horses eat at least twice a day!
0 out of 640 of claimed

Bale Me Out!

$18 USD
Your contribution will pay for a whole bale of hay!
2 out of 200 of claimed

Post Card

$25 USD
You will receive a handwritten thank you postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
1 out of 50 of claimed

Blank Card Triple Pack

$40 USD
You will receive a triple pack of "blank on the inside" greeting cards each with an image of one of our resident members AND a handwritten thank you postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 25 of claimed

WTH Desk Calendar

$50 USD
A hardcover desk calendar with a monthly image of our horses AND a handwritten thank you postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 2 of claimed

Hand-Painted Horse Shoes

$100 USD
Some of our younger volunteers took this project on and hand-painted horse shoes previously worn by our horses! (See gallery for example photo) You also get a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
1 out of 10 of claimed

San Francisco Landmark Print

$100 USD
Gorgeous 11x14 prints of San Francisco's landmark homes by artist E.H. Williams circa 1989 generously donated by one of our volunteers. These prints are stunning! (See gallery for examples) You'll also receive a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
1 out of 20 of claimed

Well Trained Horses Art Print

$150 USD
Artsy photographs of our horses taken by one of our volunteers. 11x14 print AND a handwritten thank you postcard from one of our volunteers! (See Gallery for example print)
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 8 of claimed

Cody Photo Book

$200 USD
A photo book made by one of our own volunteers celebrating our beloved Cody who crossed the rainbow bridge this summer at 33 years old. You also get a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 5 of claimed

Signed, Numbered, and Framed

$250 USD
Same prints as "Well Trained Horses Art Print" but these prints are signed, framed, and numbered. (See gallery for example of unframed print) AND a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 4 of claimed

Orignial Horse Art Prints

$350 USD
Beautiful, fine horse art prints from one of our own volunteers. (See gallery for examples) AND a handwritten post card from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 4 of claimed

Lifesize Stuffed Mini Horse

$500 USD
An adorable soft, plush real-to-life size gray miniature horse stuffed animal AND a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 1 of claimed

Window-framed Bluff Art Print

$750 USD
A framed art photograph of our very own Bluff from one of our own volunteers. Beautiful piece of art! (See gallery for photo) AND a handwritten postcard from one of our own volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 1 of claimed

"Last to the Light" Art Print

$750 USD
An exquisite original piece of horse art from one of our very own volunteers. Signed by the artist. (See gallery for photo) AND a handwritten postcard from one of our volunteers!
Estimated Shipping
March 2014
0 out of 1 of claimed

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