Pay it Forward Friday! (and Saturday and Sunday)

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Salve photoHowdy Everybody!

I’ve been sneaking around the barn again!  It’s getting kind of tough for a horse to get a hoof in around here these days as things have been so busy, but I just use that busyness to my advantage…grab a mouthful of hay here, a bite of grass there, a tasty peppermint from Lisa’s office – yum!

Because I feel like Strider is getting all the attention and no one’s paying as much attention to me as I think they should, I’m going to let the cat out of the bag!  Okay, so the cat really isn’t in the bag – that would be mean – and we don’t even have a cat here…so, I guess I’m spilling the beans!

So, there is this company called Zephyr’s Garden that is doing this really cool thing for rescue’s called “Pay it Forward”.  What this means is that the rescue organization, in this case it’s NWESC, and Zephyr’s Garden picks a weekend in which they donate 10% of all of their sales to the rescue (NWESC).  BUT, they also donate a quarter for every person who “likes” their Facebook page too!  How cool is that????

Oh, but it gets better…all of Zephyr’s Garden products were inspired by Georgette’s (the owner) desire to find a more natural way to care for Zephyr, her Belgian Warmblood. For Georgette and Zephyr, it started with a pasture layup for hoof ailments and Georgette’s inability to find natural products to meet Zephyr’s needs.  The poor guy had a list of issues from bug and horse bites, cuts, bruises, and hooves in dire need of fast, healthy growth. So Georgette decided to take matters into her own hands and she researched herbs and created the initial line of Zephyr’s Garden products. From there things just kept blossoming (literally and figuratively)!

What I think is really cool (other than the fact that NWESC is benefitting from Zephyr’s Garden’s generosity) is that nothing is artificial about the products.  In fact, the labels are online for every product and you will see exactly what is included (and what is not).  They also create their products in small batches, themselves (no outsourcing) so what you get is fresh and of high quality.  Then the best thing of all – Zephyr is a show jumper…and he’s barefoot!

If you have a dog, Zephyr’s Garden also has a product line for them!

Anyway, if you are stocking up for spring and the show season, please consider ordering your shampoos, fly sprays, salves, aromatherapy essentials, sore muscle gels and liniments, anti-fungal sprays, hoof care products, canine supplies and MORE through Zephyr’s Garden (www.ZephyrsGarden.com) this coming weekend, February 17th, 18th and 19th!  Remember 10% of all of their sales come right back to NWESC!   

And if you don’t have a horse to buy for…well I’ll just bat these dark chocolate eyes at you because we’d sure appreciate some goodies too!

Pay It Forward Starts TOMORROW – Friday (2/17)!!

Responsible Pet Owners Month

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We humans have an inordinate number of days, weeks, and months designated as holidays and special days worthy of recognition.  While some are national holidays of a very serious nature, others are rather unofficial.  Despite of, or maybe because of, our desire to celebrate special days of recognition we now have another one to add to that list because the entire month of February is Responsible Pet Owners Month.

Did you know that according to the Humane Society of the United States that we collectively own more than 77 million dogs, 93 million cats, 12 million birds, 7 million horses and countless other species of pets (i.e. guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards, snakes, turtles, gerbils, fish, etc.)?  Despite the fact that we here at NWESC have a special fondness for pets, it is pretty apparent that a good portion of the US does as well!

For that reason, Responsible Pet Owners Month was created to remind us all about the importance of properly caring for our animals – horses included!  Being responsible for our animals means making sure that they have everything that they need on a daily basis.  Sure it can be easy to feed a balanced diet, have clean, fresh water available, and provide shelter, but it is important to consider the things that you might not think about on a daily basis.  Those things include proper grooming, training, attention and socialization, exercise, veterinary care, hoof care, up-to-date identification in case you become separated from your pet, and cleaning up after them…just to name a few!

So to help celebrate Responsible Pet Owners Month, NWESC would like to suggest that you give your beloved pet(s) an extra treat and we’d like to ask you – what does responsible pet ownership mean to you?

Soul Mates

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By Dr. Penny Lloyd (www.ConnectiontheBestMedicine.com)

Dr. Penny and Bangwyn
© by Jeff Navarro

Life long partners – a rare thing these days.  If you reflect back on your life, you will begin to see that most come and go.  They cross your path for a short while, and then it is time to move on.  You come together at a certain similar place, grow a garden, and then move on after harvest.  Change is inevitable.  If you let it be, moving on is part of the natural flow of things.  We are not carbon copies.  We all walk different paths to expand in different areas.  It is a rare thing to have someone that grows along side you in a mutually beneficial way for a lifetime.  That intricate of a match is a special one.

Bangwyn is a horse that I am honored to have walked beside for all of her life and most of mine.  She was born into the family.  Over the years, she has done her thing while I have done mine.  She knew me way back in college!  Back when all was freshly possible.  There was a whole big world out there to explore and that we did.  We moved to from Canada to the USA in a rickety homemade trailer.  We raced bareback across prairie fields, splashed through mountain streams, and jumped anything in our path, just for the fun of it.  Both of us pranced through life exploring new territories with the bold carefree abandon of youth.

Our activities changed as we did.  College days were over.  Now we were on the career track.  Devouring all the latest information, fads, and gadgets, we entered the fast paced game of keen intellect and popular activities.  We were yuppies, working hard and playing harder.  We tried all kinds of sports.  Professional training, computerized saddle fit, special bits, high tech blankets, support wraps, heart rate monitors, sport specific conditioning, force plate analysis, nutrient boosters, performance therapies, horsemanship clinics.  Fancy gear and refined taste was our life.  Together we explored hauling, competing, winning and losing.  We experienced the pleasures and limits of what mainstream road to success had to offer.

Following that was the “now what?” phase.  Having seen and done the conventional “best of the best”, there was nothing left to conquer.  This empty spot brought questions.  A different exploration was underway.  With it, the extraordinary in the ordinary began to surface.  It wasn’t all about doing a bunch of stuff anymore.  We began to learn from each other in a deeper way.  To the outside observer, sitting quietly together might look quite boring.  But it was anything but mundane.  It was a blossoming rich inner world experience full of magic and possibility.  The next phase in our journey was underway.  Developing the inner dimension.

If you would like to see Part Two of “Soul Mates” about our experience with colic together, go to www.ConnectiontheBestMedicine.com

 

Hey, we got Hay!

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I am THE luckiest horse in the world!!!

I swear, people just can’t resist me! It must be my devastating good looks, or maybe my gorgeous teeth, or these deep chocolate eyes. Ah, I am a looker! Oh…but back to me being lucky!

So, you know we had that hay raffle where we raffled off a ton of hay that was so graciously donated by Red Hawk Horse and Hay Ranch…and you know how they tortured me with that bale of delicious smelling hay that was right next to my stall…and you know how I batted these chocolate eyes and pleaded with you to buy some tickets and then give some to me, right???

Oh dude! It WORKED!!!!

Lynn Parsley was the winner of that ton of tasty hay AND she donated half of it back to NWESC!

Oh my gosh! I was beside myself excited for that hay to be delivered. After months of torture and begging and pleading, this big ol’ truck came rolling down the driveway with half a ton of the stuff just waiting to be put into my hungry tummy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Lynn Parsley for donating half of that back to NWESC and another huge thank you to Red Hawk Horse and Hay Ranch for the donation of the hay!! Horse eating hay

My only issue…I have to share! You know, I’m the one who did all the work here. You’d think they’d get that and let ME have all of it for myself. Seriously, what does a horse have to do around here to get a little respect?!?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go eat!

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

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Did you know that equine dental disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, and even infections in other organs?

Did you realize that proper dental care can increase feed utilization, maximize your horse’s comfort, improve your horse’s overall health and even improve your horse’s performance?

Over the past decade there has been an increase in veterinarian and horse owner knowledge when it comes to understanding the importance of equine dental care.  Studies have shown that a horse’s dental health is an integral factor in many other health issues that could affect your horse.  Dental disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, and even serious systematic infections.  However, performance issues, poor coat and hoof conditions, choke and even colic could all also be symptoms of dental pain and abnormalities.

A preventative health care program for the equine mouth is an extremely important part of health care for horses and something that should be addressed on a regular basis.  NWESC’s very own Jennifer Warmke has written an informative article on the process and benefits of regular equine dental care.  To view the article, follow the link http://horsesamurai.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/the-importance-of-equine-dental-care.pdf.

NWESC urges you to keep up-to-date on your horse’s health so that you can help your horse avoid any issues resulting in unnecessary suffering.  Please contact your veterinarian to schedule your horse’s dental examination today!

Books Wanted!

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Hello Humans!  It is Dollar here again!

You know, it has been pretty quiet around the office the last couple of days.  I guess all this snow and ice is keeping everyone home – although that provides me with an excellent opportunity to do some snooping.  Oh yeah, I’m an observant one!  I know there’s something going on in there!

So, since I kinda have the run of the place I decided to get on into the office, play some horsey games on the computer and see what I could see.  Holy Horse Bisquits!  You should see all the books in there!  Now, I know that Dr. Hannah has one heck of a collection all her own, but there were books in there on training, saddle fit, riding, dressage – you name it!  I mean a horse could read for days!

I wondered what that was all about so I asked Beau if he knew what was up.  He wasn’t quite sure either so we both went to the ‘queen’ (or Cricket as you humans know her) to see if she knew.

Of course, Cricket knows everything so she told us that NWESC is working on this new, cool fundraising campaign and they are collecting books so that they can launch the campaign in early February.  How fun!

Anyway, I was hoping that my loyal fans out there could help out by donating some gently used books, CDs or DVDs to NWESC so that they can launch this thing out of the universe in February.  Can you help a horse (or horses) out????

If you have books, CDs or DVDs to donate, you can drop them off at NWESC or contact Jennifer (who, by the way, has this pretty little filly that comes out here from time to time…) at Jennifer@NWESC.org for more details.

Oh, and watch Facebook in February for this thing that they’re putting together.  It should be fun!!!

Stay safe and warm in this crazy winter weather!  I kinda like it…it makes me feel frisky!

Unraveling the Emotional and Physical Aspects of Injury

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Photo of Beau
Beau at Liberty

By Dr. Hannah – I first met Beau and started working on him in November of 2010.  Beau had a history.  He would rear up and flip over from even the slightest pressure on his back.  He was so sensitive that it was risky to even take his blanket on and off.  But it wasn’t his fault.  While the cause of the injury was unknown (he was a new horse to his owner and the previous owner had not disclosed the injury), we did know he had been an eventer and upper level dressage horse in his past, so we put our minds to work and our best guess is that he had some kind of a flip over accident (possibly a jumping accident) and that is why he had been sold.

For Beau, the pressure of even a turnout blanket could cause his back to severely hurt and with pain being a very real factor Beau would anticipate that pain, become frightened and tense up his whole body.  What Beau did not know was that the body tension was making the pain escalate and the result would end in him exploding out of fear.

During Beau’s initial assessment, we discovered a pattern.  When Beau moved, he would tense his nostrils, invert his neck and had difficulty lifting his back and bringing his hind end underneath himself.  This started us on a treatment plan and after doing a few chiropractic adjustments, we were happy to see some improvement, but knew that the problem was far from resolved.  In my attempt to diagnose his pain, I did x-rays and found a slightly narrowed space between two vertebra at the base of his withers, but nothing significant enough to explain his behavior.  I then sent him to Pilchuck for further diagnostics and to look for a fractured vertebra, however no significant abnormalities were found.  We soon realized that short of a bone scan, which wasn’t in our budget, we weren’t going to get a definitive diagnosis.

It was clear that Beau would need an intensive rehabilitation program because the chiropractic adjustments every few weeks were not often enough to make the progress he needed, and so Beau came to the EHVC Equine/NWESC barn for two weeks of rehabilitation in our EHVC Equine program.  During those two weeks Beau and I really hit it off – to the point that by the end of the two weeks I was doing liberty round pen work with Beau mirroring my movements to the point where I could, at liberty, change his posture and way of movement to a relaxed gait with proper self-carriage.

His high level of training and connection with people in the past made my connection with him easy and allowed me to advance quickly once his body started to feel better.  With the results I saw with work at liberty, I decided to try the same work with Beau only with long lines and working outside of the arena around the property.  In time Beau became willing and responsive to my cues.

Along with retraining Beau’s body movement in motion, I began to focus on rehabilitation with physical therapy sessions.  We began with leg stretches, neck and back stretches, massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture to heal his body and manage his pain and he responded well to the treatments, despite his initial sensitivity to the acupuncture needles.  As Beau improved and began to realize that he felt better after treatments, he became more tolerant and trusting.

I believe that Beau truly appreciated that I was connected to his pain and emotional trauma and hence we began a body language and energy dialog to help him unravel the emotional and physical layers of his injury.  Within two weeks Beau would allow me to saddle him up and tighten the girth fairly normally, despite the fact that he still would tense his nostrils.  When Beau would tense up, I would use the telescoping neck stretch to remind him to relax his neck periodically and the more relaxed I was, the more relaxed he became.  I discovered that talking to Beau about his back and showing him that I understood his fear helped him relax and I realized that with Beau, addressing the emotional component of his injury would be a key part of his recovery.

Further work was needed for Beau’s complete recovery, and I knew I could help him, so a work trade was made and Beau became part of the NWESC program for long-term rehabilitation and placement in a forever home.  Beau has since become a star part of our Equine Facilitated Learning program as a therapy horse.  He is unique because of his eagerness to connect with people and his past trauma.  Both aspects help him relate to people who also have had physical or emotional traumas.

To further help Beau’s emotional rehabilitation, we integrated him into our herd so that he could have turnout in a large pasture and enjoy a truly natural and holistic lifestyle.  Since then his confidence has grown, his body has changed and he has recovered to the point where I am now able to ride him at the walk, trot, and canter.  I am so excited to announce that Beau and I will soon be enjoying his first trail ride in the next week or two as well!

While Beau still curls his nostrils a bit when I dismount – if I lean forward over his withers, so we still have a bit of work to do – I am confident that he now enjoys to be ridden and will graduate from our rehabilitative program with a full recovery.

Look for us at a dressage show or two this spring…unless he finds his forever home before then!

 

 

Surrender

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I would like to jump start 2012 with a story that I think can make the biggest difference in our lives (and our animals).  Transforming this pattern is HUGE!!  If I had to pick one thing, this is the biggest gift we can give ourselves, and our world right now.  This one will give us the biggest bang for our buck – talk about fireworks – this is the real deal.

Surrender

Guest Blog by Dr. Penny

Once upon a time there was a palomino horse named Surrender.  She was always so very tired.  Her eye was vacant, and her hipbones stuck out.  Her tail hung brittle and lifeless, as she plowed through the fields.  Her efforts were never good enough.  A break was never allowed.  Her master always wanted more.

From the moment she awoke to the moment she fell asleep she would hear the voice that drove her faster and harder.  She was always at maximum capacity.  They would start before dawn and work later each day.  It seemed there was never enough time to get all the work done.

The voice of her master was harsh and driving.  The reins had no elasticity.  The severe bit constantly jerked her bewildered head from side to side.  If she hesitated for a brief second to catch her breath, out would come the whip.  She was constantly on edge.  Her fatigued muscles trembled.

At the end of each long day, Surrender would plod back to the stables.  She would dodge the menacing bites of other horses to snatch a piece of hay.  Then she would cower in the far corner of the pen.  She had no energy left to make friends.  Her world was a yucky place.  She saw no way out.

One day it began to rain.  The wind picked up and they blindly plowed through the pounding storm.  Soon they were stuck in a bog.  Her master flew into a screaming rage, wildly demanding more.  But her senses were dulled.  The whip no longer stung like it once did.  The calluses at the corners of her mouth were thick.  She gave up.  At the height of the crisis, something miraculous happened.

For the first time, Surrender heard a new voice.  The voice was like bathing in warm milk.  It was velvety soft and whispered hope back into her veins.  It said “Rest young filly.  You have done enough – more than enough.  You have been trying way too hard.  There is an easier way.  But do not fret about that right now.  Let us simply rest.”

She was swept away by the silky smooth voice.  The harsh words of her taskmaster grew dim.  Soon they completely dissolved.  In their place was a growing, warm spaciousness.  For the first time, Surrender was embraced by the rosy glow of the sweet voice she had always longed for.

Surrender had found a new home.  For a while she rested.  One by one, all the aches that had plagued her body disappeared.  Her coat held a new shine.  A sparkle appeared in her eye.

One day she held her head high and took in her new surroundings.  What once had been a bleak barren landscape had been transformed.  For the first time she noticed the cheerful birds singing their songs of renewal into her heart.  The air was fragrant with blossoming life.  The breeze on her face filled her with infinite possibility.  It was all so beautiful that her eyes filled with tears.

She was surrounded by support.  It had always been there.  She just could not see it before.  The other horses looked at her with soft kind curious eyes.  They were a friendly bunch.  The sun was warm on her back.  She lay down on soft fragrant straw.  The barn cat purred her to sleep each night.

The voice of her new master continued to be kind and comforting.  Superhorse efforts were no longer required.  Whatever she had to offer was good enough.  Not just good enough, but deeply appreciated.  There was new contentment in exactly where she was and who she was.  Along with that came a growing strength and vitality.

Soon she was tossing her bountiful mane and prancing on limbs bursting with energy.  What had once seemed like work was now delightful play.  Life was fun!  Tasks no longer existed.  It was all about new ways to savor life.  Joyfully she nickered her enthusiasm to all that would listen.

Horse Photo

Surrender

In a pinnacle moment, Surrender had changed her life.  Now, she wanted to do everything because it was so much fun – or do nothing because it was so much fun.  And she lived happily ever after in the eternal stream of love.

MORAL OF THE STORY:  If you want to be a fine dancing Thoroughbred, don’t treat yourself like an old nag.

For more on this topic and others regarding growing our healing bond with animals & nature, visit www.ConnectionTheBestMedicine.com

New Year’s Resolutions

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As 2011 comes to a close, we here at NWESC have a lot to be thankful for!  It was another successful year filled with great events, educational series, new volunteers and staff, and of course, the horses.  For all the highs and lows that we’ve experienced in 2011, we have grown in experience, knowledge, strength and collaboration.  Now it is time to start planning for the next chapter in our lives and begin looking at what we want to and would like to accomplish in 2012.

In 2012, NWESC would like to keep the positive changes and growth moving forward.  We still plan on having all of our usual fundraising events, educational series, and more; but, we are also looking at creating a strategic plan.

Practicing good stewardship means being accountable to others.  A strategic plan will help us move forward.  It will allow us to take a closer look at our mission and vision so that we can outline the steps that we need to take as an organization to achieve our desired future.  As a popular line goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up someplace else.”  All of us here at NWESC want to create a dynamic and flexible organization that can sustain the ups and downs that inevitably occur with any non-profit organization so that we can continue to help horses in need.

But the changes won’t stop there!  As we expand and grow stronger, we will keep you updated via this blog, and on our Facebook and Twitter sites.  2012 is looking to be an exciting year for us and we are looking forward to sharing it all with you!

As always, NWESC relies upon YOU!  We simply could not do what we do without your help.  Those of us here at NWESC, and the horses that we support and rehabilitate, deeply appreciate your support and all that you do to help us succeed.

Christmas Wishes

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The holidays are a good time to remember to say “thank you” to everyone who helps make NWESC successful.  While often times our gratitude is expressed in a heartfelt thanks, it is important to us that you know just how much what you do and give means to us.

In looking back on an amazing year, NWESC is grateful to the community who shared in making it all happen.  Over the years we have met some great people who were willing to donate their time, items, money and support.  Your involvement helps improve the quality of life for all the horses that we support.  Without you, many of the horses that are in desperate need of rehabilitation and care would go without.

The horses here at NWESC and the horses that have touched our lives are the founding reason behind what we do.  Every day they give us so much more than what we feel we could ever give back.  They have grounded us and given us a healthy dose of humility.  They have served as our companions, teachers and friends.  And through them, we individually have each grown and learned to think of greater things.

For those reasons and many, many more, NWESC staff, volunteers, and horses once again say THANK YOU for all that you do.  We are truly blessed!

Merry Christmas!