Sky Ranch Sanctuary

A Horse Rescue Organization

Snitch (1997)-(2021)

Snitch

 

On Friday, September 3, my horse Snitch died unexpectedly after a brief illness, taking a big piece of my heart with him.

Snitch (Selket Raider) was 24, and our relationship began back in Michigan when he was a year old.  A playful prankster, Snitch was here with me when I established the sanctuary in 2013. He greeted each horse who became part of our sanctuary family (assuring each one they had come to the right place!?) Snitch had a way with gates…a way opening them. He greeted me each morning when I arrived at the barn with a whinny and paced at the pasture gate in the late afternoon reminding me it was time to bring the horses in for dinner. He would often nuzzle my shoulder when I led him out to the pasture. He seemed to never stand still. I will always miss him.

Snitch is buried out back at the edge of the woods. It’s a peaceful place where I can go, and sometimes when the breeze blows through the trees, he doesn’t seem so far away.

Spring is Here

 

Spring is here.  The horses are happy! Of course, I can’t get into their heads (though I’ve tried!), but there is green grass in the pasture so I think “happy” is a good guess.

Sheldon seems to be enjoying Spring and his retirement. That is when he isn’t busy removing boards from the fence. He tries to put his head through (like most horses and some people he subscribes to the axiom that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence), but his head is too big, and the board between the fence posts pops out; this, of course, startles him and he jumps back, but that won’t stop him from trying again later.  He is not deterred by an occasional setback. In addition to physical beauty and grace, horses have a natural spirit that begs admiration.

We hope you are enjoying the warmer days. Even if you live where winter seems to hang on with any teeth it has left, Spring is around the corner. And now hope for relief from the pandemic. Some members of our family, in spite of efforts to be safe, came down with the virus in varying degrees of “sick”, but all made it through, and we’ve either been vaccinated or are in line to get one. Be well!

We hope that the new normal will be a better normal, with the “greener grass” that seemed to be on the other side of the fence right here close by and reachable.  Over the past year, we must have learned what makes life sweeter.

I recommend Maria Shriver’s blog, The Sunday Paper, to any of you looking for hope and ideas of how to go forward with your “one wild and precious life.” (quote from poet Mary Oliver). Check it out.

To Spring!

 

Still Thankful

Thanksgiving, the official holiday, is over. December is here and reminders of Christmas’s approach are everywhere. We love Christmas, and we’re appreciating it, even more, this year as a distraction from the difficulties of this past year. Illness and deaths from Covid, a financial disaster for so many, and political chaos have shaken us to our core. But maybe it’s a time for a step back to continue giving thanks.

At Sky Ranch, we feel so lucky to be able to care for the horses, to enjoy watching them dive into their feed buckets in the morning; to watch them trot out into the pasture after breakfast, anticipating the “hay snacks” we put out until rain will bring grass for grazing, and then we can witness their anticipation at the gate at 4 p.m. to be brought back into the barn for dinner. A simple life and they seem more than content with it. Contentment feels like gratitude to me.

In the photo above, Digger is relaxing with his pals. If you look closely you can see he is sticking out his tongue. Some horses do that for some reason. He does it a lot! It’s comical and always brightens my day. Thank you, Digger!

Be well.

SIP/ We’re Sheltering in Place

 

The horses are enjoying autumn, which has finally brought us fall-like temperatures. The few scorching days we had earlier in October left us feeling tired and dusty, but we’re pretty good at recovering. Most rescue horses have had it worse and have come back.

Now that Sheldon has fully recovered from his head shaking syndrome and is back to his old self, he’s back in the pasture with the other horses..and liking it! There is a gate between him and the other horses to “keep the peace” (Sheldon brings some pecking order issues to this group!), but they all seem to enjoy being fully back together as a herd. Sheldon is the last one turned out in the morning, and Party Girl (our one mare) waits at the gate for him to be sure all are accounted for. She has put herself in charge of attendance!

We are so lucky, two-leggeds and four-leggeds, to live on a ranch where we have some natural space to stretch our legs and breathe in the air during this horrible pandemic. (We two-leggeds wear our masks and practice social distancing when we leave the ranch.) Perhaps the most important thing to remember during these stressful times is to give our best care and attention to all of those with whom we share this planet, human and animal alike. (And I want to include the coyotes, whom my husband refers to as “the bad boys!”)

We’re Here at Home


Crazy times. Tragic, frustrating, and challenging. The horses are fine. Digger had a cut near his eye and had stitches but is now doing great. (We have no idea how he got the cut, but those of you who have horses know how they find ways to injure themselves!) He also had a little round with ulcers and was off his feed but after treatment is now licking his plate again. Those of us who care for the horses are doing well and trying to follow the rules of engagement. We’re happy that the care and feeding of animals is considered an “essential service” and getting them what they need, be it food, meds or supplements has been easy. And they never lack for TLC.

The horses seem to like being at home, and this crisis is not bothering them.

We wish you good health, sanity and finding healthy ways to cope.

Stay safe.