Sky Ranch Sanctuary

A Horse Rescue Organization

Summer at Sky Ranch

I guess it isn’t officially summer for a week or so, but here at Sky Ranch we’ve gone into summer mode. It’s warmer, the flies are here (though our Fly Predators keep them at bay), the horses wear their fly masks every day (note photo of Snitch sporting his), the sun/rain shelters in the pastures will get more use, and it’s daylight when we feed the horses in the morning.

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During the winter, we spend more time indoors and that makes for lots of time for reflection. When the day’s work is done, winter welcomes a fire in the fireplace, a good book, or maybe an indoor project.

When spring arrives the juices start flowing faster again, and we are reminded to take action. There are so many things going on in the world and a lot of them are distressing: mass shootings, wars, extreme poverty, and on a more personal level, the often petty, but at times overwhelming frustrations of our daily lives. And for those of us who love animals, hearing about the abuse and neglect they suffer can make us feel helpless to turn things around.

I think it helps to “do something.” It doesn’t have to be a big thing. You can adopt an animal, support a friend who has animals by offering to pet-sit, volunteer at an animal rescue or advocacy group, or make a donation to an animal welfare organization. Don’t be stopped by thoughts that the “little” you can do is insufficient considering how huge the problem is. Each contribution to the cause matters, and even small steps get us closer to our goal.

Use the energy of the summer life to take action. Think small, do what you can, and help make a huge difference.

Digger Then and Now: See Your Dentist!

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When Digger arrived at Sky Ranch last November, above is the way he looked. The caretaker at his former home would throw out hay which worked fine for the other horses, but Digger couldn’t chew it. When they discovered his teeth were probably the culprit, the absentee owner didn’t want to pay for dental work. The only options left were to let him starve or put him down. Well there was actually another option: Sky Ranch.

The caretaker and owner were anxious to try this third option. After Digger’s arrival here, and after allowing a few days for him to settle in , he had his teeth done. He needed a couple of extractions and lots of remedial work. Then it was just a matter of giving him food he could eat. He loves his senior feed and enjoys his softened alfalfa cubes. As you can see from the photo below, he’s doing much better. Regular dental check-ups are critical to a horse’s health and survival. If you have a horse of your own, make dental care a priority.

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Be Prepared/ Horses and Disasters

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Disaster preparedness is important for all animals, but it takes extra consideration for horses because of their size and requirements for transporting them. It’s imperative to be prepared to move the horses to a safe area. Access to a trailer, in good condition,and a pre-planned route of escape…actually two possible routes of escape..are necessary. Evacuation experts suggest practicing routes with the trailer and making sure all of the horses are willing to be loaded with only one handler.

Planning ahead is critical, and that plan must be in place before you see smoke or fire.

The Humane Society stresses that if you are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, you could be told by emergency management officials that you must leave your horses behind.

Purchasing a horse trailer will help us become better prepared in case of a fire emergency…

Please donate to the Sky Ranch Sanctuary Horse Trailer Fund

Here are links to other preparedness sources if you are interested in researching further:
http://traveltruth101.blogspot.ca/2013/10/fire-preparedness-for-horses.html
http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/livestk/01817.pdf

Frostie: A Memorial

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Frostie, a beloved barn cat, died last week of complications from lymphoma. Frostie was born on this ranch 10 plus years ago, to a feral mom and a stray, but tame, dad. He had five brothers and sisters and his mom, Hissie, moved the kittens from a Mercedes chassis in my husband’s shop to under the gas tank behind the house. Frostie was a handsome, leggy, silver gray tabby and he survived, and I’m sure outlived, many of the predators who would have loved to have him for lunch!

In losing Frostie, I lost a dear friend. I was his “only human:” no one else could pet him or pick him up. Most mornings he was waiting for me near the porch, appearing from out of nowhere and standing at my feet. I would pick him up, snuggle him into me, and bury my nose in his fur. Then I could listen to him purr all the way to the barn.

It was like that for us. Even though he’s gone, I catch sight of him everywhere. The heart has a different sense of reality. In a couple of weeks I’ll pick up his ashes at the animal hospital and will scatter them in one of the places where he hung out on the ranch. It will just be the two of us, like always.

Spring at Sky Ranch

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Spring can arrive with subtlety on the California Central Coast. Cold frosty nights can be followed by  sunny beach days. Hard to know what to expect let alone what to wear: sweater, shorts? And rain is part of our winter weather as well as spring (though of late we’ve not had enough in either season!) But the wildflowers on the hillsides and the California poppies lining the roadsides are a dead giveaway that spring is really here.

One of the pluses, and there are many, of caring for horses, is that seeing to their needs get me   outdoors…early. Too much time is spent chained to desks, planted on couches in front of the TV, hunched over in front of our computers, and whisking off here and there in our cars. Just being outside clears the head and works at something deeper inside. Maybe because our species began living outside, it refreshes us to be there. I’d like to say that I hop out of bed each day enthralled with the prospect of what lies ahead, but that’s not true. Barn chores await and all the stresses that modern living can bestow. But what is true is if I remember to breathe and glance up while I’m filling and hauling buckets and flakes of hay I can see the the shadows disappearing as the sun rises with its unique majestic glow. It always surprises me, gives me  energy and at least a smidgeon of hope for getting on with my day.

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or just the wonder of nature this spring, spend some time outdoors It will help.