FALCONRIDGE EQUINE RESCUE NEWS: Adoptions, Surgeries, Sanctuaries, Retirement Homes and Disappearing Lumps

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Adoptions, Surgeries, Sanctuaries, Retirement Homes and Disappearing Lumps

It has been a busy week here at FalconRidge. On Thursday, Dr. Jeff Moss came and castrated five stallions. Santiago, Emperor,Pharoh, Khan and Frodo are now nice geldings and gentlemen with no complications. We had 7 volunteers here helping during the day so it all went smoothly. Emperor and Pharoh are adopted to a wonderful couple from Fallbrook and they are coming and working with them for some training prior to bringing them home.

Aramus was also adopted to a super family and will be mainly a pet and do a little big of trail riding. He is in Temecula.

Silfur, the icelandic pony with damaged hock we got from the Icelandic Rehoming Project has been adopted by Bobbi Brinks, founder of Lions Tigers and Bears in Alpine, CA. She was delivered Monday and will be a companion to their mini donk Jack and in their education center for children where she will be petted upon by lots of school kids who visit the sanctuary.

We were also contacted by another sanctuary in Riverside County whose founder would like to retire and would like us to take over her sanctuary or merge with ours so that the animals are taken care of. We have visited her facility and are working on possible solutions for her and the animals and we just might merge. It will be a long range plan.

On Monday we took Zeus and Buddy to Valle Vista Retirement home in Escondido along with Ina of Escondido Humane Society and her dog Sonny, for pet therapy for the residents. Zeus was fantastic and naturally meant to do this type of work. Peg Wozniak handled him and did a wonderful job taking him around to all the residents who were in a big circle in the room. Buddy was more nervous so David held him in the center of the room. Everyone was very excited and enjoyed seeing the horses so much. Zeus nuzzled each person he went to by wiggling his nose on them. Zeus and team are booked up for months with the Escondido Humane Society to do pet therapy visitations as well as going to schools.

Amazingly, the lump on Sassys jaw is slowly going away. I took a picture of it on Thursday and compared it to when she arrived when Dr. Moss had biopsied it, thinking it could be juvenile ossifying fibroma, which would grow. We are very happy seeing it go down...it's just a miracle.

Our fundraiser dinner dance at the Valley Center Community Center is this Saturday Night! Hope to see you all there! It will be a blast and we hope to raise 12-15,000 to build a cover over the hay so it can all stay dry during the rains. A great need. Lots of door prizes, super raffle items and silent auction items all through the night. Everyone gets a gift bag and professional photo too so come on out and have some fun with us celebrating and help the horses!

We still have many horses needing homes. Maverick, Snowbell, Blaze, Santiago, Khan, Mingo, Breeze, Nemo, Tuxedo, Princess...all want to be home with their family. Please help them make their dreams come true.

Helping others...what this journey called life is all about.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday September 4th - Panda, Ayah and Seguro

We have been incredibly busy lately and I am still trying to figure out how to archive all the posts on this blog to make it easier to load and read for people so please bear with me. I post daily on Facebook about our rescue activities so please join us there as well http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1017905423.

Jordan and I took a four day vacation to Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Park to get away before he started high school on August 30th. We enjoyed hiking, playing in the river and going in Crystal Cave.

Arriving back from vacation, I was called by Leighann Giddings up in Elsinore who left me a message about a starved pregnant mare whose owner was giving her up and she could not take her, would I? The owner tried to give away this mare to five different people that day and had no takers. I said yes. I drove up to Elsinore and with Leighann went to the property where the mare lived. She was thin and had been driven off her feed by the two other horses in with her in pasture. She was a little arabian mare and very pregnant, already bagged up with milk. Leighann agreed to trailer her back to her ranch, 10 minutes away and I would arrange transport of the mare down to FalconRidge. We brought her back and fed her at Leighanns and the next day I had a volunteer on the way to pick her up when I received a phone call from Leighann that the mare had just delivered a colt that morning! He was healthy and fine. I asked my dear friend Margot Foley, who recently lost her husband Tom and who asked people to donate to FalconRidge in his memory to name the mare and foal. She christened them Ayah for the mare and Seguro for the colt. Beautiful! They will stay up at Leighanns for a few weeks until baby can travel. They were rescued just in time from a horribly neglected property and situation.

Panda, a very nice 21 yr old registered paint mare arrived to FalconRidge with a pulling back while saddled problem. She had been given away to several owners in the last few years due to money issues, and lately ended up at a nice home but she flipped over backwards upon saddling, a behavior which is dangerous and therefore we were called. Panda is very nice, loves to be petted and hugged on. Her poll is out from pulling back so Dr. Don Moore the chiropractor will be out this Friday to adjust her. David worked with her today on pulling back at the rail while being saddled and found out she was afraid of having the girth tightened down too hard in the past on her, poor girl~ this was a human created problem, which most are for horses! They get pain and they try and avoid it. She will be very easy to rehabilitate and will be up for adoption. This mare is great on trail and used to be shown by a child and has jumped in the past. Looking for a committed special home for Panda...no more moving around for her~!

We are having a fundraising dinner dance at the Valley Center Community Center on October 16th. Live band, dinner and dancing, raffle, and silent auction. It will be a super event and I hope you all can come! We hope to raise $10,000 to build a hay shed and protect our hay from the rain this winter so we dont have to use just tarps. For tickets contact thequickbooksguru@gmail.com.

The horses need you..........

Love,
Nicki

Monday August 16 - Felicity Skip Arrives

I apologise for not posting the last two weeks on the blog. I have lost my digital camera, which I have never lost anything, and decided to take a short break. I also lost a friend and coworker, Tom Foley, who passed suddenly and leaves an empty void in many hearts. He was a horseman and happiest and uplifting spirit who is now gone too soon from this earth. Live life now...he has taught me...as you never know when you will be gone.

The blog takes long to load on my computer and I will have to archive it to make it more easily accessible to people. I do like this format though as I can scroll down and read what has happened for years!

There are many horses in need and hardly any time for me to ask for donations or do any fundraising. My focus tends to be on rescuing horses, as many as we can, period. Hopefully you all will spread the word or send in some donations so we can continue to do so! Requests to take horses are increasing, so are foreclosures. Adopt a horse, tell a friend to adopt a horse, share our link, come volunteer, help us rehab horses so they can move on to new homes!

This weekend another horse in need arrived, Felicity Skip, a darling quarter horse mare. Her owners brother in law died suddenly in Idaho and they agreed to move there to take care of her and her family and cannot bring a horse there. She is a nice riding trail horse now looking and screening potential new parents. Take a look! http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com

I have been posting on Facebook so please check us out on there, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1017905423

You can read about the misadventures of Panda, a paint mare shuffled from home to home to home...

Also read about Ki0wa, a 9 yr old thoroughbred stallion, untrained, whose owner can no longer afford him...

There are many others. Luckily, we were able to help the woman with 5 paint horses and 2 ponies by posting them on Facebook and some generous soul adopted them as she had run out of funds to feed them!

You can also read on Facebook how Pixie rescued a human today...

Help us... donate now, adopt now..spread the word now. Horses need you.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday July 26 - Darth Vader is On TV, Peanut & Dreamcatcher Find Homes

David and Meagan took Darth Vader to San Diego Channel 6 news station this Wednesday for our debut on Animal House, a presentation by Darlene White on the morning news. http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=815680%40xetv.web.entriq.net&navCatId=2510 . David and Darth were on TV and did so well they would like us to bring two next month so that another horse can be featured on Channel 51 KUSI morning news. Congrats to our new stars! Big thanks to volunteer Meagan for getting our horses a spot on this program so that more horses can be adopted and the word gets out about FalconRidge and what we do here.

I was contacted by City of Los Angeles officials to ask if I would testify against the owner of the Keebler Elf herd as they are taking him to court and charging him with cruelty and neglect. They also asked permission to use our photos on the blog. I said a resounding YES! We still have a few ponies available for adoption so please let people know.

I was contacted by another rescue in Riverside County in Winchester who was in extreme need. The owner lost his job after 25 years, had 19 horses and only two bales of hay. I got the information and posted it on Facebook and emailed a few people I know in Riverside County. The rescue is Deans Horse Town USA and thankfully many people stepped forward to assist with purchasing hay for them and helping place his horses. If you can help, here is the information. "Equine Rescue UPDATE- Kim went over there, 32255 Scott Road, Winchester, CA..this rescue needs hay badly. People can call Round Up Feed at 951-674-5154 to donate hay on credit card, say it is for Deans Horse Town USA. it will be delivered. Most horses in 20s, two 6 yr olds ponies. Take a horse, take them hay, order hay.... Owner is distraught, just lost his job after 25 yrs. She said its a sad situation. Thank you!" and here are the horses available for adoption, http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsmilebox.com%2FplayBlog%2F4d5467774f544d314d6a673d0d0a%26blogview%3Dtrue&h=fdfa4

On Friday I went over to the owner of the five arabians who need rehoming due to her terminal illness to take photos of the horses for the blog. These are beautiful horses, all looking much like Khemosabi, their relative. Two stallions and three mares. Please help with the Arabians Last Wish to get these guys into homes. http://arabianslastwish.blogspot.com

On Saturday we had two great adoptions! Kandies Peanut found a home with the loving Green family of Valley Center where she will be spoiled to death. Congrats to Peanut! and Dream Catcher, one of the spotted walking horse mares was adopted by Regina who will enjoy riding on trail with her in Carmel Del Mar area. Congrats to Dream Catcher !

Sarah came out on Sunday with volunteer Meagan and had her lesson with Kharma who she loved. Sarah is our first student in the Puzzle Piece Ponies Program for autistic children and is doing wonderfully. Meagan has her do everything from grooming, to carrying the saddle, tacking up the horse and much more! A super interactive program.

I was called this weekend about two different horses in nee. Both of the callers had "rescued" the horse. One was from Craigslist and one was abandoned at a home. Horses are not sound so they wanted us to take them. Please, if you are going to rescue a horse, rescue it. Yourself. Do not expect someone else to take it, especially if it is not sound. That is nearly impossible. Know what you are getting into when you get a horse. It is a commitment. We are full and cannot take in unsound horses at this time. Another person called me this week and said her daughters horse had become lame and was no longer rideable, would I take it? Um, no, I won't. Just because the horse cannot be ridden does not mean you dump it on someone else. It is YOUR HORSE, YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, YOUR CHILD! Keep it, care for it, get it the medical attention it needs! Be responsible for it. Do not abandon it or want some else to take it because you now see it as unworthy in your eyes. Horses do NOT have to be ridden. They are family pets. Same as your dog or cat. When they break a leg you don't get rid of them do you? No. You help them...for life. Until they die. Horses deserve the same respect.

The Icelandic Rehoming Project is going well. Horses are getting adopted and going to loving icelandic homes all over the country, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, Wisconsin, etc. Spread the word so we can continue until all 50 are adopted out. A few at a time are taken over to Monty Roberts farm where you can view them and talk with Maya his head trainer about the horse prior to adoption. Thank you for caring so much for these wonderful horses. They are all champions! http://icelandicrehomingproject.blogspot.com

Scout, the most beautiful horse in the world, will be arriving this week. He is very special. He is magic. He is a million dollar horse. His adoption fee is a million dollars. If you do not think he is worth it, think again....

Priceless, yes they are.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday July 18 - Scout, Son of DocOLena, & Arabs in Need

This week warmed up with temperatures in the high 90's at FalconRidge. Summer if finally here in a big way.

We had our monthly new volunteer orientation meeting yesterday. Our volunteers work wonders cleaning stalls, keeping fences maintained, waterers fixed, and the huge amount of ranch maintenance we need to keep things running smoothly. We have a formal volunteer program with assigned supervisors. If interested in volunteering please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Peg Wozniak at winnie@roadrunner.com

Chewie went home to his new adoptive family in Orange County. Congrats to Chewie!

Darth Vader will be featured on the Channel 6 morning news this coming Wednesday morning on their feature Animal World which shows adoptable animals.

Many horses in need this week. A son of Doc O Lena who is a 30 year old stallion whose family can no longer afford to keep him.

Another great San Diego Equine Coalition meeting today! At the end of the meeting we bring up special cases of horses in need and see which rescues can possibly help. So now?...16 horses in Fallbrook will be assisted, 16 horses in South Bay will be assisted and 6 horses in Pauma Valley. All have owners who needed help ...and with nowhere to go. We save horses...yes we do! Website will be up by next month.

Scout is a 17 yr old TB trailhorse whose owner can also no longer afford him. He is beautiful. You see...we think THIS is the most gorgeous horse in the world...yes he is. Owner was trying to sell him for a long time for $150. No takers. THAT makes him precious. HE is a dreamhorse. He is pure luck. He is a sage, a seer, I know Scout knows all. We know he is magic. He will affect everyone he comes in contact with.... We feel blessed to have this special horse arrive here. HOW INCREDIBLY LUCKY WE ARE TO GET HIM. Can't you see it in his photo? I can.

Scouty Scout is coming August 1st to FalconRidge.

Be a visionary..See More

‎69 yr old woman got a staph infection(mersa) from a surgery in 05. She had her leg amputated above the knee after that. Her condition is terminal, she has less than a year to live. She has 5 arabian horses in need of rehoming as she is dying. We will help her place them. All untrained, 2 stallions, 3 mares. Spread the ...word and we will get a page up with pics and info soon. http://arabianslastwish.blogspot.com/

Help thy neighbor....Give.

Donations are down. Please consider donating to FalconRidge. Every dollar helps and goes directly to feeding and caring for the 60 rescued horses at the ranch. A five dollar donation is greatly appreciated. Please help and spread the word if you know of someone looking for a horse. They are looking for a family to bring good luck to.

With Love from under the stars from Bryce Canyon,

Nicki

Sunday July 11th - Sarah's Day

This week we were contacted about a few horses in need. There is "Jackie", a 30 yr old quarterhorse mare down in Bonita. The owner says Jackie has been stabled in the same area for her entire life. He got her 3 yrs ago and now is going through a bitter divorce and can no longer afford her board or care. Please contact me if interested in providing the last few loving years for this grand ole girl. The owner has reached out to 49 rescues by email with no responses...perhaps one of you is where Jackie really needs to go? In your backyard so she can get individual love and care from your family, your kids, your grandkids. Hugs would be most welcome. She gives better hugs than Winnie the Pooh and is warmer...

I visited a holsteiner mare this week who has a puzzling lameness issue. She is an excellent jumper and was for sale. Daughter is off to college and the father no longer wants to pour money into diagnosing her lameness. She is big, white and beautiful.

DJ Gove of San Diego Humane Society and the Animal Rescue Reserve team delivered Rodney and the black mustang gelding who had been abandoned on the 15 freeway to our foster Karen's house on Wednesday. Thank you so much guys for transporting these two precious horses. Both horses were tucked into stalls and breathed a sigh of relief for now they are safe and in loving arms for the remainder of their lives. No more being at-risk for these boys! No more being left on the freeway or being abandoned at a rented home in Encinitas!

Sarah, our first student in our Puzzle Piece Ponies Program for autistic children came and worked with her instructor Meagan on Sunday. She got to ride Cisco, her first ride and she did wonderfully and was proud and happy at the end of the session, smiling away. Horses and kids..there is no better combo~

I received a request to place a mustang mare from a therapeutic riding facility in San Diego. "hi Nicki and David-I'm the director of San Diego Hippotherapy in Ramona. I was writing to see if you would be able to take one of our horses. Sashi is a 17-18 year old Mustang mare who has been in our program for about 4 years. She is almost 15hh, very heavy build, with a gorgeous walk and an amazing trot. We have always used her for older kids and adults in our hippotherapy program (which is all on-lead at the walk). Now we are seeing mostly very little kids for hippotherapy. We are beginning to see more clients for therapeutic riding, and are beginning a Horses for Heroes program (working with injured service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan). For both of those programs, we need the horses to be reliable off-lead for beginners for more independent riding. Sashi requires an intermediate rider. She's not bad, she just needs a soft seat and hands. I think she never really had the right foundation, and is not very respectful of her handler's space. We have a natural horsemanship trainer who volunteers with our program, and she responds very well with him, but neither of us think she will be a beginner horse off lead, even with a lot of work. We have downsized our program in the last year (due to cuts in funding and staffing changes), and really need to find her a home, as we are currently even keeping one of our horses at a volunteer's house. Sashi is healthy and sound; we have never had any medical issues with her. She is light gray and does have melanomas, but these have not really changed in the four years we've had her.

I have heard many good things about your rescue, and I think Sashi would respond really well in your program. We simply don't have the time or staff to put in the work she needs, but I think with even 1 to 2 months of consistent handling, especially groundwork, she will be an amazing horse for someone. You can read more about our programs at www.sandiegohippotherapy.org. Thank you so much for your time."

If you can help give Sashi a home, please contact them. She sounds like a nice girl.

The horses of FalconRidge were a pleasure to be around this weekend. I love watching them relax, develop socially, see their personality blossom by being around a herd of horses when they get playtime in the arena, or if they go to one of our pastures where they learn how to be a horse again. Moriah is doing fantastic, so is Blaze, and little Sassy will spend her time growing as she is a yearling amongst other mares and develop friends. The four arab stallions are coming along with their halter training. The new spotted saddle horse mares are beautiful and a dream for riding. They are champion trail horses and ready for families to call their own.

Everyone deserves a family and love and security. That is all these horses are looking for.

Be the one who makes a difference.

Be their shining light.

Love,
Nicki

Beau, Registered Quarterhorse Gelding Parelli Trained Needs a Home

Posting this for his owner. Beau is in Las Vegas but he is hoping for a nice home in So Cal where he can play on nice green grass and be pampered. Contact me at nickbranch@aol.com and I will forward your info to the owner.

"Beautiful 7 yr old reg. quarter horse gelding out of CW Major. Great grandsire is Major Bonanza. I have had him since he was 3 and he has not been neglected in anyway. Recent financial difficulties and loss of job force me to rehome him. He is Parelli trained, ridden western and english. Been ridden on trails in just rope halter and been ridden bridleless. He does everything and lead changes are to die for. He went thru check ligament surgery on both front legs in 09 and his recovery has gone well. Can do everything but jump. Very handsome and great personality"

Sunday July 4th - Happy Independence Day for Rory, the Abandoned Red Dun Gelding!

Another wonderfully busy week here in the horse rescue world. We had four mares pregnancy tested recently, three of them from the Keebler Elf herd rescue, http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com, since they were running with 7 stallions. Angel, the mare that was adopted by Candace, gave birth to a little colt named Banner on July 3rd who is doing well. Dr. Moss confirmed that Pixie and Teenie, two mares still available for adoption, are indeed pregnant.

Trinket and Xena have been adopted by Justin, our volunteer photographer, and will be going to his newly purchased horse property in Vista next weekend. Congrats to Trinket and Xena!

Chewie, one of the Keebler stallions rescued, has been adopted by Lynn Hall and her family of Orange County where he will enjoy being taken on daily walks with the family dogs! Congrats to Chewie for finding his forever home! He was castrated on Monday so is now a nice gelding.

Sassy, the recently rescued young paint mare abandoned by her owner at a boarding facility, had the lump on her jaw analyzed and the results of the histology report are inconclusive that she has a juvinile ossifying fibroma, http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2006/Winter/emjof.htm, so that is good news, sort of. It was also not malignant. So we will keep watch on the lump for rapid growth. She was found to be not pregnant and vet feels she is less than 2 yrs old.

On Tuesday David picked up Dreamcatcher, a 14 year old registered spotted saddle horse mare from her owners in Ramona. She rides great on trail and used to mountain trails in Utah and anyone can ride her we were told. She is a beautiful black and white paint color. Then on Friday David brought the other two, Mandella, another 14 yr old good trail horse same as Dreamcatcher and also Dustys Little Dancer, a 7 yr old daughter of Mandella with bright blue eyes. All three are up for adoption.

On Wednesday, Kandies Peanut, a super nice 13 yr old registered Quarter horse mare arrived from Fallbrook. King, Hancock and Driftwood bred. She is a very nice trail horse and looking for her adoptive forever home.

On Friday we found a barn kitty is living in the barn! He was in the rafters and is half wild but does allow a head pet or two. I am calling him Barney since he is in the barn. He will be on rodent patrol.

We will be starting a horsemanship program for autistic children. Called Puzzle Piece Ponies, the program is given by our volunteer Meagan, who used to work with autistic children in lesson programs and therapeutic riding. Our first student Sarah has been out twice so far and is doing great!

I was contacted by a woman in Las Vegas who would like to place her 7 year old registered quarter horse gelding immediately who is very well Parelli trained. He does flying lead changes and rides well. Please contact me if interested. He is very cute!

Please continue to vote for the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook for FalconRidge to win a $20,000 grant to help the 57 horses we currently have! Visit my page on Facebook for information, or read below on last weeks post. We need more votes and it is easy! Thank you!

David worked with the four 3 year old arabian stallions who recently came in. They can be adopted now if adopters agree to get them castrated and trained or work with a trainer. We need the room. These boys are super smart and very handsome and healthy and will make someone wonderful and talented geldings who can do anything!

Lastly,
Rory, a red dun quarterhorse gelding who was at FalconRidge for a month and a half last April, was found abandoned at his owners rented home in Encinitas recently. I was contacted by County Animal Control this weekend about two abandoned horses in the north county facility a black draft cross gelding and Rory, who I recognized by his description. He is down on his pasterns and a red dun. The owner (he was temporarily boarded here for a month) told me he was coming to her home to be a pet for the kids she babysat at her childrens academy when he left on May 1st. Well turns out she left the home and went to Brazil and LEFT RORY THERE ABANDONING HIM! One of our compassionate volunteers, Karen Jones, emailed me after seeing my rant on Facebook and agreed to foster both horses. Bless her heart. Rory and the black gelding will be delivered to her home on Wednesday thanks to Captain DJ Gove of San Diego Humane Society. Rory's story is on this blog if you scroll down to April of 2010 where you will see him.

Rory will be safe now, and never ever discarded or abandoned or unwanted again! There are NO unwanted horses!

Love,
Nicki

Sunday June 27, Chase Community Giving Grant

Please see the link below and cast your vote for FalconRidge who has a chance to win at least $20,000 from Chase Community Giving on Facebook. It only takes you two clicks and you can help us get funds to help horses in need, which is increasing lately due to the economy, thanks!

This week we were contacted by a woman losing her home who has three horses who would have soon been homeless. They are trail horses and will be arriving this week. She was extremely grateful as her placement of them had fallen through.

We were also contacted by a woman who has a very cute bay quarterhorse gelding who is Parelli trained and riding well, does nice flying lead changes, etc, and she is in a financial bind and can no longer afford him.

There is a paint horse in San Marcos who needs a home. He is a project horse and 17 hands I was told and had been traumatized by a previous trainer.

There is a blue roan horse who needs a home and I do not know much about him other than I was contacted by TIER to take him. Let me know if any of you are interested in helping these horses please!

Kandy Peanuts, and nice quarterhorse mare who rides on trail will also be coming into FalconRidge this week. Her owner is battling breast cancer and we are assisting by taking care of her horse so that she can focus on getting healthy!

David worked with most of the arabian stallions this weekend who got their first roundpen training session to learn to be halterbroke. They are beautiful guys.

Dalton and Blinky, two previously adopted FalconRidge horses came back Sunday due to their owners both finding out they were losing jobs in the same week. This economy is tough, but it will get better, never fear! Dalton is a pasture puff quarterhorse who would love a family to call his own. He is sweet. Blinky is a National Show horse and just a love. Both horses are 17 years old.

Silver Slippers is waiting to get adopted. She is so pretty and perfect for children.

Dr. Don Moore came out on Friday and adjusted several of the horses who needed his chiropractic hands and expertise. He is the best!

Please pass the word on the Chase Community Giving to all your friends and family so that we can get funds which are greatly needed. We have taken in 46 horses just since January of this year! We are helping horses and the community as best we can and need your help to continue.

Thanks so much and happy Summer!

Love,
Nicki

Chase Community Giving, Vote Now and Help FalconRidge Receive $20,000

Please go on Facebook and vote for FalconRidge Equine Rescue now! Chase Community Giving is giving away at least $20,000 to the top 200 charities with the most votes and it will not take many for us to get up there!

Vote now and spread the word and you can help us help more horses without it costing you a dime! Five possibly six horses are needing to come into the rescue right now, with more waiting in the wings. We cannot help more horses without donations to pay for their food and care. We can do this!

Here is the link!

http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/205984168-falconridge-equine-rescue-incorporated?src=charity-details-wall-post-self&ref=mf

Frodo thanks you!
Love,
Nicki

Sunday June 20th - Father's Day, 3 Horses Adopted Out, 3 Come In

This has been a whirlwind week here at FalconRidge. On Monday, we received a special invite from Petsmart Charities to participate in a pilot program, the Equine Crisis Intervention Program. This idea is fantastic and we will be participating. Thank you Petsmart Charities!

"The purpose of the Equine Crisis Intervention Program is to provide a short-term, limited intervention to bridge “good owners” to self-sustainability in their horse care. This is not a program to provide long-term or complicated care for owners who choose not to take care of their horses or for owners whose future prospects are so grim that assistance would just delay the inevitable. We know that so many pet owners are living “just on the edge” who normally take care of their pets adequately, but that “one thing” happens and they cannot provide the standard of care that they have had in the past and the situation goes from tenuous to neglect. There are also those owners, who should know better, but really never learned-or don’t understand the particular needs of an older horse/pregnant horse/etc. This program is an opportunity to provide assistance alongside the needed education to make life better for the horse, keep him/her out of your rescue and help the owner provide proper care."

On Monday, Pokey the donkey arrived from Morningstar Ranch down the road. Pokey had been used at the organic farm to pull a cart and haul avocados down from the groves. After awhile, Pokey would stop and they thought something was wrong with him. Well donkeys do that when they are hauling and tired or want a break, hee hee, so Pokey was just being a donkey. His caretaker took off to Brazil so they asked us to take him as he was no longer useable. Pokey is a jack and very handsome donkey. He is up for adoption and trained to pull a cart.

On Tuesday Dr. Joe Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital and Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary both brought interns and castrated five of our stallions, Smoke, Aramus, Apollo, Saxon and Darth Vader the shetland. Our volunteers assisted and everything went well. We now have five new GELDINGS. We still have the four new arabian stallions to be castrated but they need to be halter trained first and will be done in a few weeks.

On Wednesday, a 20 yr old quarterhorse gelding named Red Wagon arrived at FalconRidge. He was the victim of a divorce situation, very much loved by his owner but she wanted him to find a new home while she got her life situated. Fortunately, one of our supporters and sponsors Cindi saw him and knew he was exactly the horse she had been looking for so Red Wagon found a loving home with a wonderful mom.

We were contacted by a boarding facility in Bonita regarding a mare that was purchased by an inexperienced owner. She was told the mare was a yearling warmblood and when it arrived from the Bay area and was evaluated by a vet, it was found shes at least 2 and possibly pregnant, so most likely a pony mare. The owner then lost her job and never paid board so we were contacted to take her in. The mare also has a lump on her jaw. She arrived Sunday, thanks to Capt. DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society and the Animal Rescue Reserve team who trailered her to FalconRidge. The mare is darling and will be assessed Tuesday by Dr. Moss. She is barely halterbroke.

We are helping a woman in Fallbrook with her two horses she needs to place. She has breast cancer and undergoing treatment for that and has to pay high medical costs. She also felt it was just time to place her two mares. We will be taking her 16 year old mare Kandy and her other arabian mare will be taken by TIER rescue. We will coordinate their pickup so one is not left alone on the property.

On Thursday we had another San Diego Equine Coalition meeting at Blue Apple Ranch and are working on our voucher program, website, discussing issues of cruelty such as donkey roping, and figuring out different ways to help horses and the community of San Diego. Another super meeting with great rescues, vets and animal control officials of our county.

On Friday I treated my volunteers to a trip to Blue Apple Ranch which is not open to the public yet. Lynn Wells was gracious enough to give us a tour to see our sanctuary horses which she took in for us and they were all fat and happy and looking wonderful, living in luxury. Blue Apple will be open in the future to the public and will be having wonderful childrens programs with the horses. A super organization!

On Saturday Mary and her daughter Amanda came by to see Pow Wow and Baron and both fell in love and adopted them. Both boys will be going to Ramona to ride on trail and get loved on. Congrats to Pow Wow and Baron!

On Sunday it was Fathers Day and I wrote something to my dad who passed 12 years ago:

Happy Father's Day Dad. Your passing was sudden, there were no goodbyes. It made me realize how short life really is, and take a look at my own. Was I living the life I wanted? Not really. Making money, getting "things", keeping up with the Joneses.
Thanks to you, I remembered my dream as a kid, what was ingrained in my... soul, what was truly me.

I always wanted horses, and a horse ranch.

You made it happen....

Love,
Nicki

Sunday June 13 - Stallion-O-Rama

This last week our volunteers did a great job of moving the Keebler Elf mares Pixie, Teenie and Trinket from a pasture to a stall so we can get hands on them to gentle them. Catching unhandled shetland ponies is quite tricky as they are small and fast. Big thanks to the volunteers who did a fantastic job! These little mares got their first brushing by humans in their lives. 7 Keebler Elf shetland ponies still need loving homes as pets. Is that you? Adoption fee is only $150 and take a look at their blog for contact information. http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com

On Saturday we had volunteers out helping groom and turn out horses. We had to move horses and prepare stalls as four arabian stallions were coming in on Sunday and they are not halter broke. Cindi came out and visited us. Cindi sponsors Jaguar and is a great supporter and we appreciate her very much!

On Sunday David went and picked them up and they were loaded into stud pens by using panels from the trailer and they unloaded perfectly, two at a time and went into their stalls. Very handsome 3 year old grey arabs with nice personalities. They will be halter broke and trained and up for adoption after they are castrated in a few weeks.

On Tuesday Dr. Cannon and his interns from San Luis Rey Equine Hospital and Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary are coming to FalconRidge to castrate stallions Smoke, Aramus, Apollo, Saxon and Darth Vadar. Our volunteers will assist in this large gelding event. We will have to do it again in a few weeks to geld the new stallions. Funds are needed to assist with the cost of gelding, which is not cheap, so any donations are appreciated which will turn these stallions into gentlemen. Thank you!

David evaluated Kharma under saddle since her hair is now falling out and getting normal (Kharma has Cushings), her back has come up and her belly is no longer pot bellied. He said she has a good handle on her and neck reins even! We were pleasantly surprised.

Volunteer Meagan is putting together a FalconRidge Day Planner Calendar which will feature the previously adopted horses of FalconRidge and can be purchased online as a fundraiser. The link will be coming. Thanks to Meagan!

Last Friday David and I went to evaluate two horses whose owner want us to take them in. She has breast cancer and has to pay high medical bills and can no longer afford them. We have also received several more requests this week. Thoroughbreds, appendix, pregnant pony mare, arabs, quarterhorses...and more. As long as the requests for adoptions keep up...we can continue to help! Thanks for spreading the word about the super horses here at FalconRidge. Banjo and Jody will be going to their home on Wednesday.

Pow Wow wants a home,

Baron wants a home,

Mystery wants a home,

Nora wants a home,

Blaze wants a home,

Nemo wants a home,

Cimarron wants a home,

Snowbell wants a home,

several Keebler Elf ponies want homes~!

They are not supposed to be here...they are supposed to be with "you" at home and getting loved on until the end of their natural born lives.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday June 5th - Joaquin Finds Love and Summer is Coming

Joaquin has been adopted by Candace, the sister of Kelly who is a FalconRidge volunteer and adopter of Sienna. Congrats to Joaquin and Candace! They will be riding together at Green Acres in Temecula.

Tuxedo and Tejon's adoption fell through so both handsome geldings are still available for adoption to some lucky families. http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com/

Keebler Elf Pony Rescue Update - We still have 7 Keebler Elf shetland ponies for adoption, three of the stallions, Darth, Chewie and Frodo, and four mares, Teenie, Pixie, Smurf and Trinket. Please spread the word so we can get these little guys into loving homes! http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com/

Icelandic Horse Rehoming Project Update - Several horses have been adopted already, 22 so far. Pass the word to anyone you know who wants a free icelandic horse. We have received a generous grant from Petsmart Charities that goes directly to assisting these 50 horses only (not FalconRidge, we still need generous donations to help our horses here!) by providing hay, farrier, vet and feed for them until adopted. The horses are located at Monty Roberts Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, CA http://icelandicrehomingproject.blogspot.com/

Toby has been adopted to previous FalconRidge adopter of Dusty, Lisa and family! Congrats to Lisa and Toby! Lisa also told me that Dusty, who used to be somewhat shy, actually ran up to her husband to say hi when he was in the pasture. Fantastic progress with him!

I was contacted to save an 8 yr old quarterhorse mare from euthansia that belonged to a friend of the caller. She said it had the skin wrinkling disease. It was HERDA. Here is the information on HERDA :
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ment2befarms/herda.html

I sadly had to recommend and agree with the euthansia for this horse and told her sorry, we cannot bring it in to the rescue.

I received a request to take in 3 older horses, 28 yrs or so, who had been abandoned at a boarding stable.

I received a request to take in Chip, a gelding with a hoof problem. The owners are retiring to Idaho and will not be taking their horses with them and can place the other one easily.

I received a request to take in a 20 yr old quarterhorse gelding who rides well..the victim of a divorce.

I received a request to take in a 4 yr old quarter horse mare from Hacienda De Los Milagros rescue.

I received a request for volunteers to assist us from The Special Friends Foundation in Poway, http://www.specialfriendsfoundation.com/inside.html
It will be fantastic to have special needs adults help us out here at FalconRidge.

I was contacted about a loose horse in Julian whose owner had abandoned it. They tried to catch it but the horse was very difficult to catch so they gave it up. The horse was running loose on the street. I contacted County Dept. of Animal Services along with Captain DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society and she picked up the horse on Monday. Thank you DJ!

Our volunteers have been doing a great job with the horses and their rehabilitation. Jubilee now can be approached and haltered by most everyone and is enjoying all the normal things like grooming, going over the obstacle course in the arena, hand walks. This little mare is an Alada Baskin daughter and will make someone a fantastic horse in the future! To think we saved her from euthansia just for being untouched by humans before and to see her now is heartwarming.

On Sunday we wormed 50 horses, thanks to help from adopter LaCretia who assisted. LaCretia has adopted Geronimo, Gunner and Princess Lea and has been very helpful helping us around the ranch, wrangling the Keebler Elf ponies all day long when they arrived from animal control. Thanks to LaCretia!

Thank you to our supporters and those of you who have donated to help the horses here at FalconRidge. Each donation is graciously appreciated and goes directly to support the horses here by providing food and necessary care for their rehabilitation until they can be rehomed into loving homes. Every dollar counts and no donation is too small! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the horses thank you! We need to do better at fundraising and Meagan has agreed to help. She has experience from working at Helen Woodward Animal Center and coming up with great ideas to help us generate income to keep going and assisting more horses. Sadly I have to turn down many, which is hard.

Last night I got a call from a daughter whose mother is 88 years old and has a dozen or so pure bred arabian horses in San Diego that need rehoming and placement...3 stallions and the rest are mares.

We will assist somehow...because we realize it is not the horses faults, and because its the right thing to do.

The real happiness in life comes from giving and doing for others....

Love,
Nicki

Memorial Day Weekend 2010 - Two Icelandic Horses Arrive & Rescues

This weekend at FalconRidge I was contacted by a private party about 4 very skinny horses in Perris, Riverside area. County authorities were contacted to help. When you see pictures it is very disturbing. Makes it hard to happily barbeque away with friends or family, or attend rodeos or parades when you know 4 horses are now depending on your actions to get them safely out of a neglectful situation and starvation.

Along with the trauma of rescuing neglected horses we sometimes have, we also have much good news to report since it is our mission to rehabilitate horses and move them into happy homes where they are loved as family. Toby will be adopted to Lisa, the adopter of Dusty and her family. Congrats to Toby boy! Joaquin will also be adopted to Candace, sister of FalconRidge adopter Kelly who owns Sienna. Congrats to Joaquin!

Frodo is stealing the hearts of David and I...he is beyond cute.

Pixie and Trinket's adoption fell through so they are now available again. 4 Keebler mares are available and 3 stallions.

http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com/

The Icelandic Horse Rehoming Project is going well. We were given a generous grant from Petsmart Charities for emergency rescue funds which will provide vaccines, wormers, farrier, vet and castrations for the herd. Thank you Petsmart! 2 horses are going to Hawaii, 9 to Texas, Jill Curtis of Shiloh Rescue has agreed to take 10, bless her heart! 1 came to Ramona and 2 came to FalconRidge, Silfur and Halti, both wonderfully cute pasture pets who are free to qualified homes. They are perfect for grooming or around kids. 12 more horses are up on the blog, take a look and spread the word!

http://icelandicrehomingproject.blogspot.com/

The Black Beauty Story, Again

This is the reason I continue to rescue horses. We are working on helping this poor mare as soon as possible...I got the email on Memorial Day.

"About a year ago I gave my arabian mare. Today I stopped by to see how she was doing unnannounced and found her in a holding pen. She was so thin that my heart broke. I could count her ribs. Her beautiful neck was so thin and her croup and hip bones were sticking out. She was joyful to see me. I was told they allowed the stallions to be turned out with her while she was in heat. All other horses were in pristine condition. Can you help?"

In honor of our veterens...just like them...

Be the one that helps.

Love,

Nicki

May 26 - Sultan Update and Sage Finds a Family!

Sage will be going home Thursday with previous adopters of Cajun. Congratulations to Sage for finding her forever home!

And here is an update on Sultan, the peruvian paso who was rescued from a neglectful home in Sylmar by Los Angeles City Dept. of Animal Services...

"Hi Nicki and David,

I am attaching a picture of Sultan gaiting yesterday. He is progressing quite fast. My trainer turned him out two nights ago and the peruvian trainer that introduced her to the breed came by. She tacked up Sultan because Oscar wanted to see him in action. Oscar and his brother are two of the top trainers of peruvian pasos in the country. Oscar watched him take 5 steps and was quite impressed with him. Then Oscar rode him and thought not only was his gait incredible but that he could do quite well in the show ring. That said, I am enjoying the hell out of my little peruvian. He is fun, hard working, loves to go fast and he is so smooth! Have a great day, Chris. "

Saturday May 22nd - Pony Taming & The Great Escape

This last week has been incredibly busy so forgive me for not keeping up with the blog. Now that I have a blog to place the Icelandic horses, as well as the Keebler Elf Herd, both of which are going well, my time to write is getting shorter. Things are going well here at FalconRidge. The volunteers are doing a great job with catching ponies, grooming them, getting them to lead and used to being touched by humans. A few of them are difficult to catch and I have a new term, called pony-wrangling sore!

We had another super meeting with the San Diego Equine Safety Net Coaltion at Blue Apple Ranch on Thursday. Our team of four rescues, four veterinary practices, San Diego Humane Society and County Dept. of Animal Services is working on creating a website for education and resources for the equine community. It will help at risk horses and owners who need information or services for their horses. We are also creating a voucher program that will allow veterinarians to give vouchers for horse owners who cannot afford emergency services for their horse. These programs are funded by a grant from the ASPCA. I spoke with Scott Heckstead of the Humane Society of the United States who is interested in our coalition since he has formed the Oregon Horse Council, a similar collaborative effort which involves groups coming together to help the entire state. We shared ideas and thoughts on organization of county vs. state coalitions. He has a wonderfully successful hay bank progam that provides hay for people in need that I would like to think we can create here to help San Diegans who are in financial need with their horses. A future horse-helping program our equine coalition can create!

On Saturday night at 11pm I heard the dogs barking outside and thought perhaps it was from the coyotes howling nearby. I was just finishing a long soak in the tub in epsom salts to nurse muscle aches from pony wrestling and so looking forward to much needed bed and sleep. Then I heard horses whinnying. More barking. Then a lot of horses whinnying. I peeked out the window and see horses, not one, but more than I could count, running by on the lawn in the moonlight...lovely! There has been a breakout...a big one. We grab flashlights I tell David we have horses out. So much for relaxation and rest! By the time I get out there horses are running around and we see it is the pool pasture...six of them. They had lifted the gate off the hinges and it was open. Brave Eagle, Lancelot, Jiminy, Rocket, Apollo and Saxon were running everywhere. A few went in the gate, then came back out as Brave Eagle had run down to where Dreams and Nicole are...very beautiful mares! I went down and caught him with my hands holding onto his neck while David got a halter. We led him back and since he is the leader of that herd, the rest followed. It was short lived breakout, but a lively one! They keep us on our toes around here. Silver Slippers now is in love with Brave Eagle, her knight in shining armor who came and talked to her in the moonlight...

Horse antics keep you smiling.

I received more requests to take in horses this week. Paints, thoroughbreds and more. We are in need of space so please spread the word that we have wonderful horses and ponies for adoption here. We are also in need of funds for castrating the pony stallions, 6 of them, plus Aramus, Smoke, Apollo and Saxon, so please consider donating for that cause. We will be having Dr. Moss and Dr. Cannon here with interns and will be getting a reduced rate, just the cost for drugs...but to geld ten stallions will still be very costly. Thank you~ !

David got on Mystery today for a first ride and it went very well. Mystery was nice and calm and will do great under saddle....a very handsome quarterhorse gelding!

Have a super Sunday and be thankful you are alive and well~ May the horse be with you....

Love,
Nicki

Keebler Elf Blog Update

http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com/

The Keebler Elves have been busy this week. They have been getting caught by volunteers, handled, groomed, learning to lead. The stallions are easier to handle as they are in smaller stalls and we can catch them. The mares, with the exception of Princess Lea and Smurf, are in a larger pasture so they have just been eating, gaining weight and will come up to people who have food. Six have been adopted as of May 21st, and eleven are still available.

Justin, a professional photographer, has agreed to photograph the FalconRidge horses to have photos for a fundraising calendar. Plus, he will have photos or prints and create an online shop for people to purchase their favorite FalconRidge horse photo or print with the donation going to paying for feed and vetcare for the rescued horses which are constantly coming in. Thank you Justin!

Friday May 14 - Drive up to Solvang to see 100 Icelandic horses

Today I took the day off work to drive up the coast near Santa Barbara to meet with the owners of 100 icelandic horses who asked me to help rehome them. They signed 5o of the horses over to FalconRidge and I met her and her husband at their 100 acre ranch. I also met with Maya Horsey, head trainer of Flag Is Up Farms, who offered to house small groups of the horses and trailer them over so they can be adopted.

Jill Anderson of Return to Freedom put me in touch with Maya and has been key in making this huge rescue effort a success. We toured the ranch and met all 100 icelandic horses. They were gorgous, bright and curious, fat and healthy. Some horses are trained to ride but most have had minimal handling. They have been living in large pastures and there are several stallions. Horses will be moved to Flag Is Up Farms and available for adoption. I will have a blog up for them soon.

It is wonderful to have people working together to make this situation a success for all. Each and every horse owner out there, each person reading this blog... if you have horses, you are at some point going to reach a stage in life where it is time to give them up. Age sneaks up on us all and we are no longer the young whippersnappers we once were. Our bodies give out, we need medications and surgeries and at some point, we will not be able to take care of ourselves, let alone our horses. It is inevitable. Our children will be taking care of us..and in some cases, strangers who run rescues will be helping take care your horses. The owners were sad, but thankful, emotional and knew each and every horse. You could tell the horses were loved.

Stephanie LaFarge of the ASPCA assisted me and the owner by spending time on the phone and numerous calls to envision how this transfer of horses could take place and to make things easier for the owners. For her I am greatful.

Jill Anderson of Return to Freedom, the mustang sanctury in Lompoc was of great assistance and organized facilities and haulers for this enormous rescue. She is a lifesaver.

Maya Horsey and Monty Roberts of Flag Is Up Farms have graciously offered their stalls, staff, and trailers for hauling the icelandics and keeping them there for adopters to come pick up. The students will be handling the horses and making sure they halter, can be led and pick up feet, etc. Thank you so much for caring about these horses and stepping up to the plate in a very big way so that they can safely transition to loving families for life!

Collaboration between many people to help horses...when that happens? miracles can take place. Miracles like herds of 50 horses or more soon on their way to making their new families happy with their greatness, and their old owners confident that they are in good hands now.

On the way home from Solvang I got a voice message from a reporter of the Los Angeles Daily news. She wanted information on the Keebler Elf Herd Rescue and ran an article on them on Saturday's paper. http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_15089801

The Keeblers are famous and the emails are coming in and phones ringing with people wanting to help or adopt a shetland pony.

Saving horses who are in neglected or at risk situations and finding them new homes...its what we do.

Love,

Nicki

Wed May 12 - Two Keeblers & Nick & Cochise Find Loving Homes

On Monday Taffy went to her loving home in Encinitas. Congratulations to Taffy!

Nick and Cochise have been adopted by a loving couple in Julian. Congratulations to both super horses for finding their parents for life!

Candaces Angel and Obi Wan went home today with Candace, one of our volunteers. That leaves 15 keebler ponies up for adoption. I believe Niblet will be adopted to a previous adopter so it is actually 14 available. Please take a look at their blog and spread the word. http://keeblerelfrescue.blogspot.com/

All the Keebler stallions were handled by our volunteers on Tuesday and they learned how to be haltered as well as led around and were briefly brushed. Everyone is settling in well and they all have normal length hooves now. Donations to help with castrations, wormers, vaccinations and teeth floating for these little shetland ponies would be appreciated.

Compassion and collaboration are what make anything possible.

Love,

Nicki

Tuesday May 11 - The HSUS Homes For Horses Conference

Today was day 2 of the Homes for Horses Conference, a gathering of HSUS, AWI, equine rescues, humane officials and charitable organizations to discuss ways to improve the lives of horses in our country. We had two days of presentations on everything from working with law enforcement, making horses more adoptable, building your donor base, working with the media, GFAS accreditation, ASPCA programs, and using social networking such as Facebook to increase donations. Some great ideas were shared and lots of networking going on between everyone. It was good to see old friends made from the last conference: Keith Dane and Stacy Segal of the HSUS, Jacque Schultz of ASPCA, Patty Finch of GFAS, Jen Reid of Best Friends, Beth DeCaprio of Grace Foundation, Jill Curtis of Shiloh Rescue, Jo Deibel of Angel Acres, Cathy Atkinson aka Fugly and many many more.

Thursday May 6 - Gunner Arrives & Keebler Herd Shetland Pony Rescue

We were so proud to see the update and pictures of Lucky, who was shown by young Zoe Zeller last weekend in jumping classes at the ECHO show. Junior (Wizard) is also doing well and Opal (Little Owl) we heard is running the ranch. Good stuff.

On Wednesday Gunner a 6 yr old paint gelding arrived. Gunner was bought 3 yrs ago by his owners for 8k and has been used for jumping. He has periodic bouts of bucking with his owner and we will see if Gunner is in pain anywhere. By looking at him after arrival he has small feet, a large hind end, and be better suited therefore for a western saddle and some trail riding. We will pull his shoes and get him going barefoot and allow him to relax and be a horse again. He is very handsome and will be up for adoption after he is evaluated.

Taffy will be going to her forever home in Encinitas on Monday...congratulations to Taffy and family!

I received notice that the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, where I will be speaking at the HSUS Homes For Horses Conference next week, was drastically flooded in Nashville, Tennessee. HSUS organizers told us to plan on coming while they scrambled to find additional hotels in non flooded areas. We will be having the event at the Tennessee Conference Center and I was able to get a room at the Marriott nearby. I will be speaking on the formation of our San Diego Equine Coalition and how wonderfully groups have come together here to help San Diego equines in need and at risk. http://www.homesforhorses.org/

I have been working with Jill Anderson of Return to Freedom on a very large rescue case in Santa Barbara County, which is moving forward and more info will be available soon. Positive things are happening, great collaborative efforts, thanks to rescue groups and individuals working together to help these 100 horses. Networking...a good thing for horses.

I received a photo from Officer Dancy of LA City animal control of 18 ponies who were in Sylmar and a possible seizure case. I was shocked to see extremely long hoofs on these poor little shetland ponies. They looked like elf slippers. The owner was asked to get them farrier work last month and did not comply. The DA was shown the info and the herd was seized. FalconRidge agreed to take the ponies to help with farrier care and adopt them out to loving homes. The herd, dubbed the Keebler Elf Herd, was seized yesterday from the owner who will be charged with neglect and cruelty. One mare was so badly disabled as a 3 yr old by her neglected feet that she was euthanized by the AC vet. I found out 7 were stallions and half the herd is wild. The Keelber Herd will be transported to FalconRidge on Saturday afternoon where we have Juan Aguilar and David and volunteers ready to sedate them and trim the 9 who are extremely in bad shape. Volunteers will be here to help hold and handle the herd. Dr. Jeff Moss is also on standby if needed. These little guys will be gentled by our wonderful volunteer team here and up for adoption for a minimal fee in the future. Luckily they are not thin.

Please help with any donations you can for this herd of tiny neglected horses. Funds will be needed for castration and vet bills on them. I found out that the stallions were of course housed with the mares, and there is one gelding..yep..one. 17 Ponies to arrive late Saturday.

Help us help the ponies and provide them with a better life.

The pictures of the Keebler ponies tell it all....

Thank you Officer Dancy of LA City AC for being the change in these ponies lives, saving them, and giving them great hope for a wonderful future because we WILL find super homes for each and very one of these darlings....!

Yes we will.

Email me if you personally want to save a pony and give it a loving home for life....

Think of elfin names...

Love,

Nicki and the Keebler Elfs

Monday May 3 - The Grulla Stallion Arrives

I had been contacted by Captain DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society regarding two stallions and a colt who were at risk and in need of new homes. A woman had gone to a home to buy pipe panels and saw this grulla stallion tethered to a pole. The rope had wrapped around the pole so that he had about two feet to move his head. He could not get to food or water and she wondered how often this happened for him. He was thin. He has rope burns on his back fetlocks from being staked out and getting caught up in the rope. The owner was moving and gave up the horses. I agreed to take the grulla stallion. He is supposedly rideable and goes on trail. He has a sweet personality and arrived at FalconRidge today.

See horses in need and do something to make a difference in their lives.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday May 2nd - Cochise Socialization Day

Today we turned out Cochise in the arena for him to get better socialized with other horses. In the past, he was kept isolated from other horses since he was a stallion. When people do that, the stallion does not learn how to interact with other horses naturally and socially. After he was castrated here we turned him out with Toby and Sunka in the roundpen and he is very alpha. So today, we turned him out with Captain, my 17 hand thoroughbred gelding, who is top alpha horse around here and Cochise did well with him. We then added Toby, the new black paint gelding, and Sunka to the arena so there would be a herd for him to deal with and he did fine. Cochise rides well and is looking for his own family to adopt him and take him home.

One of the new paint mares that came in yesterday needed her teeth floated badly so that was done this morning, as well as Sandtwister. She was groomed and her mane untangled and got tender loving care. She is 21 years old and has two marks above her eyes that look like large eyebrows.

Amber and Elani came out to volunteer and work on grooming horses, walking them, turning out, cleaning stalls and got to ride Meshewa.

With the four horses that came in yesterday we need to make room and get horses adopted. If you know someone who is looking for a horse as a family member for life, please tell them about our super horses here, http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com. Toby needs a home, as does Cochise, Nora, Nick, Tejon, Blaze, Pow Wow and more...

You can make a difference in a horses life today.

Thank you!

Love,
Nicki

Saturday May 1st - Chicaboom Goes Home & More Arrive

This morning Valerie came out and groomed Baron for us, who had a potential adopter coming to look at him. She also worked with learning how to pet on Jubilee the arab mare. Jubilee has spent her last 8 years of life learning how not to be touched by humans so she is a special case but has come around to allow the volunteers to come in and pet on her, halter her and take her out of her stall.

David worked with Saxon, one of the yearling arab colts recently rescued in the roundpen on his halter training so that he could go up to the pool pasture with Apollo, his buddy. Both colts were then introduced to the herd which will be their new playmates....Brave Eagle, Lance, Rocket and Jiminy the burro. The two boys integrated very easily into the herd and were playing and running around with the others and enjoying themselves in their new large pasture.

Jaguar is feeling so much better on his antibiotics. He was found to have a bladder infection, thanks to the animal communicator Laura Stinchfield, http://www.thepetpsychic.com/. After talking to her, the vet was called out again for Jaguar and sure enough he was found to have a bladder infection. He was started on antibiotics and has perked up significantly, eating great and feeling much better. We will try anything when diagnoses are difficult to figure out. Jaguar is happy about that!

Chicaboom went home today with her new adoptive family where she will be loved on and a trail horse. Congratulations to Chicaboom for finding her forever family! Rory went home to his owner as she found a new horse property to house him at.

Silver Slippers arrived today. She is childrens welsh pony who is being donated to FalconRidge to find her a new adoptive home and to raise funds for the rescue. This is a very nice and gorgeous little riding pony who will be up for adoption soon and available mid June.

I have received requests to take in horses by phone and email, a never ending plea from horse owners who need to place their horses. I received a letter from an owner with a gorgeous mustang gelding who is great on trail but was recently diagnosed with mild ringbone and can only be ridden at a walk. She has an arab she is boarding and can't afford to board two. My answer to her is to place the arab and keep the mustang. Period. I am frankly tired of the owners who want to discard the unrideable horse for others to be responsible for, and to keep the rideable one. The rideable horses have a better chance at being placed in another home, not the lame horses. Commit to the one who needs you more.

I received a request to take in a very pregnant mare from a case a friend of mine is working on. I can't as we have several horses here for adoption and more coming in already that I have committed to. Just since January, our first meeting of the San Diego Equine Coalition, FalconRidge has taken in 17 horses who were at risk.

We figured out Cheyenne has stringhalt, which was brought on by injesting toxic weeds years ago when he was starving in a pasture. The vets will be consulted to see if he is a good candidate for surgery or not.

As the sun went down, a trailer pulled up with three paint horses. The owner of eleven paints who had contacted me months ago who lost her home and now is losing the leased horse property she was on is at the end of her rope and can no longer keep her beloved horses. Three gorgeous paints, two mares and a gelding are now here. They will all be evaluated and trained and adopted out. I told the owner you are not alone, several people are losing their homes due to the economy and also losing their horses. She will be bringing more in the future as she has until June 1. Help is needed for funds to feed and care for horses such as these. Please consider sending a donation of any amount, even a dollar will help these horses and help us help them.

Compassion makes the world go round. Be there for others, and they will be there for you if you need them later on.

Drastic times require acts of magic.

Be magic.

Love,

Nicki

Friday April 30 - Popcorn, Ryder, Blitzen Update & Gunner is Coming

"Hi, Nicki, David and everyone at Falconridge,

We just wanted to drop everyone a line on how everyone is doing.

Blitzen (aka O'Hana) is growing up beautifully. She is now about 16 months old. With the way she carries her head, we believe she may be part American Saddlebred. She clearly thinks Popcorn is her mom, and has a fit if Popcorn goes for a walk without her. We take her to the round ring and arena all the time, and walk her around the campground at O'Neill Park. We've been learning to walk up to "port-a-potties" since they clearly eat fillies. She hard ties, gets fly sprayed without issue, has her feet done without drama. She is truly a beautiful mover and loves to run. We've had a bareback pad on her and keep sacking her out on everything we can imagine. Monday we had to walk by 5 police cars and a fire engine to get home from the arena (all running with lights and radios going). She stepped right into procession between two cars as the fire engine drove away and we walked through without incident or fear. She has a great personality and likes to play with one of our terriers.

Popcorn (aka PC) is coming on well. She was the mare that was rescued with Maui in utero on the way to slaughter, and she is rising 8. She is our rock on the ground and has learned really great manners. We've taken her for walks into the local community, and on very difficult trails. She is going well under saddle. We're currently working her on water crossings. I had taken her through wide (more than 5 feet) crossings, but hadn't done much with narrow streams. She showed me on Friday that she doesn't like to get her feet wet, by leaping over 2 and 3 foot wide creeks. So, we are working on walking through water. PC is so beautiful we get comments every time we go out. She is now well known in our area.

Ryder (aka Stryder) is also doing very well. Stryder is rising 4 now. He's slimmed down and become much quieter and more calm. His lope is so smooth you can hardly feel it. He does great roll backs. He really loves PC and O'Hana. We are also sacking him out on everything we can think of, and he is doing very well. All the local women swoon over his good looks.

As a fun aside, we brought in an equine chiropractor to make sure everyone was doing well. He walked in and said, "I know this horse!" And that's how Dr. Don Moore got to see Ryder and Popcorn again! A great chiropractor doing great things for horses. Keep up all your good work!

Steve Conkling"

And this latest email from Sparkles adopter Lynn:

" I’ve taken on the “ranch” pony who’s owner hasn’t seen him in at least three years & is no longer paying board. She used to send money for his board & care but then just stopped. The ranch owner is currently going through the process of getting him signed over to her. Between the manager, trainer & me we are now taking care of his needs so that he doesn’t go without. Between the three of us we are hoping to keep him. Everyone loves him. My farrier even donated a trim a few weeks ago. Skeeter was never thin, as the managers always feed him. He was a sad lonely pony until recently. I’ve watched him transform over the past few months. I don’t know how such an amazing horse could be left behind. The owner bought a new high dollar horse for her daughter, moved it to Del Mar and left him behind. Skeeter loves kids so much. His heart is so much bigger than his 13h size. He whinnies every time my girls walk in the barn. He has gone from a stall soured grumpy pony to one who can’t wait to get out with any kid weather it’s for a brushing, bath, arena work or trail ride.

I’m guess I’m telling you a little about Skeeter because prior to reading all the stories on your blog, visiting and then adopting Sparkles I would have never done anything or spoken up about him. There is also a another horse at the ranch who’s owner I’ve never seen. She’s supposedly a rescue & came in very thin and scared. Her feet were so long I mentioned it to the manager & ranch owner and they got after the horses owner to get her feet done. Two days later they were trimmed. I’ve also asked if I could start taking her out just to brush and turn out. I’m awaiting for a reply from the owner. Being neglected isn’t just about lack of feed. It’s lack of care, love, & companionship. I may not be changing the lives of as many horses that you have but I’m trying to make a difference in the lives of a few at a time.

Lynn Olsen"

Latest Rescues - Gunner is a 6 year old beautiful paint gelding who will be arriving to FalconRidge next week. The grulla stallion should be here by then too. Behind the scenes I am working on a huge case with 100 icelandics who will need rehoming and a friend of mine is assisting with another case of 80 horses in need. Tiki went home with her new adopter Catherine today, congratulations to Tiki!

Make a difference in a life today....

Love,
Nicki

The Story of Cheyenne

Cheyenne is an eleven year old quarterhorse gelding that came to FalconRidge last month in obvious pain in his rear legs. He has been on bute and Lubrisyn and seen by the vet and chiropractor so far. When asked to back up he is in obvious discomfort and grits his teeth and pins his ears, poor little guy. He appears to have some sort of damage to his hind legs, either hock, stifle or ligaments, and is in a slow recovery process of rest, joint supplements and pain relievers.

I received a letter from his previous owner detailing how his life has been so far in this world. She included photographs along with her letter of how he looked when she rescued him. His story made me cry. Just like in the story Black Beauty, horses can go from great loving homes to hell as they go from owner to owner. Here is little Cheyenne's life so far...

Cheyenne's first owner was 16 and she used him for barrel racing. When he was 4 to 5 years old, Cheyenne was sold to a 55 plus year old woman who used him for trail and pleasure riding. During the last year she had him he went for long periods of time without food or water. I have pictures, too graphic to post, of open sore wounds on Cheyennes withers from an improperly fitting saddle and pad where it dug into him and opened up the skin. I have pictures of him when he was rescued and he is thin.

In July of 2006 Cheyenne was left behind during a major brush fire.

He was LEFT BEHIND...

From December 2007 to April of 2008, Cheyenne and his other stablemate, a horse, and a buffalo, were left with no food and water other than the weeds. The buffalo died. That is when the neighbor, who is telling me his story, decided to take in Cheyenne and the other horse on her own and care for them. She cared for him for almost a year and found him a home. The new owner, seeing that Cheyenne was acting out and rearing upon being asked to back up, called me and asked me to take him right away, so I did. That is how he came to FalconRidge.

We will get little Cheyenne out of pain. If it takes injections in his stifles, or massage, or more chiropractic work, or special meds...we will find the way.

This little neglected trooper deserves nothing less than affection, love, security, and to be out of pain for the remainder of his entire life after all he has been through...

With loving care,

Nicki

Dusty and Jody Updates

"Wanted to touch base and say hi. Dusty is doing well. He lets us walk right up and put his halter/lead rope on. That's saying alot. He even lets me put his fly mask and fly spray on him. He's become so much more trusting. Initially I was the only one who could put the bit in his mouth. Now Aaron does it easily.

He's a great horse out on trail. Likes to be the head of the pack. He's so calm and confident under saddle. We use him to pony and/or take the babies from the ranch out on trail. Aaron adores him....almost obsessive over him. Had to talk him out of setting up a tent and staying the night in Dusty's pen the other day. Our pasture is almost done and we should have all the horseys at our house by this weekend.

If you ever need anything please let me know. I will do what I can. You provide such a wonderful service and would love to help. I can even foster a horse if you run out of space (cochise!pretty please!I love him!j/k...but seriously. ).
Talk to you soon!

With Love,
Lisa Bone"

"How are you doing?? Jody and I are doing great.. I love her dearly.. I can't believe how good she is, calm and the best ever..

Thank you..Toni"

Sunday April 25th - Grulla Stallion and more horses in need

This morning I turned out the Black Jaguar with little Zeus to get Jag to exercise. He has been feeling better lately and not acting colicy. Dr. Moss will be coming by to see him Monday or Tuesday. David was in Texas doing a clinic this weekend and will be back Monday.

Volunteers Rachel and Amber came out, along with Kenny and Andy. Rachel rode Nick and Nora, groomed and turned out several horses. Amber groomed lots of horses and rode Meshewa and had her first bareback ride on Lady Guinivere. Kenny and Andy walked Jocko and Zeus.

A military retirement home conacted us recently for a tour of FalconRidge and set up a date in May so the retirees will be shown the horses of FalconRidge and what we do here.

A professional photographer has contacted me and wants to volunteer and donate his services to shoot photos of the horses for adoption photos as well as create a fundraising calendar for FalconRidge. He will be starting soon.

We had our fourth meeting of the APCA funded San Diego Equine Coalition and it is going extremely well. We are four local horse rescue organizations, four large veterinary practices, and the two humane organizations, San Diego County Dept. of Animal Services and San Diego Humane Society. We are planning a website which will have information on it for horse owners and help for those people who need to place horses. We are also creating a voucher program for people who need assistance financially with their horse for vet care, farrier, euthanasia or castration. Our group is looking forward to be able to help more horses by assisting those who have them to be able to keep them in their homes, therefore creating less unwanted horses or horses at-risk. Thanks to a generous donation to the ASPCA, funds will be used for these programs for the next two years to help horses in San Diego.

Our three latest rescued horses are Aramus, a three year old arabian stallion. Apollo and Saxon are yearling arab colts. All three are getting halter trained and Aramus has already been saddled and had David on him.

I was contacted today by Captain Gove of San Diego Humane Society about some horses in need, one is a grulla stallion who is a little underweight and has rope or some sort of burns on both hind legs below the fetlock. There is also a paint and a bay mare needing a home. We shall see what happens. Nick and Nora and many others are ready for adoption here. If they leave and go home with their forever family, it makes room for us to help others in need.

Have a super week!

Love,
Nicki

Friday April 23 - Graceful Gold and Maui Updates

I received this email from Judy, adopter of the palomino mare Graceful Gold:

"Grace has settled in nicely and is a jewel on the trail. We enjoy going out on the trail with my 9 year old granddaughter and her Icelandic and are looking forward to certifying her as a CVMP (Chula Vista Mounted Police) horse. Her potential and desire to please is great. She fits right in and loves "horsing" around.
Thanks Falconridge.
Judy and Grace"

and from Gene and Dana, adopters of Maui. Maui and her mother were saved from going to slaughter in Colorado.

"MAUI AT ALMOST 4

WE’RE JUST BEGINNING TO RIDE HER.

SHE’S AN ABLSOLUTELY SWEET, CURIOUS LITTLE MARE & SASSY AT TIMES

HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL AT FALCONRIDGE

GENE & DANA"

Monday April 19 - Voodoo Update

Hey Nicki, & Hey David!

Well Voodoo did his first kid's show with my daughter, Sophia last Sunday. He's a good boy & showing lots of potential for being a star in the ring. He spent the day next to a mare in season, and he was just fine. I sent some pictures, be sure and zoom in on his fanciness!

In January he and I did our first 25 mile ride in Warner Springs, and we've done a couple fun shows/games. Last fall we did some 15 milers, and camping! David, you told me it takes one year to make a great trail horse, well you are right, & yes he is! Now it's time to slow down and do some serious rail work, but he is all in. All the best.

Thanks for all you do,
Geanna Schmidt

Saturday April 17 - New Volunteer Orientation Day, Chicaboom Gets Adopted & Milk Dud Arrives

This morning David and I took Jaguar to San Luis Rey Equine Hospital to be seen by Dr. Joe Cannon and xrayed to see the cause of his bouts of mild colic. We were thinking he had stones, or enteroliths. He took several xrays and found no stones and also no sand. We were greatly relieved. He did a rectal exam and found no masses and everything appeared normal. They took blood and also found nothing abnormal, other than he was dehydrated. So we happily brought Jaguar back home and we will monitor him closely for water intake. Good news for Jaguar! His sponsor, Cindy Schultz came to FalconRidge today and perhaps she is good luck for him as no stones were found by the vet.

Volunteers where out cleaning stalls, grooming and working with the horses.

We had our monthly new volunteer orientation today, led by Volunteer Coordinator Peg Wozniak and Christe Respess. Everyone was introduced to all the horses and got to hear all the great stories we have here of the rescued horses.

A super family, the Oatmans, have decided to adopt Chicaboom. Congratulations to Chicaboom for finding her forever home!

Juan Aguilar and his nephew Luis came out to trim several horses. We love Juan and he is a super farrier, donating his services to the rescue which is greatly appreciated.

And officer Dancy of LA City Animal Control drove up to Bakersfield to the Kern County Animal Shelter to pick up Milk Dud, the 30 year old quarter horse who was abandoned at the 99 freeway and highway 46 last January. Milk Dud will be going to Blue Apple Ranch on Tuesday, thanks to Lynn Wells who fell in love with him and his name. Congrats to Milk Dud!

Tonight I went out to check on Jaguar and he was fine in the upper pasture. I heard a whinny and a squeel down near the corrals, which didn't sound normal, so I walked down there in robe and tennies in the dark to check things out. The horses
all got quiet when I walked up. I paused and didn't hear anything and was going to walk back up to the house. I shined the flashlight over near Apollo and Saxon the two arab colts. Hmm, someone big and dark was outside of their stall. It was Pow Wow who came over to say hi to them! I put him back in his stall, picking up Kharmas grain bin that had been raided and said Ok everyone...party is over! Go back to bed!

Goodnight Moon,

Love,

Nicki

April 12 - Our San Diego Equine Coalition Press Release

April 12, 2010

ASPCA Announces $200,000 Grant for San Diego County Horses

Funding Will Provide Care and Support for Abused and Neglected Horses

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced the awarding of a $200,000 grant—to be distributed over the next two years—to the San Diego Equine Safety Net Coalition for support of San Diego County’s abandoned and neglected horses. The funds were made possible by the estate of Edith Hakes, a long-time resident of San Diego. An initial amount of $50,000 has been distributed.

“The ASPCA is determined to identify the diverse needs of the equine community and support those exemplary organizations that provide care and shelter for horses in need,” said ASPCA Senior Director of Community Outreach Jacque Schultz. “San Diego Equine Safety Net Coalition has presented a strong model of collaboration that is needed to improve the lives of San Diego County’s horses; an example we hope will inspire similar partnerships across the country.”

The San Diego Equine Safety Net Coalition includes: Blue Apple Ranch in Ramona, Calif., Horses of Tir Na Nog in Descanso, Calif., FalconRidge Equine Rescue in Valley Center, Calif., and Tijuana River Valley Rescue in Jamul, Calif., as well as equine veterinarians and representatives from local animal welfare organizations. Together, they provide support and consultation for the county’s horse guardians.

The grant will also provide funding for the development of a public Web site, which will offer guidance on topics such as breeding and end-of-life decisions and educate the community on responsible equine stewardship. In addition, the coalition, with the support of veterinary partners, will initiate an emergency voucher program to be offered to low-income county residents in need of veterinary assistance for emergency horse care.

In 2009, the ASPCA awarded a total of more than $540,000 in the form of 164 grants to equine rescue groups and humane organizations across the country. The ASPCA works to protect and aid horses through legislation, advocacy, education, targeted grants, and enforcement of the carriage horse and cruelty laws in New York City.

For more information on the ASPCA’s equine programs, please visit http://www.aspcapro.org/saving-lives/equine-program.

Sunday April 11 - Taffy Gets Adopted

This weekend was extremely busy here at FalconRidge. Lots of activity with volunteers, horses, people coming and going. Horses getting ridden, trained and adopted! Yes, Taffy, the palomino mare will be going home to a wonderful Encinitas couple to be their pet, family member and compadre to their super cool dog, a kelpie named Willow.

Peg, Melissa and Shirley got Jubilee out on Friday...yes, Jubilee the untouchable arab mare. Lots of hands on and this girl has come a long way.

I was contacted about several horses. We cannot say yes to them all unfortunately. Many super horses here need to find adoptive homes before we can bring in more. Pow Wow is still here, Snowbell, Nemo, Nick, Nora, Geronimo, Cochise, Tejon, Baron...all super horses just lookin for love...lookin for you...lookin for a family to call their own. Is that you?

We have been contacted by a retirement home who wishes to come out and see our wonderful horses here at FalconRidge. Our horses heal people.

A big thank you to all of you who have donated towards our cause. Your funds go directly to help feed and care for our 50 or so horses here. Without you we cannot do what we do, rescue, rehab, retrain and rehome horses. You rock!

Good news for Milk Dud the stray grulla gelding at the Kern County Animal Shelter in Bakersfield. This 30 year old boy is wanted, by a special person. He will be going to the spa at the Ritz...he was thrown away by someone in Bakersfield and now he will be pampered the rest of his life on lush grass pastures during the day and nice warm barn at night and the best place on earth, Blue Apple Ranch.

Milk Dud is a champion, he is wanted, he will give and get love.

And so it shall be.

Officer Dancy of Los Angeles Animal Control has graciously agreed to transport the super Milk Dud boy down to San Diego County for us. Bless her heart for wanting to help Milk Dud too.

Goodnight and good love,
Nicki

Thursday April 8 - Smokette Update

"Hi Nicki! Just wanted to forward some pics of sorting last weekend. I'm on Smokette, my son Braden is on the paint and my son Garrett is on the arab. Smokette is doing very well. Her only issue is that she is buddy sour but she is getting better, the more time I spend with her. She is just so beautiful and joy to ride! How often was she ridden before I got her? I have a snaffle bit on her and she stops on a dime. I am so anxious to see how she does through the summer."

Dear Kim,
Smokette has maybe 25 rides on her. With the right foundation and training which we give... our horses are wonderful under saddle. Thanks for the update and for giving her a wonderful home and life.

Way to go Kim and Smokette!

Wednesday April 7 - Graceful Gold Goes Home & Little Gabriella Brings a Surprise

Yesterday, we got a surprise from young fundraiser phenomenon Gabriella Cinquini when she came to FalconRidge with her mom, Jane, and presented David with another check from her birthday fundraiser for FalconRidge. She proudly handed a check over for $1,000. Thanks to Gabriella, many horses will be helped! An amazing young lady with a bright future.

Perhaps some of those horses Gabriellas donation will help will be one of the three paint horses coming in? They need a new home and are in Valley Center.
One 18 year old stallion, one 18 year old gelding who rides well, and a 10 year old gelding who has never been trained under saddle.

There are two other quarter horses I was called about who need new homes as well from a woman in Julian.

Or? there is a little gelding up at the Kern County Animal Shelter in Bakersfield who needs to be adopted. If you can stop by and see him please contact me. I was told he was 30, but his original ad said 8, and he looks more like 8! He was an abandoned stray picked up.

There is a black mare in Descanso who is 5 and was saved from euthanasia by her previous owner due to finances. The gal that saved her cannot afford her and I was called. The mare is scared and nervous and needs a ride from Descanco. Her name is Penguin. If you can help Penguin please contact me. nickbranch@aol.com.

Chief will be going home on Friday and Taffy is most likely adopted. :-)

The other day someone asked me if one of our horses kicks? I said no, our horses dont. We have at least 60 horses on the property. Horses that kick are with someone who is not handling them properly or they have not been trained properly and safely by humans. Horses that kick at you also do not respect you, and they can be kicking out of fear. Please train your horses which would therefore ensure their future, just in case you have to place them elsewhere. Training horses safely...a good thing.

The Ritchie Herd will be arriving soon from Northern California. We are collaborating with Norcal Equine Rescue and Blue Apple Ranch. The horses need training and will get training by David and our wonderful volunteers at FalconRidge. They get handled, learn to lead, back up, pick up feet, tie for grooming, get a bath, work in hand and then learn to go under saddle. They will be up for adoption. They belonged to a famous actor, Clint Ritchie, who passed away.

Come volunteer and help us out..watch these wonderful horses transform! BE a part of their learning and growing and transition from untrained horses to confident and happy horses...horses who will go on to their new loving families in the future.

Be the change.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday April 4th - Chief Gets A Family

Today was lucky for Chief as he got adopted to a wonderful couple, Joann and Ken, with two children, to be a member of their family. Happy Easter to Chief!

Volunteer Elani came out and did her spa grooming of several horses and turned horses out for us.

David rode Nick again and found him to be pretty good under saddle and definitely calmer now that he has settled in. He is up for adoption now and is one of our super horses.

More people came out to see Taffy and Nemo so cross fingers for them that they just might have a new loving home in the future....we were outside on the ranch when the earthquake hit so we didn't feel it.

Happy Easter and Marshmallow Peeps to You!

Love,
Nicki

Saturday April 3 - Tiki's Special Day & Blaze Gets Evaluated

This morning we had our volunteer Rachel out at the ranch and she rode Nora and Taffy. Nora is a super horse up for adoption! She rides light on the bit and stops on a dime. Even though she is a cribber, she is an easy keeper and gained weight quickly after her rescue from LA.

Christe came out and helped with several of the horses. She calmly walked up to Jubilee and was petting on her. Amber came out too and helped with grooming and turning out horses and assisted David with evaluating Rory.

A super lady named Catherine came out and adopted Tiki and took a lesson with David. Congratulations to Catherine and Tiki!

David evaluated Blaze for the first time and found that she rides ok, but needs work on giving to the bit and being able to flex vertically and laterally when asked.

Cochise and Chief got their teeth floated. Toby and Cochise were turned out together in the roundpen and played. Cochise is being socialized and was fine.

I received no requests to take horses in today. Amazing!

I received a super update and pics of her riding from Chris, the woman who adopted Sultan and who has him with a peruvian paso trainer.

Tomorrow is Easter and we will be here, open, and showing horses for adoption. Don't forget to bring Marshmallow Peeps for David...he likes them.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

Love,
Nicki

Thursday April 1st - A Good Day for Statistics

I know we have been pretty busy lately rescuing horses. So? I took a tally....and this is what we have done in the last 6 months here at FalconRidge Equine Rescue:

We took in and rescued 38 horses from various situations such as neglect, abandonment, or owners who could no longer afford them.

2 of those horses passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Miles, and Markie, who did not even make it here.

7 of those horses were sent to sanctuary at Blue Apple Ranch.

16 of those horses are here undergoing rehabilitation or they are up for adoption (take a look!)

13 of those horses have been adopted into loving homes.

and I am betting a few more will be adopted this weekend.

I think that is pretty amazing given our limited resources. Funds are needed for our hay bill and vet bills, both of which are very large. We are not heavily into asking for donations, or doing fundraising, so please realize every little bit helps. Even $5 goes to helping horses such as these 38 who have been rescued in the last 6 months. We cannot keep up the pace like this without receiving donations to care for the horses who need homes. There are several I have had to say no to, and many who are waiting to come in. Once our coalition website is up and our rescue is listed, the phone calls and emails will increase and they are already overwhelming. Several of our horses need sponsors. Take a look at our sponsorship page, the link is on the right.

You can make a difference.

You can help save a horse.

You can be their Superstar and Champion.

You would not only be helping a horse, you would be helping another human being, it could be a neighbor, it could be someone just like you, a horse owner who is in desperate need to place their horse and will most likely be losing their home that they have known for several years. I take the calls with the tears and the shaky voice pleading for help. You can come to their aid by helping temporarily pay for feed and vet care, until the horse is adopted. Caring and compassion...a good thing!

Love,

Nicki

Updates from Rosalee and Dusty's adopters

"Hi Nicki,
The trial ride went very well. I gave her a bath and trimmed her mane even and her face cleaned up. She was really good seems to love being groomed. I measured her today and she is 14.3 barefooted. My trail horse. Sky, is 14.2 with shoes. Anyway Raymond rode Little Bit today. She was very forward. He had to work with her to slow down. After a mile or so she realized that she needed to slow down. She was not familiar with water crossings but seem to be ok once she saw Sky go in. The photos are not very good but you know that she was ok and enjoyed so grass on some of the stops. It was a fairly advance trail she did really well up and down some short steep hills. Raymond does not have his saddle yet he had to use my daughters saddle it was a little small for him.
Thanks so much for Little Bit:)
Valerie"

"Good Morning Nicki,
Wanted to touch base and say hi. Dusty has settled in nicely. I'd like to say that his problems are gone but it's only been two weeks and he's a "two steps forward-one step back" kind of guy. That being said, we are now taking him out on trail and he is amazing. He seems to really enjoy it and wants to go exploring. He always wants to see whats behind the row of bushes or trees. It's fun to watch him. Everything is new and exciting. I'm going to assume a guy beat Dusty and it's pretty evident when we work with him that he is more receptive to me then to my husband. Aaron is still unable to put a bit in his mouth. I have to do it. It bums Aaron out. I have to remind him that it took 15 yrs to get Dusty in this condition. It's going to take a lot longer than two weeks to get Dusty to forget or forgive. Aaron understands and loves him but needs a reminder from time to time. So, he hangs out with Dusty everyday and grooms him and feeds him and just hangs out. I think the time spent will pay off. I enclosed a pic of Aaron and Dusty on their first ride together. I know it's the beginning of an amazing relationship between those two. I hope all is well at Falconridge. I love reading your blog and seeing the progress of all the horses.....Jaguar looks great. I'll write/talk to you soon. If you ever need an extra hand or help please let me know.
Sincerely, Lisa"

Sunday March 28 - Chief is available, and Peapod Passes over the Rainbow Moon

Today was a warm quiet day at FalconRidge. Two volunteers came, Dianne and Elani. They groomed and turned out several horses. Jaguar is doing well and I am pleased. He is now running again and playing with the horses in the arena. Nick has filled out too and is looking plump. Cochise is ending up to be the sweetest boy now that his testosterone is leaving his body. I gave him a bath under the tree and he stood stock still watching the horses run in the arena.

Chief is now available for adoption as Kellys family situation has changed, and she informed me she sadly would not be adopting him. Chief is bombproof and a super gelding.

Toby was turned out in the roundpen and he is so playful, he grabs a saddle pad and races around with it for an hour! He smooshes it up against the rail if you come near, much like a dog giving you a ball to throw for them. He was quite entertaining to watch.

I got a call mid-morning. There is a woman up in Big Bear. She is hurting financially, has been trying to hang onto, but now wants us to take her very nice 17 year old palomino mare who is wonderful on trail. Heartbreak for her with the finances, then having to give up her horse. I say yes. The mare will be arriving tomorrow. We help those in need. It doesn't make financial sense for us to do so, but it makes compassionate sense. I care. I make you care. I know one of you will contact me and want to adopt this mare. I have not seen her yet but know she is greatness from hearing about her. If she is not, we will bring out her greatness. Her adoption fee will help pay for our huge vet bills and our feed bill to help more horses...just like her.

As I was starting to feed tonight I noticed Peapod did not eat his breakfast. I checked him and he was not well. His heart rate was elevated and he appeared to have a stroke, unsure of his surroundings. The vet was called and I gave him some banamine. Pea is about 40 years old and was rescued last year. As I finished feeding the other horses I was in tears. I wondered why I do this. Why expose myself to the sorrow of losing horses? Losing Pea was hitting hard on the heart. If you have met him, I am sure it is hitting you too right now deeply. I looked at the 40 something horses waiting for me to bring them their dinner. That's why. Because of them. They will go on to loving homes. These horses have gotten better here, healthier, and will continue to move on in life with those that love them. They represent hope and the goodness in all of us. They are our teachers. They help spread the word about horses in need, horses who get neglected, horses who go to slaughter, or horses who are just owned by someone hurting now due to the economy. Just like the palomino mare that is coming tomorrow. One is coming in. That means one is going out.

After I finished feeding I spent time with Pea. The moon was up and it looked full. Pea was now walking around in his pen, continuously. The vet Dr. Binder came and felt he had a stroke, which can cause the heart to race and body to shut down. He was neurologic. He gave him a muscle relaxer and some anti inflammatories and thought we would give him a chance to see if he will pull through. He left and I went up to the house and cried some more. I let my volunteers know..Pea is in distress. I checked him a little while later and he was gone. He passed. Zeus was staring at him in the moonlight. He was a brave and strong little pony and we will miss him dearly.

Goodnight Pea. We love you...

Love,
Nicki

Sat Mar 27th - Super Volunteer Day, Chief and Pow Wow Need Homes

Today we had several volunteers out helping at FalconRidge. It was nice to see Valerie who helps us out with riding some of the adoptable horses. She rode mister Pow Wow and he is fantastic..and up for adoption. New volunteers Sue and Kim came out and helped with mucking stalls, grooming and turning out horses. Amber, Andy and Kenny walked horses too. Christe, one of our volunteer supervisors was out working with horses and helping with the volunteers. Candy and Kelly came and rode.

Chief is now up for adoption. He is pretty much bombproof and a super calm horse. He is 12 yrs old and was recently rescued after his owner passed away. Baron is also for adoption and he is a tall 17 hand grey thoroughbred gelding, named Midnight Love. Melissa came and worked with and groomed Baron and several more horses. Two lovely ladies came and visited Rory and took him for a walk to eat grass. Super busy day and a warm windy one too. Almost all of the horses got handled, worked with, or turned out...everyone helping with each of the horses rehabilitation and handling so that they may find a loving home of their own.

I want to acknowledge and pay tribute to all the super volunteers who come here and work tirelessly to help with all these rescued horses here at FalconRidge. We have 47 rescued horses here and 20 up for adoption. The volunteers work by giving ground manners, grooming, helping exercise and train, giving of themselves and their time to help improve the horses lives. They help to transform them into the magnificent horses they were meant to be.

Thank you so much my volunteers for giving of yourself so that they may have a better future with a nice loving family. The horses thank you too!

Perhaps Chief and Pow Wow will be dining in their own homes by next weekend? They can only hope...
This is not meant to be their home...your home is.

I got a very nice email from Chris who adopted Sultan. She thanked me from the bottom of her heart for letting her adopt Sultan, saying how curious, sweet, and wonderful he is. I answered her back and said Yes, yes he is...he is pure gold.

All of our horses are.

They are products of love.

Have a lovely evening,

Love,
Nicki

Friday March 26 - Blue Apple, Dr. Don & Sage Gets a Spa Day

This morning I was at Blue Apple Ranch to take pictures of the Loving Arms Herd for the final report for the ASPCA grant in assisting with their care. All five horses looked spectacular at Lynns. Mark Me was turned out in the pasture with the geldings and just playing for the first time with others enjoying himself like it was Christmas! I saw Merlin, Pistolero, Denny and Chiron grazing on rolling green hills of grass. Kitty, Toy and Crystal too were enjoying themselves in the fields. It was a joy to watch them in a very happy retirement and sanctuary setting. I saw Prancer and was shocked how good he looked. If you scroll down on this page to Christmas Eve you will see how he looked 3 months ago when he was rescued up in Riverside. Just wonderful to see.

Lynn and I discussed how to talk to the camps this year regarding camp horses and their suppliers (kill dealers) and how to bring about changes in management practices regarding what happens to the horses when they are no longer needed. This came up because I was contacted by the very camp looking for horses right now, who was going to send Gunsmoke and Jimmy to the Wolf Center last year to be eaten by the wolves as they were no longer useable (Gunsmoke was dead lame when he arrived and the camp had been JUMPING HIM!). Luckily Lynn agreed to take them in and they are now happy and sound.

The change or camp horse reform will take time, but please spread the word. If you send your kids to camp this summer ask the camp where they get their horses. Its usually Hart Ranch...one of the biggest kill dealers on the west coast and who sends horses to slaughter regularly, especially unwanted, lame or unrideable camp horses at the end of the season. We would like to be able to supply the camps with nice rescued horses each year, and ensure their safety with having them come back until they need retirement. Also there needs to be more horsemanship lessons at camp..not just ride ride ride the horses and then everyone off the horses and back to the mess hall for lunch, etc. How about programs on equine care and nutrition?, learning about equine anatomy, care, training?, all about super rescue horses and how they are individuals too with wonderful personalities?, just like each and every one of us...and lastly that horses are not just machines to be ridden only...they are just as great to enjoy and interact with while not being ridden!

Horses want love...and they give love...

Today Sage, the mare saved from the Rincon reservation got a bath and spa by Melissa. She looks much much better and needs to gain a lot of weight. Her teeth were very sharp when she arrived and they were done right away. She is only 15 yrs old and will look super once she fills out. Shirley was out and gave us a Tater report. Peg was here working hard as usual, and Melissa. Steve was working horses and riding Toby when I arrived. I saw Fire happy in his new home this morning before I went to Blue Apple. I heard from Rosalees new mom that she is doing well, so is Native Winds..

Dr. Don Moore came this afternoon and adjusted Blaze, who was out in her neck, but otherwise pretty good. And then he saw little Cheyenne the quarter horse. His hocks are hurting him. He was out just about everywhere that Don adjusted him..poor lil guy! He even had to pop his jaw back in as it was out of alignment. He was put on bute and will be put on joint supplements. Dr. Moss will be consulted to see if we can get his hocks out of pain. Dr. Don took a look at Jaguar, gave him a once over and we thanked him as he went off to his next appointment. Don adjusts horses of Olympic riders too. He is a great guy and caring man who is also on our equine coalition team.

It was a great day, full of horses, friends and volunteers who care for them here and our chiropractor who is trying to solve problems and get our horses out of pain. Thats what we do best..diagnose issues and improve horses lives. I saw Tom the turkey as I walked up to the house in the evening...I am not sure what his purpose is here yet, it will reveal itself later. David did say something about saving his life as a baby...so there you go...he's a rescue turkey.

For some of us, horses call us to adventure. The call often comes in our early years, only to be responded to years later, perhaps often as an adult, with other adventures intervening along the way. It may come in that first sight of the grace and movement of a horse galloping across a field. Or it may come in that first, sensational experience of simply walking atop the back of a pony or horse, which gives our body's habitual movements something new and larger, the promise of new horizons opening for us. Whenever the seed of the horse's call to adventure is sown, we have many opportunities to respond to that call as our lives unfold. - Riding into Your Mythic Life

Spring is here. You are alive right now and living on this planet. Now is your time...to shine.

Love,

Nicki

Monday March 22nd - The Turkey Monster & Cheyenne Arrives to FalconRidge

David has a turkey. He brought him home one day and put him in the aviary with the parrots, Sam and Toby. Don't ask me why. The turkey was small when he arrived, only about 10 inches high. Well turkeys grow fast I guess as now he is at least Butterball sized. He is white with black highlights. I call him Tom...David calls him Henry. David turned him out of his cage on Sunday to let him roam around the ranch. He is big enough he said. The dogs did not seem to pay attention to him which was good. This morning, David told me Dreams and Knight had escaped from their pasture. I mentioned I saw one board down this morning as I drove to work, but it wasn't enough that they could get out. He said well the turkey went in the pasture and our horses, who have never seen a white feathery monster like that ran from him and jumped out. As David was trying to catch Dreams and Knight, Tom the turkey was chasing after David because to him...he is "dad", and the oncoming turkey was scaring the horses even more.

Today Sultan went home with his new owner Chris and I have already received pictures of him in his new digs. Congrats to Chris and Sultan. He settled in fine. One went out today so that means.....yep...one came in.

The owner of a quarter horse contacted me over the weekend. His gelding was not what he was represented to be he said. He wanted him to come here so we could evaluated him and adopt him out to a good home. The horse needed a ride from Imperial Beach to FalconRidge. Lynn Olsen offered to transport him...free of charge. Shes an angel person. She drove down and picked up the gelding, who we have named Cheyenne and brought him to FalconRidge. He is very cute, a chestnut with a big blaze. Dr. Don the chiropractor is coming this Friday to adjust Blaze the new mare, and Cheyenne will be seen too. The owner thanked me for taking him. We will find him the perfect owner. Perhaps that is you? He rides well David says.

I received the Pergolide for Kharma the cushings mare today so she will be started on it tomorrow and hopefully will transform into a non cushinoid horse soon.

Tater will be going to his new home tomorrow with Shirley. Yay for Tater boy!

I will be speaking at the HSUS Homes for Horses Conference in May at Nashville, Tennessee, along with other rescues and equine professionals. It will be held just prior to the Animal Care Expo.

And the San Diego Equine Coalition which we recently formed, has been approved and awarded a $50,000 grant from ASPCA. This grant will allow us to create an educational website for horse owners in the county to find resources they need and to help at-risk horses, such as Cheyenne today who needed a home. In addition to the website, we will be creating a voucher program to help horse owners with low cost euthanasia, gelding or veterinary care. More exciting things will be coming from this group. I am very happy. Or I should say the horses will be.

Lynn Wells of Blue Apple Ranch had another baby recently...a colt. His mother was saved from slaughter. Congrats to them!

I got two emails about horses in need and Vinnie the saddlebred still needs a home. His owner cannot afford his board any longer. Vinnie was purchased for $50,000 and needs a home and family to love him.

Let horses be your guide in life. Listen to their heart and the wisdom they are silently communicating to you...for they will show you the way to find happiness, success, confidence and unlimited opportunities.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday March 21st - The Young Fundraiser and Tater Gets His Home

This morning as I was feeding it was nice and relaxing. The sun was out, temperature was perfect, birds were singing and the ground squirrels were milling about the ranch. Spring is here. As I got to the lower pasture I wondered why Marley was all alone, perhaps I just couldnt see the other three that should be in there. I walked around to see and they evidentally broke thru a corner of the fence, well, more like jumped over it...Cisco, who I am sure was the ring leader, Sandtwister and One Sock were not in the grass field next door, they were two properties over way far away! I whistled at them and don't ask me why...they don' t come to a whistle anyway! They were being watched by a person near the road. I got in the truck and drove over there. I haltered Cisco and Sandtwister and asked the young man to walk back to the ranch with me as One Sock followed. This mornings entertainment, the little hooligans. I fixed the fence later after feeding them breakfast.

This morning Steve came about 10am. He and David had gone out to the Stampede in Temecula to give the british man a taste of a western bar experience here in America. I heard they got in at 3am and luckily, the mechanical bull was not working last night. Steve said he had a good time. He and David took a trail ride in the morning.

Tater has been adopted to our volunteer Shirley. Congratulations to Shirley and Tater! We wish you lots of years of love.

Steve and David worked with Mystery and got him saddled, then were putting weight on the saddle and he did well. Steve ate dirt one time and got a taste of real cowboy work thanks to Mystery who kept him on his toes.

The new paint mare Blaze was evaluated today. She was found to have extremely sharp teeth and therefore not bitted up and will have her teeth done asap. She saddled fine and worked in hand well with Steve. I was told she reared up before in the past and with those sharp points on her teeth, no wonder why. It hurts..and makes horses rear. Teeth need floating regularly. She also has a long back and I was told she had flipped over once before, so she will have Dr. Don the chiropractor adjust her soon.

We got a visit from ten year old Gabriella Cinquini and her two young friends and father today. Gabriella has been raising funds for FalconRidge and wanted to present it to David. She asked people for her birthday to donate to us in lieu of gifts. She walked up and handed David the donation which totaled...$646 dollars. We were astounded. She is ten years old. I am sure you will be hearing her name in the future. She likes to raise funds for causes. We thanked her and then she and friend walked Buddy and Zues around the ranch. Thank you Gabriella, you have a heart of gold!

Tomorrow Sultan goes off to his new home with Chris...

I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen- Frank Lloyd Wright

What do you want to see happen?

Love,
Nicki

Saturday - Volunteer Orientation Day, Tater's First Ride & Rosalee Finds Love

Today we held our monthly new volunteer orientation day at FalconRidge, a tour given by Peg Wozniak to the large group and it was great to see so many wonderful ladies coming out to help with the horses and our purpose here. Thank you ladies for wanting to be a part of FalconRidge and experience our very special horses here and be a real part of their rehabilitation!

Steve from England was here working horses under Davids watchful eye and he worked Tejon in the roundpen, rode Cochise, worked Tater in hand then saddled him up and rode him and surprise? Tater has been ridden before and is a perfect guy under saddle. He is ready to go and be adopted.
Then Steve worked Toby and rode him as well. Such great help from the UK we are getting! Melissa was out grooming and helping with numerous horses. Andy, Kenny and Amber came and walked Jocko, grazed the Black Jaguar and Nora and groomed some. Valerie came out and rode Chief and Chief is ready to go up for adoption. He is a super nice and easy horse who just needs some conditioning.

Rosalee has been adopted by a super sweet lady named Valerie of Fallbrook and will be living with her and her two horses at home. Congratulations to Rosalee and Valerie! To think that Rosalee went from being severely emaciated and neglected in Norco, to now healthy and plump and going to be loved on and ridden on trail in Fallbrook is a dream come true. Thank you all who helped Rosalee's rescue and rehabilitation!

Tejon is still up for adoption and will make someone a super performance horse. Go to allbreedpedigreequery.com and type in his name, San Tejon Tego Rey and take a look at his bloodlines. He needs a home. The Black Jaguar who has been feeling off this week is now doing better. Tango injured his hock in the pasture and is now moving better on it today.

One is adopted so.... of course at the end of the day I get a call from a man named Jake. He has a quarter horse.....

To be continued....because I said yes.

I said yes, because I am now getting people emailing me looking for one of our rescued horses to adopt. The horses of FalconRidge are now becoming in demand...go figure.

Commit to a horse today, and you will find love like no other.

Just ask little Cameron who rode Fire bareback today at her home in Ramona. :-) Shes in love.

Love,
Nicki

Wed Mar 17- St. Patricks Day and Fire Gets Lucky

Today Fire, the Peruvian Paso gelding rescued from a neglectful situation in Sylmar by Officer Dancy of LA City Animal Control (tipping hat to her), had the luck of the Irish as he was adopted by a wonderful family and will be going to his new home to get loved on by two little girls this Friday. Hooray for Fire. It is heartwarming to see this boy going from a backyard in Sylmar where he was not being fed much by a unloving man, to a super home where he will be showered with love and even have an arabian girlfriend named Bubbles.

Here is an update on Smokette, a recently adopted quarterhorse mare:

Nicki- I wanted to let you know I took Smokette to Laton to ride with a friend. Her daughter was riding a gymkhana there so I took all my horses to go on a trial ride with my friend. Only I didn't realize that the there were no trails, just a small town. My friend rode my mare, my son rode my gelding and I rode Smokette. This was the second time I rode her. No round pen to warm her up either. So I cowboyed up and we took off. She is so amazing! We rode through traffic, horses, trailers, an announcer on a pa system, a train went by, a lawn mower, a leaf blower, dogs people, pigs, cows. A little dog came running up to us with a cone collar on and I thought "this is it", but she just stood there. If she did spook it was in place and so minor!

Her only problem is that she is buddy sour for my other horses, but she bonded with them instantly. So that is not even really a problem. She loads up and rides well when I trailer her. She is shedding out and is so beautiful!

I want to thank you for letting me adopt her. I am going to use her for my reining lessons, because I think it is going to come so natural to her, unlike my paint mare. The lessons are very slow and I ride her and Scott instructs me.

All I can say is she is amazing! I will take pics and keep you posted!

Thank you again! Kim

Surprise...Sultan, who was also in the same neglectful situation as Fire in the same backyard in Sylmar, was also adopted by a wonderful woman named Chris and will be working with a Peruvian Paso trainer as well. Sultan was rescued in December as a 10 yr old untrained stallion. He was gelded, started under saddle very easily and found to be incredibly bright and willing to do anything to please anyone handling him. Congratulations to Chris and Sultan!

Sadly, we lost the fight with Markie, who contracted pneumonia after he choked on his transport to Blue Apple Ranch last Saturday. The staff of Panama Equine Hospital in Bakersfield tried hard to save him, but it was not to be. He passed over the rainbow bridge. The vet bill was significant and over $2000 is owed so any donations to assist us with this would be greatly appreciated. We tried Markie.

Life is short...make it count.

Love,
Nicki

Mon Mar 15 - Markie Fights for Life, Spirit Update, and the Spice Girls

Today Dr. Pipkin of Panama Equine Hospital in Bakersfield said that Markie is not eating or drinking on his own, due to having an inflamed esophagus and trachea from his choke. Please pray for him that he get better and start to eat and drink to get his systems going again. They are working hard and trying everything to keep him comfortable.

I heard from Meredith who adopted Spirit and Treasure:

"Spirit and Treasure are doing really well. Spirit is progressing nicely in her training and is so fun to be around. She's such a sweetheart with a cute personality. Treasure has definitely warmed up to us over the past few months. She knickers at us every time she sees us. This past week we finally finished the pasture I've always dreamt about. When we were working near her stall, she enjoyed just hanging out near us. I've attached a couple photos of the day we introduced them to their new pasture. Treasure will be grazing and then all the sudden will take off, prancing and bucking around the other two, getting them to play. Even Shadow, my 30 year old quarter horse, looks younger when he's running with his girls. Watching them out there never gets old. - Meredith"

I also heard from Kim who adopted Smokette and rode her the first time and is incredibly in love with her. And Dustys adopter Lisa has sent pics and says he is loving his pasture and walked right up to her. Hooray....they all sound happy and in the right place to me.

I got an email from the gentleman in Novato who is trying to find a home for his parents two palomino mares, a mother and daughter who are 33 and 25 years old and have never been seperated their entire lives. The man is moving to Germany and needs to place them together in a loving home for life. Please, if you know of anyone who could take these two mares, named the Spice girls, let me know...it is a special situation and of course they are special in themselves.

Just like we all are....

Come from love.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday March 15 - Dusty Gets Lucky, Evaluations & The Paint Herd

Today Dusty got lucky and found his forever home with Lisa and her wonderful family from Temecula. Yay for Dusty! He will be loved on forever.

Tejon is also adopted to a super lady that we have known for years and lives up near the Bay area. David will be taking him up there where Tejon will be a participant in his training clinic in two weeks.

Pharoh Ala Maark luckily has cleared his obstruction in his esophagus and was very close to death according to Dr. Pipkin at the Panama Equine Hospital in Bakersfield. She said if he had not been an arab and based on his stats last night with an elevated heartrate, any other breed horse would have not made it. He is not out of the woods yet as he is very dehydrated and stomach valve is not working yet. His whole digestive system has to be working again and him get hydrated....then he has to fight off pneumonia in case he aspirated any hay to the lungs, which can happen in choke cases. So please pray for Maark. He is a fighter! He has made it through tough odds already and just wants to live. Donations would be appreciated for his vet bill, which can be made directly to Panama Equine Hospital in Bakersfield. Go Markie Go! We just want to bring him home and help him. This little horse has already been at risk with being an elderly owner who had a stroke, then placed at rescue who did not feed him well and now has had this very scary thing happen to him as they shipped him. He deserves a better life!

The Black Jaguar was evaluated today by David and found he has been trained to ride in the past, yippee for Jaguar!

Nora was also evaluated under saddle and found to have a very light mouth, rides well, and stops on a dime.

Chief was evaluated under saddle and he appears to be bombproof and safe and a super boy.

Volunteers Melissa came out and worked with many horses, Valerie and Elani did too. Chief got a bath and Mystery got a bath and makeover. Tuxedo, who loves to forever roll and get caked on mud also got some salon treatment. Rachel and her friend came out and helped too. Its great to watch all of them doing so much good for the horses here.

Steve came here from the United Kingdom to see FalconRidge and arrived today. He will be here two weeks to experience working with the horses and David. Steve rode Tiki and worked with Tejon in the roundpen under Davids instruction. Steve is a firefighter who is getting ready to retire and thinking working with horses is the thing to do in his retirement....yes it is! Great idea!

Thursday a paint mare arrives from Orange County, the victim of a poor economy for his owner. And its a good thing many horses are getting adopted because I have been contacted by a woman with a herd of 11 horses, paints, who is in a desperate situation and needs to find homes for them. We will help.

No calls tonight from the vet so that means Markie Mark is doing ok....pray he gets better and can come home in a couple of days.

Nothing is impossible.

Love,

Nicki

Sat Mar 13 - Native Winds Gets Adopted & Pharoh Herd

Today was extremely busy at FalconRidge. Lots of volunteers came out and adopters to see our very special horses here.

Sharon took Native Winds home to her new family. Congrats to both Sharon and Native Winds for finding each other! A perfect match.

Amy and daughters came out to see Fire and try him out to see if he would be a good fit for the girls. They rode him and he was just a super good guy under saddle for them. I love watching kids ride..they are so natural. Cross fingers for Fire getting a possible home as they will come back with their trainer, who we have to approve prior to adoption. Fire was being the incredibly sweet guy he is..good with kids.

Toby also had a potential adopter come out and ride him. She rode him well and seemed to like him, so cross fingers for Toby.

Today Sage's teeth were floated ASAP so she could chew her hay better and start gaining weight.

The Pharoh Herd of arabians was hauled down here today from Oakdale. We received a call mid day saying there was an emergency...one of the geldings, Pharoh Ala Maark had choked in the trailer and was taken to a vet clinic in Bakersfield. The vet worked on him all afternoon and she could not get his obstruction cleared from his esophagus. We prayed he would make it. Later the horses were brought down to Lynn Wells Blue Apple Ranch in Ramona and they arrived at 800 pm. Five horses were unloaded. Two of them were thin. I was also told by the vet that Ala Maark was thin as well. It was upsetting as these horses had been in the care of another rescue and rescued three months ago and they were in poorer condition now. Totally unacceptable and sometimes it is hard to understand what people are thinking, obviously not about the care of the horse. We were livid to say the least.

It was a late night and the vet in Bakersfield said if Ala Maark does not pass his blockage by morning he will have to be euthanized.

We prayed for him.

True compassion is seen by action....

Love,

Nicki

Friday Mar 12 - Sage & Chief Are Rescued

Rory, the red dun who is down on his pasterns is a hoot. This guy loves to play in turnout and was a joy to watch bucking and running with Jaguar, Nora and Kharma. He just had a blast. Anyone who thinks you cannot absolutely enjoy horses without riding them needs to watch such horses as Rory at play. It's fun just to feel his joy and glee and it is also addictive, making you feel better as well.

As I watched these four horses who were previously unwanted, neglected and abandoned at play today in the arena together expressing themselves, happy and content and rehabilitating, I could see hope in their eyes. These horses are hoping, as I am hoping as well, that there or people out there who will want them, who will value them, who will love them.... just as they are. They deserve unconditional love. There no longer needs to be Black Beauty stories for these horses again. They wish for no more moves, no more shuffling, no more being at risk, and especially no more starvation and hungry stomachs. Can you imagine if each and every one of us humans had to rely upon a caretaker to give us food each day? I know as babies we do, but think of how you would feel having to rely upon someone else for each and every meal we eat. Sitting and waiting and hoping for a breakfast or dinner to appear before us? These four horses went through not getting enough, or the right food given to them.

Jaguar was starved to the point where he was down alot and even had to lean against a shed to be able to stand up as he was so weak.

Rory was in with other horses evidentally as he was all bit up and thin.

Nora was starved until all ribs shown, then tossed out onto the streets of Sylmar...

and Kharma? was being fed one can of dog food per day...and I don't mean kibble either!

These horses are no longer unwanted...they were just in the wrong homes and with the wrong people. They are now loved and wanted and appreciated for the specialness of each and every one of them. We value them for their beauty, and? their ability to continue to love people even though they have been neglected or abused. They are...cute...as well as survivors. I hope everyone sees that.

Peg is teaching Tuxedo how to pick up his feet and he is coming along greatly. I got to play with Mystery yesterday and bond with him which was a pleasure. He is a little earshy and of course that means lots of nice rubbing of the poll and ears until he holds still and is no longer bothered with it. He is really sweet. Volunteers Peg, Shirley, Terry and Melissa were all working wonders with the horses all day long...grooming, working in hand, baths, turnout, teaching ground manners, etc. Such a great crew we have here who help all the horses.

Tater had his debut run in the arena and was with Nemo racing around. Such a spectacular duo to watch as they were really competing as they ran laps.

Late afternoon David and I went over and picked up Sage and Chief, the neglected horses whose owner had died and they were saved from going to a killer auction. They are thin and jumped right in the trailer. Both were wormed immediately and fed and given Purina Ultium. Tomorrow Sage will get her teeth floated as she is the worst.

Last night we also noticed Tango has injured himself in the pasture and was not walking on his right hind. Dr. Jeff Moss came out and examined him and put him on bute. Rosalee, who has been rubbing and itchy was given a shot as well as Jaguar to help with any allergies. More vet bills...more need for donations...so please help if you can.

I heard from the owner of Vinnie the saddlebred. He is looking for a home. I got a call from someone else and I just could not respond back.

I've heard from the man up north in Novato with the mother and daughter palomino mares, aged 33 and 25 whose owner passed away and the son is going to Germany need homes soon... and the mares have never been separated. Never.
If you can help please email me at nickbranch@aol.com.

I also got an email from the owner of several horses....here is what she had to say:

I have eleven horses, actually two ponies and nine horses. We lost our ranch in late 2007 and have been struggling to find horse rental property ever since. Three moves later, after being assured that we could stay here for at least two years, and after spending every penny, over $11,000 to move corrals, shelters, horses, household furniture etcetera, it turns out that the man who rented this to us six months ago is losing it to foreclosure and litigation. We have to move again immediately. I am out of money and time and a ranch/home. We have some beautiful paints, brood mares and six year olds, plus a shetland and a Welsh pony. Can you help? I was referred to you by a friend in Ramona, but our last move took us farther out. Four of them are well trained and have many years and rides with children on trail and camping, the ponies and two mellow and trained geldings, aged six and an eleven. Although not all are trained to ride, it is just because of our situation, not because they are problem horses. They need a trainer and I haven't the money. Most of them are registered. I lost my old dressage horse last night. With the two hundred twenty dollars to have her removed, I will not even have enough for hay this month. If we have to stay with relatives, there is no place for the horses. Do you have room? Please respond ASAP."

I responded ASAP

because I know you all will help.

I have faith in you. I know you can do it. I know you care. And if you can't do anything right now? I know you will spread the word to friends or others who just might be looking for a very special horse...who will bring them luck for the remainder of their lives. :-)

David is showing three horses this weekend to potential adopters....cross fingers for the horses.

Love,
Nicki

The Sickness - A page from an 87 yr old horsewoman's journal

I got this from The Gather message board:

A page from an 87 yr old horsewoman's journal

I ride.

That seems like such a simple statement. However as many women who ride know it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability.

I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride. The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it 'the sickness'.

It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness'. It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.

I ride. I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog and I ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust. Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.

I consider the simple statement; I ride. I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride, no matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt.

I ride. And I feel better for doing so. The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.

I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch. We haul 40ft rigs, we back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait and doctor. Your hands are a little rough and you travel with out makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the 'sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one. "My treasures do not chink or glitter, they gleam in the sun and neigh in the night".

There's nothing like a horse!

Wed March 10 - Sienna & Native Winds Get Lucky

Sienna, an 18 year old arabian mare who was at risk as her owners were having financial difficulties up in Big Bear, has been adopted by one of our wonderful volunteers Kelly. Congratulations to Kelly and Sienna!

Native Winds, our Kentucky Mountain mare who was at risk due to her owners facing foreclosure here in San Diego, has also been adopted by a wonderful woman named Sharon. Sharon is 55 and used to own a Kentucky mountain horse in the past and currently owns two walking horses in their 30's but who are at retirement stage for any trail riding. Congratulations to Sharon and Native Winds for finding your forever home and family!

The previous owners of Sienna and Native Winds thankfully planned ahead of time in placing these horses with FalconRidge before they were in dire straights. They contacted me and arranged them to come here months ahead of time before getting desperate. Good stuff.

Sugar Bear Update!

I received this from Gail today as Sugar Bear was found to have no fractures, based on her xrays by Dr. Hoyme, and was seen by Dr. Don Moore today for chiropractic exam.

"3-10-10 TIER - Sugar Bear Chiropractic Adjustment/Dr. Don Moore.

Dr. Moore was sure he was going to have bad news for us when he came out to TIER this afternoon after our description of Sugar Bear's issues and recent injuries.

Not the case! Woo Hoo! Dr. was very pleased. Hocks, ankles, stifles, shoulders, lumbar & pelvis unlocked. Sugar Bear was moving well and tracking correctly.
She is much more comfortable.....you can just see it in her stance/movement/carriage/eyes. She's not as "sucked up", not leaning forward on her front legs to alleviate the pain in the hind. Of course, she is still over at the knees, but not as much as prior to her adjustment. We put her in the roundpen where the surface is soft and she rolled on each side (he was hoping for a full roll over), got up and did 2 head to tail body shakes!

He was concerned that her stifles, hocks and ankles would be locked and that he would not be able to unlock them. But, they moved with ease and he was so very pleased. Smiling big time! About a minute after he finished adjusting her she did 2 HUGE yawns and then we took her to the roundpen.

He feels that she needs to move a little and that we should put her in the roundpen for about 20 minutes each day. He doesn't want her trotting, bucking, etc. just moving about.

Wants us to add oil (Canola oil would be good) to her pellets with the meds in it to keep her lubricated. He feels we should continue to keep shoes on her fronts (she was supposedly done on 2/10/10 and they look new), but said we should have the farrier out to do her hinds now that she has been adjusted.

He feels that she will be pasture sound and said to keep up with the directions that our veterinarian gave us for pain management for the next week or so. Since she is older and of course arthritic, he said the use of Bute when needed is good as needed, but if we could afford it, Previcox would be better for long term. He doesn't think that Devil's Claw will even touch her issues.

He will visit her again in 1 month. Yes, I had the camera out there while Dr. Moore was adjusting Sugar Bear. No, I didn't take pictures. Sigh. I was busy holding her lead while he did adjustments and when we placed her in the roundpen we were both hanging on the fence and smiling while he pointed out the difference in her overall movement, stance, etc. Sorry!"

Good news about Sugar Bear and that she seems to be recovering from her injuries and healing well. :-)

Today I spoke with Gary Adler of the Pegasus Rising Project and regarding his herd of arabians. I will be meeting with him next week where we will collaborate on a training program for the horses there with their volunteers and perhaps the veterans which they will be serving.

I also spoke with the gentleman who is taking care of the animals from the Purple Cow Sanctuary here in Valley Center. If you have not heard, the owner of the sanctuary has been charged with a hit and run crime in Escondido and is currently awaiting trial. This man has been able to place all of the farm animals at the sanctuary except two horses and a donkey who he wishes to go together. We are working together to figure out a solution best for all.

The Pharoh herd of arabian horses will be arriving this weekend at Blue Apple Ranch. The remaining four horses from the herd will be evaluated for training/placement or sanctuary. All are fairly young and of course beautiful. Two horses are also from Zen Equine Rescue in Oakdale and they will also be evaluated for adoptability. Looking forward to seeing these horses and helping them out, thanks to a collaboration between Lynn Wells of Blue Apple Ranch, myself and John Arrington of Zen Equine Rescue in Oakdale. The Pharoh herd had an owner who became ill and the horses were at risk and needed intervention and care.

The Clint Ritchie horses, currently at Norcal Equine Rescue up north, will also be coming down in the future. There are five of them and they belonged to the long time soap opera star Clint Ritchie who passed away suddenly.

Diedre Kane, one of our volunteers and also a woman who rescued a very neglected horse back east, has agreed to sponsor the beautiful Sapphire. Thank you Diedre for providing funds to help care for Sapphire here at FalconRidge!

Organizations and people working together for horses...a good thing for all!

Love,

Nicki

Sunday March 7th - Rain, Friends & Horses in Need

This morning it was still cold, windy and sprinkling at FalconRidge. I was fortunate enough to have my friend down the street, Alicia Wolff, who owns the Keys Creek Lavender Farm, http://www.kclfarm.com, come by and spend some quiet, soothing and spiritual time with Taffy, Rowdy, and the Black Jaguar. Then Alicias friend, Kate McAloon, chef to the stars came by as well, http://chefkatealiveandcooking.com, and I showed them a few of the rescued horses and their stories. We watched the Black Jaguar play with Sapphire in the arena.

In the afternoon I went to see two horses in need. A man had died leaving his two horses and the family didnt know what to do with them and were considering sending them to a killer auction. The nephews girlfriend stepped in and said no, I will take them and put them at her sisters home. Now the sister has to move so the horses have to go. I went to see them on the Rincon Indian Reservation. There is a gelding 12 yrs old and a mare 15 years old and they are in need of care and weight. They are sound and rideable she said. I looked into their eyes. The mare is thin, one eye is weepy, teeth are sharp.

I told her they could come in two weeks, as I know someone will come and adopt two more horses by then to loving homes.
They have to. Chief and Sage are in need.

Never underestimate the power of your own aspirations, especially when they are grounded in compassion for others.

I heard Sugar Bear is doing better and standing up for longer periods of time. We should find out what her xrays reveal, if anything, by today.

I have been asked to find adoptive homes for a herd of 100 icelandic horses. Untrained of course. That will be a project for the future.

There is also a two year old curly mustang filly who needs a home. Her name is Whiskey Skye and I just saw her pictures and shes very pretty.

The magic of horses is calling you.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday March 6th - Smokette Goes to Her Adoptive Home & Rory Arrives

Today we had several volunteers out even though the rains were threatening. Rachel came out early in the morning and worked with Pow Wow and Nemo. Then Valerie came out and worked with Cimarron, Dusty and Snowbell in the roundpen.

Melissa was also here and worked with Dreamcatcher and numerous others and helped turn out horses to exercise and put them back. Amber and family came out and worked with Rory and the Black Jaguar and walked Jocko the llama around.

Rory arrived from Rancho Santa Fe, a 15 yr old red dun gelding who is down on his pasterns. Sweet sweet boy and cute. His registered AQHA name is Silver Vandy Bar. He was given away from a home in Valley Center as he was no longer rideable. The new owner then became financially unable to take care of him, called the old owner who of course did not want to take him back. He was boarded down in Lakeside where he got bit up by other horses and thin. He was boarded in Rancho Santa Fe and the owner just cannot afford him she said. Rory is caught up in the Unwanted Horse Shuffle game that humans play. Rory was unwanted due to not being rideable anymore. Amazing how much horse owners discrimminate on that. Rory is only 15. He may well live another 15 yrs. Rory has lots of love to give. If only people would see that instead of seeing that he is only valued if he can carry people upon his back.

One comes in...another goes out. Smokette went off to her new adoptive home with Kim...Congratulations to Smokette and Kim!

"As we have seen, horses are a part of that company and offer their own special talents for becoming our mythic partners. Horses teach us skill and compassion and intuition as we ride into discovering our own unique stories of grand proportions. Together, we create a new morphic field. In the process, the horses taking part in this work grow into new evolutionary roles as teachers and healers. That's why physical therapists, occupational therapists, expressive-arts therapists, and psychotherapists, along with special education teachers, corporate coaches, and other educators, enlist the talents of horses in every major city in Europe and the United States.

Linda Kohanov detailed her own transformational journey with horses in The Tao of Equus, in which horses led her, and others gathered around her, on a path of awareness and healing. In discovering that horses are intensely emotional, intuitive, and intelligent beings, she found that they are also teachers because of their extraordinary ability to awaken intuition in humans while mirroring the authentic feelings that people often try to hide. "

from the book Riding into Your Mythical Life by Patricia Broersma

The Rorys out there can help you.

Love,

Nicki

Friday March 5th - Equine Education Scholarship Offer

I was recently contacted by New Horizons Education Center. This sounds good to us!

"Dear Rescue,

Thank you for all that you are doing to help unwanted horses. We imagine it must be overwhelming at times to try and find good homes for all the horses that need assistance during these tough economic times.We're hoping we might be able to help in a small way.

What we have been discussing at New Horizons is a "scholarship program" for the people who come to you to adopt a horse. We welcome your ideas on how best to make this work.

If you're not familiar with us, New Horizons Equine Education Center Inc. has been providing home studies courses to horse enthusiasts for more than 20 years. We launched our first Equine Science series in 1988. Since then we've built a full curriculum with more than 30 courses. Our programs have been approved by four major breed associations, including AQHA, APHA, IAHA and ApHC.
Our foundation series begins with EQU 101, Horse Safety. We believe this information is vital to anyone who works with horses - especially newcomers. We would like to provide "EQU 101" free to anyone who adopts a horse through your organization.

This course covers the essentials of working around horses so that neither the horse nor the person gets hurt. Lessons explore equine eyesight, everyday handling techniques, tack, trailering and riding safety.

Here's how we envision the scholarship program working: The $48 course fee for EQU 101 will be waived. Class materials will be made available either online or through the mail - whichever the student prefers. The enrollment fee would be reduced to $25 (the standard fee is $35 and is a one-time charge to set up student records). Students return tests and assignments to New Horizons for grading and earn a Certificate of Achievement after completing all six lessons in the course.

If adoptive owners want to continue their studies and progress through the EQU series (or take upper level courses), we will extend a 10% discount for those courses as well.

Knowledge is the key to a joyful, safe and satisfying relationship with horses. We would love to help get adopters off to a great start. Education, more than anything, may help prevent more unwanted horses in the future.

We look forward to hearing from you about scholarship opportunities. We can be reached at 770-266-0631, or via email colette@newhorizonsequine.com.

Best regards,

Colette May, Director
New Horizons Equine Education Center, Inc.
Visit us online www.newhorizonsequine.com"

Wed Mar 3rd - Bay Mare In Need!

TIER & Falconridge Equine Rescue are working together to help this mare.

3-2-10 Late in the evening, we received information about a QH mare, approximately 14 years old that was injured and lying down. We need your help!

Original listing on Craigslist:

Free Approx 14 year old , Mare.. my ex-boyfriend left this horse with me and I don't know alot about them.. she is lame and underwieght. I have been feeding her 2 flakes of hay in morning, afternoon and night to try to help her weight issue, cause I feel bad for her, I took her to my sisters house to put her in a stall to be out of the rain. My sister told me to try and have her rescued or put down, I don't want her put down.. please help this mare..

After phone calls by TIER & Falconridge, we got the following information:

Mare had been with a horse trader (ex-boyfriend)...mare was ridden in the sand at the riverbottom and the horse was sound...but came back shaking and has been lying down a lot since. Off on the front and back leg swollen so sounds like she pulled or injured something in the sand she said. She’s very thin. This woman who has had her for 4 days now (sister to the gal who rode her in the sand in the riverbottom) said the mare will get up to eat, but thats it! Of course a vet has not been called since this occurred 4 days ago.

We are making arrangements for the mare to initially go to TIER. The vet has been contacted and once he has evaluated her, we will know more about what we are dealing with. If a chiropractor is needed, Dr. Don Moore will be contacted. Once we have more information about her condition and she has stabilized (depending on vet recommendation) she will then go to Falconridge Equine Rescue.

We need your help. We are in need of emergency funds to pay the vet, purchase medications, chiropractor (if needed), feed, & eventual transport to Falconridge, etc. This mare has been suffering for days and days! We were told that she was being given 1 scoop of bute per day. That is equivalent to 1 bute tablet.....not near enough for an injury that causes a horse to lie down frequently. Horses do not lie down that much or that often unless they are in great pain.

Soberly,
Nicki

Tuesday March 2nd - A Day of Five & The Horses Prayer

Monday was quiet. A nice quiet Monday. No requests to take horses. Perhaps it is letting up I think? The need. The times of strife for horses as well as humans. I got home and David told me that Billy the Kid, seeing the lower pasture of horses let out to graze on grass decided he had to as well, and did his stop, drop and roll to go under his stall panel and run over and join them, which brought some humor to the day. I should know by now what nice quiet days mean for a horse rescuer.

The first call came from Sue about her horse Annie. Sue is losing her home. Sue is also getting divorced. Sue owns Annie who she needs to place as she can't afford her and will no longer have a place to keep her. Annie is a beautiful palomino mare who is 25 yrs old. Sue has had Annie for 11 years. She has to let her go. The heartbreak of losing your home is bad enough. So is the heartbreak of going through a divorce. To lose your family member pet of eleven years makes it even more devastating. Annie has ringbone and cannot really be ridden. She would be a great pasture pet Sue says. Super sweet personality. She is an easy keeper too. Annie, will soon be homeless.

Sue will be able to take care of just herself. Annie the horse, cannot.

Sue cannot take Annie down to the local animal shelter or the humane society like she could her cat or dog where they could find refuge. Hence the current delimma for horses. This is exactly why it is so important now more than ever to help the horses in this economy....for nobody else will or can. Sue sent me a photo of Annie and I placed them up on the Rehoming Horses Blog, http://rehominghorses.blogspot.com/

If you can open up your heart and home for this gorgeous mare who is about to become homeless, or if you know someone who needs a pasture pet, please call Sue.

Please help Annie the palomino. This was horse number 1 at risk and in need today.

Horse number 2 in need and at risk today is a curly mustang filly named Whiskey Skye. Curly is a breed of horses that have curly hair. Nancy got her beautiful smooth-coated curly mustang filly in October last year. She was foaled on April 9, 2008 out of a BLM Mustang mare. At the time she got her she was in a good financial position. Some serious financial hardships now cause her to need to find a home for her by the end of the month. She has worked with her on basic ground manners, tying, standing for hoof trimming, bathing, worming, etc. She is a very smart girl and learns fast. If you want to help Nancy and Whiskey Skye, email me at nickbranch@aol.com

Horses 3 and 4
A man named Robert owned two horses, a mare and a gelding and he passed away. Family members did not know what to do with his two horses. Someone mentioned taking them to the meat auction. Fortunately for the chestnut mare and black gelding the girlfriend of Robert's nephew said no and decided to take them. Thank you Lord, for this girl. She kept them at her sisters house and fed them. Now the sister has to move so the horses need to find a home. They are nearby so I will go take a look at them.

Four horses in need...just today. I knew Monday was too nice.

I come home to an email and phone call from Lynn Wells who thankfully received Billy the Kid and Jesse James safely today. I got a great update from Peg about what went on at the ranch today. She says Native Winds is ready for adoption as a riding horse. And rumor has it that volunteer Kelly rode Sienna and had a super ride. Jaguar is getting stronger by the day, now getting turned out with other horses. Good...good news about horses being rehabilitated here. Smokette is going home this weekend and will get daily loving attention by her new adopter Kim. Super good.

Horse number 5 I was emailed out this evening. My lovely rescue friends to the north who read Craigslist ads like to shoot certain ads to me. Thanks for that guys! This ad was about a quarter horse mare in need. The mare is underweight and evidentally taken for a hard ride in a sandy riverbed where she came back from the ride lame, shaking and now down alot and not able to stand. A vet wasn't called of course. The horse will be seen by a friend of mine tomorrow to see if we can help her...poor baby! Sigh.

That was just today. I got another email about a free arab mare and I didnt even read it. Enough already.

I have received three requests for volunteers to come help out here at FalconRidge. Thank you guys for we will need you badly. The horses need you badly. See when you come here to volunteer you get to help horses like these listed here get rehabilitated. You get to participate, groom them, hand walk them, watch them blossom from the weak and unhealthy into the strong and majestic beauties that they are. We heal horses while horses heal us and those that help them. We know the secret. Life is better, more authentic, healthier and happier when you have a horse. And having a rescued horse is even more rewarding and lucky for you and your family.

There is a horse named Vinnie who lives in Bonsall. Vinnie is a handsome 11 year old Saddlebred gelding who cost his owner $50,000 to purchase. Vinnie came from show stock. Vinnie is now an at risk horse. His owner can no longer afford to pay for his board due to finances. Vinnie is also lame. He has aggravated his coffin joint. He gets injections which help bring him to 80 percent or so. I talked to his vet who said Vinnie could be ridden lightly on trail, absolutely. Just no hard riding or showing for this boy anymore. Vinnie is sweet and you can put a beginner on him she said. If you are interested in helping Vinnie please email me.

This weekend Rory arrives. Rory is a red dun gelding from Rancho Santa Fe who is in need of a home. He is down on his pasterns in front and has bad feet I am told. He has gained weight and used to be all bit up from where he was boarded before.

This weekend a paint mare also arrives from Orange County. She is the victim of a bizarre lawsuit. None of which horses understand.

Here is a video of the horses prayer...

please watch it and pass it on...for all the horses out there who are suffering. Education is the key. Share what you read here with other horses owners. Unfortunately, believe it or not, most horse owners have no clue that horses go to slaughter or that they need to be "rescued". No clue at all.

I have a crazy dream. And that dream is to put the equine animal control officials and humane officers out of business. I think we can do that here in San Diego County...don't you?

The Horses Prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Ki--DO1Ss

Now I lay me down to sleep...
Love,
Nicki

Sunday Feb 28th - Jody Finds Her New Adoptive Home

Saturday another rainy day all day here at FalconRidge, just as we were starting to dry out we are now muddy again.

Since I am in the house due to the rain, that means I have to answer the phone calls...personally. A woman calls from Bonsall regarding her 11 year old saddlebred gelding she needs to place. She says she can no longer afford to keep boarding him. She can't sell him as he has aggravated his coffin joint and is now intermittantly lame on one leg. She bought this horse for $50,000. She says whoever gets this horse if I agree to take him in and adopt him out, will get the deal of the century. I asked her of she tried selling him, and of course she can't as no person wants to purchase a horse who is lame right now, especially the show folks. She would love to see him just go to a home with light trail riding or as a pet. She said you can put a beginner on his back and he will ride fine. He is tall, bay, and sweet. She told me Dr. Walker has been treating him and I have a call into him regarding this horses prognosis. I have never had to rescue a saddlebred. Maybe now is the time. We shall see.

Jody has found her forever home and is now adopted to Antoinette who fell in love with her! Congratulations to Jody!
Jody waited long and hard for her perfect family to come and they did.

Thoughts are things. Think good ones!

Love,
Nicki

Fri Feb 26th - Playing With The Horses

Today was a much needed day off of work for me and I got to spend it with our amazing volunteers here at the ranch and all the horses.

Yesterday was another meeting with the San Diego Horse Coalition, a group of rescues, veterinarians and animal control officials, which is moving forward to provide a safety net for horses at-risk in the community, thanks to funding from a gift to the ASPCA. The coalition will provide education and be a resource for horse owners as well. Our website will be up in the near future.

Today I got to see Tater, the paint who appeared to have stringhalt and was not moving well when he first came in, trot around in the roundpen with the most beautiful floating trot ever. I was amazed. His body is transforming with exercise by our volunteers and his original chiropractic work by Dr. Don Moore. My heart soared to see his progress as Shirley proudly showed him off.

Miss Nora, the thoroughbred mare rescued from Sylmar street who came in ribby 14 days ago, now has no ribs showing at all! She has gained weight quickly after having her teeth floated, she was wormed, and our diet of plenty of hay and Purina Ultium, which works wonders to pack on the pounds on our rescued horses. Melissa looked at her and said wow, she has gained weight fast! Nora is very sweet and while turned out in the arena to exercise, she will come up to you for petting instead. She is a snuggle bunny. Perfect for snuggling!

Mr. Jaguar is also feeling better..getting perkier with his energy since he has been on Ultium and Red Cell. It was good to see him excited to meet a mare and trot after her and arch his neck towards her like his grandad, the Black Stallion! We believe he has had longer term malnutrition so he will take longer to get back to health, much like Rowdy was when he arrived here.

Jesse James went off to Creekside Veterinary Clinic today to be castrated and came back in the afternoon. We had to put him in the roundpen to keep him calm and also to make sure he cant escape from anywhere.

Sultan, the peruvian paso stallion rescued from Sylmar I have now deemed the smartest horse on the ranch. He was castrated and now is fully recovered, so I took him to the arena for the first time and let him run around. Afterwards I took him over the obstacles and he did not flinch once and stepped over whatever was asked of him and up on the box like he had done it his whole life. This was a horse who never left his back yard in Sylmar nor was he trained his entire ten years of life!

Smokette has been adopted to a wonderful woman named Kim. Congratulations to Kim and Smokette for finding your own family!!!

We have had so many requests for volunteers, I usually get 3-4 per week, that we have decided to create one day a month for new volunteer orientation class. It will be held the third Saturday of every month from 11-12 noon here at FalconRidge. Our volunteer program is formal, and volunteers move up the ranks from Greenhorn to Vaquero, the most experienced of horsemen. It is a wonderful way to be a part in the rehabilitation of the rescued horses here. Email our Volunteer Coordinator, Peg Wozniak, at winnie@roadrunner.com if you are interested in volunteering and she will send you all the information and application form.

The Black Jaguar is now being sponsored by Cindi Schultz. Thank you Cindi! Sponsorship will help pay for his feed and vet bills, is $100 per month, and is a great way to help a certain horse here at FalconRidge if you like, without having to actually own a horse. Sponsorship helps with our incredible burden of feed (3-4k per month) and vet bills (don't even ask) for the 55 rescued horses we have here, bills which needs to be paid monthly. We have several horses who need their own individual sponsors here still, like Cochise, Cimarron, Nemo, Mystery, Geronimo, Sienna, Moriah, Sultan, Marley...and more. Email me if interested in sponsoring a horse at nickbranch@aol.com . Sponsorship can last as long as you like. I will be putting up an individual sponsorship page or blog soon with more details. Right now Cindi is happy she is making a difference personally for The Black Jaguar, a horse in need. There are several more horses in need out there, but we cannot bring them in without more help financially.

Today I saw Karen working with Dusty in the roundpen and they made me smile. Dusty used to be afraid to let you catch him in his stall and in the roundpen or arena he was incredibly hard to catch. That behavior has improved with consistant training and now he is allowing Karen to catch him easily in the roundpen. It is called trust, and being fair and consistant with the handling of horses...a good thing!

"Nothing that happens between humans and animals is separate from what happens in every other aspect of human life. Who we are with animals mirrors who we are-our fears, our joys, our dreams, our actions-in every other arena of our lives."
Susan Chernak McElroy

Love,
Nicki

Thursday Feb 25th - Jesse James Rides Again

Today Jesse James, the little miniature horse stallion escaped from his stall again by rolling under the pipe panel so he could get into Lakota's stall next to him and pick a fight. Poor Lakota never saw it coming, the little white tornado was biting, kicking and screaming. Luckily volunteer Karen was there with Luis Aguilar who was trimming 16 horses today and they were able to rescue Lakota.

Jesse James, now left alone in the stall then proceeded to try and annoy Sunka, in the stall next to him.

Billy the Kid, his sidekick, is recovering from being castrated the previous week and both little outlaws will be sentenced to Blue Apple Ranch and transported next week.

There is a paint mare coming in next week, and a red dun gelding on March 6th.

We have been in conversations with animal control officials in Los Angeles County regarding some ponies in need....and animal control officials in San Bernardino County have offered trailering services for horses needing transport to the rescue.

We try and help as many horses and people as we can, and we love those who also do the same.

Compassion makes the world go round. Right?

Hugs,

Nicki

Tuesday - The Outlaw Jesse James

Today, the notorius Jesse James, one of the miniature stallions rescued with The Black Jaguar, escaped (slid under) his pen today and terrorized a pasture of normal horse sized geldings!

After he was caught, which took numerous volunteers and David at least thirty minutes, he was still trying to wreak havoc as he was led away and put in solitary confinement, a stall by himself. Billy the Kid just looked on from his stall innocently.

Thankfully these two little heathens will be going to Blue Apple Ranch after Jesse gets castrated on Friday...which everyone is now very much looking forward to!

A Letter I Received Today from Siri in Norway

"Hello Nicki!

Just spend the money where they are needed the most, I just wanna help the horses when I can...

Well, one and a half year ago I bought a problemhorse off the racetrack (as you know there are no problem horses- just people...)

I got a bit more than I bargained for, so there came a time when I felt I could use some help. I started searcing the web for help and came across David`s True to the horse-horsemanship. He is such a good horseman, and I have never looked back. It has helped me and my horse tremendously.

I'm almost glad now that my horse was such a rank and difficult one. Otherwise I never would have learned so much or found you guys!!! You do awesome work, I wish more people would be of your kind... Maybe then we wouldn`t need rescues.

Keep it up! And bless you all.

Snowy Norwegian hugs from Siri and Zawadi the horse;)"

Sunday Feb 21 - The Black Jaguar Improves & Arabian Rescue Mare Arrives

Yesterday it rained most of the day here at FalconRidge. It cleared up midday and someone came by to look at Smokette for adoption. Cross fingers for Smokette to have a new home soon.

I received calls about two horses needing new homes.
One was a red dun gelding who was left at a home by the owner who could no longer pay his board. When he came in at the beginning of the month he was skinny and all bit up she said. The owner is having financial difficult and had gotten the horse as a pet. She knew nothing of horse care though. She tried to contact the previous owner who of course was no longer interested in taking the horse back. Hes not rideable she said. I found out later this horse is down on his pasterns in the front and of course is incredibly sweet.

The other call was from a woman in Apple Valley who had rescued an arabian mare 7 months ago from a hoarder. Three horses had died previously at the hoarders home and this mare was left. The woman was feeding her one can of dogfood per day. She has gained weight with Tia who rescued her but now Tia is in financial need as her husband skipped town with another woman and emptied all the bank accounts and she lost her job. Shes placing her three healthy horses and did not want this mare to again, be placed in a situation where she would be starved. So I said yes. She agreed to trailer the mare on Sunday and said she was 19 and rideable. The mare arrived on Sunday and looks about 30 and like she has Cushings disease. Tia did not know what Cushings was. Had I known, she would not be here. Dr. Moss will be running tests to confirm.

Jaguar is feeling better and much perkier. I spent some time with him Saturday grazing him on grass. His appetite is picking up and his energy levels are rising. He appears to be getting better. He is now staring at the new Arab mare in the arena with much interest and perked up ears.

Nora from LA City AC is gaining weight as well and looking better. A month from now she will look entirely different and be filled out.

I was contacted by a friend of mine who suggested we have a Concert for the Horses, a fundraiser benefit for the horses of FalconRidge with a couple of musicians he books. We are looking into planning it for this coming Fall and hope to have between 200-600 people attending.

This week we will be meeting with the San Diego Equine Coalition again at Blue Apple Ranch with rescues, veterinarians and animal control officials on Thursday. We are working to come up with solutions to help horses such as the red dun gelding who was abandoned at a boarding facility, and horses like Tigger and Pistol whose owners no longer want to care for them. Additional help is needed so that we do not have to take in most of the horses and costs associated with caring for them.

Jaguar is looking for his own personal sponsor, someone to help with his feed and vet bills. If you want to help please contact me. He is a doll, and so deserving of someone to love him.

They all are.

What are you going to do different this week to become the amazing and strong champion you all have inside you?

A person's true wealth is the good he or she does in the world. - Mohammed

Love and Spirit,
Nicki

Friday Feb 19th- Cajun and Joaquin Go To Their New Adoptive Home!

Thursday morning I get two emails from rescue friends of mine, asking me to save a thoroughbred mare who is being offered for free on Craigslist as she is a project horse. The ad read like this:

"I bought her about 8 years ago, I had her at a trainers for a few months for some training, she's a sweet girl but she has her moments. I now have a thoroughbred gelding who is 4 and he is my show horse now and I can go farther on him than I could on her. She is spooky, she needs a ADVANCED rider. She hate's the farrier and clippers she hates 2 horse strait loads. She does like trail rides and she has been shown. She hasn't been ridden in 2 years, just a pasture pet. She has good ground manners but you can't let her get away with anything. She has no soundness issue's, she's just a mess. She has bucked a couple of times, usually like a little buck. Never fell off her. She rears up. She needs to be lunged before you ride her, she needs to have a turn out area. She is VERY sensitive. She like's girls better than guys but she likes guys. She needs an owner who wants to re start her from the ground up, desensitizing, sacking out, just re do everything with her. You have to have gentle hands and she needs a blanket in the winter time and a shelter would be great too, I would need too see your property and I have already told you she's NOT a beginner horse. She is a problem horse. She's always been like this and I just don't have the time anymore with my 4 year old thoroughbred and a weanling and 3 other horses."

Gotta love my rescue "friends" emailing me ads like this. I had to say no as for some strange reason, perhaps those of you reading this can tell me...people don't want to adopt any of my thoroughbred horses. Pow Wow and Jody need homes, and have for quite awhile. Baron is at least being feed leased by a young military wife for now, so I am not worried about him as she wants to adopt him, but for the life of me I cannot fathom why someone would not want Pow Wow, and ex show horse! or Jody who is green, but oh so willing and an easy one to train under saddle. So I can't take in another thoroughbred until my two get adopted.

I have several things to say regarding this horse's ad.
If you have a horse that hates the farrier? there is a good reason why. Shes most likely had a bad farrier experience before. You have to find a patient and gentle farrier. Ive found Juan Aguilar to be that kind of man. And never ever let your farrier trim your horse without you being there to supervise. If they are rough with your horse or impatient? Kick them off the property. Your horse deserves better. You would not let a shoe salesman rough handle your child...same goes for your horse.

She hates clippers? Well you did say she was spooky. Thoroughbreds are hot blooded horses...not deadheads like draft breeds. There are ways to introduce clippers to horses. I personally no longer clip as I have found out that horses need ear hair, they need whiskers, fetlock hair actually wicks away sweat and rain from running onto the backs of their heel bulbs, keeping the hoof drier, and even mane hair has a function in regulating the temperature in horses. Prior to this knowledge I was a clipping fool since a long time ago I used to groom for shows.

Now what TB does "not" hate a two-horse straight load??!! David will no longer load a large horse or TB into a two horse straight load for clinics. Oh he can get them in...but after realizing its pretty much rediculous to ask a horse that size to go into such a narrow dark hole, he said no more. It is just plain as day not fair to the horse. Borrow another trailer for your TB please. Consider them first.

She likes trail rides and has been shown. Good! Then she says "shes just a mess". I am not quite sure what that means. It's interesting how you can tell so much about a persons character by how they describe a horse. Usually, it has "alot" to do with how the person relates to the world.

So the horse bucks and rears? Usually that means the horse is trying to tell you something. Try listening carefully. How are her teeth? are they sharp? What kind of bit are you using? is it too severe? How soft are your hands? or are they pulling back so hard the horse has no choice other than to go straight up? Does her back hurt? Have you ran your hand down it to see? Horses that buck, rear, act up are plainly communicating to their handler. Its our job as horse owners to listen and observe and not to just attribute it to bad behavior.

Horses are more intuitive than most people think. They know how you feel about them, they can sense it in your body language, your voice, your mood, your thoughts even.

I like that she said the horse needs a turnout area. Thats true! but as far as lunging a horse before riding? That is something we never do here. We can take horses who have not been ridden in several years, tack them up and get on. Now I do agree horses need exercise and out of their stalls. We do turn out horses here, thanks to our wonderful volunteers, so that they can exercise and play in the arena with different horses and socialize like horses love to. They are herd animals remember. While we dont lunge and make the horse go mindlessly around and around in a circle, which usually just revs them up, especially the thoroughbreds!, we will work them back and forth in hand on the lead and engage their minds by asking them to change directions.

She is very sensitive. Yes, it sounds like the horse is. Therefore, you have to be considerate of that fact. How are you around a sensitive friend? Do you blurt out expletives about how they look? Of course not. You are caring about how they will respond to you..right? Well this mare should be treated the same way. I am not saying tip toe around her, that will make her more nervous, I am saying she needs a calm, cool, confident leader who is not brash and bold and uncaring.

The rest of the ad I agree with...except the statement that shes a problem horse. Sigh. There are no problem horses, only problem owners. It is obvious that she does not have the patience for this mare, and I have to give her kudos for realizing that and wanting to place her mare with someone else more gentle.

What I did do, was forward the ad to a rescue list that went out to several people. Hopefully someone with good training and listening skills will pick this mare up and give her the leadership she so deserves!

This morning the wonderful Tilden family came by and picked up Joaquin and Cajun to drive them up to their new home by Yosemite. Congratulations to the Tilden Family and to our boys who will be in grass pasture heaven up there!!!

Yesterday was my birthday and we received a few donations from Facebook for my birthday wish. Thank you to those who donated to the rescued horses! If you have not joined me yet please do on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1017905423

Facebook somehow thinks I turned 98...which some days it feels like that. I actually turned 52.

One of our volunteers Peg informed me about her neighbors horses. They have a 20 yr old appy that needs a home and a miniature horse as well. They claim they can no longer afford to feed them. We shall see what we can do.

I talked to Zen Equine Rescue about the Pharoh herd of arabians in Oakdale, CA. Four Pharoh bred horses and two Zen horses will be coming down in a couple of weeks. They will be going to Blue Apple Ranch for evaluation and assessment of adoptability and training levels if any. Stay tuned.

Also five of the Clint Ritchie estate horses will be coming down next month from NorCal Equine Rescue up north. Again, these horses will be assessed and many will most likely be up for adoption. If you have ever been a soap opera fan and liked One Life To Live, you can have one of Clints precious horses that he loved himself.

I was called today by a woman who boards at a boarding facility in Carmel Valley regarding a horse. He can no longer be used in the lesson program and has to go. There was talk of euthanasia. She asked if the horse could just be temporarily placed at FalconRidge while an adoptive home was found, as he needed to get out of his facility soon. She has a friend who is going to help her pay for this horses food and care until someone can be found to take him. I like this. These women banded together to help this horse and are committed to him until he is placed in a loving home. They might even be able to place him now and he not have to come here. Great! What they are doing is Fantastic! I wish more people would do such things at barns to help the horses.

Generosity and compassion abound in all of us. Give them
freely, without expectations... and your life will be enriched beyond all imagination!

Love,
Nicki

Wed Feb 17th - Cochise and Billy the Kid Get Castrated

Today Dr. Jeff Moss came out to FalconRidge to see several of the horses. He castrated 9 year old paint stallion, Cochise. Now Cochise had come to us because the owners could no longer afford him. They felt he was a cryptorchid, and that it would be expensive to geld him so they feared they could not place or sell him due to that fact. What Cochise really was is a high flanker on one side. You could see both testicles although one just barely...but it was there and not up in his abdomen. It was not difficult to castrate him at all. He is now a wonderful gelding.

So interestingly enough? We also had to castrate Billy the Kid and Jesse James today as well. They are the two miniature stallions that came in with The Black Jaguar and Jesse James IS cryptorchid...so Jeff could not castrate him here but will do it next week at the Creekside Vet Clinic. Billy was castrated fine.

Jeff also looked at Jaguar and felt he was anemic. He is on his Red Cell, plus SMZ's, plus a shot of banamine each day to feel better and he is grazing on the grass which has sprung up everywhere due to the rain.

I am receiving requests to take horses in. There are two up in Mira Loma, two in Fallbrook, and always thoroughbreds everywhere. Pass the word to others to adopt from here and we can make room to help more horses in need.

Cajun and Joaquin will be going to their new ranch this Friday and will be on 200 acres of beautiful land near Yosemite Valley. It will be heaven.

You can do as much as you can dream about...or as little...

Make a difference in a horses life today.

Love,
Nicki

Tues Feb 16th - Joaquin Hits Lotto

Today we found out Joaquin will be adopted to the wonderful Tilden family and going to their super luxurious ranch up near Yosemite, along with Cajun this coming Friday. Big congrats to the Tilden family and to Joaquin!!!!

We received a $2000 donation from the Jason Heigl Foundation for rescuing Nick and Nora from the Los Angeles City Shelter. Thank You!! The Jason Heigl Foundation was founded by Nancy and Katherine Heigl, the acress who plays Izzy on Greys Anatomy, in memory of Jason, their son and brother who died in a car accident in 1986. Jason loved animals so they continue to save dogs and cats from high kill shelters. Kudos to this wonderful family who cares!
http://www.jasonheiglfoundation.org/about.html

A life of giving is a life worth living!

Lovingly,
Nicki

The Amazing Transformation of Duncan the Wonderhorse

Once upon a time there was a poor little bay arab gelding who was neglected in a back yard. He got thinner and thinner and nobody cared about him. His teeth could no longer chew his food very well, so whatever food he did get, he could not digest it properly to put on weight.

Someone saw the little arab gelding and contacted us to see if we could help him. I posted about him on here and showed his picture and told his story. I was contacted by a woman who cared about him. Her name is Michele Dasch. She wanted to take the little thin arab into her family and care for him. We arranged for his transport here until he could move to her facility. She came and met him here and fell in love.

She named him...Duncan.

Duncan went home with Michele and was fed a nice diet of senior feed and food he could eat properly. He was cared for and looked after. Michele was asked by people...Why would you get a rescued horse? Sometimes Michele wondered herself. It was tough finding a place to keep Duncan where he could be fed his special diet. She had other horses too. She had faith in Duncan though, and stuck it out. Duncan gained weight and got healthy. He thrived.

Duncan was moved to the stables where the other horses were. There, people asked, why would you get a rescued horse like him? Duncan in the meantime transformed from a skinny, malnourished little horse into the handsome good looking horse he always was inside.

You see? Duncan knows Michele loves him.

Good things happen to those who open up their hearts to the less fortunate...those people who can see the diamond in the rough.

Why get a rescue horse?

Here is why.

They are all the same as any show horse...just ask Jamaica...who was once a "rescue horse"

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2008/12/17/jamaicas-story-an-unlikely-happy-ending-to-a-horse-slaughter-case.html

Sleep tight Duncan. You are a champion! and so is Michele, for saving you.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Feb 14 - The St. Valentines Day Rescue

Today we rescued three horses. One black arabian gelding, 18 years old, and two miniature stallions. They had belonged to someone who had a medical condition and they let the horses get neglected. I am not sure why. Why is a tough question to ask in this business. Luckily for them, a wonderful person stepped in and got the horses the help they needed and called me.

David drove out to pick them up. The arabian is a special guy. He is tall and black and thin, wormy, and weak from anemia. His coat is poor and evidenced of malnutrition. He has some fungus on it as well in a couple of areas. He has a star and two white socks. His name is the Black Jaguar, and he is a grandson of Cass Ole, the horse who played the Black Stallion. He has been started on Red Cell, was wormed, teeth floated, and this handsome but weak guy will need some prayers by you as his appetite is not the best.

The two miniature stallions are also thin. It is hard to see a thin pony as ponies normally get fat on air. They have no manners, are hard to catch and like to rear! They will be going to Lynn Wells Blue Apple Ranch for her kids program. She has named them Billy the Kid and Jesse James, appropriately! They will be castrated Wednesday by Dr. Jeff Moss, along with Cochise, the paint stallion.

I have received a three phone calls lately on the answering machine that I cannot understand, which I think were about taking horses. If you have called and I have not returned your call please call back on a landline and speak slowly and clearly so I can get your message as well as your phone number.

Nick and Nora are doing fine so far. Nick is up with Fire in pasture and Nora is working on gaining weight on Ultium and will be seen by the vet on Wednesday for possible teeth floating. She has no upper teeth due to cribbing.

Think of and do big things, so that you can see for yourself you can accomplish more than you ever dreamed you could...

Happy Valentines Day,

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Feb 13 - Nick and Nora Have Arrived

It was a rainy weekend last weekend which makes the ranch activities here come to a screeching halt, other than feeding the horses. The mud is still drying out. While the super bowl was playing I was updating the adoptables blog, http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com.

Nick and Nora, the two horses who were running loose on New Years Eve up in Sylmar arrived on Friday, thanks to transport by Officer Stacey. They are very cute. Nora is thin and needs her teeth floated. Nick needs to gain some weight and his teeth were incredibly sharp and his were floated. David evaluated Nick and found out he is a very well trained charro horse. He will need an adopter who is willing to teach him to relax while being ridden, so he realizes he does not have to be hot under saddle. David videotaped the session and it will be on youtube. Nora is as sweet as can be. Our volunteers doted on her when she came in. Both horses have been wormed, will be trimmed and can now start to pack on the pounds.

On Friday we had volunteers Shirley, who was petting on the previously untouched Jubilee, Peg, Karen, Kelly and Ryan out..all helping with the horses by turning out, hand walking them, grooming, and helping with training.

Today we had Rachel out and Christie, along with two new volunteers doing on orientation.

Baron is being feed leased by volunteer Julia, who plans on adopting him in the future. She rode him in the arena today and he did wonderfully.

Tomorrow we will be saving a special horse in need...

Stay tuned....

The time to start doing the things you have always wanted to do..is now.

Be there for them.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday Feb 4th - Miles Goes Over the Rainbow Bridge

This morning was a sad one. Miles, a 24 year old thoroughbred gelding who had been rescued in November from a neglectful home in Riverside had ruptured an intestine and had to be helped over the Rainbow Bridge by Dr. Jeff Moss. Miles was an ex racehorse who spent the last twelve years in someones yard in Riverside with no other horses around. His owner was not taking care of him or feeding him well and animal control officials were called out and they contacted us. I asked his owner if she knew who he was by his tattoo and she said no, she had not bothered to look it up. When Miles arrived he was thin and would run you over. I checked his tattoo and found out his name through the Jockey Club..it was Sattoro. He gained weight and was taken care of by our volunteers where he learned manners and how to lead properly. He was getting ready to go over to the sanctuary at Blue Apple as he was not really adoptable as an untrained 24 year old thoroughbred gelding. A few days ago he started to exhibit symptoms of having a stone and he was seen by the vet. He would get better until this morning when he was exhibiting that he was in pain and banamine did not help. Dr. Moss was called out ASAP and he sadly said Miles had ruptured, most likely due to a stone. As he was laid to rest I whispered "Sattoro" in his ear just before he passed...with the hope he remembered his name of old, his name of glory, his name of youth. I hope he is running races now just like he did in his youth while up in heaven. Goodbye boy...we will miss you!

Life is short...run your races and grab the glory now, while you still can.

Love,

Nicki

Rancho Buena Vista High School Internship

I was contacted by an instructor at Rancho Buena Vista High School about having a student intern here at FalconRidge. The student has already interned with Creekside Veterinary Clinic and got exposed to horses there he explained. While at FalconRidge the student will be interviewed as if applying for a regular job, and work under the guidance of our Volunteer Coordinator, Peg Wozniak, while learning horse care, handling of our rescued horses, rehabilitation and training of the horses as well. The student will also be assigned a grade accordingly. Responsible equine education first hand and in the real world and working with our high schools...we love it!

Wed Feb 3rd - The Adventures of Nick and Nora

It was New Years Eve, at approximately 2am in the morning, when someone, not of their right mind or perhaps out of desperation, turned loose Nick and Nora onto the city streets of urban Sylmar, California. Nick is a 15 yr old white arabian gelding and Nora is a bay thoroughbred mare who has ribs showing. Police were called out to capture the two loose horses running around, and cornered them at the end of a street. There officers were afraid to approach the horses and called out animal control officials to come get them with a trailer. The officers arrived and walked up to Nick and Nora, haltered them and they calmly walked onto the trailer. The escapade of the two horses was caught on the tv news and reported in the papers. Nick and Nora went to holding pens where they were kept so that their owner could come claim them. Nobody showed up.

Officer Dancy told me about Nick and Nora, named after the characters in the Thin Man series. I told her I would try to find them a home. I posted on Facebook about them, with pictures, asking people up in Los Angeles to please go down to the shelter, check them out and adopt them to give them a loving home. Surely there is someone in Los Angeles County who has funds and a loving home to give to these two street savvy sleuths I thought! I got a few responses on Facebook, then more time went by. More horses in need, different cases and stories coming in to the rescue, etc.

Nick and Nora evidentally fell off the radar. I assumed they would be adopted.

You know what they say about assuming things....

Officer Dancy called me in the afternoon and her voice was animated. She said Nick and Nora's time had run out...they need placing now or are facing euthanasia. I could not believe they were still there. She told me the Heigl Foundation was offering a donation for a qualified rescue to take them so they would be saved...I agreed.

Nick and Nora were saved, in the nick of time. Whoever owned them before and set them loose? Your loss. Nick and Nora are now famous. They have been on tv, they have been in the papers..they are on Facebook. They are heroes and survivors. Nick is totally attached to Nora. They represent our throwaway society of today. They will be used to teach others about "compassion"! They will be used to teach educate children about caring for animals, how you love them and keep them for life in your family.

Whoever did not go down to the shelter to see them and adopt them? Your loss as well. Nora is in her 20s, and a cribber, and she is thin and in need of proper food and care. For you see? Nora, is absolutely no different than race winning Zenyatta, or Rachel Alexander! None whatsover.

Be the one who cares...

Love,
Nicki

Tues Feb 2nd - Volunteer Rosaline Truong Spotlight and Farewell

"I was born and raised in San Diego, CA and school or jobs have taken me to the Bay Area, Massachussetts, and to Miami. During the summer I worked in MA, there was an equine center on campus. On my morning run, I would always stop to gaze at the beautiful horses. I finally returned back home this past fall.

I started volunteering at FalconRidge because I've always been fascinated by horses. They are such graceful and magnificent creatures. I've loved horses all my life, but never really had the chance to be around them, and when I heard about FalconRidge, I knew I had to volunteer!

One of the things I enjoy the most about volunteering is meeting new people and new horses every week. I looked forward to chatting about the other great volunteers' lives and the stories and histories of all of the horses. Aside from meeting new horses and people, I really enjoyed grooming the horses and just spending time with them.

Over time, I loved watching the progress of many of the horses which were once untouchable transform into very affectionate horses ready to be adopted. During my time at the ranch, I was able to walk Jocko, and spend a lot of time with the minis, Buddy and Zeus. I grew to love all of the horses, particulary Tejon. He has always been friendly, sweet and special.

Volunteering at FalconRidge has truly been a rewarding experience. Not only have I learned more about horses, spending time with them and knowing that I was contributing to a bigger cause was heartwarming. Coming to FalconRidge was an escape from the daily rush of everyday life. It was calming to return to nature and take care of the horses.

I am super sad that I'm leaving FalconRidge, but I will be moving to New Haven, CT and working in an HIV/AIDS lab at Yale School of Medicine. I'm looking forward to visiting when I can! I will miss everyone, Tuesdays won't be the same...

Love,
Rosaline"

Saturday Jan 30 - Cochise Gets Evaluated

Today at FalconRidge we had several volunteers out and it was a busy day. Peg and Shirley came to help with the stallions who had been castrated on Friday. Rachel came out and rode Rosalee and helped David with Cochise. Valerie was also here and groomed several horses, helped David with a saddling of Tejon, and also rode Tiki, an 18 yr old paint mare who is back through no fault of her own. David rode Tiki and worked Tejon with her and found out Tiki loves sorting! Tiki is up for adoption.

David evaluated Cochise and found out while he rides fine, he has a kicking problem. As I was brushing him for saddling he was kicking out with his hind legs so David did a training session right then and there with him. It was obvious his hind legs had never been worked with. We also saw that he is dropped a little, so he might be able to be castrated normally and not in the hospital, which is good news. We were told he was a cryptorchid.

We need a hay barn put up. The devastation from this last extreme storm on our hay stack, even though it was tarped, was significant and we lost many bales. Donations are appreciated as well as labor to get a hay barn put up so we can store the hay in a safe dry place! Perhaps we should have an old fashioned barn raising party? Send me ideas.

Hugs and love,
Nicki

Friday January 29th - Stallions to Geldings, Castration Day

Today Dr. Joe Cannon and three of his staff of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, http://slreh.com, came out to castrate four of our rescued stallions.

First was Sultan, the ten year old Peruvian Paso stallion rescued from a backyard in Sylmar that he had never left.

Then they castrated Geronimo, the 6 yr old paint stallion who was saved from euthanasia.

Tater was next, he is a 6 yr old paint stallion abandoned in Aguanga.

And finally little Rocket, whose mother Sparkle we rescued from a kill dealer when she was pregnant.

All stallions got through the procedures fine and are now gentlemen! I have seen a great bumper sticker before...it said GELD EM!

Remember to neuter your stallions in order to reduce the number of unwanted horses!

Right after Dr. Cannon and staff left the 9 yr old paint stallion arrived from Ramona. For a half hour FalconRidge was stallionless. The new boy is named Cochise and supposed to be a cryptorchid. He has beautiful blue eyes and has been ridden about 25 times his owners said.

Funds are needed to help with the veterinary bills for castrating these stallions so they can be placed in loving homes. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for helping us help the horses!

Love,
Nicki

Thursday January 28 - The San Diego Horse Coalition

Today we had the second meeting of the San Diego Horse Coalition, a group made up of equine rescues, veterinarians, animal control officials and the ASPCA. It was held at Blue Apple Ranch in Ramona and the group decided on how best to help at risk horses in our county.

The day before the meeting I received three requests to take horses.

A paint stallion, 9 yrs old whose owners both lost their jobs. He is in need of gelding,

A 19 yr old mustang who is somewhat arthritic,

and a 30 yr old quarterhorse gelding who is fine physically but whose owner can no longer afford to feed him.

I agreed to take the paint stallion.

Legacy has been adopted! Congrats to Natasha and family and he will be going home on Monday!

Make a wish,
then make it come true.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Jan 24th - Sienna The Little Arab Mare Gets Evaluated

Today we are blessed with sunny skies and the mud is slowly drying out. Volunteer Rachel came out today and groomed horses and rode Rosalee, who is a super cute little quarterhorse mare up for adoption.

A family came to look at Legacy the warmblood for adoption and he most likely will be going home with them in the near future.

David evaluated Sienna the 15 yr old arabian mare and videotaped her being evaluated. She is a very cute and obedient little mare. She has been ridden on trail up in Big Bear and would need an intermediate rider.

I received a request from a rescue in Arizona to take another mare...not sure that we can as we are full and unless horses get adopted we cannot bring any more in.

We are getting a lot of requests for people to volunteer and have them scheduled. We have formal volunteer program which is administered by our Volunteer Coordinator, Peg Wozniak. If you wish to volunteer please contact Peg at winnie@roadrunner.com or myself at nickbranch@aol.com and Peg will email you all the information.

Without our super volunteers here we would not be as successful as we are with taking care of and adopting out horses. We thank all of our volunteers for donating your time, your sweat, energy, your love and handling of our rescued horses so that they may go on to find their forever homes. You guys rock and thank you!

Never underestimate your greatness and how much you can help others by being there for them....four legged or two.

Hugs and love,
Nicki

Saturday Jan 23rd - Cajun Finds A Home

Today we had a wonderful visit from the Tilden family and friends who were looking for a nice and calm ranch horse for their ranch. 20 year old Cajun the quarterhorse gelding has now been adopted by the Tilden family and he will be living up at their ranch just south of Yosemite. Congratulations to Cajun for finding his forever home! A super horse for super people.

The ranch here is still muddy, and our haystack was hit hard by the storms and wind. Even though it was tarped, several bales of hay have been ruined. A friend of mine told me to put up a wish list of things needed for the ranch so people can donate for individual things. One of those that came to mind was a hay shelter so we can store hay and keep it out of the elements.

I am not big on asking for things but I need to learn how and no better time like the present to learn. We do have several things that we need. Donated tack, funds for new pipe panels. A horse trailer for hauling, along with a dependable truck. Horse brushes, supplies, wormers...and always funds for the vet. Lots of horses and teeth need floating, which is about $200 per horse. Four stallions need castrating...Tater, Geronimo, Rocket, and Sultan, at $250 each.

If you can donate anything towards these things for FalconRidge, please let me know by saying what the funds are to be used for. Horses can also be sponsored at $100 per month. Those funds go directly to feed the horse of your choice. You get a certificate with your horses photo and story and satisfaction knowing you are caring for a rescued horse in need. Several horses still need sponsorship. Email me if you want to sponsor a FalconRidge rescued horse.

Today horses were hand walked or turned out in the roundpen as its too muddy to let them run in the arena.

A wonderful family came out in the afternoon to see Zeus for adoption. Cross your fingers for Zeus that he finds his forever home too.

I received a wonderful update from the adopter of Buns:

"Hi Nicki,
I wanted to let you know how buns is doing. First of all I've been calling her Angel, cuz she is. Before the rain started I took her on short trail rides daily, she is so level headed, I absolutely adore her.

I started her on glucosamine/chondroiton/yucca supplement since I noticed her sounding a little creeky in her bones and joints plus I figured since she's a bit older I should start her on something now.

She has an 80 foot turn out and a 24x50 stall with a 12' and a 24' awning. I also got her an unlined waterproof rain sheet, didn't want her wet and cold plus I enjoy spoiling her. I'm sure you're out all day taking care of all of your horses etc..
Thank you so much for starting Falcon Ridge, you and David really know what you're doing and are doing such a wonderful thing for the horses and owners.

Love,
Darla"

Believe in the magic of horses...they will enrich your life.

Love,
Nicki

Friday January 22 - Storm Week & Salsa Goes Up To Heaven

This week we were hit by extreme storms, as bad as 2005 as far as number of inches of rain falling in the county. FalconRidge is quite muddy but at least we have drainage so horses are not standing in water. Lightning and hail accompanied the downpours.

Blue Apple Ranch had their first baby born Tuesday morning, congratulations to Lynn Wells and family for that. Little baby Grace, a dark grey filly was born to Rose, one of the grey Devine Nine mares which were rescued from a hoarder in San Bernardino County and obtained from the Devore Animal Shelter. Two of the mares were found to be pregnant. Surprise!

Last weekend when I saw Sir Rocky for the first time at the vet clinic the staff did not know his name when he came in the night before. One of the ladies there named him "Henry", saying he looked like a Henry. When I arrived they asked me his name and I told him it was Sir Rocky. The one lady said he still looks like a Henry to me. A couple of days later I was contacted by a woman who wants to donate her rescued hackney pony to FalconRidge. She saved him from neglect and now wants us to place him for her in an adoptive home. He is too small to be ridden by an adult and has been mainly a pet with her as he has been recouperating and learning humans are nice. The little Hackney pony's name is ...Henry.

This evening as I came home from work I noticed 30 yr old Salsa was not eating dinner in her stall. Dr. Moss was called out after she appeared to be in distress. He examined her and determined she had a twist in her small intestine. He said she was a stoic horse. She was helped over the Rainbow Bridge and is now running in the skies pain free. Salsa had been rescued last April after being abandoned out near Salton Sea. When she arrived she was extremly thin, had a poor coat and could barely walk. She gained weight quickly and went from being arthritic and stiff legged in turnout to full of energy, packed on the pounds and was able to run easily. She looked younger than her years and it was heartwarming to watch her gain back her weight and get healthy as the months went by. We will miss her dearly and Nemo is still calling out to her as she was stalled next to him.

Goodnight Salsa....

You touched our hearts and your grace and sauciness will remain in mine and all the volunteers hearts who met you forever....

Life is short..make it count.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Jan 16th - Cajun, Sienna Arrive & Jellybean Gets A Family

For the last several days a friend of ours had her 3 horses here in the arena for emergency holding due to a boarding facility problem. We were happy to be able to help out in dire need. Today, the three horses went off to their new boarding facility.

Jellybean has been adopted and today she went off to her new loving home! Congratulations to Jellybean and Rhonda!

Today a quarterhorse named Cajun arrived, along with an arabian mare named Sienna. Their owners took very good care of these two and needed to part with them due to finances. Cajun is a perfect horse for beginners and is used to trail and being ridden by kids. He is 20 yrs old. David rode him today and could tell he has been well trained at some point in his life and has a good handle on him. Sienna the arab mare will be evaluated tomorrow. Their owner said a tearful goodbye to them.

Volunteers Valerie, Kelsey and Amber were out today, also volunteer Shirley brought her sister and family to see the ranch.

Taffy was put out in pasture in Buns old place and first thing she did was grab and break the water pipe..so had to fix that.

Tango is out in pasture now with Legacy and friends and was seen playing with Shasta.

I put one of the charro saddles we got from the US Border Patrol case for sale on craigslist and will sell that to bring in funds to help the horses.

Eleven year old Samantha was able to walk up and pet Jubilee today under Davids instruction. Pretty amazing thing to see.
Sam's first time working with an "untouchable" horse.

David received a call today and another friend had boarding problems, so he picked up her horse and brought it here.

As the evening wound down I fed the horses and all was calm and well. I put Native Winds and Moriah out in the arena for a sleepover.

I came into the house and got a phone call from a man who said his horse is colicing, he cannot afford a vet for it, and he can no longer continue to feed it. He said he is a disabled veteren who got injured and cannot now work. His horse, Sir Rocky, who he has had for 15 yrs, is a 15 yr old paint gelding at a friends house who has been helping him pay for feed. He wanted to sign the horse over to FalconRidge so it could get treated. I said ok. I hope to God he makes it. I called Dr. Moss and he consulted with the woman taking care of the horse. He suggested David go pick it up and bring it back to Creekside's clinic so he did. David got back home at 11pm and said Sir Rocky appears to have a blockage, he tube and oiled him, gave him some banamine..his heartrate is 60 with gut sounds and he appears to be holding steady.

Pray for Sir Rocky that he makes it.

Hugs,
Nicki

Thursday January 14th - ASPCA and Collaboration

Today we met with the ASPCA, other rescues in the area, veterinarians and animal control officials to discuss a coalition for horses in San Diego County which will help horses who are at risk. It was a wonderful meeting filled with great people and great ideas to help more horses! This has been a long time coming for me, a dream of mine, so I was incredibly happy to see it take shape before my eyes. At one point I had to get up and go out of the room as I got overwhelmed with emotion and went to the bathroom where I cried tears of joy. The stress of continuous phone calls, emails and listening to people crying to me on the phone who have lost homes, have personal tragedies and have to place horses that they have owned for twenty years is a very heavy burden at times. To know we will be creating some solutions where the responsibility is more evenly placed is a great relief.

Last year we took in over 50 horses. We adopted out 40 and place 5 in sanctuary. We do not get tons of donations and I work full time so am not able to fundraise much at all. I am lucky to get thank you letters out for large donations. We do not have a paid staff to help in that area and for that I feel badly. Thank you if you have donated!!! We are extremely successful due to the quality of those helping and the belief that others out there, like you, will assist with horses we bring in. We focus on training and adoption and have been committed to helping as many horses as we can.

We are looking forward to working more with the coalition and providing more answers for owners out there that have to relinquish their horses.

In the meantime, we still have Pow Wow up for adoption, Jody, Cimarron, Marley, Nemo, Dusty and more...take a look and pass the word.

Two horses are coming in from Big Bear tomorrow, and one more next week.

The Pharoh Herd will be coming soon...as well as some of the horses from the Clint Ritchie estate.

Take a chance and follow your heart...

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Jan 10th - Buns Finds Love, Tater Is Cured & Montana and Friends!

Today was a hot one! The rest of the country is freezing and it was so hot today at FalconRidge I went sleeveless and got sunburned.

We had volunteers out today. Amber went to work grooming several horses and we had a new volunteer Annabelle out for an orientation.

Buns has been adopted by a wonderful lady named Darla who lives close by. Congratulations to Buns for finding her forever home!

Nobody came to look at Marley and Cimarron today as planned so they are bummed.

I received an update on Montana from her adopter Will. She likes to go trail riding at the Noble Canyon Trail In Pine Valley. He says whenever he is not riding Montana, his four year old Lab is riding her!

Thank you Will! I know there are many volunteers out there smiling right now. You made our day. :-)

I received an email about some paint horses that might need a new home...

I received an email regarding a red dun quarterhorse mare needing a new home. "She goes down trail fine and is 18. She was a team penner she has been a very good trail horse, not spooky type bags, trucks, rides through Lakeside, black silt fencing, helicopters, water, bridges taken her to beach lots of times this past summer."

I received an email regarding the City of San Diego mounted patrol horses which might need homes in the future.

We are glad to report that Tater, the paint stallion who appeared to have stringhalt, is now walking fine!
and Dusty is ready for adoption...

Have a super Sunday and appreciate life!

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Jan 9th - New Years Resolutions by the Horses

1. I will NOT roll when my human is on my back.

2. I will NOT leap over large nonexistent obstacles when the whim strikes.

3. I will NOT walk faster on the way home than I did on the way out.

4. I will NOT bite my farrier's butt just to say "Hi."

5. I will NOT confuse my human's hair for really soft hay.

6. I will NOT blow my nose on my human.

7. I will NOT try to mooch goodies from every human within a One-mile radius.

8. I will NOT lay totally flat in my stall with my eyes glazed of and my legs straight out and pretend I can't hear my human frantically screaming "Are you asleep?"

9. I will NOT chase the ponies into the electric fence to see if it is on.

10. I will promise NEVER to dump the wheelbarrow of manure over while my human is mucking my stall.

11. I will NOT grab my lead rope in my mouth and attempt to lead myself.

12. I will NOT pull my shoes off the day after being shod, just to prove that I can.

13. I am neither a beaver nor a carpenter. I promise I won't eat or orally remodel the barn or the new fences.

14. I am NOT a battle steed and will NOT act like one.

15. I will forgive my human for my very bad haircut, even though I look ridiculous.

16. I will accept that not every carrot (sugar lump or cookie) is for me.

17. I will NOT bite the butt of the horse in front of me during a trail ride just to say "Hi."

18. I will NOT jump in the air and turn 180 degrees every time I see a deer.

19. I will understand that deer are NOT carnivorous.

20. I will gladly come from the pasture when my human wants my company.

Today we had volunteers Valerie, Kelsey, Justin and Chiara out at the ranch. Valerie rode Fire the peruvian paso gelding who is up for adoption and he rode wonderfully. She then rode Legacy the warmblood and he was slightly off on his right hind where he has ringbone. He was put out to pasture so he can move around more freely and exercise on a hill to build up muscle and get blood flowing to that fetlock joint. He is sound enough for light riding and light trail riding right now but nothing more. He was calm and rode fine. Valerie then rode Rosalee who did great.

Kelsey mucked stalls and groomed horses and then worked with Dusty in the arena going over obstacles and bridges. She then worked with Sultan the 10 year old peruvian paso stallion in the roundpen and worked him in hand. David moved Jubilee from the roundpen stall to a regular stall today.

I received an email today about an Azteca in Orange County who needs a home, and a tearful phone message from a woman in Yuba City who needs to place her thoroughbred mare immediately.

I ordered hay. 13 tons of hay it disappears magically every 3 weeks at $2600 per load. The horses scarf it up at an amazing pace. They are all fat though. We need help with donations to feed the horses, get them the vet care they need, farrier care and with purchasing supplies such as wormers, supplements and equipment to care for them. Every little bit helps and no donation is too small.

Tonight Sapphire is having a sleepover in the arena under the stars with the tall dark and handsome Pow Wow.

Someone is coming to look at Marley and Cimarron tomorrow. Tonight as I was feeding I saw them saying their prayers with hooves touching.

They were saying.... I'm wishing for a family, I hope they pick me!

Don't put off tomorrow what you can do today.

Love and Blessings,
Nicki

Thursday January 7th - It's a New Decade For Horses

Hang on. The news is saying the recession in California is over, hooray! But? The economy and jobs will remain the same for about a year. So things are looking up and for the future. More money and jobs means less horses in need out there.

Right now we are experiencing even more of a backlash of owners who cannot afford their horses and need to relinquish them or find them new homes. Several emails and calls this week. An arab mare in Descanso, a paint in Anaheim, two horses running loose in Sylmar and not claimed by anybody! Animal Control asking us to take them. Horses up north and horses down south. Help us hang in there to help other people in need and their horses. Spread the word about horses here who are up for adoption who need new homes. Adopt a horse shelter pet today! Once some of our horses find homes, like the handsome Legacy, Pow Wow, Nemo, Dusty, or the beautiful Jody and Rosalee...we can help more.

Wonderful things are coming. Horse rescue networks are working. We are working together to help the Clint Ritchie herd as well as the Pharoh herd of arabians. David is training as fast as he can but it is hard work to get horses going who have been untouched such as Jubilee and Tuxedo. The volunteers here help. I have heard from Lynn Olson who is fostering Jingle and Bells that they are doing well in Poway. Lynn is training Jingle to ride and Bells is just being her cute filly self. They just got their feet trimmed, donated by the farrier and they were angels.

Here is a wonderful little video I found showing things you can do with your horse,
http://www.youtube.com/user/horsesknowthewayhome#p/u/0/VLI6nLAqFNM

And a study out showing that horses adjust their heart rate to match the humans who is handling or on them.
http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net/2009/08/science-friday-horses-react-to-human-heart-rates-study-finds/

They are magic....don't you know?

Adopt a rescued horse today...save a life.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 - The Beginning of a New Decade!

It's funny how we seem to look at decades. I am old enough to remember most of the 60's. How simple things were back then. Black and white TVs, the family sitting around it in the evening watching a variety show all together after eating dinner together. As kids we had to create our own games and played outside, climbing trees and games like tag, as there wasn't that many toys to be had. I remember how "new" I thought the 70's were! We had disco, bellbottoms and super cool hair dos. Hmmm, I think that is coming back! The 80s and 90s went by in a blur. The older I get the faster time goes by.

Now we have the super communication era where we are connected all the time with each other. Horses actually get helped faster this way. You see a neglected horse now you can snap it with your cell phone, text and send it to someone like me, who will forward it to animal control and bingo, out they go to check on it!

Here at FalconRidge we had several people today. Volunteers came out to work horses, groom, help ride. David rode Marley and Sapphire. A family came from Big Bear who wants me to take their two horses. I talked to John of Zen rescue up near Oakdale, CA who is trying to place the Pharoh herd of arabians. The owner has lost his home and had a series of strokes and had 11 horses to be placed or animal control was going to come in and euthanize them as he has no means to take care of them. We will be taking some after January 15th.

The beautiful Rosalee is up for adoption and Pow Wow the handsome ex show horse. If you know someone who is looking for a horse, these guys are super catches! So is Nemo!

Happy new decade. I know this one will be filled with peace, prosperity for all, good times, and hope for a wonderful future.

Love,
Nicki

New Years Eve, 2009 - Dusty's First Ride and I Hugged Jubilee

Today David evaluated Dusty, the draft horse cross from Hacienda De Los Milagros rescue in Arizona, and he found he had been previously ridden before! He was able to saddle him up easily. Dusty has fears of touching his mouth and we are working on those with him. Great to find out he can ride though so he should make someone a wonderful horse. If you are looking for a bigger draft type horse, please come see Dusty.

Also today the couple who had saved Jubilee by notifying us of her fate came out to FalconRidge and saw her. I was able to work with her for the first time and pet her all over and even give her a hug. They were so pleased with her progress which is totally amazing! Shes a super smart girl.

2009 is almost over...what a year it has been for us! We have taken in several horses from various situations and rehabilitated them. We were fortunate to have over 100 volunteers here at FalconRidge and we currently have 35 active volunteers who help us out.

We had wonderful families and people adopt horses and give the rescued horses a new home with love.

We were fortunate to have people donated to help us help the horsees. Every little bit helps! We have people donate $10 a month and that truly helps with the horses with feed, care, vet costs.

We were lucky to have met the wonderful Lynn Wells who has created Blue Apple Ranch, a huge sanctuary that will help many horses at risk, and who is a collaborative rescue partner with us.

We are thankful for all our supporters of the year, those who read this blog, who pass the word to others about it. We are thankful for those of you who supported others who were struggling this year with losses of jobs and homes. We are thankful to be able to take in so many horses to assist those in financial need in 2009 and keep them safe and place them into loving homes so the owners did not worry so much or cry as much.

We are each lucky to have our health, our friends, our family, and most of all, the horses. The horses who save us from ourselves, who heal us, who empower us, who keep us in integrity, the horses who make us better than we are just by their presence.

2009 was a tough year. Yet thanks to you out there, we have been able to save and assist many horses in need. We are thankful for the many horses this year we saved who have endured unimaginable cruelty, hunger, abuse, and strife...yet bounced back to health and still love humans...

They are the true heroes of the year 2009.

Happy New Years Eve and Blue Moon,
Love,
Nicki

Dec 30th - Jubilee Gets Trimmed!

Today David was able to trim Jubilees feet, standing up without much trouble. What a good girl! Considering last year she had to be roped and tied down to be trimmed. Juan Aguilar will not believe his eyes when he sees her here as he knew what she was like before when she was untouchable. David has saved her life. :-)

I received this email regarding a paint mare:

Last March my wife lost her job and I have been working four jobs to make ends meet. Six weeks ago we sold our gelding. We have not been able to sell or even give away our beautiful 21 year old paint mare though. We can no longer feed and care for her the way she deserves, and we need some help finding a place for her. If you could help or know of someone who can, could you please contact me.

I shared the email with Lynn Wells of Blue Apple Ranch and she felt their paint mare would be a good addition to the ranch. Thank you Lynn Wells! :-)

I was contacted about a 6 yr old horse named Bingo that had been abandoned at his home in Winchester. When he was a baby he had a broken leg and it healed slightly curved. The owner threatened to shoot him, moved out of the house and left Bingo there. Luckily, the neighbor women took him in and has been feeding him and so he would not be shot. She cannot continue to afford to feed him though.

The handsome warmblood gelding Legacy will be arriving on New Years Day and he likes little kids.

We were contacted to help with placing some arabians from a herd up north whose owner became senile and they were at risk.

I was emailed about an 18year old breeding stock Paint mare. The mare had previously been bred, foaled 5 show babies and was up for sale. She was bought for a 13 yr old . The mare turned out to be way to much horse for a novice. The mare in 4 years has been ridden 5-6 times in an arena only. The owner has 3 horses and cannot afford to feed them all.

Lots of horses need homes...can you help?

Dec 29 - Help for the Actor Clint Ritchie Estate Horses

Hey soap opera fans!

Clint Ritchie, a long time soap opera star from One Life to Live (Clint Buchanan married to Vicki Buchanan) owned the Happy Horse Ranch in northern California and was an endurance rider. Mr. Ritchie passed on earlier this year, unfortunately without a will. His estate included a 60 acre horse ranch with 30 horses that were in need of homes. Some of those horses were rescued. Clint loved animals and rescued horses and dogs. Read about his ranch here,
http://www.clintritchie.com/clints-b...ppyhorseranch/

9 of his beloved pet horses are left of the herd and need to be place in loving homes now. FalconRidge was contacted to help place the final nine horses. They are currently at NorCal Equine Rescue in Oroville. Most adoption fees are waived for these horses and transport down to southern California can be provided to those who want to adopt.

Please consider adopting one of Clints horses and giving it a loving home. He would appreciate it. Ace, Button, DunDeal, Fooler, HeavyDuty, Intensive, LilBigRed, Stretch & Sundae all were his personal horses! Take a look. Super special horses!

Ace: Arabian Gelding
Buttons: Arabian Mare
DunDeal: Mustang Mare
Fooler: TB Gelding
HeavyDuty: QH Gelding
Intensive: Arabian Mare
LilBigRed: Mustang Mare
Stretch: Arabian Mare
Sundae: Arabian Mare

Contact Info: Tawnee Phone: 530-282-5565
mail: info@savethehorse.com

FREE transport down to southern California if you adopt and many of the adoption fees are waived. Lets get these nine deserving horses who's owner died unexpectedly into new loving homes!
Current Address: NorCal Equine Rescue P.O. Box 6108 Oroville, Ca 95966 http://www.norcalequinerescue.com/available.php

Thank you! and Clint will thank you!

Love,
Nicki

Monday Dec 28 - Sapphire Has Secrets

I hope everyone had a super Christmas out there. This blog is read by people from all over the world according to the stats, so I have to say hello to those reading it in Malaysia and the United Kingdom, Russia, Canada...Australia too. Thank you for tuning in to our rescue work here with the horses!

David rode Sultan, the 10 year old Peruvian Paso stallion on Saturday for a second ride on him and he did super again. What a special boy he is!

David also rode Sapphire the paint mare and found out...uh oh...surprise...she has been taught to rear on cue while be ridden! Actually, not a good thing for a horse to know. Seems this horse has had several owners and they attributed the rearing as bad behavior...when she most likely had been unknowningly cued to do it and she was just doing her job! She supposedly knows how to bow as well. So? some tricks have been taught to her in the past.

I received a nice Christmas card from Kingstons adopter with a photo of him, saying he is doing great. Also received an update on Star, who is doing well...and one from a woman who adopted Kiowa, a mustang from long ago. That little mustang went from sitting unwanted in Norco, to now in a loving home where she is being ridden everywhere and loved by her family. Rimrock and Tiki also celebrated Christmas in their new home with their family too. I heard from Sundances owners and they said they are totally in love with him!

I have received emails about the horses in the Devore Shelter needing adoption....

Also a 6 yr old Belgian Quarter cross gelding who needs some training and adoption. He basically has not had much done with him , but is cute. IF someone is interested in adopting this horse let me know and we can take him in.

Prancer was successfully transported to Blue Apple Ranch today and reportedly eating very well, is tucked into his stall and Lynn got him a new blanket for Christmas.

I was contacted about a dutch warmblood needing a new home. He is 16 very handsome..was a dressage horse and used to jump. Now he can be used for light or trail riding only. Again, if anybody is interested in adopting a dutch warmblood gelding with nice manners..he is being ridden by a 12 yr old child right now, please let me know so we can bring him in.

The beautiful Rosalee, a registered quarter horse mare named Sweet Little Bit is up for adoption now. Shes a super sweet mare and would make someone a great horse for trail or show.

Another email about a 21 year old paint mare needing a new home. Owner lost her job and they have had to get rid of their horses. I will get more information on her so stay posted.

The ASPCA is coming soon for a meeting here to discuss the San Diego Horse Coalition and all these requests to take horses like the warmblood, the belgian/quarter, the paint and arabs are exactly the reason why we need to get people together and agencies to help horses! If you have room to take in a horse, please consider it. Good deeds never go unturned. If you have one horse, it wants a buddy! If you board, consider buying a ranch..you know you have always wanted to have horses on your property, now is the time to do it! Nine years ago I never thought I would be able to own a horse ranch. Its funny how you can tell yourself you will never be able to have this or that in your life. Phooey. You can have whatever you want if you set your heart on it and believe in the most special person out there, yourself.

New Years is coming...today I watched as Native Winds, the Kentucky Mountain mare was running in the arena with Marley the palomino and Joaquin, who we cannot figure out quite what breed he is, along with others under cloudy skies and it was very still outside and serene and the horses were playing together almost mystically. They know things that we don't.

Now is the time to take control of your life and follow your dreams. Jody wants a home. So does Pow Wow, Fire, and Nemo from Chincoteague. Adopt one of our super special horses if you can. It was not their fault that they became homeless!

It's a New Year...Be the change.

Love,
Nicki

A Christmas Fable - The Big Guy

by David Alexander

The old gray horse sidled up to the pasture fence with little dancing steps. The place seemed familiar, yet some how strange. The grass was greener than any grass he had ever seen, and when he looked closely at the white paddock gate it had a kind of pearly sheen. And there was another funny thing. A big, black cloud hovered just inside the gate. The cloud wasn't up in the sky where it properly belonged. It was like a great puff of black smoke rising from the grass. Suddenly the cloud dissolved and revealed a horse.

He was a small chestnut with a blunt head and one white stocking and brownish hairs in his tail and mane. The gray horse thought he had a kind of old-timey took to him."Hello, old gray horse," the chestnut from the black cloud said."Hey, that's a real good trick!" the gray horse exclaimed. "Where'd you learn it?" The chestnut disappeared into the cloud again, but emerged immediately."Learned it the day I was born," he replied with a whinny that sounded like a chuckle. "You see I was born on April Fool's Day and there was a total eclipse of the sun. So they named me Eclipse.

I was always playing tricks on people, too. Used to kick my grooms and try to throw my riders, and I bit the auctioneer that sold me." "My name is. . ." the old gray horse started to say politely, but the tricky chestnut ducked in and out of his cloud and interrupted rudely."Native Dancer," he said. "I ought to know you. I'm your great-great-great-great-great -- I always lose count of the greats' -- but anyway you're a descendant of mine. Almost everybody is, infact. The thoroughbreds, that is.""Are you the gatekeeper?" Native Dancer asked."Mostly," Eclipse replied. "I'm on duty whenever one of my descendants is coming up. That's mostly, so far as thoroughbreds go.

Old Matchem had a few left and he takes over when one's due. And poor old Herod, he's posted here occasionally, but there's not many of his male line that aren't here already.""What is this place?" Native Dancer asked. "I guess I'm kind of lost.""The Green Place," Eclipse replied. "That's what it's called. The Green Place. Most of the horses that get lost come here. We have to send some back, of course.""Why?" The Dancer asked."Because they don't belong here, that's why. Long before I came up therewas this fellow Bayard, for instance. He was a devil-horse. Belonged to an old necromancer named Matagigi and he did the devil's work. He helped that villain Aymon of Dordogne to triumph over Charlemagne, they say. And a wizard named Michael Scott had a big black beast who used to stomp his feet and set all the bells of Paris ringing. He even caused the towers of the palace to fall down one day."The Big Guy doesn't want that kind here. But we have Jesse James's horse, and Willy Turpin's, too. The Big Guy says they did nothing wrong themselves. They were just faithful to their masters, and The Big Guy thinks that's a virtue.""Who's The Big Guy?" Native Dancer asked."You'll find out! " Eclipse answered airily. He lowered his muzzle and pushed the gate open. "You might as well come in. You understand you're on probation, though.

The Big Guy makes his decisions about new arrivals every Christmas. Let's see, it's November 16, the way you figure things down there. So you won't have long to wait, anyway.""I'll bet The Big Guy is Man O' War," Native Dancer said as he moved insidethe gate and gazed over the emerald-green expanses that seemed to stretch into infinity. Eclipse snorted. "Don't get smart boy," he said. Then he added maliciously,"You'd lose your bet, too. The way a lot of people lost their bets on you at Churchill Downs one day."

Native Dancer felt humble for his ancestor had touched a raw nerve. His lips trembled a bit as he replied defensively,"That Derby was the only race I ever lost.""I never lost even one race," Eclipse said unsympathetically. "So don't get smart up here. The Big Guy doesn't want any smart-alecks in the Green Place. Remember that."Native Dancer was a sensitive sort. He felt as if his eyes were teary and he hoped Eclipse didn't notice. "I won 21 outof 22, and Man O' War won only 20 out of 21," he declared. "And my son Kauai King won the Kentucky Derby.""My sons won three Derbies at Epsom," Eclipse said.

"Young Eclipse took the second running and Sattram won thefourth and Sergeant won the fifth, and I'd have won the bloomin' race myself, only they didn't run it in my time. So quit bragging. Somebody's coming and they might overhear you and tell The Big Guy, and that would be a mark against you."

A bay horse who seemed even more old timey than Eclipse ambled up. "Is it my time now?" he asked eagerly. "Notyet, Herod," Eclipse answered in a kindly fashion. "Old Fig's on duty now. One of his is on the way.""Who's Old Fig?" Native Dancer asked. "I have never heard of that one.""There's a lot of things you never heard of, boy," Eclipse replied. "His real name is Figure, but down there they called him Justin Morgan, after his owner. Here he is now."A very small, dark bay horse with a round barrel, tiny feet and furryfetlocks came bustling up to the gate. "Okay,okay, I'll take over," he said busily.

"Where is that boy? Can't stand tardiness. I've got things to do. A load to pull, a field to plough, a race to run, a trot to trot. No time to waste. Where is that boy.?"In the weeks that followed, The Dancer met hundreds, maybe thousands of horses. Some of them were famous and some of them were his ancestors and a few of them were his own sons and daughters.

He met a snorting white stallion named Bucephalus who had been approved forthe Green Place by The Big Guyeven though it was rumored by some that he was cursed by the deadly sin of pride because he had carried a conqueror named Alexander. He met another gray horse who limped because he had stepped on a rusty nail back home just before he becamelost forever. His name was Traveller, and he was a warhorse, too, in the days when a man named General Lee had ownedh im.

There were old soldier steeds, two of them descendants of the bustlinglittle stallion they called Old Fig up here. One was Phil Sheridan's black Rienzi and the other a horse called both Fancy and Little Sorrel who had been the mount ofS tonewall Jackson.

Native Dancer found Man O' War an amiable sort despite his proud, aristocratic bearing, and he grew especially fondof a bony old fellow named Exterminator, who patiently answered all but one of his questions. He asked the question of everyone: "Who is The Big Guy?"

and the answer was always the same: "Wait till Christmas."He met Messenger and Hambletonian and Hindoo. He met horses that had dared the dreadful fences of the Grand National. He met a horse who stared blindly into the emerald darkness. His name was Lexington. He met horses who had pulled circus wagons and horses who had pulled brewers' trucks and horses who had drawn man's ploughs over the fields of earth, and he met others who had been the mounts of kings and captains. Always the answer to his question was the same: "Wait till Christmas."

Eclipse fussed over him and kept a watchful eye on his behavior and said he neighed too much and asked too many questions. Eclipse could not stand the thought of The Big Guy banishing one of his descendants from the Green Place. And Native Dancer did not wish to leave. He doubted he could ever find his way to Maryland again if The Big Guy disapproved of him. And the Green Place was very pleasant in all respects.

The grass was lush and he met so many interesting horses. Back home he had sometimes been troubled by nightmares, for a DarkStar haunted his dreams, but now he slept peacefully and rarely remembered the Derby he had lost. He became nervous, though, as the weeks went by and the stars grew brighter. And finally it was time.

On a night when the skies burned with starlight all the horses gathered as near as possible to a little hillock of the vast paddock. There were hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of them, amurmuring and expectant throng that seemed to stretch for miles over the emerald grass beneath the diamonds in the heavens.

Eclipse was very tense. He hovered over Native Dancer, whispering, "Look your best now. Be quiet and humble. The Big Guy will be here any minute." Suddenly the vast throng was as silent as the stars themselves.

The Big Guy stood on the hillock in a blinding blazeof starlight, and Native Dancer could barely contain himself. He choked back a whinny of derision and whispered to Eclipse,"Is he The Big Guy? He's so little! And he's not even a horse! What did he ever do?"Eclipse whispered,

"He's a donkey. He carried a woman heavy with child to asmall town on another night when thestars were bright.""It was a long, long time ago."

Merry Christmas to you all....
Santa

Christmas Eve - The Rescue of Prancer

With the collaboration of four different people/rescue groups, an emaciated thoroughbred gelding was rescued today from a neglectful home in Riverside county. The horse was first brought to our attention by Deborah Jones of Huntington Beach. FalconRidge, TIER and Blue Apple worked together to contact the owner and get the horse to safety. Lynn Wells of Blue Apple agreed to take him in. TIER rescue had him hauled this morning and safely got him in a stall with some food which he scarfed up.

This poor boy was named Prancer and he is very thin underneath a heavy coat. His upper front teeth are gone from cribbing and his backbone is showing badly. On Monday he will be picked up and transported to Blue Apple Ranch where he will live out his life in luxury and never experience an empty stomach again!

Today Jeff Moss brought the 50 vaccines for a Christmas present...thank you Creekside!

Jubilee played with Marley in the roundpen. They talked about Santa coming....

Ho Ho Ho!

Merrrrrrrry Christmas!

Love,
Nicki

Wed Dec 23rd - A Thoroughbred In Need

I received an email from Deborah Jones regarding an emaciated 20 something year old thoroughbred gelding in the Riverside area. The owner was having financial difficulties and he had to go. I forwarded the email to TIER rescue as they were close by. Calls were made to the owner but she did not return them.

I was also notified of a blind pony in San Bernardino, called the owner, but he did not return calls. Sometimes offers of help are given to horses and owners and they choose not to accept them. If a horse is meant to be here it will come.

On Monday our equine chiropractor Dr. Don Moore came to FalconRidge and worked on Tater, the paint stallion with stringhalt, and also evaluated Sapphire, who was fine. Then I took him over to Blue Apple Ranch to meet Lynn Wells and there he worked on Casper, whose jaw was out and a shoulder, Dixie, a therapeutic riding horse, whose back was really sore, and Flash a little guy that we were told had arthritis but it really turned out to be at some point in his life he flipped over and damaged his withers. All horses were moving much better the next day after their adjustments Lynn said. We discussed the San Diego Horse Coalition with Dr. Don as equine chiropractic would be an essential element of the group to help horses.

I received a call from Dr. Jeff Moss telling me that their Pfizer representative was going to donate 50 combination vaccines to FalconRidge, worth about $1,000! Wow, thanks so much to Jeff for telling the rep about what we do here for the horses. He said he would drop it by the ranch tomorrow.

Christmas is coming early.

Lots of calls and emails coming in from people frantic to place their horses.

Today Rimrock and Tiki went to their new home with the Hicks family of Pauma Valley who have a little boy and girl to love on them as well as mom and dad. Congrats Tiki and Rimrock!

Today David worked with the previously untouchable Jubilee. Our super volunteers were our today too, and assisted David with her. He was able to saddle Jubilee without much fuss, and even able to stand up in the stirrup. She is obviously a very fast learner and smart as a whip! Peg said she was able to work on her mane and pet her neck with no problem. Amazing.

Christmas is near...oh holy night!

Love,
Nicki

Monday Dec 21 - Jingle Bells Update

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=1017905423#/album.php?aid=13222&id=100000008867268&ref=mf

I got this email from Lynn Olsen today. She is the foster of Jingle and Bells, who are at a ranch in Poway. Thank you for all of you who have donated for the transport for these two rescued beauties! You Rock!1

"Nicki,

Ok, so everyone is completely in love with these girls. They are so sweet and well mannered. They settled into the ranch real fast. They have made friends with all their corral neighbors. I’ve loved watching Bells run in the pasture alongside another horse that is in the next pasture. Licking & chewing with great enthusiasm to any horse that greets her. Jingle wanders away from Bells, allowing her to play with others thru the fence. She’s what I would call a relaxed momma.

I worked with Jingle yesterday on the halter to see what she would do. Took her around the property and away from baby. She walked, stopped, turned and backed up with ease. I never had to put pressure on the halter. Never once did she worry about baby. Several times now I have noticed her kicking at Bells when she tries to nurse.

Today I decided to work her in the round pen. Again, she listened to the halter very well. Bells out playing in the pasture, not in sight didn’t bother Jingle one bit. I put my saddle on her and she didn’t budge at all. I worked her on the lead line with the saddle and she never bucked or fought me. With all this being very easy I decided to put my weight on her. She again just stood still while I got on and off, both sides several times. I then took it the next step and put the bridle on.

I’m pretty sure by the way she acted she has never had a bit in her mouth. Although it was easy to get her to take the bit she chomped & chewed on it. I then got on to see what she would do. And, she stood there. I asked for her to give to the bit, trying to flex her and she had no clue what I was asking. Following what I have learned from David. After a few tries she realized what I was asking and would give. Pressure & release. She never once moved while working on this. That part I was amazed at. I had her flexing with her nose almost on my boot after about 10 minutes. I then decided to try and get her to walk. Took a little while and I cheated by having Samantha lead her a few steps at first. Jingle walked a little, I got her to stop a few times. I didn’t push her and probably did way less than what David would do the 1st time, but I’m still learning and all went well. Samantha was able to get her to walk a lap in the round pen and Taylor just sat on her. Which is an accomplishment for her, being a little shy of horses sometimes.

I’m bouncing off the walls with how well it went with her. I posted a few pictures from today on Facebook but also attaching some for you. Thank you for trusting me with Jingle N’ Bells. I’m really enjoying working with them, and just watching them be horses.

Lynn"

Sunday Dec 20th - Jubilee Gets Rescued from Her Stall and Sultan's First Ride

This morning we drove over to Bonsall to pick up Alada Jubilee. She was a very pretty mare and flying around her stall like a tornado when David walked in. She did not mind banging up against the pipe panels as she ran, reminding me more of skittish yearlings who have not been handled rather than a four year old mare. After awhile David was able to catch her up and then laid the first human hands on her ever. Well I should said without having to be hog tied to have her feet done. Afterwards he walked her out of her stall and down to the trailer. She ran circles around him as he walked, which he allowed her to do. She actually jumped in the trailer as she is such a forward moving mare. She rode back to FalconRidge fine and David unloaded her and walked her to the roundpen. There he worked with her some more on the lead and then turned her loose. Later I turned out Taffy with her to start her socialization...and then switched to Tango to play with Jubilee. Her training will be videotaped so people can see how to rehab a horse like this. Jubilee is a very bright and curious girl! Her life of freedom started today! Lynn Wells wants to sponsor this special girl...thank you Lynn!

David then got out Sultan, the 10 year old stallion, saddled him up and got on him for first real ride...and he did spectacular! Nice and calm and willing boy and oh so cute! What a day of firsts!

David then evaluated Native Winds to see if she had been ridden in the past. She accepted the saddle well...but when bitted up David could tell she wasn't used to it. He does not think shes been ridden before.

Volunteers Rachel came out and worked horses while we rescued Jubilee from Bonsall. Kelsey and Diane also came out and were cleaning stalls. Elani also was here grooming, turning out horses and helped me feed tonight. They are all cool!

Rimrock is having a sleepover with Native Winds in the arena tonight. He was very happy about that!

Well this is the big week. Santa is coming. So is the equine chiropractor Dr. Don Moore. He will be at FalconRidge tomorrow to work on Tater the paint stallion with stringhalt. Then he will be going to Blue Apple to work on horses there. One ex therapeutic riding horse over there is standing like everything hurts her. Lynn was told that she was acting cranky, that's why they no longer wanted her. Im sure Dr. Don will be able to help her feel better.

Improving lives...the best Christmas gifts ever!

Ho Ho Ho!
Love,
Nicki

Saturday Dec 19 - Christmas Comes for Jubilee

Yesterday was a quick morning here at FalconRidge. Volunteers Peg, Shirley and Karen turned out all the horses which was much needed after not being able to run due to the mud. Peg said Tuxedo, who was not halterbroke when he got here on Thanksgiving, is doing good with walking, tying, being groomed, and getting a bath! Sapphire was also worked and she said she is just a love. Our volunteers are priceless!

I ran over to Blue Apple Ranch, brought David some lunch as he was working with several of the horses over there to make them handleable by the staff. I took great pleasure in seeing Casper, calmly grazing in a pasture of grass. When he arrived to FalconRidge this year he was a 27 year old stallion who was discarded from a breeding facility in Alpine. He was very thin and we found that his teeth needed done badly, with sharp hooks hanging down from his upper molars, poor boy! Jeff Moss did his teeth. Later, we gelded him and he was the oldest stallion Jeff said he had done. When we turned him out he would pace the fenceline as he was not socialized with other horses at all. At his age, I decided to send him to Blue Apple as it is a sanctuary where horses will live out the remainder of their lives in peacefulness and luxury. No people or volunteers there other than the staff who tend to them and turn them out in the grass pastures. So Lynn takes me over to show me Casper and he has progressed from pacing the fenceline over there in a panic, to learning to be a part of the herd.

Thats what it is all about...rehabilitating the horse to serve them and their needs for calmness and comfort so they can relax. Denny is also there, Chiron, and Valor, who is very happy. Casper at his age does not need to be ridden anymore, Denny has fear issues, so he doesnt need to be ridden either. People betrayed him when he was started under saddle so badly he never got over it. Valor, who has been through a lifetime of mishandling by people and rough treatment, deserves never to have to tote a human around on her back either. Crystal has lived a life of Hell down in the Tijuana River Valley being starved...it's time she go to Heaven! and others will be sent over there as soon as they finish the barn.

As I am talking to Lynn discussing the San Diego Horse Coalition we will be creating, I get an email about an arab mare in Bonsall who has been traumatized and abused who needs a home by the weekend or owner will put her down. It says she had been roped and penned in the corner of her stall to have her feet done last year as a 3 yr old, she paniced, got loose and ran someone over. In another incident they tried to Ace her and she ran over the handler, so she is now deemed dangerous and aggressive. She was given to the woman who contacted me who has had her for 4 months. The 4 yr old arab mare is an Alada Baskin I daughter, a stallion I had met long ago who I know to be calm. She said a halter is kept on her in the stall. She has to be gone by this weekend or else, so I say yes. Later, as Im looking at the bloodlines of this horse I recall I had seen a Craigslist ad for her earlier in the week, which angered me that people breed arabs like this and then don't train them at all, allowing this little girl to now be scheduled to be euthanized and for what reason was she brought into this world then!!!??? I shot the ad off in an email to the woman who bred her. No response. So as Im looking at the mares bloodlines who we will be rescuing on Sunday, things look familiar and it dawns on me it is the same mare! the one I was fuming about earlier in the week! Her name is Alada Jubilee. She is four, and gorgeous, and very very scared of humans.

The wonderful Juan Aquilar came late in the afternoon and trimmed 13 horses for us and I happened to mention this mare we are picking up in Bonsall. He asked where she was at and I told him. He says I know that mare! Shes Crazy Alice! My heart sinks. For him to know her, her reputation must be huge. I asked if he had trimmed her and he said no. Thank god! He said he went in her stall once and saw the mare is so afraid she will hurt herself, so he walked out. So that is who we will be rescuing Sunday morning. Her life will be starting on Sunday when she is removed from the stall she has sat for the last four years of her life and gets with people who respect, love, and understand her...and who will train her!

Jubilee is a very much wanted gift of a horse. She will be valued for the magnificent beautiful creature she is. She will be respected for her intelligence. She will not be deemed dangerous, hurtful or other stupid labels people put on horses because they do not know how to handle them! She will be collaborated with, analyzed for her needs and wants and she will learn that humans are good things and will in the very near future want to have people petting on her, touching her, interacting with her, just like its supposed to be for the human/horse relationship. She will evolve and you will be able to watch it along with everyone.

Sundance went home with his loving family, previous FalconRidge adopters of Breeze, and they will be taking Lakota as well pretty soon. Hooray for Sundance, he is home for Christmas and has the cutest grandaughter ever who loves him too!

Volunteers Valerie came out who worked with and groomed Mystery and several others. Also Danica was here along with young Amber who mucked stalls. David got Sultan out in the roundpen for a first training session and he had him saddled up, bitted up and was on him! Amazingly bright horse and very quick and trusting learner..oh my!

We got all the funds raised to pay Lynn Olsen for the transport of Jingle and Bells from Sutter Creek to Poway. Thank you everyone! The mom and baby are settling in well at Lynns stable there and all the boarders are doting on them and donating things like halters, grain, shavings..all for the rescued horses! The facility owner said they can stay as long as needed and he might even help with vet care..thank you Mike! The mom and baby are super gentle and loving all the attention. The village is helping this mare and foal. I love it!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were more stables and barns out there that wanted to adopt a rescued horse and take it on as a group effort?

I got an email from TIER Rescue that there is a Peruvian Paso mare at the Lancaster Shelter. Anyone interested please bring this mare home for Christmas. Shes 17 and was previously rescued from an abusive situation by an elderly woman who can no longer afford to care for her. She deserves a great home now!!

Sapphire is just a loving sweetheart...as they all are.

Rump pa bump bum,
Nicki

Wed Dec 16th - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

The holiday season is here! The tree is up and decorated, some lights adorn the house, chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, and sleigh bells aren't ringing, but the phone is, a lot!

While most of you are out shopping and wrapping and decorating and baking and yule tiding...some out there are not.

A tearful Jamie called me, who must get rid of her kid rideable mustang/quarter cross named Snickers. The boarding facility said they are closing end of this month and she must go. She also cannot continue to pay to board her. She sent me a picture of her horse. If you are interested in helping please contact me.

Emails about an 18 year old cropout paint mare, the owner must get rid of, an arab mare with a bad knee that was down for 4 hours on Tuesday...

Good news is Jingle and baby Bells will be picked up Thursday by Lynn Olsen and Julie, thank you guys!, who are driving from Poway to Sutter Creek and back for a Christmas rescue horse run! So far we have $120 in donations for their fuel costs and need more.

The new stallion Sultan is cute! Aren't they all?

Dr. Don Moore is scheduled to come Monday to work on Tater, the paint stallion with stringhalt.

Juan Aguilar the farrier will be coming Saturday to trim the rescued horses, bless his heart!

Our wonderful volunteers will be out Friday...I love them. Stalls are still muddy but they are drying out.

I saw Joaquin has put Mistletoe up in his stall with the hopes of catching a kiss from the beautiful Sapphire!

Reach into your heart this season, for Christmas is not about commercialism, its about love of all things and others.

Talk to someone you never have,

pay for someone's meal at a restaurant,

or pay for their tree at a tree lot without them knowing,

invite a neighbor over and listen to them,

bring someone baked goods who doesnt expect it this year.

Go to the pound, save the life of a dog or cat who has no home,

or? adopt a horse and give them a family forever.

The Christmas spirit lives on forever, in all of us.

Silent Night,

Nicki

Tuesday December 15 - The Stallion Arrives and Christmas Mare & Foal Rescue

This morning I received an email forwarded from TIER rescue from a woman pleading for help. She said her husband is divorcing her, he was starving the horses and she had to move them. "Can you save them for me?" she said. Attached was a picture of a paint mare and 5 month old foal, a filly. I agreed to help, thinking they could be brought down and rest up at Blue Apple Ranch, so I asked for help transporting them on Facebook and got an offer from Marijanne. Funds are needed for gas money, and so far we have raised $75 in donations from Margot Foley, Sharla Sanders and Michele Dasch. Thank you guys!!!

I talked to the owner on the phone and she was extremely tearful, as well as grateful. Her situation was dire. Tears flowed. Later I talked to Lynn Wells and she opened up her generous heart and said sure, bring them down! She is amazing.

If you would like to help with bringing these Christmas horses home, aptly named Jingle and baby Bells, please donate if you cant. Jingle is 6 yrs old and Bells is 5 mos. Lynn Olson graciously offered to donate a quilt for sale to raise funds for their transport. After Jingle and Bells are rehabilitated, they will be trained and adopted out. A collaborative effort between TIER, FalconRidge, and Blue Apple Ranch, and those of you who wish to be a part of it, of them.

I figure if you help someone when you can in need, the favor will be returned if you ever need it yourself. Pay it forward...the gift of love.

This afternoon, the 10 yr old peruvian paso stallion Sultan arrived, thanks to officer Stacy Dancy of LA City Animal Control. David said Sultan is nice and quiet and not too tall.

I love you all.

All the stockings were hung by the chimney with care....

Love,
Rudolph

Sunday Dec 13 - Tis the Season!

Recent rainy weather, while providing much needed rain, has brought most of the activities of FalconRidge to a standstill...other than feeding the horses. We need more sunny dry days to dry up the mud and at least let horses out to run.

David was able to work with Tuxedo in the roundpen today some. Rachel and Diane came out to see if any work could be done. The chiropractor will be needed for the new paint stallion from Aguanga, who is named Tater, as well as Tiger and Dusty. Sundance and Lakotas new owners came out to visit them.

I have received requests for Christmas presents from those who want to donate to FalconRidge in honor of their friends or family as presents. Cards will be send acknowledging their gifts to the recipients and how they are helping the horses by doing so.

The Peruvian Paso stallion, who was bred by the same man who bred Fire and neglected him, was rescued yesterday off the property and will be arriving to FalconRidge tomorrow. He is ten years old, has not been trained nor left the property there in Sylmar he was born on. His registered name is Huracane de Gavilan and we will be calling him Sultan. He will be gelded in the near future, along with the other two new stallions, Geronimo and Tater, the 6 yr old with stringhalt from Aguanga.

Looking for horse gifts for yourself or horse owner? Here is a good site:
http://www.horse-gifts.com/

And the best gift ever for your horse or family?

Yourself.

Nothing is better than the gift of a genuine you.

Happy Holidays,
Love,
Nicki

Thursday Dec 10 - How Many Horses Does It Take To Change a Lightbulb?

How Many Horses Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

Thoroughbred: Who ME?? Do WHAT? I'm scared of light bulbs! I'm outta here!

Arabian: I changed it an hour ago... C'mon you guys - catch up!

Quarter Horse: Put all the bulbs in a pen and tell me which one you want.

Standardbred: Oh for Pete's Sake, give me the darn bulb and let's be done with it.

Shetland: Give it to me. I'll kill it and we won't have to worry about it anymore.

Friesian: I would, but I can't see where I'm going from behind all this forelock

Belgian: Put the Shetland on my back, maybe he can reach it then.

Warmblood: Is the 2nd Level Instruction Packet in English? Doesn't anyone realize that I was sold for $75K as a yearling, but only because my hocks are bad, otherwise I would be worth $100K? I am NOT changing lightbulbs. Make the TB get back here and do it.

Morgan: Me! Me! Me! Pleeease let me! I wanna do it! I'm gonna do it! I know how, really I do! Just watch! I'll rewire the barn after, too.

Appaloosa: Ya'll are a bunch of losers. We don't need to change the lightbulb, I ain't scared of the dark. And someone make that darn Morgan stop jumping up and down before I double barrel him.

Fjord: That thing I ate was a lightbulb?

Mustang: Lightbulb? Let's go on a trail ride, instead. And camp. Out in the open like REAL horses.

Lipizzaner: Hah, amateurs. I will change the lightbulb. Not only that, but I will do it while standing on my hind legs and balancing it on my nose, after which I will perform seven flying lead changes in a row and a capriole. Can you do that? Huh? Huh? Didn't think so.

Miniature: I bet you think I can't do it just cause I'm small. You know what that is? It's sizeism!

Akhal Teke: I will only change it if it's my owner's lightbulb and no one else has ever touched it.

Andalusian: I will delegate the changing of the lightbulb to my personal groom after he finishes shampooing my mane and cleaning my saddle, but only on the condition that it is changed for a soft blue or green bulb, which reflects better off my coat while I exhibit my astonishing gaits.

Cleveland Bay: I'm busy. Make the whipper-in and the hounds do it.

Saddlebred: My ears are up already, please, please get the lightbulb away from me! I'm ready to show, really, I promise I'll win!

Paint: Put all the lightbulbs in a pen, tell me which one you want, and my owner will bet you twenty bucks I can get it before the quarter horse.

POA: I'm not changing it. I'm the one who kicked the old one and broke it in the first place, remember? Now, excuse me, I have a grain room to break into.

Grade Horse: Guys? Um, guys? I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and changed it while you were all arguing.

Friday December 11 - The 12 Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas the County brought to me,
a little bay arab gelding...

On the second day of Christmas an email brought to me,
two horses from Arizona

On the third day of Christmas Riverside Animal Control brought me, three horses impounded, and can you take these 26 pleaseeeeeeeeee?

One the fourth day of Christmas a phone call brought to me, two thoroughbred stallions, one thoroughbred mare and a plea can you take just this one more mare please?!

One the fifth day of Christmas the dear lord brought to me...
Five paintttttttttttt stallions! OMG

On the sixth day of Christmas a tearful owner brought me, a quarterhorse that's older,

On the seventh day of Christmas, Craigslist brought to me,
a palomino mare that likes to rearrrr!,

On they eighth day of Christmas Imperial County brought to me....an old abandoned mare that I named Salsaaaaaaaaaaa.

On the ninth day of Christmas LA County brought to me, a peruvian paso gelding, and can you take the stallion there pleaseeeeeee! (He's coming Sunday) :-/

On the tenth day of Christmas a son-in-law brought to me, his mother's beautiful arab stallionnnnnn, untouched of course!

On the eleventh day of Christmas a homeless owner brought to me, a pretty grey Kentucky Mountain mareeeeee.

and ?

On the twelfth day of Christmas my dear angel brought to me...

twelve loving owners,

eleven kids who want horses,

ten sponsors sponsoring,

nine loving families,

eight volunteers a shoveling,

seven phones a ringing,

six emails asking,

five donations coming,

four grants a granting,

three vets a helping,

two farriers a farriying,

and 40 horses now in loving homesssssssssssss!

Thank you everybody..thank you!

With Love and Gratitude,

The Horses of FalconRidge, who are home for Christmas!

Sunday Dec 6 - Tiki finds love and new paint mare arrives

Today again it was windy and cold at FalconRidge, but many volunteers and potential adopters out to look at horses. Volunteers Diane and Kelsey came out and mucked stalls. Valerie came out and rode Pow Wow and then Tiki in the roundpen and they did fantastic.

The Widner family came out to look for an additional family member to add to their herd. They have previously adopted Breeze and have decided to add Sundance to their family, as well as Lakota. Congratulations to Sundance and Lakota who will be going home for the holidays!

Rimrock's family came out to see him and also fell in love with Tiki...so..surprise, Tiki has been adopted and will be going home with the Hicks family and her boyfriend will be handsome Rimrock! Congratulations to Tiki!

The paint mare arrived today who was surrendered by her owner. The mare has some ground manners issues of kicking and disrespecting humans. David worked with her in the roundpen and she started to come around, but will need retraining. She is a purebred paint, 15 years old and beautiful.

Next weekend David will evaluate the Kentucky Mountain mare Native Winds to see what she knows, if anything, under saddle.

Sponsorships
I want to thank those who are sponsoring FalconRidge rescued horses. Sponsorship at $100 a month allows you to help pay for a specific horses feed to support it without ownership.
There are several horses that are looking for a sponsor. Donations are down and expenses unfortunately are not. Email me if you are interested in sponsoring a horse for one month or several.

Time to batten down the hatches and prepare for rain.

Stay dry and warm everybody... and dream about horses tonight....for horses, if you truly love them, will bring soothing calmness to your soul.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Dec 5th - Tuxedo Gets Saddled First Time and more...

Today was a super day at FalconRidge. Cold and chilly winds did not keep people and volunteers away. Eleven year old Amber came out with her father and mucked Peapod and Zues' stalls. Rachel came out with her friend and they worked several horses in hand, then Rachel rode Nemo and Taffy in the arena.

Brittany, adopter of Toby and Davids new assistant trainer was out and rode Geronimo, who did fantastic. She also rode Tiki and Joaquin for the first time. Joaquin is finally up to weight and is a completely changed horse from when he arrived here. I am so proud of him.

Then David and Brittany worked with Tuxedo in the roundpen and saddled him for the first time. David then evaluated Marley under saddle and found that he had previously been started reining training, but not finished. He is chargy at the canter but settled in some. Then Brittany also rode him. Marley will need some retraining.

Many horses were turned out in the arena and Sundance is now in love with Native Winds.

I was contacted about a paint mare, the owner asking me to take her as she was exhibiting some bad behaviors such as kicking. and...more requests to take horses by email and phone messages...

Tis the season!

Love,
Nicki

Friday Dec 4 - Yes Nacoma, There Is a Santa Claus

"Dear Editor of the FalconRidge Rescue News Blog,

"I am a 6 year old paint stallion who has been abandoned long ago by my owner. I have no horses to play with and have been alone for two years. I remember back to my colthood when some of my horse friends said there is no Santa Claus.

"Mama, the lady who started feeding me when I had no more food in my pasture said 'If you see it in the FalconRidge Newsblog it's so.'

"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"

Nacoma,
115 West 95th St, Aguanga, CA.

Dear Nacoma,

Your little horsie friends were wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Nacoma, whether they be horses, or human's or children's, are little.

In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Nacoma, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Nacomas! There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.

The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real?

Ah, Nacoma, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Nacoma, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Love,

The Editor

Thursday Dec 3rd - I Hung Up My Bridle Today

I Hung up my Bridle Today
by Kris Garrett 11-11-09

Yesterday, for the first time, I was too tired to ride

Yesterday, for the first time, I was afraid I would be hurt if I was thrown

Yesterday, for the first time, I heard someone say my barn was too shabby

Yesterday, for the first time, I let someone tell me I was too pudgy to ride

Yesterday, for the first time, I realized I was old

Yesterday, for the first time, I had to face that I could no longer keep up

Yesterday, for the first time, I had to let go of my dreams

Yesterday, for the first time, I felt my heart break

Yesterday, for the first time, I turned my back on my friend

Yesterday, for the first time, I knew I was done

Today, for the last time, I felt warm, braided leather in my hands.

Today, for the last time, I ran my stirrups up so they wouldn't bang my mare's sides

Today, for the last time, I released the buckles on the girth and watched my girl sigh

Today, for the last time, I slowly dropped the bit so it wouldn't hit her teeth

Today, for the last time, I gave my mare a cookie to thank her for the ride

Today, for the last time, I buried my head in her soft, warm neck

Today, for the last time, I inhaled the sun and the dust in her long winter coat

Today, for the last time, I closed the gate and trudged to the muddy porch

Today, for the last time, I tracked hay and horse hair into my house

Today, for the last time, I pulled off my boots and felt the sting of warm blood returning to my cold toes

Today, for the first time, I cried after my ride

Today, for the first time, I felt my hands shake as I set the saddle on its rack

Today, for the first time, I hugged my young trainer a final goodbye

Today, for the first time, I waited for the new owner's trailer to arrive

Today, for the first time, I set my boots in a box to go to the Goodwill

Today, for the first time, I sighed at the wear on my riding gloves

Today, for the first time, I had no hay in my hair

Today, for the first time, I did not hear nickering when I opened my back door

Today, for the first time, I felt worse leaving the barn that I did when I entered

Today, for the first time, I had no one to check on before going to bed

Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't have to buy hay

Tomorrow, for the first time, I can stay in bed longer

Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't see the poop pile grow

Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't be able to fly on four legs

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be sorry I listened

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will regret letting her go

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be angry at God

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be angry at myself

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will cry the day away

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be glad to die

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will awaken in tears

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will know I was wrong

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will defy all the judgement

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will ignore my old bones

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will return the buyer's check

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will bring my friend home

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will take my boots out of the box

Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will be reborn

For the rest of my life, I will have a horse in my yard

For the rest of my life, I will ignore the cruel judging

For the rest of my life, I will watch the poop pile grow

For the rest of my life, I will have hay in my hair

For the rest of my life, I will track mud in my house

For the rest of my life, I will bury my face in her soft neck

For the rest of my life, I will let my soul fly

For the rest of my life, I will never be alone

The horses call this... "Humans Finding Themselves"

Love,
Nicki

Monday Nov 30 - Volunteer Spotlight, Meredith Watt

One of the best things about FalconRidge, well, other than the fantastic horses....is our fantastic volunteers! Here is Mere:

"Like so many other volunteers I have deep roots in the Mid-west and was born and raised in St Louis, MO. My family has been there since the 1700’s.

As a Navy wife I have been exceptionally privileged to live all over this great country and raised my family on both coasts and Hawaii.

Living the longest in Honolulu, we moved to San Diego in 1997 for a brief 2 year tour expecting to return ‘home’ to the islands to retire…sounds like the proverbial ‘3 hour tour’ of the Gilligan’s Island crowd doesn’t it?

We are still here in Rancho Bernardo and loving it.
Our 3 children are grown and our 6 grandchildren are here in California so home is no longer where the Navy sends us, but where our family chooses to be.Luckily my work as an artist and writer was portable. As all military families, we adapted quickly to being easily packed up and moved as our life required and Uncle Sam requested.

I have been a ‘horse-a-holic” my whole life.
I am a girl whose Daddy had a ranch (with horses) and still begged him to let me go every summer to HORSE CAMP! That kind of says it all.

All of the horses at FalconRidge are incredible. They each have their own story and unique personality with so much to give and share with us. Just being close to them and giving them time to feel safe around people again helps me find calm quiet time in my own busy life. It’s definitely a ‘win win’ situation.

I have to admit I find Pow Wow and Tango both extra special to me. Both are very people friendly and welcoming.
It’s hard to not feel all the horses are special.

I love having time to be here and hope that I can make all of them feel safe, loved, and cherished in their new home at FalconRidge while they pause here and wait for their ‘forever families’ to find them. It is an honor to share the spirit of Aloha with these magnificent creatures as they have filled my life with such beauty and joy.

One thing I really treasure about coming to FalconRidge is that I do it with my dear friends and share precious time and memories by their side.......... and best of all with my Grandson TYLER who is building fabulous loving lifetime horse (and LLAMA ) memories with me that I will cherish forever!!!!

WE are making a difference one hoof and one heartbeat at a time.
Mere"

Sunday Nov 29th - Rainy Holiday Weekend

The first storm in a long time with lots of rain. I know we desperately need it, but it does make things muddy here so not much able to do with the horses but feed them and groom them. We did have volunteers out braving the mud and mucking stalls. Saturday and Sunday it was drying out some and just a beautiful day with everything fresh from the rain.

Rimrocks new family came by today to see him and visit. Others came as well and groomed horses and hand walked them. David worked the new paint, Tuxedo, on getting broke to the halter. He did well and was coming along nicely. The other new boy Dusty we got out of his stall after he realized he wasn't going to die if I haltered him. Poor guy you can tell he just was worked hard if he was haltered. He used to have to pull logs by an abusive man. Today he was taken out of his stall and groomed and loved on and also got some massage by our massage therapist Michele. Such a new experience for this boy as he was looking nervously with one eye and tensed up, waiting for some sort of ugliness to happen to him. I watched him relax as she worked gently on his neck, and ten minutes later he was starting to turn into a more trusting horse. It was nice to watch. Wow, kindness from humans, what a concept!

Later Rachel took Dusty over to the arena and showed him obstacles to walk over and he showed he is a horse who truly wants to please as he did everything she asked. Such a great horse...they all are, if you just give them a chance.

I was contacted about a paint mare a young lady is wanting to place. After she sent me all the mares information and history, I agreed to take her and told the owner I would. I am awaiting her reply.

Dr. Don Moore the chiropractor will be out on Monday to evaluate and adjust Marley. It will be interesting to see what he says. Thank you Dr. Don for responding so quickly and coming to FalconRidge right away for him....you are the best!

The Kentucky Mountain mare will be coming here on Tuesday. A friend of mine, Don Larson, has done me a favor and named her for me. She is a beautiful grey with black mane and tail and he named her Native Winds. Thanks for such a great name Don!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with good times with friends and family. I know I have alot to be thankful for. Without all of your help and support so many horses here would not be rescued, fed, saved, placed into loving homes.

Thanks to all of you out there who support what we do and who read about it here on the blog. I feel you are all part of this big family who cares about horses.

More horses need homes for the Holidays...spread the word.

Love,
Nicki

Friday Nov 27 - Marley, Dusty and Tuxedo Arrive

This morning officer Dancy brought her horse Marley to FalconRidge. He had been exhibiting some pain related behavior in the past and will get the chiropractor out for him. He is a sweet sweet horse, as well as handsome! Marley is 9 years old.

In the late afternoon Wynne arrived from the Arizona rescue Hacienda de los Milagros with Dusty the liver chestnut, who appears to be a Rocky Mountain mix gelding, 16 yrs old, and Tuxedo a 4 yr old paint gelding. Both horses are cute and we are excited to start working with them.

And good news for Rimrock, he has been adopted and will be leaving in December while his family fixes up their horse facilites at their home in Pauma Valley.

Congratulations to Rimrock!

He got his Christmas wish.

Love,
Nicki

Thanksgiving Day - Thankfulness

The following horses have much to be thankful for!

They are thankful for being adopted by their own wonderful family this year, from November 2008 until this Thanksgiving 2009.

These FalconRidge rescued horses found families who will love them forever:

Wakan

Legend

Devon (Daisy)

Knight

Pooh Bear

Noggi

Pirate

Wizard

Flicker

Star

Laredo

Voodoo

Peter Pan

Lola

Mighty Mouse

Maui

Brazen

Rebel

Lil Bitty

Little Owl (Opal)

Spirit

Sparkles

Jingles

Dragon

Ryder

Popcorn

Montana

Blitzen

Rainbow

Lucky

Toby

Marco

Polo

Treasure

Kingston

Shooter

Amber

With love,
These adopted horses thank you!

Tues Nov 24 - The Loving Arms Herd Goes Home

Today was the last move for a herd of five purebred arabians who belong to an elderly owner. They have been together their entire lives and they are 24 to 26 years old. A stallion, a gelding and three mares. Today this was their final move in life.

The Loving Arms herd arrived at Blue Apple Ranch today where they will live out their remaining days in luxury with each other. Their owner and daughter followed the caravan over and was grateful to Lynn Wells for making this dream come true for them. Tears were shed, horses were tucked into their new brand new barn munching hay. The owner can come see them any time.

Loving Arms is an appropriate name for this project. You see...these horses were really scooped up by the strong arms of a young man by the name of Toby Wells and placed gently down at Blue Apple Ranch.

Toby made this happen.

Toby is smiling from heaven above and winking. Toby loved animals, and his mother and entire family are making sure his dream of loving them continues.

Thanks Toby.

With love,
Rose, Alaska, Roki, Haggerty & Mark

Today as I read the update from Volunteer Coordinator Peg about the goings on at the ranch I am in awe. Here is "some" of what these retired ladies and a young future doctor did today with the horses:

Turned out Zeus & Buddy
Pigs et all taken care of, well fed since Mere was back!

Dalton (Dalton is a pig) lets Shirl & I know we don’t quite measure up to Mere & Tyler!

Jocko escorted Rosaline all over the Ranch. (Jocko is our llama)

Did walkabout checking horses & waters…
· Rehung name plates
· Loved on everyone we wouldn’t have time for – i.e., Tejon [loves loving], Baron & Sandtwister [One Sock, almost
accidently walked up to us ], Jody, Toy & Kitty, Shasta, Chickaboom, Geronimo

· Blizzi had pink halter in her corral, stuck her head in it when I picked it up. She loves her new location, hung her head over to join us girls every time we rested.

Medical activities:
Crystal– put Alu Spray & swat on shoulder sore. She was quite agitated but we loved on her til she relaxed.

Casper - washed, dried & sprayed his chin sore… removed the ubiquitous manure-from under his tail. He is such a sweetheart about it all.

Groomed Pea Pod & walked: Rosalee, Valor

WORKED:
Since Geronimo in the Roundpen proved to be a distraction & I needed the arena for ground work, so I tried something new –
I worked & played with each individually for 30-40 min each. It was the BEST time!

Before being returned to stall, every horse was brushed & thoroughly inspected for sores, cuts, etc.

Casper – worked his ground manners very well of course. Then I took off his halter so he could run. We played together: he pranced around me in smaller & smaller circles and then we jogged/floated around together side by side.

Lakota – does his ground manners fairly well but is very skittish of the twirling rope. I wonder if he was abused with spinning rope. Waving my hand behind his hip seemed sufficient. He wanted to do whatever I asked but needs lots of loving as usual.

Cimarron – played with her first, she charged around & I cheered her on, then she came to me and we worked her ground manners, mostly from the right - did well.

Miles – initially he had to be reminded to stay behind me, moved his hip quickly, jogged & stopped behind me well, backed ok. But in-hand was a total bore to him. .

Moriah –although she forgot herself momentarily when Geronimo called on way to arena, worked well & played off halter.

Way to go ladies! Thank you!

The Kentucky Mountain mare will be arriving next Tuesday, not today....sorry, I was confused this week. It happens.

I heard from Wynne at Hacienda De Los Milagros, the sanctuary in Arizona in need. One of the horses could not be haltered to get her blood drawn for her coggins test, which has to be taken as she is coming from out of state, thefore he is bringing two horses...the liver chestnut and the black and white paint gelding. They will be arriving this Friday. They will need training.

I was called about a paint stallion....yes, another....in Aguanga.
This horse is 6 years old and living alone on a property. The owner a man, lost the home to foreclosure and left the horse there. He was coming and feeding him on the weekends....as in once or twice a week. The horse was losing weight...so a friend saw it and started feeding it every day. She got the owner to sign over the horse to her. She does not want the horse, but did not want and could not watch him starve to death. He is cute she said. And he is alone. He will be arriving next weekend. His name is Spirito.

The other night I rented the movie Marley and Me to watch with my son, Jordan. It was a great movie about a man and his dog through the years, Marley. A few days later I get a call from an officer in Los Angeles with Animal Control. She assisted with the rescue of Fire the Peruvian Paso who is currently up for adoption. She has a personal horse she would like to come to FalconRidge. He is gorgeous, 9 years old palomino and used to ride well, then started exhibiting behaviors associated with pain and was off on a hind leg. We shall try and find out what is wrong with the horse. The chiro will be first thing to see him. My main concern was that he was being boarded with people who just did not like him. Not good for a horse. They can tell if you like them or not. They will also mirror how they are treated. I think we can help him. He is coming this weekend maybe.

I asked the officer his name? Its Marley.

of course it is!

I heard Sparkles the previously adopted horse went to a show last Sunday and won more ribbons! Wow, Congrats Lynn and Sparkles the super show horse!

More phone calls today on the answering machine. I did not return them. Thoroughbreds, quarter horses, a family of three donkeys!

Several horses coming in.

More need to go out to loving homes.

Cross fingers for Rimrock and Tiki as they had a wonderful family looking at them.

They are crossing hooves they are wanted.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Nov 22nd - Stall Shuffling

Today was relatively quiet compared to normal. We had volunteers out and a wonderful adoptive family came and looked at Tiki and Rimrock. Cross fingers they will want to take them home. Super nice people with a daughter who rides.

Rimrock is so cute now. He is coming up to me in his stall. When he and Sundance came in they were hard to catch, and although compliant when caught, you could tell they had trust issues from their previous lives. Sundance will still turn away when approaching him in his stall but now he stands there for me to halter him.

We moved several horses around to accomodate Geronimo the stallion. I received a call from a LA City animal control officer who would like me to take one of her horses. He most likely has pain issues.

Tonight at dusk I turned out Tiger with Joaquin and watched them playing and running in the arena. I thought back to when they both came in. They were weak, weary, depressed, not enjoying life whatsoever or people for that matter. To see Tiger and Joaquin tonight bucking, rearing, racing each other and playing.... filled my heart with joy, and for the moment it assured me all the hard work, stress about bills, aching muscles and worry is worth every single bit of it.

These discarded horses are incredibly awesome. You just have to see it.

Time to start thinking about what we are thankful for this week. Have a great one!

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Nov 21 - Geronimo's First Ride

Today David worked with Geronimo on his first training session in the roundpen. We could see his is super smart and learns fast. David was then able to get on him bareback with a halter on. Then Brittany got on Geronimo, also bareback, and he was fine with that. David then saddled him up and worked with him in hand and then bitted him up and rode him. Geronimo is a special horse. He is a fast learner and has a calm demeanor and is trusting of humans. Brittany then also rode him under saddle and he did fantastic. A wonderful horse.

We had volunteers out today helping out and it was incredibly busy at the ranch. Debra, McKenna and her friend, Meredith and several people looking at horses. Nobody adopted yet. Shooter went to his new home today. Congratulations to Michele and Shooter!

Nemo the Chincoteague pony is still here for adoption.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who come out and help rehabilitate and care for the horses here. Without them we could not help as many horses as we do. They are amazing and a huge asset to the organization. Every person is needed as we have so much here to do. Leaky waterers need fixing, fences need mending, horses need turning out, groomed, handled, worked, trained and mainly...loved on.

Love,
Nicki

Friday Nov 20 - Geronimo Arrives to FalconRidge

Today, thanks to the San Diego Humane Society Animal Rescue Team for transport, Geronimo the 6 year old paint stallion arrived from Murrietta safely to FalconRidge!

Thanks to volunteers Peg and Shirley for receiving Geronimo here at the ranch and taking care of him!

This boy is handsome. Very sweet and smart! Hard to believe his owner wanted to put him down. Thanks to a man named Darren and TIER rescue, who let me know about Geronimo and his deadline.

You saved his life.

I like people who save lives...

So does Geronimo.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday November 19th - The Kentucky Mountain Mare

Two months ago I was contacted by a woman in Lakeside who was in the process of losing her home to foreclosure and wanted me to take her horse. I drove out to her home one day after work to meet with her and see the horse. She explained to me her situation. First her husband had lost his job, and making the house payments was tough. Then after awhile he found a job, but then out of the blue she lost her job which was unexpected. They fell behind on payments and she let me know her foreclosure date. She also has an autistic son and the County had cut the programs that helped with him so she now has to stay home with him full time, but is going back to school to get a degree in a different area so she can get a job in the future.

Her house was nice. It was a tough situation to be in. She was not bitter, she was matter-of-fact. I looked at her very pretty registered grey Kentucky Mountain horse mare and said ok, if you cannot find her a home or sell her when it is time to move out then we can take her. She said when she gets back on her feet she would donate money regularly for her care. I believed that she would. Two months went by and I thought perhaps she had found her a home. But she emailed and said no, she had not, can I still take her? I have never rescued a Kentucky Mountain horse before, nor a Rocky Mountain horse. Shes a beautiful grey mare with a dark mane and tail. She will be arriving this coming Tuesday to FalconRidge.

Geronimo the paint stallion will be arriving Friday to FalconRidge, thanks to the emergency rescue team of the San Diego Humane Society for transport!

Today after work I went to the UCSD Medical Center to consult with the child specialist there regarding bringing in a miniature horse from FalconRidge to cheer up the kids. It is the burn unit. The children in the burn unit mainly need cheering. I listened to the stories of how they have to change the dressings or do proceedure to the kids that are extremely painful. Knowing a horse is coming would help she said. I did not know this is the place where anyone burned severely in the county goes to as they are the best. Lil Bitty has to pass her interview with the director of volunteer services first, then she will be issued a volunteer badge and be official. The woman said everyone is excited to see a horse in the hospital are awaiting her arrival. We are so excited to be doing Project Hercules at the UCSD Medical Center!
A tiny horse will help kids heal.

Please join me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=1017905423

and the cause, FalconRidge Equine Rescue
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/332475/50217774?m=e5767d02

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into a flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." – Albert Schweitzer

Love,
Nicki

Sunday - A Sanctuary In Need

This morning at 5:30 am I received an email from a friend of mine in Virginia, Stephani. She forwarded me an email for a plea for help from a sanctuary in Chino Valley, Arizona called Hacienda De Los Milagros. The email said due to lack of funds, the animals at the sanctuary did not eat this morning. They did not eat.

They were in dire need of feed and money for feed. I went on their website and they have several donkeys and horses. I saw two horses on the front page, Heather and Dusty, who were untrained, not too old, and need homes.

We might not be able to send them funds, but we can train and adopt out horses in order to help them out. I emailed them and said I could take Heather and Dusty if needed. The man emailed me back. He is 68 years old. He said he would drive them over himself during Thanksgiving..and would I take Tuxedo, a 3.5 yr old paint gelding who he had adopted out and he came back ribby? Of course I would! So the Arizona three will be coming end of the month.

Today at the ranch we had new volunteer orientations for three people. Karin came out and worked with her sponsored horse Magic. Elani was here and worked with Tiger and groomed several horses and turned out horses for me. Amber was delivered to her new home today in Del Mar. I worked Miles for the first time in hand in the roundpen. He did well. Justin and Chiara were out with their new baby in a snugglie and they worked on fixing fence and played with their adopted horse Daisy.

Here is a video from a friend of mine.. about gratitude.

Joaquin, as I was petting his face this evening and kissing him, telling him he is getting lots of love now and will be ok, took a deep sigh and turned his head into my chest and held it there.

Joaquin knows....all about Gratitude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRmiAwVLcTQ

"The more I help others to succeed, the more I succeed." - Ray Kroc

Have a lovely Sunday evening,

Love,
Nicki

Sat Nov 14 - Joaquin is Rip Roaring!

Today was an extremely busy day here at FalconRidge. Lots of volunteers came out and helped out with the horses. New volunteer Kelsie was here, along with Lynn and they were cleaning stalls. Lynn got to love on Rimrock and give him a good dose of affection and massage..he needs to realize how nice and wonderful people are, poor guy. Susan was here with Shooter.

Valerie came and was working with Cimmaron in the arena. Rachel was here cleaning stalls and riding Nemo. Christe supervised and then rode Sundance in the roundpen. Danica was here with her father. She is doing a high school project and contacted David about doing it on volunteering here at FalconRidge and horsemanship with him. Dad cleaned stalls..what a guy!

I took Joaquin into the arena for his first training lesson, working him in hand. I asked him to move off and he started bucking and playing on the end of the leadrope. It was quite humorous as he had been so depressed when he arrived here and is just now coming into himself, feeling energetic, playing and bucking. He was mindful of his manners and after working with him between laughter at his antics and smiling at his transforming personality and physique, he learned well and was going over the bridges and teeter totter with no problem. Afterwards he was turned loose to play in the arena with Crystal. Sattoro or Miles the thoroughbred is also filling out, gaining weight and building muscle.

David rode Taffy in the roundpen and she is coming along nicely with her retraining. Lots of horses got turned out and groomed, handled and/or worked with. The weather was perfect!

Amber goes to her new home tomorrow...congratulations Amber!!

There is a donkey family needing a home and to stay together. It consists of the mom, Ribeye, the dad, TBone, and the baby, Spud. If anyone is interested in providing this donkey family a home together let me know.

There is a 30 year old horse at the Lancaster animal shelter.
I received several emails telling me about that horse.

There is a 9-10 yr old mare with navicular needing a home also, just got that email today.

And a man called me about a 20 year old thoroughbred he no longer spends time with who needs a home.

Nemo needs a home. He is a Chincoteague pony who is horse sized, up for adoption. Please take a look at him and consider him for your family.

We also still, even though I can't believe it...have Pow Wow who needs an owner of his own to love on him for the rest of his life. Is that you?

HEROES AND HORSES
From Harmony Horse Works

1. Kanthaka - Buddha's horse, the one he used when he was still Siddhartha the prince, to escape from his father's palace and begin his journey toward enlightenment. Kanthaka's hooves made no sounds as they fled together and he is often depicted being lifted on his four feet by benign spirits.

2. Pegasus - the mythical winged horse parented by Neptune and Medusa and ridden by Bellerophon to rid the world of Chimera, the monster. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was able to capture and train Pegasus when he allowed her to place her golden bit in his mouth.

3. Phosphorus (Light Bearer) - the great Roman racehorse immortalized by the 4th century Roman poet Ausonius (at the emperor's request) in a beautiful eulogy: Fly with haste to join the wing-footed horses of Elysium; may Pegasus gallop on your right and Arion as your left-wheeler, and let Castor find a fourth horse for the team.

4. Babieca - famed white gelding of El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, the Spanish hero who united Christians and Muslims against a Moorish onslaught from Africa. Babieca lived to be 30 years old and carried El Cid into all his battles. Babieca means "crazy" as Rodrigo made a crazy choice since the colt was the runt of the herd.

5. Bucephalus (Ox-head) - beloved horse of Alexander the Great who bore the Macedonian hero on his back from Greece to India. Odds against a horse living past 20 in that era were great, but Bucephalus, in his 20s, endured until he fell in battle in India.

6. Sleipnir - the eight-legged war horse of Odin, the Norse god, was able to fly without wings and shape-shift.

7. Balios and Xanthos - a grey and bay, both sired by Zephyros, the West Wind, who together pulled Achilles' chariot.

8. Vivasat - a Hindu sun-god who often took the form of a stallion.

9. Al Burak - Mohammed's horse, on whose back he ascended to heaven, was brought to him by the archangel Gabriel

10. Chiron - the centaur who taught Achilles, Jason and the first physician, Ascelpius, all he knew.

11. Rakhsh - blue-eyed and dappled red horse of the legendary Persian warrior, Rustam. Rakhsh was highly intelligent and saved his sleeping master from a lion's attack, killing the predator.

I Rescued a Human Today

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the stall aisle peering apprehensively into the stalls. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I turned towards her and swished my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my stall I stuck my nose out towards her and stared deeply into her eyes. She reached out and let me smell her hand.

As she listened to them tell her my rescue story, I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She walked into my stall and put a halter on my head. I stood still and quiet until she was done, then I arched my neck around her body and gave her a hug. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck and mane; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my head and looked at her, to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my stall door opened and her smile was so bright that I walked nicely beside her, minding my manners. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my aisle. So many more are out there who haven't been to the rescue or walked down the stall aisles. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Horse Unknown

Love,
Nicki

Friday Nov 13th - A Stallion Gets Saved & a Visit from Juan Aguilar

This morning I was forwarded an email from a friend about a stallion who needed to find a home by next week or he was going to be put down. I offered to take the stallion because he only just turned 6 yrs old. He has never been started under saddle, but supposedly has good ground manners. He is a pinto I was told. We shall see on Sunday when he gets picked up and arrives at FalconRidge.

And today, thanks to our wonderful volunteer Karen, we had a visit by the farrier Juan Aguilar, who is generously donating his services for the rescued horses of FalconRidge. Thank you Juan! He arrived with his nephew Luis and they trimmed 6 horses in the short time they were here and will be back monthly. Juan is very well known in the area and will also be doing farrier work for Blue Apple Ranch. He told me not to put his number up as he is busy, but I here it is anyway, he is great! 760-505-6955

Another Way Horses Help People
an article from thewayofthehorse.org

In the US, bringing horses together with children who have mental or emotional disorders has had startling results. Julie Brown talks to Franklin Levinson who's bringing this kind of therapy to the UK.

Children with autism and attention deficit disorder often struggle to communicate - but put them with horses and they can achieve so much. That's what American Franklin Levinson found when he introduced Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) to children with serious emotional challenges.

Therapy with horses has been around for ages, but what Franklin did was to take the work of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association a step further to help children with severe anti-social behavior.

What is EFL?
EFL is a therapy where the children learn about themselves, other people and interacting with the world. It's not about teaching riding or horse care skills and the children don't need any previous experience of horses.

"It's been clinically proven that just being in the vicinity of horses changes our brainwave patterns", says Franklin. "They have a calming effect which helps stop people becoming fixated on past or negative events - giving them a really positive experience".EFL has proven to be particularly useful for children with autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and bipolar disorders - all of whom may find it difficult to communicate, interact with other people and carry out instructions.

The results are startling. Even those showing severe anti-social and aggressive behavior become calmer and more communicative.

How it works

"Horses react as a mirror to the person who's with him" says Franklin. "He's a prey animal so he wants to feel safe and is always on the lookout for predators. A horse will become very fearful if he's with someone who's aggressive, noisy, disrespectful or too controlling. On the other hand, if the person makes requests rather than demands the horse will begin to cooperate. He is always looking for a leader."
This is why horses are so good to use as therapy for children. A child who is given just a little insight into dealing with a horse in the right way can become the natural leader the horse is looking for. The horse in return feels safe and peaceful and will cooperate with what the child asks of him.

Children, even those with emotional or mental disorders, can often manage a horse more easily and more quickly than adults. Children accept things at face value and are more open to developing an equal relationship rather than trying to control.

A horse is looking for simple and clear commands, and a child, with the right encouragement and in the right situation, can carry these out very effectively. "Go, stop, back up, turn this way or that way" is all that's needed.
"For children with mental and emotional disorders the positive benefits of getting a horse to carry out these commands are often profound." Says Franklin.

"Children with ADD will focus on the horse for long periods while grooming or leading the horse when usually they can't concentrate long enough to do anything much. Autistic children who are withdrawn and living very much in their own world will begin to express themselves - often using new words or gestures they've never expressed before.
"Once children realize what they can achieve their self-esteem increases in leaps and bounds. Imagine what it must feel like to lead an animal through an obstacle course, stopping and starting when you want to, when you usually find it difficult to concentrate, communicate or stay in control?".

Jody is waiting for her adoptive family to come...she wants to be home for the holidays...

Everlasting love,
Nicki

Thurs Nov 12 - Shooter Gets Adopted & UCSD Medical Center Kids

Shooter, the 6 year old paint gelding was recently adopted to one of our volunteers here at FalconRidge, our equine massage therapist Michele. Congratulations to Michele and Shooter! He will be going home next Saturday and living with a lovely thoroughbred mare named Val.

Star Update - Yay for Star!

" Hi Nicki, How are you? Don't know if you remember me...but I'm the girl that rescued Star,the TB filly that was going to be put down. She is doing better and better every day. Now goes for trail walks at least 3 times a week, and gets ridden regularly! Still limps a little but when she walks out she gets better. Anyways, I may be looking to get another horse to personally keep her company for when I take out our other TB because her current pasture buddy will probably have to be put down at the end of the month due to cancer that can't be cured. And I would love to get a horse from you guys. I looked at the horses that were available and I'm really interested in Beardancer. Is she still available? Please get back to me when you can. Thanks so much. Hope all is well at the rescue!
Evelyn"

Kingston Update - Hooray for Kingston!

"Hi Nicki,

Kingston is adjusting to his new life pretty well. He is surprisingly confident with his environment. He reminds me of a young colt because of his naivate to most things - everything is new. He has a willing attitude even when it may get a bit scary for him. He has bonded with my gelding, Lariat, and follows him around like a puppy dog. It has helped him to watch my gelding interact with me, Kingston tends to copy what Lariat does. I included a picture I took on Sunday of Lariat and Kingston in the pasture area. Kingston just stands there as Lariat eats because he can't quite figure out what these strange green things sticking up for the ground are and why would horses eat them??????? He also stands with the horses while they eat leaves from the trees too, looking quite bored! He'll figure it out when the good grass starts coming up after the rain. But, it's pretty cute watching him try to figure out how to be a horse!

Kingston gets his teeth done on Thursday. I'm playing with his feet now to prepare him for the hoof trimmer. He'll be a new man in another month! I think he's pretty happy here. I know he loves being with a herd, especially having a buddy. Life is Good!

Susan"

Cloud Update - Go Cloud!

" Cloud~ Claudius... is a love :-) yesterday he and Buddy were playing wild horse, it was quite fun watching them, like little kids running around, jumping and flailing in the air... Everyone gets along very well. Sure, there is the occasional hissy fit over an especially tasty morsel, but we make sure everyone gets their fair share of treats. Thing is Buddy knows how to count and heaven forbid if someone else gets 6 cookies and he only gets 5! Irene & Jackie"

Lil Bitty, Tiny Cheerer Upper

I was contacted recently by UCSD Medical Center to bring in a miniature horse to the hospital to seethe children who are hospitalized. Just imagine the looks on the kids faces when a tiny horse walks down the hallway or tiptoes into their room. Lil Bitty will give them hope and joy and brighten up their day while they are healing. She has a very important job indeed. We are looking forward to this adventure in helping the children of UCSD Medical Center by bringing them the magic of horses.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. - Leo Buscaglia

Say goodnight Nash.
Goodnight Nash.

Love,
Nicki

Veterens Day - Honoring Our Horses Who Served

Horses played a critical role during the Civil War. Both the North and South relied heavily on the strength, endurance and mobility the horses provided on the battlefield. Horses were also relied upon for work and travel and were an essential part of industry.

During the Civil War horses were considered as important as soldiers. They were used to carry messengers, commanding officers, equipment and artillery during the war. Many horses were lost to disease and exhaustion. Because of the value of these horses they often became a target for the enemy.
At one point early in the war, more horses than men were being killed. The average life expectancy for a horse used in the war was about six months.

Northern cavalrymen were provided with horses by the government, but enlisted men who provided their own horse were paid fifty cents extra per day. It is estimated that the Union paid for a total of 840,000 horses during the war.
Southern troops were required to provide their own horses, but were paid forty cents per day for the use. If the horse was killed, the soldier had to find a new one or be transferred to the infantry.

The bodies of dead horses often formed a protective barricade for nearby fighting men. After the battles were over there could be hundreds left lying around, which were usually burned and not buried. The soldier with the worst record for losing horses was General Nathan Bedford Forest, who reportedly had thirty-nine horses killed underneath him in battle.

There was a horse with a bad record for riders also. Four Guillet brothers rode the same horse at different times, each receiving a fatal wound, while the horse survived.
The horses also served another important function, carrying the general. Many generals rode by horseback instead of walking. One reason why the general rode a horse was so that he sat up higher than his troops. This allowed him to monitor progress and potential dangers farther in advance than if he were on the ground.

The following are merely a few of the many famous horses of the Civil War and their riders:

Traveller
Traveller was purchased by General Robert E. Lee in 1862 and is considered by many to be the most famous horse of the Civil War. The horse had been named Jeff Davis prior to General Lee’s purchase. General Lee rode Traveller through the majority of the war, including the battles at Gettysburg, Manassas, and Fredericksburg. After the war, Traveller went with General Lee to Washington College. After Lee died, his trusted horse marched in his funeral procession. Traveller is also the “author” of a ghost-written volume that tells about the Civil War as seen through a horse’s eyes.

Cincinnati
General Ulysses Grant’s favorite war horse was named Cincinnati.. He was the son of Lexington, one of the fastest racehorses of the time and property of General William Tecumseh Sherman. General Grant was given Cincinnati as a gift in 1864 and rarely allowed anyone else to ride him. General Grant rode Cincinnati throughout the war and to his surrender meeting with General Robert E. Lee. The horse stayed with Grant at the White House after he became president and lived until 1878. Grant’s other horses included Methuselah, Rondy, Fox, Jack, Jeff Davis and Kangaroo.

Lexington
Lexington was the horse of General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. A famous Kentucky racehorse, Lexington was relied upon for his speed during the war. Lexington carried General Sherman through Atlanta in 1864 and to Washington for the final review of his army. His son, Cincinnati was a gift to General Ulysses Grant.

Old Sorrel
This famous horse carried General “Stonewall” Jackson. Old Sorrell was so small that the General’s feet nearly touched the ground and was renamed Little Sorrel for this reason. Old Sorrel was purchased by the General at Harper’s Ferry in 1861 as a gift for his wife Jackson was riding the horse when he was mortally wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. After his death the horse was sent to the Virginia Military Institute where General Jackson taught.

Baldy
Baldy was the horse of General George Meade. This seemingly indestructible horse was injured at least five times during the war. Baldy carried General Meade through several battles during the war, including Fredericksburg, First Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Baldy outlived General Meade and marched in his funeral procession in 1872.

Winchester
This famous Civil War horse belonged to General Philip Sheridan. Its original name was Rienzi. Rienzi was renamed Winchester after a famous ride 1864, where Sheridan was able to turn defeat into victory. Winchester is preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Aldebaron was another horse that General Sheridan rode earlier in the war.
Fleeter Fleeter was ridden by famous Confederate spy Belle Boyd.

Black Hawk
Black Hawk was ridden by General William Bate.

Dixie
Dixie was killed at Perryville while being ridden by General Patrick Cleburne.

Rifle
Rifle was the cherished steed of General Richard Ewell.

King Philip
King Philip was the favorite horse of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, who also rode Roderick and Highlander.

Beauregard
Beauregard was ridden to Appomattox by Captain W. I. Rasin and survived until 1883.

Joe Smith
General Adam R. Johnson rode a horse named Joe Smith.

Fire-Eater
General Albert S. Johnston was riding Fire-Eater when he was killed at Shiloh.

Nellie Gray
General Fitzhugh Lee’s horse Nellie Gray was killed at Opequon.

Old Fox
Colonel E. G. Skinner rode Old Fox in the First Virginia Infantry.

Virginia
General J.E.B. Stuart’s horse Virginia is credited with having prevented his capture by jumping an enormous ditch. In addition to this horse, Stuart often rode Highfly.

Sardanapalus
Jeff Thompson’s favorite horse was Sardanapalus.

Old Whitey
Famous nurse "Mother" Bickerdyke always rode Old Whitey.

Almond Eye
General Benjamin “The Beast” Butler rode a horse named Almond Eye.

Nellie
Nellie was the favorite horse of General Kenner Garrard.

Lookout
General Joseph Hooker cherished his horse named Lookout.

Moscow
Moscow was a white horse used in battle by General Philip Kearny. Because the big white horse was an inviting target, Kearny switched to a horse named Decatur and then to Bayard, whose color was light brown.

Slasher
General John Logan rode Slasher into battle. The horse was so fast that an artist painted it with all four feet off the ground.

Boomerang
Colonel John McArthur of the Twelfth Illinois Regiment named his horse Boomerang because of his tendency to move backward.

Kentuck
General George McClellan’s favorite horse was named Kentuck. In addition, McClellan rode a black horse named Bums.

Billy
General George Thomas rode a horse name Billy, who was named for General William Tecumseh Sherman.

Old Jim
According to records, the last surviving Civil War horse lived until at least 1894. His rider Lieutenant McMahon was killed in action, but Old Jim went back to live in Aiken, South Carolina, entertaining crowds at parades of Civil War Veterans.

Sunday November 8 - Amber Finds a Family & Joaquin Plays

Good news for Amber today. She found a loving family who wants to adopt her for life! Amber will be going to a home with a 15 yr old young lady who knows walking horses and her father, who used to raise and train walking horses with his father. Amber will be going home to her new family soon. Congratulations Amber! Wish for them...and they will come!

Nemo is tapping his hooves together tonight saying, "There's no place like home...there's no place like home..." waiting for his family to come and materialize.

And Joaquin is a recent rescue who just has been beaten down in life...used hard all the time and ridden like a machine and given no love or affection. He is older and his back leg is permanently swollen and scarred. The happiness was gone from him and his attitude has been tired and weary of humans since he arrived. He was thin when he arrived and had his teeth floated and has been supplemented with equine senior feed. Previously in turnout he would just walk over and stand or run away from other horses or go after other horses and drive them away. After that he would just stand around. He is not a happy camper.

Well today, as I led Joaquin into the roundpen he RAN through the gate. I thought perhaps something spooked him. Then I took off his halter and he shot off like a bolt of lightning from me and started jumping, bucking and rearing up and...oh my gosh...he was playing! Joaquin...was feeling his oats! What a pleasant suprise. I watched him go springing through the air for a few minutes. ... which just about brought tears to my eyes. I watched him play with Shooter and Miles.

Joaquin was...feeling good...he was happy.

That....is what rescue is all about.

Help us help the horses.

"A good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only while they are young, but also when they are old and past service." Plutarch

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Nov 7 - Volunteer Horsemanship Class Day

This morning David held the monthly Volunteer Horsemanship Class for our dedicated volunteers to continue learning to work with and train the horses. Today's class was a super group and newbie horses to the class were Cimmaron the mustang mare and Rimrock, one of the newer rescued horses. David put everybody through their paces and the volunteers and horses did a great job! It is so nice to see the progress in the horses as well as the humans learning how to get them to do what they wish easily, such as jump over a cross rail when asked.

Here's a nice and inspiring video showing the bond between women and horses, entitled The Horse Women:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC-1cNWvxpA

Happy Saturday Horselovers!

Love,
Nicki

Friday Nov 6th - San Luis Rey Vet Day

Today Dr. Laura Wilson of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital came with two veterinary students, Stephanie and Julie to work on the rescued horses and donate their services to FalconRidge. Thank you Dr. Wilson and San Luis Rey Equine!!!

Dr. Wilson and staff evaluated and treated several of the horses including Salsa, Merlin and the newest rescue thoroughbred Miles. Miles was found to have severe hooks in his mouth, wavemouth and sharp edges, making it hard for him to eat properly. His teeth were floated. Meshewa was looked at for eye problems, and the two new rescues, Sundance and Rimrock also got a checkup.

Volunteers came out and it was a busy day spent mucking stalls, grooming horses, turning them out, holding horses for the vets, helping David, and walking Jocko the llama.

Later in the afternoon David and I went to meet the Loving Arms herd, introduce Lynn Wells to the owner and have the veterinarian Dr. Jeff Moss out from Creekside to check her five horses, give them vaccines and worm them prior to being moved to Blue Apple Ranch where they will live out their lives in peace and luxury and most importantly...together forever.
Thank you Lynn Wells!

She reminds me of this quote...

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." Woodrow Wilson

Love,
Nicki

Wed - Rimrock and Sundance Evaluation Day

Today David saddled up and rode both Rimrock and Sundance, the two geldings confiscated by the US Border Patrol. He said both horses are about 14-15 yrs old and they ride great. Sundance is very pokey and a clydesdale/quarter horse cross and gentle enough for kids to ride. Rimrock is a quarter cross and a little bit more perky to ride. Two super guys looking for a loving home now that we know they are safe and easy to ride.

Horses in the Stars
By Caterina Tadlock

Most people know about the constellations, but few know that there are actually a lot of horses that can be found in the stars.

The Horse Head Nebula

The horse head Nebula is located in the constellation Orion. In case you don't know what a nebula is, it is basically a giant cloud of dust and gasses. The horse head nebula earned its name when female scientist Williamina Fleming in 1888 observed that it resembled a stallion's head.

The horse head nebula is approximately 1500 light years away. It cannot be viewed by the unaided eye, or even with the use of a telescope. The only way to view this nebula is by taking long exposure photographs. Even though it is nearly impossible to view the horse head nebula with the human eye (aided or unaided), it is one of the most popular astronomical features in the sky. The horse head nebula, like a wild stallion, represents beauty and freedom. Seeing the horse head nebula makes people feel connected with nature, much the same way as observing a wild stallion.

Equuleus

Equuleus literally means "The Little Horse" in Latin. It is the second smallest of the 88 constellations. Equuleus earned its name due to its resemblance to a foal. In Greek mythology, Equuleus was once believed to represent Celeris, a relative of Pegasus. Celeris was either the brother, or the offspring of Pegasus. Other myths suggest that Equuleus was the horse who sprung from Neptune's trident when he and Athena were challenging one another for superiority. Because Equulues rises before Pegasus, it is often called, Equus Primu, "The First Horse." The stars of Equellus has three double stars that are suitable for viewing with a telescope. These are: Delta Equulei, Gamma Equulei , and Lambda Equulei (Dibon-Smith)

Pegasus

Pegasus is perhaps the most well known of all the Equine constellations. It is located in the northern hemisphere, and gets its name from the famous white winged horse of Greek Mythology. The Constellation Pegasus can be viewed from the northern hemisphere from late summer through out autumn. In the southern hemisphere, however, Pegasus is best viewed during the early winter through the late spring.

In Greek mythology Pegasus is said to have been "born" from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa, when she was slayed by Perseus. Pegasus was then tamed by the great warrior Bellerophon, who used a magic golden bridle given to him by the Godess Athena to capture the white winged horse.

Bellerophon used Pegasus to help him win many battles, and soon became arrogant. He was no longer happy being an honored warrior, and decided that he wanted to become a God. Bellerophon planed to use Pegasus to fly to Olympus where the God's lived. However, when Zeus heard about this, he was not pleased at all. He sent a horse fly to bite Pegasus, which sent Bellerophon tumbling to the ground. Pegasus, however, was rewarded by Zues for performing all of his duties. As a reward, Zeus immortalized the horse in the sky, as the constellation Pegasus.

Centaurus

Centaurus is one of the largest and brightest constellations in the sky, located in the southern hemisphere. Two of its brightest stars are alpha and beta Centauri, which represent the Centaurs front hooves. Beta Centauri is the 10th brightest star in the heavens. According to Greek mythology, the constellation represents a very wise Centaur (half man half horse) named Chiron.

According to some myths, Chiron was believed to have been the teacher of many famous people including: Hercules, Achilleus, and Aeskulapios. According to others, however, he was believed to be the immortal survivor of a battle between Heracles and a group of Centaurs. The battle is said to have occurred over a bottle of wine that belonged to the Centaurs which Heracles wrongfully opened. Heracles, killed, or frightened off all of the Centaurs except for Chiron. Chiron was shot with one of Heracles poisoned arrows, but because he was immortal he did not die, only suffer great pain. Promethues, feeling great sympathy for the poor Centuar, asked Zues if he might take Chiron's immortality. With Zues's Consent Promethues took on Chiron's immortality as his own. Zues then placed the Centaur in the heavens as the constellation we now call Centaurus.

While the great horses watch over us from the heavens above, we are needed to watch over those down here on Earth. - Nicki

Sunday November 1st - Kingston goes home

Today Kingston went home with his new adopter Susan. She is a trainer who will be working with Kingston and giving him a fantastic life and future with her three other horses. It was sad to see him go, but realizing that not too long ago he was an untouched unhandled 8 year old stallion who could not be caught made me happy to think about his successful. transformation. Congrats to Kingston for getting his own personal human family!

I received a call today about a thoroughbred in need.

DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society will be picking up and delivering to FalconRidge tomorrow, two horses who were confiscated by the US Border Patrol during illegal immigrant smuggling across the Mexican Border. The US Treasury Department is placing the horses with FalconRidge so that they do not have to go through a merchandise auction. Kudos to them! We are looking forward to meeting the two horses, Sundance and Rimrock tomorrow.

The Peruvian Paso Horse

by Verne R. Albright

Prior to the seventeenth century, most of the world's horses were naturally gaited. Horses that trotted were the exception, and "Boneshakers" as they were called were considered suitable only as pack animals or mounts for servants. Almost all traveling was done on horseback. Since most people knew very little about riding, a smooth riding horse was a necessity. Even Knights - who required trotting horses for battle - often kept a naturally gaited horse which he would ride when traveling, leading his trotting horse behind.

Following the seventeenth century, the uses for trotting horses increased. Networks of roads were built, and people began to travel by horse-drawn vehicles rather than on horseback. Since a horse that trots is more suitable than a gaited horse for pulling a wheeled vehicle, the breeding of trotting horses was increased at the expense of gaited horses. At about the same time, great expanses of land were devoted for the first time to cattle raising, and the horse took on importance as a tool for working the cattle. Here again the trotting horse has a greater advantage over the gaited horse, and even more emphasis was put on the breeding of horses that trotted. Almost simultaneously, worldwide popularity was bestowed upon horse racing, yet another activity where gaited horses do not excel.

As the seventeenth century opened, it was unusual to see a horse that trotted. At the close of the same century, it was unusual to see a horse that did not trot. It was one of the most unusual transformation that horse breeding has ever seen.
As the world's horsemen moved from naturally gaited horses to trotting horses, the Peruvians continued to esteem and breed their naturally gaited "Caballo Peruano de Paso". The Peruvian Paso horse descended from the bloodstock which was introduced to Peru from the Spanish, who at the time were the foremost horse breeders in the world. The Spanish horses brought to Peru blended the Barb, the Friesian, the Spanish Jennet, and the Andalusian. In Peru these Spanish horses were bred to produce the purest link that the modem world has with the once populous gaited horses.

For several centuries, no outside blood has been introduced into the Peruvian Paso breed, and it is now the only naturally gaited breed in the world that can guarantee its gait to 100% of its offspring. Every purebred Peruvian horse has the inherited gait, which is the trademark of the Peruvian breed.
In recent years, the world's horsemen have begun to rediscover the pleasures of naturally gaited horses; and horse fanciers from many nations are turning to the Peruvian Paso horse as the ideal mount for the twentieth century horsemen.

Thanks to its unique, inbom, four-beat lateral gait, the Peruvian horse is the smoothest riding horses in the world. He is also one of the showiest of all horses because of an inner pride and energy that make him travel with a style and carriage as if always "on parade". The temperament of the Peruvian horse is one of the world's best, thanks to a long standing Peruvian practice of not breeding animals that have an unsuitable disposition. In addition, the Peruvian is the only horse in the world with "termino" , which is a graceful, flowing movement in which the forelegs are rolled towards the outside as the horse strides forward, much like the arm motion of a swimmer. "Termino" is a spectacular and beautiful natural action.

The gait of a Peruvian horse can be as slow as a walk or as fast as an extended trot or slow canter. Both the gait and the flashy leg action are completely natural. They are not induced or aided in any way by artificial training or devices. In fact, both Peru and the United States, Peruvian horses are shown without shoes and with a short, natural hoof.

Peruvian horses come in all basic, solid colors as well as greys and roans. The breed, because of its direct link to the Barb horse, has some striking color tones and shades. The average height of the Peruvian is between 14 and 15 hands, and the weight is commonly between 900 and 1,100 pounds ... about the same as Morgans and Arabians.

Our rescued horse Fire is a Peruvian Paso and proud of it! He will be up for adoption, looking for a loving family to call his own.

Happy November,
Love,
Nicki

Halloween - Trick or Treat

Today was very busy at FalconRidge. David showed Amber to a prospective adopter. The new thoroughbred gelding who had been neglected in Murrieta has a name. I read his tattoo this morning and typed it into The Jockey Club's new free tattoo research service and shazam, it told me his name is "Sattoro" and he is 24 years old. I call him Miles.

We also did a first ride on Fire the Peruvian paso gelding here. He has been gaining weight while rehabilitating and now he is up to rideable weight. He used to be a champion show horse at Peruvian Paso shows up in LA County. He rides like a champ and is a very sweet easygoing boy. He is 14 yrs old and will be up for adoption.

The newest rescue horse arrived today. His name is Sugar Peppy Spark, aka Shooter, and he is a very well bred paint gelding, 6 yrs old. He is King and Leo bred and has been on trails and is very easygoing and calm.

Lots of volunteers out today helping ride the horses, groom and take care of them. We heard that adopted horse Sparkles cleaned up at a show with her young lady riding her and was dressed as a fire engine!

The moon is howlingly full tonight. Have a wonderful trick or treat time with the children and your horses.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday October 29th - Art for Horses!

Dana Del Castillo, a famous artist and adopter of super FalconRidge rescued filly Maui, has generously agreed to donate 20 percent of any of her artwork sold through our website. Wow, thank you Dana!

Dana has some exquisite paintings of horses as well as other genre that are just beautiful. Please take a look at her website, http://www.danadelcastillo.com, and consider adorning your home with one of her gorgeous paintings. Make sure and mention FalconRidge...It's for the horses!

Nash wants to paint now and create his own originals in the pasture!

Hugs,
Nicki

FalconRidge Adopted horse Maui Update & Money Saving Tips

"Hi Nicki,

Better later than never. Here are a few photos of Miss Maui.
She is truly a dream come true in every possible way.

A heart as big as the sky, personality unending, funny and inquisitive, Affectionate like a puppy, Athletic , SMART with a sweet edge to her.

Maui loves being Maui. She walks a lot of confidence and dignity.

There are not enough adjectives to describe how wonderful Maui is. I honestly do think the photos do not make justice to her beauty. Let us know when you want more photos.

Eternally grateful to you and David for Maui.

Dana and Gene"

Horse Money Saving Tips

Feed

Here are simple ways you can cut horse care feed costs: The one thing you should never skimp on for your horse is high quality hay. Hay is least expensive in summer. Buy off the field, loading your own hay during hay season or have it delivered, but always buy the best. You’ll pay top price for delivered hay in the middle of winter.

Cut back on concentrates (grains) unless there is a very good reason to be feeding them. Most horses stay happy and healthy on good quality hay alone. Don’t however, feed cattle feed. It can contain additives that are deadly to horses.
Bulk purchases of grain can be cheaper than buying by the bag. If you have a way to store loose grain, check with your local farmers’ co-op or feed store and compare prices. Feed ‘generic’ feeds from your local feed mill rather than name brand. Compare prices, ingredients and quality.

Equipment
Keep costs down with these money saving tips for buying and caring for horse equipment: Buy equipment such as saddles, bridles, halters, riding boots, blankets, and other accessories from the consignment section of your tack shop, craigslist, or ebay. Don’t buy used helmets. Repair instead of replace. Learn to do your own repairs. A lot of equipment can be hand sewn if you don’t have access to a heavy duty sewing machine. Clean your own rugs and blankets. A water hose and car brush combined with a little inexpensive livestock shampoo and elbow grease does a good job on soiled winter rugs.

Organize or take part in a tack swap to clear out unused equipment and get stuff you need. Make your own polish to shine brass on harnesses, bridles and halters with salt or baking soda and vinegar instead of chemical polishes. It’s better for your pocket book and environment. Learn to make your own riding clothing and other accessories. A dressage dickie that costs $15 or more in a tack shop can be made with about $2 of white cotton fabric and a little handiwork.

Any item that has the word ‘horse’ on it, or a horse image on it will probably be more expensive than identical items that don’t. Your horse won’t care if its bucket or brush has a horse image on it. Glycerin soap is glycerin soap regardless of whether the packaging has 'saddle soap' on it or not.

Anything you put on your horse’s skin, or is meant to be eaten should be made for horses though. Sell unused equipment to raise money for things you really need. Get together with friends and hold a 'paddock sale' just like a yard sale. Horse rescues may give you a tax receipt for equipment you donate. Make sure they are a registered charity. Be patient and wait for big ticket items to come on sale. Be a bargain shopper.

Buy things on sale at the end of the season. For example, winter rugs often come on sale in late winter/early spring and show clothing comes on sale in the fall. Check auto-part and farm supply stores for inexpensive tubs, buckets, manure forks, brooms, even halters, brushes, de-wormer and other supplies.

Riding
Cut your horseback riding costs: If you take lessons consider switching to group lessons, or taking lessons bi-weekly. Stabling
Money saving tips in your horse's stable. Reduce the size of your herd. Some lumber mills sell softwood shavings. They may deliver in bulk or you may be able to bag it yourself.

Turn off lights in your barn and arena when not in use. If riding at night, only turn on half the arena lights unless you are doing something that requires excellent lighting, such as jumping. Change the type of board you are paying for. If you’re paying for full board, consider pasture boarding.
Barter barn chores for a discount on your board. Just make sure you are willing to commit to the work. Turn out horses as long as possible so they don’t soil costly bedding.

Care
Simple ways to keep the cost of horse care down: Let your horse go barefoot if possible. Try front shoes only if your horse must be shod. Good basic horse care can prevent colic and other health problems that can result in vet bills.

Don’t breed your mare. In most cases it is less expensive and risky to buy a four year old horse, than it is to raise one from a foal.

If your vet normally de-worms your horse, consider doing it yourself. Skimping on immunizations however, is false economy."

And my favorite? Adopt a horse from a rescue for a low adoption fee versus purchasing a more expensive horse from a private owner or breeder!

Rescue horses rock!

Love,
Nicki

Hooray San Diego Humane!

The San Diego Humane Society, http://www.sdhumane.org/, has offered to perform transport services to FalconRidge Equine Rescue if needed. The wonderful officer DJ Gove said her staff will pick up and transport rescued horses, saving us much time, expense and efforts to help horses in need. DJ said it will help keep her animal rescue reserve team, http://www.sdhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_ARR,
in top shape by driving and loading various horses throughout southern California.

Way to go San Diego Humane! Thank You!

The latest rescue gelding, Miles, a thoroughbred from Murrita, was picked up and brought to FalconRidge on Monday afternoon by San Diego Humane staffers. :-)

Networking and partnering...a good thing for horses!

Hugs,
Nicki

Adopted Horses Spirit & Treasure Go Camping!

I received this recent email from adopter and volunteer Meredith:

"Hi Nicki,

Wow, it was so cool to read about the happenings at FalconRidge over the weekend. Rosalee looks like a different horse!

I've attached some photos of our camping trip. We didn't really get a good one of all of us together in the same shot so I attached some others that Dave and I took while we were on the trail. I also included one of them in their camp stalls together. We had such a great time. Spirit and Treasure have become good friends already and great trail buddies. They did wonderful! We were so proud of them.

Treasure went through everything we asked her to, with such confidence. She helped Spirit who is completely new to trail. We passed scary looking burned out trees, rode in high winds, got hit by falling pine needles, saw wild turkeys and deer, and even some loud humans in a boat on Lake Cuyamaca, without even a flinch. And the one time that Treasure wasn't sure about something, Spirit bravely took the lead to show Treasure everything was okay. We couldn't have had a better first camping experience with these two. I think they enjoyed their adventure together. We did!

Talk to you soon,

Mer"

I am so proud of these girls and happy for them. Spirit was adopted after being rescued from a hoarder in Riverside County and Treasure was adopted after being confiscated by the US Treasury department where she was used for illegal border crossings and is of course a very good riding horse who is used to going anywhere and doing anything. The US Treasury Department has recently contacted me about taking two more horses they have confiscated.

Camping and horses...a good thing.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday October 25th - Fall at FalconRidge

Fall is upon us with warm days and cool clear nights full of stars and a bright moon. Today was spent working with several horses here. Orange Blossom was turned out, Lakota was worked with and shown to one potential adopter. Kingston was also shown to someone looking to bring him into her family. Joaquin was groomed, loved on, given grain with Red Cell, and turned out with Buddy to see if he could get him to play. He did not want to play with Crystal and she was too busy eyeballing and calling out to Tejon and Baron in a pasture down below anyway. Valor got a bath, Jody got turned out with Taffy, Tiki and Tonka were playing together with Snowbell...and more. Lil Nemo has been moved in with very tall Tiger, so they look like Mutt and Jeff.

I received a call from DJ Gove who might be picking up the neglected thoroughbred tomorrow and bringing him over.

Here are some interesting horse facts:

The world's horse population is estimated at 75,000,000.
The average lifespan for a horse is around 20 - 25 years, though they can live up to 30 years. (I contest that. Weve had many thirty something year old horses, Salsa is one)

The "OLDEST" horse recorded to date is - "Old Billy", an English Barge horse who lived to the age of 62 years old.
The"OLDEST" pony in history was 54 years old when he died in France.
The "OLDEST" horse ever to give birth was a 42 year old Australian brood mare.

There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies.
There are more than 600 Przewalski's horses worldwide.
When spoken to, horses distinguish tones rather than particular words.

Horses have "2 BLIND SPOTS". One is directly behind them and the other is directly in front of them.

You can tell how old a horse is by how many teeth it has. A horse gets all of its teeth by the time it is five years old. After that, they just get longer.

The world speed record for a horse is 43.2 mph, it was set by a four year old race horse named Big Racket.

Horses can communicate how they are feeling by their facial expressions. They use their ears, nostrils, and eyes to show their moods. Beware of a horse that has flared nostrils and their ears back. That means it might attack!

Most foals are born at night under the cover of darkness and away from prying eyes and possible danger.
In the wild horse world, the mare decides when and where the herd will go while the stallion follows.

Horses can drink up to ten gallens of water a day
It's impossible to predict a horse's color from the foal coat color. They generally will go through several color changes. The color finally becomes "fixed" around two years of age.

The only horse to defeat the great race horse Man'O War was named 'Upset'.

Horses expend more energy lying down than they do when they are standing up!

With his long limbs and large heart and lungs, the horse is designed for galloping. Jumping is not a natural activity for horses and left to their own devices most will go around obstructions.

China not only has the most people in the world, but also has the most Horses with 10,000,000
The fastest Pony Express ride was 7 days, 17 hours and was carrying Lincoln's inaugural address.
There is no such thing as a white horse. They are all called gray horses because they have little black and white hairs that combine to make them look white. Horses which are white with pink eyes, a pink mouth, and pink ears are called albino.

Horses cannot vomit.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds re ceived in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Horses cannot breathe through their mouths. That's why you'll never see one panting like a dog.

"Horses have a good sense of memory, if you'v been with the same horse for a long time, they will remember you, but if you havent, they usually wont remember you"

And? From TheHorse.Com, under their Thrifty Horse Keeping Section:

Giving Up the Grain

"Now that we’ve discussed the value of quality forage for your horse’s diet, let’s talk about grain. If you’re going to try to save money on your horse’s feed you may need to ask yourself if your horse even requires grain.

You may be feeding (or over-feeding) him something he doesn’t even need.According to Julie Wilson, DVM, of the University of Minnesota, “adult, idle (non-working and non-reproducing) horses can have their energy and nutritional requirement met with good quality hay alone with the addition of a ration balancer; these horses do not usually require grain.” So unless your horse is growing, lactating, breeding, or in heavy work, you could be saving a lot of money by not feeding him those additional calories.

Furthermore, you’re doing your horse a favor by keeping his weight down and helping to prevent insulin resistance and other diet-related problems. For more information on feed and your horse’s needs, check out Dr. Amy M. Gill’s article, “Debunking Feeding Myths” where she addresses the misconception that horses need grain in their diets, among others. Would you or have you cut back on your horse’s feed for both financial and health reasons? How else have you saved on feed? Wastage is always a problem, so try placing a large, smooth stone in your horse's feed bucket so he can't toss his feed around or let it go to waste. Also, try throwing a dollar store shower cap on feed buckets so you're not also feeding all the birds and rodents.

Download this week’s chapter excerpt on grain here, and download the complete feed and nutrition chapter next week when we tackle the hot topic of supplementation."

Have a wonderful night,
Love,
Nicki

" I have often been asked why do I like horses so much. Look into one's eyes. There you will see generations of horses who have served the humans for thousands of years faithfully for nothing in return. Beaten horses, starved hoses, horses who no longer possess a spirit. They deserve to be loved and respected as much as humanly possible. Let them run free again. Let them no longer be a faithful beasts, but embrace them as you would a dear friend, for that is what they are. "

Saturday Oct 24 - Rosalee, From Underhorse to Wonderhorse

Today was a special day at FalconRidge. In addition to the many wonderful volunteers who came out today and helped with the horses and cleaned stalls, David rode Rosalee for the first time since she arrived here two months ago. She is finally up to weight to ride so she was saddled up and David hopped on and oh is she nice. She has been very well trained and just the sweetest girl under saddle. Just amazing what 8 weeks worth of normal food will do for a horse.

To see what Rosalee looked like when she arrived, just scroll down on this blog to Aug 22nd and you can see how emaciated she was.

Rosalee is one of the lucky ones. There are more out there and we would like to help them, but we need horses adopted, we need funds and donations for feed to help feed the 53 rescued horses here and pay our huge feed bill. We need horses sponsored as well. Dianne recently agreed to sponsor our spokeshorse, Tonka the paint. Thank you Dianne~!

Today when I was fixing fences the pasture horses were running around. Jellybean would get them going, playing with Rocket...then Shasta got going chasing them up and down the hill, then Pistolero the Paso Fino also joined in and they finally succeeded in getting Lady, the oldest one to also run with her tail up like a flag. Moments like that make all the hard work worthwhile...as well as watching the beautiful Ms. Rosalee in all her glory prancing energetically under saddle.

The actor and painter Tony Curtis posted on Facebook that he spent his day today at Shiloh, his equine rescue with his wife Jill in Nevada.

My mom would be smiling from Heaven reading that. He rescues horses....just like us.

The Devine Nine are settling in at Blue Apple and a few got turned out yesterday on grass pastures. How sweet it is....

and a nice little clip from youtube on how everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

Love,
Nicki

Friday October 23 - Two horses in need

Today was a day for me off of work. I get two of those a month although now with furloghs hitting, and salary cutbacks due to the economy, it will be more. Our wonderful volunteers came out and tended to the horses. Grooming them, turning them out helping around the ranch. We had alot of fun.

I marvel in the change that has come over Rowdy. When he arrived here he looked like he was thirty years old, could hardly walk, coat all bitten with bites and on his last leg it seemed. Now he is fat and very muscular! He is turning into a pitbull of a gelding and getting a huge jaw and muscles on his head. Watching him run today was truly euphoric. He was leading the pack of Tango, Pow Wow, Fire, Nemo, Denny and Tonka who were all running in the arena for exercise and social hour. Kingston was turned out with Lakota, now that was a pair that played hard with each other.

Rosalee is another butterball who has gained alot of weight after coming in emaciated. She will be ridden today for the first time. Joaquin has weight to gain and is on Red Cell to increase his iron level per Dr. Wilson. Pea Pods ribs no longer show and Crystal is looking better too.

I was contacted by two owners recently who need to get rid of their horses. One is in a neglectful situation, the other is not. One is skinny and has been attacked by dogs, the other is not. Both owners having trouble from losing income or jobs. We would like to help them but need horses to get adopted before we can bring them in. Ive put a call into DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society to go pick up the neglected one from Murrieta, just in case. They are offering transport for any of our rescued horses and it will help keep their animal rescue team trained and ready for emergencies.

Nemo is ready to go ...he wants a family. So is Pow Wow, and Amber and others are still being trained and will need owners also. Please take a look at our adoptables page. http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com

Magnificence is here....if you just give them a chance.

By helping an unwanted or abandoned horse you are helping not only yourself, your family, the horse, you are helping another fellow person out there by taking in their horse when they were not longer able. The more you do for others...the more will come back to you in the form of goodness.

Jellybean says so.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday October 22 - If Wishes Were Horses

"If Wishes were Horses"

by Suz Bendotti of Broome, Australia

"If wishes were horses , beggars would ride"…..so goes the old saying. I grew up in the inner city of Perth , Western Australia as one of those poor beggars who couldn't afford the luxury of owning a horse .Now that I have horses in my life I know what true poverty, not in a monetary sense, my former life held.

It took effort and wheedling and 35 years ( and that took denial but that's another story) for horses to come into my life. But now I will never be far from them. If humans were as honest as horses, we could all be more trusting, less suspicious, paranoid, defensive or insecure. Horses just are.The story of horses and me isn't as straight forward as you might expect. After all, in most places if you desire to ride there are fairly accessible opportunities for horse hire or lessons. I live in Broome a town of then only 15,000. Remote in the extreme sense of the word, the nearest town to the east being Derby (population 3000 or so) 200 kilometres away and Port Hedland to the south 600 kms.

At the time 5 years ago that I could no longer ignore the driving urge to be around horses, there were no riding schools and no horse hire business . I had no knowledge of horse, didn't know how to ride despite a handful of lessons as a child and a few rather hairy hire experiences. I felt frustrated but the urge was so strong that I grit my teeth and determined that I would make this lifelong dream a reality.

As luck or serendipity would have it, that week I saw an ad in the local paper for a new business "Kimberley Horse Treks" to be operated by a local horsewoman Betty Rupe. I had hired Betty's horses a couple of times to join rides on Cable Beach. She was also an artist who sold original paintings at our weekend Courthouse markets.

So begin a gradual process of begging Betty for help to achieve my horse owning hope. Unfortunately for Betty, her horse trek business was never realized due to a hay shed fire which burned all of her tack which was uninsured. She was coping with this when I first approached and her initial reaction was "oh you'll just have to buy your own horse, there's no other way in Broome." Well problem being there just weren't any spare horses to be had.

A few weeks and pleading conversations later, Betty offered that I could free-lease her 14 year old Standardbred "Matthew"….I was there the next day, proceeded to a crash course expertly delivered in bridling and saddling and went out on a bush bash with Betty and her TB gelding "Sonny".

All went well and I took myself and Matty out the next day and as often as I could over the next several months. Good ol' dependable Matthew could have so easily taken advantage of my lack of expertise as I gradually developed balance. To start with I'm sure I bounced all over his poor back. He did try to convince me often that we really had gone far enough and it was time to return to the paddock THIS WAY. He gave that up though after the time that when we reached a point that he insisted was turn around I just got off and we waited and waited and then rode forward. Riding through the bush just a girl and her horse I felt alive and free, blowing the cobwebs away. On a horse I feel that cares and concerns melt away, I am deeply content and satisfied.

Well, four years have passed since then and Matthew is firmly retired on the 5 acre mango farm that was purchased after his paddock was closed. And yes horses do love mangoes and he peels them adroitly by nodding vigorously and spits out the stripped pip. Buzz is his faithful companion , purchased 2 years ago from Perth some 2000 kms to the south, a big truck trip for a horse that one, but as Australians will know, not an uncommon distance to truck the "right" horse. And Buzz is that, not a particularly extraordinary equine, being a 13 yr old Quarter horse/ TB X but he has been perfect for me. He is well schooled enough to tolerate the arena laps and has managed the fine art of doing just enough….some would call it lazy but actually I think its smart. He's nervous and learnt to mistrust humans but he has taught me so much and gradually we make improvements on communication. I am learning to listen to him and to become more aware of how subtle a horse is and how little and light the aids can be. He has a very expressive face and head and makes me laugh out loud at times. When he is cranky he lifts his nostrils in what can only be described as his piggy face; I find that if I acknowledge his grumpiness with a "Yeah, yeah I know" or suchlike he lets it go quite quickly. And they reckon women are prone to mood swings.

I have made some great friends through horses, the best of them display horsey traits of kindness, honesty, simplicity, generosity, dependability and cooperation. The bond of our shared passion for this magnificent animal runs deeply.I have worked as a physiotherapist since 1989. For the past 21 years I have lived and breathed the musculoskeletal system, biomechanics, posture, exercises, mobilization and massage. Yet, my own posture and strength were poor after 3 children when I started riding. I observed the horses natural beauty and grace when it moves freely, unimpeded by a rider and it came to me that I owed it to the horse to only add to his beauty when being ridden. I started getting stronger and I feel that the use of a fitball to improve core stability was fundamental to my improved balance and mobility when riding.

Horses led me to a better personal understanding than all those years at university and working with humans.I have recently gone a step further professionally by following my next stage of the dream which is to bring my physiotherapy and admiration for the horse together. Over the next 2 months I am studying madly and will then start taking my first equine and canine clients, under veterinary referral. I hope these 2 fine professions increasingly work together in Australia. This is the start of something profoundly exciting for me and I hope I never stop learning from our great friend the horse."

Monday October 19 - Treasure Finds Love

Treasures' new adopter sent me a picture of her at her new home greeting Spirit, another FalconRidge horse they previously adopted. Spirit and Treasure are going camping this weekend and will be getting pics of them out in the wilderness having fun with Meredith and David their owners. How fun to be sharing their lives with these rescued horses and creating new beginnings for them as well and many new adventures. Rescued horses from here bring light, love and luck into your family. We have several more that need new homes. Please pass the word.

I heard the Devine Nine herd is doing well at Blue Apple Ranch since they arrived on Saturday. They are getting groomed and doted on and David will be going over there a few times a week to work with them and see what they know.

Barkley and Max the Devore Shelter dogs we picked up on Saturday are having fun playing with Spartacus our Boston Terrier and house dog.

David ran into the adopter of Knighthawk the other day. He said hes doing well..showing him and just having fun. Amazing considering that Knighthawk had been unhandled and untouched for 10 years and never out of his stall.

Miracles can and do happen for the horses that come here.

Be our miracle.

Love,

Jody, Amber, Nemo, Pow Wow, Cimmaron, Taffy, Tango, Baron, Moriah, Valor, Chicaboom, Jellybean, Tiki, Tejon...and more.

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire. - Sharon Ralls Lemon

Saturday October 17th - The Devine Nine Herd Lands at Blue Apple Ranch

This morning we drove up to Devore Animal Shelter with Lynn Wells and the Blue Apple crew to load up the Devine Nine Herd, a herd of mostly arabians who were the last to get adopted from a seizure/neglect case. Most of the horses are still thin and we thank the County of San Bernardino Animal Control staff for collaborating with us on this rescue effort. It was a good day.

The horses were loaded one by one in the trailer and then David asked to see the dogs at the shelter. A little terrier cross stole his heart, Maximillian, as we walked down the aisle and I saw a chi-weenie dog, Barkley, and well ...they begged us to take them home. The shelter staff said Great! So on our laps the dogs went after all the adoption papers were signed and we drove back down to San Diego County and the Blue Apple Ranch. The horses were unloaded and put in their new posh stalls and paddocks and they gazed around in wonder. They settled in beautifully as other members of the Wells Family helped with feeding and greeted them. We were so happy for these Devine Nine horses and said cheerful goodbyes and hugs as we left.

We drove back home and fed our horses and acclimated Maximillian and Barkley, no longer pound dogs, to their new home and family. They also settled in wonderfully and I received a message that Treasure is going to be adopted to Meredith, the woman who adopted Spirit already and who is apprentice training Mystery. Super news! Congrats to Treasure who will have a new home tomorrow with a wonderful family who will dote on her. Rumor has it Spirit is going camping soon with her humans so maybe Treasure will be too!

Sleep tight Devine Nine...you are survivors and champions.

Don’t cry for the horses
That life has set free
A million white horses
Forever to be.

Don’t cry for the horses
Now in God’s hands
As they dance and they prance
To a Heavenly band
They were ours as a gift,
But never to keep,
As they close their eyes
Forever to sleep.
Their spirits unbound,
On silver wings they fly.
A million white horses,
Against the blue sky.

Look up into heaven,
You'll see them above.
The horses we lost,
The horses we loved.
Manes and tails flowing,
As they gallop through time,
They were never yours
They were never mine.

Don't cry for the horses,
They'll be back some day.
When our time is gone,
They will show us the way.
Do you hear that soft nicker?
Close to your ear?
Don't cry for the horses,

Love the ones that are here.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday Oct 15 - Kingston's Top Pics

Kingston the rescued arabian has listed his top picks for favorite horse movies. Here they are:

Sylvester
In search of a hefty paycheck, cowgirl Melissa Gilbert enlists a former cavalryman to help her win a prestigious three-day event with her favorite bronco.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
As a wild stallion travels across the frontiers of the Old West, he be friends a young human and finds true love with a mare.

The Silver Stallion: King of the Wild Brumbies
Russell Crowe plays a part in this movie about an Australian wild horse and the impact he has on a rural family.

Seabiscuit
Based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, this true story tells of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of the nation as well.

National Velvet
Liz Taylor, as Velvet Brown, lives the dream we all had as children—win a horse in a lottery and turn him into a champion. In this case, young Velvet disguises herself as a boy and wins England’s famous Grand National steeplechase on her beloved Pie.

The Man From Snowy River
An entertaining and visually stunning Australian western about a born horseman who single-handedly rounds up a herd of wild horses and pursues a rich rancher’s daughter.

International Velvet
This is a sequel of sorts to “National Velvet.” A family tragedy brings Velvet’s niece, Sarah, to England. Sarah joins forces with a descendant of the great Pie and eventually makes the British three-day event team where she finds Olympic glory and true love.

The Horsemasters
Enthusiastic equestrians work long and hard to earn British Horse Society certification.

Hildalgo
Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier Mortensen) who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a big prize.

The Electric Horseman
In his pre-whispering days, Robert Redford starred in this story about a former rodeo cowboy who abandons the Las Vegas stage and takes off into the desert astride a former Derby winner.

Champions
This testament to the strength of the human spirit is based on the life of English steeplechase jockey Bob Champion who was stricken with cancer at the age of 31 but never wavered in his dream of winning the Grand National.

The Black Stallion Returns
In this sequel to “The Black Stallion, ”Alec Ramsey travels to the Middle East to rescue his kidnapped horse.

Black Beauty
Several versions have been created based onAnna Sewell’s classic book. Beauty tells his own story about leaving his wonderful first home and being passed through indifferent and abusive owners before finallybeing reunitedwith the boy he loved.

The Story of Seabiscuit
The 1949 film version of the unlikely champion, complete with a perfect Hollywood ending. Seabiscuit, a colt no one believes in, rises from the claiming ranks to become one of most successful racehorses of the 1930s.

Something to Talk About
Julia Roberts stars as Grace, a Southern woman who discovers that her husband has been unfaithful. Although moderately funny, the movie makes our list for its horsey scenes. Grace’s father breeds show horses and her daughter rides.

Shergar
A true tale about the Irish Thoroughbred who was kidnapped by the IRA and never seen again.

Phar Lap
This movie chronicles the life of the much-loved Australian racehorse Phar Lap, who raced to stardom in the 1930s, and the gentle groom who loved him. Despite having to carry increasing amounts of weight, the horse is unbeatable. Phar Lap’s tale ends tragically when he dies under mysterious circumstances soon after winning his most important race—the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico.

Miracle of the White Stallions
During World War II, the Lipizzan Stallions of the famous Spanish Riding School were in danger of being destroyed. They are rescued by General George Patton and the U.S. Army.

Into the West
Two gypsy boys growing up in poverty in Dublin, Ireland, are led on an adventure into the Connemara by a mysterious white horse.

The Horsewhisperer
This romance movie centers on the relationship between a workaholic mother, an injured daughter, a frightened horse and the “horse whisperer” who touches their lives.

The Horse in the Gray Flannet Suit
A businessman uses a show horse ridden by his daughter as a advertising promotion for a stomach-ailment remedy.

Flicka
Starring country singing legend Tim McGraw, this is a story of how a young girl claims a wild horse as her own. Such gallantry proves to the girl’s father (McGraw) that she is capable of one day taking over the family ranch.

Dreamer
Cale Crane (played by young Dakota Fanning) catalyzes the rescue and rehabilitation of Sonador, a race horse with a broken leg.

Danny
A young girl inherits a cute gray pony named Danny who is discarded by the spoiled daughter of a barn owner. She rehabilitates the pony from an injury and is eventually champion at the big show.

Casey's Shadow
A young boy and his Quarter Horse-training father raise and train a foal that takes them all the way to the All American Quarter Horse Futurity.

The Black Stallion
Based on the Walter Farley children’s book of the same name, The Black Stallion is a film about a young boy who, after surviving a shipwreck, is stranded on an island with a mysterious black horse. The pair form a powerful bond that helps them, once rescued, to race against and beat the fastest horses in the country.

Horse requests for today....

The US Treasury department contacted me about two more horses that were confiscated by US Border patrol agents and used for carrying people crossing the border illegally.

And two people contacted me about a TB on Craigslist, urging me to take him.

We can't help any until some of our horses looking for new homes get adopted. Be their family.

When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: He trots the air, the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes - William Shakespeare

Love,
Nicki

Monday Oct 12 - Jingles for Tom

Today a friend of mine is starting chemotherapy. He is a horse owner, a horse lover. I work with him. He has been to FalconRidge before with his lovely wife Margot and supports our efforts. Every time I see him at work, he has a smile on his face, a most gentle, polite and happy soul of a man. He makes everyone around him smile with his good cheer.

Word spread around my work that he had found a cancerous spot in his lung. We were concerned for him, everyone who works with him was. I saw him soon after I found out the news and he did not mention a thing, still had that smile, still happily talked about horses. I admired him. To face adversity full on and keep your good spirits about you and not effect others with it...he must be made of the best solar dust in the universe. He is golden, pure, and full of faith. He neglected to mention there was also cancer found in his brain, and other part of his body. He recently had that treated with radiation and now is starting chemotherapy this week. Im told he likes to read this blog. Hi Tom. Rest up my friend. I hope you are zapping all those cells to oblivion and will soon be back to work with your bright eyes and big smile . I hope you will be riding your horse again soon and sharing hugs with him.

Tom teaches me how to be positive in the face of adversity, how to smile and to realize how precious our life can be. Tom is also a warrior and will fight to get back to health. He knows his horse Cisco and wife and family and friends need him...to carry on.

More horses in need. Here are some recent emails. Contact me if you wish to help. We cant help these people with their horses until the ones here ready for adoption get adopted out. Amber, Pow Wow, Nemo, Treasure and more....all ready for loving homes for life. Help us help the horses.

"
I have 2 mares that are 24 yrs old I have been looking for a home for them one can’t be rode and the Paint can she loves to go on trail rides, the other one is Arabian and we got her this way she has been a companion horse to my daughters horse. I had a post on craigslist and received an email from someone telling me to contact you, I don’t want them to go to slaughter that’s inhuman and mean, we are moving and would like to find them a home. Even if you know someone who wants a horse to love or needs a companion horse, we love them and this is hard but my husbands horse is the paint and he is a truck driver and never home to ride her. They both are very sweet, so if you can help I would be grateful, please contact me with any info you may have 619-721-8511 that’s my cell if I don’t answer please leave a message thank you"

"Hi.

We have spoken to you before...and wanted to write a note to ask if you have any space at all for an older horse. Apparently this lady is really, really desperate and doesn't have money to feed a horse that was dumped on her. "

The Devine Nine Herd will be moved from the Devore Shelter this Saturday and will be the first horses at Lynn Wells Blue Apple Ranch. It will be a monumental moment we are all looking forward to!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards All Horses.

Goodnight,
Nicki

Sunday October 11th - FalconRidge Adopted Rescue Sparkles Wins Blue!

"Sparkles experienced her first horse show today. It was at the ranch were we keep her. Very small show that was perfect for her first time. She did so great. She warmed up with all the other horses & kids without a problem. She stood patiently outside the arena until it was her turn. One of the girls that helps out at the ranch rode her around for a while and she did great with her. Taylor rode her at a walk on the single barrel. Samantha did Texas barrels and speed barrels on her and took the blue ribbon. She was so well behaved the whole time and I think she enjoyed it. I know I was impressed at how well she did along with the trainer who originally told me not to get a mustang. Sparkles behaved better than my gelding did."

Lynn Olsen

Way to go Sparkles and Lynn!

Sparkles was saved from going to slaughter out of a kill dealers feedlot while she was pregnant. Look at her now! We are incredibly proud of Sparkles and her new wonderful family!

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.” - Voltaire

Sparkles believes...

So does Pow Wow, Nemo, Amber, Treasure, Jody, Cimmaron...they believe their owner will come soon so they too can shine.

Love,
Nicki

Volunteer Spotlight - Shirley Alexander

I was born in Edinburg, Ohio. I moved to Escondido in 1996. Two years ago, I retired from Kaiser Permanente after sixteen years. My career started with Kaiser in Ohio so I was able to transfer to California. I was a Medical Assistant for Urgent Care in Ohio. My psychology interest led to my position as Triage Coordinator in the Psychiatry Department in Vista.

My 28 year marriage ended in 1992. Seven years ago, I found my soul-mate, Bryan Alexander and have been married for five years.

I was around five years old when I rode a pony at the County Fair and fell in love. Various family members and neighbors owned horses which always intrigued me and I loved riding. My first husband and I owned a large diary farm so my love for animals has always been evident. I have been pleasure riding for many years. When Bryan and I vacation, he goes golfing and I head for the nearest stable to ride.

My favorite horse at FalconRidge was Shane and then Spirit, and now each horse I touch and groom is my favorite. It's such a wonderful feeling to see the transformation of the neglected, emaciated horses. You can see the look in their eyes change once they are loved and cared for. I have learned so much about the care and needs of horses since volunteering at FalconRidge. FalconRidge gives back to the volunteers by teaching training techniques.

I look forward to the days that I go to FalconRidge as the horses give me a calm feeling that is hard to explain. I have met so many nice people who volunteer, board and have their horses trained by David. I learn more about horses each time I visit FalconRidge.

Shirl

Saturday October 10 - Volunteer Horsemanship Class Day

Today David led 8 of our volunteers in the monthly horsemanship class. Each individual volunteer was asked to perform certain tasks with their horse. The highlight of the class for the volunteers was directing their horses to jump freely over barrels on a lead line. Everyone had a fun time and the horses did very well.

Do you have a Pound Pony?

The day after we agreed to take the Devine Nine Herd from San Bernardino County Animal Control, FalconRidge was contacted by the City of Norco Animal Control Department to take ten horses at their shelter. These horses have been abandoned, found in the riverbed or alone and loose in the city. We cannot take them so please take a look and consider on of these darling and loveable pound ponies today. Horses do not have to be ridden you know. They can provide neverending love, nickers and nose nuzzles to their human family members as well as comfort and always have an understanding ear to listen to you. Take a look and save a life. Adopt a pound pony today. Spread the word...a pound pony will improve your life. By caring and giving of yourself and your love for one less fortunate than you, the amount of care and love will come into your life tenfold.
http://www.norco.ca.us/depts/parks_recreation_n_community_services/animal_control/adoption.asp

I am continuing to get at least two requests to take horses a day. Too many horses...not enough owners. Many horses need homes and are waiting just for that right person to come along.

Heres a video that is not horse related but is highly inspirational and just a joy to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZJhfP50bxE

Love,
Nicki

Friday October 9 - San Luis Rey Equine Hospital Vets at FalconRidge

Today Dr. Laura Wilson, and externs Sam and Petra came to FalconRidge and did veterinary exams, drew blood, and worked on several of our rescue horses. What a delight and fantastic learning experience for us as well as the vets.

First they looked at Merlin, who was having some urinary dripping issues. Samples of his urine were taken and he was prescribed antibiotics. Then they evaluated Joaquin the newest rescue, and floated his teeth. Joaquin is an extreme cribber and has worn down his upper teeth. He has scarring on his back legs, swelling from cellulitis, and a proud flesh wound on his front left coronary band that was cut off and bandaged.

Little rescue pony Peapod was next, and he was found to have wavemouth and had to have his teeth floated. He ended up being the most difficult to handle with all three vets holding him at one point! Rosalee was looked at next and her edema under her chest was examined. Jimmy the camp horse was last and he was found to have some nerve damage to the right side of his face, and he also needed his teeth floated.

Volunteers Peg, Shirley and Karen helped get horses and work with the vets while they were here. Dr. Wilson, Sam and Petra were extremely nice and shared much of their medical training and knowledge.

It was a fantastic day and we are looking forward to the next time Dr. Wilson and her staff from San Luis Rey Equine Hospital come to FalconRidge, donating their time, expertise and veterinary care to the rescued horses! The horses thank them, as well as Chris in the office there!

"A horse gallops with his lungs,
Perseveres with his heart,
And wins with his character." ~ Tesio

Happy October.
Love,
Nicki

October 5th - The Devine Nine Herd Gets Saved

A herd of 9 horses was confiscated from a neglectful owner. They had been starved and were thin. The horses had not really been handled much and were located at the Devore Shelter in San Bernardino County. We were contacted about them as they were at risk for euthanasia. Shelters are only short term holding facilities for horses with no room for rehabilitation or training.

This was a multi-rescue effort. An email alert went out to the horse community regarding this herd of arabians at the Devore Shelter. We were contacted by Caroline Betts of Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue regarding these horses. The horses had until Monday, October 5th to be placed or adopted and sealed bids would be opened that day. Frantic people called the shelter on Friday October 2nd and could not get through to anyone. I was given the phone number of the Animal Control Department Director. I called officer Rita of Riverside Control and asked her if she knew the staff at Devore. Rita put in a call to officer Maureen of San Bernardino who gave me a call. I found out that nobody bid on the horses. Nobody. Nobody wanted them badly enough to bid on them to save their lives.

Except one woman...

Lynn Wells of Blue Apple Ranch found out about the herd of arabians up in Devore who were neglected and thin and now facing possible euthansia due to them not being adoptable. The horses have not been handled much, but the stallion, Strawberry, has been warming up to his caretaker at the shelter who is endeared by him. Lynn decided they need a loving sanctuary home for life. She wanted them. One stallion in his twenties, one gelding and seven mares, most of them still thin.

FalconRidge spoke with officials and sent in the paperwork as an adoption partner with San Bernardino County. The herd was released to us. They are saved, thanks to the efforts of many. The shelter staff were very happy to hear this news.

The Devine Nine Herd will be released in the future to Lynn Wells' new sanctuary, Blue Apple Ranch, where they will live out their lives in luxury on nice grass pastures and never ever want for food again.

Their rescue was devine indeed.

Nine hoofs up for Lynn Wells and the Wells family for being a voice and making a difference in the lives of horses.

"I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again" - William Penn

Love,
Nicki

October 2 - San Luis Rey Equine Hospital/Equine Rescue Partnership

I was contacted recently by San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, http://www.slreh.com, our veterinary surgical specialists and equine hospital, offering their services for our rescued horses. Dr. Laura Wilson will be coming out and come out once per month to FalconRidge with the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital externs, 4th year veterinary services staff, to perform physical exams and teeth floats on our rescued horses.

Wow, thank you so much Laura and Dr. Joe Cannon for this wonderful offer and joint partnership that will help the rescued horses of FalconRidge (which is so financially needed) as well as helping the externs learn more and more about horses!

San Luis Rey Equine Hospital is renowned for their pioneering surgical techniques and is also a teaching hospital, one of the best in the country and we love Dr. Joe Cannon who has helped many of our horses.

Laura also shared that they are having a Halloween Party where you can bring your horse or dog, great idea and sounds like fun! Can you imagine seeing your horse bob for apples?

San Luis Rey Equine Hospital
Halloween Party
All equine community welcome

Saturday October 31, 2009
12-2pm
4211 Holly Lane Bonsall, CA

Activities include:
· Costume contests (human vs dog/horse)
· Horse and dog bobbing for apples/carrots
· Trick-or-Treating throughout the hospital
· Cook-out lunch (and CANDY!) provided

Come and join San Luis Rey Equine Hospital for a day of fun and Halloween festivities

Please RSVP to Dr. Laura Wilson 760-726-4566

October 1 - The Loving Arms Herd

A long long time ago there was a well known breeder of arabian horses, a woman who lived in Rancho Santa Fe. The horses were bred and shown and adored. The woman had a daughter who followed her mothers' footsteps and also bred arabian horses, creating their own special Bask offspring which were mostly Polish lines.

The years and seasons went by, the mother passed and the daughter held on to the last of her personally bred herd of arabian horses. It was the most precious thing she loved and wanted to hang on to. Each day she tended to them and cared for them at her ranch. Fast forward to 2009. The "daughter" is now 79 years old. She is legally blind, arthritic and in need of financial assistance as she is losing her home. She has her herd of five arabian horses ranging in age from 19 years to 25 years old. One stallion, one gelding and three mares. They have not been trained or started under saddle, just fed and kept as family pets.

I was contacted by a family member to help place the horses. Once I heard the story that these horses have been together as a family for 19-25 long years, I realized it would be extremely hard and not in their best interest to split them up. At their age it would be very difficult to find adoptive homes for untrained and older arabian horses. There were no answers for the family as we could not take in 5 additional horses. The situation was heartbreaking.

Then along came a miracle for these horses.

Lynn Wells of the Toby Wells Foundation, http://www.tobywells.org, and the newly created Blue Apple Ranch heard the story of this noble herd who have been together their entire lives and said Yes, she wanted to help. The herd will be housed at her sanctuary when it opens in the future. The family was told and tears of joy were shared.

Since the owner was in need of immediate financial assistance, I applied for an Emergency grant from the ASPCA to pay for feed, farrier and vet care for the horses in the few months until they go to Blue Apple. The ASPCA read the story of this herd, now named "Project Loving Arms" by Lynn Wells and granted $2000 to FalconRidge to care for them prior to being transferred to Blue Apple Ranch.

These beautiful and loved horses will live out their lives in luxury, running and playing in grass pastures.

They have truly fallen into....Loving Arms.

There are angels among us.

Love,

Nicki

September 30th - Abandoned Mare in the Orange Grove

On September 4th, an emaciated bay arabian mare was running loose in Riverside County. She was running through the orange groves behind the auto mall on Moreno Beach and the 60 freeway when she was picked up by Moreno Valley animal control.

Nobody claimed her.

She was held at the shelter and fed and gained weight. She is estimated to be 20 yrs old. Moreno Valley animal shelter contacted me to help place her.

Luckily, Lynn Wells was touched by this mares' story and about her abandonment and emaciated state when she was found. She said she will take her and therefore Ms. Blossom, named for orange blossoms as she was found running through an orange grove, will be arriving at FalconRidge this Thursday. When Lynn's sanctuary is open, Blossom will be spending her days in luxury on nice grass pastures. :-)

She is wanted...now, by an angel.

Hugs,
Nicki

September 29 - Sky

Today we lost Sky, our congential swaybacked sanctuary horse...to the same symptoms as Shane from last week. Refusal to eat and nothing out of the ordinary other than a slight irregular heartbeat.

I am devastated and saddened beyond belief.

It was determined by our vet to be oleander poisoning. Oleander is extremely toxic to horses, my vet saying just a couple of leaves can kill. A few leaves we think had been in the back of the used truck I had purchased to feed the horses and got mixed in with the hay. We are not sure, but that is the only source we could think of.

Here is an article on oleander poisoning and please, if you have a horse, be able to identify the leaves and make sure they are no where near your property or your horses. http://jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/8/3/358.pdf

I am sorry Shane and Sky. My only solace would be if through their passing, by telling their story, it can help prevent future oleander poisoning in other horses by letting people know so they remove any oleander bushes or trees or leaves from their property or that are near horses.

Sadly,
Nicki

Sunday Sept 27th - FalconRidge Volunteer of the Week, Peg Wozniak

I was born in Buffalo, N.Y. Members of my mother’s family had settled in Vista in the 1940’s.

When I was 3 yrs old my family moved to Vista from Buffalo, NY. I lived in Vista until married and then moved to San Marcos & finally Fallbrook.

Job? Peg Wozniak, LOL = Lady of Leisure, 9 months
prior profession: National Account Manager (sales) for Digital Equipment Corp & Hewlett-Packard, 25 yrs

While putting myself through college, I worked as the City Secretary for San Marcos - when the cows outnumbered the people. and as Assistant to the President of Boston Whaler [one duty was to conduct tours on “blowing an unsinkable boat” [polyurethane foam construction].

My career was nation-wide, fast-paced, and high level sales, teaching the resellers’ sales force how to sell mainframe computer storage. In Jan 09, HP offered early retirement - and I am now officially Peg Wozniak, LOL [Lady of Leisure] for the firm of Wozniak et al!

Married? Ayep - met my husband Ed on the alter at my sister’s wedding: he was Best Man & I was Maid of Honor. The day before the wedding, my old mare seriously bolted with Ed on her back, so I figured the least I could do was marry him! We’ve been together ever since. No kids.

Love of horses and or horse experience?
My Dad & I shared an intense admiration/love for horses and he encouraged me to know every horse within 5 miles of my home.

Experience - the 7 horses of my life:
o Red Cabbage [nickname: Sweetie Pie] a 27 yr old red roan Hamiltonian mare - given to me by an old couple who loved her dearly but could no longer take care of her. Since Sweetie came with no tack, she taught me to ride bareback, and that Safeway’s bran cereal was a great remedy for colic!
o Miss Faustiana - Tabiano Half-Arab/American Saddlebred mare, 16.2H

In high school, a neighboring rancher noticed Sweetie & me visiting his herd regularly and took a shine to me. In exchange for exercising his horses and fostering a mare named Faustianna, Mr. Cottrell offered to let me “foster to own” a 4-mth old filly right off the range, if I would exercise his horses and foster the filly’s dam for 6 mths. The filly was named Hell-of-a-note ‘cause that’s what her dam musta said when she delivered the first ever Half-Arab pinto in a large herd of solid-colored A.Saddlebreds. I renamed her after the original herd & registered her; Miss FaustiAnna looked exactly like Jennifer’s Lola, a rich brown & white Tabiano pinto with a perfect white toilet seat marking around her tail down to white stockings, 16.2H. I raised her & together we learned what she needed to know & she became a beautiful, trusting trail horse.

I rode both Missy & Sweetie all over Vista and Oceanside until I had to choose between them & Ed - I couldn’t afford a husband AND 2 horses AND dog & cats on my small salary AND put myself through college. It was time to put aside the joys of a child and assume the duties of a woman. Unfortunately I misplaced my trust and I am positive that 35 yr old Sweetie Pie went to the slaughter house; she still visits me in my sleep asking for water. Missy went back to Mr. Cottrell’s son and lived to a ripe old age as a star in his herd.

As a aspiring career woman, I had neither time nor financial resources for horses, but every quarter, I traveled with my clients to Colorado for computer training and hosted a day at a local working ranch/Elk outfitter. That enabled my co-worker & I to spent at least 2 days each visit riding over Colorado’s Lost Wilderness Preserve. My regular mount was an ugly but spirited Morgan gelding named Muddy and his a palomino Qtrhorse/Belgian Draft mare, Rosie, who thundered gamely behind Muddy & me.

Favorite horse at Falconridge and why?
Montana Biscuit & Pow Wow & Cimarron & Zeus & Sunka & Lady & Rocket & Tonka & Smokette = all equally. Because they’re all beautiful unique individuals who welcome me into their space and teach me something new every day.

Whats best about Falconridge?
That every horse in need is welcomed and embraced with the only agenda being to heal them physically and emotionally and help them find their forever home whether that be sanctuary or with humans.

What best describes what horses do for you just being around them?
They calm me, energize me, they bring out the good and giving side of me…and they continue to teach me.

Wed Sept 23 - Jane Goodall's Roots N Shoots Tour at FalconRidge

I haven't posted lately because Tuesday was an extremely sad day for FalconRidge. Shane, one of our sanctuary horses and permanent residents was found in his stall in the morning, passed over the rainbow bridge. Our vet determined the cause of his death to be cardiac arrest. We mourned his loss as Shane was the most beautiful horse and very loved by everone here. He is romping in a pasture somewhere in heaven now. We will miss you Shane. Hugs.

Volunteer extraordinare Meredith Watt arranged a tour of Jane Goodall's group of children called Roots N Shoots on Wednesday here at FalconRidge. The kids met with volunteers Meredith, Peg and Shirley where they were greeted, learned ranch safety rules, photos of the kids seated on a horse in the arena, learned the vision of FalconRidge and why we rescue horses, what the volunteers here do to help the horses, a tour of the main corral area and lecture on how all animals deserve to be rescued - even pigs & llamas, animals are not throwaways, disposables, but instead animals are life-long family members even if at stables or off-site locations. Responsibility and commitment required of individuals to care, support, love their animals through good times and bad, examples of neglect such as Fire, and horses in rehabilitation like Rosalee were shown to them, and then Salsa, who has completely been rehabilitated (and now I swear has cellulite on her) . Kids were shown the Horse Hands Ruler and photos again, the consequences of breeding, Xena the zorse & then shown Sky, our congenital swayback horse, showing how we need to value every creature’s special contribution. The kids were then taken to the arena for David & Friends, a very special featured show where David rode Smokey Joe and did tricks for the kids. Afterwards was snack time and questions. I received a thank you right away from the group leader who was extremely impressed.

There is an arabian mare at Moreno Valley Animal Control who was abandoned. She was picked her up on 9/4/09 in the Orange Groves behind the Auto Mall onMoreno Beach X 60 Frwy. She was running loose, and no one ever claimed her. She is 20-30 yrs old and has gained weight since she has been there. I was contacted by them to help find her a home.

There is a herd of 6 arabians in need in Valley Center. I am working with the daughter to try and get them assistance for the owner and Lynn Wells has opened up her heart, once again, to help them and take them in if the owner will comply.

There are 2 horses up in Julian whose owner has passed away. I was contacted by the daughter to see if we can help. Friends were sent to go see the horses to ensure they are ok and being fed well and they investigated yesterday.

There is a miniature horse whose owner passed away and I was contacted by the daughter to see if we can help.

There is an arabian gelding with ringbone issues and one of the owners is medically ill and I was contacted to see if we can help.

There are several horses here for adoption, I just updated the adoptables blog, http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com/, so please take a look and consider adopting a very deserving horse into your family or tell a friend. We have several wonderful horses coming up for adoption as well on the blog.

"I believe we have been chosen because we want only for the horses.

This isn’t about us, nor our agenda.

It is selfless.

Raw love and pure goodness." - Lynn Wells

Love,

Nicki

Sunday Sept 20th - The Rescue of Fire the Peruvian Paso

Today Fire was rescued from a backyard in Sylmar. He had been seized by LA Animal control for neglect. David met the humane officer on the property and was able to get Fire out of his stall and loaded in the trailer without incident.

Fire was brought to FalconRidge and looked curiously out the back of the trailer to see where he was now at. He was unloaded and he is very thin. He had a good appetite and is not so emaciated that his feed be withheld. He was given a good brushing and turned out in the roundpen to roll.

Fire is a handsome boy. He is 14 years young. He will need to be seen by Dr. Jeff Moss ASAP for an evaluation and a report to LA animal control on his condition.

Just 5 years ago he was showing in Peruvian Paso shows and was a champion, in the ribbons. Accomplishments do not guarentee horses three square meals a day for life though...only loving and caring owners can do that.

Fire will be rehabilitated and looking for his own loving caring owner in the near future.

Perhaps that is you?

Today I got a call about someone wanting to place a horse, as well as an email on a show horse. Again, we are full and cannot bring in more horses until more are adopted into loving family homes so that more stalls are available.

Spread the word....don't breed, adopt a rescued horse today!

And this is from my friend Jackie:

Just A Horse

"From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or, "that's a lot of money for "just a horse". They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a horse."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse,' and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand."

Yesterday I participated in a one hour long Webinar put on by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries to discuss the certification process, guidelines and requirements to become a GFAS certified facility. We will inspected soon and this certification has the highest standards for equine sanctuaries in the country, a good thing.

This coming Wednesday we will be hosting a tour of children at FalconRidge from Jane Goodall's Roots N Shoots program.

"If I had a horse, I’d ride off in the sunset, where dreams, and shadows lie. To a life, where pain and sorrow don’t exist, and to where hopes, and dreams become reality."

Sleep Tight Fire....

Love,
Nicki

The Search for the Killer of Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown was the name given to an abandoned and emaciated gelding rescued from Potrero by humane officers this last week. Charlie was reported to San Diego County Dept. of Animal Services as abandoned. He was picked up and seen by a veterinarian and then transported to one of the county's pet adoption partners. Charlie did not make it and was euthanized that night.

If you know who this horse is, please contact me at nickbranch@aol.com . This is a crime, punishable by law.

Charlie Brown was a bay aged gelding with a small white sock on his left front and left hind. Whoever abandoned him has let him starve to death. It is illegal to abandon a horse. His owners are being sought. If you know of this horse out in Potrero, please contact me. If you know of someone who had a horse who looked like this and it is now missing from their yard, please contact me. If you have seen this horse somewhere near Potrero and he looks familiar, please contact me. Somebody HAS to know something about where this horse came from. If you know people in Potrero, please show them this. Do not let Charlie die in vain.

What was done to Charlie was a crime. He has died silently, quietly, by cruel neglect of starvation and emaciation. Charlie's passing was not on the evening news. He is not an expensive race horse, or a show horse, or a great dressage horse, reiner, or grand prix jumper who would have brought headlines if they had been found in this condition.

He is just...Charlie, somebody's horse who no longer wanted him, just some throwaway. He was discarded like a dumped sofa on the side of the road with the hope that nobody will find out where or who he came from.

I think for Charlie Brown's sake, we should.

Rest in Peace Charlie.

We will miss you and will be seeing you later...

Love,
Nicki

Friday Sept 18 - FalconRidge Volunteer Spotlight of the Week, Laura Zeller

My name is Laura Zeller and my family moved to San Diego when I was fairly young, but before moving I was able to take horseback riding lessons at a stable down the road from my house in Oak Brook Illinois. I enjoyed taking lessons, but for some reason was not "bit by the horse bug" at that time.

It wasn't until my oldest of three children went off to college until it happened. I am married to my wonderful husband, Brian. I was in the middle of making the tough decision to close my small business, a victim of the slow economy, coupled with having a rough time missing my son, when some long time friends of mine invited my daughter Zoe and I out to the boarding stable where they kept their horses. We went and Zoe was immediately in love with a very special older grey Arab named Bailey.

We started going out week after week, my sister joined along, and we all started taking lessons together. Zoe was a natural and soon, began doing small local shows on a few of our friends horses.

Before we knew it we were "shopping" for a horse of our own. We visited many, many horses with the help of our dear friend, but one day we went to Ramona to see a palomino mare. When we arrived we saw a beautiful but somewhat sad looking mare and immediately noticed her back leg was very stocked up. The owner of the horse told us she would kick the rails from time to time, she just needed to get out more and be ridden. I had a vet look at her and he said that the mare had lymphangitis and a bad case of scratches, and warned me sternly to walk away from this mare. He said that this was nothing a first time horse owner should deal with.

I went home, and that night, every time I would close my eyes to sleep I saw her face. The next day I went and bought her. Over the years, her lymphangitis has flared up a few times, we almost lost her once, but our relationship with her has helped our family learn never to turn our backs on animals in need. We have had some very wonderful times with Lulu and some very sad and frustrating times with Lulu, but with good care, she has turned out to be our strongest, most confident trail horse and a best friend to me when I was missing my son so much.

After moving our family from the beach area, to Valley Center about a year ago, many things drew us to Falconridge. My daughter Zoe found the Falconridge website, read about David and Nicki and what they do, and did a report on them and why they were heros in her eyes. We started volunteering, soon after adopted a beautiful paint horse that just so happens to be deaf named Wizard, adopted a beautiful thoroughbred named Lucky, a cute and spunky little medicine hat paint yearling named Opal. They all have been nice additions to our horse family, including our other three horses Tucker, Herbie and Quincy.

From time to time if we are able, and have room, we try to help foster a horse if needed. It has been a wonderful bonding experience for our family to come out to Falconridge and do what we can to help make life a better place for the horses that Nicki rescues and help her get them ready for new homes. Working with the rescue horses has help build my confidence with horses, and taught me alot about patience and commitment. Some days It is hard to leave because it always seems that there is someone I wasn't able to give my attention to, they all are so special.

If I had to pick favorites, I think I would have to pick two. One is Rowdy, a sorrel Quartehorse that was emaciated and abandoned in a field around last Christmas. You wouldn't even recognize him today he is so beautiful and muscular, and happy. There is something very special about him, I think Nicki would agree. I would have to say the other is a horse named Sonny, who came in very thin, severely foundered and with Navicular disease. We all had high hopes for him, but in the back of our minds I know we all were not sure if he would come out of it. Well, he is, and he is now being fostered by a wonderful local woman named Karen. When I went to visit him the other day it brought tears of relief to my eyes to see him walking and stomping his foot demanding more food!

I could go on and on like a broken record describing all the experiences I have had with the rescue, good, bad, happy, sad, and all the wonderful bonds I have been able to create (people and horse!) It has truly been an incredible experience for me and my family!

Thursday Sept 17 - Moments of Silence

I would like to take a couple of minutes to honor those horses who are currently being neglected, abandoned, starved right now....and for those who are going to pass over the rainbow bridge.

Realize that while those of you out there are enjoying your horse or horses at home or at boarding stable where they are loved on and well fed, there are many horses out there right now who are not so lucky. Sometimes you never hear of these horses and they pass quietly and silently, almost as if they were never here on Earth. And sometimes you see them on the news being rescued from someone who starved them, or a hoarder, like the woman who starved Spirit, Cloud, and Lola.

Think of these silent victim horses...., those who cannot cry out or escape their stalls and run up to a house or a person to say I am hungry, I need food! Think of them...then hug your horse, for it is extremely lucky right now.

Here is an article on Older Horses, Hoof and Joint Care from The Horse.com, the guide to equine healthcare with veterinary-approved articles, a must subscribe for horse owners.

Older Horses Part 4: Hoof and Joint Care by: Les Sellnow

"With a little management and extra care, older horses can lead healthy, useful lives well into their golden years.
The aging process brings with it some inevitable changes in horses. As is often the case with humans, the horse's joints begin to "stiffen" as it gets older. Eventually, many horses are unable to meet the same performance standards that they did when younger, and we begin to wonder what we can do to help.

There are a great many horses that fit into this category. Some veterinarians have estimated that about 20% of the horse population is older than 15 years of age. It is believed that one year of a horse's life is equal to an average of three years of a human life. This would mean that a 15-year-old horse could be compared to a 45-year-old person.

In both cases, individuals of that age can remain healthy and lead useful lives, but issues like proper nutrition and attention to the joints are required when such needs surface. In some cases joint supplements might be called for, and if that doesn't get the job done, joint injection might be a treatment of choice. We'll concentrate on supplements in this article on older horses, leaving a discussion of joint injections for the actively competing horse.

Shock Absorption

One of the problems we face with our equine companions is that there are a lot of joints to deal with, and they have been subjected to a variety of stresses and pressures during the horse's lifetime of activity. These sometimes fragile joints have been given the task of absorbing shock, allowing for nearly frictionless movement and bearing the weight of a body that often is in the 1,200-pound to 1,500-pound range.
It is a given that the more arduous the activity, the more stress and pressure on the joints.

If the horse is gifted with good conformation, it often has been able to handle these stresses and still remain sound and strong. However, if the reverse is true, the wear and tear on joints has been exacerbated. The problem is further complicated by the fact that there are 205 bones in the horse's skeleton. Twenty of these bones are in each foreleg and 20 in each rear leg, for a grand total of 80 bones in the four equine legs. Each is connected or aligned with one or more other bones, allowing the horse to lift, bend, and flex its legs. This ability permits the horse to travel across the ground, absorbing concussion along the way.

The part of the horse's anatomy to strike the ground first in a given stride is the hoof. It starts the concussion absorption process while, at the same time, protecting the inner bones, joints, blood vessels, and nerves of the foot. Generally speaking, as a horse ages its hoof remains strong if it was properly conformed at birth and well-cared-for during the horse's lifetime.

The problem with hooves, more often than not as the horse ages, involves the care, or lack of it, that they receive. Often one of the first aspects of good care that is neglected when a horse reaches its retirement years is its feet. It is important to remember that a horse requires ongoing hoof care even when it is no longer working on a daily basis.
Some older horses might require regular shoeing as protection for the foot or to relieve pressure on soft tissues; many do better being barefoot.

However, the aging process will very likely take a heavier toll on the joints than on the feet. We'll launch this discussion on joints of the older horse with a brief review of material presented here in the past and with information taken from presentations by a variety of experts in the field.

Types of Joints
The spot where one bone joins another is the joint, and there are three basic types.

They are:
Synovial joints These are the movable joints and the ones that tend to be at risk during the aging process. An example of a synovial joint is the knee, which actually contains three joints and multiple bones. In a manner of speaking the synovial joints are the horse's ball bearings. A synovial joint consists of two or more bone ends covered by articular cartilage. The cartilage within the joint is smooth and resilient, allowing for nearly frictionless movement. Each joint capsule also contains an inner lining called the synovial membrane, which secretes synovial fluid to lubricate the joints.

Cartilaginous joints
These joints are slightly movable or immovable, depending on the bones involved. Cartilaginous joints are united by fibrocartilage, hyaline cartilage, or both. The connective tissues between vertebrae comprise a cartilaginous joint.
Fibrous joints These basically are immovable joints where the bones are bound by fibrous tissue that ossifies as the horse matures. An example is joints within the equine skull.
We must point out that most of the problems that develop in the joints of older horses involve synovial joints. The reason is quite obvious: They are the ones that sustain the most friction and stress and are called upon to absorb the most concussion.

Joint Problems

Not all horses are born equal in joint structure, and not all suffer the same negative effects of aging. Each must be treated as an individual and, generally speaking, the advice and help of a veterinarian is required to help guide the average owner along the pathways of proper care and treatment when something goes wrong. The joints of some horses are so strong and healthy that they are capable of jumping, dressage, and other strenuous activities well into their 20s and beyond. Other horses will show signs of stiffness much earlier, compelling the handler to reduce stressful activity at a much earlier age and, perhaps, seek professional help to determine whether something more is needed.

One of the suggestions a veterinarian might proffer for the older horse with joint problems is a supplement, says Jeremy D. Hubert, BVSc, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, assistant professor in equine surgery at Louisiana State University. Some of the information he has presented publicly can be found at www.lsuequine.com. Information from Hubert for this article has been taken from his articles and from a personal interview.

It is difficult, he says, for the average horse owner to find his or her way through the maze of information and advertising concerning joint supplements and joint injection. Just what approach might be suggested, he says, will vary practitioner to practitioner and from case to case.

Most joint supplements, Hubert says, involve combinations of several substances, all of which are designed to assist in slowing joint degradation.

He describes joint degradation thusly: "Joint degradation refers to the inflammatory changes that occur and resultant breakdown of the articular cartilage in a joint and the subsequent changes that lead to development and progression of arthritis. By definition, arthritis simply means inflammation of a joint."

Inflammation leads to the breakdown of articular cartilage in the joint (usually associated with inflammation) that leads to development or progression of arthritis, notes Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, DSc, DrMed Vet (hc), Dipl. ACVS, Barbara Cox Anthony Chair and director of Orthopedic Research at Colorado State University.

"Inflammation of the synovial membrane and joint capsule is common with athletic horses with repeated trauma," says McIlwraith. "This inflammtion leads to an inflammatory cascade, which in turn leads to further damage to the cartilage matrix."

Hubert adds, "Ultimately, (this cascade) changes the cartilage with respect to its ability to (handle) its normal functions," he continues. "The (clinical) changes noticed early may be as simple as just a warm joint with mild effusion (increased amount of joint fluid). If the joint is not rested and the cycle of inflammation is not broken or stopped, then continued damage can occur. This could result in a thinning of the cartilage; thus its ability to resist concussive forces becomes diminished. At this point there is the potential that the bone directly beneath the cartilage (subchondral bone) can become damaged. Bony changes may start as the bone becomes remodeled in response to trauma or concussion that is not absorbed by normal healthy cartilage."

"The term osteoarthritis is generally used for progressive degradation of the cartilage, which is an irreversible condition," notes McIlwraith. "These degenerative changes are accompanied by inflammation, but the process becomes more chronic. The term degenerative joint disease (DJD) is used interchangeably with osteoarthritis (OA)."

When Supplements Are Useful
There are three basic scenarios where joint supplements might be helpful for treating joint disease, Hubert believes. They include:

The older arthritic horse.
The horse convalescing from an orthopedic injury.
The hard-working, competing horse with no sign of joint injury.

While there are a myriad of different commercially available products that supporters claim will prevent and resolve joint problems and injuries, there is limited scientific data in horses to support their efficacy, notes McIlwraith. "However, the two most common ingredients used are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate."

Here, in abbreviated form, is how the products can be described.

Glucosamine
This is a type of sugar that is found concentrated in joint cartilage. It acts as a precursor for the building block units found within articular cartilage. These building blocks have special biomolecular properties that enable the cartilage to absorb large quantities of water, giving it a spongelike characteristic. Glucosamine is a small water-soluble molecule that is absorbed easily if taken orally and has been shown to be nontoxic. Cartilage cells themselves synthesize gluocosamine from glucose, but when available, glucosamine is preferred over glucose as a food source. When administered orally, glucosamine hydrochloride yields greater quantities of the active form of glucosamine than glucosamine sulfate. It is the active form of glucosamine that directly determines how readily the glucosamine supplement is made available to the body.

The question before the house when a discussion of supplements arises often involves the amount of the supplement that actually goes through the digestive process and winds up in the joints to carry out its therapeutic work. With glucosamine hydrochloride, this might not be a problem in the horse, providing that it works as it has in experiments involving rats, dogs, and humans. In those experiments, according to Hubert, 95% of orally administered glucosamine hydrochloride was absorbed and made available to the body for use by the articular cartilage. (Other studies have shown that the compound's bioavailability in the horse is only about 5.9%.)

Hubert says if your average 1,000-pound horse has an oral intake of 10,000 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride on a daily basis, it will slow down the degeneration of cartilage and even help repair in conjunction with other traditional therapies. Glucosamine has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as being a precursor molecule for the cartilage matrix."

Other veterinarians take a more cautious approach and say the efficacy of glucosamine hydrochloride is largely unsubstantiated. Scientific studies on glucosamine question significant absorption in the horse, notes McIlwraith. But there appear to be no negative side effects when using this medication, therefore there isn't a strong reason to avoid them. Antonio Cruz, DVM, MVM, MSc, DrMedVet, Dipl. ACVS, ECVS, associate professor of large animal surgery in the Comparative Orthopaedics Research Laboratory at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College, says, "It (the decision to use joint supplements) is a hard issue, and one that polarizes people. Bottom line is that it is a largely unregulated industry and there is no good scientific evidence of treatment efficacy ... but lots of people are making lots of money."

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) Hubert says this is the predominant glycosaminoglycan found in adult articular cartilage. In vitro (in the lab) studies have demonstrated it is effective in inhibiting the enzymes associated with inflammation and tissue destruction. However, Hubert adds, there is a downside, as studies also have shown that the absorption of CS has been only in the 15% range for man, dogs, and rats.
Studies of absorption in the horse support absorption of chondroitin sulfate, at least the lower molecular weight form that is a component of Cosequin, says McIlwraith.

In addition to glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate products, neutraceuticals containing omega-3 fatty acids and avocado/ soy combinations have been developed. The latter combination has recently been shown in a controlled study at Colorado State University to have chondroprotective effects in osteoarthritis, with decreased amounts of articular cartilage degredation in the horse, says McIlwraith.
That raises the question of whether adding vitamin and mineral supplements will improve joint problems. If the horse is on a balanced diet, Hubert says, adding vitamins and minerals might be unnecessary.

Take-Home Message

The take-home message appears to be that if a horse does develop joint problems in its senior years, the first steps taken should be to ensure that it is on an appropriate diet and that it can masticate (chew) and digest the food ingested. It should also be involved in an appropriate regimen of exercise and rest. If additional relief from arthritis is required, the use of an oral supplement might be beneficial, but there is still a need for more scientific validation of these types of products."

Never stop learning. Horses teach me something new every day, as well as our vets!

Sunday a stallion and a gelding from a backyard will be rescued along with Los Angeles animal control officials...we will save them.

In my emails: A black mare needs a new home....

An older white pony needs a new home...

And luckily? Toby the spotted walking horse and Smokette the quarter horse mare recently adopted to the wonderful Brittany of Temecula will be going home...

They are celebrating tomorrow night...they have a home!

Celebrate life, and ask yourself what you can do to help the horses? You won't regret it.

Love,
Nicki

Wed Sept 16 - The Loss of a Horse Lover & Pirate Update

US actor and arabian horse breeder Patrick Swayze lost his nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer Sept 14. He was 57.

As well as a career as an actor, singer, and dancer, Swayze and his wife of 37 years, Lisa Niemi, were well known as breeders of straight Egyptian arabians. They had properties in California and New Mexico and named their farm Rancho Bizzaro.

"I grew up with horses. My father was a cowboy in Texas. We lived in Houston. At the age of eight, I visited [Douglas Marshall's] Gleannloch Farm and from then on I was lost! I dreamed of nothing but Arabians, and when I imagined Arabians, they were Egyptians!" Swayze said in an interview.

All of his horses trace to the Gleannloch breeding programme.
Although Swayze's bond with horses started as a child, he claimed he did not fully realize the potential relationship with a horse until later. "When you get a bond happening with a horse, it's interesting. I was raised a cowboy and did some rodeo and stuff and thought I was a horseman. Found out I knew nothing.

As I have gotten into these horses, [Arabians] I have realized how far you can go with them," he said in 1994.
In 1991, the same year Swayze was named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, he bought the stallion Tammen (Abenhetep x Talgana) from Tom McNair and during the next year the stallion was honoured with several halter championships. "Over the years it's happened - people gradually started seeing that I am serious about this and I care more about the horses than my little image. I am accepted now, so going grand champion there was like a big event for me," said Swayze.
Tammen, who sired 175 foals, was his special horse. He died in 1999.

A photograph of Swayze with Tammen was made into a poster and established as a youth fundraiser during the early 90s. The poster, still available, sells for $US10 and continues to help fund Arabian Horse Association Youth Programmes.
"We at the Arabian Horse Association and our some 35,000 members mourn the loss of a great American icon, Patrick Swayze," said Lance Walters, Arabian Horse Association President. "He was an ardent lover of the Arabian horse and his passion for the breed would always spill over into the audience when he showed his beautiful horses�particularly with young people. His close friends called him 'Buddy' and that sentiment seemed to define his character, as I always found him to be a man of significant humility and grace. The Arabian horse has lost a dear friend and our prayers go out to his wife Lisa and family, and everyone who loved him. His significant contributions to the Arabian horse will not be forgotten."

Patrick Swayze and Tammen.When asked what attracted him to Egyptian arabians, the star of Ghost, Dirty Dancing and Road House said: "Their beauty. I like the form of the head, the proud trot, the harmonious physique. Everything fits together and is in accord. There is a natural balance in everything. I am a dancer, and I can tell when a body is made with function in mind. A healthy Arabian is built for function! And that fascinates me."

In 1995 he rode in the Qatar desert marathon, a 26-mile desert speed race. He was among the last to cross the finish line, but was noted for the kind treatment of his horse, Wasel, who he rode bareback across the finish line, after the horse suffered saddle issues.

Britain's Independent newspaper wrote after the race: "Swayze is no fool; he knows the media's capacity to sneer is boundless. He has no time for the knockers who, when he rode an Arabian stallion last spring in Qatar's International Desert Marathon, merely wrote that he finished last. 'Sure enough, the press grabs hold of that. They don't print the fact that 54 horses started this race and only 19 finished. At the end, my horse and I had a real bond. We became friends. And I got to do my dream - I got to ride an Arabian horse in the deserts from whence they come. I am a romantic fool to a fault'."
Swayze broke both his legs in 1996 when he fell from a horse and hit a tree, while filming Letters from a Killer, in California. He also suffered four detached tendons in his shoulder in the fall. He refused to have his legs plastered, as he said it would have spelled the end for him as a dancer. The film aired in 1999.

Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008. Specifically, he was diagnosed with a type of pancreatic tumor called intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.
He underwent chemotherapy and other treatments, and through 2008 it was reported that he had been responding well to treatment, and he continued to work. Of his condition, he said in July 2008: "I'm cooking. I'm a miracle dude. I don't know why".

In January 2009, Swayze said he had a "tiny little mass" in his liver, and in April, doctors informed him that the cancer had again metastasized to his liver.
Swayze had been a chain smoker and reportedly said that probably "had something to do with" the cancer's development. He continued to smoke in the months before his death.

I received an update on Pirate. He was an abandoned and neglected horse from Riverside who had been delivered to FalconRidge by Animal Control officials. Pirate was in bad shape when he arrived and he needed vet care immediately. Scroll down to see what he looked like as he came in. Corrinne came to me asking to rehabilitate a neglected horse and was shown Pirate. She immediately said she wanted him and arrangements were made for the adoption.

"Hey Nicki!

Hope all is well with you. I’m having Pirate evaluated by the guy who owns Healthy Stride Farriers and I had to do a video of him walking to and away from the camera. I thought I’d forward it to you too, so you can see how he’s doing.

He’s a love – we’re having a great time. He’s really starting to trust me and it feels amazing. He’s incredibly smart and learns amazingly quickly. He’s had a chiropractic adjustment which seemed to really help him and I’ve been playing with him about 3 times a week – mostly focusing on getting him through his fear thresholds. He’s doing great at it – getting very brave. The other day, we walked onto a tarp and went over a jump both for the first time. The wash rack is still an ordeal, but we’ll get him through that too. He’s also letting me pick up his feet without kicking out – briefly, but letting me nonetheless. Carrots are a wonderful thing.

Hope everything’s going well at Falcon Ridge. Catch me up when you can. - Corrinn"

Thanks to Corrinn for wanting to take on a neglected and rescued horse! You are the best.

I read the AAEP newsletter to keep updated on vet news. To subscribe go to http://www.aaep.org/horseowner

Several horses are in need. I get emails daily. It is tough to read them as so many horses are needing homes. Won't you help? I am working to bring groups together to help the horses but it is taking time. Email me your suggestions. Animal Control cannot take in unwanted horses. There are more unwanted horses than people currently looking for a horse. Spread the word to those you know, or if you know someone who has one horse who could afford two? The economy is getting better but right now I am getting more calls, more emails. I have to say no to the horses who might not be adoptable. Please help. Do you have a home where you can house a horse? We need more sanctuaries. Think about it.

Open up your heart if you can. You will be rewarded. There are horses waiting, with people who cannot afford them. Let me know if you can help. nickbranch@aol.com

We are going to rescue horses this weekend.

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
George Washington Carver

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Sept 13 - Treasure Arrives To FalconRidge!

This morning Brian Zeller and I went down to Spring Valley to pick up the mare who had been confiscated by the US Border Patrol in June of 2008. She is a beautiful liver chestnut mare about 10-12 years old. She loaded up like a champ and we arrived back at the ranch at 11am. Brian unloaded Treasure and she got a nice grooming. Later today David evaluated her under saddle and she saddles fine, a little girthy because she is rolly polly. She rides well, doesn't give to the bit much but shes a quick learner and stops decently. She is also smooth.

David then worked and rode Crystal in the roundpen and saddled Kingston again.

Calls today with Officer Dancy of East Valley Animal Shelter regarding the neglected Peruvian Pasos up in Sylmar. There is a gelding who is skinny, and the 5 yr old black stallion who has never left his stall. A belligerant owner who likes to drink and his wife who was the horse person and unfortunately is in a coma, means animal control officers will be on site when we get them out next weekend. One horse was euthanized immediately due to neglect...three were removed today successfully.

Treasure was put between the two hunks, Toby and Shane, who are both just smitten with sweetness, kind eye, and her beauty.

Treasure is starting her new life today.

So can you...

Lovingly creating dreams,

Nicki

Sat Sept 12 - Kingstons First Saddling & Cloud Goes to His Foster Home

Today Kingston was saddled for the first time by David and his sponsor, Christe. He did very well and will be ridden in the near future.

And Cloud was picked up and taken to his new foster home. I received this email from Jackie....

"Dear Horselovers far and wide.

Here are the stories of our 2 rescued horses. Our "herd" now numbers 6 and it seems to be a good balance. My partner and I each had one horse (Buddy and MacKenna). A year ago we moved to Shelter Valley from Julian.

Last year just about this time we got a phone call from Nicki Branch @ Falconridge Equine Rescue about an emaciated horse that was in desperate need of rescue. A young girl had found this horse tied to her fence one day, so the story goes... Jackie and I talked about it for a few seconds and immediately agreed to have a look at the situation. Since this horse happened to be only 2 miles from our house it was convenient to go for a quick visit.

Well, what we found was indeed an emaciated little Arabian mare, crooked teeth and a silly grin on her face. Of course I had carrots in tow and she immediately took them and ate them with gusto. We immediately knew we had to help this horse and decided to come back in the evening after the temperature had dropped some. Our Trailer was momentarily out of comission and we knew we would have to walk this horse home.

We quickly put together a holding pen so we could keep her separate from Buddy and MacKenna. We wanted to be sure she'd have quiet and peace while we evaluated the situation.
Evening came and we drove back to get the horse who we decided to name Baylee, she is a true dark bay color and the name just fit. Jackie walked the horse home along the almost traffic free country road. I drove behind with the flashers blinking so nobody would run into us. Every so often Baylee would nudge Jackie with her head, urging her to walk faster.... giddy up Jackie, I'm hungry!!!! It took an hour to make the 2 mile trip. Baylee would whinny at other horses in the distance, maybe it was to let them know that she was free and she knew something better was about to happen to her.

Well, it is one year later now, she has put on about 400 lbs. She has had several vet visits through the year, the hoof trimmer comes regularly to tend to her beautiful little hooves, she eats like a champ, she is sweet as honey with us humans, BUT look out!!! she screams bloody murder when another horse comes within 50 feet of her bucket of oats... She howls across the fence, stomps her heels and kicks anything that is near...water bucket will do, railing is effective too.... pins those ears and kicks up some serious dust!!! Oh yea, she is a sweetheart. :-)

So, she has her own enclosure and an arena she can use all the time. It is just best that way. She and Ashley (adopted from Falconridge last year also) got into a few kicking matches and it was not pretty, so Miss Baylee lives a more princess-like life. Her pen is right next to the big pasture, so the horses can still have "meetings", nuzzle across the pipe panels when in the mood and just hang out close to one another when it fancies them.

A few months later another phone call came from Nicki reagrding yet another hungry horse in Harrison Park near Julian. Again, we went to look at this beautiful horse and immediately knew we could not leave him there. The story is irrelevent, the woman simply did not feed him enough to keep his weight up. We named him Mr. Hudson. He is a gorgeous roan gelding..sweet and gentle, a real love bug. He had no fat along his topline and looked caved in and skeletal, even his muscles seemed atrophied, he had a hideously matted coat that took months to shed out.

This poor boy was hungry, he ate for what seemed like days. His head was constantly down in a pile of hay..... Finally, after eating his fill and realizing that there was always more feed coming and hunger was no longer an issue, his head came up and we realized that he had a beautiful collected gait. These days he just loves to hang out with his other pasture puffs, munch all day long and gallop when the cooler wind blows in the evening. Bath time is special too, he loves to let the water run over him, he stands still and when he's had enough he finds that perfect spot for a good roll and all I can say.... so much for a clean horse!!!!

The reason I'm writing this letter is that I hope someone will read it and think..... Do I know of a horse who is neglected??? A sad horse who is hungry and can't get out of his enclosure to forage? Horses give so much back if you just feed and water them. They are soulful and appreciative, they don't complain and demand very little. If we decide to keep them as pets or for riding, it becomes our responsability to care for them. Report abuse when you see it, call for help, someone will answer. Rescues do what they can, but there seems to always be more need than there is help, money or time. Please don't starve your horse. If you cannot afford feed, ask for help or give the horse to a responsible rescue who will find it a new home. We all struggle during this economic downturn, feed is expensive, vet bills can be steep..... yes, but once you choose this path then you must fulfill your end of the bargain.

Today we took in a "foster horse" Cloud...~ ...his name is now Claudius (for the Roman Emperor) so that a stall becomes available for yet another rescue at Falconridge.

Give of your time, your money if you have some to spare ($10.00 buys a bale, so no donation is too small!!) And if nothing else, pray for the beasts and the humans who do their best to take care of them.

Thank you,
Jackie and Irene"

Tomorrow Treasure comes....

Never underestimate the power of YOU!

Love,
Nicki

Friday Sept 11 - Super Friday for The Horses

On Thursday evening I met with County of San Diego Dept. of Animal Services and San Diego Humane Society officials, along with another rescue collaborator Shirley Puga, to discuss our coalition we will be forming in the county to help unwanted horses.

We have identified the huge need for people to get help if they no longer want their horse and will be creating a coalition where owners can bring their horse in, it will be assessed as to needing vet or medical help, training, sanctuary or euthanasia. It is desperately needed as FalconRidge is the only rescue able to help and we cannot do it alone. Therefore we will be looking to a support group of Vets, Riding Clubs, Ranches, Feed Stores, Transport people, etc to be part of the coalition. Animal humane associates will also be a part and do field work. Progress, for the horses and people of the county in need of assistance during these difficult times.

Cloud will be going to his foster home Saturday, thank you Jackie!

The woman in the domestic violence situation called me last night, saying she moved out, found a job and now is considering keeping her horse as she can now afford her. I said absolutely and kudos to her for taking responsibility in a difficult situation!

Sunday the mare confiscated from the US Treasury Department will be picked up by Brian and I down in Spring Valley. I will name her "Treasure". I know nothing about her whatsoever so it will be like opening a Christmas present or finding buried treasure in the sand. I am sure she will be wonderful as all horses are.

I was contacted about a 5 year old Peruvian Paso stallion up in Sylmar from a neglectful situation. He has been evidentally in his pen his entire 5 years of life and never left it! Animal control is involved as is another rescue who took the others, but they do not feel they can handle such a horse, so we were contacted.

There is a skinny thoroughbred gelding in Riverside....

There is a colt that needs a home....

Two 25 yr old horses in Riverside who had been in their stalls for 15 years and the owner shot himself to death Wed night, the daughter calling me on Thursday...thankfully they might have found someone to take the horses, a friend of the family.

Just another week in equine rescue!

Dr. Moss was here looking at Rosalee the emaciated mare as she is shedding her hair. He said thats a good thing and from the change in her nutrition...out with the unhealthy hair and in with the new! This was a new one for me. He said she is looking great with good weight gain.

Pow Wow is wanting an owner of his own. He is a sweet tall black thoroughbred looking for love...

Do good things and you will be rewarded.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday Sept 10th - FalconRidge Volunteer of the Week, Mary Rizzo

Each week we will be posting one of our fabulous volunteers here at FalconRidge.

Introducing the super....Mary Rizzo!

"Born in Chicago, Illinois and arrived in SD County February of 2008. I currently work as an Executive Administrator to the CEO at a business intelligence software company.

I married my husband two years ago after meeting at a high school reunion. I have loved horses all my life. Flicka, Snowfire and Black Beauty were my just some of my favorites, along with Misty of Chincoteague. However, I could never get through them without crying like a baby. My dream was to always have my own horse.

As a young teen, I moved to northern Florida with my oldest brother who had a beautiful sorrel quarter horse mare. I rode her like I knew what I was doing and was never fearful of her. Trixie was a good horse and had I known then what I know today, she would have been a great horse.

I love all the horses at FalconRidge! I kiss all of them regularly, of course I do have one true love, which would be my little sassy Mustang, Snowbelle (adopted April 2008).

I feel FalconRidge was a rescue center of sorts for me as well. At fifty years of age, I had recently moved away from my entire family in NW Indiana. I was out of work, and living with my husband's family in Carlsbad. I woke up one Sunday morning in April and found a wonderful article about Nicki and FalconRidge Equine Rescue in The San Diego Union Tribune. I e-mailed her that day and offered to volunteer at the ranch and help in any way I could.

I had never seen anything like this place before nor had I ever seen that many horses as well! What I found was a beautiful sanctuary that focused on helping (and loving) the old, the young, abandoned, neglected, abused and the unwanted.

Within two days, I fell in love with a horse that wasn't abused, but she most certainly was abandoned due to her bad behavior. Here's where I think the difference lies with this facility. Horses are allowed to be horses! We are privileged that they allow us to ride them or work with them, and when they have done their time, like us they should be allowed to rest and be free. To be just what they are...a HORSE!

When the horses come to the rescue they look so helpless and sad but strangely relieved. Their behavior is quickly assessed and daily monitored. Once they have transitioned through the sanctuary process within a couple of months their whole demeanor changes. Then the animals are retrained and rehomed to people who will love them. It's an amazing site to see and experience! It is what I love about the place.

FalconRidge Equine Rescue has given me the opportunity to experience this, to grow and learn new things. I am a better person, horse owner and through this process I have become more empowered. Finally, FalconRidge has provided me the opportunity to meet wonderful people, who continue to educate me by showing me how good it feels to help these beautiful animals. "

Love,
Mary

Wed 9/9/09 - Looking To The Future For Horses

I heard recently from another adopter of three FalconRidge Equine Rescue horses, Popcorn, Ryder and Blitzen. All are doing incredibly well in their new family who loves them. This is what it is all about, placing the horses in the place they are supposed to be! A place and home where they are loved, cared for, give to their human family tons of love, and where they can live out the rest of their natural born life without having to go from owner to owner to owner.

Popcorn had been saved from going to slaughter while pregnant in Colorado! Her baby, Maui, is now adopted to a wonderful family and living in Poway in luxury!

Blitzen was born from River, a mare who had been abandoned in a house in Corona....just left there last December.

and Ryder had been given up from a family who was losing their home in Bonsall. He along with Chiron and Jody had to be abandoned by their owner due to finances. Ryder was not even halter broke!

Look at Ryder now! We are so proud of him!

FalconRidge is looking to create a model equine welfare county and working behind the scenes with organizations to make that happen. Something wonderful is coming...for the horses.

Amber is still waiting for someone to come see her for adoption...so is Pow Wow...sniff.

Be their change.

Love,
Nicki

Mon Sept 7th - Happy Labor Day!

Today was pretty busy at FalconRidge. The weather is cooler which makes it nicer for the horses. Laura our medical director came and washed Rosalee, the emaciated mare with Betadine and a fungal spray. Dr. Moss will be coming this week to check on her hair loss as she came in with rain rot. She tended to the others and then rode the new mare who is a dream.

This morning I received a call asking if I could take in a horse. I asked for the specifics and after hearing the entire situation and condition.... 26 yr old mare, thin, no teeth hardly, and a bad case of heaves with heavy labored breathing ..I offered the caller my recommendation of euthanasia. I felt it was the kindest and wisest thing to do at this point for the mare. Part of being a responsible rescue is to consider euthanasia for those horses who are deemed not to get better and are suffering or in pain. Last week I had a similar call with the same recommendation. It is not easy and I don't like it...but it is necessary.

I received reports from previously adopted horses. Montana's owner Will who called to say how wonderfully she is doing now. He is riding her all over the place and just so happy with her and the wonderful bond they have together. I also received this email from Wakan's adopter, Leslie:

Hi Nicki..... Wakan has turned out to be one of the best horses I have ever had. We had Jacob our grand son here this summer and he rode him. Jacob is only 9 and wakan was the first horse he had ever rode. The other day Danny after riding Trigger decided to take Wakan out on the trail and when he got back home he told me he was like riding a Cadillac. I was just saying to Danny the other night how happy it makes me that I was able to make a difference in Wakan's life. He is a very happy guy and we just love him to death. He is sooooooo smart and always wants to please. Now he has the best of manners no matter what you are doing. He will not budge when you are getting on or dismounting and he clips, ties, stands perfectly still for the farrier. His training is complete now and I would trust him to do anything I ask of him. He truly is a wonderful horse and I'm sorry the woman who let him go didn't know him like I do. If she did she would never have let him go. hope you are doing well and finding homes for all your horses. Thank You Nicki for Wakan........he is the best."

Sonny has settled into his foster home and doing wonderfully there. Thank you so much Karen!

Have a super week and realize... the horses need you, want you... and you are a superstar who can do absolutely anything you set your mind to!

And here is a video on miracle animals that should make you smile...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMj2K2-K8wo

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Sept 6th - Intuitive Horsemanship, Cloud Speaks

Cloud is an older quarterhorse gelding who was rescued by Riverside County Animal Control from the hoarder who had 26 horses seized from her for neglect. Cloud had been starved when we was with her. Since he came here, Cloud has shown us that he has incredibly nice ground manners. Under saddle though, he would have bouts of bucking that was sporadic. 10 rides he would ride fine and the next one he would be nervous and buck.

When he was worked in hand by the volunteers most of the time he was nice and compliant, other times he would get agitated and not want to do what was asked of him. Cloud was not consistent and therefore still considered as under rehabilitation until we could solve his problem. One day a volunteer said she watched him roll in turnout and he let out a noise as he was trying to get up, as if in pain. The next day I watched him in turnout and roll and get up fine. He is otherwise healthy, sound and eats like a champ.

When horses come in like Cloud we have no idea of their past unless they come straight from an owner who has had them for years. It is our job to evaluate them and see what level of training they are at, any holes in their training, see how they socialize with people and horses, and to see if they are adoptable as riding horses or pasture puffs. In addition to obvious physical examination by us and the vet, and training eval by David, sometimes you must rely upon intuitive horsemanship to figure out the issue or see what the horse is trying to tell us. If you have ever read the Tao of Equus you know what I am talking about. Horses speak to us and we can choose to listen intuitively or not to them.

For instance one day Ryder started to colic. Just prior to that a volunteer told me she had walked by his stall and looked at him and got the feeling he was telling her to take him out of his stall. She had a gut feeling. She had to leave so didnt act upon it and later when she found out he was sick right after she left, she said she should have listened to her gut. We all have the ability to have that sixth sense and being around horses greatly increases it. We have had workshops here where you hone in that intuitive ability and are able to "feel or hear" things that the horse is speaking to you silently.

One day David had gone out of state for a clinic and I was left alone to care for the horses, some of them boarders and training horses. Sure enough one of the boarder horses was laying down in his stall at feeding time, somewhat colicy. It wasnt an impaction or a twisted intestine. He would be fine for a few hours, then lay back down. The owner was informed and the vet called out he said without exrays at the hospital he could not tell what was going on with him. The owner opted not to have that done so I was left with giving him doses of Banamine and monitoring his condition which was up and down for two days.

I was worried and exhausted from being up two nights checking on him and on the third day out of frustration and complete exhaustion, as well as fear for his life, I looked at him with tears in my eyes at his face and cried out, "Just tell me what is wrong with you!!!" I looked down at the ground and at that moment my eyes fell upon his pile of manure in the roundpen and on one piece of manure which although it looked exactly like all the other round pieces, this one was perfectly round. Too round. It was...unnaturally round. I walked up to it and stepped on it with my boot and it did not smash, but instead revealed a perfectly round enterolith as the manure fell away from it. A stone! He was passing a stone! I grabbed it in my hand and ran up to the house and called the owner and the vet to tell them the news. The horse ended up making a complete recovery and I will never forget the moment "he" gave me tunnel vision which helped me see what his problem was.

So today it was Clouds turn to "show us" what was wrong with him. We have to thank Brian Zeller for riding Cloud for if he had not been riding him with me watching I dont think we would have gotten the message. So Brian was trotting Cloud in the arena today while David was riding Taffy. I came in to take pictures and as I looked at Cloud there was the slightest, almost imperceptable way he was moving with his hind end. It was enough for me to take notice and hone in on it. His front feet were striding out fine, but his back legs were moving ever so slightly "different". He wasnt blatantly off, but as he continued it became more apparent. He was barely off on his left hind hock. Brian stopped him and I looked at Cloud as he was standing still. His ears were back. His expression to me was plain as day "uncomfortable". His ears never came forward as he was standing there with Brian on him. They were back. He was not a happy camper.

Now Cloud is a stoic horse, so he has probably in the past been some sort of roping or cow horse who worked through pain without complaining. So now that we know he has an uncomfortable hock which is bothering him off and on, he told us that he does not need to be ridden any more. He is probably in his late teens and given most of his younger life to working hard and doing his job well, whatever it was. Well no more, he has earned the right not to be ridden and to be retired and just relax. Good boy Cloud and thanks for speakin up! We just needed to listen better!

Today the new rescue mare came in from someone in a financial bind and this mare is beautiful. She is a crop out paint and has one blue eye. She was turned out with Pow Wow today.

Today David rode Taffy who is doing better and better each ride. She is the one that had rearing up and over problems so badly that she was listed on Craigslist as a horse that should never be ridden. Taffy came in and had a very sore back from poor saddle fit. She also has a conformationally long back, therefore anyone who has her would have to be extremely mindful of fitting her properly.

Taffy also was found to not give to the bit at all. A major hole in a horses training. When wearing a snaffle bit (we just use plain O-ring snaffle or sweet iron) they should flex laterally and on the vertical nice and easily when asked. She also did not give to the halter when she came in too.

Taffy also had a case of the I dont want to's!" Thats when a horse decides what it wants to do under saddle or not, and then there is the time limit horses who are ridden for 5 or 10 minutes and then they decide they have had enough or have started to throw minor snitfits with their rider that the rider then would get off, thereby training them that if they act up they get to be put away. Horses are so smart. :-) Anyway, Taffy girl is doing fine with her rehab of chiropractor, time off for her back to heal and now retraining with David.

Sonny went to volunteer Karen's house today where she will be fostering him and he will be a companion to her pony at home. Thank you Karen!

Listen to your gut around horses. Listen to your heart as well.
They can teach us so much...if we allow them to.

Happy Labor Day Eve.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday Sept 5th - Horsemanship Class and Toby Finds His Forever Family

Today David led several of the volunteers in the horsemanship class in the arena and everyone had a blast.

Toby has found his true love and family with Brittany, who adopted him today! She also adopted Smokette, the quarter horse mare and a Gunsmoke grandaughter. Congrats to both Toby and Smokette for finding their forever homes. We are so happy for them.

Heres some of an article from Natural Horse Supply.com:

Common Sense Horsemanship - The philosophical stuff

"One of the most important things to remember when training is that there is more than one way to approach almost any issue -- some work better than others and some are more humane to the horse. These are some different concepts and ideas about horse training. Think, be creative, and use common sense. If you aren't comfortable with your abilities, seek advice from a professional trainer.

What do horses do in the herd? If you were to watch a herd of horses in the wild or a pasture you would learn a lot from their behavior. You’ll see that they eat most of the day, sleep a bit, groom each other, challenge for position/status, and if they have enough of their primary needs i.e. food and water – they may play. It’s important to understand the dynamic of what is going on in the herd to be able to relate this to how you will use this behavior in your training program.

Contrary to what most people think, the leader in a herd of horses is usually a mare. The stallion’s job in the herd is to alert the herd to predators and protect the mares from other "marauding" stallions (a kind of self-serving job). This lead mare decides when the herd eats, where they eat, and who will eat. She will use body language to control the other horses – she will make them yield to her, even from a great distance away. She will also discipline any horses that get out of line. The other horses in the herd respect the lead mare and look to her for support, even the stallions. You want to emulate the lead mare’s behavior. Once you have the respect of your horse you will have the foundation for training. This is what the groundwork will build upon – respect, support, and trust.

If you read Alois Podhasky’s book "Complete Training of the Horse and Rider" on dressage or Tom Dorrance’s "True Unity", you will see the common thread from two diverse thoughts on training. Horse training has to be set up correctly for both the horse and rider. If you go into the training mode thinking that your going to thump on the horse or force him into a posture or movement, you may get them to do it, but not reliably.

There is no "best" way to approach Natural Horsemanship training. You have to find what works best for you."

Today I received phone calls about 3 horses needing homes, and got one email for a horse needing a home. Tomorrow a mare is coming in, and two more horses next weekend will be arriving. The state of the union for horses around here still seems to be dire need. I will continue to help but I cannot do it alone.

I need your help.

They need your help.

Help the horses of San Diego County get in loving caring homes for life...

please?

You won't regret it.

Goodnight. Love,

Nicki

Thursday Sept 3 - Grateful for Caring Fosters Day!

Today we had two wonderful people offer foster homes for two rescued healthy horses here at FalconRidge so we could make room for 1. the mare from the woman from an abusive relationship, 2. a mare from a woman with financial hardships right now, and a 3. a mare from the US Treasury Department, another one confiscated by the US Border Patrol Agents.

Thanks to new volunteer Karen for offering a foster home, as well as Jackie and Irene, previous FalconRidge adopters who agreed to also foster a horse to make room. You guys rock! I love your caring hearts and willingness to step up to the plate to help us out, help out other people who you do not know, and help out the horses by taking care of them!

Little Pea Pod man is doing great, getting perkier every day now and being turned out with his mini sidekick Zues in the arena. Rosalee is also continuing to fill out and has a huge appetite after being previously starved..poor girl! She is beautiful. All the horses are beautiful healing creatures. We are blessed to be able to help and transform them.

Our monthly Volunteer Horsemanship Class is this Saturday from 10 -12 with professional horse training and handling techniques taught by David.

Crystal has been evaluated under saddle by David and appears to ride well, she just needs a tune up on a few things. Taffy is continuing to be retrained, as is Valor and Nemo.

Amber is waiting to be adopted. She is a beautiful walking horse mare who is looking for her forever home. Has been shown and has done trail and just needs someone to be her family.

She is waiting for you come.

Love,
Nicki

Wed Sept 2nd - Marco and Polo Go Home

Marco and Polo will be going home with their previous owner Jessica. We wish them a long and happy retirement together.

The US Border Patrol Agent reminded me that the men who had Marco and Polo were extremely dangerous criminals, and the job of a border patrol agent protecting our nation's borders is very dangerous. Agent Robert Rosas was murdered in July while doing his job on the border. It was a sobering reality for me and I would like to pay tribute to those men and women of the San Diego Border Patrol who work hard every day in very dangerous conditions. A donation will be made to the memorial fund for the young wife and children of Robert Rosas.

Weight Loss in Horses by: Sally Vivrette, DVM, PhD, Dipl.

Thin body condition of a horse might represent true "weight loss," or, more likely, it might be secondary to inadequate calorie intake over a period of time. The identification of a thin horse is usually not difficult--the horse's owner, stable manager, and veterinarian can clearly see that a horse is underweight. For a time, weight loss or poor condition might be hidden by a long winter coat, or under a winter blanket. Determining a horse's body condition score can be useful in adding a more objective measurement to a subjective finding such as weight loss. Additionally, determination of a horse's ideal weight depends on the breed of horse and intended use. For example, an event horse is usually in leaner body condition than a show hunter.

There are three main causes of unplanned weight loss: Malnutrition, parasitism, and dental problems.

Malnutrition means the horse isn't receiving enough calories. This might include inadequate amounts of hay and grain, poor-quality feed, or that there's competition for feed in a turnout situation. Competition arises when, for example, a bossy Quarter Horse is housed with a high-strung Thoroughbred. Each horse might be fed appropriate amounts of hay and grain for his body weight, but the Quarter Horse might be eating his intended (smaller) meal and chasing the Thoroughbred away from his much-needed meal.

Parasitism might rob the horse of calories through the parasites' consumption of nutrients or by inflammation associated with parasite burden. Regular (every two to three months) administration of deworming agents in association with routine fecal egg counts should minimize the impact of parasites on the horse's weight.

Dental problems can limit the horse's chewing efficiency, making digestion incomplete. The presence of broken, loose, or infected teeth can make chewing so painful that the horse stops eating.

There are many other causes of weight loss in horses, including kidney and liver disease, endocrine problems, inability of the intestines to absorb nutrients (malabsorption), chronic infection, gastric ulcers, presence of intestinal sand, and internal tumors.

In general, addressing the "Big 3" causes of weight loss is a good place to start. After performing a complete physical examination, your veterinarian might elect to draw blood for a complete blood count and chemistry panel. An evaluation of the hay and grain as well as management and stabling methods might reveal problems contributing to the horse's weight loss.

The veterinarian can evaluate the horse for sharp enamel points, loose or broken teeth, foul mouth odor (a sign of a possible rotten tooth), and infected gingiva or teeth. This exam is best made through use of a full-mouth speculum, which allows each tooth to be carefully palpated and visualized. The veterinarian can review deworming methods and collect a fecal sample so an egg count can be performed.
It is very helpful to record a baseline weight with a weight tape and to monitor progress weekly. It is advisable to have your veterinarian recheck the horse in one to two months to make sure there is satisfactory progress.

You can increase weight gain in horses by offering them more good quality hay; feeding additional meals (lunch, bedtime snack); increasing pasture turnout (if forage is adequate); increasing caloric content of feed (add fat to the diet, e.g., corn oil, vegetable oil, rice bran, high-fat pellets); feeding beet pulp; and increasing the grain portion of diet (to not more than 50% of total ration).

Thin horses should be fed separately to ensure they have adequate time to eat without pasturemates chasing them away from their feed. It might be necessary to decrease a thin horse's exercise to help him gain weight.

On a different note, beware of the hazards of having your horses overweight. Recent research indicates that horses that are obese--or have ever been obese--are at risk to develop metabolic syndrome. Laminitis can be a consequence of metabolic syndrome. If your horse has a cresty neck, poorly defined withers, and fat behind the shoulder and over the tailhead, he probably is overweight. Carefully evaluate the amount and type of grain you're feeding (remember that there are many definitions of the word "scoop"). Overweight horses are a special concern in the spring when carbohydrate-rich pasture grass is growing, putting them at increased risk to develop laminitis. If your horse is overweight, you should consider decreasing grain intake markedly, reducing the quantity of hay that you fed, increasing exercise, limiting pasture turnout or confining the horse to a dry lot, or using a grazing muzzle.

One of the emails I received recently was from a young woman looking to place her horse. In addition to financial problems, she happens to be in an abusive relationship which she is leaving. Good for her! I would love to help her with her horse but I cannot until other horses leave here and are adopted out. If someone is interested in fostering a horse, that is another way I can perhaps help her. Please email me if interested at nickbranch@aol.com.

In every single horse out there, the young horses, old, tall, short, crippled, or sound...is a magnificence. Each horse has beauty, truth, wisdom and power in it.

Same with each and every one of you.

Realize your magnificence and act upon it.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday - Happy First Day of September!

Well the votes are in and the little strawberry roan pony's name is Pea Pod! and the starved mare's name is Rosalee! Thanks to all of you who participated and voted to help name these newest rescues at FalconRidge! They are both doing better. :-)

Good news for the little filly who was abandoned at a home up in Sun City two weeks ago. The neighbor had contacted me about her on Friday, and he also called Riverside animal control. They came and left a note on the door of the house, but the neighbor checked to see if the filly had food and water...she didn't. He gave it to her. It was 116 degrees in Sun City. He also called Riverside animal control to check and they said they would be back Monday. I told him to make sure she had food and water until they came. I also called. Its good thing if you report a neglected animal to call back and check on the status since they are so busy.

Yesterday the owner showed up after two weeks and the neighbor met him and asked if he could have the filly and owner signed her over to him, right as the animal control people arrived. So hooray, thanks to a very concerned and caring neighbor, a little filly will not be neglected anymore! Kudos to him for being the change for her!

Donations for the new guys medical bills are appreciated right now! We have not received the ASPCA hay grant money yet to help with the huge hay bill for the rescues but it will be coming.

Other requests by emails to take in horses and we can't help them or say yes until the stalls are emptied by horses being adopted out and to loving homes!

Someone asked me the question, "What makes horses adoptable?" I could easily say training is number one. A horse that is trained to ride, calm and gentle of course is more easily adoptable. Everyone wants bombproof, right? I could say a young age, as people seem to think a 18 yr old horse is old and Casper is adamantly denying that rumor!!!

But after lots of thought about it, I realizeI believe the real and true answer to "what makes a horse adoptable?" is

Someone who wants it.

All horses are adoptable.

Keith Dane of the HSUS told me that the Three Strikes Ranch horses recently rescued in Nebraska, many of whom were 3 strikes mustangs who were deemed unadoptable by the BLM, after their rescue they are now being trained and adopted out and guess what? They are going to good homes. They were just not IN the right homes before or with the right people...for them.

The seasons are changing, and so are things for the betterment of horses!

Here is a link to the 10News story that ran Friday on Marco and Polo being reunited with their previous owner Jessica!

http://www.10news.com/video/20610408/index.html

The US Treasury Department is emailing again about another horse.

Loving owners? Where are you? You are needed.

For the horses.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Aug 30th - Sun and Fun

Last night we had the Volunteer Appreciation Pool Party and Barbeque at the ranch. It is one small way we can give back something to our wonderful volunteers who do so much for us all the time. They help the organization as well as the horses and donate time, money, sweat, computers (Thank you Meredith!) in order for us to improve the rescue and help as many horses as we can. We are currently working on gaining certification through the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and strive to hold to the highest standards they require. Many people behind the scenes here helping horses. Lots of laughs and great conversations that lasted until 10 last night.

Today David rode Valor, who is doing well under saddle. Brian worked with Baron in the roundpen and Lakota. Meredith worked with Mystery who is doing great. Laura took care of many horses as did Zoe. Gunsmoke the camp horse was turned out with the emaciated mare and they both ran in the arena and are looking better. The equine massage ladies Michelle and Susan worked on a couple of the horses. The little strawberry roan smurf pony is feeling better with his new tiny hooves so he was turned out with Zues in the arena to roll and play. Toby and Denny were also playing together in the roundpen.

I got a call from a man in Sun City who said his neighbor abandoned their horse two weeks ago. He has called Riverside animal control and reported it. It is 116 degrees there. He made sure it has hay and water until they said they can come out Monday. I called them to talk about it and left a message. He said its a young horse who appears frightened of people. Luckily there is a shed there where it can get out of the heat. Will keep you posted.

Anyone would like to rehab a 4 yr old TB colt off the track for a bowed tendon let me know. I have a request from a friend.

"A horse is the projection of people's dreams about themselves-strong, powerful, beautiful-and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence" - Pam Brown

Have that dream...

Love,
Nicki

Wed Aug 26 - The Universe Aligns for Marco & Polo

I was surprised to receive an email from an agent of the US Treasury very late last night, saying he decided to pull Marco and Polo from the auction today and donate them to FalconRidge instead.

Jessica, the young lady who used to own them, is now going through the motions to adopt them and hopefully, Marco and Polo, or Asabache and Prieto, will live happily ever after at her grandmothers very large and beautiful ranch.

A very happy ending to an incredible journey of two horses and the young lady they want to be with...

Goodnight boys, and you are welcome....

Love,
Nicki

"He's the colour of the nutmeg. And the heat of the ginger...he is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts him; he is indeed a horse, and all other jades you may call beasts." - William Shakespeare, Henry V

Tue August 25 - The Latest Rescues of FalconRidge

Thank you all for emailing your name suggestions for the mare and pony. The pony is a gelding, 32 years old supposedly.

So far suggested names we have for the mare are:

Gemma
Pickles
Yankee
Chili
Cupcake
Hope
Penny
Cinders
Fawn
Vixen

Suggested names for the pony so far are:

Mac
Braveheart
Pea Pod
Doodle
Dumpling
Gumdrop
Keebler
Patience
Rosy
Jasper
Apache

We will decide in the next few days what we are going to call them. If I have missed your name please email me again and let me know your suggestions. I am working hard to get back to all your emails so please be patient.

The mare is a very well bred quarter horse mare and should make a full recovery. I could tell you about her owner and the hardships she has endured, but it is no excuse to starve your horse. I wish all people would have the common sense to give away their horse before it got to this point! Same with the pony. Very difficult to comprehend, and I do get angry, but I have to focus on what to do "now" for horses, educate by blogging about their rescue stories, putting their plight in the public eye...spreading the word about what goes on in some horses lives that people might have no clue about.

The mare is alert and perky even in her condition, which is a good thing. She is being slowly fed, she has a sore/wound on her fetlock and her teeth need to be done as they are sharp. Dr. Jeff Moss will be here first thing in the morning to tend to her, the pony, Crystal the TJ River valley mare, who needs her teeth floated, and Gunsmoke and Jimmy, the camp horses who need xrays and check ups.

The pony's feet were trimmed yesterday by David, and it took two hours.

Today lots of wonderful volunteers were out to take care of the horses and new rescued horses. Peg, Shirley, Meredith, my angel ladies always working hard to help with horses, spiff things up here at the ranch. They help immensely. Volunteer appreciation barbeque is this Saturday night at FalconRidge!

Zoey turned out Taffy and Valor in the arena with others. David rode Taffy and Valor, who are coming along fine in their retraining. :-) Laura, our Medical Director, and new volunteer Karen pampered the new starved mare with a bath, cleaned her wound, put antifungal on her fungus on her back. She was hand walked by Jennifer Haller around the ranch. Brian worked up both roundpens and worked with Jody, then rode her around the ranch and she was great.

Zoey had evaluated the new Chincoteague pony on Saturday and Sunday and is riding him. This boy was rescued from going to slaughter just a few weeks ago...amazing. Tonight I watched the movie Misty of Chincoteague, and was sent three of the Misty books, which are a must read.

Horses here need adoptive loving homes... Pow Wow, Toby, Amber...all ready to go and fantastic horses. We need funds for medical bills for the newly rescued horses. Please consider adopting or donating. Lots of good things happening and even better things to come in the future...for the horses.

I have received wonderful progress reports from new adopters of Popcorn, Ryder, Blitzen, Sparkles, Montana, and Rainbow...to name a few. All horses who are enriching their new family's lives. Duncans new owner is having very special moments with him while he gains weight and gets healthier each day.

You can do more than you think you can.

Invest in your passion and yourself.

Dream big...then make it happen.

Just ask Nemo...

Love,
Nicki

Wed August 19th - Marco & Polo Phone Home

Once upon a time, eleven years ago, there was a horse called Prieto who lived in Tijuana with an abusive owner. He had been used in the charreria. Luckily, Prieto was bought by a family in Imperial Beach with a twelve year old girl named Jessica where his life changed and he was cared for and loved. He had fears such as issues being tied up during his baths, as well as walking through archways. It took Prieto about a year to get over those fears, with lots of love and care.

Prieto had had great training while in the care of the man who had abused him. He was taught how to do all the charreria tricks, as well as some dancing. He was ridden on the trails of Imperial Beach and on the beach. One day Jessica took Prieto to the parade and he did very well. He was a very sweet horse and loved to play.

A year later, Jessica's family bought a second horse, which they named Asabache. He was taller that Prieto and had socks and a blaze. Asabache had been used in illegal races in Tijuana and Jessica had to break him of his habit of running whenever he saw any horse in front of him. Prieto and Asabache lived with Jessica for 5 years. In her senior year in high school, her mother sold them and Jessica was very upset. She tried to find out who they were sold to, but her mother had used a man at the ranch to sell them for her and she tried to find him but couldn't. She was heartbroken.

Today, Jessica is 23 years old, in college, and just happened to be browsing the FalconRidge news blog....

And saw her beloved horses.

You see, Asabache and Prieto ARE Marco and Polo.

When Jessica saw them on the blog she contacted me and found they were available for viewing down at the stable in Spring Valley like it says on the US Treasury website. She went down there today and verified they are her horses Asabache and Prieto!

She says they are about 14-15 years old now and she is so excited she will be going to the auction next week to bid on them and hopefully get them back.

Marco and Polo know the secret. Even though these two horses are not at FalconRidge...that does not mean they haven't been sitting in their stalls every day after being confiscated and been thinking and dreaming about that 12 year old girl who they used to live with, who loved them and took them from an abusive past. They have been daydreaming about how good their life used to be with her....

Think about her...and she will come.

Marco and Polo know how to get what they want!

Again.

Believe....

Love,
Nicki

Mon Aug 17 - Gunsmoke and Jimmy Start Camp Horse Reform Movement!

Today Gunsmoke and Jimmy, the two camp horses saved from being fed to the wolves by the Palomar Christian Conference Center Horse Camp (who still has not returned my calls or emails) have asked for reform for all camp horses.

They want to ensure that practices are put into place for all YMCA, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, Christian, youth and private horse camp horses to ensure the unwanted horses safety at the end of the season, that the camps have agreements with the contractors they lease from, or with our own county humane organizations, that any unwanted horses be retired and have humane treatment rather than an uncertain or inhumane fate such as being sent to Canada or Mexico to slaughter, or fed to the wolves.

Gunsmoke and Jimmy ask for reform for all camp horse strings, and that no camp horse be left behind!

Let's hear a rally neigh from all the horses who agree!

Ask where the camp horses go...and if they say they place them with families? ask for proof!

We enjoyed camp as kids...lets make sure the horses enjoy their life after working each summer.

Kumbaya.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Aug 16th - Popcorn, Ryder & Blitzen Go To Their New Family

Today we are happy to report that Popcorn, Ryder and Blitzen went to their new adoptive home in Orange County where they will be loved on by their new mom, dad and two special needs children.

How do we find fantastic homes for the horses? They all have been taught and practice the law of attraction. Yep, the horses know The Secret. This is how they get what and who they want, loving families who are perfect for them who come and choose them when the time is right for them, when the universe is aligned. What the horses know and do is also how you can get what you want in life.

You too can be like the horses of FalconRidge, these very special equines...these teachers of kindness and virtuous good luck charms for families. Wayne Dyer explains how virtue is a very important concept in the Law of Attraction. Give of yourself without expectation of reward, (ahem, like the horses do!) and whatever you want in the world is at your fingertips.

“This is called the Hua Hu Ching, written by Lao Tzu. Those who want to know the truth of the universe should practice the four cardinal virtues. The first is reverence for all of life. This manifests as unconditional love and respect for oneself and all other beings. The second is natural sincerity. This manifests as honesty, simplicity and faithfulness. The third is gentleness, which manifests as kindness, consideration for others and sensitivity to spiritual truth. The fourth is supportiveness. This manifests as service to others without expectation of reward.”

FalconRidge is now on Facebook! We are under "Causes" so please join our cause for helping unwanted horses and spread the word.
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/332475/50217774?m=6d54c0aa

And newly published...a good scientific reason showing why horses prefer the left side. Finally we get answers.

Horses show left-eye preference in relation to people
August 10, 2009

Horses generally prefer to scan people with their left eye, researchers have found.

The findings appear to provide a sound basis for mounting a horse from the left.

Researchers Kate Farmer, Konstanze Krueger and Richard Byrne said most horses have a side on which they are easier to handle and a direction they favour when working on a circle.
Recent studies have suggested a correlation between emotion and visual laterality - the preference for one side over the other - when horses observe inanimate objects.
As such, the localisation of function on one side of the brain could provide important clues regarding the horse's cognitive processes.

The team, whose findings have just been published in the Journal of Animal Cognition, set out to explore whether horses also showed a right or left side preference in association with people.
"We gave horses the choice of entering a chute to left or right, with and without the passive, non-interactive presence of a person unknown to them.
"The left eye was preferred for scanning under both conditions, but significantly more so when a person was present.
"Traditionally, riders handle horses only from the left, so we repeated the experiment with horses specifically trained on both sides.
"Again, there was a consistent preference for left eye scanning in the presence of a person, whether known to the horses or not.

"We also examined horses interacting with a person, using both traditionally and bilaterally trained horses. Both groups showed left eye preference for viewing the person, regardless of training and test procedure.
"For those horses tested under both passive and interactive conditions, the left eye was preferred significantly more during interaction.
"We suggest that most horses prefer to use their left eye for assessment and evaluation, and that there is an emotional aspect to the choice which may be positive or negative, depending on the circumstances."
The researchers said they believed the results have important practical implications and that emotional laterality should be taken into account in training methods. "

This weekend Taffy worked well under saddle, and many other horses did great with the volunteers. The new mare is happy to be with Smokey in a pen where she can move around freely. And the two camp horses are BIG! Sonny is moving around better and Valor had her first ride here today.

Right now FalconRidge is working on camp horse reform and will be looking into putting agreements in place in the future that will ensure YMCA, Girl Scout and other camp horses do not go to slaughter or some other sort of other demise at the end of the camp season. Gunsmoke and Jimmy call for reform!

A blind mare needing a new home has been placed...Yay for the person who decided that adopting a blind horse is just the cats pajamas! She is brilliant!

Duncan, the starved arab from Potrero will be going home with his mom Michele who found him a wonderful private boarding facility. Duncan had reached the point in life where he needed to be switched to equine senior feed as his main diet, with hay as a supplement due to his missing molars. He has been gaining weight here and looking fantastic. We are so happy for Duncan and as his owner Michele has found out...hes a very very special horse who likes to communicate silently.

I received a very endearing email from Tara who let me know she had found her voice...and got horses into her life despite the insults from the spouse. Way to go Tara.

Following your passion for horses and rescuing them out of kindness is a noble thing. And poo poo anyone who says anything negative about it! Those people live in fear...you do not. You are brave, not fearful...and you are living in love. You rock!

There is a Chincoteague pony who was saved from going to slaughter from the Fallon, NV feedlot who will be coming later this week. He is 5 yrs old and supposedly broke.

I am betting he is related to Misty...

Love and honor to you and all the unwanted horses,

Nicki

Sat Aug 15th - Gunsmoke and Jimmy the Camp Horses Are Rescued

Today, two camp horses were given another chance at life. These two boys served a girls horse camp up in Julian. Gunsmoke and Jimmy were no longer wanted after this years camp session ended yesterday. The camp was planning on sending Gunsmoke and Jimmy to the Wolf Center nearby where they would be killed and fed to the wolves. Luckily, some wonderful people intervened on Gunsmoke and Jimmys behalf and they were instead picked up today and trailered to FalconRidge. Thanks to Lynn Wells, Gunsmoke and Jimmy will be able to live the rest of their natural lives in sanctuary.

They have done their time...served young girls at camp year after year until they could no longer. Numerous calls to the Palomar Christian Conference Center camp and emails went unanswered. We wished to make agreements with them to protect future unwanted camp horses to transition them into loving homes. I am sure if all the young girls knew the fates of the unwanted camp horses the board of directors would be forced to change their way of thinking in the future. At least these two were spared thanks to tip offs from people with kind and compassionate hearts for horses. Gunsmoke and Jimmy say thank you!

Ask where the camp horses go....

Love,
Nicki

Fri Aug 14th - The Mare That Nobody Wanted Comes to FalconRidge

Today the mare down in the Tijuana River Valley was picked up thanks to the kindness and compassion of the Zeller Family. They heard about her story and asked if they could go get her. So Brian Zeller drove down and met with the elderly woman who notified me of this mares plight to begin with.

The mare is a little headshy but she was handled gently and loaded in the trailer fine. Back at FalconRidge she was unloaded and turned out in the roundpen and seemed to enjoy being able to run around freely. She has been stalled for a long time. She has some cuts on her, and maybe an abcessed tooth, her hind legs were stocked up and her weight is not bad thanks to the woman who was feeding her.

She is a dark bay, very black, and she has gold highlights on her sides. She is sweet.

She is pure gold, and very wanted now.

She will get the love she deserves.

Kindness makes miracles happen.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday Aug 13th - The Horse That Nobody Wanted

She is just a plain mare, sitting in a pen at a stables at the Tijuana River Valley off of Hollister Street. She has sat in the pen for 5 years, day after day. She is about 20 years old and her breed is not known.

Her owner was to self feed and clean the stall. Her pen never got cleaned, unless the animal control people came by and made the owner clean it. She would lose weight. She was head shy. Whoever owned her gave or sold her to a man who then stopped feeding her also. She sat in her pen and waited for food. Some of the boarders who cared enough would give her hay or feed. She was thin and needed care. One day the man took her to the charro facility next door and brought her back all bitten up on her hind end and shaken. He said he bred her to a stallion and if she has a baby it will be nice. He then left and never came back. The mare sat and waited for food.

One boarder decided to care for her after noticing the man never came back to feed his mare or clean her stall. This boarder is a 70 yr old woman. Once the facility knew the man abandoned the mare, they decided they wanted $200 for her. Nobody offered to take her or want her. The woman asked around to see if she could find someone to take this mare and love her as she could not afford her. She said she would pay the purchase price for the mare just to find her a good home with someone.

Nobody wanted her.

The boarding facility said they would put a sign out front that says $200 takes her, and she most likely would not go to a nice place. The woman who did care about this mare called me and asked me to take her.

This 2o yr old mare is a survivor. She has endured starvation, neglect, rape, and abandonment. This plain bay mare has endured being around those who really don't care about her and those with no love in their hearts. Those who looked the other way.

Don't look the other way.

Be the change.

This mare is a diamond. She is pure gold. She is good luck. She is hope. She is love.

Once she gets here this mare will show everyone the way.
To be.

Love,
Nicki

Tue Aug 11 - Rainbow and Montana Go Home

Today 20 yr old TB mare Rainbow and 10 yr old Montana got to go HOME with their new adoptive families where they will get loved on in backyards and get to go on trail rides sometimes. Rainbow had been here 2 years and Montana 6 months. We are so happy for them.

The volunteers here make a difference for the horses, they help them get adopted.

The FalconRidge volunteers work with the horses almost daily and get them used to handling, grooming, leading, bathing, picking up feet, tying, backing up, working in hand and training. They get horses for David and assist him with training. Horses that come in to the rescue who are extremely spooky or never been handled before in a matter of months are well on the road to becoming sweet adoptable horses due to our fearless horsemen here. They are an excellent team. We are grateful for the volunteers and all their help! Montana and Rainbow whinny a thank youuuuuuuuuu!

Duncan is gaining weight and going to get his teeth floated Wed by Dr. Moss.

We are working on helping some horses who will be coming in the future - a neglected mare down south, a chincoteague pony that was headed to slaughter, a paint mare in need.

More later...

You only have one life to live...make it a good one!

Love,
Nicki

Sunday Aug 9 - Rainbow and Montana Get Their Families!

Today was a happy day. Two wonderful adopters came to see Rainbow and Montana and chose them to be the new members of their families. Hooray! Rainbow will get to go home with Dawn, who recently lost her thirty something year old horse, and Montana will get to go home with Dawns brother William, who saw Montana online and fell in love with her. Montana and Rainbow are celebrating and looking forward to going home with their new owners.

David evaluated River under saddle today for the first time also. It is found out she rides, and most likely has been charro trained. Shes got the Double Bar S brand on her shoulder, a ranch in Moreno Valley. She is going to be a very nice horse once she is conditioned and legged up after having baby Blitzen.

Today I found out about horses needing a place to go from someplace folks probably didn't realize...summer camps, Y camps, Horse Camps. Each year at the end of the season they need to get rid of horses...I think we need to have all the children attending these camps ask where the horses go? This is an area that the camp horses need and want us to look into. Stand for the horses as they cannot speak. Ask questions such as where do they get camp horses from? How long do they stay? Where do they place them when they are no longer needed? Are they rehomed? If they go to auction, which auction and when? If someone comes and picks them up, who IS that person? What does he do with them???? and lastly, do you work with rescues that can rehome them for you? Showing you care about the horses after you have been blessed with being able to ride them at camp will improve their lives. Ask questions for the horses...they cannot speak.

I also received emails about a 21 yr old lame TB gelding needing a home, and a blind appaloosa mare...

"There is just as much horse sense as ever, but the horses have most of it. " - Unknown (but oh so true!)

Love,
Nicki

Sat Aug 8th - Equine Bodywork Visit, Buddy the Pony Therapist, and Taffy's First Ride

Early this morning at FalconRidge we had a visit from Sunny Saxon, Equine Bodywork Practioner, who is graciously donating her services to work on the rescue horses here. In addition to accupressure, Sunny uses her intuitive capabilities to read into the mind and body of the horse and figures out where they are blocked. Sunny worked on Valor, the morgan mare, Sonny, the foundered QH gelding, she also worked on Duncan, the new arab rescue. She has an amazing touch and calm, healing manner.

I am realizing that after Sunny worked on those three horses today, I noticed that Valor was running in the arena with better extension, Sonny the boy who could barely walk was running today...he escaped out of the arena and "RAN" to his stall! Also Duncan was turned out in the arena and feeling better than he was in the morning. Sunny Saxon, RN, EBW is a certified equine bodyworker. Her contact phone number is: (949) 310-0363. Thank you so much Sunny!

Also today Buddy the pony did his therapeutic work on some of the horses. We use Buddy to get horses to feel better and play if they need it. He is a kind of court jester and perks horses up who need it mentally and physically. He bites knees and runs around them to get them to play with him. So I put Duncan in the arena, along with Salsa the 30 yr old rescue, Sonny, and Valor. Then I added Buddy the pony to get everyone to move around and exercise as well as socialize. Sonny wanted to know what the little shrimpy guy was! and Buddy got Duncan to run and play. It was so nice to see.

I got an email this morning about a 21 yr old lame TB gelding who needs a home.

I also was contacted yesterday by a woman trying to find a home for an older horse down in the TJ River Valley who was abandoned at a stables and needs some loving care. It sounds like she has had a hard life.

Today David rode Taffy the rearing over palomino mare for the first time. Her back is no longer sore (BIG clue for horses that rear!) so she was saddled up and David got on. Taffy did not rear. Taffy's main problem and second reason she most likely reared over backwards is that she does not give to the bit! (Second BIG CLUE for horses that rear!)

In other words, when asking her to flex vertically at the poll, get into frame with her body, and to back up correctly, etc, she instead is throwing up her head, hollowing out her back and shaking her mouth back and forth. That is a horse who has never learned to give properly to the bit, a basic element in training a horse! She learned to give to the bit today a little at a time while under saddle. She is a wonderful horse...she just wasn't trained properly when started under saddle. She will be now.

Taffy had been labeled as a dangerous horse and never should be ridden, when she had two simple problems that could easily be fixed. That is why I wanted to get this mare who was advertised as flipping over backwards and should never be ridden, I knew we could help her and educate people at the same time. David will be doing a training video on Taffy and put it up on youtube. To see Davids videos, just go to youtube and type in David Lee Archer...he has about 80 or so online, many of them rescue horses. Taffy is a star and incredibly sweet!

Tomorrow David will also be riding River for the first time. River is the mother to baby Blitzen and had been rescued from a backyard in Corona where she was thin and pregnant. River has been oh so sweet as a mom and easy to handle, but we had never asked much of her and she spent all of her time before just nurturing and feeding Blitzen. Now Blitzen is weaned away from her, the other day we turned River out and its time for her to be worked with and conditioned so she can be evaluated and trained and adopted out.

Well miss sweet River showed her true colors when walking back from the arena with a volunteer. Seems she wanted to get back to her stall fast and had a fit when the volunteer asked her to stop. David took River to the roundpen and all of a sudden miss sweetness River was pinning ears and trying to attack David when he was asking her to work back and forth in hand or to back up, etc. It was obvious she had no groundwork training at all and we were all shocked! LOL.

So here is a mare who has probably been trained to ride...I could tell when the other day I threw a saddle pad and saddle on her and she stood stock still, but she does not have any ground manners. Just like the obnoxious Toby when he arrived who was biting at everyone. Rides well but big holes in their training!

A super day of learning and equine awareness...the good stuff.

"A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence. ~Pam Brown"

Tomorrow is Super Sunday...make it super.

Love,
Nicki

Friday Aug 7th - The Misadventures of Marco & Polo!

Marco and Polo are two wonderful and handsome adventure-loving horses. They are cross country travelers, two super sweet compliant geldings, who have roamed over hills and dales and carried extremely precious cargo on their backs with care. They traveled in the dark and cool of the night, quietly they did their jobs.

Marco and Polo are sure footed and trustworthy, stout and strong....they have to be. They have had a mission to accomplish. These are very special horses! In fact these boys are so special our United States Government has been keeping an eye on them. They know where Marco and Polo are and have been watching them the entire last year. Marco and Polo have been vacationing from their previous top secret job the last year and enjoying the good life of just eating and drinking and being a regular horse, a far cry from their secret agent status.

You see, Marco and Polo were used to carry people across the border between United States and Mexico. People looking for freedom, liberty and a new chance at life were upon their backs. At some point, the people using Marco and Polo were caught and confiscated by US Customs and Border Control agents. Marco and Polo were gathered up and categoriezed as "forfeited and seized property" and stabled down in Imperial Beach until the court case was completed.

Marco and Polo were awarded to the US Department of the Treasury and several rescues were contacted recently about taking them. I offered to take them and later was informed that the agents instead would like to have the horses go to auction so they can recoup some of their funds spent on caring for them the last year. I spoke with the officials who are running the auction for the US Treasury Department and suggested that in the future, they have lists of 501c3 equine rescues to let take care of the horses in the first place to avoid them going to auction.

The Auction for Marco and Polo is August 26th in Riverside. People interested in bidding on them can do so by mail by sealed bid. I was promised they "would" screen the people bidding on the horses so they do not end up going at a low price and then on a trip down to Mexico to be slaughtered. Given Marco and Polos previous career and how much they have done for humans already, I would like to see them go to a loving family. I am told people are to bid on them both, they are to go together as a package of one. They are obviously rideable and they are obviously good horses who deserve a bright future, just like the ones they were giving to the people who they carried upon their backs in the still of the night over rocky hills.

The agent informed me it would be best if people could show up at the Riverside auction if they can. What will happen is they will open the bids up that are mailed in, and say the highest bid is $500, then at the actual auction in Riverside they will announce Marco and Polo's item number (trust me, I am completely disdained about this and let them know my opinions!) and start the bidding AT the highest bid that was mailed in. If nobody else then bids, the highest amount wins. Instructions are here on how to view them ahead of time and how to bid.

Please consider bidding on and getting these super duper very special guys and let me know if you do and I will post it here on the blog the lucky home who gets them!

http://treas.gov/auctions/treasury/gp/horses.shtml

http://treas.gov/auctions/treasury/gp/

International super heroes is what they are!

Love,
Nicki

Thurs August 6th - The Starved & Rescued Duncan Sees the Vet

Today Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary came and gave Duncan, the rescued and neglected horse from Potrero a check up. He said Duncan is about 20-24 yrs of age, looks like a full blooded arab, not quarab, and he does have teeth problems. He is missing a molar and has wavemouth. He also has sand in his gut so is being given psyllium. Other than that Duncan is sound, and just needs weight. He was given his 5-way shot and West Nile vaccine. He is a happy horse and should make a full recovery. Big thanks to Iris for putting the word out about Duncan on the internet. Michele, his new owner, is excited to be taking on her first "rescued" horse and will be spending time with him here until she can get him moved to Poway. Way to go Michele! I can't wait for her to move Duncan to her barn in Poway and educate people on how wonderful "rescue" horses are!

Duncan's prayers of being saved were answered. I can't imagine what he has been through to be so starved. Obviously he ate up a bunch of dirt and sand while trying to get any food he could off the ground. Older horses reach a point at sometime in their life where they will not be able to chew or digest their hay properly due to teeth issues, so they will lose weight and need to be put on a senior grain diet such as Purina Equine Senior or what we like, Purina Ultium.

We recently received an online paypal donation of $25 from Louise Abitol, who lives in New York. Thank you Louise!

We also received a $75 donation from Norma Parker who lives in San Marcos. Norma donates to the rescued horses monthly. Bless your heart Norma!

Patrice Eifling also donates monthly, you are super Patrice!

Every dollar helps to take care of the horses and is greatly appreciated!

The picture above is of our very well bred quarterhorse rescue, Sky Skipper and his new sponsor, Kelly. Sky has a congenital swayback, lordosis, and was given to us seven years ago from his owners who lived up near Pismo Beach. They said Sky's back started dropping as he was growing as a yearling. Sky has charisma and all the mares love him. That's why he has his own pasture with a harem of three mares all to himself. Sky is up for adoption as a pasture puff. He is a wonderful pet.

Here is an article on swayback horses and lordosis, and remember, do not judge a horse by its cover.

" The Truth About Swayback and Lordosis
By Tami Rose Published 03/2/2008

The Truth About Swayback and Lordosis
As horse people, we’re familiar with the idea of a swaybacked horse. You know, the old school horse that’s retired out in the field, skinny and with a long, drooping back. Or the broodmare who looks like she carried one too many foals, her pendulous abdomen swaying as she walks, back dipping low below her withers.

As stark as the images are, swayback, or the medical term, lordosis, is not only an affliction of the older horse. Also contrary to popular belief, most horses with lordosis can continue to live productive, active lives- many continuing to be ridden and have normal life spans.

The most commonly seen type of swayback is that of older horses, often retired broodmares or horses ridden extensively for most of their lives. While these horses may have a downward deviation in the spine, their condition is not caused by a genetic defect or true spinal deviation. As a natural part of aging, the muscles in the body begin to weaken and waste away. It is the wasting of the muscles holding up the abdomen and supporting the topline that causes the horse’s midsection to sink, leading to the commonly seen swaybacked look.

It is estimated that less than 1% of the horse population is affected by true lordosis, a genetic disease causing spinal deviations and curvature. Studies have shown that lordosis is an inheritable defect, seen most commonly in the Saddlebred, but any breed can be affected.

In affected horses, an incomplete development of the upper thoracic vertebrae is the culprit of lordosis. As a result, overextension of the joints leads to a growth and conformation defect. Horses can have a 5” or greater drop in their spine below the withers, and often the most obviously affected horses developed the condition very early in life.

Affected horses are generally appear “normal” at birth, but the defect develops between 1 year and 18 months of age. Once the process of spinal realignment begins, it progresses quickly, with a massive curvature in the spine able to develop in a relatively short amount of time. In contrast, late-onset lordosis can occur later in life, but is less commonly appreciated, and harder to differentiate between a true spinal problem, and the aforementioned muscle-induced swayback of older horses.

Despite the often startling appearance of a lordosis affected horses, it is remarkable to find that the horses with this defect function almost completely normally, and can leave productive, useful lives. Similar conditions in humans and small animals are usually synonymous with neurological dysfunctions, such as a lack of coordination and paralysis. However in horses, lordosis does not appear to affect any part of a horse’s neurologic or physical well-being.

Studies have shown that the one difference between lordosis in horses and other species. In horses, despite the deformity in the spine, the vertebrae follow a smooth curved path, still in alignment despite their odd appearance. In contrast, “kinks” in the spine of other species causes pressure on the spinal cord, leading to an array of neurological complications.

Amazingly, aside from the extreme appearance, lordosis has no direct influence on horses health or soundness. Swaybacked broodmares are able to carry and deliver foals normally, though the genetic component of lordosis makes breeding such mares a potential concern. Amazingly, even severely affected horses can carry a rider and a saddle, and can be ridden and even shown competitively.

The most important issue in riding a horse with lordosis, or any type of back issue, is saddle fit. Careful attention to saddle fit is necessary to ensure that the swaybacked horse is provided with a comfortable and well-balanced saddle. In many cases, a custom-made saddle may be the only way to avoid pressure points and back soreness, helping the lordosis-affected horse to live a long and pain-free life. "

" We all are ACHIEVERS; we achieve according to our level of BELIEFS. We all are WINNERS; we win according to our level of PERSEVERANCE."
-Monica Paul

The Moon is really full tonight. The full Moon for August occurs on August 5th. It is known as the Full Sturgeon Moon. It is also known as the Grain or Green Corn Moon.

Love,
Nicki

Wed August 5th - The Rescue of Duncan the Quarab & the ASPCA Grant!

Today the starved Quarab gelding in the photos down below was rescued from his owners who no longer wanted him. They had gotten him free from someone and knew nothing about horses. They did not feed him right and when told he needed grain or senior feed to put on weight, felt he was too expensive and did not want to keep him. The neighbor sent out emails asking for help for him and we posted him on the blog.

A lovely woman by the name of Michele Dasch has decided to help this gelding, which she named Duncan. She has three horses of her own that she boards in Poway and seeing his picture she felt she had to help him. She contacted her boarding facility in Poway and said she wanted to bring in Duncan. When they found out he was a rescue, they required that he have proof of shots and had been quarentined. They would not allow her to bring him there immediately, which Duncan needed since he was starved. I wish the facility realized Duncan did not come from an auction nor was he rescued from a feedlot somewhere, where strangles is highly around...he came from someones home!

I was told of this situation and said Duncan needed to get out of his neglectful home right away and could come to FalconRidge until her facility will let him in. He will get a checkup by Dr. Moss right away, teeth floated and put on a Purina Ultium diet so he can gain weight quickly. So Michele and husband brought Duncan last night all the way from Potrero and he is tucked in a stall munching away on alfalfa and grain. He appears to be older and has a slight roachback, but he should start gaining weight soon.

And today? I found out FalconRidge Equine Rescue has received a $4,000 grant from the ASPCA from their Emergency Hay Fund!!

WooHOO!!!! Thank you so much ASPCA!

A spectacular day.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday Aug 4th - The Continuing Adventures of Sparkles the Mustang!

I recently got this update from Sparkles' adopter. Fantastic!

"The adventures continue with Sparkles.

Monday I decided to see how well she would load into my trailer. Took about a minute for her to load up the first time. I lead her in and out about 5 times with no problems. She did so well we decided to take her to Fiesta Island today. She loaded up right away and off we went. When we got there she unloaded and was calm as could be. She looked around at the surroundings and never balked or spooked.

My girls and I took turns riding her up and down the beach. She did great!! Bikes and cars flying by on one side, boats and jet skis on the other. None of it bothered her. I even loped her down the beach for a ways. She was enjoying herself so much that she past Flame who is usually “Mr. Speedy” when it comes to the beach. She was tied to the trailer for a few hours and just stood there like she had been doing it for year. I got her to walk a few steps into the water but that was about it. I didn’t want to force her in. She was interested in it but just wasn’t sure. She snorkeled a few times and then did the lip in the air thing. She was so cute. I think with a few more trips she will be in the water right along with Flame. I’ve attached a few pictures and there are more from our day on my facebook it you want to see.

Lynn"

Wow, Sparkles goes to the beach! Thank goodness for Lynn.

and to think she was in a kill dealers feedlot not to long ago!

Sparkles has the power to believe that you can do anything if you set your mind to it...

next year? its the Over-The-Line tournament! :-)

Hugs,
Nicki

Monday August 3rd - Live Today Like You Were Going to Die Tomorrow

I just found out another person I know has cancer. Which reminds me of many things. How precious each and every one of us is...and that our time on this earth is relatively short.

Dont put off tomorrow what you could do today, with your life, and with horses, especially if you have been wanting to get back into them again or have one again. I know many of you reading this are contemplating it and letting fear get in your way. Never make choices from fear. Make choices in your life from love.

Heres an article from joyfuliving.com:

If tomorrow never comes, will the people you love know how much you love them? If tomorrow never comes, will you have done what you really wanted to do in your lifetime? If tomorrow never comes, would you live today differently?
One day, tomorrow will not come. We all know that. We just assume that today will not be the day that this truth comes true. What would you do today if you knew it were your last? Maybe you have not thought about it very much.

1. Write letters to your loved ones or tell them you love them.

Tell them what you love about them. Tell them the specific shared moments you remember. Tell them how much you appreciate the little things they do that you usually don’t bother to thank them for. Tell them whatever is in your heart.
When you’re gone, your loved ones are left with only memories, and maybe photographs. But if they have a letter or note in your handwriting, they will have part of you to keep forever. Write a letter today. Start with the person you love most. When you next remember, write to the next person. And so on. Give it to them at once, or seal it so they will get it when you’re gone.

2. Forgive the unforgiven

You may be a rare saint who is at peace with everyone in your life. Most people are not and usually there is a person or a few that you refuse to see or speak to, even though you know that you care about them. Make a decision to forgive them, whether you tell them or not. Just throw out the negative thoughts you keep having about them, and replace them with thoughts like “He was trying his best” or “She is just showing love in her own way”.

You don’t have to set off fireworks to announce your magnanimous action. Just smile the next time you see the person. Or send them a birthday or Christmas card. Or include them in the next gathering that you’ve been excluding them from. It doesn’t really matter what the gesture is. They’ll understand. And whether or not they respond graciously, you will be at peace. Their response is their responsibility, not yours. Maybe they have issues with forgiveness too. You can show the way.

3. Spend time with those you love

No matter how busy you are, you can spend five minutes with someone in your family either in person or on the phone. And that doesn’t mean watching TV together. Ask them about their day and really listen. Offer to do something for them and ask them to name the task. Or just sit and look at them and if they ask why just say you love looking at them. Essentially this time lets them know how much they mean to you.
You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about people you think you know well when you really stop and pay attention. Try to notice something about them that you never noticed before. We all want somebody to witness our lives. You can be that witness for somebody today. And that person will feel less lonely because for five minutes, they really mattered to you.

4. Take a step towards your dreams

If you always wanted to write a book, then write just one page. If you want to pursue further education, fill out an application form. If you want to have your own business, sketch a rough business plan. If you want to marry, join a dating agency or website. If you want to be lean and fit, go for a jog. If you want to grow a garden, buy one plant. Just do something.
You see, chances are that tomorrrow will come for you. Just one more time. And maybe a few more times after that.

So if you do a little bit everyday, those small steps will add up to a continuous and fruitful journey. And day by day, year by year, your dreams will start coming true. And you will love your life.

And if tomorrow does not come? Then you would have done what really mattered today. You would have lived a day worth living. That’s the only way I want to live. And I hope you will too.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday August 2 - Volunteer Horsemanship Class Day

Today 8 of our wonderful volunteers each was assigned a horse and went to the arena for a monthly horsemanship training class with David. This class is mandatory for volunteers and teaches them the basics of horse handling, ground manners and beginning training and is a whole heck of alot of fun.

Today each person and their rescued horse had to walk over a bridge, then walk over to the small square of poles and pivot the horse on the forehand, then on the haunches while remaining in the square. Then they had to send the horse thru a narrow opening between two barrels, and then over the teeter totter. Afterwards, they all had to ask their horse to step up on a platform with their front feet.

Many people thought they could not have their horse perform such feats...and all of them found out they could! The horses will do what you expect them to do. Expect them to fail or act up and they will. Expect them to succeed...and they will. :-) It was a fantastic class full of fun and cheers and we were in awe of Kingston, his first time in the arena and he did all the obstacles. And to think just a few months ago he had never been haltered or handled by humans.

I have received a request for help today for a Quarter horse/Arab (Quarab) gelding. Heres the email:

"Hi,my neighbors who know nothing about horses recently accepted a "FREE" horse from someone who claimed it was a 17 year old Arab/Quarter horse cross that was perfectly rideable.When it arrived it was skin and bones and it appears to have bad teeth. I wormed it for them and talked them into buying some senior feed for it for a while, and it put on a little weight, but they have since decided it is too expensive to keep feeding it and it is still skin and bones.I talked to them yesterday about it and they want to get rid of it, but of course no one wants to take on a horse like this. I would take it, but have 5 horses already and am maxed out on what I can afford to care for.I can't stand to see the poor thing starving and covered with flies every day though.If there is any way you could accept this horse or might know of someone who could provide it a little feed and love I would really appreciate it. Here are a couple pictures that I took this morning."

I would like to help this horse if there is someone out there willing to help me help him. If someone would be interested in helping getting his teeth floated ($220) and help with his feed at $100 a month, Im sure it would not take long for him to get his weight up...David to evaluate him...and for him to find a home. So if you are willing to help this poor guy, please contact me at nickbranch@aol.com right away so I can tell the neighbor trying to help him that we can help.

I will post his picture and please take a look at his eyes....

they say everything.

"The way to get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning" - Mitch Albom

the moon is out...
Love,
Nicki

Saturday August 1st - The Birthday Day

Today is a very special day. It is Zoey Zeller's birthday. Zoey is one of our volunteers here at FalconRidge and a remarkable young lady who just turned 11. She is also the adopter of our deaf paint rescued horse Wizard, and also the big chestnut thoroughbred Lucky, and most recently Little Owl the yearling filly saved from Colorado. We had the volunteer appreciation barbeque and pool party and Zoey came and brought a neighbor friend and they played in the pool. I did not realize it was Zoey's birthday until after she was here, so hmmm, I will have to think of a special birthday gift for Zoey...
Happy Birthday Zoey!!!

Strangely enough, today is also the Birthday of Horses. Yep, Zoey was born on the same day of all the thoroughbred racehorses in the southern hemisphere, August 1st. All thoroughbreds have the same birthday so that their ages can be standardized for comparison because of the historical lack of records of actual birth days. Their birthdays are January 1st in the northern hemisphere and August 1st in the southern hemisphere. After the first time a horse is alive on August 1st it is considered a yearling. The next August 1st is it's 2nd birthday and it is considered 2 years old, even though it could conceivably be one year one day old.

Here is a special video for Zoey on her birthday:

Girls And Horses, It's Who We Are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaXhh0XRVr8&feature=fvw

Love,
Nicki

Friday July 31 - Tango's First Saddling

Today we had some of our wonderful volunteers out, Peg, Shirley, Meredith and Kelly. Sonny got turned out in the roundpen with Salsa and Valor. He is moving around better and appears to be in good spirits. Valor got groomed and a bath and then turned out with Cimmaron. She will be exposed to a variety of horses since she has some nervousness. Running with a herd will be good for her.

Taffy got to experience little Zeus the mini horse being turned out in her roundpen, along with Buddy the mini. She then was turned out with the mares in the arena and allowed to play.

Meredith did a training session with Tango and David, and since Tango now works well in hand, and is calmly accepting of the flag, he was saddled up for the first time today. He took the saddle extremely well at first, and then bucked a few times in the roundpen. He is well on his way to being trained. He was pretty spooky when he arrived and its nice to see him fairly calm now.

Toby is also Mr. Calm now that he has been gelded and is stalled next to several horses so he can socialize. It is nice to see the difference in the horses just after a couple of months. The volunteers get to see the transformations and how far the horses come in learning to relax. Peg got Amber out and worked with her in the roundpen and also helped Kelly with horses. River also is now being worked and trained since her baby Blitzen was weaned off of her. David worked her in the roundpen. It was a super training day today and I enjoyed getting to see the horses and how much they have improved this week.

The woman who had her horse stolen that I posted on here just informed me she has found and recovered him! She thanked me for my help. Excellent news. Reminder: If you lease a horse to someone, please have a good written agreement in hand and keep an eye on the horse. Wonderful that she got him back.

This we know: All things are connected
like the blood that unites us.
We did not weave the web of life,
We are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
-Chief Seattle

Ask not what your horse can do for you...ask what you can do for your horse. - Nicki

Tomorrow is a new day. Amber, Pow Wow, Rainbow and Cimarron are waiting for their new families to come find them...wherever they are out there.

Love and Light,

Nicki

Wed July 29th - Equine Help Grand Central

Well this week has started out with a bang with several horses needing homes and requests from people to donate them to FalconRidge.

A 14 yr old little bay arab gelding...

a 20 year old thoroughbred mare.....

a 23 year old Trakhener mare.....

two mustang geldings with an interesting side job....

to name a few. The wave is high right now...its a busy week...and we had just taken in the lovely Taffy and Valor. Luckily they should be fine after a little rehabilitation. So please right now consider adopting one of our adoptable horses so that we can make room for some of these needing homes. Our horses are funny and they can make you laugh.

Rumor has it Dr. Don Moore will be back here tomorrow...and Dr. Jeff Moss was here today, floating teeth and checking an eye. Several volunteers were here yesterday helping with all the horses.

Laura Zeller has been tending carefully to Sonny and he is now walking better. Hooray for Sonny. He also likes to hang out where the volunteers sit in the shade and talk with them. He is a character and so people oriented.

and here is something I found in the internet...wonderful books.

Hope Rising & Bridge Called Hope
Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams

"Follow a horse where no one else can tread, through the minefield of pain that surrounds a broken child's soul. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love revives their barren places. In the presence of unconditional love , a mute girl speaks for the first time. A defiant teenager teaches a horse to trust again...and opens his own heart to love. A rescued horse gives a dying man his last wish. A battered girl finds love and protection in the friendship of a battered horse... Come visit a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality-a place where hope rises."

Authored by Kim Meeder, founder of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch

So very touching how horses can transform lives.

Are you ready to transform yours? There is no time like the now.

Be your magnificent self.

Love,
Nicki

Monday July 27th - Equine Chiropractic Day!

Today Dr. Don Moore, equine chiropractor came and adjusted Taffy, Valor, Pow Wow, Montana, and Sonny. It's a good thing he saw these horses, here is what he found:

Valor was out in her neck, right c6/c7, both front knees, right shoulder, right hock, left stifle and her lumbar spine.

Tafy...He just saw 3 weeks ago and said her back had been sore from poor saddle fit most likely. Her poll was out, right hock was tight. She was very friendly. He did not charge for Taffy.

Montana Biscuit...Neck stiff, out at knees, front fetlocks, right hind fetlock, right pelvis.

Pow Wow...Neck very stiffm, both front fetlocks, right knee, He was great, relaxed and seemed to like it!

Sonny...right side of neck, right poll, c0/c1 c1.

Thank you Dr. Don!

I was also called late at night from a tearful woman about her stolen horse. He was leased and the person then sold him. Here is description, pic to come later.

"He is a black gelding, goes by Tyger, registered paint name, Flash On Over, breeding stock- no color, looks more like a small thoroughbred, 9 years old, about 15.3 hands, white stripe down face, 3 short white socks-ankles, both front legs have slight bows, no known lameness, shown english & western, was reining trained but goes & looks best hunt seat & dressage, pretty mover at extended trot, he absolutely loves people, demands attention! He also makes a lot of scary dragon snorts when arriving at a new barn or show, but he never does anything bad, just makes noise. It is possible his coat has faded, or has a reddish brown tinge, if he has been kept outside. Might have been called Jimmy Joe by last person trying to sell him on craigslist."

If this horse sounds familiar please contact me at nickbranch@aol.com, 760-519-2190.

Stolen horses can be reported to netposse.com.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday July 26 - Blitzen's First Training Session

Today it was cooler outside and nice. Tango got out and ran around in the arena with his pals Cloud, Denny and Pow Wow. Tango is very tall and handsome.

Mystery the grey gelding is coming along well in his training with apprentice trainer Meredith who is working him under Davids instruction. He was saddled up in the roundpen today and did super.

Blitzen got her first halter training session at 7 months of age. She was recently weaned from her mom, River. We like to leave the babies alone for at least six months and let them grow up and enjoy just being with mom, other than petting and being loved on by numerous volunteers. Today she did great with her first haltering session.

Taffy was evaluated for a sore back and sure enough she had one. To check a horse for a sore back you just run your thumb along either side of their spine an if sore, the horse will visibly wince and their back will drop down from the pressure.

Dr. Don Moore the chiropractor will be coming on Monday to adjust Taffy, Valor, Pow Wow and Montana. We love Dr. Don for coming out with such short notice! If you want your horse to get an adjustment and get out of any sort of discomfort or pain, give Dr. Don a call. He is super nice and personable and can work wonders for your horse. He is out of Orange County but comes down to San Diego I believe once a week now. His number is (949) 295-4263 and if you call, tell him we sent you.

River was also evaluated today to see if shes ever been saddled before and she has, so now she can start getting conditioned and back into shape after having baby Blitzen.

The Homes for Horses conference presentations are now online. I spoke at their annual conference in Las Vegas on Retraining the Rescue Horse for Successful Adoption.
http://www.homesforhorses.org/conference-presentations.php

Here are some interesting horse facts:

There are about 75 million horses in the world.

Horses' hooves grow approximately 0.25 in a month, and take nearly a year to grow from the coronet band to the ground.

In the state of Arizona, it is illegal for cowboys to walk through a hotel lobby wearing their spurs

Cross-country jumps are marked with a red flag on the right side and a white flag on the left side; the horse has to jump through these two flags or it is considered out of bounds and you are disqualified.

A healthy adult horse should have a pulse of between 36 and 40 beats per minute while at rest

Arabians have one less rib, one less lumbar bone, and one or
two fewer tail vertebrae than other horses.

Mr. Ed, the talking equine star of the 1960s television series, was a golden palomino. He learned an enormous amount of tricks for his role, including answering a telephone, opening doors, writing notes with a pencil, and unplugging a light. Apparently, Mr. Ed would occasionally have a fit of temper, as befitting his star status, and would stand stock still, wheezing and refusing to move.

7.1 million Americans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. 3.6 million and 4.3 million of those participated in showing and recreation, respectively, with some overlap in cases of people who participate in both activities. 941,000 people participated in racing in either a professional or volunteer capacity. 1.9 million people own horses. In addition to the people actually involved in the industry, tens of millions more Americans participate as spectators.

The horse industry directly produces goods and services of $25.3 billion and has a total impact of $112.1 billion on U.S. gross domestic product. Racing, showing and recreation each contribute more than 25% to the total value of goods and services produced by the industry.
The industry's contribution to the U.S. GDP is greater than the motion picture services, railroad transportation, furniture and fixtures manufacturing and tobacco product manufacturing industries. It is only slightly smaller than the apparel and other textile products manufacturing industry. .
“If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse” - Anon

“The horse is God's gift to man”. - Old Arab Proverb

“Show me your horse, and I will tell you who you are”. - Old
English saying

"The one great precept and practice in using a horse is this, never deal with him when you are in a fit of passion." Xenophon, The Art Of Horsemanship, 400 BC

Adult respiratory rate is 8-16 breaths per minute

A horse typically sleeps two and half to three hours a day

Horses younger than 4 years can concentrate for a maximum of 10-15 minutes

Horses lie down only about 43.5 minutes a day

Horses sleep longer in the summer than in the winter

A horse’s heart weighs nine pounds

The horse is a herbivorous mammal

All horses (including zebras) belong to the genus equus
Horses began to evolve on the American continent over 60 million years ago, they later died out and were reintroduced by Spanish settlers

A zedonk is the offspring of a zebra and a donkey

No two horses are identical

The left side of a horse is called the “near side” and the right side is the “off side”

A horse has approximately 205 bones

A horse is described as a ‘foal’ for its first year of life
Foals have milk teeth, which are replaced by permanent teeth around 3-5 years old

A horse’s teeth can be used to estimate its age

Horses generally dislike the smell of pigs

A female horse is called a ‘filly’

Horses are traditionally measured in ‘hands’, this was originally the width of a man’s hand and has been set at 4 inches.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

Happy New Week,

Make it a good one!

Love,
Nicki

Saturday July 25 - Lady Valor & Taffy Arrive to FalconRidge

This morning Brian Zeller volunteered to drive up north with his trailer to pick up the two newest rescues, Lady Valor the Morgan mare from Norco and Taffy the palomino mare from Perris. Thank you Brian! We picked both mares up with no incident and got them back safely to FalconRidge at 2pm. They were unloaded and placed together in the upper roundpen to relax and get a drink of water. They both seem like very sweet mares and friendly. The chiropractor Dr. Don Moore will be working on them soon, as well as Sonny.

Brian then showed Jody to someone looking to adopt, and did a third ride on her that went extremely well. Jody got adopted today. Congrats to Jody!

A stray older male dog has showed up at the ranch and been hanging around ever since we put Pistol down. We should name him Bullet.

Toby is getting his socialization and introduction to being with other horses. We turned him out in the rounpen with Shane and watched them as they had both been stallions and not used to playing with other horses.

Every day is an opportunity. Every day is full of possibilities...for each and every one of us. You never know what can happen as long as you focus on helping others.
Magic happens.

Just ask Valor, and Taffy, and Jody ....

Love,
Nicki

Friday July 24 - Healing Horses & The Palomino Mare That Rears

Well today I found out we will not be rescuing the starved horses in Poway. Animal Control officials are letting the owner try and care for them herself.

Sonny is walking better today with his new shoes on and Spirit went home to her adopters home today. We wish her luck with her new family!

Sonny is on Timothy pellets and Purina Ultium, along with some Timothy hay. If anyone would like to contribute to help Sonny, we get our grain from Hawthorne's Country Store in Escondido. Stop in and say howdy from FalconRidge Equine Rescue! They are cool.

Here is an article about how horses heal humans:

Horses riding to the rescue
The therapeutic power of the much-loved animal is helping to heal troubled children

Retired Racehorses at Greatwood, the foundation which uses thoroughbred former racers to help special needs children and loans horses to schools like Millfield who have programmes designed to aid local schools.

Three years ago, Michael Yeadon and his wife Helen watched as something extraordinary happened at their Devon farmhouse, Greatwood, the base for a charity they had set up to rescue injured or retired racehorses, dumped by their owners in greater numbers as the recession began to bite.
“We found some in yards, or in the middle of city streets, or wandering around by the side of roads,” says Yeadon. The couple, both horse-lovers, had their work cut out.

Then, one day, they received an unexpected request for help.
“We were introduced to Sophie, 14, a girl with special needs, who was so withdrawn that she had stopped speaking,” says Michael Yeadon. “We decided to show her a racehorse we had rescued.”

Over the next few weeks, as the mute girl and the abandoned horse got to know one another, the Yeadons “witnessed the most extraordinary transformation”.
“Her confidence built up and soon she was chattering gaily,” says Yeadon. “The horse, meanwhile, would whicker at the sound of her voice.”

While he doesn’t want to reveal too much about Sophie’s story — she will feature in a book about Greatwood to be published this year — the success of the experiment made the couple realise that other autistic and emotionally disturbed children might also be helped by being allowed to groom, stroke, feed and muck out their collection of stray beasts.

“We saw a change in both horse and child,” says Yeadon. “At the time we were more interested in the rescued horse, which had been much more relaxed around Sophie than around any adult, but then we realised they had helped each other and that other children could benefit, too.”

The Yeadons decided to expand and hired Laura Jones, a teacher, to develop a programme for disabled and unhappy children. They set up a classroom and have welcomed about 800 pupils from specialist schools to the charity’s centre, now based in Wiltshire. The children got to know 10 racehorses, chosen for their placid natures. The horses, “some of which have suffered at the hands of humans”, have thrived in the children’s company.

“We had one little boy who smiled for the first time after a week with the horses,” says Helen Yeadon. Letters and e-mails from teachers attest to other triumphs. After regular Friday visits, Hermione, 8, who was unhappy at school and struggled with dyslexia, made her first attempt at independent writing, according to Celia Hicks, Hermione’s head teacher at Ogbourne St George & St Andrew primary school in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Her mother Tina confirms the effect. “It just lifted her: she became her old self, chatty and happy,” she says.

According to Jones, “very few children fail to benefit”. The former special needs teacher reels off a list of anecdotes, such as one involving a boy of 14 with Asperger’s syndrome who used to speak only when he was with the horses. “He had great empathy with the animals and was so calm around them,” says Jones. Gradually the teenager gained the confidence to ask questions about the animals, “or he’d comment on them, how smooth they are and how soft”, she says.

“Some of the children have been in care and they seem to relate to the horses’ experience of being abandoned,” Jones says. “We had one teenage girl whose foster placement had broken down and she was able to visit a racehorse, give it a cuddle and say ‘I know how it feels’.
“They want to see the same horse every time, too. They’ll say, ‘I want to groom Just Jim or Double Rainbow’.

A similar experiment is under way in Somerset, at Millfield, one of Britain’s most expensive private schools. Last term a small group of special needs children spent one day a week for six weeks working at Millfield’s stables with some of the private school’s sixth formers. They worked with Millfield’s own horses and with racehorses given by Greatwood.

The 11 and 12-year-old boys who visited came from Marchant-Holliday, a nearby boarding school that has 30 boys with learning and behavioural problems. Some have been expelled from primary schools. The Millfield sixth formers, by contrast, are generally from wealthy families enjoying a £26,000-a-year education at Britain’s best sporting private school. The scheme has advantages for both sides.
According to John Collins, Marchant-Holliday’s head teacher, his boys made huge strides after the course: “Sam, for instance, who worked with a racehorse called Polar Rambler, was very happy. He has autistic spectrum disorder which makes him quite egocentric, but at Millfield he really focused on the horses and what they needed. As they polish and stroke, feed and muck out the huge horses, the boys learn to control their own emotions. We definitely want to do it again. The boys are very keen.”

Danny Anholt, the director of riding at Millfield, says the scheme can be used to demonstrate that the school is giving something back to the community. Because the Charity Commission is investigating schools to ensure they are doing enough to justify their charitable status — and associated tax breaks — “that’s a mission that has become more important then ever”, says Anholt.

It is not just a self-seeking mission. Millfield’s pupils have learnt, too. “I had a letter from a sixth former the other day,” says Anholt, “thanking the school for everything it had done and mentioning that the thing she had gained most from was the Greatwood project, being able to help those little boys. I thought that was interesting.”

While Millfield is planning to invite four local schools to follow in Marchant-Holliday’s footsteps next term, the Yeadons are planning to take the scheme nationwide. I ask Jones how the horses work their magic on the children, as she prepares to take another group of chattering youngsters to the stables. An ongoing research project by academics at Southampton University is expected to show that they benefit from being around the horses but will not explain why.

Jones has her own theory. “You know where you are with a horse,” she says. “If you show affection to it you can expect it to react in a certain way. Some of these children have found adults unpredictable. But then some of the horses have found people unpredictable, too.”

So true!!!!

We recently had Opening Day at the Del Mar Racetrack this week. In the third race, Mi Rey, a gelding, had a compound fracture of his leg and went down, injuring his jockey. Mi Rey had to be put down. He died because he was raced...He was used like a machine for one thing and one thing only...for humans to make money off of him.

One day people will realize that horse racing injures horses constantly. Every single day three horses die at a racetrack racing in this country. 3 a day, dead. They have no choice in the matter either. They are just babies. They are still growing.

Even at the age of 16, when my mom took me to the races in 1974 at Santa Anita, I got chills watching the horses pass the finish line. But right afterwards my internal voice spoke to me and said after watching the horses breathing hard and pounding down the stretch...the voice said "they are too young." I knew nothing about racing at the time, but as a kid could see that the colts and fillies they race were way way too young. It was too hard on them. I never went to a race at a racetrack again. I boycotted the sport at 16.

Rest in peace Mi Rey.

You did not deserve to die.

On a good note, Lady Valor, the morgan mare will be arriving to FalconRidge soon. She will need the equine chiropractor asap. We are looking forward to helping her.

We will also be getting in a 6 yr old palomino mare with a rearing problem. It is so severe she is dangerous. I was told she had been ridden by a charro who would flip her over on purpose. She most likely is in alot of pain. We have rehabilitated rearers before, and they always had severe muscle damage on their backs from landing on the saddle after flipping. This mare has a sweet personality and loves people.

She will be loved here.

"The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers." - Deepak Chopra

Happy Friday,
Nicki

Thursday July 23 - The Misadventures of Lady Valor

"Valor is a 15 year old Morgan mare currently in Norco. Valor was bred in Colorado and supposedly registered as Lady Valor although no one has been able to confirm her registration. She has had several foals in the past and at least 3 owners other than the breeder.

At some point after she left the breeder Valor was handled very severely, resulting in scars on her nose and in her mouth, and anxious demeanor that was misunderstood as bossy and agressive by her next owner. That person was completely new to horses and would have ruined any horse they got their hands on. Valor didn't trust them and was standoffish but they thought hard to catch so they left her haltered long enough to leave a permanent crease in the nasal bones. They didn't know what to feed a horse so all Valor ate with them was sweet feed...literally. They didn't know she had to eat hay.

Nicole, her most recent owner rescued her at least 2 years ago and had done her best to rehabilitate her. Once she gained her trust and change her diet she used Valor under harness, in the show ring doing basic dressage, as a pack horse on trail and camping rides and at Renassaince fairs. I don't think she every fully recovered from her previous mistreatment but Nicole was very well meaning and never intentionally did anything to harm Valor.

Last April, Nicoles husband shot himself in the head in front of Nicole and died. In addition to that trauma, it was his income that supported them all. She leased Valor to a Hispanic man while she was trying to find buyers for 4 of their 6 horses to help with the expenses, but after 3 weeks she caught him penning Valor into a corner and calling her a puta. She kicked him off the property at that point.

I bought Valors saddle, mostly because it fit her very poorly and I didn't want someone clueless to but her and ride her in it, and I went back a week later to give her money to buy feed for the month, but no one right approached her about Valor. She begged me to come get the horse so she wouldn't have to walk her down to the charro auction at the public arena that weekend and I just couldn't stand to let that happen to her so I paid someone to pick her up.

She's only been with me for 2 weeks and she's already improving. She's had about a dozen sessions of bodywork and the visibly misaligned vertebra in her lumbar area and the sacrum have reduced by at least 50 percent in size. Unfortunately her stance behind is still abnormally toed in and her stride is extremely stiff behind. When she came in she only had about 40 percent of the normal range of motion in her left hind. She is starting to trust me a little and to understand that she can expect positive and pleasant experience outside her stall.

Valor has gone camping and been to the Renaissance Faire regularly and good around traffic. Valor needs LOVE. Her owner called me this morning because her neighbors have been coming to her with details about the way her rider was treating her. Apparently he was riding her hobbled and was roping her hind leg while under saddle so he could pull it out from under her if she didn't gait properly. This caused Valor to fall bearing the weight of rider and tack, and he made her get back up with him still mounted. He also beat her with the hose when she got scared in the wash rack. Its amazing he didn't beak her leg or hip along with her spirit."

Ok. I think Valor has been thru enough mismanagement. Don't you? I said she could come here. Now I need someone who is interested in adopting a very nice Morgan mare who has been to renaissance faires wearing frilly knightly regalia and all, as well as safe on trail, camping and near traffic in Norco! After we get her seen by the chiropractor and evaluated first of course. We are full, but Valor's story is heartbreaking.

and more horses in need.... when it rains it pours.

Popcorn and Ryder got adopted yesterday so they must be making room for these horses in need. And Spirit will be going home tomorrow with her new adopter.

Here's another email from today:

Hi there,
I am helping a friend rehome her horse. He is a 22 year old Standard Bred who used to race on the track! Now he is a fabulous bombproof trail horse with a great personality. He is big so can carry any size rider. He is barefoot and ridden with a bitless bridle with no problem. I have ridden him many times and he is very reliable. His only drawback is that he does not know how to canter very well (they made him pace for years!), although he is getting better and better with it. My friend has an autoimmune disease and she can only ride the smoothest of horses which he is not. Do you have any suggestions on who might take him? Would you be able to take him? Thanks for your help,
Jennifer 760-427-1507

Please call Jennifer if you are interested in what sounds like a wonderful bombproof trail horse. Open your heart to him. And please realize Standardbreds are not used to cantering, they have been bred to pace!

And an emergency....I came home to a message on the recorder about two emaciated horses in Poway. The owner had left these horses in someone's care for 6 mos and did not check on them. When she saw them, animal control officials were there as they are now emaciated. She called someone to put them at her barn and then left them there. They also have sores all over their body and need care asap. We will see what we can do.

Sonny might have company in the IC ward...

to be continued.

Also, I never ask for things, but we are looking for a used truck for feeding. Our John Deere broke down, and since all funds are being spent on the hay bill and vet bills, we have been feeding 60 plus horses on the property by wheelbarrow twice a day and its very strenuous. So if you have or know of someone who has a decent running truck to donate to the rescue, please email me at nickbranch@aol.com.

Love,
Nicki

Wed July 22 - Sonny Sees the Vet

Today Dr. Jeff Moss saw and examined Sonny. He xrayed his front hooves and found he had some slight rotation in the right front, and a little bit of growth or arthritis on both. He is keeping him on the blood flow medication and said to feed him timothy pellets and some Ultium. He also suggested putting on shoes and wedge pads for now. Here is a link to an article on Laminitis http://www.farriervet.com/laminitis.html

He debrided his summer sore, habronemiasis, http://www.azequine.com/summersores.pdfon his mouth and picked out the sulfur granules that are formed in it and cause itching in the horse. We have a topical creme to put on it made out of Nolvasan, Liquid Ivermectin, and DMSO.

Sonny had his teeth floated and Dr. Moss said the insides of his lower teeth were the worst he had ever seen, the longest sharpest points ever. After having them his teeth smoothed down, Sonny should be able to chew his feed properly now and gain some weight. Horses need to have their teeth checked yearly for sharp points and possible floating by a vet. Here is a link with information on floating: http://www.kbrhorse.net/hea/float.html

Sonny should be feeling better soon and eating and digesting his food easier too. We thank Dr. Jeff Moss for his services. If you are ever wanting a vet who you can reach quickly and who calls you back right away, and is friendly along with professional, call Dr. Moss at Creekside Veterinary. If you mention FalconRidge referred you we will get $25 off of our vet bill...which always has a balance. I also want to thank Laura Zeller for helping David assist with Sonny and stopping by to make sure hes got pellets and his medication.

I also would like to thank those wonderful people who sponsor horses here at FalconRidge. Sponsorship is a way to personally help a rescued horse here and provide feed and/or medical care directly for it. Sponsorship is $100 per month for regular and $200 per month with intent to adopt the horse.

Debbie sponsors Baron
Meredith sponsors Mystery
Karin sponsors Magic
Meredith sponsors Toby
Christe sponsors Kingston
Ranae sponsors Tiger

Your help is appreciated!

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday July 21 - The Adventures of Sonny the Quarterhorse

Sonny arrived on Sunday. I agreed to take him due to his current situation, he was neglected then going to be put down in a couple of days....and the fact that my father's nickname was Sonny.

It was painful to watch him unload off the trailer. Thin, sad, worn, tired, in pain, long coat and hungry.

Sonny is supposedly 19 yrs old and a quarterhorse gelding. He has done rodeo in the past, and was recently neglected by his caretakers. Sonny stands in the typical founder stance from his front hooves being in pain, stretched out, trying to get weight off of them. We gave him Buteless to help with the pain, some bermuda hay which he munched down, brushed and groomed and he got a bath.

Sonny is so stoic. You can see it in his face. I wish I knew who he was, where he came from, what his life was like before he came to FalconRidge in this condition, this neglectful state where it is obvious he was used and used hard. Ribs showing and he has a wound on his withers from a saddle sitting on it. Absolutley disgusting that someone would be riding this horse with laminitis, in pain... and this thin. How can people not see that Sonny should NOT be ridden? That he needs vet care and food and time to get better?

Why must some people always think horses are just for riding and they need to be used in that way only? What is our desire to constantly be on their backs no matter what their condition? Always using horses for some sort of work or service.

We race horses, jump them, foxhunt, work cattle, they pull carts, steeplechase, do endurance riding on them, we use them for pack animals, for travel, polo, hauling loads, showing, and more. Is it the way we learned about them as kids or what? Perhaps we never knew anyone who did not ride their horses and just loved them as pets. Whatever the reason, it needs to be shifted. Sonny has suffered, and at a time in his life when he should be lovingly retired and NOT ridden, he has been used hard and then just going to be put down. What a shame.

Tomorrow Sonny will be seen by Dr. Jeff Moss. He will have his hooves xrayed, his teeth floated, a full physical. Hes been on bloodflow meds starting today for the laminitis. He will need lots of daily care in order for him to get out of pain. If you can help in any way with Sonny's vet bills and care, it would be greatly appreciated.

We love Sonny already. He is a big red handsome horse. He is nickering to people when he sees hay. Sonny has hope. I can see it in his eyes. They were depressed and weary when he arrived (you can see it in the pics) but the next day and today he looks brighter.

We think its because Sonny knows he is in a place were people value him regardless of his age or condition. We believe Sonny he is a champion...and not something to be used up by the young age of 19. He will have a future if we can help it. I will keep you posted on Sonnys condition.

Horses have always been used by humans in the past, like no other animal I think. We dont use dogs or cats as much and as hard or with the huge variety of ways we have used horses throughout civilization. Here is an article on how important horses have helped us. I think its time we return the favor and help them, don't you?

Help Sonny.
Love,
Nicki

"Dogs and horses are man's two best friends. But while the dog was the first animal domesticated by early humans, the horse was the last. This was because the horse's virtues – speed, power and stamina – made him a tough animal to get close to.However, once domesticated, the horse has had a decisive influence on the history of humankind.

Early humans and horses first met some 50,000 years ago, but at the time they were used as a source of food. Archeological evidence shows that Cro-Magnons learned to herd the horses into a natural cul-de-sac to make them easier to hunt.By 9000 BC, the practice of animal husbandry had begun in parts of present-day Iraq. Cattle were kept as livestock because they were more tractable and easier to handle, providing labor, skins and food. Horses do not appear to have been domesticated until 5,000 or 6,000 years ago. This was a process that began at different stages all over the world.

However, no one knows exactly when the first person decided that riding a horse was better than walking. According to the informative Encyclopedia of the Horse (by Elwyn Hartley Edwards: DK Publishing: 1994), horse riding may have begun by chance when someone climbed on top of an older, calm mare. However it began, the advantages of riding soon became obvious. Relatively long distances became more manageable, herding livestock and warding off predators became more efficient, etc. It didn't take long for these early riders to begin to develop the principles of horsemanship.

It also didn't take long before horses were pressed for service in war. China saw the first domestication of the horse around 2300 BC during the period of the Lungshan. War chariots drawn by horses were introduced to China in the midst of the Shang Dynasty, around 1450 BC. In the Near East, roughly around 1500 BC, all metal bits were first utilized. Light chariots were being increasingly employed for warfare purposes, which called for stronger more durable control system for the assembly of horses.

Roughly around 1340 BC, a man named Kikkuli began a horse-training establishment. Kikkuli was the horse manager for the Hittite king Suppililuma. As a result of his methods, the Hittites developed into an impressive authority, in turn strengthening the bond between man and his horse. Xenophon, a Greek who lived from 430 BC to 335 BC wrote the earliest recorded guidebook on the riding horse. "The Art Of Horsemanship" began a long and magnificent relationship between man and horse. The Roman army was primarily a cavalry-operated power. Used in conjunction with foot soldiers, cavalry tactics would persist for thousands of years, until the mechanization of war made the horse all but obsolete.

The Middle Ages began with the collapse of the Roman Empire and lasted over 700 years. The horse became the primary vehicle for warfare and hunting, as this was a time of religious wars and barbarian assault. Travel at this time was dangerous as roads were in disrepair and relations between kingdoms were strained. During this time, horses were bred to meet the necessities of the Mounted Knight.

The great war-horses, called destriers, were developed during this time. Over the next several hundred years, horses were bred and used for these purposes. In the early 1700s, Rhode Island served as America's primary horse breeding region. Before roads were built to join the towns in America, horses served as the primary mode of transportation.

Horses were an important part of the migration west, pulling man and his supplies across the large expanse of land. In the 1800s, the horse was the vital ingredient in urban life. He pulled cabs and carriages allowing man to travel quickly around town. Today, horses are used for many purposes. Mostly used for pleasure, there are still some areas of the world that employ horses for work. The horse has seen man through many changes along the way, and has remained a loyal worker and companion."

Saturday July 18 - Montana's First Ride

Today we had several wonderful volunteers out to FalconRidge, even in the warm weather. Rachel came out and helped with stalls, along with Jane. Christe and Mary worked with Casper, Cimarron, Kingston and more. Laura Zeller worked with Popcorn and others. I forget because we have so many. But that is the neat thing about this ranch, you can come and work or groom different horses and there are several to pick from! (Note, we are trying to remedy that!) but in the meantime, people are like kids in a candy store with the ability to pick and choose all different types, sizes, breeds and ages of horses to groom or work with. Debra and McKenna also came and helped with turning out Buddy and Zeus the mini. Margo of Equine Justice stopped by and everyone had wonderful conversations under the tree and in the mist of horses being bathed.

Brian Zeller did a first ride on Montana Bisquit! He did an excellent job with her and was able to get her walking off calming with no fireworks. David told him he did reeeal good, a huge compliment! Brian has taken Montana from being a nervous mare who didn't want to be handled or haltered and worked with her for several months. All that patient work paid off. She trusts him and is moving forward in her training. Brian is making a difference for Montana. Thats what volunteers here get to do, help us help the horses become adoptable and move forward in their training and their search for that perfect family for them. :-)

Loving homes for life, that's what the horses are waiting for.

"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love,
Nicki

Updates on some of the adopted horses from FalconRidge

From VooDoo's Mom:

"Hey there David & Nicki,

All good here with Voodoo! This month so far, we have had about 10 wonderfully perfect trail rides. Though he prefers to lead a group, he is learning to follow slow pokey ponies, mares, and alpha geldings.This week we crossed two shallow creeks, and some adobe mud with happy grass growing out of it all. What a treat for Voodoo to stand & learn, it's yummy and fun. We rode down a paved road with a few big trucks slowly passing, he tensed up, but was a very good boy, and didn't react at all. This was a freward for he and I, as 6 weeks ago, a man walking appeared to be an evil fairy!

Voodoo is like a puppy playing and standing in new things, just happy, willing & looking around. He gets his sponge bath like a pro, ties great, & gets along with everyone.
He loves his neighbors, he is always motivated to get his halter on and go with me anywhere. He got a sign on his house for his birthday yesterday, and was 'helping' me hang it up every step of the way.
Back in May, we did a few additional ground work sessions with a gal at our barn, and that has helped us so much. Now we both have a pretty good idea of who's supposed to be where and when, no matter what's going on around us. Voodoo has respect and desire to lick and chew for me about anytime I need it.

Hope you are well, and getting through the summer heat.
Smooches,
Geanna and Voodoo

From Sparkles Mom:

" Nikki,

Thought you might like a little update on Sparkles. She is still doing great. We went out on a trail ride the other day that had a few narrow steep hills. She followed Flame & Dewy right up without a second thought. She will go anywhere Flame goes. I think she loves him. She whinnies as soon as I pull up in my truck, sticks her head out of the corral as far as it goes until we reach her. She loves being hosed off after a ride. Several times she has gotten the hose from me and soaked me. I really think she knows exactly what’s going to happen when she grabs it. Today I was brave and decided to ride her bareback. Wow! What a wild ride I got. She decided to spook at a creaking tree limbs, the rabbit that ran across the arena & a lizard. I hung on but boy can she spin around faster than I can think. She is so much fun! We love her so much!

My youngest daughter hasn’t seen her in three weeks due to being at her dads house and summer camp. When I spoke to her on the phone all she talked about was, when can she see Sparkles, when can she ride Sparkles, she misses Sparkles. Nothing about missing me or her sister. Made me laugh to know that she has such a strong bond with her. It is amazing how calm Sparkles is with Taylor on her. Both of them knowing little about riding but fit together so well. I’m so glad that they get to grow up together.
Thank you again for saving her life. All your work and effort was well worth it!

Lynn"

From Rebel and Lil Bitty's Mom:

"Hi Nicki,
I thought you'd get a kick out of these photos of Lil' Bitty and Rebel with their adoring fans. The kids love hanging out with the horses when they come over for bible study, especially the boy who looks "too cool" who has asked to be able to clean the corrals and just hang out with Rebel. He has always loved animals and is very interested in your rescue as well.

Katie and I had fun with the horses and rode Rebel for a little while. We gave Bitty a bath, then as Katie was walking her to dry off she rolled. We hosed her off again, let her eat a little to distract her as she dried, then the second she went into her corral she rolled on both sides multiple times. At least she was white for about twenty minutes. :)
I hope all is well with you. I'm looking forward to the big news in August! Any new horses coming in?
:-) Jen"

From Princess's (Sedonas) Mom:

"Hay Nicki,
I think you guys let me adopt a puppy not a horse. Sedona follows me everywhere I go out in the pasture (when she isn't playing tag with my donkeys and the Arab!) It is still so hard for me to believe that she was almost put down because they couldn't catch her. When my friends come over, I just whistle and she comes running down the pasture to see who is here.

My 90 year old mama has been taking the priority lately, so today was the first time in a month or so that I was able to get out and ride both my horses. Sedona actually did better than my Arab. He was full of vim and vigor and was having way too much fun. Sedona settled in pretty quick after she had her few hees and haws in the round pen. I have never ridden a Paso Fino but Sedona's fast trot sure is smooth like I would imagine a Paso to be. I swear that her butt keeps getting bigger and bigger. She has put on some weight since the last time you saw her. Her cinch is getting shorter) Gilly still hates water but Sedona runs toward the hose. I just turn on the water and she pretty much bathes herself. No halter necessary. Dr. Moss was here last month to give everyone their shots and Sedona was great. The horseshoer has no problem trimming her tootsies. Her feet are good and solid, so she will remain barefoot.

I have been enjoying reading the blog and watching David's videos. Thanks again for all you do to save our beautiful animals. I only wish I made more money so that I could take in some more horses. I just love to watch my critters play out in the pasture, running like the wind and having fun!
Thanks,
K"

Thank you all for adopting these rescued horses and giving them a wonderful life full of good times and love!

You make me proud and the horses you have adopted very happy!

Shine on!

Love,
Nicki

Thursday July 16 - LEVI FINDS LOVE!

Tonight I was contacted by the woman that had saved Levi. She said a woman contacted her and wants to adopt Levi and he can be a pal to her quarterhorse with ringbone.

Levi found someone to love him. This person is very special and special things will be happening for her in the future. Due to her caring heart and willingness to open it up to the aged and not so perfect equine, she will be truly blessed and magical things will happen for her and her family. Giving will do that for you.

Congratulations Levi... you will be going home, for good this time. No more being shuffled around. You have a family now who loves you.

The woman that is taking Levi is one of our volunteers. Levi will be arriving at her home this Sunday. Desiree is very grateful that she is taking him.

Her name is Candace Abreu, and she rocks!

Bless you Candace...your heart shines and you make us proud to know you.

We love you,
Nicki

Tues July 14th - WHO Will Love Levi? & National Call in Day for the Horses

I received this email awhile ago.

I thought for sure Levi would be saved by now. You see Levi is a perfect horse. He's an older gelding. Many people have seen her plea to help save him and he has been posted on Craigslist and equine message boards all across the country. Shame on everyone for not taking him. I know there is someone out there that is not hurting as much as this woman is financial wise who "could" step up to the plate for this horse! He has not been saved yet and that rips my heart out. Im sure there is somebody out there that would want to help such a deserving and special horse, right?

If you are thinking no, I don't want to save an old, handicapped horse, think again! The first handicapped horse I rescued ended up saving me $150,000 on the purchase of a home. Do something selfless and heartfelt for someone or something, and the favor will be returned to you many times over. I know there are people out there who can afford to take care of this horse for the rest of his life!

"Located in Ramona, CA. Levi was rescued from being euthanized last January. Levi is around 25 and 15.2 hands high. He was at a therapeutic riding program from Jan 2008 to Jan 2009. He has an old injury to his back right leg and it stocks up if he is left in a stall for a long amount of time. He is now pastured in the day and a 24x24 at night and we have not had one issue with him trying to get up.

Levi does have an old injury to his chest area that left neuro damage and he is too unstable to trot or canter with a rider on him. My vet says he is fine for trail rides on the flat at a walk. He LOVES trail. He walks faster than most horses trot and he is pretty bombproof. The vet says he is not in pain just unstable. He runs in the pasture and does fine. I took Levi thinking I could find him a home but have had NO luck. I have since lost my job and am getting food stamps and need to take care of my animals. Levi is 15.2...I guess average weight, he has good muscle tone in his back end. He is only on glucosamine. We feed Blue tag which is 80% Bermuda and 20% Alfalfa. Other than that he is good to go.

Levi deserves to live out his life with love and trail rides. He has too much life left in him to put him down. I am hoping you can help or know someone who might...I have done all I can for him I am out of money and I need to be able to provide for my own animals. Thank You.
Desiree 619-778-6094"

Ok. This age discrimmination regarding horses is really bothering me.

Desiree is right.

Everyone is jumping to save pregnant mares and foals and offer homes also for them. People are spending money "buying" horses still. This guy is free, and very desirable and handsome. Desiree took Levi in and now has lost her job and has pleaded with everyone on the internet.

Does nobody have mercy for the older horses or love them?

Shame on all of us who have not snapped this horse up!

Times are tough, and I myself am only taking in those horses I feel are more adoptable (ok, except for Rowdy and Salsa and Casper...) but I have had enough of the age discrimmination. Im noticing people dont want any of my adoptable horses over the age of 18, with the exception of Rebel and the caring adopter that took him in. and that? makes me sad. More older horses need to be adopted...now.

What about the Levi's out there? What about the old guys and gals that have given their love, sweat, rides and toiled through the years to serve humans and do what they say. Levi was a therapeutic riding horse for pete's sakes! Doesn't he deserve a home for the remainder of his life? Think of what he has done, owners he has been through.

This is his twilight years same as our retirement years that should be spent with family and relaxing, enjoying the good life.

Give him a final home. I am begging..and I dont beg.

"Who" will open up their heart, step up to the plate and who will love Levi? Whoever does, will be a very special person on this planet.

Nicki

And today is National Call In Day for Horses Across America

Today could be one of the most important days in their lives.

Please make the call for our American horses…

TUESDAY, JULY 14TH – NATIONAL CALL IN DAY FOR THE HORSES!

Dear Friends,

Many of our horse advocates will be in D.C. today meeting with our legislators to gain support for HR503 and S727.

If you are not able to attend this special Lobby day "Horses On The Hill" in D.C., please show your support by calling your Representative and Senators. Your call might make the difference.

Please see the link below which will give you all the information you need to make those important calls.

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/567

Please pass this email on to your family, friends and co-workers.

Most Sincerely,

Americans Against Horse Slaughter

Sunday July 12 - The New FalconRidge Volunteer Program

Today was sweltering hot but still lots of activity at the ranch. Amy Pat arrived and took Jingles the burro to her sanctuary in Alpine. Fawn was out and worked with lots of horses. Kelly was here and is sponsoring Sky. Thank you Kelly! Dragon went to his new home today. Spirits new adoptive mom Meredith was out and rode Spirit. Toby was shown to a wonderful gentleman from Argentina who handles horses well.

Justin and Chiara were out and Justin helped David fix some pipe panels. Chiara is 6 weeks due to have a baby girl soon. Ranch manager Jennifer is also due to have a baby girl in November. Gene and Dana were out with Maui today also.

We had a scare when Laura Zeller called to inform us that Brian Zeller was in the hospital with heart problems. He was supposed to come home tonight and we wish him a fast recovery and have ordered him to stay on the couch and take it easy for awhile.

We have made changes to our volunteer program so that it is formalized and structured due to the fact we are getting more volunteers coming to the ranch. Here it is:

Volunteer at FalconRidge Equine Rescue

The FalconRidge Equine Rescue Volunteer Program, located in Valley Center, is a great way to be able to help rescued horses in need, develop your horsemanship skills, assist us in rehabilitating horses, help with barn chores and develop close friendships and camaraderie with fellow volunteers who love working with horses. There are over 50 rescued horses at the ranch at all times. Read through this program and see if this volunteer opportunity is what you are looking for. Thank you for your interest!

The Procedure - To volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Peg Wozniak at winnie@roadrunner.com, or Nicki Branch at nickbranch@aol.com. You will be sent a volunteer application for you to print and fill out before you come. Peg will contact you and set up an appointment for a first time New Volunteer Orientation, which takes two hours and you will be sent directions to the ranch in Valley Center. Age – FalconRidge accepts volunteers ages 10 and up. Those 12-18 years old must come with a parent to the ranch for the first time. Children 10-12 years old must be accompanied by a parent at all times.

New Volunteer Orientations are held the second and fourth Tuesdays, Saturday and Sunday of the month. You will be assigned a Volunteer Supervisor to greet you at FalconRidge, go over your Volunteer Application, go over the Rules of the Ranch, give you a tour of the ranch so you can see the facilities and meet all the horses. Please bring sunscreen, hat, some snacks, and drinks along with you as it is warm during the day.

Sign-In - All visitors must sign in upon arrival at FalconRidge and sign out when they leave. The ranch is closed on Mondays to any visitors. Hours for visitors or volunteers are Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9am - 6pm.

Stall Organization – FalconRidge is a non-profit 501c3 equine rescue, as well as a boarding facility for adopted horses and training facility for David Lee Archer. Therefore, not all horses you see in the stalls at the ranch will be FalconRidge rescue horses or horses up for adoption. To assist volunteers distinguishing the numerous horses, stalls will be marked with colored tape on the gate. Volunteers will be asked to be responsible for understanding the meanings of the colors to protect their safety. While we do not have any dangerous horses at the ranch or those who kick currently, we do have a few who might nip at an unaware volunteer, or we could get in a newly rescued horse who has bad manners or has never been handled by humans before.

Green Tape - means the horse is easy to handle, gentle, and a Ranch Hand Level will be able to take it out of its stall.

Yellow Tape - Means the horse is generally easy to halter and lead out of its stall, but it could still spook so more experience or caution is required. Ranch Hands and levels above can handle these horses.

Red Tape - Means the horse is more difficult to handle, a stallion, it might bolt and is usually reserved for the newly rescued horses that come in. Red Tape horses can only be handled by Wranglers and above and only by approval of David or Nicki.

Black Tape - Means the horse is boarded by a private owner/adopter, or a private training horse of David’s and is not to be handled at all or taken out of its stall. Stalls can be cleaned though in these and all stalls unless instructed otherwise by a supervisor.

Riding - FalconRidge Equine Rescue is primarily a facility that rescues horses, gets them the feed, vet care or training they need and finds them adoptive homes or they stay here in sanctuary. We are not a riding facility, we do not have many horses that can be ridden by volunteers, and riding is not our focus. Helping horses heal and get well is. David Lee Archer is a professional natural horsemanship horse trainer who works with trains and rides the horses to give them the training they need to be rehabilitated and find loving homes for life.

We do have a few horses that can be ridden by Wrangler level volunteers and above, but riding time here will be minimal. We focus on care, exercise, ground manners and assisting with training or behavior problems mainly. Volunteers have found it enjoyable to watch and learn from a professional and their horsemanship skills will improve just from watching, listening, and learning. It also is extremely rewarding to watch rescued horses come in that are neglected, emaciated, or have handling issues and evolve into healthy, happy and trusting horses as time goes by.

Volunteer Horsemanship Clinics - Clinics for Volunteers only will be held the first Saturday or Sunday of every month from 10 - 11am at FalconRidge and must be attended by the volunteers. Each class will be geared to the individual and where they are at in their horsemanship. Each Volunteer will be given a horse to work with to learn proper handling techniques during the clinic and it is a fun and educational time that the volunteers enjoy immensely.

Progressive Levels of FalconRidge Volunteers

Greenhorn – Level 1 - You will be considered a Greenhorn, no matter how much previous horse experience you have, and will be introduced to one of our very basic necessities in horse care, instruction in proper mucking out of stalls. This is a great way to get to know the horses and bond with them. All Greenhorns will be with a Volunteer Supervisor for their first three visits to the ranch after their Volunteer Orientation and will be mucking stalls under supervision. Most of the volunteers say this is some of the most rewarding time they have spent with the horses!

Ranch Hand – Level 2 - Once it is observed you can handle yourself around the horses in their stalls at a satisfactory level and follow basic instructions, you will be approved by a Volunteer Supervisor to move up to the Ranch Hand level. Ranch hands are approved to groom the rescued horses, starting off by haltering using rope halters, grooming horses in stalls under supervision and progressing to taking horses out of their stall over to the grooming area. Once you can demonstrate satisfactory skills in haltering, leading, handling horses well enough to groom them out of their stalls and take them back, you can be approved by a Volunteer Supervisor to move to the next level.

Cowgirl/Cowboy – Level 3 – The third step in the Volunteer Program is the Cowgirl or Cowboy level. This level of volunteer will be assigned a specific rescued horse who is up for adoption to work with under supervision of a Volunteer Supervisor with that horse. They will be responsible for mucking out that horses stall, grooming it, turning it out in the arena and assisting with training by handling it properly for it to learn and to maintain proper ground manners. They will also be asked to assist in turning out, bathing or handling other horses at the ranch or related duties.

Wrangler – Level 4 - The Wrangler has had experience and knowledge gained to work without supervision and can assist with beginning training of new horses, young horses, green horses, helping ground drive or saddle horses for the first time, get horses out of the pastures, bathe horses, assist David with horses and help out with newer Volunteers. Wranglers can also assist with a veterinarian or farrier with horses. Wranglers will be able to ride sporadically the easier horses to ride at the ranch and need to be approved to move up to this level by David or Nicki.

Vaquero – Level 5 - A Vaquero is the highest level of horseman volunteer at FalconRidge. These individuals understand horse behavior and training methods at the expert level, have worked with a variety of ages and breeds of horses, understand equines well enough to assist in training hard to handle, green or behavior problem horses along with David. Vaqueros can be trusted enough to do first rides on green horses, handle stallions, start green horses or colts under saddle under David’s direction, ride in the arena, or take over training of difficult horses after they have been started by David. Vaqueros can also assist in going on emergency rescues of horses and assist in trailer loading them.

Volunteer Appreciation Parties – In addition to the personal reward of being able to help rescued horses, once a month barbeques will be held for the volunteers in appreciation for all their hard work here at the ranch during July thru September. We will have a ranch barbeque and pool party up at the ranch house, with ribs, chicken, salad, potato salad, roasted corn, watermelon, blackberry shortcake and more. A great way to socialize and unwind after a long hard dusty day at the ranch!

Star Update - She's Going to Make It

I just received this message from Evelyn Ward, the rescuer of Star. Star was going to be euthanized upon the recommendation of our vet, due to an extremely rotated coffin bone. At the last minute Evelyn contacted me saying she could possibly save Star with a barefoot trimmer and diet change.

Well here she is, several months later, defying medical odds.

I think I know Evelyn's purpose on this planet. :-)

Amazingly cool!

Nicki

"Hey Nicki,
It's been a long time since I've sent you an update on Star!Things have been crazy around here.But they have finally slowed down so I thought I would give you an incredible update on her. She is finally back at my place and in the the "herd". She's gained 175 lbs since February! Her hoof is almost looking normal. No more huge toe sticking out and...we have been able to ride her at the walk for up to 30 min now!!

She is such a sweetheart and she loves to be ridden. She still has a huge gimp,but Ove said it would be good for her to be ridden so that she could have the extra weight on the leg to help the blood pump faster.She really enjoys it though. She waits at the hitching post every evening waiting for me to come down and throw the bareback pad and her bridle on. Don't even have to tie her up,she stands like a perfect little angel :) We have finally let ourselves breathe and we know she is going to make it. I've have attatched a few pictures from March until now. Hope everything is going good at the rescue. Will send more updates soon.

Love,
Evelyn and Star's rescue/rehab team"

Saturday July 11th - Jingles the Burro Gets a Job

Back in June of 2003 I decided I wanted to rescue a burro from the BLM. David and I drove to the BLM facility in Ridgecrest and asked the agent there for a burro that was old or handicapped or one that had absolutely ZERO chance of ever being adopted. The agent showed us a pen with about 35 burros in it and pointed to a small skinny one. The agent told me she had a hock injury, so was handicapped. Jingles was only a $25 adoption fee due to her being special needs. We excitedly loaded her into the trailer and just before we left the agent said "Oh, and she's probably bred." I asked "What do you mean bred?" She said she was gathered in the wild and most likely bred. I looked at the poor skinny Jingles and thought to myself I doubt it. She did not look pregnant at all.

Six months later, out popped her son, Jiminy! Jingles is now ten years old and has been keeping Xena the zorse company in her pen the last few years and braying every morning and night, letting everyone on the ranch know that its feeding time.

Last week, I got an email from Amy Pat of the Horses of Tir Na Nog, http://www.horsesoftirnanog.org/, a rescue in Alpine.

She said "On Friday we humanely euthanized a wonderful old female burro that had come to us through County Animal Services. That left our old pony without a corral buddy. She is not handling it well. She lost her long time gelding buddy a few months ago, so the donkey was her second loss.

We need a small (14 hands or so as the corral is only 48 by 48 ft.), horse that would do okay on least a partially pelleted diet. Cocoa is on all pellets and since most horses prefer pellets to forage, we need her buddy to stay busy with his/he pellets long enough for Cocoa to eat her food. We need a confident, but friendly horse that won't push Cocoa around.

Again Nicki, I don't know if we can add another horse, but we cannot have Cocoa stressed and pacing and we do not have a buddy among our current group.

Do you have any thoughts?"

I offered her Jingles, the burro. And after sending Amy the description of Jingles, it sounds like she was very similar to the burro friend that poor Cocoa lost. We made arrangements and Jingles will be picked up Sunday morning to go keep Cocoa company in her time of mourning.

Jingles has a job, a very important and compassionate one and she is a very sweet and gentle burro.

Jingles went from being injured and starving in the wilds of the desert, to being a healing buddy to a pony in need.

Everything and everyone is on this planet for a reason...

what's yours?

Love,
Nicki

A Tribute to Pistol the Dog

Pistol has been David's faithful canine companion for the last nine years. Pistol was originally rescued from the Norco pound and then given to David back in 2000. He was David's best friend, ranch dog and training companion who went with him everywhere. They have been inseperable for 9 years and taken many road trips together.

In most of the photos taken through the years, in Davids book, Be True To Your Horse, and in all the training videos David has now up on youtube, you can always be sure and see Pistol working right with him in front of the horse.

David took Pistol everywhere with him, in the truck to town for errands and he has been by his side every night for the last nine years. Pistol was always handy to put horses into trailers when needed and help navigate hiking and riding trails, willingly leading the way home. He was in command of the ranch dogs and a confident leader.

The years have caught up with him and he is no longer the fast and spry dog he once was. Sadly, Pistol has bone cancer and will be leaving David and FalconRidge soon. We will help him over the Rainbow Bridge in the near future.

Pistol will be buried here on the ranch and a headstone erected in his honor. He has helped train many a rescued horse through the last nine years and probably has more experience with horses than most people do. Pistol was one of a kind and will be missed for years to come. No dog will be able to take his place.

If you see Pistol in the next few days, his last days on the ranch, please give him a pat on the head and wish him well. If we are quieter than normal, please be considerate of our feelings and this incredible loss at this time.

Pistol will be sadly missed and was the greatest dog of all time.

You will be running free soon boy.

We love you,

David and Nicki

Sunday July 5th - Horsemanship Class, Tiny Horse Race, and Lucky gets Lucky!

Today David held a horsemanship class for 14 of our volunteers. Actually two classes of 7 each. The volunteers learned proper ways of working horses in hand on the lead. We don't lunge horses here at FalconRidge. Lunging a horse in a roundpen allows the horse to go mindlessly around and around in a circle, learning nothing, and actually revs up thoroughbreds instead of getting rid of excess energy as people think. What we do instead is horses are worked back and forth, following direction by humans, engaging their minds, asking them to change direction, gaits, yield their hindquarters, back up, come forward, and basically getting leadership from their handler and focusing on them. The next horsemanship class for volunteers will be August 2nd.

Buddy and Zeus are our two tiny horses. Zeus is a miniature horse and Buddy is a welsh mini cross. Today they were turned out in the arena and decided to race each other nonstop for several minutes. If you have never seen a mini horse running at full speed it is pretty funny. They look like dogs running around, they are that small. Zeus won the race by two lengths...

Lucky has been adopted by Zoey Zeller! Hooray for Lucky! He has gone from being rescued at a low end auction, to being trained by David, shown in jumper classes at Galway Downs and now to a wonderful young rider with great potential who is just perfect for him.

Tomorrow starts a new week and is the beginning of the rest of your life.

Make it count and create a good one!

Bigggg Horses - From The Horse.com:

"In a battle of the titans, a U.S. Clydesdale, a U.K. Shire, and an Australian Shire might all be contenders for the title of World's Largest Living Horse.

I think the Guinness record holder is Radar, a Belgian in Mount Pleasant, Texas, whose recorded height is 19 hands and 3 ½ inches at the wither. In 2007 a Tennessee Shire named Tina captured the title, but she died in 2008 (read more). The tallest documented (not living) was Sampson, a Shire foaled in England in 1846. He stood 21 hands and 2 ½ inches. He was also recorded as the most massive, at 3,360 lb!
Now the beer folks are heading back to Texas this week to measure Remington, a Dallas-area Clyde, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Owner Cheryl Davis thinks Remington tops 20 hands, but they haven't been able to get him to stand still to be properly measured. Turns out Remington, who works for Belle Starre Carriages, is something of a character. He even has his own Blog: ofcourseimahorse.blogspot.com to chronicle his antics.

As The Dallas Morning News tells it:
"Like the time he put his front feet onto the air conditioning unit and knocked it off the house. Or the time he stuck his nose through the horse stall gate and threw it across the yard. Then there was the time he pulled a small tree out of the ground to play with. And when he scratched his neck on a 4x4 post in the barn and splintered it."
Trainer Bunny Morrissey summed it up as, "If you build it, he'll break it, and if he can't break it, he'll eat it."
Fun facts about Remington:
Daily diet: two square bales of hay, nine quarts of grains twice a day, and 40 gallons of water.
Weighed about six months ago, he tipped the scales at 2,900lb.
He wears size 10 shoes.
He's learned to duck on command when squeezing under a low clearance.
Squaring off across the Atlantic is Duke, a 6-year-old Shire who measured 19.3 as of last year, according to Telegraph.co.uk. A recent measurement puts him at 20.1 hands.
The British record of 19.2 hands was held by a Shire named Cracker until his death just last year.
Fun facts about Duke:
His girth measures 8ft 6 inches, and his head is three feet long.
He's afraid of mice.

His daily diet includes 20 gallons of water, five gallons of herbal tea (really), and nearly 20 pounds of grass, hay, and grain.

And down under, there's Luscombe Nodram, aka Noddy. As of last year, the now 6-year-old Victorian Shire measured 20.1, according to AdelaideNow.com. Here's a photo of the handsome lad.
But he'll likely remain an "unofficial" record-holder.
"We haven't bothered with Guinness World Records," owner Jane Greenman told AdelaideNow.com. "The Americans do that a lot, they seem to be quite into it, but he's mainly a working horse for us."
Fun facts about Noddy:
He's broke to ride and drive.
His owner said she broke bones falling off of him.
He's measured annually, on his birthday."

Those are big horses.

We have normal sized ones, and small ones heres for adoption. The adoptable horses of FalconRidge are looking for human families to include them in theirs.

They are waiting for a chance to come home for good...

Love,
Nicki

Happy 4th of July - History of Horses

Have a safe and sane 4th of July from FalconRidge!

It's warm outside, the barbeque will be going and good weather for washing the horses.

We currently have 17 horses ready for adoption. They are:

Reinbow
Cimmaron
Jody
Ryder
Amber
Casper
Dragon
Spirit
Dreams
Smokette
Chicaboom
Popcorn
Buns
Xena
Zeus
Shaman
Pow Wow

We also have some pasture puffs who need love just as much as the rideable horses.

Please view the current horses for adoption on the adoptables blog at http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow David will be having a Horsemanship class with the volunteers from 10am to 11am.

The History of Horses

Man probably domesticated the reindeer long before he attempted to tame the horse which was then hunted for meat. Eventually the first members of the equine family were captured and subdued. These were the asses or onagers which were initially used for pack purposes until the development of the wheel encouraged their use in harness.

The spoked wheel and light vehicle could be pulled faster by onagers than by oxen. The true horse was probably first harnessed about 5 000 years ago by the ancient Chinese, and before long, replaced the wilful and often stubborn onager when speed and obedient response to commands were required.

Although the horse had evolved in North America, it became extinct there for some obscure reason, returning only to the continent of its birth when the ships of Christopher Colombus first landed the animals on Haiti in 1493. Meanwhile, in the areas in which wild horse herds roamed, they were caught and tamed, and were brought into the service of man by many peoples of Asia, Europe and North Africa.

From pack and haulage work, the horse was elevated to drawing a chariot into battle. Horses were selectively bred for specific purposes and prized for their powers of speed and endurance. Man learned to ride them and devised sophisticated bridles and bits to help control his steed. The saddle was invented, which allowed riders to remain astride their mounts for longer periods, and after many more years had passed, the addition of stirrups added to equestrian stability.

The military horse has played a great part in the fortunes of war for many nations. Perhaps the greatest of the charioteers were the Hittities who left records showing that they excercised great skill in breeding horses and in their care, training and feeding. In the 14th century B.C, the Hittite empire ranged right across Kurdistan, Armenia and Syria.

The Chinese, too were skilled horsemen and, as long ago as 1 000 B.C, were using horses in cavalry work as well as for pack and draught purposes. In Egypt the horse replaced the ass about the year 1650 B.C. Chariots were used by the Pharaohs for hunting gazelle and other game as well as in battle. One of the earliest and most original of all writers on the subject of horses and equitation was Xenophon, an Athenian who lived from 430-355 B.C.

He showed great understanding about all aspects of the animal's needs and psychology, and was able to convey this to others through his works. We are indebted to Xenophon for much of our knowledge of the Ancient Greek Horses and their methods of training and riding.

It's time to get your true soul mate, a horse.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday June 30th - The Ghost Horse

Several emails from people having to give up their horses in the last few days. Also several phone calls. Sadly, I have to turn everyone down at this point as horses are not being adopted out. If you know of someone looking for a horse please let them know about ours. Be the change.

The Legend of the Ghost Horse:

The story is from a long time ago. What the man's name was, no one knows now, and so they call him "The Traveler".

"Long ago, The Traveler was a wealthy chief. A warrior in his young days, he had taken many scalps, many horses, and many another trophy of value. And he had increased his possessions by hard dealings with that less fortunate, and by gambling with younger men who were no match for his cunning.

"His fellow tribesmen did not love him although they admired his bravery, for in times of hardship, when other chiefs shared freely whatever they had, he drove hard bargains and generally prospered from the ills of others. His wives he had abused till their parents took them away; his children hated him, and he had no love for them.

"There was only one thing he cared for: his horses. They were fine horses, beautiful horses, for he kept only the best; and when a young warrior returned from a raid with a particularly good horse, The Traveler never rested until (whether by fair means or not) he had it in his possession. At night, when the dance drum was brought out, and the other Indians gathered round it, The Traveler went alone to the place where his horses were picketed, to gloat over his treasures. He loved them. But he loved only the ones that were young, and handsome, and healthy a horse that was old, or sick, or injured, received only abuse.

"One morning, when he went to the little valley in which his horses were kept, he found in the herd an ugly white stallion. He was old, with crooked legs, and a matted coat, thin, and tired looking.
"The Traveler flew into a rage. He took his rawhide rope, and caught the poor old horse. Then, with a club, he beat him unmercifully. When the animal fell to the ground, stunned, The Traveler broke his legs with the club, and left him to die. He returned to his lodge, feeling not the slightest remorse for his cruelty.

"Later, deciding he might as well have the hide of the old horse, he returned to the place where he had left him. But, to his surprise, the white stallion was gone. That night, as The Traveler slept, he had a dream. The white stallion appeared to him, and slowly turned into a beautiful horse, shining white, with long mane and tail - a horse more lovely than any The Traveler had ever seen.

"Then the Stallion spoke: "If you had treated me kindly," the stallion said, "I would have brought you more horses. You were cruel to me, so I shall take away the horses you have!"
"When The Traveler awoke, he found his horses were gone. All that day, he walked and searched, but when at nightfall he fell asleep exhausted, he had found no trace of them. In his dreams, the White Stallion came again, and said, "Do you wish to find your horses? They are north, by a lake. You will sleep twice, before you come to it."

"As soon as he awakened in the morning, The Traveler hastened northward. Two days' journey, and when he came to the lake there were no horses. That night, the Ghost Stallion came again. "Do you wish to find your horses?" he said. "They are east, in some hills. There will be two sleeps before you came to the place.'

"When the sun had gone down on the third day, Traveler had searched the hills, but had found no horses. And so it went night after night the Stallion came to The Traveler, directing him to some distant spot, but he never found his horses. Traveler grew thin and footsore. Sometimes he got a horse from some friendly camp; sometimes he stole one. But always, before morning, would come a loud drumming of hoofs, the Ghost Stallion and his band would gallop by, and the horse of The Traveler would break its picket, and go with them."
The legend says that never again did Traveler have a horse; never again did he see his own lodge. And he wanders, even to this day, still searching for his lost horses.

The legend says that sometimes, on a windy autumn night when the stars shine very clearly, and over on the Cree Jump the coyote's howl, above the wind you may hear a rush of running horses, and the stumbling footsteps of an old man.

And, if you are very unlucky, you may see the Stallion and his band, and The Traveler, still pursuing them, still trying to get back his beautiful horses.

Saturday June 27 - Got a horse to hug? OK horses in need, and find your voice

I recently got this email for horse lovers and is so true

When your day seems out of balance, And so many things go wrong....

When people fight around you And the day drags on so long...

When parents act like children, In-laws make you think "Divorce"...

Go out into your pastureAnd wrap your arms around your horse.

His gentle breath enfolds you, And he watches with those eyes, He may not have a Ph.D., but he is, oh so wise!

His head rests on your shoulder, You embrace him oh so tight, He puts your world in balanceAnd makes it seem all right.

Your tears they soon stop flowing, The tension is now eased.The garbage has been lifted, And you're quiet and at peace.

So when you need the balanceFrom circumstances in your day...The best therapy that you can seek...Is out there eating hay!!

And I received this email recently. Fortunately I have a friend in Oklahoma who is into rescue and who is a doer and will do anything to go save these horses.

"Hi, i live in Oklahoma, yes, I know you are in California but I really need some
help over here. I know of two horses that are being starved to death, the owners
jump from town to town avoiding the law. They've had the sheriff come out and
give them warnings, not too long after that they up and move. We used to be
friends with the owners, and even took care of these horses for a year before we
were ordered by court to give them back to her. This was a few years ago, today,
their main source of food is the little amount of grass that grows in the rocky
area they live in and maybe some dog food when the owners have it. Horses arent
the only animals they have, I know they have a pig and a couple dogs. I don't
live by them, I live several hours away and haven't personally seen the horses
since we had to give them back.
Our friend says they are so emaciated that their bones jut out from their
body...like a blanket is thrown over a skeleton, and their stomachs hang down.
Whether its too late to save them or not I dont know, but I want to atleast try
some more to save them. Ive been told by a rescue in Oklahoma that I need to
contact the county sheriffs office...people have done that, they've been doing
that for a long time, the owners just keep moving. Can you help me in anyway?
Danielle

Yes, Danielle, I can, even though I am in southern California. You see there are equine rescue ladies all across this country. I found them nine years ago on the internet. Many of the same ones are still rescuing horses to this day. Back then it was common for equine rescue owners to burn out after three years due to the stress on emotions, finances and frustration. I can tell you it is really hard to run a rescue. That is why I have wonderful people who support me like volunteers. Sure the money part is difficult, but that will come as we are doing "the right thing." I have faith in humanity. I have faith people out there care. I have faith they will come and help rescue horses and donate funds to allow us to continue to do so.

We find homes for horses. We love them when no other people do. We care. That is our committment and why we can have 55 rescues and appear unphased.

Speaking of finding homes for horses...I have to speak on something that keeps coming up in conversations with me regarding people adopting horses. I'm talking about the phrase I hear all too often which seems to me to be an area of concern I have to address. That is the phrase "I just need to talk my husband into the idea of another horse." Big sigh.

Ok, here goes.

I am all for married couples consulting with each other on large purchases such as homes and cars and whatnot. Collaboration on what to buy is a good thing...as long as the sides...ie...husband and wife's wishes, are balanced. Most of the women I know tend to cater to the husbands wishes a bit more than he caters to the wife's wishes. This occurs especially if the husband makes more money than the wife, or if he is the only person bringing in income. I know because I used to do this, even though I made basically the same income...I let my ex husband be the stronger arguer, the one in charge, the dominant one. Ladies have a tendency to do it all...take care of home, family, hubby, not be sick, work, go to work when sick, etc. And? we are not really allowed to complain about it lest we become the b word.

Nine years ago, after I went through my Martha Stuart phase and realized that having a nice home and car and money did not bring you happiness....I dreamed of having a horse again. I wanted it with a passion, and got involved with a little rescued arabian, Nash in New York. When I decided I wanted to actully take that jump and adopt him I was incredibly scared to approach my husband and ask him or tell him I was going to adopt Nash.

I talked with a rescue friend of mine who told me me five words that changed my life. Five words that were pivotal in my starting to hear my voice. Five words that helped me realize my own power as a wife and woman...and five words that I had long ago forgot and lost because I was too busy trying to please others and take care of others and therefore forgot all about the most important person ever and for anyone, themself.

She said to me "Nick,....It's your life, isn't it?"

The words were so simple they slapped me right upside my face like a bomb went off in front of me.

Well, yeahhhhhhhhhhh I said slowly. But I didn't believe it. Her words kept rolling over and over in my mind for days. It's your life, isn't it?

After a few days I finally realized it. This is my life. Not his, not the kids, not my parents life for me. Its my life. Therefore, when I want something that is truly a reflection of my pursuit of happiness, such as a horse, a heartfelt dream, my partner at the time should support me, right? Thats what a marriage is all about, love and mutual support. I found my voice and told him that I wanted a horse, a rescued horse in New York. He wasn't crazy about the idea. I told him then that I wanted a second horse to go with Nash. He was an exracer saved from New Holland auction, named Captain. He said over his dead body was I getting two horses.

So I divorced him, bought my own horse ranch, something I had dreamed about for many years, and now have more than 50 horses....all because I realized it's my life. We only have one chance to live our lives. So make it doing what you want, where you want, with who you want..and do not listen to those that discourage you from following your dreams.

Life is too short to not live it the way you want and with who you want, two legged or four.

Find your voice.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday June 23rd - The Amazing Toby, Neglected, and Abandoned Horses

Today I received an email from a woman who used to show Toby back east. She is refuting the claims made against the trainer by Tobys owners. I believe her and therefore would like to correct the information on Toby here on the blog. This is what she said. I was glad to hear what she had to say. Some people have falling outs with their trainers and this appears to have been the case. He used to be called "Rocky". And by the way he is NOT for adoption yet. He is being retrained.

"Hello there,
I was informed that you have a "Toby" for adoption. I went on to your page and was very upset to see his story...Toby is actually Spotted All Over Again, he's 7 (not 5) and was not in any way, shape, or form abused or drugged in NC. I am not the trainer that had him, just the asst. that rode and showed him every day for two years. When Rocky came to us he was a sterotypical stallion that had not been taught any manners, he reared, bucked, bit, kicked and CHARGED at you when lunging. He is, to date, the only horse I have ever seen that would go to his knees to BIT a lunge whip.

After lots of time and patience we worked through everything and he became a wonderful show horse. He was never shown drugged, we show with NWHA and that's quite a big no no :) He jumps 3ft in perfect hunter form, did trail class, Model, and 3 gt rail classes, as well as some Eq classes. When rocky's owners in CA decided they wanted him back they shipped him to farm in Raleigh NC where he stayed for two monthes before he was shipped back to CA. Apperantly, when he did finally make it to Ca he was not in the best of shape (although, as we all know, shipping a horse cross country can cause them to lose some weight) His owners in Ca were an older couple that (in my opinion) had no business keeping a young stud at home.

Attached are some pictures of Rocky while he was here, and one of his first baby on the ground, as well as a short clip of him being warmed up at show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpYmhw1vdgA Hope that helps maybe fill in some background info on him, as well as clear up this myth about him being "abused" in NC. If you have any questions, or would like some more info on him feel free to email me, I can contact (or put you in contact) with his trainer here in NC if you have any questions for her, I'll also ask and see if we still have a copy of his papers.

Thank you,
Lauren Dawson"

Tonight when I got home from work I had a message about 4 horses and a donkey being abandoned at a home in Fallbrook. The neighbor said she knows the family lost the home to foreclosure and there is someone coming to feed the horses and donkey, but three of the horses are thin and always have been. I emailed Animal Control officials.

Also received a call from a gentleman who drives by some horses in Rancho Santa Fe daily. The horses belong to a rescue group and he is getting concerned about their condition. Mares are showing ribs and hip bones. I told him to call Animal Control officials.

If you see neglected horses, please call County of San Diego Department of Animal Services or the San Diego Humane Society and report the abuse.

Love,
Nicki

Monday June 22nd - Why You Should Adopt a Horse? They Can Save Your Life

This last weekend was busy. School is out, perfect time to bring the kids to FalconRidge and help groom and work with the rescued horses who need handling so they can get adopted.

Lakota the paint gelding was adopted yesterday by a very nice family who lives in Valley Center. The wife does mounted search and rescue and has a horse already. The husband Brian fell in love with Lakota and he just might become a search and rescue horse in the future...saving human lives. Amazing since Lakota's life was saved by people who cared and sprung him from a killpen where he would have gone to slaughter. What goes around comes around.

Today brought four more horses in need the phone message said. I can't return his call. We can't help any more horses until more get adopted. I've put up more horses for adoption to make room to help those really in need. The adoption fees will also help with the hay bill as donations are down right now.

Amber is ready to go, a very nice Tennessee Walking Horse mare who used to be shown. Spirit the palomino, Rainbow, Ryder, Jody, and more darlings need to go home to families.

I got a very nice email from the Haller family who adopted Lil Bitty the mini and Rebel, the older missouri foxtrotter. She said "one of her relatives came to visit and has Friedrichs Ataxia and is in a wheelchair almost full time now. Neither Lil Bitty or Rebel were phased by his wheelchair as they came up to it or it came over to them. It was also great because he got to brush the horses which helps using his muscles. He had never brushed a horse before. Lil Bitty and Rebel were therapy horses that day."

That's my kids!

Horses heal.

Horses can enrich your life.

Horses save lives.

Who Was Sweet Adeline? A hero

ANIMAL HERO: SWEET ADELINE ~ STORY OF COURAGE by Barbara Ellen Ries, L.S.W., L.I.C.D.C

One ponders the last seconds of Sweet Adeline's decision that day, when she corralled a group of 13 visitors against the founding wall at serendipitious stable. putting her own life at risk to protect the people against the oncoming F3 tornado.
The 13 visitors were participating in a horse stable visitation. The stable owner was not there that day she was in Michigan.

The huge gusts lasted 15 seconds, intensifying at midpoint, with winds reaching 150 miles per hour; it seemed time stood still.

During twenty seconds of time a howl and a piercing came through every board in the stable, demolishing any thought or question as to the nature of the event.

Three horses led the wind around the barn, racing against the wind and the wind won out.

The visitors had only minor injuries, but not one perished during the storm's plight.
Barbara Ries is on the left, standing in front of the foundation wall one week after the storm.

Finally, visibility returned. Every person told, as was documented on the front page of the Columbus paper, about The thirteenth person spared the lives of twelve to tell the story of the miracle that day that Sweet Adeline kept us near the founding wall, saving our lives.

Sweet Adeline won the Ohio VMA Outstanding Animal Hero Award and I won the Outstanding Advocate Award. Adeline was pleased this day at the Ohio State Fair for validation for her courage and our celebrated connection.
Sweet Adeline is a brave horse who changed my life. Sweet Adeline taught courage and compassion to the people who loved her.

Adopt a hero today.

http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com

Love,
Nicki

Wednesday News

An email, a call, and the Today Show:

The email:

"Well thanks to your post on the Rehoming Horses San Diego blog, our two older girls have found what I think is going to be a wonderful home. It's way out in boulevard and they get a nice big pasture with oaks, three square meals a day and a little light riding by the great people who took them in. We are also allowed to visit them and they send me emails letting me know how they are doing! I'm very relieved and very happy and wanted to let you know that they found me through your post. I wanted to thank you for the emails you sent and the support you gave me and the help and for posting this. I had just about given up and was really starting to get worried. My husband has probably worked only one day out of every three so it's been getting really close.They contacted me out of the blue after I hadn't heard anything for months and it was just like a gift. Thank you again and you can remove the post! YAY! Jeany :)"

The Today Show Today:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/#31384727

The phone call message:

I was hoping you can help me. I have a horse that cannot be ridden anymore and I need to find a home for.....

Tuesday June 15 - The Horses are waiting.

I have received several calls and emails this week asking me to take peoples horses. As of tonight, the number was up to 9. We are in a holding pattern due to numerous horses coming recently and potential big and exciting changes coming to the rescue this August. The woman tonight said she had a morgan horse and she just didnt want to have to take him up to Julian to give him to the wolf sanctuary so they could feed him to the wolves.

I had to tell her "sorry, we are full."

I hope he doesn't go to the wolves.

It's now your turn.

I have done what I can for the time being.

I cannot help any others unless the ones ready for adoption here get adopted out.

Nicki

Sunday June 14 - Work Day

Today we had many volunteers come out and trench for waterlines to the new pens and they even put in all the waterers.

The pens were put up to accomodate the new horses coming in. We are full and cannot take in any more rescues. The two thoroughbreds, Pow Wow and Tango were the latest to come in and are very tall handsome horses.

Not many horses being adopted out and we really need to find them homes.

David said Spirit is ready for adoption. She was ridden out in the arena on Saturday.

We also have Lakota, a 5 yr old paint gelding for adoption. He needs a person of his own.

Love,
Nicki

Tues June 9th - Updates from FalconRidge adopted horses

The paint mare did not come in last night. The owner said she would have arrived at 230 am so he took her to his place instead. Thanks for that! She will be arriving this week or weekend.

I received updates on recently adopted horses from FalconRidge. For those of you considering adopting one of our very special horses and just haven't taken that leap of faith yet to actually do it...here is some incentive.

Sparkles the Mustang:
"Dear Nicki ,

Once again Sparkles has amazed me! Today was our first trail ride. We followed my daughter on Flame up and down hills, past “scary” objects without a spook. The only part that was a “problem” which I thought was funny is she couldn’t figure out why I wouldn’t let her graze and walk. The best part has to be the wood slate bridge over a small stream. Several horses at the ranch are terrified of this bridge. It’s about 25ft long and there are small gaps between each slate. She didn’t hesitate at going over it. Walked right over like she had been doing it for years. I’m still grinning from ear to ear about this. The trainer that told me not to get her can’t get half her horses to cross.

Tomorrow we are going on the same trail but my daughter Samantha is going to ride her. I’m almost certain it will go just a good. Every day I stop and think about how lucky we are to have her in our life. She whinnies for us when we arrive, watches us the whole time we are at the ranch. She allows us to just hang out with her, never leaving our sides. She is definitely a family member we can’t live without.

Lynn"

Lil Bitty the Mini & Rebel the Missouri Fox Trotter:

Hi Nicki,
We went on our walk this morning, and it was beautiful. We had the two dogs and the two horses with us, so it was quite the menagerie . We only walked a small portion of the trail because I didn't want either of them to overdo it. They were both thrilled to be out and about, and both did really well with the exercise. Rebel did not act like a twenty-something year old, but had the step of a ten year old. I had them out in the arena most of the day, and they loved it. Tonight after dinner, Eric, Nona, Katie and I went for a walk, and when we came back, both of the horses were whinnying to us. They are both very people friendly-horses! We couldn't be happier, and I hope the feeling is mutual.
:-) Jen

Voodoo the Morgan:

Nicki & David~
We had a fun day in Lakeside. Voodoo is doing great!
Daily we are working on lifting back feet, water, plastic bags, dogs, and scary branches that touch mom's helmet.:)
Hope all is well at Falcon Ridge.
Happily /Warmly,
Geanna & Voodoo

It is so nice to hear these updates! Especially when you consider that Sparkle was going to slaughter, Rebel had been starved, and Voodoo the morgan had sat for years in a pen without getting trained or out.

Make a difference today in your life.

These lucky new horse owners did.

Love,
Nicki

Monday June 8 - A Paint Mare in Need

Watch out for a nasty stomach flu going around. I spent the night in the bathroom all night and today in bed. Last time I felt that bad was when I had the Hong Kong Flu back in 1968.

Little Owl, the yearling medicine hat paint filly saved from a Colorado kill auction is at the Zellers who adopted her. She is recovering from an eye infection, has a bad sunburn, is infested with worms as well as body lice. She is so small due to malnutrition as a baby. She is smaller than 6 mo old Blitzen. She is in wonderful hands though with the Zellers who will bring her back to good health.

Michele the equine massage lady came today and donated her services to work on several of the rescued horses who got massages. Thank you Michele of EMB Body Massage and Bodywork!

A package arrived from UPS today and had several brand new rope halters in it. It seems an elf ordered them for us to use on the horses. Thank you so much, angel person!

Pow Wow the thoroughbred is coming soon.

And I got a call tonight from a very polite southern talking young cowboy type. He said he has a 9 yr old paint mare that he does not know what is wrong with her, that she has something going on in her head, she is pretending to be lame. I asked him to elaborate. He said she is off on one hind leg and one front leg. He got her cat scans and xrays and the vets are telling him she is fine, there is nothing wrong with her. He thinks her brain is telling her she is off. Thats what he told me. She has been with him since a yearling when he bought her for $4500 8 years ago and she rides well and is broke broke. He asks if he can pick her up in Ramona and bring her tonight? He said "I can no longer afford her maa'm, can you please take her?"

I said "ok", since he was so polite and this is indeed a curious case. She will be coming in about 11pm tonight. Stay tuned to see what is going on with this mare. First thing we will do is get the chiropractor out for her.

I heard a neigh, Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh it was. My very heart leaped with the sound - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Back to my soup.

Say yes to compassion. Take a leap of faith, even when it makes no rational sense to you at all at the time. Throw caution to the wind and commit, and you will see the endless possibilities open up for your life...with horses.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday June 7 - The New Thoroughbred Arrives & A Sign Appears

This morning we picked up the exracing thoroughbred gelding who was rescued from the charreada a year and a half ago as a tripping horse. He is only 8 years old and has had eight owners. Lots of claiming races. He is a big handsome boy and very nice, well mannered, and his rescuer took good care of him. He will be apprentice trained and up for adoption in the future.

And today a wonderful FalconRidge sign appeared at the front of the ranch...thanks to Justin and Chiara! Wow, it looks fantastic, thank you so much and what a nice surprise to see as I drove down the driveway! Justin and Chiara have adopted Daisy and are expecting their own baby soon.

Volunteer meeting today at the ranch and brainstorming. Lots of good things coming soon to the ranch thanks to the great ideas of our wonderful volunteers!

And this was recently emailed to me, a horse-human age chart.

Age Relationship Chart Reveals More About Humans & Horses

Written by: Equine Resources International

A new Horse/Human Age Relationship Chart has just been released that seeks to better explain the relationship between the stages of life for humans and horses. This new information reveals that, beginning at birth, horses age 6.5 years for each human year until puberty. Once a horse reaches age four, that rate slows to 2.5 years for each human year.

The Age Relationship Chart, created by equine veterinarians, is intended to help horse owners better relate to and understand the health issues their horses may experience at each stage of life, said Dan Kramer, equine market manager at Pfizer Animal Health, who released the information. "Horses go through the same life cycles as do humans. They have distinct childhood, adolescence, puberty, maturity and geriatric phases of their lives, " Kramer said. "This chart will give horse owners added insight into their horse's life stages and greater understanding of the issues at each stage.

For example, a 22-year old horse would equate to a human of age 65.5. A horse that is 36 years old would be celebrating its 100th birthday if it was a person." Like humans, advancements in health care are allowing horses to live fruitful and productive--even competitive--lives well into their golden years. From this perspective, the chart offers not only a point of reference, but also a challenge for horse owners, equine veterinarians and equine health care companies.

Equivalent Age In Years

Horse
1 2 3 4 5 7 10 13 17 20 24 27 30 33 36

Human
6 13 18 20 24 28 36 44 53 60 70 78 86 93 100

And Congrats to Burt Reynolds for recieving the Equine Advocates 2009 Safe Home Equine Protection Award! Burt will be honored for his commitment to the protection of America's wild and domestic horses and his strong opposition to horse slaughter.

Here are some other celebrities who love horses:

RICHARD GERE:

Rappaport says that Gere is passionate about Appaloosas, bred by the Nez Perce tribes of the Northwest. They were probably the first selectively bred horses in America. Gere and his wife Carey Lowell own four Appaloosas. Gere is very active in the "Chief Joseph Foundation," which focuses on the Nez Perce cultural preservation, emphasizing kids and horse programs. Gere really loves his horses. Rappaport quotes him as saying, "First horses are like your first girlfriend. You never forget."

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY:

People might be surprised to find that Brinkley is a champion cutting horse rider. Cutting horses are those that are used to herd cattle. Brinkley became interested in the sport in the early '90s and even put together her own cutting horse show. Rappaport says the sport is dangerous, but Brinkley feels no fear when she is riding. However, Rappaport adds, "She's not doing that much anymore since the birth of her children."

ROBERT REDFORD:

How did they get Robert Redford to agree to be in the book? Rappaport said she wrote him a very funny letter and he agreed to do it. Her sister Linda was a nervous wreck. Suddenly they found themselves out with Redford and then in his study doing an interview. Rappaport admits to "picking the smallest bench" so she could sit close to him. She says, "Roy Rogers and Trigger inspired Robert Redford and gave him his passion for Palominos." She says that Redford's love of horses is very much a part of his being an environmentalist and getting back to nature. Linda shot the photos and Rappaport taped the interview on the same day. At the end of the session, she checked the tape and found that she had failed to record any of the interview. She says he was "adorable" and graciously agreed to do it again.

DENNIS QUAID:

"He's all 'hands-on.' He takes care of his horses himself and enjoys hanging out with them," says Jill. "He's a fearless rider. He rides very fast and covers a lot of ground. And he's got this adorable little dog, Clyde, who rides with him, holding onto Dennis." Quaid has a ranch in Montana. After being there a few days, he can't imagine leaving to go back to L.A. In the book Quaid says: "I love the way the world looks on horseback, the way it moves by…You get to experience the sound of your own heartbeat and the sense of silence that is so important to us all."

MARIA SHRIVER:

Maria Shriver agreed to be in the book early on - before her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would run for governor of California. She says riding and horses were a big part of her growing up. Shriver was always surrounded by a lot of boys, and horses were her way of doing something on her own. The shoot for the book happened just after Shriver's horse died, and she was still mourning its loss. The photos of her in the book are with Schwarzenegger's White Andalusian.

KELSEY AND CAMILLE GRAMMER:

Riding is a "form of therapy" for Kelsey Grammer. And, Rappaport says, "He's got a 'great seat.'" That refers to the way he sits on the horse and rides. Rappaport says that he's a very elegant rider and he adores spending time with his horses in the outdoors.

Happy Sunday and may all the horses have a full stomach tonight.

Love,
Nicki

The Stallions Get Gelded

Kingston and Toby were castrated Friday morning by Dr. Jeff Moss. The procedure went well and both boys are fine, although Kingston appears a little sore this morning. He is on Buteless.

Spirit worked well yesterday with David and pipe panels got delivered to put up more paddocks. We need help with that today.

I got an email from Officer Rita of Riverside who said all three donkeys should have a home. We owe Officer Rita a dinner for taking care of that!

The thoroughbred who had been used as a tripping horse will be coming in tomorrow.

Volunteer Karin is sponsoring Magic! Thank you so much Karin! She will be working with thim to build up his quadroceps.

Little Owl the medicine hat filly has arrived from Colorado and went straight to the Zellers new ranch as their newest family member. Thanks guys!

New horse is on the rehoming blog...there are others in need and I will mention them when I get a breather.

Love,
Nicki

Friday - Mystery Horse Gets a Name & Our Animal Control Laws

Well all the FalconRidge horses survived the lightning and thunder storm yesterday without getting hit. Mother Nature just wanted to wake everybody up in San Diego yesterday I guess.

Apprentice trainer Meredith has named the grey gelding "Mystery"! what a great name. She said it fits him.

Geld Em!

Thats a great bumper sticker I have seen and sends a great message to the community about the overpopulation and backyard breeding of horses, which of course contributes to more horses going unwanted and to slaughter each year. Someone asked me if we would adopt out a stallion and I said no way, we geld them and then train them and adopt them out as geldings. We don't need any more baby horses. Just ask the 75,000 horses that go to slaughter every year if we need more? Tomorrow we are gelding Kingston, the 8 yr old arabian stallion and Toby, the 5 yr old spotted horse stallion. Dr. Moss will be here at 8am for the procedure.

What to do if you see a neglected or abandoned horse?

I have been in contact with Dawn Danielson, Director of Animal Services with the County of San Diego, and DJ Gove of the San Diego Humane Society to get tips for people on how the animal control department works and what people can do or expect if they see animal neglect or abandonment. Heres what she had to say:

If a horse has been abandoned at a boarding facility, what do do?

"When a boarding facility has a contract with a dog owner, horse owner etc it is covered California Civil Code 1834.5 Abandoned Animals. Basically if the owner does not pick up the animal within 14 calendar days after the date it was due to be picked up the animal is deemed abandoned. The person into whose custody the animal was placed shall try for a period of 10 days to find it a new home or humanely euthanize the animal. Most boarding horses don’t have a pick up due date. I would send a certified letter giving a pick-up date and when they fail to pick it up within 14 calendar days then it is deemed abandoned etc etc. They should get a copy of the law and/or contact an attorney.

My boarder left his horse on my property and has not paid his bill. What are my responsibilities to the animal and how can I get it off my property?

Once you accept an animal into your facility, you become responsible for the care and well-being of the animal regardless of whether your board bill is paid.

California CC §1834 establishes that a boarding facility, (large or small, professional or hobby) has a legal duty to provide the animal with necessary and prompt veterinary care, nutrition and shelter and treat them kindly. Any boarding facility failing to do these things may be liable for civil damages. Unfortunately, this means it costs the boarding facility money if the horse owner fails to uphold his/her end of the agreement.

A boarding facility has a few options to help reduce the financial strain. The first and easiest way to handle the problem is to have the horse owner waive their ownership rights and release the horse to the facility. Always do this in writing to avoid further issues down the road. Once the facility owner actually owns the horse he/she can either sell it or find it a new owner (hopefully one that will pay for it). If this option is not feasible, for example, due to the owner’s failure to be reached, then the boarding facility can seek to enforce its livestock lien. As this is a possessory lien the facility must continue to “hold” and care for the animal until such time as a court order can be obtained to sell the animal. If the horse is of little value, the lien option may be unappealing as the expense in maintaining the horse and costs involved are often greater than the money realized from selling the horse.

If the horse has little monetary value, the boarding facility may finally choose to relinquish their lien rights and deem the horse abandoned. This will not get the board bill paid, but sometimes getting the horse off the property is the most cost effective solution.

In order to comply with California’s abandonment law, the boarding facility must first post California CC §1834.5 in a conspicuous place warning each border of the provisions of this code section.

California CC §1834.5 states in pertinent part that if the owner of an animal does not pick the animal up within fourteen (14) calendar days after the day the animal was due to be picked up the animal shall be deemed abandoned. To protect itself from further legal problems, the boarding facility should send written notice by certified letter to horse owner at his/her last known address demanding the horse be removed from the property by a clearly stated date.
The notice should further advise that failure to remove the horse will result in the horse being deemed abandoned and euthanized.

The owner then has fourteen (14) calendar days to reclaim his/her horse. If, within these fourteen (14) days, the horse owner cannot be reached and/or does not respond, the horse is then deemed abandoned. Once the horse can legally be determined abandoned, the boarding facility must try for a period of at least ten (10) days to find a new owner for the animal. If the animal cannot be placed with a new owner during this time period, the boarding facility may have the horse humanely destroyed.

Prior to proceeding under the abandonment statute, boarding facilities should also notify their local animal control to ensure they are in compliance with all local ordinances. Remember, animal abandonment can also result in criminal charges against the horse owner and the local animal control would help make those determinations.

As a form of notice, boarding facilities may opt to include a provision in the boarding agreement reciting California CC §1834.5 and have the boarder initial by the paragraph. This done in connection with the posting on the premises ensures the boarding facility has adequately notified horse owners of this potential outcome animal abandonment.

What if I think a horse has been abandoned on private property?

I think there is only one thing they can legally do and that is call the proper authorities. Period. As far as the 14 days that is strictly a civil procedure when a horse owner has entered into a verbal or written contract for Boarding. It has nothing to do with horses (or dogs) that are abandoned on their own property or left on someone else’s property under the cloak of darkness. People do not have the right to post their own notices, take the animals, or do anything else. They have one duty and that is to call either animal control or whatever humane society that works the area.
If someone (other then the proper authority) takes the horse it is Grand Theft.

There is no “one size fits all” in an investigation. As to how long will it take the authorities to respond that depends on the nature of the call. If horses are emaciated etc it would be handled immediately and the horses seized. If just a little thin etc it may be a few days to respond and depending what the investigation reveals that will dictate the outcome.

What is the penalty for abandonment? There is no one size fits all here either. It may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony and the penalty depends on the courts.. Generally a misdemeanor is a $600.00 or $1000.00 fine and/or 6 months in jail and a felony for animal abuse is a $20,000.00 fine and 3 years in prison. This can range from a slap on the wrist and community service to actual prison time depending on the evidence etc etc.

I saw my neighbors move out and I know they lost their home to the bank, and I see their horses are still there and might be abandoned, what do I do? Call the authorities.

2. If I suspect someone has abandoned horses on their property should I feed them? That depends. Ask the agency that will be investigating. Generally it’s helpful if the investigator sees hungry animals but on the other hand no one wants an animal to starve. So check with the agency and follow their instructions.

3. Who do I call and what can I expect to happen when calling about abandoned horses? Call the Sheriff, the police (whoever it is for that area) San Diego County Animal Control or a Humane Society.

4. What is the timeframe for when the horses will be investigated or removed from the property? It depends on the nature and urgency of the call.

5. What happens if I have taken the horses that I thought were abandoned? You can be arrested and prosecuted for grand theft.

6. Will the people go to jail? what is the penalty for abandonment? It depends. There is no “one size fits all”.

7. Will the animals or horses be up for adoption? or where do they go if AC removes them? Again, check with the investigating agency. When investigation is complete and the horses can legally be adopted that is usually what will happen unless the horse has an untreatable medical condition and the best and most humane outcome would be euthanasia.

8. Can I take the horses and place them myself? What happens if I do? No. That is Grand theft.

9. Should I follow up with AC officials after I have called and if so, after how many days? That is up to you.

10. What is the best way for me to help abandoned or neglected horses? Call the authorities.

Here it is in a very basic form. Owners MUST PROVIDE: Adequate food, water, shelter, (for horses-only in very extreme weather) and you have to show how no shelter is harming the horse) and vet care when needed. You must be able to show the harm if vet care is not provided in a particular incident.

If they fail to provide the above it does NOT mean you can automatically seize the horse nor does it mean they will be charged with cruelty or neglect...again EACH case is vastly different. That’s when training and experience are a must.
Then there are a bunch of laws that define what you can’t do. For that answer (a start) get a California penal code and look at everything under the number 597."

Phew! Ok, thank you Dawn! We get the picture. Call County Animal Services or the San Diego Humane Society ASAP if you suspect abandonment or neglect of a horse. Do not take it off the property or the owners cannot be legally prosecuted and held responsible for their crimes.

And now one of my favorite videos.

Its called "Its My Life" and its about horses who are speaking out to us humans to remind us that it IS their life, not ours. Respect them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aVpShcwtqM

Love,
Nicki

Thurs June 4th - The Domino Effect

This week is one of those domino effect weeks. In a rescuer's life the number of weekly calls and emails for urgent placement of horses rises and falls. This week its numerous. Old horses, young horses, sound horses, lame horses and non horses such as donkeys...all need homes, all need housing, all need food and care and someone to love them because right now they don't have that or will be losing it soon.

Meredith came for her first training session with mystery horse and did very well. She learned how to clicker train him to come right up to her for petting. Now realize that this horse was the last of two out of 26 that had been picked. He was not picked due to avoiding being touched or caught by humans. Today he was coming up to her for pets in one session. Well done Meredith!

Rebel and Lil Bitty went home to the Haller Family of Elfin Forest to a house of luxury. Happy trails to them!

Animal Control officials were telling me that people are ruining investigations of animal abandonment cases by taking animals off of property so they then cannot prosecute. I will be posting the rules and laws of what is best to do if you think a horse has been abandoned on the property. Which mainly is, call the animal control or humane society asap!

We need pipe panels. If you know of any please contact me.
Two more horses coming in and so we need some to go out. Please take a look at the cuties for adoption...Amber who is gorgeous, Dragon, Rainbow and more...

I heard from the woman who rescued the 8 yr old TB gelding. She said he was a racehorse that ended up at a mexican rodeo where he was used for roping...ie...horse tripping. She got him 350 lbs underweight, his rear legs badly injured and infected and he had countless whip marks on him. She fattened him up and tried to build his trust. He is sweet and loveable and needs professional training. He already has his apprentice trainer committed to him so thank you! David can only do two apprentice trainers right now due to him being quite booked up. He will be doing a True To Your Horse Horsemanship Clinic on Saturday, June 13th here at FalconRidge. This is one of his normal training clinics where people bring their horses and work on what they feel needs improvement for their relationship. David will also be a featured clinician at the Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno this August.

Pow Wow will be coming too. We are trying to arrange a ride from a friend.

Kingston and Toby will be gelded soon by Dr. Moss.

Tonight at 930 I got a call from someone saying they heard there are 26 starving thoroughbreds in Valley Center. I ask where? They dont have the address yet. I said get it or I cant do anything. They will call back.

Two older horses need homes, and two more. One TB is going to be put down if not saved soon and hes not that lame.

One horse at a time is what it takes to save horses.

Help us help them.

Honor lies in the mane of a horse - Herman Melville

Love,

Nicki

Wed June 3rd - Day of Donkeys

I got a phone call last night from a woman in Perris. She said the neighbors lost their home to the bank and moved out and left, sigh, three donkeys and a dog. The woman has placed the dog in a home, bless her heart, and is now looking to place the three donkeys who have been abandoned.

There are two females and one male. They are all friendly she said and come up to you for petting. I will be contacting Riverside Animal Control so they can hold the owners accountable for abandoning their animals, which is against the law. But still the donkeys will be needing homes.

If you have ever wanted a donkey or would like them or one, please contact me. They deserve better love than they got from their previous owners who left them.

Love,
Nicki

Tues June 2nd - Mystery Horse Gets His Apprentice Trainer!

A big thank you to Meredith Schuler of Ramona for wanting to be the apprentice trainer and sponsor for mystery grey gelding. He has arrived today and is cute. Looks like a quarter horse and David likes his looks. Its evident he has not been touched! Meredith will be the only one working him with David and gets to name him. How exciting as we get to see his training unfold here on the blog.

Don't worry if you were wanting to be the Apprentice Trainer as there is another horse coming in soon...the 8 yr old TB gelding who will need training as well. So another opportunity to work with another horse and David by yourself. This horse has been abused though and used for roping and horse tripping in the mexican rodeos. He will have different issues but he is big, bay and handsome! So contact me if you are interested in apprentice training for him.

The 25 year old Levi needs a home by June 25th I am told. Another horse in need...

"Ask not what horses can do for you. Ask what you can do for horses" Nicki

Monday June 1st - Mystery Horse Arrives Tomorrow!

It must be Monday. Mondays are always wacky. Officer Rita of Riverside Animal Control Department contacts me and lets me know that Prince, their poster child got adopted this weekend by a family. Good! I tell her. Im glad. She then goes on to tell me about the two horses left from the animal hoarder case, and the one I have to take...instead of Prince. Officer Rita is funny. "He's grey" she says, "he no longer looks like an arab and he doesn't have a mean bone in his body". She said she even got a halter on him. Can I take him please???

Well, we have decided to do something for the mystery grey gelding who was once starved for 4 years while living with an animal hoarder. We would like to see if anyone out there would like to sponsor mister Mystery Horse, then be able to name him, and? apprentice with David in the evaluation and training of this horse. This would take a 6 month commitment of sponsorship at $100 a month which helps pay for food and care of the gelding while being able to participate fully in his training under David's professional eye and instruction. It would essentially be your project horse and I am certain he will teach you tons, as well as what you will learn while working with David. So? all you wanna be trainers out there, or those who just want to learn and be a part of this horses transformation going from not being halter broke to riding under saddle (hey, remember Sparkle?) then email me asap at nickbranch@aol.com and say You want to be the apprentice trainer for this horse. Updates of his progress will be posted on the blog so everyone can see how he is doing. Mystery grey gelding is arriving tomorrow...thanks to Officer Rita. I should tell her to bring more pipe panels as we definitely need them to make more stalls. Rebel and Lil Bitty are going to their new adopters home Wednesday morning.

Today I listened to a voicemail as I was driving to the post office on my lunch hour. It was from Debbie, the wonderful lady who sponsors Baron and is riding him now. She was just calling to say how amazed she is at all we do as she read the blog this morning. She said she is so blessed to be able to come to FalconRidge and work with Baron and see how great he is coming along, with all the other rescues. She went on about how happy everyone seemed on Saturday and what a good thing we are doing and where the heck did we come from..then she got choked up and started crying saying how touched she is by what we do. So now I'm driving down Valley Parkway listening to the voice mail (yes, hands free) and I have tears streaming down my face as I'm listening to such heartfelt touching words about how someone is so touched to be a part of FalconRidge. That message and others of encouragement really really help, honestly. Thank you so much Debbie for your words, I appreciate them and sorry I made you cry but glad they were happy tears. Debbie is a San Diego City policewoman. She rocks.

I was contacted tonight by a woman who said she contacted me months ago about an 8 yr old thoroughbred she rescued from the owner of the local mexican rodeo who had been abused. He is in a stall in San Marcos and does not get out so theres no where to work him or let him run. His picture is down below under the name of "jojo". David and I know that if horses are supposed to come here, then they will. The horses that are meant to be here are the ones that arrive. It all works. The woman says that "everyone says you are the best and thats what he needs."

Ok, now that was not fair.

Happy Monday, Day of tears and many horses....
Love,
Nicki

Sunday May 31 - Adopted Rescue Horse Flicker Wins Blue Ribbons!

I received a wonderful email today regarding Flicker, the rescued red roan mare that was adopted out to a family with a young lady named Kyla. Flicker had been abandoned in the past at a barn in Bonsall. She was losing weight, and the barn owner was trying to sell her, then give her away but nobody wanted Flicker as she now had ribs showing. I talked to the man who had her and he said he kept feeding her hay and she was still losing weight. I said I will take her and David went and picked her up.

The problem was easy enough, Flicker needed her teeth floated and had some wave mouth going on according to Dr. Jeff Moss. She started to gain weight here and then David evaluated her under saddle. Flicker had been charro trained and rode pretty well. She was adopted out to a family that was looking for a horse for their daughter to ride and she had a trainer.

Today we heard from Flicker, now named Flicka, and Kylas trainer:
"They went to their first gymkhana show on Saturday. We entered her in the FC class (future champion). It is a trot or slow canter level. Well she won high point for the day. She got 4 firsts and 1 second place. They both did great! Kyla can not wait for the next show. They are a great team together. Flicka is a great kids horse."

Way to go Flicka and Kyla! You make us proud!

I also heard from Joy, thanking me for the news blog and what we do here. Thanks for reading it Joy! and hope to see you soon.

Today at the ranch there were more people. Elani took a lesson in the arena on Buns. Gene and Dana worked with Maui in the roundpen and Maui was jumping over barrels.
Little Blitzen got to play with Rocket the colt in the turnout area and was strutting her stuff, jumping in the air and twisting.

Jellybean was moved out into the pasture so she can heal from her shoulder surgery and more naturally and go up and down hills. Shasta is happy she is out there and has buddied with her.

Rene came out and is taking a liking to Cloud. And volunteer Fawn cleaned stalls and then asked to ride so we let her ride Rainbow and she did great. Mary rode Snowbell bareback and then worked with Cimmaron. Mary has been here a year and is now very helpful and teaching people and the new volunteers horsemanship handling techniques. I smile when I watch her and all she has learned. She is the best.

I received another email this afternoon. Not the good kind.

It is from a young lady in Chicago who moved there to go to college. She has a thoroughbred gelding she showed hunter/jumper when she was younger and her parents are now in a messy divorce, he is losing weight and health is deteriorating. I asked her how old he is and why is his health poor? She said

"He is 11 years old. We don't know exactly why his health is deteriorating because my mother cannot afford a veterinary examination. He's lost a lot of weight due to poor nutrition and he sometimes goes into episodes of shock. At the time, my mother thought that he was colicking and dying but still did not call the vet. During an episode, he'll pace one section of the pasture for hours, and then become completely exhausted. He'll lay down and not get up, and cold sweat continuously. My neighbor took a vet technician class and said that his gut sounded okay, but that he was in shock.

My neighbor has come over several times to put blankets on him when he's coldsweating and to bring him a little bit of senior feed to eat. He's repeated this episode several times and I suspect that it's from poor nutrition and a lack of basic veterinary care. My mom has inherited him during the divorce but seems unable to care for him properly. She keeps saying that she has no money and that she has no other option than to put him to sleep. I'm urgently combing craigslist and other equine rescue sites.

He has had mysterious periods of lameness in the past (although these haven't cropped up for several years) and so all horse-shoppers are weary of taking him for fear that he'll develop navicular. We had him x-rayed for navicular about 5 years ago and the x-ray did not show this. He's such a good, well-mannered horse and would make somebody an excellent companion with very basic veterinary and nutritional care. My neighbor says that he's undernourished. If an equine center should take him, I'm confident that he would do well with the proper care and attention. I would also work to partially-sponsor him. Thank you for any help or advice you can offer."

After a few more emails I found out from this woman that I had talked to her father months ago on the phone. He called very upset about the divorce (restraining order and all) and I ended up talking to him for awhile as he needed an ear to listen to him. The wife had gotten the horse and he said she would not take very good care of it. Well I guess he was right! A horse that is colicking and in pain like that MUST be seen by a vet! It is illegal to not get your horse, or cat, or dog, medical care when it is injured or in pain! This horse is obviously not with a caring person. This horse is only 11 years old.

Breakups are bad enough without causing the added stress to the daughter who is back east and cannot care for her horse, as well as the current neglect of the horse. I remember the father asking me to call his exwife to see if she would give up the horse and I was hesitant to call as it was right in the midst of their arguing and he was not sure she would surrender it.

I should have called. I am sorry Pow Wow.

That is the horses name. His name is Pow Wow. He used to be shown at Del Mar, a fancy hunter guy. He is no longer fancy or fussed over..he is hurting and losing weight. It sounds like Pow Wow has either stones, or sand in the gut by his symptoms she described. But we have no idea until he is seen by a vet, and that is what is needed. I told her Pow Wow could come.

I am sorry this young lady as well as Pow Wow have to go through this. Life is too short to be filled with anger or hate towards others. Turn off the anger towards other people. Drop down in your heart, learn to forgive and forget. Create a new life from this day forward, look positively towards the future and envision your success and happiness, truly see it in your mind..and it will come.

Pow Wow is dreaming of happiness, a vet check up and a full tummy right now.

Horses dream too.

Love,Nicki

Saturday May 30 - Horsemanship Day

Today David took volunteers Peg, Shirley, Meredith and Brian in the arena, each with a horse, and trained them in true to the horse horsemanship and handling.

Then the Susan from Alpha Sonic came with some students and worked on Salsa, Rowdy and pistol.

Meredith, who is sponsoring Toby then got to do training work with him under David's instruction in the roundpen. She did fantastic handling this five year old stallion and learned how to work him back and forth in hand in the halter and provide him leadership. He followed her direction and she was beaming from ear to ear.

Christe, who is sponsoring Kingston, was able to do the same thing under David's instruction, working her 8 year old arabian stallion in the roundpen. Kingston is a previously unhandled horse who is coming around nicely now with interaction with Christe and other humans in his stall. Christe did a fantastic job working Kingston back and forth in the roundpen.

Gene and Dana were here and also Mary, all working with their horses.

It is so nice to see people learning how to train green horses in this natural way and it helps us so much in the horses training to get such help from the volunteers.

Mid day I got a call from officer Rita of Riverside Animal Control. She has a horse named Prince that was seized from the animal hoarder case last year and nobody seems to want him. This horse was the most starved horse out of the herd of 26 horses and was featured in newspaper and online articles regarding the cruelty case, and was the countys poster boy for this case also. He is on this blog down below. Prince is famous by his photo for showing others and the judge how cruel his owner/hoarder was to starve him and 25 other horses. How can someone not want him? I thought.

I told her he could come...even though stalls are overflowing with horses.

Come from a place of love, compassion and caring... and things have a magical way of working out just right.

Love,
Nicki

Friday May 29th - The Awareness of Magic

Today it dawned on me why Magic, the wonderful, handsome, registered and rideable quarterhorse gelding has been "avoiding" being adopted out. Everyone has asked me why is Magic still here? I always told them I have no clue, other than he is nervous when being ridden and figured that he just had not found the right owner for him yet.

The other day Brian Zeller rode Magic in the arena and around the ranch. Brian is great in that he helps us train rescues and get them going under saddle. I watched Magic closely as Brian was riding him and could see as he cantered him at the end of the ride, Magic's stifle gave out a couple of times underneath him. He recovered and it was not that noticable by Brian but it stuck in my mind and I realized what Magic had going on with his left hind leg. Its called upward fixation of the patella. It is not a serious condition but it can be quite disconcerting for the horse as he is waiting for his kneecap to slip while he is being ridden. David said that is most likely why he is more nervous under saddle then the wonderful calm pet he is on the ground, and he is absolutely right. Magic was anticipating the catch in his kneecap or it slipping.

There are treatments for the condition such as making the horse ride uphill alot, or shots, or surgery. But? I think Magic has been stoic enough in letting people ride him with it so we think it best he doesnt have fret or worry about people on his back and his kneecap slipping anymore. He does not have to be ridden. Anyone looking for the most marvelous sweet petlike quarterhorse, please let me know. And thank you Magic, for showing me the way to what you really want and need. Us people are so dumb sometimes.

I got another great email yesterday from a reader. She said:

" I just read the touching email from Tyra's owner. I'm sure you hear this often, but like her, your blog touches me every time I read it, not only for your tireless efforts to save unwanted horses, but for your encouraging words. Sometimes I feel like you are speaking right to me, like maybe God is using you. I'm trying to figure out where I belong and what I was created to do here. I'm pretty sure I am meant to be involved with horses, but even if they are not involved in my career, I need to "create my dream and improve things in this world", to just go out and make it happen…..maybe then I'll find it. "

Thanks for those kind words and yes by all means go create your dream and help improve things in this world!

I heard from Sparkles owner who sent pictures of her daughters riding Sparkles, who they just recently adopted. Shes a far cry from being in that feedlot headed for slaughter and it warms my heart to see how wonderful she is for those girls and her owner. They will have great fun together!

Adopt a rescued horse today...it WILL make your life better!

Love,
Nicki

May 28th - What it's all about...

I recently received this email:

"I know that the wonderful things you do for your rescues are self evident, but not sure if you realize how your site affects those who visit it. I'am 49 and have probably ridden for the last time due to ill health and progressively lost nerve. I purchased a little 14.2 hand mare in Sept of last year, she was to be my last try at getting over my fears, very quiet at 10 years old. She immediately (day 2 of ownership) got very ill, was laid up and on antibiotics for 2 wks. Started to look very round and had vet palpate when he came for recheck and sure nuff she was pregnant. Did not ride her again, too afraid of harming the foal.

On May 13 she delivered a lovely little grulla filly. Had been torn because everyone gave me grief about not riding, and that with my inexperience shouldn't have a foal, that I would ruin her. Many people want them,I really believe just for possible resale.

After spending some time reading your thoughts, have decided to keep them here. We have 12 acres with a big run in shed and have not been affected by the bad economic turn. I ( thanks to you) no longer feel guilty about owning a horse that I do not ride and I know for a fact they are safest with us.

So you not only helped ease my heart and mind, but you saved two innocent horses from potential abuse and neglect. I've added a picture, in this Tyra is 5 hrs old. She is handled all over about 3 times a day, and is lifting all four feet for us. I may not do everything just right, but I now have the confidence to try.

Thank you for changing lives. "

Now that was nice to read! Thank "you" for letting me know, and for sticking strong to your convictions of not feeling guilty about not riding your horse. Peer pressure is a unique thing. Sometimes it can be good, such as helping you go out and do something you need encouragement for, like to go buy a horse if you want!, but? it can also be discouraging and disempowering, especially if friends point out what "they" feel you should be doing in their eyes.

One good way to filter such advice out is to ask such well intended friends after they give unsolicited advice (emphasis on the word "unsolicited"!) is "are you empowering me with your suggestions? or trying to disempower me..ie..make me feel bad about what I am doing or the choices I have made?"

We each have in our hearts ideas of the next things what we want to do in life or desire to have or do. Letting other people know and verbalizing those ideas to others is a great way to make things happen, to propel you to action, to make declarations that will help you go after your ideals because you have now shared that. On the flip side, it also opens up your dreams and plans to the scrutiny, criticism and opinions of other people. Pick and choose what you wish to hear and stick fast to your hearts' convictions.

You got a horse to get over your fears you say? Well congrats. Well done! Your horse "has" made you get over your fears...the bigger ones, the ones that hold people back from doing what they want in life or getting what they want, the internal fear we all have of thinking we can't possibly know what's right to do...therefore others must know!

Your horse has helped you stand up to others and say "sorry, horses do not have to be ridden. Horses were not born with saddles or people on their backs, they were not meant to have riders. Its just that us humans have decided to "use them" for our benefit to get somewhere quicker and easier!"

and guess what? You have also found, and will prove to your suggestors, that it is not that incredibly hard to have and care for a foal...Mother Nature does wonders in that department! SO kudos to you!

Enjoy baby Tyra and the wonderful time you will spend with her and her mother, keep educating others, and listening to your heart...for that part is never wrong.

You Rock and I applaud you!!!

Love,
Nicki

Wednesday May 27 - The Adventures of Dragon

DRAGON'S STORY

Dragon's story starts with a phone call on March 15, 2006 from a woman who had gone to a home in Valley Center to see a horse a woman had to get rid of due to a divorce. She had visited the horse and shocked at how he was thin and in need of care and therefore called FalconRidge. She gave us the address and said the woman would gladly turn the horse over to us and that she had gotten him from the track and saved him from going to slaughter.

It sounded urgent, so we called the woman and drove over with the horse trailer that evening. When we arrived we saw Dragon in a roundpen in the front yard of the home. He had some grass hay in front of him and we could see his ribs showing, his coat dull and he seemed depressed. His eyes pleaded with us. We haltered him and he walked completely calmly down the driveway and into our trailer, as if he knew where he was going. We brought him to the ranch and promptly gave him some alfalfa hay. He started to gain weight and in the next two weeks his ribs had started to disappear. A month later his coat was black and shiny and he looked like a completely different horse. I called him Dragon. He was tall and black.

I wanted to know who Dragon was so looked at the tattoo under his lip and called the Jockey Club to see if I could match him up. I found out Dragon was a special horse, the lady on the phone said you will definitely want a report on him because he won so much! Well, Mr. Dragon, the discarded horse I found out had won over $181,000 by racing for four years on the track! That is alot of money, but I guess not enough to secure him a place in a retirement pasture for the remainder of his life. He was used, like a machine, for money, and discarded.

Dragon had 10 wins in 28 starts and lots of second and third places. His registered name was Rhetoric Express. He was lame on one of his front legs and I got Dr. Moss out to xray him and see if anything could be done. After consulting with the specialists, Joe Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, it was decided to wait and see if his fetlock fused at the joint so as to strengthen it. He was turned out in pasture and allowed to recuperate and run and play with the other horses.

Dragons leg got better and better and now he appears to be completely sound and pain free on it. His personality is that of extreme politeness with people, and gentle, although in the pasture he rules the other horses and lets them know he is in charge.

Dragon is a survivor and a noble one at that.

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said

"Stop Breeding. Adopt a Rescue"

I would like to create a bumper sticker that says

"Stop Breeding. Adopt a Rescue Horse"

"In life, many thoughts are born in the course of a moment, an hour, a day. Some are dreams, some visions. Often, we are unable to distinguish between them. To some, they are the same; however, not all dreams are visions. Much energy is lost in fanciful dreams that never bear fruit. But visions are messages from the Great Spirit, each for a different purpose in life.

Consequently, one person's vision may not be that of another. To have a vision, one must be prepared to receive it, and when it comes, to accept it. Thus when these inner urges become reality, only then can visions be fulfilled. The spiritual side of life knows everyone's heart and who to trust. How could a vision ever be given to someone to harbor if that person could not be trusted to carry it out.

The message is simple: commitment precedes vision."
High Eagle

Go create your reality.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday May 23rd - Chiropractic Clinic

Today Dr. Don Moore gave an equine chiropractic seminar at FalconRidge which was free for the public. He started with demonstrating stretching exercises to do on your horse before riding or working it. He used Rowdy who seemed to love being adjusted and stretched and was an extremely good boy! Dr. Don gave handouts and descriptions of the exercises are:

1. Carrot stretches, side to side and up and down for the head and neck.

2. Fetlock release, where you pick up the hoof and pop the fetlock by bending it up quickly.

3. Cannon rotations - With your elbow locked into theirs lift the hoof to 90 degrees and rotate counter clockwise 3 times, then clockwise 3 times.

4. Front Leg Stretches - Pull front leg forward, supporting under horses "knee" and hold for 12 to 15 seconds. Pull front leg back and hold for 12 to 15 seconds.

5. Hind Legs - Rear Fetlocks. Extend the leg down and let the hoof drop and support sesamoid bones. Extend leg back and let it relax. Remember to use your legs and no matter what, if the horse pulls back or away let it win. Pull the leg forward, stretching the hind side of the horses back leg.

6. Tail pull - Lean all your weight back and pull. Only do this once per month on your horse.

7. Belly Scratches - Use the round end of a sharpie pen and scratch the belly to bring the back up.

After he did the stretching exercises on Rowdy he adjusted him and Rowdy was out in his spine and his sacrum was misaligned. Then Dr. Don adjusted Baron, the ex racer who had a lower jaw out of alignment and his hind end was tensed up in pain. Both horses looked much better after the adjustment physically, and they were relaxed as if relieved. Dr. Don answered questions from the audience and we then chatted during lunch.

Chiropractic is great for horses and can solve so many issues and make them feel better. He is a degreed human chiropractor who sold his practice to work exclusively on horses. Dr. Don Moore comes to San Diego now once a week and is fantastic for your horse and is a wonderful human being.
His contact information is
(949) 295-4263
drdonmoore@yahoo.com

Many thanks to Peg for assisting Dr. Don today and holding horses. Thanks to Meredith for making new bridle racks and organizing raffle items and donation board.

A great website for natural horsemanship information and articles is the Eclectic Horseman, http://www.eclectic-horseman.com/content/view/71/33/ This site represents the old traditional California Vacquero way of training and riding a horse and has super information on it.

Who Was Anne Ryerss?

The Oldest Equine Rescue Organization in America

Ryerss Farm began more than one hundred years ago through the vision of an animal enthusiast during a time when society depended greatly on horses in everyday activities. Anne Waln Ryerss, along with her husband Joseph, a prominent businessman in the Philadelphia area, was greatly troubled when she saw a work horse mistreated. A feisty lady, Anne was known for stopping a horse in the middle of the street, if necessary, and persuading the owner to bring the horse to her summer home at Burholme (now part of the Fairmount Park Commission in Philadelphia). Supposedly, the horse’s new home was just temporary until his health improved and he was able to return to work. But, in most cases, Anne convinced the owner the horse never fully recuperated and therefore, the horse was permitted to spend his remaining days living under Ryerss’ care.

Following Anne’s death, Robert Waln Ryerss, Anne’s stepson and prominent lawyer in Philadelphia, established and chartered a hospital for “ill, aged and injured animals” under the terms of Anne’s will. Anne bequeathed $30,000 to launch the animal hospital and placed $40,000 in endowment to maintain the farm. From Anne’s estate, Robert bought an 80 acre farm at Meeting House and Krewstown Roads in the Bustleton section of Northeast Philadelphia.

On September 17, 1888 Ryerss Infirmary for Dumb Animals was incorporated as a charitable institution, with Robert serving as the first President until he retired in September 1895. The objective was “to provide a permanent home for old favorites whose owners, instead of destroying or selling them, desire to place them under good treatment for the remainder of their days.” The first horse, noted as “old, blind and weak”, arrived on June 11, 1889.

To help the Infirmary financially, the Farm in Bustleton was sold to move to a less expensive location. As a result, Ryerss leased the Packard Laird Farm in Chesterbrook and in June 1927 the horses moved to their new home. At this farm, Ryerss began to focus on the care of retired horses.

Deep into the Depression, the buyer of the Bustleton farm was consistently in default of paying his mortgage. So, in January 1933 Ryerss Trustees voted to foreclose on the mortgage. And, in May 1933 the residents were moved back to the Bustleton Farm, where they remained until May 1956. At this time, Ryerss purchased a 108-acre farm on King Road in West Whiteland Township, which would serve as Ryerss’ home for more than 30 years. On the property stood a barn with 40 box stalls, which was one of the largest in the county in its day.
Scouting for a farm in a less densely populated area, Ryerss located the present day farm in South Coventry and Warwick Townships in Chester County. The farm consisted of three smaller farms, totaling 363 acres.

In November 1987, 34 residents moved to their new home. Then, in September 2000, Ryerss Farm purchased an adjoining property, adding an additional 20 acres. On February 21, 2001, approximately 330 acres of Ryerss Farm were placed into the Chester County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Under the direction of the Board of Directors on October 10, 1991, the farm’s name was changed to Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines to more accurately describe its mission. http://www.ryerss.com

Anne Ryerss is a woman of passion, vision and greatness who just could not stand for something she saw as not right, the mistreatment of horses...her brilliance is something which we all have in us.

Go create your dream and help improve things in this world...just like Anne did for horses.

Love,
Nicki

May 22nd - Jellybean Returns & Horses, Everyone's New "Pet"

Jellybean is back at FalconRidge after recovering at the Zellers foster home from her surgery on her shoulder to remove the broken bone chips. The Zellers have purchased a new ranch in Valley Center and will be moving in next week so congrats to them and a big thanks for fostering horses such as Lola, Lucky and Jellybean! Fostering helps us out by providing food and personal care for a horse and takes some of the burden off of our huge rescue expenses, so please contact me if you are interested in fostering a rescued horse.

Jellybean has healed up well and appears to be moving better on that left shoulder. Her leg is just a tad turned out still but should be able to return to normal with rehabilitation and trimming. She is a very huggable horse and likes hugs.

There are still many thousands of horses that go to slaughter from this country and we would like to eliminate that cruel fact and instead find homes for those horses. The first and foremost solution is less breeding. Same as with spay and neuter your dogs and cats, we need to not indiscrimminately breed horses as there are several unwanted ones out there already who need a perfectly good home. If you know someone who is breeding their horse, ask them why? Is it a performance champion with perfect conformation? Does it have an incredibly nice disposition along with that? Will you take responsibility for the offspring you produce and take them in down the road if they are unwanted? Those are the kinds of questions which will help eliminate thousands and thousands of horses going to slaughter each year if people would just consider that. Fugly Horse Of The Day is a blog of a friend of mine that discusses breeding facts and has started a movement across this country to stop breeding horses unecessarily. http://fuglyhorseofthesay.blogspot.com
She has also started HorseReunions.com, a website where responsible breeders can post their contact information if any of their babies they bred need to be rehomed in the future. A very very good thing.

Horses make the perfect "pet". In an effort to place more horses in loving homes we would like to point out that you do not have to ride your horse as they make the perfect pet for your family. There are many many wonderful things you can do with a horse without being on its back. They make great snugglies! A horse in your back yard is always there for you to grab onto and hug and talk to and they listen with a nonjudgemental heart and soul and provide a peaceful calmness in case you did not know that. Petting horses will lower your heart rate and give you a sense of well being and in general improve your overall health. You can take horses for walks on a lead, just like you do your dog...they love it! Horses love to just hang out with you and listen while you are talking to friends. Horses can be taught tricks which can make you laugh. They can chase coyotes out of your yard, and some horses have even saved lives, alerting owners to impending dangers such as fires by whinnying as loud as they can! So consider getting a horse as a pet same as a cat or dog and spread the word about the wonders of horse ownership to as many people as you can. Horses improve lives and your well being.

Rebel has been adopted along with Lil Bitty by the Haller Family! Yay for Rebel! He will be loved and cherished and pampered for the rest of his life along with Lil Bitty the mini and providing joy and happiness for his owners and her two young daughters for years to come. Rebel and Lil Bitty hit Lotto.

Toby, the latest rescued stallion has been sponsored by Meredith Watt for 6 mos! Thank you Meredith so much! Sponsoring Toby will help pay for his feed and rehabilitation as he is retrained the proper way and will be gelded in the future.

More horses in need. Phone calls about a 13 year old saddlebred in need of a home due to finances...and many more.

Help a horse in need today.

Love,
Nicki

May 20 - The Adventures of Nighthawk

Nighthawk was a little appaloosa colt who was born in a ramshackle Norco backyard in 1992. He grew up there in a small pen, never getting out in an area large enough to run around in. His owner bred one or two appaloosas each year and would sell them. The yard and stalls were cramped and full of junk. The owner liked to drink.

Nighthawk never did get petted or brushed, just fed. Day after day, year after year he ate and walked around his pen. Nobody wanted to buy Nighthawk as he was not the best looking appaloosa. He was tall, about 16.2 hands and had a large head that was quite opposite of refined. He also was a cryptorchid stallion, which meant his testicals had never dropped. It would be expensive to geld him as they would have to do abdominal surgery. So Nighthawk sat in that backyard. The owner thought he could sell Nighthawk at an auction, but then realized he could never catch him even to take him there. Nighthawk had never been haltered, or brushed, or handled..and he was 10 years old now.

The owner heard about the trainer David Lee Archer in Norco who could handle an unhandled 10 yr old stallion asked him if he would take Nighthawk. At the time we did not have a trailer yet so David asked one of his clients at the time if we could use it. They declined after hearing that Nighthawk was an unhandled 10 year old stallion. They did not want him to damage their new trailer they said.

I called a rescue friend of mine and asked her if we could borrow hers. She said she would be right over and haul him herself. Rescue chicks rock! It took careful manouvering but the trailer was backed into the driveway and up to Nighthawks pen. His pen was flimsy and just wire mesh on the backside barely being held up by t-posts. If we startled him too much he would jump right through it to the neighbors yard. As the three of us got ready to try and run him into the trailer, Nighthawk saw a one inch gap and aimed at it and pushed through a panel and got loose in the yard. We now had to catch a stallion who had never been haltered and was running around jumping over junk on the ground. It was hectic for 10 minutes, but we finally guided him into the trailer and closed the door.

Nighthawk was trailered to Davids stable in Norco and we unloaded him by backing up to his new pipe corral. I looked in the trailer and saw pieces of broken light cover inside. I said oh nooo, Nighthawk broke your inside trailer light with his big head. My friend Stephanie said Oh no, is he ok? She was concerned that the light hurt him, not that he broke something in her trailer. The next day David started his training by going in his stall and getting Nighthawk used to him and being touched. He was able to halter him for the first time.

A week later Nighthawk had his first roundpen lesson. As he was running around we noticed his gait was quite strange. He reached out and moved very awkwardly and just did not look right at he was trotting around. Then it hit me. Nighthawk had never been able to run around before. He had been in a stall for 10 years and was not really a place he could even trot in. He did not know how to run. We realized then how important it would be to condition him slowly as he had no muscle tone from no exercise. He had a beautiful white blanket on his rump and a dark liver chestnut color, with a silver mane and tail. He was striking and tall.

As the days and months went by Nighthawk learned to accept the saddle and David was riding him in the arena. He behaved pretty well under saddle, although he liked to constantly look for and call to the mares. As a stallion, he did not bite or kick and was very kind to humans. He wanted to get to other horses or mares though, and so would always push on his pen panels and try and move them with his chest. He became an expert at this. He was moved to FalconRidge when the ranch was bought in 2002. We didn't do much with him here other than ride him once in awhile. He was very interested in trying to get out of his stall or at least move it. If turned out in the roundpen, he would pace back and forth and then push it with his chest and ram it, moving the entire roundpen.

Nighthawk was constantly focusing on getting to a mare. One morning I found Nighthawk in the pasture next to his stud pen. Somehow, he had jumped out of the 6 foot pen, cleared another 3 feet and landed in the pasture with 2 geldings and 2 mares. We could not figure out how he did it. He was either a top equine high jumper, or he was beamed up and out of his pen by an alien ship during the night and placed in the neighboring pasture.

We took Nighthawk to Dr. Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital to get him abdominally castrated. It was a long surgery and several thousand dollars, but both testicals were located, removed and he was sewn back up. He recovered and we let him heal for several months to see if he was calmer. He was. One day a friend of one of Davids clients came and took a liking to Nighthawk. He started petting him in his stall and spending time with him. They bonded. He was a track coach at Mt. Carmel High School. The man rode Nighthawk here and liked him, so he took him home.

Nighthawk, the unwanted, unhandled cryptorchid appaloosa stallion finally had found his own family and owner after 15 years. Now he is a show champion.

One day David went to a Valley Center Vaqueros show last year and there he saw Nighthawk the gelding being shown by his owner. And he was proud of him.

Nighthawk proves that dreams can come true...if you hang on and go the distance and hope for that perfect person to come along in your life that you need, if you think about them long enough, and often enough...they will come. Create your own reality. Nighthawk did.

You're not ordinary...be extraordinary.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday May 17th - The Rescue of Toby, the Spotted Stallion

This morning David and I left at 7am to drive up to Winchester to get the 5 yr old walking horse stallion who is owned by the elderly couple who need to give him up. Toby is a beautiful tri color spotted horse and he injured his current trainer's back and was uncontrollable on the ground. David spent about 15 minutes in Tobys stall with him working him in hand back and forth, asking him to yeild his hindquarters and back up...providing the leadership that Toby needed. We found out that Toby had been abused in the past and neglected by a walking horse trainer who showed him in North Carolina. He was given drugs to show him we were told. Shame on those people for doing that to him. This boy is incredibly bright and handsome and is the nicest horse "now".

We brought Toby to FalconRidge and David worked with him in the roundpen and he did wonderfully. He is very smart and learns quick. He was calling to all the mares. He will be gelded in the near future.

Yesterday a lovely couple from Valley Center came by, Dan and his wife. They brought their horse for David to suggest and do a saddle fit for him as he was hard to fit. After he showed them what they would need, they said they were very appreciative that David's advice was free and that they would be making a donation. They then asked to see the rescued horses and look around, which we said of course. They will be attending Dr. Don Moore's Chiropractic Seminar this coming Saturday here at FalconRidge.

Today volunteer Mary got to go into to Kingston's stall, halter him and bring him over to another stall. She and the stallion did wonderfully!

Amber the walking horse mare was shown to a family and a new volunteer Rachel came out and was immediately attracted to Rainbow.

Today, I received no calls or emails from someone wanting to get rid of a horse....Hooray!

I spent some time with Nash today. Nash is my very first rescued horse and first horse I got after 24 yrs. Nash's story is on the main website. He was rescued from a barn in New York and had never been outside of it in all his 6 yrs of life. Nash loves people and likes to hang out with us while we talk.

It is beautiful riding weather. Nothing better than to be with your horse and ride as one in the early evening.

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears. ~Arabian Proverb

Love,
Nicki

Saturday May 16 - Kingston gets his mane combed out

Today volunteer Mary spent some time in Kingston's stall brushing him, haltering him, and was able to brush out his gorgeous mane finally. He is coming along slowly and loves Mary and to be petted. He will be moved over to a stall next to the other horses tomorrow to make room for the spotted walking horse stallion that is coming in tomorrow morning. We will be picking him up at 8am in Winchester.

More super duper volunteers out today to help with washing and cutting out feed barrels, cleaning stalls, and putting DG in stalls. David worked with Mary and Snowbell, and Denny. I finally got to ride and jumped on Dragon. He is such a good boy. A thoroughbred off the track and you have to kick him hard to trot. He prefers to walk .

Lola and Cloud were out playing in the arena. Cloud has been coming along well with his rehabilitative training and now David is able to canter him fine. He is now up for adoption.
Amber the tennessee walking horse mare has been evaluated by David yesterday and she was ridden out on trail and also did well, so she will be up for adoption also. Moriah and Rocket were turned out to play with Lola and Cloud, and of course my special girl, 30 yr old Salsa who is doing well and was running in the arena.

Today I was contacted about an aggressive yearling grulla colt that is very hard to handle from craigslist and emailed her back saying we could help if need be.

I was also contacted by the tennessee walking horse stallion's owner and arranged to pick him up tomorrow morning from his trainers. They said to bring a stud chain and this horse cannot be challenged or he will fight. I told her maa'm, we don't own any stud chains, even though at one point we had nine stallions here. I said David will be able to handle him with no problem. She said she wanted to warn me. I said I appreciate it, thank you . This horse is 5 yrs old and was shown for three years starting at age 16 months in North Carolina. While there, the trainer starved him and he returned home a rack of bones. He also was extremely mad and aggressive. Poor guy..we don't blame him. I'm sure he was not treated well. All of that will be behind him starting tomorrow.

And for those of you who don't know how to take your horse's vital signs, heres a great article from Equine Veterinary Service:

Vital Signs.
Quick Facts:
Temperature- A horse's normal body temperature is 99 - 101 F.

Pulse- The normal pulse rate, most often taken by listening to the heart on the left side of the chest just behind the left elbow, is 36 to 42 beats per minute. Young stock and ponies tend to be a bit faster.

Respiration-The normal rate for horses is between 8-12 breaths per minute.

Capillary refill time (time it takes for color to return to gum tissue adjacent to teeth after pressing and releasing with your thumb): 2 seconds.

Every horse owner needs to know what is "normal" for their horse. Knowing how your horse acts and reacts when he is feeling good will help you to faster realize when there is something "not right" with him. Reporting all of the signs before veterinary help arrives can often give a much clearer picture on the level of concernand the response rate.

This page is to educate you on a horse's vital signs. Knowing the vital signs, learning what is normal and what is not, will help you take care of them, and aid you in knowing when to call a vet.Below are the normal vital signs for adult horses. If you can determine the normal parameters of your horse that can be essential in your assessment of his health.Even horses with what might appear to be only a mild depression may be in critical condition. Knowing your horses normal vital signs, and comparing those numbers to times when one might suspect that he is ill, can be a VERY helpful aid in determining how quickly he needs veterinarian assistance.

Whether he is interested in feed or grass or not will tell the owner very quickly if the horse is ill. Horses are never "just not hungry".

Temperature: Take your horse's temperature when he is healthy so you can get a normal reading for him. The normal temperature for the horse is 100.0 degrees. However, a horse's temperature can vary somewhat with the season. During the winter, it is not uncommon for the temperature to drop to as low as 97. But usually, we are not concerned with temperature that are low, but rather, trying to determine if he is running a fever from an infection. During the winter, any temperature above about 100.5 should be suspect, with average fevers normally running from 101.5 up to 104. The summer heat, as well as any exercise, can often raise the core temperature upward even without a fever. This must be taken into account when the assessment is made. A race or show horse, after intense competition, can have a core temperature up to 105. Even at rest, in the summer heat under a tree, a temperature of 101 would not be considered abnormal. So events preceding the acquisition of the temperature must be taken into account before it is interpreted. A high fever doesn't always indicate a severe condition, but if his temperature is over 102 F, you should call your veterinarian.

How To Take a Horse's Temperature:The most accurate way to take a horse's temperature is rectally. Always secure a string to the end of the thermometer, so that it doesn't get lost The plastic digital thermometers work very well and are generally easier to use, and most of them beep when they are done. Be sure that if you use an older mercury-type thermometer, that you shake down the mercury before taking the horse's temperature.The horse should be tied or held still by an assistant. Lubricate the tip of the thermometer with petroleum jelly or Vaseline.Move the horse's tail to the side and out of the way and insert the thermometer into the horse's rectum, angled slightly towards the ground. Stand close to the horse's hip ,do not stand directly behind the horse, because some horses don't like this and might kick out - but most don't mind. For the most accurate reading, leave a mercury thermometer in position for at least 3 minutes. Many digital thermometers work well in less than 1 minute.Important: Always clean the thermometer well before returning it to its case...and especially if used on an ill horse, to prevent the spreading of an illness.

Pulse: The normal pulse rate, most often taken by listening to the heart on the left side of the chest just behind the left elbow, is 40 beats per minute.

Checking the pulse rate.
Another place to check the pulse rate.
Horses that are fit may have rates as low as 28, and this is not considered abnormal. However, ANY rate above 40, even 44, should be looked in the context of how the horse is feeling. Rates between 40-60 are considered "serious", but may be explained by an elevated temperature. However, rates above 80 are considered "critical" and indicate a very serious problem. Of course, these rates apply to a horse at rest, and any exercise just before taking the pulse should be taken into consideration. Also, if the horse is suddenly excited, it may be elevated on a very temporary basis. Listen to the rate for at least a minute, checking to see if it comes down, before recording the final rate.

Respiration: The normal rate for horses is between 8-12 breaths per minute. However, many things can effect this that must be taken into consideration before considering whether it is abnormal. One common factor is his temperature. Other characteristics of breathing, rather than just the rate, may be more of an overall indicator of problems. Deep heavy breathing, or breathing with an extra abdominal effort, abnormal noise, labored breathing, or gasping are all indications of a very serious problem. Report any observations that are anything but quiet and easy breathing.

Mucus Membrane Color: The normal color is pink. Gums that are pale, deep red, purple, overly yellow, or streaked with the appearance of small broken blood vessels are abnormal and should be recorded. Some of the causes for abnormal appearance are listed below:Pale: Low perfusion of blood indicating a "shock" condition.Deep red: Congested membranes, also a shock type condition with toxicity.Purple or blue: Low oxygen levels or serious toxicosis.Overly yellow: Gums are normally slightly yellow, but very yellow may be a liver problem.

Capillary Refill Time: After depressing the gums, the color should return within 1-2 seconds. Delayed return of color, 3 seconds or more, is an indication of poor blood perfusion, often brought on by serious dehydration, shock, or other toxicosis.
Borborygmus: This refers to the sounds that the gut makes in digesting the feed. A horse should have a normal gurgling sound on both sides of the abdomen back near the flanks. Several horses should be assessed before making a determination of what can be considered "normal", "none", "low", or "hypermotile". During colic episodes, horses with little or no gut sounds may be in serious condition. A hypermotile gut may be indicating an irritation, and this may be coupled with a loose stool or diarrhea. Assessing the gut sounds from one moment to the next may indicate whether a horse's condition is improving or deteriorating. Take this, and all of the vital signs, frequently.

Your vet will listen for "gut sounds" (digestive sounds) in the locations above on both the left and right side of your horse. You should be familiar with the normal gut sounds your horse has.

Hydration State: The best way to determine hydration is through an assessment of the horses blood parameters. However, using the "skin turgor test" can often be a quick field aid. The skin over the shoulder should be pinched with some elevation of the skin. If it snaps back into place very quickly, the horse may be considered to be adequately hydrated. Any delay should be suspect and assessed along with the other vital signs. Older horses tend to have a more relaxed skin, so this should be taken into account. Again, assessing this parameter when the horse can be considered healthy will help determine if this is abnormal.

Conclusion: It is important to remember that all the vital signs must be taken into account when assessing your horse's health/problem.One parameter that may be outside the normal boundaries may not be overly significant when all of the others are within normal bounds. Also, some signs may adequately explain why others are abnormal, such as an increased pulse rate associated with a fever. However, reporting all of the signs before veterinary help arrives can often give a much clearer picture on the level of concern and the response rate.

Blitzen the baby is growing and getting more and more beautiful each day. She likes to run around and emit a high pitched squeel each night before feeding time. Last night I was watching Jiminy the burro running along the fenceline making Baron the ex racer play with him. They went at it for 20 minutes, running one way and bucking, then both turning around and running the length of the fence again playing. That is the first time I have seen Baron play in the pasture. Good job Jiminy!

Super Sunday is coming up!

Love,
Nicki

Friday May 15 - Angels at FalconRidge, and Who Was Sybil Ludington?

As David and I prepared to haul Sparkles the mustang to her new adoptive home in Poway, the lady angels descended upon FalconRidge and brought darling hand-painted stall signs for the horses which they hung! Meredith, thank you so much! Then Shirley, another angel had delivered 30 plastic drums which we will use for feeders for the horses. You ladies are the best and the place is looking spiffy, thanks to you! We really really appreciate it.

Sparkles was delivered to new mom Lynn and we saw she was in a nice little boarding facility with all the horses nice and fat and not ill tempered, so that makes us happy. Sparkles stood around calm as can be, and her owner Lynn will disprove a trainers theory, which she shared with me, "Oh no, don't get a mustang, they are nuts!" Phoeey miss trainer. Sparkles and Lynn will make you out a liar and open your eyes to reality. Mustangs are wonderful...all horses are wonderful. If anyone calls a horse "nuts", it is simply because they cannot handle it properly or give it the leadership it needs and desires. You cannot generalize on breeds either.

This country was founded with horses. Without them I am not sure how quickly we would have evolved. The Native Americans used them as did our founding fathers. Horses helped create this country, as work horses, plowing fields, riding horses, the pony express mail, and as trusty steeds in battle. Horses deserve our care and honor. Without them, we would have had to do everything on foot. Horses deserve recognition as more than just livestock or beasts of burden, or animals to be raced for sport so we can bet on them and make or lose money.

So who was Sybil Ludington? I had never heard of her. We have all heard of Paul Revere though haven't we?

Sybil Ludington was a typical 16 year old girl in 1777. She was the eldest of 12 children and was often responsible for taking care of her younger siblings. She was putting the younger children to bed on the night of April 26, 1777, when word reached her house that the British were burning the town of Danbury, Connecticut, which was only 25 miles away. Her father was a colonel in the local militia. His men were scattered over a wide area around the Ludington house in Fredericksburg, New York (now Ludington).

Sybil convinced her father to let her ride and summon the men. She rode on horseback over 40 miles on dark, unmarked roads to spread the alert. Her course took her down through Carmel, on to Mahopac, and around to Kent Cliffs and Farmers Mills and back home. She rode alone with only a stick to prod her horse Star and to knock on the doors spreading the alert in time. The men whom she helped to gather arrived just in time to help drive the British, under the command of General William Tyron (who was also colonial governor of New York), back to their ships in Long Island Sound.

In this day and age a sixteen year old girl alone on a darkened street is not safe. One can only imagine what it was like being a 16 year old girl aiding the rebellion during war-time within such a short distance from the fighting and alone with no one for protection. Sybil Ludington was a true American Hero.

And I would like to add, that Star, her horse, was also.
Sybil rode 40 miles, twice the distance as Paul Revere!

We all have courage and greatness in us, as do horses. Find yours...it is there. Let it out. Do today what you have been putting off for tomorrow.

The elderly gentleman called this morning...would we come pick up the walking horse stallion soon? Yes, we will sir.

Brazen the gelding has been adopted already by a volunteer here, and Amber the mare will be for adoption.

An email yesterday from a man in Pauma Valley with a 23 yr old horse. He does not think he can hang on to it and might have to sell his property, can I help? It is a Trakehner Quarterhorse cross and gave him many years of dressage shows. Now that is an interesting cross! I told him we would come see it...when we get a minute.

Believe,
Nicki

Wednesday May 13 - Angels in the Outfield

That movie was one of my favorites as a kid...the original one, which gives away the fact that I'm not a young person any more. I believed there were truly angels in the outfield when I was watching that movie. I believed in them. I think it can happen.

There are angels in the outfield sometimes...helping us. How else do you explain checks suddenly appearing in the mail exactly when you need them? Lynn Wells is one of those angels. A hard day today, getting home late from work and then a run to the feed store for senior feed. Dump grain in the barn, go check on Salsa and a few others before dinner.

Andy the ranch manager has his puppy in the front yard as I drive up to the house and he is making her wave to me with her paws. I am exhausted but he makes me laugh. Molly is a puppy he and Jennifer saved when they went to go investigate Drake, the horse that had to be put down with a broken femur up in Riverside. I am incredibly tired but listen to phone messages, try to finish the grant application online to the ASPCA but I just can't seem to find enough time to finish it bit by bit at night. Maybe this weekend I think...same as last weekend.

David and I talk about delivering Sparkle the recently adopted mustang to her new owner this Friday in Poway. She said her girls cannot wait to see her and have been excited all week. We need to fix waterers and find more pipe panels. DG sand is coming tomorrow and will have to be shoveled into all the stalls. I look at mounting bills and flip through the mail. An angel came. I was suprised by another generous donation by Lynn Wells. I opened it up and started crying, which scared David as he did not know what was in my hand. Choked up and speechless, the waterworks went on for an hour. Generosity affects me that way. Lynn writes a personal note in there. Lynn likes to help horses. Don't think I don't know for a minute who makes anonymous donations to a friend of mine who frequents the auction where numerous horses are bought to save them from going to slaughter too. ;-) Lynn makes a difference, touches lives, changes lives...and brings hope to those who feel there is not goodness anymore in the world or good people. I used to aspire to be like the man named Percy Ross. I think I will change it to Lynn Wells.

I was contacted about an appaloosa gelding in Orange County going blind. He was rescued 2 years ago and now his owners found he is losing the sight in his good eye. They are devastated she emails me. I send her a link to http://www.blindhorses.org/care.html and tell her he will be ok, that blind horses get along just as well as seeing ones. If you don't believe so, read about the inspirational stories on that site.

There is a 17 year old horse up in Grass Valley whose owner emailed me. The mare is lame and has trust issues. She strikes out at everyone who gets near her. If she is tied up, she will sit down. When rescued, she was under weight and covered in ticks she said. She had a nail stuck in her front foot when she saw her and she is food aggressive. She has had a rough life. She does not have the time or resources to work with her, would I take her? I will figure out someone to refer her to. The horse needs some understanding.

Cimmaron has not been looked at by anybody. I know she needs training and is just halter broke, but she has the cutest nose I have ever seen. Mustangs nostrils are in a different place than domesticated horses, they are down lower and are larger. She is young and pretty and just needs someone who loves mustangs and believes in her. Where are you? she is thinking. I tell her to think about her new owner...and they will come.

I send somebody to go check on a white horse in Valley Center that is skinny and in a front yard I heard. The horse does not look good. I have him take a picture. If the horse does not improve quickly I will call my friends at animal control to make a visit. The horse should not be that thin. Simple food makes a horse put on weight. Just ask Salsa...shes 30, and getting the right kind of senior feed. To deny a horse senior feed and letting it lose weight is the same as starving it to death. It is also illegal.

Someone asked me about the clinic coming up on May 23 with Dr. Don Moore, the equine chiropractor, are we going to charge people to come to it? No, we are not. It is free for the community to come watch. Those who want to bring their horses for adjustment by Dr. Moore will have to pay him for an adjustment. His normal fee is $90 a horse, but we will see what he charges at the clinic. If you have never seen a horse adjusted this is an incredibly educational session. He can show you how to tell if your horse is out, what to look for, why your horse is suddenly tossing its head, is bracy, rearing up or pulling back, why your horse won't take a certain lead, etc. Amazing how much a horse improves after getting out of pain. So come and watch, ask questions, bring your horse so we can all learn about each case. And we will be having a free barbeque lunch also. It will start at 10am and go to 1 or until he is finished adjusting those horses who come. Dr. Don is very cool and you will love him. Your horse will love him even more.
Build it and they will come...I believed Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams had a reason to build his baseball field in the middle of a cornfield so long lost baseball players could play ball on it. That is how I feel about FalconRidge. Build it..and they will come. The horses. And go. And come, and go. 37 horses taken in last year...40 adopted out.

For many of the horses who come here we are a just a temporary stop along their path in life, being transported away from an unfortunate life, being given food, nourishment, love, doctoring or training...then handed over to a wonderful life and wonderful people.

We just shift their lives from being in the wrong place to being in the right place.

Going through emails I see there are 4 neglected paso finos desperately in need in Shafter, CA. I have to look that up as I have never heard of Shafter. Its right above Bakersfield. The owner left them and the caretaker is not taking good care of them. The owner agrees to give them up if a home can be found. They are in their 20s and are very thin, three mares and a stallion. The stallion lives in a very small box stall and never gets out. I call her tonight and await her call back. 4 Paso Finos are starving in Shafter, California. Guess what I will be thinking about as I should be sleeping tonight.

A Navajo Indian I rode with once near Monument Valley told me he sings a special song to the horses while he trains them so they will no longer be scared as he starts riding them. He said he tells the horse not to be scared and that he is going to get upon its back and that all will be ok. He said the song goes "Peaceful before me, peaceful behind me, peaceful above me, peaceful below me, peaceful all around me". It is a song that has been handed down from generation to generation and he said it calms the horse. I asked him if it works and he said "of course, the horse needs to know what you are going to do with it ahead of time. Just let it know so it won't be afraid."

We should all be so smart.

Peace,
Nicki

May 10 - Mother's Day Walking Horse Rescue, Rebel Finds Love, Jody's First Ride

Today the Tennessee Walking Horses were picked up in Yucca Valley by volunteers Candy and Kirk who graciously offered to trailer them for us to FalconRidge. Thank you guys! These horses belonged to a couple who reached the point where they could no longer physically take care of them due to old age and a heart condition. The mare and gelding arrived today and are beautiful. They are a little nippy due to being hand fed treats, but that behavior will go away soon here.

Shirley, one of our new volunteers has just wowed me by getting 55 gallon plastic drums for feeders for the rescue! Way to go Shirley, you are fantastic!

Meredith and husband stopped by and they also will be helping with improvements to the ranch and have new ideas for programs.

Fawn came out and helped clean stalls and then worked with Spirit and groomed Sparkle.

Peg volunteers here also and is another dynamo lady who will be helping with everything from administrative functions to helping coordinate the volunteers.

Jennifer Haller and family stopped by and gave Rebel some love. Jennifer then rode Rebel and looked quite sharp on him, and she also got her daughter on him too for a happy Mothers Day ride.

Laura, Brian and Zoey Zeller came out and worked on stalls, grooming, and Brian worked with Jody and did a first ride on her and did fantastic. David remarked on what a good job Brian did to keep Jody nice and calm and she rode wonderfully. David is still talking about how well he did, so it must have been super duper!

Todays calls/emails - The thoroughbred up in Norco, 20, needs retirement. Another thoroughbred mare, 6, in Poway, needs a new home.

Dr. Don Moore, equine chiropractor will be having a clinic here at FalconRidge on Saturday May 23rd, 10am-1pm. Bring your horse if you would like it adjusted or seen by him, and pass the word! Flyers out soon.

The owner of the walking horses called again tonight. I told him his horses were settled in just fine and were very nice. He thanked me, then said he has a tri colored 5 year old spotted stallion he wants us to take. Evidentally it is at a trainers and the trainer got injured and wants the horse picked up. He is a little aggressive.

Never a dull moment....

Tell your mother you love her.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday April 9 - Moriah's First Ride

Today I got out Salsa, the latest rescue horse who was in bad shape when she arrived. She has gained weight significantly on her diet of Purina Equine Senior mixed with Ultium, alfalfa pellets, and hay. She has shedded out and appears to be getting better every day. Dr. Moss told me she was 30. Salsa has a one track mind and I don't blame her. Shes searching for food wherever you walk her. She was also abandoned out near Salton Sea and had to forage around for food to eat, poor girl.

Also today Baron's sponsor Debbie came out and is riding Baron now for his initial training after he has completed his layoff time after his track injury. He is walking sound and doing well under saddle. Debbie is pleased as punch with him and so are we. He is such a tall guy and big lug of a horse. His training is coming along well, thanks to Debbie.

Moriah, the 20 yr old mare who came from a backyard and was her owners dying wish that she be whisper-trained got her first ride today by David. Yesterday he had saddled her up and she didnt bat an eye at that! So David put a bridle on her and it was evident she had not had a bit in her mouth before. But she appeared fine with the saddle on. So, today he worked with her again and she was so calm and nonreactive that he got on and took her for her first ride. She did great! WE are all amazed. David thought this would be one of the hardest horses to train and she has shown you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Shes a fantastic mare! Way to go Moriah!

Casper was also ridden today and although he is 27, he doesnt look a day over 18!

Mothers Day Rescue Horses - This morning at 730am I got a telephone call. I picked it up since it must be important I thought for someone to be calling so early. On the other end of the phone was an elderly gentleman who told me he had two tennessee walkers who he needed to find a home for. He explained that he can no longer take care of them due to his heart condition, it is just too hard he said, and his voice was feint. So I said yes. The walkers are Amber and Brazen, 12 and 14 yrs old, ride well and are sound. They will be arriving tomorrow from Yucca Valley on Mothers Day.

Two more horses I was emailed about in the morning and then Caroline emails about a pregnant thoroughbred mare. Theres another call about a 21 yr old thoroughbred. I go back outside to be with the horses and wonder who will be coming to adopt the next horse. Magic is waiting patiently. Magic is funny. There is something he is doing and I'm not sure why. Magic is "avoiding" getting adopted. There must be something he is silently saying to those who come look at him for adoption. Or? he is just being picky and waiting for that perfect owner...

Happy Mothers Day from all the horses at FalconRidge.
Come on out and visit, we will be here.

Love,
Nicki

Friday May 8th - The Adventures of Sparkle the Mustang

Sparkle was a little mustang filly that belonged to an 18 yr old man in Chino. She has a BLM brand so he most likely got her from a local BLM auction for cheap as a yearling. She came of age at two and he decided to breed her to his quarter horse stallion. For whatever reason, the man decided to sell Sparkle at the Euclid Auction up in Chino, a place frequented by killer dealers who buy up lots of horses, about 25 in a night, then ship them down to New Mexico, close to the border, where they are then again sold to killer dealers who ship them to Mexico as "riding horses."

I went to the auction on February 6, 2008 with the intent on rescuing a pregnant mare. There were no pregnant mares for sale at the time we were there, so we rescued a 30 year old red dun gelding instead and brought him home. That night my friend fellow rescuer Caroline Betts of Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue, http://www.sctbrescue.org/, called me and told me a pregnant mustang mare went thru the ring and she was bought by kill dealer David Misner. The owner claimed that he bred her to his stallion and as she was sold for $50 to Misner, even the auctioneer stopped and asked the young man, "Sir, are you ok with this mare going to that man?" and pointed straight at Misner. Sparkles owner nodded that it was. Sparkles fate and that of her developing baby were sealed. Until Caroline wouldn't stand for it!

Caroline called me the next day and gave me the kill dealers number. I called and asked him if he bought a young mustang mare for $50 and he said yes. Would you sell her to me? He said sure, for $125. I got the address and went to his feedlot up in Chino. There we got Sparkle, who looked like a young yearling, and Skittles, an appy mare that was lame and needed to be out of his pasture. I had to put the fact of what this man does for a living out of my mind when I was there and be civil.

We brought the two mares home caked in manure from the feedlot. They were filthy. Sparkle immediately gained weight in her belly area first and she was indeed pregnant. She was a calm mustang mare, very sweet and with a kind eye. She delivered a colt, baby Rocket on September 13th under an almost full moon. He was the most handsome foal ever born at FalconRidge and a red dun. She was a good mother and raised Rocket until he was weaned in February of 2009. Sparkle then was able to start training with David, so she could learn to be ridden and she did wonderfully. She was not excitable and took the saddle the first time as if she had always worn it. She was shown off at the Open House on May 3rd and a young mother named Lynnette and her two daughters fell in love with Sparkle. They like to do shows just for fun and are a horse family.

Today Sparkle was adopted by them. Congratulations to Sparkle for finding her own family to love her for years to come and children who will ride her, care for her, and take her to shows just for fun. You hit the lotto girl....

Mister Rowdy is now getting quite hunky! He is getting rowdier every day. He is a far cry from the starved, bit up, old looking gelding who did not walk for 5 days after he was found abandoned in a field in Romoland. David rode him today and Rowdy strutted his stuff. Hes been charro trained so David was getting him to relax under saddle. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than to see the incredible transformation in an older horse such as Rowdy as he has gone from starved discard to fat and muscled and getting attention daily from people who love him.

Rowdy's purpose in life is to show that you never know what you got till its gone!

Seize the day.
Love,
Nicki

Thursday May 7 - Pleas for Help Day & the French Connection

This week I was contacted by a reporter from French 3 TV who wants to do a story on the problems of unwanted horses in California and perhaps shoot with us for two days, going on a rescue. She should be here the end of May and said they have 3 million viewers. Hmm, okayyyyy, fantastic I think! Those in France can see what we do here at FalconRidge. Nash, Rowdy and Rebel all say they want to be on French TV and are flipping their forelocks in new fancy hairdoos!

Yes, the economy is hitting Californians hard. Many are losing jobs, homes, income, and have to give up their horses. Down in San Diego though there are very few cases of abandonment. We have taken in two abandoned horses from Riverside County, Rebel and Pirate, and one from Imperial County, the lastest rescue mare, Salsa.

The rest of the horses in need of "replacement" are finding homes, or we are taking them in for people and adopting them out. I think the majority of owners having to give up their horses right now are finding homes for them, attributed to people stepping up to the plate and helping those in need right now. Which is a wonderful thing. There are plenty of homes for unwanted horses, they are out there, you just have to find them. Somewhere, someone, or some family, is wanting to get a horse. I know because I have had 4 requests this week from people looking to adopt. The trick is to connect them, like we do here. If you know of someone who is looking to buy a horse, you might mention that they should adopt a rescued horse, or? help someone in financial need right now and take their horse to help them out.

Good deeds never go unturned.

I got a call from a gentleman who had been given his father-in-laws horse. The man knows nothing about horses he said and the horse is skinny. He is wanting to find it a home. I asked him about the horse and he did not know the age, breed, if it was healthy or sound, just that he did check teeth for floating and he did worm it at the suggestions of others. He upped the feeding of hay and is to get back to me on the specifics and photos. I applaud him for trying to find it a home.

I get another call from a gentleman who says he rescued a horse. Great! I say to him. Congrats! Good for you for rescuing a horse. He then tells me the place he is keeping it at will no longer be available, so he wants to find it a home. I asked him if he checked out other facilities to keep it at? He said no, he was calling rescues. I said well you rescued the horse, right? and now it needs a new place to live, right?, so why not check ads for boarding facilities, pastures, private homes to keep it at so you can take care of it? We got disconnected. I'm sorry, but that is one of my pet peeves....people calling saying they "rescued" a horse and then it now needs a home because they no longer want it? Is the horse better now since they rescued it? Maybe. Does it have someone who commited to it? No. And that is what is needed so the horse never ever needs in the future to be rescued again.

I got a call on the message machine last night from a woman who says there is a yearling warmblood going to be put down tomorrow unless someone takes it, can I help? I call her back and she tells me the yearling has a suspensory injury but knows no specifics about it, how bad, or how it was injured, or vet who diagnosed, etc. I tell her to find out and call me back and that possibly I can help. I let her know if the injury is significant probably the best thing would be to put the yearling down and she agrees. She said she would find out more and call me back. I did not get a call back.

There are 4 horses still left at Riverside Animal Control from the herd of 26 taken from the animal hoarder. They contacted me asking if we could help. I said we are full right now but I would talk to David about in the future going up and seeing if he can handle them. They are the four that are the hardest to handle or avoid people who approach them, which is why they haven't gotten adopted. If you are interested in helping them out please visit their website, http://www.rcdas.org/adoption.htm and click on "other" for animals. One of the last horses left is Prince. He was the one that was the skinniest of the entire herd and his picture was printed in the Riverside newspapers, and I also have his picture posted below on this blog. He is an arab. He needs love.
He is a survivor of emaciation, something you and I will never have to endure in our lives. He deserves a chance and a home, as do the other three horses.

Mighty Mouse went to his new adoptive home yesterday. Congrats to Mighty! He got swarmed by three young neighbor children who brushed him a 100 times I was told and then gave him a bath which he enjoyed. Mighty was adopted as a companion horse for an older arabian gelding who lost his other horse buddy not too long ago. Mighty will be helping that horse heal. A tiny healer.

Mighty has found his purpose in life. :-)

Love,
Nicki

Sunday May 3rd - Spring Open House

Today we had a great turnout for the Spring Open House. Lots of new faces and people showed up. We had excellent presentations on horse training by David, who rode Rainbow, Sparkle, and did a first ride on Cloud.

Maria Siebrand, the natural hoofcare trimmer, gave a great talk with lots of hoofcare information and handouts. She and her apprentice are donating their services to trimming many of the rescues here at FalconRidge.

We had beautiful artwork for sale, baked goods, arts and crafts for kids, Justin the volunteer was making wooden stall signs, and San Diego County Department of Animal Services Lt. Laura Ward had a booth for information on microchipping and emergency services for horses.

Dr. Jeff Moss spoke on equine emergencies and care and answered lots of questions from the audience. We raised $450 for the rescue which goes directly to the feed bill from Carters Hay and Grain.

The highlight of the day was the minature horse costume parade where Lil Bitty was dressed up as a ballerina, Buddy was a cowboy with chaps and hat, Mighty Mouse was a superhero with his own cape, and Zeus was the Greek God Zeus in a toga with an ivy wreath on his head!

A heartfelt thanks to our volunteers who made this all possible. Ranch manager Andy was manning the barbeque and flipping burgers like Top Chef, Justin and Chiara making stall signs, Jennifer Haller baked tons of sweets, Tiffany also baked the best lemon poppyseed cake and brought cowboy cornbread, Suzanne set up the kids crafts table, Candy brought her photography work, and I got to see Terry, who volunteers here and comes every Tuesday and fixes everything. Terry is retired and we appreciate the time he devotes to the stall waterers and the horses. He is cool. Brian Zeller was showing horses and handling techniques to people in the roundpen, and the kids who made the darlingest costumes and paraded the minis. These people are who made the event a success. Thank you guys!

I get so many comments about how wonderful the people are out here and it's true. These folks here at FalconRidge are kind, giving, caring individuals who like to volunteer their time. You won't find any stable drama or politics here. We got work to do...we save horses and make them better. Amazing how you feel when being surrounded by joyful and positive people and horses. Even if you have had a hard day at work, once you arrive here being with them and the horses will turn you around right quick and you will be smiling and laughing. Sandtwister took down his stall sign twice yesterday and was crunching it in his mouth. The horses here make you laugh too.

I put up a new FalconRidge Horses Before And After link.
http://falconridgebeforeandafter.blogspot.com
So you can see the transformations...

Maui got adopted by her Sponsors Dana and Gene. Congrats to Maui for finding her own family! Mighty Mouse got adopted and will be going home soon also. Voodoo went home today to his new owners barn and rode like a champ. Congrats to Voodoo and Geanna! I see happy trails for you.

I received an email today asking to take in a 21 year old horse a woman has to place in a week. I also got asked to take 3 more, the last, of the Riverside Animal Control horses who need adopting. I have to say no as we are full and cannot help any more horses until horses get adopted. Please give us a call or email if you are interested in adding a new member of your family that will bring you luck. :-)

Happy New Week, Make it a Good One!
Love,
Nicki

Friday May 1st, May Day - People Who Do Good Things

There is a wonderful lady out there in San Diego. May we all strive to be like the amazing person and philanthropist that she is. I found out that Lynn Wells, of the Toby Wells Foundation is generously donating the entire $1200 towards Jellybean's surgery bill from San Luis Rey Hospital! Stunned would be the word to describe how I felt when hearing such good news... numb, amazed, happy also come to mind...tears drop on my desk.

In this economy finances are tight with most people, which has in turn created more horses in need for FalconRidge to rescue. Donations make us able to do that and continue to help more horses, and without them, we can't. There are incredibly wonderful people out there who continue to give from the heart in these financially stapped times and make a difference not only for horses but in this entire world. Lynn is one of those people. Words can't describe my appreciation Lynn. Jellybean is recovering quickly from her surgery. I will whisper in her ear that someone out there does indeed care about her. :-)

The Toby Wells Foundation is having their 8th annual golf classic this coming Friday May 8th. Please pass the word and consider going for those of you who golf or if you know anyone who does. The proceeds benefit the Foundation, which funds charities throughout San Diego that help children and animals. They rock! Information can be found at http://www.tobywells.org.

I also recently received an envelope in the mail with ten coupons for $10 off Purina products. We use Purina Ultium to get weight on the rescued horses. It seems young Zoey Zeller had written to the Purina Company asking them to donate to FalconRidge! She told them all about us and how we help horses, and how large our feed bills are, at least $4,000 a month. Zoey also recently attended an event at Armstrong Feed Store in Valley Center where a Purina representative was talking and approached her, asking her to donate to FalconRidge. Well your words, your intent and your caring for the horses and wanting to help them worked Zoey! Thank you so much. You made a difference and created action which helps feed the horses. Zoey is 10 years old...she touches my heart. Don't think you can't make a difference in this world.

There is a friend of mine in Livermore, Colorado who attended a horse auction and rescued a little Medicine Hat filly. The filly's dam had been separated from her while she was too young to be weaned and sold for slaughter. My friend bought her for $50 and she only weighed 160 lbs when they brought her home. She is a black and white partial medicine hat markings, with a shield and heart on her hind end. She has been blessed by an indian chief from Oklahoma and named by the indians in Lakota language as sweetgrass medicine woman. She is coming to California at the end of this month and needs a ride from Elk Grove to FalconRidge. If you know anyone who can help, please email me, nickbranch@aol.com. My friend, Tory Seavey of Snowyridge Ranch in Colorado, http://snowyridgeranch.com, made a difference for that filly. :-)

Never underestimate your power of possibility, your magnificence, and your power to do good in this world.

Love,
Nicki

Thursday April 30 - Big Event This Weekend!

No, its not the Kentucky Derby I'm talking about either. Please say a prayer this Saturday for those horses in the Derby that they finish the race safely and are not hurt. Racing injures, racing kills, racing is called the "sport of kings". I'd like to dethrone the sport. Taking care of crippled and discarded ex-racehorses year after year tends to blur your image of the nobility of the sport.

The big event is our Spring Open House on Sunday from 11- 6pm. I hope if you read this blog you will come on out and have some food, see the rescued horses for adoption, learn from training demos, veterinarian talks, natural hoofcare farrier and nutrition, animal control and humane society talks, and of course, kids craft booth, things to buy, food to eat, and more!

The Schedule is:

12 Noon - 1:00 pm David Lee Archer, Horse Training Demo

1:00 - 2:00 pm Maria Siebrand, Natural Hoof Trimming

2:00 - 3:00 pm Dr. Jeff Moss, When to Call The Vet Out

3:00 - 4:00 pm Miniature Horse Costume Parade

The horses for adoption you can see, we will have a bake sale, things to buy like stall signs, artwork, and barbeque. My goal for this Open House is to inform and educate horse owners on equine care and help give ideas on how to get by with less money in this economy. My goal is also to promote pasture puffs, horses dont "have" to be ridden. Also to promote adopting older horses. Experience is everything!

Here is one of my favorites. A link to the story of Eclipse, No More Night Mares
http://www.hoofbeats-in-heaven.com/praise/The_No_More_Night_Mares/

There is also nothing better than the sound of a horse nickering at you when you walk towards them...

Love,
Nicki

Monday April 27 - Salsa's Vet Visit

Today Dr. Jeff Moss came and did a checkup on the latest rescue mare Salsa. He said although her weight was low due to malnutrition, she appeared to be in good health. She is missing a few teeth and having trouble being able to chew all her hay, leaving all the stems. She is on a Purina Ultium diet supplemented with alfalfa to get her weight up. He suggested adding alfalfa pellets, and? she is 30 years old!

I received a donation of $100 for Jellybean's $1200 vet bill from Christine. Thank you so much Christine! You are the best! Donations are much needed at this time and appreciated!
Jellybean is doing well and healing up fantastic and full of energy.

There were two emails today for people reporting neglect. One was a mule in a stable up in Norco, the other was a horse in Ramona that someone had gone to see from a Craigslist ad for a good riding horse, and found thin horses on the property.
Animal Control and Humane Society officials were contacted and a site visit was done asap. Those officials rock! The property owner will be having the horse seen by a vet within 48 hrs. The power of the internet is a wonderful thing for horses.

Report abuse if you see it, but please make sure it is truly abuse or neglect. I will be posting guidelines here in the future.

And we found that Spirit has a brand on her shoulder! She shedded out her winter coat and there it was. I will post a picture of it. If you recognize this brand please email me, nickbranch@aol.com, and let me know the name of the ranch!

We are all put on this planet for a purpose. Realize your purpose and get down to business...

Love,
Nicki

Sunday April 26 - Kingston's first brushing & Spirit's first ride

Today we spent the morning worming 50 horses with ivermectin paste wormer. Volunteers Justin and Chiara helped, along with Catherine, who helped Jennifer, David and myself catch horses out in pasture and worm them. The task sounds daunting but it was pretty easy with that much help and did not take longer than an hour to do them all.

Volunteer Fawn came out again and helped clean stalls and then worked with Jody, grooming her and then working her in hand. She also worked with Rocket.

New volunteers Peg and Shirley came out to familiarize themselves with the ranch, horses and routine and see what we do.

Dana took a bareback riding lesson from David in the roundpen on Buns and did quite well. Dana was fun to watch and had David laughing much of the session.

Catherine worked Spirit in hand in the roundpen to learn the technique and did fantastic. Then David saddled her up and rode her for a first ride, mainly flexing her from side to side while standing still. She is a doll!

Salsa the latest emaciated rescued mare has been doing well all week, gaining weight and her coat is looking much better. She was taken out of her stall and turned out in the arena where I made her run around. Exercise for emaciated horses who need to gain weight helps them gain it quicker and they get healthier faster. Their digestion improves with exercise, as well as all organ function and muscle toning. 10 minutes is good enough to get the blood flowing and she ran with Rowdy, who looked like her when he first arrived to FalconRidge and he is now looking like a Piglet!

Kingston the arabian stallion got his second training session with David and his first brushing of his life. David also worked on his mane some with his hands. Kingston is not ready for a hair brush yet on his mane as he needs more handling. He was videotaped in his training session and should be on youtube. I am sure Kingston will have his own fan club after everyone sees his pictures. He might be tied for most photogenic with the mesmerizing Moriah.

There is nothing better than being with, touching and looking at these magnificent horses...

Love,
Nicki

Friday April 24 - Baron's First Ride

Today Debbie, Baron's sponsor, ground drove him in the roundpen and he has been doing well. No sign of lameness from his previous injury he had from race training and he has been brought back up to conditioning slowly. David saddled him up with his first time wearing a western saddle and then rode him and he did fantastic! He is a very easy going boy, calm and relaxed. We were very impressed with him and now he can start his training under saddle. yeah Baron!

David then worked with Moriah in the roundpen and she is doing very well after only one previous in-hand session. She is the 20 yr old mare who was rescued from the wild Jucumba herd 19 yrs ago. After that she spent her life in a backyard without other horses. It was her owner's dying wish that she be with those that understand her and trained by a horse whisperer. Well, her owner up in heaven is getting her wish. Ms. Moriah is THE most photogenic horse I've seen! All her pictures are pretty! She is doing great with her ground manners and now can be handled quite easily.

Montana Bisquit was then worked with by David and got a lesson on picking up her back feet. She previously was very wary of that and has been getting trained in that area nice and slowly. David was able to pick them up and videotaped the episode which will be up on youtube later.

Cloud got another training lesson, along with Laredo and the eloquent Kingston.

The new rescued abandoned mare Salsa has been gaining weight on her Ultium diet and alfalfa, getting treated for her hair fungus and her coat is shedding out nicely. Shes got plenty of energy and doing well in rehab, constantly looking for food. Dr. Moss will be here Monday to look at her teeth.

The weather has turned back to normal April temperatures which is so nice. :-)

Last night was spent consulting an owner and looking her horse in Ramona who has had lameness issues the last two years and trying to help her out so she can keep him.

Happy Weekend !

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday April 21 - Clouds First Ride

Today volunteer Brian was working Cloud in the roundpen with David supervising. Cloud was doing very well and had no bucking, which had been his previous issue and showed the he had holes in his training that needed to be revisited. Brian was able to put weight on him stepping up in the stirrup from both sides and then he got on board in the saddle, while Cloud was in just a halter, and flexed him from side to side. He was able to keep Cloud relaxed and that is the objective, to keep him relaxed as much as possible.

Salsa the abandoned mare from Niland got a luxuriating bath today Laura and Brian and she felt good afterwards, trotting into her stall with some pep and saying Hi to Rowdy, her neighbor. She is definitely feeling better and already has more energy. I spoke to Imperial County Animal Control and was informed that the gentleman whose property she wandered on to had said he wanted to keep the mare and feed her himself. Therefore, he had care, custody and control of the mare which is why they did not take her into custody. Unfortunately they should have required that she be seen by a vet so her weight loss could be diagnosed properly.

Laura reports that Jellybean, recovering in her stall at their house, has removed her drain tube from her surgical site all by herself! Evidentally she just reached down and grabbed it and bit it off! Luckily she did it on the day it was supposed to come out anyway! Smart girl. She is healing well and pics to come soon.

Horses are healers.

If you don't believe so then read the book Horse Boy....and look at this video. Amazing.

and Im sure the movie is coming out soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X816PJlI8kE

More requests for horses in need to come to FalconRidge.

I have to say no right now since there is no room because there are no horses being adopted and leaving to go to loving family homes.

Be the change.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday April 19 - Salsa's Rescue

Today it was extremely hot. A new volunteer Christina came out and helped with grooming horses and cleaning stalls. Elani, Fawn and Dana were also here helping work with the horses and lend a hand. Thank you ladies! David rode Sparkle the mustang again shes doing very well under saddle.

Salsa the mare who was abandoned in Niland arrived at FalconRidge today. She is thin, about a 2 on the henneke scale, and was unsteady on her legs after her long 3 hr drive in the trailer.

We were contacted by Audrey of Savinghorsesinc. about this mare a month ago. Audrey had been called by a brand inspector who saw her on a property very thin. The owner said the mare had wandered onto his ranch and was not his so she must have been abandoned. He tried to get weight on her but she did not gain any. Animal control stepped in and we assumed they took care of her. Until Audrey got a call on Friday saying the mare now needs to be picked up. She was not even seen by an animal control official we were told by the owner of the property. No visit, no photos, no picking the abandoned and neglected mare up, no vet care and no food appropriate for her dental needs. I will be calling the Imperial Valley animal control supervisor tomorrow!

Salsa it appears is older, at least 25 and has teeth issues such as missing molars. She arrived today and was put on a diet of Purina Ultium mainly along with a flake of alfalfa which she dove into. She also has some skin fungus going on so was treated with an anti-fungal spray. She is sweet and reminds me of Rowdy and is housed right next to him.

David worked with Moriah yesterday who needs lots and lots of in-hand work as she has no ground manners. We were also sent off on an emergency donkey baby call yesterday. It was reported that a baby donkey had been born and was not nursing and was being rejected by its mother. Dr. Jeff Moss was called out to meet us at the property and we found a very healthy baby and mom and homeowner quite perplexed! It was good to see though instead of neglect.

Its hot days and cold nights so colic season is here. Here is a link for prevention and treatment, http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1474/

Jellybean the filly is doing fine at our foster home, thanks to the Zeller family, and seems to be recovering well. Her wound just has to heal and she will be on antibiotics for awhile. Shes walking fine on her leg it is reported, so thats wonderful news. Funds are still needed to pay off her vet bill.

Dr. Moss will be out to see Salsa soon also and float her teeth. Anybody interested in helping with Salsa's rehabilitation and vet care please email me, nickbranch@aol.com. She is a cutie and I just love the oldies. She would like to have a sponsor of her own.

I think a rescue horse show should be in the future..with real rescued horses!

Happy Sunday,
Love,
Nicki

Wed April 15 - Jelly Bean Goes to Surgery!

Today David took Jelly Bean over to Dr. Cannon at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital in Bonsall. He examined her with an ultrasound to see if he could find something in her shoulder. Boy did he!

The ultrasound images showed Jelly Bean had two foreign objects lodged in her muscle tissue, which was causing the draining pus she has had for four months. The images were stick-like objects, one about 4 inches long and the other about 2 inches long and set apart from each other. He said surgery was the only way to get them out.

Jelly Bean was prepped and went to surgery in the afternoon. What Dr. Cannon found in her muscle was bone fragments from her previous injury of at least five months ago. She had a bone sequestrum, two of them, where the bone is broken off and cannot reattach itself and therefore will not heal. The body treats it as a foreign object surrounding it with pus. This poor girl has had these sharp objects in her for at least five months and it must have felt horrible! It would be like us having a broken off barbed hook in our leg muscle that we had to use to walk around on!

Jelly Bean came through surgery and Dr. Cannon felt she would make a full recovery, which was good news. Her vet bills will be over $1200.00 so any assistance would be greatly appreciated to help! Finally her problem is figured out and I'm sure she will be feeling significantly better while walking around now!!

THREE horses in need of home emails today!

1. I have been contacted by a horse owner who needs to find a home for their horse. The Arab mare is 22, in excellent health and has been ridden on trail with experienced and inexperienced riders. Paul and Sue 760.518.5459 cell 760.745.5994 home sullivan92026@gmail.com If you can help or know of anyone interested the horse would be of course at no cost - she is located in Escondido. I will post her picture here and on the rehoming horses blog and call her White Arab Mare.

2. An elderly boarder of mine died in December and left me his 4 horses. One I can keep, I have found owners for two more. Ola, however, is more difficult. I thought I had a home for him but it did not work out. He is a sound, tall thoroughbred. A nice looking gelding. A bit over 17 hands. 13 or 14 years old. Chestnut with a sock and blaze. He is broke to ride but is NOT a beginner’s horse. Even just grooming him, you cannot assume he enjoys it, and if annoyed he may behave inappropriately. He is a good boy and a big goof, but he is not a sweet pet. He trailers, and he socializes fine.
Perhaps you could help me find a home for him, or take him at your facility? I cannot afford to keep him much longer.
Please email Lisa at LFWood@sandiego.gov. I will post a pic of Ola

3. Hello, I have a 20 year old throughbred mare, she is in very good health for a 20 year old. She has had all her shots and worming medication recently. Do to my current financial situation I am unsure I will be able to pay for her board much longer, rest a sure she is not neglected, and hate that I cant afford her anymore, I would try to sell her but she is 20 and requires an experienced rider and cannot find anyone to buy her, your facility looks to possibly be a great place for her, and with some extra work she could very well be adopted. I am not sure if this is the kind of facility that would take her or if I should look else where. Fell free to contact me anytime. Thank you for your time. Please call Brian 760-520-3344

Live like today is your last day...

And I have some sad news about one of our volunteers. Lisa was one of the first ones that came to volunteer here at FalconRidge last year with her beau, Gary. Lisa and Gary came every week and cleaned stalls and Lisa liked to work with Laredo the mustang. She was the first one to pay Laredo attention and get him used to grooming and ground manners. I loved that whenever I saw Lisa she had the most wonderful straw hat she would wear with several feathers in it. Many months later I was told that Lisa had cancer and her prognosis was grim. The news was incredibly sad.

Lisa and Gary came out a few more times to be with the horses here and then they needed to stay home as she got worse. Gary emailed me on last Monday evening to tell me that Lisa passed away. Lisa is gone. She was not that old. Now that she is in heaven I would like her to know that she did right by Laredo and thank her. He got adopted recently to a wonderful woman who strangely enough reminds me alot of Lisa. Live today as if it were your last. Do what you have always wanted to do, say what you have always wanted to say, dream big dreams and carry them out while you can and while you are on this earth. Thank you Lisa for caring about the horses and volunteering your time while you were here. Laredo says "Hi".

Love and Life,
Nicki

Monday April 13 - Day of Doctoring

Today we had Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary out to look at Jelly Bean's injury and see if he could xray her shoulder. He could not do it with a portable xray machine due to the location of the wound. Jelly Bean was injured at her owners in Norco. They then put her on Craigslist for free and a woman got her. She kept her for 4 months and the wound was still oozing pus but the larger wounds higher up on her shoulder were healed. Nobody knows what Jelly Bean injured herself on or how she got hurt. That woman then gave her to her sister who had her for 4 days before she came to FalconRidge.

Dr. Moss sedated Jelly Bean and then tried to see if he could find any foreign body in the puncture wound but he couldn't. He flushed the wound out and we put her on antibiotics.

Dr. Joe Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, http://www.slreh.com/, was called and Jelly Bean will be taken there Wednesday morning for an xray or ultrasound by the specialists there.

Help is needed with Jelly Bean's medical costs if anyone wants to help contribute to her care it would be greatly appreciated! She has been in pain for at least 4 months and needs to get more comfortable!

Dr. Moss also looked at Cloud who was fine, and he floated Shaman, the 21 year old thoroughbred stallion's teeth. Dr. Moss will be speaking at our Open House on May 3rd and his topic will be How To Know When To Call The Vet Out. Great topic for horsepeople during these economic times!

Dr. Don Moore our equine chiropractor came out and adjusted Lola the paint mare who was out in her poll, neck and hip. Then he worked on Montana who was out in her spine area pretty badly. She and Lola felt much better and grateful after Dr. Moore put their joints back into place and got the kinks out! I'm sure they were thinking "It's about time someone do that!" as they signed with relief and relaxation.

And here is a video I like that is not horse related at all...but I wished the news would put stuff like this on instead of the bad news they normally do! Just like our horses...the moral of the story is never judge a book by its cover. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4

Wish Jelly Bean good luck with her shoulder...
Love,
Nicki

Sunday April 12th - Easter at FalconRidge

Today was beautiful sunny weather at the ranch, birds singing and perfect temperatures. All the horses got turned out. River and Blitzen ran in the arena showing off. Maui, Montana and Spirit were worked in-hand in the arena while Jody was turned out in there.

David worked with Cloud in the roundpen, Spirit and also Sparkle. Rocket was in the roundpen talking to the new paint mare Jelly Bean. The people who brought Jelly Bean might be giving the rescue a wind turbine to make energy. Having a green ranch is something we are striving for. At the end of the day we turned out all the bay horses in the arena.

Dr. Jeff Moss is coming Monday for Jelly Bean to xray her shoulder. Hopefully he can help her. Dr. Don Moore is coming to adjust Cloud, Montana and Lola.

Some Easter horse information from The Horse.com:

Easter, at least in the United States, is associated with a very particular set of fuzzy little critters. Emphasizing all that's cute and fluffy, bunnies, chicks, and lambs are everywhere.
But for some folks, Easter has an equine angle.
Canadian newspaper The Barrie Examiner very helpfully put together an article on the subject of some horse-y Easter traditions. Here's a fun excerpt:

"Folk traditions in [Bulgaria] include the making of a special Easter loaf of bread decorated with a horse's figurehead and distributed by the women while they prance about making neighing sounds like their four-legged friends."

And did you know there are also annual Easter Haflinger races? A special race for the draft ponies, called the Farmer's Gallop Race, takes place in Merano, Italy, annually on Easter Monday, marking the start of the racing season.

The horses enjoyed their egg hunt in the pastures.
Love,
Nicki

Saturday April 11 - Two new rescued mares in

Yesterday Moriah arrived, the once-feral mare whose owner recently passed away. Shes very cute with beautiful markings and she will run you over like a freight train! Moriah had been rescued 19 years ago from a wild herd and then put in a back yard with no other horses. David worked with her today and had to teach her not to run him over. She was then put out in pasture with 6 other horses to socialize her before she is trained. The horses will teach her first proper horse etiquitte then David will teach her after she figures out how to be a horse, how to be around humans. She is an interesting case and Shasta has buddied up with her in the pasture for comfort.

Today the POA paint mare arrived. She was recently posted on a craigslist ad as Please Help Me Save Her! The owner just got her from her sister who had gotten the mare 4 months ago from somewhere in Norco. The mare had an injury to her left shoulder and is still oozing pus from a puncture wound. They could not afford exploratory surgery and would have had to put her down unless someone took her. So we did. She is only two years old. I consulted with Michael Russell, the veterinarian for the Grace Foundation when I was at the conference about this mare and he said it sounds like there is something still in her shoulder that needs to come out, perhaps a bone chip or foreign object.

The mare is cute and walks almost 100% on that leg. Tonight at feeding time she was running around bucking and sound on it. Dr. Moss will be out to see if he can xray her in the field and if not, she will have to go to San Luis Rey Equine Hospital for xrays to see what has happened to her shoulder and what is in there.

And here are some of the things the Humane Society of the United States is currently doing to help horses, http://www.hsus.org/horses_equines/news/

Today David worked with Sparkle the mustang who is doing extremely well under saddle. He also worked with Cloud who is almost ready for him to get on and see what he knows under saddle.

Happy Easter Eve,
Love,
Nicki

Friday April 10 - Homes for Horses Conference 2009

The Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Welfare Institute put on the 2009 Homes for Horses Conference at Ballys in Las Vegas. What a fantastic gathering of the major horse rescue organizations in the country. Approximately 52 rescues attended as well as the ASPCA, American Horse Defense Fund and Petsmart Charities.

I spoke on Training/Retraining the Rescued Horse for Adoptability. Other panels included Working with Law Enforcement, the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries Accreditation Program, Euthanasia and Horse Rescues: An Ethical Discussion, Where to Seek Grants and Funds, Disaster Planning, Community Building, Keeping Volunteers Engaged, and Promoting Owner and Breeder Responsibility.

Wonderful information sharing and ideas came from each speaker. Our Wizard was featured as one of the horses in my presentation and everyone was touched. We spent two days collaborating, listening, sharing and brain storming on how to help horses better find homes. We all agreed to keep in touch and network to continue our great work of rescuing horses and improving horse welfare across the country.

Jill Curtis of Shiloh Acres http://www.shilohhorserescue.com/ and her mother were super people and you could tell loved their horses as much as we do here. Cathy Atkinson of Fugly Horse of the Day Fame, http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/ as well as HorseReunions.com http://www.horsereunions.com/ talked about breeder and owner responsibility. Jerry Finch of Habitat for Horses spoke on Working With Law and Disaster Preparedness. Beth DeCaprio of the Grace Foundation spoke on Volunteers and global accreditation program. Joey Ogburn of Luv Shack Horse Rescue spoke on Community building and is currently holding a trainers challenge to get some of their rescued horses trained and adopted.

Great ideas, great people and great stuff for horses! It was all talk for two days and nights and participants could be seen texting, on laptops and phone calls during the conference doing guess what?

Saving horses! Business as usual for those who rescue, we couldn't stop what we have to do!

Jane Heath of the Montana Horse Sanctuary spoke and after her presentation brought up that they are about to do a 250 horse seizure in Montana and needed everyone's help! She passed out a sign up sheet for those of us who could take horses and the sheet filled up quick.

I was working on a little POA paint mare with a shoulder injury who needed a home.

And Moriah came in today...the mare who's owner passed away recently.

Networking with those who save horses. I was in heaven.
Love,
Nicki

Tuesday April 7th - Day of Gratitude for What We Do

Today was an interesting day. It sometimes is not easy rescuing horses and dealing with the many people involved. It can get you down and sometimes gets the best of me. Many volunteers have asked me how can I deal with the ignorant people? I usually tell them it comes with the territory of rescuing horses. I try and am usually upbeat but today was one of those days. I thought about those horses out there that I am not helping while worrying about the horses at the rescue who need loving homes. So many horses...so little time I thought.

I got an email from officer Rita of Riverside Animal Control with photos of Spirit, Cloud and Lola and what they looked like when they were rescued. Pretty shocking. I realize their owner starved them for at least 4 years that officer Rita knows of and wondered how any sane person could do such a thing to 26 horses.

Then I got this email from one of our volunteers today. And I can't tell you how much this was greatly needed and arrived exactly when my heart needed to read such words.

"Hi Nicki,
It was nice getting a chance to meet you last week when my daughter, Katie, and I were cleaning out a corral. You have an wonderful facility, giving horses the ability to have a second chance. You are definitely making a difference in this world.Everyone at the ranch is very helpful and have their hearts in the right place.

Katie and I were out at the ranch again today and were fortunate to meet Zoey, the incredibly knowledgeable 10 year old who was helping show Katie the ropes. Not only is your ranch a place to help rehabilitate horses back into the world, but it's a place to build people up, showing them the strength they have inside of them to help all creatures.

Katie can be shy, but working with the minis with Zoe today helped build her confidence. She had a great time giving the minis love and attention, and was able to get affection back.

Thank you also for allowing me to come out to the ranch to help out. I feel I get so much more out of being there than I help. I have missed having my own horse, so getting the chance to spend time with horses has been wonderful. I love to see the horses' eyes light up when they see you coming towards them. They just want to be loved. I only wish I lived closer so I could come out multiple days a week. You are an amazing woman! :-) Jennifer Haller"

Thank "you" Jennifer for helping out and making me realize how important it is what we do here for horses. :-)

This Friday, the 20 yr old once-feral mare that ran with the Jacumba herd in the wild, Moriah, will be arriving from Alpine. Her owner died of lung cancer recently and her husband, who is losing everything right now, asked that she be with someone who understands her and will love her and whisper train her.
This one is for you Mrs. Leonard...wherever you are.

Love,
Nicki

Sunday April 5th - Spirit's First Saddling

Today Spirit the palomino mare saved from an animal hoarder got her first saddle on her back and did very well! She is a very curious and kind mare and willing to please. Her introduction to training and accepting a rider now begins and it is extremely critical in a horse's development that this go easy and right for the horse so they are not later terrified of saddles, which we have in fact seen in horses, or riders getting on their backs, or even falling off which really scares them. All negative events such as that can cause later episodes of fear in a horse. If the foundation training is done correctly, quietly, calmly and considers the horse it makes a happier and more confident horse down the road.

The other day someone was asking me what is Natural Horsemanship. It is very different from the old ways of training horses western or hunter/jumper. Here is a decent description of what we do here at FalconRidge. We consider the horse. We do not place blame on a horse for any negative behavior. Any negative behavior that happens with a horse, rearing, bucking, bolting, biting or kicking is all caused by a human. Look to yourself first if you are having troubles with your horse. A true horseman does. It is always the owners or riders fault and never the horses if something goes wrong. Natural horsemanship trainers know that.

"There are countless "schools" or theories of natural horsemanship but the following ideas are common to most of them:

Horses are social herd animals, evolved for social interaction and the ability to escape predators. The horse has a highly developed communication system practiced primarily through body language. It is possible for humans to learn to use body language to communicate with the horse. Horses use ear position, head position, speed of movement, threatening gestures, showing of teeth and swinging of hips, and many other gestures to communicate. They are quick to escalate a behavior if early warnings are not heeded. Similarly, in natural horsemanship, the handler or trainer uses body language along with other forms of gentle pressure with increasing escalation to get the horse to respond. Horses are quick to form a relationship of respect with humans who treat them in this fashion; "firm but fair" is a motto.[2]

Most natural horsemanship practitioners agree that teaching through pain and fear do not result in the type of relationship that benefits both horse and handler. [3] The object is for the horse to be calm and feel safe throughout the training process. A horse that feels calm and safe with his handler is quick to bond with that person, and the results can be remarkable.
The human must be knowledgeable of the horse's natural instincts and communication system, and use this knowledge in their work with the horse.

Like many other forms of horse training, operant conditioning through pressure and release are core concepts. The basic technique is to apply a pressure of some kind to the horse as a "cue" for an action and then release the pressure as soon as the horse responds, either by doing what was asked for, or by doing something that could be understood as a step towards the requested action, a "try". Timing is everything, as the horse learns not from the pressure itself, but rather from the release of that pressure. These techniques are based on the principle of reinforcement, rather than physical force, which most Natural Horsemanship practitioners avoid using whenever possible.[3]

Most Natural Horsemanship approaches emphasize the use of groundwork to establish boundaries and set up communication with the horse. This can include leading exercises, long reining and liberty work.

As with all successful animal training methods, there is an emphasis on timing, feel and consistency from the handler.[4]
Natural horsemanship has become very popular in the past two decades and there are many books, videos, tapes, and websites available to interested equestrians. This philosophy has capitalized on the use of behavioral reinforcement to replace inhumane practices used in some methods of training, the ultimate goal of which is a calmer, happier and more willing partner in the horse. [3]

Natural Horsemanship avoids fear- and pain-based training methods.[3] While natural and gentle methods of training have been around for millennia, dating to the advocacy of gentle methods by Xenophon in Ancient Greece,[5] there have also been any number of techniques over the years that attempted to train a horse by breaking the horse's spirit, often forcing it to fight back and then be dominated or defeated.[6] Natural Horsemanship advocates point out that by removing fear an individual gains trust from the horse. By not scaring and hurting the horse, the horse learns to work with people in a partnership verses as an adversary. [4]

Some well-known trainers considered to be practitioners of natural horsemanship in the late twentieth century include: Tom and Bill Dorrance, Ray Hunt, John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Buck Brannaman, Monty Roberts, and Pat Parelli."

Natural, the only way to go!
Love,
Nicki

Saturday April 4th - Sparkle the Mustang Gets Started Under Saddle

Today was a first ride for 3 year old Sparkle the mustang. Sparkle was rescued from going to slaughter on February 7, 2008 by being bought right out of a kill dealer's pen in Chino for $100. He had purchased her the day before for $50 at the Euclid auction (which is why people need to attend the Euclid and Mikes Auction to save horses!) I was told Sparkle was bred and wanted to save a pregnant mare. She was only a two year old and very small and thin when we saved her.

After arriving at FalconRidge, Sparkle first gained weight in her belly and was indeed pregnant. We watched her grow and waited for her to deliver. She had a cute personality and was sweet for a mustang so we assumed she had been born in captivity. Sparkle gave birth to a red dun colt, Rocket, on September 13, 2008. He is gorgeous and half quarterhorse according to the owner who sold Sparkle at auction.

Sparkle and Rocket were weaned from each other two weeks ago and she was introduced to the saddle by David. She took it fairly well and did not seem to mind. She has a very easygoing personality. Yesterday David saddled her up again and worked her in hand with the saddle moving her back and forth. Then he introduced the flag to her which do not phase her too much. He was able to step up in the saddle on both sides of her while in a halter, so then Sparkle was introduced to the bridle and bit.

Nothing seems to phase Sparkle very much, she is relaxed and calm all the time, so David was able to get on and ride her without any resistance. This is not the norm by any means for a horses first ride, but is nice to see and happens about ten percent of the time in horses first started under saddle. The fact that Sparkle is young and has been here over a year contributed to her wonderful first ride under saddle. She is a beautiful little mare!

Baron's sponsor Debbie came out and he had his first saddling in a long time. Baron is a huge tall 4 year old thoroughbred who was injured while training to race and has been laid up for almost a year to recover from a small crack in his sesamoid bone. The vet said he will make a full recovery but not as a race horse. So Baron is just getting ready to be able to start training again. Debbie saddled him up in her saddle and asked him to move out in the roundpen. He is doing fine and will be having his first non-race training ride with David in the near future. He is super handsome and very laid back personality.

We also turned out numerous horses in the arena for herd running. Running as a herd is something the horses love and is great for their mental well being. It also helps exercise their bodies and condition them. They have fun and it is magnicent to watch their power, strength and beauty as they run.

And for good news? The economy is and will get better. Don't get depressed or scared by watching the news. Get outside instead and enjoy your reality with your kids, your family and your horses and create goodness and happy times.

Rescue a horse going to slaughter, or who has been rescued from slaughter such as some of the horses here. Why would you want such a horse? Here is one example why...Snowman. For those of you too young to remember who he was..here is the story of a discarded horse going to slaughter who was saved from a low end auction. His name is Snowman and his greatness was found and allowed out by his owner.

Each and every horse has greatness in them, as do we humans...you just have to look and have hope, trust your instincts to allow it out and see what amazing things can happen. :-)

The Great Snowman
http://www.horsefix.com/pages/Famous%20Horses/famous-snowman.htm

Go be great!
Love,
Nicki

Friday April 3rd - Lola gets evaluated

Lola is the paint horse that came in from the Riverside Animal Control animal cruelty case, along with Cloud and Spirit. Lola is a mare about 15 years old and currently being fostered. She was evaluated under saddle by David to see what she knows and how she was trained.

Lola has been charro trained and seemingly well trained at that. She is not as hot under saddle as Rowdy and and she responds well to cues. She is an excellent mare and very sweet natured. We are going to have her seen by our chiropractor Dr. Don Moore along with a few others who need adjustments.

Cloud has been getting worked in the roundpen to work on the "holes" in his training and get all the bucking kinks out. Sparkle is being started under saddle and doing very well! Sparkle is a mustang mare who was saved from slaughter while pregnant with baby Rocket. He has been weaned so she is now 3 and being trained so she can be adopted. Baby Rocket will be kept here, as all babies are, until he can be started under saddle gently and appropriately by David. That way, these horses who have been rescued and born here will have a good start with their human training and not have any problems in the future with finding a home. It is our insurance policy (so we don't have to rescue them again) and commitment to the horse.

I received a call the other day from a gentleman who wanted to get rid of his 19 year old horse. I asked him why? He said the kids are no longer riding it so it has to go. I bang my head on the table when I hear things like that.

I would like all of you to please spread the word...."MOST horses do NOT like to be ridden, NOR do they have to be!!!"

Horses are perfectly fine pets spending time with you hanging out. If they are boarded of course they do need to get out if no longer ridden. Turning them out with other horses to run is something they love and need as herd animals. A horses favorite pastime is eating and sleeping! Not being ridden. Just think.... how would you like to carry around a 40 lb backpack on your back? Would that be fun for you? Horses can be kept when they are no longer ridden or rideable. They are still the same wonderful buddy they were before...and probably happier because they are no longer carrying weight around on their backs!!!

Horses do not have to be ridden and most horses do not like to be ridden. Horses make great pets and love to just be with you and give you love back.

I received the final agenda today for the Homes for Horses Conference in Las Vegas. http://www.homesforhorses.org/2009draftagenda.php
and will be speaking at 11:00 on Thursday on Training and Marketing for Adoption Success.

Take a big guess who also rescues horses?

Tony Curtis and his wife, Jill Curtis!!! They rescue horses near Las Vegas Nevada and run Shiloh Horse Rescue. She will also be speaking on our panel. Yeah, celebrity rescuers!

For those if you who just can't resist jumping on your horses back and who like to ride, ride ride...do you know how to check your horses back for soreness? It is something you should be frequently doing. Here is a great article on it:

http://www.ekss.ee/English/veterinary_spine.htm

And it was good seeing Wizard at his new home with his tiny human owner riding him. Such a great new life he has.

Can you help a horse today?

Love,
Nicki

Tues Mar 31 - How to Buy the Perfect Horse

This was written many many years ago by me. Although the horses I choose to rescue now are not handicapped ones due to the economy and the realities of adoptablity....this is how FalconRidge Equine Rescue started. - Nicki

FalconRidge Ranch

How To Buy the Perfect Horse

So many people today are into prepurchase exams before buying a horse. Hundreds of dollars are spent on vet exams and radiographs prior to purchase. They wish to avoid future financial problems, lameness, or medical problems with the horse they buy. The higher dollar the horse, the more extensive exam. Such preventative techniques will ensure they buy the perfect healthy horse. Or does it?

I used to be a hunter/jumper snob. Grew up with training, competition, rode hunters and jumpers for four years. Groomed for grand prix greats Jimmy Williams and Rob Gage. Showed in classes against Hap Hansen when he was just starting out. I got out of horses when my jumper died of colic back in 1975, it hit me that hard. I stayed away purposely, but got back into horses 24 yrs later at age 40, by rescuing them.

I have and learned from a wonderful natural horsemanship trainer who is closest methodwise to Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance, how to work with green horses, how to listen to horses, how to ride western for pete's sakes, in a bosal, and appreciate it! I know I'm unique in that I do mainly rescue. (I actually call it filling my private ranch with future performance champions, grin) But I thought Id like to share how I buy horses, from a different perspective than most folks, and the outcome from it based on my experiences.

I go looking for the worst possible horse in need. The unwanted. I scan the classifieds for deformed horses, blind ones, aged, ones going to slaughter or unwanted for some sort of reason such as bad or aggressive behavior. I look for the horse that everyone else wants to avoid, the ugly duckling. My feelings are that a horse needs a forever home, where someone will love it as family, keep it, cherish it, and appreciate it for the way it is, no matter what that way is. But the unperfect, unwanted horses are those that need the homes the worst and unfortunately, get the least chances or even looked at.

I relish my special horses as you would any champion, brag about them to others on how wonderful they are, and give them the attention they so deserve, whether it be medical, emotional or physical. I do buy by how the horse looks at you, although there have been a few where I didn't see the horse, just knew its heartbreaking story. And guess what? Without ever having a prepurchase exam, I've gotten the jewels, the best, the cream of the crop out there in the equine world.

People come to my ranch, look around at the fifty something head of nice looking horses and say "these can't be rescue horses!" "Yes, they are" I smile. "Or they once were." They see my swaybacked paint pulling a buggy with such proudness and finesse they don't notice the extreme lordosis in his back. He's also won two blue ribbons in halter, for color, grin. That beautiful appy mare working perfectly under saddle in the arena? Shes blind as a bat. That little arab doing reining and dressage moves? He was locked up his whole life in a falling down barn, only to come outside for the first time and see the world when he was six. Oh you admire that handsome built sorrel quarterhorse over there? Well shes a he, or hes a she I grin, and watch jaws drop every time.

So my recommendation is to open up your mind, look for the worst horse possible, a breed you would never consider even. Love it unconditionally, get it the help or training it needs, and you will have the best and most perfect horse in the world. Because perfection, the only perfection that counts, really rests in YOUR eyes, not those of others who are looking at your horse.

There is something about the horses' eyes. They are the windows to the horses' soul and can tell you volumes, if you can hear what they are saying. No, I'm not one of those emotional, superstitious or clairvoyant pet psychic nuts out there. I'm actually a chemist, a realist, and never believe anything unless I see it. What I've seen with my horses though…are miracles. Many horses come to me that supposedly have problems such as lameness. For some strange reason when I get them, they end up either not having the problem, or have one that is easily overcome. I'm starting to believe that if your intent in buying a horse is in the right and loving place, you will be rewarded...the horse will be fine and get well. Look to make money off horses or use them in some sort of self serving fashion without caring about THEM first?, and you will run into problems such as lameness, injury or illness.

I also adopted a deaf dog because I figured she would be hard to place, had nobody interested in her because of her disability, and when she arrived I found out she could hear!

Before, the only horse for me was a tall thoroughbred hunter or jumper. Now that I've been enlightened and opened up my mind to different ways of riding, communicating, training, and the different breeds out there that are all so special and good, I feel truly grateful. They have taught me so much. I have a rescued clydesdale, shire, national show horse, arabs, quarter horses, thoroughbreds, mustangs, miniatures, a Tennessee Walking horse, appaloosas, an appendix, paint horses, a zorse and a hermaphrodite even.

These horses who were bought just by their picture, how they looked at me, or mainly their story, have turned out to be the best horses ever. They are well behaved and healthy now. The older ones, 9 and 11 yrs old who had never been handled before by humans or haltered, took to training way better than ones who had. The swaybacked horses pull a cart better than any carriage horse. The crooked legged ones are straightening with braces and surgery. The TB exracer who supposedly had a bone chip in his knee, the reason for nobody wanting to buy him, showed under radiograph that there was no chip, is sound as the best and moves like a dressage king. One of the blind ones rides like a champ. Many of my rescue horses can be ridden and do moves equal to the best show horses out there.

With proper love, training, medical care, and conditioning, ANY horse out there will be the best horse to buy. Behavior problem? You can fix that with training, the right training. All horses deserve a chance to feel good, be happy, to have fun, to play with other horses, to have a loving human...and its our responsibility to make that our main goal with them...nothing more, nothing less.

Look at their eyes. If the horse wants YOU as an owner, if they think you are the right person for them, the eyes will be pleading with you, "take me hoooooome." If the horse avoids your eyes when you go to see it, is aloof, turns away from you, don't choose it. That horse does not want you and has not chosen you as the most perfect human worthy of owning it. Your horse will have its head up, looking straight at you with soft kind eyes, ears perked forward, and it will be looking at you like "let me out!"

Now why would anyone want to deliberately go buy a deformed, blind, unwanted unperfect rescue horse you say? For love. Because they are truly the perfect horses out there, once you throw out all your unrealistic ideals of what you are looking for in a horse. Commit to them first. Don't base your decision on breed, conformation, skill, age or sex, base it upon the horses life and condition. Is it a good one now? Are they happy or suffering? Could you improve it in some way? Help it?Assume that the horse doesn't have to perform, they don't have to do or be anything, other than what they become.

Yes, maybe you want to have a horse you can do three day eventing with. That can happen. Buy the horse you think has the basic abilities, bond with it, love it, get it well and start playing with it when it becomes rideable. Before you know it, if you don't push it too hard and train it right, you can do eventing with it, IF that's what the horse is happiest doing! Give them THAT freedom, that unconditional love, and they will excel in whatever you want them to do, amaze you, make you laugh and make you cry tears of happiness for them when they overcome their handicap and become like the normal horses. Buying a handicapped horse is silly? Lets ask Titan my 4 yr old swaybacked paint gelding who saved me $140,000 on the purchase of my ranch. ;-)

Sunday March 29 - Kingston's debut and Rowdy is a suprise ride!

It was a super day! Today we had four new volunteers come out and help at the ranch. Thank you Linda, Michelle, Laurie and Fawn! They got an intro to the ranch then cleaned stalls. They got to watch David bring Kingston the arabian stallion out of his stall and to the roundpen for his first outing and handling outside of his stall. Kingston is incredibly bright and kind and did wonderfully, getting over his fear of new people and places. The volunteers also got a lesson in handling the horses and working them in hand our natural horsemanship way.

Zoey and Brian Zeller came out and Zoey rode Lucky and took a jumping lesson on him with David. Brian worked with Spirit and Jody. Spirit got her first bath. Mary came out and worked with her horse Snowbell and also Cimarron the mustang, who is coming along great with handling now.

Dana got a lesson from David in working Montana in hand, and also Cloud the grey gelding got worked in getting used to the saddle again. Laredos adopter came out and got a lesson with David who also did a first ride on Laredo and he did fine.

Rocket got turned out in the arena with Rowdy and Spirit and they raced around. Rowdy is feeling so good I decided it was time for to see what he knows under saddle. Rowdy could barely walk when he was rescued on January 10th and arrived here.

Today we saddled Rowdy up in the roundpen and he took off with a buck or too, which was surprising! He is obviously feeling healthier each week. He settled down and David then bridled him and got him to flex laterally. Once he saw Rowdy responding to the bit, he got on. Rowdy proceeded to start prancing! Rowdy we could tell by his movement, mannerisms and cues...was a charro's horse.

Charro trained horses can spin on a dime and have animated movement of the legs and appear "hot" under saddle. So what Rowdy needs now is retraining on how to relax under saddle and walk more naturally, like he does without a rider or in turnout. We were shocked to say the least! I thought Rowdy was going to be my old geezer horse I could putt around on! It is rewarding and a pleasant surprise to see him so full of energy now.

Sierra, the rideable mustang's owner called and says she is getting desperate. She needs to place her now and has run out of funds for feed. Please consider taking Sierra...she is on the Rehoming horses blog. Call her owner ASAP.
http://rehominghorses.blogspot.com/

Voodoo's new adoptive owner came out visited him today also and Justin and Chiara rode Daisy their adopted horse and passed out as many carrots as they could.

Casper the white arabian gelding is waiting patiently to get adopted by a family to call his own,

So is Lucky the ever talented thoroughbred gelding, he said he wants someone to dote on him.

Cimarron the mustang mare wants a chance and loves affection,

Magic the very handsome quarter horse gelding wants someone to bond forever with,

Maui the appaloosa mare would love a human to teach her everything,

Rebel the Missouri foxtrotter is looking for love during his golden years,

Dragon the black thoroughbred gelding says there must be a better life after racing and likes hugs,

Peter Pan the miniature gelding just wants food!

Rainbow the thoroughbred mare will take anyone who has a handsome gelding right now!

Jody the thoroughbred mare is being so perfect so as to attract the perfect owner for her,

Montana wants that calm quiet patient owner who won't fidgit over her but will teach her relaxation,

Spirit the palomino filly says I just want to give love!

Cloud the grey quarter horse gelding says he will go along with everything you say!

Mighty Mouse the miniature loves petting,

Ryder the thoroughbred gelding wants a family who is fun and committed to learning with him,

Chiron the thoroughbred gelding says I can too be useful! and I'm good looking!

Toy the thoroughbred mare wants a pasture mate to call her own and,

Sparkle the mustang mare says she wants to keep learning with her own special human that she can bond with forever.

The horses have made their requests.

Now it's time for the universe to answer their wishes.

No requests by email today to take someone's horse.

Good..because we are full and cannot take any more until some horses get adopted.

Happy Random acts of kindness week!

What will you do?

Love,
Nicki

Saturday March 28 - Ricky & Coyote

Today Dr. Jeff Moss was out at FalconRidge and we are sad to report that he found Chiron the thoroughbred gelding has Wobblers. Chiron came back to the rescue recently when it was found he was not happy at his adopters. After having a neurological examination http://www.equinewobblers.com/Diagnostics/Neurological_Examination.htm
by Dr. Moss, he recommended Chiron never be ridden as he may fall down by being unbalanced. Chiron can only be a pasture pet. We have one other wobbler rescue here, Pie, who injured his spinal chord when he flipped over as a baby at his breeders.

We were visited today by a coyote who sauntered from the nearby creekbed into the lower pasture with Cisco, Tonka, One Sock, Sky and Dragon who were eating their breakfast. I'm not sure what the coyote was looking for and the horses didn't seem to pay him any mind. Perhaps he was looking for rabbits, or? they are friends.

The three horses from Riverside Animal Control are doing well. The Zellers who are fostering the paint mare report that she is a sweetheart. They have named her Lola and she seems to ride fine and has been ridden by 10 year old Zoey. Spirit the palomino is also very sweet and loves attention. She accepted the saddle pad in the roundpen several days ago. And Cloud the grey gelding has settled in and is enjoying individual attention, grooming and turnout with other horses. The Zellers came out this afternoon and washed him down.

Dr. Jeff Moss agreed to do a presentation at our Spring Open House on May 3rd. He will be speaking on When To Know to Call Your Vet Out. I am also looking to get our equine chiropractor, the natural trim farrier, and there will be a fashion show where 10 yr old Zoey and friends will be taking 5 rescued horses for adoption and presenting then however they wish in costume in the arena. Rumor has it miniature horse Peter Pan will be interesting!

Ricky is a quarab (quarter horse arab) gelding who needs a new home. Here is what his owner says:

"Ricky is a 7 year old registered Half-Arabian (Reg. # 352876). His father is a registered full QH, Kings Beethoven, and his mother a registered full Arabian, Davita. Ricky was born and raised on the same property with one owner in Ramona, California. He has 3 months plus of ground and under saddle training with a John Lyons certified trainer. Ricky's trainer describes him as smart, and a quick learner who is fearful and lacks confidence when there is a lack of consistency in his training/riding. She believes his training was successful but it was not lasting due lack of carry through on the part of his owner who enrolled him a second time in the training but again there was lack of follow through. Ricky needs a strong, confident, advanced rider/owner who will take the time to work with him on his training. Ricky has a calm, sweet and affectionate disposition with everyone who approaches him and he loves attention. He is so easy to fall in love with. He is a beautiful horse who was bought by a beginner rider when his owner was not completely honest regarding his needs. Ricky has one known incident of bucking his owner on the trail causing injury. The current buyer (since 03/21/09) was not made aware of this or that Ricky needed a person who is skilled in training/riding him. I can not give Ricky the training he requires and due to this I'm unable to ride him. Ricky will never reach his full potential unless someone cares for, trains, and rides this wonderful little (13.3 hands) guy. " Email me if you are interested in little Ricky. :-)

I was also contacted about a 7 year old palomino needing a home...

and this horse, who I was contacted by another rescue about to see if we have room:

"Muriah, an Arab/Quarter Horse was originally from the Jacumba herd of wild horses. She had become ill, malnourished and had become separated from the herd. Locals caught her, and she ended up under the care of my late wife Patricia. I know that Muriah is 20+ years old, foaled once, and only green broke. Pat didn’t want her spirit broken and wanted to whisper or soft-break whatever is correct. However, besides the horse, she ended up having to raise her grandchildren, and then worked for the Home of Guiding Hands to cover horse/pet feed. We maxed the credit cards to pay for vet bills. On the 17th of January this year (her birthday) my dear wife passed away due to complications to lung cancer. Between the medical bills, and the credit, I’m about to lose everything. Pat wanted the horse to go somewhere, to people that love horses - she knew I was going to have a hard time."

I told them yes.

Thoughts become things. Think good ones...for the horses.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday March 24 - Vaccines, Unwanted Horse Coalition & Farrier help

Today I received news that FalconRidge will receive free vaccines for rescued horses through the American Association of Equine Practitioners, AAEP's Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign, http://www.aaep.org/uhvrc.htm. Thank you AAEP!!!

AAEP also has great information for horse owners. Especially the Ask the Vet section, http://www.aaep.org/ask_the_vet.php where you can ask them advice on such wide ranging topics as nutrition, supplements, colic, and dental care.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition was formed by the American Horse Council and several of our equine organizations such as the AAEP, AQHA, The Jockey Club, US Equestrian Federation and more to help unwanted horses by educating the public and horse owners on responsible horse ownership and assisting with adoption. I am a speaker for the American Horse Council on unwanted horses and will be doing presentations to horse clubs and organizations in the southern California area on the issue. http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/?id=7

I was contacted by a student of the Pacific Hoofcare Practitioners school, http://www.pacifichoofcare.org/ about coming to FalconRidge and using the horses while she is being taught natural trimming techniques by her instructor, Maria Siebrand http://www.thoughtfulhorseman.com/hooftrimming.htm who will be here next week. The rescued horses will be getting trims for no cost. A win win situation we are excited about!

And I received this email from Shayna:

Hello Ms. Branch,
My name is Shayna and I have been riding horses for ten years now, and my passion has never died. I now currently own my own spunky, funky 4 year old TB gelding. Together, I hope we can be an amazing hunter/jumper team. However, I am intensely interested in helping abandoned, abused horses. I would love the chance to be a continuous volunteer at Falcon Ridge.

I would also like to ask your advise. I have a burning passion to reform the horse racing industry. I despise the fact that they race fillies and colts as young as two, even adjusting their birth date allowing them to race younger. Having an off the track TB myself, I am forced to deal with the physical and emotional scars he collected from the track. However, I have no clue to on how to go about getting the word out. I know there are other websites for this issue, but I want to do this myself. I want my opinion voiced and to be a spokesperson against horse racing as it is known today. So do you have any suggestions on how to start this and where to begin? Thank you for your help, and please let me know if and when I can go volunteer at Falcon Ridge."

I gave Shayna some information on how to start on racing reform and believe she can do it!

Go Shayna, you rock!

Shayna is 15 years old...

BE the change,
Nicki

Saturday March 21, 2009 - Kingston the Arab Stallion's First Haltering & Half Blind Quarter Horse

David was able to work with the unhandled Kingston and get a halter on him. Kingston is settling in and starting to like being touched by David without jumping out of his skin. Everyone is saying how gorgeous Kingston is. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLBDWgyI6zQ

Today Andi Burgis of Challenge U gave a full workshop at FalconRidge on The Courage to Communicate. For those of you who do not know what equine experiential learning is:

"The Equine Experiential Learning programs put the focus on the Emotional and Spiritual sides. In todays world, these seem to be the areas that are not typically where the focus goes. And yet, in order to be balanced, we must develop all four sides. For humans to function in a balanced and effective way, all four natures must be equally focused on and grown.

What is Equine Experiential Learning?
Equine Experiential Learning is a format that uses horses as active participants that help to facilitate the learning experience for the human participants. By examining horse behavior, and how the horses relate to us, we can better understand what may be more effective in our own human relationships.

EEL uses a team approach, bringing together a horse specialist, a trained facilitator and the horse, to assist individuals and groups. Through a collaborative learning process, people use experience and reflection to facilitate learning. The equine-assisted model helps individuals learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses and then processing feelings, behaviors, and patterns, recognizing how these may relate to the workplace or at home. While EEL is related to other experiential programs, equine assisted programs have the added element of horses with as many different personalities and attitudes as the humans they are working with.

Why Horses?
Domesticated horses retain the thought and behavior patterns of their nomadic ancestors. Interacting with these animals on their own terms encourages a fluidity of human thought, emotion, and behavior that sedentary twenty-first-century life makes difficult. Horses also model the strengths of what are often referred to as feminine values: cooperation over competition, relationship over territory, responsiveness over strategy, emotion and intuition over logic, process over goal, and the creative approach to life that these qualities engender.

Typical outcomes through a Challenge U EEL program:
An experience of consensual leadership and how to create mutually respectful relationships.
Uncover unconscious limitations and become empowered to change old dysfunctional patterns of behavior.
Expand nonverbal awareness.
Develop listening to the two other brains, the heart and the gut, and the information they hold.
Connect with your authentic self.
Hear the messages behind your emotions.
Identify patterns inhibiting movement into the personal satisfaction you seek.
Create authentic relationships and community.
Reduce stress and increase mind-body awareness.
Learn effective and congruent communication skills
Redefine power and leadership.
Identify barriers to effective communication.
Increase teamwork.
Develop responsibility, team and leadership skills.
Learn to identify and set healthy boundaries. "

Great stuff!

We will also be featuring David Lee Archer natural horsemanship clinics here for those who want to increase their skills with their own horse/s and training. The clinics will be held monthly in an informal format with a small number of participants to get maximum individual attention. David applies the principles from his book, Be True To Your Horse.

FalconRidge Spring Open House Coming! May 3rd so mark your calendars. Lots of activities planned for this family fun community event being held to share what we do here at FalconRidge. We hope you will come and say Howdy, see our horses needing homes while enjoying food, entertainment and educational demonstrations and of course talking horses!

Today I got a request to take a quarter horse that is a previous rescue and blind in one eye and up in San Jose, CA. I am trying to find out why he needs a new home as he is special needs. The owner had a third baby so now no time for the horse she rescued. If you are going to rescue a special needs horse, please consider keeping it for the remainder of it's life as it will be extremely difficult to find it a home if you no longer want it in the future!!

Today I also got a request to take a 15 year old ex jumper show horse, a thoroughbred and Seattle Slew grandson. Email me if you are looking for a jumper!

Also, Voodoo got adopted today. Congrats to Voodoo for finding his own personal human to be his partner for life!!!

It was a good day. :-)

Spring has sprung and all the mares are in season...

Love,
Nicki

March 19th - Last Day of Winter & The Young Rescuer

Riverside Horses Update:

The Zeller's informed me that the paint mare, who they just can't seem to name yet, but they tell me Pixie or Trixie or something to that effect, is extremely wonderful and Brian saddled her up and rode her today with no problem.

Spirit the palomino mare was worked by Jennifer and found to be very sweet and does whatever you want so far.

And David today went in the stall with Kingston the arabian stallion and haltered him and videotaped the session. He also had Brian go in with him to pet on Kingston so he gets used to other people and does not only rely upon David for leadership. It should be up on youtube soon.

And a Super Thank You to Shelby Basham and Family who sent $200 for the feed and care of Cloud, the grey gelding!!

Tomorrow is the Vernal (Spring) Equinox when the sun passes over the equator and day and night will be about equal in length. The early Egyptians built the great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising sun on the day of the vernal equinox.

I got this email from Laura of Shelter Valley:

"Earthquake valley Horse rescue
I started this rescue in shelter valley, (Julian Area) California when I was just 10 years of age. My first 2 rescues were frosty, an Arabian mare with swayed back in her twenties, and jack, a 30 year old Morgan/Appy cross. They were two of the best horses I have ever had. For some reason I have always found horses that have needed me. I have rescued 13 horses in the past 7 years and found new homes for them all. They include 2 Arabians, 3 appaloosas, 3 mustangs (1 BLM, 2 off range), 3 thoroughbreds, 1 paint horse, and 1 quarter horse. At the moment I have a palomino that is a little on the thin side and a absess on his front right who will probably be one of my favorites. I also have a BLM mustang, and I have a Quarter horse mare who just gave birth to her foal on Friday the 13th of march. The mare might already have a home that is waiting patiently for her foal to be weaned, and her foal will be a permanent resident. Paly the palomino is also permanent because he is only seven and will make a perfect horse to pony the un-experienced guys to go out on trail. Tolo the mustang has also found a home with my boyfriend’s parents who just couldn’t resist him, and he is still being boarded here."

Laura has rescued 13 horses.

Laura is... 17 years old.

I can't imagine the number of horses she is going to help in her future. Good going Laura, you rock!

The 8 year old thoroughbred gelding I saw today at the home he is boarded at. He is cute. I will post a picture of him. Anyone interested in sponsoring this horse please let me know. A wonderful woman named Dolly has stepped in to care for this horse and feed him for a year, but where he is at, he is not getting out or worked and he needs training now. He has recouperated from his inhumane past at the mexican rodeo and now is ready for training in order to continue his education and become a new member of someone's of the family. Let me know if you would like to help JoJo.

I was also contacted about this abandoned horse:

"Portola Pastures in Portola Valley, California, has an abandoned horse in need of rescue. Luna is a dark Palamino filly, 3.5 years old, 15.2-16.0 H, Oldenburg/QH cross. Beautiful, very smart, calm horse with an extremely sweet personality. She has lameness in her right front leg that may heal in time. Owner has not been out to see her in 4 months and has now called to tell the property managers that he can no longer pay the board and wants them to give the horse away."

Let me know if you would like to help or sponsor Luna so she can come here for rehabilitation. I will post her picture too.

And if you are thinking about getting a horse, here is a good reason to have one on hand!!!

HORSE SAVES OWNER FROM RAGING COW

" A farmer has told how she was saved by her horse after it fought off a raging cow that was attacking her.
Fiona Boyd, 40, feared she was going to be crushed to death by the half-tonne cow after it kicked her to the ground, then rolled on top of her.
She had been about to guide the normally placid animal and its calf towards a shed when the cow suddenly attacked.
She believes she survived only because her horse, Kerry, raced to the rescue and kicked the cow until it moved off her.
Yesterday, Mrs Boyd said: “I am in no doubt Kerry saved me. If she hadn’t been grazing in the same pasture, I really believe I would have been killed. Kerry was fantastic. She saved my life.”
The drama unfolded as Mrs Boyd, a mother of two, was alone at home on her family farm at Chapmanton, near Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire.
She had been cooking tea in the farmhouse when she heard the cries of a young calf in distress. When she went outside, she saw the calf had become separated from its mother and could not find her among the other cows in the herd.
She decided to move the calf and its mother into a shed together, but as she approached the calf, its mother finally heard its distressed cries and charged at Mrs Boyd, knocking her to the ground.
As she tried to get to her feet, the cow butted her and shouldered her again to the ground, before dropping its full weight on top of her.
Winded and in great pain, she rolled up into a ball - fearing she was about to be killed. As she scrambled for cover, she saw her 15-year-old chestnut mare kicking wildly at the cow. As the horse hit out at the cow, Mrs Boyd managed to crawl 20ft to safety under an electric fence.
She said “I was absolutely terrified, and remember rolling up into a ball to protect my head from her hooves.
“I knew I had to get away from her or she was going to kill me, and as I tried to get up, the cow just fell right on top of me. I thought to myself ‘this is it, I’m going to die’.”
Despite her ordeal Mrs Boyd escaped serious injury.
She alerted her husband, Matt, 44, who had been working with their two teenage sons at another field, and they took her to hospital. She was released after being treated for severe bruising and cuts.
She said: “Cows are normally placid animals, but during calving they become very protective. I shouldn’t have tried to move the calf through the herd on my own, and I certainly won’t be doing it again.”
Jimmy More, of the Galloway Veterinary Group said he had never before heard of a horse doing anything like it. He said: “I’ve heard of dogs coming to the rescue of their owners, but never a horse.”

Well Jimmy, I have heard of horses coming to rescue their owners...they do it all the time. Horses bond with us, care for us, help us and protect us in more ways than we will ever know or see. :-)

Happy Spring,
Nicki

Tuesday March 17th - St. Patricks Day & New Horses are Named

Today Lynn Wells & family, of the Toby Wells foundation, did us the honor of naming the newly rescued arabian stallion, Kingston, and the palomino filly is now named Spirit! Thank you Lynn!!

The Unwanted Horse Coalition - http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/?id=7

"The Unwanted Horse Coalition represents a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the American Horse Council to educate the horse industry about the unwanted horse issue. The UHC grew out of the Unwanted Horse Summit, which was organized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and held in conjunction with the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in April 2005. The summit was held to bring key stakeholders together to start a dialogue on the plight of the unwanted horse in America. Its purpose was to develop consensus on the most effective way to work together to address this issue. In June 2006, the Unwanted Horse Coalition was folded into the American Horse Council and now operates under its auspices."
Check out their resources section to aid in educating others on responsible horse ownership!

This Saturday March 21st is the equine experiential workshop, "The Courage to Communicate" held at FalconRidge. This workshop is full.
http://www.challenge-u.com/events.html Thank you Andi!

Pirate Update from Corrinn -

"Pirate had his first bath (at least by me) on Thursday. He did GREAT! He's going to be so beautiful after he finishes shedding out. One sad thing though - his beautiful tail is now short - my baby likes to eat tails, and the tail bag didn't deter him. :-( Hopefully he'll grow out of that nasty little habit!

I'll send pics soon - he looks really good weight wise, but kind of scraggly with being half shedded out. While he's under anesthesia, I think I'm going to give him a shave and trim up his ears. :)

He's very smart - he's already learned the first five of the 7 Parelli games. Now I'll just need to get him healed up from the gelding and then we can start having fun!!!

God bless you for what you do, Nicki! I'll be in touch soon!
Corrinn"

And I was contacted about two horses needing homes today:

A little over a year ago I took possession of a thoroughbred, he was underweight and abused.
I know nothing about horses, I've done my best but he needs more than I can offer.
He is 8 years old. He's was an injured race horse that was sold to the mexican rodeo where he was whipped and roped, etc.
He is very sweet and in the hands of someone that knows what they are doing he would probably be a great horse. He responds very well to what little ground work we could figure out to do with him.
Please let me know if he would be a good candidate for your rehab program.
I've attached 2 pics of JoJo. The close up is from last winter (Dec. 07) and the full body is from last summer (June 08). Isn't he beautiful?
I have his papers. His racing name is Joey's L.

Some of his problems are:
1. an over bite
2. a fungus on his rear legs that I I have been battling but it keeps coming back, (poor circulation? maybe from the roping? or not enough exercise?)
3. a somewhat flat front right hoof. (we think his front right was the racing injury)

He is in San Marcos, they were using him at the rodeo ring in Escondido by the Humane Society. Because they kicked and hit him when he was in the shoot at the rodeo, he still gets alittle scared when people sit on the corral rails, but he is much better than he used to be! And other than that not much bothers him.
He's a real sweet horse, you can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. He just needs to be worked with and taught.
I'm hoping you can take him, care for him and teach him.

Thanks
Dolly

Please contact me, nickbranch@aol.com, if you want this horse. He IS cute!

And the second one:

I took an older QH back in January that was going to be put to sleep in hopes of buying him some time and finding him a home or rescue and I have had no luck. Someone on the Barbaro site suggested I send you an email and maybe you could post his info on your blog in hopes of finding him a home. He has soo much life left and is a happy horse and LOVES trail.

Some info on him: His name is Levi and he is an older, late twenties, QH gelding. He is sorrel with two white socks and a crooked blaze. He is 15.2. I have ridden him numerouse times and taken him out on trail a couple. He is pretty bombproof but has some spunk on trail. I have taken him out with friends on Appendix both under 10 and he was at least 50 yards in front of them the whole time. I did have the vet check him out as he has a bad knee and she suggested that he not be trotted or cantered with a rider on him, he does it on his own no problem. My vet believes that he had a trauma to his chest and he has neuro problems that prevent him from walking out normally on one front leg so he picks it up high and slams it down but it also does not cause him pain just makes him trip at the trot and canter occasionally so the vet thinks he is too unstable to ride and run and it may cause laminitis if he does it with weight on him.

He is such a happy horse and LOVES other horses and I want him to find a home of his own. He came from a bad situation last January where he was 200lbs underweight and had abcesses in all feet. My grandma took him in Jan 08 and used him in her therapeutic riding program but he didn't work out and his owners did not want him back and she couldn't find him a home so she was going to euthanize him. I couldn't stand the thought since his past years weren't so good so I wanted to find him a good home where he would be loved. Unfortunately my dad has gotten an offer on his home so I am not sure how much time we have left here, up to the bank, and I am panicing now. I can only afford my two rescues as I work partime and support my husband as well, he is Australian and does not have authorization to work here yet, and my 7 dogs and 2 cats...It is really starting to put a HUGE strain on me, as I am sure you know with what you do. Any help in finding a loving home for Levi would be greatly appreciated. Desiree"

Contact me if you can help Levi and Desiree!

And my version of the StarFish Story....

Once upon a time, there was a man who used to go to the country to do his writing. He had a habit of walking along a country road before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the dirt road, he looked over at a horse ranch and saw a human figure moving like a dancer with the horses. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance with a horse, and so, he walked faster to see her close up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a woman, and that what she was doing was not dancing at all. The woman was walking with a horse and took it to its stall. Then she went back in the horse trailer, took out another horse, this one did not look very good. It was old, and skinny and could barely walk. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"The woman paused, looked up, and replied "I am rescuing unwanted horses. He looked around and saw several horses in pastures and stalls. "I must ask, then, why are you taking so many horses here?" asked the somewhat startled man. To this, the woman replied, "Because nobody wants them, or they can't afford them right now, or they have neglected them. All the horse rescues are full. If I don't take them, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the man commented, "But lady, do you not realize that there are hundreds and hundreds of unwanted horses everywhere? You can't possibly make a difference and save them all!" At this, the woman went back into the horse trailer, pulled out an old chestnut quarter horse gelding, weary with years of neglect and walked him to a stall. As she unhaltered the horse, patted his neck, gave him some hay and closed the gate to his stall she said, "It made a difference for that one."

Sunday March 15, 2009 - Fun with Cloud

This morning it was drizzling rain and luckily it let up and the ranch didn't get too soaked. We have been enjoying the Spring weather. Volunteers Justin and Chiara came out with the horses and ranch work.

DJ Gove and Nancy from the San Diego Humane Society stopped by and gave us a carton of fly spray. Thank you ladies! DJ and Nancy work hard to protect the abandoned and neglected horses, and well..other animals too, of San Diego County and do a great job. If you see a horse being neglected or starving, give them a call. http://www.sdhumane.org/

The palomino filly was let out into the roundpen and worked a little. Shes got a very sweet personality, along with some spunk to her! She is going to be a great horse for someone.

Brian worked with Ryder and daughter Zoey worked with the minis, groomed some, and worked Montana in hand.

David began the evaluation of the new grey gelding, who I have named Cloud. He was a bit nervous tied up at the grooming area while David trimmed his feet. He and the other two from the Riverside case have not been handled in at least 9 months, so its understandable. He also appears to be very headshy if you move your hand quickly near him, so in the past he is exhibiting that he has been rough handled. So our job is to get him to relax with people.

That is what is great about having the volunteers here and many different people handling the horses. Cloud took the saddle and bit well, but has some buck in him so he will need more work and trust before David can get on and thoroughly evaluate what he knows under saddle. He is a nice big fat boy! We then let him run in the arena and play with Rowdy and roll and he was a much happier and relaxed guy after grooming and before he went back to his stall.

Laura and I worked with the colt Rocket, who is now 6 months, huge and weaned from his mother, Sparkle. He is now able to be haltered and worked in hand and we groomed him. Volunteer Elani came out and she loves to groom the horses. She is the ultimate groomer and brings her own supplies with her and the horses actually shine when shes done! Thank you Elani! She then took a lesson with David and rode Buns the dun quarter horse mare.

I heard from a friend of mine that at Mikes Auction in Mira Loma last night there were actually private party and families there buying horses. YAY! If you don't know what Mikes Auction is, it is an auction that kill buyers frequent and purchase many horses. The Euclid auction is the same. We need more loving families to attend these auctions and you can buy a horse for low prices, from $100 to $400 or so. Unfortunately the kill buyers end up with many of the horses. Tell your friends and swarm the place next auction they have and help some horses get into normal, loving family homes, ok? My friend is rescuing thoroughbreds there and is one of those cool women who rescue horses. She has saved many.

David worked with the arabian stallion in his pen and got him to come up to him for some face petting. Hes a smart boy!

Volunteer Dana Ross helped clean stalls and worked with Popcorn in the roundpen. She and her husband Gene come every Sunday. Gene told me that Dana would stay all day and night here if she could, that she just loves it here and wants to stay with the horses. The horses have that ability to draw you in and make you stay longer than you planned!

What really is precious is to be able to watch the horses change and grow each time you work with them. They are like butterflies emerging from a cocoon. When they first come in to FalconRidge they have some issues from their past. (Just like we all do!) As they get handled more and more, trained, groomed, exercised, and play with other horses, you get to see the fear, nervousness and tension dissapear.

Coming here you can watch the horses who are thin get fat and healthier. You get to see real change, be a part of the rehabilitation of these horses, be a part of their training, teaching them ground manners, and witness the amazing process, the blossoming of these unwanted horses to become the noble champions that they truly are.

You volunteers are awesome.

Time to read email....

Love,
Nicki

Saturday - The Rescue of the Unhandled Arabian Stallion

This morning David and I went to the end of Harbison Canyon in El Cajon to rescue the 8 year old arabian stallion named July By Regal. He was all alone on the property with no people or horses around him. His elderly owner met us there. This stallion has not been handled or haltered by humans in 7 years and it was evident. He was bright, intelligent and not about to let us near him. The pen he was in was too large for David to be able to halter him safely, so we had to break it down and make a chute for him to go in the trailer. We got him in pretty easily and he trailered to FalconRidge without one bit of sweat on him.

Back at FalconRidge we unloaded him directly into a stall next to Shaman, our only other stallion, a 22 year old thoroughbred. He also is next to a pasture where Dragon, Baron, One Sock, and Cisco preside so he can socialize with horses again right next to him. That is a key point to calming a stallion down...we put them next to other horses, even mares. It teaches them how to relax. Isolating a stallion, or putting them in a box stall just makes them more nervous and frustrated because they can't socialize with the other horses....it is natural herd behavior they most definitely need. He is very handsome.

Here is a video of his rescue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8co1UrMY1w

Love,
Nicki

Friday March 13, 2009 - A Visit to the Riverside County Seized Horses

I just received an update from Evelyn on Star and you can see for yourself how she is doing! WooHoo Evelyn and Melissa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vStNUDNbxV0

Today Brian and I went to Riverside to see the herd of 21 horses who were seized by animal control officials last June from a hoarder. This woman starved them as much as she could, then animal control came out and worked with her until they started to look half way normal. Then, she would move in the middle of the night to a new location and animal control officers could not find her. In the meantime, she continued to again, starve her horses. The new neighbors would notice them starving and call animal control again and they would find her. Again she would sort of feed them until they almost got up to weight, and she would leave in the middle of the night again to a new location so animal control wouldn't hassle her about feeding her horses. She moved the horses FOUR TIMES. They were continuously starved, until last June when she got caught and this time animal control officials confiscated the horses from her. A very wise judge ruled, before she even went to trial...which tells you what a bad person she is....that she is not to own animals again. She is still awaiting trial and the animal control people want to place the horses now so that she cannot find them.

There are many arab crosses. Some quarters, mustangs and two drafts. They are up on the Riverside County Animal Control website. We evaluated most of them and took three of them home. A 6 yr old paint mare, a 3 yr old palomino mare, and a 12 yr old grey quarter gelding. There were two sorrel horses that were very friendly and calm, but these three really stood out with their personality. There are many young stallions but they will be gelded soon by the vet. About a third of the horses were very friendly, a third would come around quickly, and another third was leary of people. The buckskin mare is very nice but the spookiest and mostly mustang. The paint we left there looks like he has not been touched. There is one older bay stallion, very nice looking. I am posting pictures of the horses and hopefully you folks out there reading this will take a look and let me know if you want to adopt one or more of them.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/RiversideCountyHorses/

The three that we just got will be up for adoption after they get handled and some training. The 12 yr old grey gelding will probably be fine under saddle. Brian is fostering the paint mare, the sweetest of the herd. All horses loaded into the trailer with no problems. Riverside animal control will also do private viewings if you are interested and want to see the horses and are adopting out with contracts for $100. The drafts are cute, and the black one has a roach back. Heres their website, http://www.rcdas.org/adoption.htm and click on "other".

Today I got home and listened to messages from two people wanting me to take their horses. One woman has three horses and was crying on the phone, saying she is losing her home. She just paid her last $100 for hay and has no more. She lost her job, which is why she is losing her home. I called her back and talked to her. The horses are 24. Her vet told her to put them down. I asked her if she can find someone to pasture them for free for 6 months and she is going to look into that. I said ask a friend who has money right now if they will help you feed your horses for 6 months and she perked up and is going to try. At least she got off the phone happier and thinking about ways to get creative in order to keep her horses. People are quick to panic these days and get rid of their horses, making decisions based on fear. Watching the tv news does not help. If I could start a good news station only, instead of bad news I would!

Now HERE is something that should be on the news, I think. It was sent by a friend to me to make my heart light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHQcIMziu7I

The second phone message was from a woman saying there are two thoroughbred mares that will be euthanized tonight unless she finds homes for them today. They are at a TB breeding farm. I did not get back into the house until 6pm tonight. I called and left a message...and havent heard back.

Yesterday I heard from Alison. She needs to find a home for her 6 yr old TB mare. She sent a very nice description of her. If you are interested in helping Alison and being the proud owner of this mare, contact me.

"Hello, and yes of course. She is 15.3 hh, 6 year old (March 13, 2003) bay/brown registered T'bred (looks like warmblood - very wide chest and butt) and I have been working on dressage and smaller jumps (2') with her. She can do shoulder in, haunches in, working pirouettes in walk, walk/canter/walk etc. She is excellent on the trails with company, dogs, cars, bicycles etc. don't faze her at all. She looks great and is groomed daily. She favours her left fore once in a while and I have been resting her and I am just now bringing her back into work again slowly after 2 months off. Vet says it is soft tissue injury that needs rest. She may be limited in the work she can do when she comes sound, ie perhaps no jumping. She is a little ticklish when I groom and can be marish at feeding time ie ears back etc. She has had all her annual shots (last month), teeth done 2 months ago, feet are due to be done next Wed and chiropractor work done 3 weeks ago.
I look forward to hearing from you. I would like her to go somewhere that I know she will be safe and looked after."

Yesterday I also heard from Mandy,

"Dear Falcon Ridge Ranch,My parents own 2 old horses. One is a polish arabian mare and the other is a half arab half pinto mare. Both are about 23 years old. My parents are getting older and do not have the time to care for the animals. They have been living in an acre pasture and are well feed and had regular farrier care. Neither have been rode in over 5 years but both are sound gentle animals. Do you know of any facility that could take them? We would like to find a place were they could get the attention they deserve in their old age as they were well loved pets. They live in the san diego area.Thank you. Mandy"

If you can help Mandy, Please contact me!

I also heard from Helen. She has a 15 yr old quarter horse mare that needs a new home and she has been reining trained. She might be coming here. She also has a 6 yr old TB.

I need to call back Paula. She has a 30 yr old mare.

I got some emails from people wanting to adopt, yay! WE NEED MORE OF YOU! COME HERE & SEE THE HORSES!

Tomorrow its the arabian stallion rescue in El Cajon, the unhandled 8 yr old. To be continued...

Happy Friday the 13th! Go hug your horse,
Love,
Nicki

Thursday March 12 - Chiron's Big Day, Special People and Homes for Horses

Today Chiron got adopted! He is the 5 yr old thoroughbred stallion, recently gelded by our gracious friend Dr. Joe Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, http://slreh.com/. Joe donated his services to castrate Chiron and Ryder after they were rescued from being abandoned at their home in Bonsall. Chiron will now be living with a wonderful family and another FalconRidge adoptee, Wakan. Congrats to Leslie and Danny for allowing Chiron to bless them with his presence!

Laredo the mustang went off to training with David today before he goes to his adopter Tarra. Go Laredo! Everyone here loved Laredo and he will be missed.

I will be speaking at the 2009 Homes for Horses Conference April 9-10 at Bally's in Las Vegas, put on by the Homes for Horses Coalition, http://www.homesforhorses.org/, a group formed by the Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Welfare Institute.

The Homes for Horses Coalition believes that:

Every horse has intrinsic value and deserves humane treatment at all stages in life.
The horse industry, including the equine veterinary medical profession, has an obligation to promote responsible horse breeding, ownership and care.
Horse owners have a responsibility to provide high-quality, long-term care for their horses.
All horses deserve a humane end to life and that horse slaughter is neither humane nor acceptable.

This Conference is happening right after the Animal Care Expo www.animalsheltering.org/expo, so if you are nearby come to the Conference and Expo.

Today I went to the post office and cried. Normally it is tough to go to the P.O Box as there is not much there in the box when I go. Today though...Santa came...in March.

I found we have received a donation from Lynn Wells of the Toby Wells Foundation, http://www.tobywells.org/ . This generous lady is a super mother, wife, and philanthropist. She and her daughter Adrienne visited FalconRidge and donated before. They and their family have given millions of dollars from their charitible foundation to the childrens and animal charities of San Diego. They even built a YMCA in her son, Toby's name. Their foundation also accepts donations so please visit their website where you can read about all they do, in honor of Toby, a young man who died too soon in life but who's spirit lives on and on through the generosity of his family and those they touch. Lynn and Adrienne, thank you from the horses of FalconRidge and those who are coming that you will be helping!!! You are pure class.

We also received a $100 donation from Carla Malone, in honor of Elf's passing (more crying after opening). Thank you Carla!

Patrice Eifling sent a donation too, thank you Patrice!
We received a $100 donation from Maryann Blinkhorn in honor of Jean's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Jean, wherever you are!

Norma Parker sent $135. Bless her heart. Norma normally sends $25 faithfully, but said she had a little extra this month (more crying). Norma is proof the economy is getting better!

Lynda Costa also donated for all the horses to get their quarterly wormers. Thank you Lynda! We worm on a rotation so this quarter it is Ivermectin for the horses, 50 paste tubes.

Today I received several emails asking to take horses for people. I will talk about them later. Plus had a few phone calls when I got home, people wanting to volunteer or take their horse. I will get to them when I can so please be patient if you are waiting for me to get back to you.

Tomorrow its up to Riverside to view the seized horses from Animal Control.

And this weekend there is a 8 yr old arabian stallion needing saving. He has not been handled or haltered since he was one year old. He is owned by an elderly lady who can no longer take care of him, she must take care of her husband with Alzheimers. David will go to the property and put a halter on him, work with him some in his stall, then load him in a trailer. Once here he will be evaluated, then castrated, trained and adopted out in the future. I found out his registered name and consulted with an arabian expert friend of mine, Carol Darnell of AHR and AHF and this is what she had to say about him:

"Oh man - yes, he's got to be pretty, and yes, he's got to be able to MOVE! Oh my! July 2001, Reg# 594012, by Regal American (Khemo x a *Corsair daughter, her dam by Bolero++ who was one of THE finest moving and best conformed horses of his day, a son of *Witez II who was one of the horses Patton saved during the war) and out of a daughter of *Tameran, imported from Russia, out of a Raffon daughter (another great mover and classically beautiful). Two closs up crosses to the fantastic Abu Farwa (Jura was a great-granddaughter of his), and some very solid old breeding on the female tail, again to Witez II."

I don't speak arab talk, but I believe this means he is a fantastic horse.

They ALL are really, aren't they?

Rocket sends kisses.
Love,
Nicki

The Story of Xena, Princess Warrior

Xena was born in Wyoming, out on the range. She was raised free to run with the herd over the hills and in nature, with not much human contact. It was most likely an ideal life out on the range for a horse. But she was not your normal horse.

Her mom was a horse, and her dad was a Zebra. Someone got the bright idea to breed the two and create an exotic animal people would want. They didn't take into consideration though the natural tendencies of the savannah animal, the zebra. Zorses can be trained to ride, and can do exhibitions, etc. Some are gentle. Most are not. The breeder from where Xena came from put up a disclaimer on her website one day, saying that zorses should never be bred. Something terribly wrong had gone wrong at her ranch, most likely the zebras or zorses attacking the horses or people. You don't mess with mother nature.

Little Xena got given to a ranch in Colorado, I heard she was traded for something. The cowboys there liked her because she was fast, and flighty...perfect for practicing their roping skills on. Xena was their target.

A woman drove up to the ranch one day to investigate her friends horses death while in training with the cowboys. As she drove up she saw Xena roped and in the roundpen, down on the ground breathing hard and dripping with sweat. She told me she knew the mare would not last the day with them due to their behavior. She asked them how much? They said $1200. She said sold. Thats how Xena got saved.

The woman took her home and put her in her barn, in a box stall. She was able to get Xena to eventually come close enough to her to take carrots out of her hand, but that was it. Her husband in the meantime was delegated to cleaning the stall Xena was in. Being in the stall with Xena was about the same as being in with a tornado, spinning around and around him. He said she had to go.

So thats how Xena came to come to FalconRidge. She was trailered, very expertly! from Colorado. When she arrived I called the Wild Animal Park and talked to the staff about zebra behavior. What I found out about them was to be very very careful. David did teach Xena to work in hand in the halter when we had her in a stall. Oh she can do it all right. But shes not doing it out of trying to please us humans. She would comply with directions, but wasn't happy about having to do so. Therefore, she was put in with her buddies, Lil Bitty the miniature horse, and Jingles the burro to spend her time doing whatever she wants...as a zorse.

Star Updates, From Evelyn Ward

March 1st -

Hi Nicki,
I realized today that I haven't sent you a picture of Star yet!So I have sent you one of her.She looks great!We finally got the mud off of her tummy,and her coat is nice and shiny.She is steadily gaining weight and energy.On her walk today,she was very energentic and if she could have,she would have been prancing.Instead of hanging her head in her corral like she has been doing for the past week,she is looking around and neighing to horses passing by on the trail.She is such an amazing girl. Everyday she gets better and better.

March 9th -

Hi Nicki,
Did you get the picture of Star? Today was a great day for Star. As I was putting her blanket on for the night,I was messing with the leg straps to get her used to stuff being messed with back there,and she got mad,bucked,and trotted off for three steps!!! Melissa and I were both in tears. I was just so happy. Unfortunatly,it all happened so quick that I didn't get a video or picture of it. But,next time.Hopefully.Just wanted to let you know!Thanks so much.

Monday March 9th - Calling all Fosters, Horses Seized

We have been contacted by Riverside Animal Control to assist with their placement of 21 horses seized in an animal cruelty case last June. The horses were extremely emaciated but have gained weight and are now fat and healthy and ready for adoption. To ensure the horses do not end up in the same neglectful situation, we would like to place as many as possible through our adoption contract.

David will be going up to the facility and evaluating the horses handling and training-wise and do assessments, an all day task. Riverside would like us to take 10 or as many as possible but we can't do that unless some of you out there are willing to foster one or two at your homes, and feed them at your cost, until we adopt them out one by one after they receive training. Please email me at nickbranch@aol.com if you are willing to foster a horse and that way we can decide how many we can take.

The picture below shows how they used to look. They look fine now, but they do need to get into good family homes and be PAMPERED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!!! If you would like to help please contact me asap.

David will also be rescuing the unhandled 6 yr old arab stallion within the week and bringing him here. And a couple more are in the works for being rescued and might be coming in.

Three horses might have adoptive homes by this weekend. There are great people out there....bless you!!!

Love,
Nicki

Sunday March 8th - A Day of Good Things

Don't worry, this is a good blog. I've been hearing from some people that they don't like to read it sometimes because it's so sad. I will try and keep the sad things lighter, although many times that will be hard to do. I do rescue horses from not so good situations or neglect. Not all of them though. Most are healthy and fine...just unwanted.

My faith in humanity was restored yesterday. I got three donations from wonderful folks on the Alex Brown Racing board...thank you ladies! They were the ones who contacted me about Drake and were following his story as it unfolded on Friday. Then, I was contacted by a total stranger, Kelly Lynn, who said she wanted to pay for all of Drake's bill, was also interested in sponsoring a horse or adopting. I heaved a sigh of thankfullness as I read her email, relief that there are people out there that care and want to help. It definitely took the burden off my shoulders and helped with the sorrow of having to put down a horse before I could even rescue him. Thank you so much Kelly...you are heaven sent!

As I was questioning my decisions and actions to go help a horse up in Fontana on Friday night, just to have to pay for a vet and put him down and pay for disposal and was that right? ...something Dr. Madigan said at the Unwanted Horse Meeting at UCDavis keeps repeating in my head. He was showing slides of how they helped a herd of sheep burnt in a wildfire up there, 250 of them. They spent a lot of time and money to take care of and treat the burnt sheep and as the days went by he said he did not think twice about the amount of money he was spending (UC Davis's money) because he knew they would get it back because they were DOING THE RIGHT THING. He was right...later they asked for donations from the public to help with the sheeps bills and it was taken care of. People cared because they were doing the right thing.

The right thing is also to report any skinny horses you see to your local animal control department or humane society, and follow up on the report! Be a voice for those horses who cannot speak because in this economy it has gotten worse for horses. Help those who have horses and might be losing them. Adopt a rescued horse instead of buying. I got a call tonight from Leslie, who adopted Wakan from us. She said he is such a love and doing wonderfully and shes now ready for her second equine family member to join them. She will be here next weekend to find a brother for Wakan.

Friday night I emailed a rescue colleague to check on the status of two horses who needed new homes before Monday and she said the thoroughbred mare still needs one. So I agreed to take her since Drake was no longer coming to FalconRidge. She was abandoned at a boarding facility in Pine Valley, is a 6 yr old thoroughbred mare who is only race trained.

Today Laredo got adopted. Hooray for Laredo! He will be a companion horse for a quarter horse gelding owned by Tarra, a wonderful lady and friend of volunteer Laura Partridge.

David evaluated Dragon today and hes ready to go for adoption. Somebody looked at Magic but he is still available for adoption.

Also, if you have contacted me by email and I did not get back to you, please email me again. I do get tons of email and some slip through the cracks so do me a favor and resend. Evidentally a lot of people read this blog! Thank you for caring about the horses and reading.

Today I got a call from a woman who said an elderly woman has a 6 year old arabian stallion that needs to go as the women is too old and frail to take care of it and is moving out of her home. The stallion is a Khemosabi grandson, gorgeous she said, and he has never been handled and is not halterbroke. She said she went in his pen and he was really wild. Wheee! David will be going to rescue him in the near future. We will tape it and put it up on youtube so you can see exactly how the rescue goes and also how to handle an unhandled horse, halter it and load it in a trailer. Brian Zeller will be helping him. I can't wait to see him and give him a life.

It's what we do.

Love,
Nicki

Sad News for Drake, March 6th

Today was a shocker, even for rescue world realms. The hauler that was going to pick him up called me today saying Drake's right hind leg was extremely swollen, lymphedema, and that he could barely walk, was emaciated, and needed to be put down. She left the property. I called and found a vet to go out to see Drake who is up in Fontana, and my ranch manager and volunteers Brian and Laura Zeller graciously offered to drive up in their trailer to meet with the vet and perhaps treat Drake enough to bring him home. It was not to be.

The vet found that Drake had a broken femur. His leg was broken. The picture I was sent of Drake, supposedly taken 4 weeks ago and posted below shows a much better looking conditioned horse than Drake was found to be today. He was euthanized...FalconRidge paying for the vet visit, euthanasia and then disposal of poor Drake's body.

Evidentally Drake came upon that property and sat there and wasted away in misery for at least a month..to the point of extreme neglect and what happened to him is considered animal cruelty. The gal that took him in tried to get someone to take him and nobody would. She did ask the neighbors and they said they did not know the horse. Drake was in a very poor neighborhood and not a nice place for horses.

IF anything can be learned of this it is to please spread the word that IF you take Care, Control and Custody of a horse, any horse, whether you are a boarding facility or one comes walking up to your house, or a friend gives you one, or you find it in a field...it is now your responsibility to feed it AND get medical care for it if it is losing weight. It is the LAW.

The woman WAS feeding it and watering it. At some point Drake broke his leg. Or perhaps he got hit by a car prior to wandering onto her property. It doesn't matter. She could not afford any vet care. Well it IS the law. IF you cannot afford vet care you MUST MUST call animal control to come pick the horse up as it is now neglected and needs vet care and by law you MUST get it vet care. The money does not matter.

I had to put down a horse today that was two hours away.
Nobody would take responsibility for this horse or ownership of him. Nobody cared enough about him to help him. He suffered silently while surrounded by humans (there were three homes on the property) and other horses who were well fed and not in pain!

That just is not right.

Here are pictures of Drake.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/DrakeRescue/
The first two are what was posted on his Craigslist ad and supposedly taken 4 weeks ago. He looks much better than today...which is the rest of the pictures.

Thank you to Jennifer and Brian and Laura for trying and being there for Drake to help him over the Rainbow Bridge.

I won't forget this one for a long time. He is still staring at me with those pleading eyes. People can be so ignorant and cruel.

I'm so sorry Drake.

Tearfully,
Nicki

March 5th - The Wanderer

What do Magellan, Lewis & Clark, and Marco Polo all have in common?

They have the same stuff the next rescue horse is made of.

They are all explorers, same as this gelding...brave enough to venture into unknown territory.

This horse was found wandering around in Bloomington and wandered into the yard of Megan. He was neglected, starved, with ribs showing. He was abandoned and most likely turned loose. She fed it, but had to find it a home as she was moving. The neighbors did not know who the horse belonged to. Nobody wanted him.

Megan placed found ads on Craigslist with no response. She then posted an ad looking for someone to take this horse. She got three different responses and all three times someone flaked on her. Lots of promises without any action, like actually picking the horse up. I told Megan he could come here...we have an empty stall.

The wandering horse will be arriving tomorrow at noon. A very kind hearted girl by the name of Laure Ross agreed to pick him up and trailer him down to FalconRidge on her own. Thank you Laure for caring enough to transport this boy. Many people did not want this horse. Well, he is wanted here.

We don't know much about him, his condition other than skinny and poor, his age, training or soundness. We don't really care. He needs a home and thats all that really matters.

We consider this horse to be like finding treasure...and when you care enough about a horse to perceive them to be royalty, just as equally important as the fastest race horse or winningest western pleasure horse in the horse show circuit...then they become just that. Precious.

Love and caring,
Nicki

Wednesday March 4, 2009 - Elf is Gone

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Elf was found this afternoon in his stall by the ranch manager and he had passed away. There were no signs of struggle or that he had been in pain. He simply lied down and passed over the Rainbow Bridge. After the shock of the news wore off, and the grief, I realized that at least his last days alive were filled with love and affection from humans.

I can't say much more as it's pretty hard to write this. All I know is he is free now. Goodbye Elfie..you were much loved the short time you were here. :-(

Live each day as if it were your last.

Love,
Nicki

Tuesday March 3, 2009 - Many, Many, Many Horses in Need

Dragon is back at FalconRidge, as well as Toy, through no faults of their own, and are available for adoption. Both are thoroughbreds. Dragon won alot of money on the track and is a sweetheart. He rides english or western and is a nice handsome tall black gelding. Toy was a broodmare in the past, but has been trained to foxhunt previously. I will get pics up as soon as I can and them up on the adoptables page. I am also putting up two of our miniature horses for adoption in the near future, so watch for them if you are looking for a mini to add to your family.

There are only two spots open for the March 21st workshop here and fundraiser, The Courage To Communicate. So if you were planning on coming you might want to sign up asap. The link is down below on a previous post.

I was contacted by Riverside Animal Control about assisting with 23 horses from a seizure and neglect case who the judge just awarded the horses to be taken away from the owner. The horses were in bad shape but are doing well now. Thank you Judge for helping the horses and doing justice for them, as they have no voices! Now they will need homes. I will be coordinating with them to assist and keep you posted.

Another horse is coming. It walked into a yard of a home in Bloomington. It was skinny and neglected.... It was abandoned or let loose. It is unwanted. I say there IS someone out there that will take this horse into their family and make it a loving member of the family for life, right?? There is goodness out there in horse ownership and we just have to find it. So once it gets here I will post about it and it will need a name. I'm told its a gelding and is about 14. I dont know the breed but it doesnt matter...its a living breathing creature who does not deserve to be thrown out on the streets.

I was just contacted by a woman who needs help. She has three horses that have to be out of a facility in two weeks from today. They are in Alpine. She is looking for a boarding facility or home in the east county to keep them for just one or two months. The situation is urgent so if you can help or know someone in the east county that can help her please email me at nickbranch@aol.com. The owner is willing to pay for feed for the first month or two, then regular board after that.

Another email...Five horses also need temporary homes for a month or two...I have not answered as we do not have room.

There are caring and compassionate people out there and those that love horses and want to help. If that is you, email me, or look at the horses for adoption, or come volunteer.

Brian Zeller wants to set up a fundraiser open house soon here at FalconRidge, bless his heart! So he will be working on that. If you want to help just contact me.

Cimarron the mustang told me that she has no idea why people aren't interested in her...I don't understand it either.

Love and Peace,
Nicki

Sunday March 1st - Star Update

I got an update on Star. She's doing great so far. This is what Evelyn had to say about her:

Hi Nicki,
Another update on Star.She has been trimmed twice by Melissa since Saturday and is already walking so much better!Did you get the video of her walking from Melissa? She has already gained 57 lbs since Sunday too! We measured her and she is 16.1 and still growing.She is just an amazing girl.I take her for walks everyday and she is doing very well with them.She also loves her carrots.Star is starting to gain her muscle and energy back so she is definetly getting spunky!

Here is the video of Star walking, a definite improvement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHA1yRwDy8

Today adopters and boarders Justin and Chiara came out to ride Daisy (Devon) and they have been busy all week making wooden stall signs for the horses! What a surprise! Justin gave Mary a sign for her horse today, Snowbell and it was beautiful. Thank you so much guys, finally a way to keep track of who is in what stall!

Dana and husband Gene came out to work with their horse Maui and clean stalls. Thanks guys!

Shaman got his teeth floated by David, as did Popcorn.
We also weaned Rocket off of Sparkle since he was getting to be too spunky in his stall with mom. Now he is in his own stall with cousin Sandtwister and cousin Buddy on either side of him. Mom and Rocket did not even whinny when being separated. Now mom Sparkle can get trained and adopted out. Rocket will be handled for several months by all the volunteers to get used to grooming and proper ground manners. Then he will be turned out in pasture with the adults until he is 2 yrs old. At that time he will be brought out and learn how to accept the saddle and rider so he can be started right, helping guarantee him a better future.

It was hot day and everyone got sunburned. Magic was looked at as well as Laredo by potential adopters. Cross fingers for them.

The stalls are dry..yay!

Happy Sunday.
Love,
Nicki

Saturday Feb 28th - Bath Day

Today it seemed like it was Spring already and warm, so several of the horses got baths. Most of the mud is off the horses but we still have a few to get to. Elf is now so bright white it hurts my eyes to look at him. Laura gave him a bath while Brian worked with Montana on picking up her feet, and with Jody, and little Zoey was exercising all the horses in the arena. Carla worked Smores in hand in the roundpen, then she worked with Cimarron in hand. Moriah got horses and turned them out and spent time with Laredo in the arena, taking him over the bridge, poles, and getting him to get up on the box.

Then I had the pleasure of meeting with Margo Dockendorf of the non-profit organization Equine Justice, http://www.equinejustice.org. She is an attorney currently working to keep pro slaughter legislation out of our country. Go Margo!

I also met with Windy Yancey Stopnitzky and Karen Keely of Horse Wisdom, http://www.horsewisdom.org,
a non-profit organization that offers equine assisted psychotherapy and equine assisted growth and learning programs and is EAGALA certified. They offer programs for special needs people and children, autism and vets with post traumatic stress disorder. Thank you ladies for helping people though horses!

There are 18 horses needing adoption with loving homes. I think they are calling your name.
You know who you are.
They can be found at http://falconridgeequinerescue.blogspot.com

Rowdy ran again today in the arena with Montana, Snickers, Flicker and Rainbow.

I guess thats Venus next to the Moon.

Love,
Nicki

Friday February 27th - The Adventures of Casper

Today, Casper the arabian gelding got turned out in the arena and to play with Lucky, Laredo and Magic. Casper was gelded not too long ago and I wanted to see how he would socialize with other geldings. He did fantastic and is not acting like he was a stallion at all.

Rowdy is living up to his name. He also got turned out with the big boys and RAN from me when I went to get him out of the arena. Now he is walking in front of me (ground manners time!) while leading and he is getting full of himself. It is so rewarding to see after him arriving so lethargic and painful to move.

Toy is coming back on Monday and will be up for adoption again. She is not getting along with her adopters gelding and will need a loving home.

On the answering machine is a woman looking to find a home for her 23 yr old thoroughbred mare...

And here is a special video on youtube of David Lee Archer, FalconRidge VP and Trainer. It is Heaven.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBGvx97U__g

Happy Friday.

Love,
Nicki

February 25th, 2009 - A Tribute to Ricky & Delilah

Ricky and Delilah were two horses whose owner had them for 18 yrs. I never knew Ricky or Delilah, or their owner.
Their owner tried for a year to find them a home, someone to take them, with no luck. You see, Ricky and Delilah were 24 years old. One was lame and both were arthritic.

A friend of the owner contacted me on February 17th, telling me the horses would be put down on the 21st, could I help? I was enroute to Sacramento for the Davis meeting, but I did email asking her about the horses, and called twice. I asked their age and health. When I heard they were 24, both arthritic and one lame, I tried to push them out of my mind. As each day went by, I thought about them. I did not tell her "yes". As the time got closer, I emailed on the 20th, asking her why they were going to be put down? I heard nothing back, until the 23rd. It was then that I learned that the owner had tried for a year to find them a home, and that they were gone.

It's now bothering me even more...this heartbreaking sign of the times...the economy forcing people to put their horses down because they cannot give them away. How drastically this economy is affecting the horses, their owners, and rescuers like me.

I wonder why I do this? Why do I care so much, to the point of thinking about strangers' horses when I'm in a meeting far far away, or when I lay awake at night? I am not going to sit back and watch it continue. We must do something to assist horses like Ricky and Delilah. At least they went to sleep rather than risk being starved, neglected, or sent to auction and then slaughter, that is my only consolation.

We need more people to step up and help the owner of Ricky and Delilah, to take in horses who are OLDER and maybe NOT RIDEABLE. I don't want Ricky and Delilah to die in vain. I vow to educate people on the benefits of adopting an older horse, and a lame or arthritic horse. I am tired of seeing this category of horses discrimminated against and unwanted by people shopping for a horse. One of the first questions I am asked is how old is the horse? I wonder if people realize how long horses live?

We have had a 40 year old pony here, and two arabs that lived to be 36 or more. Horses do not have to be ridden. They also do not have to have a job. They like to stand around and eat and sleep. That is their favorite pastime. Just ask the wild mustangs above. Horses are perfect pets being just the magnificent beings they are. They do not have to have jobs, they do not have to be "useable" or "worked". This is not the dark ages.

Horses can give hugs, some can even fetch. They can make you grow up with learning responsibility as a young child. Horses can make you laugh with their antics. They provide a huge, soft snuggly neck to cry on when you need. They dry your tears. They listen when you talk to them about problems and blink at you in their warm understanding way as you tell them about your aspirations. They speak our language. I know. I have watched Nash and others respond to something I have have said which I swore they could not know.

So while I am feeling sad for not taking in or saving Ricky and Delilah and thinking about how I would do things differently in the future, I have a tiny glimmer of hope that I know they are free now and running "with" the wild horses pictured above. That picture, taken by a friend of mine, is of real wild mustangs in Colorado, showing the glory and beauty of these creatures as they do what horses like to "do" best.

March is Adopt an Older Horse month!
(remind me to tell you about Titan, unrideable, who brought his owner $150,000)

Love & tears,
Nicki

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009 - STAR GOES HOME & ROWDY RUNS!

Star goes home - Today Star's savior, Evelyn Ward came to pick her up with her farrier, Melissa Auman of Tehachapi. Evelyn came yesterday and spent the whole day with Star in her stall and I could see the love and concern in Evelyn's eye for Star. Evelyn is one special girl. Star will be in good hands and will begin the long road to founder recovery which will take a year of weekly trims to lower her heel. They will keep us posted of Star's recovery and I will update you here so we can see how and extreme founder case is treated. Anyone interested in contacting Melissa regarding founder or navicular cases, her email address is Horsesofcourse@att.net. By the way, Star's registered name is Witchy Baby and she is out of Witchy and by Bertrando. I will inform the San Diego Humane Society who was involved with Star's neglect case that she is on her way to her new home.

Rowdy arrived here a month ago after being abandoned in a field at night in Romoland. He was thin, unsound, and bitten up. He had abcesses when he arrived and did not feel like walking much. He also had a good case of thrush and thin soles on his feet. He mostly stood in his stall all day in the same spot. These are pictures of Rowdy when he arrived at FalconRidge. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/Rowdys%20Rescue%20Pics/

Brian Zeller has been working with Rowdy, cleaning his hooves and treating them for thrush. Rowdy was xrayed by Dr. Moss to ensure he was not foundering and he said he wasnt, that he just was getting over having several abcesses. Well today, I took Rowdy out of his stall and he is walking fine and turned him out in the arena with Rainbow the thoroughbred mare and Rowdy RAN! I was shocked since Rowdy normally just stood around when turned out, not wanting to move too much. Rowdy bucked, and ran and whinnied loudly around the arena and played with Rainbow. He has gained weight and all the bite marks are now covered up with hair and his ribs are disappearing. I just about cried watching him run freely and proud. Thank you Brian...you have done a wonderful job with Rowdy and I couldn't be happier for him!

And today Maui got her own sponsor! Volunteer Dana Ross decided she wants to be Maui's sponsor. FalconRidge rescued horses are available for sponsorship for $100 a month and can be sponsored for any length of time. Funds go directly to help the horses in need and to pay our enormous hay bill each month, of which funds are always needed. There are several horses here still available for sponsorship so please spread the word. Bless your heart Dana and congrats to Maui!

It's a Sunday to Celebrate...for Rowdy, Star and Maui.

Love,
Nicki

Saturday February 21 - FalconRidge Fundraiser, The Power of Two Symposium

Today we had a experiential symposium in intuitive horsemanship put on by Karen Head of http://www.equinection.org/ and assisted by Andi Burgis of http://www.challenge-u.com/events.html. The symposium was a fundraiser for FalconRidge and Karen graciously donated all the proceeds to the rescued horses. Thank you Karen! There were two sessions, morning and afternoon, and participants learned such techniques as getting out of your head and into your body. Horses don't like it when you are always in your head around them, they want you grounded and relaxed, not thinking about what you need to do later on or work tomorrow. We learned how to walk, stretch, breath, and relax before going near a horse. Also demonstrated was how to read human energy and boundaries, exactly the same as approaching horses and letting them approach you.

We learned how to mirror another person almost telepathically and change who was leading the movements. This is similar to the signals and communication put out by horses when they are running in a herd and moving together as one. We learned to increase our awareness by listening to our gut, creating a more loud and clear intuition. We went around and wrote words about certain horses just by looking at them and saw that people wrote similar things to describe the same horses. In the pasture and arena Andi demonstrated how to ground yourself first before going in, creating a calm, positive energy and to listen to what the horse is saying and to think horse. It was pretty amazing and afterwards people got to share their experiences. Pics can be seen here: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/Equinection%20Symposium/

We got some positive feedback from the symposium and will be doing more intuitive horsemanship workshops in the future. The next one is March 21st and is called "The Courage to Communicate Through The Way of The Horse" with Epona-Approved Equine Instructor Andi Burgis. To register online go to http://www.challenge-u.com/events.html Proceeds again will go to FalconRidge to support the rescued horses. Thank you Andi, you are awesome!

Dragon will be coming back to the rescue as it is not working out with his family due to various reasons. He is a big beautiful black thoroughbred gelding who won alot of money on the track and he used to be one of my favorite horses here. He was originally rescued from going to slaughter from off the racetrack, then kept in a roundpen in someone's front yard and barely fed any hay so he lost alot of weight. He blossomed here in two months, gained weight well and was shiny black. He might be coming in this week and I am excited to see him.

I got an email today from San Diego County Animal Control that they have 13 yr old female donkey in their shelter who needs a new home. Her owner passed away. Anyone interested please contact me at nickbranch@aol.com.

Stay away rain...
Nicki

Thursday, February 19th - Update on the UnWanted Horse Meeting at UC Davis

Wednesday, Feb 18th we attended the UnWanted Horse Meeting at UC Davis put on by Dr. John Madigan, Director of the International Animal Welfare Training Institute & UC Davis professor. Attendees were approximately 45 representatives from Animal Control, Humane Society, Veterinarians, CA Dept of Food & Ag, and Equine Rescues. The objective of the meeting was to explore options for unwanted horses in our state, to network with similar people, groups and agencies that help horses, and to discuss ways to create equine assessment programs as an alternative to individual owners sending horses to auctions or abandoning them.

We were welcomed by Dr. Madigan to start, then we had self introductions and voiced our problems and immediate needs. I stated that the numbers of calls for homes needed for horses has increased dramatically the last few months, as well as number of horses abandoned. Dr. Madigan then gave us statistics on unwanted horses in the country. The slaughter numbers have gone up and down, and we learned that there will always be unwanted horses whether we have slaughter houses open in the US or not. Indiscrimminate breeding adds to the numbers.

Vicky Fletcher talked about impound regulations and on stray and confiscated horses. There was much discussion during the presentations and lots of questions asked. Beth DeCaprio then spoke from the Grace Foundation and showed their model for assessing horses coming into the rescue.

Keith Dane then spoke from the Humane Society of the United States on national certification efforts for rescues and the unwanted horse coalition. We then discussed euthanasia of the horse, considerations, types of, and AAEP guidelines for it. We took a working lunch with sandwiches and continued discussions with everyone. Dennis Wilson spoke about animal carcass disposal regulations and options in California. There was excellent networking going on and also strategic funding or marketing ideas were presented by Lisa Gaynes to help our group.

What came out of the meeting was the sense of seriousness of the problem escalating due to the economy and how each agency and area is dealing with it. While voicing frustrations currently encountered by each individual or group, it was evident that if we work together, we can find some solutions to the problems of how to deal with the volumes of unwanted horses. My veterinarian Dr. Jeff Moss brought up a great point in funding for our cause, such as have the breed registries like Jockey Club, AQHA, Arabian Horse Association, Paint Horse Association add on $20 for each registered foal which could go to funding unwanted horse causes. There were great presentations given, data presented, information shared and networking during the 8 hours we met. We have homework and will be communicating and gathering again in the future. We all agreed on one thing...we must address the need of handling the unwanted horses.

Afterwards we stayed and got a tour of the UCDavis veterinary medical school facilities and saw patients there, listened about the cases, studies and Dr. Moss took myself and Jennifer on a behind the scenes tour of the pathology lab where they do dissections, and even into the refrigerators where they keep body parts for the students to study. It was fascinating and nice to see how our future vet students are learning and the quality of the education they are getting. Dr. Moss got a tip from Dr. Madigan on his finding of a new drug that works on dummy foals, or neonatal maladjustment syndrome/hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

During the trip to Sacramento and back, I had a requests (by email) to take in three horses. The colleagues with me had similar situations as they were checking emails and answering phone messages throughout the day....the UNWANTED horses needing homes did not stop that day....and it wont, until more people step forward and we INCREASE the number of people who WANT horses.

Education about the issue of unwanted horses and networking... a good thing. Here is the link to pics of the meeting http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/UCDavis/

Love,
Nicki

Sunday February 15, 2009 - The Red Mare Has Been Named

By popular opinion, the new quarter horse mare's name is now Montana. Thank you for those who voted on her name. Today David evaluated her in the roundpen. It was evident she had been saddled before as she took the saddle fine. She has never been bitted up before though, that was evident by the way she was chewing and mouthing the bit. David was able to get on her from both sides as she is a quick learner, and she most likely will be ridden by next weekend. He really likes her because shes catty, got some spunk to her, but compliant at the same time. She looks like she will be a good performance horse, working cattle or reining.

Next it was little Elf's turn. Brian, Laura and Zoe have been doing a great job working with Elf and getting him used to being groomed and handled. David rode Elf in the roundpen and he is cuter than a bug. Elf's hair is growing in on his face and he is now up for adoption.

Flicker has gained weight this week and was ridden by David and she is an extremely good girl. Once abandoned in Bonsall, she is now catching the eye of several people here.

New volunteers Dana and Gene came out today to help out and did a great job with stalls, grooming horses and turning them out. Kathleen was here too and worked with Maui and Ryder. Laura and Elani groomed several horses to get the mud off. Thanks guys!

Star is doing better today. She is on Xantac, Buteless and munching on grass hay and was standing up all day long and appears to be in less pain.

I was called to take a 18 yr old horse from a family because hes older, is slightly foundering, and they just dont want him anymore. The daughters have gotten younger barrel horses to ride the father said and we just don't need him. The nonhorsey man got a lecture on equine responsibility which started with the question, "Who is going to love this horse?". He listened. I hope he decides to keep it in the family.

I was called about an injured horse in Carmel Valley which appears to need medical care. I told the woman to call San Diego Animal Control and report it. I can't go make someone get vet care for their horse but they can I told her.

I will be meeting with SD Animal Services and Humane Society staff this Wednesday up in Davis at the Unwanted Horse Meeting with FalconRidge ranch manager Jennifer Salim.

16 horses are up for adoption and need new loving homes.
A woman is contacting me about her 12 yr old appendix gelding who needs a new loving home. He can't arrive until some families come find their own special horse here and adopt it. Please spread the word or open your heart to these very special and magnificent horses.

Tomorrow is Presidents Day and a holiday. A great day to make a difference in a horses life and go riding!

Tally ho,
Nicki

Valentines Angel Comes for Star!

Star will be getting a reprieve. Thank goodness. I was contacted today by an angel who read the blog, Evelyn Ward who says she has a farrier that can help Star's foundered hoof. Her farrier, Melissa Auman of Tehachapi has been trained at the Swedish Hoof School (http://www.swedishhoofschool.com/) and specializes in founder and navicular cases. She said it would take a year of trimming, but she might be able to make Star at least comfortable on that hoof. We exchanged information and Star will be picked up next weekend. I said if you can help this filly, we will put updates on the blog and if successful, I'm sure your farrier will be getting lots of referrals! Melissa says she can help most of the founder or navicular cases she sees. In the meantime, Star has been fitted with a foam cushion for the bottom of her hoof and front legs wrapped for support and she will be put on Buteless instead of bute.

Valentines love comes for Star! Thank you Evelyn!

Go kiss your horses...
Love,
Nicki

Thursday, February 12, 2009 - Bad News for Star

Dr. Moss came out and xrayed Star's badly foundered right front hoof. The xrays are not good, showing a severely rotated coffin bone, which cannot be corrected by corrective shoeing. He recommended humanely putting her down. Her coffin bone is straight up and down and ready to punch through the bottom of her sole. It is also completely detached from the hoofwall. We are extremely saddened about this as she is only 3 yrs old. Part of running a rescue though is considering the quality of life of the horse, and Star is and will be in pain for the remainder of her life the vet said. Running a humane organization is all about that...being humane. Here is a link to a good article on laminitis or founder. I tried to copy the picture of her xray but the program would not let me. http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/LargeAnimalEquineTopics/Laminitis/

Star's coffin bone is perpendicular to the bottom of her hoof and worse than any of those shown in the article. She is considered a "sinker" as the bone has shifted so far downward.
If Star's founder had been caught earlier before the bone rotated so much, she would have had a chance to at least life through having corrective shoeing done.

She will be on bute to keep her somewhat comfortable until we have her pass over the Rainbow Bridge most likely next week.

A heartbroken Nicki

The Racing Filly Arrives, and she's pretty

She's a dark bay thoroughbred with a star and foundered on her right front. She is what we call racing lean, not exactly starved, and not exactly in poor shape. She is also very fine boned, giving her the appearance of being thin. Im hoping that her prognosis is good from the vet, but it might not be. She is a sweet filly. Her hoof will have to be xrayed to see how much of a rotation of her coffin bone. We gave her some apple-flavored bute to see if it helps with the pain. We checked her tattoo on her lip so we can identify who she is after she got tucked into a stall. Baby Blitzen is excited to have a new neighbor, and an athlete at that! The thoroughbred filly was already bending her tall head down to the baby, telling her stories.

If only they could talk....

Happy Sunday,
Nicki

Still Raining...Sunday February 8, the waiting game

I'm watching it rain and waiting for David to pick up from Ramona the skinny 3 yr old ex racer thoroughbred filly and bring her here. The Humane Society was involved with removing this horse from the owner, who had gotten it free from Jenny Craigs racing barn recently. I am told she is thin, so am worried about keeping her warm in this rain. She is supposedly foundered and lame on one foot. We will need the vet report from yesterday and also to confer with our vet. I don't know her name and neither did the man who had her. Calls to Craig's Rancho Paseana have gone unanswered. I can look at her lip tatoo when she arrives and then contact the Jockey Club to see who she is..and when she last raced.

I got a call this morning from a woman looking to find a good home for her daughters 12 yr old thoroughbred gelding. Daughter is off to college and the parents are getting a divorce. I'm sorry I tell her. I asked her if she had tried to sell the gelding. She said No, that is the "other person's responsibility". Okkkkkkkk. What about your daughter? Does she want to sell him? She's in college, in Chicago. Has she shown the horse in the past? Yes she tells me, they used to show hunters and jumpers. I ask her to email me pictures of her daughter showing the horse and a description of the horse. I hope to get it. This last month I've told several people to email me photos and information on their horse they want to discard so I can post them on my Rehoming Horses San Diego Blog. I've not heard from them after they realize I'm not jumping to take their horse immediately. I could do a zillion lectures on the responsibility of owning a horse.

So right now I will post pictures while I'm waiting...
Nicki

Rainy Saturday - February 7, 2009

Last weekend was so busy here at FalconRidge that I didn't have time to catch up on the blog. With the rain coming down now I'm forced to stay inside & can write updates.

Fantastic things happening! Noggi was delivered to his new adoptive home recently. I've heard from his adopter that he and his quarter horse mare girlfriend are now inseperable. She also said people are driving by, stopping and ask what IS he? (Noggi is a very hairy Icelandic horse who resembles more of a buffalo-reindeer cross than a horse!) We are so happy for Noggi and his new owner and his new found love.

Pirate has been adopted! Corrinne contacted me and wanted to adopt Pirate and bring him up to good health, bless her heart. His edema had gone down and he was gaining weight so off he went to a spa in Temecula where he will be rehabilitated, given proper nourishment and care and slowly conditioned. Pirate will have a gorgeous paint gelding for a brother to grow and learn with. Thank you Corrinne for opening up your heart and home for Pirate!

Wizard has been adopted! The Zeller Family of Zoe, Laura and Brian had sponsored Wizard and then immediately fell under his charismatic spell and could no longer resist his cuteness...so they adopted him. He has a twin brother at their Valley Center home named Tucker. Wizard was brought home and met the other four legged family members. Laura reported that Tucker was licking Wizard all over his body when they were put together. Wizard must have been in heaven with a twin who gives an all-over massage since he held still and soaked it in! Zoe is quite the little rider who has shown their arab and has a little mustang that taught her to ride. The Zellers also volunteer at FalconRidge and help with stall cleaning, grooming, and Brian works on training with little Elf. Spectacular people.

Volunteer Lynda is working with training Voodoo and she also sponsors Rowdy. She is now riding Voodoo in addition to ground driving him and its a pleasure to watch him learn more each week. Voodoo is up for adoption and quite the handsome morgan gelding with bright blue eyes! He is athletic and a polite horse to ride. Thank you Lynda!

Flicker, the red roan mare is gaining weight and her ribs are now covered and we are waiting for her backbone to disappear completely. The back is the last place they gain weight. Shes got the cutest long face and nostrils that remind me of Puff the Magic Dragon.

More calls this week and last for people trying to get rid of their horses, and a few emails. Arabs, older arthritic horses, young lame horses to name a few. And always mustangs. I wish I could take them all, but I can't. We need more homes, more adopters for the horses here so I can help more horses in need. If you are interested in adopting a horse, contact me, or if you know somebody interested in adding a new family member, please tell them about the horses of FalconRidge.

I was contacted today by Windy Yancy of horsewisdom.org. They might be interested in a couple of our horses for their equine assisted psychotherapy and growth and learning programs and are affiliated with EAGALA.org. I sent her pictures of Pistolero and Pie, two super candidates and pasture puffs that would LOVE to do roundpen nonriding work to HELP PEOPLE! (Our horses are life-coach trained!) Keep your fingers crossed they get the job. Pie is a gorgeous quarterhorse gelding who has wobblers, and therefore should not be ridden. And Pistolero is a handsome white paso fino ex showhorse who is so soured on show ring riding and being collected up that he has a penchant for throwing his hip to get a rider off his back, so therefore I declare Pistolero has earned the right to be a pasture puff the rest of his life.

Age discrimmination? I am noticing people are shying away from the more senior horses for adoption. We have the nice mare Reinbow, kid packin sweet-as-pie Rebel and Casper, the white exshow arabian who can most likely do a canter pirouette at age 27 and has been gelded and looks and acts 15. One of the first things I am asked about the horses for adoption is their age. Heck when I was a kid parents looked for the older horses for their kids as they have more miles under their belt and are therefore less spooky and more calm. Maybe people don't know the true life span of horses? Arabs live well into their thirties. late thirties! So Casper has another good ten years in him at least...a decade. A decade of love, affection and pleasure he can bring to a child or a family. That?...is what I consider to be...priceless.

The Unwanted Horse Summit meeting at UC Davis is shaping up for our San Diego delegation going on February 18th. Myself, and ranch manager Jennifer Salim will be going to discuss the plight of unwanted horses and our issues from a rescue/retraining/rehabilitation point of view. San Diego Humane Society will be going along with two representatives from the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services, and my veterinarian Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary to name a few. We hope to put together a plan for stations that people could bring their horse to in the county when unwanted, rather than neglect or not feed it, abandon it, or take it to a low end auction. We will desperately need more rescues, training centers and sanctuaries I foresee to make this work!

We did take in a quarter horse mare, 10 yrs old from Ramona on Thursday. She is a rescue that was previously abused and her owner could not really catch her for the last year and a half. Shes a little thin but not bad. A chestnut with four socks. Not sure if she has been trained in the past or not and she will be evaluated after the mud dries out in the roundpen. I am trying to think of a name for her and can't decide between Bisquit, Montana, or Blaze...so email at nickbranch@aol.com me with your choice from those three names as you take a look at her picture here and I will post the winning name for her based on majority vote.

The humane society called me regarding a 3 yr old thoroughbred filly, off the track, who is in need of a new home, skinny and lame from founder. She came from Jenny Craig's Racing Barn, Rancho Paseana in Rancho Santa Fe, along with two other horses who are also thin and in need of an owner that will provide better quantity of feed and vet care for them. I told officer Gove she needs to take a tv camera with her on some of her investigations and she can film the next Animal Planet series entitled "Animal Cops San Diego!" The filly might be arriving tomorrow at FalconRidge and will need to be seen by our vet as she is very sore on her right front and her body weight is low.

Elf's hair is growing in on his face where it had been bald from a halter that had been left on for years! He is coming around and loving all the new attention he has been getting from people. He mysteriously sported braids in his mane after little Zoe Zeller had been last seen in his stall! He says this sure beats the chicken coop he was rescued from. His eye is getting soft and kind and no longer fearful and worried.

Thank you to volunteers Laura, Brian, Zoe, Kimberly, Elani, Moriah, Carla, Lynda and more who have been coming out lately and helping with the horses. Your work is much appreciated by the horses here. FalconRidge attracts the neatest people from all walks of life with a common bond, being with and near horses, lots of horses. Debbie came out to be with her sponsored horse, ex racer Baron. You can sponsor a horse for $100 a month which helps pay for its feed and care and come out and spend time with your horse, grooming it as if it were your own. Debbie is sponsoring Baron for a year. Thank you Debbie!

Thank you to donators. We don't recieve alot of donations but each and every one is super appreciated and goes directly to feed and care for the horses. One woman sends me $10 a month. Thank you Karin, and Dianne and Margaret to name a few. Thank you Shirley Puga! The hay bill is still $4000 a month and recently someone asked me if veterinary services are donated. I wish they were, but they are not. Creekside does give us a %10 discount on all veterinary bills, of which there are alot! San Luis Rey Equine also gives a 10% discount. We need donations for feed and vet care and all donations are tax deductible.

Baby Blitzen and Rocket are growing like weeds! As soon as it dries out, come out and see them. We like as many people to go in and pet on them as possible. :-)

And Sunny Saxon would like to save a PMU pregnant half shire mare from going to slaughter and asked if we could house her here and foal her out. That would make three babies here. Will keep you posted if and when shes coming.

Stuck in the house.
Nicki

Thursday, January 29 - Aspen, Zoe and Noggi

Last weekend I got to meet a young girl by the name of Aspen and her mother, Emily Waring who came to FalconRidge to volunteer. They cleaned stalls then groomed horses. Aspen shook my hand when we met then handed me a check. I said "what's this?" as I saw it was for $100. Her mom told me she went and gathered up recyclables from her extended family, friends, moms work, and Becky Cleaves and cashed it in to donate to FalconRidge and the horses. Such a fantastic young lady who I hope will be back soon.

Then there is Zoe Zeller who came by with mom Laura and spent alot of time with the amazing Wizard the other day. He does have a magnetic personality and they decided to sponsor Wizard. Today mom came by with dad to volunteer and they spent more time helping out and with Wizard.

Little Noggi the iceldandic was adopted. Yay for Noggi! Today he went to his new home with Katie in Lakeside where he will live his life out in luxury as a companion horse to a real cute quarterhorse mare.

February 21st we will host a FalconRidge fundraising workshop entitled "The Power of Two" with Karen Head of Equinection, http://www.equinection.org/OurWork.html
A morning session and afternoon session of 6 people maximum each and nonriding work with a horse in the roundpen. The workshop will be $35 and all proceeds will go to FalconRidge for the horses. More info to come...

Nicki

January 23, 2009 - Pirate, the abandoned horse arrives!

Pirate was abandoned two weeks ago in a field in Perris. He was picked up by animal control who then called and wanted FalconRidge to take him. I was told he was a brown gelding. He arrived today and he is in poor shape. In addition to being malnourished, suprise, he is a stallion, about 3 yrs old, and has severe edema on his penis and sheath. Dr. Colburn of Creekside Veterinary was called out immediately and he examined Pirate who will need to be watched carefully for the next few days. We would appreciate help with Pirates medical bills and care for his rehabilitation, poor guy! His pictures are on the links.

I will be attending an Unwanted Horse Meeting in February sponsored by the International Animal Welfare Training Institute at UC Davis.

From Dr. John Madigan in the invite "The purpose of the meeting is to explore the operational details of the concept of creating a facility in communities for unwanted horses similar to shelters for dogs and cats as described in the attached web link article from DVM magazine (January 2009). These proposed horse assessment stations will allow responsible horse owners who must give up their horse some options other than auction and horse slaughter. See DVM News Magazine: http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+Equine/Equine-welfare-UC-Davis-plan-calls-for-network-of-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/574368

By the end of the meeting we hope to have a template for the details of how such a program can be brought to communities as an alternative to auction and transport to slaughter and potential funding sources identified and/or proposed legislation.

There will be brief presentations from operators of existing horse rescue facilities to describe their program, their needs, and suggested approach and hear from veterinarians, animal control, state representatives, and UC Davis IAWTI faculty engaged in improving the welfare of the horse."

We need such facilities soon. I received a call today to take in two horses and FalconRidge cannot until more horses are adopted out to make room for the neglected ones. Someone is coming to see Noggi this weekend. Cross your fingers for Noggi to find his own special person!

Nicki

January 19, 2009 - Thoroughbreds, Wizard and more

On Thursday last week Dawn Mellon of After The Finish Line, http://www.afterthefinishline.org, a charity that funds rescues that save exracehorses, donated medical supplies to FalconRidge. Than you Dawn so much for the support!

On Friday of this long weekend Dr. Joe Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital graciously came out to FalconRidge and castrated the two new thoroughbred stallions rescued from Bonsall, Chiron and Ryder. The procedure was done standing up and both stallions, now geldings, hardly even swelled up and are doing fantastic. Dr. Cannon owns San Luis Rey Equine Hospital, http://www.slreh.com, a state of the art facility and one of the top hospitals in the country. Thank you Dr. Cannon!

On Sunday Wizard was ridden by David for his second ride and again did fantastic under saddle. Little Elf, who is coming along nicely was saddled up and ground driven in the roundpen so he can learn to give to the bit easier. The new red roan mare Flicker is gaining weight and was also evaluated under saddle and found to be most likely previously owned by Charros by how she behaves, compliant but nervous. She will be taught to relax under saddle and is a great riding mare.
Jody the 4 yr old thoroughbred mare was worked in hand in the roundpen by David as she has to learn to give to the halter better.

I received 4 calls for people wanting me to take their horse. I am encourging people to try and take responsibility for their horse if they can, find a friend or family member to help them out financially if that is the need, in order to keep the horse in a stable home and in the family. Perris Animal Control has an abandoned horse that I had already agreed to take in who will be arriving this week.

Rowdy has his own favorite fan, Lynda Costa, a volunteer who wants to help with his medical care and rehabilitation. He's a lucky guy, incredibly sweet, and his ribs are showing less each day. Elf is starting to play, something he did not do before and Magic is the horse that is bringing his shyness out. We use the horses to help other horses here and socialize them.

And for Zoe Zeller, a fifth grader at Valley Center, Little Blitzen and Rocket the two babies we have here said they would like to meet you! Zoe is writing an essay on heroes and has chosen FalconRidge. The pictures I am putting up are for you Zoe. :-)

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Nicki

January 11, 2009 - The Rescue of Rowdy

Today we drove up to Homeland to pick up the abandoned gelding who was left in a field in the middle of the night. This poor guy has fresh and old bite marks all over him. Wherever he was before, he must have been in a pen with at least one other horse who bit him up regularly and the owner did not separate them! Some horses cannot do well with others and housing situations should be watched with horses who share pens or pastures daily to make sure one is not being driven away or picked on. That is a true horseman's responsibility to their horse. You would not leave your child alone with the school bully!

This gelding appears to be a thoroughbred/quarter cross, on the smaller side and at least 16 yrs old. He was found in the field behind Mike and Jim's house after he had been dumped and hung his head to the ground and could barely walk for days they said. They took him in, bless their hearts, and contacted neighbors and friends to help this horse. Nancy contacted Jill of Return To Freedom http://www.returntofreedom.org/ who sent out the email I saw asking for help for this gelding. He was fed and given fresh water and cared for and by the time we picked him up today he was moving around much better in his pen he shared with the goats and geese. They did a good job bringing some life back into this guy. I'm going to call him Rowdy.

We thanked Mike and Jim and Nancy for rescuing him and handsome, but skinny and poor bit up boy was shown the back of the trailer, walked right in on his own and was brought to FalconRidge. Once he arrived we cleaned up all his bites and gave him fresh hay and Ultium and checked his teeth which were not bad. His eyes are bright and hes got spirit, even though his backbone and ribs are showing. His demeanor is excellent. This horse did not deserve to be dumped and abandoned at night...this is a beautiful horse who is affectionate with people.

David then worked little rescue Elf in hand in the roundpen. Young volunteer Zack Berry who is 14 then took Wizard out and David showed him how to work Wizard in hand in the roundpen and both horse and boy did great. Wizard is up to weight now only after 60 days of feeding. Then David saddled him up and rode him and he did a fantastic walk trot and canter with no bucking or confusion and looks to ride smooth as pie. Wizard will be available for adoption once he gets a few more rides and knows his walk, trot and canter cues and is quite the handsome and porky guy now! A super sweet horse! and to think, he was going to be put down for being starved just two months ago.

Happy Full Moon.

Nicki

January 9, 2009 - Rescue of Flicker, abandoned roan mare

Flicker was abandoned by her owner in Bonsall and had been losing weight even though she was fed plenty of food. I guess some people do not know to look in their horses mouth and see if it needs teeth floated if they suddenly are losing weight and have ribs showing even when being fed well! Please pass the word that horses need their teeth floated or checked annually. Otherwise, sharp points grow on them and dig into the sides of the mouth and horses cannot chew their food or digest it properly and its painful to eat! Scroll down on this blog to see Casper getting his teeth floated by Dr. Moss when he arrived because he was also thin.

David went and picked her up on Thursday and found she is a 10 yr old mare, supposedly very well broke to ride and her teeth indeed needed done. We had Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary come out and float her teeth on Friday and she had a slight case of wave mouth also, which attributed to her weight loss. She was wormed and trotted out and found to be sound and a darling of a mare. Im calling her Flicker.

Today Pooh Bear went to his adoptive home and will be living out his life in luxury with Belinda in Rolling Hills Estates. Congrats Pooh! You hit the lotto! and he so deserves the pampered life he will be living. Thank you Belinda Bowman!

I would also like to thank those who donate to FalconRidge so we can continue to help the horses who need it. We don't get alot of donations but do receive a few, even in this economic time, people are giving from their heart. Every little bit helps to assist with our huge feed bill of $4000 per month, and is so greatly appreciated, even 5$ contributes to the feeding and care of these magnificent rescued horses. Without the help of donations, we cannot continue to aide in the rescue and extreme makeovers (wait till you see Elf in the future!) of these abandoned, neglected and unwanted horses. Bless your hearts!

Dr. Moss summed up best what we do here as he also floated little Elfs teeth late last night. We get horses from people who don't care about them....and find them owners who DO care about them.

He is so right. Thats exactly what we do. If you are reading this blog and have been thinking about adopting a horse, or know of someone who is looking for a horse, or want to just BE around horses again, please spread the word and come on out to FalconRidge. We are open on the weekends and there are lots of volunteers here. You can see the rescued horses, Wizard, Elf, River, Blitzen, Flicker and help us rehabilitate them. Or? you can be lucky enough to adopt one and enrich your life, your familys life and the horses life! These horses generate goodness and bring happiness and peace to your life. Just being around them and looking into their eyes will make your heart sing.

Tomorrow is rescue Sunday. In addition to Flicker being rescued on Thursday, tomorrow we are going to pick up a horse that was dumped in the middle of the night in a pasture in Homeland. Last Sunday night someone drove a truck and trailer to the end of a dirt road and unloaded this horse...leaving him in a strange place without food or water. Neighbors had heard dogs barking that night and in the morning in a 20 acre pasture stood the horse, all alone. He is thin. He was dumped, by unresponsible people in the night. The neighbors who are not horse people got together and took the horse to a goat pen. They also got together and bought him some hay which he is eating everything in sight. They contacted a rescue, Return to Freedom who asked if someone would take him soon. So we will see tomorrow morning this very special horse and love him and care for him as if he were the great Secretariat himself, as he so deserves! HE will no longer want for food or good care or be discarded..HE is a champion in our eyes. There is HOPE in Homeland right now...thank you to the neighbors who banned together to help this magnificent horse. You rock!

Nicki

Sunday January 4, 2009 - Day of First Rides

Today David was here and rode Smores, the paint gelding saved from slaughter for the first time. Smores is being adopted by Tiffany, lucky girl! Smores did great with no upset or bucking at all.

Then David got out Jody, the new 4 yr old Thoroughbred rescue mare who was not even halter broke previously. He was able to saddle her up first time and ride her quite easily too. Such an intelligent mare she is!

New teen young volunteers Sierra and Lindsay are helping out with the new rescues, getting them used to handling, hand walking and grooming.

VooDoo and Casper were castrated last Friday and are doing well. Casper has been adopted. Congrats to Casper! VooDoo is still available and now a gelding instead of stallion.

Little Elf is sporting his new short hooves and was also evaluated today for riding and did well after getting the cobwebs out. Baby Blitzen got a play and buck in the arena and Little Rocket is growing bigger than a weed!

David then worked new 3 yr old thoroughbred stallion Ryder in hand in the roundpen and he did well...then he demonstrated proper ground driving techniques on Rainbow and she did beautifully.

The sun went down too quickly.
Nicki

New Years Day 2009 - The Rescue of Elf, 24 hours to live

I received an email on New Years from Shirley Puga stating there was an abandoned 11 yr old paint gelding that had 24 hours to be rescued or he was going to be euthanized. I called the number given and found out the horse was in Riverside County, had been abandoned at a home and was living in a chicken coop. The neighbor took him as he saw he was losing weight and fed him for two months. The paint geldings feet were very long he said and curved up like slippers. He called Riverside Animal Control who came out and said they were full and were going to put the horse down unless he could find a rescue to take it. So I said yes.

Today we drove over there to rescue him and this is what we found. All four feet severly overgrown and where his halter had been, the man had to cut it off of him and so hair is missing on his face where it was.

I named him "Elf". He was brought back to FalconRidge after he nearly jumped IN the trailer. David then sedated him and trimmed all four feet and his matted mane was brushed out. These are the before pictures. This horse rides and is small, about 13.1 hands and cute as an Elf...and alive today because of an email.

Happy New Year!

Monday December 29, 2008- The Rescue of the Christmas Stallions

Saturday we drove over to the foreclosed property in Bonsall to go pick up the two thoroughbred stallions the owner asked us to take after the San Diego Humane Society referred her to FalconRidge. Once there, we found the 3 yr old stallion was not halter broke, at all. We were told he was hard to catch. David went in the pen and was able to catch him within two minutes and then introduced him to the back of the horse trailer. The stallion went in after about 10 minutes while being watched by the numerous people and dogs on the property. After that we drove over to the barn where the 5 yr old stallion was isolated by himself and he was easy to catch and load. The owner had left a 4 yr old mare in the arena and said she tried loading her for 2 hours on Friday and the mare would not load so the owner decided to leave her there. We trailered the two stallions back to FalconRidge from Bonsall and put them in stalls. On Sunday morning we went back to get the 4 yr old mare left by herself on the property. She was harder to load but after an hour she got in the trailer was brought here.

David evaluated her right away in the roundpen. He found she was very easy going, bright, and after being worked in hand he could jump on her back and she didnt mind. She will be very easy to train. Smart and level headed. He then evaluated Ryder, the 3 yr old stallion and taught him to give to the halter, then was able to introduce the saddle pad and saddle. Ryder did not seem to mind and was willing and eager to learn. So David introduced the bit to him and was able to get on and ride without any problems. Everyone watching was amazed at the stallions demeanor and how quickly he learned. Another very bright horse!

Then David evaluated Chiron, the 5 yr old stallion. We were told he was broke to ride so he was saddled up and ridden quite easily by David and again, another very level headed and easy learning horse. All three of these horses are related. Their sire is Nominator from Great Britain and the 3 yr old stallion and 4 yr old mare are full brother and sister. All three will be for adoption and whoever gets them will be lucky people indeed. These horses are of good weight but came from some deplorable conditions. Heres the link to their rescue pics:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v28/nickbranch/Christmas%20Stallion%20Rescue/
They all have bright futures and are looking for their very own humans to enjoy life with.

New Years is coming...so is Smores the paint saved from slaughter who will be arriving tonight about 1030pm. People across the country put up the ransom for Smores and his transport. Kudos to them! Chiron and Ryder will be gelded shortly, and all 3 thoroughbreds will be up for adoption with a $500 adoption fee. They are each about 15.2 hands.

Make a difference in a persons or horses life today...

Nicki

The Christmas Stallions - Saturday December 27th, 2008

I was contacted on Christmas eve by the San Diego Humane Society about a Bonsall woman needing to place two thoroughbred stallions. She is losing her ranch and will be locked out of the property by the 28th. I called the woman and was told she is able to take her mares to her other property, which she is losing in 30 days, which will make her homeless, and shes had no luck placing her stallions. She told me to contact her vet, Dr. Cannon of San Luis Rey Equine Hospital as he knew her and her horses. He told me this poor woman would go without eating in order to feed her horses which are of good weight he said. The stallions are 3 and 5 yrs old and sons of Nominator of Great Britain. I can't imagine having to move everything out of a ranch just before Christmas, knowing you are losing your home a few days later, and with no place for your horses to go. She told me she did not want to have to leave the stallions there tomorrow. So I agreed to take them and David will be coming and picking them up today. She just called and said shes been trying to load a filly right now and can't get her in so she wants me to rescue her too...

Peace on Earth
Nicki

Sunday December 21 - Winter Solstice- Look Who's NOT For Dinner!

Two weeks ago I was contacted by Shirley Puga, aka Equine Angel, asking if I could take one of the 8 horses recently rescued from a feedlot in Fallon, Nevada who were destined to go to a Canadian slaughterhouse. Since we are one of the few rescues who actually trains horses, she sent me pictures of three of the horses saved who were in need of training. She had raised funds for these horses "ransom" from the feedlot and generous people across the country contributed to save the 8. I agreed to take one of the horses, a gelding 3-4 yrs old who is only halterbroke. He will be arriving next week.

Shirley Puga, who works tirelessly from Encinitas, has been able to save 52 horses in the last 45 days from going to slaughter, most were beautiful and sound she said and some were even papered. This is no ordinary woman...since April 2006, she has been able to keep 577 horses from going to slaughter. We applaud Shirley for her efforts and would like to thank her and introduce the boy she saved who is coming here! He will NOT be served up on a plate in France or Belgium!

Ho Ho Ho!
Nicki

Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Evaluation Day

Today Devon, the thoroughbred mare was evaluated for the first time by David. She saddled fine and appears to be a good riding horse. Like many horses that come in, she was a little stiff in the neck and not giving to the bit very much, but after the first session she was softer and flexing well. She is a super sweet horse and up for adoption.

Cimarron the mustang mare was saddled for the first time by David today and it went extremely well. No bucking at all, just like we like it. Maui was worked as well as Shasta. Pooh Bear and Wizard are gaining weight well during their rehabilitation and exercised in the arena by our part time physical therapist, Wrangler the cattle dog.

We met with Andi Burgis, an amazing Epona taught facilitator for equine experiential learning and will be planning future workshops here at FalconRidge, utilizing the horses to help people learn more about themselves.

Baby Rocket was as playful as ever kicking up his heels and running around. The cold air came in during the afternoon and a spectacular sunset ended a great day with the horses...until I put the hay hook through my knuckle. ;-)

No baby yet from River...
Nicki

Thursday December 11, 2008 - Thoroughbred Day

Today the mare in the picture below, a 9 yr old exracer who won $25,000 on the track and is named Grade Nine, saw Dr. Don Moore, drdonmoore@yahoo.com, our equine chiropractor for an adjustment. Her previous owner said the mare would pin her ears and bite upon saddling, swish her tail once ridden, and didnt like to have her hind leg picked up and would kick. The owner tried for two months to sell her or give her away to no avail. She arrived two days ago and was put in the arena with another horse so she could relax and be a horse again. Many times horses have behavior issues such as this and what owners need to realize is the horse might be in pain and is trying to tell them something loud and clear! Such as, don't ride me, I hurt!
Dr. Don found the mare was out of alignment at the poll (the owner told me the mare had pulled back while tied a few times), her vertebrae in her neck was out, she had a swollen area on her back from the vertebrae in her back/spine being out, her left hip bone was out, and her jaw was out. After adjustment, for which she stood perfectly still and fine like a lady for him (she's thinking it's about time they got someone to work on me! oh yeah!) she was visibly more relaxed and out of pain. She used to be a lesson horse for 3 yrs I was told and rides well. She is so far well behaved and sweet here at FalconRidge and will be riding evaluated by David on Sunday. So if you know of a horse acting up and frustrated and letting you know it doesnt want to be ridden, consider calling out an equine chiropractor for an adjustment. I am going to call her Devon.

And also, a 4 yr old grey gelding was injured while training at the racetrack and his owner contacted me. His registered name is Midnight Love and he has a crack in his proximal sesamoid bone and needs layup until April. After that he is supposed to be sound and can be used for light riding, just not racing. This boy is gorgeous and is pictured above. I will get better pics of both of these magnificent thoroughbreds this weekend.

Heres a great quote I saw on an email sent to me:
"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm...As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others." Audrey Hepburn

Nicki

River, the abandoned pregnant skinny mare arrives - December 5, 2008

Santa came early for River, the neglected pregnant mare and brought her to FalconRidge late last night. River is beautiful, but oh man, it just breaks your heart to look at her with ribs showing and a full belly from being pregnant. She
obviously had a halter on her for a long time as she has mark where it rubbed the hair off and is indented. Shes only 10 and has shoes on long overdue hooves. Her shoes will be pulled and hooves trimmed asap. This morning she was laying down in the sun and resting her weary little legs. Shes got a sweet face, kind eye and gentle demeanor and its beyond me how someone can let a pregnant mare starve like this. Looks like shes due in Jan or Feb but will have to get the vet out to check her. She needs to gain at least 100-150 lbs. We are looking for a sponsor for River to help with her medical bills and care.

On a good note, Toy was adopted, Tiger was adopted and Legend was adopted out yesterday to fantastic homes and they will be home for the holidays...
Nicki

Thursday December 4, 2007 - Another equine foreclosure victim

I received this email last night:

"Hi,We went to a home yesterday that is being repossessed. They had three horses and one was in pretty bad shape. I don't really know what was wrong with it, but it was miserable looking. They said it was a quarter horse about 11 years old, though it looked much older. It was eating pellets at the time of our visit...alphalpha/oat? The people seemed kind but admitted to not knowing much about horses. They stated that its teeth had been floated and all...home in foreclosure and must get rid of all three horses. The other two found homes, but this one was so pathetic looking...also may have a rear leg injury?? Harrison Park area of Julian. Heather"

So I sent off an email to a friend of mine in Julian asking if they wanted to "investigate" this horse. Today, they did. The wonderful Jackie and Irene stepped up to the plate for "Rusty" who is only 11 but looks older. He was with some people who had rescued him from a drug dealer neighbor, along with two other horses, and were not really horse people, but were trying to help them. They provided shelter, but were not feeding Rusty enough and lost their house to foreclosure. Rusty they were told used to jump,and is about 200 lbs underweight. He was transported today and being fed plenty of hay tonight. He is a sweet, kind horse. Kudos to Jackie and Irene for helping Rusty and giving him a home for the holidays and taking care of this poor soul so quickly!

So? Yes Virginia, and Rusty...there is a Santa Claus. He lives every day through people like Jackie and Irene. :-)

Merry Thursday,
Nicki

Abandoned mare - Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Saturday, November 29th - Carters Hay & Grain

Many people ask me where I get my hay from. I would like to acknowledge Mike Carter of Carters Hay & Grain for providing excellent service to the rescue. A family run business, Mike runs his operation with integrity and compassion. Located in Encinitas and Lakeside and serving all of San Diego county with hay and grain and equine supplies.

Providing FalconRidge with half truckloads of alfalfa, usually with just a few days notice, a big thanks to Mike and Carters Hay & Grain for helping feed the rescued horses of FalconRidge! http://www.cartershayandgrain.com/

Time to Give Thanks

I know Wizard is thankful for the San Diego Humane Society for investigating his well being and demanding he be seen by a vet. He is also thankful for Dr. Jeff Moss who saved his life by being unwilling to euthanize him and asking the owner if he could make a call. Wizard is also thankful for hay, which magically appears in front of him each time his feeder is empty!

I am thankful for my son, that I have a home, a job, wonderful friends, super volunteers that come out to the ranch, there are many blessings to count. I am thankful for all the horses that give love back, make people laugh and smile and fill their hearts with love.

I am thankful that I can look positively into the future and foresee things getting better soon, the economy perking up, people getting jobs, credit and homes back...and that families come here and adopt these very special rescue horses which will make their life complete and bring them good luck. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving from Nicki and all the horses of FalconRidge Equine Rescue

November 25, 2008 - Alphasonic to donate proceeds

Susan Stoltz and Erika Trexler of Alphasonic have offered to donate 10% of their proceeds of product sales to FalconRidge Equine Rescue, Inc. They have also donated soundwave treatments for Wizard, our latest emaciated rescue.
Thank you! So please check out the website, http://www.makepaingoaway.com/

Yesterday I was contacted by the owner of a 4 yr old racing TB gelding who has a hairline fracture of his sesamoid bone and needs to be in rehab at least through April.

Also, the AAEP, American Association of Equine Practitioners is having their annual conference HERE in San Diego next month. Go to their website and check out the classes you can attend. You do NOT have to be a vet to attend the conference and its the best place to get properly educated on the latest in equine health care, methods and treatments.

Nicki

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The FalconRidge first annual fundraiser was held yesterday and was so much fun and a success. Family, friends, and new people stopped by. Tons of delicious food compliments of volunteer Maria Salim, and a raffle with great prizes.
Professional trainer David Lee Archer rode several of the adoptive horses for people to see. He even jumped Lucky in the arena for our hunter/jumper friends! Susan and Erika from Alphasonic had a booth set up and were giving soundwave treatments to people and donating proceeds to FalconRidge, thanks so much ladies!

David Lee Archer and I would like to acknowledge all the wonderful people who made this happen. Without the support of the volunteers, FalconRidge would not exist to be able to help so many horses. These people donate more than just their time, they donate themselves, their love and love of horses. They are heroes. I am truly greatful for all of you, for what you do for the horses, your generosity and kindness. I and all the horses at FalconRidge are proud to know you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts:

MARY RIZZO
CANDACE ABREU
JENNIFER SALIM
KARIN FILIJAN
TERRY READ
JEANIE TUCKER
CARLA MALONE
DIANNE BARMER
ELENI KOUNNAS

SUSAN STOLTZ & ERIKA TREXLER OF ALPHASONIC

DR. JEFF MOSS OF CREEKSIDE VETERINARY

CARTERS HAY & GRAIN

HAWTHORNES COUNTRY STORE

THE BULLPEN BAR & GRILL

NEISHAS DANCE ACADEMY

SAXON ELECTRIC

Tuesday November 18th - Wizard Meets Larry Himmel

Larry Himmel came by FalconRidge today do a feature story on our work and the horses. It will air Wednesday on Channel 8 at 540pm, Larry's feature. The vet, Dr. Jeff Moss was here discussing proper teeth care, floating Wizards teeth, and how the economy has hit the horse population with more neglect cases showing up.

David Lee Archer rode Casper, the 28 yr old arabian stallion for Larry to show him what a great horse and find he is, how well he rides and David then rode him bridleless in the roundpen. We showed them Rebel, and brought out Sparkle and baby Rocket who were racing in the arena. Susan Stotlz of Alphasonic came by with Erika to do soundwave therapy on Wizard again, volunteering their services to help him and Shasta. Larry was a warm and fantastic guy and actually had his hand all the way in Wizards mouth to feel his teeth.

Then in the afternoon Patsy of the GANAS Mentoring program of Fallbrook, a group of mentors for at-risk teens met with me to firm up our program of bringing the kids out once a month to FalconRidge. Here they will learn horsemanship, horse care and handling, training techniques and help us rehabilitate specific horses so they can be adopted out. Kids helping horses, a good thing.

And I created a new blog, Rehoming Horses San Diego,
http://rehominghorses.blogspot.com
so I can post the horses needing homes that I cannot take in.

Nicki

This Saturday, FalconRidge Fundraiser

FALL HORSE FESTIVAL & FUNDRAISER
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008
11AM TO 4PM

NO PETS PLEASE
RAIN OR SHINE

FOOD, ACTIVITIES, FAMILY FUN!
MEET THE HORSES FOR ADOPTION
DEMONSTRATIONS BY PROFESSIONAL HORSE TRAINER DAVID LEE ARCHER

RAFFLE & DOOR PRIZES

MINIATURE HORSES FOR PETTING

SEE RESCUE HORSE TIGER’S INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION!

$40,000 ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE RESCUE
$ Entrance Fee = Tax Deductible Donation to help feed the horses
Come Visit San Diego’s Largest 501c3 NonProfit Equine Rescue!
RSVP 760-742-0285 – www.nickibranch.com/falconridge
nickbranch@aol.com
32190 DOWLING LANE, P.O. BOX 1500, VALLEY CENTER, CA 92082

Monday, November 17, 2008 - Todays plea, Sierra needs a home

I received a call tonight from the owner of a mustang mare, Sierra. She said the Humane Society gave her my phone number. The owner just found out she lost half her alimony, is older, and now has come down to losing her apartment or her horse, Sierra. She has tried to give her away for free, but says she got alot of uncomfortable calls, like people wanting the horse for their five year old child. She has tried posting her mare at the feed store and news ads and cannot find any takers. She tried contacting the BLM to take this mustang mare back and they said the mare is titled, therefore they cannot take her back...if she wasn't they could have. Sierra is 20 yrs old she found out. She has had her for 7 years, trained her herself and rode her for a year, but Sierra has not been ridden for the last 3 years.

She is currently being boarded in Jamul and the owner has run out of money due to her income being cut in half. If you want a nice bay mustang mare, that leads, ties, picks up feet and has been trained under saddle (but no, that does not mean for kids!) and you have experience, Sierra is free. Her owner Diane was pleading with me..she has run out of options.
Give her a call at (619) 440-1794.

Happy Monday,
Nicki

In my morning email, November 15, 2008

Hi,I realize you probably get contacted all the time by people like me about horses like Willow. I was left an abandoned, neglected TB mare 6 years ago and have been doing my best to care for her in the meantime. I am up against a wall now, as I have lost my job, which provided me with a home and pasture. Willow has already had a tough time of it,and i want the best for her. She is 17, and cannot be ridden due to a back issue that causes her pain with weight on her back. She is sweet and easy to be around, gets along well with other horses. If you can help us, or know of anyone who can, please be in touch.Thanks,Robyn707-272-2127

Give Robyn a call if you can help Willow. She would be a perfect backyard pet for someone!
Nicki

Starvation does not take a holiday - November 11, 2008

Veterans Day. A holiday for most of us. Not for the starving horses of this county.

I received a call from my vet, Dr. Jeff Moss this morning. An emaciated paint horse is in De Luz area of Fallbrook his owner said. She cannot afford medical care. Shes an out of work construction worker who broke her arm and had surgery. She owns four horses but this one has lost alot of weight. She cannot afford her other three and is trying to sell them.

The facility where he was being kept was cited for his condition yesterday by the San Diego Humane Society and ordered them to get him vet care. She told him she would have to put him down, but couldn't even afford that. He asked how old the horse was and she said 4. He said let me make a call as he did not feel right putting down such a young horse. So he called me.

32 phone calls later today between myself, Dr. Moss, the owner, and the San Diego Humane Society and the young starved paint horse whose picture I cannot show you as it is part of an investigation (just take a look at Tigers pics and you get the idea of what this horse looks like), and the horse will be coming here tomorrow and Dr. Moss will be taking a look at him as soon as he arrives. His diet will be slow as he is very emaciated. Hes a beautiful red and white paint and? he is deaf.
CBS called and emailed today wanting a story on the plight of owners and their horses in this horrible economy...so this boy and his owner might be in the news soon. It will help get the word out that there is an epidemic for horses, people having to give them up right and left and rescues such as myself need funding to be able to continue to help them.

On a good note, Wakan was adopted today. Yay for Wakan. He will be going to his new loving family in a week.
Nicki

And just in today, another plea.....please consider helping this woman

"Hello, I have recently found you from a kind person on Craigslist recommending you. I have come into some very hard times and I need to find my 24 year old Arabian mare a home. She has cushings and is not sound so this has become practically impossible to find her a home. I have had her for 22 years and it is heart breaking for me but I need to find a home for her. As of December I can no longer afford to keep her and I was hoping that you or someone you know would have any information as to what I might be able to do. The very last option I have is euthanasia which is something that I desperately do not want to do. Any information or help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you."

Stuff like this tears me up. Imagine having a pet for 22 years and having to give it up! Heartbreaking.
If you can consider giving a loving home to a young 24 year old arabian mare, please contact me at nickbranch@aol.com.

Harvey Crosses Over the Rainbow Bridge tonight, November 4, 2008

Harvey was our 28 year old rescue from animal control. He had been confiscated from his owner for neglect and he was severely underweight. He arrived at FalconRidge in August and still had his ribs and backbone showing. He gained weight and was one of our favorite horses. Tonight he became distressed at feeding time and the vet believes he ruptured his intestine, most likely from internal enteroliths or stones.

Harvey crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. My only consolation is that he passed while he was fat and healthy, not starved or neglected. Run free Harv....we love you!
Nicki

The Rainbow Bridge Poem inspired by Norse Legend

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals that had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author Unknown

Horses in risk emails

I continue to receive emails like this every week and they break my heart. I received this one today. Not sure how much worse it will get for horses until it gets better, but in the meantime, please consider helping one of these horses or people who you know who have to give up their horse or horses due to financial difficulty. Contact me if you are interested in these mares. Arabs live well into their 30s. And the Humane Society or Animal Control will NOT take horses such as these because it is not a neglect or abuse case.
Nicki

"Hi my name is jeany. I have two older arabian mares I've had for twenty years now. My husband and I recently lost our house and are living in a one bedroom studio apartment with our two young sons. I'm trying to find out options of what I can do with my two old ladies, as I call them, as we are having a harder and harder time keeping them fed and taken care of properly. C.C. is a sweet grey straight russian arabian that I've been riding since she was 4 years old. Mmonika is a bright bay with a blaze and she has been my husbands horse. Both haven't been ridden in at least 6 years though. They are easy, fairly low maintenance old girls that could handle light riding. I don't want to even think of turning them over to the humane society and even just considering giving them up is just killing us, but we are not able to keep them in the way they deserve anymore. If you have any ideas or options for me, please let me know. Thank youJeany"

Sunday October 26th - Surprise! The Joys of Rescue

One of the most gratifying parts about doing horse rescue is seeing what the rescued horses know under saddle when David evaluates them after they have gained weight and gotten healthy. Today it was a double surpise with first champion, Casper, the arabian stallion. We were not sure of his background in riding other than we were told that he had been a show horse. David evaluated Casper today and boy, does this boy know his stuff! He knows lower level dressage moves very well, sidepasses beautifully and almost did a piaffe and thats Im sure after not being ridden in several years. Hes light on the bit, easygoing, doing all that was asked of him in the 10 mins David rode him, and hes a very athletic mover! Our jaws were dropped as we watched him. I wondered how on Earth someone could not want this horse! He would clean up at a show. Caspers registered name is Expertise and hes by Condorr and has Bask and Aramus on his papers. He does not act your typical stallion but more like a gelding. Casper is up for adoption for $500

Second suprise of the day is Pooh Bear. He has gained weight enough now and gotten his energy levels up so David rode him and hes gaited! He must be part paso fino. We were suprised as he does not gait in turnout. He will be for adoption as soon as we finish his parasite treatment. This boy is only 12 years old or so and will be child safe. We were shocked how well Pooh gaits and easy moves out when under saddle.

Our Fall Horse Festival, Open House and Fundraiser will be held Saturday November 22, 2008 here at FalconRidge. Please save that day for coming to see us. We will be having food, entertainment, horse demos by David Lee Archer, see the adoptable horses, and more for the entire family.

Right now Im glad the winds are still...

Nicki

Rebel is in need of rescue - Update October 20, 2008

UPDATE - OCTOBER 2, 2008 - Funds are needed

FalconRidge operates entirely on donations. This economy is hitting everyone hard, including the horses of San Diego County. We have taken in horses to help people in need, and help neglected horses from private property as well as those seized from San Diego County Animal Control. We cannot continue to do that though without public support. Hay prices have gone up and we need donations now to continue to help the horses.

If you know someone who is looking to add a horse to their family, please refer them to us. Horses are available from free for pasture puffs, $500-$1500 for adoption fees with most horses $500. It costs at least $3400 a month for hay to feed the rescued horses, and $300 a month for grain. Vet and medical bills are in addition to that.

Please consider making a tax deductible donation today.
http://www.nickibranch.com/falconridge/help.html
Thank you for considering to help the horses!

Palomino Rescue in Shelter Valley

Update on Pooh Bears condition, 4pm Friday - Dr. Moss said the his bloodwork showed he is very anemic, and also indicated that hes most likely got parasites which are causing the anemia. So he got an Equimax wormer, that kills tapeworms, will be started on Red Cell to replenish his iron, and probiotics. In two weeks he will have a power pack wormer.Wow, we just received a $300 donation from Irene Haugen & Jacklyn Cox for Pooh Bear. Both Irene and Jacklyn are ANGEL LADIES! POOH Thanks You!Pooh Bear is here! David and I went out to Shelter Valley near Julian last night to go get this horse. He is very lethargic and took a long time just to walk to the trailer. Got him home at 940 and gave him a flake of alfalfa and Purina Ultium. This morning Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary was out to see him and he named him Pooh Bear. Pooh has wavemouth, making it difficult for him to eat. He also felt that he might be wormy, or have tapeworms, and is most likely anemic. He drew blood to check his blood chemistry. Dr. Moss floated his teeth so Pooh Bear should be able to eat easier. $300 vet bill so far...donations are appreciated! Please spread the word.Pooh Bear does droop his head and is low in energy and we hope to change that soon! He is a calm, cute, sweet little gelding, about 12-15 yrs old, who has has a hard life...until now.Will keep you posted on Pooh's progress. His transformation should be nothing short of spectacular, just like he is to have been a survivor! Nicki

September 10 - The little sad palomino

I received an email 9/10 asking if I could help this horse. This is what it said:"RESCUE HORSE NEEDS NEW HOME Bill - Palomino. He's considered a horse, 14.2 hands, but still a horse. I felt sorry for him and got him earlier this year. He's had a tough life, as far as I can figure out: He was taken out of the wild at an unknown age off an indian reservation in Arizona. He has multiple freeze brands up and down his shoulders and rump. One of his ears is missing a chunk. I don't know if this was another manmade form of identification or if another horse bit it off. His age is currently unknown. When I got him he was very boney and had very saggy, weak muscles. He's still thin, but better than he was. When I got him he was fearful and did not respond to the bit. He's better with the bit now and knows I won't hurt him with it. I do light trail riding with him to put muscle tone on him. He seems sound and has never stumbled. I've had him barefoot and he's doing fine with that. I don't do any rides longer than a couple of hours or more than five miles with him as he is thin. He's Eeyore. He hangs his head and drags his feet. He seemed really depressed when I first got him and was not interested in people or other horses. He's now starting to come up for petting. He's at the bottom of my herd and gets picked on by my other three horses. While this is normal herd structure, I feel bad for him. I really can't afford to feed so many horses anymore. As he's the low man here, I think he would be the best to be the one to go. I think he would be best in a home with people (including kids, so long as they don't hit him or purposefully try to scare him) who want to do light riding and basically have a nice pasture pet. Very small adoption fee of $250 to ensure he's not going to be taken over the border for slaughter. If that's what I wanted, I'd donate him for food to the wolf sanctuary. You must be able to haul him away. OH! BY THE WAY - HE'S GAITED"I said yes to her. He will be coming to FalconRidge next week.Nicki

Sept. 4th - Casper sees the dentist

I have decided to call Expertise, the arab stallion in need Casper instead. His teeth were bad, another reason why if a horse is losing weight, the owner needs to look in its mouth or have a vet look in there. Poor Casper had several hooks on his teeth, ulcerated cheeks from those hooks, wavemouth (uneven from his bite) and a few loose teeth. He should now be able to eat food without being in pain! No wonder he was thin. I addition to him not being able to chew his food properly for digestion, it hurt I'm sure to eat. Now he should gain weight quickly on the Purina Ultium we feed the underweight and older horses. We found they gain weight quicker than on Purina Senior, plus the horses like it better.Casper was once a show horse and is for adoption. If you want a super sweet talented calm gorgeous athletic boy who has great bloodlines and knows his stuff, he is it!

Update - Snickers has been adopted. Congrats to him!

Adoption Update - Breeze, a little PMU mare we adopted out is now going on trails like a champ with her new owners. She had been just halter broke when they adopted her and they worked with her and trained her well. Shes now enjoying the good life of ridin trails and lots of attention. Excellent job Dale and Robin!

Tuesday September 2nd - Save An Arabian Stallion Day!

I was contacted by a woman in Ramona who needed to place a 27 year old arab stallion yesterday. She had rescued him from a breeder in Alpine who had to disperse many in the herd and several were thin already. David went and picked him this afternoon and delivered him to FalconRidge. He was wormed and will get teeth floated thursday and Ultium to put weight on him.This stallion's name is Expertise. He's thin, but hes a beauty. Sweet personality and an ex show horse, shown in hunter, halter and more.Expertise AHR*238006, foaled May 4, 1981, by Condorr (pure Polish son of *Bask) out of Ararose Marie (by a grandson of *Aramus, the other blood essentially CMK).If you want a fantastic arab with experience, this is your boy. Please consider helping him. Nicki

Labor Day, Sept 1, 2008

Today I tried talking the very pregnant Sparkle, the mustang mare we saved from slaughter, into going into labor today. It didnt work. Shes as huge as a house.I also got a call from a woman who sounded desperate. She said she had saved a 27 year old Arab stallion two weeks ago from a dispersal of thin horses in Alpine and thought she had placed him, but the person backed out. She said she needs to find a home for this stallion today. His name is Expertise, by Condorr out of Ararose Marie. Nicki

Saturday August 30, 2008

More horses in need.I was recently contacted about a mare and a two year old TB colt who need homes. They were left at a boarding facility. Please contact http://www.prestigeperformancehorses.com and click on Thoroughbred adoption to see them.And, a 30 yr old horse in Escondido needs a new home.I will see him tomorrow.Update on the 3 horses in Fallbrook. San Diego Animal Control is on the case and watching these horses closely. Im sure more updates will be coming...David rode Snickers again today and boy, is that horse special. Hes a pushbutton ex show horse and gorgeous.Sparkle, the mustang mare that is pregnant and we saved from slaughter is due any moment. Nicki

Thursday August 28, 2008

Update on the three neglected horses in Fallbrook. A picture of the mare with the injured leg is below. Animal Control told me they went out yesterday and met a vet there, who said the mares leg is not broken, and they required the owner to put the horse under vets care. I called to let them know I have pictures of the horse and would be following up with them to ensure this mare's rights are being protected under the cruelty law. Shes got a large cut on her forehead too. One of the other horses has a large wound on its leg.Good news on the mare tied up to the fence in Shelter Valley. She was picked up by two wonderful ladies who had the vet out today. Nice little mare with some left over rain rot and still thin. They have named her Bailey and shes eating away and enjoying herself. Thank you Jackie and Irene for letting Bailey into your hearts and home! Nicki

Bittersweet Wednesday, August27th

Today we had a very pleasant surprise...Snickers, the new TB in that was one of Hopes horses, was evaluated by David and found to be very well trained in dressage. This horse knows his stuff and does it beautifully. He almost did a canter pirouette and we are sure he can. Almost a push button horse and Im sure has seen alot of show ring time. Hes gorgeous. Hes got a thick wide scar behind his right pastern but so far he is sound, and moves beautifully. Collected up right away and after doing some work, then rode beautifully on the buckle. Hes a dream and a very handsome horse. Hes in his teens and will be for adoption.Dalton, the other horse that came with Snickers has an angular limb deformity. He toes out pretty far on his right front from the fetlock down. He was worked in hand, and then saddled up and it appears hes never been trained, most likely due to his handicap. He will be just a pasture puff and a handsome one at that. Hes got a very sweet personality and calm and will be for adoption to a lucky family.I got a call tonight from a woman in Fallbrook. Shes reporting three horses who are neglected. One mare looks like she has a broken leg, its swollen up to the hip and the mare is not bearing weight on it. Theres her filly, and a stallion. All three horses in the past have been thin and shes called animal control on them several times. This time shes not getting a response from authorities about the wounded mare and the other two have cuts and injuries. So I will check into it tomorrow. Having an injured horse without vet care is cruelty to animals. The mare is obviously in pain. Thank you to the woman who reported it and I will look into why you are not getting a response from the proper authorities."Show me your horse and I will tell you who you are" Old English SayingNicki

TUESDAY AUGUST 26TH - LADIES WHO CARE

MONDAY, AUGUST 25TH - MORE HORSES IN NEED

Today I got a call from a young lady up in Shelter Valley near Julian. She and her mother came home to find a skinny horse tied up to the fence of their home. It is a mare, in her 20's. She is asking for help. They already have 3 horses and no room or facilities for a third. The mare is in the round pen. She is sound and needs a home. If you are willing to help, please contact me. The mare needs to put on weight and get teeth floated and shes full of love. Rescued horses bring good luck you know...I also got an email from a women in Alpine today. She has a neighbor that wants to put down 4 of his male mustangs because they are 'making trouble' for the mares on his 6 acres where they roam free. She believes he will put them down himself and not in the most humane manner. There is nothing wrong with the mustangs, they are 10 yrs old and he is giving her time to find homes for them. If you want to save a mustang please contact me. They do not deserve to be shot.NOW..It's time we do something in this county to protect our horses. Some horses of San Diego county are hurting because of the economy. I would like all the horse clubs, groups, and associations of this county to contact me so we can join together to assist in finding homes for horses with people who want them. We join horses in need with people who need horses. People ARE adopting and looking for horses, not everyone is strapped financially. I know because I have adopted 19 horses in the last 3 months. These horses can do anything, can be anything as long as you give them that chance....just read about Poggio the packhorse turned Olympian.http://www.nbcolympics.com/equestrian/news/newsid=181937.htmlIf we who care about unwanted horses join forces, and my goal is to also join forces with our local San Diego Animal Control office, as well as the Humane Society, we can help all of the horses in San Diego find loving homes. We need more rescues, we need more loving homes. Please share with people you know who are looking to buy a new horse to consider helping one in need. The horses deserve better. They have no voice. Please speak for them.Even celebrity Paul Sorvino realizes that horses need rescuing. He is starting his own rescue. Good job Paul!http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/08/21/sorvino.horse.rescue.news12njHorses like Snickers and Dalton thank you..

It's Rescue Sunday! The story of Hope, Snickers and Dalton

Emergency rescue. This time its not a starved horse. It's a woman in trouble. I received a call from a woman who owns two horses and is living with an abusive husband. She has children and wants to move away from him. She lost her job, is losing her house, is battered, and trying to find homes for her two horses. She called San Diego County Animal Control. They said no, they cannot take her horses. She called the San Diego Humane Society. They said no, they cannot take her horses. She asked friends and anyone she could. They all said no, they cannot take her horses. She wants a life free from violence, for herself and her children and has a place to go to, but nobody to take her horses. She is on the phone with me crying. I hear the kids crying in the background.I say to her...Yes.She cries on the phone harder, and I am crying. I tell her she will be ok, her life will get better from this day forward. David has picked up and is bringing the horses right now and they will soon arrive here at FalconRidge. It was tense picking them up as the husband started to tell David how manhandle the horse to load it. David told him to be quiet and that no horses ever need to be manhandled to load in a trailer. Luckily the man, or I should say the abuser, stayed quiet. One horse she says totes her kids around. So now yes, we do have a kids horse for adoption. The other one will be evaluated and needs training. Pics to come soon. I will keep you posted...NickiWow, the horses are here. Im calling the woman Hope, not her real name. Here are Hopes horses. She took good care of them. Gorgeous. The bay is the thoroughbred that she said rides fine, her kids and all. The chestnut is a quarterhorse who she has never ridden. She tried once and he bucked her off so he will need some eval and training but both horses have excellent temperments! nice and calm around us, not spooky at all. They are content and confident, just what is needed in a horse! Very nice personalities. Once evaluated they will be up for adoption. Im very impressed with these horses and the care she gave them. Here are Snickers and Dalton.Nicki

Coordinating with San Diego County Department of Animal Control

We were contacted by San Diego County Animal Control Department to take a horse into our care, per the recommendation of our veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary. This horse was impounded and owner is currently facing charges of neglect. The horse became very thin and was driven off his food by the other horses in the pasture. The owner did not separate him or have a vet out to see why he lost so much weight, or make the necessary changes to ensure the horse was in humane conditions, therefore Animal Control seized him.

A very special young man named Jonah Parks was asked to name the new horse and he chose the name "Harvey" after looking at his picture. Welcome to FalconRidge Harvey, you are a survivor. Here you will gain weight, always have plenty to eat and get lots of loving from the humans here. And thank you to Jonah for coming up with such a wonderful name for Harvey!

June 5th, Warmblood Rescue, Fallbrook, Ca

June 4th, 2008 - I received a phone call about an emaciated horse in Fallbrook on 6/4 in the evening. I drove out the next morning to evaluate him and saw an extremely emaciated 17 plus hand horse. The person who had him claimed his daughter got the horse free from Murrieta, had it a month or two, then brought it to her elderly fathers home where it continued to lose weight. He did admit it might not have been being fed correct amounts of hay or daily. There was another horse on the property next to this one, an arab of normal weight. Owner stated the horse was 12 and an ex hunter/jumper and his name was "Mike". He claimed the daughter wanted to ride it after she got it and fed it grass hay so it wouldnt be "hot". Owner said he was a thoroughbred but he looks more warmblood to me. I named him "Tiger" because he's going to have to fight to make it. We trailered the horse immediately from the property and brought him back to FalconRidge. He will be given small amounts of hay to bring him back up to weight without causing his organs to go into failure from starvation. If anyone recognizes this horse please contact me. Hes got a star and right front small sock. Rehabilitation costs will be high so we are looking for donations to help with his recovery. He appears to be sweet and has been enjoying having hay to eat.

THE EMPTY STALL

"The Empty Stall"

There is always an empty stall at an equine rescuers.Even though you can't see it, its always there.It's invisible to most, but the stall exists in the rescuers heart as a void, a void which they know will be filled soon, and later emptied.

Among the cries of we are full, no more horses!..the invisible stall still exists in the mind and heart of the equine rescuer. It exists sure enough as hope exists, and kindness and love exists in the world.

There is always one more spot, one invisible stall, to make a difference one day for one horse. And even though people say "you can't save them all"...the rescuer gets to say,"I made a difference... for that one, that one in the empty stall.

"Here is the rescue of "Tiger" today, the one that is here even though we have no more stalls...

Nicki Branch

FALCONRIDGE EQUINE RESCUE NEWS

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Adoptions, Surgeries, Sanctuaries, Retirement Homes and Disappearing Lumps

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FalconRidge Links

LIttle Seguro and Ayah rescued in the nick of time!

Saturday September 4th - Panda, Ayah and Seguro

Felicity Skip

Monday August 16 - Felicity Skip Arrives

Sarah on Kharma with instructor Meagan

Sunday July 26 - Darth Vader is On TV, Peanut & Dreamcatcher Find Homes

Scout, the Most Beautiful Horse in the World

Sunday July 18 - Scout, Son of DocOLena, & Arabs in Need

A very proud young Sarah on Cisco Sunday

Volunteer Kelsey riding Dream Catcher

Jackie, 30 yr old quarterhorse mare in Bonita needs a home

Excaliber, a mustang abandoned on the 15 freeway arrives

Sunday July 11th - Sarah's Day

Beau, in Las Vegas, needs a home now

Beau, Registered Quarterhorse Gelding Parelli Trained Needs a Home

Happy 4th of July from FalconRidge!

Sarah and Meagan with Lady Gwen in Puzzle Piece Ponies Program for Autistic Children

Dreamcatcher, a registered spotted walking horse mare

Pharoah, a 3 year old grey arabian stallion

Sunday July 4th - Happy Independence Day for Rory, the Abandoned Red Dun Gelding!

Silver Slippers

Sunday June 27, Chase Community Giving Grant

Chase Community Giving, Vote Now and Help FalconRidge Receive $20,000

The latest rescue mare

Kharma looking much better

Visiting Blue Apple Ranch

Sunday June 20th - Father's Day, 3 Horses Adopted Out, 3 Come In

Nora, rides wonderfully, looking for a home

One of the new stallions

Trinket with volunteer Kona

Volunteer Pony Tamers

Sunday June 13 - Stallion-O-Rama

Sunday June 5th - Joaquin Finds Love and Summer is Coming

Tuxedo

LaCretia on Geronimo

Silfur and Halti Free to Loving Homes

Memorial Day Weekend 2010 - Two Icelandic Horses Arrive & Rescues

Updated photo of Sultan at his adopters

May 26 - Sultan Update and Sage Finds a Family!

Mystery, Quarter Horse Gelding

Volunteers Kelsey & Fiona Grooming Rod Stewart

Saturday May 22nd - Pony Taming & The Great Escape

Frodo

Keebler Elf Blog Update

Icelandic Horse Rehoming Blog

Maya with 2 Icelandic horses

Icelandic Stallion

Friday May 14 - Drive up to Solvang to see 100 Icelandic horses

Obi Wan Finds His Loving Home

Wed May 12 - Two Keeblers & Nick & Cochise Find Loving Homes

Homes for Horses Conference, Scott Beckstead of HSUS

Tuesday May 11 - The HSUS Homes For Horses Conference

Sat May 8th, Keebler Elf Herd Arrives Today to FalconRidge

The Keebler Elf Herd in need

Keebler Ponies

Gunner, 6 yr old paint gelding

Thursday May 6 - Gunner Arrives & Keebler Herd Shetland Pony Rescue

The Grulla Stallion

Monday May 3 - The Grulla Stallion Arrives

Zoe Zeller on Lucky, aka My Lucky Penny, at the ECHO show this weekend

Sunday May 2nd - Cochise Socialization Day

Three paints arrive today at sunset at FalconRidge

Apollo and Saxon with the pool pasture herd

Saxon, a yearling colt

Saturday May 1st - Chicaboom Goes Home & More Arrive

Ryder and Popcorn

Popcorn with her adoptive Dad Steve

Baby Blitzen

Friday April 30 - Popcorn, Ryder, Blitzen Update & Gunner is Coming

Cheyenne

The Story of Cheyenne

Dusty and Jody Updates

Amber on Lady Gwen today

Mystery, looking for his own dedicated and loving owner

Little Kenny says "Me and my horse got places to go!"