From Gypsy For Amy

The image is fuzzy because we took it with a cell phone. Gypsy is doing Fabulous!! She is a good girl with picking up and trimming all four hooves, stands quietly for grooming. She LOVES LOVES LOVES having the back of her hind legs rubbed, she stand on her hind toes and wiggling her muzzle when you do this. We are working at liberty, and as you can see she is accepting of weight on her back. She loves playing with the foals, and has grown a nice winter coat. Her scars are just faint memories and she has developed a trust for people. Thanks for your interest, Amy. We'll get some more photos on flickr and add them to the slideshow.

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.

This holiday season LOHR promises to care for each of our horses because they are more than "just an orphan".

Behind the scenes of Horse Rescue

In all of our pictures there are smiling faces. People kissing, hugging, loving the rescued horses. Now, as we approach winter, that dedication, admiration, and responsibility are unfailing. Now is the time our inboxes flood with: horses that are unwanted, can't be afforded by their "loving" homes, owners go off to school, children grow up, winter is cold, etc, etc, etc. i've heard every reason why a horse needs to be let go,shot, turned out, euthanized, "donated" (my favorite!), etc. "I love my horse, he's my baby. I've owned "Silver" for 25 yrs....but I can't afford him - I need a new horse I can ride (Add EXCUSE here). I used to be astounded by the lack of compassion, but than I look at society. We lock our loved ones up in nursing homes. We abort or adopt out our own CHILDREN!! Why not discard our beloved horse of 25 years?
Yet, Lucky Orphans opens our doors, hearts, and hands again and again for love of a horse. The look in any of their trusting eyes. The curiousity when we arrive. The settling when a new horse arrives.
Despite the cold, ice, snow, freezing hoses, frozen water troughs, muddy gates, frozen pipes, blistery winds; none of our volunteers or youth development team ever stop smiling. We keep on loving, hoping, teaching, working, and breathing life for every one of our rescues and the ones that we cannot reach.
I want to personally thank every board member, and volunteer for all your efforts and all your tribulations this upcoming winter season. I want to thank our wonderful vet, Dr. David Hammond, for his untiring efforts. I want to give thanks to the children who pitch in and become adults when the horses need them. I want to thank the parents of the children who learn to admire their children for the lessons they've taught their parents. I want to thank you all for your support and positive energy.
I have bled, sweat and cried many days and nights for this organization, and I'd do it all again a thousand times to feel the breath of one horse I saved. I've help stitch for HOURS in a thunderstorm with no power, I've walked colicking horses for HOURS and HOURS until they were better, I've fought with unwilling owners, careless owners, stupid owners. I've fallen, been kicked, been bitten, been mistrusted, and then had the MOST unruly horse eat from my hand. I've saved babies and old horses. I've had to put my best friend down at the age of 40 (Snickers this is the first Christmas without you and I miss you so much!!)
I would do it all over again. I get up every day no matter how sick, tired, frustrated, angry, stressed, overwhelmed, and am greeted by whinneys and knickers of my best friends - those who know I saved them. My Lucky Orphans. The bit of America I can save. Help me and the rest of my team do more! We need your supoprt and small donations to find our orphans a permanent home for Christmas.