Tuesday, February 25, 2014

21st reason to be in AWE - it builds confidence

here's a brief but truly wonderful Pat Parelli video (Parelli Natural Horsemanship) to warm your heart on this cold winter day. We try to stay close to the Parelli program here. Our horses want us to be confident leaders. Then they become more confident too. It's a partnership thing!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1466421973573950&set=vb.1437240069825474&type=2&theater

Monday, February 24, 2014

Princess is home & doing OK after neurectomy

Princess came home from the Vet on Saturday. She is already moving better and complaining about her stall rest. Fortunately, the Vet approved this little in/out setup for Princess' recovery area. Three weeks in this little area. Could be worse though. Sometimes it HAS to be in a boxstall only. At least Princess can be in or out.

 Her brother Prince comes in at night and has the stall/pen right beside her. During the day, King is her buddy. So she is never alone.

 
Blue wraps to match her blue eye.
The Vet said it was a very interesting surgery. You may remember from previous posts, that Princess had this surgery about 5.5 years ago. The nerves are cut to relieve the pain in her feet from her "navicular condition." The Vet said that the nerves had grown back together and there was a big knot of nerves in both legs. The nerves don't usually grow back together like that.
 
I don't spose anyone would want to donate toward her surgery? Probably about $700 or so. We rescued Princess and Prince from starvation when they were youngsters. Princess was very easy to train but we haven't ridden her now for several years. Maybe we will now. We'll see how she turns out for sure in a month or two..  
 
here is a photo of Princess and Prince, shortly after we rescued them. They were a year and  a half old and had lived in a state of starvation for this whole year and a half. No wonder their bones & joints didn't develop right.
 
They were rescued from an out-of-control breeding program. More than 100 horses here, mares having babies in the crowded muddy pens. Most of the adults were registered, but paperwork had not been done on the babies. We did get Prince & Princess registered APHA though. At our expense.  I  question the reported numbers of horses being produced. Many breed registries say there are fewer horses being registered and so they tell us there are fewer being produced. And they don't understand why the neglect, the "unwanted" horse population continues to exist. Since all of their members/breeders are now responsible and are no longer overbreeding. The only proof I see is that more than half of our rescued babies come directly from registered breeding programs, where the adults are registered but the lazy, out-of-control breeders didn't think the babies were valuable enough to pay for the registration paperwork on the babies. Not valuable enough? Then why in the world are they breeding them! The number of foals being registered is documented. The number of foals being produced is not. So perhaps what is happening is that more unregistered foals are being produced. And that is a very bad thing, because then their value goes down even more. There are still lots of ads for young horses everywhere, "free," "first one to drive in the yard with a trailer can take 'em," a 3 year old that is "ready to halter break and castrate," "dirt cheap & registerable," etc. And lots of young horses going through the loose/slaughter horse sales. Lots and lots of young horses that never should have been bred in the first place. Now going to slaughter, only because the breeder did not get them registered , halter broke, castrated and fed properly. When the breeder does not have time & money to train them and care for them, he should not be a breeder. We thank the responsible, successful breeders for the great horses you bring into the world. The responsible, successful breeders know we are not talking about them here. They know who we are talking about.
 
I have yet to hear of a large-scale horse rescue where there was no breeding going on. Just sayin'
 
We are 501c3 as Horse Help Providers, Inc. If you would like to support an organization who advocates for humane population control as the number one priority for the big picture of improved animal welfare for dogs, cats, and horses, please consider making a donation to us. We do not celebrate kitten season. Our 17 cats here are spayed & neutered, as are our 3 Labs. We do not understand why any animal adoption center would adopt out any animals without spay/neuter/castration (for the animals that are old enough anyway). And even though some of our rescued horses are excellent riding horses who would have nice babies that would be easy to train, we have never allowed them to reproduce and have always castrated the stallions. There are still way too many horses, dogs, and cats reproducing. Because their humans WANT them to. OK, I know we are not supposed to talk about this in South Dakota. Sorry. shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
 
Anyway, if you get what I'm talking about and would like to donate to an organization who is not afraid to talk about it, here's how to donate: You may send checks to DoubleHP Horses, 25337 470 Ave, Crooks SD 57020. Paypal to doublehphorses@aol.com        or use the Donate button on this webpage (up toward the top, over on the right).
 
All donations, every penny, goes for the feed and care of our rescued horses. No person gets a penny of this money. If you're from South Dakota, we've possibly helped officials, horses, or horse owners in your county. We've helped in lots of different counties over the years, usually with no financial help from that county. It's just the way it is in our state.  shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
 
 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

20th reason to be in AWE - as you advance, you may volunteer to help others

As you become an advanced horseman in AWE, you may want to begin to help others who are just starting out. You would be a volunteer helper, and you may be able to lower your monthly sponsor $$$ amount some more (though you would never be required to help others, only if you wanted to).
The other day, I was reminded of this, a quote by William Glasser --

“We Learn . . .
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss
80% of what we experience
95% of what we teach others.”

 
here's an interesting read about William Glasser

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/us/william-glasser-88-psychiatrist-who-promoted-mental-health-as-a-choice-dies.html?_r=0

19th reason to be in AWE - our barn is quite private

Unless we have a workshop or clinic going on, we usually have only a few people here at a time. So you won't have to worry about "performing" in front of a crowd. And most of your horsemanship sessions will be quite private (just you and a volunteer helper), unless you bring a friend along to be in AWE with you. We also invite all of our horsemanship participants to observe other sessions, so that might happen every once in a while. But it usually would only be one or two people watching.

18th reason to be in AWE - you don't HAVE to do chores

Your time is valuable. We know that. When you are in AWE, your horsemanship should be your priority when you are here. If you DO have extra time though, and you WANT to do a regular weekly chore shift, you may. And we could then lower your monthly sponsor $$$ amount. 

Friday, February 21, 2014

17th reason to be in AWE - you do not have to own a horse or be a horse trainer

A week or so ago, a person was watching just a little bit of one of our horsemanship sessions. She said she has never seen anything like it before! And then she asked how long it takes the horse to learn it, and if it's the same for every horse. And this is where it can get tricky, and a person can get pretty easily offended, if the explanation here isn't quite right. You see, it isn't so much about the horse as it is the person. I mean it is but it isn't. The horse won't do this amazing stuff if the person doesn't learn it and doesn't learn how to communicate with the horse. Ever heard someone say, "that is a stupid horse" or "that is a bad horse" or "that is a stubborn horse, he won't do anything I tell him to! I give him the cue over and over and over again, and he just won't do it!"  Oh? ever think to try a different "cue?" Or just present it a little differently maybe? You never know. Often when we change our behavior, the horse's behavior immediately changes too! You'd be surprised how often that really does happen.
So no, you don't have to be a horse trainer to enjoy a horsemanship program. But you will figure things out faster if you remind yourself that it's usually not so much about what the horse is doing as it is about what the person is doing.
Several of our horses here have advanced through the first two levels, thanks to some great people who took the time to learn the program along with the horses. And a few of our horses here have started on more advanced levels, but only because their humans have also gone through the levels, starting at the very beginning. things like approaching the horse, haltering the horse, picking up the horse's feet, etc., and advancing into riding if the person so desires. Even people with previous riding experience who come here to be in AWE start at the very beginning of this program. They may move through the first couple of levels more quickly than a total beginner. Or maybe not. It's about communication and partnerships. So you know, some people have to come to terms with that first.
When a person first starts being in AWE, we try to partner that person with a horse who already has some of this horsemanship experience. And then as the person advances, she may switch to a different horse. This new horse may have just a little bit different personality than the first horse, and the person may have to make some communication type changes with the new horse. But that experience too will improve her horsemanship skills.
That is why, even if you do have a horse at home, you may still come here and go through this horsemanship program with our horses here. Everything you learn here, you can take home to your own horse.
That's right. It's not so much about training the horse as it is helping the person learn how to communicate with horses. So that the person can have a better relationship with every horse she encounters for the rest of her life. So the person and the horse can be safe, happy, and successful. Together. As partners.
How much of this you want to apply to your life outside of the barn is up to you. We DO want our horsemanship participants to develop excellent horsemanship skills. But it's really pretty hard to ignore how it all relates to our human communications as well, both personally and professionally.
So nope, you don't have to own a horse to be in AWE. Our horses here, all 18 of them, are quite ready and willing! And nope, you don't have to be a horse trainer to be able to be in AWE. In fact, you don't need any prior horse experience at all. Our horses will show you everything you need to know. About  life.

16th reason to be in AWE - get along to get your way

I truly believe that everyone who participates in a horsemanship program such as Parelli (and there are many other good ones, but we chose Parelli for our barn because it is so well organized with so many resources available) realizes self-improvement. Yes, our horsemanship skills improve. But so do our "people skills."  We all like to get our way. But at some point, most of us realize that by getting along, we WILL get our way. And the horses can help us learn this. Because we can't be good horsemen if we don't know how to get along. Once we know how to get along, we will become better horsemen and, guess what! We'll get our way by getting along!
Now it is true, a person can make a horse do just about anything. But is the horse doing it because the person is acting like a partner, or because the person is using force and fear and intimidation?
In AWE, in any natural horsemanship program, we want our horses to be our partners. We want them to be willing partners and hope they will more and more enjoy doing things with us. We help them find their confidence, curiosity, bravery. We help them regain their pride and dignity if they have lost it along their way (happens to lots of neglected and abused horses).
In horsemanship, "getting our way" is not our goal. But "getting along" is! And how strange, but usually when we get along, we also get our way.
If I want to advance in my Parelli program, if I want my horses to be my willing partners and enjoy doing things with me and learning new things with me, my "getting my way" way of thinking is just going to get in the way of my success. Of OUR success, I mean. It's a teamwork thing.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

15th reason to be in AWE - self-study - how are your leadership skills?

What kind of a leader are you? How many different leadership roles do you "play?" Are you always the same leader, or do you sometimes change your style or volume or energy level, etc., depending on whom you are leading and to where you are leading them? We all learned long ago in one class or another that there are many many different "types" of learners. And so, when we are in our leadership positions, if we can be different types of leaders in certain situations, we might be better leaders!
This is what the horses reminded me of yesterday.
Here is what happened. The horses had all had their stall/grain time, and it was time to turn them out for the night. Two women were doing that. There were 3 horses in the riding arena, and they were supposed to go galloping outside to eat their supper once the gate was opened for them. But they didn't. They were scared. The trees were making those weird creaking noises again. I had seen 17 deer in those trees a few hours earlier. I don't know why they were scared. They go in and out of this gate/door several times every single day. and sometimes they get scared.
So, the first woman began to move quickly behind the horses, clapping her hands, slapping her jeans, you get the picture. Trying to chase the already scared horses out of their comfort/shelter and into a very scary place with the tree monsters and who knows what else! JUST LIKE A PREDATOR!  Right?
The other woman tried something different. She became a trusted leader to the horses. She walked in front of the horses and visualized that the horses would follow her as she walked with assertiveness, willpower, and energy (AWE) out the gate and past the scary treeline. And yes, the horses followed her. They followed their trusted leader. More like a PARTNER!
So there you have two very different leadership ideas. Chasing will work in certain situations. But this was not that situation.
In horsemanship, in AWE, hundreds of situations come up in every single session. you begin to recognize certain situations more quickly, and understand them. And with 18 horses here, you also have the opportunity to observe how different horses handle a situation. And how a leader can try different leadership ideas for different horses.
At first, many people just think it's silly to compare horsemanship to how we treat the humans in our lives. But it doesn't take long before they get it. We aren't comparing horses to humans. We don't bring the horses into our houses and have them sit and watch TV with us. Nope. Horses are horses; humans are humans.
This is about communication, relationships, partnerships, leadership. It's about being in AWE. Assertiveness, Willpower, Energy
Assertiveness (not aggressive, not timid). Willpower (not physical force). Energy (not too fast not too slow, not too sharp not too dull, not too much not too little).
We follow the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Levels as closely as we can, though we do not have a permanent Parelli Instructor here. Bryna Helle, Licensed Two Star Parelli Instructor, stays with us from time to time and leads workshops and lessons for everyone who is in AWE. But for consistency for both horses and humans in AWE, we do try to follow Parelli Levels. And we often find ourselves in leadership roles. Always with the horses. Parelli says it's a partnership, but someone has to be the leader and it really needs to be the human. Human 51%, horse 49%. Sometimes we find ourselves in a leadership role here with other humans too. To me, that is much more challenging. But the horses are helping me figure it all out. How we communicate with other humans is important in all parts of our lives. for our safety, our happiness, our success. If we are too impatient or too aggressive with the horses, we are probably too impatient or too aggressive with humans. We might be able to get them to do something, but are they doing it because they like doing things with us or because they are afraid of us? hey, are we talking about the horses or the humans???????????????  If our assertiveness helps the horses feel safe, brave and comfortable; then our assertiveness probably has that affect on humans too. If we are so timid that we just let the horses walk all over us, well, . . .

But when you are here in AWE, you can explore and experiment with these qualities. You can develop excellent horsemanship skills and grow personally & professionally, all at the same time. And the horses really are the best, most natural and honest teachers of all.
So, are you ready to evaluate your leadership and communication ideas?
Be in AWE!
No previous horse experience required.
The horses will show you everything you need to know.
About life.

14th reason to be in AWE - bring a friend with you & save $$$

The horses reminded me of something yesterday. Well, they remind me of or teach me something every single day. But yesterday, what stuck out as significant to me, was a reminder that not everyone likes to go to a new place or try a new thing alone. Some people would go to more new places and try more new things if they could do this with a friend. So, why not find a friend to be in AWE with! When you 2 come together for your scheduled horsemanship sessions, you will each receive 20% off your horse sponsorship amount. (this is available on a few of our options only, mostly the short-term ones.) It's noted on this flyer.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Princess has neurectomy "nerving" surgery on Friday

We don't wish surgery on anyone. But Princess is having surgery on Friday. We rescued Princess and her half-brother Prince when they were yearlings. Starvation survivors. And we have promised them a forever home here, as long as their quality of life is good. Prince has lameness issues too, but his isn't as noticeable as his sister's.
Princess is having a neurectomy. Sometimes you'll hear a person say, "she's been nerved."
Princess has a navicular-type condition. She's had it since she was very young. She's already been "nerved" once, about 5 and a half years ago. That's pretty good, for it to last that long. The pain relief, I mean.
We don't really know why she is sore on her front feet. But when these nerves are cut, she can't feel the soreness anymore. There are performance horses out there, who have been "nerved." The results can be amazing! Or they can be slight, without much noticeable improvement.
Last time Princess was "nerved" it took a little while before it looked like it helped. But things did improve, and then she had 5 really good years. but a few months ago we noticed a difference again. The hard, icy ground is not fun for her. So we took her to the Vet, and it was determined that Princess is a good candidate to do the surgery again. Hoping it will relieve her pain again. For many more years. Here are links to a couple of good articles about this condition / procedure.
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/lameness/tha-nerving.shtml#footer
http://stablemanagement.com/article/the-scoop-on-nerving

13th reason to be in AWE - ok, this is a big one. Beat wintertime depression.

Yup, this is a really big one. And never more true than this year. It is so easy to sit around inside the house, dreaming of summer. But if you do that in South Dakota, you might be dreaming for 6 months! If you are physically able, you really should try to get outside and DO something! I know, being the main caretaker for 18 horses forces me to get outside. For many hours every single day. Would I go outside and play in the snow every morning if there was no purpose involved??? hmmmmmmm. Guess I'll never have to find out, as long as we have all of these animals to care for around here. But at least a lot of what I do is in the barns or at least in the horse yard near the barns. You know, the sun shines really bright and warm even on those days when it is 17 below zero. And we find ourselves taking some layers (of clothing) off when we are out cleaning the horseyards on those days. As long as we are protected from the wind, and the sun is out, we are generally fine. And yes, happy! Happy to be outside DOING something! Even on the really windy cloudy days when the sun is not shining, we can stay warm and active by cleaning the stalls inside the barns. As long as we have the right clothes on for it. And, yes, we have continued our horsemanship sessions through the winter. Well, two of us have anyway. Not as often and not as long, but we have still been playing with the horses in the barn. Our barn, remember, is not heated though. So the barn is cold when the temps. are cold. And we did lower our standards this year. We used to ride as long as it was in the 30s. This year we ride as long as it's in the 20s. On those days when it was 17 below zero? We were so busy cleaning stalls and making sure the horses were ok, that's about all we got done on those days. But I will say, I don't think there is anything wrong with slowing down a little for a few months during the winter. But the way they make clothes for us these days, as long as we dress properly we are ok. We do recommend coveralls or snowmobile suit type clothes, along with nice big mittens and of course big boots that are good for many degrees below zero. And then when we get all of those big bulky clothes on, depending on the horse's riding experience and the person's experience, we may stick to non-riding activities on those days when we have all of those big bulky clothes on. But if you really want to stay active with horses and horse chore activity during the winter, you can! Of course there are a few heated riding barns around the area. And we sure wouldn't blame you if you opted for riding lessons in one of those facilities instead of ours. We're not too fancy around here, but we ARE good!
oh, I almost forgot to mention that we do have one little room in our barn that is heated. It's where we keep our saddles and grain. So it's best to have that temperature controlled year round. Which it is. So there is always a little room to go to to warm up. This has also become the barn-cat room. they have one of those little flip doors so they can get in and out of there. So there may be 9 cats in there with you if you are in there warming up. Good to know, if you have cat allergies.

12th reason to be in AWE - inside & outside arenas

Another reason to be in AWE is because we do have a large indoor riding barn. But you need to know it is not heated. In fact, one of the doors is left open all of the time so the horses can use it as a shelter at night. But it is a really nice, big riding barn. And because it is a fully enclosed building (except for the door we leave open for the horses), we never have to deal with wind, rain, mud, snow, hail, burning sun, bugs, etc. when we are riding or enjoying other horsemanship activities.

11th reason to be in AWE - credentials

Our program director is a Certified Facilitator (Equine Specialist) with EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association). She also has a BA in Education with past teaching & athletic coaching experience for high school and college students, along with 30+ years of horse experience including ownership, showing, rescue & rehab, sanctuary, adoption, and training.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tenth reason to be in AWE - credit & more exercise for helping with chores

You can lower your monthly sponsor $$$ amount when you keep a regular weekly chore schedule. And burn hundreds of calories while you are doing it!

9th reason to be in AWE - For your Health!

For your physical exercise (at your own pace, of course). for example, did you know that riding a horse at a walk for 30 minutes will burn off about 70 calories for the rider? Riding at a trot for about 10 minutes will burn off about 60 calories for the rider. Grooming for an hour will burn off 250-500 calories. Cleaning stalls for 20 minutes will burn off about 160 calories. All of our non-riding horsemanship activities will burn off at least 100 calories in just 20 minutes! There is much info. available on this, I'd say go ahead and google it and see what you find! google something like "horse activities calories burned" And then of course there is shoveling snow at the barn, filling and pushing and dumping the wheelbarrows full of poo (if you have a chore schedule here). And this is just physical exercise. We haven't even started to talk about the mental, emotional, and social well-being that develops for humans in AWE (in horsemanship).

8th reason to be in AWE - get credit for writing about being in AWE

Writing off into the sunset - lower your monthly sponsor $$$ amount by submitting journal entries for us to help promote our horsemanship program and help explain what being in AWE is all about.

7th reason to be in AWE - access to educational DVDs

Those who are in AWE have access to educational materials by Parelli Natural Horsemanship. We have 100+ hours worth already in our little "library" here. Many were donated by the Parelli Education Institute.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sixth reason to be in AWE - sometimes we have a Licensed Parelli Instructor here

Thanks to the generosity of  Parelli Education Institute, Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Parelli Pay it Forward Program, and ASPCA equine training grants, we have been able to enjoy Bryna Helle as our Resident Instructor every now and then. She might be coming here in May 2014 but we're not sure on that yet.  Here is a link to Bryna's web page. Enjoy! www.brynapnh.com

Fifth reason to be in AWE - introduction to Reining

The fifth reason to be in AWE is that, for advanced riders in AWE, if you have not had the opportunity to learn the Reining basics, you can do that here. Before horse rescue took over my life, I spent a few years competing in Reining in many different states. I learned from one of South Dakota's best: Carla Clay. And I also participated in clinics by Reining Champions such as Dell Hendricks, Scott McCutcheon, Bill Horn, Craig Johnson, Josh Armstrong, and Carol Nielson. I trained several Reining horses and, with those horses, earned AQHA Reining points, NRHA money, and several CPRHA class champion belt buckles. While I haven't competed for several years, I still incorporate the Reining maneuvers in the training of our rescued horses here. And I enjoy introducing other advanced riders who are in AWE to the basics of Reining. 

Fourth reason to be in AWE - riding & nonriding programs

The fourth reason to be in AWE is that it includes both riding and non-riding activities. There are advanced levels, and there are beginner levels. Find your comfort. Improve your skills. Gain your confidence. Go from there. Be in AWE!

Third reason to be in AWE - no previous horse experience required

The third reason to be in AWE: No previous horse experience required. Our horses will show you everything you need to know. About life. (horses are amazing, natural teachers!)

Second reason to be in AWE - it is affordable

The second reason to be in AWE is because it is affordable. We provide the horses and equipment. You help to sponsor one of our rescued horses, and our volunteers help you through your horsemanship program.
Everyone's program is set up individually, depending on goals, reasons, schedule, experience, etc.
Reminder: Your monthly sponsorship $$$ amount goes to our rescued horses, to help feed and care for them. Not a penny of your money goes to a person. It's for the horses!
And you can try out our program first, before you do a monthly thing.
Just try a couple of sessions and see what you think!
and remember, there is no previous horse experience required. Our horses will show you everything you need to know. About life.

Reasons to be in AWE - Assertiveness, Willpower, Energy

First reason to be in AWE. (AWE is our DoubleHP Horsemanship Program.) AWE is for Assertiveness, Willpower, Energy. So that is the first reason to be in AWE. To explore, develop, and be aware of the power you have when you understand your levels of assertiveness, willpower, and energy. And how this understanding of these qualities will help you be safe, happy, and successful -- not only in your horsemanship program but also in life.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Peace on Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day from the Horses of DoubleHP.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

What would Shadow do?

Unless you were here the day before this picture was taken, you wouldn't think much of it. But I know what Shadow was thinking when I took this picture. He was thinking, "WTH was I thinking!"

The day before, when I went out to do morning chores, Shadow was on the other side of this gate. Not where he's supposed to be in the morning. Flicka and Baylee stay in this pen at night. It's hooked up to the main barn, so they have that for their shelter at night. But Shadow was in there the other morning, with the two ladies. I walked all over the yards and ditches, etc., to see if maybe he got out through a lower fence, and maybe some nice person drove by, saw Shadow out, and put him in anywhere. But nope. No hoof prints anywhere. There are only 2 other possibilities really.
One is that Shadow jumped this gate and also cleared the electric wire that is on the other side of it. This is doubtful. He would have had to run up an ice hill and jumped this 4 foot gate or however tall it is. Not saying he can't jump that high. Even though he is small, he is quite an athlete! But running uphill on icey snow to clear it? hmmmmmmmmmm.

here is the other theory: Shadow likes to pretend he is a stud. And Baylee likes to pretend Shadow is a stud too. So sometimes they pretend they are making a Shadow-Baylee Baby. So I kind of wonder if maybe they were trying this maneuver over the gate. And maybe Shadow just kind of flopped over the gate as he was mounting his lovely Baylee. I don't know. he still would have had to clear the electric wire on the other side.

We always say Shadow is a miracle. It is a miracle he is alive. Let alone sound and athletic. He possibly really is magic! What do you think!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Thanks Patrick from MN, and Claudia from SD, for helping to sponsor Lovely Lily this year!

A few days ago, on Lily's rescue anniversary, Feb. 7, she received a wonderful present through our paypal account, from returning sponsor Patrick from Minnesota. Thanks Patrick! He'll get his name on Lily's sponsor sign that will hang on her stall door this year. Also on that sign will be Claudia's name. Claudia gets her name on HotShot's stall sign too! We have received $350 in donations this month to help sponsor Lily in 2014. Her estimated care cost is $1,900 for the year. So there's certainly room for more sponsors.
Lily is a valuable facilitator in our horsemanship and equine assisted learning programs. She's really good at helping people figure things out. Here she is with some of the members of the Fightin' Fillies Softball Team. They wear our logo on their uniforms! Lily loves them very much, and they love her too. 
Would you like to help sponsor Lovely Lily this year? Donations go toward her feed and care. We are 501c3 (Horse Help Providers, Inc.). Send checks to DoubleHP Horses, 25337 470 Ave, Crooks SD 57020. Or paypal to doublehphorses@aol.com. Or use the Donate button on this website.

Oh yes, Lily enjoys trail riding now too! She truly does have an amazing rescue & rehab story. Why someone thought it was OK to treat her like garbage, we will never understand.
Here is Lily at beautiful Lewis&Clark and Chalk Bluffs near Yankton, South Dakota.
Can you believe that people were so lazy, irresponsible, and cruel that they left Lily and her friend out in a field one winter with no food, no shelter, and no water? Lily's friend died. But Lily, by some miracle, survived. She was only 3 then. She is registered APHA, and she is a grulla color which is somewhat rare. Plus, she has been a dream to train. Lily's story is an example of why many people who breed horses should not. They could have made a lot of money on Lily, if they had any business sense and ambition. But they didn't. Nope, they just put Lily out like a bag of garbage. Fortunately (for Lily and for us) it wasn't the garbage man who picked her up. It was the Sheriff. Lily's county officials did the right thing. They made sure Lily's offender paid for his guilt, and they made sure she was signed over to us. After we rescued Lily we did have her available for adoption for quite a while. But no one wanted her. No one could guarantee how Lily would turn out, if she would be a good riding horse, if she would be sound, etc. And so, we promised Lily a forever home here with us. And now she helps humans figure things out, through our horsemanship and equine assisted learning programs.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Volunteer or Part time employee needed for horse chores

With positive thoughts, we believe this long cold winter really is going to calm down and eventually end. And that we will be able to get busy again with our horsemanship and equine assisted learning programs. (We have a large riding barn, but it is not heated; needless to say, our riding days have been few this winter.)
Soon, though, some of our chore helpers will want to spend more time on horsemanship and equine assisted learning activities. And so, we would like to find at least one additional chore helper. This person may start immediately.
Main duty will be cleaning horse stalls and pens. But there are many other chores that could be added, depending on the new person's experience. Things like driving tractors, putting hay out, moving horses around and putting them in individual stalls at grain time, etc.
But the first priority is CLEANING STALLS & PENS.

WANTED: VOLUNTEER OR PART-TIME (PERMANENT, YEAR-ROUND) EMPLOYEE AT DOUBLEHP (NEW HOPE HORSE SHELTER) NEAR CROOKS, SD, TO HELP WITH HORSE CHORES.
A Volunteer may trade chore hours for participation in our horsemanship program.
A part-time employee will start at $7.50 to $8.00 per hour.
PREFERRED SCHEDULE would be 2-4 days each week (M-F) starting any time between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and working 2-4 hours each scheduled day. or there could possibly be a Saturday late afternoon / evening shift.

Please send us an email if you are interested. Thanks. email doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

Monday, February 3, 2014

HotShot's 2014 sponsor sign on his stall

Here is what HotShot's 2014 Sponsor sign on his stall will look like. Of course the names will be added. Would you like your name added? Send a donation for HotShot, and you will become one of his wonderful 2014 sponsors.
We came up a little (OK, a lot) short on HotShot's sponsorships in January. He was our featured rescue horse in January. We received $1,430.00 toward his estimated $2,700 needed for his food and care in 2014. He is one of our more expensive horses. He is a Senior OTTB. And a big one at that! And they require a lot of food to keep their weight on. In addition to lots of hay, HotShot gets about 8 pounds of Purina Senior Feed a day. But look how healthy and happy he is! Doing what he was bred & trained to do -- RUN!

You may help to sponsor HotShot at any time, even though we have a different featured horse each month. To Donate, you may send a check to DoubleHP Horses, 25337 470 Ave, Crooks SD 57020. Or paypal to doublehphorses@aol.com
or use the donate button right here on this website. Please let us know which horse you would like to help sponsor. If no specific horse is mentioned, your donation will go toward the featured horse for that month.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Thanks Dover Saddlery for donated horse blankets

At Christmas time we received an unexpected delivery. Three big boxes from Dover Saddlery. Filled with used (but most very very nice) horse blankets! We have used several of them already. Though we don't use blankets here on a daily basis, since we have lots of stalls and buildings, barns, etc., this winter has been extremely cold and we have used blankets more often here than we usually do.
Here are Princess and Prince (with Heidi in the middle) modeling a very nice Rambo blanket and a very nice Weatherbeeta blanket.
 Thank you Dover Saddlery and whoever specifically donated these blankets to our sanctuary horses here in South Dakota.
What a great program!