RETIRE & REHOME

Retire & Rehome

Whichever way we ride or however we are associated with horses, we can all agree that horse welfare and rescue is extremely important. Learn about these caring places in our Rehome section, where money and time can be donated to help horses find, or remain, in their forever home.

Many charity events help fund the good work of equine rescue organizations. Parties and auctions to benefit rescue are included in the Calendar of Events for Retire & Rehome.

Have an old friend to retire? Find a place where your horse can live the life of leisure in our Retirement section.

Do we need to add an event or rescue? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

USDA Continuing Education for Veterinarians

By Nancy Thomas

It is hard to be passionate about something about which you are not aware. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a very true adage, and we are all susceptible to that scenario. All of us, including me. Therefore, it was with complete naiveté that I started down a rabbit hole a week ago…

I maintain my veterinary license and certifications for the purpose of maintaining my own animals. I don’t practice and I have no intention of returning to practice. Nevertheless, to maintain my certifications, I must complete Continuing Education Units on a yearly basis. And so it was that I found myself choosing which 6 modules from the USDA I would complete to meet my requirements.

An important note… it says in this article that “The modules are also open to the general public.” Therefore, while I may be raising some eyebrows in this series, I am not breaking any rules when I share screenshots of the modules.

I decided to complete the module describing the USDA Regulations pertaining to horse slaughter. I honestly can’t tell you why I chose that, except that I usually complete the module related to the interstate movement of horses. The latter module pertains to me on a regular basis! I think I was expecting some crossover between the regulations that pertain to those of us traveling with horses and the rules that applied to the interstate movement of horses destined for slaughter.

The first disconnect

My first “Say WHAT?” moment came when I reached the bottom of Page 7 of the module. The first few pages of the module described the evolution of the banning of horse slaughter in the United States, addressed the problem of “unwanted horses,” and provided some statistics. I will address those topics in future blogs in this series.

Gabby Sharing High School graduation with Rocky!

by Gabby Roselli

Rocky, I do not know when he was born, or what he did before I met him, but in November 2007, he became my pony, my companion, and my very best friend through the best and worst life has offered. For these past 13 happy years together, we shared a rare, special bond that only happens once in a lifetime. To say Rocky was the best horse feels like an understatement, every girl calls their horse ‘the best horse’. But King Fluffy was, he really was the real deal. A genuine king among ponies, a champion.

I could always count on Rocky, no matter what strange or exciting adventure I took him on. The world was ours for the taking, so we rode just about everywhere from the fields and forest of terrace mountain, to our daily strolls into town to visit friends, the gas station, the local museums, the library, and where ever else we felt like going that day. Didn’t matter what time of day, what the weather was outside, or if we even wore tack or not, we just went for it because I never had a second thought. He always took care of me; he shied at nothing, and rarely questioned my commands, even when I made an error in judgement, and I made many errors.

That’s not to say Rocky didn’t have strong opinions though, he was definitely a stubborn pony at heart! Anyone who has cared for him knows he firmly believed that medicine is poison, and he always knew all the tricks since I first got him. Applesauce, molasses, you name it, he’s snubbed it. Don’t even think about that syringe either, “I’ll just become a giraffe,” would say Rocky, and though he was not very tall, most everyone is taller than me. The struggle was real.

THE FIREFIGHTERS

Taking into account the extraordinary difference that calendar and the firefighters have made, we feel it is also important to get to know some of the real-life heroes who take part in the world’s most iconic calendar.

DENNIS FAY: One of those firefighters is Dennis Fay, a proud indigenous Torres Strait islander. Born on the tiny island of Badu (located between Australia and New Guinea), Dennis is a returned military veteran who was also a world ranked Muay Thai fighter. Along with his full-time job as an Aviation Firefighter, Dennis is now also fighting for another cause, something more important than anything he could achieve in the ring…. the preservation of marine life surrounding Badu.

To assist in the sustainability of the ocean vital to his people’s way of life, Dennis is doing his utmost to keep the waters surrounding Badu free of discarded plastic. Badu’s once pristine oceans and beaches have become littered with harmful plastic and this plastic is devastating the local marine life. Working with locals, Dennis is ingeniously helping his community by recycling the discarded plastic and transforming it into diving flippers. This initiative is proving to be a huge opportunity for his community, providing vital jobs and also helping to keep the waters of Badu clean.

“Our hope is that by promoting authentic indigenous artists on our flippers that we can share our connection to nature with the world. Our aim is to repurpose something that was harmful to our environment into a product we can use back in the ocean to support the community. I have aligned our work with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals program (SDG), which is of particular importance to our island and the UN’s Responsible Consumption and Production and Life Below Water initiatives. These programs are going to be very important in transforming our part of the world and providing a better way of life for my community” - Dennis Fay – Aviation firefighter.

Horse owner Dr. Erin Christopher-Sisk began practicing equine-assisted therapy with two of her own racehorses after they suffered career-ending injuries. (photo courtesy of Dori Fitzpatrick)

by Christine Graf

Retired racehorses get a second career with Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, which brings equine therapy to our community’s most vulnerable.

The 27 acres of farmland owned by Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS) are alive with memories from four years’ worth of heart-lifting work involving some very special retired racehorses. One standout equine was Boots, who is now buried near a cluster of trees behind a therapy paddock. Even though it has been several years since the retired Standardbred racehorse passed away, her presence can still be felt in every corner of the farm.

“She was the mayor of the farm,” says psychologist Dr. Erin Christopher-Sisk, founder of the Saratoga Springs nonprofit. “Boots had chronic pain from an infection in her hooves that caused permanent damage. She became part of our therapy program, and patients with chronic pain really connected with her, and she connected with them. She was such an inspirational presence on the farm. I spend time at her grave with patients, and I can still barely talk about her without crying.”

Founded in 2018, Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga rescues retired racehorses like Boots and retrains them for therapeutic programming. THS works in partnership with certified equine therapists who provide equine-assisted therapy to the community’s most vulnerable populations. I’ve actually volunteered with the program after my niece, a former foster child who’s lived through a lot of trauma, found so much comfort through a similar program in the Pittsburgh area.

Founded on the 4th day of the war by Mykhaylo Parkhomchuk, the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF-CF) is still a very young organization. The foundation helps horses in Ukraine with food, bedding and the relocation of horses within Ukraine from dangerous areas to safer areas. The UEF-CF is running two safe stables in Ukraine where horses, often traumatized by the war, can recover.

In June 2022, UEF-CF has supported 133 stables with 1712 horses receiving humanitarian assistance from UEF-CF, including stables in Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhya. To date, 1200 tons of hay, haylage, feed and shavings have been received and 1,000 tons distributed. More than 500 horses have been relocated within Ukraine or evacuated abroad.

Many horse owners have lost their jobs due to the war. Stables were completely destroyed, bombed by Russians or set on fire. Horses were burnt alive. The horse owners need help in the form of in-kind donations such as hay and bedding, which UEF-CF receives at its warehouse in Poland and sends to Ukraine or buys within Ukraine and distributes then. In order to be able to finance the supply trips, UEF-CF is also dependent on monetary donations.

Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation — Stables attacked by Russians.

Decline in Donations

Due to the high fuel prices, expenses have increased considerably, and at the same time, donations have dropped sharply. The decline in donations is probably also due to the fact that the rest of the world is feeling the economic effects of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The hay supply situation in Ukraine is particularly desperate. Many fields are littered with landmines and therefore cannot be harvested. The impact will be felt especially in autumn and winter, when already high hay prices will rise even further.

The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF-CF) is one of the few organizations, if not the only one, that has started to produce compound feed for horses in Ukraine with the support of a Dutch company. Sponsors are needed to financially support this feed production. This would secure jobs, provide horses in Ukraine with the feed they need during stressful times and at the same time support the Ukrainian economy.

Go behind the scenes for the Australian Firefighter's 2022 Calendar Photoshoot!

Your purchase helps support the US based Greater Good Charities Rescue Rebuild programs.

From its humble beginnings, The Australian Firefighters Calendar was established in 1993 to support the Children's Hospital Foundation, providing funds for research into childhood burns. Now in its 28th year, The Australian Firefighters Calendar has raised over $3.2 million for various charities. The "Horse Calendar" edition features beautiful photography.

Your purchase helps support the US based Greater Good Charities Rescue Rebuild programs, Healing Hooves and Reason to Thrive.

Australian Firefighters 2022 Calendar - Supporting Horse Rescue

Your purchase helps support the US based Greater Good Charities Rescue Rebuild programs, Healing Hooves and Reason to Thrive.

The firefighters were kindly allowed to spend time with and take photos with all the horses, ponies and donkey featured in this calendar. 29cm x 24cm (11.42" x 9.45")

Healing Hooves Inc. rescues horses bound for slaughter and that come from traumatic backgrounds. They lovingly rehabilitate them for use in Therapeutic programs that assist those suffering Mental Health disorders, addiction, Autism, ADHD, emotional and physical disabilities.

Reason to Thrive provide Equine assisted activities that promote physical, mental and social health. These programs have been developed to assist a variety of groups such as at-risk or disengaged children and youth, children with special needs and women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.

All the gorgeous horses and ponies mentioned above feature alongside a handful of privately owned and loved pets. We must make special mention of Woodchip the Donkey. Woody is the first Donkey to appear in this calendar!

You can buy this calendar now online to support these worthy charities and enjoy the beautiful photos every month of the year!
BUY NOW.