Going on

As many of our regular visitors and volunteers know, September was a hard month around here.

Mike & I lost our own very old mule Churchill. It was not entirely unexpected, Church has a very difficult time last winter and was on a slow steady decline. We envisioned a departure before temperatures dropped for the coming winter, but Church set his own timetable. Even though we thought we were prepared, it was a difficult "good-bye."

Three weeks later, Oracle set her own timetable.

In another week + 1 day, Emma let us know it was time to move on. Emma's departure, like Churchill's, was not a total surprise. We had been working to identify and treat the cause of some sudden neurological impairment, were making tremendous progress, when Wham! One night our elegant belle could hardly stay on her feet. Final necropsy results are still pending, but it looks like arthritic changes in several vertebrae put pressure on her spine. There was nothing we could have done to "make her better."

Knowing we made the right decision before Emma went down for good helps ease the sorrow, but also causes frustration that something as "mundane" as arthritis is the ultimate reason for many equine euthanasias. This is the second confirmed case of vertebral arthritis causing irreparable spine damage at TREES. Our one comfort is that neither horse seemed to be in pain, something that puzzles us and our veterinarian.

At any rate, now that a couple of weeks have passed, its time to move on. Time to look to the future and make plans that will honor those who have passed through our gates. More educational programs. More community outreach.

More spiritual growth. Yes, we must learn from the past, but we must also focus on the future. Aim high to honor the past.

Honor the Wisdom.

*****Please See Below

Church (our favorite photo)

Ori

Emma

*****These three losses do not indicate that TREES has space to take in three more horses! It does mean that we had room to move those in rehab paddocks into proper turnout.

Used Chewing Gum

Is this the horsey equivalent of sticking your gum under the table at the cafeteria?

If I had to guess, I'd say this is Emma's. She is constantly carrying her quids around, twirling them, waggling them, savoring the last bit of juice, then parking them somewhere when she comes upon something that looks more tasty.

Shots of Summer

As August comes to a close and the kids head back to school this week, here are a few random Summer Shots:

Group Meditation

Oracle

Fitz & Josh

Emma and her boys

The ultimate "Nostril Shot"

'Nother update - Chamberlain (aka "Josh")

Lizzie stole the spotlight for the last week and a half, but we didn't want to neglect updates on our other recent arrival, Josh.

Here is Josh on April 11, still wearing very impressive winter woolies.

And here is Josh now!

Josh fit right in with Emma, Jubal and Fitz, even though the Three Bay Amigos had initial misgivings about his addition to the band. After all, its been a long time since a not-bay horse has lived in this field.Josh, however, is one of those guys that is just plain nice......no one can ignore him for long. (Josh is on the left, Jubal on the right.)

The Reiki Digest: Wordless Wednesday: Reiki for horses

TREES' Grande Dame, Emma, was honored with a mention in The Reiki Digest. Well, not a "mention" in the literal sense, since it was Wordless Wednesday, after all. But this one's worth more than a thousand words.

The Reiki Digest: Wordless Wednesday: Reiki for horses

Mmmmm. Good Stuff.

If you have any doubts about Reiki as a relaxation/stress-lowering technique, take a look at a few of the photos taken today when Janet Dobbs returned with some Shoden students for a little more practice working with animals. Enjoy.

What IS an “Equine Elder?”

After working past the annoyance of removing a number of overnight “spam” comments, it became obvious that many people have no idea what this blog is about. Or maybe they don’t care and are posting on any and every site that receives hits in searches for “elder,””senior,” or geriatric.”

So, to begin, what is “equine?”

equine e·quine (ē'kwīn', ěk'wīn') adj.
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a horse.
2. Of or belonging to
the family Equidae, which includes the horses, asses, and
zebras.

While Traveller’s Rest is not equipped to handle zebra or a few other species, we welcome horses, ponies, donkeys and all hybrids thereof.

Next, what does “Elder” mean?

That’s a more subjective definition. Some people consider a horse to be “aged” when it passes the ten year mark. In TREES terms, ten year old horses are still babies. As a matter of fact, in the TREES herd, twenty year olds are thought of as “whippersnappers.” Mid to late twenties and early thirties = Middle Age. The true elders are those approaching their mid-thirties and beyond.

Now back to the spam often posted in the blog comments:

Most recently we received several ads for handbags. Gucci handbags. Dior handbags. Miu handbags. Calvin Klein handbags. You name it. We’re picturing Emma and Betty sashaying around the field with designer bags hanging from their shoulders.

We also get advertisements for vacation cruises. The visuals here are more than a little funny. Wade, with his Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirt, white socks and sandals, accompanied by Marye in an enormous flowered hat and one-piece skirted bathing suit.

Then there is the costume jewelry. Delphi, sporting strands and strand of giant pearls as she naps in the sun on the poop deck.

Of course, there are ads for Viagra. We don’t even want to go there.

And so, while we welcome comments related to elder horses, Traveller’s Rest, or horse care in general, don’t be alarmed to see a number of “post deleted” notes. There are merely remnants of an entrepreneurial faux pas, entered by an enthusiastic business owner who didn’t know he was directing his advertising to Equine Elders.

Emma's Feeling Neglected

Its come to our attention that Emma has not appeared in this blog much unless she happened to be in the background of another picture.

So here she is!

Emma, to the best of our knowledge, is approximately 30 years old. Pretty good for an ol' Thoroughbred mare, eh? She doesn't have much left in the way of teeth, so eats four mush meals a day. She can't eat hay at all, but loves making quids and showing them to all who visit.

She carries her quids with her, waggles them up and down, twirls them in circles, sometimes finally launching one at a passerby. She thinks she's quite the comedienne.

Lest you think Emma is only known for her Quid Art, think again. Emma is the farm Sweetheart, appealing to visitors and resident geldings alike.

If you'll be in the Spotsylvania area, give us a call. Emma would love to meet you and introduce you to her herdmates. 540-972-0936 or info@equineelders.org

Weekend Visitors

Over the weekend, Traveller's Rest met several wonderful people.

Thank you to Tabitha and her whole family for stopping by to meet the Elders and drop off some senior feed. As a cold front came through Spotsylvania, we were treated to quite a show by the Goofy Geezers. Rienzi bucked and crowhopped his way along the driveway fence, Emma began to relive former dreams of Thoroughbred glory, while Fitz scampered (if you can say a 17 hand Thoroughbred "scampers") in circles in his unique way, head waggling, tail in the air. Who says "old" horses don't enjoy retirement?

Thank you, too, to Jean for bringing more blankets, as well as coolers, pads and leg wraps. Please come again when you can stay longer.

TREES welcomes visitors by appointment Monday-Sunday, between 10AM and 2PM. (Evening hours will be available during summer.) If you would like to meet our residents and learn more about the sanctuary, please email info@equineelders.org or call 540-972-0936. Wade will be watching for you!