Efficiency, Safety, & Growing Pains

TREES is growing! With all growth comes a few growing pains, learning what fits and what might need to be taken in or let out. As we try to implement new programs and our schedule becomes busier, it’s time to see how we can make daily chores more efficient, in terms of time, manpower and funds, allowing more resources to be devoted to new activities. We still want everyone’s time at TREES to be a low-stress, enjoyable experience, but we also want to get as much done as efficiently as possible as we reach for higher goals.

In that vein, here are a few reminders or changes to bear in mind. Some are meant to make more efficient use of our time, some are aimed at conserving resources and some are safety reminders (in no particular order.)

• When we have a lot of stalls and sheds to clean, or when we are shorthanded, don’t get caught up picking at every little crumb in one stall or shed. Better to have all the stalls and sheds clean rather than have one or two immaculately sanitized and the rest untouched.

• Place muck buckets, forks, carts, or other objects where they won’t restrict access to gates, doorways, alleys, or stalls.

• If you need to get a fork or cart from another barn, please put it/them back when you finish so the next volunteer doesn’t have to search the whole farm for what he needs.

• When cleaning stalls, think of a cat’s litter box. Not everything will be sitting right on top, readily visible. You will need to sift a little to find both manure and urine. Then, just as you would in the cat’s box, remove manure and wet bedding, but leave as much clean dry “litter” as possible. Don’t throw out a whole forkful of shavings to get rid of one road apple.

• We need to get back to picking up the fields and paddocks more often than once a week. Leaving it all for the Sunday crew is not fair to them, not an efficient use of everyone’s time, and seriously outside our parasite control protocol.

• Don’t dump full water tanks that may only have a few shreds of beet pulp or one quid floating on top. Dip out the floaters and as long as the water is clear, leave the rest until the horses drink more and reduce what will be lost if dumping is needed. The large tanks hold 100 gallons and we don’t want to pour that much drinkable water out on the ground.

• If horses are frisky, whether due to new arrivals, changes in weather, or a bug hiccupping in the next field, leave them alone or put the one you want to work with in a stall. DON’T bring more people into the setting to occupy the other horses while you work around one in that situation. Adding more bodies to the space only increases the risk that one of those bodies may be stepped on.

• Don’t rake dusty sheds or paddocks. Neither you nor the horses should be standing in a cloud of barn dust. Especially anyone, horse or human, with respiratory difficulties, like Ambrose and Jubal. IF you feel the area must be raked for some reason, please please thoroughly dampen it first.

•Let us know before you come to the farm if its not a previously scheduled work day.  Always.

• If you are scheduled to volunteer and wake up that morning with sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can’t rest type symptoms, just give us a call and let us know you’ll be staying home that day. (In other words, don’t risk spreading the love to the other volunteers.)

• Ask for help when you need help. Protect your back and other body parts rather than trying to prove your super human abilities. You can’t help heal the horses if you hurt yourself.

• Finally – let us hear your ideas for increasing efficiency, safety and widening the road to program development!

Super Sunday Volunteer Crew

Wow! We’re developing quite a team on Sundays. The energy on Sundays is great as several people work together to whip the sanctuary into shape. We catch up on a little more cleanup each week.

Today, TREES volunteers:

• Cleaned up ALL fields and paddocks (as in every single one)
• Cleaned out all run-in sheds
• Scrubbed and refilled water tanks
• Scrubbed feed tubs
• Took down fans and old fly strips
• Replaced burned out light bulbs
• Stripped and rebedded Butternut & Henry’s stalls
• Bedded Kelley’s shed
• Replaced several boards in older sections of fence
• Cleaned up the scrap wood left after storage shed construction
• Fluffed several geezers’ winter coats
• Put away most of Saturday’s load of donated supplies

And all before 1PM.

Then we discussed several admin and fundraising ideas – keep ‘em comin’!

You guys are great. “Thank you” doesn’t seem like enough.

(Now to develop several more teams that work this well together -- both at the farm and "behind the scenes.")

Yard Sale Report!

Drum Roll, please...........

At the end of six hours of selling and repurposing your donated treasures, Traveller's Rest was able to add $1,077.89 to the bank account!  Not bad for half a day's work .  I'm also happy to say we sold all the large items which means, in addition to the boost that gave to the coffers, we don't have to store them. 

What a great crowd. Some shoppers came from as far away as the Virginia Beach area, just to support the Geezers.  I can't tell you how much that means.  We saw a lot of old friends who can't get to the farm as often as they'd like.  It was wonderful to see you all again.  Some friends were Facebook "fans" whose names were familiar.  Putting names to those faces means a lot, as did hearing that FB readers enjoy our educational posts.  Since education is a big part of TREES mission, it was gratifying to know we're making some difference in that way.

We also met several exciting new friends, many offering to support TREES' future endeavors with their time and services.  We'll be in touch!  There are some who feel yard sales are not the best fund-raising method for growing organizations, but I have to say you can't beat it for community networking opportunities.

Thank you to everyone connected to yesterday's sale.  Carole, Janet, Helen, Trish, Carol, Deborah, and everyone who donated such "sellable" items, put up flyers, shared on your FB pages or contributed in any other way.  Some of you snuck in and dropped off bags and boxes without waving us down. and we want to make sure you know how much every treasure was appreciated.

Thanks, too, to Carol, who came back early Sunday to help catch up on the general farm cleanup.  Whew. 

Hope got some rest today - you made a great contribution to the geezers yesterday in more ways than you know.

It’s a Fine, Fine Life

Whenever I’m engaged in work that doesn’t require deep thinking – mucking stalls or putting out hay, for instance – I’ve noticed I almost always hum the song “It’s a Fine Life” from “Oliver!.” I’ve done this for years, not consciously, but on a very frequent basis. Granted, in the musical, Nancy was trying to convince herself that hers was a fine life, but in the case of performing TREES’ work it’s true. This is a fine life.

There are moments of stress, like welcoming a new arrival and not knowing if attempts at rehabilitation will succeed. Of course, saying goodbye to an Elder when the time comes is not a favored aspect of this work. Overall, however, the sanctuary lifestyle is very satisfying.

Much of the reward comes in seeing TREES’ residents respond to good nutrition, vet and dental care and regular visits from several practitioners of complementary techniques.

Just as rewarding, though, are the daily restorations of faith in humanity.

In general, people have enormous compassion for those who can’t help themselves, whether the helpless are two-legged or four. We are continually overwhelmed by the generosity of people who themselves have few “extras” in life: Neighbors who offer help in a snow storm; People who donate like new, but seldom used, items for tack and yard sales; Moms and Dads who drive back and forth so their children can fulfill community service projects at TREES; Supporters who cannot perform physical labor but can spend time researching or networking via computer, collecting things like proofs of purchase, or picking up supplies at local stores; Home business owners who offer services free or at a significant discount.  And, of course, the people who do the "dirty work," scooping ton after ton of poop, scrubbing water tanks, raking up old hay, etc etc etc.

All of those people, and many many more like them, find ways to help even though they may not be able to make large or frequent cash contributions. They do these “jobs” with no fanfare, no tooting of horns, and no expectations of compensation. They do it because they want to help.

Meeting such people makes this one fine, fine life.

Important News! -visitors, vols and staff

We've found a place very nearby that takes plastic bottles for recycling.  Therefore - beginning today, July 28, 2010 - no more water, soda, or Gatorade (any #1 or 2) bottles are to go in the trash.  For now we'll use feed bags to collect bottles, but will work on setting up more permanent collection containers (heavier bins that won't blow away in a breeze.)

TREES Volunteer Orientation

Would you like to help maintain a high standard of customized care for the elder equine at Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary in Spotsylvania, VA? TREES' residents, many victims of neglect and abandonment, need your help.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help, we invite you to attend a Volunteer Orientation at the Sanctuary on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 10AM.

We'll tell you what the sanctuary does, outline short- and long-term goals, and explain how volunteers play roles in day-to-day chores, the horses' overall well-being, and future program development.

The morning will end with a brief tour of the farm and introductions to current residents.

If you plan to attend, please email info@equineelders.org or call 540-972-0936 to let us know how many people to expect and for directions.

Current volunteers are encouraged to attend and meet the people you may be working with in the future.

Revised Farm Rules -March 21, 2010

Please look for the *** marking changes

The Farm Rules are intended to make your time at Traveller’s Rest both safe and pleasant and to keep the equine residents happy and healthy. Please respect them.

Previous “horse experience” is not required.

All volunteers must sign a Waiver of Liability before volunteering for Traveller’s Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary in any capacity at any location. A parent or legal guardian must sign a Waiver of Liability for each minor volunteer between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age. All volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when volunteering for TREES, whether at the farm sanctuary or at off-site events.

Wear appropriate clothing during every visit. This includes safe footwear. No sandals or other open-toed shoes will be allowed. Most of the work at TREES takes place out of doors. Dress for the weather.

No Smoking! If you are on the farm, you are likely standing very near a horse, a pile of hay, a shed full of sawdust, or other fire fodder.

Anyone arriving at the farm “under the influence” will be asked to leave.

Be aware of weather conditions. Take frequent breaks and stay hydrated during the summer. Take breaks to warm up in the winter.

If you are unsure of anything at any time, please ask what is appropriate. No question is “dumb.” We would rather you ask the same questions a dozen times than do anything to put yourself or one of the horses at risk.

Please call or email before coming to the farm unless you have a previously scheduled visit. On occasion, there will be no one at the farm. Letting us know before you come also allows us to organize a work schedule for the day based on the number of available volunteers.

Do not bring dogs or other pets to the farm. They will not be allowed on the premises for the safety of the horses and other volunteers. Please leave them at home. It is not fair to ask them to sit in the car while you are here.

Do not climb on, or allow children to climb on, fences or gates, farm machinery, vehicles or trailers. Climbing on fences, then leaning over to pet horses is particularly dangerous.

Please do not sit or kneel on the ground when in any area containing one or more horses. This includes, but is not limited to, fields, stalls, paddocks and sheds.

When grooming, take the horse with which you are working into a stall or private paddock. Never stand among a group of horses at liberty to work. If herd dynamics come into play, remember you are the smallest animal out there.

Do not take food of any kind into the fields where horses are at liberty.

When feeding the horses, do not take a feed bucket or pan into an area where more than one horse is loose. Make sure the horse for which the feed is intended is secured in its stall or paddock before serving a meal.

After a meal, do not allow the horses to eat any other horses’ leftovers. Remove the dishes from the stalls or sheds as the horses are turned out. It is very important that we know who did or did not finish their meals. Additionally, there may be medications in one dish that we don’t want other horses to ingest.

Do not offer the horses treats of any kind without specific permission. Some have very few teeth left and cannot chew well. Others are on special diets for health reasons. In other cases, “hand treats” may not be permitted due to behavior issues.

When approaching any of the horses, make sure they are aware of your presence before making any physical contact. Some have impaired vision, some doze more soundly than others. Talk to them, sing if you like, and watch for them to look at you or otherwise acknowledge your presence. Never approach a horse from the rear.

***Please do not walk up to a horse laying down in the field. If he suddenly decides to rise, you are not in a safe place. Never sit or lay down next to a recumbent horse.

When you go through a closed gate, close and latch it behind you. Even if you will “only be a minute.” Some horses watch very closely for the opportunity to go exploring. If a horse does get loose, notify farm management immediately. Do not try to catch the horse yourself.

Since all of our barns and sheds open to fields and paddocks from at least two sides, please pay careful attention to which gates are closed and which gates are open when you enter those structures and leave them in that configuration. The horses are grouped or separated as they are for specific reasons, primarily for their safety and for yours. If you don’t remember which should be closed, leave everything closed and ask what is appropriate for that barn or shed.

The farm house is a private residence, not a part of the Sanctuary. You are welcome to use the powder room, accessible through the door on the right at the end of the house near the parking area, at any time. There is also a refrigerator available to store drinks and snacks, accessible through the left hand door on the same end of the house. The remainder of the house is private. Please do not enter. In addition, please do not enter the chain-link fenced-area in back of the house. The dogs that may be in there are privately owned and not a part of the sanctuary.

TREES reserves the right to amend the Basic Farm Rules at any time. Updated copies will be provided to all volunteers as necessary.

*** (Rev. – 3/21/2010)

How Many Horses?

A volunteer new to TREES said something last weekend that took me a little by surprise.  She seemed surprised by how many details we collect about our residents' health, histories, temperaments and personalities, habits, and "personal preferences."

I can't imagine doing this any other way.  A related discussion revolved around how many horses TREES can care for at one time.  Valid question.

The answer may change from month to month and year to year.  In terms of physical capacity, herd size is limited by shed or stall space.  Every horse in the sanctuary is fed separately so we can be sure he or she gets the amount of food required and any medications that might be included, with no competition from other horses.  Feeding spaces are all under cover so no horse stands out in bad weather while eating.

Manpower and finances are obvious factors in determining herd size.

A more subtle, but perhaps the most important, consideration in how many horses TREES houses is how well we can "customize" each horse's care.   If the sanctuary takes in so many horses that we can't care for each in a way that meets that horse's unique needs, we aren't necessarily doing any of the residents any favors.  We need to be able to note small differences in condition, attitude, soundness, appetite, and behavior - something that would not be possible with a larger number of horses - and make changes accordingly.

A side benefit is that learning as much as we can about unique management regimens allows us to help other owners of senior horses adapt their routines to their own horses' needs.

In the end, the more we know about each horse, the better we can apply a holistic approach to preventative health care.  And you know what they say about "an ounce of prevention......."

Get a "Disney Day" by helping Elder Equine!

More on the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program:

Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary has been approved for participation and is actively listing volunteer opportunities with Disney's program designed to encourage people to get involved with community non-profit organizations. 

From the Disney site:

We want to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities. So we're celebrating these volunteers' good works by giving each of them a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to the Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free. There's no better time to make a dream come true for others and let us make a few come true for you.

You must pre-register and sign up through this site to volunteer and complete your service at an eligible volunteer opportunity in the fifty United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or Canada to receive a ticket after verification of such service. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. You must be at least 18 to sign up. You may only sign up a maximum of 8 members of your household. Children must be at least 6 to participate in the program. One ticket per person, regardless of the number of times you volunteer. Program begins January 1, 2010 and continues until tickets are distributed or until December 15, 2010, whichever occurs first. Your voucher for a free ticket must be redeemed by December 15, 2010, and used on the same day of redemption.

If you are interested, please visit Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.  Type either "22553" or "Spotsylvania, VA" in the Search For An Activity box, and follow the instructions.  Easy! 

 

TREES' list of activities includes general farm work, grooming horses, cleaning donated tack, painting barns and sheds and other more specialized tasks like electrical, erosion control and landscape design.  Other activities may be listed throughout the program.

 

See you soon!

Volunteer at TREES, Get a Day at Disney!

Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary has just been approved for participation in "Give A Day.  Get a Disney Day!"

By volunteering at TREES for one day between now and Dec 15, 2010 (or until all tickets are distributed, whichever comes first,) you can get a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to the Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free.

We've just been approved and are not yet showing in the database, but stay tuned over the next few days as the list is updated and we add specific sanctuary volunteer opportunities.

"When you wish upon a star.............."

Don't visit us at Tractor Supply tomorrow!! (Sat Dec 19, 2009)

Adoption Day event cancelled due to impending snow storm. Thank you, TSC, for your support this year. We hope you continue these events in 2010. If so, see everybody next year!

Meanwhile, thank you Gene, Carol and Jeanelle for helping with storm prep.  Stalls and sheds are cleaned and bedded, water tanks full, hoses drained, paddocks picked, sufficient feed and hay on site........I think we're as ready as we can be.  As long as Mother Nature keeps her sense of humor under control a little.

Thank You, Jeanelle!

I cannot say enough about volunteers who come early on mornings like this one.  "Thank you" just doesn't feel adequate. 

The ground was frozen, wet bedding from the most recent flooding was frozen, poop piles were frozen..............

Thank you so much, Jeanelle, for coming out and for drying out Sherman and Henry's stalls as much as possible when everything is so completely saturated.

Jeanelle didn't quite fill Big Sam, the old JD spreader, but she came darn close and, considering the weight of the wet sawdust, we're counting it as a Golden Muck Fork Award winning day.

Round of applause!

We Are Thankful......

(In no particular order, for TREES only functions if ALL the pieces, large, small, and in between, are in place……….)

We are thankful for all the support, moral, financial, physical and spiritual, that allows TREES to fill its niche in the world of horse welfare.

We are thankful for being able to work with a veterinary practice, Rappahannock Equine Veterinary Clinic, that not only understands the needs of geriatric equine, but also offers TREES’ residents the same level of customer service that is offered to show barns and top of the line breeders.

We are thankful for every single individual that offers TREES the gift of time, whether he or she comes to the farm weekly, monthly, or occasionally, or staffs special events, spends time researching funding or PR opportunities, works at home, hauls horses, picks up supplies, photographs residents, you name it. You ALL make it work.

We are thankful for Meredith Barlow, of Equidentistry, for her skill in finding whatever loose, fractured, infected, or oddly formed tooth might be causing an otherwise healthy resident to “go off his feed.”

We are thankful for students of all ages, who choose senior horse issues as the focus of field trips, community service or research projects.

We are thankful for animal control officers in surrounding counties who see the line “he’s skinny because he’s old” for the myth it is.

We are thankful for owners of elder horses who ask for advice rather than fall for that same myth.

We are thankful for Ernie Haynes' weekly farrier visits, and his patience with residents who may not be able to lift a leg as high as they did when younger, or who need a little break between feet.

We are thankful for continuing support from “non-traditional” care providers like Jill Deming of Integrated Animal Therapies, Janet Dobbs of Animal Paradise Communication & Healing, and the many volunteers of our Shelter Animal Reiki Association program.

We are thankful to Snow Hill Farm for delivering what seems like a mountain of Triple Crown Senior feed and forage cubes.

We are thankful for the Equine Rescue League (who will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year,) for inspiring the founding of TREES.

We are thankful for area businesses like Tractor Supply Company and Dover Saddlery, that support horse welfare efforts.

We are thankful for Scarlett Grove Stables for retraining a returnee and networking to find the prefect family for her.

We are thankful for all of TREES’ Facebook fans, and blog and web site visitors who help spread the word

We are thankful for Greg Flynn, at Desyne.com for hosting our current web site and for the new layout.

And we are thankful for all of the new friends we meet every year, whether human or equine, veteran horseman or beginner, young or mature. You inspire us with your ideas, motivation and support.

Thank you all. Happy Holidays.

Extra cleanup this weekend

Three inches of rain Wednesday and still coming down.

Once the "remnants" of Tropical Storm Ida depart, the horses say they MAY venture out of their sheds. Anyone with an extra hour or two to spare, Fri, Sat, or Sun would be very very much appreciated. (And you get to meet Sherman!)

Santa's Elves Sneakin' Around

Gifts continue to arrive no matter what time of year it is!

Thank you, Tim, for the muck bucket full of goodies:  Five new breakaway halters, cotton leads, ivermectin, a complete grooming kit, Swat ointment, Vetwrap and a clock almost too nice to put up in a barn.  It may need to go on the porch or in the room used for small tour groups.Thank you, too, for your generous contribution directly to TREES' account at REVC.  We look forward to seeing you again soon as a volunteer.

And Trish!  Toothless Wonders, one and all, thank you for 50 lbs of alfalfa cubes as well as the grooming supplies.  The extra soft brush and curry are perfect for new arrivals like Sherman that may be carrying little flesh over their weary old bones. Since we've seen more bot eggs this year than we usually do, the bot knife is particularly welcome!

At the risk of sounding a little repetitive, we could not offer TREES' residents the level of care we strive to meet without community support.  Every gift, big, small, cash, goods, or time, adds to the sanctuary's ability to execute its stated mission and goals. 

Thank you, everyone.

Senior Spa Day!

Thank you to all the members of the University of Mary Washington Pre-Vet Club who spent the day grooming geezers. Other than a slight wind, the weather was perfect.  Most of the horses loved the attention, though a couple  of grumps would have been perfectly happy keeping their hard earned dirt.

Perhaps most importantly, our new resident, Sherman, was partially bathed to remove evidence of a light digestive upset from his hind legs.  The New Guy seemed completely relaxed during this procedure, a far cry from a few other residents who declare they've never seen anything resembling a water hose or sponge in all their 30+ years.

Here's Sonny, age 38, following his spa session:

And Rienzi, who is in his mid 30's:

Lizzie's (24) new coif:

Fitz, 26, absolutely ate up the extra attention, looking like he might take a nap during his grooming session:

Miss Mona, 30+, from neglect to diva in just 3 months:

Jubal, 29, also made some new friends:

And our last photo for this post............NATE!  (who was one of the grumps, but did a little of his signature "scampering" afterward, so the experience must not have been as tortorous as he let on in the beginning.)

Thank you, all!  Please come back any time.  We'd love to see you again.

Welcome, Sherman!

Here he is!  Our  new resident, Sherman (29,) is quite thin, but happily not as underweight as either Mona or Liz upon arrival.  It also appears, judging by the thick curly coat, that TREES may be adding another member to the Cushings Club.

Sherman, shortly after a small (too small in his  estimation) meal of Triple Crown Senior.

For now, Sherman seems a little disturbed by the camera, but we were able to catch him peeping over the door at us.

.

Thank you, Janie for helping bring this together, Amanda for filling in some details, Karol for the extra careful ride, Lori for offering Reiki when Sherman arrived, George, Heather, Catie and Jeanelle for helping to prepare Sherman's apartment, and everyone else following Sherm's arrival. 

Our new man was a little tired after his short trailer ride, so we're trying to give him some privacy for the evening.  We'll try to get more photos and post more information in the next several days.

Above and Beyond

Thank you, George and Heather!  There are very very very few volunteer teams who have been able to top off a partially full JD manure spreader, then completely REfill it to the brim all in one morning.

Ladies,

You are, hereby, with all the honors hereto pertaining, officially inducted into the Order of the Golden Muckfork, Spotsylvania Chapter 20OH.  Congratulations!

Any Trailer Rehabbers/Customizers out there?

Would you be willing to consider, or know of someone willing to consider, a "project" to help the Elders of Traveller's Rest (or future residents of Traveller's Rest?)

Christmas came again and TREES was given a pre-owned stock-type trailer! This type of trailer is exactly what we would like for TREES' purposes, but this one needs a little TLC (much like most of the horses that come here) and a little customizing, if possible.

We'd like to find someone who can look at "The Sergeant Kirkland" (See here for the relevance of the name) to see just how much work we are talking about and give us an estimate of costs. There are a few areas of rust damage that are of concern, along with some more minor but necessary "fixes," such as missing safety chains, damaged exterior lights, etc.

We'd also like to have a little customizing done to make the Kirkland a more suitable "ambulance" when needed. This would involve things like padding on the walls and a more substantial divider in the front compartment that a debilitated horse could lean on when necessary. Then there is the issue of a new paint job, of course, and some new tires.

Anyone out there willing to tackle a project like this for a good cause? Please give us a holler at 540-972-0936 or email info@equineelders.org

Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Merry Christmas to TREES,
Merry Christmas to TREES,
Merry Christmas, in October...
Merry Christmas to TREES!

Two more whisk brooms and dust pans, (remember an earlier post about how excited we get about "small" things?) two water hoses and news that a whole stack of new muck skips is on the way. What that means to TREES' Mad Muckers is that you won't have to stand around waiting for someone to gather up the full skips and tote them back to the manure spreader to empty them. (wink, wink)

Thank you Gene and Carol.

Now the bad news....just ordered new chains and bars for Big Sam, the 1947 JD spreader. The current set broke twice today under fairly light loads. Ah, the ups and down, yin and yang of farm life!