Show off your oldies..........

......your geezers, your seniors & elders. Tell others how you deal with changing needs of aging animals. Discuss special shelter programs to rehab or find new homes for seniors. Above all, celebrate the wisdom and humor of elders! Join TREES' Senior Animals group at Sheltersource.org Discuss geriatric animal issues, post photos, invite friends, find a senior friendly shelter near you, network with like minded folks!

The Temps, They are A-Changin'

Slight Pause!

It seems we've skipped autumn entirely in this neck of the woods. We moved from 85 degrees on Thursday, to a cool rainy Friday, to a morning chill in the upper 30's this morning (Sunday.)

It also seems like someone snuck in Friday night and replaced several of our geezers with rambuncious two-year-olds. Thursday the horses hung out in their sheds, taking full advantage of the shade, sweating in mid-October under their developing winter woolies. Yesterday, however, the old farts lost all semblance of dignity, jumping around and jostling for position as if they had been transported back twenty or thirty years. Most of TREES' residents, especially those with Cushings, tolerate cold weather much better than they do hot weather and the first real cold front of the season is always a reason for celebration. (Sometimes followed by a day of commiserating about the sudden overuse of previously less active muscles.)

Cooler temperatures seem to invigorate our elders. Flies and mosquitoes disappear. Masks and boots are packed away. Less time is spent in sheds. Breathing eases for those with COPD issues. Appetites pick up. Breezes blow interesting scents from new directions.

But.....behind the wonder of the first cold front is the knowledge that winter is not far away. (Truthfully, though, winter is a harder on human caretakers than it is on most horses.) For a few tips on keeping equine elders comfy and healthy during cold weather, please visit Wintering Wisely.

Oh......if you're in Virginia, or otherwise have access to The Virginia Horse Journal, please pick up the November issue. TREES' own Country Sunshine ("Sonny" to his friends) will be included in a feature asking horses why they are thankful to live where they do.

(His answer isn't what you think it will be.)

Two more - Baltimore

October 19, 2008: Happily edited to Add that these two old gals are in a new home in Virginia. Thank you, Kathryn!




Forwarding info only. If interested please use contact listed below:

Two former school horses in Baltimore that are to be sent to auction Oct. 1 if a home cannot be found for them. Their information is below. Please contact Russell Ashton at rashton@fbw.com W)1-800-795-9322 or H)410-433-7760 if you can help.


>>As you may know, the Park School horseback riding program has ended. We have been very busy trying to find new homes for our beloved animals by September 30.

The two ponies are very happy in their new wonderful homes, however our two horses, Annie and Dory, are still waiting to be adopted. Annie and Dory have lived at Park for many years. They have served our students well. Young riders have learned not just how to ride, but how to care for horses. They are great, well-behaved horses who deserve a peaceful retirement. They are kept on pasture with a run-in shed and are easy keepers. Annie is a chestnut quarter horse mare in her mid-twenties. She is gentle and walks, trots, and canters. Since she lunges well, she has been a mainstay in our former program. She has provided many children with wonderful lessons. She still enjoys trail rides and can handle gentle riding. She has been diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease, which is common to many older horses, and has responded well to medication given in her food. Annie would be a great horse for beginners or for the casual experienced rider. She is what we call rock steady.

Dory is a 32-year-old bay thoroughbred. Despite her age, she is in very good condition and has no complicated health needs. She can still be casually ridden and willingly walks, trots, and canters. We would like to place her in a home where she could simply grace the pasture with some other horses.

Both horse have been vetted and have a negative Coggin’s report.

Posted on "Virginia Horses Needing Homes"

Virginia Horses Seeking Homes - This week's additions:

20 year old, 17h TB gelding, Spotsylvania, VA - photos included post

30 year old Quarter Horse gelding, Fredericksburg, VA

4 year old Quarter Horse mare, Amelia, VA - photos including in post

18 year old TB/TWH mare and 30+ year old half-Arab, Madison, VA

11 year old TB gelding as listed on Craig's List, Moseley, VA

If you can help Virginia's horses in need, please join http://forums.delphiforums.com/VAhorsesneed/start and lend a hand. Offer haven for horses in need, volunteer with a Virginia rescue organization, or spread the word to friends looking for new equine family members.

TREES collecting feed coupons

As many know, rescues in VA have been increasingly overwhelmed by calls from pepole needing to find new homes for horses.....most due to financial/economic reasons.

Right now, with facilities crowded, the best we can do is help them advertise the horses seeking new families. Most recently through http://forums.delphiforums.com/VAhorsesneed/start )

Meanwhile, we know there are coupons for different types of horse feed floating around out there. We're sending out what coupons we have while owners wait for homes to come along, hoping they won't need to cut back on feed while they wait.

If you have any extras.........any type, any brand........please consider sending them to TREES, PO Box 2260, Spotsylvania, VA 22553, or to someone else who can either use them themselves or pass them along to someone in real need.

TREES - Volunteers needed Sept 27

Need volunteers early early early Saturday morning, Sept 27. (No horse experience needed for this one!) Traveller's Rest has a table at the Mine Run VFD Yard Sale. Sale STARTS at 7AM, meaning we need early birds to help set up before hand. Vols to staff sale table also welcome. Sale goes until 1PM. (Mine Run is on the Orange/Spotsylvania county line) Hey! If you're there that early, you get to do the early bird shopping at other people's tables too! If you can't come early, perhaps you could come over toward the end of the sale and help us pack up the leftovers.

Email Traveller's Rest or call 540-972-0936

For more information on volunteer for Traveller's Rest at any time, please visit our Volunteer Information page.

Find Homes for Virginia's Horses

Virginia Horses Needing Homes

Virginia's horse welfare facilities, for many months, have been receiving increasing numbers of calls from Virginians who need to find new homes for their horses, sometimes on short notice. Some people are losing their farms, some have lost jobs or are facing transfer out of state, some are boarding horses at barns in danger of closing. With farmland disappearing at alarming rates in some areas of the state, finding new homes for large animals is not always easy.

Many of the horse looking for homes and sound, healthy and well-trained. Please take advantage of this forum to list horses in need of new homes. Spread the word to friends and family that might be looking for horses.

Virginia Horses Needing Homes

While homeless horses are a nationwide problem, if you are "shopping" for a new horse, "shop" locally first. Let's show that Virginia really is for horse lovers.

Note: The managers of Virginia Horses Needing Homes cannot guarantee the accuracy of information in messages posted by members or guests. By posting on VHNH or responding to posts, you assume any and all risks associated with placing or accepting a horse via the Internet.

Virginia Horses Needing Homes