Life at DreamCatchers

What's New - August 2010

August has been a very busy month here at the rescue....Let's see....

Majestic -Just when it seemed things were settling down, I got a call from the ranch at the south end of our property. A lady had been trailering her horse to go trail riding and the horse had gone down in the trailer. The lady was blocking traffic at the exit ramp of exit 116 and I-25 where Roger found her and stopped to see if he could be of assistance. The horse was down in the trailer and wedged under the center divider. The lady was desperately trying to pull the horse from the trailer using a rope around her leg. When asked what he could do to help, the good samaritan, Roger, was handed another rope and instructed to put it around the other leg and help pull. He convinced the lady that the horse was not going to be moved in this manner and to follow him to his ranch where they could devise another plan to get the horse up and out of the trailer.

That is where I joined the story. Once at Roger's place, they were able to pull the horse from the trailer, thru the escape hatch, using a rope and a truck. I came upon the scene and found poor Majestic lying lifeless where she had landed. I am never prepared to see the face of abuse but there it was in all it's ugliness.

At first, I thought I was too late, she had died from her ordeal. But then she lifted her head and tried in desperation to eat the weeds around her. The effort was too much and she seemed to pass out again. The lady who owned her, and claimed she was going riding on "trails along the creek" hovered near by with a broom, brushing flies away from the horse.

I called the vet first and made sure they were on their way, though at this point I feared they would just be coming to end her misery. I also called the El Paso County Sheriff's office and asked that officers be dispatched to our location. Granted, the lady who owned Majestic was nearly 80 years old and did seem to be a little disoriented but still, this was a clear case of neglect and abuse whether intentional or not and the authorities needed to be alerted. I also found out, in talking to the lady, that Majestic had two herd mates back at her house and I was very concerned that they were in just as bad of condition as Majestic.

A short while after arriving on the scene, when Majestic had a chance to rest a bit, I decided to see if she could stand. I haltered her and lifted her head up, straightened her front legs out in front of her and pulled. Miraculously, she stood, albeit a bit shaky at first, she stayed on her feet. She was so thin it was scary.

But what a sweet face. She also had an appetite. It was as if she hadn't eaten for weeks so we offered her a little hay and she started munching it. She slowly regained some strength. At this point, the lady who owned her seemed to get agitated and wanted to leave. The Sheriff had not arrived yet, nor had the vet so I called my friend and the best Animal Welfare Officer in this world, Bobbi Priestly of Park County and asked her advise. She took the license plate numbers from the ladies vehicle and trailer and advised me to have her sign a surrender form for the horse and get her drivers license information and home address so I did. Just as the lady drove off, the Sheriff's and the vet arrived. We deciced to transport the mare to the rescue so that we could get her settled in a comfy stall and surprisingly, she walked right into the trailer and we carefully drove to the rescue with no mishaps. The vet examined her and took blood samples and fecies to try to see what, if anything other than starvation, was wrong with this mare. He gave her a shot of vitamin B and a little butte for pain and we settled her in.

On week later, Majestic, now called Princess, is doing wonderful. She has begun to shed her long coat, we have the flie bites under control, she has had a bath and she has really enjoyed all the attention from the volunteers here at DreamCatchers. She will stand for hours allowing them to groom her and love her.

This little mare has an indominatable spirit. In spite of the abuse she has suffered, she is still loving, trusting and more then willing to allow humans into her world. Her nicker is music to my ears.

BoJangles and Topper were brought back after spending 2 wonderful years with their friends Bev and Kara who adopted them in 2008. Unfortunately, with economic changes and the need to make hard decisions for her family, Bev held out as long as she could but knew her beloved horses would be just fine because we here at DreamCatchers had made a committment to them for life..just a few days after coming back to DreamCatchers, BoJangles suffered an episode of choke and the vet had to be called to help him clear the obstruction. In the process of clearing the choke, BoJangles aspirated some debris into his lungs so it has now been 10 days of antibiotics but I am happy to report he is nearing 100% recovery.

Scarlett - adopted also in 2008, Scarlett was returned to DreamCatchers last week (8/19) when her owner had to go away to college and her family could not afford both college and to care for Scarlett. She was adopted again practically before she stepped off the trailer by Danielle who had been waiting for her soulmate to arrive at DreamCatchers. She will be remaining here at DreamCatchers and hopefully will be joined by a herd mate yet to be determined for Danielle's husband, Troy, who is a Soldier currently stationed at Ft. Carson.

Pilar and Penny -Also just today (8/24) we received two beautiful Spanish Moor Mares from a family needing to downsize due to the death of husband/father. They want the mares to find new forever homes where they will be loved and cherished while always being in the DreamCatchers Family.

← Penny

Pilar→

Yet to be named Pregnant Mare - And last but not least we received a visit from my very good friends, Sue and Chris Pyles from Ute Pass Sand and Gravel, who have El Tivo, one of my first adoptions and one of Tazz's offspring, Buster. They were riding high up on the back side of Pikes Peak, above their property in Gillette Flats and found a little mare, obviously very pregnant. She followed them down the mountain and into their pasture. After asking around, they were told by several people that she had been seen roaming around since about May of this year. We called our local Brand Inspector, Kenny Burke, and he ok'd bringing her here to DreamCatchers for him to see her and for her to be safe in our barn to give birth to her foal, which could happen any day now. Kenny is trying to find out where she belongs but in the meantime, she is safe and sound here at DreamCatchers.

Men At Work!!! (August 15, 2009)

Paul, Mr. Ed and Gabe hard at work building a "catch pen" area to make it easier to get horses in and out of the north pasture.

GREAT JOB GUYS!!!

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September 20, 2009......Tiger gets a new shelter, compliments of Paul, Tim, Shawn, Anika, Andrew, Alex, Matthew, Aaron and Gabe...They all worked so hard...Tiger really is a lucky horse.

The "Twins", Tim and Shawn and Paul ↑

Anika and Paul →

Aaron, Mathew and Alex↑

Andrew and Shawn→

Gabe

DCER NEWS!!!

Peanut graduates to pasture!!! (August 14, 2009)

Most of you will say "so what" but anyone who knows Peanuts history knows this is a big deal. When Peanut came to DCER in March 2008, he was basically on a liquid diet. Ever since Peanut was a little guy, having been rescued from certain death as a PMU baby, he suffered a paralysis of his esophagus that prevented him from eating solids.

We have worked over the last year and a half to increase the consistency of Peanuts food so that he could strengthen his throat muscles. He choked alot at first but slowly, he was able to push the blockage thru by himself and now, he is virtually choke free. Peanut is a 6 yr old Thorobred Gelding and does well under western or english saddle. He is just like any other horse now, only very special to all of us at DreamCatchers!. Congratulations Peanut...