Project Sage

The Big Bunny Rescue

2013-04-01T09:33:00.002-07:00

This past Wednesday we attented a horse auction on a whim, with spring break here and many of my volunteers off for the week we decided to take a trip. Myself, my mom, Donna, and her daughter all headed to the auction. When we arrived we realized that since it was easter week their would be a large small animal auction before the horses went through. Rabbits seemed to be the biggest seller, sadly many people buy them to eat or just to give as easter gifts. As we were looking at the boxes of bunnies we decided as a group we could bid on a few and bring them back and adopt them out. I mean horses is my speciliaty but I have a passion for all animals, small and large.

When the bidding began I bid on the second bunny and won, they passed the box up the stands and handed us our first bunny. I guess I got carried away when I saw men who clearly did not want them as pets bidding... the next thing I know we have stacks of crates full of rabbits around us! In about 15 minutes I was the proud new mommy to 17 bunnies and 3 guinea pigs, all different breeds, sizes, and colors! We carried all the crates to the truck (it took many trips to carry them all and get them all in!) and we had them all loaded up! I can't fathom eating a rabbit, but sadly many people do, I'm so happy to have been able to be present to help these needy animals.

The next group of animals was goats, all herded in at once. Before the auction had begun I entered the stall full of goats and found three babies, not over a week old. It was so sad to me to think that they were so young and were already in such a harsh place. I over heard two men talking about the best way to butcher them and which parts tasted the best. When the goats started walking in the auction ring I spotted my three little babies and started bidding. The bidding came to a close and I was happy to have won these three little precious souls.

A big donkey also joined the Project Sage family that night, her name is now Flower, she will be available in just a short month! She is SUCH a love with her huge ears.

We still have 7 bunnies looking for homes, if you can open your heart to one of them please contact me at projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com. Forever homes a MUST! Although they are simple to take care of they do need vet care just like your dog or cat so please consider this before adopting! They make great pets and are all very social and friendly!

Who loves polo wraps and pads?!

2013-03-03T05:42:00.001-08:00

This month we are doing a fundraiser with a family owned company called The Finished Line, they make lovely polo wraps, baby pads, dog collars, and MORE! All of their items are handmade and are great quality! My personal horses are always sporting polos and a baby pad from The Finished Line! You can customize your polos, get your horses name embroidered on, your name, your barn name, the options are ENDLESS! Think about your dream set of polos and they can make them! I got my favorite quote put on two polos and I have a set that says "Stay Calm and Grab Mane". Anything you can dream, The Finished Line can make!

Check out their website www.thefinishedline.org

PLEASE REMEMBER to mention Project Sage when checking out! 10% of your total will be donated to us during the month of March and if you order their special Project Sage polos we get 20%!!!! This is a great way to get some high quality polos (at great prices!) and support us!

On the Boarder fundraiser!

2013-02-28T17:32:00.001-08:00

Please print this out and bring it with you to the fundraiser!! March 25th you can eat at On The Boarder in Hicksville and 10% of your bill gets donated to us! All you need to do is print the below picture and present it when you go!

Little Lady Sally

2013-02-25T06:25:00.002-08:00

Last Monday while attending the New Holland Horse Auction we spotted a very skinny small grey mare. I squeezed in past a few horses to get a closer look at her but she was just too scared of me. She pulled at her head tie and went sideways trying to get away from my touch. She had obviously been badly abused. I wrote her number on my list, even though I could barely touch her.

I saw them dragging the grey mare to the auction ring. One person pulling her head, one person near her hind end rushing her along. The terror in her eyes was peircing, my heart broke for her. When they finally got her through the ring I began bidding on her, she started at the low price of $25. Thirty seconds later she was mine. They dragged her back to where she would be tied until we were ready to go. At the end of the auction we sent the grey mare home with a friend as our trailer was full with other needy horses. We would pick her up the next day and bring her back to our farm.

Our photographer, Cadie, who was present at the auction sponsored the grey mare after her grandmother who passed away. She was no longer a number, she was now Sally. Sally arrived at our farm just a few short days ago. Her arrival made my heart hurt. When I opened the trailer door she was shaking so hard she was sweating.  You could smell her fear from a mile away. We slowly lowered the trailer door and tried to not make a sound. Every noise sent Sally backing away from me. After a few minutes we were able to unload her and safely get her to her paddock.

After a few hours Sally was munching hay from a net but everytime I walked up the hill she would run to the back to be as far from me as possible. It was lightly drizzling and I wanted so badly to get a sheet on her.  Myself and Andria slowly walked into the paddock and poor Sally started to shiver in fear. After about 20 minutes we caught her and we able to very slowly get a sheet on her. Something I did not think was possible.  After all the abuse this sweet girl has endured she never once tried to kick me or bite Andria. She just stood there fearfully waiting for something bad to happen. We unclipped the lead line and Sally stood there for a few seconds before she slowly walked away to stand in the back far away from us.

Day 2 for Sally was was bit more productive. I sat in the middle of her paddock with a small bucket of treats and grain. I was able to get her to approach me and take a mouthful of grain. She wants to trust so badly.  You can't be near her without having tears in your eyes. I've seen a lot of abused horses in the past few years but never one as kind as Sally. Even through all her abuse she still wants to trust humans. Andria was able to feed her a few treats by the end of the day yesterday. It was nice to see her taking a few steps closer. Sally is a wonderful horse, she has the heart of ten horses. I can only imagine how gorgeous she is going to be after 200 lbs and when she learns that no one is going to hurt her anymore.

Sally will be available for adoption. She is a registered Paso fino mare with a gorgeous face. Obviously she will need someone with experience to help her learn to trust again. She is a special horse, just by working with her for two days I can tell she will make a wonderful riding horse in the future. At just 5 years old she has faced more abuse then most of us could imagine. I'm glad to be able to have changed her future because I'm sure her past was very ugly.

Please check back on my blog for updates on Sally, I'm sure I will have many more pictures to share!

New fundraiser!!!

2013-02-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this fundraiser that Project Sage is doing this week! They sell some REALLY cute stuff!!! Please go on this website and order something, 20% of sales are donated to us!!

https://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E2867452&from=DIRECTLINK&verify=true

a horse named Rex

2013-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

First off I want to say that everything in this blog is MY PERSONAL OPINION and I have the right to write what ever the heck I please on my blog...

On Monday I attended the New Holland Horse Auction in PA to rescue a few needy horses. While I was at the auction I was very drawn to two OTTB's that both seemed very sweet. The first one ran through and we were able to purchase him through the ring. The second one, a large dark bay gelding, ran through but we missed him. He sold to Jesse Austin. The Seattle Times included him in an article stating "Jesse Austin, a horse dealer whose business includes selling to a Canadian slaughterhouse, views it as responsible recycling.
"I go to maybe four sales a week," Austin said in Front Royal, about one hour west of Washington, D.C. Austin bought four horses for $1,865; he figured two probably would end up at the slaughterhouse". You can make your own conclusions at to what type of person Jesse is.

Let me add in that Billy Bang Bang, a Long Island dealer, bought both these horses to the sale, he spoke about the big bay as he went through the ring stating "he was from the Thomas School on Long Island and did best with a bute in the morning". I later had my hauler talk to Billy to find out more information and he did indeed state he picked the horse up from Thomas'. The chestnut he was unwilling to provide information on.

I had my hauler and his daughter track down Jesse and offer cash for the horse, he added on $100 to the price he bought him for just 30 minutes before and sold us the horse. Thankfully we were able to successfully purchase the big bay. Within minutes I posted pictures to my facebook to figure out exactly who this horse was and how he ended up at New Holland. Many students from TSH quickly e-mailed me pictues of a horse named Rex that was a school horse for over a year at Thomas School of Horsemanship. We compared pictures and indeed the horse in our trailer was Rex, a TB gelding that had worked hard being a school horse.

Now Thomas School of Horsemanship is claiming he was sold through the sale to someone who was going to put him on a big grass pasture. You can do your own research on Jesse Austin and quickly learn that he is pro slaughter for horses. Jesse is quoted saying "I see crippled horses at two or three different auctions a week, the same ones jockeying around. A lot of them are drugged and doctored up so they look good in the ring, then someone who bought them thinking they got a nice riding horse gets home and discovers that the horse is lame, or 30 years old, not 15". Well, Rex would have been one of those horses that was sent from auction to auction if not for Project Sage. Jesse would have brought him back to his farm and in a short time Rex probably would have found himself back at another auction or worse, at a slaughter house with a captive bolt through his skull. During further investigation you can easily find that Jesse is involved with Brian Moore and AC4H, a rescue that scams people on a weekly basis selling them "broker owned horses" that are sick are misrepresented. This is the man that bought Rex when he was sold at New Holland, a low life broker who makes a living buying and selling horses.

So believe who you want to believe but this is my story and I will stick to it for Rex who has no voice. I'm sure if he could talk he would tell you he wonders why he was given to a Billy, a low end dealer, to be disposed of in a cruel way. Sadly Rex's story is not uncommon, every week Billy brings horses to New Holland from Long Island barns that are lame or old. This is the easiest way for our local barns to dispose of their unwanted horses. Why are these horses not retired? Why is this the ending that they get? These are questions for the people who own these barns that send their horses to the sales. The owners of the barns might not be driving the horses to the horse auctions themselves but they certainly know where they are going when they give their horses to Billy.

In my opinion when you give a horse to a man named "Billy Bang Bang" you damn well know it will not end up in the hands of a good person. It's an out that many barns take and it needs to come to and end, the lesson and camp horses need a voice and people need to wake up and stop covering up for people like Nancy Thomas, the owner of Thomas School of Horsemanship. Is this what we want to teach our children? That its okay to dispose of a horse that has worked hard just because its banged up a little? Our children are the future and teaching them that this is okay is just not acceptable. I was raised with the morals that all living things need to be treated with respect. Why was not Rex treated with respect?

So now you have the story, from the mouth of the person that saw it all first hand, from the mouth of someone who gets up everyday and cares for 30 rescue horses and donkeys that have no one else to turn to. I don't get anything out of sharing this story, I feel it needs to shared to EDUCATE the people on Long Island and all over the United States. Please share Rex's story so we can change the way things are done for other school horses.

I will continue to stand up for the horses and let my voice be heard that this is unacceptable.

From lessons to an auction...

Presidents Day Two Years Ago

2013-02-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

In honor of Presidents Day this coming Monday I would like to share a story of a small bay horse that stole the heart of a women with just a few whinnies.

On Presidents Day two years ago we headed to New Holland Horse Auction to rescue a few horses. My fundraising Coordinator, Donna, came with us for the first time to see the auction. We had a big group of people with us, all wanting to get the "auction experience". I went off alone to start looking at horses and jotting down numbers of horses that I would attempt to help. My list was long that day, 10-15 horses that pulled on my heart strings. Everyone always asks how I "pick" the horses I rescue. I wouldnt say I pick them, most of them pick me. They speak to me in some way, whether through their eyes or their soul.

That day Donna learned just what I mean when I say a horse speaks to me, she never got to pick the horse of her dreams, he picked her. She came running over to me that I just had to see this horse, he was so cute and he kept calling to her when she walked away. I rolled my eyes at her and kept looking at the small paint I was going over. She finally talked me into looking at the horse. We walked down the aisle and the little horse was dancing in place and pulling on his head tie. I took a look at him, he was cute, built nice, and generally seemed to be a happy horse. I wrote his number on my pad just to please Donna and kept on looking through the horses.

The auction started and within minutes the small horse was in line to be ran through. Donna pointed him out with a huge grin on her face. At that moment I realized that he had spoken to her, part of me thinks he knew she was a sucker and would make sure he went to a nice place. The bidding started low and I put in the third bid and his price quickly started to go up. Next thing I know his rider stands on his back and the little horse just stood there, looking super calm. Within seconds the bidding stopped, the small bay horse was now ours. Donna looked like a kid in a candy shop. She quickly walked away to check on the horse. That day we rescued 6 other horses, Donna named the small horse Quincy, and the group headed to PA for the month.

During the first few days after Quincy's rescue e-mails started to pour in inquiring about him, he was the one that people wanted. I told Donna that her small horse would probably be adopted and never make it to our farm in Northport. She started to question me about him. I only spent a few brief moments with him at the auction so when she asked me how tall he was I blurted out 15.2 hh, the best guess I could think while I was trying to remember him. I did know he was special little horse that would be a good first for her to learn with. A few days later she decided to adopt him. A little out of the norm for people adopting, she had never ridden him, only spent a few hours with him at the auction, but she knew he was to be hers. He had spoken to her in the way every one of the rescue horses have spoken to me over the years.

The day Quincy was to arrive at our farm Donna and her daughters stood near the gate with excitement. The trailer pulled in and Quincy was unloaded. After two years I still can remember the exact thought that ran through my head..."damn thats a small horse". Donna and her daughters groomed their new horse, all with smiles on their faces. It was so nice to see the little horse and his new family.

After a few weeks of Donna owning Quincy I found him having some sort of problem, his whole body was literally thumping. I quickly got Donna on the phone and told her to come and wait for the vet, I had to run out and pick up a few horses but she would be fine with out me. I've never seen someone look so nervous but Donna pulled it off. We found out Quincy had a low calcium count and would need a special supplement. The beauty of horse ownership, and the vet bills that come along with it!

It's been two years since that little horse found Donna. In those two years I've never lived down the fact that Quincy is only 14.1 hh and I said he was 15.2 hh. Donna even invested in a horse measuring stick for me so I no longer had to guess. I will swear to this day that at the auction he looked bigger!

Sometimes the best horses come in little packages, Quincy is one of those horses. No matter how much I joke about his napolean complex I can say Quincy is one of the nicest horses I've had the pleasure of rescuing, he's got a heart of gold and has taught Donna so much in the past two years.

I hope Quincy's story inspires people out there that are considering adopting. There are a million horses just like him that need a happy ending, maybe you could be it?

Two bay mares

2013-02-11T05:54:00.001-08:00

Last year I was delivering a newly adopted horse to their forever home in PA and decided to stop in at New Holland Horse Auction. I was on the search for a belgian for a client who had always wanted one, it was the best home a horse could get so I figured why not stop in at New Holland and take a look at the old plow horses. Right when I pulled in I could tell it was a packed auction, horses tied every where, more then I had ever seen go through the auction. I browsed the aisles of horses and found a row of about 20 old belgians, all beaten up, worked to the point of exhaustion, all with their heads hanging low. I found a nice big mare that was friendly and could use some TLC, with her number written down on my pad I ventured out to look at the other horses consigned to the sale.

Some weeks at New Holland it seems to be all nice broke western horses but this week seemed to be all skinny, neglected, and scared horses. As the auction started I grabbed a spot set off the rail and watched as horses started running through. Most sold for cheap, under $100, all to kill buyers. A few nice horses went through and sold for nothing over $400. It seemed to be a bad week at New Holland, not a huge attendance and few bidders other then the kill buyers buying for meat.

My big belgian mare ran through and I quickly put in the second bid, after a few back and forths with a kill buyer that big mare was mine. A new home was in her near future, she had hit the jackpot. I went over and saw where they tied her and gave her a quick reassuring pat on the shoulder and went back to the auction.

Back near the auction ring I stood near the wall watching horses run through. I felt a horse blowing through the bars on the other side of the wall. I peaked through at her and saw a small dark bay mare. She stretched has far as she could and I pet her nose. I quickly went around to take a look at her. She had some serious wounds on her legs that needed treatment but was so sweet and curious. She seemed young and was very intersted in me. Of course I had a two horse trailer, and had only bought one horse, so I jotted down her number. She would be a nice prospect for someone, she had a lovely build and a nice head, she deserved a shot.

An hour later the auction started to slow down, there were about 20 horses left. Another bay mare next to the one I had my eyes on was untied and walked towards the ring. Within seconds the little mare that I was waiting on started to panic, she ripped her tie free and ran towards her friend. They had a bond I had not noticed while I was standing near them. They were both in bad shape, obviously came from the same awful owner. This is the point when I realize that I have a two horse trailer and can only purchase one. They ran through the ring and I bid on the little mare. Her friend sold to Brian Moore, a known kill buyer who had just purchased the horse for meat. My heart sank, but a two horse trailer would not stop me. I pulled out my phone and called a local friend and begged for her to board the two mares together until I could come back for them. She agreed and I went down to track down the kill buyer who now owned her. With $100 added onto the price he just paid minutes before she was now mine. I happily went over to tell the mares the news. They would be together for now, I went way out of my budget for the day but heck the two mares seemed please about it!

After a short ride to the farm they would be staying at I unloaded them and watched them slowly walk out onto a field and start to graze together. If you didnt know better you would have thought they had been there forever, both so relaxed and at peace together, the memory of the auction quickly leaving their minds. That day the small bay mare who saved her best friends life was given the name Kiwi. I wondered if she knew what she had done for her friend, and older mare whos life would have ended if not for the heroic actions she displayed that day. We named the older mare Georgina, but she quickly became Gigi.

After a month the mares came back to Long Island and went into a training program. They both were lovely horses, very nice to ride and deal with. I was happy I had found them, or they had found me, I'm still not sure about how it all went down. I guess Kiwi only knows.

After a year and a half of rescuing the belgian and the two TBs they are all in wonderful homes right here on Long Island. The belgian lives happily at a barn as a pet, she gained close to 300 lbs and is treated like a queen. Kiwi was adopted by a lovely women and is a pleasure horse now. I often see pictures of her on facebook and remember that day at the auction when I saw her face looking through the bars at me. Gigi was adopted by a wonderful women and now enjoys going out on trail rides and being a pleasure mount.

Consider making a donation to Project Sage today to help horses like the onces highlighted in this story. You won't regret it!

The girl from the ad

2013-02-06T17:17:00.001-08:00

Here's a story to warm your heart about two girls who have bonded through their love of horses...enjoy!

Last year I was browsing the internet and came across an ad for someone looking for a barn to take lessons at, they wanted an indoor but I e-mailed them anyway and went on to tell them how great how facility was and what an awesome group of people we had riding at our farm. After a few hours my e-mail was anwsered by a girl named Andria. She would come out and meet with our intructor for a lesson. I talk to a ton of people everyday so this e-mail conversation left my mind within a day or two.

A few weeks later I was standing in our barn chatting with a boarder about how to put together her new bridle when I saw a blonde girl walking around with a saddle, she looked kind of confused, but our intructor at the time told me she was one of her new students and we were introduced. I assigned her to ride Anna, a TB with some serious trust issues that needed someone to love her and help her enjoy riding. Every few days I would see the girl tacking up Anna and schooling her around the ring. Eventually we got to talking and started to ride together, we laughed as I got run away with by a big grey horse that was new the to rescue and quickly became friendly with each other. I soon learned that the blonde girl was Andria, the girl I had found in the ad online, I guess e-mailing people finally paid off for me, I found a nice girl to help ride some of the rescue horses!

After a few weeks I invited Andria to be my team mate for the annual hunter pace. She rode one of my boarders horses and I rode one of our school horses. For a few days before we rode together and tried to prepare for the pace. The morning of the pace we wrapped our horses legs and loaded them on the trailer. After a few hours we were mounted and at the start line, we made a joint decision that we would start off at a trot and once our horses were comfortable in the woods we would take it up a notch. Next thing I know Andria's horse is galloping full speed away from the starting line with her hysterical laughing. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! Although we came in dead last, and I'm serious we were so awful they stopped timing us, we had a great time. We stopped by the ocean to smell the sea air and we lapped a field twice because it was so gorgeous. As we crossed the last jump and finish line (my horse jumped, hers walked over it) we both had a smile from ear to ear (and very sore legs!).

It's been about a year and a half since that hunter pace day and since then almost everyone who comes to the rescue knows Andria, many call her my sidekick. She's been there for me through some of the worst moments of my life. She was my first phone call when one of my personal horses passed away in October. I couldnt even get the words out on the phone but sometimes best friends don't need words, Andria was at the barn in 15 minutes flat and we grieved my loss together. I couldnt imagine going through it myself, having Andria by my side helped ease the blow.

In the past year we said goodbye to Rosie and Apache together. We cut off peices of their tails and gave them their final kisses and hugs and gave them a dignified end. But the sad times don't amount to the good times we've had together in the past year and a half. Since our hunter pace adventure we've been back to Caumsett State Park many times. We both took an OTTB and figured "how bad could they be?". We galloped across fields and took pictures near the water. I guess you can say we are both lucky to have someone equally as passionate about horses and riding.

When my truck broke down on the expressway with Andria in the passanger seat and a donkey in the trailer we looked at each other and the light bulbs went on in our heads. We got the truck running and crawled it back to the barn. An hour later we had the donkey in the back seat of Andria's Escape and we were on our way! (no donkeys harmed during this trip!)

I guess I should also give credit where credit is due. When we get a horse into the rescue Andria is usually the first to sit on it. I always stand on the mounting block yelling "don't worry, it looks quiet as a lamb!". She's gotten tossed, bitten, and kicked and (usually) never complains about it. She adopted a lovely TB mare, Margarita, and they've been an awesome team. I guess you can't be my best friend without adopting one of my horses!

I'm blessed to have a best friend that can deal with the everyday stuff that goes on at the horse rescue. On her birthday the hoses froze and we spent hours filling buckets from the bathroom sink, during the hurricane we slept in my office and checked the horses every 2 hours all night long, and when I have a sick horse at the barn she is always there to lend a helping hand. So I guess I have to thank Andria for all she has done for me in the past year and a half. I don't think she realizes how lost I would be without her constant help and support.

So now everyone knows how we met, the blonde and the brunette, one day we will have a reality television show!

This blog post is in memory of Piligrim, an amazing horse with a huge heart, we love and miss you Pilly, rest easy big guy, you are forever in our hearts.

Horses, Horses, and more Horses!

2013-02-05T17:18:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! As you can see we have some updates on our site, lots of new horses for adoption and new pictures of the horses that have been here for a few months! Let me tell you what makes the Project Sage horses different...

Our horses are in training programs with professional trainers, every horse you see on our site (that is rideable!) is in a training program. We have some wonderful trainers that donate their time to our rescue. Riders that have successfully shown all over from english to western! Currently Novel, Selina, Rascal, and Paris are all in programs to keep moving forward with their training. When you come out on a weekend you can meet with Erin, one of our amazing trainers, and she can tell you all she does with our horses. It's fabulous that our horses have the opportunity to learn and become more adoptable. When you adopt one of our horses you are adopting a horse that we have all put our heart and soul into. Every horse has the "Project Sage stamp of approval"!

We also have a fabulous farrier that we work with. In the past few months I've learned so much about the hoof and the pro's and con's of shoes vs no shoes and when pads are appropriate and so on and so forth! I'm always excited to get up close and personal and learn everything I can. From an unbalanced hoof to a huge abccess that needs to be cut out! Our rescue horses are lucky to have a great farrier on our team.

Next is our vet who lives just a few blocks from our barn. We are lucky to have him so close by whether there is a small colic or a lameness exam he is always on hand for our rescue.

So as you can see it takes an army to run a horse rescue. We have a bunch of volunteers that work day in and day out to keep our barn clean and our horses groomed! We always need more volunteers that are not afraid to get their hands dirty! We need people who can get in a paddock and scoop manure, something that I find very calming! It's that little things that make Project Sage run the way it does and the most important thing is a clean place for the horses to rehabilitate with loving people all around!

So check out our current fundraisers on the calender page and order some flowers or a sweat shirt, it's for a good cause! :)

Thanks guys, stay warm!

Check out two pictures of Novel taken over the weekend..could he be your future horse?

New fundraiser!!!

2013-02-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

Project Sage is selling these adorable sweatshirts as a fundraiser! They are unisex and come in sizes S-XL! Please contact me if you are interested in ordering one, they are $50 each (we can ship them to you for the cost of shipping!) Contact Amcmaugh23@gmail.com if you would like to order one!

Hearts for Horses

2013-02-02T19:45:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day Hearts for Horses!

Please join us in celebrating our second annual Valentine's Day Hay Drive. Your $10 donation will purchase a bale of hay and a sweet treat for a Project Sage horse on Valentine's Day. We will also place a heart cutout on a stall door, with your name on it, to represent the kindness behind your donation.

We would like to fill the barn with love for the horses! A picture will be posted on Valentine's Day of all of the hearts and hopefully we will have lots of needed hay too! Please join us if you can!! We want to fill the hay loft!!! Let's beat last years sale of 160 hearts!! We have one month to do it!!!

Thank you!!
Brittany

Paypal address is projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com

Mail:
Project Sage Horse Rescue
63 South Waldinger St.
Valley Stream NY 11580

Hearts for Horses

2013-01-20T08:59:00.001-08:00

Growing Up Horse Rescue

2013-01-16T19:18:00.002-08:00

Everyone is always curious how I got into horse rescue. Here is the short scoop...

When I was 15 years old our house phone rang with the call that no owner ever wants to get, "your horse is colicing, come quick". Three hours later I was loading Sage onto a trailer headed for the hospital. It was the worst fear I've ever felt in my life. I unloaded him at the hospital, got to spend five minutes with him before he was led away for surgery. I guess every horse owner always fears something like this, colic surgery. Even the decision if the surgery should be done is something people fear, this was my best friend, my soul mate, my one in a million. I'd have given my left leg if it meant him being okay. If surgery was what he needed, that's what he would get.

We were sent home to wait for the phone call to let us know how it went. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling praying that god would bring Sage out of this okay. He was only six years old, he could not die so young, could he? It was a few hours before the phone rang, my mom spoke with the surgeon and found out their were complications, Sage had previous surgery that we were never told about when we adopted him. It was the worst news we could have asked for. Four hours later Sage came out of sedation and coliced again. We had no choice but to let my best friend go. I got to say goodbye, I clung on to him and told him he would be ok without me, I'd be strong for him. I kissed him goodbye and watched my best friend go to heaven. As I walked out they handed me his halter and his tail, something that I did not understand at the time. The vet told me it's something they do when you lose a horse, you take their tail. I held onto that tail with everything I had, it was all I had left of him, a halter and a tail.

It took months for me to get back to normal. I slept with his halter every night, I'd lay in bed tracing his face in my mind, trying to rememeber everything about him. I slowly started going back to the barn to spend time with my paint mare, Lexus. It was nice being there but seeing his empty stall hurt me to the core. I felt empty without him. I had to do something positive to help myself get past the loss.

I started doing research and found out about slaughter and horse rescue and 6 months later I was pulling into New Holland Horse Auction to rescue my first horse. That day I rescued a TB mare and a pony. It was the best feeling in the world, it was a natural high that I needed to feel again. I went home and started doing more research about opening my own rescue. It was hard work, 24/7, I was in high school at the time and was juggling graduating and getting my rescue off the ground. There were bumps in the road and road blocks but I got my 501(c)3 my first day of college. During this period I rescued 20 horses from auctions and feed lots and placed them all in new homes.

It's been seven years since I started this amazing organization and since then I've rescued 140 horses with the help of some amazing volunteers. At some point along the way I sat down with my parents and told them that after college I'd be working full time running the horse rescue and putting my future as a special education teacher on hold. I loved teaching but my soul belonged to my horse rescue. Every inch of me was born to rescue horses, I love every stressful second of it.

My days now consists of taking care of 25 needy horses, many of whom have serious issues whether mental or physical. I muck 17 stalls, somedays with a volunteer, somedays alone. Feed, water, sweep, rake, fix fences, and other random farm chores. I watch our trainers school the horses and take endless pictures to ensure the perfect picture that a future adopter will see on the internet and fall in love. I wrap legs, meet with the vet for routine exams, chat with the farrier as he's tacking on expensive shoes onto our newest horse that came in from the auction, and try to keep everything in order. I've become a very good horsewomen, I can spot lameness from a mile away, I can treat wounds and clean cuts, I can talk new adopters through rough spots with their new horse, and I can anwser pretty much any question people throw my way on a daily basis. During the day I anwser e-mails, make appointments, pay bills, order feed and hay, and juggle the daily tasks of running a business.

I have met many amazing people along the way, my amazing fundraising coordinator, my exercise riders, my great volunteers. I've met two of my best friends, both of whom have adopted horses from Project Sage. I've also met some of the worst people, I've chatted with kill buyers to ensure good prices on horses out of the kill pen and I've met people who throw away their horses like they are garbage. I've seen hundreds of horses loaded onto slaughter trucks and seen people do things to horses that I never thought imaginable.

This road that I've been on since I was 15 has been an amazing one. I've learned that horse rescue is not a 9-5 job, it's all day/every day, it's holidays, birthdays, family parties, and everything else you can think of. People who you thought were important to you seem to slip away as you stay at the barn late to watch a colicy horse or miss a party because you have to be up early to feed the horses. But, it's worth it for the good times, watching the horses leave for new homes, seeing updated pictures of the horses that have succeeded, and seeing happy people and loved horses. I've had tons of success stories, something that pushes me through the rough times which seem to be more often then I'd like. When I began Project Sage I never thought about the heart break and the long sleepless nights, I never thought I'd spend many nights in a sleeping bag checking on a sick horse every two hours in the freezing cold, and I never thought that days off and holidays off were something I would never see. Horse rescue is a thankless job but a job that I'm proud to do everyday. I couldnt imagine not waking up and taking care of 25 happy horses everyday. Not everyday is a good day but the good days make it worth it.

So that's my very short story of how I got to where I am. 23 years old and running a huge horse rescue, I never though this is where I'd be at this point in my life, I guess dreams really do come true!

Hope your resting easy Sage, love you buddy

Blooper Reel!

2013-01-07T08:04:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder what goes on around our farm? Well, there is always some sort of action, horses in training, horses getting worked with, but there is the occasional funny thing that happens, a horse gets loose, someone falls off (and doesnt get hurt!), and for everytime that something like this happens, I'm usually the one taping it! So enjoy our blooper reel from 2012, NO horses were harmed in the making of these videos, but a few people came out with bumps and bruises!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ4UsHZwQFw

Thank you for Cadie, our photographer, for making this video! If we made you laugh consider making a donation to help the horses!

Lucky Number 100

2013-01-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I had the honor of rescuing my 100th horse, it was something I always dreamed of accomplishing. We collected donations at our big dinner dance last year to rescue this special horse. A few short weeks later we were at New Holland Horse Auction and I was looking at horses that could potentially be lucky number 100. I looked at ponies and quarter horses, small and large. In the back of the aisle I spotted a skinny, beat up, thoroughbred mare. Her mane and forelock were shaved off and she had scars covering her body. Her body was beaten down but her spirit and soul was gone. Her eyes looked hollow, nothing left but a shell of a horse. I stroked her head and checked her out from head to toe, she was about 8, I could see an amazing horse under the filth and scars. At that moment she became number 100. An hour later I purchased her as she went through the auction ring, outbidding a kill buyer and saved her from being sent to slaughter.

How to name this special horse? I asked for suggestions on my facebook page and soon had 300 names to go through. I wanted it to involve Sage, I've worked so hard in his honor, the number 100 horse needed a special name. One of my young volunteers suggested "Halia" which meant remembrance of a loved one, it was perfect. She was sent to PA for quaratine for the month.

When Halia came to Long Island she was still skinny but some of her scars started to fade. After a month at our farm she was sent to a foster for some much needed TLC and time to just be a horse. Roxanne, her amazing foster, put 300 lbs on her and taught her the most important lesson, that people are good! I had not seen her in a few weeks and the horse that I went to pick up from Roxanne's was stunning, she was filled out, had a nice mane and forelock, and was trotting and playing in her field. The transformation was incredible.

Once back at our farm we got to work with Halia, lunging and riding. She was put into a work schedule to learn the life of a riding horse. She picked everything up quickly and seemed generally happy to work. For some reason I gravated toward her, maybe because she was my 100th, maybe because she looked like Sage, maybe because I love bays, or maybe because was a TB. She quickly became my baby, I pampered her, got her a fancy halter, groomed her from head to toe everyday. I took her to the park and rode her in the fields with my best friend and her horse. We always joked that days in the park were like a get away, we were free to run across the fields, just us girls and our mares. Lia loved every moment (mostly the grazing before and after our rides). We rode up to the water, saw deer, and raced like we were jockeys. Every day I'd check my e-mails with no interest in my Lia girl. I guess you could say part of me was happy but part of me knew the first person that met her would realize what an amazing animal she was. I'd quickly figured it out and I've sat on hundreds of horses in my life.

The call came from a friend of mine who owns a big boarding barn. She had a girl who I knew that was looking to foster a horse for me for the winter, needed to be calm and some what easy to ride and sweet. Lia's face popped up in my head and we made an appointment for Lucy to come meet Lia. Lucy is an amazing person in her own right, she is involved in cat rescue and is always there to lend a helping hand to an animal in need. A few days later Lucy was trotting around our riding ring on Lia. I trailered her over to their farm the next day. It was a bittersweet goodbye to a horse that felt like mine. I knew this was perfect for her but it was hard to walk away from her. Thankfully Lucy updated me with pictures of her and Lia. It brightened my day everytime I got a picture or update. Lia was living the high life with her foster mom.

A few weeks later Lucy informed me she would be adopting Halia. It was one of the happiest days of my rescue career. My 100th rescue horse had found her new home. The best part for me was that I would still get to see her and get tons of picture updates. Halia was adopted just a short week ago, such a great home for a great horse. Everyone always asks if I'm sad when the horses leave, I always say no, I pat every one of them and say the same thing "good luck on your new life, I'll always be here for you". Lia was no different even though she took a piece of my heart, I wished her luck the day Lucy signed her adoption paperwork. I know Lucy will give her the best care in world and I could not ask more for this amazing horse. Every horse is special but I will always feel that Lia carries a piece of Sage in her and there was a reason she was number 100. Good luck Lucy and Lia, love you both!

Donate!

2013-01-01T12:56:00.001-08:00

Donations

The horses at Project Sage Horse Rescue need some extra special care during the cold winter months. As always, they need blankets, feed, hay, bedding, supplements, mashes, vet care etc.
We want to acknowledge our permanent residents and others by asking for donations to help with their special needs this winter. All donations, big, or small, will add up and are greatly appreciated. They need your donation. Please pass this plea to your friends and coworkers.

Pay Pal: projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com

Mail Donations To:
Project Sage Horse Rescue
63 S. Waldinger Street
Valley Stream, NY 11580

Donate: Hay, grain, or bedding
"I'm making a donation to Project Sage"
Agway 516-931-0342
(It will be delivered with our next delivery order)
Thank you,

Brittany & The Horses

Still time left!

2012-12-19T16:46:00.001-08:00

Still time left for Christmas shopping! So your thinking what to get for that person on your shopping list that has everything...why not make a donation in their name? We send them a lovely certificate stating that a donation was made in their honor! This is a great gift for every animal lover on your list!!!! Contact projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com for more info!

The Lucky One

2012-12-14T14:43:00.002-08:00

So this morning I woke up to a comment on my facebook, it was really interesting to me so I thought I would talk about it on my blog! Here is the question:

Brittany- u have had so many horses to choose from. Is there any story behind how u chose who would be your own horse? Do u ride him? Tell! He is a lucky one!

Well, here is the story of my thoroughbred, "Logan" aka "The Lucky One"...

I feel like every girl who rides english and dreams of winning ribbons and being in the Olympics dreams of that special horse, that one in a million. Ever since Sage passed away (my one in a million) I always hoped I would one day find another horse like him to get back into showing and to have fun with. I wanted a 17 hh, big bay, 2-3 year old gelding straight off the track that I could mold into a horse that could do the big hunters. I already had an amazing throughbred, Louie, that I love more then life itself but I thought if the right horse came along I could get a baby to bring along. Last year, right around Christmas, I was chatting with my vet and asked him to keep his eye out for a big horse that I could rescue and keep as my own. He said he would keep his eyes open and there were tons of thoroughbreds at Belmont that needed homes and had no where to go. The idea of having another baby like Sage was thrilling.

That night our vet called and said to meet him at the track at 4 am to see a horse that he thought was perfect for me. It all happend quickly but I decided to take a look. The next morning I arrived at Belmont, met with our vet and walked to the barn that the horse was kept in. I'd like to say it was love at first sight but to be honest I almost laughed at the horse looking back at me. He was barely 15.3 hh, he was a chestnut, he was skinny as hell, and his mane looked like someone took a butter knive to it! I talked with the trainer and found out he was 6, was a huge failure, never won a race, but they kept him in the barn because he was a charecter and all the grooms loved him. They trotted him out for me and I got to look over all his medical records, his xrays were clean, he was healthy, just needed some weight. I asked my vet if he needed new glasses because the horse was nothing like I described but I was drawn to him. I told them I had to sleep on it, he was not what I was looking for but maybe I could take him into the rescue. As I was getting ready to leave a white bird landed on his back in his stall. My mom told me it was sign from grandma in heaven that this horse would become mine. I laughed and told her she was insane but as we were walking out the horse nickered to me and jumped up and down in his stall.

I guess you could say I am a sucker, I didnt need another horse, he was not my dream horse, he was tiny, skinny, and kind of funny looking but I made the phone call the next day that I would take him, we arranged shipping for the day after in the morning. In the past 7 years I've had 130 horses come into my rescue, gorgeous OTTBS, big warmbloods, cute QH's, adorable ponies, and I now owned a small chestnut TB gelding. I laughed out loud driving to the barn the next morning, I had clearly lost my mind.

The trailer pulled into our court yard and they unloaded the horse, they handed me the lead rope, his papers, and drove away. I took my new little horse for a walk and he was super calm and level headed walking around the farm. He got to meet his TB brother, Louie, and they sniffed each other over the stall door. Louie kind of gave me the "mom your insane, who is this shrimp" look. I settled the new horse in and put a heavy blanket on him.

Part of my huge big bay horse dream was to name him "Logan" and his show name would be "Livin' it Large". After a few days I was calling him Logan and it seemed to fit him. He was quickly becoming the funniest horse I'd ever met, picking up brushes, licking my jacket, and calling for me whenever I was in his line of vision. The show name was a different story, nothing about Logan was large. One of my friends reminded me about the book "The Lucky One", the main charecter was Logan. After going back and forth I settled on it to be his show name. I loved the book and Logan really was the lucky one, he was not what I dreamed of but I quickly started to realize that what you want is not always what you need.

After hiring a great trainer to help me start him off right he proved to the be the calmest horse I'd ever owned, he had a nice WTC that needed some major work but he was bomb proof and a complete mush (even though he does still try to nip people who ignore him!). On one of the coldest days of the year I had my first ride on Logan, I've never felt more at home on a horse, he was lovely, I'm not a mushy person but I cried that day remembering thats how it felt to ride Sage. That feeling that you get when you realize that you would put your life in your horses hands (or hooves!). I guess I can thank my grandma for the white bird that landed on Logan. That day I realized that every one has an idea of the type of horse they want but sometimes a different horse comes a long that will be perfect for you even if you don't see it at first.

Logan turned out to be my dream horse, he makes my laugh everyday, I got to put him over his first jump, we have a deep bond that makes my heart glow and puts a smile on my face. Every day when I'm grooming him I always tell him that I will always love him to the moon and back.

So I guess the moral of the story...give every horse a chance when you are looking for your new best friend, you may never know which horse steals your heart.

Moose on the loose

2012-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I first moved into the Northport location in July of 2010 I felt like all my dreams were coming true. I had a huge barn, all my rescue horses in one place, and the rescue was growing larger then I ever expected. I guess you could say my favorite part was the huge barn, I had just five rescue horses and sixteen stalls. I imagined the faces of the horses that would soon fill them. I was dying to get out into the world and help horses in need. Then my phone rang...it was an older man who had a few thorougbred racehorses on lay up due to small injuries. Their owners no longer wanted them and had asked him to place them. I hopped into my car with two volunteers and drove right over, excited to see if I could help these magnificent animals.

When we got to the lay up farm we walked around and met the three horses that needed a place to go. Three horses, three girls looking at them, can you imagine what happened next? We all fell in love with a different horse and stood there trying to decide on one. One horse was a 16 hh dark bay with a slim body, he was a puppy dog, licked your hand and nickered when you walked away. The next was a light colored bay gelding that was muscular and gorgeous. The last horse we looked at was a 17 hh dark bay with a gorgeous head and body to match. I casually asked if the groom could jog him out for me and he looked some what concerned at my question. He slowly put the giant horses halter on, chain over the nose and coaxed him out of the stall. The big bay saw the door open and jetted out of the stall. The poor groom held on for dear life and got dragged around the small area attempting to make the horse jog. I yelled out that I would take him and my friends looked at me like I had lost my mind. Hey, he had spirit!

The horses were delivered the next morning (yes, all three of them), they were all slightly sedated so they could safely be unloaded and brought to stalls to settle in, I was told they had never been in turnout and could be difficult to handle so to be careful when dealing with them. I had gotten Sage right after he came from the track, how hard could this be!

One of my volunteers decided to put the calmest one in the herd out in a small pen so he could stretch. He walked up the hill (with a few hops and bucks) and walked through the gate to his paddock and walked around. Twenty minutes later he was sun bathing. This horse, now named Troy, quickly became the barn favorite.

I walked down the aisle of my new barn satisfied that I now had filled a few more stalls with horses that needed homes. I stopped at the stall of the massive throughbred and scratched his head, he really did not look too intimidating now that he was standing in my barn. I liked him, he was my type of horse, big and bay. I named him Moose and was excited to work with him. As I closed the doors that night I blew Moose a kiss and told him I had faith in him he would be an extraordinary horse.

The next morning I picked Cadie, our photographer, up on the way to the farm. We chatted about our new horses and were excited to get some new pictures of them. As we walked into the barn something felt off, the horses were all nervous and spinning in their stalls, I looked around and saw that Moose's door was wide open with no Moose inside, my stomach turned and Cadie and I made a plan to both check seperate sides of the property and meet back in the barn (hopefully leading Moose). I ran up the hill, checked the ring, behind the bushes, in the yard, and ran back to the barn. We had both come back empty handed. At this point I was in panic mode, the whole property has tall fencing around it, how had this horse gotten away! We went back and forth, should we call the police? call my mom? call SOMEONE?! Then it struck me, we had not checked the front paddock. We ran like hell and that's when we spotted him, he had jammed himself inbetween a wall and our manure dumpster. I spent the next 30 minutes backing this massive horse down a narrow walk way. He looked at me with a sorry look on his face, sorry that he nearly scared me half to death, how would I explain to everyone I lost a horse during my first week at my new barn?!

Moose came out of the mess with not a scratch on him, I walked him back to his stall and he casually ate hay like nothing had happend. I fixed the latch on his door and chatted with Cadie that the horses new name was "Moose on the Loose".

Moose turned out to be an amazing horse, he settled into his new life as a pet after finding out his racing injury was so severe he would never be ridden again. I taught him to walk with manners and he was soon being lead with just a cotton lead rope to and from his paddock. I guess you could call him a big dog now, he went from winning races to winning the hearts of every girl who walked into our barn.

Moose is still looking for his happily ever after as a companion or pet. Please consider giving this big guy a new home, you will not regret it!

The little paint that could

2012-11-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

So its Thanksgiving...I have so much to be thankful for this year, to have amazing volunteers that give up so much of their time to make a difference for the Project Sage horses, an amazing family, great friends, and four of the best horses in the world.

For all the bad things we hear about everyday I think it's good to hear an inspirational story about a little black and white paint horse that has beat the odds. Here is her story...

In the fall of 2010 I was online browsing through horses that needed rescuing and I came across a small black and white filly. I was drawn to her colors, her big blue eyes jumped off the computer screen and begged me to help her. She was listed as a very well broke western pleasure horse that had professional training. I made a few calls and an hour later I had made arrangments for her to be picked up at New Holland Horse Auction a few days later. I was excited to get her back to our farm and see what she was all about. Monday rolled around and my cell phone buzzed in my pocket, the little paint mare was sick, very sick. She had to brought to a nearby clinic for treatment. She had a spiked temperature and had an awful infection in her lungs. The vet explained that she had probably had the infection for a few months but no one treated her. He said she was a strong little horse with a will to live and to have faith in her. Everyday I called and gave the clinic my credit card information to pay the bills, the little black and white horse was soon becoming quite expensive!

After a few weeks she was cleared for travel and made her way to Long Island. As the trailer pulled up many excited volunteers waited to see the little paint horse. We unloaded the horse and let her settle in. She seemed like she did not understand how to be led which worried me but I figured she had been through a lot and needed some time to get used to our farm.

One of my volunteers always told me she wanted a black and white paint horse, she is our photographer for the rescue horses and came out with her camera to snap some pictures of the paint horse. As we stood by the fence watching her I told Cadie, our photographer, that I had named the paint horse Darla. Cadie snapped some pictures but I got a feeling that Darla would never make it to our web site. Cadie left the farm with a smile that day. I knew that smile from a mile away, that was the smile of a girl who had just found her future horse.

Just a short week later Cadie adopted Darla. I wish I could say they lived happily ever after but Darla had other plans back then. Cadie's first ride on her was a bit shocking, Darla was barely broke to ride and was what I would call a handful. Cadie was a new rider and Darla was a green horse, anyone who knows horses can tell you this combination usually ends up with some dirt on the jeans from hitting the ground. We quickly learned that Darla also bite and was hard to handle on the ground. To no avail Cadie kept working through the issues. Working through the issues led to bruises, scratches, and tears. I found myself screaming across the ring "SIT BACK!!!!" on a daily basis as Darla ran across the ring throwing rodeo bucks.

As the months went by and many horses were returned to the rescue because they "needed too much work" Cadie kept working hard. She landed herself in the hospital with a concusssion after a spill on the trail, got some more bruises, and cracked her helmet. Against the odds she got back on Darla and kept working through the issues, she had more determination then anyone I had ever met. She would not give up on the little horse. She hired a professional trainer, took lessons, went on trails and slowly she figured Darla out. She loved to live outside so she had a shed build for her so she never had to be inside. Any problem that occured Cadie fixed it. Darla stopped biting and became lovely under saddle. She became the horse everyone wanted to pet and give carrots to at our barn. She was the horse all the kids asked about when they walked in. She was a dream come true.

After two years I sat in the ring today and watched Cadie cantering around the ring jumping oxers and smiling from ear to ear. I sat there thinking that Cadie was one of the few people that worked to make the horse work out and never gave up no matter how bad things got. She had proved that even the biggest problems can be fixed with some love and dedication.

Thank you Cadie for working your tail off and turning Darla into what she is today, that horse is blessed to have you as her owner.

iPad raffle!

2012-11-12T13:49:00.001-08:00

Enter to Win an Apple iPad!!
Just in time for the holidays!!

Project Sage is raffling off a brand new Apple iPad!
Purchase your ticket today!

Tickets are only $10 each. A maximum of only 400 tickets will be sold.

All proceeds benefit Project Sage Horse Rescue.
Drawing will take place on December 1st. Winner receives a brand new 32 GB iPad.

You can get your ticket by paypaling to donnakye@hotmail.com
or mail to
PSHR 63 south Waldinger St.
Valley Stream NY 11580

Please include "iPad", your name, address, and email address on your donation! You will receive a raffle number!

YOU CAN OWN AN iPAD FOR $10.!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Hurricane help

2012-11-07T11:36:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, one of our Project Sage family members was a victim of hurricane Sandy, we are hoping to collect some items to help this family out, they lost their homes and cars and are now trying to pick up the pieces. We are collecting kitchen supplies, cleaning products, rubber gloves, garbage bags, paper towels, etc. All items can be dropped off at our farm, please try to pitch in and donate a few things!

Christmas Cards

2012-11-07T06:57:00.001-08:00

This year Project Sage is selling Christmas cards! Each pack has ten cards in it for a $10 donation! See picture bellow! Paypal to donnakye@hotmail.com and please include your mailing address and which cards you prefer! Top or bottom.

Pasta Night! And more

2012-11-06T16:08:00.001-08:00

Join Us for the 2nd Annual
Project Sage Horse Rescue Pasta Night
Thursday, November 29th
7:00 pm

Crossroads Cafe

24 Laurel Rd.

East Northport, NY 11731

Join us for a fun night out and enjoy a delicious buffet dinner including; salad, several different pasta dishes, dessert, coffee & soda. Donation: $25.00
Cash bar available.

Enjoy a Chinese Auction to raise money for hay and grain. Win Great prizes!!!
We are also selling raffles to win a brand new Apple iPad!

This was a fun event last year and promises to be even better this year!!

You can Paypal to Donnakye@hotmail.com

or mail checks to

PSHR (Project Sage Horse Rescue)
63 South Waldinger Street
Valley Stream NY 11580

Questions: Leebag63@aol.com

We are also selling Christmas cards this holiday season to benefit Project Sage! They come in packs of ten for a $10 donation (add $2 for shipping). You can paypal to donnakye@hotmail.com. Please include your mailing address and which card you wish to purchase (top or bottom).