Some bad news re. the Virginia Range horses.
Another Mound House horse was hit on US-50 last night, just west of Centennial Drive in Carson City. The state is still REFUSING to authorize diversion feeding that the local communities would pay for and who would perform the necessary labor to keep horses off the highway. In fact the officials have said they would go after anyone who does that. This "position" affects all the diversion feed programs on the range, including keeping horses out of Reno and Virginia City. In the meanwhile the Department of Agriculture is picking up horses and hauling them to the Fallon Livestock Exchange. It appears that the Department is doing this in secret, not publishing various legal notices as required by law and not freeze branding the horses for identification, also required by law. I'll be taking a complaint to the Attorney General this morning along with copies of the legal sections from the newspaper showing that the required notices were not published. Meanwhile I urge everyone with an interest in these horses to call the Governor's Office and Mr. Hettrick's Office and demand an explanation as to why the state is preventing the traditional control of these horses through feed diversion, why the horses that were picked up haven't been turned over to cooperators, and why horses are showing up in Fallon without the legally required public notices and brands. There are Virginia Range horses presently standing at the Fallon Livestock Exchange and more are likely to show up. Here are some phone numbers and email addresses you may wish to use Governor Gibbons' Office: 775-694-5670 For email pleas use the web form: http://gov.state.nv.us/Contact_Us_NORTHX.htm Deputy Chief of Staff Lynn Hettrick lchettrick@gov.nv.gov 775-684-5670 Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto 775-684-1100 Edie Cartwright, Public Affairs ecartwright@ag.nv.gov Beware of the BS responses. 1. Feed diversions don't work. (They have been successful for years.) 2. Cooperators won't take the horses. (Of course they will, they always have.) 3. The state is broke. (Then stop preventing the citizens from addressing the problem.) 4. The state can sell the horses. (Only after the public notice and branding requirements are met.) 5. Notices were published. (Advocates have copies of the specific newspapers that the law says the notices have to appear in and there are no notices.) It is my opinion that in order to fix this situation we can't let the state think we are simply going to let the issue die down. They felt the pressure back when the "Hettrick's Irrigation" incident started, but all indications are that they think we're losing interest and things are returning to "business as usual." The local citizens and horse groups could have solved this problem but were prevented by the state.
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Wow, I can't tell you what a fabulous experience it was to meet Honey Bandit's youngest fans. Yesterday, Terri (Farley), Jennifer Gillespie and I went to Manzanita School, in Redding California. We went to meet David Gilstrap and his fabulous group of fourth grade students. These amazing kids, mostly ages 9 and 10, have shown more initiative than many people who are supposed to be mature adults.
There are so many people who yell and scream about the plight of the wild horses, but don't actually do or accomplish anything. These kids saw something they felt wasn't right and DID something about it. The kids all worked hard to raise money for Honey Bandit. Through their hard work and creative thinking, they were able to raise $140. When the class presented the money to me for Honey Bandit, they asked what I was going to do with it. I asked them what they wanted me to do with it and they decided half for his vet bills and half for his food. The kids also spent hours making posters. The messages ranged from saving Honey Bandit, helping Honey Bandit, to one of my favorites, "throwing out the challenge". The kids in David Gilstrap's class are challenging other schools to a fund raiser. I am not sure of all the details, but I do know the prize. We will be having a big party for the winning class! Terri Farley has agreed to come back and the kids in the winning class will all get one of her autographed books. There will also be fabulous food and fun. Of course Honey Bandit will be the guest of honor, (as long as he is feeling good) When I get the official version of the challenge from the class I will pass it on. BUT THE CHALLENGE IS ON! Looking in their beautiful faces brought tears to my eyes. There was so much love and caring. Many of them gave their allowances, mowed lawns, had a snack stand, scoured the house for change and did whatever they could to help save an injured and dying foal. Honey Bandit was scheduled to go to the school, but due to his "cold", we decided it would be best if he waited for the big party. We plan on taking their posters and letters to the Protest in Sacramento next weekend. These kids are making a difference. Their actions will not only help save the wild horses, but hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars at the very least. For the people who think "it's just a horse", well I think they forget, or simply don't understand the amount of money being thrown away in rounding up and caring for these animals. Funny, but when left alone, they cost zero. I personally would like my tax dollars to help with needs such as health care, or better yet, stay in my wallet. Besides being America's Poster Boy to stop the Roundups, Honey Bandit is now being nicknamed, "The Million Dollar Horse". The amount of money we would be saving is astronomical if we get the moratorium on the roundups. We need a successful trip to Washington DC and Americans must INSIST that the legislation be changed, not only to protect our beloved wild horses, but to save tax dollars. If David Gilstrap and his fourth graders can make a difference, think what we can do together. Honey Bandit fought the good fight, and now it is our turn. He is doing well, although he is still fighting being sick. He won't quit, and neither will we. Thank you all for your help and support. It was sunny and breezy, a cool, beautiful Sunday I walked out to see Honey Bandit and he was drenched in sweat. His little body was burning up and he was on fire. I immediately took his temperature and it was 103.7.
It is pneumonia weather for orphan foals. It just seems to be the time of year and the type of weather when they are very susceptible to catching it. When you take a temperature like that and put it with even a tiny little cough, well it can be very dangerous. I talked to Shirley (horse angel of Nevada) and we agreed that we should sponge him off as opposed to shocking him with hosing him down. We started antibiotics and monitored him to make sure his temperature didn't go any higher. (it came down when we sponged him and gave him some banamine per the vet. (I never knew you could use banamine for that, but it works very well). Once his temperature was under control, Dr. Rodger said to continue monitoring him and bring him in on Monday. I stayed awake, and like a first time mom, kept running over and checking his temperature and his breathing. He probably thought I lost my mind, but didn't seem to mind the fact that he got so much love all night. His breathing is also faster than it should be. So today we went to the vet. He had blood tests and x rays. There is some cloudiness in his lungs, suggesting that he was on his way to getting pneumonia. Luckily I am over protective, and some might say "neurotic" about every little thing that happens when a foal is in this condition and has been so very compromised. I had already let her know that he had coughed a couple times the day before so we were already watching him for any signs leading to pneumonia. His breath sounds were not horrible, but we felt that the x ray was necessary and it is a good thing that we took it. Hopefully the fact that we started treating him right away will nip this in the bud immediately. He has certainly been through enough and doesn't deserve to get sick on top of it. That is one of the reasons we are rushing to get the nursery, (or temporary nursery) ready before the weather gets any worse. His immune system is pretty much non existent right now. He is also anemic, and we are starting the necessary supplements to help him get better, as that will also cause him to be more susceptible to any illness. We do have GOOD NEWS though. Our little man weights 190 POUNDS!! He went from around 120 pounds to 190 pounds in a little over five weeks. So all those donations you have sent have certainly been put to good use, and are so appreciated. Unfortunately, Honey Bandit had to cancel his visit to Manzanita school in Redding, CA. He was scheduled to appear (via the safety and comfort of his beloved trailer) tomorrow with one of his favorite aunties, Terri Farley. The 4th grade class of Dave Gilstrap raised money to help save Honey Bandit. So tomorrow we are going to visit them and I believe they are throwing out their "challenge" to other classes and schools to a "change drive" benefiting Honey Bandit. But he will be there in spirit while he gets better at home. Until next time, I leave you with another fabulous Honey Bandit happening. "Mr. Big shot" jumps in and out of the trailer all by himself. It is probably a little bit higher than a foot off the ground, (I can barely step up with my bad knee), and he just jumps in and out like he is a big horse and has been doing it for years. Matt noticed something today. He told me that when Honey Bandit moves, walks or whatever, he seems to feel very proud of himself. It is almost as if he knows that he survived against all odds and not only did he survive, but he will thrive. Hi ya'll.
Been a busy couple of days. Yesterday, (Friday), some of our "new friends" came up and stayed with us. They then had a booth at the RAIN Flea market to raise money for Honey Bandit. We had a really wonderful afternoon/evening with Lee and Nona, and even had a little excitement around dinner time. Honey Bandit had been out with Patches, but of course knowing we all had our cameras out, he was quite mellow and didn't do too much. A little bit of bucking and running, but nowhere near what he would usually do. I guess he is making it clear that he is not my little circus and will not perform on command. Click Me! So we put him back in our little carport, and we were chatting away when all of a sudden he went after Chino. He reared up and struck out at him and then started to buck and kick. (Now Chilly Pepper used to do that to the goat, Buddy, when she was cranky, bored or just out of sorts. They are still best friends.) At first my husband thought he didn't like the dogs anymore, but then we remembered that Chilly used to do the same thing. I guess it is kind of like when your kids are being brats and fighting with each other or arguing. Anyway, the way things were set up we came close to having a hoof in the head, not to mention numerous other items that were in peril. So we had to re arrange his little nursery, move my bed to one end, and of course since he was cranky he couldn't play with his dogs. Today, Matt and I built a little "wall" between Honey Bandit and where we "live". Instead of the blankets, he now has a big fluffy pile of straw, more like a real horse stall. He is pretty happy with it. Most of you saw the pictures of him in his "new bed". For now we are just doing the best we can in here until we can build the nursery. I keep thinking about the other 2 foals I heard about whose mom's were not taking care of them. However, they are in a place where there is an outbreak of strangles and it wouldn't be fair to do that to Honey Bandit. He wouldn't survive getting sick with his immune system. Hopefully they have already found new homes. But it will be nice when we have a real nursery and a place where we can quarantine someone who is sick as opposed to not helping them. But for now, Honey Bandit is doing well and he is our big focus. We are planning on going to the protest in Sacramento on the 23rd, and I have been asked to speak. That makes me nervous, but if I can help the horses by telling Honey Bandit's story, then I will do so. Hopefully we will have lots of people with us and don't forget we need to make signs. Please feel free to use any of the pictures of Honey Bandit that I have sent out. The more focus on his story, the bigger difference we will make. It will take all of us to get him to Washington DC, and we are hoping that people will caravan at least part of the way with us. I got to do that for the bicentennial celebration when I was in high school. I got to ride my pony with the wagon train for a few miles. We won't be in a wagon train (darn) but would be cool to have a big caravan a long the way. Well, Honey Bandit wants his evening milk. Thank you everyone for all your support and the love you send him. God bless, p Well, it's 10 p.m. And playtime is over. Patches is back in his stall and Honey Bandit is ???? You guessed it, munching away.
Today we got to take HB's favorite puppy to the vet. The right side of his face is all swelled up and there was an abscess, although that was actually a small part of it. So he is on antibiotics, hot compresses, anti-inflammatories (sp - oops). And lots of TLC. The vet wasn't sure if he got kicked.......... Hmmmmmmmmm that's another story. When Honey Bandit was first learning to actually roll over, well Chino got kicked in the side of the face pretty strongly. I remember because the expression on his face was quite comical. It was like he looked at HB like he thought he was crazy and had lost his mind. Apparently it didn't really hurt though, because he sure doesn't worry about getting out of the way. Not sure if that is what happened, but I guess we will see.....could also be a fox tail, bite etc. Only time will tell. It is cold out, but a very pretty night. You can hear the crickets chirping and the sound of HB's teeth grinding away on his hay. We are going to have some Honey Bandit t-shirts out pretty soon. Thinking of the perfect slogan to help get his message out. Also, we are looking for the perfect bumper sticker for HB. Would love to hear all your fabulous ideas. Gonna call it a night, take care and keep praying for Honey Bandit. Hugs P Hi
Well, last night was another cold one. It was drizzling/raining again this morning. Looks like summer is over. It is supposed to be nice this weekend. That would be great as RAIN (Rescued Animals in Need) is having a flea market and we have some wonderful ladies coming to stay here and they are going to have a booth for Honey Bandit there. RAIN and the wonderful people involved there have been great. When we were so desperate for blankets etc those first few days, they would arrive with them any chance they could. They also gave us a donation. We can't say thank you enough. It is so awesome when everyone is helping each other. Today Jennifer and I took Honey Bandit and Patches out to play in the big corral. Once again, Honey Bandit had to give me a major attack. He went running high tail around the field and swoosh, he went sliding and face planted once again. It never bothers him, but I can't wait until he gets his strength and coordination back. It will make me happy when he has one day of running and bucking and doesn't fall down. He is getting pretty rowdy. We got some good video (short ones) of him playing and bucking. He is getting rather feisty. Hopefully Jennifer will get hers up on you tube, as I don't really have that skill mastered very well. His personality is coming out more and more each day. Tonight he decided to have a little rodeo in our "bedroom". He came over to where Chino was laying down and "pawed him" once, good and hard. Chino actually used his head and moved away, and HB decided he was going to let fly with his back end. Well,,,,,,, we do not have room in here for him to have an indoor rodeo. Chino jumped onto the bed and the computer, and Mr big shot turned his butt towards me and backed up. He has had a very cute, but very much "going to be stopped" habit of backing his butt into you to get a good rubbin'. He and Patches can do that all day long, but he already moves me when he does it. So I am not letting him do that anymore, funny as it was. He is also learning that he is not supposed to be in "my space". We still spend alot of time "cuddling", but he only gets to do it when I say so. He is getting so big. I cannot believe how much taller he is. He is just growing and growing and getting heavier and longer. The blanket that used to fit so perfectly is now about 6 inches too short on the back end. Assuming that he continues on his road to "fabulousness", we will be attending the Wild Horse Protest in Sacramento on October 23. He of course will not be getting out of the trailer, but we will have huge pix of him so people will hopefully pay attention. He loves the trailer. It is like "home" to him. Gee, maybe because that is where his "love and compassion in his life started", and where his pain ended. Anyway, he likes to be in it. It is time to stop BLM and the roundups. God bless you for all your support. Palomino, Honey Bandit and the gang. Hi, well today started out very very cold. It was in the 30's last night, and so windy it sounded like the carport was coming down on top of us. I love the sound of the rain and the wind on the tin roof, but it was kind of crazy out there last night. The winds blowing through our little carport were very chilling. I personally love the cold at night, and truth be told, I love sleeping outside. However, our little man is not ready for those extreme temperatures. He is starting to regulate his temperature better, but it will be a long time before he can be exposed to the elements.
We took Patches and Honey Bandit out to play in the big corral. About 2 minutes into the fun, Honey Bandit decided to go "dirt diving". He started running at his full speed, and then crashed head first into the dirt, thus causing me to have another near heart attack. It is just so scary to watch him go down, as all you can think about his him breaking a leg. But once again, he pops up after a couple of minutes and goes on his way. He and Patches spent quite a bit of time near the horses that are on the other side of the fence. But although Patches likes to interact with them, Honey Bandit will not go closer than about 3 feet normally. He likes to whinny from afar, but he definitely is not comfy with them being close. He is quite funny to watch, as he decided that he is quite tough, and was trying to kick Patches. You can almost see Patches laughing, as he simply scoots up right behind HB and leans against his back end, thus stopping all kicking. You can tell HB is trying to figure out why he can't move. Today Matt watched Patches walk right under Honey Bandit's belly. It is a pretty tight fit, but of course I missed the whole thing. I have told Matt that I just have a feeling that we need to continue being with him 24/7, partially because of the "stalker", but also just because he is so vulnerable. For example, today we went into the house to get a cup of coffee and by the time we walked back out with our cups, he was stuck under the fence. He was halfway under the panel, with his head and neck sticking out the other side. So it was physically impossible for him to get up or move by himself. Patches was very concerned, and stood close to Honey Bandit as he continued eating as fast as he possibly could. The dogs were milling around, probably wondering what this new trick was. So he obviously is going to be one of those horses we all love so well, that will get into any kind of trouble that is available, and if none is available, then he will make up his own. Tonight HB was having a sleep over. Patches was invited and came over to play and spend the night. However, after a couple of hours, it was obvious that they were not going to go to bed quietly, so Patches had to go home (to his own comfy private little stall.) but they had a wonderful time first, and Patches explained to me that nothing I had on the counter was where it should be. So he fixed if for me and re organized everything. I have been getting emails asking if that was all the wood we needed. We are thinking that we have enough wood for the siding on the building, but still need everything else. I have attached some pictures of the existing barn for your viewing enjoyment. Hugs and God bless all of you for helping Honey Bandit make a difference. Today was a day filled with mixed emotions. The day started off well, except for my son's stomach ache. But he stayed home from school to rest up and "feel better". Auntie Jennifer and Auntie Susie stayed with Honey Bandit while Matt and I went to check out an offer for some wood. We were pretty excited on the way to the mill. We were on the way to the historical PHILLIPS BROTHERS MILL, located in beautiful Oak Run California. The mill has been in operation since 1897, and to my knowledge is the only true "steam operated saw mill" left in the country. There are a few small mills that claim to be "steam operated", but use additional sources of power. This mill is truly steam operated. You can check it out at: http://www.phillipsbrosmill.com/phillipsbrosmill/default.asp?Gallery=About Us/Our History/ourhistory.htm When you drive in the driveway, you are transported back to a time we can only dream of. It makes you think of horses and buggies, and a time when life was simple, although people worked harder to survive and I think appreciated the little things possibly a little bit more. We were met by Gregg Hendrix, who was gracious enough to give us a tour. We thoroughly enjoyed the short history we were given and it was a real treat to check out the machines up close and personal. While visiting with Gregg, and finding out that our kids go to the same high school and are involved in a lot of the same activities, our trailer was filled to the brim with pine and cedar siding. A multitude of 1 x 6, up to 1 x 12 pieces of beautiful wood, on it's way to Honey Bandit's nursery. We cannot thank Gregg and his family enough for their wonderful donation. I had no idea that we have the luxury of having our own "local" mill. If you need wood, you just call them up, order what you want, and when they have a full load, they fire up the mill. I have a feeling that we will be contacting them again. You can also book a tour of 20 people or more (i believe - but call for the exact #) and for only $10 each they can fire up the mill and you can see it in action. it is a truly amazing place and i cannot wait to see it in action. We also met Gregg's dad, a wonderful and interesting man. He gave me some important information for Honey Bandit's trip to Washington, having done a similar one himself. He said we need to get one congressman who is going to meet us there, and make sure we are prepared. The more people who are there with us the better, and that having a solution or recommended agenda to solve the problem is much better than just complaining about it. So everyone start planning their trip to Washington next year. A Honey Bandit convoy will be awesome. I imagine people would drive with us for however long they can, but this is going to be a whole nation's message to congress. That we are not going to let our tax dollars be used to do this to our own wild horses. We drove home as the rain started to get serious. The less than up part of the "mixed emotions" was sitting in the carport listening to the rain pound on the metal roof. Normally a sound I adore, well it just brought up stress and worry. However, now that it is evening and well on the way to the 35 degrees it is supposed to get to tonight, I am feeling pretty good. God has provided the answers and the means to save Honey Bandit so far, and He will continue to do so. Today was another step towards providing him with his "foal nursery". Right now it is pretty cold, but Matt managed to stop us from flooding out. Yeah.. He took some railroad ties, with the help of Dalton & Travis and buried them above the carport, which caused the water to run "around" instead of into the carport. It is fine for now (as long as there are no "torrential" downpours), and we have a fabulously fashionable tarp on the top of the carport to keep it dry. So we are just fine until we get the nursery started and done. Honey Bandit is getting more like a "wild horse" every day. His reactions can be almost normal, and then he will seem to have none at all. But he is very aware of "pressure". He can get very nervous, and other times not much bothers him. But every day he is a tiny bit closer to being a "normal" foal. You can tell that he was born free and in the wild. He has those reactions as opposed to being born a "domestic" in captivity. Is almost weird to go from a horse that was pretty much catatonic to having him be so reactive. But that is all just a sign of his brain coming back from the trauma. His hearing is still completely random, but every day that he has more reactions makes us feel like he will get it all back. He is truly amazing and we are blessed to be able to share him in this lifetime. Thank you for all your continued love and support. God Bless. Hugs from Honey Bandit. Hi ya'll,
Today was a pretty quiet day for Honey Bandit. Yesterday and today he seemed a little bit mellow, so we let him rest for most of the day. We did, however, expand his play pen. It is about 2 or 3 times bigger than it was. It is not an area to "run in", but just a nice little area for him to wander around in. Two of his aunties came over today. (Jennifer and Susie) they hung out and babysat and then he got a nice little "brushing" with the gel brush that Susie and Diane brought over. He really liked that. He is changing color, and no one would even know that he is the same horse. He looks so different. His wounds are healing nicely and I can no longer describe him as having a "bony little butt". He is a long way from where he should be, but is growing like a weed. He is getting much taller and growing like a weed. He loves to "back up" against you and get his butt scratched. The first few times he kept backing up at me I was wondering "what is he doing? But he just loves to be scratched. I have to watch out though, because he almost knocks me over now, so I guess we will have to nix that little habit. We do have a little problem though. We need help. Any ideas for catching whom ever is opening our gates, tampering with fencing and in general, committing acts that could result in the death or injury to our horses? While doing a little bit of rearranging of corrals today, we found that once again, someone had tampered with the panels, removing the pins and leaving the panels partly open just enough so a horse would go through. We live right on a fast highway (55 mph +). We are with Honey Bandit 24/7, but it really makes me angry that someone would be trying to cause problems for the horses. We need to find a way to catch this predator before any harm comes to our critters. Does anyone have a camera we could borrow for a month????? We need one that works in the dark and is motion activated, so they can be arrested and prosecuted. These mustangs have all been through enough, and we need to keep them safe. Honey Bandit just went in and laid down on his bed. Apparently it is bedtime. It rained a little bit today and is quite chilly right now. We are praying that the cold, wet weather holds off a little bit more. Thank you for all of you who called or wrote about the situation in Nevada on Highway 50. We have to work together to save all of our beautiful mustangs. God bless you for taking the time to make a difference. Stay Safe Palomino Hi ya'll.
Well, Honey Bandit had a wonderful day yesterday. He had lots of visitors and got to run and play with Patches. It is really fun to watch them interact together and figure out their "rank". Hopefully Patches will establish that he is the "older and wiser and protector" before Honey Bandit figures out that he will be about 5 times as big as Patches. Hee hee. Honey Bandit is almost tall enough for Patches to walk under. I am hoping that he doesn't "duck under" and end up lifting HB off his feet.. Yesterday we were down in the lower field playing, and Honey Bandit ran up to the top of the fence. He was behind some trees and bushes and couldn't see us. He was calling me, but he couldn't hear me answer him back. So I will be happy when his hearing improves more. He can get really upset when he calls and no one answers. However, there are times when he and the other horses whinny back and forth and I know he can hear. There is no rhyme or reason to when he can and cannot hear, but hopefully every day it will get better. Matt (my hubby) kind of laughed and said that "Honey Bandit and I are the same. Neither one of us is smart enough to stop before we drop." That is probably Honey Bandit's best asset. That is what pushed him through death and kept him alive and fighting when most others would not have made it. It is also what we have to watch out for. He and Patches were out in the field today, and he was dragging so badly. He could hardly stand he was so tired, but he was going to follow Patches around and no way was he going to lay down. So I had to do the "mom" thing and bring him back for his nap. Once he reached our little "room", he crashed onto his bed for a nice long nap. Honey Bandit and I are just starting to really do the "bonding" thing. It is very difficult to bond with anyone who is pretty much in a walking coma. Since he has started coming back to life this past week, he is actually aware of who is around him and is starting to react to some sounds at random times. It is frustrating, because he will be looking for me and whinnying and he doesn't know that I am not ignoring him. That could bring back bad memories. But there ARE times when he does seem to be responding. There is still no rhyme or reason to when or what he reacts to, but with every response there is more hope that he will get his full hearing back. There could still be swelling in his brain or head and it could take awhile for it to go away. I am just so thankful that he does get to hear some things. We have been asked to provide a list of materials needed for his "winter Casa". A contractor who said he would help build the room has provided us a list of what we need. We are praying that the bad weather holds off because he is on another job in Southern California and won't be available until around November 1. Tomorrow we are "rearranging" corrals so Honey Bandit has a bigger area to "lounge around in". He still gets to go play in the "big boy corral", but until he learns to either stop and rest, or just simply gets back the normal stamina a little guy like he should have, he will have to stay where we can monitor him. Hugs to all, Honey Bandit P.S. If you'd like to view our lumber checklist please click here |
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