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Hi Ya'll,
It's birthday time!! Chilly is now 3 years old, Honey Bandit's birthday is July 3, mine is July 4th, and we are going to celebrate on the 14th of July. We will be having our annual Open House/Birthday Celebration on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang, Equine Rescue & More in Shingletown, CA The address is 34694 Sidebottom Road, Shingletown, CA 96088 11:00 a.m. until ??? Questions - 474 5197 or 530 339 1458 Bring the kids, grandkids, wives, hubbies, the whole family and come join us! Let the kids visit Buddy the goat, DaBubbles and Patches, our resident mini's, numerous cats and dogs and just enjoy the day. You will beat the heat, as we are in "cool country", only 9 miles from Mt. Lassen and the park. Celebrate the lives of the critters ya'll have helped save. Looking forward to a fun day. Please rsvp if you can, so I can make sure we have enough grub. We will be "q" ing hot dogs and burgers and of course we will have birthday cakes and all sorts of goodies. God bless THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US! Palomino & The Gang Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang www.chillypepper.weebly.com
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Hi
Just a quick note. Took Rocky and DaBubbles out for a walk tonight. (DaBubbles was recently gelded and is doing fabulously.). I don't really move too fast, and Rocky was in the mood to go quickly. So I kind of shuffled along as best I could and he trotted away. On the way back he was really wanting to go fast, but when I couldn't move he started walking. However, by the time we got back to the house, we were reading each other very well. He was prancing and dancing but staying exactly where he should beside me. Love it when they dance for you. Will be a good look for him in his next parade. :) But all is well here in Shingletown. Thanks guys for all you do! Still missing mom of course, but I know she is watching over us and meeting every critter that passes with open arms. So appreciate everyone stepping up like you always do. You are the reason the animals are doing as well as they are. God bless you for that and have a simply wonderful Friday!!! We will be celebrating Honey Bandit's 2nd birthday, and Chilly Pepper's 3rd some time after the July 4th weekend. Will let you know what date. We will be in Nevada for the Wild Horse and Burro Expo so will be having our annual open house in July, instead of August. Exact dates and details to follow! Thanks to all the hard work of you our members and other equine and animal welfare organizations, the Moran Amendment has passed! It once again imposes a ban on the spending of taxpayer dollars for the required ante-mortem (before slaughter) USDA inspection of horses that was lifted last year by a conference committee of just four individuals. It will now be part of the House version of the Agriculture budget.
The Moran Amendment passed last year, but when the Senate failed to put the language into their version of the budget it was sent to conference committee committee where Senators Blunt and Kohl and Congressman Kingston voted to drop the language. Had the entire Senate voted on the amendment, it would no doubt have passed. This is typical of how minority special interests manipulate or system. It is not clear whether we will see a separate Senate budget this year or whether they will accept the House version. We will let you know as the situation unfolds. Last Friday I personally called every office and they indicated that the call volume was high and very much in favor of the amendment. If the forces of slaughter thought you would be discouraged by their trickery, they miscalculated. Horse lovers are united and filled with resolve as never before. John Hi All, Romeo is doing better each day with things going slow but fairly steady pace. He still has and will for a while, have his "zone out" moments but they are shorter periods and less episodes daily. Since we got the blood tests back we've been able to relax a little more knowing that were not fighting a neuro disease or condition. Now it's just a matter of keeping things going at his pace for healing. We spend a lot of time loving him, brushing, talking, listening to music and massage so his little brain can heal and re-wire. He hasn't had a spasm in 3 1/2 days now so he actually got to spend the night in his baby yard with Mom sleeping at patio door to watch out. He did fine and is stronger and more coordinated and pouts now if he has to come in the baby room but he cannot regulate his body temp yet (pretty sure the hypothalamus in his brain has received trauma and that helps regulate body temp) he also still has moments he seems to "forget" what he needs to do next when he gets too warm so he has to come in between noonish and 3 to stay cool and take a nap. Then Mom gets to take a nap with him because I've got him right with me so I can see/hear every movement. WOO HOO!! LOVE THOSE NAPS. He actually trotted this morning, the very first time since he came home. I was making his breakfast and told him to go to his "house" which is covered patio area for his feed and water. He turned and trotted for about ten steps in front of me to get breakfast. I WAS THRILLED but we don't want him too active too soon. We are not "out of the woods" yet but everyday brings more hope for full recovery. Little Horse Hugs from Romeo and GREAT BIG HUGS from all of us here. Bruce, Shirl and Critter Kids Too About the pics: Romeo and our sheep Nana. They have become pretty good buddies and nuzzle through the fence and both seem to love sharing their hay with each other. So happy and relieved his appetite is back and he continues to take on good amounts of his electrolyte water daily. Take Good Care. 
Hi ya'll, Here are a couple of pix. One of them is Chilly Pepper & Patches. The others are of Honey Bandit and of course the last one is his "mini-me", Rocky the Rock Star. Too bad we couldn't get the Rock Star company to sponsor him. ha ha The last one of Honey Bandit is him telling everyone exactly what he thinks of all these babies parading through his life. He is not too impressed. We let him in with Rocky for awhile, but that did not exactly go too well. If HB was in the same area, Rocky would panic and run like crazy. I could not see any visible negative signs, but apparently Rocky could sense what was going on. Now I know some people think that if you can get them to put their noses together for a minute that all is well. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Rocky had actually come up and "clacked" to HB for about a second and then took off like someone was trying to kill him. A little while later we were all in an area about 12 x 16 and Rocky was panicking and trying to find a place to get out. (He had previously jumped a four foot fence, so we now use panels for the "playpen".) Anyway, long story short, Honey Bandit backed into Rocky and pushed him against the fence. He did not injure him in any way, but basically just squished him against the fence with his hind end as if to say, I can do whatever I want to you and there is nothing you can do about it. Poor Rocky was so scared, but it is part of life and the lessons they need to learn. However, Honey Bandit is simply too much pressure for Rocky to handle right now, so we moved him out. Honey Bandit was the same way around the larger horses, and still is for the most part. It just takes time and I know Rocky will come around, but we just have to go slow. I really wanted those two to bond up cuz they look so similar and it would have made great pix. :) But we will bring it down a notch and just spend time with him and one of the mini's at a time. It is all part of the normal "horsey world", but as mom, it can really make your heart stop. Hopefully Rocky and Romeo will get to play together, as they are pretty much the same size and closer in age. A quick "moment of truth". I want to thank everyone for helping Romeo. You made the difference so he could get the appropriate care and we could eliminate what was not wrong and focus and clarify what actually is. Romeo has had a head injury, and it also caused issues with his neck. Shirley is monitoring him 24/7, and I mean literally 24/7. When he had his muscle spasms in his neck, he would fall down. So she is watching him so she can catch him if he needs to be caught so he doesn't get hurt going down. He is improving, thanks to ya'll but still needs prayers. Speaking of prayers, I learned another lesson about keeping the faith. At a time when donations are at their lowest point for most everyone in the rescue arena, no doubt due to the poor economy and the fact that many people are struggling financially, it is a very scary time financially. As always, (even though it is selfish and wrong) when you raise money for others, there is that tiny feeling of panic in your gut. What if you don't get a donation because they gave it to someone else? What if there is not more money? But like everyone else out there trying to save the critters, you do it anyway, and you feel ashamed that you had that momentary moment of selfishness. It is not like anyone I know in the rescue business is living large, and it is all for the critters, but it is still selfish and showing a lack of faith. The reason things work so well is that we all work together, and we all help each other! Well, I was once again humbled by our Creator. Yesterday, I received a phone call and it was a wonderful group offering me a donation of hay. Once again, God proved that what He promised is true. If you give in His name, or ask for help in His name, He will heap blessings upon your head. He forgave me for those selfish thoughts and moments of faithlessness and blessed us with a hay donation. PTL! I love hay donations. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to look outside and know that there is enough food for the animals you are supposed to take care of. So again, it is clear that we are doing what we are supposed to be. I am grateful for all the wonderful people that we have met and get to work with, and for the privilege of being part of the foal rescue. To all you "horse angels" out there traipsing about in the heat, monitoring our bands and their babies, God bless you and stay safe! None of this would be happening without you! God bless!
CROSSPOSTING Folks this is ONE of the issues we've been dealing with and trying to get a program in place for years. Independent, eyes on, experienced, non-BLM, knowledgeable folks to be allowed to monitor the ranges. This may not be all encompassing or perfect solution to all the policy changes that need to be made BUT it will allow "boots on the ground" for advocates to monitor and log data and statistics that will help in keeping facts straight and the truth of conditions of the ranges and our horses and burros more transparent. In my humble opinion, the door is cracked open so we need to proceed with dedicated folks that will be a real asset to this program and see what forward motion we can get out of it. I sure wish I was in the position and location to try to apply for the program. Take Care All, Shirl http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/17/4567887/blm-recruiting-volunteers-to-monitor.html
BLM recruiting volunteers to monitor wild horsesShare By Jane Braxton Little Bee correspondent Published: Sunday, Jun. 17, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is looking for volunteers to monitor health of the rangeland that hosts herds of wild horses in northeast California and northwest Nevada. The project, which will run two to three months this summer, involves developing landscape descriptions and taking photographs in the Twin Peaks area northeast of Susanville and the Nut Mountain and High Rock areas east of Cedarville. Volunteers will also record geographic information data, measure the grazing use of various plants and record information on streamside conditions. Some tasks will require proficiency in scientific methods, said Jeff Fontana, a BLM spokesman in Susanville. Map reading skills are important, he said. All volunteers should have experience working in rugged and remote backcountry conditions, which could involve hiking several miles to reach some monitoring areas. The work will assist the agency in expanding the number of monitoring sites in its wild horse herd management areas, said Nancy Haug, BLM Northern California district manager. Volunteers must provide their own high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and be capable of driving in rough terrain and adverse weather. No salary is offered, but the BLM can reimburse for expenses, including personal vehicle mileage. Interested volunteers can apply by filling out the online volunteer application at www.volunteer.gov and emailing a résumé with two references to [email protected]. The complete job description can be found by using the keywords Twin Peaks on the volunteer.gov website. Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/17/4567887/blm-recruiting-volunteers-to-monitor.html#storylink=cpy No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2180 / Virus Database: 2433/5074 - Release Date: 06/16/12 We just received notice that the House Appropriations Committee will consider the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill on Tuesday, June 19.
If you haven’t done so already, it is critical that you email and call your legislator if they supported previous efforts (see list at bottom) to prevent our tax dollars from being used to slaughter horses. Don’t let a few individuals trying to profit from the abuse of American horses undermine the will of the American people. Be sure to share this alert with others as well as posting it on Facebook. Thanks, Chris Having trouble viewing this AWI eAlert? Click here to view it on our website June 14, 2012 Please Contact Your Legislator Today Urge Support for an Amendment to Protect America's Horses Dear Humanitarian: The House Appropriations Committee is poised to decide whether or not to block an unnecessary expansion of the federal government, save taxpayer dollars, and—of particular interest to humanitarians—protect horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption. As soon as next week, the House Appropriations Committee may consider the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill. Last year the Committee approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) that prevented tax dollars from being used to fund inspections of horse slaughter facilities. This bipartisan language had been included in every Agriculture Appropriations bill since 2005, until three legislators quietly removed it behind closed doors late last year. Without this important provision, foreign-owned companies will be able to reestablish horse slaughter in the United States at the expense of taxpayers, food safety, and the welfare of horses. In fact, representatives of such companies are already making rounds in the Midwest looking for a plant location. At a time when Congress is dramatically cutting back federal spending and eliminating federal programs, it is disappointing that some in Congress want to revive an unpopular taxpayer-subsidized program that existed solely to support foreign-owned slaughter facilities that inflicted tremendous suffering on American horses. WHAT YOU CAN DO: The full House Appropriations Committee will vote on the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill soon. An amendment will be offered by Rep. Moran to restore language prohibiting the USDA from spending your tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. This language defunding USDA inspections of horse slaughter facilities is vital to protecting American horses. The majority of the Committee supported this amendment last year. If your legislator is on the House Appropriations Committee (see list below), it is critical that you email or call TODAY and urge them to strongly SUPPORT the Moran amendment to defund horse slaughter inspections. You can contact the main Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the office of your legislator, or use AWI's Compassion Index to quickly send an email, locate the direct office number, and view your legislator's voting record on the issue. The majority of legislators have supported previous efforts to end horse slaughter. Your Representative has been among the ban's supporters, so be sure to mention that when you call and urge continued strong opposition to any effort to restore horse slaughter. For more information on horse slaughter and other important issues, please visit www.awionline.org/horseslaughter. Please share this eAlert and ask friends, family, and coworkers to do the same. Be sure to post it on Facebook and share it on Twitter. As always, thank you for your continued and critical support on this important issue. Sincerely, Chris Heyde Deputy Director Government and Legal Affairs Members of the House Appropriations Committee Who Have Previously Voted For The Defund Amendment Rep. Bill Young R-FL Rep. Frank Wolf R-VA Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen R-NJ Rep. Ander Crenshaw R-FL Rep. Ken Calvert R-CA Rep. Steve LaTourette R-OH Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart R-FL Rep. Charles Dent R-PA Rep. Norm Dicks D-WA Rep. Marcy Kaptur D-OH Rep. Peter Visclosky D-IN Rep. Nita Lowey D-NY Rep. Jose Serrano D-NY Rep. Rosa DeLauro D-CY Rep. John Olver D-MA Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard D-CA Rep. Sam Farr D-CA Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr D-IL Rep. Steven Rothman D-NJ Rep. Sanford Bishop D-GA Rep. Barbara Lee D-CA Rep. Adam Schiff D-CA Rep. Betty McCollum D-MN Rep. David Price D-NC Rep. Maurice Hinchey D-NY Rep. Chaka Fattah D-PA Animal Welfare Institute 900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE • Washington, DC 20003 (202) 337-2332 (main) • [email protected] Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to us on YouTube Hi all Here is the latest from Shirley regarding Romeo. I also want to add my thanks to all you awesome people that donated. I hate to ask for help, but you guys are the only way these critters have a chance sometimes, and I am so grateful. Without the proper test results, you simply cannot provide the proper care. Thankfully, so many of them don't need that kind of testing, as their issues are obvious, but sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do. So AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH! HONEYBANDIT is turning rather dark. I should have some new pix of him out soon. He is doing well also. Rocky sends big Rock Star Kisses and so do the rest of the gang. The following is the latest and greatest news about ROMEO! Enjoy! All of our horsey love to you! Hello All, This morning we are all breathing a little easier and Romeo's vet bill was covered almost by the time our Doc could get out the next morning to take blood. Our LOVE and undying THANKS to Palomino for her quick action taken the very night she called when he had just started to fade on me so quickly. The FANTASTIC outpouring of donations for Romeo's blood tests will never be forgotten and I wish I could HUG and THANK each and every one of you for such unselfish giving. We had the complete series of blood work run on him because we did not know exactly what we might be dealing with and he was going down fairly quickly. The tests came back in late last night and he is fine in the area of NO bacterial infection or disease from tick infestation or any other blood diseases. His "white count" was normal and even just a tad to the low side but nothing to worry about. He does have inflammatory condition going on but again not anything life threatening. His kidney's are perfect which I had been a little worried about because of meds we had him on and that he was so dehydrated from day one. His electrolytes were down just a bit but that will come back up fast now that he is drinking and eating better. We had a good night last night finally with him sleeping comfortably and normally. His appetite has returned and is now drinking his electrolyte water, which gives me GREAT JOY. He did have another spasm yesterday but we have been right by his side 24-7 since the first one and caught him before it took him down. I did light massage and he recovered much faster and without the panic that he had with the other spasms that had started hitting that day. This last spasm was early in the morning yesterday and has not had one since. We are continuing to be by his side for the "just in case" but he seems to be getting stronger now and more "in charge" of his own body than he has been since we brought him home. His gait picked up a little yesterday when he was moving around to graze but still very slow and weak compared to "normal" baby his age. So with the blood report coming back and being able to take away the horrible worry and prospect of disease or infection, the conclusion is we will need to treat him strictly as head trauma baby. Yesterday while I was lightly brushing his head a piece of hair about an inch long came off and reveled that he obviously had been injured somehow although it had to be a little older injury as no swelling, scab or open wound could be seen since the day we brought him home. We check these little ones out from head to tail when they come home and nothing about his "head" seemed problematic except for his "dullness" and weak movements allowing for the thoughts of internal infection or disease process going on and he was severely dehydrated. I have to admit this is the first time we've had a baby that was showing brain functioning problems without definite signs of head trauma. With him being so covered in ticks and the "out of the blue" spasms that hit him 5 days after he came in, the thoughts automatically gravitate to some sort of neuro disease probs. if we don't have outward signs of injury. He did have weak back leg with old scab from some sort of scrap or fall and upper respiratory infection when we brought him home but amazingly not a thing on the rest of his body (except ticks) until I found the place on his head. My thoughts now go to he either fell or was injured in possible stallion fight commotion. It happens more than you would think that the little guys unfortunately get in the way when the stallions really go at it and EVERYTHING in their path is at big risk. We have "be there, done that" with a few head injured babies so we're now dedicated to the path of lots of "at his side" care and big patience while he slowly recovers. We are still treating him with half the dose of Nexcel for 3 more days for ANY possible probs lingering. This morning he is eating well and drinking, more emotionally interactive with us and actually has some brightness in his eyes that tell me his little brain is on the way to healing hopefully with no permanent problems. We won't know exactly for a while if he can fully recover but I have the ultimate faith that he will be fine as long as nothing we can't see right now rears it's ugly head. Sorry for the LONG, LONG update but we believe that everyone that loves and contributes to the "horse kids" care and welfare deserve explanations of outcome and it helps us all learn from EVERY experience and situation when the next injured or sick "horse kid" comes to any of us. We LOVE YOU ALL for caring so much and contributing so fast to Romeo. We appreciated it much more than we could ever tell you all and community support is the only way that rescues can keep going and help with the emergencies that present themselves at the drop of a hat. "Dad" has been babysitting while I write to you so I better relieve him so he can get some of his chores done. THE BIGGEST HUGS TO ALL and MORE THANKS than I can express. It's never the physical work in taking care of these little guys but the horrid worry of the unknown absolutely consumes us until we find answers and you all have been solely responsible for taking a major part of THAT element out of Romeo's care now. Take GOOD Care Everyone, Bruce, Shirl and Critter Kids Too Romeo sends LOVE, THANKS and BIG sloppy kisses. 
Please Remember to put "Romeo" or "Foal" in the "Add special instructions to recipient" box and we'll know that your Donation is specifically for this urgent need Romeo needs your help, and he needs it now. Please, please be generous. As of tonight, Romeo is not swallowing. He is lethargic and sleeping and is not eating or drinking. When he came in he was covered in nasty ticks, and we are fearful that he could have contracted lyme disease or some other tick borne illness. However, we cannot take the appropriate steps to help Romeo UNTIL the blood tests are done so we know what to treat. The first rule is to Cause No Harm. So until we know for sure what help he needs, we are at a standstill. These babies can crash in one day, so it is imperative that we get the blood tests done first thing tomorrow. Please send your donations to LRTC at the physical address of : Least Resistance Training Concepts 11345 Silver Lane Stagecoach, NV 89429 or contact Sharon Lamm, Secretary-Treasurer [email protected] I am sorry I do not know the direct way to deposit funds for him, but Sharon will have the answers. Again, we need to raise the funds to give this little guy a chance. We do not know why he was left behind, but when God puts them in front of us, it is our place to do whatever we can to try and give him a chance. All donations are tax deductible, and when you look at that beautiful little face and see those innocent eyes, you will know that he truly wants a chance. You can either put "Romeo" on your donations or just "Foal", and the funds will be available for his treatment. Ya'll have always come through, and I know that times are tough and everyone has had to tighten their belts. But even $5 or $10 dollars always adds up. I know that without our $5 and $10 dollar donors, we wouldn't be here. So once again I am asking you to help, but this time send it for Romeo. God bless and thank you for all you do. While the roundups are running and babies are being hurt, injured or lost and there is nothing we can do, right here in front of us is a beautiful little soul that we have a chance to help. palomino p.s. we came close to losing the Rock Star last night. He collicked badly (and I cannot spell that) and was touch and go throughout the night. I am grateful to God for pulling him through and praying he will help Romeo. Please also say your prayers. Sharon Lamm, Secretary-Treasurer [email protected] Mailing Address Least Resistance Training Concepts 11345 Silver Lane Stagecoach, NV 89429 Guys, Here is a chance to actually be part of the "wild horse management". This is what we have all been asking for. To actually be there to see what is really out there and what the conditions are. Unfortunately, or actually fortunately, Shirley and I are currently standing by 24/7 for the foals, as it is right in the middle of our busiest time, and we do have foals at this time. ( We do not go anywhere that we cannot be on the road for the foals immediately after receiving a call. Right now our world exists pretty much of the foal world or injured horses). This is something I would have loved to do. I really want to understand the absolute truth about the range conditions. I do know that some of them are supporting thriving critters, but others are not. We have some really intelligent advocates who could take this opportunity and make a huge step towards helping realize the true conditions of the range lands and possibly having a chance to make suggestions and start making a true solution happen. The only time this is ever going to work is if we all figure out a way to work together, for the good of the horses and the land. I am excited about this and hope that the people who have been saying they want to do something will step up and "git er done". Palomino The BLM is seeking volunteers to help with resource monitoring projects in wild horse and burro herd management areas. U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Land Management News Release For Immediate Release: June 11, 2012 CA-N-12-70 Contact: Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332 ([email protected]) BLM Announces Volunteer Opportunities in Wild Horse Country Volunteers are needed to assist the Bureau of Land Management with rangeland health monitoring on northeast California and northwest Nevada public lands that provide habitat for wild horses and burros. The project will run two to three months this summer in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area northeast of Susanville, Calif. and the Nut Mountain and High Rock Herd Management Areas east of Cedarville, Calif. Interested volunteers can apply by filling out the online volunteer application at www.volunteer.gov and emailing a resume with two references to [email protected]. The complete job description can be found by using the keywords Twin Peaks on the volunteer.gov website. Volunteers will develop landscape descriptions; take photographs, record geographic information system data, measure grazing use of various plants and record information on condition of streamside areas, also known as riparian areas. Some techniques will require skill and proficiency in scientific methods, while other tasks will require lesser degrees of skill. All volunteers should have experience working in rugged and remote backcountry conditions, and could have to hike several miles to reach some monitoring areas. Map reading skills are important. “This monitoring work is important because riparian areas are critically important to wild horses and burros and to other range users,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Nancy Haug. “We need to collect information about conditions and trends in these areas, which are the most productive, diverse and sensitive on public lands. The volunteer work will assist the BLM in expanding the number of monitoring sites in our herd management areas, thus increasing our knowledge about conditions.” Volunteers will need to provide their own high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and must be capable of driving in rough terrain and adverse weather. There is no salary offered, but the BLM can reimburse for expenses including personal vehicle mileage. More information is available by contacting Derek Wilson at the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, (530) 252-5306. -BLM- Northern California District 355 Hemsted Drive Redding, CA 96002 Jeff Fontana Public Affairs Officer BLM Northern California District [email protected] (530) 252-5332 (desk) (530) 260-0189 (cell) 
Romeo is orphan foal from Lockwood area in Reno that we got a call on early evening on 6-7-12. As is mostly the case with our orphan babies we don't know what circumstance led to Romeo being orphaned only that he was VERY dehydrated, somewhat malnourished, has upper respiratory infection and has weak back leg that has an older injury. He had ticks and was very weak and not doing well mentally or physically when we got to him. Thank goodness some folks in Lockwood had been watching out for him for a couple of days and called one of our wild horse advocates that looks out for the horses on that side of the range. It was late on Thursday when we got the call about baby needing help and we met Mikel in Reno to pick up the baby. She was able to help get him closer to us so that saved some time. He's doing very well so far but as always it will be good to get past that 2 week window to know if we've got ANYTHING else going on. When we first picked him up I guesstimated his age at about 2ish months but now that he is re-hydrated, eating well and gaining weight back, I think he is closer to 3 months. He's a pretty quite little guy but starting to become far more interactive and loves being brushed and loved on. He finally nickered at me this morning and it sure was a wonderful little sound. He is spending his days out in the baby yard when it's warm and calm, otherwise we are in baby room at night because of his upper respiratory infection. It is responding quickly to his meds and he should be a strong boy in about a week or so. As always, think good thoughts for him that we do not encounter anything unforeseen. I have high hopes and feel pretty darn confident with his health right now but we know how quickly things can change if something is lurking that is not showing symptoms at the moment. Just a note below for folks that may run across sick or injured horses on the Virginia Range. Procedures ALWAYS have to be followed for everyone's sake and the welfare of the horses. Our procedure is that Nevada Department of Agriculture is notified for Virginia Range horses that are in peril. We notified NDA the next morning as it was after hours Thursday to file report. Anyone that sees an injured or sick horse is legally bound to notify the Department as soon as possible for authorization and instruction to proceed. Unfortunately sometimes we have to react to emergency situations after hours but it is still mandatory to contact and file report with the Department. Removing any horse without permission or notification to the appropriate authorities is illegal and does jeopardize and endanger the animal and can cause action to be taken by the authorities. THANKS EVERYONE and we will keep you updated on little Romeo's progress. Always Take Care, Bruce, Shirl and Critter Kids Too Romeo on 6-10-12 
Please make phone calls to your representatives in your states at the addresses below. But, first, so you can call with accurate comments, read the information below. Equine Welfare Alliance did an awesome job of printing out for us the crucial and pertinent talking points. Please be succinct on your comments and say when you call, “I would like my comments to be included for the record.”
We have to start pressing NOW for the defunding language in the Appropriations bill. There will be a house amendment to add the language back in the bill. It is up to all of us to make sure it gets passed and and the language stays in the senate bill. The subcommittee mark-up was supposed to be Wednesday (not sure if that happened). Most likely the full committee mark-up will be the week of June 18 (they are in recess next week). This is also a time be very careful what you post on public sites and forums. While you can reach many people, if it's public, our opponents can read it as well. Never reveal your strategy! It is time to reach out to all committee members - best method is fax or phone call: http://appropriations.house.gov/About/Members/ The following members supported us the last session. It is important to thank them and get their support for this session. If any of the below reps are from your district, be sure to give them a personal call. Ken Calvert - CA 44 Ander Crenshaw - FL 4 Charles Dent - PA 15 Mario Diaz-Balart - FL 21 Rodney Frelinghuysen - NJ 11 Steve LaTourette - OH 14 Frank Wolf - VA 10 Bill Young - FL 10 Please be brief with your comments and don't go off on tangents. Remember this is a financial bill and giving them gory details about slaughter isn't going to win points. Be prepared to discuss your talking points. A few talking points to consider:
http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Horse_Slaughter.html free to use material and/or talking points from presentations on this page: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Presentations.html
Executive summary: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/GAO_Exec_Summary- final.pdf Full report: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/GAO_Response-final.pdf
Again, please stay on topic and let us know if you need information on anything. Start calling now and don't stop until the bill passes in both horses. It's now or never folks. We have people in congress that are counting on your calls to back them up. Don't let them down and most importantly, don't let our horses down. * * * * * GREAT NEWS! We were able to bring home a used stock trailer in good and safe condition to be used for the Rolling Foal Nursery. Now the next step is out fitting the trailer with the necessary modifications, food, supplies, medicine, etc. to be ready to roll on a moment's notice for foal rescue and/or emergency evacuation. * * * * * Hi, Was in Nevada for a few days, and boy were we busy. Had to have some extensive work done on the truck and trailer for safety. Went out to look for a baby that was being monitored for big lumps on his face. Pictures seemed to show maybe swelling from a snake bite or scorpion sting, or even just swelling from being bitten or kicked. You never can tell when you are observing them from afar. He was being monitored and we went out to take a closer look, and make sure that he didn't need to be brought in. We drove for what seemed like miles in the 4 wheel drive, and then a couple miles on the quads, and then those that could (not me - haha) hiked what seemed to be miles???? It was hot, and we were out in this amazing world of open land, mountains and never ending space. It was so incredibly beautiful, although very hot and dusty. There were lots of wild horses and they all seemed to be thriving. Coming from California it is amazing to see what they live on. It certainly demonstrates not only how hardy and tough these animals are, but reminds me of just how perfectly God planned all of this. Each and every band of wild horses are able to thrive on their own individual and often completely foreign feed and conditions. Unfortunately we were unable to locate the baby, but that could also mean that he was doing better and took off with another band. We did not find him with either of the two bands that he had been with, but he was seen the day before and there were no vultures circling anywhere in that beautiful big blue sky. Unfortunately, this is part of the truly wild world of our beloved horses. All of them do not survive, although we have seen countless miracles such as Honey Bandit, Suri, Rocky etc. I was amazed and humbled by how many miles and the rugged terrain that our 'horse angels" cover, in nearly impossible conditions to monitor and rescue these babies, so we can do our part in trying to rehab them. We then were called out to look at a youngster who has a problem with his leg. It is swollen and he is obviously having trouble with it. However, when he was finally located, because he is being monitored by some wonderful women, he is safe to stay on the range and he also has a new family to stay with, so that is by far the best thing for him. Then, just as Matt and I were loading up to come back home, we got a call for a foal. So off Shirley and I went to meet the wonderful "horse angel" who was bringing him to meet us. He is a beautiful little colt, dark (almost black - or maybe he even is black) with a little bit of white on his leg(s) and face. We picked him up and took him to Shirley's, and got busy assessing him and settling him in. He is doing well, but was lethargic, underweight and dehydrated when he was brought in. He has a "cold", and an injured back leg. From his condition, it appears he may have been alone for at least 4 or 5 days if not more. I don't have all the details, but was just fortunate enough to still be in Dayton so I could be there when he came in. It was so hard to get in the truck and leave him. Shirley is the best "foal mama" ever, and I would trust her love and instinct more than any vet. No offense to the veterinary field, we ALWAYS follow their instructions and advice, but you can't just take one of these babies and stick it in ICU in a hospital. You literally have to pull them back to life sometimes, and Shirley is so amazing with these babies. I truly believe that we are all given gifts by God and that people can excel when they are following their calling. It's like a famous singer, no matter how hard they work, without God given talent they would have nothing. So when everyone is doing their part for these critters, we can work as hard as we want, but are only successful because we were given the "talents" or "ability", to know what is needed in each and every situation. My son Travis got to name him, and he chose the name "Romeo" due to the fact that he was surrounded by women who immediately fell in love with him. It is such an intricate chain in this horse world we are part of. Without those out there monitoring and bringing in the orphans, newborns and injured foals/horses, we would not be able to do what we do. I am so grateful to be part of all of this. It was also very humbling as when we went looking for the foal, I was pretty much useless. (Not just because my back and neck are in agony from the accident, but because I can only walk short distances on a good day, but generally need my wheel chair to even get through an airport, or if we go any kind of distance. So I really believe we are each chosen to shine in different areas. My hat goes off to all you amazing "horse angels" out there. I thank God that you do what you do, so we can do what we do and with everyone working together, we can continue to save more lives. We will be sending out some pix of "Romeo" to follow. (I was just talking to Shirley and she was headed out to take pix of him and he lay down in the poop.) Babies love to lay in poo. It is warm and they all do it! I know that every single time the news or tv was headed out to see Honey Bandit, or Chilly Pepper too, they would find that one pile of poo and lay in it This often causes people to worry when they head out to the holding facilities sometimes because they do not realize that babies will seek it out and lay in it, so when you see babies with poop on their sides, it is simply because they enjoy a nap in it. Babies also eat poop. I have heard people say oh- there is no food at the holding facilities and the babies have to eat poop. Well, babies eat poop because it provides what they need for their digestive systems. It comes from the older horses, and provides immunities and probiotics. Another quick fact, the reason there is not food out all the time at the holding facilities is because the horses would over eat and die. In the wild, they graze all day, but they generally move anywhere from 12-15 miles per day. I have had people come and visit and they worry because there is not a constant supply of food. Well, it's kind of like giving a 3 year old free access to candy. A stomach ache is pretty much guaranteed. So if ya'll visit the holding facility and you see a baby with poop on him and he is eating poop and he has a little green goober in his nose, remember, that is all okay. Most babies in the holding pens can easily end up with green boogies because it is often very windy in the great state of Nevada, and alfalfa has this beautiful little green fluff that gets caught up in the wind. Add that to normal discharge from a baby in windy weather and you have green boogies. Do pay attention if a baby has yellow mucous discharge, because that can very well mean they have an infection or a cold which could lead to something else. Have a wonderful day, and thank you for your continued support. I am so excited we have a trailer to use and fix up for the foal rescue. Once again things can seem "Too good to be true", and be a gift from God. Say your prayers that fuel prices stop rising as that can be a very large expense when you travel 400+ miles round trip each time. We are also on call for the Burns Facility up in Oregon if any foals are injured, sick or orphaned, and that is even farther. Again, thank you to all the "horse angels" out there who are trudging up and down hills for miles in the heat to make sure our horses are safe and have adequate range to support them. Ya'll Rock! Hugs to you!! Palomino & the Gang Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang www.chillypepper.weebly.com [email protected] (paypal)
These are that last 4 horses that need to find homes soon. They are part of a large seizure and have been at a boarding facility while the case when through the court system. If anyone can help, please contact me. Talique also called Rocky, grey gelding, 7 years? He's got a great personality, walks right up to me in the field, stands quietly for the farrier, loaded right up in my three horse trailer. He enjoys being groomed and was very patient when I had to spend an hour getting the dreadlocks out of his mane and tail. I really think he will make someone a nice riding horse. 
Connie bay TB mare aged 20+. She's the hardest keeper of the group. She's had her teeth floated (March), and they were not in that bad of shape. However, she doesn't like to be inside (she was in a stall for two years straight) and out in the field she is constantly moving and pushing the others from one hay pile to the next. She's pleasant to handle, good for the farrier and loaded right into the trailer. I'm thinking that she has had some training under saddle, but I have not ridden her. She has an ok appetite, I'm thinking she might have ulcers to some degree. 
Graphique black tobiano warmblood mare, 20+. She is very pushy on the ground, she drug me everywhere when she first came, now she'll walk with me as long as I have a forward pace!! :) She is the dam of one of the stallions (newly gelded). She is good for the farrier, loaded right in the trailer, but I'm not sure of any riding history. She is a weaver if she is kept in a stall. 
KC bay TB/Warmblood cross (my best guess), I'm not sure of her age, but it should be on her paperwork. This is a big stout mare, she has very little respect for anyone leading her, she isn't mean, just oblivious of me when I'm leading her. She is the easiest keeper of the group, the other mares get out of her way and she is the only one without a scrape on her. She's opinionated with the farrier, not a kicker, just reluctant at times to actually pick up her foot.... She also loaded in the trailer with no issues. I have not ridden nor worked her in a round pen, stories include that she is a bucker & that she is lame (no evidence of lameness that I have seen) She is a weaver if kept in a stall. 
HI
I am sitting here extremely frustrated and simply cannot believe how evil people can be. There are so many scams out there - When is "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" a message from God that your faith is being answered, and when is it just a big scam? Our whole rescue is based on Faith and the belief that God wants us to do what we do. That is proven to us with each and every donation we receive, and every time He leads us to another miracle, Honey Bandit being a prime example. How many times have we come to pick up a foal with barely or not enough funds to go over and pick them up and get back home. (I have been chastised for picking up foals when we don't have a lot of cash flow, but we always have the "start up" meds and food at home, or know that we are getting help with food when we get the foal). But I read somewhere, and actually had printed out the message, "YOU KNOW A DREAM IS FROM GOD IF IT IS TOO BIG TO DO BY YOURSELF - FOR IT REQUIRES FAITH, AND GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE FAITH". I truly believe this. That is why we will always answer the calls to come and get the critically ill or orphaned babies, because I know that is what God wants and ya'll always prove this by your support. It is so wonderful that it is TOGETHER, THAT WE SAVE THESE BABIES, or at the very least, make them as comfortable as possible in their last few hours of life if they cannot be saved. Not too long ago, we were pretty much out of hay. Matt was heading up north and planning on picking up hay on the way back. We received the completely unexpected news that our hay supply had ended. We did not have enough money to purchase hay at California prices, and I was pretty much crushed. I started to wonder, am I supposed to keep doing this? Is it really a mission from God or from my own self. So I looked up, tears running down my face and just prayed. I asked God to make it clear what He wanted. Because I cannot do this alone. Not even with the fabulous family that I have and all their endless work. It takes all of US, and I MEAN YOU AS PART OF US, and there were simply not enough funds to do what we needed to do. I swear that it wasn't twenty minutes later that the phone rang, and I was once again standing there with tears rolling down my face. The call was a friend of ours and she was asking if I wanted some free hay for the rescue. A wonderful gentlemen in Shingletown wanted to donate. ONCE AGAIN, GOD MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO! Although fund raising is my very least favorite part of this, it is a neccessity sometimes, but in that case, God had already answered our prayers. Now this leads me to our latest frustration. We have been looking for a "rolling foal hospital", so we are properly set up to give the foals that we pick up every possible advantage. We are pretty much open to anything that will work, and I do know that eventually the perfect little "roller hospital" will show up. But as I was looking on the internet for the "perfect roller", we found an amazing slant load trailer with living quarters that would be perfect for what we do. Here comes the "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE", but I was excited, thinking it might be another deal like the hay showing up right when we needed it. However, it that is clearly not the case. They want us to send money, which would be held somewhere etc. etc. Sometimes I just don't know whether I have too much faith or am just naive. In any case, I wanted to bring attention to these scams as I know that there are other people out there who believe in what they are doing and might be just as naive as I can be some times. So beware of these great internet deals, (and I know that most of you are probably way smarter and wouldn't even dream of believing them), but for people like me who live on faith and see the "Too Good To Be True" happen, well, we need to take care. Just wanted to share this. Please keep your eyes open for any legitimate possibilities for us. We appreciate any and all your help in finding us the perfect rolling foal hospital. Keep up all your good work and stay safe. Thank you again for all the ongoing support you give the horses and the rest of the critters. You make the world a better place, and make it "ok" even though there are people out there trying to take advantage. I also wanted to make sure that I said THANK YOU AGAIN for all the help and support for Rocky and all the others. Once again I am behind on my "thank you's". It was a beautiful and heartbreaking month I spent with my mom up in Washington. Getting to be there with her for the last few weeks of her life was truly a blessing. But I do feel badly that I haven't sent out proper thank you's. So Thank You! for not only your help but for your patience. God bless and thanks for being part of the family! Hi ya'll, Again, sorry it has been so long since I sent out an update. Rocky, the "Rock Star", was in is first parade yesterday. We went to the Oodles of Noodles celebration in Dayton, NV yesterday. Rocky did fabulous, although he was still not impressed with meeting people, he did let everyone come and see him. There were quite a few people there, and lots and lots of kids and dogs. However, when it came time to strut his stuff in the parade, that little little light bulb lit right up. He kind of sauntered through, stopping for numerous visits from people and always posing when the cameras came out. He was not "prancing", but he was definitely letting people know that he "rocks". He behaved fabulously, walking along on his "soft lead", never crowding or overstepping the space boundaries. He was the star, and he was darn sure of that fact. I think Honey Bandit has been teaching him how to pose, and that when anyone has a camera out, (except for Mom of course) to make sure you turn and face them with ears pointed etc. I am so proud of how well he did. It was very hot, there were lots and lots of people, lots of dogs of all sizes, lots of kids that wanted to run up (and they were not using their inside voices) and loud music and just generally lots of commotion and stimulating energy. But he took it all in like a seasoned pro and didn't even flinch. There was one brief moment when he reacted slightly, just stopping and then wanting to walk away quickly. It was a very bright booth, but there was a rattle sound and he didn't like that. Of course that means he would probably not go up to a rattling snake. :) Honey Bandit is shedding out and seems to be getting quite dark, and all is well at Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang. We are thinking about having our "open house" / Joint birthday party for Honey Bandit and Chilly Pepper in July. Honey Bandit will be a happy two year old this July, and we are planning to be at the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo, in Nevada this year in August. We are looking forward to all of our visits with ya'll this summer. It is so beautiful up where we are and we are definitely above the heat. So make a note in your calendars to come up and visit, either for the party or just when you want to bring friends, kids, grandkids etc. for a day of critters and fresh air. Hugs and God bless, and thank you for your continuing support which allows us to continue to do what we do! Without you, there would be no Honey Bandit, Chilly Pepper, Rocky, Suri just to mention a few.
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