UPCOMING EVENTS
Grand Junction 2010 Farmer's Market
Main Street, Grand Junction, CO
June 24th
July 15th
August 19th
September 9th
Yard Sale
Plateau Valley Clinic Collbran, CO
Saturday July 3rd and Sunday July 4th
Donate your stuff for this event! Contact us for more details at 487-3839 or 487-3266
Brookfield Arts Festival
Brookfield, IL, Grand Boulevard
Saturday July 10th and Sunday July 11th
OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Sheila Campbell - President
Dana Lysons - Treasurer/Graphic Designer
Mitzi DeMont - Secretary
Open (We are seeking someone to fill this position. Please contact us for more details).
YOU CAN HELP US!
Volunteer Your Time!
We could always use donations, but we also could use your time! If anyone has experience writing for grants and is willing to volunteer their time doing so, we would love to hear from you.
Our Wish List
Horse hair (from the tail, small section so it's not noticable)
Grass hay (no alfalfa or clover)
Beet pulp (no molasses)
Flax seed
Rice bran
Large Wheelbarrow
Horse panels & gates
Building supplies for barns/shelters
Pea-sized gravel
2-3 gallon rubber feed tubs
1 gallon feed buckets
Rope Halters
Lead Ropes
Funds
Amanda, In Memory Of
Welcome to Amanda's Foundered Friends Horse and Equine Rescue's first official newsletter! AFF was founded a year and a half ago by four friends with a deep love of animals, specifically horses. We have all cared deeply for all four-legged critters our entire lives, and were always looking for a way to better help those that could not help themselves. Finally, the horse rescue came into being, and our dream is becoming a reality. We are focusing on the misunderstood issue of founder and other hoof ailments, and trying to help as many of these majestic creatures as we can that would otherwise be euthanized. Our quarterly newsletter will provide information on our upcoming events, as well as updates on our rescued equines and those up for adoption. We will also try to include an informational article in each newsletter on a topic we think may be interesting or help the general well-being of all the horses out there lucky enough to have loving homes for life. If you have any topic you think would be interesting or that you would like more information on, please let us know and we will do our best to include it! We love to hear feedback, so let us know what you think of our newsletter and what we can do better! aff@amandasfounderedfriends.org
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Equine Rescue Update We currently have a molly mule, Rosie, that we are rehabilitating. She is an albino, and so she was born with no pigment to any of her skin or hair, both of which reflect sun into her eyes. Her pink eyelids were very sensitive to the sun making them uncomfortable and constantly weepy. Her eyelids were also prone to sunburn. On April 10th, a local tattoo artist tattooed her eyelids for us. Unfortunately due to her age, her eyelids were somewhat scarred, which doesn't allow the tattooing to take as well as it does in very healthy skin. She now has permanent grey eyeliner on both eyes, and the darkened skin seems to be a bit more comfortable for her eyes. We wish it would have turned out darker, but are happy she has at least a small degree of relief from the glare of the hot summer sun.
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...before tattooing...
...after tattooing...  |
It's Summer Time!
Summer is upon us! Is your horse ready for the heat? There are a few factors to think about when you consider your horse's summer home. Shelter, water, and activity are all easily overlooked. While many horses will avoid the shelter of a barn in any type of inclement weather, some form of shade should always be available to a horse, even in the winter. Horses tend to prefer open shade, such as a tree, to closed shade, like a barn. Think of it from your horse's perspective- picture yourself laying in the shade of a large fluffy cottonwood tree on a 100 degree day, with a nice breeze blowing through your hair. Conversely, picture yourself on the same day, standing inside a closed up barn with no breeze to reach you and the barn becoming more and more stuffy and stifling. Seems like an obvious choice, doesn't it? If you don't have a nice tree for your horse- no worries. You can always buy or even make some form of shade for your horse. There are many pre-built lean-to's out there, as well as plans to build one yourself. Preferably the lean-to would have at least two open sides, to allow proper ventilation and natural cooling. If money is an issue, put a few 4x4s and a tarp together and your horse can have it made in the shade!
Another important aspect for your hoofed friend to beat the heat is plenty of clean cool water. Most people are great at making sure their horses have water all summer, and even keep their water troughs pretty clean. However, location of the trough is important too- shade is definitely preferable. While water may be cool early in the morning, it can quickly become warm istting in the sun; this is especially true if the trough itself is a dark color- this is more likely to absorb heat. Just like us, horses are less likely to consume as much water as they should on a hot summer day if their water isn't nice and cool.
Planning on taking your pasture potato out for a nice long ride one weekend? Remember, if your horse isn't used to lots of exercise, even a couple miles on a hot day can be tough. If possible, get your horse acclimated by exercising a bit each day. If that's not possible, just be sure to take it nice and easy, offering plenty of breaks during your ride. Also just like us, horses can have sore muscles for a day or two after hard exercise that they aren't used to, so don't plan back-to-back long rides when your horse isn't used to it!
Keep your horse happy, cool, and safe this summer, and you'll both be happy!
