Life At Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

Horses In Need Of Help!!!!!

2009-08-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

Forwarded Message ----

If anyone can help, please email Diana ASAP with the number of horses you can house, thanks. Her email is voiceforhorses@wmconnect.com
Hopefully more of these horses can be saved!
I am forced to get involved in a horrible situation in Galatin TN involving 186 horses and 30 mules. There is a rescue that has spoken for all the mules, so we are looking at a desperate situation with horses. HSUS says if we ask for their help, they will euthanize the horses, and they will euth any that we can't get out of there.

HSUS is willing to take care of prosecuting the owner, but seems to think saving this many horses is not possible. A dog rescuer named Maureen, who knows nothing about horses (her rescue took 70 dogs from the place) has contacted me for help, and she has bravely determined that the horses won't die. She had no idea from there what to do next, but her dog rescue volunteers have found trailers and drivers to deliver horses, and have recruited horsie friends to care for the horses that can't travel. Vets are currently getting Coggins Tests on every horse, and are worming every horse. Unfortunately, the ones that would be best to bring here (because of my vet abilities) can't make the trip for a while. The rescues in TN all together have arranged to save 40 horses, leaving 146. Can you help me save them? I think if we all network like we did last year, we can do this! The horses are all handle-able and sweet.

There are Quarter Horses and TN Walkers. There are many mares in foal. Maureen thinks maybe 20 mares in foal, but she is trying to sort how many of what as we speak. She thinks there are some ponies as well. Here is my question for all of you: The trip to your facilities will be too much for most of the horses. I have 44 horses at Horse-Angels currently, and we struggle as always with grain, hay, farrier, bedding, and medication costs. We have lots of land, but these horses need shelter and many sound like they need a stall in my barn. I can put most of my recovered and healthy horses outside if I can afford more sheds for our pastures so that stalls can go to the neediest guys, and I can put the stronger arrivals in my paddocks and isolation area. If I can get 30-40 here to get stronger for a couple weeks, can any of your rescues (or others you may know of that are good quality) commit to taking some? Can you each give me a number that you could house, and I will get those, plus what I can handle, transported here? I will get them strong enough to travel (I will keep the weakest ones here and sort stronger ones for your rescues), and hopefully within 2 weeks , they can be picked up to head north. I don't know if the volunteer transporters that are currently hauling from TN will still be available to help by the time they can travel, so you would have to find transport. My goal is to get as many out as we can through our networking. That would be great if we could save them all. Realistically, I'm thinking maybe we can get 40 out. Can you help do you think? They want a number by Monday so they can start getting them out before HSUS steps in and destroys them. Oh yes- there are some elk as well if anyone is interested. Elk can have tuberculosis, so you would want them tested before bringing them home! Thanks so much! I wanted to work with all of you again, but not with quite this manyJ

Sue
Diana Murphy
Founder/President
Voice For Horses Rescue Network
PO Box 566
Toledo , Ohio 43697
(419) 247-0025
www.voiceforhorses.org

Neat Repeats Consignment Boutique Grand Opening.

2009-04-13T13:21:00.001-07:00

Neat Repeats Consignment Boutique

Grand Opening

Saturday April 18^th

Everyone is invited to the grand opening at Neat Repeats on Saturday April 18^th form 10am till 5pm.

Neat Repeats is a new store at 8492 Hiram Acworth Highway behind Kroger's Shopping Center in Dallas . This new store is a Consignment Boutique that sells new and used clothes, household items and more. Need to clean out the closets, and make a little extra cash then call Nancy Szopinski at 770-966-9991 for more details.

There will be pony rides held by Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue, Inc. Rides will be $3.00 per ride per person and all money goes to help feed the horses at their rescue facility. There will be more fun stuff for the kids.

See you all on Saturday April 18^th

In Memory of Jason Smith U.S.M.C

2009-04-12T22:37:00.001-07:00

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer.

JASON SMITH U.S.M.C

8-18-1979--4-12-2009

--
REDNECK

Everyone, please stop and pray to Jason and tell him thank you for giving his life for us, and for land that is not ours. Too young to fight, too young to die, and for what?

God Bless You Jason Smith U.S.M.C.

Majestic Is His Name

2009-04-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Majestic Is His Name and Life Is His Game

Our little colt now has a name placed on him. Majestic it is,

strong and happy, full of life and love. He will touch every sole

that passes his way. Size is not what makes you, your heart

is. Majestic is everything he should be, God has blessed us

well. Majestic is our Easter, he is our smile, love, strength,

laughter today. You have a way of making ones troubles

seem so small, so unimportant and that means something.

They may not see it but I do, all eyes are on you, smiles and

laughter, what greater day can that be.

Happy Easter Majestic!

Thank you God.

Majestic Is His Nam

Eddie, Eddie , Eddie, You Make My Heart Smile:

2009-03-27T14:15:00.001-07:00

Never underestimate a blind horse. Eddie has been such a big smile here on our farm from the day he got here. He makes me laugh, and sad at times. I understand him and he is loved by so many people that come here. Eddie knows how to train the human that comes to his home.

Let's see, If he is hanging out at the top gate when you come in ya got to pay the toal fee. Your payment has to be in the form of a treat, it's ok if it is horse treats, carrots, apples with no seeds; any one will do for him and Champ. Now if you fail to pay the toal you may get dirty looks, he may stand in front of the gate and even fallow you up the driveway and catch ya when ya get out of your car. You will pay the toal for coming in. It is so funny explaining it to people prior to them coming here.

Champ is Eddies best friend that lives in the pasture next to him. We do not own Champ, he belongs to my neighbor. Champ is a 7 year old Tenn. Walker, both him and Eddie are joined at the hips. If Champ isn't at their hanging spot Eddie yells for him and he comes a running. My heart melts every time they are together. We even put up a shelter tent for Eddie so the rain and sun were not bother him. We have tried putting other horses with Eddie but he isn't happy. We even begged our neighbor not to keep Champ from seeing Eddie, we have even offered to care for Champ, nope he will not. If the money was right I know we could buy Champ for Eddie but I know the price on that horse would be more than we can afford right now.

Yesterday our big pasture of horses were running and playing then all of a sudden Eddie started bucking and running just as if he were in with all the other horses. Yep, I laughed and smiled at him,

" you go Eddie; "what a guy.

We have been putting the round bale of hay in the stock trailer because we don't have enough room to store it in the barn right now. I kept the door open for Eddie to stick his head in and eat at will. Never thought he would climb inside and spend the night in there eating the hay; Stupid me. He has never offered to get into the trailer until the rain started and hasn't let up yet. Can't say as I blame him for getting in. Now, Eddie is a big boy and uses up the trailer. I don't mind, I clean up his messes and make sure he has plenty of hay to get into when he climbs into the trailer. Eddie hasn't been in a trailer off our property since we got him, tuff getting him in and he is happy right where he is. Like I said, he makes us smile and brings much laughter to our place. I wouldn't trade my blind man for all the money in the world.

Dear Eddie,

Eddie, you are what love, friendship and laughter is all about man. We love your big Appy butt. You are a true gift from God; our gift to share with the world. You are the strength of our rescue, you are Harmony Meadows to us all. Keep us laughing and smiling buddy.

Your friend

Debbie

SUMMER RIDING CAMP WITH JESSY

2009-03-10T14:30:00.001-07:00

GB's Summer Camp

Hurt Rd. Smyrna

June 1-5
9am-2:30am

$350.00

($325.00) if Registered before April 20⁾

Games, Horse Care, Riding, Feeding, Brushing and MORE…

Snacks, drinks, horses and fun provided

Jessy Sovoda

404-358-4767

Some Horse Owners

2009-03-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

I hate to write this, but it happens to me all the time. I get emails and calls about people wanting us to take their old horses, lame horses or unbroken horses. Now, the way I see it, you own the horse, you no longer want it because it is old, lame or you do not know what you are doing. This is not what rescue facilities are for; RESCUE means just that. You expect rescues to step up and care for your horse that you no longer want. Why? You wanted it.

Now, don't get me wrong, if someone is in financial difficulty and truly is then I have no problem. If the owner has passed away then I have no problem. If a county shelter calls me then I have no problem.

But to walk away from your responsibility just doesn't set right with me at all when you should be the one . This is why we have so many shelters having to put cats and dogs down.

Why in the heck did you get a horse in the first place? Horses are not meant to be a status symbol for anyone. They should be a lifetime commitment; I know mine are. I couldn't dream about getting rid one of my horses just because of my own selfish reasons.

You know, these horses could care less if you ever rode them again. They could care less if you ever put a halter on them again. Providing they have companionship of another horse. Let's not forget to feed and water them.

I have several questions that are pretty standard now. What's wrong with it? how old is it? Send me a picture and I can tell ya if it is sound or not most of the time.

I love what I do with this rescue to my inner core. This is why I have had enough with the people who don't step up and deal with it. Take care of your own horse, most of the time you are the one who caused it to go lame, so why do you fill it shouldn't be you to take care of it anymore now? Right?

For the love of the horse..

Mary's Horses

2009-03-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

My horses are rescued boys.
Zip is a Quarter horse and when we got him he was thin and nervous. He was 4yrs old at the time and had been through some tough times. He had been passed around to many places( I wouldn't call homes! )even raffled off once. He has a scar on his chest that our farrier told us he had probably got caught on a fence pole.
His feet were in horrible shape over grown and cracked. It took a year or better to fix that. He is now doing GREAT is a lovable giant that found his forever home.
I can't even put in words how much we love him!! Our baby Raja is a real sad story. We found him on the Internet. He was falsely advertised I don't even think it was his pic that we saw.They were giving him away ,lady said she had just had a baby and didn't have the time to work with him .She told us that she had gotten him a the auction and put him out with her other horses and went on vacation.Raja was 7 mo old ,other horses beat him up pretty bad he was said to have been down near a roll of hay for a few days in the rain. anyway to try and shorten this .
He was supposed to be doing good and all he needed was a good home and some time ,he needed some body to walk him around to build up his stength. We thought poor little guy we could do that . I had lots of time ,my husband is a over the road truck driver and I am alone most of the time. ,so we got the trailer and drove the hour and half to get him. Well this poor baby was almost dead. He was so skinny just bones and skin!!! covered with lice, ringworm ,rain rot and to many open wounds to count. a couple that were pretty severe-.
Needless to say he could barely stand let alone walk. We loaded him up and called our vet who stayed open and waited for us. HE said that Raja probably wouldn't have made another day or so he was so weak . We went home armed with shots ,mends good food ,lots of hay and a wonderful vet that helped us through.
My husband stayed home from work for a month. In that month Raja COULDN'T get up by himself .
We picked him up every couple hours ,cleaned him and loved him. We pretty much lived in the barn it was winter and it was cold we bought him a coat so he wouldn't be cold. He is now almost 2 and is healthy, happy and full of life! We love our horses and hope for many years of their friendship Thank YOU for listening I really needed to tell some one that would really get the it! ..............Mary

Thank you Mary,
Thank you for taking the time, and allowing me to share your story about your new beginning with Zip and Raja. Please, feel free to keep us posted on how your boys continue to impact your life, and you theirs.
It takes big hearts, and angles to step in to do what you and your husband did for Zip and Raja..
Thank you both.
Debbie

Macy and Katy A Year Later

2009-02-17T21:25:00.001-08:00

I used to be scared of the horse I now consider my best friend. Macy Grey is my 4 year old Appaloosa-Quarter horse gelding. I adopted him from Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue two years ago, and in those two years I have developed a bond with him, a bond that will never be broken. He went from being a scared young horse, who was a hand full for everyone, to a more bold and friendly horse. He will now go up to almost anyone (especially if you have treats), when before he would only come up to me. Macy is what I consider my very own miracle from God. He became my best friend; he trusted me and followed me even when I wasn't sure of my self. He has made me a more confident kid. My life is so much more interesting with him in it. Either this year or next Macy and I will be going to shows together, and if we win first place or not it doesn't matter. I would just be happy we made it that far together. With the help of Mrs. Debbie my dreams for Macy and myself have taken off. Debbie is the one who walked me through everything, from how to catch him to how to side-pass him. Without her help I don't know where I would be now.

Debbie-Thank you for everything you have done for me and for Macy. I don't know if I could have done it without you. Thank you again. I love ya'll

Stanley,

2009-02-04T20:40:00.001-08:00

Stanley is my male Siamese cat that has owned us for almost a year.

He is something else. Let's see, The breakfast bar should bear no items on it unless you want it ending up in the other part of the house. Only Stanley can tell you where.

He loves our dogs, BayBay, Dott, and Cricket. Two of the dogs are Great Pyrenees and Cricket is a Jack Russell Terrier. At 11 am Stanley and Cricket chase each other around the house for an hour or so. Around 3 pm Stanley BayBay and Dott join forces and play chase in the house. Then at bedtime Stanley curls up with Dott for some sleep.

He sticks his nose in every ones business, even in my purse.

Let the wet food be gone and you will not hear the end of his meows..

He also likes to ride around the house on my shoulders.

Life is never dull for Stanley, he makes fun out of just about anything.

He is a One-Of-A-Kind of cat.

Needed

2009-01-20T12:33:00.001-08:00

Instructors Needed:

We are looking for 3 Natural Horsemanship Instructors that want to donate their time working with horses, and children. Our Winter, and Spring Camps will be starting soon.

We need an Instructor For Beginner Classes

We need an Instructor For Intermediate Classes

We need an Instructor For Advanced Classes

Must be 18 years or older for any of these positions.

We do have horses available for the Winter and Spring Camps.

Equine Trainers

We are looking for people who enjoy spending their time working with horses.. We are only looking for people that do Natural Horsemanship. Some of the horses we have are unbroken, and have started on their level one training

We are looking for volunteers only at this time. If you are interested please email us at rescue@harmonymeadows.org

Its Spring Break

2009-01-12T21:40:00.001-08:00

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

770-505-5020

All money goes to support the Horse Rescue.

April 6, 2009 April 10

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Price per child $155.00

Ages 6 years and up

The space is limited

*Pony Rides

*Playing games with horses

*Arts and Crafts

* And some good ole fun!

Bay and Dott: My Dogs

2009-01-06T21:19:00.001-08:00

Bay Bay and Dippen Dott

Here are our so called guard dogs aka couch dogs. Two Great Pyrenees dogs, brother and sister who both have brought much joy to many people at such a young age.

They hate to get their feet wet when it rains, and love to be around people. They live a simple and happy life here, as they should.

I bought Bay and Dott almost 2 years ago as puppies. They were to be outside dogs to guard the goats and sheep. That never happened, they got their butts kicked by one of the goats, and that was all it took. I couldn't stand seeing them in the heat so I had them come in to stay in the house with the AC. They now guard the couch. They get their run around the property when the weather permits. Bay lives to go to the pond and play in the mud every chance he gets. He looks like a little boy jumping up and down in the mud. Momma said no, but it will be ok, I won't get to muddy. I know she won't get mad. Little does he know I am watching every jump he jumps, and I laugh the whole time he is doing it. What's a little MUD!

Dot, well she would rather not get dirty at all, but still loves to run the pasture. Her biggest thrill of the day is when people come, she thinks they are here to see here and no one else. Oh, she gets so excited and wines and jumps up and down. ME! ME! ME! Pet me! Her Love for kids is unlike none I have ever seen. Dott and Bay love little kids. One on each side, and off they go with the child. It is the cutest thing you ever seen. Most of the kids that visit are smaller than the dogs, now that makes your eyes water at times.

These are my guard dogs of love, and they never go hungry for anything life offers here.

We lost them several months ago when the husband failed to shut the gate as he left to get hay. That was the hardest week I ever had. I missed my babies so much. We had all of Georgia looking for our puppies. Both tagged, we had fliers everywhere and pictures posted on every site we could post them on. When we got the call that they were found I couldn't contain myself. They were ¾ of a miles from the house. When we all got home we piled up on the couch and took a long nap. They have never left my sight since that day.

Now the hair can get to ya after awhile. You can only brush so much and vacuum so many times a day. I keep them trimmed, but not shaved. They are so pretty when they are white. Their hair does not retain dirt for long. They lie down on the hardwood floor to nap, and by the time they wake up you have a ring of dirt where they laid. I go through 2 vacuums a year so far. This time we got a hardwood floor vacuum. One that they use to get the dust up from when the install the wood. Trust me, it will suck the hair off a spiders back. I recommend anyone who owns pets with lots of hair to get one of these. You can get them at a hardwood floor dealership supplier. Couldn't tell you the cost, but it is well worth it. It will be you next best friend to clean.

I want your pet story here.

2009-01-06T20:34:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

Where did 2008 go? Another year older, more gray hair, and wrinkles. I still put one foot in front of the other every morning.

I would like it if anyone who has a story to tell about a pet any pet, please send it so I may post it. We love our horses, but we also have great passion for our other pets here.

We have dogs, cats, goats, sheep, chickens, a pig and I think that is it for now. Tomorrow is another day around here. Every animal we have here is loved by all that comes here. Yep, even the chickens have names here.

I want to share your story about your pet. You write it I will post it. I will be posting stories about our pets here. I look forward to reading and posting your pet story.

To Have A Horse IN Your Life

2009-01-06T20:16:00.001-08:00

This was sent in by a lady I know "Kathy"

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we've made the right choice.

Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people- which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.

If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor in "drive."

In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he' fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn.

And, while some people think the horse "does all the work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.

You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our over saturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses - it's about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.

Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place.

In The Eyes of A Teenager “Madison”

2008-12-27T19:20:00.001-08:00

C-Choosy on who you trust.
E-excellent horse.
D-dreaming he was mine.
R-raising your head to see me.
I-intelligent in every way.
C-calling you mine

Cedric, I wish I could call you mine. You are my favorite horse. You have the best personality in the world. Whenever I come to your pasture you always come and knicker at me. You trust me in every way and I feel like one when I'm with you. I feel like you're my guardian angel and I can tell you anything. If I had the money you would be mine. You have a beautiful head a kind soft eyes. I love the way you move so freely and wild. You have so much spirit which gets my attention. The first day I came to the farm I kept staring at you like we were meant to be. I think we were, cause I never get over you. You are in my head all the time. Whenever I work with you we excel at something with just one step at a time. I'm glad that you trust me cause I trust you. I sure hope to know you for the rest of my life cause you are an amazing horse that I love so dearly much. You have a great home where everyone loves you, but I love you the most. We have the best friendship that I could asked for in a horse and I hope know one takes that away from us. Love you so much Cedric I'll see you soon.

Love,

Madison

Quote Of The Day

2008-12-23T05:32:00.001-08:00

What you have outside you counts less than what you have inside you.

It Is A Shame It Happened

2008-12-18T18:33:00.001-08:00

Please take a moment and read the next two articles to understand where I am coming from.

First posted below is the Equine Law set to protect them. Next post shows you just how well they are being used. Once again the Ag Department failed to do their duties to protect these horses.

This man was under investigation for a year, and for what? So he can let his horse die and more starve to the point where bones are showing. I mean come on Ag.!

Also stated that the owner had been cited several times, and only to pay no attention to the citations.

Why do we have laws then? Why do we have an Ag. Department with veterinarians? Why do you put horses back into the population of the human only to start the cycle all over again? Why don't you geld the stallions that come in? Where are your adoption forms that could protect these horses better? I understand that nothing is full proof, but something is better than what you are doing right now. It is still nothing, if it were something than these horses would not be in the shape they are in.

It is the job you chose, and if you can't do it than give it to a person who will.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It is an issue isn't it? It is money. Money the root of all evil in this world. Words we have all heard before. What the H they are just words aren't they?

If the police department can have a system set up to make sure that people have insurance on their cars or go to jail when they are pulled over, then why can't the Ag Department come up with a better system of documenting and making sure these animals go to safer homes?

Yes, I do put some of the blame on our Ag. Department for the conditions these horses were found in and for the dead horse. A year? Come on! I would rather the man had sent these horses to the slaughter house than hear they had to suffer through what they have over the last year. To me that would be a life time of hell.

Could you only take the time and forget to feed yourself for the next year and have to deal with the elements of the weather on a day to day bases? We all know that will not happen.

This should have never happened!! It is a shame that it did happen.

Humane Care for Equines Act

2008-12-18T18:02:00.001-08:00

Our equine health section is responsible for enforcing the Humane Care for Equines Act, the Equine Act of 1969, and excerpts of the Animal Protection
Act. Enforcement of these laws is achieved through the inspection of equine sales, abuse complaints, stables and events. We also manage the Equine Infectious Anemia Control Program.

The Animal Protection Act requires all stables that charge a fee for boarding, holding, training, breeding, riding, pulling vehicles, or similar purposes to be licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. All equine at these facilities must be provided with adequate food, water, and shelter. Stable owners must maintain records of current, negative Equine Infectious Anemia tests, purchases and sales.

The equine industry is also monitored for Equine Infectious Anemia through the enforcement of the Equine Act of 1969. Regulations require a negative test within the last 12 months on all equine sold, traded, given away, or moved for change of ownership. All equine assembled for exhibitions, rodeos, trail rides, or other activities must also have a current, negative Equine Infectious Anemia test. Any equine testing positive for Equine Infectious Anemia must be quarantined at least 200 yards from all other equine, euthanized and buried, or shipped to slaughter.

The need for protecting the welfare of equine prompted the passing of the Humane Care for Equines Act in 1992, which requires that all equine are provided with adequate food and water, and are treated and cared for in a humane manner. The Act provides for inspections, impoundments, care, and disposition. Authority is granted for injunctions, restraining orders, and monetary penalties as required to achieve enforcement.

The Department currently employs 11 Equine Inspectors and one Equine Field Supervisor who are responsible for enforcing these laws throughout the state. Their duties include but are not limited to:

Inspecting licensed and unlicensed stables
Investigating complaints of inhumane care and treatment
Inspecting equine sales
Inspecting horse shows, rodeos, parades, and other events
Caring for impounded equine and managing 2 impound facilities
Enforcing disease eradication laws
Investigating reports of stolen equine
Enforcing dead animal disposal laws
Speaking to various organizations on equine issues
Responding to equine involved in disasters

It should never have taken a year!

2008-12-18T17:58:00.001-08:00

Adairsville man arrested for starving 7 horses

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A black horse lay dead at the bottom of the hill, its front legs scraped from a final struggle to stand.

Most of the other six horses in the Adairsville pasture had bones showing through their skin, and the feces from one contained rocks and pebbles, as if the animal had been rooting in the dirt for food.

Horses on Richard William Brown's farm near Adairsville

That was the scene authorities described after visiting the field outside the Adairsville mobile home of Richard William Brown.

A Bartow County Sheriff's Deputy accompanied a state Agriculture Department official, Courtney Farnon, to the property last week, and found the desperate conditions. The deputy arrested Brown, 48, when it became clear there was no food for the animals, according to an incident report filed Friday and obtained Wednesday.

Brown was charged with cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, Deputy Blake Hilley wrote in the report.

Hilley's report said a veterinarian determined the horse died from starvation and that all the surviving horses were "severely" underweight. It also said agriculture
officials had been investigating the situation for a year and had issued several violations for inadequate food that Brown had ignored.

"Richard showed me where he places the hay for the horses to eat," Hilley noted. "I did not observe any hay in or around the area where Richard said it was stored."

The surviving horses were impounded and taken to the Agriculture Department for medical treatment.More Stories

U.S. Department of Agriculture

More Related Subjects

Top of Form

Horse Tales for the Soul

2008-12-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

Go to htpp://www.thecompletepet.com and learn more about HORSE TAILS FOR THE SOUL. Horse Tales for the Soul is about the tales of human and their horse(s). Each chapter is written by a different writers from all over the world, sharing their experience and knowledge about a horse or horses in their lives. Stories that will touch your soul, warm your heart, and make you smile. This is the perfect Christmas gift for the horse lover in your family. You can purchase it either in Audio Edition or Paperback. The Complete Pet will also donate a portion of the proceeds to our facility. Not only will you bring a smile to the horse lover in your life; you will also be helping our rescue facility.
We all here at
Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue
Wish you and your family a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
God Bess You All!

Nora Said

2008-12-07T18:17:00.001-08:00

This is about Circles

C= Carrot Loving

I= Irritable

R= Regal

C= Choosy

L= Loving

E= Exceptional

S= Sneaky

Now Circles sounds like a lot of fun to me. Thank you Nora, for your incite about your Circles. You know your horse well, and this is what we look for in a true horse person.

You can also email us a picture to add to your horses name. Email rescue@harmonymeadows.org Please make sure that your name and horses name is on the email.

I am looking forward to seeing more meanings to more names. Keep sending them, and I will keep posting them.

Don't forget to hug your horse:0)

A Word From The Wise

2008-12-04T11:26:00.001-08:00

Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.

By. Bob Ottenhoff

In The Eyes of A Mom

2008-12-03T12:34:00.001-08:00

Dixie was born here at Harmony Meadows in May 2008. She is quite the girl, bold and loving. Dixie will melt your heart away, you can't help but fall in love with her. Her new mom Gail has also looked deep into the meaning of Dixie's name.

Dixie

D Delightful

I Inspiring

X xoxoxo

I Intelligent

E Exceptional

In The Eyes of A Child

2008-11-22T10:16:00.001-08:00

We have a young girl here that has adopted a young gelding, and his name is Jedidiah. This is what she sees in Jedidiah's name. Can you find in your horses name what he or she means to you? Send it, and we will post it.

Jedidiah

J= Joyful

E=Edgy

D=Dandy

I=Incredible

D=Delightful

I=Intelligence

A=Amazing

H=Happy

Can you see this in your horse?

Something Good Will Come Out Of This Noah

2008-10-29T12:30:00.001-07:00

It is sad to say that The Horse Beyond The Trees "Noah" has passed away. His angels were sent to him to allow Noah a peaceful, loving and warm death. I know in my heart that Noah got a kiss on his cheek, and a warm hand on his face. "It's ok Noah, you are safe now."

Noah,

Sweet Dreams Dear Noah,

Though I never had the pleasure of meeting you, my tears roll down my face. My tears are of anger, and sadness, my tears are of asking, not understanding how someone could be so cruel. You have brought many people together Noah, and you did not die in vain. Something good will come out of this Noah, I promise you this.

To the readers of Noah,

We ask each and every one who reads Noah's story to please help us raise the money to go get his pasture mates. They too need homes. That, we can give them, but we need to raise the money to go and get them. They are not in bad shape, and we do not want it to get to that. Winter is coming, and what we can't see is the unknown for the other two horses unless we can get them. Please put anger aside, and lets pull together, and bring these guys home. We have a PayPal account set up for donations. We are needing to raise $1500.00 to pay for the horses, and their transportation.

Horses Leave Hoof Prints In Our Hearts

He is safe now

2008-10-27T19:48:00.001-07:00

The Horse Beyond The Trees has got quite a few fans in Georgia. He is now on his way to a safe place, so now he can be cared for and loved.

I want to say thank you to all of you who were so kind in making sure he is safe. Taking the time to get the word out, and raising the money to get him. It takes a lot of work, but when you know it is the right thing to do, you know ya have to do whatever it takes. That is what all of you did as a group, great job!

Thank you

Sleep well tonight safe horse, your angles were sent.

God Bless you all!

The Horse Beyond The Trees

2008-10-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

Over the last few days a friend of mine and I have been worried about a horse that was up for sale. This horse is in bad shape, and the owners are aware of it as it were no problem. At first I thought it to be a sick joke, or someone wanting to pull a fast one on someone. No, it is neither of them: this is for real ya'll. My heart is heavy with worry now for this poor horse. With the lack of proper feeding and deworming and with the weather changing he will colic from the cold weather. It is as though everyone is waiting to see who goes first. WELL BY GEORGE I WILL GO!

We care for so many horses, the money is lacking, so what are we to do for The Horse Beyond The Trees? No one can see him, or do they just pretend he doesn't exist. The owners have. Is it that easy to turn the other cheek? How can someone sleep at night thinking that it is okay to allow, any animal to live like this? Can anyone out there answer this question, so that I may better understand? Because right now I have a hard time understanding stupidity!

The Horse Beyond The Trees needs us now, he needs help, he needs all of us to pull together and save him. NO, we can't save them all, but come on! this horse we can. I am willing to drive the 200 miles to go get him, but we need the funding to help him. We do have a PayPal account that you can donate to. The amount doesn't matter, just help us.

I didn't take this position to save horses to have to beg in order to do so. I have never had to beg for anything until I started rescuing horses. I love what I do when it comes to rescue. We are doing what God has asked me to do, and just like him we need helpers, and you, the public to help us do what we are meant to do. Now, we are needing you, but most of all The Horse Beyond The Trees needs all of us. Help me bring him home where he can eat, be loved, and have a happy life once again. We want to find him a safe home once he is healthy again.

HELP US HELP THE HORSE BEYOND THE TREES!

Thanksgiving Riding Camp

2008-10-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

Moms and Dads!

We are having a one week riding camp during the

Thanksgiving Holiday

for the kids.

Monday 24^th till Friday 28^th

Cost is $125.00 per child.

Times

7am till 6pm

Rain or Shine

Please bring them something to

eat and drink.

Call 770-505-5020

To book a slot

Limited Space Available

All money goes to

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

To help support the horses.

Bonita

2008-10-07T22:06:00.001-07:00

Bonita is a 11 year old Paso Fino mare that came to us along with 3 others last June. Bonita is the matriarch of the herd and did a wonderful job. Any time they felt any danger to the herd Bonita would send the mares to a safe place while Guapo took care of protecting his mares. A year later the herd has gone through many changes.

Guapo was gelded right away and the 3 mares were already pregnant when they arrived here at Harmony Meadows. Bonita was the first to have her baby, a filly, then Julie had a filly and Meg a stud colt. The weaning process was hard for Bonita, and I spent the time with her on training. Bonita is always on the guard, and having trust issues to top it off. We worked things out and had a wonderful bonding experience. She is awesome!

I am the only one riding and working Bonita due to her trust issues with strangers or anyone else that wants to deal with her. I have so much compassion for her, and her strength, beauty and misunderstandings from the human race. She is the most captivating horse I have ever worked with.

Last week some friends of ours came by to pick up some hay. A young man named Brian saw Bonita and went into her paddock. I let him know how she is with people and once he started he needed to finish. Don't leave her hanging and wondering what just happened.

I am here to tell you that I had the most beautiful experience of my life watching Brian and Bonita. Their language was so captivating it blew us all away. Brian stood very still squatted to the ground. I told him whatever he did he was not to move his feet to stay in the position he took. Brian fallowed my directions to the T and Bonita would threaten him time and time again. Her facial expressions were like reading a book along with her body language. I also directed Brian not to touch her unless she touches him first. He could not take from her; he had to have total respect for her, and what was happening. We were all in whoa mode by now. The head movements she made to try to get Brian to move were elegant in every way. Then as long as it took at a spit second you could see the threats stop. She then allowed Brian to touch her then she started touching his fingers with her lips asking him so softly to pet her. Brian replied with the softest touch across her jaw. I looked into her eyes and watch the stress disappear and pleasure took over. Brian then stood up and started walking away, and Bonita followed him around trusting him with every step they made. I asked him to stop to see what she would do. She walked up to him and asked him to pet her on her neck.

Bonita,

You are the most fascinating horse I have ever see, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of your life. You have taught me so much, and to put love into a hug when you are beside me is a special feeling.

Sometimes I see something missing when I am watching you, and I know what it is. Trust me my dear lady you will soon be with your herd once again. It has been a long road getting you all back together and the journey is nearing the end. I made you that promise, and I will stand by it. You, and your mares all the babies, and Guapo will be as one once again.

You are in my heart everywhere I go, and when I speak of you I smile with every word that I speak.

Eddie’s Friend

2008-09-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

The young lady that donated her allowance to help the horses.

She is the same young lady that made the drawing of Eddie, and is posted on this blog.

If you are reading this now please take a moment to stop and read her story

'MY MAILBOX'

We at Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

WISH YOU A

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You have inspired other people to donate to the rescue, and we all thank you for your big heart.

You are a very special young lady to all of us here at Harmony Meadows. I know your parents are so proud of you.

Eddie sends you a big hug and kiss for your birthday!

TrueHealth Atlanta

2008-09-25T21:16:00.001-07:00

Presents the Second Annual

2008
Cornerstone Community Challenge

Saturday, October 4^th

8:00am-12:00

A 5K Run to benefit the Shepherd's Rest Ministries

Women Shelter

Hosted by Cornerstone Chiropractic

Hiram Georgia

The 2008 Cornerstone Community Challenge is a 5K run benefiting Shepherd's Rest Ministries Women Shelter.

Shepherd's Rest Ministries, Inc. is a family violence crises center providing shelter and services to women and children who have been, or are at risk of being displaced from their homes due to family violence.

Shepherd's Rest offers victims a 24 hour crisis line where clients can receive domestic violence counsel, direction, and resource referrals.

Shepherd's Rest was established in June of 1997 and has obtained full 501©3 tax-exempt status.

Services include 24-hour emergency shelter, emergency transportation, food, clothing , resource referrals, in-house activities, and Legal Advocacy.

Cornerstone Community Challenge

5K Run/Walk and Health Fair

Saturday, Oct. 4^th, 2008

You can mail in your Registration By August 29^th, $15.00

Registration day of the race $20.00

Send your shirt size

Name

Address

Phone Number

Make your Check payable to TrueHealth Atlanta

Address to send to:

Cornerstone Chiropractic

C/O: TrueHealth Atlanta

5886 Wendy Bagwell Parkway

Suite 301

Hiram, Ga. 30141

(770)439-7765

The race will start and end at the

Poplar Square Shopping Center

5886 Wendy Bagwell PKWY

Hiram, Ga. 30141

Registration at 7:00am- Race Begins at 8:am

Pre-Pace warm-Up 7:45am.

Health Fair and refreshments will be available following the race.

Hope to see you at the race.

Calendar Events 2008

2008-09-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

770-815-3663

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

Sept. 28^th Pot-Luck get Together at Harmony Meadows,Please bring a dish to share with everyone.

Oct 4^th GB Stables: we will need volunteers to do a concession at the clinic. We need everyone to please try to donate something to the concession.

Cups, Ice, hamburgers, buns, candy, pickles, onions, mayo, mustard, coolers for the cokes, cokes and other canned drinks. We will need to barrow some ones grill to use. Plastic forks and knives, napkins, and anything else you can think of.

Oct.11^th
Pony Rides at -------School Fall Fest. More info will be given as soon as we get it. We will be needing to take 3 to 4 horses and ponies and need all the volunteers we can get.

Oct. 18^th: Spook-Tacular Costume Party Saturday Oct 18^th from 4pm till 10 pm We will be doing pony rides, so we will need volunteers to help. We will be bringing 2 ponies and 2 horses. We will need two people per horse and pony. Volunteers can dress up, but not the horses.

Oct 25^th We are invited to GB Stables for a Halloween Costume Horse Show, so if you want to go and compete, pick a horse and get your costumes together. Horse, and rider can dress up to
be judged. You can also compete in any of the other classes, but no bits will be allowed with our horses.

Dec. Christmas Parade: Date to be announced, anyone who wants to be in the Christmas Parade let me know; we will need to get a theme and start getting our decorations together. You can decorate a horse and be judged prior to the Parade starting. We will need a driver for the truck that will be in the parade. We will be also decorating the truck. For those of you who will not have a horse you can ride on the back of the truck. Let me know.

What we do and What we are about.

2008-09-12T07:19:00.001-07:00

Harmony Meadows is a Nonprofit Organization working to help saving unwanted or abused horses.

Not all horses are neglected or even abused. Some are just not wanted or owners can no longer afford to care for their horse(s) and need a safe place for them.

We work hard giving the best care for each horse here. No horse is treated unfairly here. We try very hard to find permanent loving homes for each horse we adopt out. We don't walk away from them, they will always be permanent with Harmony Meadows even once they find their new owner.

We geld all stallions that come here and no horse is allowed to be bred for any reason.

This we find will be a start in stopping the unnecessary breeding of horses.

Our vet bills run $500.00 plus a month, so that we can maintain the best level of wellness care for every horse here. We do not get a discount from our vets at all. We will continue using the vets that we have because we trust in what they do.

We Offer

We offer riding lessons, birthday parties, and are in need of volunteers. We also offer a Sponsorship Programs for anyone who is interested in sponsoring a specific horse. There are different levels of sponsorships. You may also sponsor as many horses as you like. We have a Foster program available for anyone who has the facilities to maintain horses.

This is a tax deductable expense on items only.

We are in Need of

We are in need of pasture work, dozer work, fence work, fill dirt, donations for feed and hay. Barn building and supplies, so that we can continue with our work.

Feed Donations

Anyone wishing to donate towards the feed of our horses can do so, at Acworth Feed

770-529-0319

As for Mark

Located at

5000 Lake Acworth Dr.

Acworth, Ga

30101

Tax Deductable

Any items or money donated to Harmony Meadows or for Harmony Meadows is a Tax Deduction. We do have forms that will be given to you.

They Need Us and We Need You

Thank You for your Support

Pot-Luck Dinner and Gathering

2008-09-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

September 28^th 2008 at 5pm

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue

770-815-3663

You are invited to a Pot-Luck Dinner and Gathering

Come and get to know our new volunteers and friends Sept,28^th

Please bring a covered dish to share to help offset the cost.

We will be celebrating the new adoptions and birthdays of several volunteers as well.

Thank you, to everyone who has helped us !

Horses Leave Hoof Prints In Our Hearts!

Hurricane Gustave

2008-08-31T09:59:00.001-07:00

As we all know that Hurricane Gustave is a severe storm due to hit Monday night. We are letting you all know that we have room for several horses to be housed. We do ask that your horse(s) are accompanied with an up to date coggins and shots. If we can be of any assistance please feel free to email us at rescue@harmonymeadows.org or you can call 770-815-3663

We should be able to house up to 5 horses. Please let us know as soon as possible so that we can prepare our facilities.

Our prayers are with all the families, and volunteers that are affected by this storm.

2008-08-27T19:58:00.001-07:00

My Mail Box

I know this is a crazy subject to post, but if you continue to read you will understand where I am coming from.

There have been those times where I wished a miracle would show up, and sometimes it does in My Mail Box..

Well, today as I do every day I stopped to check My Mail Box on my way out. We had mail, so I sat idle inside my truck and started going through the mail. I saw a purple envelope, and looked at it for a sec. I am always looking at addresses on my envelopes to see if I know who it is from. Anyways, this address didn't ring a bell, so I opened it. ( We do not give out minor children's names) Inside was a letter from a mother who took the time to send me the prettiest picture that her young daughter drew. She saw Eddie's story, and not only did she send us her picture that she drew she sent her allowance. Whoa! I only wished that the whole world was sitting in my truck when I opened the envelope.

I cried, and thanked God for giving me the strength to do what we do here at Harmony Meadows. To us this is what it is all about. It is about parents teaching their children to be compassionate towards God's animals.

We are blessed with loving adults, but when I see both parent and child willing to help, it just brightens what we are about.

Dear Mother,

Thank you for teaching your little girl to be loving and compassionate towards God's animals. May it be a dog, a cat and yes, even Eddie, we all here thank you so much for your kindness and for your big heart.

Sometimes it gets hard to figure out where or how we can raise the money to pay vet bills, buy feed and hay, but things have a way of working out. We believe in what we are doing, and with families like yours it helps us to continue to work harder saving the horses in need.

1st Annual Horsemanship Clinic

2008-08-23T12:10:00.001-07:00

"Solving the Problem Horse"

With

Brent Berry

Oct. 4^th from 10am till 3 pm.

To be held at

GB Stables

Call Jessie at

404-358-4767

Two More in Need

2008-08-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

I got a call on Saturday about two horses needing a place to call home for a little while. Yep, I went and picked them both up. They don't look bad. The mare Punkin needs more grub on the ribs, but is doing good. Punkin is very sweet and loves to be loved on. She is very food driven.

Punkin needs her shots, check to see if she is pregnant, teeth floated in a bad way and aged, and she will also need her shots and coggins done. It will cost some money to get her back to normal again.

Jedidiah, He is a young stallion that has been living with his mother Punkin. Jedidiah is nervous but he understands you If you are willing to take the time with him and give him clear signals.

He loves his head scratched when he realizes what you need from him. He is a young bay paint stallion. Now for Jedidiah, he will need to be gelded asap, coggins, and shots.

Both are in need of a good hoof trimming which will most likely be done today. They have both been dewormed as soon as they got here yesterday.

We need your help!

We are hoping that we can get the help from the public to help us offset our vet bills for Punkin and Jedidiah. We do not get any kind of discount from our Veterinarians' here. We have been loyal clients and still pay full price on everything. We do not want to go and find a different vet just to get cheaper prices. My vet is very good at what he does, and I have been with him for 15 years now. I find loyalty and trust goes a long ways with my animals versus cheaper prices.

I want what is for the best of our horses, not what is cheaper.

If everyone can help chip in we will able to get what they need done quicker.

Just a guess on the cost of Punkin and Jedidiah?

Coggins and vaccinations per horse is about $120.00 each and add a $50.00 trip charge

Gelding, I am guessing around $150.00

Exam fee per horse is $25.00 each

Antibiotics large 500 count. $100.00plus

Dental on the mare $120.00 plus or minus. She has some pretty long teeth

Providing all of this is done in one day . If he had to come back to do more it is a $50.00 trip charge.

Let's see what the guess on cost is:

$710.00 is my guess is what it will cost us to get Punkin and Jedidiah up to snuff .

Your help will be much appreciated here.

Our horses leave hoof prints in our hearts. Not one horse is loved unfairly, not one horse is forgotten about here.

Thank you for just taking the time to read this and for visiting our site.

Save a Can Save a Horse

2008-08-14T16:23:00.001-07:00

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue Inc.

"Cans for Horses"

Save a Can Save A Horse!

In order for Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue Inc., to help feed the rescue horses, we are asking everyone to save all their aluminum cans, and metals. By collecting as many cans as we can we will be able to earn money towards feed, hay and any vet bills that arise.

We thank you for your support.

"Horses leave hoof prints in our hearts."

Become a foster parent to a horse.

For pickup please call:

770-815-3663 or 770-815-4108

HarmonyMeadows.org or rescue@harmonymeadows.org

Apples, a Blind Horse, and A Leg. Ouch!!

2008-08-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

For a split second you

could swear he could see; cause It look like it to me. Man did it hurt!

Eddie doesn't see anything, and he is so good at being blind that you would bet your bottom dollar that he could see.

Never under estimate the blind, they will surprise more often than not. Eddie is always amazing

Us. It makes our days special having him here.

A few weeks ago Brian, my husband brought home apples that were donated to the horses.

I am always telling everyone here, " don't bring apples here". I don't mind treats at all, but to many apples don't keep the doctor away.

Anyways, I had put the apples in a bag to be thrown away the next day and was sure I set the bag back far enough away that the horses couldn't stick their heads in and get to them. So, I thought.

The next morning I was feeding the crew, and I always let the door stay open for Eddie to eat hay off the round bale. This keeps Eddie occupied long enough for me to get the other horses fed. I was coming past the hay barn to feed the horses in the bottom pasture when I looked up I noticed Eddie chewing, this chew was not of a hay chew. It was the chew of enjoyment. You know that chew. Total satisfaction: like eating a large bowl of your favorite ice cream. I ran up and noticed he had gotten into the apples. I gave him an ear full; not that it was going to help matters out. I started picking them up and looked at him as I grabbed a handful of apples, and to tell him to stop. As I was talking to him he reached over and bit my leg.

OUCH!!!! EDDIE!!!!

The look in his face was: Take that! These are my apples!

The bruises are all gone now, and so are the apples.:0)

Severe Weather and Evacuation Plans.

2008-07-09T10:44:00.001-07:00

It is Hurricane season and the weather is unpredictable this time of the year.

I hope that everyone has a disaster evacuation plan ready just in case. If not here are a few Ideas to think about.

Make arrangements in advance to have your pets travel or trailer in case of an emergency. If you do not have any means of transportation than please ask a friend. Have several friends on your list willing to help you at a given notice. If you know a few days ahead of time that severe weather is coming then take the extra days and evacuate so that you have saved yourself and your pets.
Know where you can take your pets to incase of an emergency. If you have large animals such as horses or other farm animals please contact your local emergency management authorities for information about shelters in your area.
Make sure you inform your friends of your evacuation plans. Post detailed instructions in several places – your barn, truck, house, friends place any place someone can see in case emergency workers have to evacuate your animals for you.
Put all your pets paperwork in a water proof bag or envelope. This includes diet, coggins, shot records, any known allergies, medications or information on medications your pet(s) are on.
Keep halters, leads, collars, cat crates, dog crates ready and accessible to usage. Each should include pets' name, owner name and phone numbers, and emergency phone numbers.
Prepare a first aid kit that is portable and easily accessible. Make sure that you have water on hand as well as feed, hay and medications for several days.
It is very important that your horse or other pets load to insure their transportation is a safe one. Time is very important in emergency situations and seconds can count.
Practice with a friend loading and traveling with your animals.

If you have to leave your pet behind you may need to make a decision on letting them loose or keeping them confined. The information you leave behind can save your animals life.

It is important to know your county emergency management agency number and they may be able to give you information about your community disaster response plans.

We all think that this will never happen to us, but it can, so please be ready. Preparedness saves lives.

These are simple steps to take.

You can help

2008-07-09T08:17:00.001-07:00

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue Inc.

"Cans for Horses"

Save a Can Save A Horse!

In order for Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue Inc., to help feed the rescue horses, we are asking everyone to save all their aluminum cans. By collecting as many cans as we can we will be able to earn money towards feed, hay and any vet bills that arise.

We thank you for your support.

"Horses leave hoof prints in our hearts."

We have horses for adoption.

For pickup please call:

770-815-3663 or 770-815-4108

HarmonyMeadows.org or rescue@harmonymeadows.org

Water in Georgia

2008-07-08T05:47:00.001-07:00

We Got Rain!!!,

All you Georgia people! I know you are suffering in one way or the other, and when we get any kind of rain it is welcomed. We got our butts kicked late yesterday and it was so nice to see. Now we could have done without the thunder and lightning that came with it.

Our poor horses are not use to walking around in the mud anymore. Tatiana and big sister Little girl busted their fannies coming down the hills.

One question to the flower lovers out there!

You know we are in a drought and have been for awhile now. Why in the hell do you spend hundreds of dollars planting flowers or bushes? Come on! Lets' get real here. The signs are posted a long side the roads, it is on the news, and you pay your water bill. Now, how much more will it take to get through your head that we need to save the water? How selfish can anyone get? If you weren't so damn worried about keeping up with the Jones you wouldn't waist the water.

I know, you want your place to look nice and I don't blame you. But hasn't anyone told you that you can't fight mother nature? Or, you just don't care? WE ARE IN A DROUGHT!!!

You people are the first ones to complain if we do run out of water. You wouldn't want your poor flowers to die and then your yard would look bad. Darn!

I have animals that are counting on those hundreds of gallons of water you are wasting on your poor yard. You can take the money you have spent on your flowers and water, and donate it to a good cause. It really doesn't matter which nonprofit organization you donate it to just do it. At least it would go to a good cause and something good will come out of it.

No one really gives a rats ass about your yard; I know I don't. I would love to plant flowers and bushes, but I have lives that depend on the water I save. So, we haven't run out of water yet, you keep it up and we will. That kind of attitude is what puts us in the situation we are in right now. See, as long as you turn on your water and something comes out that we call water you will continue to use it .

If you keep it up the next step is they are going to double the cost of using water and then what will you do?

We do everything in our power to save water here. We don't bathe the animals unless it is a medical

Condition. We scrub water tanks every other day now. We don't Plant Flowers or a garden. Water buckets are no longer filled to the top. We go out and check to see if the animals have water at all times during the day. Take quicker showers. It doesn't take that long to scrub your ass and wash your hair. We have manage to cut back on out water bill over 30%.

That is a big savings on my bill and saving water, and it really pisses me off to see someone else to waist what we have worked so hard on to save. We didn't do it for you we did it for the animals and people.

Turn off the flipping water!

Kids just want to have fun

2008-06-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

Kids just want to have fun

It is summer break now and the kids are all looking to have a good time.

No more having to go to bed early , and no more homework at least for now.

Two brothers that volunteer their time to help out here got to have fun with our newest four legged kids.

After getting all their chores done it is time for a treat.

Kids just want to have fun.

It gets hot now,
and after feeding 14 horses and cleaning their piles they left behind to be cleaned up; it was time for the boys and babies to have fun hanging around each other.

Making friends no matter the age is fun here. Look at their faces; it is better than sliced cookie dough.

Soft hands, big smile and a warm heart is what it takes, and these two brothers have that passion.

You can help

2008-06-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

If you feed Southern States Feed,

You can help us !

We need your proof of purchase off your Southern States horse feed bags and mail it to us so we can raise money for our Rescue Horses.

The address to send your proof of purchase is:

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue Inc.

573 Frey Rd.

Dallas, GA.

30132

Thank you for your support!

Eddie and Little Man

2008-06-11T07:17:00.001-07:00

We have been the proud owners of Eddie now for a year. Eddie was rescued by The Department Of Ag. Last year from Pike County. We bought Eddie at the auction in June 07. His story is posted on this blog.

I just have to say that Eddie has given our family and volunteers much love and understanding. We have all learned from him. Yes, Eddie is blind but he has much to give and we except his offerings.

He has taught us that being blind isn't a bad thing you just have to do some things different sometimes.

My Dear Eddie,

You have given me such joy in the last year and I pray we have many more years together. We have learned to be patient, to give to your needs only as needed. To stay out of your way when you know what you want and we don't at that moment. We see the love in your heart. You are my morning Eddie, every morning when I walk outside you are what I see. You take that morning and turn it into a smile.

You make me see just how crazy human's can be when they think they know it all when it comes to being blind.

Here it is a year later and I still hide hay for you to find and we know you know it is there. . And when we try to sneak past you only to get busted. Who are we fooling? Well it isn't you , we are only fooling us. You take the little games we play and enjoy them as much as we do. There is just now way to outsmart you.

I truly respect your friendship with Champ next door. I have never seen a friendship as close as yours. Two geldings living on the other side of the fence from each other spending their days together. I see it when ya'll play face games and when Champ pulls your fly mask off and tosses it to the side. Is that just you asking him to do this for you? I think it is my dear friend. You may not know it , but it makes us happy to see you two do the things ya'll do as friends.

Here lately you have been a real trooper in helping us care for little Man. You have been a friend to him and I love you for that. Now it will be time to say good bye to Little Man. He isn't getting any better and it isn't fair to keep him here for our own reasons. We have all given Little man the love that he deserves when his own owners wouldn't. But Eddie, most of all buddy, you have been the real friend to him. You have given your time to him as a friend, you have given up your extra space for him without a complaint. You have spent your time under your shade trees when it gets hot outside with Little Man when you could be spending it with Champ. You allowed Little Man to share your time with your friend Champ. You are the one we owe the thanks to. You gave something that as people we couldn't give. You, your time and your love and understanding in your horse world. Little Man will go being loved by the best and that is you and all of us here at Harmony Meadows.

Eddie, You are what Harmony Meadows is all about.

I am looking forward to a life time with you and your funny ways. You bring a smile to my heart and sunshine for my day. You touch hearts that will never experience that kind of touch in a lifetime. You are a rare experience and it is breathtaking.

Thank you Lord for bring Eddie to us.

Why?

2008-06-10T08:30:00.001-07:00

Why is it so important for everyone to see the ugly that someone caused in order to donate?

I find it very offending that this is what everyone wants to see.

God did not put these animals here for someone to starve , abuse or to be used as some status symbol.

I had a visitor several days ago and asked for pictures to publish so we could get donations. No! I will not.

We will not expose the ugly of the hand of a twisted mind that chose to put these animals in this situation. I will not do it and if it means I have to work 5 jobs to care for them I will, but I will not show the ugly. Here it is only the beauty of the horse that is shown here. Yes, every horse here has a story to tell and we will be happy to share that with you; but pity we do not except.

Anyone who reads this I ask you to do me one favor. Please close your eyes and think of a horse. Not one in particular just a horse. Now tell me what you see: Think of every movement, every line on their body, think about them being in a herd of other horses. It is so beautiful to watch a horse in a herd. They have much to teach if you will only watch and listen. Now you tell me what does a horse mean to you?

When I wake up every morning I walk outside onto my front deck and I see what God has created.

It is beauty, freedom, strength, dominance, fear, speed and love. This is what we are about here at Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue. I thank God for giving me such beautiful gifs every day.

What gives me the right to expose the hate of the human that spilled over to a helpless animal? If this is what it takes to get the public to help donate to our cause than no thank you. I am not here to satisfy anyone's curiosity of this kind of treatment.

Our vet bills run about $500.00 plus a month our feed bill is about $2500.00 a month our hay bill runs about $540.00 a month. We only have very few people who are willing to help with the financial part of our rescue. Oh, and no we are not Government funded. We wish it were that easy, but we are funded by donations and what I make from working.

We do not get any discount from our Veterinarians' nor our feed store. We pay full price for everything. It is hard to work for what you believe in when you can't get anyone else to work with you.

I have had to learn to become a farrier , give shots treat wounds, fatten starved horses and teach a miss treated horse to trust again. I love what I do, but it takes more than one to continue that fight.

Are They Here Yet?

2008-04-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

Every morning I head out to see if one of the rescue mares have had their baby yet. No, not today. Boy do those words seem to repeat themselves more everyday here. We just took in a new mare a few weeks ago, and yes she is pregnant, underweight and ready to pop. In the last 3 days I have watched Pepper's belly drop and her bags getting bigger.

Now, I have never been a person who drank coffee until I ended up with four pregnant mares . None which I have bred. See, that is something I do not allow here nor will they ever be allowed to be bred. We have 2 of the four babies on the ground having a wonderful life here. These last two are killing me. See, Pepper was fed Fescue hay during most of her pregnancy and we all know what that can spell out. Now, I hear it from people that a mare with fescue poison will not bag. Well, I am here to tell you that that is not true. I have seen two mares lose their babies to fescue poison and bagged up just fine. I have seen mares not wax up, so darn if they do and darn if they don't.

These babies are in my prayers every day. Please Lord let them be born healthy and be blessed with love and a true horse life. They are here for a reason and that question has yet to be answered. We will soon find out. I do believe that God does things for a reason and it is up to us to see his message. So far I have done pretty good. He never gives more than I can handle.

The day Pepper came here was filled with the worse weather. Major storms and tornado warnings. Black clouds, heavy rain, and tornado sirens going off around us.

Meg and I had set out to look at the 3 horses this lady needed to sell because she needed the money. As a rescue I told her that we do not buy horses. Well, if you know me you know that when my calling is heard I go, and so we did. The weather was doing real good at this time. We checked out the 2 young fillies I was going to buy were too skinny and were in a paddock with two other horses. Total of 4 horses in a paddock small enough for only one. I wasn't too worried about their weight cause if was fixable. The smell was very unpleasant to deal with so I stepped aside and looked at Pepper. My jaw hit the ground when I saw how skinny she was and being pregnant to boot. I was able to talk her into letting me buy her as well. I spent a total of $512.00 getting these horses, and this wasn't counting my fuel. I didn't need to spend that kind of money with the high prices of everything. I have never regretted getting Pepper.

I was still worried about the weather so we headed home to get the trailer and by the time we got home and in the house it started to pour, thunder and lighten.

A friend of ours wanted to go with us, so we waited. After he checked out the weather and saw how bad it was getting he backed out. Not me, Meg and I headed out . The crazy thing about the trip was the rain slowed down and the sky cleared except in a distance on each side. You could see how thick and dark the clouds were. My cell phone wouldn't stop ringing! I guess I really needed to hear how crazy I was, going to get Pepper. It wasn't raining bad and I was not about to leave that mare without any shelter and pregnant. She was only two weeks away from being due. I didn't waste any time getting her in the trailer, so we could get home in a hurry. The clouds were looking mighty rough and I didn't want to get caught up in it.

Our trip back home was just as clear as going to get Pepper. Those clouds were still all around us. We made it home safe; got pepper in the barn, and all hell broke loose. It rained so hard.

One thing I know is that God didn't want me to leave her behind, so I had to go get her. Things happen for a reason, he shows us the way and it is up to us to pay attention.

Pepper has made friends and is now getting ready to have her baby. Everyone,

Tonight, when you go to bed; I ask you to please add Pepper and her baby to your prayers. Sometimes I can't walk the path alone. The unknown is the hardest kind of worry and I have it.

I only have enough coffee for tonight, about one and a half pots. I hope it holds up till in the morning.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read this blog. It means so much to us and our horses.

I will not be adding Pepper's picture to this story. See, I do not want her to be remembered being seen skinny, with long hoofs with shoes still attached. I know pictures are worth a thousand words, but I respect the true beauty of each of our horses; Healthy and happy. This is why I call our rescue Harmony Meadows and it speaks for its self.

Don’t get attached

2008-03-19T20:23:00.001-07:00

Written by Brian B. Associate of H.M.E.R Inc.

“ Don’t get attached ”

Everyone knows how it is to be around an animal and know you cant keep them or know your time with them will be limited to a short while. If you are any part of an organization that works with animals you know even more about getting to know the animal and making a little place in your heart for every one of them . The other thing you try and would like to do more often, is to disassociate your self from them more so you do not have to go through the feeling of loss or emptiness.

Now, in my own personal opinion I think it is easier to do with some species that you are not around all the time, or do not have a special little place in your heart for. This particular animal for me is the Horse! I have had animals

come and go in my life and yes it bothered me to loose them . But I never had the same feeling as I did when I lost or worse had to put down A horse that I really cared for and had a bond with. Her name was Sarah. When we put her down it

was not an easy decision but for the medical reasons that plagued her at the time we did not have much of a choice. Sarah did leave us with her 2 week old filly named Ariel. So with a new baby , I had little time to reflect on the passing of another quiet companion.

Since then horses have come and gone in my life . some having to be put down and others being adopted out to friends that never could quite get the push to buy a horse.

Now that we operate a rescue I have to see them come and go more often than ever. We recently acquired a Beautiful paint named ROCKET that was about 3 years old and had a bad injury on her left front leg. When I went to go get Rocket she was in a small 8 x 10 make shift stall made with 2 strips of 2x8's under a second story deck. She was very alert & seemed to be agitated and extremely touchy. I say this cause the very first touch from me , She kicked at me like a 10 year old healthy stallion. We finally managed to coax her in the trailer and got her home. She stayed in the trailer with the door wide open for about 2 days. Now off the trailer we fixed her a stall in the barn with lots of woody pet type bedding and loads of shavings so she had plenty of cushion for her leg. The last thing that was said to me after we put her in the stall was "She will probably not be here long, They believe the leg will never heal. DON'T GET ATTACHED." So I am like yea, Why would I get attached? I don't care for paints, Mares are messy in stalls, and I don’t have time to spend with her anyway.

Well , I learned each day that this little filly was a challenge. She hated everyone . Nobody was aloud in the barn but a select few. Those few did not like her too much because of her aggressiveness and each time I heard them say she will kick your brains in I was thinking . " hmmm . Why is it she is pretty calm when I am in the stall with her. Days led to weeks and weeks to months. I could walk in Rockets stall and she would hobble up and put her head on my shoulder. I would rub the eye boogers off her eyes. She would buck in place while I cleaned her stall and she would slobber on me when she was eating. This little paint had a personality like no other I have encountered. So in February Im thinking this girl will heal and I think I will keep her. Yes that is what I will do. So I pondered a few days and figured out how to talk to the Boss "Debbie" about keeping her. The next day before I even thought about bringing it up, She dropped the Bomb. " We are putting Rocket down." My heart fell to the dirt. Why? She is doing great!!!!! ( only in my eyes ) I saw what I wanted and believed or wanted to so bad that I swore that she could be better. The vet agreed and they set a day for the passing of Rocket. That Tuesday I took off work to be there and take care of things after she was gone. Ill tell you , When I looked out the front door of the house that morning and saw her looking out her stall . The only thing I could do was stand and stare at the barn and watch this Beautiful animal swing her head back and forth and play with her hanging apple ball. While tears just started rolling down my cheeks . The pain in my throat was almost as unbearable as the pain in my heart. Yes I got attached . She was not usable as anything we know horses can be used for. But what people don't realize is that even broken, they are, and do help us in ways that almost everyone take for granted.

They raise our spirits and show us almost all the same emotions as we show each other. They are therapeutic for the soul and make life even more fun than you think it would be. I could not watch or be around for that moment of passing but I stood in my driveway and froze while I prayed and talked to her as she went to her special place with our maker. Don’t ever think your beyond a bond. It happens when you least want it or expect it.

Thank you Rocket for the extra little smiles I got out of life that I would not have gotten If you had not come in our lives.

The title was just a quote! Get every minute you can steal from life and enjoy your companion. Human and Equine.



Falling in Love by Caitlin A.K.A. SKITTLES

2008-03-16T18:33:00.001-07:00

Falling In Love

By: Caitlin

When I was very little, before I could ride by myself I met a horse at a horse show. She was a short little dark bay mustang named Lexie. My nana (grandma) was already friends with the owner Mrs. Debbie (the owner of what's now Harmony Meadows.) I fell in so much love with Lexie she gave her to us about two years after we met. By the time I could ride by myself I "tried" to ride her. We both gave each other a hard time. She would run into the posts with me, and then I would get off run and cry. Year after year we progressed as well as our love. Now at age 13 we work together as a team still giving each other trouble but that's just love now I can get on at any time and do anything I ask her to do and that's my story of me and my horse Lexie.

My stories facts and my horse Lexie

My story was written to show people everywhere that even if your horse is severely abused you can get your horse over it. And also have a relationship you just have to make it with tons of work and love.

Lexie

Lexie was a rescue. She was one of Mrs. Debbie's first rescues. She belonged to her step daughter Marissa. Then she out grew her and I got her. Lexie and I still love and still learn a little bit about each other every day. And our love grows as well as it will always.

SHE’S HERE!!

2008-03-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

On March 2^nd. Around 6 am our little girl was born. The waiting has been a long one for us here. I don't know if it was gut feelings or what, but I sure worried about this baby. It was a hard day here working with Julie the mother, and her sick baby. Our little girl is very sick right now. She is septic and receiving medical treatment daily.

Our baby is a buckskin filly Paso Fino. Both parents came to us last summer along with two other pregnant mares. We have gelded the father, a little late, but it is done. One more baby to go any day now. My bet it will be a stud colt, and buckskin in color.

We are tossing in names, so anyone can join us. So far we have come up with, Julianna's Sunday Moon, Julie's Sunday Mocha, Julie's Mocha. We will be posting our baby naming party as soon as the last of the babies are born. I hate waiting! Too much time to worry about things, and the list is always a long one.

March 10, 2008

Our little baby is doing much better now. Full of life and eating like a horse:0) She is still getting her antibiotic shots twice a day. Every day life is being filled with laughter with her. I love to sit and watch her run and play. She is learning how to kick real good now. Julie, the mother is so good to her baby.

At first it was hard for her, she didn't understand what just happened to her. All she knew was that there was something moving around wanting to get to parts of her body, and she wasn't going to have it.

Julie had to be sedated heavily so the baby could nurse. Now it is all good for both mom and baby.

The balloons have been placed in their popper places for the world can see. We are all proud parents here and love to show it. FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES!!!

We will keep you posted on the babies, and the one still waiting to get here.

Life Will Soon Begin

2008-02-29T19:40:00.001-08:00

02/23/08

Hear at Harmony Meadows we are awaiting the birth of two babies. Mother and daughter are due at the same time. Before I go any further, we did not breed these two mares, nor do we allow breeding here period.

Julie and Meg are mother and daughter; both came to us with two other horses last June. Their owner had passed away. A good friend Cathy trusted us enough to turn the horses over to us.

We have already got the joy of being blessed with a beautiful filly name Little Girl. Her mother Bonita is part of this same heard. Little Girl is five months old now and has quite a personality. Her mother rubbed off on her some. We don't mind; she will grow up to be a strong mare just like her mother. It has to be by far the best feeling in the world to walk out of my house and be able to take in the beauty of a mother caring and teaching her young filly the facts of life. I do say, Bonita is quite the teacher to Little Girl.

Now it is time for Meg and Julie to bless us with their babies. We have enjoyed sharing their pregnancy with everyone here. I am sure the girls feel otherwise different. Meg and Julie are nervous horses, and have come a long ways. With many more mild stones ahead of us now that they have babies coming.

The list of numbers to call after the births will be long. We will only allow short visits for now. I love getting to call everyone early in the morning:0) It will soon be time to get the balloons ready to go out for the world to see as they drive by. When Little Girl was born a hand full of balloons were tied to the mail box "It's A Girl" on the large balloon. Everyone that knew me, but just haven't seen me asked if I were, why heck no! Bonita had her baby:0) The looks were priceless!

The invitations will have to get ready as well. Yep, we have a baby naming party to get ready for too.

I know we are a little out there, but we love to share our special gifts we are blessed with. You should see how everyone's face here lights up. It is something else to see.

I will keep you posted on the births as they come. I say that Julie will have a girl and Meg will have a boy. Soon, we will all know.

So, join us at Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue and share what we love so much.

02/28/08

STILL NO BABIES

I think that when you have to wait on something it's enough to make ya go silly. I have lost so much sleep waiting for these babies to get here. Poor Julie is so ready, I feel her pain. So much goes on in my head at night worrying over when these babies are going to get here. I ask myself often about Julie; I hope she will be a good mom. I hope she can handle giving birth; with this being her first time.

So much time and work goes into making sure that all goes well, and when it comes down to it, there isn't a thing ya can do but wait. Man, that can be a strong word at this point.

Every morning when I go in to clean stalls as well as feed Julie and Meg I take my time and try to share some wonderful sights. Watching the babies move around in what little room is left for them to move. Mom's still eating as their bellies jump around, sometimes they jump themselves. I try to make time to talk to the babies when I know they are up and moving. I know it sounds a little shot-out, but why not.

Rescue Horses

2008-02-19T16:29:00.001-08:00

This story is by Teresa.

Rescue horses are the best horses I think. They don't have a pretty coat always, but they all have a story to tell. Yes, I know horses can't talk, but you can see it in them. I got a rescue horse not too long ago and he always wants loving and he thinks that life is all about him because part of his life he was neglected. Another reason rescue horses are the best is because they are always willing to learn and want to learn. like this one rescue horse.. In one day Miss. Debbie got him stepping up a mounting block and just stood there and just looked like he was saying, " what do you want me to do now".

All of the rescue horses are willing to do that, but they just need some work on it.
We would really appreciate if you could call to come and visit the horses up for adoption.

Call 770-815-3663 for an appointment. Thanks and hope to see you soon. Jennifer A

Two Brothers and Two Sisters

2008-02-17T16:10:00.001-08:00

It was last summer when Teddy and Macy came to Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue. These two brothers were stallions and both well under weight. Teddy is a true sweet-heart while Macy was all about fear. It took two days of being very patient to get Macy here. One thing I have learned is patience pays off.

"TAKE THE TIME IT TAKES" and you will be amazed at how well things work out in the end.

Our first mission was to get both of them on a good diet and call the vet to have their shots and Coggins done. Not to forget to set up an appointment to have them both gelded once they had more weight on them. We do not adopt out stallions here. Breeding is one thing we will not allow to happen with any horse that comes to Harmony Meadows. It took some time for Macy to gain any trust in humans, but step by step we gained it. Teddy on the other hand loves people and was eager to be fed.

It wasn't long after they came we got a call from a lady name Sandy. Sandy was looking for a horse for her two daughters Katy and Teresa. I told her that we didn't have any horses that were broke to adopt to young kids. I figured that was the only time I would ever hear from them again. Well, not true, it wasn't long when Sandy called again asking for an appointment to come and visit our horses and facilities. We made the appointment and they became volunteers here. We couldn't have been any luckier to find a family as loving and helpful as they are. I love it when people aren't afraid to jump in and get a little dirt under their nails. They can keep up with me :0) I wouldn't trade this family for anything in the world. They have become my adopted children now. I love it when Teresa calls to come over; I'll tell her that they can spend the night. It has become a ritual every-other weekend for a crew of kids to come stay for the weekend or the night. This is how I grew up; we always had lots of kids in the house.

As time went on, Katie and Teresa started spending a lot of time with Teddy and Macy. We allow our animals the freedom to be curious, and to ask questions. We teach people here to take the time and just hang out without expectations. Learn what a horse is about, communication, and yes, we even go and read a book or sit on a stump in their paddocks. If you can't learn it on the ground, what makes you think you can learn it in the saddle? Anyways, I was so impressed on how the relationships between these two sisters and brothers were growing. Teddy chose Teresa and Macy chose Katy; they were perfect matches. I have never in my life seen relationships turn out the way it was turning out.

Katy is high strung just like Macy. Macy went from I don't want anything to do with you to becoming Katy's best friend. Every day I watched their relationship grow. Trust me, putting young horses and kids together is something I run from, but the relationships between these kids and horses was something we couldn't walk away from. When it is right, you know it is right, and this was. I didn't have the heart to adopt out these horses to anyone but Katy and Teresa.

Teresa never had too much to do with horses until she started volunteering here. She and Teddy hit it off right away. These two are so cute to watch. If ever a human and horse were meant to be they were. Personalities were the same all the way around. Teresa and Teddy both just ambled along enjoying each other. Teresa was eager to learn how to work with Teddy, and Teddy could care less. See, neither of these horses were broke to ride much less anything else. Before Teddy and Macy left for their new home these girls had both horses ground working, and Teresa was riding Teddy in the paddock.

Teddy will be a good ole trail riding buddy for Teresa, while Katy and Macy will make a great team in hunter jumping and cross country. It will take a few more years before we get to see Macy hit the show ring, but when they do I know in my heart they will be a team. I look for the light to shine for Katy and Macy when their time comes. These two brothers and two sisters have a relationship that most people will never understand, but here at Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue we have been blessed with two wonderful loving children who have the passion to take the time and understanding to see the relationship they were blessed with Teddy and Macy.

Sandy,

We have been so lucky to have you and your children in our life. God does do things for a reason. He chose us for Teresa, Katy, Teddy and Macy. Not only for them, but for the relationship that has grown between our families and children. Thank you!

Anna and Sue,

Many special thanks to the two of you. If it were not for you stepping in to help Teddy and Macy this story would have no beginning . You both trusted us enough with the care of Teddy and Macy, and I thank you for that. By doing this we all have made special friends and gave the boys a new beginning in life.

NEW STORE HOURS

2008-02-13T07:57:00.001-08:00

We will be adding an extra day to our store; we will be opened Fridays- Sunday from 9am till 5pm.

Our store is located in Acworth, Ga. on 41 and 92 at the Flea Market. We carry new and used tack, clothes, books and more.

We have added new items to our store in the last few weeks. More saddles have arrived as well as biker luggage. You should see the mini saddles we just added! They are the cutest saddles I have ever seen.

If you have any ideas on items to add to our store, let us know. We will be happy to do our best to accommodate our customers. Harmony Meadows New and Used Tack Store also takes useable donated items to sell in our store( Items donated are tax-deductable).

We look forward to seeing you, just ask for Debbie and I will give you a 10% discount on any new saddle bought in our store. ALL MONEY GOES TO HELP CARE FOR THE HORSES AT HARMONY MEADOWS EQUINE RESCUE,INC. WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET.

Happy Trails Everyone!

Remember Me

2008-02-12T07:44:00.001-08:00

This poem is written by Hannah

Remember Me

I was your best friend

I was there when times were hard

I was there for laughs

I was there when you needed me most

And I was there for celebration

But now I am gone

Your best friend

The one you could count on

The horse

People think we could never be friends

That you could get tired of taking care of me

But you didn't

You loved me as I watched over you from the heavens

Remember me

Miss me

Cry if you need to

But move on, get a new horse

Make him or her your new best friend

But remember me

No matter how far apart we are

We are closer than ever.

Hey Kids!

2008-02-05T20:15:00.001-08:00

I have a little something for all the kids to work on for us. We would love to have all the kids write a poem or a story about a horse. It can be any horse: it's your story or poem. Send it to rescue@harmonymeadows.org. I will post each poem on our blog. Once we have enough poems and or stories we will try to get a book publish with all that are sent in to us. My plan is to have the book published in 2009.This gives us a year to put together enough stories and poems to make a book.

I am looking forward to posting all the poems or stories.. Make sure you put your name on it so we have a name to every poem/story. The book will be sold to help raise money for our rescue.

Remember it is what you feel or how you see your horse. Your horse can be a pretend horse or about a real horse.

I will post one poem or story a week unless we have so many come in that we will post every 3 to 4 days. Just keep them coming.

I am looking forward to reading each and everyone sent in to us.

Moms and Dads, remember this is for the kids. You can help some, but let it be their ideas and thoughts. We want to see it from your child's eye.

What’s New Here

2008-02-04T07:20:00.001-08:00

We have just opened a new used tack store at the Flea Market on 41 and 92. The store is opened on Saturday and Sunday every weekend from 9am till 5pm. We sell other odds and ends at our store as well. Books, clothes of all ages, lamps, horse blankets, and more. You are more than welcome to donate your items to us to help us raise money for the horses. We have nice new saddles that just arrived, the prices are very reasonable. They range from 8 inch to 18 inch western saddles.

For directions call 770-815-3663. All money goes to the horses, trust me we need all we can get to pay vet bills, and feed the horses.

We are also starting beginner riding lessons on Sundays. The more students we get the more days we will add. We have a wonderful pony named Jingles and Amadeus who is Haflinger cross. Both are wonderful with children. We also have Lucy Lu my Walk-A-Loosa mare who we use in the Special Olympics. I am looking forward to getting started with our lesson program, and working with the kids or adults. All children are required to wear a helmet while riding, no exceptions!

Sign up for our Summer riding camp starting 0n July 14-18^th. Hours will be from 8am till 5pm, we will offer early drop-off and late pick up within reason. $200.00 per child a $100:00 deposit is due before June 15^th after June 15^th we will offer your slot to someone else. Deposit is nonrefundable. We will have limited space, so sign up now.

We will teach the children how to properly clean and care for a horse, ride, play games on horses, and off. Arts and crafts will also be offered. Bring a sack lunch.

Hope to see ya in July!

Please help support your local rescues, we need your help to help them. Every rescue is in need for everyone to help in some way. The prices of hay and feed are out of control. Horses are being starved, shot or even dumped. I have never seen it this bad. We can no longer take in anymore horses without the help of the public. I not only speak for our rescue, I speak for all the rescues. Please help the horses! They did not ask to be brought into this; they had no choice. We have a choice to give them the life they deserve. I have never had to beg for anything in my life, but I will for the sake of the life of a horse.

Amadeus thanks you for your support. He has friends that he wants to continue to be his friends with, with your help. Twister is a 4 year old Arabian mare, Jingles is a 11 year old Shetland pony, Gizmo is a 3 year old Haflinger. Two of the three horses were turned over to Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue from either being starved or just miss understood. Amadeus was bought by me because his family was going through a divorce. Amadeus is here to stay, and to help us bring joy to the children's hearts. I hope to have him join the team for Special Olympics this year as well as jingles if all works out.

Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue, Inc. horses and family thank you for your support.

A Letter From the few ! Thank You Nancy !

2007-12-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

We found this on the G.E.R.L web site .. although I wish we saw this the week it was written. I am so happy to see there are more people out there who are really in it for the Animals and not the MONEY!!

September 25, 2007

Dear Brian,

First, please allow me to state that although I am both a member of the GERL and a GDA employee, the opinions here are not intended to be representative of either group; they are simply and humbly my own.

I read the article in the September newsletter about “Eddie,” the blind Appaloosa gelding who was adopted at the June GDA auction. I’m so pleased that he is doing well in his new home. For the past two years I have had the honor of helping to care for the horses who call the Mansfield Impound their temporary home. Those of you who have attended GDA auctions at Decatur or Mansfield during that time may have also seen me running around like the proverbial headless chicken getting information from buyers each time the auctioneer yells, “Sold!” In this capacity, I get to interact very briefly with each of the people who will take home the horses we have nurtured, loved, and fed back to heath.

I had the pleasure of meeting the couple who came to the auction to buy “Eddie,” known to us at the impound as, “RB Braille.” Although I unfortunately do not remember their names, I was very impressed with their story and hope I will recall the details correctly here. It seems that when the Pike County horses were impounded, this couple felt moved to volunteer at the emergency impound facility and they became particularly close to “Eddie.” They promised themselves that if he became free for adoption they would do what they could to purchase him. They also told me that his intended use would be as a hippotherapy horse for blind children. I congratulated them on their purchase and told them how pleased we were that “Eddie” was going to a home where he was already so clearly wanted.

In the newsletter story about “Eddie” the writer stated that they (she and her husband) no longer had faith in the GDA because at our auction they saw “horse traders” and ‘the woman who purchased horses for [Roger] Prater’ bidding on horses. She said that they found it hard to watch the horses being sold to “the highest bidder,” thus continuing what they felt was a vicious cycle of returning horses to possibly bad situations.

Public auctions are quite simply that, though. Although we may desire otherwise at times, we have no ability to prevent someone from bidding on or buying a horse at such an event. However, buyers at GDA auctions sign an agreement for the horse to be monitored by state equine inspectors for a period of time after the sale. Horses have come back into the state’s care as a result of this monitoring. There is no such agreement signed when people purchase horses through traditional horse auctions or through private sales. It may not be the perfect solution to the problem but it offers one layer of protection that the open market does not.

When the time comes for the horses sold at our auctions to be picked up by their new owners, more often than not we feel very good about the new family the horse leaves with. Occasionally, we are unsure if the horse and the family will be a good “match” for each other and we send the horse off with a hug and a prayer. Sadly, there are times that we worry as we watch the horse being driven away. Again, this is the nature of a public auction but I think that it also speaks to having a caring barn staff.

I’m still tickled pink that “Eddie” has found such a wonderful home. I thank his family for keeping us updated on his progress. We love hearing from folks who have taken “our” horses home. And if “Eddie’s” new family (or anyone else) should ever find themselves wondering if the dedicated volunteers, impound staff or equine inspectors really care about what happens to the horses after our auctions, please come to see us on auction pick-up days. We have a big box of Kleenex that we’ll be happy to share with you……or better yet, come on out, fill out a volunteer packet and find out for yourself.

Respectfully,

Nancy Bogardts
Mansfield Impound

SUPPORT YOUR RESCUES!

2007-12-27T19:42:00.001-08:00

I am writing this on behalf of Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue, and for the other rescues working hard in the horse world.

We all know how bad it has been here in Georgia with the drought. Hay prices, and grain have soared, and it isn't going to stop anytime soon. It is getting to where horse owners can no longer afford the upkeep because of this drought, and selfish money hungry people in the world taking full advantage of the situation. They know who they are.

I am here to tell you that we are seeing severe affects of this. Rescue facilities are full, and can no longer take in horses in need. Many horses will starve to death, or even be shot because of this. Our hands are tied with limited funds. We need every ones help to keep these facilities going. Your donations are what helps us help the horses.

Just today I was being told of 4 horses needing a place to go to, or the owner will shoot them because he can no longer afford to feed them. While I listen to this I am trying hard to make decisions on what to do. It isn't easy; If we take them all, then how will we be able to afford to keep them all without help from the public.

I do not know what else to do, but to ask you all that can PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESCUES.

Thank you for your time and support.

http://Harmonymeadows.org

MY NAME IS EDDIE

2007-12-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Jessie
Would you scratch a little to the left PLEASE!
Eddie was getting a full body message from Jessie w/ Pegasus Equine Message.

It is hard to understand how someone is capable of mistreating an animal and not think twice about it. Eddie, a blind 7-year-old Walk-A-Loosa, is one of the many horses from the Pike County rescue effort who lived through being mistreated. I fell in love with him the second the trailer pulled up. I saw the Appaloosa spots and that is all it took for me. When it was his turn to get unloaded, the lady unloading him knew he was blind and gave him the time it took for him to find his way off the trailer. As I watched him, chills ran all over me, and it wasn’t because of him being blind; it was a number of things - his size, color, and the softness of his face, but most of all I could see his intelligence. I could see, despite being neglected and abused, that he had a lot to offer and the willingness to do it. He had my heart that second and still does.
Once they started working the horses up several days later, they were also giving names to them. I do not know who named him Braille, but I felt it was not an appropriate name for him, and it seemed like a slap in his face to me. I started calling him Eddie; yes, Eddie it is. Every weekend I volunteered at the barn just so I could see him. As soon as I would come in the barn, I would call his name in a soft voice so he would remember me. Eddie would raise his head towards me and his ears would be looking for me every time I called his name. I always made it point to say something to him as I went past his stall. There were several people who thought he was useless since he was blind. Some people even said he was ugly. I told everyone that I was going to purchase him so that no one would want him. If you can see past bones, you can see the real beauty, and that is what I did. My friends that helped at the facility couldn’t believe that he was the only horse I had any interest in.
I didn’t agree with how the volunteers were told how to clean the stalls, so I had to stop going. I missed Eddie so much, but I just couldn’t be a part of it anymore. I knew it would be a long time before they would auction off any of the horses. I was able to find out from a friend how Eddie was doing while they were as a still at the barn. Then I found out that they were all being moved, and I had no idea how to find out anything because no one would tell us anything. I kept an eye on the papers and the news, as well as talking with other people to find out when the auction would be scheduled.
When we received word about the first auction, we tried desperately to find out if Eddie was with the group. Brian, my husband, made several calls and was able to talk to a man who helped haul the horses. The gentleman was kind enough to keep Brian’s number, and he told us that Eddie wasn’t in the first group.
My birthday was coming up, and the only thing I wanted was Eddie. The next thing I knew, the emails were coming in about the next auction, and Brian got the call that Eddie’s name on the list this time. Man, you talking nerves, mine were shot out by the time auction day came! I couldn’t sleep, and when I did I had dreams that would wake me up. Heck, I couldn’t think of anything but getting Eddie home.

I was looking through the Stable Mate and ran across a picture that looked familiar. Oh! My God! I realized it was Eddie. It was a picture of Eddie and several of the other rescued horses while they were still at the farm they were taken from. I have that page on my wall above my desk. I looked at it every day and had no choice but keep saying that he would be here soon. He became my focus and I had to be patient, and that I am not. I went as far as emailing anyone that had anything to do with the rescue effort. This even included Tommy Irvin. My email was intervened by Lee Myers.

My email stated on 5/23/07:
Dear Tommy Irvin,
I hope this letter will help me. I really want the blind horse that is part of the Pike County horses. I was there at Horse Town the night they came in and helped on the weekends. I fell in love with him. I call him Eddie. He is the Walk- A Loosa gray gelding, the only blind horse in the group.
Anyone can come check on him. So on…………….

The following is her reply on 5/24/07:
Hi Debbie,
I am responding to your inquiry on behalf of Commissioner Irvin. First let me thank you for all you have done to help these horses to this point, including volunteering at the Cobb County barn! The sale is on June 2nd and is a public auction. So, each horse will go to the highest bidder! You may certainly take Eddie home with you if you are willing to be the highest bidder.I look forward to seeing you at the sale. Again, thank you for your support and passion to give Eddie the loving home he deserves!
LMM

I kept a copy of all the emails and info that was written on this case.
Doesn’t sound to me like anyone was concerned about where Eddie would go. The highest bidder gets the horse! Good thing I was there.

June 2nd finally arrived! We were up and running to get to the auction before it started. I jumped out of the truck and ran up to the barn looking for him. I found him in a paddock. Boy, was he bigger than I thought! He looked so much better than the last time I saw him. I called his name softly - “Eddie, Eddie,” and the ears went up looking for me. My heart was beating so hard I thought I was going to fall out. When anyone looked at him, I would tell them that I was going to get him. I even offered my card so that they could keep in touch with his progress. No one was worried; they knew how bad I wanted him. They were all happy just to know how much he meant to me.
When the auction started, I noticed a lady bidding to jack the price up on certain horses. She would back off once the bid hit a decent price. She was the only one who was bidding against me for Eddie. It didn’t matter though; I knew what she was doing, and I knew she would back off eventually. She finally stopped bidding at $550.00. Little did she know, I would have gone higher. I was not going to leave without him!

Eddie is here now, and we enjoy him. He lives with my 24-year-old half Appaloosa, Chief, in the big part of our yard. Chief has a bell on his halter so Eddie can hear him. We have taught Eddie several words already: stop, find it, and follow. He has free range of grass and begs for his alfalfa several times a day. He knows where everything is and knows when it is feeding time. Eddie loves to be scratched on his withers and neck. You should see the faces of enjoyment when we scratch him which is several times a day.
Eddie will be going to the Special Olympics this year to let kids ride him in classes. Despite his blindness, he is a calm, loving horse who will be a wonderful mount for some lucky children. We start his training in a few weeks. I have never been, and I am sure neither has Eddie. I am very excited about going with him. So much was taken from him, but a lot more will be given to him out of love.

Eddie Loves his picture taken!
(Note)

I did have my vet out to check his eyes to see if he was able to have surgery. Unfortunately, Eddie will not be able to have eye surgery, but we accept him as he is. His excellent hearing and sense of smell compensates for his lack of eye sight, as well as the help from our friends and family. We are so blessed to have him in our life; he is a big part of our daily life along with all the animals we have on our farm. Thank You for taking the time and interest in Eddie's story. Debbie w.