CATCHING UP ON THINGS

Well now, let's catch up!!

Things are going pretty good here at Hawk's Acres.  Gary's cancer is stable. He is taking Xaloda, a chemo pill.  He is feeling pretty good.

The new barn is about done. The stalls are finished, feed/tack room done except for a water heater which is ordered.  Saddles are hung as is all the tack. Looks pretty neat.

We managed to get enough hay purchased for the winter which was no easy feat since we had to start feeding it in June this year.  That's a bummer but this stupid drought just won't stop.

The above pictures of Rose were taken at Johnston Vet Clinic the middle of October. This was the 2nd time Rose had injured the same fetlock. This time, her leg swelled terribly. A week of antibiotics and daily dressings and it was no better. A trip to Oakridge Equine in Edmond, Ok for x-rays and ultrasound was made. The results weren't good at all. Infection in the joint and half of the cartilage gone in the fetlock joint. They recommended euthanasia.  I called Johnston Vet and made the appointment. The day we were to put her down, we had a meeting of the minds between Jan the vet, Karen at Rainbow Meadows and Gary and I.  
The decision was to do more antibiotics and see if the infection would encapsulate. So, she was not put down and is now actually galloping around the pasture. Walking sound and on 1/4 Prevacox daily.  The fetlock joint is still larger than normal and probably will be from now on. But, she is a happy horse. I'm so happy too. This old girl is special to me.

I also have taken some riding lessons. I have learned to ride better and bought an English saddle for my fat boy Hawk.  The saddle fits him much better than my western saddle ever did and he is a happy horse too.

I also went on a cattle drive with 2 other volunteers from Rainbow Meadows and we all 3 rode rescue horses.  Had a blast.

Today, 14 members of Sigma Pi from Oklahoma State University came to the rescue and helped out doing all kinds of work. Had a great time with them. They were very nice young men. They want to come back and bring more members.

That's all for now.  Have a great weekend everyone.

RENA GETS FREEDOM

I went along with Karen of Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue in Sedan, Ks to return this mustang mare to freedom.  One of the most exciting things I have done in my life.  The BLM is fast taking the mustangs away from their land and putting them in holding pens and private ranches. Soon, there will be no mustangs left on the open range.

Rena was accepted by Madeline Pickens into her ecosanctuary in Wells, Nevada last week.  Bless you Mrs. Pickens for taking her.  Rena joined 600+ wild horses at the ecosanctuary. After exiting the trailer (where she had been since leaving Sedan on Tuesday morning), she trotted a little ways then looked back, as if to say, "Am I really free?".  She trotted through the herd introducing herself, then trotted back towards me as I was snapping pictures with the 3rd lady's  (who went with us) camera.  I shed many tears after Rena was free. Such an emotional thing had happened.  Rena will no more be made to do something a human wants her too.  She will live free for the rest of her life.  As they all should be allowed to do. 

http://www.celebratethehorse.com/2010/10/blm-is-our-mustangs-to-extinction-very.html

Please click on the above link to read what is happening to our wild ones. 

Rena is one of the lucky ones. She got her freedom back.

THE LAND OF OZ

Good grief!  Didn't realize it's been 5 months since I last wrote in this blog. Lots of things have taken place since the last entry.

Gary was on some heavy chemo and it was making him so very sick. I was afraid it was going to kill him before the cancer did.  But, it put the cancer in remission. He chose to stop taking the chemo after the PET scan showed no uptake.  We both know the cancer is still there and will rear it's ugly head at some point in the future. We will enjoy whatever amount of time we have left together.

We decided to downsize and bought 22 acres in SE Kansas. This place is just 3 hours from family in Mo and just minutes from Rainbow Meadows Equine rescue. We have become good friends with Karen and David. The four of us have a lot in common and enjoy each other's company.

The place in OK is sold already. Thank the good Lord. We now have a much smaller house for me to take care of. The 3 dogs are here as well as Miss Kitty and Pepper the silly goat.  I placed one of the horses we had in Ok and we brought the 2 blind girls as well as our original 4 horses. Of course all my donkeys are here too.  We had a huge barn built, it's not finished on the inside but we will do that this Spring. The house needs some finish work also but we are old hands at remodeling, lol.

All in all, we are very happy here.......well, we could have done without the snow we got last night.  But, the pond can use the water.

September News

On August 30th, we lost Lil Bit to colic. She was around 26 and I think had some internal issues besides colic. She was buried out at the cemetery. Then, a few days ago, we lost our Texas cat, Little Man.  What a year this has been. 

Losing a beloved horse is hard but there is always another one needing a home.

This is Ladybug. She is a blind 21 year old QH. She and Pokey have become friends now. 

Gary's cancer has come back again. He has fought this stuff for 18 years now. After a little bit of surgery, he will be on chemo again for a while.  We have decided to sell our little piece of Oklahoma and move to Kansas. To a smaller house and less acreage. And, closer to good friends and family.  We have a buyer and are working to get the sale done.  Hawk's Acres will be moving to Kansas soon.   The local vet told me we could not move as they didn't want us too.  I will miss them greatly, they have become friends. Will also miss my good gal friend in OKC.  But, maybe she and my Texas friends can come up for a visit to the Land of Oz. 

Life throws punches and we have to roll with them and place the future in God's hands. I let Him lead me in the way He wants us to go.  Now, if He would just give me  patience.  LOL  Hugs.

TOGETHER FOREVER NOW

Our 3 old horses are now together forever at the Rainbow Bridge. We laid Sandy to rest this evening. She almost made it to 30. The middle picture is her. She was a daughter of Mr San Peppy. Born in 1982.  She would wrinkle her nose when she ate, never saw a horse do that before. She learned that we could be trusted and that we loved her very much. She also learned to give nose kisses for cookies. Boy, did she love her cookies. She went with a mouthfull. She passed easy and quickly.  We lost Tessa in March, Ace in May and now Sandy this 1st day of August.  I miss those old horses so much. Each one of them had a different personality. Each one was loved.

Goodbye my dear Sandy. Wait with Tessa and Ace for us.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th to all. Hope everyone stays safe this weekend. I love the above picture. Mustangs are definitely made in the good ole USA. I deeply hope we always have mustangs running wild and free.  I admit I snatched the picture off of FB but I don't think they will care. Our mustangs should always be protected.

Now for this.  Somehow, Hawk tore up his L back leg. We don't know how and didn't see anything that could have done this in the pasture. We found the blood pool in an open area of the north pasture. He spent 4 days in the hospital with a stack wrap on his leg. Came home on oral antibiotics and now we are using something recommended by the local vet. It's a spray called Vetericyn. I've heard good things about it from several people. The above picture was taken on 6-22.

This picture taken on 6-30. Wound is doing well with just spraying twice a day with the Vetericyn. I am keeping a picture documentation of his progress for the company. They want to know how he is doing. They also are sending us a free bottle of the stuff. Which is very nice of them. Our price for a 16 oz bottle was $34. But, it seems to be working very well. Has no antibiotics in it but there isn't any infection or proud flesh (yet). I was so worried about the flies getting into the wound and slowing healing but that hasn't happened so far. Hawk is really good about letting us doctor his boo boo. We kept him in the back yard for a few days along with Sonny for company but now he is out in the south pasture with the rest of them. With the temps around 105, he isn't going to be romping and playing. Neither are we!

So that's it from Hawk's Acres today. Please pray we get some rain. Our grass is dry already and not growing at all. There seems to be a bubble around Logan Co Oklahoma....  God bless and keep you safe.

Hugs
Maggie

Life...

I subscribe to the blog "The Daily Oats".  I get it by email and today's entry really had an impact on me. 

The river ride Daily Oats: livin' for the whiinny | June 5, 2011 at 12:35 pm | Tags: Ranch life | Categories: inspirational | URL: http://wp.me/pJsnB-kZ

I am convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends on how we ride our horse down the trail rather than the trail that we are riding on, and so is life.

It is not the end of the ride that we look forward to, but the ride itself, no matter what trail that may be.

Most of the time, it is not the long rides the a beautiful country road we remember the most, but It is rides across the greatest terrain, the steepest hills, the wider rivers that brings us to the greatest adventures that we will talk about years to come.

It is learning to ride those steepest trails, those rising mountains and the flash floods and rising waters of the rivers, that we arrive at our greatest potential.

So, my wish for you today, is no-matter what is going on in your life, is to also remember to grab a little leather, hang on with every thing that is in you, and ride-BABY ride. As long as you live to tell everyone that you made it across the river, the ride will always be worth the trip. Just look for the lesson because you will have gained experience, knowledge and you will have expanded your soul.

Let it all go and just be the WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!!

Daily Oats: Livin' for the whinny

Whinny's Roberta

Roberta Edstrom
CEO
Knot-A-Tail

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Roberta, this one was great. Wish I had written it.

No matter what life throws at you, ride, baby ride. This is a great thing to live by.  Living with a wonderful man who has been fighting cancer for 18 years and whipping it every time it rears it's ugly head is a prime example.  Losing beloved horses is another. Down the road of life, it won't be the easy times we remember but the tough ones. The ones that almost got us down.  We will smile and think, I made it through that.  I firmly believe in the saying "God doesn't give us anything we can't handle with His help.

Remember....RIDE, BABY RIDE!!!!!!

Hugs to all from warm, sunny Oklahoma where life is good.