Meeting Bodhi

Today was the day that we finally met the latest addition to bhr - this pony has already won the hearts of many and I was very excited to meet him! Bodhi is presently in quarantine in Santa Clarita, Ca. So far, he is doing pretty good. He is quietly getting used to being in yet another new place and figuring out the routine. We know very little of Bodhi's history but he is approximately 12 years old and a miniature gelding. He definitely wins a prize for the thickest and longest mane and forelock! A very cute little guy, and friendly too.

Bodhi was seen by the vet three days after he arrived. He was off his feed and very lethargic. He checked out pretty good, or, as well as general neglect can check out. His eyes are both infected with a lot of drainage and crust below each eye - so Triple Antibiotic eye ointment twice a day has been added to his routine. Bodhi has no signs of respiratory infection which is good news, but does need some groceries for weight gain, worming is definitely needed,  vaccines and a dental as soon as he arrives at his new foster home.

So, we will now start getting Bodhi back to health again - and will see what each day brings. I hated to leave him today but will be back next week to visit again.

Fingers Crossed for Bentley :)

Bentley looking healthy and all grown up. This little pony has come a long way, and will hopefully be taking just one more trailer ride to his new home in the very near future. More coming soon. Finger crossed! Bentley's forever home may be in the near future!

Getting Ready for Winter!

So happy to get a shelter up for KC at her new foster home with Jessie! Next we will be adding some gravel and mats for the mares, and we then we will be ready for winter! A big thank you to our wonderful foster mom, Christina for moving panels around, taking these great pics of the work in progress and generally being the go-to-girl, and also to Harrah's Shelters in Orland - they are very easy to work with and did a great job. We highly recommend them!

Bodhi is on Safe Ground Tonight!

Today Bodhi began the next step in his journey to a new home. Unfortunately, he will be spending the next 30 days in quarantine just to make sure that he is healthy and doesn’t bring any ‘bug’s to his new foster family. He made the trip from Ontario to Santa Clarita, CA without any problems and the pics below show him checking out his new temporary home. A huge thank you to Cristina for hauling him through LA rush hour traffic and getting him safely to Santa Clarita, and also to Mary for quarantining Bodhi at her ranch. We look forward to meeting this little one early next week.

I can't wait for Bodhi's #89 tag to fall off. Shed that reminder little man and look to a great future!

Meet Bodhi! BHR's latest Addition!

Bodhi was saved today from a southern California livestock auction. We haven't meet him yet, but he's said to be about 12 years old, based on his teeth, and also a gelding - not to sure about that yet but we'll find out soon!  Bodhi will be moving to QT in Santa Clarita, Ca tomorrow and then the loving and TLC will begin.  When healthy, if all goes well, in about a month Bodhi will make the move to the next step in his journey to a better life, and will join his wonderful foster mom Janey in Watsonville, Ca. With more loving, great care and training where needed, this cute little guy will be on his way to find a great home!

(PS - the little bay pony was also saved today by another rescue, but I'm not sure of their name.)

KC Update - Pasture Time Try Out

It’s day two for KC with Jessie and Mariah so we thought that we would try a little pasture time. We let Jessie and Mariah out into the pasture and kept Mariah in her enclosure for a bit before deciding to let her make her way out into the pasture. She calmly headed out at a walk and made her way towards where Jessie and Mariah were grazing. They ignored her for a moment or two, but Mariah wasn't quite so sure about this new girl in their midst. She herded KC off and went back to grazing. KC headed over toward Jessie who, as of today, is the designated safe, friendly horse who offers security. There was a little bit of herding off by Mariah as KC tried to find her spot in the herd but it was generally pretty calm. It wasn’t until KC meandered down to where Mariah was grazing by herself, that things began to heat up a little. Unfortunately, since all three horses were near the fence line, Christina and I decided that human intervention was needed. Jessie and Mariah were haltered and led calmly back to their enclosures with KC trailing behind Jessie. 

We’ll take it slowly to safely integrate our 3 senior mares into a herd. No need to hurry.

Our Sweet KC Joins Jessie and Mariah

Today was a very exciting day for our sweet 32 year old mare KC. She said good bye to her foster mom, Torrie, to join a senior herd of mares with Christina B. Christina has been fostering our girl Jessie for the past two years and offered to take KC to join Jessie and her own senior mare Mariah. Christina enjoys taking care of the older horses and provides a loving home for them to live out their days and with lots of pasture space to keep those legs moving, great care and a huge amount of love, the horses thrive. We are blessed to have Christina offering our girls a family who loves them.

Not knowing how KC would load into the trailer we were blown away when she didn’t even hesitate and walked straight in - perfect! Although excited about where she was she backed out and calmly looked around. 

Bo and Belle with their new mom Sandy!

All of us at BHR are so thrilled and happy to see these two little ones in a really great home. Bo and Belle have come a long way since their bad time at the Bowie Livestock Auction in December 2015, They won hearts all the way from Texas to California. A huge thank you to all the folks that helped Bo and Belle out along the way - the Bo and Belle village was huge! Your kindness, enthusiasm and passion for these two little ones was amazing. And of course, Katy - what can I say? Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough!

So, as Bo and Belle move on to their forever home, we wish them well, send them with much love, and like each horse that has passed through Blue Horse Rescue, we thank them for all they have taught us; wonderful little teachers. We are so happy for you little ones, and we wish you a very happy life. Many thanks to Sandy and Frank for falling in love with Bo and Belle and giving them the loving home they so deserve! You made it a little easier to part with these little cuties!

Bentley's First Saddle!

Bentley is doing great and enjoying his training. He's now out exploring the world, crossing creeks, learning lots and ... carrying a saddle!

Bentley in Training

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to check in with Bentley in his new temporary home and see how this young one was adjusting to this big change in his life. When I arrived Bentley was in his paddock hanging out with the big guy on the other side of the fence. Bentley’s curiosity did momentarily get the better of him and he approach to see who had just arrived. His greeting was quick and he soon wandered off to rejoin his new buddy.

Bentley’s play time was once again interrupted when it was time for his first training session in his new paddock. He recognized Ray, who had already had a few sessions with Bentley, and I can only imagine that Bentley was very surprised and also relieved to see a familiar human face. He and Ray have developed quite an understanding and Bentley is definitely very comfortable with him. It was great to see Bentley eager to learn - he tries so hard and is pretty quick to catch on! I’m looking forward to watching his progress.

Big Day for Bentley!

It was a busy Friday with three of Blue Horse Rescue's little ones on the road. Today was definitely an adventure for Bentley. Bentley said a sad goodbye to his foster family and with curiosity and confidence he loaded right up to head down the road to the next phase of his life - training! We are all very excited for Bentley and look forward to seeing him learn all he needs to know to live safely and confidently in a human world. It always takes a village, and a huge thank you goes to Bentley's foster mom, Sandy, who brought him along from a sickly little stud colt, (the stud colt phase was unexpected and short lived!), to a healthy, exuberant and over the top youngster ready for training. Definitely a job well done! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the patience, love and all round great care you gave to Bentley.

After a short trip down the road, Bentley was soon in his new paddock and making friends! Bentley's first night went well, and this weekend his training will begin!

pasture time for bo and belle

Yup, Bo and Belle are out to pasture during the day with the mares. Our little BHR ponies look so small hanging out with the big horses but apparently they don't realize that their legs are just somewhat shorter - it's all about attitude and confidence. Belle especially loves being out with the girls and didn't waste anytime approaching and making her way into the middle of the herd; actually, inserting herself into the the middle of the herd would be a better description. She was soon surrounded by curious and very kind mares who took her under their equine wings. Belle was in her element! Bo on the other hand, was a little less intrusive and was quite happy to independently explore the new pasture and introduce himself to the geldings on the other side of the fence. Obviously well versed in herd life and equine manners, the mares accepted both Bo and Belle into their tight group and all was good. The geldings were also very calm when Bo approached. Belle hasn't shown any interest in the geldings just yet, (thank you, thank you, thank you!), but Bo made the rounds and introduced himself to all interested parties - no drama: just 'hello, I'm Bo". New friends have been made and life is good.

So, calm and relaxed, the ponies look as if they have been part of the herd forever - it was an immediate success. Great to see them enjoying their new herd and the freedom of a large and spacious pasture with horses everywhere. Just one step outside their paddock gate and their world is already so much larger.

Enjoy the slide show!

A few of my favorite moments ...

okay, so here's the back story behind pasture time for bo & belle

You know how everything suddenly smooths out with your horses and all is going well? There's a moment of almost near insanity where you take a deep breath and thank the spirit that is. I don't know about you but at that same time I am busy crossing my finger and toes. You have that fleeting happy thought quickly followed by "oh no, I didn't just think that"! While you enjoy the moment the next phone call is coming. Well, that's exactly what happened. All was going well and then I got the call that Belle was in trouble. Now, when Belle's foster mom calls with a concern, I pay attention. Belle could not have a more loving, efficient and knowledgeable foster mom, so if Katy is upset, I know we have a problem. Before I go any further, I will say that this has a happy ending but for a very long 48 hours our little Belle kept our hearts racing.

Always very anxious, Belle had worked herself up into a total panic. What caused this, we have no idea, but nothing would calm her - turnout time, walking in the orchard, Katy's bag of comforting and calming tricks - nothing would stop Belle's panic. To make a long story short, two vet calls later, sedated, hydrated, and vigilantly watched, it was decided that the only option we had was to turn Belle (along with Bo) out into the mare pasture to hopefully calm and sooth Belle's anxiety. Belle always showed great interest in the mare's so later that day it was turn out time with the mares.

All I can say is never underestimate the power of the herd. The mares quickly accepted the ponies into their herd and the change in Belle was amazing. She came into her stall that evening, willingly I might add, and was calm, hungry and ready to rest after a long day out with the big horses. Turn out time in the pasture with the big horses will now become a part of the ponies life, weather permitting, and we are hoping that this it what Belle needs to be happier and less anxious. Fingers are crossed but so far life is much calmer for Belle.

bentley - from stud colt to gelding

Blue Horse Rescue’s little man Bentley has been full of surprises since his arrival from Texas! He is quite the character and has charmed us all with his cute little pony self.

However, … when Matt (our wonderful hauler!), suggested quietly that we may want to keep an eye on Bentley because he was acting like a little stud muffin, it didnt take us long to figure out that our little kid was actually a little stud colt!

With only one testicle descended we were concerned that he may require a more extensive surgery. Bentley’s foster mom immediately called her vet to check out our little one. Since Bentley also needed a dental we thought we could do the dental and take advantage of the sedation to check out the testicle situation. To make a long story short, with a little sedation the second testicle descended and Bentley was able to not only have his teeth floated but was gelded as well.

It was a good day & Bentley did just great. His wonderful foster mom, Sandy, helped him thru the first 24 hrs with great care and he was soon feeling his playful self again. It’s now been nearly two weeks and he has healed well - no infection and no complications.

Plus, we found out that he is actually a little younger than we were told - we thought he might be 3 years old, but in reality, according to his teeth, he is about 18 months to two years old.

Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Bentley!

bentley gets to hang out with his new friend carl

BHR's little brown pony, Bentley is finally enjoying time out in the paddock with his friend Carl! Bentley recently arrived from Texas and is ready to settle in and start making friends. So far so good - their first time out together went really well.

It's wonderful to see Bentley settling into his new foster home. I think he's claiming it as his own!

bentley's new best friend

so, what have bo & belle been up to?

Bo & Belle have been settling into life with their foster mom Katy and are beginning to relax and enjoy life. It has taken some time, but kudos to Katy for her patience and commitment to getting these two little ones to think about trusting us humans. Katy is truly an expert at what we call ‘ the black bucket days’!

Bo is a little more forgiving and tolerant while his sister Belle makes you work hard to earn her trust. She and her brother are now able to accept the halter (from Katy) and are enjoying time spent out in the round pen.

They’ve even made a new friend in another little one named Denali, and are really enjoying their play time and walks. Each baby step they make is really huge! They’re gradually shedding out their winter coats and teasing us with glimpses of a healthy shiny coat underneath - great to see, especially on Bo who had a nasty case of what looked like ring worm hiding under his very long winter coat. Again, a big thanks to Katy for the excellent care she took making sure that Bo was treated everyday - no easy job since Bo was more than happy to not be touched. They have definitely come a long way. It’s wonderful to see their noses over the stall door, and hear their little nickers when Katy shows up.

bentley has arrived!

Sunday was an exciting day for Blue Horse Rescue with Bentley’s long anticipated arrival in CA. After a long quarantine in Texas, he made the trip to us without problems and arrived at his new foster mom’s on Sunday evening. As you can image Sunday was filled with constant phone calls & excitement as Bentley got closer to us. The anticipation to finally meet Bentley, (who we had begun to think of as our little brown mystery pony), was intense. A welcoming foster family was waiting and then there he was …  cute as a button, very curious and eager to check out his new home. If I had to describe Bentley, it would be absolutely adorable and a huge personality too!

Having a new friend waiting to meet you makes things even better! A Fuzzy Socks look alike to remind him of his best friend in Texas made the landing even softer for little Bentley!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped Bentley along the way on his journey to CA. Especially his quarantine mom, Cindy who helped him get healthy again after his time at the livestock auction, and who also took the time & love to help him understand that people weren’t all that bad. A huge thank you to Matt who took great care of our little guy on the road & delivered him safely to us. And then, of course a huge thank you to Bentley’s amazing foster folks who opened their hearts and home to him. Couldn’t have done it without you! From our hearts, we thank you all.

bentley's bags are packed and he's heading to ca!

A very big day for Bentley, his quarantine mom Cindy and all of us at Blue Horse Rescue! After a very long quarantine, Bentley is now on his way from Texas to California! It's going to be a long trip for the little guy but he's in the great hands as he makes his way west. We can't wait to meet Bentley and get him settle in his new foster home!

But, ... it's also going to be a bittersweet day for quarantine mom Cindy. She has been taking great care of Bentley since January and while happy to see him move on to the next part of his life, she is also sad to see him leave.  Cindy has done a wonderful job taking care of Bentley for us and we can't thank her enough,

Safe travels little one.

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One last good bye ...

dental day for bo & Belle

Friday was another huge day for the little ponies, Bo and Belle. It was the day they would meet their new vet, Kasie, and learn all about having their teeth floated. And also, about sedation.

Both ponies did really well, although we did learn a lot about them. Bo is actually about five years old and Belle is four which is definitely in the same age range as we were told by the auction folks. Neither looked as if they had every had any dental work, but on the whole is wasn’t too bad. Nothing that wasn’t expected.

Bo did really well with handling all the people that were there and he was a really good boy throughout the whole day. He is curious and not so afraid of people the way his little sister Belle is. Bo’s cautious about us but willing to give us and the situation a chance without too much of a fuss. We did find out that shaking off the sedation was a little more difficult for Bo, and he was still pretty zonked and not wanting to chew on his “new teeth” later that evening. A little uncomfortable, I’m sure, but was back to his normal Bo-self the next day.

Belle, on the other hand, was full of beans that day - her walk showed us how well she can crow hop, buck and leap in the air. Luckily, as soon as Bo was in sight she calmed down. Our vet, Kasie, took some time with Belle, getting to know her before starting and that helped a lot. Soon Belle was sedated and the dental clinic began. All went smoothly and Belle had no problems shaking off the sedation and getting use to the feel of her new mouth.

One small step at a time, things are definitely moving forward with Bo & Belle.  

Many thanks to everyone who helped out throughout the day!