Sweet Will, our senior gelding is starting to relax and feel more comfortable in his new home at our barn. I really enjoy having him here.
Molly and Mouse Meet their new Trimmer, Tara
Time for Molly and Mouse to meet their new trimmer, Tara and to see how well they do!
Sweet William Arrives from Orland
Sweet Will is the third of our horses to come to the Blue Horse Rescue Barn. He was in our Senior Sanctuary where we thought he would be able to live out his days, but unfortunately that just wasn’t meant to be, so he will be coming to our barn. We are very happy to have this lovely, sweet gelding with us. Plus he will be in the barn with Calvin and Hobbes who are old acquaintances from when they were in foster in Pescadero. Funny how things work out but very pleased he will be reunited with the little donkeys.
Calvin and Hobbes Arrive at the New Barn
Our very first occupants in the new barn! It’s taken a lot of really hard work to get the barn ready and we are so happy that they are here. Time to relax and kick back. It’s been a long hard winter and the sunshine is very welcome.
Let the Paddock Building Begin!
It was long tough and very hot work but the amazing guys got it done despite my micro managing! Im lucky they didn’t leave me to do it myself. At the end of the job, Blue Horse Rescue had four amazing paddocks - two at each end of the turn out. Thank you guys! (Now we just have two more shelters to get in place at the other end to protect everyone from the extreme sunshine and heat, and of course, the rain and wind.
Molly the dog watched from the back of the pick up truck - smart girl!
Molly and Mouse Move to Vacaville
Molly and Mouse will be moving to their new foster home in Vacaville today. We are so sorry to see Tina move north, but also very happy for her. She has been an amazing foster mom to not only Molly and Mouse but also Sweet Will. We are happy to welcome Sharon to our family of foster moms, and especially grateful that she was able to help out until our barn is up and running. Plus she’s a mile down the road! Exciting times for us all as we move forward on our journeys.
A very dreary April morning but they arrived safely thanks to Tina, and are looking around at their new home with a great deal of interest - especially the mini paddock! New friends!!!
And then the play began. I think Tina was very relieved and happy to see them running and playing. It was a tough one for her - she spent a lot of time getting them healthy and hauling them to the hospital and back when they were both sick. They have come so far - a huge thank you to Tina for the love and care she gave them both.
Work on the Runs Begins!
Step one: Big equipment to move out all the nasty old stuff. Kenny’s the guy for that!
Step Two: Lunch time and a welcome break.
And finally, we have horses in the runs and on firm ground. Now we just have to get the mats out behind the stall doors and we will be all set.
Gravel for the Runs
Our first delivery to start working on barn improvements arrived today. We will be pulling the fencing down and scraping up all the old manure and mud from the runs and laying some new stone and gravel and also a French drain. Should be a busy weekend with lots going on.
Will's First Day
Will travelled well and made it safely to his new sanctuary home. Fingers crossed for a smooth transition to life with the senior herd.
Sweet Will Heads to Our Senior Sanctuary
Sweet William will be leaving Tina’s home today to move to our senior sanctuary where he will be able to hang with the herd and enjoy more great care and love. It’s always hard to say goodbye to them but Tina is making a big life change and heading north. We are so grateful for all the love and care she has shown the Blue Horse Rescue minis and horses. Tina will be missed! Also a big thank you to Christina for bringing another senior into her life!
Check it Out! Clean and Painted!
Lots of scrubbing, scraping, washing, raking, prepping and painting has been going on. Can’t take much credit for it myself, I helped, but the kudos go to Sandy S. for her excellent painting skills, and I have to admit enthusiasm for getting the barn all ready for the minis. Thank you Sandy!
Pretty unbelievable! What a great job :)
Our New Barn
A wonderful opportunity has presented itself to Blue Horse Rescue in the form of a small five stall barn and turnouts! It will be tons and tons of work but I have a vision of a really lovely little barn hidden underneath all the dust and dirt. So, here it is: (I know, LOTS of work may be an understatement!)
So far so good! But the inside is gonna need a who lot of love and hard work! Get ready!
I know, but check back and I’m sure you’ll be surprised !
Happy Valentines Day from All of us at Blue Horse Rescue
Dental Day at BHR for Sweet William, Molly and Mouse
Today was dental day for Sweet Will, Molly and Mouse. Sweet Will handled it like a seasoned horse - been there done this - he’s the all round gentle experienced horse. From sedation to full recovery took about an hour. He was gentle during the procedure, recovered quickly and was out in the arena checking everything out within a hour. We are hoping that Will can begin eating a little more naturally - not a complete diet of pellets and a little more natural forage. Fingers crossed. if not, Will does love his pellets and does well on them.
Molly and Mouse are super young and still very new at the whole dental day thing but they did just great with the amazing care from Pioneer Equine, Dr. Kate and her crew. Sharp points were smoothed out and caps were flipped off where possible. They did great. The biggest trauma of the day was little Mouse having his sheath cleaned - this was a major humiliation and no way acceptable according to little Mouse. Lots of kicking and butt hopping but he let us help him out. Lets just say that all systems are working a whole lot better now!
Molly is amazing with vet care and was very calm and accepting of all the vets had to offer. Being younger than Mouse, she is very busy shedding her baby teeth, and actually managed to crack a cap - luckily no infection or pain involved so we decided to let nature take it’s course and let it be - no infection and looks like it will fall out naturally within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Fingers crossed.
Molly and Mouse also had their BHR microchips placed and they did really well with that. Just another way of keeping them safe and under the BHR umbrella for life.
The little ones were in a much better pic position so I have a few more to share. The good news is that all recovered well from sedation and are one step closer to thriving and getting healthy. Always a good thing!
We are really looking forward to bringing Will to his sanctuary home in Orland but unfortunately the extreme mud has put us on hold. He will be joining the BHR sanctuary family with Christina where he will live out his senior days with pasture to roam, shelter from the winter storms, senior companions, and lots of love.
A huge thank you to Dr. Kate and Pioneer Equine in Oakdale for the amazing care they have given out horses! - they are truly amazing and I totally recommend them for your horse care. Great care, communication and passion for horses. What more can you ask for? We really love working with them.
Calvin and Hobbes Meet the Big Green Ball!
Today was a very interesting day for Calvin and Hobbes. Our amazing volunteer Sandy donated a big green jolly ball to give these two little donkey brains something else to think about. Calvin was extremely curious about what this was that was now in his safe and comfy space - very curious indeed! Hobbes, who initially ignored the green jolly ball because scratches, grooming and pets are always so much more interesting, only became interested when Calvin showed a great deal of curiosity. Only then did mister large and in charge decide that he too, had better check it out.
Hobbes is all about pet me, scratch my itchy spots and don’t apply any pressure that might shake my world. Very loving and sweet and still in the early days of trusting people. But, … the green ball demanded his immediate attention! Great to interact with them on any level.
While Hobbes decided that hanging out with the grooming, scratching hand was way more satisfying than the green jolly ball, Calvin decided that the iPhone camera was definitely something to check out - way more interesting - nostril shots available on request!
Molly and Mouse - the M&Ms
Molly and Mouse continue to heal and get healthy - a great thing to see as they were both fighting a pretty nasty pneumonia and extreme stress when we first met them. Young and alone they did their best but it definitely took it’s toll on them both.
Molly is now very active, feeling much better and very much large and in charge. She has assumed the role of alpha mare and very much lets little Mouse know what he needs to be doing, or not doing. For the first time, they are both very active and energetic and really enjoy their time out in the arena - running, bucking, crow hopping and playing. The play is with each other and with water - Molly especially loves water, no matter where she finds it!
Little Mouse has finished his antibiotics - his pneumonia was very much worse than Molly’s. He has been wormed again (extremely high worm load!) and is now gaining weight to the point where a diet change in is his very near future.
Both have both grown very thick winter coats and now look like miniature wooly mammoths - especially Mouse! You will be happy to hear that Mouse’s forelock is also growing out and is now laying flat against his little forehead - no more mohawk for Mouse!
Our vet, Dr. Kate, will be coming out to do a recheck this week and we are hoping for good news - will let you know!
A small amount of fresh grass hay in the arena brought all play to a very sudden stop as they made the most of an unexpected opportunity!
Sweet William Enjoys a Good Roll in the Winter Sunshine
It is so great to see our senior gelding, Sweet William, enjoying a bright sunny, dry winter day out in the arena rolling and making the most of the afternoon sunshine. William loves grooming and being fussed over, and we all enjoying spending time with such a sweet guy. Of course, he also loves getting dirty again! But that only means it’s time to enjoy the humans grooming and fussing again. A win/win situation!
Cute Moments with Calvin and Hobbes
Black Bucket Days with Calvin and Hobbes
What are black bucket days you might wonder? Well, that’s what we do with the little ones that are really still not too sure of people and have no idea what to expect from them. They may be curious, or they may be terrified, but the bottom line is they really don’t know what to expect. Black bucket days are just short periods of time we spend sitting on an upturned bucket, or step stool, making no demands and just sharing space. So, since Calvin and Hobbes were knew to us, (having recently arrived from foster), we spent a lot of time just hanging out with them - no intention, no demands, no imposed interaction - we just hung out in their space with them without being invasive or threatening. Barely looking at them, just being present. It didn’t take long for their curiosity to get the better of them and before long they were approaching, sniffing and backing up to consider the latest info. It wasn’t soon after that, that we were able to touch, pet and eventually groom Hobbes - he’s very much the extrovert of the two and also very supportive of Calvin’s much shyer nature. Plus, he totally loves being groomed! All that long hair and itchy spots definitely need scratching.
So today, we enjoyed our first hands on communication with Calvin and Hobbes that they initiated and we enjoyed very much. Baby steps and building blocks are paving the way to their future. And the really cool thing was, no carrots or treats were involved - an incredibly huge step for these two guys in their new surroundings!
Just a quick addition to the above - this did not happen within a few hours or minutes, this was time spent with Calvin and Hobbes over a period of days, if not a week - the end result was very special and a big step forward changing our relationship with them completely and instilling just a little more confidence in them and a feeling of safety in their new surroundings. Great to see!
Good Morning from Calvin and Hobbes
It’s just a quick little video but here’s what I was greeted with on morning two from Calvin and Hobbes. A very definite '“Where’s breakfast?” along with a little back off attitude from Calvin. Hobbes tries so hard to be large and in charge but Calvin definitely pushes back! He may be just a little bit smaller than Hobbes but Calvin’s spirit and personality is huge.
I love these two little voices and faces at the gate in the morning! Would love to know what they are saying as their vocalizations change constantly. The really loud braying begins when they hear me in the grain room - hard to believe how loudly they call for food and how quickly they associated barn noise with food is about to be delivered - very smart little guys.
We are looking forward to learning more about them both as we get them ready for life with a forever family.
Check back for updates on their progress.