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COME JOIN THE FUN!! Ready to embrace your inner cowboy? Slip on your jeans and boots and come on out! On November 30th, The Pegasus Project will hold its first quarterly open house. For all of you who have been wanting to tour the facility, meet the horses, and get to know our incredible staff, here's your chance!! Come spend the afternoon at the beautiful ranch that is home to the Pegasus herd. We'll have hayride tours, serve refreshments and tell you all about the horses and the work your generous support allows us to do. Admission is free! We are looking forward to sharing with you the magic that is Pegasus!!
Details and directions can be found by clicking here:
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How Sugarbaby got her wings!
Frightened, skinny and wheezing, that was Sugarbaby in July 2012. This lovely mare (and her frisky filly, Diamond) came to Pegasus because their owner was sick with cancer and couldn't care for them any longer. Sugarbaby was very thin, unconfident, and was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to eating poor quality hay. Under our loving care, she quickly gained weight, and her trust started to build. In time, surrounded by love and handled with gentle respect, Sugarbaby realized she was safe and gave herself over to us. Her tendency to be "flinchy" melted away. She proved to be a nicely trained horse, but with the Texas heat, she often endured labored breathing. In February 2014, she was spotted by Crissi McDonald, a professional horsewoman from Estes Park, Colorado, and wife of renowned horseman, Mark Rashid. Crissi had recently sustained a serious fall on horseback, crushing her leg and causing a head injury. Crissi was struggling with her own confidence and feared that she may never ride again. She deeply connected to Sugarbaby and her gentle ways. Their bond was immediate and beautiful, each filling a need within the other. Crissi adopted Sugarbaby, renamed her Ally (in honor of Pegasus co-founder, Allyson DeCanio), and took her home to Colorado where Ally has taught Crissi to trust riding again. In return, Crissi has taught Ally, who needs a kind hand and a gentle heart, to trust humans again. Ally now breathes easy in the cool Colorado climate, surrounded by love in her forever home. We ask . . . who rescued whom? To view Ally's full photo album, including photos with Crissi, click here: Ally
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Ooh la la . . . Georgia!
Are you ready for a pocket-pony with a coat as soft as a velveteen rabbit? Are you pining for a well-bred Quarter Horse who looks like a wild mustang straight from the western plains? Are you craving a little darling with a thick, black, luscious mane & tail and a heart of gold? Well then . . . meet Georgia!
Once you gaze into this beautiful filly's big, dark, soft eyes, there is no turning back. Georgia is nothing short of captivating! Rescued, along with her mother and 46 other horses from a Texas breeding operation gone bad, Georgia came to us as a scrawny little weanling in 2010.
Raised and trained by renowned horseman Bruce Logan, Georgia got a terrific start and it shows. She grew up on a working cattle ranch with lots of adventure! Now, at the age of 4, Georgia has proven to be a good-minded, solid, and dependable partner. She is willing, gentle and well-mannered, and she LOVES attention. She's the first to meet you at the gate and is always ready to work. Georgia is on the small side, measuring only about 14 hands, but she rides like a bigger horse and can easily carry a full-sized adult. This sweet girl gets along well with other horses, and she loves people. Although young, Georgia is proving to be a horse safe for most riders. Georgia will make an appearance at the Ride For a Rescue charity trail ride on November 1st. Come meet her there! To view Georgia's full photo album, click here: Georgia. If you are interested in adopting Georgia, we would love to hear from you. Start by reviewing our adoption process by clicking here Adopt, and submit your application today!
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Welcome to this month's edition of Trainer's Corner, featuring Don Knapp, Pegasus' head trainer. Pegasus is proud to have trainer Dale Kahl on staff as well. We actually like to refer to Don and Dale as "horse developers" because that's what we do here - we develop the horse. We don't "break" colts, but rather work gently with them to develop their natural talents.
At The Pegasus Project, we always try to see things from the horse's perspective and feel it's our obligation to speak their language rather than expecting them to speak ours. Each month we will offer you a video of Don or Dale working with a horse, whether it be starting a young colt, putting finishing touches on a horse that's well-trained, or just giving tips on how to deal with potential challenges.
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This month's video is Don working on trailer-loading with Ruger, a 3-year-old colt who has been with Pegasus since March 2012. Ruger is a curious and playful guy, but like most horses, the trailer is a little intimidating for him. Throughout his development, Ruger has learned to trust Don and Don's leadership. With patience and proper timing, Don is able to teach Ruger that the trailer is a safe place. Proper preparation and relationship-building make this task easy for young Ruger.
We would add the following to the information contained in this video: 1) when you start to unload your horse, always make sure he is untied prior to opening the back door or partition. Often a horse will start backing out as soon as there is an opening. It's important that he be untied so that he doesn't sit back and harm himself. 2) if a horse rushes backwards out of the trailer, DO NOT grip the rope and hold his head! This will result in the horse pulling upward and away, thereby cracking his head on the top of the trailer as he exits. Hold the rope loosely and follow the horse out of the trailer without pulling.
If after watching this video, you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at: allyson@mypegasusproject.org.
To view Ruger's photo album and read about his incredible story, click here: Ruger
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A Note from Allyson
In October, Pegasus rescued a pony named Rosie. Rosie's story struck a deep cord with many of you because it illustrates what happens when horse owners do not seek education about caring for a horse. Born 20+ years ago on the land from which we rescued her, untrained, never taught to stand for a farrier or to load in a trailer, eye gouged out by barbed wire, her life completely devoid of veterinary or farrier care, living alone with no companionship . . . and so on.
Rosie had been allowed to founder more than four years prior due to improper feeding and lack of basic hoof care. Despite the pleas of a concerned neighbor, who spotted the pony in "founder stance," the owners never sought treatment for Rosie. So there she stood (or often laid), in excruciating pain, day after day, year after year.
After years of frustration, the neighbor learned of The Pegasus Project. We were able to work with local law enforcement to obtain a seizure warrant for Rosie. In court at the civil cruelty hearing, Rosie's tearful owners claimed to consider her a member of the family. Totally ignorant of ailments known to horses or how to properly care for Rosie, they chalked her lameness up to "being old." This is where the apathy part comes in.
Completely crippled and barely able to walk, Rosie was left alone with no treatment and no comfort care, while the owners did nothing for her. Not until they were facing a judge did their tears begin to flow. The court rightfully found that they had cruelly treated Rosie and ordered that Rosie be awarded to The Pegasus Project for humane euthanasia. What a sad day for all. We can only take comfort in knowing that we provided Rosie with love and comfort during her last days. Her gratitude was heart-warming.
How can this be? How could anyone who claims to care for an animal allow that precious being to suffer so? We ask ourselves these questions every day, as we see case after case like Rosie's. The answer is usually "ignorance and apathy." The owner doesn't know enough. The owner doesn't care enough. But, there is absolutely no excuse for either!
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PEGASUS PARTNERS
Thursday, November 20
5:30 pm
The Forge
Ben Wheeler, TX
Monthly, fun, information-packed meetings for Pegasus supporters at various locations throughout the year. All Pegasus Partners at the $25/month level and higher are Happy Hour members. Membership includes a car decal, a Pegasus hat or t-shirt, a Pegasus logo wine glass and an open invitation to every meeting! Discuss the latest Pegasus news and connect with other like-minded horse fans. (Your wine glass is free, but the wine isn't! We know how much you drink!)
Click here to join:
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RIDE FOR A RESCUE
SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 1, 2014
Miars Arabian Ranch
Murchison, Texas
Food by Rowdy Taco
Complimentary Drinks
(beer, wine, water, and soda)
Poker Run Prizes
Horse Contests & Games
Quilt Raffle
NON-RIDERS WELCOME!
All proceeds benefit the horses of The Pegasus Project.
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DO YOU LOVE
WHAT WE DO?
BECOME A
PEGASUS PARTNER!
Did you know Pegasus relies entirely on private donations? Our regular monthly donors, known as Pegasus Partners, are our most treasured asset. For as little as $10/month you can help provide us with a predictable source of income at a much lower cost than any other fundraising method.
While we are very appreciative of one-time donations, the monthly donations of our
Pegasus Partners allow us to plan ahead.
Our ability to save these helpless horses, donkeys and mules depends on YOUR donations!
We cannot do this without you! Please consider making a monthly donation so we may continue to rescue horses that have no future without us.
Click here to join:
Pegasus Partner
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