DECEMBER 2014

Isaac asks you to remember the Pegasus horses this holiday season.
 (He also asks that we stop dressing him up!)
"Help a Horse for the Holidays" Christmas Gift Certificates

Q: What do you get for a child/friend/relative who has enough toys, clothes and fruitcakes?

A:  A horse, of course!

Well, if you can't GET them a horse, at least you can help them HELP A HORSE by sponsoring a Pegasus Project equine in their honor. As you make your gift-giving decisions this holiday season, consider sponsoring a Pegasus donkey, mule or horse. For as little as $50, you can provide a month's worth of care (hay and grain) for a rescued donkey or mule. Or feed your favorite Pegasus rescue horse for as little as $100 and teach a child a lesson about charity.

We are issuing Christmas Gift Certificates in our "Help a Horse for the Holidays" campaign. You purchase the certificate (a tax-deductable donation) in honor of the recipient, and he will receive a certificate of sponsorship, an "autographed" 8x10 photo from the rescued animal of your choice, and the satisfaction of knowing that the animal has been fed in his honor for a month! As a bonus, this gift does not need batteries or assembly!

Purchase your "Help a Horse for the Holidays" Christmas Gift Certificate by clicking on the link below. Once we receive your order, we will contact you for details regarding your equine of choice and the gift recipient.  Or call us at 903.469.3578 to custom design your own sponsorship package to include additional care for your favorite horse or extended months of sponsorship!


To learn of additional ways to help the Pegasus horses for the holidays and beyond, click here.

Thank you, once again, for partnering with Pegasus to make a difference in a horse's life!

A Happy Ending for Dixie
Dixie - transformed from walking skeleton to beauty queen!

Dixie was part of a large seizure operation we conducted in Jacksonville, Texas in June 2011. She was one of 9 horses rescued from a junk yard, and she came to us emaciated, worm-infested, covered in rain rot, and pregnant! Dixie was also blind in her right eye, and her eye was seriously infected. We nursed Dixie back to health, delivered her adorable baby (Bobby) the following April, and then focused on letting her just be a horse.

 

Because Dixie, who is now about 17 years old and arthritic, had never been trained for riding, we offered her for adoption as a companion-only horse. Rather than subject a sight-impaired, arthritic horse to the rigors of saddle training, we did what was best for her - we allowed her to become a beautiful pasture ornament, knowing that the right person would come along eventually.

 

In March 2014 the Mathson family, who had previously adopted Grace from Pegasus, chose Dixie for their young daughter, Madison. Madison just wanted a horse to love, and Dixie had been waiting for a little girl to love her. Dixie will live out her life with this dedicated family and her best friend Grace, who was also part of the Jacksonville seizure. While Mackenzy, Madison's older sister, rides Grace, Madison strolls around the property with Dixie. Neither Dixie nor Grace will ever know another day of suffering. Once again, LOVE WINS.

 

To view all of Dixie's photos and read more of her story, click here:

 


~JETT~
The True Black Beauty

Jett, this gorgeous, black Quarter Horse, was rescued in 2012 from a miserable situation in Florida by his hero, Tamara Robinson. Tamara found Jett with a horse trader, cast out alone, standing in muck, filthy, thin, depressed, and totally neglected. The trader represented Jett as being 8 years old and "kid-safe." Tamara purchased Jett to spare him further misery.

 

After a year with a trainer in Florida, Jett's emotional state and physical health were not improving. Tamara turned to The Pegasus Project. We accepted Jett into our program in July, 2013 and began his rehabilitation. Jett was thoroughly examined by a team of professionals, including two veterinarians, an equine chiropractor, and an equine dentist. It was agreed that Jett is in fact about 16 years old and physically sound. We spent about 6 weeks getting Jett to proper weight, and then Pegasus' head trainer, Don Knapp, started working to build muscle tone through ground work. Once Jett was physically healthy, Don began working with him under saddle.

Although Jett has excellent ground manners and is a true gentleman, he has proven to be very troubled when saddled, leading to extreme bucking. Jett doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and all of his behavior when saddled is clearly fear-driven. When Jett's fearful responses continued despite Don's excellent and patient work with him, we consulted with renowned horseman, Mark Rashid. Mark evaluated Jett, and concurred with our opinion that Jett is better left unridden.

 

We will never know the root of Jett's issues, but we cannot hold his past against him. Due to his age, and his very tender nature, we have elected to spare Jett the emotional upset he feels with saddle work. Since we do not believe that Jett will be a safe saddle horse, we are offering this lovely fellow for adoption as a companion-only horse. If you are looking for a beautiful horse to love and to serve as a solid pasture mate for another horse, Jett is your answer. He currently lives with our blind horse, Justice, to whom he is very kind. Jett is sweet, engaging, and he loves attention. He is also an excellent baby-raiser, patiently teaching the young bucks proper manners! This wonderful guy deserves to live out his life in peace, surrounded by a loving family.

 

To view Jett's full photo album, click here: JETT

 

If you are interested in adopting Jett, we would love to hear from you. Start by reviewing our adoption process by clicking Adopt, and submit your application today!

 



Welcome to this month's edition of Trainer's Corner, featuring Don Knapp, Pegasus' head trainer. Pegasus is proud of the work Don and staff trainer, Dale Kahl, do for our horses. 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.


Each month we present these videos as models of our training techniques. Our goal is to provide you with an understanding of our methods. While we all can improve our skills with horses by growing and learning, please recognize that to properly start a horse takes special talent and years of experience. Recognize your limitations and be safe. Hire a professional when an animal is beyond your skill set!

Aspen Learns About Life With Humans
Aspen Learns About Life With Humans

In this month's Trainer's Corner, Don works with our recent rescue, Aspen, a one-year-old, basically feral, miniature mule. The first step in her training is teaching her to trust our touch and to willingly accept being haltered. Don explains setting up a routine for successful haltering. Over the course of the months to come, we will share with you Aspen's development. 

 

(Co-starring in a supporting role in this month's video is Cheeto, a fabulous pony available for adoption.) 
 

*A side note about Aspen: Mules (the product of a horse mother and a donkey father) are a little different than horses. Mules demand that you treat them with respect. A wise man once said, "you MUST treat a mule like you SHOULD treat a horse," meaning that you should never force a horse but you BETTER NOT force a mule. They are highly intelligent and will not accept it. It's all about relationship building. So, let the romancing of the mule begin!
A Note from Allyson

 
Over the last few months, we have been presented with a recurring issue. It's not a pleasant topic, but one that merits discussion. I apologize for addressing such a difficult matter during the holidays, but there is no time like the present, especially with winter coming.

When should you, as a caring horse owner, humanely euthanize your precious equine partner? It's probably the most difficult dilemma a horse owner will ever face. It's not easy to know when to act. You obviously want to give the horse every opportunity to survive and thrive, but ultimately that is not always going to happen. So, what is a responsible, loving horse owner to do?

Acute injury, sudden or prolonged illness, and advanced age are the most common reasons for an animal to be put down. The decision can be excruciatingly painful and difficult for even the strongest person. In addition, complex moral, ethical and legal standards are involved. I'd like to offer some thoughts regarding factors to consider as you navigate this most heartbreaking of decisions.

The first question you should ask yourself is "what is best for the horse?". Allowing a horse to experience endless pain and suffering is never in her best interest. You must carefully balance the likelihood of recovery with the amount of suffering the horse is enduring. In cases of injury and illness, you must also consider your financial ability to see the horse through a perhaps prolonged battle, and balance the horse's likelihood of recovery with those potentially crippling costs. Give yourself permission to take this important factor into consideration.

When it comes to geriatric horses, your primary responsibility is to make sure you are providing for their special needs. Some horses live well into their 30s without needing special care. Others, usually due to dental issues or decreased nutrient absorption, require extra effort. Senior feed, feed in larger quantities, dietary supplements, roughage the horse can ingest, alfalfa hay or alfalfa cubes, regular de-worming and regular dental and veterinary exams are all essential. You may have to make a warm mash for the horse who has few or worn out teeth. But you must do what it takes.

If you've provided all of this care and your horse continues to lose weight and becomes emaciated, the only humane action is euthanasia. A horse who cannot ingest food and hay to the nourishment of his body will DIE OF STARVATION! Starvation is painful and inhumane.

(Caution - disturbing photo) Click here for a picture of an elderly horse wasting away because she cannot properly ingest food and absorb nutrients. This is a horse from an actual case we worked in Smith County, Texas. Any objective person can see that allowing this deterioration is unacceptable and cruel.

The laws of most states, including Texas, allow that humane euthanasia is part of providing proper care to a horse. So, as a horse owner, if you allow your geriatric horse to decline to the point of starvation, you are at risk for violating animal cruelty statutes. Texas law forbids an owner from unreasonably depriving his horse of necessary food, care and shelter. So, despite the fact that you may be putting food and hay in front of your horse, if that horse cannot ingest and absorb the food properly, you are at risk of being found responsible for depriving the horse of necessary care. More importantly, you are allowing an animal to suffer needlessly.


PEGASUS PARTNERS


Thursday, December 18th 
5:30 pm
Home of Lorna Russell
3397 CR 4412
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:  


The Pegasus Project 2015 Calendar

ORDER YOURS TODAY!!

These calendars make excellent Christmas gifts for your horse loving friends!

Each month features a Pegasus
rescue horse or donkey

Only $15 each
-or-
Two for $25

All proceeds benefit the horses of
 The Pegasus Project

Click here to order:


 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

 

Like us on Facebook
 here