AUGUST 2015

Help Pegasus Soar!!

As you know, The Pegasus Project is changing lives every day for horses and humans by fulfilling our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, retrain and rehome neglected, abused and abandoned horses throughout Texas. To continue this work, we depend upon the ongoing generosity of our supporters. To assist us in our fundraising goals, Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is sponsoring North Texas Giving Day on Thursday, September 17th. Each donation of $25 or more made to The Pegasus Project on September 17th will help us receive extra bonus funds from CFT for our work with the horses. More than $2 million in bonus funds are available to qualifying nonprofits!

In addition, every donation made to The Pegasus Project through the North Texas Giving Day website on September 17th helps our chances of winning prizes given throughout the day ranging from $500 to $5000! With more than 70 total prizes being awarded, our chances to maximize your gift are great. Just imagine how many more horses we could help if we had an additional $5000 to work with!

In addition, members of the Pegasus board of directors and other generous donors will be providing matching funds for gifts made in connection with North Texas Giving Day. With the bonus funds from CFT and these matching funds, your gift of $100 will turn into more than $200! So, please mark you calendar for September 17th, save your pennies, and plan to donate generously!

By visiting NorthTexasGivingDay.org between 6am and midnight (Central Time) on September 17th and donating $25 or more, you will make a tremendous impact on the work Pegasus can do. With your help, we WILL reach our $50,000 fundraising goal on North Texas Giving Day!

~Nugget~

A Rags to Riches Story

Nugget upon arrival at the Pegasus ranch - June 2015

In early May 2015, we were contacted by a concerned and kind woman (Sue) in Kaufman, Texas who had rescued a horse from horrendous conditions at her neighbor's property. A little pint-sized stud had come across her barbed wire fence and tried to breed her mares. She managed to catch and separate him. When she confronted her neighbor, he said he did not want the horse and planned to do nothing to remedy the problem. So, she kept the horse and called us for help.

As it turns out, this little stud had lived by himself in a filthy and desolate pen with no interaction with other horses for 12 years. The owner says he never even put a halter on him. The horse had never received any medial care, hoof trims, or deworming. He had never even been given a name. He was all cut up because of his venture across the barbed wire. We sent our vet out to castrate, deworm, medicate, and vaccinate the little guy, and Sue agreed to house him for another 3-4 weeks to get him through quarantine and wait until room became available at the Pegasus ranch. On June 5th, we went to pick him up. He hopped right in the trailer, and his journey to a new life had begun.

After laying eyes on this little gem, we all decided he was a cute little "nugget," and so that's his name. Nugget is a friendly and bold little fellow who proved to be quite people-oriented. We do not know if he's stunted or just a tiny little pony. He looks like an itty bitty Arabian! He is easy to catch, and he learned basic ground skills such as haltering, leading and tying like a champ. He's a fancy little mover and a kind soul. Our dentist aged him at 13 years, but he has the heart of a young colt.

Before we could begin Nugget's training under saddle, he was adopted by Pegasus supporter, Francie Kilborne of Lucas, Texas. Francie needed a companion for her miniature horse, Cartman, and Nugget was the perfect choice. Francie will also use Nugget in an equine assisted therapy program she co-founded in north Texas. We are excited for Nugget to finally have a loving family of his own and the company of another horse. It's also quite special that Nugget will play a role in helping people in the therapy program. This little guy has a lot to offer. Congrats to Francie and Nugget!

To view all of Nugget's photos, click here: NUGGET

~JESSIE~

Beautiful and Refined

Jessie is a 6-year-old mare who appears to be an Arabian / Quarter Horse cross. She was picked up as an unclaimed stray by the Smith County Sheriff's Department in December 2013. Pegasus agreed to accept her, thereby saving her from the fate of the sale barn, and she was delivered to us on January 3, 2014.

Upon arrival at the Pegasus ranch, Jessie was in decent shape, and so we turned her in with a herd of mares ten days after her arrival. They accepted her immediately. Turns out Jessie is very sweet-natured and loves attention. She gets along well with people and other horses. Jessie has happily lived in our largest pasture with a variety of mares and geldings ever since.

From the beginning, Jessie was a little pocket pony. She followed us around the pasture and has always been easy to catch. She just needed to learn basic ground skills such as standing for the farrier and standing for fly spray. It seems that she had never been handled in this way. After just a few sessions, Jessie had it all figured out. She is smart and willing.

Don Knapp started Jessie under saddle in April 2014. After several months of riding her, Don passed her on to Dale Kahl, who now rides her several times per week. She proved to be a a smart mare who retains her training well. Dale has worked on Jessie's confidence under saddle. She has come a long way over the past year, and she's turning into a nice little horse. She started off pretty excitable, but she has calmed down nicely. We are pleased with Jessie and believe she has lots of potential. If you want a cool little Arab who will carry you down the trail with a little spirit and spunk, Jessie may be the one for you!

To view Jessie's full photo album, click here: JESSIE

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

A Note from Allyson

Support for Don Knapp

As many of you know, Don Knapp, our beloved trainer, has been diagnosed with throat cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed in a mass on his left tonsil and in a lymph node. Don is facing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Don has a long road ahead, and he can use all of the love and support we can muster.

Don is originally from Canada, and his family still resides there. His children are working out a plan to take turns traveling to Texas to provide Don with the support and care he needs during his treatment and recovery. This will require them to be away from their jobs and families for weeks at a time. It is expected that Don will face at least six weeks of daily radiation therapy and/or chemo, followed by several more weeks of recovery. As a result, he will need full-time support.

Many of you have asked how you can help. Your kind and encouraging words to Don are always welcome. Also, once treatment starts, the family will need assistance with transportation and meals. If you are willing to help out, please send me an email with your name, phone number and email address, and I will put you on the contact list to provide to his daughters.

In the mean time, his daughters have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to allow them to travel here to care for Don. If you'd like to contribute to that fund, click here: GoFundMe

Don has touched the lives of many horses and horse owners, and he's grateful for the outpouring of support he has received from so many people in the Pegasus family. All of us here appreciate each and every one of you.

Allyson DeCanio

President, The Pegasus Project

Send email to: allyson@MyPegasusProject.org

PEGASUS PARTNERS

Thursday, August 13th

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:

PEGASUS PARTNER

RIDE FOR A RESCUE
Charity Trail Ride

SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 7, 2015
Miars Arabian Ranch
Murchison, Texas

Food by Rowdy Taco

Complimentary Drinks

(beer, wine, water and soda)

Poker Run Prizes

Horse Contests & Games

Raffle for iPad Air 2

NON-RIDERS WELCOME!

All proceeds benefit the horses of

The Pegasus Project

Click here to register:

Ride for a Rescue

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

here