MHARF Annual Meeting
COME ONE, COME ALL!!!
Do you happen to have Sunday, February 28th open? Are you interested in volunteering some time to the MN Hooved Animal Rescue? Well then, we think we can fulfill both needs!
On Sunday, February 28th at 11:00AM at the Medina Entertainment Center, the MN Hooved Animal Rescue will be having our annual open meeting to discuss needs, plans, events and ideas for 2010. Tell everyone you know! Call those you know who don't have email! Send this out to everyone you know! Bring your enthusiasm! Bring your ideas! Come meet other volunteers and foster homes! This is a great time to network with others and put faces to names!
We're estimating that the cost for the room, a (really awesome) buffet for lunch, coffee/tea/soda, and gratuity will be about $20/person. So we can get an accurate count of everyone who would like to attend, please RSVP to Laurie, via email (lauriekrisko@yahoo.com)or phone (763-238-6615), by February 22nd.
Thank you for your continued support of the animals!
2010 Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse
It's 2010 and that means we're gearing up for a new Trainer's Challenge! Before you get all excited, it's only fair to mention that we're only at the point where we're looking for trainers from Minnesota and the neighboring states - no blogs have been posted yet. So if you're a trainer, or if you know of someone who is a trainer, by all means get the word out. We've had a great bunch of trainers for our 2008 and 2009 Challenges, and we'd love to keep up the tradition! And as with our prior events, we have an application that we'd like trainers to fill out and send to us. Everything is explained in the form, but you have questions, don't hesitate to call us at 763-856-3119.
If this is the first time you've heard of such an event, then you're going to want to check out the prior challenges:
2008 Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse
2009 Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse
Seeking Foster Homes
Back on December 15th, you may have seen a news story on Fox9 News about five horses in McLeod county that were surrendered to the Rescue and transported to the U of M Equine Center. If you missed it, you can view the story here.
Unfortunately we can't pick when horses should be rescued, and these five have arrived when we are presently packed to the withers with horses and we're hoping/praying/begging for assistance! We're not asking you to adopt the horses permanently (although that's a tempting thing to ask), only to provide a home for a short time to one or a few horses until they can get adopted.
Also, please don't think we're going to push the hard-luck cases out to foster farms - quite the opposite. We want fostering to be as easy and painless as possible, so we will be keeping the horses that need the most care, and fostering out the more capable "easy keepers".
If you happen to have an extra stall or three in your barn, or if you seem to have more paddock than you thought you had, or if you know someone who might fit these descriptions but they don't visit this site... well, here's your chance to help out! Please call Deb at 763-856-4475 to discuss how you can help foster!
2009 Trainer's Challenge Photos
We realize that this is a long time coming, and we greatly appreciate your patience. David Brant was the photographer at the 2009 Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse and he was kind enough to provide us with a collection of photos - which he provided them months ago; we're the ones who dropped the horse cookie - for us to post on the site. After long last, these photos have been posted!
Where? Here!
Also, if you happen to see a photo or two that catches your fancy, please visit Mr. Brant's online gallery and contact him regarding prints. At the very least, please drop him a line thanking him for taking a day out of his busy schedule to photograph our event!
U.S. Nationals Vendor Needs Your Immediate Help!
Arabian Saddle Company's (ASC) truck and trailer, along with their entire show stock were stolen from the parking lot of the Extended Stay Hotel on Saturday night after packing up from U.S. Nationals in Tulsa, OK. The goods alone are worth several hundred thousand dollars.
If you or someone you know is offered a significantly reduced price on any of ASC's products, or you see their products advertised anywhere (ebay, local retail store, etc.), other than their official website or from an authorized dealer, please contact the Tulsa Police Department 918-596-COPS (2677) immediately.
For Sale
  While horses are the primary focus of this site (yeah, we know - big surprise), from time to time we come into the possession of material objects that A) we don't especially need at the moment or B) don't really apply to horses or the care of horses. As we're sure you've guessed by now, it just so happens that this is one of those times.
At the moment we have two motorized vehicles - a 1994 Chevy 4x4 pick-up truck and a motorized personal scooter. Both are in good repair and fine working condition. The exception to prior statement is the fact that the truck's windshield would need to be replaced; otherwise it's in great condition. The asking price of the truck is $3,500 and the asking price for the scooter is $450. If you'd like to learn more about either of these items or arrange a time to inspect their condition, please call us at 763-856-3119.
Nebraska 200 Mustang Rescue
Back in April (2009), we talked about a rather unfortunate state of affairs at the Three Strikes Ranch in Nebraska, where a collection of wild Mustang horses has come to be known as the "Nebraska 200". Quite simply, it was a herd of horses that had been left unfed and uncared for to a point where about 75 had already died and the remaining 200+ were in sorry shape. Well, we have some updates! Click here to read more!
Information from the MN Horse Welfare Coalition
An excellent program dedicated to the education of new and seasoned horse owners, the MN Horse Welfare Coalition (MNHWC) has posted literature on the AHS website that we feel is required reading. There are documents on "Evaluating a Horse's Body", "Horse Hay Resources", and "Humane Options for Unwanted Horses". You can download and view these documents here (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
The Gelding Project
The Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, the Minnesota Horse Council and the Animal Humane Society in cooperation with the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners and the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue have launched an initiate to help control the equine population named "The Gelding Project". This two-part program is designed as a key step to reduce the number of unwanted horses in Minnesota. For more information on this project and how you can help make it a success, please visit the Horse Council website! There are PDF files available for download (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) that help detail the requirements and benefits of this project.
In addition, the first castration clinic was a great success! You can read the news release here (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) as well as some additional information here.
Wyldfyre MISSING!
On December 9th, 2008, one of our horses presently in foster care in the Rush City / Rock Creek area - Wyldfyre - disappeared from the farm where she was fostered. We do not know if she strayed away, is lost, or has been stolen - but we certainly would like to have her back and safe! Wyldfyre, is an Arabian sorrel mare that stands about 14.2 hands. She has very little white, with the only spot being a small star on her forehead. She also has a scar on her hind leg, but given the fuzzy nature of horses right now, that might be hard to see. Here is a flyer (99KB PDF) you can download and post if you are in that area or are attending any horse auctions.
We are offering a reward to anyone providing information that leads to the safe return Wyldfyre. If you have information on her whereabouts, please contact the Rescue immediately at 763-856-3119.
MHARF "Rescue Me" Posters Available
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of graphic designer Kari Finkler and animal photographer Mary Ludington, we are excited to announce the release of "Rescue Me" - a 13" x 18" poster donated to the Rescue to help raise funds for the animals in our care. Want to learn more? Then by all means, click here!
Pet Points from Coborn's
Have you been collecting Pet Points from Coborn's but you don't know what to do with them? Do you have no idea what "Pet Points" are? Do you want to help the MHARF even more? Then read on!
Coborn's has been a local grocery store in the upper midwest for several decades, with the first one opening in 1921 in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. One of the promotional features at select Coborn's stores is "Pet Points". Pet Points are coupons given at Coborn's when you buy pet food. When you have enough points, you can convert the points into cash - 150 pet points = $10.00 that can be used for anything at Coborn's such as food for the animals in the care of MHARF or even gas for trailering horses to and from foster homes and veterinary clinics. If you have extra Pet Points that you'd like to donate to MHARF, please contact Deb at 763-389-9185 or Deb at 763-856-4475. (Yes, two different ladies named "Deb".)
MHARF Yahoo! Group
A Yahoo! Group has been created for the MN Hooved Animal Rescue to keep everyone informed of events, alerts, and other time-sensitive information that may not be posted to this website. This group is certainly not a replacement for this website, but more to supplement the communication process for everyone concerned about the welfare of horses in Minnesota. To learn more about this e-mail list and what it does, you can visit the MHARF Yahoo! Group home page here. This list is carefully moderated by volunteers of the Rescue to ensure the privacy of the members and the content of the notices. In order to participate, you will need a valid e-mail address. For more information, please visit the MHARF Yahoo! Group
An important article has been posted at TheHorse.com that we encourage everyone to read! (Free registration required to view.)
How to Manage Starved Horses and Effectively Work with Humane and Law Enforcement Officials - "The role of the veterinarian in the community is very important (in equine welfare cases)," said Julie Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, head of large animal medicine at the University of Minnesota's (UM) College of Veterinary Medicine during the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention. Read More... |
