Hay for the holidays

Thank you to Marion and Carol for the hay donations!!! What a wonderful way to help the horses this holiday season! You can donate hay too, all it takes is a phone call to Agway in Hicksville, they will deliver any donations to us! We can always use hay and shavings!!! There number is 516-931-0342, all you have to tell them is you would like to donate to Project Sage!

We are now selling "I do not support horse slaughter, mr. Obama" magnets for your car! Email donnakye@hotmail.com if you would like to purchase one! They are just $10!

Dog needs a new home

The dog in the picture is Ginger, a 1 yr old female who needs a new home, she needs a high energy family! She is wonderful with kids and other animals! If you know anyone that can give Ginger a home please contact me! She weighs approx 35 lbs, she's the perfect barn dog!!!

Happy weekend!

Happy Saturday, hope everyone enjoyed my Sugar Creek story, feel free to pass it on to friends and family to spread the word about our rescue.

Yesterday we headed upstate to drop off Amico at his new foster. He's spending the winter there with a great family. He got to go with all new blankets thanks to Danielle! He looked awesome in his hunter green and navy sheet. His foster has a big sheep and two other rescued horses, plenty of new friends for Amico!

Today I'm heading to PA to bring Husky to his new home, I'm so thrilled this wonderful guy now has a family to call his own! I'll also get to visit Cricket and Saber today, two horses that were adopted. I'm excited to see them, they have a wonderful home now with Joan and her family!

We are also taking Delilah to be trained by Molly in PA. By the spring Delilah will be a new pony, I'm looking forward to seeing her learn. My theory is if a horse has a job it is easier to find a new home, we try to put training into all of our horses and ponies.

I'm looking forward to seeing all our friends and horses in PA this weekend, I should have some pictures for everyone early next week.

Please bare with us while our website goes through some changes. Cadie, our photographer, is taking over the site and plans on making some changes. Hopefully adding some things as well!

Enjoy the weekend, stay warm!

PS: we are now selling magnets that say "my other ride is a rescued horse" for your car, truck, and trailer! They are $10, contact Donna at donnakye@hotmail.com to buy yours to support our wonderful rescue horses!!

Sugar Creek Horse Auction

We drove up and down the rolling hills of Ohio with our trailer in tow on the way to a place hidden behind a tourist town where people walked happily shopping at the small shops.  I suppose people that visit the town of Sugar Creek don’t realize that off the beaten path every Friday a horse auction is held where horses are sold to slaughter for pennies on the dollar.  We arrived at Sugar Creek Livestock Auction early Friday morning, parking our trailer and venturing inside.  The pens were already packed with horses of all colors and breeds, packed in like sardines with not much space to move.  Hay and water were nowhere in sight for most of these horses.  They stood solemnly waiting for the end to come, waiting to be sold to a kill buyer to be loaded onto a trailer for the long ride to Canada. 

I had imagined in my head how difficult it would be to choose just a few horses but when I started walking through the pens it became so real.  These horses did not deserve to be in this awful place with stickers hot glued to their rumps.  When they walked into Sugar Creek they lost their name, their identity, their purpose.  They were now just a number, a number to be sold for a few hundred bucks to the highest bidder.

I could say I’ve become hardened to many things in the rescue world but nothing can prepare you to walk through Sugar Creek, it’s the bottom of the barrel, the worst place a horse could end up.  I began my search for the horses that I would rescue.  We looked through the pens and started jotting down numbers of horses that tugged at our hearts. 

The pens are packed with horses so evaluating them is very difficult.  In a 10x12 pen there were 6 horses; one had a note glued to him.  It read “awesome trail horse, very sweet, easy going”.   He pushed through the other horses and came over and nuzzled my hand.  He looked bewildered as to why he was packed in with so many other horses.  He was a blue roan with remarkable coloring.  We jotted down his number and kept walking through.  Every time we would think we looked in every pen they would unload 25 more horses, by 10 am there was over 300 horses jammed into the small pens.  The more horses they added the more screams you would hear.  Horses screaming for their lives, horses getting separated from their friends, horses screaming for their owners that had dumped them there. 

I watched a women drop off a young foal and its mother.  She signed the paper and walked away from them without a second thought.  I asked myself what was the point of breeding this mare when she would be dumped at an auction with her young colt that was clinging to her side scared to be touched.  I assume he did not have any handling and probably sat out in a field.  He had a long white blaze and looked petrified of everything around him. 

A large Belgian mare was stuffed into a pen with a group of standardbreds, she could hardly move around and had the look of exhaustion on her face.  We stroked her face and told her it would be ok.  You could see into her soul when you looked into her eyes, the soul of a horse that had worked for years on an Amish farm and was dumped at Sugar Creek like she was an old tractor being dumped at the junk yard.  Her number quickly went onto our list; she won us all over with her huge heart.

I watched horses of all breeds packed into pens, kicking and squealing, fighting for a few strands of hay on the floor.  Many of them stood in the corners with their noses almost touching the ground, it’s the look you see on a horse that has given up all hope, given up on humans.  As we walked past a pen packed with 40 bay horses one stood out in the crowd, she had a blank look on her face, her lip drooped.  She was non responsive to touch, it was as if she was a shell, her soul was gone.  We all scratched her and tried to get her to respond to us but she just hung her head low.  She was identical to about 10 other mares in that pen but she was the one that drew us all in.

I wish I could write about every horse that called out to me that day but the list is too long, horses in every pen stuck their noses through the wood for a scratch.   They begged me to pet them, to reassure them, to give them hope.  I held back tears as I pet each nose, telling them it would be ok.  The amount of horses was overwhelming; I wished I had a bigger trailer, more funds, more space.  So many horses called out to me that day, their faces are still burned into my head.  A little chestnut mare with a unique blaze pushed her way through a group of high strung horses to get a sniff at my hand.  She had a cute face and a great personality.  She was filthy, skinny, and in need of some major care.  I liked her; I liked her ambition to get to me from the other side of the pen, I liked her way of speaking to me through her eyes.  She went on my list along with a few other horses from this pen.  My list was longer then I wanted it to be, I would have to pick who to bid on soon enough.

Just a few minutes before the auction was to begin I found a tiny pen filled with trash and some baby goats.  They still had their umbilical cords on and looked to be about a day old.  They screamed for their mother, it was heart breaking.  One of them curled up in a ball in the corner of the pen barely hanging onto life.  I put my fingers through the wood and stroked his head; he barely had a heartbeat.  They already had “Slaughter Only” tags on and they had not been on this earth for more than 24 hours.  The world was showing these baby goats just how cruel it could be.  One baby was sucking on my finger, craving a good meal.  I pet them all and had a tough time walking away.

The auction began and they brought in the baby goats to be sold first.  They were selling quickly and when the one came through that was sucking on my finger we just had to bid.  He was mine for just $16.  They tossed him up to me and he sat on my lap like a dog.  The horses started running through in a flash, it all went so quick I did not know how we would possibly be able to bid on the horses that we wanted.  They ran every horse through loose; you had seconds to look at the horse, seconds to figure out if the horse was on our list.  A few horses that I had my eye on ran through and all sold to slaughter.  It was so quick, not like any other auction I’ve been to.  They opened the door, a horse ran in, they opened up the door on the other side, the horse ran out.  It was like a video on repeat.

Our Belgian was sent into the ring and they started bidding, we tried to get a bid in, they did not even look into the stands, they just looked at the kill buyers lined up in the ring.  I stomped my boot on the floor and yelled.  We got in a bid and kept bidding till she was ours.   They shuffled her out of the ring within 30 seconds of her entering.  They had probably run through 50 horses at this point.

The blue roan that I liked was sent through, I noticed him only by his color.  Again it was hard to get a bid in; they didn’t pay much attention to the people sitting in the stands.  We were bidding against Baker for this horse and won.  If it was not for us being there this “quiet trail horse” would have been slaughtered, no one would have ever been able to sit on this trust worthy horse and head out on a nice trail.  Now he had a new lease on life.  Soon after the blue roan a nice paint horse was rode through, one of the 10 horses that was rode through the auction.  He was cute as a button and quiet as can be.  He didn’t seem to care about what was going on around him, he just trotted along.  We decided to bid on him, again we were bidding against a kill buyer.  I noticed that not one person in the stands was bidding; they were all just there to watch the show.  Since the auction had started not one horse besides the ones we had purchased had sold private, they had all sold to slaughter.  We bid on the little paint horse and won, he deserved a second chance just like every other horse there that day.

I watched tons of sound, fat, healthy horses run through the auction, all selling to kill buyers.  After they were sold they were put in the pen of the kill buyer that had just purchased them.  Every kill buyer had a designated pen that would soon be packed with horses that would either head to Canada and Mexico to meet a cruel end.  It was sickening to watch, pregnant mares, quarter horses, ponies, horses of every color all jammed in together waiting for the end.

The mare and colt were run through quickly and the colt sold for just $10.  They both sold to separate kill buyers and were quickly torn apart to be put in different pens.  This colt was not ready to be torn away from his mother; he was still nursing and was probably about three to four months old.  He let out high pitched screams calling to her.  She must have known that it was the end for them both because she never did return his desperate screams.  She was already jammed in a pen with 50 other horses.

The mare with the strange face marking ran through quickly.  I would have never known it was her if she did not turn to look at me.  It was as if she was yelling out “hey you over there, look at my weird blaze, HELP ME!”.  We bid on her, we won, she trotted right out and took one more quick glance in our direction.   There was something about this mare that made me smile; she had a personality to die for even in this horrific place.

Around 20 bay horses ran through the auction, we were unable to find the mare that had looked so defeated in the pen, I assume she sold to slaughter with the rest of them; the fast paced auction was claiming the lives of hundreds of horses that day including the bay mare that had given up.  I assume she knew that there was nothing to live for and she had tuned herself out to what was going on around her. 

The auction ended quickly, we began preparing our trailer for the journey home.  I took a walk through the pens during this time and watched the workers labeling the horses for slaughter right there on the spot.  They separated them with some technique, possibly by weight, and loaded them onto slaughter trucks.  They were packed in and all I was able to see was noses sticking out the holes of the tractor trailers.  Different colors and sizes and they were all heading to the same place, I hoped they would reassure one another that they soon would be in the green pastures in heaven.

I spotted the little colt in a pen with another mare, not his mother, standing in the back, scared to death.  Getting him to approach me was impossible but who would blame him.  He had never met a nice person, why should he trust me now.  We approached the kill buyer that had purchased him and he told us to just take him.  I was elated; I wanted to show this baby all the love in the world.  He was not even halter broke but we managed to get him on the trailer with little trouble.  After he was loaded all I could think about was his mother, she was one of the noses already on the tractor trailer.  In the moment I said a prayer for her, and for all the horses I was unable to help that day.  I promised her that I would treat her son like my own and would give him all that this world had to offer.   I hope that she saw her precious baby load onto the trailer of a “good guy” and know that he was safe and would never be put in the position she was in. 

Just as we were getting ready to leave we spotted the bay mare with her head in the corner of a kill pen, we watched a worker scramble her into the line of horses getting slaughter tags put on.  She had her head hung low; it was so close to the end.  We called out and asked to purchase her; she was next in line to be tagged.  They stopped tagging horses for a moment and got her out on the line up.  She lifted her head and started at me, I suppose she was in shock and disbelieve.  I through a halter on her and walked her to the trailer.  I could already see her eyes brighten. 

Six lucky horses came home to Project Sage that day, six horses out of hundreds.  Everyone tells me “you can’t change the world” but that day I changed the world of six lucky horses, in my eyes thats one good day.  Viola, Husky, Charm, Chance, Spice, and Opie all have a second chance because of the amazing supporters of Project Sage Horse Rescue.  I thank everyone that donated to our trip the Sugar Creek Horse Auction.  It was one of the most heart wrenching experiences of my life and I still can remember the faces of many of the horses that I was unable to help. 

Today the colt that lost his mother is living happily on our farm in Northport, waiting for his forever home.  He was named Chance, the most fitting name for him.  He is the most outgoing foal I have ever had the opportunity to work with and has become the light of my life.  I try to keep true to the promise I made to his mother every day, he sports a Rambo blanket and a leather halter and enjoys the luxuries of carrots and treats.  Every day he makes us laugh and smile, I cannot imagine what would have happened to baby Chance had Project Sage not been at Sugar Creek that day.  Please take this time to visit our web site www.projectsagehorserescue.org to visit the horses we have for adoption and make a donation in honor of one of these amazing horses.  Thank you for your support!

One more thing for the day...

Our fundraising coordinator just started a wonderful new fundraiser!!

 Project Sage is now selling hardcover copies of "The Outside of a Horse" SIGNED BY AUTHOR GINNY RORBY. The cost is $20 per book. If you need it shipped, please add $3 to cover shipping. All proceeds to benefit the horses of Project Sage. To order, please paypal to donnakye@hotmail.com. The books will also be available at the barn in Northport between 9 am - 3 pm.  If you have any questions regarding this fundraiser please e-mail Donna at donnakye@hotmail.com.

These make amazing christmas gifts, I just bought my copy today and I can tell you it's an awsome book!  I'm hooked after the first few pages, this book is good for girls and women of all ages and touches on the horse rescue subject which I love!  The hard cover makes it such a nice gift, so tell everyone you know about this great book so we can sell a bunch! 

Contest!!!

Want to win an ipod?  Want to win $400 for Project Sage?  Then enter this contest once a day, everyday, for the next two weeks!  It's as easy as that!  Just enter Project Sage Horse Rescue and you can win and ipod and $400 for Project Sage!!!

http://www.rescuedismyfavoritebreed.org/win4.htm

Give us a BIG chance to win this contest and tell all your friends and family about it too!!!

PASTA NIGHT!

Project Sage Horse Rescue will be having our first PASTA NIGHT fundraiser!!!  Please tell all your friends and family, we will only be selling 60 tickets to this wonderful event. We currently need items for the Chinese Auction that we will be doing at this fundraiser, if you would like to donate an item please e-mail me at projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com

Time	Tuesday, December 6 · 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Location	The Crossroads Cafe 24 Laurel Road East Northport, New York

Join us for a fun night out! Enjoy salad, four different delicious pasta dishes, dessert and coffee.

A great Chinese auction with horse and non-horse items! 50/50 and door prizes!

Help us help homeless and abused horses with your $25 donation and join us for a night of great food, fun and prizes!

Contact Leebag63@aol.com, Donnakye@hotmail.com for more info OR Paypal to address projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com.

Only 60 seats available. Reserve your spot now!! First Come, First Serve!

Check put this picture of Rory in her new blanket and halter donated by Donna!

I promise to give everyone some updates soon, it's been a crazy few weeks here at Project Sage, just want to say a quick congrats to Rob and family on their adoption of Savannah! Shes a special girl!

We are looking for loving foster families if anyone is interested please email me!

Who's coming???

Our comedy night fundraiser is in just one week!!! We are hoping for a large turnout so please email leebag63@aol.com if you would like to attend. Last Saturday we took in a grey TB gelding who is approx 250 lbs under weight, we've named him Grady, it's a miricale he has survived this long so we are praying he keeps fighting. Comedy Night will help pay for Gradys growing vet bills. Please attend this event in support of Grady and the other horses at Project Sage. I will post some pictures of Grady soon or you can see o
on my facebook page Brittany - Project Sage! Send me a friend request to see hour by hour updates of everything that goes on at our farm! Have a nice weekend everyone!

Come to this event to support Project Sage!!!!!!!

Updates!

Some updates for everyone!  Congrats to Julie on her adoption of Viola, Congrats to Heather on her adoption of Opie, Congrats to Sue on her adoption of Cupcake!  Three wonderful horses were able to find homes this past week!  Such a great week for Project Sage!

Everyone take a moment and email some horse friends about the horses we currently have for adoption!  Let's help them find homes before the winter hits.  All of these horses deserve loving homes, please help them get that home!

Other updates...We went the Hampton Classic for Grand Prix Day and were able to walk Cosmo, Anna, Corona, and Lola through the ring before the classes started in front of thousands of people!  The horses did amazing and were great advocates for rescued horses.  I was so proud to see them walking through the ring!  Georgina Bloomberg stood with Lola for some pictures with the press, Lola was a super star! 

Our Comedy Night Fundraiser is October 8th!  If you would like to come please e-mail leebag63@aol.com to purchase your ticket NOW! 

We need fosters for the winter, we have some great horses that could use some one on one care.  If you are interested please e-mail me at projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com.  It's very rewarding to spend time with a rescue horse and watch them blossom and find a forever home!
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Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

Check this out!

Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INrb0hC8st4&feature=share

One of my awesome adopters just make this, it's a great video!

Adoptions

Elvis, Cowboy, and Sarah all found homes last week!  I'm thrilled for all of them!  Since the spring we have placed over 25 horses into new homes, a true accomplishment!  People ask me how I place so many horses every month, my anwser is always the same, the team I have that supports Project Sage!  I have an incredible trainer who donates 20+ hours a week riding and training all of our horses.  Melissa is a true god send, she matches potential adopters with the perfect horse.  Next I have a fundraising coordinator who helps put together some of the most amazing fundraisers!  We have at least two fundraisers a month scaling from something simple like a car wash to something that takes months to plan such as a dinner dance.  I have TONS of volunteers who come up and scrub buckets, muck stalls, pick paddocks, clean tack, etc.  The list goes on and on!  I have an amazing photographer who keeps our web site UTD at all times with new pictures and info.  I have a family that supports me and helps me every single day.  I have a wonderful QT barn and shipper that all work hard to make out of state adoptions possible!  I have a great support system, it's our key to having successful adoptions!  So thank you to our wonderful team who donates so many hours each week to help the horses at Project Sage, I could not do this without you all!

We are leaving for Sugar Creek Horse Auction tomorrow morning, wish us luck!!!

New horses

This week has been a very busy one for us! Just want to say a quick congrats to Joey on her adoption of Charlotte and Suzie, Gaile on her adoption of Sprite and Lincoln. We are thrilled that so many of our horses are finding wonderful homes.

All of our other horses are doing well. Halia, Pandora, Amico, and Storm are now on our farm and are ready to find their forever homes. They are a great group of horses so we hope they can find homes over the summer.

It came to our attention that a fellow rescue will be closing their doors. We will be taking in 6 horses from this rescue to place into new homes. Donations are needed to help cover their hay and grain. This was unexpected for us so any help is greatly appreciated. You can donate right now via paypal.com. Just go on that site and you can make a donation right from your credit card. Our paypal address is projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com. These horses will all be looking for homes so please keep checking the site for updates.

Today we ventured to PA to pick up two TB geldings that needed a safe haven. They are both chestnuts, very sweet, both 7 years old. If anyone is in the market for a show prospect these are both nice horses. We will get them listed on the horses page ASAP!

We were also able to stop at New Holland horse auction today. We rescued a large Belgian that already has a home waiting for her on LI. We were also able to rescue 2 TB mares that I suspect were brood mares. They both have tons of cuts and scrapes and are in PA for some rehab and quarantine. It was a long day, watched tons of horses ship to slaughter, it's something that you can't get used to, watching healthy horses getting on trucks destined for a cruel ending.

So as you can tell we have been very busy, tons of horses coming in that will need new homes so please take a moment and cross post the horses we have for adoption. You could be part of giving a horse a happy ending. If you have a few spare bucks please consider donating, it will help us continue to help horses from bad situations and auction houses.

Hope everyone is staying cool, remember to hose your horses! :)

Thanks to Melissa for letting me update my blog from her iPad!!!

The Reunion of Rosie and Maggie

This past Saturday myself, my mom, Melissa, and Cadie packed into the truck and heading to PA to visit Kim and all of our horses that call Serendipity Stables home.  Our quaratine farm is a wonderful place, fields of horses grazing happily together.  We board many of our horses at this farm until we have space at our farm in Northport.  Kim rehabs them and teaches them the love and trust they will need to find a new home.  The teamwork that goes into rescuing our horses is endless, our goal as a group is to make the horses as adoptable as possible.  This visit was special for everyone, the reunion of Rosie and Maggie was finally here.

Let me begin by explaining to you to story of the draft team that I spent endless nights thinking about.  On President's Day we headed to New Holland Horse Auction to rescue a few special horses.  I stumbled across a big bay draft mare who I was very fond of.  When she went through the ring we decided to bid on her and rescue her from a life of working on an Amish farm and most likely end up at a slaughter house.  At the end of the day we noticed that our bay draft mare had an identical twin standing right next to her.  She was sold to someone else and as hard as I tried to track down who had purchased her I failed.  We loaded our bay draft, now named Rosie, on our trailer and has to listen to her and her friend scream frantically back and forth to one another.  The screams were piercing, it was the sound of heart break, two best friends saying good bye.

I did not sleep for days thinking about how I had let Rosie's friend down, I could not help her in her time of need.  It killed me inside.  I started a mission to find Rosie's mate, a mission that would take me months and tons of dead ends to find the other big bay mare.  We put out a reward and the tips starting flooding in, none of them brought me closer to reuniting her.  The months passed by and the search for Rosie's mate started to slow down.  We all assumed we would never find her.

In May we got a tip from someone at Camelot that she was run through and sold to the "10 pen".  We quickly called and bought the horse that was thought to be Rosie's mate.  I waited for the picture to see if it was her, when it popped up on my phone I was speechless.  We had found Rosie's mate.  She looked to be in great condition and I started planning the reunion.  Rosie and her mate would be reunited at Kim's and would find their forever home together.

This past Saturday we headed to Kim's to reunite Rosie and her mate, now named Maggie.  Ray walked Maggie up to the field that Rosie was grazing in, she took one look at Rosie, gave a loud nicker, and went trotting off to her old friend.  They danced in a circle figuring out their dominance and then started happily grazing together.  The crowd of people that came to watch these old best friends be reunited was amazing, everyone smiled and cheered as they happily went off together trotting around.  My hard work, and the hard work of many others, had finally paid off.  The girls will be together forever thanks to the dedication of many people that helped make this happen.

Each day we fight to rescue horses like Rosie and Maggie and reunions like this make it all worth while.

Check out the video of the reunion made by Cadie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3nqzJp8gZk&feature=youtu.be

In his honor...

A full day has passed and the realisation that Tucker is gone is setting in.  I stayed late at the farm last night, dreading having to leave without a soft kiss goodbye to him.  I accidentally made his food bucket this morning and caught myself putting his supplements over his hay cubes.  Time is the only thing that I know can heal a broken heart.  I miss you Tucker, more then you will ever know. 

Thank you to everyone that has sent cards and flowers, I truly appreciate your kindness in this difficult time. 

In honor of Tucker we will be heading to Sugarcreek Horse Auction in Ohio to rescue four horses in his memory in August.  I have never been to this auction before but from doing my research online and speaking with other people who attended it sounds awful.  The horses are all run through loose and 95% percent of them are sold to slaughter.  They are packed in pens so tight they hardly can move.  It is hell on earth for a horse and we plan on changing the life's on four horses from this terrible place in honor of Tucker.

This is where you come in, consider making a donation to help support our trip to Sugarcreek.  Whether it's $1, $5, or $10 it will help us reach our goal to rescue four horses.  You can make a donation via paypal.  Our paypal address is projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com.  Please earmark your donation for the Sugarcreek save in honor of Tucker.  In Project Sage fashion the way we rememeber the ones we have lost is by rescuing in their memory.  Help us remember Tucker, a horse that touched the life's of hundreds of people over his 33 years of life. 

You can also donate via snail mail to:
Project Sage Horse Rescue
63 S. Waldinger St.
Valley Stream, NY, 11580

We have not set a date for our trip yet but it will be in the middle of August.  I will post a date as soon as I have it.  Please make a donation so we can get to this auction and do what we do best, rescue.

Mourning the loss of a loved one

Today the Project Sage family mourns the loss of a great horse, a horse that has been part of my life for many years, Tucker.  At the age of 33 year old Tucker left us for greener pastures.  It's with a heavy heart that I share the story of this special horse....

  When I was just 7 years old I was taking english riding lessons once a week, I was slowly learning to ride and I could walk and trot on my own.  On a special day in the spring I was excited to learn that I would be riding a horse named Tucker in my weekly riding lesson.  He was a tall thoroughbred, who was feisty to say the least.  He trotted in place as I struggled to tack him up on crossties.  He lifted his head high in the air as I tried to bridle him.  My hands were shaking as I walked him into the ring with him prancing at my side.  I was nervous but excited to ride this high spirited horse.  I walked and trotted around the ring in harmony with him, my riding instructor commented on how quiet he was with me.  We trotted poles on the ground and did figure eights.  I felt like a million bucks that I was riding an "advanced" horse as they called him.  My instructor asked me if I wanted to canter and I nodded with excitement.  I asked for the canter and we took off in perfect harmony around the ring.  His canter was as smooth as anything, to this day I have not ridden a horse and felt as good as I did in that moment.  He was the first horse I ever cantered.  I took my weekly lessons on him and learned how to ride on this special horse.

Years later I got my first horse, Sage, but I still groomed Tucker and spent time with him as he was aging.  He worked hard in lessons and taught many kids how to canter just as he had taught me.  He was a special horse to me and I gave him carrots and turned him out with Sage whenever I could.  We offered to buy him from the schooling barn but they refused, he was a good school horse and they would keep working him.

We soon moved onto a bigger barn were I began to compete and ride with a more advanced trainer.  I still visited Tucker and brought him carrots, which were always his favorite.  But, after some years he was sold to another schooling barn.  I kept tabs on him and tried to buy him several times to no avail.  I visited him at the new barn that he was at and promised him when the time came he would be mine.  He was passed around to a few other barns and I always was able to keep track of him even if it took my several weeks to figure out which facility he was at.

The years kept passing and I lost Sage to a case of colic.  I began my horse rescue soon after to remember him and keep his legacy and name alive.  After Sage passed away I moved my other horse to a new barn with a huge grass field for her to be in, we were both grieving the loss of Sage and welcoming an unbroke two year old arabian into our lifes.  One day as I rode around the field on my mare I was looking at the horses in paddocks behind my field.  There he was, staring at me, looking better then he had in quite sometime.  I called out to him and his devil ears perked right up.  Again I had found Tucker, he was at a nicer barn this time and looked well taken care of.  I kept an eye on him for well over a year until one day he was gone, he was sold to a huge barn on Long Island, a place that was well known for running horses into the ground and dumping them at the auction.

At his point Tucker was over 30 and now I was determined to get him.  At this point in my life I was moving into Ketcham Farm, expanding my rescue bigger then I ever thought it would ever be.  We moved several of my rescue horses into our new farm and I imagined which stall I would keep for Tucker.  I bedded it down, hung new buckets, and got in my car to go find him.  I had spoken to a worker at the barn he was at and she said I was welcome to come visit him.  When I got there I was shocked at his condition, his feet had not been done in months, he was skin and bones, and his head hung so low it touched the ground.  They were planning on using him in their camp over the summer, at the age of 32 they still expected him to work.  With tears running down my face I pet him and told him it would be OK.  The barn worker explained that they were either going to use him in camp or send him to auction.  I offered to buy him and the barn owner explained that she wanted $1000.00 for him.  I told her I would be back with my truck and trailer to pick him up. 

My mom wrote a check out and we ventured to pick Tucker up.  It took two trips to get him on the trailer and countless hours.  He was so old he struggled to get up the ramp.  Eventually he was on his own to our new farm to live out his life in peace. 

Many people who visited our rescue farm in the summer of 2010 can remember Tucker walking around the farm, grazing and wandering.  I spent hours grooming him and savoring our time together.  He would lay in the grass and sun bathe for hours.  He gained weight and started to look a lot better, he started to trot around and get more spring in his step.  I eventually had to start putting him in a paddock after he dug through every ones lunches and bags searching for carrots.  He was the light of my life and I had not been so attached to a horse since Sage, our bond was deeper then I had ever felt for a horse.  Every night before I left to head home I would give him a kiss on his velvet nose and give him a carrot.  I taught him how to "give a kiss" and he soon gave them every night after his carrot.

I knew in my heart my time with him was limited and yesterday I had to say good bye.  I've become hardened to many things in life after going to the horse auctions and seeing abuse and neglect but yesterday I lay on the ground, sobbing, saying good bye to my best friend.  I will be forever grateful that I was able to give him time to be a horse and enjoy life and know love and scratches.  He will forever be in my heart and soul.  Good bye my Tucker, I'm glad I was able to give you this last year, I will forever remember our time together, you are a special horse, enjoy the green pasture in heaven, you deserve them.

May angels lead you in. . .

One Year Mark

Everyone check out the horses we have for adoption - we really have some lovely horses right now that would love a new home for the summer!

We are having a car wash this Saturday at 11 am at our farm in Northport.  Bring your dirty cars to support Project Sage!  Thank you to Cathy for running our car washes, they are always a huge success.

Tomorrow is one year since we moved into our farm in Northport.  We have rescued tons of horses over the past year and it has been a year to remember.  Many Project Sage horses have found their forever homes and I'm happy to say some of them are boarded right here at our farm.  It's amazing to see them blossom into riding parters for their new owners.  During this past year we rescued our 100th horse, Halia, meaning remembrance of a loved one.  For Sage I rescue all these horses in his memory and to keep his legacy alive.  When Sage passed my mom told me "everything happens for a reason".  At that time in my life I rememebered thinking how unfair it was that was best friend was taken away from me.  Our two short years together were just not enough.  For anyone that has lost a horse the feeling is gut wrenching.  I felt as if someone had taken away apart of my soul.  All I had left was his halter and a lock of his hair.  Five years later, and 100 horses rescued, I suppose everything does happen for a reason.  I lost my best friend but 100 horses are now happily in forever homes and in our rescue barn.  I know Sage is proud of every horse I rescue.  The Project Sage horses are lucky, they have a guardian angel watching over all of them.  I still grieve over the loss of my best friend but I feel as if he's still with me, everytime I bid on a horse at the auction, load a rescued horse on the trailer to head to saftey, or kiss a horse goodbye once it's found its forever home.  Now I think ahead at my next year here at this farm and can only hope it will be as successful as the last.  Thank you to everyone who has made this year so special for me, there are way to many people to list but I love you all!  The Project Sage family has grown so much this year and I am truly blessed!

Keep spreading our horses around so they can find their special new homes!  Thank you everyone, enjoy the week!

I'm back!

Sorry I've been MIA for so long!  The rescue has been so busy and I have not had 5 minutes to get on the computer!  As you can tell we've rescued a bunch of new horses, we were able to rescue 6 horses at New Holland yesterday with a baby on the way!  We've taken in 3 owner surrenders this month as well.  They are all doing well and will be looking for their forever homes soon.  Please donate if you can do the new horses we have taken in!  Donations via paypal are appreciated to projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com.  We have a pregnant mare that is due within the month and donations are needed for her vet care. 

The summer is here and all the horses are looking for forever homes.  Please post them on different blogs, facebook, websites, etc, so we can find them forever homes.  It's with your help that we can continue to rescue horses. 

Yesterday I reached a mile stone in my rescue career, I rescued my 100th horse.  Yesterday was also 6 years since Sage passed away.  It was a bitter sweet day for me, I still mourn the lost of my best friend each year on June 20th but this year I headed to New Holland in search of a horse that would be my 100th rescue.  I found her quickly, a stunning bay TB mare.  In honor of Sage we rescued her, her name is now Halia, meaning remembrance of a loved one.  She is the lucky horse that caught my eye and will forever be safe.  She is now in PA for quarantine and will be available for adoption after she puts on tons of weight! 

I will post my auction story this week along with pictures of our new rescue horses.  If you want the latest updates please be my friend on facebook!  My name is "Brittany - Project Sage".  I post tons of pictures through out my day to keep everyone updated as to what goes on around our farm! 

Again, check out the new horses and see what we have available for adoption!

Updates

So many things to update on...

First off...congrats to Marilyn on her adoption of Mojito!  Best of luck with him!

Our Preakness Dinner was a HUGE success!  Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the rescue.  Thank you the women who made is possible.  Thank you to the band Holiday Road. 

I will post my speech from the dinner sometime this week for anyone who was not at the dinner so you can read about the wonderful volunteers that were honored at the dinner!

Ready for the big news????  Charlotte had her FOAL!!!!  She delivered a healthy filly on May 21st at 3:35 am!  Thank you to Kim for delivering the foal and for taking such good care of Char!  We are naming the filly Suzie due the the fact she was born on the day of the Preakness and the flower of the race is called the "Black Eyed Susan".  Welcome to the world Suzie! 

This Friday from 6 pm - 8 pm Alex Brown will be at our farm doing a book signing to benefit Project Sage.  PLEASE come out and support the rescue and this wonderful book about Barbaro.  You can also pre order a signed book and it can be mailed to you if you cannot make it to the signing. Please e-mail me at projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com for more information!

Please spread the word about the horses we currently have for adoption to help find them homes!  We have some amazing horses right now that would love new owners for the summer!

Goodbye Rosie and Ruby!

This morning Ruby and Rosie left for their new homes.  I will miss those two girls!!  I wish them luck with their new mommie's and hope they remember me!

Pickle and Merlin, two of the New Holland rescues from last month are coming back to our farm today from quarantine.  Keep an eye out for new pictures of them and more information. 

Our Preakness Dinner is in less then one week, please come out and support the rescue!  It is going to be an awesome event.

All the horses are munching on hay on this rainy day.  Hopefully the sun comes out at some point today!  Enjoy your Sunday, we hope to see you all next weekend at our dinner!!!

Margarita, one of the horses we took in from the SPCA seizure.  Now available for adoption!

Pico, one of the SPCA horses we took in, now in rehab with Project Sage!

Make a donation for Pico's care to paypal projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com or by snail mail!

New Horses!

Just want to say congrats to:
Joan on her adoption of Delilah.
Karen on her adoption of Rosie.
Marion on her adoption of Antonio.
Barbara on her adoption of Sadie.
Caroll on her adoption of Ruby.

Such a happy week for Project Sage!

Last week Project Sage took in 6 new horses from a seizure in Calverton.  They are settling in nicely and are loving the attention they have been getting.  We spent the week picking ticks off of them, pulling tangles out of their manes and tails, and giving them the love they need.  Two of these horses are in rehab.  Thank you to Roxanne for fostering "Pico".  Pico is one of the horses that came in with this group of horses, he has some breathing issues and will be spending some time at Roxanne's barn to gain some weight and learn that people are not so bad. 

The other horses that came with this group are all doing well, it's amazing how loving they all are after the conditions they were forced to live in.  We are hoping they will all find their forever homes over the next few months.

Next Saturday is our Preakness Dinner Dance!!!!  If you have not purchased a ticket please do so this week!  You can also pay at the door if need be!  This is going to be an amazing event, our best yet!  Please spread the word and bring friends and family!!!!

Vote for Project Sage!!!

Please go to the link and vote for Project Sage Horse Rescue:
http://www.lacroixtees.com/500-Dollar-Giveaway.php

You can vote everyday for the month of May!  Project Sage can win $500!!!  Please send this to all of your friends and family!!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!  It amazes me how many dedicated volunteers came to help do the barn chores today.  I am truly speechless with how amazing all of my volunteers are.  I could not do this without any of you guys!

Today, Rock is outside enjoying the sun eating his lunch.  I will keep everyone posted on how he progresses over the next few weeks.  We are really hoping for a speedy recovery so we can find this special boy a home. 

Everyone please check out equinedestiny.com to watch the trailer of a short film that was made about the horses of the United States.  It shows the true peril that many of our countries horses face everyday.  It is a wonderful trailer that depicts the true way horses are treated by many people across the United States.  They are throw away like trash after they are done being "useful".  It is a real eye opener for people that don't have a clue how many horses are slaughtered every year.  I constantly watch foals being loaded on slaughter trucks along with perfectly sound horses.  Hundred of horses from New Holland are purchased by dealers and kill buyers on a weekly basis and will be soon on their way to Canada and Mexico.  If you want to check out this film they will be screening it April 30th, if anyone is interested in attending please go to nyfilmvideo.com. 

Here are a few success story pictures to brighten your day on Easter!

Darla and Cadie.  Cadie adopted Darla a few months ago and is training her to be a western pleasure horse.  Darla is currently boarded at Two Cousins Farm in Northport.

Anna and Chloe.  Anna adopted Chloe about a year ago from Project Sage.  She was very green and fresh off the track.  Anna has put a lot of training into Chloe and she is now a great trail buddy!

Flint was rescued from New Holland in December and shortly there after adopt by Shana and her family.  He is now being boarded on the east end of Long Island and enjoying the good life!

Liberty was rescued from Camelot Horse Auction in 2008.  She was adopted by Denise and her family and has really blossomed into a gorgeous horse.  Here is a picture if Libby around Christmas time wearing her hat!

A new start for a lucky horse...

This morning a 5 year old TB gelding named "Rock" was surrendered to our rescue.  On this wet and rainy day all of my volunteers have this 16.2 hh TB on crossties grooming him and giving him love.  Rock is suffering from a neurological problem that we have already began treating.  His vet care will be extensive and he needs your help to recover!  Donations for Rock's care can be made to paypal to projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com or to our snail mail address 63 S. Waldinger St. Valley Stream, NY, 11580.  He is a special horse that we are all fighting hard to help.  Please keep Rock in your prayers through his recovery. I will keep everyone updated on the progess Rock makes over the next few weeks.  We are really hoping for the best for this sweet big guy.  Below is a picture of Rock taken just 5 minutes ago.  My volunteers found him a leather halter for him that was donated and he is proudly wearing it around the barn!  I'm happy to be able to give Rock the new start he so badly needed.   

Just want to take a quick moment to say congrats to Erin on her adoption of George!  He is a lucky horse and we will all miss him at the farm!  Good luck at your new home George, you are a true gem!

Please spread the word about Harley, he is a 9 month old colt that is still looking for his forever home!

Some cute pictures...

Here are two pictures of Liam and his mommy Denise.  We rescued Liam in 2010 and he is now living the good life!!!

It's amazing to see a horse who was pulled from a broker lot now out having fun with a great mom!  Liam is a true advocate for how amazing rescue horses are. 

Dinner Dance in ONE MONTH!

Thursday is turning out to be a beautiful day at our farm!  The sun is shining and the horses are out sun bathing.  In just one short month our dinner dance will be held on May 21st at Two Cousins Farm, the home of Project Sage Horse Rescue.  I urge you ALL to attend, it's $50 to attend, amazing food, music, huge chinese auction, and much more!!!  If you would like an invitation mailed to your home e-mail me at projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com and I will be sure to get an invite in the mail to you!  Our chinese auction is shaping up to be our best yet, anyone who knows me can attest that I make sure we have the best prizes!  For our dinner we will be having a flat screen TV, 4 passes to Disney World, a custom made tack trunk, passes to Universal Studios, a brand new english saddle, and 50 other amazing baskets!!!!  Like I said, our best auction yet!!!  I want to thank all the ladies who have put so much into making this dinner perfect.  It is sure to be the event of the year, don't miss out!!!  Your ticket MUST be paid for before the dinner so send your check in now!  At the dinner you will be able to walk through our barn and meet many of our rescue horses. 

I hope everyone is enjoying our new website.  Thank you to Patrick for making this site truly amazing.  It is a work of art and I'm so happy to be able to show case the rescue horses on this gorgeous site.

Everyone take a moment to check out twocousinsfarm.com, it is the home of Project Sage and a wonderful place for adults and children alike to take riding lessons.  We have two amazing trainers who teach 7 days a week.  Two Cousins Farm also has a camp for your children over the summer.  Take a moment and check the site out and take some lessons at the farm.  It is an amazing place and I'm truly blessed to be able to have Project Sage at such a great location!

Just want to share a quick picture that I love.  This is Austin and his new mom Caitlin.  Austin was surrendered to the rescue a few years ago.  He was unbroke, scared, and skinny.  A few years later he is doing well under saddle and has a new mom to call him own!  I love success stories like this one!

Sunday Updates

Hi Everyone!  Just wanted to give everyone a few updates on how everything is going.

Many adoptions have taken place over the past few weeks.  Congrats to Caroll on her adoption of Daisy, Congrats to Joeyheather on her adoption of Remmy, Congrats to Kim on her adoption of Izzy!!!  We also have a few pending adoptions so keep your fingers crossed for all the horses at Project Sage.  It's a huge celebration when a horse finds it's forever home!  Spread the word about the horses that are currently searching for their forever home.

Sonah and Savannah, the two fillies, are settling in great at Gaile's farm.  They will spend the next few weeks there recovering from their traumatic experience.  Gaile reports they have both calmed down drastically and are very sweet little ladies.  A vet has been out to see them and they are reported to be a little over 2 years old. 

The other four horses we rescued are all doing great and are settling in nicely at Kim's.  Everyone has calmed down and are all gaining weight and learning to trust people.  Pickle is turning out to be a great horse, very calm and a "been there, done that" type!  They are all amazing horses, sad that people have thrown them away like garbage.

Glory is now at our farm in Northport and is doing amazing.  She still has a lot of weight to gain but has put it on nicely thanks to Kim in PA.  Everyone has deemed her the miracle horse.  She seems to enjoy everyone paying so much attention to her!

Rosie also made her debut at our farm and is quickly becoming a favorite of many.  She is AMAZING to ride and is so quiet.  She could be the quietest horse I have ever seen.  She would make an amazing husband horse or trail horse for someone.

Hope everyone enjoyed my blog on my trip to New Holland.  We do hope to go back in May so if anyone is interested in sponsoring a horse please contact me.  The only way to rescue horses from there is with donations from people like you!  Consider making a donation via paypal to projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com and mark it for New Holland.

Our dinner is approaching quickly!  If you would like to buy a ticket please e-mail me!  Tables are selling quickly so get your tickets now!!!  If anyone would like to place an ad in our event journal or donate something to our Chinese Auction please e-mail me!  We have some amazing prizes donated already! 

Enjoy the last day of the weekend, it's gorgeous out!

Congrats to Joeyheather on her adoption of Remmy!!!!  Here he is in his new stall!!!

Another tale from New Holland

On April 11th I ventured to New Holland Horse Auction with the intent of saving four lucky horses from this horrid place, it has become a monthly ritual for our horse rescue to attend this horse auction.  As we pulled into the parking lot you could hear the horses unloading off the trailers with men chasing them into pens and slapping numbers on their rumps.  That’s what a horse becomes at New Holland, a number.  Most of these horses had names at some point in their lives that they remember but now they are just a number that was discarded by an owner.  At some point they took a child over their first jump or an adult on a trail ride but now they are being auctioned of like they are worth nothing.  Many of them have had a blanket of roses laid across their backs and now they are struggling to grab a few pieces of hay.  Tons of them worked on the Amish farms and have never experienced love or kindness. Many horses looked scared or confused but the majority of them look like they have been to hell and back.

We walked through the aisles waiting for the first horse to call out to us.  This was the most crowded I have seen New Holland with horses so close together it was hard to get in between them to get a closer look.  There were rows of horses that were packed in so tight they were kicking and biting at each other out of fear.  The number of horses was overwhelming, as it is every time.  I constantly think to myself of how this many horses can be thrown away each week.

We walked through all the horses and wrote down many numbers of skinny horses that obviously needed some TLC.   As we wandered to the back on the auction there was a pen full of horses, probably fifteen of them jammed in a pen made for four.  They were fighting and kicking and they all had on auction stickers from another auction.  They were brought in by a dealer and would be sold again at New Holland.  I watched as the dealer ripped off the old stickers and slapped on the New Holland stickers. This makes you think about how many of these horses are tossed from auction to auction without ever getting the love they so desperately crave.  There were many skinny horses in this pen that would soon be labeled with stickers and sold for next to nothing to another dealer or kill buyer.

In the last aisle was a huge Belgian mare, it was obvious she was extremely thin and sad looking.  She did not touch her hay and as the horses struggled around her she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She had probably been an Amish horse her entire life and was now being dumped at an auction.  This mare looked defeated and seemed to understand it was probably the end of the line for her. 

There was a pen with a few foals in it that were huddled together and a large group of minis with some foals.  The large number of horses made it difficult to pick out who we would add to our list.  This time is was different for me; many times I decide right away who “calls out to me”.  This time I had about 50 horses on my mind that obviously needed help.  The auction started and horses started running through quickly, the higher quality riding horses went through first. Many well broke and well mannered horses were sold for a fraction of their worth.

At the auction I had the pleasure of meeting Carolyn, a women that had made a large donation which made it possible for us to go to the auction.  She came with a group of college students and they picked out a young thoroughbred filly to rescue.  She came through the auction quickly and Ray bid on her and we won.  This gorgeous filly was now the newest addition to Project Sage.  Although it was obvious she was very scared of people and was unsure as to where she was she did lick my hand and I tried to reassure her that she would be safe with me.  Our filly had a friend that she was in a pen with, a young chestnut.  It was apparent they were very close and I cringed as the other filly was sold to a kill buyer.  Her life would come to an end way too soon, at the age of one she was sold for slaughter, not even given a chance to grow up and show what an amazing horse she could be.  They put the two fillies back in the pen together, I swallowed hard as I thought that this would be the last time they would be together, it was their final good bye.  They huddled close together; the fear in their eyes was something I will never forget.

I tried to get my mind back on track as I saw the big Belgian mare ready to be run through the auction.  I told Ray we needed to rescue this big girl and he began bidding.  I peaked over and saw we were bidding against Brian Moore, the biggest known kill buyer at New Holland.  Ray kept bidding until she was ours, this 20 hh Belgian won us all over after just spending a few minutes with her.  The kindness in her eyes is something very powerful and I’m blessed to be able to have saved her.  Melissa quickly named her Sadie, it fit her perfectly.  The biggest and sweetest horse I have ever had to pleasure of rescuing.

At this point in the day horses were flying through the auction, many of them selling to slaughter.  They lined the slaughter horses up outside, tied to the fence with no food or water in the baking sun.  I handed many of them handfuls of hay, not much else you could do for them.  I patted them on the shoulders and scratched many of their faces as I prayed to god that he will make it as least painful as possible for them when they enter the slaughter house.  I know its wishful thinking but it’s something I do every time I touch a horse I know will end up in Canada and Mexico.

The next horse I had my eye on was a small black and white paint that had a kind eye.  He was to be ridden through bareback with a rough rider but he did his job and he did it well.  The man yanked on his face and kicked him hard but he trotted through the auction trying to be as good.  We bid on this little skinny beaten up horse, I saw an amazing animal under all that hair.  I smiled when I realized we had rescued the little horse whom I would later name Pickle, the little horse who stole my heart with his kindness.

There was a line of horses to be run through the auction but one caught my eye.  She was looking directly at me, something you rarely see at an auction.  Many people ask me how I pick horses; well I can tell you that this paint mare picked me.  She stared me down, begging me with her eyes to help her.  She would be the fourth horse of the day, a gorgeous paint mare who we named “Close Call” after we outbid a kill buyer for her, Calli for short.

A few moments later a nice grey horse was in line to be walked through, he had a trace clip and looked to be well cared for other then the fact that he needed some weight.  I thought to myself how someone could throw away a horse that they took the time to clip and put a new pair of shoes on.  It baffled me and I decided we needed to bid on him.  He was cute as a button and was very sweet.  On the car ride home I would name him Merlin, a regal name for a regal horse.  I tend to name the horses quickly after I rescue them to give them back their dignity, no animal should go without a name.  Giving a horse a name is the simplest way you can show you care about them.

We rescued five horses on this amazing day, five horses that would be at a slaughter house if it was not for all the amazing people that donate to our trips to New Holland on a monthly basis.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making these trips possible and for giving horses like Merlin, Sadie, Pickle, and Calli a second chance at life.

But the story does not end there.  We paid for our newest horses and my favorite part of the day began.  Time to load our horses on the trailer and get them out of the auction!  We decided to load up the yearling filly first.  Ray slowly went into the pen with her and the other filly and started to lead her out.  She flailed and tossed Ray around trying to stay with her friend.  She screamed and her friend screamed; it was a nightmare.  Ray tried with all of his power to lead our filly to the trailer but she refused.  She jumped up in the air and fought as hard as she could.  She was fighting for her friend’s life and refused to leave her behind.  We had to put her back in the pen and come up with a new plan.  Melissa and I walked to the office and asked who bought the chestnut filly.  The man standing next to us, who happened to be a well known dealer and kill buyer, explained that he had purchased her but was willing to sell her.  I bought that filly without a second thought.  They would stay together if it killed me.  I made a desperate call to Gaile, one of my adopters, and she agreed to quarantine.  After a long battle they were on the trailer and on the way to her farm.  They probably have not had much handling and were both caked with manure.  It will most likely take them months to fully trust people but Gaile has already made large victories with both of them.  They have been given the names Sonja and Savannah to start their lives off with.

After dropping the fillies off we loaded the other four horses up and Ray went on his way to our quarantine barn so the horses could start their rehabilitation and find new homes.  Every time I attend the auction I am baffled by the abuse and neglect that happens on a weekly basis.  It is a true nightmare for every horse that enters the auction house.  I strive to be able to keep attending New Holland on a monthly basis.  We can only do that with help from people like you, consider making a donation, big or small, right now!  Help a horse at New Holland by donating to Project Sage Horse Rescue.  Our paypal address is projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com.  We have already begun collecting for our next trip to New Holland in May.  Change the life of a horse forever and contribute to the New Holland fund.   Thank you to everyone who supports our mission on a monthly basis.  I could not do it without you!

Brittany Rostron
Founder

Project Sage Horse Rescue

Projectsagehorserescue.org

Project Sage is heading to New Holland this coming Monday!

Project Sage Horse Rescue is heading to New Holland Horse Auction on April 11th (this coming Monday) to rescue a few horses in need!  In the past few months we have rescued 15 horses from this horrible auction, 13 of these horses have found amazing forever homes. 

 

These horses have no else to turn to, this is their last chance.  Every week hundreds of horses from New Holland are sold to kill buyers and are transported to Mexico and Canda to be inhumanely slaughtered for human consumption.  These horses are healthy, loving, animals that just need a second chance. 

 

If you would like to read more about my trips to New Holland check out my blog for pictures and stories of the horrific things that are seen at New Holland on a weekly basis.  There are no people there to help them and many of them have lost all hope.  You can see it in their eyes, they have given up. 

 

Help Project Sage rescue a few horses in need of a second chance.

You can sponsor a horse for $500 or half sponsor a horse for $250.

 

Donations for our trip to New Holland can be sent via paypal to projectsagehorserescue@gmail.com or by mail to:

Project Sage Horse Rescue Inc

63 S. Waldinger St.

Valley Stream, NY, 11580

Happy Ending!

Here is an update on RJ, a horse that was adopted from us a few months ago...

Hey Brittany,

 

I just wanted to give you an update on RJ.  He is doing really well.  He has settled in wonderfully, very relaxed, and laid back.  He is definitely one of the barn favorites.  I have been riding him, and he is doing great.  he is stiff sometimes but I actually lunge him before I ride, and it loosens him up beautifully.  He seems much happier when he is warmed up.  He is so much fun to ride.  He has been doing his lead changes, and he loves to jump. 
He has been running around out in the field, and lots of times he is head of the herd when they stampede to the other side of the pasture.  When I turn him out, if the horses are on the far side of the field he always goes cantering out to meet them, and is greeted with whinnies and knickers.

 

Rj is really happy because he recently found a girlfriend, Piper.  She was actually rescued from a broker out of new holland a few weeks ago.  She was very emaciated, fresh and old wounds all over (Just horrible, but I am sure you have seen it).  RJ will keep the other horses away from her, its cute. She stays close to him and follows him.  At night they stare at eat other between the boards in their stalls.

 

Anyway I figured i would send you an updated.  The picture attached is RJ with his sister, Pumpkin.  Dont need to worry, RJ is loved, taken care of and completely spoiled.
Alexandra

 

 

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A Second Take for Rescue Horses

                In 1978 he defeated Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. A savage pace led to an epic performance as Exceller, 22 lengths behind, rallied to beat Seattle Slew by a nose.   In 1978 he won 7 stakes races, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Gold Cup and Sunset Handicap.  In 1997, he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.   That very same year Exceller died in a foreign slaughterhouse.  It is said that he had no health or fertility problems to speak of.  Instead, it was his owner’s bankruptcy that ended his life.  With many years of life left to give, this famous thoroughbred was discarded amongst many.  Every year, tens of thousands of equines in the United States are sent to slaughter.  Auction houses across the country parade these horses through to their death every day.  Battling these statistics are equine rescues like Project Sage Horse Rescue of Northport, NY.  Started in 2007, by then-16 year-old Brittany Rostron, the rescue has saved over ninety horses to date.  Without efforts from local rescues, these horses are sold for as little as fifteen dollars only to be inhumanely transported and slaughtered, their meat being shipped for human consumption to countries like France and Japan. 

                Anyone who has adopted a slaughter bound horse knows that these are not all old and broken mounts.  According to 2001 field studies conducted by Temple Grandin, 70% of all horses at the slaughter plant were in good, fat, or obese condition; 72% were considered to be “sound” of limb; 84% were of average age; and 96% had no behavioral issues.   These are riding horses, children’s ponies, camp mounts and racehorses.  Luckily, Project Sage knows just how amazing these discarded horses can be.  Starting in summer of 2011, in conjunction with Two Cousins’ Farm in Northport, NY, rescued equines can have a new light on life.  Two Cousins’ Farm will be featuring a day camp using solely slaughter bound horses in its riding program.  Program Director Lauren Thomas has created a unique summer program aimed at creating well balanced riders with compassion for their mounts using Humane Education.  This type of learning teaches compassion, empathy and respect for animals as well as people and is becoming a growing field in schools.  What better way of teaching children the fundamentals of good character than with one of their all-time favorite topics: animals? When it comes to teaching core skills and core values, humane-themed lessons can capture a child’s attention, imagination, and heart in ways that other subject matter may not. With Humane Education as a part of the curriculum, campers will learn more than grooming and games.  It allows children to become better aware of the world around them and the impacts of their choices on themselves, other people, animals and the earth.  Campers will enjoy a full day of horsey activities with an emphasis on riding, horse care, and how it relates to Humane Education.  With weekly speakers from different types of animal rescues and equine experts, every week at Two Cousins’ camp will offer unique learning opportunities.  All curriculums are provided by the ASPCA. 

At the close of the camp season, all of the rescued horses will be adopted out to their forever homes, while proceeds from the camp will help Project Sage continue its work throughout the year.   Horses like Exceller deserve a better ending.  Today’s youth could be that better ending.   Humane education can provide them the knowledge and tools to put these values into action in meaningful, far-reaching ways.  What better way to do this than a partnership with a rescued equine.   

For more information on Two Cousins’ Farm Summer Camp, please visit http://www.twocousinsfarm.com/ or call Lauren Thomas at 631-533-3103.  Horse adoption information can be found at http://www.projectsagehorserescue.org/ or by reaching 631-239-1784.

Written by Lauren Thomas

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