Resolutions Part 3 Thurs. Dec31 2009

More resolutions from the herd.

JENNY and JESSIE-to keep singing until we win America's Got Talent.

TUCKER-to be in more pictures.

CHARLES- to memorize my turnout with Belle's help.

HARMONY-to live up to my name-sometimes.

RUBY- to keep an eye on my boys, Pedro, Rico and Chance.

RICO and CHANCE-to eat a meal by myself....nah We'd rather be together.

PEDRO-to have a meal with Cash without being chased away.

CASH- to practice my very soft nicker.

Happy New Year to all our friends and supporters. May 2010 bring you joy, love and blessings. Please, make Home At Last part of your 2010 plans.

Resolutions Part 2 Wed. Dec 30 2009

JESSE- take more pictures with people in funny clothes.

STAR-spend more time with Stuart.

STUART-to spend more time with Star.

WARRIOR-get trained so Beth can ride me.

LEVI- to make sure no one rides me.

DAISY- to keep an "eye" on Levi.

DANCING DRUM- to be the best ballet dancer on the ranch.

BREEZE BAY -to take lessons from Dancer.

Thank you Carolene D. and Holley and Rich Y. for your most generous donations. You keep the tummies at Home At Last full.

Resolutions Part 1 Tues. Dec 29, 2009

The animals at Home At Last are busy with their New Year's Resolutions.

BRAVEHEART-to be the dirtiest horse at Home At Last.

TORY-to be the second dirtiest horse.

BELLE- to take more naps.

BREEZEY SUMMER-to take more naps that Belle.

QUEST-to take more naps than anybody else.

LEESO- to have the most big spots. Quest has the most small spots.

More Arabs Tues. Dec 29,2009

The year is drawing to a close and the animals have been busy making their resolutions. Be sure to check the upcoming blogs to see what they have decided.

Chardonnay is nearly 30. She came to Home At Last as an evacuee in the Summer of 2008. The fires were burning in Concow and she needed a safe place to shelter. She was rather thin when she came, but was much fatter when the fire danger was over and she went home.

She became depressed and stopped eating when she went home and her loving owner realized that Chardonnay wanted to be with her friends here. She made the tough decision to let her go.

Chardonnay is a beautiful grey and loves to show off by racing around the turnout with her best friend Sunny. (We call them Sunny and Char-I've Got You, Babe).

We know how hard it is to give up a beloved pet, and greatly admire all folks who put their animals first.

Sunny (in the middle) is about 20 years old and was a broodmare. She supposedly had no training and did not like people. She was scruffy and timid. Last Spring we turned her loose in the yard to help with the tall grass, and spent some time with her. Soon she was following us all over, wanting rubs and scratches. What a love she is.

Her best friend is Chardonnay. They do not like being separated for even a few moments. Where one is, you'll find the other.
The girls spent the summer in Margaret's pasture across the road. Thanks, Margaret, for the yummy grass.

Aurora is a beautiful flea-bitten grey (a color designation, she doesn't have fleas) with almond shaped eyes. She's about 10 years old. She and Cajun were seized by authorities because of severe neglect. She was so thin all her hipbones, ribs and backbone could be seen. She was about 250-300 pounds underweight.

When we saw her at NorCal Equine Rescue we thought she was pregnant, as she had been used as a broodmare. There didn't seem much hope in saving her, but her beautiful eyes and trusting face made us want to try.

We thought maybe we could at least save her foal. When we brought her to Home At Last and had the vet check her, he thought he felt a foot. It turned out to be concrete hard manure packed inside of her. The vet felt ahe had eaten nothing but mud and manure for years.

It took weeks of intensive day and night care and she came close to dying on occassions. One time when she was down and in pain, and we could feel her life ebbing away, Cajun came in and stood with his nose on her saying Good-bye. Oh, did the tears flow then.

Jim gave her a shot to ease her pain and the vet was called to end her misery. When he arrived she was up and eating. She's not a quitter.

She still has her big belly, but now it's full of good sweet hay. Her back is a little swayed, but her spirit is strong. She holds her own in the herd and knows she is loved.

Arabians Sun. Dec 27 2009

Arabians are often considered the world's most beautiful horses. They are the most widespread breed on earth.They are not large , about 14-15.2 hands and 900-1100 pounds. Their skin is always black and the colors are bay, chestnut, roan and gray

Most horses have 18 ribs, 6 lumbar vertebrae and 18 tailbones, while Arabs have 17 ribs, 5 lumbar vertebrae, and 16 tailbones.
There are 6 Arabs at Home At Last: Breeze Bay, Braveheart, Harmony, Sunny, Chardonnay and Aurora. Each one is a lively, loving wonderful horse.

Breeze Bay was the first Arab to come to Home At Last. For years she was a guide for blind Happy. She was devoted to him. When Happy died we tried Breeze as a guide for Charles, but she said No Thanks. She became a free spirit. Her work was done.

(This is nor Breeze. This is Sweetie Pie who was feeling left out).

Breeze loves it when it's muddy. She runs full speed, then puts on the brakes and slides up to the fence. She stops with her nose almost on the fence, but never touching it. Other horses try it, but they end up falling on their side or hitting the fence. Not Breeze.

Braveheart is about 25 years old and was found at an auction awaiting the killer buyers. He was about 250 pounds underweight. He had rubbed off his mane because he was trying to get to food. We were not sure whether or not he would live.

After several months of special care Braveheart is now king of his domain. His beautiful grey coat is thick and lush, though his favorite thing to do is to roll in gooey mud. He is alert and very glad to be alive.

When he runs he carries his tail high over his back. Sometimes he gets so happy he romps all over scattering horses in all directions. He has his own mini herd of Breeze Bay, Warrior, and Leeso.

Harmony is another beautiful bay mare. She does not live up to her name as she loves to cause trouble. She likes to keep things disrupted. She's a proud girl, whose loving owner could not keep her. Harmony is well trained and intern Caitlin took riding lessons on her.

Harmony likes to run off anyone who is eating. She often goes from hay pile to hay pile just for fun. She is in a big herd, but mostly stays with Cajun, Aurora, Skittles, Breeze Summer and Pedro. During the last rain she marched right into a stall with Pedro and ate nose to nose with him without a fuss. I don't know who was more surprised-Pedro or me!!!

A Little About Us Sat Dec 26, 2009

My first horse was a buckskin Quarter Horse mare named Pet. She literally carried me through adolescence. We went everywhere together. Often it was just the two of us for day long adventures.

Jim lived in the city, but spent summers on his uncle's cattle ranch. His first horse was Baldy, a ranch horse.

When we met at Cal Poly, Pomona, we were already, as my mother said, Animal Nuts. We married in 1965 and became educators. In 1970 we moved to Beaumont CA. where we raised orphaned colts, dogs, cats, chickens, geese, rabbits and one son.

In 1985 we moved to Paradise, CA and went about 25 years with no horses. I got breast cancer and Jim survived a near fatal vehicle accident. We decided to celebrate our recoveries with a mule.
When MayBelle arrived she brought with her another great mule, Jessie and a Kiger mustang Sweet. We didn't know it, but the rescue had begun..

A couple of months later a lady called. Breeze Bay's owner had died and the executors saw no value in a one-eyed Arabian. Would we take her? Why not, we thought. What's one more horse.

When we saw her papers we realized we had known her grandmother Bint Sahara at Cal Poly.

Within 6 months we had 17 equines . We needed more land and moved to Yankee Hill CA in 2006.

Friends convinced us to become a non-profit and Home At Last became a sanctuary.

Our goals and objectives are to provide a safe, healthy, lifetime home for equines (and now calves). We want to educate people about the overbreeding problem and the plight of unwanted horses.

We want folks to learn how wonderful, bright and aware horses are, their needs and their usefulness. Their role is more limited than it used to be, but they are an important part of our history and heritage. Though no longer mainly work animals they provide entertainment, recreation and competition. California law declares horses as pets, and therefore they deserve the humane treatment given to all pets.

Home At Last is not government funded. We rely on the kindness and generosity of those who feel a love and responsibility to living creatures. Home At Last provides a permanent home to all animals who come here. They are not sold or given away. Most have had a long and or difficult life and are ready for a peaceful retirement. Some have deformities that keep them from being ridden, but they can enjoy life here.

We'd like you to become part of the herd.

Thank you Carolene D for your donation.

Kiger Mustangs Dec 24 2009

Kiger Mustangs were discovered in the 1970's in the isolated Kiger Mountains of Eastern Oregon.They can trace their genetic hereitage to Early Spanish horses. Because of their isolation they are genetically distinct.

They are always some shade of grulla, dun or buckskin with a black dorsal stripe. Sometimes they have stripes on their withers, or legs, or web markings on their forehead. They are quick, agile and often gaited. They are not large- about 800 pounds.

Our first Kiger was Sweet who came from the Sunshine Sanctuary in Los Molinos. He lived up to his name in every way and made us love Kigers.

There are two Kigers at Home At Last now- Stuart and Tiger Lily.

Stuart is about 12. He was found at an auction yard being ridden on concrete while he was very lame. He first went to NorCal, then came to the sanctuary. His lameness issues seem to be resolved, but he has not been ridden yet.

Stuart's best friend is Star. Stuart will eat with anyone and is generally a mild mannered gelding. He has a dorsal stripe and stripes on his legs and withers.

Tiger Lily is about 18 and "does not play well with others. " It may be because she lost an eye and is a little insecure or maybe she is just mare-ish. She backs up and kicks any horse who dares to get in her space. She is , however, very loving with people.

She was brought to NorCal because of her eye injury. If NorCal wouldn't take her the owner was going to shoot her-yes shoot her. He said she had become a "flinchy" riding horse and was useless. She then came to Home At Last.

No animal at Home At Last is useless. They all have a purpose. Sometimes it's as simple as making us smile when they are eating or playing. Sometimes it's as deep and complicated as reaching into a person's soul and making a connection.

If you would like to help Stuart or Tiger Lily. please, use the PayPal, or call, write or email us at 530-514-1439 homeatlastsanctuary@gmail.com POBox 4129 Yankee Hill CA 95965

Happy Holidays from the herd: Banjoe, Julian (calves), Dancing Drum, Pilgrim, Levi, Daisy, Charles, Braveheart, Breeze Bay. Dunny, Jesse, Warrior, Leeso, Jake, Quest, Quincy, Lexi, Grace, Tory, Chance, Rico, Ruby, Cash, Pedro, Stuart, Star, Tiger Lily, Bonita, Jet, Brandy, Pearl, Stoney, Smoke, Smokey Bones, Chardonnay, Sunny, Cajun, Aurora, Skittles, Pico, Harmony, Navajo, Lacey, Babe, Breezey Summer, Bobbie (horses), Belle, Tucker, Lady Bug, Molly, Sugar, Posey, Maggie B (mules), Jenny, Jessie (donkeys), Mac, Love Keecha, Zoe (dogs), Daphne, Ben, Fido, Candy Bar, Oliver, Honey, Fiesty, Princess(cats), guineas, chickens, Donna and Jim

Wed. Dec 23 2009 Managing the Herd

Managing the herd is an important part of the sanctuary. The animals are watched daily to make sure everyone has a chance to eat, drink and rest. Horses are put together as their temperments allow. What works one week doesn't always work the next.

Sometimes health or feeding issues mean being put in a separate place. Sometimes, a fella just wants to feel special, like Quincy. He put himself in the barn for a great breakfast without having to share with the herd.

Today we moved Dancer and Pilgrim to a less muddy area. Levi and Daisy were glad to meet new friends.

The minis have their own turnout because of feeding issues.

Of course the calves have their own place because they are small.

Thank you, Sharlene K. for your most generous donation. Your gift will help feed the horses for many days.

Tueasday Dec 22, 2009

Who is this beautiful new girl?

Good morning, sunshine. The day started cold, sunny and crisp. Even blind Daisy celebrated by running and bucking.

None of the horses were cold or shivering which means that the good hay is doing what good hay should do. The horses are furry, fuzzy and warm

The barn residents were glad that Lexi and Grace joined them.

Lexi and Grace must be wondering what this new place is. Sunny mornings and SNOW flurries in the afternoon followed by more sun. So Cal wasn't like this

We had to buy hay today, but our trailer was "mudded in", so we borrowed Su and Jerry's. They own Gypsy Vanners. Thank goodness for good and generous friends.

This load of hay will last us 6 days. Would anyone like to help us pay for this? $10.00 a bale

8 bales a day.
Thank you to our friends and family who have been so supportive of our efforts.

homeatlastsanctuary@gmail.com Come and see us or email us.