Sunday, April 19, 2009

Goodbye, Charlee

We had to say a sad and unexpected goodbye to our lovely Charlee, recently. Charlee was not able to make it through her surgery at Texas A&M. As with any surgery, especially on large animals, there are risks involved.

Charlee was a true gem here at Wildhorse Ranch and we will all miss her. She was deeply loved.

Rest in peace, Charlee.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Recap: 4/4/09 - Ivan Harshman

Hey!

Thanks to everyone who attended the show on April 4th. Ivan Harshman was the musician and man was he good! Ivan's chill style made for a really relaxing, interesting night. Check out the video below for a sample and the pix that follow. I apologize, in advance, for the low-quality sound and next-to-no lighting. Neither do him any justice.



Ivan Harshman has shared the stage with artists including Poe, Cake, Gin Blossoms, Gavin DeGraw, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers and more!
We look forward to having him back.





Still to come: Meet the Herd at Wildhorse Ranch. We are working on this blog entry and will have it up in the next two days. Thanks for stopping by!



Thursday, March 26, 2009

Video of Charlee's Trip to Texas A&M

Hey! Thanks for joining us for the second installation of Wildhorse World - the easiest way to keep up-to-date with the goings-on at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue.

Remember, you can come meet the horses and listen to great music with us during events by visiting www.mudpony.com. Just click on Upcoming Events to see what's going on at the ranch!



Today's blog is all about Charlee's road trip to Texas A&M with Rusty, Ida, Kandice and McKay. Charlee has a flesh-eating bacterial infection in her leg that just won't go away so after several intense attempts to fix her up, the doctors at Texas A&M agreed to see Charlee and try to get her better. We're looking at about a $30,000 fee when all is said and done. Charlee is worth it and we appreciate your support. You can donate anytime by visiting www.mudpony.com and clicking on the "How You Can Help" button, then scrolling down and clicking on "Make a Donation". We appreciate your support. We can't do it without you!

Now, some people ask us, when we're a struggling charity in a floundering economy, how can we justify spending this kind of money on ONE horse. Well, take a look at the video of Charlee loading into the trailer and walking up to her luxury stall at Texas A&M (below). You'll see that this pretty girl is not ready to go. She's not even middle-aged yet and she's full of vim and vigor. Charlee is in high spirits and we're her trusted caregivers. It's up to us to be in tune with her and know when she's had enough. That is NOT today! The vet who checked her in at A&M commented on how she's got quite a spring in her step, given her recent medical history.

Kim Meagher, President of Wildhorse Ranch Rescue states, "Her mind is fine. She's a little bored but she's fine. It's her leg that needs to be fixed." Being in a stall at the clinic may not be the most exciting life, but Kim is right...Charlee is a healthy horse with a bad leg. That's all. :) And the sooner she gets better, the sooner she can come home.

So check out the pics and videos of Charlee, Rusty, Ida, Kandice and McKay's trip to Texas A&M! You can also catch Kim and Skip in the videos!





Before we left, Ida made sure to ask one of the vets if she wouldn't mind letting everyone know Charlee is there and could use the occasional visit. The vet told us she would post the information on the volunteer board and spread the word so Charlee gets the kind of love and care she's used to here at home. :)

Charlee-girl is now in good hands with the knowledgeable, caring staff of Texas A&M. We hope for the best and look forward to bringing her home.

For more video of the trip after we dropped Charlee off, check out the following links:
Video of the "Going to Hawaii" Game
Rusty's Friends and Family in Texas

In our next blog, you'll Meet the Herd of horses and mules here at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue. Be sure to check back in a few days for pictures and bios!



Monday, March 23, 2009

Welcome to Wildhorse Ranch's Blog!

HELLO!

We're so happy you chose to check out the blog and we hope you find the information useful and entertaining. There is always something happening at Wildhorse Ranch and we love keeping you up-to-date with all your favorite events and the horses.

Let's start off with some important information. The following items will help make sense of WHR's busy schedule and various programs:

Wildhorse Ranch Rescue
11811 S. Lindsay Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85296
(480) 503-5497
(866) 926-8007 (toll-free)
Mudpony@gmail.com
www.mudpony.com

Our public hours are Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 6pm.
Please be sure to call ahead or email to request an appointment if you need to visit outside of these hours. Please be aware that not all requests may be approved.

Wildhorse Ranch operates out of a private residence and the homeowner and other individuals on the property require privacy. We appreciate your understanding!

Kitty City refers to our on-site rescued & privately-owned feline population at the ranch. Most of the cats are housed in an outdoor cat atrium, furnished with houses, jungle gyms, gargoyle watering fountain and room to roam. Some of the kitties do best outside the atrium. Feel free to pet the more social kitties roaming the property. There is a grey & white male named Butler who will greet you and loves to talk - if you talk back! Some of the cats are shy, so don't feel bad if they run and hide. You can always leave them a treat by the barn to show them you're one of the good guys. :) Kitty City is accessible during some of our on-site benefit events, so be sure to ask for a visit.

There are currently 40 volunteers who take wonderful care of our herd of 12 horses, mules and donkeys. We also have 5 in foster care. The volunteers visit twice a day to make sure the horses have food, water, medicines and other treatments. They muck the stalls (which is a tough job to do!) and rotate the herd so they can get the exercise they need. At this time, children under 18 are NOT permitted to accompany volunteers due to safety precautions. Many of our volunteers spend some serious quality time grooming and chatting with the herd. When you come visit, we encourage you to meet every equine in the barn. It's okay to pick favorites!

Wildhorse Ranch hosts many benefit events every year. The majority of these events are held at the ranch on our patio and surrounding areas on the property. We feature excellent live music from local and international artists such as Ritchie Rhinehardt, Martine Locke, Hal Sparks and more. Check out our upcoming events by visiting www.mudpony.com and clicking on Upcoming Events.

Stay tuned for our next blog in which you will find more useful information about WHR and find out all about Charlee's trip to Texas A&M for an experimental surgery!

Be sure to add this blog to your favorites. Usually this is done in your browser window by clicking on "Bookmarks" then "Bookmark This Page" (or "Add") and saving it to the "Bookmarks Toolbar" folder. That way a little button with "Blogger: Wildhorse World" will be saved at the top of your internet browser. How easy is that?!