Today a note was posted on Facebook by a friend of mine, and I'd like to share it with you. It means a lot that someone would take the time to say such nice things and attempt to spread the word about the program and what we do. This really touched my heart and literally brought me to tears:
To all the peopled who prayed and donated to Standing in the Gap:
The first horse Maverick, (Eddie G - his racing name) has been with us for a few years.
He came with a severe bowed tendon as a pretty high strung race horse. He also came with scars and trauma from being in a kill pen for several days. When I searched for him, I literally found him being loaded on a trailer to go off to slaughter.
He was nursed everyday for quite some time to heal his tendon and trauma. He was put in a pasture with my horse, Moses, eventually and they became quick buddies.
Maverick soon calmed down enough to work with. By this time, I suffered a broken/fractured pinky and ring finger from a kick of his. Boy, did that happen fast. I lunged him, ponied him around with my horse, saddled him often and just generally worked with him over and over. I developed a great bond with him and he trusted me with almost anything. http://youtu.be/-21pZ_JCeeI
After my wife and I split, I took possession of him and started to ride him often. My desire was to bring him to Florida when I move. Sometimes, you have to do what you think is best instead of what you want. I placed him with my friend, Annie and her non profit, MNRRP. I board my personal horse there. http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
Here is a recent picture of him and Annie's daughter riding him...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT0NykVVwRc5G_Kn59GVLIvbm2I4plljIlsVDTmgpR6UKDkvBG8NP35XOSJ3ZB0b9PDuopYkqS2nCBpcky-P7mJURk3odga9vx711caruoB5jSXV7f2aQD1Bn0JBA6ZOe2eJOwZPCwVc/s1600/_DSC0361.JPG
After I started riding him and working him along with Annie, he quickly became a loving and obedient horse. He was and is very happy.
Annie has also quickly become one of my best friends ever. I love my time at her place and with the horses placed in MNRRP. I can't say enough good about her and her work. She has healed and placed many, many horses. I can only give a small example of her heart toward the horses. There is one there that was on the verge of being put down because the problems he has are causing to much discomfort and the healing is questionable. Annie still has this horse and is working hard to make it comfortable while healing can occur. Annie hasn't given up when everyone else has. I believe this horse will be healed because of her heart alone. Pray for him.
Thanks to Annie, MNRRP and her daughter, Maverick was recently placed with a family with two young daughters on their farm. From the beginning, I would have never guessed Maverick would be good enough and calm enough to be around children. Turns out, after much hard work and patience, he is a great horse for this now.
If you or anyone else you know has a heart to donate and help animals, I highly suggest MNRRP as a choice. There is much heart and love given to these animals. The link is http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
I have seen Annie and her daughter also take on horses personally and save them from certain death. They and their friends who run this non profit are amazing people.
I made a good choice for Maverick and he has many, many happy years ahead of him. I cannot name all the individuals who prayed, donated and helped with this enough. Please accept this as my thanks from the inner most of who I am. I am so thankful to have been a part of an amazing journey.
I also made one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. I have given possession of my personal horse to Annie and her daughter. It is not a financial decision. My horse is about 23, 24 years old and has a mild case of arthritis. I can either take him with me or leave him with Annie to retire. After seeing her care for so many horses who are injured, lame, emaciated and have many more problems, I decided that he would get just as much love as I could give and even better care for a retirement future. Annie has been so kind as to tell me never to consider him as any one's horse but mine. I made a good choice.
My future? I will seek and be involved with a horse non profit in Tampa, FL and see where it goes from there. One of the biggest goals of mine is to ride horses on the beach every Sunday and put as much time as I can to help out with horses that need it. I also will try hard to get a horse from MNRRP and ship him down to me.
All I can say is that God is very good to me.
If you do decide to give and donate to MNRRP, please let Annie know that it is in honor of her helping out with Maverick. I would have been lost with her.
Thank you Fred, for the touching note. And thank you to everyone who has donated, supported and prayed for us. There is no way I could possibly have done this alone, and no way there are words that could encompass the gratitude I feel in my heart.
The first horse Maverick, (Eddie G - his racing name) has been with us for a few years.
He came with a severe bowed tendon as a pretty high strung race horse. He also came with scars and trauma from being in a kill pen for several days. When I searched for him, I literally found him being loaded on a trailer to go off to slaughter.
He was nursed everyday for quite some time to heal his tendon and trauma. He was put in a pasture with my horse, Moses, eventually and they became quick buddies.
Maverick soon calmed down enough to work with. By this time, I suffered a broken/fractured pinky and ring finger from a kick of his. Boy, did that happen fast. I lunged him, ponied him around with my horse, saddled him often and just generally worked with him over and over. I developed a great bond with him and he trusted me with almost anything. http://youtu.be/-21pZ_JCeeI
After my wife and I split, I took possession of him and started to ride him often. My desire was to bring him to Florida when I move. Sometimes, you have to do what you think is best instead of what you want. I placed him with my friend, Annie and her non profit, MNRRP. I board my personal horse there. http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
Here is a recent picture of him and Annie's daughter riding him...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT0NykVVwRc5G_Kn59GVLIvbm2I4plljIlsVDTmgpR6UKDkvBG8NP35XOSJ3ZB0b9PDuopYkqS2nCBpcky-P7mJURk3odga9vx711caruoB5jSXV7f2aQD1Bn0JBA6ZOe2eJOwZPCwVc/s1600/_DSC0361.JPG
After I started riding him and working him along with Annie, he quickly became a loving and obedient horse. He was and is very happy.
Annie has also quickly become one of my best friends ever. I love my time at her place and with the horses placed in MNRRP. I can't say enough good about her and her work. She has healed and placed many, many horses. I can only give a small example of her heart toward the horses. There is one there that was on the verge of being put down because the problems he has are causing to much discomfort and the healing is questionable. Annie still has this horse and is working hard to make it comfortable while healing can occur. Annie hasn't given up when everyone else has. I believe this horse will be healed because of her heart alone. Pray for him.
Thanks to Annie, MNRRP and her daughter, Maverick was recently placed with a family with two young daughters on their farm. From the beginning, I would have never guessed Maverick would be good enough and calm enough to be around children. Turns out, after much hard work and patience, he is a great horse for this now.
If you or anyone else you know has a heart to donate and help animals, I highly suggest MNRRP as a choice. There is much heart and love given to these animals. The link is http://retiredracehorses.blogspot.com/
I have seen Annie and her daughter also take on horses personally and save them from certain death. They and their friends who run this non profit are amazing people.
I made a good choice for Maverick and he has many, many happy years ahead of him. I cannot name all the individuals who prayed, donated and helped with this enough. Please accept this as my thanks from the inner most of who I am. I am so thankful to have been a part of an amazing journey.
I also made one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. I have given possession of my personal horse to Annie and her daughter. It is not a financial decision. My horse is about 23, 24 years old and has a mild case of arthritis. I can either take him with me or leave him with Annie to retire. After seeing her care for so many horses who are injured, lame, emaciated and have many more problems, I decided that he would get just as much love as I could give and even better care for a retirement future. Annie has been so kind as to tell me never to consider him as any one's horse but mine. I made a good choice.
My future? I will seek and be involved with a horse non profit in Tampa, FL and see where it goes from there. One of the biggest goals of mine is to ride horses on the beach every Sunday and put as much time as I can to help out with horses that need it. I also will try hard to get a horse from MNRRP and ship him down to me.
All I can say is that God is very good to me.
If you do decide to give and donate to MNRRP, please let Annie know that it is in honor of her helping out with Maverick. I would have been lost with her.
Thank you Fred, for the touching note. And thank you to everyone who has donated, supported and prayed for us. There is no way I could possibly have done this alone, and no way there are words that could encompass the gratitude I feel in my heart.
The real thanks goes to you, Annie. This is important work and I would challenge anyone involved in racing to set up a similar program of donating their racehorse's earnings to your program - or similar ones if they are out of state.
ReplyDeleteJust 1% could provide enough money for the program to continue to expand. There are more horses that could be helped if the funding was only there. Thank YOU for all you do and I hope as the meet winds down the financial support ramps up.