He is doing just wonderful, loves all the open space and pastures. Loves to play halter with the other horses, he is very playful! I think he is 'finally' having his life back, and enjoying it too.

Thank you again...........Carol & LADDIE

Laddie is doing 'great'...he has made so many improvements. The last time I weighed him he was up to 945 pounds and that was in late January! His food aggression... what food aggression?

You can pet his face while he is eating is grain. He gets all the hay he wants and goes out in the field every day and comes in at night. He has a large double stall with lots of nice bedding, which he likes to roll in....I clean his poop up before I leave at night, so he won't be laying in it.... He is not as neat as my mare, but he's a man. What can you expect!

I had his feet trimmed on Friday, and he was a perfect gentleman for the farrier.

The vet is coming to the barn on May 4th for everyone's annual exam and shots. I will have the form mailed to you along with the copy of the farrier bill.

He gets groomed almost every night. Loves all the attention! I am waiting for the warm weather so I can give him a 'bubble bath' He is shedding, naturally, and where the bald spots were, new hair is growing. I got a fungal spray for him and I think that is helping. I trimmed his mane, it was so poor and this might give it some strength.

He gets along with all the horses in the field...no aggression what so ever.

He gets his share of treats, along with all the other guys in the barn. I wish I were taken such good care of, like him and my mare!

Tonight I was at the barn and my friend and I were just talking about how is facial expression has changed. He actually looks happy!

I know he is content that's for sure. I cannot wait to start him on a riding program. and get him back into shape. Gotta take it slow.

Well, I can go on and on, but I want to you to know that is is loved by everyone ...

Please keep in touch!

Carol

November 25, 2006 - R.E.A.S.O.N. always tries to find good homes for horses. You would think that horses placed in a home for four years are loved and very well taken care of. The people would abide by the agreement that is signed whenever horses are adopted thru the program. They send their vet checks back on time and call with any problems they may have. The last time this property was visited the horses were fat and healthy with glowing coats.

How and why does it all go bad - and they stop caring? How do they not see they have walking skeletons in their back yard?

This time the wife called R.E.A.S.O.N to report her own husband and daughter because she could no longer look at the condition of these horses. After her emergency call to R.E.A.S.O.N. we found two very thin horses, Laddie and Benny.

Benny, a 6-year-old Standardbred gelding is thin, but not as thin as Laddie, a 14-Year-Old Standardbred gelding.

These horses were eating the actual barn, any scrap of hay they could find, and anything that looked edible. Supposedly the husband and daughter were feeding them but just not enough. Apparently having a car is more important to the teenager, and the father is "too busy" to care. This woman's family can't understand why the horses were seized and are furious at their own wife/mother for calling.

Needless to say, being back at R.E.A.S.O.N is allowing them to eat as much hay as they can possibly want and slowly getting grain. The amount of water they are drinking is incredible - these animals were starving and dehydrated!

Our Vet, Dr. Wells, examined both horses and found no other ailment or cause for their state. It appears they just were not fed. Benny is a 3 on the Henneke Scale and Laddie is a 2. They both are a few hundred pounds under weight and slowly, they will be introduced to grain.

We also had our Farrier and equine Dentist, Eric Williamson, tend to the boys. Their feet were not too bad but their teeth are another story. Both horses had very sharp teeth that were causing them some pain and also added cause to their thinness. As eric worked on each horse, both Laddie and Benny stood as perfect gentleman as he tended to both their teeth and feet. No sedation was required. They knew he was only helping.

Winter is always the hardest time of the year at the rescue. Adoptions decrease, and we still have horses in search of homes. Now with these two emaciated horses, the financial strains just doubled. R.E.A.S.O.N. is a non-profit organization and all monies coming into it are put back into the organization for everything needed to care for the animals.

If you have any way of making any kind of donation be it monetary or even dropping off a bale of hay, please help if you could - Or help spread the word.