Horse rescue event this weekend in Mechanicsville

Meet and greet horses up for adoption at this weekend’s 2 day AppyFest in Mechanicsville, Maryland.

MECHANICSVILLE, Maryland (Oct. 5, 2018) — This weekend, Last Chance Animal Rescue and the Maryland Fund for Horses will host “Appy Fest,” a two-day family friendly festival (Oct 6 and 7) celebrating the rehabilitation and training of some of the 100 plus starving, feral Appaloosa/Quarter horses seized from a farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (read their story at DelMarvaNow.com).

Appy Fest 2018 is an innovative way to find new homes for horses from large scale cruelty seizures, as well as showcase the horses and their training.

Horses are available for meet and greets as well as adoptions at the event, according to a release from Last Chance. Appy Fest 2018 also includes a trainers’ competition, horse adoptions, equine demonstrations, shopping, food, face-painting and pony rides.

In March 2018, more than 100 starved feral horses were seized from a farm in Wicomico County. The horses were placed with rescues throughout the Mid-Atlantic area, and since then their recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. Most of the horses have received professional training, preparing them for new adoptive homes.

The next stage of their transformation is finding loving, permanent homes. There are several mares who have had foals who are also available for the public to meet and see their training.

The two day event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday, Oct. 6., and Sunday, Oct. 7, at Last Chance Animal Rescue’s Eldorado Farm, located at 29844 Eldorado Farm Lane in Mechanicsville (click here for map). Adult admission is $7.50 for both days or $5 for one day. Admission is free for children younger than 10 years as well as seniors and veterans. To purchase tickets, fill out a horse adoption application or to get more info: http://bit.ly/APPYFEST.

Note: On the bottom righthand corner of their APPYFEST page, they have a list of hotels offering discount APPYFEST attendee rates. Mention APPY FEST when making your reservations.

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Hurricane Cowboy rescues abandoned horses from Florence floodwaters

The Hurricane Cowboy, Patrick McKann, leads two horses to safety who were left behind in rising floodwaters in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Photo by Janet Morgan/Myrtle Beach Herald.

By Kelly Avellino | September 25, 2018 at 6:42 PM EST – Updated September 26 at 6:01 AM

HENRICO, VA (WWBT) — He’s been named the “Hurricane Cowboy.” Patrick McKann, of Henrico, is leading an effort to rescue horses, cows and other farm animals left suffering in the flood-torn Carolinas.

McKann said so far it’s been a trying mission, but his crew has saved many animals from suffering, including three horses, two donkeys and countless dogs and cats.

McKann and his rescue partner, Travis Holstein, teamed up with other livestock animal rescuers from Texas, once they hit the worst areas of the Carolinas. The “Hurricane Cowboys” use an air boat to reach livestock caught in high water. McKann also has multiple trucks filled with supplies like feed and medical kits, donated from the Richmond area, running in and out of the Carolinas.

“We had to lasso two wild donkeys,” said McKann. “We’ve seen pigs. We’ve seen cows. We’ve seen horses, chickens, ducks,” said McKann.

In photos from the Myrtle Beach Herold, McKann and Holstein mustered through the water — at times up to their chest — to lead three starving horses to refuge in Buscksport, South Carolina.

“They were going to drown if we didn’t get to them,” said McKann.

Hurricane Florence is McKann’s second rescue mission. During Hurricane Harvey last year, McKann sent down seven supply-loaded trucks to Texas. He stayed in the state, rescuing livestock for a month.

McKann said many animal rescue groups are able to help with dogs and cats. However, less volunteers are equipped to help larger stock animals. That’s why the Hurricane Cowboys say they’re determined to reach every animal possible, left in Florence’s wake.

“We have good days. We have bad days. We’ve seen a lot of death,” said McKann.

McKann fears the worst flooding may still be to come.

“The rivers are not due to crest until Thursday or Friday,” he said.

That’s why McKann is already sending word for more donations from Richmond, and plans on making repeat trips hauling more trailers full of supplies, for as long as it takes.

“The people back home are already getting ready to reload a semi-trailer,” said McKann. “I’d like to thank everybody back home for their support.”

• Support Mckann’s rescues at his GoFundMe page »

• Read more of this story, view video report »

Breeding kindness: No animal turned away at safe haven for horses in Elburn

HORSE RESCUE — David Sharos, freelance reporter for The Courier-News, writes:

St. Charles resident Kris Anderson doesn’t regard herself as a horse whisperer, but she does admit hanging around horses has made her a more sensitive human being.

“Being around them has given me more of a unity and connection with living things,” Anderson said.

The retired 4th grade teacher now serves as a board member and volunteer for Casey’s Safe Haven in Elburn, a non-profit equine rescue facility founded in 2011 that has been accepting cast off horses, ponies, donkeys and mules that are later adopted, boarded, or allowed to live out their natural lives.

Anderson said finding this new chapter of life at Casey’s was the result of “an angel guiding me in the right direction.”

Sister Darbie and Casey’s Safe Haven resident donkey Petunia. Image from their website.

Casey founder Sue Balla of Elburn said she grew up in Downers Grove and that despite living in a horseless environment, they were always on her mind.

Changes in her life forced Balla to search for another outlet after the riding school closed. A friend suggested she lease a barn in Elburn and Casey’s Safe Haven was born, named after a horse purchased at an auction that became Balla’s friend for more than a quarter century.

Virtually no animal is turned away.

“Over the years, we’ve probably taken in about 50 animals and our mind set is to get them healthy and adopted,” Balla said. “On average, the animals need about two years to get healthy, but given that this is a sanctuary and rescue, some of them never leave.”

•  Read full article »

•  Visit Casey’s Save Haven website »

•  Find out how you can help »

Thank you Mr. Sharos for writing this story.

Featured Image: Casey’s Save Haven

New Bucksport residents raise rescued Clydesdales

BUCKPORT, Maine (The Elsworth American)  — Earlier this month, a Texas couple moved to Silver Lake Road with a very large 5-year-old. His name is Butch, and he is a 2,700-pound Clydesdale horse, but don’t let the size scare you.

“You’ll see they are just very giant puppy dogs,” said David Doane, who takes care of Butch, six other horses, a mule and a cat along with his wife, Michelle Rhodes. The whole bunch moved to Bucksport from Texas earlier this month. “They would sit in your lap if they could figure out how to.”

Clydesdales are a large breed of horse used originally for pulling plows or hauling coal. Today the breed is famous for its appearance in Budweiser beer commercials, but it also plays a troubled role in the production of an estrogen-rich drug called Premarin, which is used to treat symptoms of menopause.

Premarin is made of the estrogen found in pregnant mare urine and, considering their size, Clydesdale mares produce a lot of urine. Several pharmaceutical companies put thousands of Clydesdale mares in pens, where they stayed for months at a time and urinated into bags. Once the mares delivered their foals, most of the foals were sold for slaughter, their meat shipped to consumers in Europe and Asia.

“It’s a nasty business,” Rhodes said. “They sell the babies to slaughter if people don’t adopt them.” Continue reading »

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FEATURED IMAGE
David Doane smiles at Butch, one of his and his wife Michelle Rhodes’ seven horses. The gang, which also includes one mule and one cat, moved to Bucksport from Texas earlier this month. The Elsworth American.
PHOTO BY DAVID ROZA.