Sky Ranch Sanctuary

A Horse Rescue Organization

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Feeding Horses

 

These before and after photos of Digger demonstrate what a good, edible diet can do for a starving horse! He had his teeth done and then became healthy and robust on a diet of soaked alfalfa cubes, senior horse food, and Platinum Performance (a supplement.)

A neighbor commented on seeing us weigh the hay and measure the senior feed, that doing those things seemed like “overkill” when many people just throw out some hay and the horses seem fine. I’m sure throwing out some hay works for many horses, but at Sky Ranch we believe weight control for our horses is critical to their health and without weighing and measuring it’s impossible to make adjustments to get to a healthier more desirable weight, whether that’s up or down on the scale.

Actually Digger has become a bit too heavy, and we’ve cut back on his alfalfa cubes a bit. He’s still happy and healthy!

I came across a website that has some sensible tips on feeding horses. Check it out of you’re interested and enjoy the summer!  https://www.thesprucepets.com/common-horse-feeding-mistakes-1886500

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Starlight

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Our delicate mare, Starlight, died yesterday after a long day of battling colic. Our vet, Dr. Troy Osborne, came and went and came and went and came one last time, treating her for the pain and trying to get her system moving in the right direction. She would stand and walk around briefly and then lie back down again. The colic seemed manageable early on in the day, but it progressed to unmanageable as day drifted into evening. Starlight was in her 30’s, and we didn’t feel that hospitalization and surgery were humane options for her.

Starlight came to live at Sky Ranch Sanctuary from Animal Control a little over a year ago. We don’t know much about her history, but she had scars on her legs and was abandoned, so she surely had life stories to tell.

We buried Starlight today under overcast skies. We are so sad and only wish her the peace and freedom from pain that all of our horses deserve.

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New Beginnings

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I don’t know how 2016 was for my four legged friends, but at least within my human orbit it was an up-ended year. Family and friends struggling, the political world on its head, and uncertainty even more prevalent than usual. For me, one coping strategy is to spend more time in the barn! I find it soothing, especially when the horses are eating. They seem so focussed on doing what they need to do to survive, and they are loving every bite. I think there is a message there. Here’s to 2017, a year to survive and savor.

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Starlight: New Girl in Town

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A lot happened here last week. Our beloved mare, Spirit, died suddenly, and we will be missing her for a long time. On a happier note, two days earlier, a new mare, Starlight, came from San Luis Obispo County Animal Services to live at Sky Ranch. She’s guesstimated to be about 30 years old. She was abandoned and left to starve. The other horses in the barn are fascinated by her, and she seems to be adapting well to her new home. As you can see from the photo, she needs to put on quite a bit of weight, and we’re working on that with soaked alfalfa cubes and senior horse food. Starlight has a good appetite and seems very glad to be among other horses again.

In Buddhism, it is said that life consists of 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows. I think they are onto something.  Loss and its accompanying sorrow are inevitable, especially when caring for older horses. But then there is the joy that comes in getting to know a new horse and giving a her a forever home.

We are thrilled to have Starlight here.