Voice of the Hooved Animal Welfare Council
PO Box 7l54, Erie, PA 16510 (814 739-9680)
Contents:
Elections will be held March 27th for Vice President (Sandy Blount), Secretary (Linda Wheeler)as well as two board member positions (Joan Rutledge and Robin Kulik). Anyone wishing to place a name on the ballot, call Linda Wheeler at 739-9680 by March 20th.
Plans are being made for another summer trail ride to benefit HAWC. Details will follow in a separate mailing. Flyers will be distributed throughout the local area in May. Don’t miss out on the fun, come ride with us this summer.
Dan Rice Days is our biggest fundraiser of the year and lots of fun for everyone. It will be held August 4th and 5th in downtown Girard, PA. Take a chance on the Chinese Auction and raffle tickets on an antique grape cart. Hope to see you there! If you would like to help at the booth or donate an item, please call Sandy Blount at 774-2800.
The HAWC Booth at the Albion Fair was another success last year. Come visit us again September 11th thru the 15th. Your support helps us continue with our rescues. Contact Sandy Blount to volunteer or donate to the Chinese Auction.
Remember, HAWC is strictly volunteer so we depend on the public for support. You can help raise funds for HAWC by just clicking on this website, iGIVE.com, HAWC will receive a donation, it’s that easy! If you purchase any item from a store on the iGIVE.com website, HAWC can receive a donation up to 12% of the purchase price! Please click on this site for more info.
We are still in need of foster homes and adoptive homes to help rehabilitate any animals that might need help. If you have a barn and pasture and are experienced in horse care, please call us so we can add you name to our list. Rehabilitating an animal can be very rewarding. Call Sandy Blount at 774-2800.
If you would like a presentations about HAWC for your community group, contact Darlene Rosthauser at 899-0960 or visit the HAWC website for more information at: http://usewww.hawc-eye.org
HAWC continues it’s success in improving conditions for livestock through education of owners on proper animal care; but remember you must be willing to give your name along with other pertinent information in order for our investigating officers to investigate a complaint. All complaints are strictly confidential. HAWC handled many complaints last year resulting in 12 cases; all were resolved satisfactorily. The cases involved goats, cows, ponies and horses. Please do not hesitate to notify us if you see neglect or abuse. Please call our Humane Investigating Officers listed below.
Sandy Blount, 774-2800
Darlene Rosthauser, 899-0960
Our investigating officers will be attending PA Humane Officer training this May in Harrisburg as required by PA law so they can stay certified to investigate complaints of abuse and neglect. Your memberships and donations help pay for this required training. Our thanks go to Sandy and Darlene for taking time from their busy jobs to attend this training so they can help end animal suffering.
HAWC will continue our goal of educating the public on the horse abuse resulting from slaughtering American horses for meat consumption overseas and the use of pregnant mares in producing urine for the production of the prescription drug Premarin. Visit these websites for extensive information on horse slaughter: Equine Protection Network – http://members.tripod.com/~EPN/general/indexa.htm and Equine Advocates http://www.equineadvocates.com
PMU farms and processing plants can be stopped only if women refuse to use hormone replacement treatments that are processed from horse urine. Thousands of horses suffer needlessly every year and their foals sent to slaughter as “by-products”. Do not use Premarin, Prempro, Premphase and Prempac. Cenestin is the latest synthetic hormone replacement drug on the market, there are many more. For more information on Premarin call this HOTLINE number: 1 800 566-9768 or visit this Premarin website: http://athena.athenet.net/~nrsprntg/PremFlyer.html
Signs of a Horses's Good Health
In addition to body condition, other signs can help determine the health status of horses. Here are some specific indicators of health in horses.
Attitude- A bright actively interested horse can be recognized at a glance. His attitude will be alert, inquisitive and attentive. He will not have the dull, lethargic look that can come with overtraining, overuse or ill health. Normal healthy horses chew evenly with both sides of their mouth and show predictable enthusiasm for eating.
Hair Coat - A shiny, glossy hair coat is one of the best indicators of a healthy horse. Hair coat is reflective of good nutrition and health and can be improved by regular grooming.
Hoof Growth- Normal, healthy horses have healthy hoof wall tissue. The wall should grow at a rate of ¼” to ½” per month. The hoof should be smooth with no cracks. When viewed from the side, the hoof should form a straight line with the front of the pastern.
Eyes - The eyes should be bright, fully open and clear without discharge or a glazed, dull appearance.
Manure/Urine - Horses normally have firm manure balls that are not loose and watery and do not contain undigested grains, etc. Urine is normally wheat-straw colored and not cloudy or dark red.
Mucous Membrane Color- The membranes of the horse’s gums and lip should be a healthy pink color. Pale White, yellow, or deep purple colors are all cause for concern.
Heart Rate– The normal heart rate of an adult horse is 40 to 45 beats per minute for a mid-sized horse, 25 to 30 beats per minute for a heavy horse, both varying with the horse’s age, ambient temperature, humidity, exercise and excitement levels.
Respiratory Rate– The normal respiratory rate of an adult horse at rest is 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Exercise, ambient temperature, humidity, fever, distress, pain and anxiety will increase the respiratory rate.
Temperature – The normal body temperature of a horse is 98 degrees to 101 degrees F. A hot, humid environment, exercise or dehydration will increase the temperature 2 to 3 degrees F.
Here are some “home made recipes” you might want to try.
Natural Fly Spray
This homemade fly spray recipe is used on mules working the Miami & Erie Canal in Grand Rapids, Ohio. It leaves a thin harmless film where the commercial stuff evaporates or sweats off. It smells good too and is economical.
Mix together:
Happy Birthday Horse Cake
If you want to do something special for your horse’s birthday, try this birthday cake recipe.
· 4 Cups of sweet feed or oats
· 1 Cup of molasses or honey
· 2 Carrots cut into sticks
· 1 Apple cut into slices
Mix honey and sweet feed or oats together in a big bowl. When fully mixed, place mixture on a plate and shape into the form of a birthday cake. Use the carrots as candles and the apples as decorations. Horses really enjoy this sticky but delicious treat.
Last year one of our members rescued an Standardbred mare (a former Amish buggy horse) and named her Sarah. After many months of intensive medical care and lots of love, she is finally recovered enough to enjoy her new life. Here is a poem written by her loving owner Diana Pedersen. This is what rescue is all about, thank you Diana.
The day I came home I prayed, that no longer would I wear the ill-fitting harness that cut into my skin or the collar that lay heavy on my shoulders with the weight of what seemed a thousand. No longer would I be driven day and night through the cold heavy rain that would sting my eyes or the blowing snow that would chill me to the bone, the whip lashing at my sides. No longer would the stabbing pain shoot through my shoulder, that now cannot bear that weight of my body now skin and bone.
To have ended my days with dignity, side by side with my brothers and sisters, whose will had long been taken from them, waiting for the auctioneer’s gavel to hit the block, was what I’d hoped for. The day when there would be no more pain, from the men in the dark coats. No longer would I long for the touch of a loving hand, to spend the day in the sunshine, the warmth on my face.
For now my prayers are answered, for now, I am home.