Rooster's Haven

Sunday's Last Call - This is the little filly yearling that I took to the Mustang 007 Makeover this past August.  She is sorrell with a flaix mane and tail.  She is wonderful!  I love her and she does just about anything you ask of her.  She is mild mannered and very gentle.  She is a Mustang from the Augusta HMA range.  You can see more info and pictures of her on the tab on this website for the Mustang Yearling...and in the photo gallery.  News - Mustang Yearling 

Starbuck is a 1999 Anglo Arab Gelding.  He is a "PRINCE" and loves people.  Especially women.  (okay and boys too!).  We ride him English and he's done 1st level dressage.

above Christine and Madison 2004

Christine with Starbuck at the 2004 CSHA show at Woodmyst, Gilroy,CA

Update 06/25/10

Starbuck is just about good as new and ready to start training again.  He is just like his old self...very happy and ready to please.  Katrina will be working with him over the summer to get him back into shape for being ridden again.  He does have a large soft tissue bump on his front right knee that most likely does not hurt him but is unsightly and will require the doctor to determine if it's something that can be reduced(drained) or if he will always have it.  Due to lack of funds and use of vet services for only emergencies, it has not been addressed yet.

Update 11/12/09 - When the vet came to remove the cast he mentioned it would take some time and only time would tell.  Today Starbuck is his happy old self.  He is however confined to a 12 x 14 covered stall with a 14 x 14 attached run.  He still gets himself all worked up around feeding time...and he ONLY gets grass hay.  With the help of a product called "Command Serene" I was able to keep his temperment relaxed and not wanting to run around helped him with recovery.  I will wait until next Spring to evaluate his recovery since his leg is still very HUGE (not swollen) but has hardened into a bigger leg mass, and he now has a 'bump' on the opposite front knee.  Most likely from banging it somehow.  I imagine he's deformed for life, so not good for the show ring...(thank God we got to show him before this!) but he is a very loving boy and as long as he is happy and not in pain that is all that matters.  We are still in debt over paying the bills for his hospitalization and wish there was more we could do for him.  We are just fortunate that we are able shelter these 'rescued' horses in this economy.

Update 7/31/09 Starbuck got his cast off on Thursday July 23rd, however he had a rather large cast sore that was very painful.  Doctor Dustan took xrays but couldn't determine that the fracture was healed.  In fact it only healed slightly and so he wrapped Starbucks leg up again to protect it from dirt in the sores.  He is still confined in the 12 x 14 stall now.  Dustan came back on Monday July 27th and changed the bandage.  I spoke with him on July 30th, and he said that only time will tell.  Starbuck is willing to put weight on the leg but it cannot maintain weight on it for more then 5 minutes.  We will just have to see.  There isn't any surgery to fix it.  So please pray that this boy who loves to run and is very attached to people will heal eventually enough to be able to walk or trot without pain.

6/23/09 - Starbuck is doing ok.  He is now home in an enclosed 12 x 14 shelter that we built for him.  With the last few weeks of solid rain in Reno every day, our paddocks became very slick.  Starbuck fell on his rear and fractured his rear pastern.  He's now in a cast, but has been in much pain and is colicy.  We are hoping he can get thru this.  The vet bill is high, and we are having a hard time with this.

6/5/09 This is him the day it happened, and the doctor Dunstan had to put a splint on him so we could transport him. He then endured the 50 min ride to Chilcoot, where he was hospitalized for 4 days.  In this picture we had him wait in 12x12 dry area to keep him calm.  He layed down and rested here.

This is Heartbreaker...and boy is he a "pretty" boy (but don't tell him that, you can call him handsome).  Breaker is a registered Paint.  He is tri colored and in 2006 he is 6 years old.  They call him a "Buckskin tobiano".  Breaker likes to pick your hat up if you dropped it.  He loves trail rides & taking pictures with you.

Looking up from coming to a dead stop

This is Miss Handy  -see the horseshoeing page for her 'case study'

Miss Handy is 5 years old in 2006, and she is a registered Appaloosa.  She is Red Dunn in color, and this picture you will see she is ready for the winter with her reddish coat.  She loves attention and is super fast when she runs. 

On December 9, 2006 Miss Handy had a tragic accident.  She was in a pasture for the winter, and with the rain in a wet muddy pasture filled with gopher holes, she somehow tore her deep flexor tendon on her right front leg.  What this means is that she most likely will never be ridable again.  She is better now, but only time will tell.  She is confined to a small covered 12 x 12 stall.  She is not supposed to walk or bear too much weigh on her leg.  We are keeping watch that her other legs do not go lame as well from the stress of the weight on them.  We will check her in April, when we bring her up to UC Davis.  They will determine if she will ever walk soundly again, or if she cannot and is still in pain we will make a decision to euthanize her at that time & donate her body to science and research.  Please pray.  The outcome is whatever God wills.
April 12, 2007
Miss Handy was taken up to UC Davis and underwent 3 hours of ultrasound to determine if she was worth saving. At that time the team of doctors determined that she was healing, but the healing is slow.  She tore in most every place possible to her deep digital flexor tendon.  Especially at the point of connection to the navicular bone - it was very frayed.  She most likely will never be ridable again.  The best hope for her is a pasture pal on flat pasture and as long as she does not re-injure herself while she is recovering.  She cannot injure herself again for that matter.  Ron and Katrina made a decision to keep her for another 6 months and bring her up to Reno to rest.  It will be less expensive to keep her there.  In 6 months she will return back to UC Davis for another evaluation.  The team there commented on how 'bright' and cooperative she was, and how she really enjoyed people.  It would be a very hard decision to put her down.  So we will all wait to see.  Again if God wills, she may be sound and able to walk normally.  She is with the Mustangs at the Rooster's Haven Reno location recovering.

January 20, 2009 -

Miss Handy is still with us.  She is amazing.  Ron Johnson has been diligently trimming and shoeing her so that her hoof is supported.  She still limps when she walks on her right front hoof, but she has never had laminitis or any other problems.  He gradually trimmed her down to a minimum degree (gave her more heel) and now she is shoeless and is able to walk, trot and canter without pain.  She is truely amazing and she does not show any atrophy in her chest muscle of that bad leg.  I will have pictures posted under his 'case study' horseshoeing page in early 2009

 Toastie is an awesome 18 year old Sorrell Appaloosa Gelding.  He is VERY GOOD in English riding.  He was once an accoplished endurance horse and in jumping.  He is retired from both, but can still go out on the trails and have fun.  He does not keep weight on easily and so we have been beefing him up  - he gets grass/alfalfa hay and as much Elk Grove Stable Senior w/Glucosamine as he wants.  He came to us in Oct of 2007 and this will be his first winter in Reno.  He needs to be blanketed since he is not used to the cold.   He seems to eat more and thrive when given attention and when he is rode.  He has a good mind and would be good for a beginner in the arena and an intermediate on the trail.

This is Rudy with him.  Toatie resides now in Reno, NV

Zippy & Toastie Winter 2008/09 Reno , NV

Simi is 1995 a 'breeding stock' Paint (APHA - A Smokin Sensation).  This means that she is solid chestnut in color, but if she were to have a foal, it could be a multi colored Paint baby!  Simi is a Reining horse and she knows how to slide and spin, plus she is great with cows.  She is really sweet and gentle and loves attention.

 Simi and Cassi

This is Iroquois Will, he is nicely colored pinto Mustang that we adopted from Palomino Valley BLM in June of 2005.  He was a favorite of the Wranglers there because they could get pretty close to him with no problem.  When we brought him home, he calmly walked off the trailer and then around his pen like no big deal.   He is clearly the most passive, friendly and easy going Mustang I've ever worked with. His nickname is COY, and so we call him COY BOY and he understands his name.  He still doesn't like carrots or apples because he doesn't know what they are.

Shadow (black Comstock Estray Mustang on left) We are currently looking for a home for Shadow.  She is a great companion horse!   Iroquois on right

Shadow - Shadow is a  small solid black mare with a star on forehead.  A 15 year old Mustang from the "Estray" or "Comstock" horses found near Virginia City.  Shadow is a small "pony" sized horse, and has been ridden in the past.  She was abandoned by one of our boarders and we kept her now for 7 years.  She is too small for us to ride (about 13.2)- and has a confirmation flaw that would prevent her from carrying much weight on her rear legs.  (not good for packing) She can be riden by an experienced lighter, smaller rider - however she would be best for a companion horse - and LOVES being pet and brushed.  She is VERY good with other horses and most likely would be the one to be picked on.  She can be shy, but is willing to please you.