Saving Gracie

Gracie, a young filly who came to us from Rockdale County Animal Control who found her on a road apparently hit by a car. She had broken ribs and a broken shoulder. Our vet's X-rays showed the shoulder was broken but we could not tell how badly. We did all the physical therapy that could be done by many loving volunteers. A brace was made for her leg to help her walk better. It was donated by Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics of Cumming, Ga. Gracie was recently taken to Kesmarc (Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center) in Kentucky where we hoped she would be able to be rehabilitated with swimming and other therapies. Their more sophisticated x-rays showed more damage than originally thought. Gracie is now at New Bolton Veterinary Center in Pa, where Dr. Dean Richardson who operated and tried to save Barbaro, the Thoroughbred race horse practices. Dr. Richardson performed surgery on Gracie's leg Thursday April 9th. She is now in a cast, learning to walk, learning to lay down in her stall and is hopefully on a road to recovery. We want her to be painfree and happy. We are currently planning many fundraising events over the next few months to help raise funds to pay for Gracie's medical bills and surgery. Please consider helping with our fundraising efforts. You may make a donation via our website: http://www.savethehorses.org/, and/or you may make a donation of household goods for our Saving Gracie Garage Sale being held on Saturday, May 2nd from 8:30am to 4:00pm at Dover Saddlery located on Main Street in Alpharetta. For coordination of your household goods donations, please contact Miaka at 404-680-0392 or Sheelagh at 678-549-6688. Arrangements to pick up large items can also be coordinated through them. Please join us at the garage sale and in our fundraising efforts.

Upcoming event - ARF

Each year Cheryl's sister, Michele who heads up a K-9 rescue under the horse rescue assembles a huge animal rescue event at Wills Park. This year is no exception and sadly with the economy as it is there are many many animals who need a good home. Please join us at the following event:

On March 29 2009, the event will be held at the covered arena at WillsParkEquestrianCenter in Alpharetta, Georgia. ARF has grown to over 4000 attendees, and is the largest pet adoption and educational family fun day in Georgia. Attendees, rescue groups and vendors come from the southeastern United States including Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama not to mention the entire State of Georgia. People stay and spend time learning about the animals, their needs, available pet products and services in the community. Each year the number of attendees has grown and so has the number of animals that have been adopted due to the event. With the Atlanta metro area having one of the highest kill rates for pets in shelters, we hope to be able to reach more people, secure more adoptions and spread the word about animals available for adoption reducing the number of animals killed in shelters.

Event hours are noon to 5pm on the 29th of March. Please come out and support this important event.

For more information: Sign up today. Download forms at www.ARF.SaveTheHorses.org

Questions: contact Sue at suem75@gmail.com

Christmas at the Barn "Angels with Hoofs"

On Sunday December 7th from 1-4pm we are having our annual Christmas/Holiday fundraiser. Please come join in the fun - Fun for the entire family ! Barnyard gift bazaar, photos with Santa Horse, holiday goodies, create your own s'mores around the fire pit, sleigh rides, petting zoo and much much more. Make a horse's wish come true and help us fill their stockings full ! Lots of fun for family, friends, animal lovers....come join us!

HayDay was a success !

Our annual HayDay was a huge success this year and we want to thank everyone that helped make it. With the recent gas shortage situation, the drastic change of the market we didnt know what the turnout may be - the good news is, it was as good, if not better than last year! Thanks to all who helped. This year's HayDay of activities consisted of: a tour of the haunted barn (kid friendly), pony rides, live music, fresh grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, petting zoo, take your own photo with the mini's who were decorated, vending, pick a duck and win a prize, spin art, paint a pumpkin and keep the pumpkin, get a kiss from "Kenny" our young pot bellied pig, hayrides, make a beaded necklace/bracelet....in addition we had bales of hay for sale to be purchased on behalf of the horses, join a fan club, some really nice raffle prizes (thank you to those who collected and donated) t-shirts, artwork, the 4H club had homemade dog treats (my dogs loved them) and much much more. It was a very windy day, sunny and warm - a truly beautiful fall day for a HayDay....look for us to announce next year's HayDay date in the summer of 09'.

Hayday Sunday October 12th 1-4pm

We are now beginning to prepare and plan for our annual HayDay at the rescue. This year's theme will not only be Hay for the Horses but also Halloween since we will be so close to the ghost and goblin day. We will have pony rides, petting zoo, pictures with the horses, a haunted barn with the horses, food, vendors, possible hay rides, (2) costume contests during the day for (2) different age groups and much much more. This is one of the largest fund raising events the HRRRF has each year and it is at the rescue which makes it so much fun for all. We need volunteers to help establish and plan this years event as well as donations, sponsorships from local businesses. We need flyers distributed to neighborhoods, schools, businesses. The price of hay is up even more so than last year and as winter approaches the horses will need alot of hay to help sustain them through the winter months. Our rescue continues to stay filled with horses with so many people losing jobs, homes and their livelihoods as they have known them. We need everyone to pitch in and make this year's event bigger and better than last. Anything you can do to help will be appreciated. Please contact sheelagh@cafferkey.com Thanks again,

Poker Run Success

On a beautiful sunny windy day (being last Sunday) volunteers from the HRRRF showed up at Andretti's in Roswell to begin our first annual Poker Run. Everyone begin setting up by 9:15 and by 9:30 we began to see bikes pulling into the parking lot. Oh boy, it's going to be a good day.!. By 10am registration was set up and signing up the bikers for the ride. By 10:30 more had arrived and the first group left on their 70 mile ride. I was one of the riders as I rode on a bike with a friend who owns a Honda Valkyrie motorcycle. He gave me some very explicit instructions for being a rider on the back of a very heavy motorcycle and off we went with the first group. One of our volunteers had put up a sign at each and every turn which made it very easy to follow the route as no one was familiar with the entire route areas. There were a total of (4) stops where we drew our cards in hopes of having a great Poker Hand. Everyone was due back at Andretti's in Roswell by 2pm. There were many raffle prizes to be drawn for. Many of the bikers purchased raffle tickets the length of their bikes. by 3 pm all raffle prizes were drawn and given away, the winner of the best Poker Hand for a cash prize of $300 was determined and a cash prize of $50 for the worst poker hand was determined. All in all it was a good day for the horses/farm animals at the Horse Rescue Relief and Retirment, Fund Inc. Thanks to all that put flyers out, obtained raffle prizes, planned, purchased items needed, donated their time, stood in the hot sun all day and volunteered for this fund raising event. We especially thank all of the businesses that allowed us to use them as a stop. We also want to thank the businesses that donated items to the benefit of the Poker Run. Without all of the businesses and volunteers we could not have raised the money to help benefit the many horses and farm animals at HRRRF.

Upcoming Fund Raiser

On Sunday September 14th we will be having a fund raiser called a Poker Run. It will begin and end at Andretti's in Roswell. There will be a total of 5 stops whereby each motorcycle rider will be given one card to help create a Poker Hand. Once all hands are turned in, a prize will be given for the best Poker hand and the worst Poker Hand. We invite all cyclists to join us in this fun fund raising event.

At Andretti's there will be mini- ponies, Roy our large Belgian gelding whom you can have your picture taken with. We will have food, t-shirts, raffles with some great prizes, etc for anyone to participate in. Public is invited to join in all of the fun even if you don't own a motorcycle.

Cost is $25 per motorcycle and $10 for each addl rider/poker hand. Register today at our website: www.savethehorses.org and be one of the first 100 to register and be given a free t-shirt.

Fahion Show with Coldwater Creek

The Fashion Show was a success and much appreciation goes to all that purchased tickets and attended this fundraising event. Special Thank You's go to volunteer Peg who secured a location for this event in Cumming, Fran and Chris from Coldwater Creek-Forum location who worked with all models and assisted with the actual Fashion Show and provided door prizes, volunteer Miaka for providing beautiful hand made, custom designed jewelry for the models to wear and available for purchase with a percentage of proceeds going to the rescue, to the beautiful ladies who modeled and showed off their fashions from Coldwater Creek, All About You Day Spa located in Alpharetta who provided us with gift certificates as door prizes, all fundraising committee members who put alot of time, thought and effort into making this a successful and fun event, and last but certainly not least a thank you to all that purchased tickets and attended.