PROGRAMS

 

Rehabilitation/ rehabilitative care

 

TEARS  accepts rescue horses from the following backgrounds: abused, neglected, misused, and injured horses with a viable quality of life and an expected ability to continue in a second career. There is no breed, gender, or age limitation.   The corporation, with a staff of volunteers feed, exercise and groom these horses to bring them back to good health using principals of sound equine management in conjunction with supervised veterinary care.   Slow steady increase in calories and exercise along with regular grooming and handling  provide the horses a safe haven.  Veterinary care is provided to resolve initial issues ( floating  teeth to improve utilization of food, intestinal parasite management, vaccinations, massage therapy, physical examinations, and chiropractic adjustments) or to treat a problem (infection control in case of skin disease, lacerations, upper respiratory infections, diarrhea, lameness).

 

Retraining

 

The corporation’s  staff of volunteers keep rideable horses in training to ensure that they remain safe mounts for prospective adopters.    Often the horses come to the rescue with learned behaviors that need retraining or desensitization.   Some rescue horses simply need to keep learning new skills or relearning forgotten skills to keep them active and happy.   Only positive training techniques are used on the ground and under saddle.

 

Horses that arrive at the rescue are often fearful, usually unrideable, and sometimes dangerous.  Each horse is given time to decompress, relearn trust, gain weight, and recover form any injuries or pain prior to being placed in the adoption pool. The goal is to find homes where they can be happy, healthy, reliable partners to their human companion.

 

Retirement

 

The corporation will place a small number of horses (no more than 5) in the sanctuary for retirement.  These horses live out their days in good health and in a safe, comfortable environment.  Enrichment is provided to keep these elders active and mentally happy. They serve as a calming influence to the new rescues and mentors to younger horses.  Being the senior members of the herd they know the facility, the staff and volunteers, and they help new horses settle in and relearn what it is to be a horse.

 

Young horse program

 

Confiscations of young horses from neglect or injury are taken very seriously as young horses are very impressionable. If possible, young horses are placed with a matron mare for security and bonding. These matron mares also serve to teach the young horses that the human caretakers are to be trusted. Training begins as soon as possible and progresses as the young horse matures both physically and mentally. Time between learning and growing is timed to coincidde with maturity of body and mind to keep the young horse from becoming resentful or despondant.

 

Gelding Clinics

 

Twice a year TEARS hosts NERN (National Equine Resource Network) who coordinates veterinary personell to come and geld as many stallions and colts as can be done in a day (max.20). The cost is $75.00 for a horse with 2 decended testicles and $125.00 for cryptorchids.

If you are interested in getting acolt gelded at our low cost clinic, call and apply. We keep a waiting list available in case we can schedule another clinic or a clinic is hosted in close proximity to Ramona.

 

Future programs will include but not be limited to the following in addition to the current programs:

 

Euthanasia Clinic (expected launch in fall of 2015)

 

Horses must have been examined by a veterinarian and the diagnosis must include a quality of life statement deeming the horse's medical condition is not compatible with a pain free life. Horses will only be accepted for euthanasia on a drop off basis. No owner will be allowed to stay during the euthanasia, but are encouraged to stay long enough to say goodbye. Euthanasia with horses can be a very disturbing event to witness. A lock of tail or mane hair will be sent to each owner and arrangements can be made for cremanes to be returned for a fee. The cost of the euthanasia is expected to be around $175.00 to cover the cost of drugs and removal.

 

Public Education program

 

At a future date when funding is available, and staffing is at an optimum, the corporation plans to hold clinics and seminars to educate the public to the plight of unwanted horses and responsible horse ownership.

 

Clinics to demonstrate the retraining techniques used at the rescue, diet management, first aid, and a fundraising BBQ.

 

Educational seminars will be advertised once curriculum is developed on a variety of topics such as geriatric care of equines, care of the lame horse, what avenues can horse owners may pursue if an equine companion must find new home, and other related topics.

 

The target audiences will be youth groups such as the Pony Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Drill teams, and adults in equestrian clubs such as a saddle or riding club, riding discipline specific club such as the California Dressage Society, and by manning a booth at  equine related fairs or shows to hand out educational materials.