Every day we are amazed by the love and support of our extended AAE family and the LONG weekend of April 22nd to 26th was no exception! This was the weekend of our Help a Horse Day celebration . An event that was not only meant to share our program with the public, but to support the ASPCA’s efforts in bringing attention to the plight of horses everywhere and to celebrate the ASPCA’s 150 year anniversary.
We began our action packed weekend on Friday, April 22nd. We prepared for our adventures…we copied, collated, we organized, we packed, we picked up, we prayed. On Saturday, April 23rd we had our Outreach day. Volunteers hopped in their vehicles with tables, chairs, and flyers, and headed out. They set up booths at a number of local feed stores, Pet-a-Palooza and other locations to celebrate Help a Horse Day and share information about All About Equine, the ASPCA, and the plight of horses, with a focus on ending horse slaughter.
Meanwhile, back at the barn, preparations were under way for Sunday’s big Open Barn, “Come to Their Rescue – 150 Ways to Help A Horse”! Volunteers, Kim and Sharon, had the “big” job of bathing the one and only, Marshmallow. Clearly he wasn’t terribly bothered by the shampoo and water because there was plenty of greenery for him to snack on while he was pampered at the AAE Spa.
Miss Easton and Maci saw all hustle and bustle and Marshmallow’s pampering and decided they needed to get themselves ready as well. Here they are doing a little pre-event grooming.
Then, on Sunday, April 24th, the gates at the ranch opened wide to welcome one and all!
There was something for everyone: training demos, farrier demos, equine bodywork demos, information booths, games, music, BBQ, and of course, our dazzling adoptable horses.
…one of whom may be exploring a new career. Here’s Marshmallow nose to nose with a Folsom Mounted Patrol horse. Mini’s on Patrol?? Has a nice ring to it, right?
At the end of the day, we felt a little like Velcro, but our hearts were full.
We continued festivities into Monday, April 25th with our El Dorado Saloon and Sauce’d benefit. Both the Saloon and Sauce’d have always been so gracious allowing us to hold benefits at their locations and contributing part of the proceeds to our amazing little rescue. We enjoyed great company and food throughout the day. We sat on the deck under the big oak tree and enjoyed live music and good conversation.
We capped off our inspiring weekend with the release of our e-book – “150 Ways to Help a Horse”. This book was a collaborative effort of our volunteers sharing with us 150 different ways that you and I could help horses; whether it is donation, adoption or volunteering and so much more.
Our community came together, like it always does, to support the care and protection of horses at All About Equine and around the world.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to those that helped make this event our most successful EVER. No seriously – EVER!:
Veterinarian: Diana Stolba, DVM, Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center
Farrier: Brian Hanson
Local Trainers: Terry Kuebler, Chris Nichols, Gena Wasley and Susan Wirgler
Bodyworkers: Dawn Humberg, Stephanie Roundy
Music: Bob Greene
Face Painting: Dawn Davenport
BBQ: Joe & Paula Nicholas
Tim Whalen, Citrus Heights Vet Center
Pet-a-Palooza
Tractor Supply Co., Placerville
We won’t ever forget All About Equine’s Volunteers who give so much of their time and all of their hearts, 100% of the time.
To learn more about our horses, volunteer/sponsorship opportunities, and great upcoming events, please visit our website at http://www.allaboutequine.org.
Until next time friends, we want to thank you for your continued support. Your generous donations make our work possible!