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| Denise Hawk with Issac a/k/a Pegasito |
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What's Coming Up In 2017!
The year ahead is jam-packed with many exciting events for Pegasus. Get out your calendar and mark down these dates so you don't miss out on all the fun!
Wings Over Pegasus - April 22nd
: Our biggest event each year is our annual aviation festival,
Wings Over Pegasus.
This family-friendly carnival has become an East Texas phenomenon. Held in conjunction with
ASPCA Help A Horse Day,
we open up the ranch and invite everyone to enjoy a day filled with horses, airplanes and fun! Highlights include skydivers, helicopter rides, pony rides, games, silent auction, and "Pegasito" in his kissing booth. Pegasus competes with other nonprofit horse rescues from around the nation to win grant money. Because of our amazing supporters, Pegasus won a $10,000 grant in 2015 and in 2016. Come out this year and help us win the $25,000 grand prize!
Horsemanship clinics: Throughout the year, Pegasus will be hosting clinics taught by internationally acclaimed horsemen, Bruce Logan, Mark Rashid and Crissi McDonald. We will host Bruce
March 10 - 12 and
June 23 - 25. Mark & Crissi will be at the ranch
April 28 - 30. Additional clinics will be offered later in the year on dates yet to be determined. Participants may audit or bring their horses and sign up for private sessions with the clinicians. We are so fortunate to have horseman of this caliber offering their talents to us. In the article below we highlight Bruce Logan, and next month we shall tell you more about Mark Rashid & Crissi McDonald. For more information about the clinics, click the following links:
Bruce Logan Clinic or
Rashid/McDonald Clinic
Quarterly Open Houses:
Four times per year, we open up the gates and host an Open House to invite everyone to come meet the Pegasus staff and horses. We offer a hay ride tour around the ranch to allow everyone to meet the horses and hear their stories. We also have a huge tack sale, filled with every horse item imaginable, both new and used. We open up the Pegasus gift shop and sell our beautiful logo merchandise. Admission is free! Our next Open House is schedule for April 2nd. We will have two more before the year is out on dates to be determined.
Pegasus Partner Happy Hours:
Our monthly donors are called Pegasus Partners. Those who give at least $25/month are members of our Happy Hour Club. Once per month we gather to celebrate all the good things happening with The Pegasus Project and have dinner and drinks together. Hilarity always ensues! Strong friendships are formed and our shared love for horses strengthens our bonds. Our next happy hour is set for February 23rd at the home of Lorna Russell. If you aren't already a Pegasus Partner, you should become one and join this amazing circle of friends. Pegasus Partners
North Texas Giving Day - September 14th
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Every September The Pegasus Project participates in this massive online "giving day" sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas. Thanks to some core Pegasus donors, every donation made by you to The Pegasus Project on North Texas Giving Day is DOUBLED! In 2016, we raised more than $86,000 for the horses! So, mark your calendars for September 14th and plan to give
generously! We shall provide detailed information about how to participate in this event as time draws closer.
Ride for a Rescue - November 4th: 2017 will be our SIXTH year for this annual event. This trail ride is a favorite among Pegasus fans, especially our adopters. Each year, many adopters return to Ride for a Rescue with their Pegasus horses. It's a reunion for old horse friends! The ride is open to riders of all ages. Bring your horse and enjoy the beautiful scenery and trails at Miars Arabian Ranch in Murchison, Texas. After the ride, we serve lunch and drinks and have fun competitions with our horses. Everyone can participate in a poker run for prizes and enjoy a fun and relaxing day.
To keep up with these events and others that get added to the calendar throughout the year, check the right hand column of this newsletter each month. Also, we have an "Upcoming Events" link on our website, which we constantly update.
Your participation at these events is crucial to the well-being of The Pegasus Project. With the exception of the horsemanship clinics and happy hours, each event is a fundraiser with all proceeds going directly to the care of the horses. We thank each and every one of you who has supported us throughout the years and look forward to many more successful years together.
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~Meet Bruce Logan~
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| Bruce Logan on his ranch in Loving, Texas |
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The Pegasus Project has the good fortune of being associated with Bruce Logan. He has developed a number of Pegasus horses and mules, and he comes to Pegasus quarterly to offer horsemanship clinics. Bruce is an exceptional horseman with a lifetime of experiences starting colts in the United States and abroad and developing performance horses in cutting and working cow horse disciplines. He credits his success to putting the horse first and adjusting to fit each individual horse's needs. In his clinics, students learn fundamentals to help them communicate more effectively with their horses, and Bruce encourages students to give their horsemanship purpose.
To give you a bit of insight into Bruce's philosophy about horses, we'd like to share an exchange he had with a friend (Catherine) on Facebook who questioned whether the sport of cutting was good for the horse . . .
Catherine: Sadly I don't agree with this "sport." Horses are not made or meant to move this way . . . the hips, stifle and hocks take tremendous pressure doing this and as for the poor scared animals.
Bruce: I totally disagree with that statement, that horses are not made to move that way! Although I do agree that the sport of cutting has turned the horse into a cutting machine instead of a cutting or cow horse which is horses doing what they love in the purest form! They love their job and there is no fear involved! That is the kind of cow horse/cutting horse we raise around here and our horses love their jobs and their lives here on the ranch and in the show pen.
Catherine: Bruce, I would never mean to give any disregard to your work and livelihood. I was talking of the cows when I say fear. And, yes, they may be very good at their "job" or may like their "job" but have you actually asked them that? Ok, let's say for chatting sake, how long in this profession do these animals last - soft tissue / bio-mechanically wise?
Bruce: 1. Yes, I have asked. And if they love the cattle work then that is the direction I take them. If not, then I find what they do like and develop them to their full potential. There are also different jobs on the ranch, some include cattle and some do not. Each horse finds it's place and they all tell you what that is. All you have to do is listen!
2. How long your horse lasts falls in the "it all depends" category. Genetics play a part, as does development of your horse and going at the horse's pace not a show schedule. Helping your horse keep proper position and keeping the horse engaged mind and body. Always paying attention to your horse and how he is feeling. They will always tell you! Don't ignore it. That's when a horse gets injured. My two main cow horses are 12 and 10 and are as sound as the first day I started them as two-year olds.
3. The horse's proper weight distribution should be off his hindquarters with a very light front end. I always say the front end is like your arms and that they help with direction. God made the horses hindquarters perfect! The angles from the hip all the way down to the tip of their hoofs are made to take the shock from the ground. Just like a shock in your car. Unfortunately some people do not pay enough attention to this extremely important detail.
Bruce's explanation above illustrates his love for the horse. Finding out what each horse likes and what each is good at and developing its natural talents. Putting the horse first. Listening to what the horse has to say. Understanding the horse's physicality to keep him sound. All of these are things we strive to accomplish at Pegasus, and we are proud to be affiliated with a horseman who not only shares our beliefs but helps us get better every day.
If you are interested in attending any of Bruce's clinics as a rider or an auditor, please click this link for additional information: Bruce Logan Clinic
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A Note from Allyson
Horses are Forever
When you adopt a horse from The Pegasus Project, you are making a lifelong commitment. Our contract requires that once you adopt you may never sell, trade or give the Pegasus horse away. If for any reason you cannot keep the horse to the end of its natural life, you must alert us. We will take the horse back and find it another suitable home. We never want to see these horses "back in the system," and we are committed to their well-being for life.
The reason many horses, donkeys and mules end up at Pegasus is because owners have failed to commit to them. The animal has become inconvenient or too expensive, and he's no longer a priority for the owner. Sale barns, kill pens and slaughter houses overflow with equine that have been cast aside. It is our mission to NEVER allow a Pegasus horse to end up in such a predicament.
Before making the decision to own a horse, you should ask yourself the following questions:
* Can I afford to take care of this animal properly? This includes hay, feed, dental care, vet care, farrier care, routine health maintenance, and proper housing. It also includes funds to care for horses when illnesses and injuries occur. Be honest and realistic in your assessment. Routine care can exceed $300/month per horse.
*Am I prepared to keep this animal for life? Horses often live well into their 20s and 30s, and mules and donkeys usually live longer. If you aren't prepared to commit to an animal for this length of time, please don't get the animal in the first place.
*Do I have a plan for the animal if something happens to me? No one lives forever, and far too often horses outlive their owners. Put a plan in place that provides for the care of your animals (dogs and cats included) after your death. A life insurance policy payable to a designated individual willing to take your animals is an affordable option.
Despite best intentions, unforeseeable things can occur that are beyond your control. In such a case, please do everything you can to ensure that the horse you meant to be your forever horse becomes someone else's forever horse. Craig's List, sale barns, and horse traders don't qualify as safe outlets. Consult with a local rescue for assistance and guidance on what to do in such a crisis. There is an incredible network of horse lovers out there willing to help find your horse a safe place to land. Every animal deserves it.
Allyson DeCanio
President, The Pegasus Project
Send inquiries to: allyson@MyPegasusProject.org
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February 23 - Pegasus Partner Happy Hour
March 10 thru 12 - Bruce Logan Clinic
April 2 - Open House
April 22 - Wings Over Pegasus /
ASPCA Help a Horse Day
April 28 thru 30 - Mark Rashid/Crissi McDonald Clinic
June 23 thru 25 - Bruce Logan Clinic
September 14 - North Texas Giving Day
November 4 - Ride for a Rescue
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PEGASUS PARTNERS
Thursday, February 23rd
5:30 pm
Home of Lorna Russell
3397 CR 4412
Ben Wheeler, Texas
Monthly, fun,
information-packed meetings for
Pegasus supporters at various locations throughout the year. All Pegasus Partners at the $25/month level and higher are Happy Hour members. Membership includes a car decal, a Pegasus hat or t-shirt, a Pegasus logo wine glass and an open invitation
to every meeting!
Discuss the latest Pegasus news and connect with other like-minded horse fans. (Your wine glass is free, but the wine isn't! We know how much you drink!)
Click here to join:
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