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PEGASUS WINS $10,000 GRANT
ASPCA "Help a Horse Day" Contest
We are thrilled to announce that, for the third year in a row, The Pegasus Project is the recipient of a $10,000 grant awarded by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in connection with its "Help a Horse Day" contest. This annual, nationwide competition provides a platform for equine rescue groups to raise awareness about the work we do to save and care for at-risk horses.
As part of the "Help a Horse Day" contest, we raised money throughout the month of April, with the celebration culminating on April 22nd at our
Wings Over Pegasus
aviation event. The Pegasus Project competed with more than 170 other equine rescue groups throughout the nation. Contestants were judged on the creativity of their events, as well as success in engaging their local communities. Despite the unseasonably cold and windy day, more than 400 Pegasus supporters attended
Wings Over Pegasus and took part in the festivities.
Thanks to the hard work of our staff and volunteers and the loyalty of our generous donors, we raised more than
$17,000 at Wings Over Pegasus alone. Total funds raised throughout the month of
April
exceeded $62,000 and we received gifts-in-kind of $6600! We also got the word out about Pegasus and elevated our profile to a national audience. Chalk up another win for the Pegasus horses!
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~Must see Pegasus videos~
In last month's e-newsletter, we told you about A Home for Every Horse selecting The Pegasus Project to profile in a series of three videos promoting the work we do.
A Home for Every Horse is a program that supports nonprofit horse rescues across the country.
In early March, A Home for Every Horse sent down a producer and film crew to spend a couple of days at the Pegasus ranch to interview our team and film our daily activities. They did an amazing job of capturing the spirit of Pegasus and eliciting information to tell our story. If you've never had the pleasure of being a guest at the ranch, these videos provide a peak into our little world. The first of these videos, an overview of The Pegasus Project, was released on June 1st. Click here to view that wonderful video: PEGASUS OVERVIEW VIDEO.
A Home for Every Horse has now published two additional videos, one showing how Pegasus helps break the cycle of unwanted horses and another profiling Newt, a Pegasus adoption success story. You can view each of those videos here:
We are so grateful to A Home for Every Horse for the many things they do. In addition to promoting rescues like Pegasus, this organization helps connect rescue horses in need of homes with people looking for horses. A Home for Every Horse works with more than 600 rescue groups across the United States, allowing them to list their horses for free on Equine.com, the world's largest horse marketplace. Listed horses can be seen by 300,000 visitors each month, thereby increasing the public's awareness of rescue horses in need of loving homes. You can view A Home for Every Horse's website by clicking here:
AHFEH Website
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~CLOUD JUMPER~
Rescue mare Bailey delivers a baby
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| Cloud Jumper with mama Bailey on her first day of life |
Meet Cloud Jumper! This adorable little filly (called CJ for short) was born at the Pegasus ranch in the early morning hours of June 9th. We rescued her mother, Bailey, from certain starvation in December 2016. Bailey had been purchased from a kill pen in September 2016 by well-meaning people who were unable to provide the care she needed. Bailey deteriorated terribly under their care, and when we brought her to our ranch in December, she was more than 300 pounds underweight.
Bailey, who is about 20 years old, has consistently gained weight over the past six months. In early May, we began to suspect she was pregnant, By late May, we were certain. On June 8th, Bailey bagged up and there was no room for doubt - a baby was on the way. On that moonlit night, CJ was born.
Since CJ has "medicine hat" markings, we decided she needed a Native American name. As Chelsea Hopson, Pegasus ranch manager, stood with the newborn baby under the full moon with clouds floating across the sky, "Cloud Jumper" just seemed right. Unfortunately, CJ was born with a parrot mouth, which prevented her from nursing. Our veterinarian came out the morning of her birth to tube her with a serum to replace the mother's milk she needed. We fed her with a syringe every three hours for her first two days of life, while she figured out how to nurse. She quickly learned to drink formula from a bucket and began to get the knack of nursing. Now in her fourth week of life, she is nursing regularly and thriving.
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| Pegasus visitors feeding CJ when she turned three weeks old |
We are so grateful to have taken Bailey when we did. Without our intervention, she most certainly would have died, taking her unborn baby with her. Huge thanks to Pegasus supporter Jessica Phillips for reporting Bailey to The Pegasus Project and assisting in her rescue. We will raise this baby with love and prepare her and Bailey for eventual forever homes.
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A Note from Allyson
Heat Stress
With the hot summer months upon us, I want to draw your attention to a serious topic all horse owners need to consider. Heat stress in your horse can have deadly consequences if not properly addressed. Heat stroke and dehydration are serious threats to horses in the summer months.
Start by analyzing the Heat Stress Index.
If the sum of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit plus the percent of humidity totals less than 120, you are good to go. If the sum is greater than 150, particularly if humidity contributes to more than half of this number, your horse's natural cooling mechanisms will be compromised. You should consider lowering the intensity of your workout, shortening the length of time, or riding later in the day. If the HSI is greater than 180, a horse cannot regulate his core body temperature naturally, so he should not be forced to work. For instance, if it is 100 degrees with 80 percent humidity, leave your horse in a shaded paddock with plenty of cool,
clean drinking water. DO NOT WORK HIM.
I recently read an article published by Standlee Premium Western Forage. I cannot say it better than Standlee, and so I'm simply sharing that article in full below. Aside from a few grammar issues, it's an informative read on an important topic.
Dealing with Heat Stress in Horses
"Your horse is an organic oven of epic proportions. Simply put, they produce a ton of heat. After just a mile of riding, your horse generates enough warmth to boil 2 whole gallons of water. While a horse's body can usually regulate their temperature, the hot summer months make this more difficult. High temperatures, high humidity, lack of air movement, poor ventilation and dehydration, all increase the dangers of a serious heat-related problem known as heat stress.
Signs of Heat Stress
As a horse exercises, their muscles turn energy into movement. But a horse's body isn't 100% efficient. Part of this energy is lost in the form of heat. The rate at which a horse produces heat is proportional to how hard their muscles are working. The harder a horse has to work, the more heat they produce. If horses didn't have the ability to regulate their heat, their body temperatures would increase by almost 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Basically it would be like riding a hot potato. Fortunately horses can dissipate around 97% of the heat they produce. To regulate their body temperature, a horse will increase their sweating rate, move more blood to their capillaries (blood vessels near the surface of the skin) and increase their rate of breathing in an effort to release any heat build-up.
(Continue reading by clicking here)
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July 20 - Pegasus Partner Happy Hour
September 14 - North Texas Giving Day
September 17 - Open House
October 7 & 8 - Bruce Logan Horsemanship Clinic
November 4 - Ride for a Rescue
December 3- Open House
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PEGASUS PARTNERS
Thursday, July 20th
5:30 pm
DeCanios' front porch
Pegasus Ranch
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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DO YOU LOVE
WHAT WE DO? BECOME A PEGASUS PARTNER!
Did you know Pegasus relies entirely on private donations? Our regular monthly donors, known as
Pegasus Partners
, are our most treasured assets. For as little as $10/month you can help provide us with a predictable source of income at a much lower cost than any other fundraising method.
While we are very
appreciative of
one-time donations, the monthly donations of our Pegasus Partners
allow us to plan ahead.
Our ability to save these helpless horses, donkeys and mules depends on YOUR donations!
We cannot do this without you! Please consider making a monthly donation so we may continue to rescue horses that have no future without us.
Click here to join:
PEGASUS PARTNERS
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