A FEW PAST ARTICLES PRINTED ABOUT BLUE RIDGE RESCUE.
Rooster:
PHOTO BY JEFF C.
BLUE RIDGE MAKES THE NEWSPAPER!
Quad City Times Article About
Blue Ridge Rescue...
Rooster The Colt & Casey
Casey was glad to get 8-month-old Rooster, who was left behind after the truck left a central Iowa auction site for a slaughter facility in Mexico or Canada. (Jeff Cook/QUAD-CITY TIMES)
By Mary Louise S. | Monday, February 9, 2009 9:37 PM CST
Rooster is a horse that was left behind at a critical point in his life. But that turned into a positive for the ruddy colt who has a tuft of red mane that sticks up between his ears.
He was left behind when a truck bound for a horse slaughterhouse outside the United States pulled out and didn’t notice the colt still standing there.
Rooster, who possesses a calm disposition, probably didn’t make a fuss.
Casey of Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass, Iowa, recalls getting a phone call about Rooster from a horse sales business in the Midwest “They called and said come get the horse,” she said. Of course, the answer was yes.
Outside at Blue Ridge, horses munch on winter-dried grasses and enjoy the sunshine. Rooster patiently stands still for visitors’ pats in the barn before nudging at Casey.
Casey and her husband, Rowdy, adopted their first horse in 2005 and since then they’ve rescued 58 horses and adopted out more than 40. They care for the animals on their acreage in Blue Grass and at a friend’s property.
Clifford, the big baby Belgium, is another one of the horses they’re hoping to place with a good family. The end goal is to see each equine find a home, possibly as a personal mount or pet, perhaps working with young people in 4-H or introducing people to the world of riding on trail treks.
The couple buys these horses from a Midwest company. Horses dropped off for a “kill sale” are transported outside the United States to slaughterhouses and the meat is sold overseas, Smith said. The couple carefully looks through the group of geldings, mares and foals, and selects those that are healthy and sound, especially the foals. They purchase between 2 to 10 horses on each visit.
Smith fears naming the facility, because she worries that their privilege of purchasing horses might be revoked. “Our mission is to provide awareness of what happens to horses at auction,” she said.
The point is not to determine if slaughter is right or wrong, but to educate people and find homes for as many horses as possible. “In a perfect world there shouldn’t be any slaughter, but we’re going there finding the ones that we can save because we are limited on room,” she said.
Each time they try to bring home a project horse, one who badly needs grain, caring and healing. Precious, a two year old black mare, is slowly getting adjusted to her new surroundings. She endured severe neglect and hunger before arriving at Blue Ridge recently. “We will be working with her for a while,” Smith predicted.
© 2007 Blue Ridge Rescue/Blue Ridge Acres. All rights reserved.
Quad City Times Article About
Blue Ridge Rescue...
Rooster The Colt & Casey
Casey was glad to get 8-month-old Rooster, who was left behind after the truck left a central Iowa auction site for a slaughter facility in Mexico or Canada. (Jeff Cook/QUAD-CITY TIMES)
By Mary Louise S. | Monday, February 9, 2009 9:37 PM CST
Rooster is a horse that was left behind at a critical point in his life. But that turned into a positive for the ruddy colt who has a tuft of red mane that sticks up between his ears.
He was left behind when a truck bound for a horse slaughterhouse outside the United States pulled out and didn’t notice the colt still standing there.
Rooster, who possesses a calm disposition, probably didn’t make a fuss.
Casey of Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass, Iowa, recalls getting a phone call about Rooster from a horse sales business in the Midwest “They called and said come get the horse,” she said. Of course, the answer was yes.
Outside at Blue Ridge, horses munch on winter-dried grasses and enjoy the sunshine. Rooster patiently stands still for visitors’ pats in the barn before nudging at Casey.
Casey and her husband, Rowdy, adopted their first horse in 2005 and since then they’ve rescued 58 horses and adopted out more than 40. They care for the animals on their acreage in Blue Grass and at a friend’s property.
Clifford, the big baby Belgium, is another one of the horses they’re hoping to place with a good family. The end goal is to see each equine find a home, possibly as a personal mount or pet, perhaps working with young people in 4-H or introducing people to the world of riding on trail treks.
The couple buys these horses from a Midwest company. Horses dropped off for a “kill sale” are transported outside the United States to slaughterhouses and the meat is sold overseas, Smith said. The couple carefully looks through the group of geldings, mares and foals, and selects those that are healthy and sound, especially the foals. They purchase between 2 to 10 horses on each visit.
Smith fears naming the facility, because she worries that their privilege of purchasing horses might be revoked. “Our mission is to provide awareness of what happens to horses at auction,” she said.
The point is not to determine if slaughter is right or wrong, but to educate people and find homes for as many horses as possible. “In a perfect world there shouldn’t be any slaughter, but we’re going there finding the ones that we can save because we are limited on room,” she said.
Each time they try to bring home a project horse, one who badly needs grain, caring and healing. Precious, a two year old black mare, is slowly getting adjusted to her new surroundings. She endured severe neglect and hunger before arriving at Blue Ridge recently. “We will be working with her for a while,” Smith predicted.
© 2007 Blue Ridge Rescue/Blue Ridge Acres. All rights reserved.
A Peg Leg Pony Named Bunny
MU vet hospital saves a horse named Bunny.
Photo By S.R.
Story by Kelsey A.
Photos courtesy of Shannon R.
Published March 22, 2013
When S. Reed first met Bunny, she wasn’t sure there was anything she could do. The 22-inch-tall, 70-pound miniature horse was born with severely deformed legs.
Casey Smith, founder of a nonprofit shelter for neglected equines, brought Bunny to MU after rescuing the mini from a large-production breeding farm, Smith says.
“Bunny was not like any other horse I’d ever met,” Smith remembers. Smith’s 7-year-old daughter suggested calling the bouncing beauty Bunny. “She had so much life for being this crippled tiny mini.”
Smith carted Bunny to Columbia in the back of her SUV in October 2012 to see what — if anything — Reed could do for her.
“Normally, horses are born with their legs straight and their joints aligned to bear weight equally so every time they take a step there is a cushion,” says Reed, assistant teaching professor at the Equine Clinic in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “Instead of [Bunny’s front legs] just being angled, they also rotated so the entire bottom of her legs turned outward.”
Smith left the clinic for lunch thinking there wasn’t any help for Bunny, but when she returned a few hours later, Reed, DVM ’03, had consulted with a team of surgeons, including hospital director David W. and small animal orthopedic vet Derek F., PhD ’04. More similar to a dog in size, the team worked together to find the best solution, settling on a hybrid of procedures typically reserved for canines and of those done in horses.
“When I saw Bunny’s X-rays, I thought, ‘Wow, we have a lot of work to do,’ ” Reed recalls.
Working side by side with two other doctors and multiple students, Reed performed three surgeries to correct the bones in her legs.
“The repair we did is done on horses, but working on the ulna is something that’s done on dogs and cats,” Reed says.
During the three-hour procedure, her right leg, the more severely deformed of the two, was fused together to create a peg leg held together by 12 screws.
Bunny spent 11 days recovering in Columbia in a pen built just for her. Students got to calling it Bunny’s Clubhouse.
“It’s hard to describe,” Reed says, “but it was impossible not to go in there and bother her. Even the grouchiest couldn’t resist going into her stall.”
Bunny returned home with Smith to Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass, Iowa, where she continues to recover. She was back on campus in January to get fitted for special shoes to adjust her hind legs.
“She couldn’t hold herself upright, and she was sinking in the back end,” Reed says. “We put her in special shoes that look like high heels. They’re like orthotics for people.”
Smith’s daughter calls them Bunny’s princess slippers.
“We’ve taken them off, and now she’s walking almost 100 percent normal,” Smith says. “When we took Bunny to MU, she could barely walk. Now she’s running at full speed.”
Reed adds: “She is going to live a pretty happy life in the pasture now.”
Story By: Kelsey A.
Photos courtesy of Shannon R.
Published March 22, 2013
When S. Reed first met Bunny, she wasn’t sure there was anything she could do. The 22-inch-tall, 70-pound miniature horse was born with severely deformed legs.
Casey Smith, founder of a nonprofit shelter for neglected equines, brought Bunny to MU after rescuing the mini from a large-production breeding farm, Smith says.
“Bunny was not like any other horse I’d ever met,” Smith remembers. Smith’s 7-year-old daughter suggested calling the bouncing beauty Bunny. “She had so much life for being this crippled tiny mini.”
Smith carted Bunny to Columbia in the back of her SUV in October 2012 to see what — if anything — Reed could do for her.
“Normally, horses are born with their legs straight and their joints aligned to bear weight equally so every time they take a step there is a cushion,” says Reed, assistant teaching professor at the Equine Clinic in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “Instead of [Bunny’s front legs] just being angled, they also rotated so the entire bottom of her legs turned outward.”
Smith left the clinic for lunch thinking there wasn’t any help for Bunny, but when she returned a few hours later, Reed, DVM ’03, had consulted with a team of surgeons, including hospital director David W. and small animal orthopedic vet Derek F., PhD ’04. More similar to a dog in size, the team worked together to find the best solution, settling on a hybrid of procedures typically reserved for canines and of those done in horses.
“When I saw Bunny’s X-rays, I thought, ‘Wow, we have a lot of work to do,’ ” Reed recalls.
Working side by side with two other doctors and multiple students, Reed performed three surgeries to correct the bones in her legs.
“The repair we did is done on horses, but working on the ulna is something that’s done on dogs and cats,” Reed says.
During the three-hour procedure, her right leg, the more severely deformed of the two, was fused together to create a peg leg held together by 12 screws.
Bunny spent 11 days recovering in Columbia in a pen built just for her. Students got to calling it Bunny’s Clubhouse.
“It’s hard to describe,” Reed says, “but it was impossible not to go in there and bother her. Even the grouchiest couldn’t resist going into her stall.”
Bunny returned home with Smith to Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass, Iowa, where she continues to recover. She was back on campus in January to get fitted for special shoes to adjust her hind legs.
“She couldn’t hold herself upright, and she was sinking in the back end,” Reed says. “We put her in special shoes that look like high heels. They’re like orthotics for people.”
Smith’s daughter calls them Bunny’s princess slippers.
“We’ve taken them off, and now she’s walking almost 100 percent normal,” Smith says. “When we took Bunny to MU, she could barely walk. Now she’s running at full speed.”
Reed adds: “She is going to live a pretty happy life in the pasture now.”
Story By: Kelsey A.
Before Bunny came to MU, she had severely deformed legs; her front legs angled and rotated outward instead of aligning straight. Photo By S.R.
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Due to Bunny’s size, Reed performed a surgery typically done on canines. She fused her right leg together with 12 screws. Photo By S.R.
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Reed sits with Bunny in her pen after surgery. Photo By S.R.
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Bunny heads back to Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Ridge, Iowa, after surgery, now pain free. Photo By S.R.
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Watch the story of Bunny, a miniature horse born with severely deformed legs, and an MU College of Veterinary Medicine surgeon who helped save her life.
Even with Sugar It's Still Bitter Sweet:
PHOTO BY CYNTHIA B.
A horse of a different color ... They say a horse is a horse (of course, of course), but a horse can be more than that — like an artist, for example. Take rescued horse Sugar; this sweet little horse will offer some of its artwork at the fundraiser for the Blue Ridge Rescue this weekend. (right) Owner and founder of the Blue Ridge Rescue for horses, and volunteer Bobby Bartleson of Buffalo help the blue-mustached Sugar with its latest masterpiece. In honor of the horse’s home, the equine artist chose blue for its color palette. Photo: Cynthia Beaudette/Muscatine Journal
Details
Online
Blue Ridge Rescue http://www.blueridgerescue.org/
Send donations for the Blue Ridge Rescue to P.O. Box 203, Blue Grass, Iowa, 52726
MUSCATINE, Iowa —
When the auctioneer’s voice rises at the second annual Blue Ridge Rescue auction fundraiser Saturday at Muscatine’s Agricultural Learning Center, it will remind some in the crowd of a happier time.
Not the least of whom is Casey Smith of Blue Grass, owner and founder of the non-profit rescue there which provides shelter and care for abandoned, neglected and orphaned horses.
Smith, 29, was a child when her dad, Dan Raymond, bought her her first pony.
“We kept it at my uncle’s farm in Davenport and I’d brush it and take it to shows,” said Smith, who was raised in Davenport.
Last year, Raymond, who owned Raymond’s Auction Service in Davenport, nurtured his daughter’s love for horses again by calling the auction fundraiser for the rescue.
This year, that voice was silenced when Dan died in an auto accident in Illinois on Sept. 2, at age 53.
But Casey is carrying on.
Beginnings
Smith, who works part time for an area veterinarian, and her husband, Rowdy Smith, 30, a maintenance lead for the Hill and Valley Sugar Free Bakery in Rock Island, Ill., met as children through their 4-H clubs. As adults, their love of animals led them to take in a homeless horse. Before long, they were caring for another rescued horse. Word started to get around and soon area law-enforcement agencies were asking the couple to help with rescued horses.
Eventually, the couple, organized their efforts into a full-fledged rescue operation.
At this time, the rescue is helping care for 12 horses, and the couple need help affording their food and medical care.
Last year’s auction, which attracted almost 90 people, brought in $8,000.
This year, Dan Raymond’s friend, Dave Aeschliman of Walnut Creek Auction, volunteered to take Dan’s place behind the gavel.
Helping hands for hoofs
Casey said volunteers like Aeschliman make her work possible.
Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H members, retired people and families looking for community service, also volunteer.
Loren Reed, 17, of Blue Grass, also helps out.
“I just love horses and would like to become a veterinarian,” said Reed.
Even the Smith’s daughter, Cydnee Smith, 6, lends a hand.
“In the past six years, we have rehabilitated more than 230 horses,” said Casey, who matches the rehabilitated horses with responsible owners.
The Smiths will bring Phoenix, a 25-year-old thoroughbred, to the auction to meet with guests.
“He was dumped at a hunting ground in Wash-ington County,” said Casey, who took Phoenix in on June 15. “You could see every bone in his body and there was an infection in his leg.”
Phoenix waited many days at the hunting ground gate for his owner’s return, said Casey. Area residents reported the situation to law-enforcement officials who found the animal dehydrated and starving.
“He is almost full weight now,” said Casey. “Hopefully, we can find him a home.”
Article Written By: Cynthia B.
Details
Online
Blue Ridge Rescue http://www.blueridgerescue.org/
Send donations for the Blue Ridge Rescue to P.O. Box 203, Blue Grass, Iowa, 52726
MUSCATINE, Iowa —
When the auctioneer’s voice rises at the second annual Blue Ridge Rescue auction fundraiser Saturday at Muscatine’s Agricultural Learning Center, it will remind some in the crowd of a happier time.
Not the least of whom is Casey Smith of Blue Grass, owner and founder of the non-profit rescue there which provides shelter and care for abandoned, neglected and orphaned horses.
Smith, 29, was a child when her dad, Dan Raymond, bought her her first pony.
“We kept it at my uncle’s farm in Davenport and I’d brush it and take it to shows,” said Smith, who was raised in Davenport.
Last year, Raymond, who owned Raymond’s Auction Service in Davenport, nurtured his daughter’s love for horses again by calling the auction fundraiser for the rescue.
This year, that voice was silenced when Dan died in an auto accident in Illinois on Sept. 2, at age 53.
But Casey is carrying on.
Beginnings
Smith, who works part time for an area veterinarian, and her husband, Rowdy Smith, 30, a maintenance lead for the Hill and Valley Sugar Free Bakery in Rock Island, Ill., met as children through their 4-H clubs. As adults, their love of animals led them to take in a homeless horse. Before long, they were caring for another rescued horse. Word started to get around and soon area law-enforcement agencies were asking the couple to help with rescued horses.
Eventually, the couple, organized their efforts into a full-fledged rescue operation.
At this time, the rescue is helping care for 12 horses, and the couple need help affording their food and medical care.
Last year’s auction, which attracted almost 90 people, brought in $8,000.
This year, Dan Raymond’s friend, Dave Aeschliman of Walnut Creek Auction, volunteered to take Dan’s place behind the gavel.
Helping hands for hoofs
Casey said volunteers like Aeschliman make her work possible.
Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H members, retired people and families looking for community service, also volunteer.
Loren Reed, 17, of Blue Grass, also helps out.
“I just love horses and would like to become a veterinarian,” said Reed.
Even the Smith’s daughter, Cydnee Smith, 6, lends a hand.
“In the past six years, we have rehabilitated more than 230 horses,” said Casey, who matches the rehabilitated horses with responsible owners.
The Smiths will bring Phoenix, a 25-year-old thoroughbred, to the auction to meet with guests.
“He was dumped at a hunting ground in Wash-ington County,” said Casey, who took Phoenix in on June 15. “You could see every bone in his body and there was an infection in his leg.”
Phoenix waited many days at the hunting ground gate for his owner’s return, said Casey. Area residents reported the situation to law-enforcement officials who found the animal dehydrated and starving.
“He is almost full weight now,” said Casey. “Hopefully, we can find him a home.”
Article Written By: Cynthia B.
Photo By BRR
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Photo By BRR
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A Happy Ending For Millie:
PHOTO FROM J.P.
Blue Ridge Rescue Millie was starved and within days of dying when she arrived at Blue Ridge Rescue. After not only suffering from neglect and starvation, she was sent by her owner to a kill pen at auction in Iowa where she was left with her half sibling to be sold for slaughter. Blue Ridge Rescue was there that day and Millie was purchased by the rescue along with her sibling (who was later named Dusty) and 2 other starved yearlings.
Blue Ridge Rescue intervened and saved Millie from a horrific ending to her life and from the suffering of starvation. Millie is an amazing rescue recovery story. When she arrived at Blue Ridge Rescue, she was all bones and only weighed about 300 lbs at over a year old. Now Millie, at three, weighs close to 900 lbs! Millie was saved, rehabilitated, and adopted out to a lady who was a novice to horses but knew it was love at first sight the day she met Millie. Millie, no longer skinny, but instead healthy and beautiful later became her personal mount. She trained Millie to ride and now uses her for recreation, to herd cattle, for shooting sports and field trials.
Millie's new owner later adopted two more rescues from Blue Ridge and rides them all. Unfortunately for Millie's half sibling, Dusty, he passed away only a few days after arriving at Blue Ridge because of the same neglect Millie had suffered.
Blue Ridge was thankful for the small amount of time they had with him and knowing he passed away in a stall with comfort rather than on a slaughter truck to Canada. He was too thin and did not have enough energy and life left to go on. However, Millie gave us the hope to continue our rescue efforts and, as of April, 2011, Blue Ridge Rescue has rescued and placed over 200 equines.
Blue Ridge Rescue needs your support in continuing our efforts in rescuing unwanted, neglected and slaughter-bound horses and other equines. Thank you for taking the time to read this and we hope you will visit our website.
Casey Smith
Founder/Director
Blue Ridge Rescue intervened and saved Millie from a horrific ending to her life and from the suffering of starvation. Millie is an amazing rescue recovery story. When she arrived at Blue Ridge Rescue, she was all bones and only weighed about 300 lbs at over a year old. Now Millie, at three, weighs close to 900 lbs! Millie was saved, rehabilitated, and adopted out to a lady who was a novice to horses but knew it was love at first sight the day she met Millie. Millie, no longer skinny, but instead healthy and beautiful later became her personal mount. She trained Millie to ride and now uses her for recreation, to herd cattle, for shooting sports and field trials.
Millie's new owner later adopted two more rescues from Blue Ridge and rides them all. Unfortunately for Millie's half sibling, Dusty, he passed away only a few days after arriving at Blue Ridge because of the same neglect Millie had suffered.
Blue Ridge was thankful for the small amount of time they had with him and knowing he passed away in a stall with comfort rather than on a slaughter truck to Canada. He was too thin and did not have enough energy and life left to go on. However, Millie gave us the hope to continue our rescue efforts and, as of April, 2011, Blue Ridge Rescue has rescued and placed over 200 equines.
Blue Ridge Rescue needs your support in continuing our efforts in rescuing unwanted, neglected and slaughter-bound horses and other equines. Thank you for taking the time to read this and we hope you will visit our website.
Casey Smith
Founder/Director
PHOTO BY J.P.
Blue Ridge has also been in several other media sources; KWQC TV 6 News twice in 2012.
To the Rescue:
Updated: Nov 19, 2012 5:28 PM CSTBy Fran R. Photo By KWQC
When she was 23 years old, Casey Smith of Blue Grass started a not for profit organization devoted to saving the lives of neglected and abused horses. She organized Blue Ridge Rescue, and seven years later it has established quite a track record.
The organization takes in and rehabilitates starving horses. Blue Ridge Rescue places horses on a feeding program. Some are placed on strict diets. They are nursed back to health. Others receive veterinary care.
In seven years, Casey and her volunteer staff have helped to rescue about 275 horses. Two hundred sixty have been adopted and placed in loving homes.
Blue Ridge Rescue relies on donations and adoption fees to pay for the necessary hay, vet care, training and other needs the animals have.
A miniature horse named Bunny came from a breeding farm where she was born deformed. A prosthetic company donated a brace to save the horse's life. Casey was able to raise the funding for Bunny to eventually have surgery.
The horses have been placed in homes all over the country. Casey says just seeing the animals go from being unwanted and unhealthy to being loved and cared for puts a smile on her face.
The organization takes in and rehabilitates starving horses. Blue Ridge Rescue places horses on a feeding program. Some are placed on strict diets. They are nursed back to health. Others receive veterinary care.
In seven years, Casey and her volunteer staff have helped to rescue about 275 horses. Two hundred sixty have been adopted and placed in loving homes.
Blue Ridge Rescue relies on donations and adoption fees to pay for the necessary hay, vet care, training and other needs the animals have.
A miniature horse named Bunny came from a breeding farm where she was born deformed. A prosthetic company donated a brace to save the horse's life. Casey was able to raise the funding for Bunny to eventually have surgery.
The horses have been placed in homes all over the country. Casey says just seeing the animals go from being unwanted and unhealthy to being loved and cared for puts a smile on her face.
Horse Haven:
PHOTO BY TRACY D.
Blue Grass Family rescues and cares for equines in need.
By Tracy D. of the NSP
The furry faces that happily nibble treats handed over a fence at Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass belie their sad pasts.
Maybe that's because the horses - along with a menagerie including three or four goats, countless cats, and one pot-bellied pig - are so relieved to have turned up at a place where they're cared for and loved. Especially given the circumstances that led them to Blue Ridge Rescue.
Owners Casey and Rowdy Smith get calls from sheriff's departments when horses are found neglected, abused, or abandoned. They take in the always-malnourished animals, giving them what they hope will be a temporary home until they are healthy enough to be adopted.
"When they come to us, they're often 400 to 500 pounds underweight," Casey says of the horses they've rescued from barns around Scott and neighboring counties.
Taking a visitor on a tour of the 12 acres property, she points out one of a dozen horses currently at home in the pasture.
"That one had its bridle growing into its hide. You can still see the scars," says Casey, who works part time for a veterinarian.
Behind the Smiths' house, there's a stable and pen holding several miniature horses that are also being nurtured back to health.
Each horse there has a name and a story, and the Smiths treat them like members of the family, all the while hoping to find the horses "lifelong homes".
Horse: Many are abandoned on farms in foreclosure.
In some cases, the horses are left behind when landowners go into foreclosure, walk away from their property and fail to provide for the animals still living there. Other times, neighbors report cases of neglect and abuse, getting law enforcement involved.
The Smiths' non-profit organization also enlists the help of observers at auction sale barns, where, they say, the majority of horses are treated inhumanely and sold for meat.
"Blue Ridge is not here to say where slaughter is right or wrong - we are here to educate and save lives." the owners say on their website www.blueridgerescue.org "We will say that you can avoid a brutal ending for your equine by not using the auction system and by using humane euthanasia when needed. (We are) here to help save adoptable equines from slaughter that can live out their life in a loving and lifelong home."
How the rescue began:
Casey and Rowdy went to school together at Davenport West, both members of the Midnight Express 4-H club - a group strongly focused on horses.
After college and a stint in the military, the young couple married and moved to Blue Grass.
With their shared love of horses, Casey and Rowdy offered to "adopt" one when they couldn't afford to buy one of their own, and their little rescue operation was born.
It wasn't long before "stray" animals - mostly dogs and casts - began appearing on their property. Their modest home faces a fairly busy road, and it doesn't take long for a careless person to open a care door and dump and unwanted pet before driving off.
The Smiths' willingness to take in horses, in particular, became known to local law enforcement agencies, and their stable and pasture were soon populated by equines in need.
What it takes to save a horse:
The family, which now includes 6-year-old daughter Cydnee, still resides on the place they call Blue Ridge Acres, although they're hoping to move to a larger property near DeWitt in the next few years.
"We used to keep a horse here for maybe three months before adopting it out," says Casey. "But in the last couple years, with the economy the way it is, we've had some of the animals for a year or more."
They established their operation as a 501c3 non-profit organization, allowing them to accept donations to sustain their mission to rescue unwanted equines.
The cost of rehabilitating and feeding the horses on the farm is staggering;
"We use about four round bales and 20 square bales of hay, plus three bags of grain per week," explains Casey. Add in the cost of veterinary care, and it's apparent that the modest fee the Smiths request for adopting a horse doesn't begin to cover the costs associated with its care during is stay at Blue Ridge.
RESCUE: Mission is to save lives, find homes.
How can you help?
The rescue relies on donations of money, feed, tack, and other supplies. Current needs include hay, cat food, grain, treats, sale blocks and mineral blocks, and first aid supplies, including peroxide, bandage tape and Epsom salt.
When tack or other equipment is donated that can't be used at Blue Ridge, it is put up for auction their web-site's "Sale Barn," with all proceeds going back into the operation.
Blue Ridge Rescue also welcomes help in the form of volunteers. Local organizations and individuals can schedule a time to come out and pitch in with everything from grooming to mucking stalls.
Recently, 17 members of Junior Girl Scout Troop **** from Alan Shepard School visited the rescue.
"We decided to take a different approach this year, and focus on being agents of change," explains troop co-leader Melissa Brimeyer, "The girls decided they wanted to make a difference in animals' lives."
The troop raised nearly $700 for feed, bandages and supplies, then took a trip out to Blue Grass to "meet" their equine beneficiaries.
Blue Ridge: Non-profit relies on contributions.
Since 2007, Blue Ridge Rescue has rescued nearly 250 horses. As of the end of last year, they had rescued 93 other animals, including 42 goats, seven dogs, 37 cats or kittens, four rabbits, six chickens, two pot-bellied pigs, two pet rats, and one parrot.
The Smiths accept animals when they're able to, and people call them for help, but they focus their effort and resources on horses, and sometimes have to turn away animals when space and resources are exhausted.
With the help of tis website, the organization has found homes for rescued equines in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas.
To learn more about Blue Ridge Rescue, make a contribution, or see the animals up for adoption, visit www.blueridgerescue.org.
Printed in the North Scott Press Country Connection
Photos & Article By: Tina D.
By Tracy D. of the NSP
The furry faces that happily nibble treats handed over a fence at Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass belie their sad pasts.
Maybe that's because the horses - along with a menagerie including three or four goats, countless cats, and one pot-bellied pig - are so relieved to have turned up at a place where they're cared for and loved. Especially given the circumstances that led them to Blue Ridge Rescue.
Owners Casey and Rowdy Smith get calls from sheriff's departments when horses are found neglected, abused, or abandoned. They take in the always-malnourished animals, giving them what they hope will be a temporary home until they are healthy enough to be adopted.
"When they come to us, they're often 400 to 500 pounds underweight," Casey says of the horses they've rescued from barns around Scott and neighboring counties.
Taking a visitor on a tour of the 12 acres property, she points out one of a dozen horses currently at home in the pasture.
"That one had its bridle growing into its hide. You can still see the scars," says Casey, who works part time for a veterinarian.
Behind the Smiths' house, there's a stable and pen holding several miniature horses that are also being nurtured back to health.
Each horse there has a name and a story, and the Smiths treat them like members of the family, all the while hoping to find the horses "lifelong homes".
Horse: Many are abandoned on farms in foreclosure.
In some cases, the horses are left behind when landowners go into foreclosure, walk away from their property and fail to provide for the animals still living there. Other times, neighbors report cases of neglect and abuse, getting law enforcement involved.
The Smiths' non-profit organization also enlists the help of observers at auction sale barns, where, they say, the majority of horses are treated inhumanely and sold for meat.
"Blue Ridge is not here to say where slaughter is right or wrong - we are here to educate and save lives." the owners say on their website www.blueridgerescue.org "We will say that you can avoid a brutal ending for your equine by not using the auction system and by using humane euthanasia when needed. (We are) here to help save adoptable equines from slaughter that can live out their life in a loving and lifelong home."
How the rescue began:
Casey and Rowdy went to school together at Davenport West, both members of the Midnight Express 4-H club - a group strongly focused on horses.
After college and a stint in the military, the young couple married and moved to Blue Grass.
With their shared love of horses, Casey and Rowdy offered to "adopt" one when they couldn't afford to buy one of their own, and their little rescue operation was born.
It wasn't long before "stray" animals - mostly dogs and casts - began appearing on their property. Their modest home faces a fairly busy road, and it doesn't take long for a careless person to open a care door and dump and unwanted pet before driving off.
The Smiths' willingness to take in horses, in particular, became known to local law enforcement agencies, and their stable and pasture were soon populated by equines in need.
What it takes to save a horse:
The family, which now includes 6-year-old daughter Cydnee, still resides on the place they call Blue Ridge Acres, although they're hoping to move to a larger property near DeWitt in the next few years.
"We used to keep a horse here for maybe three months before adopting it out," says Casey. "But in the last couple years, with the economy the way it is, we've had some of the animals for a year or more."
They established their operation as a 501c3 non-profit organization, allowing them to accept donations to sustain their mission to rescue unwanted equines.
The cost of rehabilitating and feeding the horses on the farm is staggering;
"We use about four round bales and 20 square bales of hay, plus three bags of grain per week," explains Casey. Add in the cost of veterinary care, and it's apparent that the modest fee the Smiths request for adopting a horse doesn't begin to cover the costs associated with its care during is stay at Blue Ridge.
RESCUE: Mission is to save lives, find homes.
How can you help?
The rescue relies on donations of money, feed, tack, and other supplies. Current needs include hay, cat food, grain, treats, sale blocks and mineral blocks, and first aid supplies, including peroxide, bandage tape and Epsom salt.
When tack or other equipment is donated that can't be used at Blue Ridge, it is put up for auction their web-site's "Sale Barn," with all proceeds going back into the operation.
Blue Ridge Rescue also welcomes help in the form of volunteers. Local organizations and individuals can schedule a time to come out and pitch in with everything from grooming to mucking stalls.
Recently, 17 members of Junior Girl Scout Troop **** from Alan Shepard School visited the rescue.
"We decided to take a different approach this year, and focus on being agents of change," explains troop co-leader Melissa Brimeyer, "The girls decided they wanted to make a difference in animals' lives."
The troop raised nearly $700 for feed, bandages and supplies, then took a trip out to Blue Grass to "meet" their equine beneficiaries.
Blue Ridge: Non-profit relies on contributions.
Since 2007, Blue Ridge Rescue has rescued nearly 250 horses. As of the end of last year, they had rescued 93 other animals, including 42 goats, seven dogs, 37 cats or kittens, four rabbits, six chickens, two pot-bellied pigs, two pet rats, and one parrot.
The Smiths accept animals when they're able to, and people call them for help, but they focus their effort and resources on horses, and sometimes have to turn away animals when space and resources are exhausted.
With the help of tis website, the organization has found homes for rescued equines in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas.
To learn more about Blue Ridge Rescue, make a contribution, or see the animals up for adoption, visit www.blueridgerescue.org.
Printed in the North Scott Press Country Connection
Photos & Article By: Tina D.
Cydnee Smith (above) makes fast friends with a pair of miniature horses on her family's ranch, Blue Ridge Acres, in Blue Grass.
Horses aren't the only animals at Blue Ridge Rescue. The ranch is hopefully a temporary home to goats, a pot-bellied pig, cats, chickens and some miniature horses.
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At left, horses gather for an afternoon snack (photo by Tina Dunn).
Above, members of Girl Scout Troop 2678 from Alan Shepard Elementary School in Long Grove visited Blue Ridge Rescue recently to deliver contributions of supplies and meet their equine friends. Appointments are required for visits. At right, most of the horses taken in by Blue Ridge Rescue arrive 400 to 500 hundred pounds under their normal weight. It takes hundreds of dollars in feed and veterinary care to get a horse ready for adoption. This is Phoenix, an older thoroughbred that was abandoned and found dehydrated and starving in a field in Washington, Iowa. |
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The horses have plenty of space to run, and they respond well to the love and care they are shown after being rescued.
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About a dozen horses currently live at Blue Ridge Rescue in Blue Grass. The non-profit organization has rescued, rehabilitated and adopted out more than 200 horses.
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