My Happy Place
Animal Sanctuary

"Almost one year ago we embarked on the rescue of 2 bonded Shire horses.  The Shire horse nearly went extinct in 1969 and is still an endangered breed.  Thanks to Judy Ramsey of Heart to Heart Animal Communication and Shamanic Practice (you can learn more about Judy at www.judyramsey.net), we learned the gelding wanted a name to represent his strength in both character and core.  His sister let us know she likes the color purple and wanted a soft, feminine, old-school name.  So we named them Mason and Violet!

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Our shire siblings have received extensive Western medicine and Eastern healing therapies to restore wholeness after a lifetime of neglect including reiki, cranio-sacral therapy, chiropractic care, Chinese herbs, flower essences, music, and of course, shamanic journeying with Judy.  At My Happy Place, 100% of every donation dollar goes directly to providing care to the animals, so the more we receive, the more we are able to do for them.  For instance, we discovered Mason had not had a dental float done his whole life, and Violet must have been hit or ran into something because all her front teeth were broken off laterally, so they are on a 2-year dental program.  To date, we have spent about $20k just in medical care for them, including a joint trip to the hospital, where they gave us their largest stalls, side by side, so Mason could be there as Violet's emotional support animal for about a week.  Then, the other hoof (er, I mean shoe!) dropped.  We discovered Violet had canker in all four hooves.  

Canker, even with extensive research, does not have a definitive cause or cure, but that didn't stop us!  Our treatment plan has been rigorous.  First, we built an oversized shoeing stock for draft horses so Violet could rest her entire body weight on the chains while we worked on each hoof.  Her belly girth is 8 feet, 2 inches (2.5 meters)!  We had to practice getting her in and out to desensitize her.  Catching, haltering, and loading her was the most dangerous part of the first month.  The vet comes once a week to perform cryotherapy and debridement, followed by packing her hoofs with medication and then bandaging her hooves.  Her hooves are so large there is no commercially made draft size hoof boot (size 10 is the max Cavallo sells) which fits her.  Every other day, it takes a team of 4-5 trained volunteers and a farrier about 3 hours to change the bandages.  Each time, we work to correct the hoof structure.  Meanwhile, in order to improve her body systems, she is on multiple prescription medicines, about 30 herbs and supplements and high quality hay and forage as well as gastric support and senior feed.  Throughout the day, we bag flakes of hay and spread them around the paddocks to give them a little more exercise.  It also slows down their eating! Finally, we empty, wash and refill two 20-gallon buckets of water every morning and evening. They can drink 5 gallons of water in less than a minute!  Today, I am so pleased to report Violet has conquered “incurable” canker in 3 of 4 hooves! She's more cooperative, she trots around the paddock, and her hair color has changed from dull brown to shiny black!

I truly believe with a comprehensive wellness plan, an animal can choose to open up their mind, body and spirit to love again.  When this happens, nearly anything is possible.  We invite you to follow the story Mason and Violet are writing by visiting our website: www.myhappyplaceanimalsanctuary.org.  Healing prayers are always welcome and donations are gratefully accepted on their behalf so we can get that 4th hoof healed and continue their recovery!  Thank you!"