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Surprise Gift a Huge Drop in the Bucket
Sue Mitchell, Development Director
 This was the kind of call a Development Director dreams about...the phone rings and a Days End friend wants to make a $10,000 gift. My first thought is what an extraordinarily generous act this is. My second thought is that I hope I can tell this story.
Such a friend actually did make that call and her name is Vicki Bidle-Kelly. When Vicki recently took top honors in a distributor sales contest, her choice of prizes were a 10-day all expense paid vacation to Maui or a $20,000 donation to the charity of her choice.
Let's be honest here, how many of us would have immediately started packing for white sand beaches? Not Vicki. She picked up the phone and called both Days End and another equine rescue to split the award. She explains that "this wasn't a hard decision and I got more out of this choice. I know the economy is really bad so I wanted to do anything I could to help."
Horse crazy since childhood, Vicki began supporting Days End in 2002. She currently owns five horses and says "typically the horses find me" as she has a tendency to rescue equines that need and deserve a better life. "I wish there was more we can do to educate people," she explains. "I find it really sad that some people don't see horses as more than an object... like a tractor."
Last week, Vicki and her husband Guy visited Days End to explore the new farm. She calls what we collectively do here "amazing" and no longer feels that the 11 buckets she fills daily on her Maryland farm are much trouble at all!
I encourage you to take Vicki's story and pass it along in the hope that somewhere, someone will read it and think about how they too can help change the life of a suffering horse.
Please visit Vicki's pet store at www.for-petes-sake.com |
And the prize goes to...
Sue Mitchell, Development Director
Twenty years. Two decades. 240 months. 7,300 days. 175,200 hours. As we move into the second half of our 20th anniversary year, there is so much to continue celebrating. First and foremost, Days End is still here....bigger, more impactful, more resourceful, more collaborative, and certainly more committed than ever to horses waiting for their second chance.
So...the question became how could we mark such a milestone year without taking staff and our irreplaceable volunteers away from the round the clock needs of 50+ horses and a 58 acre farm? Presto...our 20th Anniversary Logo Contest was born. In April, we extended an invitation to our volunteers and the public to create a logo celebrating our big anniversary with the winning design printed on a commemorative t-shirt.
When the entries were narrowed down to two finalists, a decision was made to select both entries as winners. Contestant Nicole Auserman, of Windy Ridge Studio's, logo will appear on the front of the t shirt and Ellen Frazier's design will be printed on the back. Both contestants will receive our most gracious thanks and a 20th Anniversary T-Shirt with their designs.
The t-shirts will be revealed and available for $20 each, in your choice of burgundy or navy, in the Souvenir Tent at our 20th Anniversary Carnival on June 27th. They will also be included in our soon-to- be-revealed online Souvenir Shop and by calling (301) 854-5037 or (410) 442-1564.
On behalf of our staff, volunteers and beloved horses, please accept a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our contest.
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We Need Your Help at the 20th Anniversary Carnival
DeEtte Gorrie, Volunteer Coordinator
Let's celebrate! Days End turns 20 and we will be honoring this milestone at this year's Carnival. This event will offer kids' games, face painting, hair braiding, souvenir sales, Tinkerbell's Tack and Treasures, food, pony rides, a petting zoo, horses featured for adoption and, new this year, Stick Horse races and horse demos by our Rescue Riders!
Our wonderful volunteers make this event happen and we need your help.
Our needs and your opportunities:
20th Anniversary Carnival,Saturday,June 27th, 11am-4pm
- Set-up for the event is all day Friday, June 26th (shift A) and Saturday morning, June 27th from 8 to 11 am (shift B).
- Volunteer hours for Saturday, June 27th are from 9:30 am to 4 pm (shift C), which includes a morning meeting with your director and team.
- Tear down help is needed after the event on Sat., June 27th from 4 to 7 pm (shift D).
It takes an army of 150 volunteers to ensure a successful carnival. We need help in the following areas:
- Admissions
- Ticket sales
- Food/Grills
- Petting zoo
- Pony rides
- Adoption Alley
- Games
- Face painting
- Hair braiding
- Tattoos
- Horse shoe painting
- Sales of souvenirs and Tinkerbell's Tack and Treasures
- Farm ambassadors and tour guides at the DEFHR booth
- Barn volunteers to assist staff with daily feeding/care
- Parking
*No age restriction for volunteering, children under 12 require parent.
*Volunteer assignments are given two weeks prior to the event.
*Volunteers who work a 6-hour shift receive a free event t-shirt!
*Full-event volunteers receive a free lunch and drinks. Donuts and coffee provided in the morning, too
To sign up, please send the following information to deette@defhr.org: name, email address, phone number, Age code (Y or A), shirt size (if working 6+ hours). Sign up is also available at the volunteer sign in desk at the farm.
We look forward to celebrating Days End's 20th Anniversary and all that we have accomplished through YOUR help and dedication.
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From Rags to Riches and Back- Islander Beats the Odds
Sue Mitchell, Development Director
Born in the heartland of Thoroughbred royalty, Islander entered this world in May 2002...a leggy bay foal with quite an impressive line of winners in his bloodline. Sold at the Keenland yearling auction in Kentucky for a whopping $1.4 million dollars, Islander lived the life of a pampered racehorse. That is, until he wound up nearly starving to death in a field in Maryland.
During his racing career, Islander won $78,000 for his owners. At some point he was sent to Charleston, WV., entered in a claiming race and purchased for $12,500. Little is known about what happened to Islander following that race but he was eventually sent to the New Holland, Pennsylvania auction in poor condition and slaughter bound. He was purchased at auction as a potential "turn around" investment by people who did not understand how to care for him. Islander continued to lose weight until animal control intervened and removed him from the property.
Islander arrived at Days End as a 5 year old in the winter of 2008, rating the lowest possible score of a 1 out of 9 on the Henneke Body Condition Scale. Every inch of his spine, hips and ribs were protruding and he was clearly suffering from malnutrition. More than 400 pounds underweight, he had painful ulcers in his mouth from both stress and sharp overgrown teeth, and was covered in a skin fungus. He was also standing on hooves so neglected they had grown around two racing shoes still nailed in place (months after they should have been removed).
A combination of time, expert care and love were what ultimately rehabilitated Islander, now the glowing picture of health. His eventual evaluation under saddle revealed an energetic boy that clearly wanted a new job and that is what Days End Farm was able to give him. Islander was adopted into his forever home and is now a wanted and loved horse.
Today, Islander's new mom Robin describes him as "just the coolest horse." She tells us that "he loves trail rides and  works hard during dressage lessons." Robin's eventual plan for Islander is eventing - otherwise known as the "equestrian triathlon" that combines the disciplines of dressage, cross country and show jumping.
Our ability to rehabilitate and re-home a horse like Islander is a direct result of your generosity. Small gifts, bigger gifts, spending quiet time with one of our horses, attending our special events, volunteering...every bit of your generosity adds up to healthy, happy horses living the second chance they so deserve. |
For the Love of Horses- Youth Make a Difference
Cathy Schrader, Sierra's Mom
Sierra's love of horses started when she was a toddler. When she was four years old she told me she wanted a horse for Christmas. I told her that a horse was too big for Santa's sled. I told her that horses were expensive but if she saved her money we would get her a horse. Starting at four years old she saved every dime she made for 5 years and bought her own Quarter Horse, Ridge Runnin' Redford, on her 9th birthday. That summer she participated in local horse shows and won some ribbons. Just 7 months later her horse suffered a leg injury which took close to a year to recover from.
In the spring of 2008 she decided she wanted to do something to help injured horses. We looked on the internet and found Days End Farm. It was located less than an hour from her aunt's house. She decided she wanted to have a yard sale to raise the money.
She called two of her friends who also owned  a horse and a pony and they held their yard sale and raised $260. We found out that we were going to be in Maryland for her cousin's wedding the weekend of June 28th. We visited the farm during the Spring Carnival where she delivered the check for $260. For the 2009 school Social Studies Fair, she developed her project around Days End Farm. She was in the category of Economics and spoke about the cost associated with running the horse rescue and caring for the abused and neglected horses. She had several before and after photos, expense graphs and more. She hoped to raise awareness of this great endeavor. She wore her Days End Farm t-shirt and displayed her stuffed horse, Lucky, and all of the cards and newsletters received from the farm.
She won first place at her school fair, the county fair and the regional fair. She also participated in the State Social Studies Fair in May but did not place. There were approximately 30 participants in the school fair, 100 participants in the county fair, 190 participants in the regional fair and over 400 participants in the state fair.
Thank you, Sierra, for spreading the word about the abuse and neglect of horses from all of us at Days End Farm, including the horses. Kathy |
Horse of the Month- Cody
 Cody is a beautiful chestnut Thoroughbred. He is turning 4 yearsold, 15.3 hands and just started under saddle. He is a very sweet boy and enjoys getting groomed. He is off for training with Scott Purdum this month and undoubtedly will come back a changed horse. He has a willing personality and is going to go far. If you interested in a young prospect who is about to get professional training I wouldn't wait long to call us. Cody had a rough start in life. Read more... |
Rehab Horse of the Month - Kadillac
Kadillac just came to Days End on June 2 with his pasture-mate Lexus.
He was a stray in Montgomery County. The owners were located but would not take any responsibility for them.
This big guy is almost 17 hands and as sweet as they come. He will require a lot of rehabilitative care over the next several months. Click here to see more pictures of Kadillac.
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Barn Update
Erin Ochoa, Director of Programs
The fly masks are back on and the fly spray and sunscreen are in full force this month. We are looking forward to school letting out and having our youth volunteers this summer. I still pinch myself when I look around our new farm. For those of you who remember the old farm you remember sinking knee high into the mud about this time of year but here the grass is growing.
Our horses just received their West Nile Virus and Potomac Horse Fever vaccine. Bindi is making her way into our older horse population, while Chino is in the process of getting introduced into our gelding herd. If you would like to receive regular updates from the barn you can know follow me on Twitter - www.twitter.com/daysendfarm. It's another way to stay updated on the daily happenings.
We have a lot planned during the month of June. Our Rescue Riders will be busy practicing over the next several weekends for the 20th Anniversary Carnival - this will be the first year we will be doing demos in the arena to showcase our horses. They will also be attending an Extreme Cowboy Clinic and two horse shows in the next two weeks.
Bubba's Bargain Barn is receiving a make-over and in honor of our 20th anniversary we are re-naming it Tinkerbell's Tack and Treasure's. The doors open on June 27 at the Open House. We are in need of tack donations to display in this new location. We also are in need of Horse Show clothes for our Rescue Rider Show Team - all disciplines and sizes needed.
Want to buy a Days End souvenir online? Soon you can visit our Buy Now Wish List to make your purchase and start helping to promote Days End. Your purchase goes right back into feeding the horses. |
| New Arrivals
June has already been a busy month with six new additions to the farm.
Harry and Ipod, two 1-year-old, very adorable miniature donkeys are the newest members of our Petting Zoo.
Hoedown and Junebug- Hoedown was returned due to personal and financial reasons. Due to the fragile situation with Hoedown and June's family, and the attachment between the two ponies, we agreed to take in Junebug with Hoedown and would love it if we are able to find a new home for both of them together.
Kadillac and Lexus- These two were strays in Montgomery County and have a long road of rehabilitation ahead of them.
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May Adoptions
We are so happy that these horses were able to find their forever homes. We've heard from their new families and they seem to be loving their new homes.
Poker
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| June Volunteer of the Month
DeEtte Gorrie, Volunteer Coordinator
Pam Wheeler 
It was August 18th, 2006 when Pam Wheeler began her volunteer experience with us. Every week, sometimes several times a week, Pam has come to help care for our horses by mucking, watering, feeding, sweeping, and the variety of extra barn-related work the staff could find for her to do. In the pouring rain, freezing cold, humid, cooking-hot weather, Pam is here. Serving over 855 hours to-date, she has experienced it all.
In a lot of ways Pam is like staff. Her knowledge of horses and Days End's procedures affords her the opportunity to serve on our volunteer Training Team. Our barn staff rely on Pam's experience to care for the critical care horses and many times have called on her to help acclimate new volunteers to the barn area. Pam has walked through a lot of ups and downs with us; bonded closely with many of our special horses (several of which she has fostered over the years) and she is also a favorite person of our barn cats, Mouthy and BJ.
Pam's quiet, calming nature is a wonderful asset that is appreciated by our horses. Her unassuming personality makes her a favorite in the barn with our staff and fellow volunteers.
Thank you, Pam for who you are, for all you have done, and continue to do for Days End, our horses and cats!
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June Barn Bucket Bonanza
Sunscreen: Some our horses have pink skin on their faces; around their eyes and noses, which are prone to sunburn. Each morning we apply sunscreen for protection. We use SPF of 30 or higher and waterproof.
Fly Spray: It goes without saying that flies are a major irritant to horses and we do our best to help their defenses by applying a coat of fly spray each morning. All brands/types accepted!
Donations can be dropped off in the Barn Bucket located in the volunteer sign-in area or you can order on-line through our Buy Now Wish List. |
Internship Programs
Brittney Carow, Barn Manager
The new interns have arrived and they're doing a marvelous job! These girls are ready and eager to learn and are jumping right into everything that we've thrown at them so far. I'm looking forward to all of the new things that they will be experiencing during their summer with us.
(left to right) - Michelle, Kristen, Steph, and Laura
Next time you come to the farm, make sure to say "hi". |
Junior Horse Club
Brittney Carow, Barn Manager
Due to the fact that May was a crazy month and we missed the meeting, we'll make it up to you guys with a Play Day on June 24th at 1pm! Celebrate the beginning of your summer break, and get in the mood for Spring Carnival (June 27th), by playing games and winning contests, surrounded by the beautiful horses of Days End Farm. We hope to see you there!
JHRC Fun Fact - Each side of the horse's brain works independently from the other. Therefore, the horse is able to move its ears independently, as well as see and process a different picture from each eye at the same time. This is also why, when teaching a horse something new, you have to do it twice - once on each side! Whatever you teach them on the left will not be known to them on the right without teaching it to them all over again on that side. Pretty cool, huh?
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Windows Sparkle for Spring
Sue Rosenberg
"Who does your cleaning?" my mother asked cheerily on a recent visit. What she really wanted to ask was, "When on earth did you guys last clean this place? Six months ago?"
So cleaning is at the bottom of our to-do lists here in the office. Who wants to pick up a vacuum or dust cloth when there are donors to be thanked, visitors to take on tours, animals to welcome to the farm, canine mascots to support though sudden-onset anxiety? (Weiner-dog Jimmy Dean was inexplicably scared to come to the office. Careful detective work leads us to believe it was a chirping fire alarm battery that started the whole fear thing.)
Well, Mom, since you were here, the office has been scoured from top to bottom by people who actually enjoy making things shine. First, the kitchen was "detailed" by volunteer Gene Brantley. He spent hours scrubbing out corners, degreasing the stove hood and sanitizing the refrigerator.
Then came Pat Kelly, who offered to bring her crew (Kelly Services, Inc.) to do a thorough cleaning of both floors of the office building, for free, because she wanted to help us help the horses. She has done pro-bono work before, mostly for groups involving animals, women and disadvantaged kids. During her 13 years in business, she has also worked in places like the National Institutes of Health, and D.C. area hospitals and hotels. Several years ago, she was hired to clean government offices to be occupied by Al Gore.
Like many of our volunteers, Kelly has an interesting mix of skills and experiences in her background. Before opening her business, she worked as a medical lab technologist/ phlebotomist. She is educated in dental radiology, has managed restaurants, and hopes to get into horse massage therapy.
Based out of Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland, Kelly Services specializes in cleaning windows; but they do all sorts of cleaning, including carpets, in offices and residences throughout the D.C. Metropolitan area, even yachts and boats.
Here at the office, our windows and carpet haven't been so sparkly clean since we moved in a year ago. Some say the bathroom "never looked so clean." Thank you Pat Kelly! If you want to experience Kelly Services cleaning for yourself, call 301-318-8885. A portion of your fee will be donated to us! |
Horse Terminology
Pat Quinn, Development Committee
Event Prospect = Big Fast Horse
Dressage Prospect = Big Slow Horse
Hack Prospect = Pretty Color
Sporting Prospect = Short Fast Horse
Camp Prospect = Fast Horse which can turn
Endurance Prospect = Fast Horse which will turn sometimes | |
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| June Barn Bucket Bonanza |
** Sunscreen
** Fly Spray
Donations can be dropped off in the Barn Bucket located in the volunteer sign-in area or you can order on-line through our Buy Now Wish List.: |
| Upcoming Events |
June 12-13- LART- Grafton,NY June 13-Volunteer Orientation
June 14-Hopkins Spring Combined Test- (Rescue Riders)
June 27- 20th Anniversary Carnival!
July 15-16- Equine Cruelty Investigators Seminar/LART Training
July 25- Yard and Tack Sale |
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Did You Know? |
The farm is supported by more than 1,200 active volunteers. In 2008, volunteers gave 33,010 hours of service to the farm. |
| Proud Sponsor |
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Days End Farm Horse Rescue presents...
