Blind Filly’s Remarkable Journey

#37 and Uncle Jack, their first day at HartSong Ranch

When most people think about HartSong Ranch, they reflect on our work with, and dedication to animals with special needs.  In fact, most people think our devotion to animals with special needs is what encouraged our efforts to become a non-profit animal welfare organization.  The fact of the matter is…nothing could be further from the truth.  Here’s how it REALLY all began…

In the spring of 2005, 17 cattle stepped off a stock trailer and bounded onto the pastures of HartSong Ranch.  Their job was an easy one for cattle.  All they had to do was munch down 30 acres of waist high pasture grass.  Almost immediately, they all started to eat…except for one cow…#37.  She was in a state of panic.  For the next two days, she ran the fence lines…down to the pond…up through the barnyard…down through the bramble on the back side of the property and all the while, she bellowed, mooed, salivated and cried.  I thought perhaps she was sick so I called the rancher who had most graciously donated his cattle to take down the over-grown pastures.  I explained to him the behavior of #37 and under his breath he chuckled, almost as if to mock me for having such “hysterical” concerns for a cow.  “Ah,” he said, “she’s just looking for her baby.  She’ll get over it in a couple of days.” Needless to say, I was horrified with his explanation and appalled with the blatant realization that he had no concern what-so-ever for the distress he had caused this mother and baby.  He went on to explain that while loading the cattle onto the trailer, he became frustrated because he couldn’t get #37’s frightened calf to load, so he finally gave up, shut the door to the stock trailer and headed for HartSong, subsequently separating #37 from her 2 day old calf.   I begged him to either bring the calf to HartSong or return #37 to his property.  Once again, he snickered under his breath and stated, “The calf is no longer here.  I don’t have time to bottle feed a baby so I shipped him off to a veal farm.” I remember feeling as if someone had hit me with a brick with the profound realization that the “feelings” of animals raised for consumption are not considered…not by the rancher’s who raise them…not by the facilities that process them and not by the consumers who drive the market and buy the product.  Right then and there, my life changed…forever.

For three more days, #37 continued to search for her baby and then finally, she gave up.  About two months later, the rancher returned to HartSong Ranch, loaded up his cattle and left.  The sanctuary grew and years went by but I never forgot about #37 or the impact she had upon my life.  I thought about her often and finally decided the time had come to write about my journey with her.  I submitted the story to one of our local newspapers and the day after the story published, the ranch line started ringing off the hook.  Concerned callers, mostly women, all asked the same question…”What happened to #37?” Well, that got me to thinking…What “did” happen to #37? Intrigued, I decided to call the rancher to investigate.  He, of course, thinking me totally off of my rocker and absolutely crazy, informed me that he had sold #37 years ago to another rancher, a man by the name of Rancher Jack whom I then proceeded to call.  Rancher Jack, much to my surprise, still had #37 and knew exactly where she was at that very moment… grazing a pasture in northern CA with her 1 month old calf.  Shortly into our conversation, I came to realize that Rancher Jack was quite a different man from rancher number one.  He was in fact, a very compassionate fellow and was quite obviously touched by the outpouring of concern for the welfare of #37.  In fact, so moved by her story, he asked if we might like to welcome  #37 back to HartSong, along with her baby.  Without a moment’s hesitation, I said “YES”!

One week later, #37 and her baby, since named Uncle Jack(in honor of Rancher Jack), came back to HartSong.  Here, they will live a life of quiet and tranquility, mother and son, forever…always together…always happy and always a vivid reminder to me and the many visitors to the sanctuary, that farm animals too, have feelings.  I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to #37.  She changed my life and here, on the peaceful pastures of HartSong Ranch, she will continue to enlighten, educate and inspire the lives of all those who are fortunate enough to meet her.  every life matters…

An interesting #37 factoid: About a month or so after the story of #37 was published, I received a call from a fan of HartSong who lives in Southern California.  She wanted me to know that, one week prior, she had “#37” tattooed on her arm.  How COOL is that?

A boy and his dog

Dandy's leg wound, December 7, 2011

Dandy's leg wound, January 11, 2012

Dandy’s wound was a result of becoming cast(tangled up under a paddock panel).  The weight of the panel which held her down in her stall pressed on the top of her left thigh.  Apparently she struggled vigorously throughout the night to free herself and her attempts to do so caused severe pressure to her left front leg which in turn, restricted blood flow to the area.  Once untangled from underneath the panels, the only visible evidence of injury was an area about the size of a hot dog bun on the top of her left thigh where all the hair had been rubbed off.  Three days later, the underlying tissues, now necrotic due to lack of blood flow, began to fester and an abscess developed.  We called the vet out immediately.  She lanced below the abscessed area so that the pus had a means of escape and informed HartSong staff that Dandy’s wound would need to be cleaned, scrubbed and medicated daily.  In addition, she was prescribed 26 antibiotic pills per day for 15 days.  We have followed the vet’s orders to a tee and sure enough, slowly but surely, the wound started to heal.  These photo are testament to that for today, there is no evidence of infection, the wound is significantly smaller and Dandy is in excellent spirits.  Hats off to 37 year old Dandy…she is one stoic horse.  Never once, during the daily scrubbing and cleaning, which must have been very painful for her to endure, did she give us any grief while we did what we had to do to make her better.  She is such a good girl. as sweet as the day is long and very trusting of our intentions.  Obviously, she will have a huge scar but we don’t mind one bit.  Thanks to everyone for including Dandy in your prayers.  She’s now over the worst of this ordeal and will soon be free to roam HartSong’s pastures once again.  Many, many more good days are ahead for this beautiful girl.  The spirit and resilience of the American Quarter Horse is alive and well in Dandy.

Happy Fourth of July from Hart Song Ranch!

This little kitty was discovered in the bushes at one day old, umbilical cord still attached and his mother no where to be found.  So into the house he came.

The first couple of days were touch and go but soon he learned to love his bottle.  Boy oh boy, did he ever love his bottle.  We christened him Pip Squeek because he didn’t meow, he squeeked. 

Now 4 years old, he lives a life of luxury here on the ranch.

Woodrow’s 36-C Cup Bra   

Woodrow's Pink Bra

Saturday of last week, about 5:30 in the afternoon, HartSong’s caretaker, Summer Honeyman, called to tell me she couldn’t find Woodrow, our 9 month old, totally blind, Black Angus calf.  This was unsettling news indeed because it was after all, feeding time and Woodrow is ALWAYS in the barnyard at feeding time.  He never misses a meal!  After about thirty minutes of searching, Summer found him, happily munching on a grassy pasture with HartSong’s 10 other happy cows.  Normally, this discovery would not have been a big deal except for the fact that this particular pasture is located all the way on the other side of the ranch meaning that in order for Woodrow to get himself over there, he had to bravely cross the canal, now running very fast and deep, navigate his way entirely around the pond, cross the dam and climb the big hill that leads up to the east barn.  WOW!!!  He had never done that before!!!  Way to go, Woodrow!!!  He wasn’t the slightest bit interested to follow us back to the west side and in that he had once before survived a night away from the safety of the west barn, we decided to let him spend another night with the rest of the herd.

Early the next morning, I very much regretted the decision when I spied Woodrow, slowly staggering up the gravel road headed for the west barn.  From a distance, I could tell something was wrong because his head was cocked in a funny sort of way and he appeared to have difficulty with his balance, almost walking as if drunk.  When I got up close to him, I saw the blood and immediately saw the problem.  The outer casing of his left horn was completely gone, revealing a pointed mass of bleeding, inflamed tissue.  Apparently sometime during the night, Woodrow collided with something so violently that the force of the encounter severed the outer casing of his horn.  The left side of his face was covered in blood and he was obviously in a lot of pain.  He needed immediate help so I pulled out my cell phone, called the vet and two hours later, Jim, myself and Woodrow pulled up to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis, CA.  After a 5 minute examination by Dr. Vengai Mavangira, a food animal vet from Zimbabwe, it was decided the only way to eliminate Woodrow’s pain was to remove his horns entirely.  For those of you that might not know, the meat or interior of the horn is a highly sensitive mass, packed with nerves and blood vessels and when broken, the pain can be excruciating and sometimes, the wound can kill a cow if not treated promptly.  Without hesitation, we gave the go ahead and 45 minutes later, Woodrow was hornless, leaving him with two gaping holes(each about the size of a quarter) where his horns used to be.  Dr. Mavangira pointed out that peering into the hole revealed his sinus cavity, a “pink, fleshy void” just a bit bigger than a softball.  How bizarre.  I had no idea.  Medical protocol following a de-horning procedure is to “not” bandage the wounds as covering up the holes would encourage the accumulation of moisture and moisture breeds bacteria so to eliminate the chance of infection, the standard operating procedure is to leave the cauterized holes open to the air.  Concerned, I asked Dr. Mavangira, “what about the flies?”   He replied, “Well, they can be a big problem so I suggest the following two options.  Number 1, spray the holes daily with fly spray and keep your fingers crossed the flies don’t find Woodrow’s sinus cavities suitable environments in which to lay their eggs or, number 2, try to finagle some type of covering, perhaps out of fly mask material, to cover the holes while allowing for adequate ventilation.”  Not wanting to spray pesticide directly onto a fresh, open wound, Jim and I decided the best course of action would be to design some type of covering.   Our first attempt was to cut up one of the horse’s fly masks but we couldn’t get it to fit.  The Velcro closure was in the wrong place and the material was too rigid.  Then, we tried to fashion a kind of “plug” to place over the holes but we couldn’t figure out how to securely attach the “plug” to his head.  Distressed, I went in search of Woodrow and found him standing in the canal, tossing his head from side to side, trying to rid himself of the flies that were, as predicted, crawling in and out of the holes in his head.  I stood there for a long while evaluating the situation …hmmmmm….two bumps that need to be covered… and then it dawned on me….what about a bra?  

As luck would have it, a week earlier, I picked up a truck load of donations for our annual barn sale and I remembered seeing a suitcase full of bras.  Even though my husband thought me “completely off my rocker”, I went digging and found a brand new, baby pink, padded, 36-C cup bra.  I cut away the padded inner lining to ensure ventilation, put his ears through the arm bands, tied them together under his neck and connected the back clasp to the arm bands.  Well, I’ll be darned, it fit perfectly.  Go figure!!!  Only a “woman rancher” could have thought this one up!!!   Later that week, I emailed Dr. Mavangira a few photos of Woodrow modeling his new head gear.  He replied and I quote, “Well….I must say that I am at a loss for words.  This is GREAT!  These pictures will make it to my lectures and of course, I will give you the credit.”

I’m thrilled to let you know that Woodrow has been sashaying around the sanctuary in his “pink bra” for over a week now.

Unfortunately, he will have to wear “the pink 36-C cup bra” for the next month until his horn holes close up.  I’m quite certain he doesn’t much appreciate the fact that he’s outfitted with a “pink bra”, but he sure likes all the attention.  Over the Holiday weekend, we had quite a few visitors to the sanctuary.  One woman, before she was even out of her car, hollered at me, “why is there a black cow standing in the canal with a pink bra on his head?”  So, I told her…..

Second Annual Biscuits and Gravy Cook-off

~a fundraiser for HartSong Ranch Animal Sanctuary~

Saturday, April 10^th     Northside School, Cool

8AM – 10:30AM     Adults $10.00 Kids under 12 $5.00

Hop on board the Biscuits and Gravy Train!!!

This year, eleven teams are signed up and ready to go to battle in the 2010 Second Annual Biscuits and Gravy Cook-off.  Apron clad and ladle wielding folks from all over the Divide are rollin’ up their sleeves and puttin’ up their dukes, each quite certain “they” make the best Biscuits and Gravy in the land. We Shall See!!!

YOU Decide!!!

Doors Open at 8AM

If it suits your fancy, come on by a little early for a cup of really tasty Cool Beans coffee, chat with the team members and look over the silent auction items.

8:30 on the dot, “Bring on the Biscuits and Gravy”  (11 helpings, mind you, of the best Biscuits & Gravy you’ve ever tasted.) GUARANTEED!!!  Now’s the time to get down to the business of eating and picking a winner.  No doubt, this will not be an easy task.  Rumor has it some very interesting, secret ingredients are floating around in the batters and gravies of the DBGMA(Divide Biscuits and Gravy Maker’s Association).

In addition, help yourself to fresh fruit, delicious coffee cakes, fresh hot coffee/tea, orange juice and lots more!  PLUS, raffle items, silent auction items, music and, back by popular demand, Penney The Clown.

Around 10:30AM, we will announce The 2010 Biscuits and Gravy Champs plus second and third place winners.

THE TEAMS

Team1-Cool

Cool Feed & Ranch Supply(2009 Champions)

Grandma Winnie’s Biscuits & Gravy

Team members: Jody Gray and Carolynne Angleton

Team2-Cool

Cool Beans

Southern Style Biscuits & Gravy

Team members: Kathie  Kinkade, Gary Kinkade, Michelle Potter and Jay Zogg

Team3-Greenwood

Greenwood Hill Billy’s(Greenwood Civic Organization)

Sage Sausage Gravy

Team members: Renita Gates, Margreta Dahms, Judy Carnazo, Virginia Kuykendall and Gail McGonigle

Team4-Pilot Hill

Sierra Benefit Solutions

Biscuits and Benefits

Team members: Leah Ann Zogg, Darlene Duco and Jeanette Gogna

Team5-Kelsey

Michaela Renee/Redline Engineering

Zesty Biscuits and Gravy

Team members: Michaela Renee, Matt Johnson, Kathy Jacques and Barbara Johnson

Team6-Cool

Wells Fargo

Biscuits and Vegan Surprise Gravy

Team members:  Sol Davis, Tricia Chrzanowski and Jill Wyatt

Team7-Placerville

Sierra Wildlife Rescue

Nanna’s “Wild” Country Gravy

Team members:  Marty Owen, Don Luce, Judy Monestier and Kim Horn

Team8-Pilot Hill

Gina Biersteker/Paula Shamblin

Friends Forever Country Gravy

Team members: Gina Biersteker, Paula Shamblin and Peter Biersteker

Team9-Cool

The “Cool” Lutherans-Cool Lutheran Church

Heavenly Biscuits and Glorious Gravy

Team members:  Bonnie Bingle, Ed Bingle, Donna Buckalew and Stuart Buckalew

Team10-Cool

Cher’s Hair Salon

Biscuits and Aunt Millie’s Baloney Gravy

Team members:  Teri Potter, James Potter, Shelle Wiltfong and Tiffany Eide

Team 11-Garden Valley

Crowton’s Excavation & Grading

Steve’s Comfort “Rocky Road” Gravy

Team members: Robin & Jennifer Crowton, Steve Jimenez, Eli Jimenez and Pat Whittington

There you have it.  Eleven teams.  One WINNER!  Sure hope you can join us for a festive morning with good folks, all getting together to eat some “really good food” to help raise funds for the care and feeding of the very special animals at HartSong Ranch.  Thank you for your support!

Tickets available:  Cool Feed & Ranch Supply, Cool Beans, Cher’s Hair Salon(Cool), Ace Hardware(Greenwood) and at the door

HartSong Ranch Animal Sanctuary-a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Animal Welfare Organization  www.hartsongranch.org  530-887-1263

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgZKxVcdx5c  Even though totally blind, Woodrow doesn’t have any problem finding his morning bottle of milk…a very sweet, warm, 2 quart concoction of calf milk replacer and buttermilk. As you can see(and hear), he slurps it down in a matter of minutes. This past week, we made the decision the time had come to wean him from 2 bottles per day down to one bottle per day and believe you me, Woodrow is not happy with the new feeding schedule. Often times and usually around 9-9:30 at night, I’ll hear him bellowing from his paddock in the barn, begging for someone…anyone…to bring him another bottle of warm milk. When his cries are more than I can bare(which is more often than not), I’ll give in, blend up another batch and head out to the barn, sporting the most fashionable evening ranch wear of pj’s and muck boots. Needless to say, he is always very happy to see me(so to speak). After his bottle and a bit of lovin’, he finally curls up in the soft hay and settles himself in for a good nights sleep. And then…so do I.