Mulligan's wish list

There's one horse on our property that is especially close to my heart. He was born here. Mulligan was tiny... really tiny. And he wasn't quite right. He was born with dwarfism. His top jaw is a little short. His feet require special shoes to keep his toes pointed in the right direction. We knew from the start he would need a lot of special and expensive care and so Mulligan was adopted by Phoebe and I. While we occasionally get smaller horses on our property, they are babies and it isn't long before Mulligan is the shortest of the bunch once more. But what Mulligan misses in size he makes up for in heart. He truly believes he is a regular, big horse and does his best to keep up with the other guys.

Everyone who meets him falls in love. He has become the official mascot of sorts for Pipsqueak Paddocks. 

Bec helped Mulligan write his letter to Santa Claus a few days ago. It's a worthwhile read.

Dear Santa,

Hi!  It's me, Mulligan.  I have been a very good Mini this year.  I have eaten all of my vitamins and stood nicely for being brushed all the time!  I also helped about fifty Minis to not feel lonely and scared when they came here to Pipsqueak Paddocks Miniature Horse Haven Society this year.  It was a very busy year for me!  I made so many new friends, some as young as three months old and some so old that they had lost track of their years!  

Anyways Santa, I have some Christmas wishes... but they are not for me, they are for my friends here at Pipsqueak Paddocks...

My friends sometimes bring a few extra unwanted creatures along with them!  So we need a few tubes of Equvalan Gold and any type of "Fenbenzadole" based paste wormer to start the year off with.  We could also really use cans and cans of "Dusting Powder" to take care of lice!  I get itchy just thinking about that, but it's no laughing matter.  Some of my friends arrive here so itchy that they have rubbed themselves raw and bleeding trying to get relief.

Alot of my pals have not been fed right.  It takes a little while for them to feel better if they are too skinny or too fat.  They could use some sacks of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Whole Flax and Soy Hull Pellets to get them going right.  Guess what?  PureForm vitamins have come out with a formula just especially for us Minis - PureForm Full Support - Mini!  They could use a big tub of that for sure!  TNT Hay Sales has the perfect kind of hay for us Minis too, PLUS our caretaker says it's the one kind of hay on the face of the planet that she's not allergic too!  It's sure nice to not be bothered by her sneezing every time she has to feed us!  LOL  So, maybe you could work something out with Gary at TNT, or leave some cash in the Minis' stockings to pay for a load of hay - we're going to need two tonnes very soon!

Other than that... we just always need to pay for lots of visits from our favourite farrier and vets!  They are very good to us, but there are so many operations, procedures and shots to pay for.  Maybe you could stuff a few stockings with the means to pay the bills next year?  That would be awesome!  My friends feel so much better once their hooves, dental care, other health needs are taken care of!

But Santa, my biggest wish of all is for each of my friend's to have a family of their own very soon.  I feel so lucky to be so loved and I want that same feeling for each of my pals.  Santa, maybe you could give out some extra love this Christmas so that it will spill over and spread around.  A little goes a long way around here!

Love, 

Mulligan

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday season this year. I hope you can all make room in your heart for a cause that is worthwhile and special to you. Make a difference to those in need.

-grampa dan

Hard day at the zoo.

Our daughter Bec has always loved animals. Ever since she was a little girl animals have sensed this in her. They find and come to her on a regular basis. When she was a teenager she developed a special affection for horses. She wanted a horse of her own so very badly but since we lived in town on a small property it was never a possibility in our yard. Becky did manage extract a promise from us that if we ever got an acreage we would allow her to get a horse of her own. She grew up, moved away and eventually got married. That was a promise we would never have to keep. Or so we thought.

Fast forward more than ten years. We purchased our small acreage to build our shop nine years ago. The land was not big enough for a full size horse, but it would accomodate mini horses very well. Bec reminded us of our promise made when she was a youngster. How could we possibly deny her wish and reneg on our promise?

The first mini was a sad case, actually a gift for Janis. It arrived in a mini-van. It had been starved and neglected by it's previous owner. Over a long while, Bec and Janis nursed Glee back to health. Other minis of Bec's joined the herd. But Bec saw a real need in the miniature horse community. Horses needed special care. We only had room for a few and pretty soon they were coming to our little property for only as long as necessary, then moved on to permanent, good and loving homes. It started small or course. But word of Bec and Janis' kindness quickly spread. Our small property was dubbed Pipsqueak Paddocks. 

Other kind hearted and generous people took notice of what was going on. They wanted to help. And so Pipsqueak Paddocks became Pipsqeak Paddocks Minature Horse Haven Society - a registered charity. http://www.pipsqueakpaddocks.com   They rescue and accept surrendered miniature horses. Some merely need good homes, others desperately need lots of love and care before they are ready to send along to a loving family.

My involvement is very minor. I run the tractor when they need it or hook up the horse trailer when horses need to be ferried around. Sometimes I help get hay, repair a fence or other small chores. The real work is done by Becky, Janis and a team of volunteers. I look out my studio window, watch the minis as they come and go. Many come broken and wounded but with the boundless love and care they recieve I witness true miracles on a regular basis. I am fiercly proud of the hard work Bec and her team do every day. While we can't fix the entire world, by doing her best for these animals in need Bec is making a big difference.

Late yesterday two especially tough cases came to Pipsqueak Paddocks, our ninety-second and ninety-third horse to arrive. It didn't look good. The vet and farrier arrived early this morning. Both horses had suffered severe leg injuries in the past but gotten little care for them. Sadly, one of the little horses could not be saved. The other faces months of care, treatment and rehabilitation. 

Today my heart was sad as I witnessed the ladies make some very tough decisions in the name of love.

Thank you Bec! I am very proud of what you do!      http://www.pipsqueakpaddocks.com

-dad

Two more done!

I decided to get the jump on a what promises to be a very busy week. Today I put in some time finishing off two signs for the Fox and Hounds Pub. The larger of the two dimensional signs will hang on the gable end over the entry. The slightly smaller version will find it's permanent home inside at the far end of the entry.

I can hardly wait to see the signs in place!

-grampa dan