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Not worthless.

Homepage UPDATES Not worthless.
UPDATES

Not worthless.

December 16, 2020
By Kristy
0 Comment
5443 Views

December 16th

Not worthless. We posted a pretty desperate fundraiser last night. Without knowing if we would raise the funds, we sent our rescued Annie into an expensive colic surgery. Annie was a horse who may have been worthless to some, perhaps to the person who abandoned her, but she became worth a lot to us.

We want to thank all of you who donated so very much for giving her a piece of your heart, and with that, proving that she is worth a lot to a lot of other people too. Compassion is alive.
Dr. Howard is an amazing surgeon and if anyone could fix her it would be him. However, the sad thing is, he found a mass in her colon that was intertwined (likely cancerous) and it was so large it could not be removed. 😪

This explains so much of what Annie was dealing with and why we could not fix her. We let her go, knowing that was best for her.

We feel a deep connection with all of you out there who gave her a peace of your heart and who share in the burden of compassion. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to try 100% for her, because now we know. It was something that you would only find out through surgery and we probably would have kept trying to fix her and she would have always been in pain.

The outcome is not what we hoped. The surgery was around $6000 and her previous treatments $1000. So this fundraiser accomplished it and any overage will be used for much needed hay for the wilds. We will post the vet bills soon when we get them. This amount did not buy us a healthy Annie.. but the surgery bought us all peace of mind, and she is now at peace. That’s worth a lot.
Some may call all of us crazy, for spending this on an abandoned old horse just so she could have a happy retirement. But think of it this way, no one actually paid $7000, but everyone paid something and everyone gave her a peace of their heart. We shared in the burden of compassion together, and now we all get to have peace of mind, that we gave her our all. While the burden of compassion is heavy, it is a true virtue. In the end of her life Annie received so much love and comfort. Thank you so much for sharing in our mission of treating every horse humanely.
Rest in peace Annie. 💕

 


Background

She was the most emaciated domestic horse we’ve ever seen, when we rescued her after she was abandoned in the Tonto National Forest. She’s come such a long way, but she has had trouble with her colon from the very beginning. She’s just gotten over her mastitis and cellulitis and shes has gotten over many colic episodes. She has been on a very careful refeeding program with small feeds 6 times per day and has 24/7 care. She was just starting to so much better, gaining good weight, she even found a wonderful forever retirement home on 4 acres, together with John and Wayne, but she can’t go there until she’s healthy!

She’s very impacted and tubing with water and some epsom salts plus meds has not worked so far. Her vet bills are quite outrageous already, but how can we give up on her now? Our volunteers love her and it’s so hard to let her go!

You do wonder if she is worth it? She obviously wasn’t worth anything to the person who abandoned her. She’s older and she won’t be anyone’s riding horse. But she’s become worth a lot to us, and we want her to have her happy retirement after she’s felt worthless for maybe her whole life.

So this is for Annie. We don’t think she is worthless. Thank you in advance so much for your support.
SRWHMG.

 


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It is a beautiful day in the Tonto National Forest (TNF). Please enjoy Salt River wild horses responsibly. Here is some important information:

🐴When you see Salt River wild horses please give them their space and stay a safe 50 ft distance from them at all times.
🐕Please adhere to the Maricopa County Leash law and keep your dogs leashed for their safety (horses have been known to attack dogs and vice versa)
🥕Please do NOT feed horses, especially not carrots or apples, since that can upset their stomach. The Salt River wild horses all know where to find an approved feed station and they are not hungry.
----------
🛣You can find these free roaming horses at the following recreation areas off of Bush Hwy; Water Users, Pebble Beach, Blue Point, Goldfield and Coon Bluff, plus anywhere in between and along the river. Tonto daypassss are available at Walgreens and nearby gas stations.
🐴These wild horses are semi-tolerant of people (because they see thousands of humans yearly), but they are still wild and unpredictable animals that should be respected as such. When you enter their habitat, you do so at your own risk. Regardless if you are watching them on foot, by air, from the water or from horseback, please remember that you are in their home. Do not harrass them, chase them, disturb them, or interfere in their daily routines.
🐎🐎Horse back riders should also be aware that wild horses are not vaccinated against any disease and may periodically contract any type of virus or bacteria that could be transmittable to your horse (or dog) through soil, manure or close proximity. When you enter their habitat, you do so at your own risk.
-----------
👉The Salt River wild horses are humanely managed by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG), overseen and under contract with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) and through an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Service.
⚖ The Salt River wild horses are protected pursuant to A.R.S 3-1491, also called the Salt River Horse Act, passed and signed by Governor Ducey in 2016 and enacted in 2017.
🏞 These wild horses roam freely on approx. 20,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest (Forest Service land). They are fenced in and surrounded by civilization on all sides, but they are safe within their habitat, and all Salt River wild horses have free access to the lower Salt River.
☀️ Because of the persistent drought, SRWHMG has 4 feed stations in each quadrant of the forest that are supplied with certified weed free alfalfa by our hard working volunteers. The horses know exactly where these feed stations are. This crucial feed program is keeping them healthy through a difficult period with very little forage to eat in the Tonto National Forest.
🌱🍴Should you come upon a very large group of horses, you probably have entered a feed station. We ask that you stay on the outside perimeter of these feed areas and enjoy the sight of happy horses, but please keep your distance.
🐣SRWHMG also administers a humane birth control program in order to stabilize the horse population, which in turn affords the horses to stay wild and free. You may see our darting teams outthere in the field at any time during the year with a green dart projector, or air rifle. The darters are certified and follow a safety protocol for horses as well as people.
🦺Our volunteers work hard on a number of different tasks, you may see them fixing a fence, helping horses cross, closing gates, or giving out information. You may also see them treat or check on an injured horse. They always do their tasks under oversight and authorization of the AZDA and Forest Service. 👩‍🔧We ask that you heed their advice and be kind and courteous to them. Their jobs are time consuming and they do not get paid for it. You are welcome to watch our volunteers, and you are welcome to ask them any questions after they are done with their work. (However you should not interfere with the tasks they are trying to accomplish.)
---------
You can help keep the horses safe by:
⚠️Closing all gates behind you, because a horse that gets out, will be on the road and has no way of getting back into the forest.
🌏 Keeping the forest clean; pack out what you pack in and pick up some extra trash for the horses if you can.
🛻Heed the speed limit on Bush Hwy and Goldfield Rd., there are speed feedback signs and limits are strictly enforced by MCSO Lake patrol.
📲Please report any issues or injuries of horses to the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group hotline (480)-868-9301
🙏Please consider supporting the horses by making a tax deductable donation on our website or through Facebook. You can also find out more information or buy great wild horse merchandise and prints: Visit www.srwhmg.org

Have a beautiful day, SRWHMG.
📷Photo by supporter Chris Markes
... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

It is a beautiful day in the Tonto National Forest (TNF).  Please enjoy Salt River wild horses responsibly. Here is some important information: 
🐴When you see Salt River wild horses please give them their space and stay a safe 50 ft distance from them at all times.
🐕Please adhere to the Maricopa County Leash law and keep your dogs leashed for their safety (horses have been known to attack dogs and vice versa)
🥕Please do NOT feed horses, especially not carrots or apples, since that can upset their stomach. The Salt River wild horses all know where to find an approved feed station and they are not hungry. 
----------
🛣You can find these free roaming horses at the following recreation areas off of Bush Hwy;  Water Users, Pebble Beach, Blue Point, Goldfield and Coon Bluff, plus anywhere in between and along the river. Tonto daypassss are available at Walgreens and nearby gas stations. 
🐴These wild horses are semi-tolerant of people (because they see thousands of humans yearly), but they are still wild and unpredictable animals that should be respected as such. When you enter their habitat, you do so at your own risk. Regardless if you are watching them on foot, by air, from the water or from horseback, please remember that you are in their home. Do not harrass them, chase them, disturb them, or interfere in their daily routines. 
🐎🐎Horse back riders should also be aware that wild horses are not vaccinated against any disease and may periodically contract any type of virus or bacteria that could be transmittable to your horse (or dog) through soil, manure or close proximity. When you enter their habitat, you do so at your own risk. 
-----------
👉The Salt River wild horses are humanely managed by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG), overseen and under contract with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) and through an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Service. 
⚖ The Salt River wild horses are protected pursuant to A.R.S 3-1491, also called the Salt River Horse Act, passed and signed by Governor Ducey in 2016 and enacted in 2017. 
🏞 These wild horses roam freely on approx. 20,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest (Forest Service land). They are fenced in and surrounded by civilization on all sides, but they are safe within their habitat, and all Salt River wild horses have free access to the lower Salt River. 
☀️ Because of the persistent drought,  SRWHMG has 4 feed stations in each quadrant of the forest that are supplied with certified weed free alfalfa by our hard working volunteers. The horses know exactly where these feed stations are. This crucial feed program is keeping them healthy through a difficult period with very little forage to eat in the Tonto National Forest. 
🌱🍴Should you come upon a very large group of horses, you probably have entered a feed station.  We ask that you stay on the outside perimeter of these feed areas and enjoy the sight of happy horses, but please keep your distance. 
🐣SRWHMG also administers a humane birth control program in order to stabilize the horse population, which in turn affords the horses  to stay wild and free. You may see our darting teams outthere in the field at any time during the year with a green dart projector, or air rifle. The darters are certified and follow a safety protocol for horses as well as people. 
🦺Our volunteers work hard on a number of different tasks, you may see them fixing a fence, helping horses cross, closing gates, or giving out information. You may also see them treat or check on an injured horse. They always do their tasks under oversight and authorization of the AZDA and Forest Service. 👩‍🔧We ask that you heed their advice and be kind and courteous to them. Their jobs are time consuming and they do not get paid for it. You are welcome to watch our volunteers, and you are welcome to ask them any questions after they are done with their work. (However you should not interfere with the tasks they are trying to accomplish.)
---------
You can help keep the horses safe by: 
⚠️Closing all gates behind you, because a horse that gets out, will be on the road and has no way of getting back into the forest. 
🌏 Keeping the forest clean;  pack out what you pack in and pick up some extra trash for the horses if you can. 
🛻Heed the speed limit on Bush Hwy and Goldfield Rd., there are speed feedback signs and limits are strictly enforced by MCSO Lake patrol. 
📲Please report any issues or injuries of horses to the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group hotline (480)-868-9301
🙏Please consider supporting the horses by making a tax deductable donation on our website or through Facebook. You can also find out more information or buy great wild horse merchandise and prints: Visit www.srwhmg.org 
Have a beautiful day, SRWHMG.
📷Photo by supporter Chris Markes
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Thank you!❤

Thank you for these important reminders that keep the people visiting the river and forest safe, as well as the Salt River Wild Horses safe. You and your volunteers of the SRWHMG are wonderful and Thank you for all you do to protect and keep the wild horses healthy and safe..

Beautiful photo and thank you for the information and hard work by everyone.

Beautiful photo and excellent information-thank you for posting all of this. And major thanks to you and everyone involved in the work you do and help you provide!!

Thank you SRWHMG for your continued reminders, it is so important for all of the great visitors, that come to see our beautiful wild horses are educated with the correct protocols for their safety as well as the horses. Also a big thank you to all of the volunteers that make your organization rock. 💕

Thank you for posting this and all that you do! Hopefully people will follow the rules so we all can enjoy these marvelous creatures for a long time to come.

Great information and advice to keep the beautiful wild horses and people safe!

Wonderful information!

Good info - hoping humans just sit and enjoy nature

Beautifully written.

Great reminders!

Great information !

This doesn’t look like people are giving these horses their space. Why delete my comment? Why not tell these people to give space? Why do you let this go on?

Thanks for all you do!!!

You all do such a great job taking care of those national treasures!! Thank you for loving them!

Great information and reminders to keep everyone safe and healthy! Thank you SRWHMG!!!

Great post full of useful and needed information. Thank you. I hope it is read by many

“All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all”. SRWHG Thank you for the easy to understand above important information regarding our Beautiful Salt River Wild Horses! Keeping the simplest of guidelines will continue to bring us amazing beauty!

Excellent information. Thanks to your dedicated, unpaid volunteers who devote their time and energy for the welfare of the Salt River herd. ❤️🐴

Off topic but can anyone by chance tell me how to get to this exact spot . Not for the horses ( which we do love to see ) but to take family photos ? Please and thank you .

Bless all of the dedicated volunteers that protect these beautiful beasts ❤️🐎

Great information! I would suggest you add to your post that it's possible to support the horses by selecting your organization on smile.amazon.com

Wild horses are a precious GIFT!! Wait ALL Equines ARE! Treat with respect!!!💕💕💕

Thank you for all your hard work!

I would like to repost this on our community's Events page to educate those here.

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BREAKING: click here to watch! It is sometimes difficult to explain how our programs keep the Salt River wild horses right where they belong, while also keeping their environment in mind, but this segment boils it down to where it's easy to understand. If you love and enjoy them, please help us thank FOX 10 Phoenix for this very informative and beautiful piece! ... See MoreSee Less

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Wild horse management group works to humanely control the population on the Salt River

www.fox10phoenix.com

An Arizona non-profit group is helping to prevent wild horses from being removed from their natural habitat by using birth control darts.

5 days ago

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So thankful for this inspiring news story, which shares the truth and the wonderful results of humane Wild Horse Management. This should serve as a template for other herds, like the completely cruel and unnecessary round-up travesties in Utah, Nevada and California! When you know better, you can do better. FOX 10 Phoenix, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this story!!

Wonderful news piece! Thank you FOX 10 Phoenix and thank you SRWHMG for the wonderful programs that allow us to keep these horses free.

Great coverage of this story FOX 10 Phoenix so proud of srwhmg for saving our wild ones!

Hopefully the exposure leads to better education and more funding to keep these beautiful animals in their natural habitat!

What a great story! Keep up the good work SRWHMG!

Thanks for all your hard work.

Linda Taylor

Great segment. I support you financially as much as I can!

There is so much I am grateful for their dedication of presurvation of Wild Horses in Arizona! This humane way of keeping the BLM from the Horrible Round Ups, which is Geniside I my opinion, it will make a huge difference in how Will Horese are treated! They deserve to Live Wild to Live Free! Thank you to all who made this possible! Blessings!💕🐎

Awesome! The public needs to learn that there are humane ways of controlling herds without the horrors of roundups and what happens to our American mustangs. 😢 Thank you for all the great work that you do!! 🙏❤️

I take HUMANE management any day vs. the cruel and taxpayer-subsidized round ups!! Please let them be, give them their space and respect them and nature. 💙❤️

Great coverage, and of course, I'm proud to help support SRWHMG

Nicely done... educating the public is necessary for keeping them safe, and the horses respected... hoping that the knowledge shared, and the compassion we give ours will spread to help other wild horses everywhere! Thank you all! 💓

Beautiful segment. AZ is blessed to have a group like this. Thank you for your hard work in protecting the Wold Horses. ❤❤❤

What a great piece and thank you to AZDA, USFS and SRWHMG for all you do to keep these beauties wild and free.

Was very surprised to see the horses near the 101 and Indian bend.

Awesome news story very informative and well done💕 Thanks for all you do for these horses SRWHMG💕. I was so glad you had the video on Facebook so I could watch it I live in Missouri and support when I can😊

What a beautiful segment. Truly shows the breathtaking beauty our Lower Salt River beholds. The Magic steals the hearts of many... The Salt River Wild Horses are a huge part of this magic... and we need to protect it and respect it.🙏🏻 I support the SRWHMG 💯 💞

I'm so grateful to SRWHMG for all you do to protect our wild horses. They are an asset to our state. You will always have my support.

Hoping to ride my Harley again to support Salt River Wild Horse management

Thank you Fox 10 Phoenix and SRWHMG for all that you do in support of these Beauties!❤️

saw it on Fox 10 last night, it was an awesome piece and so informative, great job to all of you!

Thank You FOX 10 Phoenix and Brad Gass for an excellent job showing Arizona’s treasured Salt River Wild Horses. Brad Gass your photos/video captured how special these horses are to everyone who visits the Salt River. Thank You Simone Netherlands and the amazing SRWHMG team for educating the public and looking out for the wild horses. What an educational segment that showed these iconic wild horses and the work that the SRWHMG does managing them so humanely so that they can stay wild and free. The public truly appreciates the SRWHMG for all the hard work and dedication they give to these beautiful horses.

Just love that these horses can live their authentic lives where they are.

Terrific news piece, thank you Fox 10 and THANK YOU, SRWHMG, FS & AZDA for working together to keep these beautiful horses in their home. Proudly supporting the SRWHMG 100%!!!

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www.fox10phoenix.com/live
Watch fox10 live from anywhere with this link, tonite 9 pm, about the humane management of the Salt River wild horses!
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Live News Stream: Watch FOX 10 Phoenix

www.fox10phoenix.com

Stream local news and weather live from FOX 10 Phoenix. Plus watch NewsNOW, FOX SOUL, and more exclusive coverage from around the country.

5 days ago

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That was an awesome news story and footage. Nice to have a positive story on the news for a change.❤️

Thank you Ch10 for this fabulous segment on Our Salt River Wild Horse's, Keep up the fabulous work Simone and all the SRWHMG volunteers. Wild And Free

What a great news piece featuring these iconic treasures. They and their home are so beautiful. Thank you SRWHMG for all the amazing hard work you do to keep them wild a free. I feel like I’ve hit the lottery to live near this wonderful majestic scene.

Great news clip

Thank u fox 10 for sharing the hard work , the passion the dedication that so many people put their heart and soul into so everyone can enjoy these beautiful creatures. The sight of these horses can only make one smile !!!!

That was so well done! Congratulations & Much Gratitude!

Great report! Thank you FOX 10 Phoenix for taking the time to showcase the wonderful work SRWHMG does with humanely managing these magnificent animals.

Amazing Segment!! Thank You FOX 10 Phoenix !!! And thank you Salt River Wild Horse Management Group for all the hard work & dedication !!!

That was beautiful. Great job guys. Beautiful horses

Beautiful story, but can you please explain why not allowing a mare to have a foal for a year is going to maintain the population for future generations? Why? I don't understand the logic.. let the horses breed and do their thing its what will preserve then for future generations.. help me to understand please...

What a great segment. Thank you to Fox 10 for this story

Wow, Fox 10 Phoenix great job showcasing this. I also want to say thank you to SRWHMG for their amazing hard work and dedication in keeping this american treasure alive in AZ. I believe you all put together the majority of that footage for Fox news to share. It was breath taking.

Fantastic success story!! PZP is so much better than horribly cruel round ups happening in other states. This incredible partnership between the state, the forest service, and the fantastic SRWHMG volunteers should serve as a blueprint for what is possible in humane wildlife management. ❤

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Monday, 8, Mar
Watch the humane management of the Salt River wild horses!
Monday, 8, Mar
It is a beautiful day in the Tonto National Forest
Monday, 8, Mar
BREAKING: click here to watch!
Monday, 8, Mar
Coming up! A news piece that highlights our life’s work: the humane management of the Salt River wild horses.
Monday, 8, Mar
Coming up!
Monday, 1, Mar
Thank you to all the photographers who share the everyday lives of the Salt River wild horses!

Welcome back,

Salt River Wild Horse Management Group
  • Home
  • Donate
    • Sponsor a Horse
    • Jade’s Legacy Fund
    • Bequest Form
    • Supplemental Feed Program
  • Updates
    • Long Term Plan
    • In the News
    • HB2858
  • Info
    • Background
    • FAQs
    • Wild Horses Have Value
    • History of Wild Horses
    • Horse Viewing Guidelines
    • Protected by AZ State Law
    • How Long Have They Been Here?
    • Humane Birth Control
  • Video
  • What You Can Do
    • Sponsor a Horse
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Corporate Sponsorship
  • Shop