Thursday, October 27, 2011

A letter from Jim:

To Hytyme Friends and Supporters:

In the last few weeks, I have been in touch with several news organizations to discuss the situation surrounding the state of Oregon's insurance claim. We've had a few segments on KOIN news, and reporters from the Estacada News and The Oregonian have been out to the barns for interviews.

While our predicament is a difficult one, we want to make one thing clear. Hytyme Equine Rescue is not going out of business, and we are not losing our house and property--at least not yet. We can't say for sure if this situation will or will not be the demise of Hytyme Equine Rescue.  As it stands, the future isn't clear for us.  Until this is straightened out, Hytyme will not be in a growth mode.  Needless to say, we cannot afford more rescue horses, but we do intend to support those currently in our care. If the State does win, the rescue will be the very last thing to go.  We always have to remember that these horses did not choose to come here and live.  They were invited.  We are responsibile for their care, no matter what happens.

Surprisingly, this has been a positive experience.  Because of all of you, we are getting more help than ever, plus equine rescues are getting some much needed publicity.  Think about this--how many people actually know what happens to most horses after a stock auction? How many  people have seen what a horse rescued from slaughter looks like once it has been rehabilitated? How many people have been lucky enough to spend time in the presence of so many wonderful equine personalities?

As always, thank you. If you would like to help, we are happy to accept donations for the care of the horses at our facility. We have several senior residents who require special feeds, and we always have a need for donated feed and veterinary supplies. We would also appreciate advice and support from those who have legal experience in these types of situations. Please contact me at hytymejim@gmail.com if you would like to help. We just want to keep doing what we do best here at Hytyme--helping horses live happy, peaceful lives.
Thank you!
Jim Elliott
Hytyme Equine Rescue

Friday, October 21, 2011

October 21st, 2011

Hytyme has been in the news! Although the reason we've been in the news is a little difficult, we're optimistic in that sharing our story, we'll be able to gain advice and support on how to proceed. 

A week and a half ago, a reporter came to the barns from KOIN news in Portland. Even though it was a wacky day of heavy rains, he was able to get a lot of footage of Jim, Juliet and Tempest, Cameo, and Becca and Hope. He was even able to get a nice shot of Katie Mae (aka Black Beauty!) grazing in the big field.

The story aired this past Sunday. Here is a link to the transcript of the video. It explains what Jim and Sherry are dealing with from the State of Oregon: State Insurance Claim Threatens Eagle Creek Horse Rescue .

We're hopeful that our supporters as well as people who are unfamiliar with Hytyme can help advise us through this tough time. This story will also help horse rescues gain more momentum in the news, and, no matter what you think of the Occupation movement, our plight does mirror the issues that many are facing around the county.

Yesterday, a reporter from the Estacada News came to speak with Jim, and on Monday, a reporter from The Oregonian will be out at the barn. Other bigger media contacts are in the works, too. The more we can share our story, the larger our audience will be. Creating awareness is all we can do! We just want to keep doing what we're doing.

So, on that note, here are some updates on our horses!

Alex and Peanut Butter Boy are doing very, very well! Alex has been riding Peanut Butter Boy around the facility, and he is getting better with each ride. Alex also works with Spendy, who is doing equally well in her training. Alex recently moved a bit closer to the rescue, so she is able to come more often. Thanks, Alex!

It was also great to see Cathy last weekend! She worked with Snickers.

And, it's also been nice to have Wick and Sharon around. Sharon is a bellydance instructor, and her clinics take place in awesome locations like Japan and the Ukraine.

Braveheart, an older gentleman with bad knees and a bad wheeze, has not been feeling so good. He hurt his arthritic leg, but with rest and care, he is showing improvement.


The pastures are still quite green and the horses are all looking good. Jim hasn't even started feeding hay to the horses in the big field yet! Jim and Wick put up a new stock fence between the two pastures on the east side. Jim also moved the water trough about 40 feet from its old location near the big pasture gate. Hopefully, it will make it less muddy during the winter.

Katie has also built a wonderful rock path from barn #1. We'll all be appreciating this path during the height of winter! It settles and gets more useable every day.
Here's a picture of an early version of the Rockway. It's now much bigger! We will get updated pictures for the next blog.


 You can also see some more pictures of it on our Facebook page, and you can see Katie and Jodene working on its progress. There are also some great new pictures of our equine residents, too!

Jim plans on building another similar rock path by the other barn, moving big rocks with his tractor.

Until next time!