Flying Changes Equine Rescue

11/15/2024

Fall is our busiest season at the rescue as many horse owners realize that they will be unable to financially or physically care for their equines over the coming winter.

A HUGE thank you to Dr. Alexis from Allegheny Equine Associates who came out to Black Dog Stables yesterday for intake exams on two of our newest owner-surrenders, Ella and Gizmo.

Intake exams are really important, even on healthy horses - the exams give us a point of reference for the horses when they enter the rescue. Following the guidance of our veterinary team, we create exercise, feeding, and care plans for each horse, as well as discuss what kind of foster or long-term placement will be best for them.

If you would like to donate to help cover the costs of these exams, we always greatly appreciate the support. The number of horses we can help every fall directly correlates to the amount we can fundraise!!

To donate through our secure PayPal account, please click
https://paypal.me/flyingchangesrescue?count

ELLA AND GIZMO UPDATE
Both Ella and Gizmo received clean bills of health.

Gizmo is a senior (25+) gelding, and while he is sound as can be and FULL of s***k, Dr. Alexis learned that the grinding surface on his teeth is pretty worn down, so we'll be switching him to a mash diet to help him eat and digest his food, and hopefully put on a little weight. We're hoping to find him a companion home. If you're interested in fostering or adopting Gizmo, please reach out!!

Ella is a Friesian/Rocky Mountain cross in her late teens. She's a bit of an air fern and needs to lose some weight... so she's going to stay put at Sarah's farm for some diet and exercise, and under-saddle evaluations.

11/04/2024

FLYING CHANGES NEEDS FOSTER HOMES!!!!

The fall is often one of Flying Changes’ busiest times of the year as horse owners realize that they are not in a financial position to keep their horses over the winter (ESPECIALLY with the rapidly rising costs of keeping horses).

In just the last three days, we’ve received SIX surrender requests.

So we’re reaching out for help.

Flying Changes is foster-based. All of the horses that come though the rescue are evaluated, rehabilitated, retrained or schooled, and adopted out of foster homes, where generous equestrians – usually people with their own barns – house a Flying Changes horse for a period of time while the horse is evaluated, rehabilitated (if needed) and prepared for adoption – maybe this means additional training, maybe this means a tune-up, or maybe it means just getting the horse back in shape!

FLYING CHANGES NEEDS MORE FOSTER HOMES.

The number of horses we can help this fall is directly correlated to how many approved foster homes we have available.

Flying Changes will cover vet and farrier costs for foster horses, as well as supplements/feed/hay costs as well.

What a foster family needs to provide: a safe facility; shelter (a stall or pasture with run-in), and daily, hands-on interactions with a foster horse.

FOSTER FAMILIES ALSO HAVE FIRST RIGHT OF ADOPTION OF THEIR FOSTERED HORSE. WE LOVE FOSTER FAILS!!

If you are interested in learning more about fostering for Flying Changes, please message us through Facebook, or email the rescue at [email protected].

07/14/2024

COURTESY POST: Good morning, friends! Today we're posting two lovely mares located in Butler County. Their current owners are experiencing financial hardship and have asked us to help find them loving new homes.
First up is Delaney, a Morgan/Quarter X, in her mid-late twenties. Delaney is sound, broke to ride, and as sweet as they come. This lovely bay would be the perfect addition to a family looking for a companion puff, or a safe, solid horse for SMALL kids to ride around the farm. Delaney is approximately 15 hh, barefoot with good solid feet.
Zoie is also a bay Morgan/Quarter X. She is 14-15 years and stands approximately 15 hh. Zoie is broke to ride and sound. She would be a a wonderful 4-H partner or trail buddy. She's currently barefoot with good solid feet.

If you're interested in giving Delaney and/or Zoie a home, please contact us. Vet and farrier references will be needed, as well as information on where your farm or boarding facility. Thank you, and as always, please SHARE this post.

07/01/2024

COURTESY POST: Friends, we're looking for a special home for Agape, a striking 21 year old registered Appaloosa . This sweet guy has Equine Asthma (what we used call Heaves) and is easily managed.
Agape's owner's have suffered a personal tragedy and need to rehome him with someone who can give him the attention he deserves in an environment that is going to be beneficial for him. He needs to be outdoors as much as possible, ideally in a low dust environment. His stall needs to have good ventilation.
Although sound, Agape's owners prefer he goes to his new home as a companion/pasture pal instead of being ridden because of his asthma. He is in good health with great feet. He's barefoot and has never needed shoes.
Agape is 15.1hh, is a friendly, and easy to handle guy. , He's also lower on the pecking order.
Agape is located in Leechburg. If you believe you can provide a great home for him, please contact us ASAP and provide us with information about yourself, your farm/facility, vet and farrier references. Thank you and as always, please SHARE this post so we can help find this boy a home.

05/14/2024

Flying Changes and rescue horse I.Q. are featured on The Chronicle of the Horse today in a larger piece about helping children navigate their feelings when a horse may have to leave a barn.

Please enjoy. (You may want a tissue!)

There’s a small foster-based horse rescue in the Pittsburgh area called Flying Changes Equine Rescue. I’ve been on the board of directors for almost a decade and often foster rescue horses, one at a time, as they await adoption. 

05/08/2024

Please read and share to spread education about the devastating health consequences of these practices.

Altering tail carriage for the show ring is alarmingly widespread, and the effects on a horse’s health can be devastating. It is well past time we worked to stop this practice and other cosmetic procedures affecting the tail.

05/07/2024

YIPPEE! 3 NEW HOMES!
A couple of weeks ago we posted a plea for new homes for 2 minis, a mini mule, and an Appaloosa gelding. The response was INCREDIBLE.
Daisy, the palomino mini mare, was placed with a wonderful family. Her new mom says Daisy has a huge personality. Her zoomies around the paddock keep them all entertained while her retired gelding just stares at her antics. He completely adores her.

Diablo, the palomino mini gelding, was placed with another family and is living the life. He's already the center of attention and is enjoying all the attention and love being lavished on him. He's on his way to being spoiled - his family made him a custom mini door so he could look out into the barn like the big horses.

Bo, the unhandled mini mule, has turned out to be a real surprise. He was placed with Stu, a patient loving man with experience in working with untrained animals. Stu says Bo loves to be brushed and fussed over. He's working with Bo daily by picking up his feet and picking his hooves to ready him for the farrier (his hooves are way overgrown because he wouldn't stand for the farrier). Stu says Bo is totally in love with his paddock-mate Lucy. They eat together, play together, and he stands guard over her while she sleeps. Stu's promised to continue to send us updates on the progress this little guy is making.

We still need to find a home for the Appaloosa, Agape. Look for a new post about him soon.

Thank you to everyone who inquired about these cuties. We couldn't do what we do without your help and support.

04/25/2024

CONGRATS ON YOUR ADOPTION, IQ!

(And congrats to his new humans, Helen and Steve!)

IQ came to us in the fall when his owner's life situation resulted in her needing some help rehoming her horse, I.Q. He's been at Black Dog Stables in Gibsonia since the fall, and has been a regular in the lesson program there while we figured out what he likes to do, what's he's capable of, and what kind of a new home would be best for him.

Due to a long track history (he didn't retire until he was 9!) he comes with some "track jewelry" (mainly arthritis) and an eye injury leaving him blind in his left eye. But we learned that neither seemed to limit him, and we wanted to find him a home where he'd get regular use but not be overworked, in order to keep him healthy and sound for a long, long time!

When Helen approached us looking for a horse to ride around her GORGEOUS 30-acre farm, we thought that might be the PERFECT job for IQ.

Enjoy your new home, IQ!
And Helen - congrats on your new best friend!

Thanks to all of the lesson students at Black Dog Stables who helped get IQ back into shape and prepare him for his new home!

04/25/2024

04/20/2024

**********UPDATE*********

Thank you to everyone who has shared this post and who has reached out to us about Daisy, Diablo, Bo, and Agape. The response has been overwhelming ❤️. At this point we do believe we have found homes for everyone. We will keep you posted.

COURTESY POST: We've been contacted by a family that has experienced a horrible tragedy and can no longer keep up with all their animals. They've asked us to help find homes for these guys so everyone is loved and well cared for.

DAISY is a 14 yo palomino mini mare. She is gentle, loving, and loves attention. Daisy is broke to ride and drive.
DIABLO is a 13 yo palomino mini gelding. He is playful and loves attention. Diablo is a good boy who is also broke to drive and ride.
BO is a 6-7 yo mini mule (and the son of Daisy). Bo is, how should we put this - rowdy. He has been primarily unhandled for several years (since the family tragedy) and has not had proper ground manner training. Bo desperately needs a firm yet gentle owner who can work him to turn him into the solid citizen we believe he can be. He is NOT child safe at this time, although with training this could change. His owners say he responds well when attention is given to him.
AGAPE is a 21 yo Appaloosa gelding. He is registered, however his owners do not have his papers. Rusty is kind, gentle, and easy to work with. He's barefoot with great feet and an easy keeper. Agape is sound and broke to ride, but has not been ridden for the past 5 years due to heaves. He would make an awesome buddy to take out around the farm on colder days and in the winter, or as a companion horse.

Daisy, Diablo, Bo, and Agape are located in Leechburg, PA. If you are interested in any or all them, please message us. We will ask you to provide vet and farrier references as well as information about yourself, your horse and riding history, information on where you will board, or your farm.

Courtesy Post horses are not for sale. They do not carry an adoption fee. They are placed directly from the owner to the new owner with our help. We do our best to match the potential new owner with the horse and vice versa, just as we do with our horses that are up for adoption. Thank you and as always, please SHARE our post so we can find a home for these lovelies as soon as possible.

04/12/2024

ASPEN UPDATE: We're just thrilled to announce that we found a home for Aspen, the lovely but forward OTTB mare we posted along with her pasture mate several weeks ago. Her new mom, Stephanie, is a lifelong horse owner and rider who likes a mare with a bit of s***k - Aspen is exactly what she was looking for.

Aspen loaded and hauled beautifully to Stephanie's farm in Beaver County on Saturday. She's settling in nicely with her little herd and getting used to her new stall. She's loving her big pasture! We'll post more photos and additional updates soon. Thank you to everyone who reached out to us about Aspen.

02/25/2024

Ok, friends, we're pushing this COURTESY POST out again in hopes that someone new sees is. This mare is too nice to not find a home - gorgeous, good disposition, easy keeper, and SOUND. We don't often post horses like Aspen. We're also adding that we're obsessed with her adorable ears!

COURTESY POST: Meet Aspen, a gorgeous 21 / 22-year-old bay OTTB mare standing approximately 16.2hh. Located in Beaver County PA this girl is in need of a new home through no fault of her own. Her current owners are experiencing substantial life changes (including medical) and recognize they do not have the time or means to give her the care she deserves.
Aspen raced until she was 6 years old. During that time, she also ponied other racehorses on the track. What does that tell you about her temperament? Her owners have had her since she was 14 where she has been primarily trail ridden for the last 8 years. She does everything well on trails apart from needing a few prompts to cross water. If a buddy crosses, she will follow with a little coaxing. Prior to her time with her current owners, Aspen was boarded at an English facility where she underwent dressage training and was started over fences. Her previous owner was impressed with her natural ability in both disciplines and willingness to learn. This girl has a very smooth and solid W-T-C and when allowed, gallop. Her owners say that although Aspen is not a typical in-your-pocket filly, she does enjoy cuddles and head scratches and will give her all to the right person.
Aspen goes in a simple snaffle and while currently Western could easily be transitioned back to English. Her ideal home would be with an intermediate-to-advanced rider looking to trail ride or do some low-level dressage or flat work. Did we mention how lovely this mare is? We love a bay all snazzied up for show day or photo shoots around the barn. Aspen needs a buddy in the field, barn, and out on trail, and lots of room to run. She has been both field kept and stall boarded. Her owners report that she is an extremely easy keeper. She stands well for farrier/vet, loads and trailers easily. She’s barefoot and completely sound.

If you are interested in Aspen, please PM us with information about yourself (including riding and horse ownership experience), your facility/farm, vet, farrier, etc.
COURTESY POST horses are not for sale. They do not carry an Adoption Fee. They are placed directly from the owner to the new owner with our help. We do our best to match the potential new owner with the horse and vice versa, just as we do with our horses that up for adoption. Thank you and as always, please SHARE our post so we can find a home for Aspen as soon as possible.

02/18/2024

The date is set, the venue is booked, the jewelry is being selected...all we need is you!

Join us for our biggest (and most fun) fundraiser of the year! Sunday, April 7th at the Springdale Veterans Association - lunch and Fine Jewelry Drawing ticket included. This year's drawing promises to have $12,000+ of fine jewelry! If jewelry isn't your thing, no worries. We have over 50 Chinese Auction baskets and a Silent Auction too - containing TONS of horse/barn/farm related swag. Our Girlie Girl guests and Horse Gal guests equally enjoy this event.

Look for the Event to be posted on Facebook this week, and as always, Please SHARE.

11/07/2023

Update: the horse is currently headed to Alleghent Equine. Thank you all for your help. And thank you Elizabeth for hauling!

URGENT: looking for a vet who does emergency calls in Elizabeth, Pa.

10/25/2023

Update: farrier found! Thanks, everyone!!

FARRIER NEEDED IN ELIZABETH, PA!

We received a request for help from a local horse owner in Elizabeth who is looking for a farrier to trim ONE horse on her property in Elizabeth. She said that she has reached out to several who have refused her because she only has one horse.

We're looking for contact information for farriers who service that area in hopes that she could have her horse trimmed before or after a nearby appointment.

Please stick any names/numbers in the comments, or message the page.

Thank you, in advance!!

09/18/2023

Beware the dangers of high sugar fall grass . . .

We cannot stress this enough.

Your overweight equines are in the danger zone.

If they develop cresty necks they are on the edge of a precipice.

If they are overweight, or have a cresty neck, or both and the start being slightly lame do Not say to yourself it is an abscess.

Don't do it. Pull them off of the grass and take away all grain based feed right away.

The crest swells because of mineral imbalances (in many cases high potassium and nitrogen with low salt which is what happens in stressed fall grass) which cause fluid to leak into the spaces found in the crest and also in the foot.

Horses in this stage do not yet have rotating coffin bones but left alone tomorrow they very well could.

If your horse was cresty and now suddenly it is really puffed up or hard or lumpy this is your final warning sign. The next step that could happen in a matter of hours without intervention, is lameness followed by rotation.

09/10/2023

FOSTER HOME STILL NEEDED FOR TRIGGER

Remember this guy? We are once again looking for a foster home (with first chance at adoption) for Trigger, a horse who came to us last fall after his owner passed from cancer.

Trigger is a 19 year old Appendix Quarter Horse. He's a 15.2hh chestnut with a blaze and some chrome on his legs. He’s an ABSOLUTE gentleman to work around - very polite and sweet, and hasn’t put a foot wrong since we’ve had him. Easy keeper, no bad habits or stable vices - an absolute delight in the barn.

Trigger does have navicular and while he was doing well barefoot in the fall, he's been foot sore off and on this spring, so we want to make sure we’ve solved the issue completely before he’s ready for adoption. He got new shoes and pads, and seems to be doing better. We’re looking for a foster who would be willing to give this guy a place to rest and relax before evaluating him under saddle. He’s currently located at a foster farm in Cranberry Twp. Unfortunately, his pasture mate passed away, and we need to find him a new home.  We’re hoping to find a foster home who could give Trigger a place to hang out and get used to his new shoes while we run a few more diagnostics with our veterinarians (so his foster needs to be within Allegheny Equine’s service area) and give him the green light for under-saddle work. We’ve been told that Trigger LOVES trail riding but he’s not been sound enough for us to test that out.  There is also the possibility that he may never be sound enough for riding,so potential fosters would also have to be content with a loving, gorgeous pasture ornament.

Flying Changes will cover Trigger’s vet and farrier bills and any supplements or medications that he may need while in foster care, and fosters have first dibs on adopting when the horse is ready.

We think that Trigger could make a great addition to your farm, so if you have a stall and some patience to help us figure this guy out, please reach out to us for more information.

As always, comments and shares help spread the word about our horses!

08/26/2023

FOSTER HOME NEEDED FOR TRIGGER

Remember this guy? We are once again looking for a foster home (with first chance at adoption) for Trigger, a horse who came to us last fall after his owner passed from cancer.

Trigger is a 19 year old Appendix Quarter Horse. He's a 15.2hh chestnut with a blaze and some chrome on his legs. He’s an ABSOLUTE gentleman to work around - very polite and sweet, and hasn’t put a foot wrong since we’ve had him. Easy keeper, no bad habits or stable vices - an absolute delight in the barn.

Trigger does have navicular and while he was doing well barefoot in the fall, he's been foot sore off and on this spring, so we want to make sure we’ve solved the issue completely before he’s ready for adoption. He got new shoes and pads, and seems to be doing better. We’re looking for a foster who would be willing to give this guy a place to rest and relax before evaluating him under saddle. He’s currently located at a foster farm in Cranberry Twp. Unfortunately, his pasture mate passed away, and we need to find him a new home.  We’re hoping to find a foster home who could give Trigger a place to hang out and get used to his new shoes while we run a few more diagnostics with our veterinarians (so his foster needs to be within Allegheny Equine’s service area) and give him the green light for under-saddle work. We’ve been told that Trigger LOVES trail riding but he’s not been sound enough for us to test that out.  There is also the possibility that he may never be sound enough for riding,so potential fosters would also have to be content with a loving, gorgeous pasture ornament.

Flying Changes will cover Trigger’s vet and farrier bills and any supplements or medications that he may need while in foster care, and fosters have first dibs on adopting when the horse is ready.

We think that Trigger could make a great addition to your farm, so if you have a stall and some patience to help us figure this guy out, please reach out to us for more information.

As always, comments and shares help spread the word about our horses!