Little Hooves Mini Horse Rescue

14/02/2025

This a topic horse owners should be aware of and concerned about.

ACTION NEEDED to Oppose Lay Dentistry - Oppose House Bill 1176

We need you to represent the voice of veterinarians and horse owners with the state legislature! This is not a large animal or small animal issue – this is a veterinary practice issue.

House Bill 1176, a bill allowing equine dentistry to be provided by non-veterinarians without any regulation or specific training, passed the House of Representatives. The vote approving the bill was 39-28.

House Bill 1176 is under consideration by the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee next week. We need veterinarians and horse owners to contact committee members to express opposition to the bill. Supporters of the change are flooding the legislators with calls and e-mails. We need to counter those contacts and provide information about the need to keep equine dentistry safe and provided by veterinarians.

HB 1176 allows ANYONE to perform equine dentistry, even if they have absolutely no training in the procedures. The bill provides no guardrails for protections for the horses or the horse owners if a non-veterinarian performs the procedures and harms the horse. A non-veterinarian is not registered or regulated in any way by this bill.

HB 1176 creates a different standard of care for a veterinarian than a non-veterinarian who performs equine dentistry. Under the bill, if a non-veterinarian performs equine dentistry and harms or kills the horse, the owner may sue the person civilly, but there are no other consequences for that person. If a veterinarian performs equine dentistry and harms or kills the horse, the owner may sue the veterinarian civilly AND file a complaint against the veterinarian that may result in the veterinarian losing their license to practice veterinary medicine.

HB 1176 does not provide any guardrails or safeguards for the drugs – prescription or controlled substances – used in performing equine dentistry safely and humanely for the horse and handlers. Without a veterinarian involved in the procedures, the non-veterinarian is either not humanely sedating the horse for the procedure or is obtaining the drugs illegally to perform the procedures.

Please contact the members of Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee with a note of OPPOSITION to House Bill 1176.

The emails of the committee members are:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Please use OPPOSE House Bill 1176 in the subject line of your email to help the committee member quickly know your position.

If you prefer to call your legislator, you can call the Senate Lobby at 605-773-3821 to leave a short message with Senate staff.

We also appreciate if you are comfortable reaching out to horse owner clients to encourage them to oppose House Bill 1176.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

26/01/2025

Sugarfoot got a spa day from volunteer Brenda

17/01/2025

Meet sugarfoot! She's a very sweet mare who needs a little tlc to get back into shape.

Sugarfoot has a new home once some rehab is done

Let me be clear...Sugarfoot is here because of an owner searching for a way to help this pony. Most of the ponies I get are from caring owners who love their animals enough to seek help that they can't provide themselves for a variety of reasons; access to care professionals or life events being the most common reasons. Often times a combination of factors that led to the ponies condition.

02/01/2025

Happy New Year from all the ponies (& Lyle) at Little Hooves Mini Horse Rescue

23/12/2024

Dental day for Tinkerbell, Eeyore, Sugar, Topsy, and Bonnie.

23/12/2024

Looking for🏠
PM with any questions!

14/12/2024

Come see us at Buffalo Ridge Brewing from 4-9pm today

Silent auctions - festive trees - good beer - and lots of rescues from around SD

Come vote for your favorite tree (hint: it's the one with ponies all over it)

13/12/2024

A little info about Saturdays event! Hope to meet a lot of you there!

12/12/2024

New t-shirts are here! Distressed Team pony logo t-shirts are available in 3 colors sizes small-2xl Get yours today!

Payment accepted by venmo, PayPal, cashapp, Facebook pay or cash/check if you're local. Message me and I'll get your short set aside or shipped!

11/12/2024

Today's temp -4°F with -26° windchill. Here's what I know this morning:
•Sundogs are pretty but pack a cold punch
•a semi load of hay is still a wonderful sight even if it needs unloaded in the cold
•the semi will start at -4°. I don't know if it will start at -5.
•The tractor needs hydraulic oil. Too cold and not enough juice to lift the bale spear.
•the skidsteer fires right up at -4
•the black truck does not.... click, click, click ...needs a new battery
•the skidsteer can indeed reach the top row of bales on a semi trailer. Same reach as the tractor.
•it takes 2 hours outside for my toes to freeze in -4 with 2 pair of wool socks.

Make a pony rescue they said. It'll be fun they said.

Have a great (& warm) day!

09/12/2024

Lyle and Bonnie got to go to town today to be part of a live nativity. They both did excellent and loved the attention.

05/12/2024

Great Christmas gift for the pony lovers out there!

28/11/2024

The results of the donkey shed project! Dad got the shed finished up, today Steve and I helped finish up the fence and let the donkeys out! Jenny and Jenny2 are settling in to their new home.

25/11/2024

Too cute not to share. Zendie isn't a rescue but is my personal dutch harness horse pictured here with a little visitor.