Kids Who Care .. Kids Making A Difference In The Lives Of Rescued Animals!

From happytrailsfarm.org

Farm News
Kids Who Care .. Kids Making A Difference In The Lives Of Rescued Animals!
By Annette Fisher, Executive Director
May 7, 2009, 08:43

ROOTSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL S.O.S. GROUP
Community Problem Solving Team

The Rootstown Project S.O.S. (Saving Other Species) Group has chosen both

Happy Trails and Noah's Lost Ark as their community projects for this year. They are a Community Problem Solving Team from Rootstown High School, and Happy Trails has been blessed with the involvement of not only the students in this group, but with many of the parents as well! Team leader and high school student, Elizabeth Benshoff, has orchestrated many projects for the good of the animals at Happy Trails. Elizabeth and her group even participated along with Happy Trails in Humane Lobby Day, hosted by HSUS (Humane Society Of The United States), which was held at the Columbus State House in February. The students helped by meeting with our state representatives and congressmen to encourage them to support laws which deal with harsher penalties for animal cruelty, and to possibly co-sponsor bills which would address animal cruelty

and neglect in Ohio.

Sanctuary projects that the group handled included spring clean-up of Heaven's Trail, Happy Trails pet cemetery, where those creatures that we have not been able to save are not forgotten. Parents also got involved and worked very hard helping to paint several barns and animal shelters, and are now working on installing wiring for our new office.

The S.O.S. group's project was recently entered in a competition for the state, and we are proud to announce that they won 2nd place for their age group and have now been invited to the International Conference at Michigan State the last week of May. Not only are the students really excited and honored to be chosen, Happy Trails is thrilled to be a part of such an incredible group of students. Many thanks to Elizabeth and her entire crew of students and parents!

THE MANE ATTRACTION 4-H EQUINE
GROUP OF SUMMIT COUNTY
On Sunday, May 3rd, 4-H advisor, Carrie Shuster, arrived at Happy Trails with about six teenage girls in tow and a lot of energy!

This 4-H group, which is primarily an equine club, had chosen Happy Trails

as their special project, and spent the day working on cleaning up the wooded area where the Belgian draft horse now reside. In between picking up downed limbs and branches, the girls took time to brush and groom the giant horses who wander happily through the woods. Though they are all "horsey people", I

Carrie Shuster, Mane Attraction 4-H Advisor.

truly believe that during their tour of the sanctuary they thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the pigs and the goats and the other rescued farm animals as well! After several hours of hard work, the girls produced a vegetarian lunch out of respect for the abused and neglected farm animals at the sanctuary, and held their 4-H meeting on a picnic blanket under the shade of the trees.

This group does it all — they volunteer with animals, local charities, and try to help out anywhere they are needed!

Thanks to Sunday's hard workers: Amy Shuster, Nikki Krenn, Tori Krenn, Stephanie Matejovich, Taylor Turk and Karey Turk. We would like to wish the all the very best of luck when they proudly show their very-well cared for horses this summer at the Summit County Fair! What an incredible group of caring and compassionate kids!

THE SUNDANCE KIDS 4-H GROUP OF CHARDON
(Geauga County)
On Wednesday, April 15th, Shirley Latimer and an entourage of 4-H horsey kids and parents decended upon Happy Trails. Not only did they arrive for a tour of the sanctuary, they arrived bearing gifts for the animals! Their entire group helps to collect gently used tack, which included

halters, bridals, grooming supplies, blankets, saddle pads, lead ropes, show clothing, and much more. Any items that might not be needed at the sanctuary itself are taken to a local tack auction. All proceeds from these items benefit the equine rescue programs at Happy Trails.

The excited group of about 15 or 20 kids and adults got to see, pet, touch or talk to nearly every animal at the sanctuary. Though this was their fist visit to Happy Trails, our relationship with these compassionate kids goes back for several years. They have

been tried and true supporters of the equine rescue programs at Happy Trail, and are always putting together care packages for the horses as well as for those of us who care for them!

Shirley Latimer, 4-H advisor for the group, has welcomed Happy Trails several times to give a presentation to their club during a monthly meeting. We always enjoy the company of these folks and look forward to talking to them about the latest group of rescued horses in need of a good home.

After taking such great care of their own horses, the students truly want to do something for those horses who are not fortunate enough to have owners who are as loving and attentive as they are with their furry four-legged friends. Talk about a fantastic group of kids and parents! Congratulations to the parents for helping to nurture kids who care!

4-H HORSE BOWL GROUP OF PORTAGE COUNTY
& Their Tail-Bag Fundraiser!

OK, so what exactly is a Horse Bowl you ask? And, what is a tail-bag fundraiser? This is the story of an incredible group of compassionate and caring 4-H horsey-kids who LOVE the equine rescue programs at Happy Trails and helped raise funds for the rescued horses!

The Portage County 4-H Horse Bowl is a group of horse-loving kids who participate not only in riding their horse in their 4-H clubs, but they also compete academically with regards to their knowledge about horse related topics.

These competitions cover areas such as routine care, medical needs, breeds, colors, riding disciplines, types of tack, and many other

Portage County 4-H Horse Bowl Members
horse-related topics. After visiting Happy Trails recently, the Portage County 4-H Horse Bowl Team went to the state competetion. The senior team won state out of 20 teams and are headed to Nationals in Kentucky and to Quarter horse Congress. The junior team was fifth out of 32 teams.

Congratulations guys for doing such a fantastic job!!!

OK, so that solved the "What is a Horse Bowl" question.

Now, what is a "tail bag" fundraiser?

For all of you non-horsey folks, a tail-bag is a special wrap that you can place over your horse's tail to keep it clean and free of debris, especially right before a show. It's basically what the name says it is — it's a bag that you can place over your horse's tail. Lots of

people make their own tail bag out of pretty material and bright colors and pretty ribbons to tie it to the tail, just to play dress-up with their favorite equine companion.

Well, instead of stuffing their tail bags with..well, with tails...the group decided to stuff their tail bags with money! The 4-H Horse Bowl group took tail bags and collected change for the rescued horses at Happy Trails. And collect they did — the group happily presented Happy Trails with $231.10 that was collected through their tail bag fundraiser.

A fantastic group of about eleven Horse Bowl members visited Happy Trails on Saturday, March 28th, and met in person many of the rescued horses who will benefit from their kindness and generosity. As the group toured the sanctuary, we quizzed them mercilessly on their smarts about horse stuff. They both amazed and delighted us with just how much horse-sense they had, and we were thrilled to see that the kids

not only truly loved the horses that are a part of their family, but knew how to take excellent care of them as well.

It always lifts our spirits to see kids who care about rescued animals!

Many thanks to Heather Watkins, 4-H Advisor for the Horse Bowl team, for helping to create an awareness in today's youth regarding the animal abuse and neglect that goes on regarding horses. Happy Trails is very grateful to the entire team, to the students as well as the parents who participated in the tail bag fundraiser.