Proud to be an American!! Crossed Sabers Stable Home of   Congratulations to Second Wind Adoption Program for being awarded the Horse Rescue and Relief Award for 2012       horse training 2012 Year in Review Below is our 2012 Pictorial review (staring some of our adoption horses and dogs), also stars some of our SWAP friends, rider, volunteers, supporters and family. A special thank you to all our adopters who have opened up their homes and hearts to our 4 legged friends, for always doing what is best for them and for being such a great friend to SWAP. We thank you for being an important part of the SWAP family for 16 years now. This also shows some of the work and riding on the farm, our volunteers in action, some of our annual events and those important people that make those things happen for us.  Turn up your sound, click on the video and enjoy.... You need Adobe Flash Player to watch Youtube video's, download it here http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/   2011 Year in Review   2010 Year in Review     2009 Year in Review   Some of our Rescues Our primary mission is "rescue prevention" to get horses into great committed homes before the need for rescue arises but we try not not turn any horse away that is in need. Here is just a few of the rescues we've done.  Click on the video, turn up the sound and see the transformations of sick horses into well horses ready for a family and a job. You need Adobe Flash Player to watch Youtube video's, download it here http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/   Congratulations to crossedsabers.com and Crossed Sabers for being selected as one of the Best Pet Websites in the world by the Editors of The Pet Directory, only a handful are selected each year for Excellent Content, Design and Presentation, Attention to Detail, Prestige and Visibility and for Encouraging Compassion and care of animals. Good Job! Award Winning Horse Rescue and Horse Website from Horse Breeds Info Congrats Second Wind Adoption Program Awarded From Horse Training Recent Newsletters February 2013 http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ffbsoncab&v=001uhMSa17EQAdnNYJ1f_DuOtyDXtBfb2JWNuvEel1iK1dyKoG-aBhlxW1J4UwAxssQoH8EZji1KCZOJOR1RwpStU9l__jhVMlSpJvwXCDHkKdfi9rMga8loA%3D%3D   Top 20 Reasons to Support Second Wind:   1. There are more neglect cases in the top welfare states, WV is one of those states, the states average income, educational level is also lower, unemployment rates are higher than the national average plus higher rates of disability, all of these factors increase the factors of animal neglect.   2. Because WV is still less expensive than most states, we can still save and help more animals than nearly anywhere else in the US.     3. SWAP helps horses, cats and dogs, all companion animals that have the highest rates of death by euthanasia and slaughter. We do everything in our power to train every animal so they will be successful in their home, and we do all we can to make sure each animal is current with all health care and basic care (shots, farrier, deworming, castrations, spay neuter) is always done when they are of age.     4. SWAP screens all adopters, to include insuring the adopter has appropriate facilities, training and employment/steady income, many rescues don't even ask if the adopter has a job.     5. SWAP tracks all their animals for life with a strong agreement that protects the animal forever.   6. SWAP has taken adopters to court that have breeched their agreement and hurt our animals, the agreement has been upheld in the courts in 5 states.     7. SWAP is 98% volunteer, we only pay employees for the heaviest work on the farm.     8. SWAP has its own farm and does not depend on fosters who have varies degrees of experience, formal training and time. The SWAP directors and volunteers and part time employees have a total of over 90 years of professional experience and training. SWAP also pays $250. a month to have the farm and the operation protect from liabilities and disaster.   9. SWAP also does everything in its power to protect horses, volunteers, employees, interns, visitors, adopters by using strong safety practices and we're pleased to say the only person that has ever been hurt here is our President who tends to take the brunt of the risks on the farm. There has never been any accident on the farm where any horse had to be put down because of the accident... only minor typical injuries of horses.   10. SWAP has over 16 years experience doing nothing but adoption, rescue and training adopters and their horses. We don't do anything else, no breeding, no boarding, no other farm animals to take time/money from rescue.   11. SWAP accepts animals from all over the US and Canada and we have animals in homes in 47 states and Canada. SWAP has been involved in neglect cases in many states, influenced local, regional and national welfare laws.   12. Many rescues sell their horses outright, they do not screen adopters and do not track their animals, some don't even call adopters to follow up even once. Many do not have any written agreement and many do not track for life, they release ownership after 2 years or immediately, which would be fine if horses only lived 2 years but many live well into their 30's and 40's. So with those programs they can be saved only to go right back into the cycle of neglect and being passed around.   13. Statistics show that 80% of horse owners only keep their horse for 5 years, which means that most horses will be in at least 6 homes over the course of their life. It only takes one bad or uneducated home to end a horses life.   14. Many rescues use emotional hijacking to get people's money by showing dying animals and telling supporters they will go to slaughter on saturday or monday. Most times this is not true at all, the horse is held until its sold.   15. Most neglect cases are never prosecuted and many do not even take the animal out of the neglectful home, but our strong agreements allow us to remove horses from neglectful homes without the authorities.   16. In all 50 states animal welfare laws are weak and do not govern or protect the animal for optimum health... they only are written for the absolute minimum care and many animals will still die with minimum care.   17. SWAP has always been completely open about issues, problems, about when we are struggling or even when we have to put a sick horse or dog down. Most programs keep those things secret for fear they will lose financial support. Our website is set up so that you can completely track every horse that comes to us, see it as available, as adopted and then see reports from adopters as happy endings. Many programs do not even keep their website up to date, much less allow you to track each and every animal that comes to them.   18. SWAP is a full service welfare organization. We've gone in with the authorities in several states, we've filed criminal complaints against adopters and other horse owners for neglect, we've testified in several neglect cases. Our president has completed 12 equine cases as an expert witness. We've not approved applications because of dishonesty or poor facilities. We've done all we can to either teach adopters to protect them, including not approving an application for horses that were well over their experience level, we've sued adopters for neglect, removed horses from adopters for neglect and for breech of agreement, we've fired volunteers and employees who we found were either hurting adoption animals or were stealing from them or we found to be dishonest. We've helped put neglectful people into jail by reporting and testifying. This certainly has not made us any friends and that is why you see us smeared all over forums but rescue and adoption is about working for the horse.   19. For many years and even today when some rescues have one to 3 animals in their rescue, we are saving between 30 to 60 animals at one time. Do you help one animal or do you help 60? We believe you help 60.   20. SWAP posts all receipts for feed, farrier, vet, deworming, spay/neuter, shots, training, special care for all animals and those are available to all donors at anytime.   This is not to say that we are the only good rescue, that is not true at all, there are many but we urge each of you to research where your dollars are going, to look at the agreements, practices and investments of programs and see how many animals they are helping, their experience and practices before investing your time and support.   Celebrating 16 years of helping horses, dogs and cats and their owners. About Us Crossed Sabers Stable Rt 2 Box 24A Jockey Camp Road West Union, West Virginia 26456 304-873-3532 Join Our Mailing List!   Rescues, Adoptions and Happy Endings to Celebrate! RESCUES JUST ARRIVED Cocoa and her baby Cocoa Puff (now coming 4) returned from an adopter because of divorce, we got Cocoa Puff castrated and now starting to train both, neither were worked with at the adopters so we know, without our contract, these two would have been on their way to slaughter already. Not training a young horse today is a kiss of death for the horse.   Irish Renegade is a '95 STB that was rescued in southern WV, formerly a harness race horse and then a speed racker, the rescuer took him as far as she could and then sent him to us. He was much worse when she saved him. Country Bumkin is a '99 STB or STB cross, not tattooed that was also rescued in southern WV, she too was much worse when rescued but still has a long way to go. Both are located at our farm already. We also have a Paso gelding and donkey coming from the same person very soon.   Rufus Maximus was found on a road in Clarksburg, as soon as he gets neutered he will be coming here for training and to be placed into a home.   Shiloh is another border collie from our county, she is getting fixed on the 23rd, is already house trained and super smart, learning tricks like crazy. We also have a litter of lab puppies and 2 other dogs coming from our county Animal Control Officer, they will all be spayed/neutered on the 23rd as long as they are old enough, will stay here for training, shots/deworming and placement.   all of Lexi's puppies have been adopted! Snickers was adopted and shown in his home here... looking pretty happy.   Sophie was adopted, here she is with her new momma.   Jethro was adopted, here playing with his buddy at his home. His foster mom Debra adopted him. YEA!!   ALSO ADOPTED: Ashley, Lexi, Abby, Susie Q, Buddy, and Toby. Thanks to all our adopters!!   HORSES AND DOGS IN THEIR HOMES!!   Classy at her long time home in Virginia, photo credit to mom: Betsy Bailey   Cookie aka Figment relaxing at her home in Maryland, photo credit by Glass Eyed Pony.   STB Cody Cole and Ashley growing up together and showing a STB can jump and do dressage!!   Our two hams, Hilary and Dodger never shy about the camera, at their home in WV   Nancy and Banner enjoy a ride in Indiana with Hubby Chris.   Tex living the good life with Maria, laying in his bed and eating... what service.   Pete and Walter helping unload hay at home with the Beauclair family ... their home is full of SWAP animals and fostering Raven too!!   Posey aka Bloo and Tweeny showing off. Bloo is from the 2007 rescue from lewis county and the sire of Cocoa Puff that is at SWAP HQ now and we've realized he has his dad's ability to jump.... he's jumped out of his stall almost daily and over a fence.   Archie smiles showing his approval that he and his buddy Muppet are united again at home in Ohio with Cheryl and Steve.   Foster Update... Aargon has gone from a horse that was trying to hurt everyone when he arrived to a therapy horse with Lydia in NJ... so proud and amazed at his transformation!! Bravo!   Short Updates!!   Thanks to everyone who supported the last feed drive, the feed room is full just in time for rescues to arrive!!   We also completed another regular farrier visit and a deworming with Quest Plus.   We had a $1400. repair on our well, the pump and wiring went out, plus it needed cleaned out. Painful financially but completed.   A special thanks for Art and Mary for the many years of allowing us to offer their Cape Cod Cottage, we were able to offer 3 weeks and raised over $3000. much of it went to fix the well (so timely)!! Thank you to all our bidders, enjoy your vacation!   The Driving Clinic is coming together for the 19th and 20th of May in Purcellville, VA... there is still space available. $150. for hands on and $50. to audit and that includes lunch both days, many are driving over from WV/PA and we have a place to stay with our Director in Virginia. The instructor is a driving professional and has over 30 years experience driving, everyone will get plenty of chances to drive a team of horses. email us at secondwindadopt@aol.com or call 304-873-3532 to sign up.   Second Wind was selected by American Horse Trainers for the 2012 Horse Rescue and Relief Award. Thank you to all those who work here, volunteer, support, donate and adopt!! Without you we would not be here at all! Remember ... Don't Shop, Adopt!! You'll be in great company!