Do You Need a Horse Transport?

March 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment

The thought of transporting your horse family from one state to another is quite daunting.  When Clair Cabal made the decision to move from Montana to Georgia, the health and safety of her horses and donkeys and who could care for them on this journey weighed heavy on her.

Western Montana Equine Rescue recommended Gretchen with Diamond  Spur Transport for the job.

Diamond Spur Transport is a family owned business out of Bozeman Montana.  “When I contacted Gretchen and told her of my needs for transport…she practically squealed with delight” Clair said.  “This was meant to be…she was heading to Georgia to pick up same number of horses and donkeys and deliver them back to Stevensville Montana.  This was divine intervention”.

Clair’s equine family includes:
* Chinook came from Suzanne Pennypacker, a 4th generation Montanan whom had to disband her entire herd due to health issues.
* KK aka Kaydence came from Shannon Edney.
* Magic came from an auction where they super glued a post-it note to her butt that said “Canner Only”, which meant slaughter.  A friend bought her to save from slaughter and the rest is history.
* Dixie came from  Western Montana Equine Rescue.  She was extremely malnourished.
* Cheyenne came from a cruelty case and was searching for foster.
* Bastion and Cotton, the donkeys, came from a kill pen.  They were to be shipped the next morning.  They ship to Mexico for slaughter.  They were on deaths row and their time was almost up when a rescue friend said we have to save them.

From the cool mountains of Montana to the sunny skies in Georgia, Diamond Spur Transport out of Bozeman Montana took a journey to deliver Clair Cabal’s animal family to their new home in McDonough Georgia.

Gretchen Lehrkind hauled 5 horses Chinook, Dixie, Magic, Cheyenne and Kaydence and 2 donkeys Cotton and Bastion from Stevensville Montana to McDonough Georgia.  The donkeys were not trained to trailer.  “Her patient, calm and confident manner with the little donkeys was impressive and her care of all my guys was awesome” Clair said.  “She truly likes and gets equines, her equipment is top notch, she knows what she’s doing and her updates with photos along the way are great!  All my horses and donkeys arrived in great shape. Could not be more grateful!”

The horses stayed hydrated and calm.  They felt like movie stars in their fashionable fly masks and made many friends along the way.  Gretchen’s communication was 5 star.  Clair knew every step of the journey. 

When Gretchen was 40 miles from her destination, she had trouble with her brand new truck.  She didn’t skip a beat.  She immediately contacted the stable at Oak Hill Farm in Covington Georgia and the utmost care was taken to get them to their destination safely.

Nothing is more important to this top notch transport than the safety of the animals in their care.  

“I am so so so grateful for Gretchen Lehrkind for delivering my horse and donkey family to our new home in sunny Georgia!”

“A man on a horse is spiritually, as well as physically, bigger than a man on foot” – John Steinbeck

Filed Under: Trust is Essential Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Bond Between Man and Man’s Best Friend

September 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment

There is an unmistakable bond between humans and dogs.  Dogs give to us unconditionally expecting nothing in return.

Not only does your canine buddy give you companionship…

  • Studies have shown that pet owners were found to have lower blood pressure and heart rates than non-pet owners.
  • You are more likely to get out and walk with your canine companion. This is good, not only for your overall health, but helps with daily stress. Social media is fun for interaction with friends and family, but when you are out walking your dog you become more approachable by other pet owners thereby giving you an opportunity to increase your network of friends and acquaintances.
  • Service dogs create a much happier life assisting people with mental or physical disabilities. They give their human companions a more independent life.

The benefits are too numerous to list.

artist and hound dog

Glenn Swanson, a Montana artist and sculptor, is an avid dog lover and every dog’s dream human. Glenn doesn’t go looking for a new canine companion.  They place themselves in his path. I think Ginger the hound dog waited patiently near a logging road in the mountains of Montana until Glenn just happened to pass by. There are no accidents in life and as you can see from the photos of Glenn and Ginger, this was a match made in heaven.glenn swanson and hound dog

I am grateful for the multitude of benefits I get from my furry best friends.

Redtail bird by Glenn Swanson

Glenn’s work includes all types of wildlife, but his specialty is realistic portrayals of birds in flight.
GlennSwansonArt.com

Filed Under: Count Your Blessings Tagged With: , ,

Feed a Dog | Feed Your Soul

April 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

I stopped at a convenience store today to get gas and noticed, what appeared to be a homeless man with his beagle dog sitting in front on the sidewalk.

It is heartbreaking enough to see someone that lives on the road, but doubly sad when that person has their furry friend with them.  It has to be hard enough to beg for food without worrying about feeding your dog.  Maybe not…

As I approached the store, I commented on his sweet looking beagle.  His response was, “she is my heart.”  I could cry 🙁  This man, for all of his problems or loss that he has suffered that put him in this position in his life, beamed when he mentioned his precious dog.charles chaplin dog quote

Well, all I could think about in the store was this dog going hungry…yes, I do not like to think of people going hungry, either, but a person has a voice to ask for help…man’s best friend doesn’t.

Upon leaving the store, I approached the man and handed him cans of dog food for his best buddy.

He was so appreciative and thanked me.  He responded “she has already had two cans this morning.”  It made me laugh out loud.  All of the people going in and out of this busy convenience store and I thought that this dog was going hungry.

No, people are predominantly good.  I was not the first person today to worry about these two.

I am so grateful that people give without judging a person on their outward appearance.  Yes, he was obviously homeless, but you never know what could have placed him there.

As I left, I thought about my three spoiled animals at home lying comfortably in a dry, warm house.  I found all of my furkids on the road and they could just have easily ended up in front of that convenience store with a totally different life.

I am so grateful for my warm, dry house. 🙂

Filed Under: Count Your Blessings
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