Hello Deno Defender.
Welcome to the second newsletter.
While swapping e-mails about what to write in this newsletter, something became apparent and the significance of it, and it's not an easy thing to write about. Why and what is being referred to?
The why is because this newsletter goes to Deno Defenders - the very people who already support him, and as this is about asking for continued financial support, it's not easy to do.
The sentence being referred to taken from the e-mail is this....
"What possibly isn't fully realised is that if we don't keep money rolling in then Ruth won't be able to keep him, the assumption may be that Ruth would struggle but manage without us - she couldn't."
It is a huge responsibility - and yes, commitment to hear that, but surely none of us will shirk it. Most of us don't get the physical pleasure of giving Deno a hug, or having him in our back garden ( !!! ) but we must all take our reward in knowing without a shadow of doubt just how much we are all in this together, to keep the roof over Deno's head.
The stables he is at with Ruth and Boomer is where Deno is happy, the first place where he felt safe and loved, where he received all the veterinary care needed and where we must do our best to ensure he can stay.
So many of you do so much for "our lad" and especially at this time of year, it's not easy to ask for more, but that is what we must do. We are heading into the most expensive part of the year as Deno needs extra food to make it through the winter when grass doesn't grow.
In Ruth's words " I may have rescued him, but his Defenders saved him."
Rather than fill this newsletter up with ways to donate, please go and look on the Deno donate page....however...
It's Christmas Time, in case you'd not noticed !!
Still struggling with ideas for an awkward Aunt or difficult Dad....
what about an online Christmas ( or birthday ) gift sponsorship of Deno? For a minimum donation of £10, you or the person you want to receive the gift, will receive an online sponsorship form as below ( proper size though ) and the knowledge you are helping Deno.....now isn't that better than a pair of socks or unwanted smellies !!!
You can print out the newsletters and photo's as well as the sponsorform to give to your receipient.
Currently not available but hopefully will be sorted soon. In the meantime if you would like to sponsor Deno,
please conatct one of those on the Contact page and we'll sort something out for you, thank you.
Also for those of you who are able and willing to do Ebay auctions on his behalf, there are the MDCC ones each month that help raise interest as well as cash. The items don't have to be horse related, in fact, a wide range of items to appeal to new people would be good ( those unwanted Christmas gifts perhaps !! ).
Next February 14th, yes, Valentines Day, is the 2nd anniversary of Deno's rescue and in celebration, the idea has been put forward that we could have a pink themed mammoth flurry of selling for Deno. Pink became associated with Deno as a joke when he was thin and Tracey offered to sew him a pink satin lining on his rug to stop it rubbing, then he had a pink bucket and it grew from there and now he has the pink horseshoes and border on this site !!
So if we could all think about collecting "pink things" for a Valentine celebration for Deno.
****
However, not only do we need more money, but because it is always the same loyal band of supporters who are asked - and respond each time, we need to spread the word and story of Deno ( hence the website ) to enlist new Defenders.
When standing at the school gates, doing the shopping, getting petrol and chatting to other people, perhaps mention Deno and his (hopefully ) easy to remember website...denorescuedhorse. It's amazing how word of mouth can spread and we desperately need to expand the solid core of Defenders that we are.
A simple way you could also help is to print the newsletters out and distribute copies, even if you only pass one newsletter on to someone else, it's a chance of enlisting a new Defender, but if you can put Deno's newsletter in your vets waiting room, or in the local pet shop or local noticeboards, plus hand them out to anyone vaguely interested, the word can spread.
There is a simple link at the top of the page for a printer friendly version, nice and easy to use.
So, like a tree, we're the trunk - our roots were laid down when we became involved, but like any tree - it needs new branches springing from us to continue to grow. Don't lets suffer from woodrot with holes appearing in the trunk, weakening the whole structure - and NEVER underestimate YOUR importance to a very special - and lucky horse.
Onto news since our first newsletter and apologies to those who follow Deno's FHG thread on Ebay and already know the following, but not all Defenders manage to keep up and we want to update for new people too.
We left Deno in July needing chemotherapy to his sarcoids ( skin cancer ) and due to an amazing rally of organisation and support for various fundraising efforts, the money needed ( over £800 ) was raised - a heartfelt thank you for such a response which enabled the treatment to be done.
As many of you know, Deno is quite reliant on Boomer for confidence, so he had a paddy when put into a stable even though Boomer was next door. He has behavioural problems as well as physical ones and flat out panic when stabled is just one unwanted side effect of his earlier life.
As he can't be in contact with anyone during treatment, he realised he had to accept it and settled down and just about managed to behave himself for the 10 days he was in.When he finished the chemotherapy ointment he also went onto the supplement that was mentioned in the last newsletter (again, paid for by you ) which was to strengthen his immune system and there is no doubt that this round of chemotherapy appears to be zapping the sarcoids quite successfully.
There was and still is a bit of care needed with one particular area that was an open wound at one stage and keeping flies away, plus visits from the magpies who would come and peck the wound, which although it cleaned the dead skin away, was not something that helped the healing process.It was a major headache for Ruth, especially as Deno doesn't take kindly to having fly repellents and the like applied, but the sarcoids are all doing well now.
Deno's latest crisis was some form of colic. Us lucky Defenders didn't know until after the event but poor Ruth, helped by the stable staff, friends and vet, were up with Deno all night when he nearly died - quite literally. What a nightmare trying to keep such a huge horse on his feet to prevent him laying down and rolling which would cause more problems and it must have been a very long night for all concerned.
Quite what was wrong is not known, but it took a good week or so for Deno to really get back to his usual food bucket orientated self. Let's hope that was a one off event, as apart from the panic for all concerned, it took a chunk of money to pay for the emergency vet. Hence our need to always try and keep funds available for emergencies, not just the day to day care.
Just to give you an idea of just how far Deno has come, mentally and physically, recently Ruth was trying to bring Deno and Boomer in together,on a very wet night, with a howling wind.
Both boys very keen for their grub so both pulling hard, poor Ruth ended up sliding along in the mud,equine powered sking!!!!!!!!
She had to let them both go in the end, both jumped down the big drop into the sandschool,up and along the bank the other side, and then Deno did the most perfect jump off the bank at the other end, while Boomer sort of huffed and slithered his way up, more than jumped.They then both charged into their stables and by the time Ruth got there they were heads down in the buckets.They now come in that way each night, minus the bank jumping but what a sight it must be !!!
Deno mentally is now a proper horse too, with a proper horsey, bossy attitude....there is none of the little boy lost, follow you everywhere Deno from last year. He now tends to walk through you rather than around you,and woe betide you if you give carrots to Boomer first...does he let you know he's in charge now!!
So you can see that we are needed and are making a difference,
With lots of love and thanks from Deno and Ruth.
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