New Regional Director for IN Heartland Region! USERL

Just passing on the news:

I am very pleased to announce that Michelle Gordon has agreed to take on the
position of Regional Director for the Heartland Region in Indiana! Michelle
has been involved in horses in one way, shape or form for the majority of
her life. She is an Indiana native and currently counts 2 children, 1
husband, 4 horses (2 that are private rescues), 4 goats, 4 dogs and 3 cats
as her family. In addition, she runs her own private boarding facility in
which she cares for 6 other horses. She brings much needed enthusiasm and a
"can do" attitude to the region, and I am confidant that we will see
tremendous growth in the region over the next several months! When asked
what brought her to USERL, Michelle answered:

"When I took on my horse Tue and all his problems and helped to bring the
life back into Blackjack, the horse who came to us weighing less than our
cob pony it made my eyes open up to the fact that not all horses had the
luxury of somebody caring about them. So with my eyes wide open I started
to pay more attention to all the little things, like driving down the road
or going to the auction and seeing horses. I no longer just saw horses, I
looked at them to make sure I was seeing healthy, loved, cared for horses.
That is when I started seeing the horses that needed help and that is when I
started to try and find help for them."

"There where a couple of horses last year that I knew needed to be reported.
I attempted to report them but hit a dead end road at every animal control
center, law enforcement, or rescue I contacted. One of the largest rescues
I tried to contact to make the report with demanded that I become a "paying
member" of their organization in order for them to start an investigation on
any horses that I wanted to report to them. That made me realize that they
did not care if those horses sat out there and starved to death, they only
cared that I had to pay my "membership dues" to them every year so that I
could report neglected or abused horses to them. Now, if they had just
kindly asked for a donation instead, I would have been more than willing to
give what I could to help out, but that was not the case. So I went on a
hunt to find an organization that I knew CARED about the horses and that is
when I ran across the USERL. I noticed that I was not required to pay for a
membership in order for them to start an investigation on horses that I felt
needed to be looked into. About 2 weeks after I made my first report about
neglected horses to USERL (when I was not a member), I became a member of
the USERL, purchased a T-shirt, a hat, got friends and family to donate to
the 6 degrees badge, helped out at the Hoosier Horse Fair by collecting a
few donated items for auction from some of the vendors out there, and have
been passing out the Equine Voice news paper and spreading the word by mouth
and internet far and wide."

"I feel that the United States Equine Rescue League (USERL) is a very caring
organization and wonderful group of people and I feel honored to be a part
of them."

I know that you will all join me in welcoming Michelle to the USERL
family!!!!

Jennifer Hack

United States Equine Rescue League, Inc.

Executive Director

This is the whole story I had told the USERL as to why i joined them in the fight against horse abuse and neglect (the above was edited, don't ask me why, maybe I was too long winded, lol):

I have almost always had or been around horses all my life even tho I grew up in the city (Indianapolis, IN.). We currently own 4 horses and board 6 others at our facility and home in Elwood, IN. My Grandfather and Great Uncle on my Mothers side both had farms where they kept horses for me and my Mother sent me off to the YMCA Ranch Camp down at Flatrock every year (for 6 years) for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month at a time (depending on the money situation) where they taught us how to properly care for horses and ride them (Western). I had to "unwillingly" take a brake from owning and being around horses everyday for about 7 years when I was in my mid 20's to early 30's.

But then my Husband (Robert) and I moved to Noblesville in 2002. He managed the Bison Ranch there and he took me to the Strawtown Auction and let me pick out a horse of my own as a Christmas present. His name is Tue (short for his registered name Icetueperfect), he is a dark buckskin QH gelding, 15.2 hands and the love of my life (when it comes to fur babies, lol). Tue was a "head case" when I took him on. He had been gelded late, right before I purchased him at age 3, he had been abused, beaten in the head every time his rider (the horse traders daughter) thought he was doing something wrong, he had a sore on his withers from being ridden in an ill fitted saddle, and was very bruised up in the rear hooves from being trimmed too short. It took me a year to get him over the head shyness and to get him to not "blow up" every time the farrier trimmed him and it has taken me 4 years, 2 trainers, and lots of love and understanding to finally get to ride him for 2 hours just the other week with no complications. He use to buck, rear, bite, etc... every time you tried to ride him. He even landed on my Husbands leg one day from rearing up and going over and bucked off a few people that tried to ride him over the years. Don't ask me why I decided to take on or keep such a horse after being out of horses for years. Maybe it was the "Mother" in me that just needed to take care of Tue and make it all better for him. He is now one of the sweetest "in-your-pocket" horses you will ever meet. Sure we still have a few problems to overcome in the saddle, but it is nothing like it use to be.

In 2005 I purchased a horse as a birthday gift to my Husband, her name is Smokey (short for Beaus Smokin Ace). She is a Grullo QH and 16.2 hands, one of the best horses, both on the ground and in the saddle, that we have out here. Then in 2005 for Christmas we purchased Digger (unregistered) as a present to our kids. He is a Welsh/Hackney Cob and our Daughter is learning to run barrels and polls on him.

The latest horse we obtained is Bud (registered name is Beer Run). He is an off the track Standarbred Trotter who, due to an injury, can not race anymore. His owner willingly gave him to us for free so that he would not be sold at auction or to somebody else who would not care for him. After he heals up the vet has stated he will be able to be used for trail riding, mounted police, etc... We also have 4 Redhead Boer Goats, 4 dogs, and 3 cats.

The reasons I chose to volunteer for USERL are many but I will narrow it down to just a few. Last year, Spring 2006, my Husbands Mother took on a rescue of her own. Blackjack was a 15 hand 3 year old chocolate colored TW gelding who came to us at only 650 lbs, severely dehydrated, wormy and very skittish. My Mother-in-law had to pay $500 to the 2 women who were selling him just to get him out of the situation he and the other horses were in down in southern Indiana. "He was the one who was in need of help the most out of the bunch" is what our hauler told us when she was down there to pick him up. We started the slow process of deworming, getting use to feed and hay again, getting over scours, etc... By the time Fall hit he was up to 908 lbs, his baby caps on his teeth were gone, his coat shined, and he would go anywhere and do anything for my Husband. He found a good home east of Indianapolis with a barn full of show quality TW and is being trained to trail ride by his current owner.

When I took on my horse Tue and all his problems and helped to bring the life back into Blackjack, the horse who came to us weighing less than our cob pony, it made my eyes open up to the fact that not all horses had the luxury of somebody caring about them. So with my eyes wide open I started to pay more attention to all the little things, like driving down the road or going to the auction and seeing horses. I no longer just saw horses, I looked at them to make sure I was seeing healthy, loved, cared for horses. That is when I started seeing the horses that needed help and that is when I started to try and find help for them.

There where a couple of horses last year that I knew needed to be reported. I attempted to report them but hit a dead end road at every animal control center, law enforcement, or rescue I contacted. One of the largest rescues I tried to contact to make the report with demanded that I become a "paying member" of their organization in order for them to start an investigation on any horses that I wanted to report to them. That made me realize that they did not care if those horses sat out there and starved to death, they only cared that I had to pay my "membership dues" to them every year so that I could report neglected or abused horses to them. Now, if they had just kindly asked for a donation instead, I would have been more than willing to give what I could to help out, but that was not the case. So I went on a hunt to find an organization that I knew CARED about the horses and that is when I ran across the USERL and Jennifer Hack. I noticed that I was not required to pay for a membership in order for them to start an investigation on horses that I felt needed to be looked into. About 2 weeks after I made my first report about neglected horses to USERL (when I was not a member), I became a member of the USERL, purchased a T-shirt, a hat, got friends and family to donate to the 6 degrees badge, helped out at the Hoosier Horse Fair by collecting a few donated items for auction from some of the vendors out there, and have been passing out the Equine Voice news paper and spreading the word by mouth and internet far and wide.

I feel that the United States Equine Rescue League (USERL) is a very caring organization and wonderful group of people and I feel honored to be a part of them.

Mickiebon

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