SCCR Newsletter, Issue #24 - November, 2024

Second Chance Cheekye Ranch: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Rehome.

Second Chance Cheekye Ranch is a sanctuary for horses, donkeys, pot-bellied pigs and dogs. Ask any volunteer around the ranch and you will hear a tale of how this incredible place has changed not only the lives of all the animals who call it home, but also the lives of the wonderful people who have dedicated their time and energy to helping these animals in need.

Ranch Report: Winter is Coming!

If you’ve been at the ranch during the past month, you’ll have noticed that preparations for winter are underway. Cheekye Ranch owner, Kris Latham , and her dedicated team are working full steam ahead on cleaning ditches and building elevation into paddocks to allow for proper drainage to ensure horses have dry space through the winter months. The 170mm of rain we had over 48hrs was a stern reminder of how much needs to get done.

New covers went onto shelters. Rain-sheets are coming out and getting fitted on some of our senior horses. Hay has been stock-piled and tarped. With the dreaded time change upon us, you’ll be happy to know that more solar lights are being purchased to make it easier to move around the ranch.

We’re happy to report that there’s no bad news to report this month! Oscar and Angelina are settling in with their families and we’re anticipating a couple of new arrivals. Stay tuned.

And we’ve decided to make our volunteer socials a monthly occurrence. Looking forward to building more bonds with our amazing team!

Horses in Winter

Besides being smart & strong, horses are remarkably equipped to adapt to the changing seasons. As the days get shorter & colder, they begin to grow a new longer hair coat. These winter hairs stand up, trapping tiny air pockets between them that provide tremendous insulation, similar to a cozy down-filled comforter. 

Horses have other unique features to help them to cope with winter. 

• Their metabolism begins to change as the colder weather approaches, enabling them to store more fat for insulation and energy reserves.

• Their thick eyelashes protect them from the wind and cold. 

• They know to turn their rumps to the wind to shield their thin-skinned faces and allow their tails to protect delicate underparts.

• The fermentation process of roughage like hay takes longer in the cold months and the hindgut creates a steady source of heat energy.

• Their respiratory system is designed to warm incoming air, reducing stress on the lungs.

• Their slender legs are bone & tendons below the knees which don’t require much blood flow. So a horse is able to shunt most of the blood away from its’ feet and still have a functional foot. This coping mechanism keeps their feet from chilling the rest of the body. When the feet do get cold, the shunts open temporarily.

So, unlike us, healthy adult horses are quite comfortable outdoors in the winter as long as there is dry shelter available for when the weather gets truly awful. 

References: thehorse.com & smallfarmersjournal.com

Cheekye Characters

Many of us who volunteer at Cheekye wonder about the “regulars” that we see every week. We’re somewhat isolated in our paddocks, trying to get the job done. And those intriguing Cheekye characters are most often fully engaged working with horses. We sure don’t want to interrupt but we wonder – what’s their story? And how did they get here?

Claudie

Claudie & Zelda

Claudie Pare was born in Montreal and moved to Nanaimo for ages 6-12. Then her family relocated to Spain for 2 years. And Claudie was in heaven. Of her two siblings, Claudie was the one obsessed with horses and, in Spain, she found friends who had horses so gentle that the kids would jump on bareback and gallop across the countryside. “There was zero fear, and I felt free and safe.”

From there it was back to Montreal where Claudie took a few English riding lessons but found this wasn’t the horse environment that had fed her young soul. Then adolescence happened with all the usual distractions – and those didn’t feed her soul either. So, in her early 20s, Claudie took off on a big solo trip through the US, Mexico, Central America. “Every time I saw a horse, I’d want to hop on. And when I got the chance, I found it eased a longing that I didn’t fully understand.”

Claudie would dream about horses in her future but couldn’t imagine how they’d show up. When she and her then partner moved to BC four years ago, they were just looking for an off-grid place to stay for the winter and “the ranch just kind of appeared.” Claudie began simply hanging out to be close to the horses. That led to frequent mucking shifts which led to joining Cheekye’s Groom & Graze program which inevitably led to horsemanship lessons.

“That clicked a switch in me. Everything I was learning just felt natural to me. I felt a sense of purpose coming into my life.”

She began working with horses herself, as an apprentice, and soon knew there was no way she was leaving the ranch that spring as planned. Claudie negotiated a deal to work off her rent but remained clear that she wasn’t getting her own horse until she had money saved for land.

Claudie & Teal

Enter Teal, 2-year-old Alberta bucking stock who’d been rescued from the meat buyers and was very leery of humans. With Kris’s permission, Claudie would go to Teal’s paddock every day and just sit with her.

It was two months before the fearful mare would let Claudie touch her.

“I’d always groom Jett in front of Teal. Naturally observant and curious, she’d watch me carefully. Kind of like she was making up her own mind about me. One day she was on the other side of Jett from me and we 3 were very close together. I was able to take my hand over to her withers and I just started scratching and she loved it! It was like it was the first time she realized how good it was to be touched by humans.”

Within days, Teal was allowing Claudie to groom her head to toe and four months later, Claudie adopted her. Teal had come into her life for a reason and Claudie wasn’t going to wait for the ideal homestead she’d been envisioning.

Then in early 2022, Claudie was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery that spring. After her (successful!) treatment, Claudie had to take it easy for a month, so she went back to just hanging out with horses. She noticed that 2-year-old Zelda was often standing alone away from the herd. She was at the bottom of the pecking order in her paddock and her vitality and mood seemed dim. Claudie began letting Zelda tag along on walks with Teal and Zelda morphed quite quickly into a beautiful, sweet and very playful mare. Zelda and Teal had became best friends. And Claudie wasn’t about to separate them.

In September 2024, Claudie adopted Zelda too.

One important footnote: After 2 years with Teal as her spirit guide, Claudie chose to be single, after a 12-year relationship. “Teal helped me understand to what extent my heart was closed and needed tending to. She gave me the courage to step out of the relationship, as a radical act of self-love, and finally become the person that I know I can be.”

Sponsor Steve

Steve & Spud

Steve Park has been volunteering at the ranch for 5 or 6 years. He now sponsors Spud. And Steve’s mother is also a sponsor! She helps with the ongoing care for sweet old Gramma.

Steve: “Time with horses allows for a break in the routine we all have to obey. The unique energy you experience when around them is hard to describe, observing them week after week feels like learning to play music, or figuring out a puzzle. There’s always so much to learn from them, and being with them feels super welcoming.”

On Wednesday when Steve’s done mucking, he helps around the ranch as needed, often jumping into action for “hay day” - unloading newly delivered hay into storage.

He shares that he is so grateful for being a part of SCCR, and thanks “the whole gang” for all that we do.

Steve is one unique guy. In addition to being a dedicated volunteer and overall awesome person, he is an adventurer. He recently completed a long distance motorcycle trip across the Americas, which has led to the launch of his new book. Learn more here.

Thank you to our newest sponsors!

Laura Terry – Molly
Laura Terry – Spud
Linda Park – Gramma

12 Days of Giving

We are a go for our online Winter Auction! This fundraiser will run from Dec 1-12 and will raise much needed funds to keep our equines cared for and warm throughout the winter. Keep your eyes peeled for info coming soon but for now, please bookmark our link & RSVP “attending” to our Facebook event here to stay tuned!

And don’t forget Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, the day when we all atone for our shopping sins by giving to our favourite non-profits and charities – and get a tax receipt in return! Please spread the word that our horses wouldn’t say neigh to any and all support.

Just for Laughs

For information about sponsoring a horse or to make a one-time donation click here or email sccrsponsorahorse@gmail.com

To help the rescue:

• Donate here to contribute towards saving these incredible animals.

• Learn more about the fate of horses who are not rescued, and how to advocate.

• Book a tour to learn more about the ranch and meet some of the horses who have been saved.

• Volunteer at the ranch. No horse experience necessary.