 |  | MVHR Operations Update First of all, we appreciate your patience and cooperation while we were closed to the public last month. The horses were well taken care of, but are ready to start welcoming you back! MVHR is VERY gradually reopening, staying in close adherence with state and local guidelines over the next few weeks and months to help ensure the continued improvement of the health of our community. Here are the new operating guidelines during this first phase: - ALL visits to the Ranch are by appointment only. This includes volunteers, boarders, owners, potential adopters...everyone. Please get in touch with Shana at shana@mvhr.net if you would like to cover a volunteer shift or visit the Ranch for any other reason. We are strictly limiting the number of people on property at one time, so let Shana know if anyone plans on visiting with you. You and your guests will be expected to strictly adhere to the guidelines here.
- While at the Ranch, we ask that you continue to comply with all CDC recommendations including social distancing, frequent hand washing, and wiping down high-touch areas like door knobs, gate latches, steering wheels and faucets. Clorox wipes, hand soap and hand sanitizer will be provided.
- Please bring a cloth (or better) face mask to wear when in close proximity to others at the Rescue. Fortunately, the vast majority of our work is outside and in wide open spaces where personal distance is very manageable, but for any time you are in close proximity to others or sharing common spaces, please wear your mask.
- Most importantly, we ask that anyone with ANY symptoms, possible exposure to the virus, or who is in high risk groups, not visit at this time, for the health of the MVHR and broader community.
Thank you for your cooperation as we work towards safely reopening. We look forward to seeing you! | | MAY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Keep checking our volunteer page for schedule updates. We will resume regularly scheduled activities as soon as it is safe to do so. ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Feeding & Chore Shifts are Back: When you have completed our Basic Volunteer Orientation, please sign up for morning and night feedings or mid-day chores & feeding with shana@mvhr.net. Open shifts are shown on our website calendar. Got computer skills? Good with excel spreadsheets? Contact marleen@mvhr.net to help us with database management. Maintenance Help: We will be needing lots of help with repairs and projects as we start welcoming volunteers back to the Rescue, and our all-volunteer maintenance crew is in need of handy people. To join, contact shana@mvhr.net. | | | | Volunteer Spotlight: In Memoriam, Dave Newton It is with heavy hearts, that we share news of Dave Newton's passing on March 29th from complications of a stroke. Dave lived most of his life in Portland, Oregon, graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in computer science and working for his family's business before fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming a pilot. He and his wife, Val, made the move from Portland to Eagle, CO in 2016 after Dave accepted a private pilot position. Both he and Val were active volunteers at MVHR, covering a regular feeding shift, and Dave also headed our maintenance crew. Shana, who worked closely with him, says: "Dave was a cherished member of our MVHR community, who gave incredibly of his time and talents to help the horses, both by directly caring for them and by helping extensively with ranch maintenance and repairs. His big personality seemed right at home among the horses, and his jokes will keep us all chuckling for a long time to come. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered." To read Dave's obituary in the Vail Daily, please click here. | | | | MVHR's Wish List Want to help support the horses and ranch operations by purchasing items on our wish list? You can find what we need here: If you make any wish list purchase and do not wish to remain anonymous, please include your name so we can show our appreciation! And remember, you can support the Rescue horses anytime while shopping on AmazonSmile. Just make sure "Mountain Valley Horse Rescue" is selected as your non-profit and a percentage of your sale comes back to us...it's that simple! | | | | | |  | Horse Updates Adoptions as We Reopen While the Rescue was closed to visitors, adoptions were put on hold. In person meetings and time with the horses being considered are a vital part of our process, and that was impossible to do last month. With our gradual reopening, we are able to have potential adopters back at the Rescue by appointment. We are happy to say there is interest in quite a few horses! Our fingers and hooves are crossed that more journeys to forever homes will start soon. If you are interested in adopting one of our wonderful Rescues, please contact shana@mvhr.net to schedule an appointment. Information on all adoptable equines is available at www.mountainvalleyhorserescue.com/currenthorses. Jackie & Dolly Health Updates Jackie was doing better for a few weeks, but her diarrhea has returned, so we are continuing to work with Dr. Stocker to find solutions for her. Fortunately, this hasn't diminished Jackie's good spirits and she is otherwise well. Dolly is recovering nicely from her allergic reaction, and has a beautiful coat coming in under the last of the hair and skin she is shedding. This lovely older mare was recently featured being ridden on our Facebook page and is about as sweet and gentle as they come. She is just one of the many great horses available for adoption at MVHR. All other horses and donkeys are doing well, but definitely shedding a lot! If you are out to volunteer and have some extra time during your assigned shift, any one of them could stand a good brushing. | | |  | Program News Schedule Updates - Summer Day Camp registration remains open. There are still spaces available in sessions 3 through 7.
- Mini Horse Heroes is cancelled for May.
Kids Corner Check out the new Kids Corner page on our website! You can print coloring pages of some of your favorite MVHR horses, and we'll be adding more content soon. High School Rescue Club Application Deadline Extended to June 1st MVHR is excited to provide high school students with the opportunity to get more involved in our rescue efforts, while fostering their love for horses, gaining a deeper understanding of horse knowledge (including horsemanship and riding), and building the leadership skills necessary to help advocate for the over 6,000 unwanted, abandoned and abused horses in Colorado. HSRC is FREE to youth grades 9-12 who can make a year-long commitment (June 2020 thru April 2021). Find the schedule and other details for this great program at www.mountainvalleyhorserescue.com/programs. Application deadline is June 1st, 2020. Email nancy@mvhr.net to apply. HSRC Monthly Service Day Participation
Want to participate, but are unable to make a full year commitment? Then please join us for any of our Service Days to be held one Saturday per month from September 2020 through April 2021. Watch our website for the announcement of HSRC Service dates. | | | |  | Other Ways to Help SHOPPING Artist Frances Marino will donate 100% of profits from sales of her work made through her website. You can also get most of her artwork on a variety of gifts including mugs, pouches, pillows, greeting cards, phone cases and more. Visit www.frances-marino.artistwebsites.com to make a purchase, and then contact Frances to let her know you did so to help MVHR. Thank you! MVHR T-Shirts and Travel Mugs are available for $20 each for all the Rescue fans in your family. There is also LOTS of tack for sale, especially English, and some beautiful Aussie and English saddles. Contact info@mvhr.net for details. City Market Community Rewards: Join the program at https://www.citymarket.com/to…/city-market-community-rewards and select MVHR as your organization. Horses will be helped every time you swipe your value card! Already enrolled? MVHR organization number recently changed to AX816 - please be sure to update your account. DONATIONS If you cannot get out to the ranch to volunteer for feeding shifts, chores or other programs, you can still support the horses by making a donation on our website. Every dollar helps from $10 for a bale of hay to $6,000 to sponsor a horse for a year. With a steady herd of 25 rescue equines, the MVHR operating budget this year is $299,000. Most support comes from individual donors, like you. | | | | | | Mountain Valley Horse Rescue
33933 Colorado River Road | McCoy, Colorado 80463
970-653-0185 | info@mvhr.net | | | | | | | | | | | |
