Tierra Madre Horse & Human Sanctuary

Tierra Madre Horse & Human Sanctuary Healing horses to heal humans
http://ranchotierramadre.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c152_tFRW4I&feature=related

OUR FACILITIES
We’re located in an unincorporated part of Maricopa County, Arizona, situated between Phoenix and Cave Creek .

Thursday.......Our purple sages exploded overnight & our girls are loving it!
09/10/2026

Thursday.......

Our purple sages exploded overnight & our girls are loving it!

Giving love is the greatest balm for a grieving soul.
09/09/2026

Giving love is the greatest balm for a grieving soul.

Good morning, Ace……..
09/09/2026

Good morning, Ace……..

Tuesday, September 8th, 3PM……I have absolutely horrible news.We just lost ACE.There was no other option.Earlier, I’d pos...
09/08/2026

Tuesday, September 8th, 3PM……

I have absolutely horrible news.

We just lost ACE.

There was no other option.

Earlier, I’d posted a picture of his left hind leg that I’d sent to Dr. L. Without examining the leg & just looking at the photo, she surmised that he had a large hematoma up by his hock, & that she’d be out this afternoon to look at it &, hopefully, drain it.

When we’d noticed it yesterday, Gianna told us that she’d seen him roll & he’d bumped his leg on a fencepost getting up. I’m not sure that that exactly what it was – maybe he’d done something a few seconds earlier & that’s all she saw when she looked up at him – we’ll never know.

When Dr. L got here a little while ago, we brought him up into the breezeway &, even with bute & mild sedation on board, he was having a good deal of trouble standing on it – virtually spinning around on his good leg. Doc palpated it the best she could & used ultrasound on the area. She couldn’t find a hematoma.

Bottom line: he either had a subluxation (dislocation) of the hip joint or a broken bone. Either was a fatal injury.

I made the decision. I wouldn’t have my boy suffer one minute longer.

After he went down, I did what I’ve always done: told him in his ear, “I love you, little boy….I love you, little boy…..I love you, little boy”, until I knew his spirit had left his sweet body.

Devastated.

Just devastated.

Tuesday......Poor Ace.....on Saturday, when he was rolling in his paddock, he got too close to the fence & banged his le...
09/08/2026

Tuesday......

Poor Ace.....on Saturday, when he was rolling in his paddock, he got too close to the fence & banged his leg - really hard - on an upright. It's caused a very big, very painful edema. He's been getting bute for a couple of days.

Yesterday morning, I sent photos & a video to Dr. L - who said she'll be out this afternoon to drain it. That should make him feel a whole lot better.

On another note, Dr. Nicole will be out this morning to give Guess her 3rd acupuncture treatment & Birdie her 2nd.

Busy day.

Sunday, September 5, 1:30PMUPDATE TO EARLIER MISSIVE – THIS IS THE LATESTEarlier, I’d written a long thing about us movi...
09/06/2026

Sunday, September 5, 1:30PM

UPDATE TO EARLIER MISSIVE – THIS IS THE LATEST

Earlier, I’d written a long thing about us moving Guess this morning. If you saw it, fine – forget it. If you didn’t see it & want to, you can find it, probably by scrolling or something. I dunno. If you do that, you forget it, too.

If you did read it, you’ll recall that we did a whole thing this morning by moving Guess into new digs on the other end of the barn from where she’d been living. And that my mind was a little fakakta about whether that move would work for her or not.

It didn’t. Already, it didn’t.

See, I went out to check on her around 12:30, after listening to her yell & scream for an hour or so. And the poor girl was blowing like a bellows – overheating. Even with the AC unit we’d moved, the misters & the fans. She’d gotten herself too worked up – way too worked up. I could not have that, not after all we’ve done for her over the summer to bring her back to, pretty much, normalcy. Plus, the ‘real feel’ temperature was 110 degrees, which just plain sucks no matter who you are.

So I took her three water buckets back to her old place & filled them. I also took her two feeding tubs back, as well as her lunchtime flake of alfalfa. Then I went to fetch her.

And she ‘bout nose-dived into her halter & hot-footed me back to the other end of the barn & right into her house. I felt her relax. Now, because she was overheated, I hosed her down & sweat-scraped the water off her. She felt better.

As you can see, at that point she began enjoying her lunch. Happily enjoying her lunch.

Mindy & I have another couple ideas up our sleeves as to that new double-wide &, over the next couple of days, will figure it out.

Damn – I really thought that would work, that Guess move.

It didn’t.

Shows you what I know.

Sunday, September 6th……ANOTHER MOVEIt’s noon & I’m sitting here wondering if I’ve done the right thing.A few things that...
09/06/2026

Sunday, September 6th……

ANOTHER MOVE

It’s noon & I’m sitting here wondering if I’ve done the right thing.

A few things that went into my consideration & decision:

• The two pens on this end of the barn were empty due to Bailey’s passing & Goldie’s moving over to the shed row. They haven’t been empty since I moved here in 2005. That was jarring. Really.

• The pen on the far end of the barn, where Guess has been living all summer, is really too small for her (16h).

• Ever since I met her, Guess has been more of a loner than a joiner. The only horse I’ve ever seen her get close to is the late Princess Bella & she passed a few years ago.

• Birdie doesn’t like Guess living next to her &, in her precarious physical condition, I fear that she’ll bust a move, fall down & hurt herself, possibly/probably fatally. She busted a move the other evening & had a real hard time getting up again.

• On a personal, probably selfish, note, Guess has been my best girl & we’ve been in love since 2003 & I’ve always wanted her to live next to my door.

With all that in mind, we did several things this morning:

• We took out the fencing between what had been Goldie’s & Bailey’s pens, resulting in one very big double-wide.

• We moved Guess’ AC unit to the side of that pen.

• We moved Guess’ feed tub & water buckets to that pen.

• We moved Guess to that pen.

She walked around the whole area, including her two new ‘in’ parts. She rolled. She seemed – I don’t want to say excited – maybe confused is a better word. We all – the volunteers & I – were all smiles, knowing that Guess had new, far bigger, far better digs.

But no, here’s what has me concerned:

• She keeps yelling.

• She keeps pacing around her new digs.

• So far, she’s ignored her lunch, which isn’t all that surprising because in the heat, she often waits until evening & early morning to eat. But…..y’know?

Now, my head & past history tells me that, over the next hours & even days, she’ll get used to it & learn to love it. But there’s a stupid voice that keeps asking me, “But what if she doesn’t? What if you’ve done the wrong thing by her? Is that what you’d want?” I know that virtually all of my knowledgeable friends would tell me to chill – it’ll be fine. And, like I said, I’m sure it will be. I hope.

But this is mah girl, knowhutahmean? And, dammit, I just wish she’d have loved it from the get-go.

And then the old saw comes to mind: Wish in one hand & p**s in the other & see which one fills up first.

On another note: the Goldie move?

A lot better this morning than it was late yesterday. Hooray!

I guess that should tell me something, shouldn’t it?

I can be such a worrywart.

I’ll keep you posted.

Sunday, dawn……A LITTLE GOLDIE UPDATEIf you’ll recall, yesterday morning we moved her from her lone house in the barn to ...
09/06/2026

Sunday, dawn……

A LITTLE GOLDIE UPDATE

If you’ll recall, yesterday morning we moved her from her lone house in the barn to the big pen along the shed row, between Tally & Sunny (Sq**rt). And it went quite well.

The afternoon progressed & all was quiet – after all, that’s the horses’ snooze time.

When I went out a little before four, as I always do, I gave a bite of carrot to all those horses along in there, prior to their dinner feedings. In addition to giving them a little treat, it allows me to make sure they’re all feeling well.

And, as always, Tally & Sq**rt went ‘Tally-&-Sq**rt crazy’, acting like fools because of the impending piece of carrot. Well, this scared the mild-mannered Goldie & she booked it to the back corner of her new digs. I went in with her, told her that all was well & her neighbors are just a little ‘tetched’. I held out a carrot & she came toward me & followed me back to the front. But I could tell that she was still a little freaked.

A few minutes later, the mashes were fed & peace ensued. Then, Abel fed them their dinner hay & that went well, too.

A little after six, I do my nightly chores – handing out a few treats & a chunk of overnight hay to all the horses on the ranch. And, of course, Tally & Sq**rt did their thing again. But, this time, although she looked rather askance, Goldie didn’t bolt for the back. She walked back there &, again, she came to me when I asked. Progress?

Now, when Bailey was still with us & she & Goldie were living in the barn next to my door, the very last thing I did every evening was give those two girls a couple of treats. Then, into the house for me.

When I finished last night, I looked over at Goldie. “Dang”, I thought, “I don’t want her to miss out on that little tete-a-tete we had every night for a couple of years”. So I grabbed a couple of treats & walked over to her. She watched me every step of the way.

Thankfully, both Tally & the Sq**rt were busy chowing down so there was no drama. And, as I stood there with Goldie, I could feel the bond between us. She was thanking me for thinking of her. I told her not to worry, we’d still do this every night. Always & forever.

A little later, I got to thinking……Goldie doesn’t know those kids over there on the shed row. Oh, she’s seen them & watched them & all that for a long time, but she doesn’t know them. But she knows me very well & I’m her touch point right now. I’m her tether to the life that she’s known for a couple of years.

So I’ll have to live that role for a little while – until she gets comfortable with her neighbors.

And that’s a role that I’ll gladly accept & cherish.

This has nothing to do with horses but you may find it useful down the line........THE SELF-DESIGNATED AS***LE TESTOne d...
09/05/2026

This has nothing to do with horses but you may find it useful down the line........

THE SELF-DESIGNATED AS***LE TEST

One day, a thousand years ago, I came upon a very reliable test in which people who are as****es clearly identify themselves from a distance.

See, I used to have an old Jeep (a 1965 CJ3). And, in the summer, I kept the doors off so it was pretty much open to the world. And I used to commute into & out of New York City in that thing. One Friday afternoon at rush hour, I found myself at the light at 57th & 7th. My sister happened to be with me, going to spend the weekend with my then-wife & me at our abode in Englewood, NJ. Not that you needed to know all that, but now you do.

While stopped, we saw hundreds, maybe thousands, of people walking across 57th with the light, some going north, some going south. Plus, there was an equal number of people piled up at the corners waiting to cross 7th. Anyway, the corner was alive with pedestrians. Of course, no one took notice of us sitting there in the Jeep.

A thought hit me.

I said, “Jean – watch this.”

And I loudly shouted out, “HEY, AS***LE!”

Wouldn’t you know it, but most of the people just kept walking or standing, paying no attention to my two-word blurt. BUT…..in addition to the hundreds who simply ignored it, a number of people – I dunno, maybe 20? – craned their necks around as if to determine who might be addressing them, in particular. As in, “Yeah? You talkin’ to me? What do you want?”

And there it was.

They’d self-designated themselves as as****es.

Soon, the light changed & we went on our merry way, off to the ‘burbs.

If you ask me, it was an epic discovery concerning the general populace with whom we deal on a regular basis: people will actually admit to being as****es from afar.

Over the years, I’ve proven my discovery numerous times, albeit not in a ’65 Jeep at the corner of 57th & 7th. Hell, you can do it anywhere there’s a large gathering of people: a fair, a concert, a sporting event, church – anywhere. You just have to be pretty careful that nobody sees you shout – that very well could result in bodily harm to the shouter, meaning you.

Anyway, thank you for letting me share that with you today & thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Saturday…….If you’ll recall, after we lost Bailey yesterday, Goldie was left alone on one end of the barn. She yelled of...
09/05/2026

Saturday…….

If you’ll recall, after we lost Bailey yesterday, Goldie was left alone on one end of the barn. She yelled off & on all afternoon & last evening - & even a couple of times this morning.

But if you’ll also recall, I wrote that we had a plan for her.

Well, this morning, we executed that plan.

Her new home is along the shed row (see pics), in the late Jake’s old house between Tally & Sunny. We took her on a test run to see how she’d do, particularly with Tally. Sunny’s kind of a lost cause when it comes to being nice to other horses but, in that large a house, it’s a piece of cake to ignore her shenanigans. Anyway, Goldie & Tally half-heartedly whinnied at each other a time or two & that was it. A few minutes later, they’d pretty much gotten used to each other & were standing close to each other. I really think those two are on their way to becoming fast friends.

Goldie seems to love her new digs, too. She’s relaxed, her eyes are bright & happy &, when I left her a couple of minutes ago, she was eagerly chowing down on her lunch. I mean, that girl looks very, very happy with her new circumstances & nothing could make me happier.

So, yeah, that old saw can be & often is true: When one door closes, another one opens.

And Goldie’s walked through that new door with – it seems, so far - flying colors.

GOOD, GOLDIE!

Address

27115 N 45th Street
Cave Creek, AZ
85331

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 11am
Tuesday 7:30am - 11am
Wednesday 7:30am - 11am
Thursday 7:30am - 11am
Friday 7:30am - 11am
Saturday 7:30am - 11am
Sunday 7:30am - 11am

Telephone

+14807471070

Website

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