Member's News

Miniature Horses Make Big Difference in Eastman Georgia

By: Stephanie Susskind - 13WMAZ Eyewitness NEWS -Thursday Sept. 10, 2009

One woman in Eastman is using her love for horses to help heal and inspire others.

Carol Lowery and her husband Wendell operate Fallen Star Ranch, where they raise miniature horses and take some of them out into the community. Carol Lowery says, "a lot of time when I would get off work I would come home and just use the horses to put things back into a perspective." But she says it's her partnership with the community that brings her the most joy.

Lowery's herd is part of Camp Good Grief, a summer program in Eastman that helps children cope with the loss of a loved one, or a difficult lifestyle change. Dora Parks, volunteer coordinator for Hospice Care Options which runs the camp, says "you can put a lot of confidence into the animal, to talk to and to cry to. To be able to know that you're going to be loved unconditionally by the animal.".........
CLICK HERE to continue reading article and view video.

Carrie Underwood, Glaceau Water & Tangerine Dreams Miniatures

April 28th was THE day. It finally had arrived, the day 6 of my miniature horses and I would actually meet Carrie Underwood! It had been in the works for 2 weeks now, could it really be happening?

It all started with a phone call from Austin Anderson, a local horse trainer, stating they needed quite a few miniature horses for a commercial with Carrie Underwood, of course I thought it was a joke. Austin said he was in the area and would like to stop by. I had nothing else happening so I went along with it. Soon after he arrives and takes pictures of my gang and leaves. Later that day I get a call from one of the producers, they like my horses and will get back to me. Two days later I get the call, it’s a go. They now needed coggins on 6 of them in 24 hours since 2 of them needed to get to the trainers now.

The hustle and bustle had just begun.

Off to the vet we fly with the first load. Get that handled.

Next morning off to the trainers with 2 of the girls for training.

Next morning it’s back to the vet with the last of the kids. Whew !

For about a week it was pretty quiet around here, then we get the call, they would like them all clipped and pretty! WHAT? I cant clip, it'll look like a 3 year old did it. Now we're all scrambling around to find someone since the shoot was in 2 days! We did find a local gal and spent the day clipping horses. The weather had been in the 80’s so of course the day we clip it drops into the 60’s and the nights into the 40’s. Here we go again trying to find 6 blankets for the little guys. We get that all handled, now it’s time to pack their bags since they are leaving in the morning. Gather up the buckets, feeding pans, treats and feed. Can’t forget the Probios and lots of it! LOL

The morning of the 28th arrives!

Yes it was really going to happen, so off to the shoot I go. Mesquite was only about an hour away but seemed like forever. First I went to visit with my kids who had left yesterday and catch up with my other 2 girls who I hadn’t seen in 10 days! I sure did miss those little faces.

There was a lot of waiting around which was fine with me, I was still trying to catch a glimpse of Carrie.

Finally around 1:30 we get the call, they need the little horse to the set. This is it I thought, the big moment had come. We head to the set and again wait, while waiting around Frankie’s trainer Austin gets her to drink the Glaceau water from the bottle, the crowd loves it, more pictures are being taken. She’s a hit! They love her!

Again the call comes, it’s show time for Frankie. Off to the set we go, Frankie enters the stall and there stands Carrie Underwood not even 10 feet away. Carries role is to act as a horse whisperer and go in and calm Frankie down. So now it’s time for Frankie to rear and strike and she does it beautifully. Carrie enters the stall and calms her down and gets down and sings to her. There was Carrie Underwood singing to my horse Frankie! Someone pinch me. LOL

After about 3 hours they finally call it a go! All this time I am praying Frankie behaves herself , she did not disappoint us, we were all quite proud of her.

Now to get me real close on the set one of the trainers drafts me to be a chicken handler. So when the producer yells for the chickens I get to toss them onto the set, pretty exciting hey? Did they really expect these chickens to just stand around? Off they go in different directions, the chase was on. Here I am crawling under a tractor, behind barrels and over hay bales chasing chickens! It was quite funny!

Now they were ready for the final scene. This is where they want the 6 minis to run behind Carrie’s bus as she leaves. Well let’s just say my horses do not chase buses when there is green grass around. So they film the bus separately and now they want the minis to run. No problem they thought, I knew better! So we have 6 horses with 6 handlers, we release them and then run after them yelling at them to run, so of course they all go different directions. Now go try to catch 6 horses you just screamed at to run! Took about 20 minutes to round them up. Back up the drive we go, we do it again and of course they head for the green grass, half one way half another. 20 minutes later we do it again and 4 of them actually stuck together with 2 straggling. It’s a go! It will have to do, the suns going down. Now lets round up those little suckers and call it a night, 20 minutes later that is.

It is now 9:30 p.m. and we are dog tired. Off to the barn we go and tuck in the kids for the night. They all did well and I am so proud of each and everyone of them!

The commercial is on air now and on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWT6kO1Q7X0


Sprite with Glaceau Water Communications Mgr Lara Bandler

Hay Creek Ranch takes their mini filly appy to Nursing Home