This month’s featured volunteer has realized that her love for her horse has
been amplified by sharing her love with ALL of the horses at Red Bucket
Ranch!
When her horse Buckshot needed special care, Susan Vanden Bos
inquired into the Red Bucket day care program in Huntington Beach. What
happened shortly thereafter changed both of their worlds!
“I was a boarder at the Huntington Beach Equestrian Center for many
years,” Susan V. explains. “I got to know the volunteers at Red Bucket and
would occasionally make small donations such as hay, money, and so on.
The vet at the time suggested I look into Red Bucket for day care for my
horse Buckshot who suffered from lameness. This vet had worked with
Susan Peirce on a new program that helped her horse with lameness, so I
thought I’d give them a try. I was so impressed with Buckshot’s
improvement that I continued to board with them even when they moved to
Chino Hills. I knew this was the best place for Buckshot, and I’ve been
making the commute from Huntington Beach for 2 years.”
As a client looking from the outside in, Susan V. quickly realized that Red
Bucket was an efficiently managed and effective organization that created
drastic improvements in equine behavior and health. It became clear that
her destiny would lead her to volunteer with them. “I watched the horses
coming in, and I started helping with grooming,” shares Susan. “I knew
Jenon Mathes from Huntington Beach, so I asked what I could help with,
and she suggested the lunch feedings on weekends. Every weekend I am
there to feed the horses, although I’m more of a utility player and will do
whatever is needed.”
Jenon is so grateful to have Susan on our team, and she explains why. “I
met Susan Vanden Bos when we were still in Huntington Beach and
Buckshot was in our training program. We often ended up barn walking or
hand walking together. After we moved to the Chino Hills Ranch, she
became more and more interested in our horses and seemed to gravitate
toward certain ones, often asking to groom or hand walk when time
allowed. I remember her taking a special interest in Spice, Bileck and Lacy.
After she spends time with Buckshot, she always makes the rounds to visit
all of our residents. Last summer, as our numbers continued to climb and
the daily activities increased, I struggled getting lunch buckets and hay out
to the horses. Susan offered to help and eventually took over the task on
the weekends. This was a huge help to me, and I am so very grateful.
Susan will often not only deliver lunch, but will check waters and make
sweet tea. It is wonderful to have someone so conscientious and detail
oriented helping out.”
It is not only her service, but Susan’s heart and complete dedication that
impresses Jenon, as she recounts this incident. “A few weeks ago, during
one of our rainy weekends, Susan had family in town, and although she
wasn’t able to spend time with Buckshot that day, she came all the way out
from Huntington Beach just to do lunches. I was floored! It was something I
could have covered for her, but she never even asked. She will often help
me with turn outs and grooming, sharing her ‘Buckshot Time’ with our Red
Bucket Horses. Susan’s generosity with her time is truly a gift.”
Susan Peirce couldn’t agree more, and she adds, “Susan V. started as a
client and is now one of our most respected and dependable volunteers!
She helps Jenon with lunch feedings and is very active with our
fundraisers. She just rolls up her sleeves and digs right in; she is a fantastic
horse owner and a wonderful advocate for equines. You will see her in her
Red Bucket shirt most weekends and some Fridays. She drives the golf
cart for hay feedings and just loves every minute of it! Buckshot has
enrichment, and Susan has fulfillment. We are proud of her work, and she
is proud to be a part of our cause.”
Reflecting on her involvement with Red Bucket, Susan V. explains her
attraction to the Red Bucket cause: “What I love most about this group is
that everyone is a team player. There is absolutely no ego, and we are all
there for the horses. You hear about horse abuse and abandonment,
although nothing compares to actually seeing it. The care for these horses
requires a great deal of patience, love and gentleness. I’ve become very
aware of a huge problem in our country, and I am honored to be a part of
the solution.”
“I am slowly learning the quirks and traits of all of the horses,” Susan V.
confides. “We are learning what we can do to help them. I was a Guardian
Angel to two horses that have passed, and I love them all in different ways
and on different days. I try to see all of them when I am at the Ranch just
to give them some love.”
“I’ve worked with many volunteers at the Ranch,” she continues. “Jenon is
an absolute angel and a great mentor. She is very patient with me and
offers different approaches; she truly sets you up for success! Michelle and
Angela also offer great support and provide ample interaction. The entire
team is wonderful! The Mission Statement for Red Bucket is clear: To save
and rehabilitate horses, restore their trust in humankind, and find them
safe, loving, permanent adoptive homes. It is such a positive and nurturing
environment that you just feel it when you are there. As a volunteer you
know someone always has your back, and I truly believe that’s what the
horses feel.”
The other thing our horses feel is the tremendous love Susan bestows
upon them. In an effort to sum this up, Karen McGarragh shares this
sentiment: “Susan loves our horses. I mean she really LOVES our horses!
She comes to the Ranch for Buckshot, but she stays for everyone. Every
single minute she spends at the Ranch is dedicated to the horses. Her love
is so evident in her eyes and her mannerisms, and she treats every horse
as her own. She is indispensable and invaluable to our team.”
Susan V. truly is a walking example of how powerful the Red Bucket
program is. “My horse has become a different animal because of the work
that this group does,” Susan explains. “I believe that Buckshot’s
transformation is due to the dedication and commitment of the Red Bucket
program, and I know that the same change I see in him occurs for the
hundreds of horses Red bucket has rescued. You just don’t get this kind of
care from other training barns. Buckshot has gotten so much better
physically and emotionally; he is much more relaxed and confident, and
you can tell that he’s being handled well. Plus, the environment is so
peaceful and calm! Every day at the Ranch is a blessing, and every horse
that arrives at Red Bucket is fortunate to be at this special place.”
For all the love she gives, we are grateful and blessed to have Susan
Vanden Bos AND Buckshot as part of our family! Thank you, Susan, for all
you do to help save our horses.