Life doesn’t always go as planned…
I almost titled this post “Oh Crap”, but who’s going to read that?
Some of you may remember the Diamond Mine rescue that Leslie (of Kota’s Cookies) and I did about a year ago. *Mostly Leslie, I just helped where I could*
As a refresher: Old sporthorse appy breeder that is hanging on to 9 horses with white knuckle death grip. She can’t afford to feed or care for them, they are starving and in BAD need of hoofcare, worming, etc. 2 of them are stallions that live in round pens- no shelter, poop on top of 4 years worth of poop. One is a stallion that lives in an even smaller pipe pen (he does have shelter) and the footing is mostly green mud. He’s gotten jumped out before (and bred his mom, I believe, resulting in one of the round pen studs!) so there is hot wire at the top of his panels. Skinny mares out in a huge, pretty great pasture… but again, no hoof care, not enough grass growing to feed them and they are nearly imposible to catch and need to be wormed badly. At least they can move though.
An award winning stallion, that actually DOES warrant breeding. Yes, he’s older, but he has a nice show record, decent breeding background and has supported the family for years. Now he lives in a small area that is held together with baling twine and misc. pieces of anything-that-can-be-used-as-a-fence-panel. And here again is the mysterious green pond mud.
We fill her barn with hay, have people stopping by to check the waters (which were often empty when people showed up.) put a brand new donated blanket on one of the round pen studs (thanks to Christiansen’s) and worm/vaccinate every horse on the property.
Skip past the part where all of our tons of donated hay makes her feel more secure and she is no longer willing to surrender the horses! Past the part where we have to haggle prices on even the skinnies and club footed. Past the part where we can only get the blind mare out (thank you Redwings Sanctuary!) and an old skinny from the pasture (thank you NorCal Equine Rescue). Past the part where one horse actually DIES and Leslie has to pay the tallow truck to come get her because the old lady can’t afford it… Oh, and past the part where Leslie finds out about the poor dead horse when she goes out to show one of the horses to a prospecitve buyer. Hmmm…. how many people would want to purchase a horse if they showed up and there was a dead one out back?
So ONE of the horses, a round pen stud, gets a great home. Gelded right away, hoof care, vet care. The whole deal. Gets to run and play in green pastures with other, beautiful horses. Turns miraculously into one of the most gorgeous horses I have ever seen… the stuff Horse & Rider covers are made of.
He was started under saddle within the last few months and is suddenly “off” in the front. Being good horse owners, he goes in and is seen by the vet right away. He will never be completely sound. Light riding, light rider on the flat. Here’s where the Oh Crap is appropriate.
I am the first person to admit that such a green horse will be extremely risky to rehome in this condition. It would take a miracle to find another owner that would fit this horse.
Then, he injures an eye and goes blind in that eye. Opthamology here we come. Now those appointments, medications and so on are not cheap and have pretty much taken him out of the running for any new home.
I never saw this coming. I know his new owners didn’t either… all the hopes and miracles that had been wrapped up in his dark chocolate appy hide. He is sweet and smart. He was my favorite even when he was wormy and had drippy eyes. I worked with him one day and I tried to figure out how I could afford to bring him home for myself. I was admittedly jelous when he was adopted, though I had no idea he would turn out as wonderful as he did.
And now this.
I know God has a plan. But it is difficult to be on the human end of things and not know what the plan is ahead of time. I guess that’s where the trust comes in… it’s easy to ”trust” if I’ve already been aprised of the plan and approve it :~)
At least he has known love. He has known great care and running “free” like a horse should. For the last year he has not known a hungry day, he has had fly masks and grooming. Treats and a “normal” life.
It looks like euthanasia is his end after all this, though there still is a glimmer of hope. Things just don’t always go the way you expect them to…