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[RC] A Horse Welfare Story - Bruce WearyI never told this story but I thought I would share it here, to honor my daughter, Elysse, who really started me on the path of being a horse welfare advocate. We were coming home from a ride in southern Utah, and driving through the Navajo reservation, towing our three horses home in our three horse trailer. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a horse that looked like death warmed over. My daughter, who was 12 at the time, INSISTED that we turn around, go back and FEED that horse. Reluctantly, I turned around the 30 foot motorhome and trailer and went back to find this carcass on four legs. I was able to drive the rig over a cattle guard into the horse's pasture, and though it tried to escape me, it was so emaciated that I caught it at a walk. It was dehydrated, mouth covered in cactus thorns, and no forage or water in sight. And then my wife uttered those immortal words: "Your daughter will never forgive you if you don't take this horse home." We drove that rig from shack to shack until we found the owner, a Navajo woman and tribal matriarch, named Mae West. I kid you not. She spoke no English, but she fell in love with Elysse. I offered her $200 through her English speaking son, and she accepted, all the while beaming at Elysse. They cautioned that the horse was essentially wild and unbroke, but I removed the other three horses and was able to halter her and physically shove her into the front compartment in about 30 seconds. We loaded up the other horses and headed home. When we stopped for gas, I noticed her feeder was overrun with ticks that had escaped her ears in the humidity of the trailer.You can see in the enclosed photos why my vet drew one vial of blood, and debated whether he should even try to draw a second vial. She was partially blind, and would bump into things, but could find her food by smell. She did nothing but eat constantly for days. She bit chunks off of the salt block. The lab tests came back negative for liver or kidney damage. Now the dilemma--what to do with her? We ended up offering her to an acquaintance of ours, a woman who was trying to recover from a devastating bout of cancer. Our daughters felt that somehow it might be a healing experience for both of them. On hearing of our offer, she insisted that she wanted her, sight unseen. She came right over and was overwhelmed with tears both at the sight of her emaciation, and the thought of getting to take her home. And the rest is history.......... Now, some four years later, Navajo Lady, as our daughters named her, is a beautiful, fat, line-backed dun with four white stockings, and fully restored sight and soundness. Oh, and her owner is doing very nicely, as well. I think that was the best $200 dollars I ever spent. After an entire day of debating on Ridecamp how best to help our horses, the answer to that question was never clearer to me than on that day. Dr Q #1 http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/ElysseAbbey/Picture1350.jpg #2 http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/ElysseAbbey/Picture1351.jpg #3 http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/ElysseAbbey/Picture1352.jpg =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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