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Here is the second email regarding a horse outside of my area that needs to be placed. Please check if there are any of your contacts which may be able to help. Sincerely, Melanie Higdon Hidden Springs Horse Rescue ---------------------------------------- > Subject: RE: 4 yo thoroughbred gelding > Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 10:01:57 -0400 Hi Melanie, This is my long drawn out sob story... Two years ago I adopted my first horse ever when I was living in Indiana (from a rescue in Virginia - sight unseen - through petfinder.org). He was a 17.1H Thoroughbred...around 12 years old. He was described as 100% sound, no vices and a 'beginner' horse. Never raced. He came off the trailer and what arrived was a 17.1H TB that was...oh...about 300lbs underweight, covered in rain rot, 13 inch gash down his side, dead lame on all 4 legs. Both front hooves were horribly abscessed, some rotation of his right front coffin bone, both back legs were riddle with arthritis and a serious stifle problem with his right back leg. On top of all of that he was a nervous wreck, weaved like a maniac (in a stall and in pasture). He would sweat profusely all of the time from weaving. He didn't do well in social settings and couldn't seem to overcome any horse that would challenge or even mildly threaten him and he acted like a stallion with the mares. He would have an absolute melt-down, stand in the corner of his pasture alone and weave all day long. For the first 9 months that I owned him I never tried to get on his back because it was looking like I just adopted a very expensive pasture ornament. Now despite everyone around me urging me to send him back to the "rescue" I refused. I new that he seriously needed help, in more ways than one, and I was hell bent on doing exactly that. So, the journey began and so did all of his treatments. Hoof soaking 3x per day, wrapping his hooves, special hospital plates on his front shoes because the soft laminea came through his paper thin soles, supplements (joint, probiotics, biotin, multi-vitamins), joint injections, Legend, Adequan, looked into stem-cell therapies (turned out he was far too gone for that procedure), radiograph after radiograph, oh and tons and tons of good groceries to feed his bag of bones. So, a year ago I lost my job with a mortgage banker in Indiana (they closed down) and couldn't find another job in my home town in Indiana so I packed up my three dogs, two cats & my crippled pony, Hunter and moved 1100 miles south to St. Augustine, FL. I moved here without a job, cashed in all that I had so that I could bring and care for my horse. Again, everyone thought I was totally nuts for keeping him when I could barely afford to put a roof over my own head, but that didn't stop me. Nobody gets left behind in my mind. Luckily I found a job just in the nick of time. Again, Hunter's treatments began. I was hoping that the warm FL weather would soothe his achy bones but it didn't. I had him evaluated by the University of FL, did chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, massage therapy, had a guy come from South Carolina to do saddle fit & massage, etc. I started riding him occasionally in hopes that exercise would help, took lessons so that I would be more balanced for his sake, but the years of use and abuse took a toll on his body and therefore, his mind. As it turned out he wasn't 12 but 20 and he did race for 7 years. The more I tried to help him the more I realized that he was worse off than originally thought. The arthritis wasn't just limited to his hocks but his back, neck, legs and the unidentified stifle issue. So, sadly on April, 11th 2008 I experienced the most painful goodbye of my 34 years of existence. The chronic pain and discomfort that my horse experienced wasn't fixable and I decided that he did not deserve to continue to live that way. So I laid him to rest. Now I don't regret one second of those 20 months because the relationship that he and I had was the most incredible feeling. We had this unbreakable bond and complete understanding. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Now, to get to the reason why I contacted you in the first place...I purchased a new horse. I wanted to buy a young & sound horse that I can grow old with and have many years of happy trails with. I bought a 4 yo JC registered TB named Sir Alfred. He's 16.2H and a very cute and flashy bay. As my luck would have it Alfie has severe arthritis in his right hock (and possibly other joints) and I have to tell you that my heart is still wounded from Hunter and I don't have it in me to care for another severely arthritic horse right now. I did do radiographs and the arthritis is limited to the lower hock joint. A lameness specialist said that I could inject the hock and he would be fine as a pleasure/trail pony for someone. I want to do dressage. I had the hock injected and am looking into starting him with 30 days training but I can't keep him. I do like him a lot, he's a great, sweet, fun guy but I just can't do it. I feel tremendous gilt for feeling this way but I just can't. I know it isn't his fault but I've been there done that I just want a sound, safe, healthy horse. Considering what I've been through with Hunter I think I deserve at least that. Sincerely, Ericka D. Schelstraete-Savage Secondary Marketing - MLCC Ericka_Schelstraete@ml.com
Hi Joy, |