Throw back memories. We had been alerted to a Thoroughbred in need and decided to go and get him. We made arrangements to pick him up on an early Sunday morning. The woman at the place pointed him out. “He’s trouble, he’s dangerous and he should ship,” she said. He was standing in a small muddy pen with several other horses.. . A dirty, depressed shell of a horse. He was a tall bay horse, I could not see his legs for the mud that covered them. We had been told he was 12’ish. As I approached, he did not look towards me, but stood with his head down, eyes half closed and I thought he could be in pain. There was no spirit in him and I wondered if perhaps he was really old and really used up. I spoke to him softly and in that moment he turned away slightly. He had given up on people. I came closer and saw jutting hip bones, matted fur and splayed feet. I swallowed hard and stepped closer. When I reached out to put my hand on him, he winced and I realized he expected me to perhaps hit him. His eyes were wide open now and he stumbled a few steps in the slippery mud to get away. I reached for a peppermint in my pocket and rustled the wrapper. He brought his head around to face me and for a brief moment I saw hope in his eye as his ears came forward. In this hell hole, could someone really have brought him a treat? I spoke again and encouraged him to come to my hand. He stepped forward… he reached for the treat and as he took it, I scratched his forehead. He melted onto my side, sunk his head under my arm and just stood motionless. He was filthy, he smelled.. his mane was tangled… but I saw potential… I saw a desperate living being aware of his fate. We flipped his lip back and saw he was only seven by the tattoo left there. A life gone from good to bad.. and how many homes in between? A life once so full of promise and now so full of gloom. From riches to rags I guess. I wish I could say it shocked me… but it doesn’t shock me any longer…. But it always punches me in the heart. The ones left behind.. the ones thrown away. There was no way he was not going home with us. He loaded right up.. of course he did, they always do because they know.. they know they are going home.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:04:20 +0000
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