What horses will endure

["odd farm" <jsalas@tampabay.rr.com>]

Got a call from our local SPCA today. They are confiscating two horses due to zoning and neglect. Can I go get them? I also just found out today the dog we have been "babysitting" for 3 months isn't really ever going home so what is two more critters? I need to have my IQ tested.

 

Anyway, these horses are in a side yard in an old neighborhood. The yard is about 10 feet wide and 20 feet long. For two horses. How long have they been there? Who knows. They didn't have much to eat so there wasn't much poop. The older mare is a paint, not too bad weight wise but a huge sore right on top of her wither. She smells bad, like dead stuff and her feet are horrible. The younger filly is not a hat rack, but rather a coat rack. The owner said she was trying to sell her for $1500. Yeah, right. Let me get my check book. Both have old scars, mostly around the fetlocks and knees. There were rolls of chain link fence in their side yard. Probably where the scars and the sore on the wither came from.

 

The owner said to take their worm medication. It looked like pellets, maybe Strongid, but mostly mildew. She said they wouldn't trailer well. Horses always get into the trailer when they are starving. The first thing they did when they got to my place was roll. Even though that sore on the wither must hurt like hell. Now they are just moving from hay pile to hay pile.

 

They will stay here until we get them fit physically, I mean just worming, trimming, floating vaccines and groceries. Then we will try to evaluate what ever riding skills they have and try to find a home that will accommodate them and be permanent. So they will have to move one more time. That also means we will get attached, love them and then have to let them go.

 

Horses endure anything and everything humans can dish out, good, bad and ugly. If only humans could be so tolerant.  Lisa Salas, The Odd fARm