More This 'n' That from Mikey's Rescue Mission
I sure want to thank everyone who's been saving a little heart-room to keep up with the saga of Mikey's rescue mission of the blind mare abandoned at a livestock yard. Once she's had a chance to rest up, I'm sure Mikey will have her own stories to tell; can't wait to read about them on her own blog, The Horseshoeing Housewife.
Photo: Mikey introduces herself to the blind mare before starting to trim her feet.A few random thoughts to share, plus some extra photos:
* I have every bit as much admiration for Janet L., the livestock market employee who took the blind mare under her care, as I do for Mikey. Janet, who lives on the auction grounds, is the sort of person who shuns publicity. (She managed to duck or hide herself from most of the photos, and refused any credit at all for her help with the mare.) But she is every inch a horsewoman. She figured out how to get the blind mare to lead (which she wouldn't do on auction day); cleaned and treated her eyes every day; and knew how to talk her right into Mikey's trailer. She also let slip that this wasn't the first unsold auction horse that she's assisted. For someone who lives and works at what's essentially a meat market, she retains her feelings for horses.
Photo: With the blind mare safely loaded, Mikey and I show off her aptly named FEARLESS rescue rig.* This life-episode has taught me that you don't always have to have the WHOLE answer in order to get a problem solved. Sometimes, little pieces of answers, coming from multiple sources, can add up to a good ending. Just the smallest act can be the one that makes the difference.
Photo: No longer needed: The auction tag from one very lucky horse.* As small acts go, I loved the one where Janet, upon release of the mare to Mikey (and ultimately to Shiloh Horse Rescue), finally got to remove the "797" auction tag from the top of her tail. I know that had to have meant something to her. (The tag had to remain as long as the mare was in the auction market's custody, for purposes of tracking and identification.) Seems like a lucky set of numbers, in more ways than one!
Labels: blind horse
posted by Juli Thorson @ 12:10 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
God bless you all.
*sniff*
gosh I love a happy ending. And that number will be special to all of your readers Juli!
Definitely a big part of this success goes to Janet, whether she wants to accept the "thanks" and "that was awesome of you".
As the owner of a recently blind Appaloosa, thanks to everyone who helped this sweet mare find a new home. It's not an easy road to adjust to your beloved horse losing their sight, and it's scary how quickly it can happen. It makes me sad when I see so many ads in the horse sale websites and hear about horses such as this mare that are abandoned just because they are blind. I just wish the Appaloosa Horse Club would be more aggressive in finding a cure for this disease so fewer Appys end up like this mare.
God Bless you all.....in truth if people are given a chance, there are no "unwanted horses"---Lydia
"Lyd's Kids" rescue in Anthony, Florida
www.qualityacresfarm.com
Love the story. The power of one... (or three, in this case).
The mare needs a name.... or did I miss it?
The picture of the sticker is very haunting - thank you for posting it. That sticker should be a reminder to us all of what could happen - a reminder of our responsibility to our four legged friends.
Thank God for people like you...wish i had the money and the land and the resources to take in those unwanted ones around here in the Kansas area... but its all i can do to take care of the 4 i do have. Keep up the good work.. and if you ever need a helping hand in Kansas just holler..
Hooray! I brought a blind pony home a few months ago and its been an incredible experience. Dublin is a 42 year old lesson pony has been blind in one for years. The other eye started to falter and he is completely blind now.
The emotial stress Dublin was under was heartbreaking. His loving owner and I decided to bring him to my house in hopes a herd mentality would calm him down. Worked like a charm!
He figured out the parameters of his 12 x 24 pen, and, when he was comfortable with that, he became aquainted with the one acre pasture. If you didn't know he was blind, you couldn't tell.
He's been such an inspiration for me. If he can brave each day and embrace what he's been given, with enthusiasm and good humor, then so can I.
I hope anyone with a little extra space in the barn will consider giving blind horses and ponies a chance to live out their lives.
Debi
Thank God for Mikey and everyone out there who can find it in their hearts to save horses no matter what the condition may be i was really impressed by the story and i am glad the mare is safe and sound in a good home if people no longer want horses they should give them to people who want them and love them some horse auction have some cruel people who work there i have seen this with my own eyes they take whips and beat horses and baby colts because they want to be the big man in the sale arena or they run colts through that are starving and are in disprate need of food and vet care this kind of abuse is common where i live and it is very sad there is NO sense in this treatment I love horses but i cant bring everyone of them home i see abused or neglected though i would love too!
I just rescued a beautiful baby that was run through a horse auction and there is another lady who rescued a filly that was starved so bad she was at deaths door Thank God for everyone out there who are horse lovers.
Loved the story and God Bless you for going the extra mile. And an expression of gratitude to your husband Wade. Wish there were more people like you two in the world, it would be a better place. You have set a wonderful example for others to emulate. And recognizing that God was calling you to do this is heart stirring. Thank you very much, and I will continue to follow the mare's progress through your stories and blog. Take care and God Bless, Donna
www.easyjacks.com
Hi Everyone!
The Appy mare is happily at home at Shiloh Horse Rescue! She looks tired, but very interested in her surroundings and eating well. She is extremely sweet and very cute.
We have named her "Keller" after Helen Keller.
ou can read more about her on Shiloh's Blog:
http://shilohhorserescue.blogspot.com/2008/09/newest-arrival.html
And on our website under New Arrivals:
www.shilohhorserescue.com
Feel free to email me for updates or any questions at shilohhorse@aol.com. Thank you to everyone who helped this sweet mare out and HUGE thanks to Mikey!
Have a great day everyone,
Jill Curtis
Shiloh Horse Rescue
Thank you for everything you all have done for his horse! I am so happy to know there are still hearts out there that truely lead with them! Thank you!
Once again Thank you to you and everyone else involved in rescuing this horse.
That auction tag just gives me the chills. I'm so glad it's finally been removed from above her lovely tail.
It probably should stay with her just as a memento of what a lucky horse she is and how many caring people were willing to save her and give her a new lease on life.
Can't wait to read Mikey's blog once she gets back home and settled again.
Thanks again,
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
Thanks for calling attention to Miss Janet as well! Thanks to ALL involved. It's a great happy ending story.
I am so happy that because of some really awesome people that this horse now has a happy forever home.
I would love to see Janet or someone take a copy of all of these pages and hang it in the horse sale office or on the grounds. More than likely the person that brought the horse to the sale will be back and hopefully see it. I am sure they would be happy to know that they made the news.
Thanks to all you great ladies and Ed and Wayne also.
God bless all of you that played a role in this mares new life!
You've all be touched by the hand of God in your concerted effort and the rest gained in various ways too.
Mikey girl you Rock!
Wow. Just catching up with this story and it is truly amazing. I agree that all of these women are super impressive. I could not do what Janet does, working at an auction barn. It is a miracle that she is still able to give her heart to these animals after watching so many of them go to sure death. The world is blessed greatly by the women like Janet.
Mikey is a miracle too. Driving all that way on her own to rescue this mare. Just wow. Wow.
And YOU. Starting all of this in motion by blogging about it. You saved that horse's life.
There is nothing that any one person can do to solve the mess we have in the horse world today, but we can't let that stop us from doing what we're able to do. You saved this horse's life and that's not a small thing.
Thank you.
Post a Comment
<< Home