
I have met so many loving, kind, beautiful people in the horse world... but I have been disappointed yet again. While out having a sweet visit with willow, I was told of a woman "big in the Friesian world" who was claiming it was well known in the Friesian community that Willow was a stolen horse. Of course, when I heard this, I went into panic mode.... I knew so very little of Willow's past. And although we trust and adore Leah and Mark, what if they had been lied to and the people who supposedly owned her had stolen her? We know they let her be neglected to the point of nearly starving to death, so could it be that they had stolen her and then lied to Leah and Mark? So I immediately called Leah. I was shaking and crying when I told her what I had just heard. She was so calm and assured me that she would find some way to prove that it wasn't the case. While waiting, I went and found the woman who said she had heard that Willow was stolen. She described many "red flags in the Friesian community" regarding how I came upon my new horse... I asked her who the woman with "connections" was and she pulled up their conversation on her cell phone. After reading the entire conversation, it was so obvious to me that these two women WERE the source of this new rumor. The main "red flag" it seemed was that "Mountain Girl" wasn't a legit Friesian name... and that her price of $5,000 was just WAY too low for a horse of her "Ster" designation. Well, as I explained to this nosy woman, "Mountain Girl" was the nickname Leah had for my horse... it wasn't her registered Friesian name. I also had to remind this woman that Willow was a VERY sick horse (and not a very young horse either)... and that many people wouldn't want her at any price given the thousands of dollars it would take to care for her (and that she likely would always be ill). By their conversation, I could tell that these two nosy, trouble making women had conjured up this whole thing and had convinced themselves that she
must be a stolen horse. And then they proceeded to tell someone very close to me that she
was!
After a while, I heard back from Leah. She was able to find out who Willow's first owner was (the one who sold her and the others to the people who neglected her). Her name is Nancy, and Leah called her to explain what was going on. Nancy cried when Leah described the state in which she found Willow and the other beautiful Friesians. Leah gave me her number, and I called her... Nancy was horrified and grief stricken. I was so grateful to talk to her as Willow was mostly a mystery to me. Aside from her having a cyst removed (under the care of Leah), a problem swallowing food & choking, a Friesian "Ster" brand of "F S" on her neck, and of course the fact that she had been neglected and abandoned to starve to death, I really knew NOTHING about her. Through her tears, Nancy told me that her name was Leona. She was born in California in 1995. And miraculously, Nancy still had her paperwork and would mail it to me. I assured Nancy that I was committed to loving and taking care of this sweet horse. Nancy was so sweet, so I told her that it was obvious Willow was so sweet because of her love. "No," answered Nancy, "... she was born that way. She is the sweetest horse in the world." Yes, she sure is. And you know, maybe the Vulture story is right... something good
was born from this bad experience... I got to talk to Nancy and learn more about Willow... what a gift
...
I then went home and googled one of the women (the one "big" in the Friesian world)... turns out she is a Friesian breeder herself... well of course she doesn't like to see a Friesian sold for $5k.. even one who is sick and starved. When I mentioned TK's name to Leah, she told me that this same woman actually contacted her about Willow. She posed as a potential buyer... Leah told her that she had gone to a loving home, and then TK wrote back demanding to know
where this horse came from, etc. She totally harassed the very people that saved my horse's life!! What I don't get is why these women were investigating my horse (or trying to) when it is so clear that she is where she belongs... where she is being loved and completely cared for. She is under the care of Martha and her team, Dr. Hawthorne, Dr. Kimmons, and various others. She is being fed the best food for her and supplemented with vitamins and minerals. She is receiving numerous therapies, including Myofascial and Acupuncture. And mostly, she is being showered with love. Unless someone knew of a Friesian mare that was stolen, WHY would they cause me so much heart ache and trouble? Nothing better to do, ladies? How about praying for this sweet horse... or better yet, rescue a horse yourself as there are SO many that need rescuing. But leave MY horse alone. Don't go causing trouble where there isn't any.
I have enough heartache already.