Abandoned by the dressage trainer who had likely neglected her for
many months, she was found in very poor condition. Emaciated, sick,
hungry, and dirty... In desperate need of a temporary and safe home for
her and 14 other horses, the Kentucky businessman who owned them learned
of Leah Marie King, a musician from Canada who had just purchased a
large farm in northern Tennessee. Leah and her husband Mark took them
in, cared for them, and loved them. It's been three months, and now they
are trying to find these horses loving homes.
She looked thin in
her photos, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw when we went to
meet her. I had never seen a starved horse, and I guess I didn't even
realize that she had been neglected. And she's black, so shadows don't
always show so well in photographs. She was sunken in... her hips
protruded out so much. She was so so skinny, and she lacked muscle. I
just wasn't prepared for that... I was a bit shocked. I couldn't even
lift my camera to photograph her. I was frozen, and as we heard her
story, I cried. We spent some time with her and Leah and Mark. This mare
was so so sweet, so quiet and gentle. Much smaller than Paloma, and she
was so affectionate and kind. Despite the neglect and her condition,
her mane and tail were beautiful. And her eyes were kind and bright -
I'm quite sure because of Leah and Mark's evident love for her. At one
point, I braided her long wavy mane, and she seemed to love being
groomed. At the end of our visit, as I said goodbye to her, I took a
chance and scratched inside her ear. Like Paloma, she loved it, and then
she slowly lowered her head and nuzzled my chest. As I walked away
thinking that I'd never see her again, I prayed for her. I truly thought
Michael (my husband) and Martha (my trainer) would think I was crazy to
want to purchase a sick, neglected horse with a medical condition
(especially one which would inhibit her weight gain and recovery). But
they didn't. They both loved her as much as I did... and they thought
she was perfect. Perfect for me.
Such a beautiful journal...I look forward to "meeting" this beautiful being through your eyes and your lens. Thank you so much for sharing this journey...
ReplyDeleteI am praying for your sweet girl. Thanks for sharing her with us. She is gorgeous and full of life. I know she will gain weight and be the gorgeous healthy horse she is meant to be.
ReplyDeleteI was captivated by your story and happened to go back to your page this morning, to learn of your loss. I lost my first horse and soulmate to Colic when in Junior High (30yrs ago!). When i took the day off to mourn, the school wouldn't accept our 'excuse' and said, 'But it was just a horse'. I am so sorry, but rejoice that Willow is now running in green pastures, free and whole! We learn so much from our pets. I have also been following a ministry called Crystal Peaks in Oregon that uses horses that takes abandoned/abused/neglected rescue horses and links them to emotional/mentally-impaired youth. It's an amazing place. I would love to visit, and one day, even own a horse again.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you.