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Moses
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Moses at the feedlot
in October 1998 |
MOSES
Bay TB gelding, 16 ½ hands, pin-fired in both forelegs, rescued
last year in November. Moses! Ah, what a guy! This horse was saved
by loving, caring people who all pitched in for his ransom price
(just like they did with Callie!). He was in training (he was
a racehorse), but he and the trainer had a difference of opinion
on who was boss! HA! We had Moses evaluated by another trainer
on Sunday. She says he's just a bully who has gotten his way for
too long. She is willing to come to our house 5 mornings a week
to train him. Once I quit paying the ransom on some of these horses,
we will be able to afford his training! HA!
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Moses in the trailer leaving
feedlot. November 8, 1998 |
A Note from Moses!
(translated by Gail)
Hello Neighhhhbors!
My name is Moses. I am a 8-9 yr. old Dark Bay Thoroughbred Gelding
that proudly stands at 16 hands high. It wasn't really that long
ago that I was a racehorse. Ahh, the sport of kings! I would run
like the wind with my stablemates to the finish line. There were
cheers, applause and nice words. In order to run as fast as possible,
my heels were cutdown, my toes left long and I wore special shoes
to grab the ground and lengthen my stride. This strained the front
tendons in my forelegs and made me sore. I couldn't run like the
wind anymore. To help correct this, my owners had me pin-fired
to strengthen those tendons. It didn't seem to work as well as
hoped, and since I could not run fast anymore I was sold. You
see, since I couldn't run like the wind, I was considered a liability
to my owners. I ended up in a feedlot where I was to wait for
a truck to take me to be slaughtered. While I was there, I got
sick with something called strangles. Because I got strangles,
I could not be shipped to slaughter until the strangles was over
with.
While I was at the
feedlot, seeing my new friends be loaded into the big trucks that
came to take them to death, neighing their fear, slipping and
sliding up the ramp, running into and over each other trying to
escape, I became very afraid and depressed. My friends were gone!
Soon after there would be new friends, but they too would be sent
on the big trucks.
There was a lady
who would come to the feedlot every weekend and sometimes even
during the week to look at all of us. Most of the time she would
come in the pens by herself and talk to us. She would make soft
noises and pet us. She would always whisper in our ears that she
loved us. And you know what? We know she does love us. All of
us!
When the man would
come she would pull out a pad and paper and ask the man all sorts
of questions about each of us while she wrote down things the
man said. Then she would leave. Whenever she came back she would
look at the empty pens where my friends had been. You could hear
the quiet. You could hear your very breath. She would stand looking
at those empty pens and tears would run down her face. Then she
would wipe them away (in case the man came she didn't want him
to see she was crying) and come visit us all again. I saw she
was sad, so I would come up to her when she made the smile face
at me and made a motion for me to come to her. I would put my
head on her chest and she would scratch my ears and tell me how
special I was. Even when I was sick with strangles, had open abscesses
draining from under my jaw, she would scratch my ears and hug
me. Since she said I was special, I decided that the other horses
weren't as special as me and I would pin my ears and bite at the
other horses! I didn't want them near her! When she would come
and I was at the other end of the pens, I would push through the
other horses to get to her even when the man was there. She would
shoo me away so she could take pictures of all of us, but I would
keep coming back. She would laugh and laugh and tell me I was
like Moses parting the red sea!
My friends were
leaving again and I knew my turn was next. I didn't have the strangles
anymore and had gained some weight back. I was looking pretty
good! Good enough for the next truckload to slaughter. For
some reason my friends were sent and I was again left behind.
Then, the lady came back with another lady this time. They put
a halter on me and my lady friend said "Moses, you are going
home. People loved you just enough to save your life and you are
coming with me." I stood proud because my lady friend was
with me but I was very nervous. Now I was leaving my friends!
They were putting me in a trailer for 2 horses and I had never
been in one that small in my whole life! I backed up fast and
my lady friend looked like a yo-yo on a string while she hung
on to the lead rope. Didn't anyone ever tell her not to hang on?
HA! The other lady who is a trainer took over and spent about
30 minutes helping me to get over my nervousness about this 2
horse trailer and leaving my friends. I pawed the ground and neighed
to my friends, knowing I was going to be hit or yelled at for
not being a good Moses. Nobody yelled or hit. I got kind words
and lots of "Good Guy" everytime I made progress over
my fear. After awhile I decided what the heck, I'll go for a little
spin in this trailer. After all, my lady friend was close by.
We loaded up and
headed off. We stopped at a place with other horses that all neighed
hello to me when I got there. None of these horses were sick.
None of these horses were depressed. None of these horses were
afraid. These horses were happy! I was very curious and excited.
I was put in a pen next to a QH stallion on one side and a QH
mare on the other. Little guys compared to me! Everyone was so
friendly. I was fed nice fresh hay twice a day and even got some
of that delicious Senior Feed! I had fresh water too! That was
great.
A couple of days
ago I had my first roundpen lesson. The trainer lady and my lady
friend figured I had adjusted well enough and they wanted to see
how I responded physically and mentally. I tell you
I gave
them a show! I strutted my stuff and ran like the wind again!
Round and round I ran! Working up a sweat and snorting and blowing.
Then the trainer lady made some motions for me to turn the other
way. I turned as fast as I could to show her how talented I was
and showed her what a real racehorse was made of! She asked me
to turn again and again. I did all this without missing a step!
I was great. I am a racehorse!! The trainer lady made a motion
for me to stop and I stopped on a dime. I am quick I tell you!
I learned her cues right off the bat. Then she asked me to walk!!!
Walk! I am a Thoroughbred racehorse! She walked me until I was
not breathing hard and then took me out of the roundpen and just
stood with me until my sweaty coat had dried. We stood for a long,
long time.
The next day I was
very sore. My damaged front legs were aching and I limped. My
lady friend came to see me and she hugged my neck. She cried tears
on my neck and told me that I did not HAVE to be a racehorse.
That I could just be a horse. She told me she would find a way
to help me learn how. The trainer lady watched me for a few days
to see if I limped a lot and if there was any swelling on my ankles.
No swelling. I am just sore, not lame! Hooray!! With some exercise
I will be stronger and will not get so sore.
Today, 11/21/98,
I had my second round pen lesson. I trotted around and then just
walked. Everyone was so happy! I still don't get it! I am a racehorse!
Shouldn't I be running like the wind? Aren't I supposed to run
fast?
I know this is long,
but I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank some very special
people in my LIFE. The keyword is Life. Because some humans thought
I did not deserve to go to slaughter, I have a life today. I get
to be a horse that is loved by so many people. I was given
a new life because my lady friend put my description out on a
list that was seen by John Foster. John & Sue have a webpage
called Foster Family Horse Farm, http://www.cyberportal.net/buddy
John decided to issue a challenge to the people who believe in
rescuing and helping horses. He offered to send some help toward
my purchase price and challenged others to do the same. He didn't
even know me and wanted to help! Because John took the time and
effort to do this, several people responded and I was saved! My
lady friend received enough for my purchase price, my haul to
my new home and a month's board. This could not have happened
without the help of some dear, dear friends. The following is
a list of people who felt I deserved a chance to live. Some of
these fine people have also rescued some of my friends from the
same feedlot, so I included my friends' names too! (If I have
not included someone, please let my lady friend know!)
- Nancy A. Proud
owner of GG
- Suzan S. Proud
owner of Kooler's Blue Holly
- Ellen St. P.
- Marie A. Pround
owner of Prawwo
- Laura R-S. Proud
owner of California Dreamin (CD)
- Carolyn
- Beth K.
- Ava McC.
- Georgiana H.
- Shelly P. Proud
owner of Vintage Moonshine
- Kathy T.
I would also like
to thank Jim of White Cat Farm who worked so very hard to find
out who I am. Jim took the tattoo number that my lady friend had
and searched for a match through the Jockey Club Thoroughbred
records. Because we cannot see the last number in my tattoo clearly,
we have not been able to find out exactly who I am yet. Jim worked
soooo hard. Thank you Jim!
A note of thanks
to Mike D. of H.O.R.S.E. for being a guiding light in the darkeness
that comes when my friends are shipped.
Debbie of DD Rescue
helped my lady friend by just being there.
Also, thank you
to those who gave emotional support to my lady friend. The
words of encouragement helped her to believe that I would be saved.
She was afraid to believe because so many of my friends don't
get a chance to be saved. Thank you for being there for her.
And, last, but not
least, a big thank you to my lady friend's husband for his support
in what she is doing and for giving me my second round pen lesson.
Besides, he's kinda cute!
- You see, if you
love just enough and work together, miracles happen.
- Thank you all
for my miracle.
Moses
Update 9/12/00 - In 1998 I walked
into a pen at a feedlot filled with sick, scared, angry, depressed
slaughterbound horses. I was there to get descriptions, pictures,
etc. about the horses in order to try to find them homes before
they took that last ride.
Parting the sea of horses came a skinny, sick Thoroughbred gelding
with strangles. He came to me and put his head on my chest. I
cradled that massive head and swallowed hard. Hoping against hope
that he would make it out of there.
I posted his information along with the others. I told how he
put his head on my chest, how he moved other horses away to come
to me each time I came to the lots.
It was people like you who rallied to his side. The very first
challenge was issued. Funds came in. I took him out of the feedlot
to a boarding facility (we lived in suburbia and had no property,
no place to keep this magnificent horse other than boarding him).
We called him Moses because he parted the sea of horses to come
to me.
He began training. As he got healthier, his personality changed.
He was a horse that would not take pushing...he would rather hurt
himself or you if he were threatened or forced. He did not care
for the trainer and reached through the bars to rip her shirt
one day when she was giving him his hay. We were told to send
him to the Charros or have him put down. We brought him home.
God had been kind and we had just purchased
fixer-upper property. 1 donated pen and a couple slap together
pens that we purchased panel by panels as we could afford it.
A strong, willful, masculine horse Moses was. He would tolerate
a minimal amount of pressure. He charged, he would come at you
full open mouth, he kicked. He bit and kicked Blair on several
occasions. He came at me with his mouth open and ears pinned one
day and I barely got out in time. I then found a well of fear
within myself that I did not know existed and I was ashamed of
because I could not seem to overcome it.
Blair began to work with him in the roundpen. Although he would
charge, buck, kick, try to bite, Blair continued. Moses loves
to work! He loves doing something. He is quite intelligent and
therefore has an active mind that instead of being bored when
he is not doing something, he gets forceful. A stoic horse with
the look of eagles and the personality of a viper! Yet, he deserves
to live and breathe as much as anyone of us.
Every single picture I took of this horse came out dark and foreboding.....like
him. One day, a few months ago, Blair approached his pen with
halter in hand. Moses perked up his ears and whinnied!!! Blair
stood there and cried. This was the first and biggest step that
Moses had ever taken. He never whinnied, and yet, when Blair approached
with the halter, he let him know he was happy to see him and go
to work!
Ahhh, Moses! Because he is so overbearing and so big, we have
been hesitant to put any other horses with him in the pasture.
His personality wasn't really conducive to being a buddy...and
yet, every horse at TIER, when turned out into the arena, immediately
gravitate towards Moses' pen. Strange. His next door neighbor
is my mare Libbey who spends a great deal of time yelling at him,
trying to bite him (stud panel between Moses and Libbey keeps
them both safe from each other) while he looked on with a puzzled
look.
Two days ago we made a decision. Blair and I had talked about
this on several occasions, yet hesitated to follow through with
any action. We finally decided it was a needed action and did
it despite heavy misgivings.
We turned Moses and Libbey out together in the pasture together...while
we held our breath.
For the first time I saw Moses let go of his defenses. For the
first time, the pictures I took showed Moses for who he is...not
dark pictures that you could not see.
Please join me in watching Moses and Libbey as they romp and talk.
As they breathe in and out. As they be the very best they can
be....Living, breathing, Loving, Wonderful horses.
Moses has come home...heart and soul. All it took was giving him
the time and attention he so richly deserved. Time. He deserves
no less.
Thank you....for making my life richer with the gift of Moses!
The gift of Life.
New photos
6/12/01 - |
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Update
8/7/01 - Moses had his feet done recently and is having a
good time dancing around. He has mellowed somewhat and doesn't
try to scare me too often. HA! We put Moses and Chance in the
pasture to see how they would do together. They played all afternoon
the first time we put them out. Of course, that was after Moses
took that young whippersnapper in hand and showed him some respect
for his elders! They play every time we put them out together.
It is wonderful to watch them! Everytime I run into the house
to get the camera in order to take a picture of them rearing up
together (two Big, dark, strong, handsome horses rearing are awesome!)by
the time I get back out they are grazing. I'll try to remember
to get the camera out and then turn the boys out together.
Update
11/9/01 - Moses telling his friend Gail M in "horse talk"
more brushing.......pluheeeeese
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