Sorry I haven't been writing lately, my summer has been REALLY busy. Anyways, i just wanted to post that i read two stories in my monthly horse magazine that made me really think.
The first article was about "unwanted foals". When the 'big racers' breed their best thoroughbred mares, they take the foal away and give it to a hired nursemare so the real mother can breed again sooner. They get the nursemares to produce milk by making them have foals of their own. They then take away these foals, and few are adopted. The rest are disposed of like they are just an 'extra necessity'. There are few organizations that help these foals.
The second article was about a blind horse. His name was PB. PB used to work on a ranch in Colorado, but he went blind. Being blind made him afraid of everyone and everything. His owners wanted to sell him because they knew he was no use to them anymore. Then a woman from their barn started to bond with him. PB was blind, and she had breast cancer. They understood each other. She hadn't been on a horse in 30 years, but she was drawn to PB. She spent six months grooming him, talking to him, and boosting his confidence. One day, she finally got on his back. He trusted her so much that even though he hadn't been ridden in years, he allowed it. In fact, he not only allowed it, he welcomed it. Eventually the owners saw the bond between PB and the woman, and they gave him to her! The woman gradually re-trained PB and started to ride with others on him. their communication was so good that she could silently signal him when he needed to step over something.
This story is so amazing! All I have to say is, look into what you can do for blind, crippled and unwanted horses in your local area. If you are thinking of adopting, not all unwanted horses are injured or mentally incapable of a rider. Some are just forgotten, like the foals previously described.
Here's some pictures of my lovely buckskin mare, Hope. I am blessed to have her!
