This is a story of Peaches. A rescue of a horse. We wanted to do this story not on Facebook but here, on our website and a page devoted to her. I posted on my personal page her story and so many friends followed and supported us. There was some controversy so we kept it off the rescue page.... but now we can share, we feel we are ready. I'm doing this story in a blog style so you can follow with us.
August 5, 2021: We get a call from Ogle County Animal control about a downed horse that the owner is willing to surrender to a rescue. We do a shout out on our page and our team of great friends assemble at the rescue to head up to Ogle County.
The horses is named Peaches. She has spent 20 plus years sitting by herself in a back pasture. She was standing but unable to walk she was in so much pain. We have no idea how the owners got her up to the drive way. We couldn't get her to move... at all. Many times she fell to the ground exhausted as we tried to get her into the trailer. We thought we would have to call the vet to euthanize. She fell and slipped under the trailer. She was terrified of the trailer, she was in pain, but we knew we had to get her home to try to save her. She had foundered feet that were horrifying and was a walking skeleton - a body score of 1. It took 7 people to lift her INTO the trailer. Once she was inside, she knickered a happy sound and started eating her hay. 2.5 hours of stress for all of us, but we did it! On the way to her new life!!
Midnight: Our team gets one very sad sore horse unloaded and inter her soft comfy stall. She dives into her food, loving all of our attention everyone is in love with this sweet sweet soul. Welcome home Peaches!!! Life is just beginning for you !!! You are safe!!!
August 6th, 2021 2 am check. She is so tired she can barely stand. Her feet are like I've never seen before. I'm praying we can save her. She's so happy eating her hay she Nickers to the horses outside a soft " hello its me" kind of nicker...the herd answers her..."you made it home, its going to be ok" she is snuggly and craves humans
For 20 years she was alone in a junk yard.
For 20 years she was alone in a junk yard.
August 6, 2021: Our gifted farrier, Mike Zimmerman , evaluated Peaches today. Its bad but after X-rays he thinks we can make a plan of attack. It will depend on how bad the coffin bone is inside her front feet. The biggest thing is that she is still standing and eating. She probably has been in severe pain for many years and has no idea what life is without pain
Next is x-rays, deworming, vaccinations, blood work, and teeth floating (dentist to file her teeth so they don't hurt her anymore)
When she can travel I have a foster home ready with Peggy Jennings and her beautiful farm.
Next is x-rays, deworming, vaccinations, blood work, and teeth floating (dentist to file her teeth so they don't hurt her anymore)
When she can travel I have a foster home ready with Peggy Jennings and her beautiful farm.
August 8, 2021: Randy Timmons is loving this little mare too! She loves to be brushed that's good cuz its going to take hours and hours to get all the burrs and tangles out
August 9, 2021: Gretchen and Kathe Boyd Mckee give Peaches so much love today getting her mane and tail groomed she keeps falling asleep shes so at peace.
August 10, 2021: Peaches is pretty darn happy being inside tonight. Pray or please pray for her to get better. The veterinarian comes tomorrow afternoon- the x-rays will reveal if she can be saved. The coffin bone in the foot is our concern. We know she will never be 'right cuz of the neglect of 20 years but if there is the smallest of chances she could walk again. We will take it. Right now she just stands in one spot. She can't walk. How many years has she stood or hobbled to survive in that junk yard pasture
August 11, 2021: "It is with a heavy heart" In rescue we often start a post with that. But that's not the truth. It is with a sobbing heart, an ugly cry where we can't catch our breath heart - it is a sadness that overwhelms you when you think of the evil out there that does this cruelty. If you think too much - your soul will hurt.
Today our amazing friend Dr. Dana Miller came to do xrays and get Peaches on the mend. But she knew with one look at her feet, this wasn't going to go as we hoped. She had never seen a horse with such a big heart still standing with such massively foundered feet. We set up the xray machine, but Peaches was in such pain we had to give her an injection of painkiller just to get her to step on a board to level her foot. It was way worse than we expected. The coffin bone had rotated and went THROUGH (OUT OF THE BODY) the soul of the foot. Then from having to walk and stand the actual bone had ground down. Yes the bone was out of the body!! This little mare had been in pain for so long - she just kept on eating wanting to survive over these long years - standing in junk pasture - hardly any food, no water, unable to move, no shelter. T) My heart is destroyed thinking how she was in so much pain and her good nature never wavered. She was so incredibly happy to see everyone. Was fascinated by Greta - nickered and was so excited about her grain, & carrots and unlimited grass hay. We fell in love instantly and try as we might not to get too attached - she became dear to Randy and me. This is not the story I wanted to share with my friends. I wanted to share a story of triumph - of good beating evil. But no. We gave her a ton of pain killers and helped her get to the pasture. We let her enjoy the beautiful afternoon and let her graze for a moment. Then we helped her transfer over where there is no pain. Tomorrow we will bury her here. Yes this is expensive and a lot of work, but we owe that to her. I'm so incredibly sad that humans have failed her, but our team here jumped into action to help her when I did a shout out. Folks donated for her care (I will message and return unused funds) she felt love - she knew she was special. Randy, Kathe, Gretchen and I all groomed and smooched on her. She had the best food and treats. She had bute to numb some of the pain. She had a deep comfy stall with fans and fly spray constantly making her comfy. Its been a rough day I will admit. But would Randy Timmons and I do it again, knowing this out come?? YOU BET! We can't wait for our new barns - and maybe a trailer so we can help again next time..... and the sad thing is .... we know there will be a next time.
Today our amazing friend Dr. Dana Miller came to do xrays and get Peaches on the mend. But she knew with one look at her feet, this wasn't going to go as we hoped. She had never seen a horse with such a big heart still standing with such massively foundered feet. We set up the xray machine, but Peaches was in such pain we had to give her an injection of painkiller just to get her to step on a board to level her foot. It was way worse than we expected. The coffin bone had rotated and went THROUGH (OUT OF THE BODY) the soul of the foot. Then from having to walk and stand the actual bone had ground down. Yes the bone was out of the body!! This little mare had been in pain for so long - she just kept on eating wanting to survive over these long years - standing in junk pasture - hardly any food, no water, unable to move, no shelter. T) My heart is destroyed thinking how she was in so much pain and her good nature never wavered. She was so incredibly happy to see everyone. Was fascinated by Greta - nickered and was so excited about her grain, & carrots and unlimited grass hay. We fell in love instantly and try as we might not to get too attached - she became dear to Randy and me. This is not the story I wanted to share with my friends. I wanted to share a story of triumph - of good beating evil. But no. We gave her a ton of pain killers and helped her get to the pasture. We let her enjoy the beautiful afternoon and let her graze for a moment. Then we helped her transfer over where there is no pain. Tomorrow we will bury her here. Yes this is expensive and a lot of work, but we owe that to her. I'm so incredibly sad that humans have failed her, but our team here jumped into action to help her when I did a shout out. Folks donated for her care (I will message and return unused funds) she felt love - she knew she was special. Randy, Kathe, Gretchen and I all groomed and smooched on her. She had the best food and treats. She had bute to numb some of the pain. She had a deep comfy stall with fans and fly spray constantly making her comfy. Its been a rough day I will admit. But would Randy Timmons and I do it again, knowing this out come?? YOU BET! We can't wait for our new barns - and maybe a trailer so we can help again next time..... and the sad thing is .... we know there will be a next time.