She might let me pad her feet like that, I'm not sure. I few years
ago I was boarding and I don't know how it happened but she got 2
legs
caught in a mower, cut them up pretty bad. I was on my way to the
barn and thought it odd that my vet was driving so fast in front of
me, when I realized she was turning in the barn driveway, it got me
concerned never thinking it was my horse she was rushing to. anyway,
we debated about sutures as she would have to be wrapped, and ya
can't
wrap her legs, the vet decided to clean it out real well and let her
legs stay unwrapped, luckily they healed fine. she had been abused,
I
rescued her from a bad situation right before she was going to the
New
Holland auction where they sell horses for meat. She's been able to
trust again but there are things that she just panics over, I think
from whatever happened to her in the past, a trainer had thought
maybe
she had been hobbled. I know when I found her she was chained to a
wall in the basement of a barn that was flooded with knee high cold
stagnant water and dark with no light coming in, hence her fear of
barns. It's not a mater of her not liking it she is in a panic like
she's going to die when she's inside. I've spent years with her and
she lets me rope her legs but will not stand for anything wrapped on
them.
I love her with all my heart, she's an amazing horse to overcome her
past and trust people again. I've had her 18 years, it took 2 years
to get her to where she could be ridden. She used to rear and strike
out when being led, now she does anything I ask of her. I promised
her when I got her she would be loved and cared for and that I would
never make her live in a way that caused her fear or pain, she had
enough of it when she was younger, and that I would own her to the
end
no matter what, in the beginning I told her if she didn't want me to
ride her that I would still love her but she let me on her and has
been a joy to own and ride. While I miss riding her now, I think I
even love her more, there's no agenda of training or showing, we can
just be friends.
Linda

My heavens, Linda...what a story of courage and love. It is unbelievable
what abuse some horses suffer and yet they still learn to trust again.
Stories like yours make me cry, but then I feel a huge upwelling of love for
the people like you who come along and offer a new life of love and
acceptance to a frightened horse. I absolutely understand what you said
about knowing just what this mare can and cannot accept in the way of
treatment and confinement. These things must be taken into consideration
when caring for horses. There are always realities to deal with in every
situation. For instance, in our case, the climate plays a huge part in my
horse care program. Every horse is an individual and must be treated as
such. Thanks for sharing your story and good luck with your mare. Kay in AK

Linda,
Your horse is very lucky to have you. Darby was bought at auction someplace
in South Dakota in 1981. The man who bought her was a horse dealer here in
NH. She spent a year as a camp horse and had 2 other owners before we
bought her in 87 from another horse dealer he paid 100.00 for her.....we
paid him 600.00 and she is priceless to us. Darby has a story but she has
kept it to herself.
Sue