Save The Horses Daily News: March 2022

Author: Annabelle Carr

“Beshert”, what does that mean? Beshert is Jewish for “Meant To Be”, so I have learned. This Belgian Draft's name was Punkin Pie when she came in from the kill pen, but her name was eventually changed by the Save The Horses' volunteer Friday evening crew.

When I met this Belgian Draft horse, it was 3:10 am on a morning in January 2022. I heard from Cheryl Flanagan that two drafts from the kill pen were coming into our quarantine facility, where I had been helping with feedings, with an arrival time of 2 am. I asked if she needed help unloading the transport truck, and Cheryl graciously accepted my offer. When I arrived at the main rescue barn to pick up Cheryl, to take her to quarantine, I learned that 2 am had been moved to 3 am, her phone was dead, and she couldn't reach me. She had messaged my FB page, but I wasn't checking that. Gosh, I could have slept a little longer! We ended up heading out and waited in my truck for almost an hour for the transporter to arrive. We chatted, and in that hour, I learned so many things from Cheryl, what an amazing life she leads. Each day is about helping a person or animals in need. We should all give so much each day and live each day to the fullest like that.

When the transport truck arrived at 3:10 am, one horse was pulled off the trailer with the description of a well-mannered draft, probably Amish, calm, and trained. Cheryl was handed that one. The next was said to be much bigger, stronger and a bit harder to handle. I was handed that one. Surely, I thought to myself, the transporter will help us walk these large drafts to the gate in the paddock, down the long dark lane, considering we have no flashlights, and we don't know these horses as well as she seems to, especially since the one I am holding is harder to handle, as she had said. But I was mistaken. Transport ended when the horses were delivered, in this case, at the mailbox on an unlit country road. The nice lady said goodbye, she still had a long road back to North Carolina, I couldn't blame her for heading out. Here we were, Cheryl and I, in the dark at 3:10 am, holding two very large Belgian Draft horses we had never met before, with just the light of the moon to guide us down a long dark lane to the paddock. After a seven-hour trailer ride, my horse was walking fast, and yes, she was strong. As I circled my horse about five times in an effort to slow her down, one of which she circled me, I thought to myself; I will be found tomorrow with a very large hoof print on my face, or we will be looking for a runaway Belgian Draft horse around town tomorrow morning, or “I can do this”. This horse was so strong and moving so fast, I thought the horse Cheryl was walking in front of me might kick mine. However, as I walked, I watched this lovely lady in front of me with her big calm horse, and she seemed to be telling her horse something, and the horse seemed to be listening, her head bent down to Cheryl's. They definitely had some conversation going on, seemed really sweet. I was telling mine to slow down, but the conversation in front of me looked much different. I thought to myself, if it wasn't for Cheryl this horse, and mine, would be on a truck headed for the slaughterhouse across the border. This is meant to be for this horse and mine. If wasn't for a very kind donator and Cheryl, that is exactly where they were headed, that was their reality. Someone stepped in and paid the bail if Cheryl said yes, and so here we were, the 'yes' had arrived. The absolute last chance for these two horses.

Being one of the quarantine feeders, I fed Punkin Pie for several days, along with the other one, and four lucky other horses in quarantine, all from the kill pens. In the few days I had been feeding Punkin Pie, I fell in love with her. She would stand by the fence while I talked to her, and she would listen. She seemed to like the closeness of a person near her. I told her what a great horse she is, and she seemed to believe me, no matter how neglected she had been before she arrived here. Punkin Pie ended up having medical issues while in quarantine and was transported to UGA Vet School for further care. Most would have euthanized her after all her issues, and I felt heartbroken at the thought of her not making it. I just wanted to be with her, and she isn't even my horse.

Following her stay at UGA, Punkin Pie was brought to the Save The Horses main rescue barn on Newt Green Road, so that a constant team of volunteers would have their eye on her, and she was even renamed Beshert by the Friday evening team. Beshert was having trouble getting up in the mornings following her extensive vet visit, and Alex Williamson our farrier, the Forsyth County large animal rescue team, and many volunteers had to be on hand daily to help her get back up again. Now, following more vet checkups, Beshert has special feed instructions and an exercise routine to strengthen her hind legs. She roams around the farm grounds, she even runs on occasion, and she is happy. She is your shadow. Where you go, she goes, like an oversized puppy. She is a people lover, and everyone that meets her falls in love with her.

Beshert is “Meant To Be”, just as her new name says she is. The new name, Beshert, is a beautiful renaming of a retired Belgian Draft horse that has been given a new chance in life, a chance to be valued for the magnificent animal that she is, and not be cast aside at only eighteen years of age, after working so hard. Nice job Beshert! This lovely horse won't let a hardship keep her down, she will get back up and show all of us how to get back up again. She is in every way “Meant To Be”.

Stay tuned for more about the journey of Beshert and Hope (aka Meatball) in our next post. Beshert’s medical expenses are currently over $5000. If you would like to help contribute to her medical expenses, please click here to donate or visit our website at www.savethehorses.org and click on ‘Ways to Give’.

If you are interested in volunteering at STH, sponsoring one of our animals, or considering adoption or foster options, please visit www.savethehorses.org for more information.

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