Welcome 2012

Ending 2011 was not what I had planned.

We has some very happy adoption in the past few months. Our orphaned foal, Moonbean, was adopted by a loving couple. Our blind mare, Helen, who was saved at the auction for $15.00 was adopted by a compassionate horse rescue volunteer. Allie our lovely Quarter Horse mare is now with a teenage girl who recently lost her beloved companion horse. Slick, a handsome gelding at our Chickamauga Farm has found a best friend with an Atlanta career women who has come back to riding. Then just before the year ended, one of the equine veterinarians found a mare not being cared for. He went to repair a torn eyelid and found a starving 24 year old mare. Her name is Honey Bun. Sounds like a beloved horses name. She was the light of someone's life at one time, now, through no fault of her own, she is the result of a divorce. She had nothing to do with the humans in her life's problems but she suffered for it. When she was brought to the rescue farm, we were told the story of how, just the night before, Honey Bun was on the ground and could not get up. Seven dedicated horse lovers made a make-shift sling from a bed sheet and literally lifted her up and held her up for hours as they fed her soaked food. They did a wonderful job filling her with nutrition to help her gain strength. She didn't have the muscle to lift herself up.She didn't have the strength to stand on her own when she was lifted. It was very touch and go when she arrived. She was so unsteady on her feet. She wobbled into the stall as we all held our breaths praying she would make it.

She is doing well on a steady increased diet of good nutrition. She gets hand walked to help develop her muscles. She is such a sweet mare. The previous owner said that they rode her 3 weeks before she went down, indicating nothing was wrong with Honey bun. . She did have shoes on indicating that was true. Does getting a divorce make you not see the reality of a starving horse? Could it be the 'other' spouses favorite horse? Could it be revenge against that spouse to starve their horse or could it be such a chaotic time in the lives of this family that the horse was cast aside? No matter what the excuse, there is no excuse. This animal suffered terribly. Dr Marcella came in just in time, literally just in time. Another day, Honey Bun would have been dead.

So we feel privileged to welcome the New 2012 Year with Honey Bun in our care. The Horse Rescue volunteers are happy to do everything they can to improve the quality of the lives of the horses and of the humans involved at the SaveTheHorses.org facility. Thank you for your continued support through financial donations and your generous donations of time.