Part 2 - Slaughter bound plow horse saved, a heartwarming story about Hope

Authors:  Holly Taggart, Flourishing Tree Farms and Amber Doster, STH Volunteer

“The day we decided to go for it all and bail her out of the kill pen, I was told she was safe.” My heart skipped a beat but jumped for joy to know Meatball was safe. Little did I know, my journey with Meatball had just begun.

I had been watching the slaughter pipeline now for some time.  My husband and I now had the means and a facility to be able to go in and rescue those who needed to be saved.  We have watched these horses come and go and helped donate a little along the way to save some. Then came Meatball, the big, beautiful Belgium draft mare, which was a different story.  She really stood out to us.  We watched her video and watched her ride and she seemed so sweet but so defeated. The day we decided to go for it and bail her out, I was told she was safe.  

 

Meatball was one of two Belgium drafts that was saved from a kill pen, on a cold January morning in 2022.  She came to Save The Horses (STH) with Punkin Pie (now Beshert), scared and tired from the long journey. Beshert severely malnourished and had horrible hooves. Their uncertain destiny became certain that January morning and their journey toward rehabilitation and rehoming started that very day.

 

I LOVE drafts!! Their size and beauty to me is unmatched by any others. Living so close to Amish country and watching them at the Pennsylvania farm shows just fueled my passion for these beautiful animals. I would love to own a hitch someday however, seeing all the drafts used up by the Amish then shipped to the auction when their working days were done is absolutely heartbreaking.   I wanted to start somewhere so I decided I would rescue out of the slaughter pipeline and give one or 2 a chance at a better life. 

 

I inquired with STH, a local rescue, about adopting a horse.  Much to my surprise, the Belgium draft I had been patiently watching and hoping to save from the kill pen was at STH, literally a stone’s throw from our farm. Call it fate, luck, or destiny, it was meant to be. We started the adoption process immediately. 

After the adoption was approved, we set out to bring her home. We have a large round pen, which is where she was going to stay until the vet had the chance to check her over. When we arrived home, I pulled right up to the round pen not knowing how she would react. When I opened the trailer door to go in and get her out, she was shaking like a leaf. I felt so bad!!!  All I could think of was, oh my goodness she’s probably thinking now where am I going? Whose hands am I going to be in now?  My heart sank, but even though she was nervous she never made a wrong move, she was kind and as gentle as she could be. I walked her into the round pen and let her go and she took a deep sigh and was completely calm and peaceful. From that moment forward, it has been like she has been here for years. I am completely amazed at how well she has handled herself with all that she has been through, most of which we will never know. She is so calm and sweet to be around. My daughters and I were leaning on the panels watching her amazed at her size and gentleness. I said to them “After all she’s been through, I don’t think she ever gave up hope. Her eyes tell the story and if you look deep enough you can see it.”  My youngest daughter says, “mommy I think you just found her name, Hope.” So that is what we have named her.  We now have the honor of calling Meatball, now Hope, the newest, and largest member of our family. 

I firmly believe for every person out there with the passion and fire in their blood for horses there is a specific horse created for that person.  In time, I do believe that horse and person will cross paths and become a match made in heaven. When I was a little girl my first pony was my match. That pony meant the world to me and taught me so many life lessons as a little girl that I still carry and use today. Over the years I have had many horses, but none was like that pony. For years I have prayed and prayed for the chance to own another one that was created for me and to teach me as he did. I have 4 horses here on our farm and one I am very close with but there is still something missing. Then Hope entered in. I don’t really know how to describe it.  From the moment she stepped off that trailer with me something clicked. I knew immediately she was meant to be here for some reason or some person I just didn’t know who. It took some time as usual for her to trust us, but she loves apples, and my husband won her heart with those. 

 

After a few days here I moved her to our paddock by the barn so she could get out of the rain some until her shelter is built. I blew my knee out and I have a hard time walking now. Going downhill is much better than going uphill for me. To get from where she was to the barn is quite the hill. Walking her down was ok but when it was time to walk her back up the hill I was struggling. I whispered to her “I need your help could you pull me up this hill.”  In a split second she walked slightly ahead of me, gently and slowly which takes effort for a big horse like that and pulled me up the hill. I knew that moment she was here for me. Since then, she has been my shadow, literally, she follows so closely behind me when I clean up the paddock that I can feel her breathing on my neck. She stays like that the whole time. Then when I leave her eyes plead with you to stay.  

I tell people I never would have imagined a broken-down plow horse bound for the slaughterhouse would have been created for me but here she is, and I absolutely love her. I am beyond excited to see where this journey goes. There is so much to learn from her, and her eyes speak volumes. I just need to listen. Whatever Cheryl said to the two drafts that fateful January night, they both must have taken it to heart. 
 
Hope will be very, very loved and will live a very easy life just loved on and being her. She resides on our goat farm, Flourishingtreefarms.com where we raise ADGA and MDGA Registered Nigerian and Nubian dwarf dairy goats.
 
Our next blog will feature more on kill pen auctions and how to help prevent horses from hitting the slaughter pipeline. If you enjoyed this blog and would like to help contribute to the ongoing care and rescue efforts, 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 our foster program, please visit www.savethehorses.org for more information.
 
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