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Author Archives: honeystrust
In memory of Shirley
In memory of *Henry
We first heard of Henry on a post on a Facebook group; With an old injury, untreated and left, his owner had decided that she would sell him through the sale yards. A fellow agistee was horrified at the thought of this lovely pony, crippled through no fault of his own, being sold through the sales, and more than likely being herded onto a truck and sent to the knackery.
She appealed for someone to purchase the gelding direct from the owner to save him from this fate. We were at capacity at the time but called and advised that, failing all else, we would pay the asking price, and then work out a solution.
Another person put up their hand and it was arranged that Henry would be floated to the saleyards the following day to be sold direct to his new carer. There were concerns raised re his physical condition but it was decided to give him a go and he went to his new home. A number of people , including Honey’s Pledge, donated towards the purchase price.
There were updates on Henry, how, with chiropractic treatment , he could again be ridden, and this was shown by photographs. What was concerning though was that it did not appear that he had actually received a diagnosis by a vet, including tests such as x rays.
Time passed and there were no updates on Henry. It then became known that he had deteriorated and the current owner was considering having him euthanized. It was agreed that he could be collected and transported to enable assessment by a specialist vet and so I made the journey to float him to our place.
Sometimes you can have a connection with an animal you have never met…and Henry was one of these. I was so thrilled to meet him. He travelled well on the float trip, and eagerly trotted down the drive to his new paddock.
Here, predictably, Shiloh, our smallest pony, arrived to meet him. We call Shiloh ‘Miss Meet and Greet, as she always crosses the property, ignoring fences, to meet a new horse.
Henry settled quickly. I found him a rug for the cool nights and started him on twice a day supplementary feeds and some herbs. He was also on pain relief as the float trip would have put additional strain on his body.
It was soon clear there was something seriously wrong with Henry. He was unable to lie down, unable to roll, and would often shift his weight continually. We had a sudden heat wave and so a trip to the vets was postponed until the weather had cooled. We made the most of this week with lots of food and hugs.
After one week we made the trip to our equine vets. This is a specialist practice with state of the art facilities.
I unloaded Henry and the vet made her initial examination. All immediately loved Henry and his soft eye.
The first step was x rays. These were done while I waited outside.
The vet viewed the images and then asked me to go to the office. I knew then what I was about to be told.
She showed me the x rays. Henry’s joints were fused with overgrowths of bone. Their advice was that there was no alternative but to euthanize.
In tears I agreed. Henry was given strong pain relief, and I took him home. We arranged that I would give him pain relief for a few days and then call the vet.
I was hoping for a week, but within three days it was clear the call needed to be made. The vet arranged to come in the afternoon. I spent the day grooming Henry, feeding him treats and just sitting quietly with him under his favourite tree.
When the vet arrived we stood together for a final few minutes. Henry was given a sedative and then the IV barbiturate. His going was gentle and swift.
In line with our practice I left Henry resting where he had fallen so the other horses could see him and say their own farewells.
Two days later the excavator arrived and we buried Henry under ‘his’ tree. We laid flowers and sang a blessing.
The vet later confirmed that his was the worst case of joint fusion the practice has ever seen. A horse in his condition should have had diagnosis by a vet before any other treatment was commenced and should never, ever, ever have been ridden.
Farewell our lovely man. It was a privilege to meet you, and an honour to send you on your final journey.
* Henry is not the name this horse was known by.
The story of Ruth
My name is Ruth. I am a 10 year old chestnut mare, born in a stud dedicated to breeding thoroughbred horses for horse racing. The person responsible for my care died leaving me and 40 others at risk of being sent for slaughter.
Luckily a woman worked hard with a group of others to find us homes. I was challenging. Although a pretty girl with a lovely nature, I had an ugly disfigurement to my hind leg. At some stage I had caught my leg, probably in a fence, and the resulting ‘flap’ had not been moved and with wound attended to. The flap reattached leaving me with a functional, but unsightly leg. I also had a growth on my left eye.
A rescue group took me in, and I was given the name Gift. At the time many people offered their support to help with the vet care I needed. A vet came to help me and decided to remove the old flap wound, leaving a large wound bed that would require care and bandaging for at least a year until it was healed over.
My leg hurt a lot and I hated it being touched anymore and I would kick out in protest. Eventually my carers, fearing for their safety requested a new home be found.
I went to a new home and was seen by a new vet that day. I was sedated and old bandaging that had constricted my leg was taken off. My leg hurt so much. On that day I was given my new name, Ruth.
Gradually my leg started to heal but then the vet looked at my eye and realised it was an unusual case of squamous cell cancer. The best hope was to have my eye removed before it spread. The specialist vet looked at my leg and said it needed skin grafts to make it heal stronger. So i stayed in hospital and had surgery to remove my eye and take skin from my tummy and put on my leg.
I came home to a loose box and stayed there for nearly three months as it was very wet and I had to keep my leg dry. I was so upset about my leg that every week the vet would come and give me IV sedation so the dressing could be changed. Ruben was a great friend staying outside for hours to keep me company. My eye had gone but I adjusted well.
The great day came when my bandage came off for good and I went back into a paddock. It was a small paddock with no branches as my leg was still open and very swollen. But with time it healed well. I then moved to a new paddock near the house so I could start learning to have my leg handled again. I even had a lovely lady from Switzerland come help me overcome my fears
Then I had an adventure with my new paddock mate. We found an open gate and went exploring in the olive grove. Then unfortunately I caught my leg, and ripped it back to the bone. So back almost to square one, except a local horse trainer donated his time to assist, especially with IV sedation that I need for each dressing.
Once fully healed, I will wear a protective boot as we cannot risk another injury.
I have found a great new friend in Sophie, another chestnut thoroughbred mare…we are twins……
Our missing girls
Pansy and Blossom…where ever you are, what ever has happened…please find your way home.
You are not forgotten or replaced.
We miss you so much.
I still look out for you.
I still see a dark shape in the distance and watch in hope.
Not knowing is terrible and we can only hope there is still hope.
Sweet Sally
In March 2011 we had the great fortune to have Virginie Bernhard, a freedom horse trainer from Switzerland, come to stay with us. This was a great opportunity to work with horses in need and so a friend and I made the decision to each purchase a rescue. My brave friend went to a horse slaughter yard and purchased a horse desperately in need. I was sent a photograph of a grey gelding and I asked that she purchase him on my behalf. Unfortunately a friend of the operator had asked for the pony so he was not available. Then my friend remembered a chestnut mare at the yards. I rang the slaughter yard and waited anxiously for the answer…no she had not been slaughtered and yes I could buy her.
The following day my friend drove with her float and loaded both horses. It was a nerve wracking journey as she did not know how they would travel but she got here safely and we unloaded them.
It is hard to explain the feeling of taking an animal out of the slaughter house yards, the mud, the terror, the stench, the fear-laden atmosphere and then release them into a grassed paddock, with shelter, feed, clean water, fresh clean air, and peace and quiet.
Our quarantine paddock is a long way for the house and the stables. This is a good thing as it gives maximum rest and quiet for new arrivals. We took one look at the new chestnut mare and named her Sally, sweet Sally.
We let the two horses to explore and settle. Over the next days we observed them, waiting for one of the most rewarding moments. Exhausted after being put through sale yards, trucked, held at the abattoir, it takes a few days for a new horse to ‘trust’ their new environment. Then, and it is usually day three, is the wonderful moment when the horse lays down in the sun and sleeps, deeply.
Sally just ate and ate, slept and slept.
We had our first hint as to Sally’s past when I put a rug on her. Sally would stand quietly while all the straps were secured. Then the moment it was finished she would gallop, full speed and frantic, hide in the corner of the paddock, and not come out unless we removed the rug.
At the time we observed this we found that the other horse had been ‘through’ a bucking contractor, and had been sent to the knackery to die for his refusal to buck enough. Sally’s behaviour indicated perhaps she had experienced the same.
So slowly, slowly we worked to regain Sally’s trust with gentle handling based on freedom techniques.
Then Sally put on weight, and more weight and more weight. Wondering if she was in foal I had the vet do a blood test. At the same time a lovely woman contact, who had rescued an older horse from a riding establishment, sent me the sad news that her rescue had died. She suggested she could take a horse from us and so she was invited over to meet Sally. It was love at first sight, and pending the result of the pregnancy test, Sally had a new home.
Well it turned out Sally was just putting on weight due to good food, and so the day came for her to go to her new home. She was still a little challenging to catch but this day all went well and we loaded her without incident into the float.
On arrival Sally did not want to get off. In the end we had to push her back off. And then she looked around, accepted a proffered apple and immediately we could see, this was Home!
She joined three other horses, all geldings. Immediately Sally flaunted her stuff and was flirting like mad.
There has never been a backward step. Her lovely carer took the time to handle her with respect and care, utilised the advice of natural horse people, and now has a horse who welcomes human contact, and has become a big big smooch.
Sweet Sally is indeed living up to her name.
And as for the little bay filly in the background of the photograph os Sally after one week out of the abattoir….https://honeyspledge.org/2013/08/18/the-secret-hidden-in-the-rose-the-story-of-rosie/
A touch of Frosty
Frosty came into our lives in April 2007.
This was in the seventh year of drought. The paddocks were dry and dusty. We were planning for the christening of our infant daughter.
In a chance discussion with our farrier he talked of a pony who he had offered to have euthanised as he was concerned the pony would not make it through the winter. I asked what the pony needed and he advised just some TLC.
I knew the person whose property the pony was on and decided to give them a call. They explained that they had taken on the pony as a favour to a neighbouring family, who no longer wanted the pony after a marriage break up. They were happy for us to take him is and have a go at helping him
We took the float over on the day after our daughter’s christening. A worker at the property brought the pony out and told us how much they loved him and they were glad he was getting a chance. The little pony walked on to our float with not a hitch.
We had had a little game with our daughter ‘And here is Miss Kate x, and yes it is a clear round on Frosty…..’ so Frosty this pony would be.
Frosty stayed in the yard for the first days and ate…and ate…and ate… The dentist was already due on day 2 so he had his teeth done and was wormed. On the third day he suddenly lay down…and we learned one of the most important lessons of rescue. Take it very very slowly and carefully.
We immediately called our vets and he felt Frosty might not make it. Well luckily he did and we are more careful with our feeding regime.
Frosty lived happily on the property, always easy to handle and an absolute pleasure. One day I asked a light friend to try riding him. She pronounced him to be very good.
At age three, we started Kate riding on Frosty. He has always been the most delightful pony and was absolutely trustworthy. For fun we entered a led riding class and Frosty would unfailingly follow my shoulder.
He has been Kate’s faithful pony in topsy classes and does a wonderful impersonation of a unicorn!
A year ago we noticed that he was increasingly stressed about food, frantic for his feeds. Having already ahd experience with Cushing’s syndrome we had Frosty tested. His results were positive and he was started on Pergolide. With this he is managing very well but that, together with failing eyesight, helped us make the decision to ‘retire’ Frosty from riding.
He still helps out if Kate’s other pony is out of action for any reason. His absolute best friend is the lovely Ruben. The two old grey men have a set routine, and can always be found ready for food.
Frosty can still raise a stunning trot and loves playing at being the silver brumby. We love him dearly and thank the day we had that chance discussion.
Kindness
“Those who make compassion an essential part of their lives find the joy of life. Kindness deepens the spirit and produces rewards that cannot be completely explained in words. It is an experience more powerful than words. To become acquainted with kindness one must be prepared to learn new things and feel new feelings. Kindness is more than a philosophy of the mind. It is a philosophy of the spirit. ”
Robert J Furey – Author
Wondering about Willow
A few months ago, a good friend made contact after seeing a horse in her local council pound. On making inquiries she was told that the horse had been found wandering on the road. If no one claimed her, she would be sold at auction at the next cattle sale. My friend was concerned as she had recently discovered that two horses, put up for auction, had been sold at just $20 each to a meat buyer.
The mare had to wait out the time in case she was claimed. But as her condition was poor, and her mane long and in dreadlocks, it did not seem likely. My friend and others used the time to visit the mare, now given the name ‘Willow’, give her some companionship, and to raise some funds to assist with her purchase and initial care.
Of course, at an auction, you cannot be certain of success and all were understandably tense on the day. Some other people had gathered but on finding that a rescue group were intending to bid, they withdrew, and even better, made a donation to Willow’s purchase.
Willow was caught and moved to a pen. The bidding started, and luck was on our side, and we were the winning bid. Willow’s future was secure!
The following day I hooked up the float and arrived at the saleyards. Poor Willow had had enough though and was not interested at all at meeting up with us. Fortunately she responded to freedom techniques of approach and retreat, though it took an hour. It was a wonderful feeling though when finally Willow allowed me to slip a headstall on and she led beautifully from the yards and straight onto the float. The float ride home was delightfully uneventful.
When we arrived Willow heard the other horses and was frantic to get off the float, to the point where we opened up the doors, and left her to it. Of course our min/Shetland X, Shiloh, also known as Miss Meet and Greet, was there to say hello.
Willow LOVED Shiloh, to the point where she became frantic if Shiloh went on one of her regular walkabouts.
Although we have posted Willow’s photograph and details we have not been able to trace her brands or get any information on her past.
We are working on gaining Willow’s trust. Once in hand she is very easy to handle and has obviously been well handled in her past. How she came to be loose on the road, with no one to claim her is a mystery.
Willow has had a makeover. She has had her teeth and hooves done, and her impossibly tangled mane was hogged to enable it to grow back afresh. Her brand and her teeth show her to be 25.
Now sharing he house paddock with the terrible twins (chestnut thoroughbred mares Sophie and Ruth) she has the gentle Manfred as her companion. Shiloh is the occasional visitor.
Willow will continue her handling here until such time as the very special forever home is found. We are not in any hurry!
Charlotte’s fate
Fate plays a huge part in which animals find their way to sanctuary and safety.
A year ago we were made aware of an off the track (OTT) thoroughbred mare, who was sold at the sales to the knackery. Having seen her photograph standing forlorn and hopeless we decided to see if she could be purchased. We were able to do so and thus this mare was saved and a new life opened up. Her story will be told.
On the day she was collected from the slaughterhouse, the woman leading her out had to push back a large grey mare, who desperately wanted to follow. The next day she told me about this mare and hard it was to leave her behind.
I could not get this mare out of my mind. Finally four days later I picked up the ‘phone and made the call. Yes, the mare was still alive, and yes, at a price, I could purchase her. Even though we were at capacity I made the decision to go ahead. The person who had first seen the mare offered to take her, provide any training needed and rehome her.
So May 23, 2012 the grey mare left the knackery. I was asked to name her and chose the name ‘Charlotte’.
Due to other commitments, Charlotte’s planned training did not go ahead and she lived on an agistment property for the next 12 months. I was then advised that the person who had taken her on needed to rehome Charlotte, so a decision was made to formally transfer legal ownership back to Honey’s Pledge and to look for a suitable forever home for Charlotte. Heavy Horse Heaven generously offered to adopt Charlotte and assist in find a home.
I had been told Charlotte was hard to ‘catch’ and reluctant to interact. My first meeting was in a large open paddock. Charlotte immediately walked up to me, and stood so close it was almost impossible to get a photograph of her. Within minutes I was hugging her. We had an immediate bond. A bond so strong I realised I felt I could not send Charlotte interstate. I really wanted her close by.
The property owner generously agreed to keep Charlotte on until the right home was found and start some handling with her.
Around this time a lovely neighbour approached me with an offer to take on some horses. The property is an equine idyll and I immediately thought of Charlotte.
After a number of weeks while other rescues demanded our attention, Charlotte finally made the float trip to her new home. She has three lovely gelding for company, rolling hills, shady trees, and beautiful surroundings, love, and care. She accepted her rug and has obviously been well handled in the past.
What we, and her new carer, cannot get over is Charlotte’s impeccable behaviour. She is such a sweet, loving mare. Charlotte is stunning, in great condition, and of a lovely nature.
And yet, 12 months ago Charlotte was waiting to be slaughtered, discarded and unwanted.
Thank goodness fate intervened for Charlotte.
Honey's Pledge 