“STRANGERS ARE JUST FRIENDS WAITING TO HAPPEN.”
“How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when we realize we have discovered a friend.” — William Rotsler
Rod McKuen, the 60‘s poet who penned the headline above, must have known about horses. Ready to make friends of strangers, the horses of the gelding field show keen interest in Casper, wondering where the white newcomer fits into the scheme of things. Afraid of his own shadow around people, the Arab gelding is emboldened by the attention of other horses. He will need this horse-to-horse interaction, as well as “a little help from his friends,” to rekindle his spirit and overcome the fear that causes his frequent panic attacks and makes him a danger to himself and to his rescuers. Ignoring experts who advised the horse be euthanized, Casper’s loving family sought help from the Equamore Foundation, who accepted Casper this June. Rehabilitation began with this magical “flash of a moment” when the beautiful nine-year-old was introduced to the gelding field.
General: “Will you be Jasmine’s friend?”
Casper is not the only new Equamore horse needing rehabilitation. Jasmine, an adorable miniature mare is a case in point. Not realizing that their mini needed special care, Jasmine’s owners were unprepared for the expense and time it takes to keep even a “toy” horse healthy. They provided her a rich, green pasture when she actually needed to be in a limited grazing environment. As a result, Jasmine got too much of a good thing and suffered an attack of laminitis that threatened her life. Again, with a little help from her Equamore friends to monitor her appetite and care for her feet, Jasmine has been recovering since April of 2013 as a member of the pony field under the watchful eye of General U. C. Davis, self-appointed guardian of the pony/mini herd.
Also recovering nicely is Lucy, who came to Equamore in May of 2013. The twenty-three-year-old thoroughbred mare is an example of what can happen when older horses are placed in a field with other, younger horses. R
escued by a kind trainer and included in a sale agreement, Lucy was unable to compete for food in her new home and steadily lost weight before being rescued a second time.Brought to the Equamore Sanctuary where she now “eats like a horse,” Lucy has found a true friend in Kizzy, who “knows her song” and with whom she spends her days in the mare field and by whom she sleeps at night in the adjoining stall and paddock.
Jewel: “Will you be my friend?”
Jewel, who was labeled “dangerous” after having sustained injuries during several accidents of which her new owners were unaware, has also bonded with members of the herd. The only way the long-suffering mare had been able to communicate her pain was to react with “bad” behavior when a saddle was cinched around her injured side. Eventually, Jewel found a patron who was willing to begin her recovery process and to search out a forever home for this lovely mare. The search resulted in Jewel’s entry into the Equamore Foundation in March of 2013. With help from her Friends, she will live the remainder of her life under the care of people who understand her fear and who have the skill and patience to help in her physical recovery.
Dancer, Casper, Jasmine, Lucy, and Jewel, all ask the same essential question, “Will you be our friend?” Please say, “Yes, I will!” by calling us, by clicking the “Donate” link on our web site at www.equamore.org, or by joining the rescue team of the horse or horses of your choice. As Charlotte says to Wilber in E. B. White’s wonderful children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, “You have been my friend. That is a tremendous thing.”
