"MOSES STORY"
(A letter from Moses as translated by Gail)
Hello Neighhhhbors!
My name is Moses. I am a 8-9 yr. old Dark Bay. Thoroughbred Gelding that proudly stands at 16 hands high. It wasn't really that long ago that I was a racehorse. Ahh, the sport of kings!
I would run like the wind with my stablemates to the finish line. There were cheers, applause and nice words. In order to run as fast as possible, my heels were cutdown, my toes left long and I wore special shoes to grab the ground and lengthen my stride. This strained the front tendons in my forelegs and made me sore. I couldn't run like the wind anymore. To help correct this, my owners had me pin-fired to strengthen those tendons. It didn't seem to work as well as hoped, and since I could not run fast anymore I was sold. You see, since I couldn't run like the wind, I was considered a liability to my owners. I ended up in a feedlot where I was to wait for a truck to take me to be slaughtered.
While I was there, I got sick with something called strangles. Because I got strangles, I could not be shipped to slaughter until the strangles was over with. While I was at the feedlot, seeing my new friends be loaded into the big trucks that came to take them to death, neighing their fear, slipping and sliding up the ramp, running into and over each other trying to escape, I became very afraid and depressed. My friends were gone! Soon after there would be new friends, but they too would be sent on the big trucks.
There was a lady who would come to the feedlot every weekend and sometimes even during the week to look at all of us. Most of the time she would come in the pens by herself and talk to us. She would make soft noises and pet us. She would always whisper in our ears that she loved us. And you know what? We know she does love us. All of us! When the man would come she would pull out a pad and paper and ask the man all sorts of questions about each of us while she wrote down things the man said. Then she would leave. Whenever she came back she would look at the empty pens where my friends had been. You could hear the quiet. You could hear your very breath. She would stand looking at those empty pens and tears would run down her face. Then she would wipe them away (in case the man came she didn't want him to see she was crying) and come visit us all again.
I saw she was sad, so I would come up to her when she made the smile face at me and made a motion for me to come to her. I would put my head on her chest and she would scratch my ears and tell me how special I was. Even when I was sick with strangles, had open abcesses draining from under my jaw, she would scratch my ears and hug me. Since she said I was special, I decided that the other horses weren't as special as me and I would pin my ears and bite at the other horses! I didn't want them near her! When she would come and I was at the other end of the pens, I would push through the other horses to get to her even when the man was there. She would shoo me away so she could take pictures of all of us, but I would keep coming back. She would laugh and laugh and tell me I was like Moses parting the red sea!
My friends were leaving again and I knew my turn was next. I didn't have the strangles anymore and had gained some weight back. I was looking pretty good! Good enough for the next truckload to slaughter. For some reason my friends were sent and I was again left behind. Then, the lady came back with another lady this time. They put a halter on me and my lady friend said "Moses, you are going home. People loved you just enough to save your life and you are coming with me."
I stood proud because my lady friend was with me but I was very nervous. Now I was leaving my friends! They were putting me in a trailer for 2 horses and I had never been in one that small in my whole life! I backed up fast and my lady friend looked like a yo-yo on a string while she hung on to the lead rope. Didn't anyone ever tell her not to hang on? HA! The other lady who is a trainer took over and spent about 30 minutes helping me to get over my nervousness about this 2 horse trailer and leaving my friends. I pawed the ground and neighed to my friends, knowing I was going to be hit or yelled at for not being a good Moses. Nobody yelled or hit. I got kind words and lots of "Good Guy" everytime I made progress over my fear. After awhile I decided what the heck, I'll go for a little spin in this trailer. After all, my lady friend was close by.
We loaded up and headed off. We stopped at a place with other horses that all neighed hello to me when I got there. None of these horses were sick. None of these horses were depressed. None of these horses were afraid. These horses were happy! I was very curious and excited. I was put in a pen next to a QH stallion on one side and a QH mare on the other. Little guys compared to me! Everyone was so friendly. I was fed nice fresh hay twice a day and even got some of that delicious Senior Feed! I had fresh water too! That was great.
A couple of days ago I had my first roundpen lesson. The trainer lady and my lady friend figured I had adjusted well enough and they wanted to see how I responded physically and mentally. I tell you …I gave them a show! I strutted my stuff and ran like the wind again! Round and round I ran! Working up a sweat and snorting and blowing. Then the trainer lady made some motions for me to turn the other way. I turned as fast as I could to show her how talented I was and showed her what a real racehorse was made of! She asked me to turn again and again. I did all this without missing a step! I was great. I am a racehorse!! The trainer lady made a motion for me to stop and I stopped on a dime. I am quick I tell you! I learned her cues right off the bat. Then she asked me to walk!!! Walk! I am a Thoroughbred racehorse! She walked me until I was not breathing hard and then took me out of the roundpen and just stood with me until my sweaty coat had dried. We stood for a long, long time.
The next day I was very sore. My damaged front legs were aching and I limped. My lady friend came to see me and she hugged my neck. She cried tears on my neck and told me that I did not HAVE to be a racehorse. That I could just be a horse. She told me she would find a way to help me learn how. The trainer lady watched me for a few days to see if I limped a lot and if there was any swelling on my ankles. No swelling. I am just sore, not lame! Hooray!! With some exercise I will be stronger and will not get so sore.
Today, 11/21/98, I had my second round pen lesson. I trotted around and then just walked. Everyone was so happy! I still don't get it! I am a racehorse! Shouldn't I be running like the wind? Aren't I supposed to run fast?
I know this is long, but I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank some very special people in my LIFE. The keyword is Life. Because some humans thought I did not deserve to go to slaughter, I have a life today. I get to be a horse that is loved by so many people. I was given a new life because my lady friend put my description out on a list that was seen by John Foster. John & Sue have a webpage called Foster Family Horse Farm, (you can visit it by going to http://www.cyberportal.net/buddy)
John decided to issue a challenge to the people who believe in rescuing and helping horses. He offered to send some help toward my purchase price and challenged others to do the same. He didn't even know me and wanted to help! Because John took the time and effort to do this, several people responded and I was saved! My lady friend received enough for my purchase price, my haul to my new home and a month's board. This could not have happened without the help of some dear, dear friends. Thank you to those who gave emotional and financial support to my lady friend. The words of encouragement helped her to believe that I would be saved. She was afraid to believe because so many of my friends don't get a chance to be saved. Thank you for being there for her.
So you see, if you love just enough and work together, miracles happen.
Thank you all for my miracle.
Moses
Moses is happily living his life with his new owners. If it were not for Gail, and the wonderful people who were kind enough to send in donations to save him from going on the truck with many of his friends, Moses would be just another statistic. You can help save others who are in the same circumstances as Moses was. To find out how, visit the webpage of Gail's rescue called T.I.E.R. OR email her at whoanellie@earthlink.net
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