There was a herd of young horses brought up from the States to be slaughtered in May. Wormy, skinny, open wounds, swollen/crooked/deformed legs and some were covered in ringoworm. Someone said something about it on a message board and many people took it upon themselves to try and save what is now known as the Georgetown Herd. The news was emailed to me by a friend and also posted on a horse message board on August 27 2009 that I used to frequent. With them being so close I offered to chip in some money to help the poster try and get a couple out before they went to slaughter that Sunday.
The first pictures of the Georgetown Herd are here.
It was said that there were 100 or so there at first, the man that brought them up here said he'd already taken 10 dead ones out of the field. That left around 90 or so to try and find homes for. The poster who had mentioned it on the message board I was on said that when she went to visit it was a sorry sight. One horse had more ringworm than hair, there were metal scraps all over the field they were in, coughing etc. She tried to offer $200 for the bad ringworm one and a lame pony but he refused it, he was firm on his prices and apparently he thought these sorry looking beasts were worth more than that. He was heartless, cocky and a jerk. You could tell in just the way he walked and when he opened it mouth it just became more apparent. This man isn't hurting for money, he owns his own company, a meat packaging plant for horse meat, drives a Hummer, and has nice homes yet he wouldn't let a lame pony or a ringworm covered gelding go for $200 when they were wormy and skinny as well.
This man also told her on the day she went to visit (August 31 2009) that he had vet papers for each horse and would be happy to hand them over to anyone who bought a horse. He would later change his tune and when people asked him for these papers he would deny having them. When asked about the ringworm he said he had a vet out, had them wormed and would clear up in no time. Two things wrong with his, 1) many of the horses are nervous of people to the point you can't handle them, 2) ringworm is a fungus not a worm, worming them would do nothing. When confronted he stuttered and tried to figure out his next lie.
Well on September 1 2009 I met up with her at the feedlot to look at these horses and help with the money if he turned her down. We wondered around, looking at them. Eyed a few really sickly looking ones, I wanted to get them all out of there as fast as possible. I really liked one dun colored filly but she had some odd looking bumps on her legs, there was also a roan I really liked but he wasn't in horrid condition and I knew his price would be high. She decided on a buckskin filly that had a large bald patch on one leg probably from the ringworm and a skinny bay filly who was probably one of the worst out there. He turned her offer down for both of them, so she settled on just put an offer on the buckskin. He finally took her offer. I couldn't get the bay filly out of my mind. She had a very sweet face, kind eyes. Had stared at us while we were at the fence as her and several others including the buckskin were separated from the main herd for some reason. It seemed like she wanted to be friends but was too scared. The next morning I called this gal and said when the man calls to confirm your address for the buckskin put an offer on the bay filly for me for $200. She called back later and said he hadn't taken the $200 offer (jerk, she was skinny as hell and $200 was a generous offer for her) she'd offered him $250 and he'd finally took it but wouldn't trailer them for her.
I met her up there the next day helped load them into the trailer. From a wet, stinky, muddy, full of crap, dark barn the small secluded herd stood at the far back. The man ushered the bcukskin and bad fillies into a stall with the roan and herded the rest out of the barn. He was pushy, inpatient and herding them with a broom. They were slipping and sliding on the wet cement flooring but he didn't care. When he went to get the roan out of the stall the bay filly tired to run out as well, the man stopped her and in her rush to keep away from him she smacked her head hard off the edge of the stall door. The gal (lets call her C) told him to let them take their time, let them sniff the trailer and go slow, he listened to her gave a quick tap after a few minutes to one's rump and they flew into the trailer.
They trailer ed well and were placed into their own paddock at C's farm. They enjoyed themselves in their new home, and went to munching on the grass and there were two round bales left out there for them as well as grain. They have no interest in eating the grain, just keep picking at the grass. They have little to no interest in treats like apple slices or carrots, the bay filly will lip at them but won't eat them. By the next day C said they looked much happier, ears forward and looking nice and perky. I bet they do! They must have thought they'd died adn gone to heaven!
To this point both still can't be handled, neither have much interest in people. You can walk up to them but you can't touch them. C was kicked at by the bay filly when she got close enough one day to touch her side. She said it was more out of fright then anger though. Already they are gaining weight, and the buckskin filly's bald patch is filling in. The ringworm is going away as well.
I've decided to name the bay filly Terra Nova or Terra for short after where I originated from, Newfoundland. I went out for a quick visit on September 10 2009, brought out a halter for her as well. I'll being heading out there early Sunday morning to spend the a few hours with her, get her used to me, offer some sugar cubes, and snap some pictures.
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