FERGUS
November 7 2021
We could not leave Fergus behind
We could not leave Fergus behind
November 8 2021
Fergus is straight out of Amish land, he has that huge standardbred trot that got them to market day after day - He had been in the group the day before of the ones we had tried to help and when we saw him still standing there, we couldnt leave him behind.
Fergus is straight out of Amish land, he has that huge standardbred trot that got them to market day after day - He had been in the group the day before of the ones we had tried to help and when we saw him still standing there, we couldnt leave him behind.
November 10 2021
Fergus is 15.3 hands and 1000 lbs - wormed him - picked feet (he has fairly new shoes on which we will be removing as soon as possible) - washed his legs and applied honey (we have had alot of different suggestions including sourkraut, bacon grease, fish scales but honey was what i happened to have) - he has one open gash on his inside hind left that we will be continuing to clean and watch - he was a very good boy, stood still the whole time but had no idea what a treat was - Fergus has a tattoo so we will hopefully be able to find out who he is (standardbreds that have been raced have tattoos on their necks and or upper lip ) |
Fergus and Wilson in quarantine
November 21 2021
Fergus seems tired. Plain old tired. My guess he has pulled his buggy all summer up and down hills – heat and bugs – humid and dry…..didnt matter, every day (maybe he had Sunday off?) When we take him out of the pasture now, his eyes glaze over. “Ok, hook me up and I will trot” and then when we don’t do anything and just put him back and give him some food, he seems very confused. He has no idea what treats are, just starting to get used to grain. His diet was not what it is now – His life has changed so much and it will take a while for him to realize he isn’t going to have to work like that again. His feet were pretty nasty under the shoes that had been on for far too long and by an inexperienced hand. Poor boy, probably hasn’t been barefoot, well, maybe since he was a baby – it will take a while for his feet to toughen up a bit but hopefully the rot will heal and he will feel better. His cough and snot is better and he spends most of his days laying down…. It makes me feel good to look out and see him laying in a pile of leaves (probably getting ticks but oh well!)
Fergus seems tired. Plain old tired. My guess he has pulled his buggy all summer up and down hills – heat and bugs – humid and dry…..didnt matter, every day (maybe he had Sunday off?) When we take him out of the pasture now, his eyes glaze over. “Ok, hook me up and I will trot” and then when we don’t do anything and just put him back and give him some food, he seems very confused. He has no idea what treats are, just starting to get used to grain. His diet was not what it is now – His life has changed so much and it will take a while for him to realize he isn’t going to have to work like that again. His feet were pretty nasty under the shoes that had been on for far too long and by an inexperienced hand. Poor boy, probably hasn’t been barefoot, well, maybe since he was a baby – it will take a while for his feet to toughen up a bit but hopefully the rot will heal and he will feel better. His cough and snot is better and he spends most of his days laying down…. It makes me feel good to look out and see him laying in a pile of leaves (probably getting ticks but oh well!)
January 7 2022
On November 7th, Fergus’s life was changed forever. Bought off the back of a truck headed to Canada the next day, Fergus had a second chance. He had pulled a buggy for years, pounding for miles on the pavement. Fergus served his family the best he could, on icy roads and sweltering heat, until they decided he was getting a bit too slow and traded him in for a newer model.
When he arrived, Fergus slept. He and Wilson spent a month in the lower field. Quiet and secluded, it was the perfect place to rest. When he joined the herd, he was the perfect gentleman, never starting an argument, but not backing down from his pile of hay. In the beginning, when we walked toward him in the pasture, Fergus wouldn’t run, he just turned his head as if to say “ugh, I knew it was time to work”. Now he will look our way, anticipating a scratch, not a day of work. His legs and pasterns, like worn leather, had no hair left on them, we kept desitin slathered on to keep them supple so they wouldn’t split and crack. We found that with all his years working in the elements, Fergus didn’t have much reserve when it gets cold, shivering with the slightest rain, his body maybe remembers being sweaty from a long buggy trip and being simply put out in the freezing cold. He only recently has learned what a treat is, tentively reaching out with that upper lip to see what might be offered. He loves his water, to watch him take big long hauls of fresh clean water is so satisfying – and never is there a piece of hay left in the morning. Fergus never should have been on that truck – at 14, he has a lifetime ahead of him and that big warm heart of his has so much love to give.
Yesterday, Fergus took his last trailer ride Yesterday will be the first day of the rest of Fergus’ life – learning to not only give but to receive warmth and love. Fergus has found his forever home, complete with a girl friend and a couple of people to make sure he is never cold or thirsty again
On November 7th, Fergus’s life was changed forever. Bought off the back of a truck headed to Canada the next day, Fergus had a second chance. He had pulled a buggy for years, pounding for miles on the pavement. Fergus served his family the best he could, on icy roads and sweltering heat, until they decided he was getting a bit too slow and traded him in for a newer model.
When he arrived, Fergus slept. He and Wilson spent a month in the lower field. Quiet and secluded, it was the perfect place to rest. When he joined the herd, he was the perfect gentleman, never starting an argument, but not backing down from his pile of hay. In the beginning, when we walked toward him in the pasture, Fergus wouldn’t run, he just turned his head as if to say “ugh, I knew it was time to work”. Now he will look our way, anticipating a scratch, not a day of work. His legs and pasterns, like worn leather, had no hair left on them, we kept desitin slathered on to keep them supple so they wouldn’t split and crack. We found that with all his years working in the elements, Fergus didn’t have much reserve when it gets cold, shivering with the slightest rain, his body maybe remembers being sweaty from a long buggy trip and being simply put out in the freezing cold. He only recently has learned what a treat is, tentively reaching out with that upper lip to see what might be offered. He loves his water, to watch him take big long hauls of fresh clean water is so satisfying – and never is there a piece of hay left in the morning. Fergus never should have been on that truck – at 14, he has a lifetime ahead of him and that big warm heart of his has so much love to give.
Yesterday, Fergus took his last trailer ride Yesterday will be the first day of the rest of Fergus’ life – learning to not only give but to receive warmth and love. Fergus has found his forever home, complete with a girl friend and a couple of people to make sure he is never cold or thirsty again