RANGO
January 26, 2024
We don’t know much about this ole boy other than he is broken. He came from an amish community in northern Maine. He was a buggy horse that was harnessed and working when the dealer picked him up. Rango is so tired – he slept the first night here and every day since – laying flat out – resting his tired body. Rango is a wonderful, sweet boy who will soon realize we are not going to harness him up every time we come near. After just a few days he is looking for that black bucket that has some yummy stuff in it – the first night he wasn’t sure what it was – he picked and slowly nibbled – now he digs in and quickly tells Boomer to eat his own bucket and leave his alone. He may seem like a tired old horse that Boomer can push around but much to the younger stronger geldings surprise, he knows how to survive. There has been a few skirmishes, a little blood, and some random tail hairs in the paddock but mostly they get along, eating side by side. Rango likes the run in – Boomer likes his blanket. Rango will wait to be approached; Boomer is at your side the minute he sees you. When I was working with Boomer and his feet yesterday, I was using timothy pellets as positive reinforcement. Rango watched the whole process and slowly inched his way over to see what Boomer was so excited about in my hand.
Rango is so gentle.
February 10, 2024
Rango, is probably one of the sweetest (not so old) old men i have ever met. With the visit from the vet yesterday we learned he is about 18 years old. It breaks my heart that at this relatively young age, Rango has the most damaged front fetlocks that Dennis (our vet) has ever seen. Years and years of pounding on the pavement for miles and miles - His front fetlocks have simply disintegrated, crumbled under his pounding body. Day after day, mile after mile - he was pulling his buggy down the tar the day the dealer picked him up - how painful that must have been - He has scars over his entire right side that tell us he has been injured - most likely while pulling his buggy - he may have slipped on ice and went down, he may have fallen from exhaustion, in either case, he had to get back up and pull that buggy home. He had no choice. Rango is living evidence of the life that some Amish buggy horses live. When people defend this way of life, this simple, honest hard working quiet life - i wish those people would come visit Rango and see how simple, honest and hard working his Amish family was. Our hope is that both of Rangos front fetlocks will fuse - this will hopefully help somewhat with the pain. He is on equioxx and hopefully it is working some but seeing the xrays i cant believe anything is going to help with that pain. Rango, at 18 years old, was sacrificed for the simple life of the Amish ways. Never again will he have to pound on the hard tar, never again will his body be sacrificed for anyone.
Although we don't want Rango defined by his broken body, we can not ignore the results of how he was treated. Please know, the hard working honest quiet living people that you see being pulled in that cart up the road? Well it most likely is at the expense of horses like Rango, there is nothing romantic about that.
We don’t know much about this ole boy other than he is broken. He came from an amish community in northern Maine. He was a buggy horse that was harnessed and working when the dealer picked him up. Rango is so tired – he slept the first night here and every day since – laying flat out – resting his tired body. Rango is a wonderful, sweet boy who will soon realize we are not going to harness him up every time we come near. After just a few days he is looking for that black bucket that has some yummy stuff in it – the first night he wasn’t sure what it was – he picked and slowly nibbled – now he digs in and quickly tells Boomer to eat his own bucket and leave his alone. He may seem like a tired old horse that Boomer can push around but much to the younger stronger geldings surprise, he knows how to survive. There has been a few skirmishes, a little blood, and some random tail hairs in the paddock but mostly they get along, eating side by side. Rango likes the run in – Boomer likes his blanket. Rango will wait to be approached; Boomer is at your side the minute he sees you. When I was working with Boomer and his feet yesterday, I was using timothy pellets as positive reinforcement. Rango watched the whole process and slowly inched his way over to see what Boomer was so excited about in my hand.
Rango is so gentle.
February 10, 2024
Rango, is probably one of the sweetest (not so old) old men i have ever met. With the visit from the vet yesterday we learned he is about 18 years old. It breaks my heart that at this relatively young age, Rango has the most damaged front fetlocks that Dennis (our vet) has ever seen. Years and years of pounding on the pavement for miles and miles - His front fetlocks have simply disintegrated, crumbled under his pounding body. Day after day, mile after mile - he was pulling his buggy down the tar the day the dealer picked him up - how painful that must have been - He has scars over his entire right side that tell us he has been injured - most likely while pulling his buggy - he may have slipped on ice and went down, he may have fallen from exhaustion, in either case, he had to get back up and pull that buggy home. He had no choice. Rango is living evidence of the life that some Amish buggy horses live. When people defend this way of life, this simple, honest hard working quiet life - i wish those people would come visit Rango and see how simple, honest and hard working his Amish family was. Our hope is that both of Rangos front fetlocks will fuse - this will hopefully help somewhat with the pain. He is on equioxx and hopefully it is working some but seeing the xrays i cant believe anything is going to help with that pain. Rango, at 18 years old, was sacrificed for the simple life of the Amish ways. Never again will he have to pound on the hard tar, never again will his body be sacrificed for anyone.
Although we don't want Rango defined by his broken body, we can not ignore the results of how he was treated. Please know, the hard working honest quiet living people that you see being pulled in that cart up the road? Well it most likely is at the expense of horses like Rango, there is nothing romantic about that.