WILSON AND CALLAHAN
November 7 2021
With 12 hours behind us, a night of sleep and a cup of coffee at 4:30 am (because of the time change!) i still would buy this little guy again
A truck load of us headed north yesterday to go to the auction. I had no intentions of purchasing anything, we really dont have the room. What i wanted to do was get my feet wet with the auction scene - to see the people - listen to comments - meet the auction owners. I hope to one day develop a working relationship with this particular auction - they are doing their job - i do not blame them for any of the horses that went through that auction yesterday - they are simply giving the horses that people are giving up on another chance. Its the people that get me - sometimes circumstances happen that are unpreventable. There was one stall that had 2 goats, 2 donkeys and a cow - all friendly , all in good shape - my guess is something happened in this families life - money? health? who knows but i want to believe they didnt have a choice but to try to rehome their animals. Sometimes there is no reason other then wanting a new horse. The one you have isnt fast enough, isnt big enough, started a new bad behavior, became lame.... and that person didnt want to deal with it anymore so they dumped and traded.... thats the person i blame. and then there is the ones that are only in it for the money - thats where Wilson comes in . This particular little guy was standing in a line of horses that a dealer from out of state brought up - he was not part of the owners horses so no fingers are being pointed at them but this particular dealer had earned money on Wilsons back all summer by leasing him out to a camp - then, when summer is over, instead of feeding him through the winter and caring for his health problems {or even euthanizing him!), no, this dealer tried to make a few more dollars on him. People thought i was naive, thought i didnt know what was wrong with this horse - I knew exactly what was wrong with him and thats why i chose him. Standing with his head down, tired from his 13 hour trailer ride the day before - missing the kids that loved on him all summer, the kids he took such good care of, struggling to breath, wheezing with every breath, his sides working just to push the air out, Wilson is very sick. Wilson has what is similar to asthma in humans but in horses its called heaves. Once a death sentence, heaves is caused by an allergic reaction to dust and mold. We will be bringing this little guy home today - he will be in quarantine for a while - wishing he had a better shelter but we will cross our fingers that the weather stays ok for a while. I have a call into the vet and she can hopefully make a trip out this coming week and give her opinion whether we can try to help Wilson - there are a few new treatments but it will be up to her if she thinks he has a chance. If she thinks he is suffering and the likelihood of living a happy life is minimal, we will give him the love he deserves and the last act of kindness BUT until that decision is made we are determined to help this little guy and at the very least, he will never know the fear and hopelessness of that long trip across the border. I tried to find the most unlikely to be purchased at the auction and Mr Wilson was that horse.
With 12 hours behind us, a night of sleep and a cup of coffee at 4:30 am (because of the time change!) i still would buy this little guy again
A truck load of us headed north yesterday to go to the auction. I had no intentions of purchasing anything, we really dont have the room. What i wanted to do was get my feet wet with the auction scene - to see the people - listen to comments - meet the auction owners. I hope to one day develop a working relationship with this particular auction - they are doing their job - i do not blame them for any of the horses that went through that auction yesterday - they are simply giving the horses that people are giving up on another chance. Its the people that get me - sometimes circumstances happen that are unpreventable. There was one stall that had 2 goats, 2 donkeys and a cow - all friendly , all in good shape - my guess is something happened in this families life - money? health? who knows but i want to believe they didnt have a choice but to try to rehome their animals. Sometimes there is no reason other then wanting a new horse. The one you have isnt fast enough, isnt big enough, started a new bad behavior, became lame.... and that person didnt want to deal with it anymore so they dumped and traded.... thats the person i blame. and then there is the ones that are only in it for the money - thats where Wilson comes in . This particular little guy was standing in a line of horses that a dealer from out of state brought up - he was not part of the owners horses so no fingers are being pointed at them but this particular dealer had earned money on Wilsons back all summer by leasing him out to a camp - then, when summer is over, instead of feeding him through the winter and caring for his health problems {or even euthanizing him!), no, this dealer tried to make a few more dollars on him. People thought i was naive, thought i didnt know what was wrong with this horse - I knew exactly what was wrong with him and thats why i chose him. Standing with his head down, tired from his 13 hour trailer ride the day before - missing the kids that loved on him all summer, the kids he took such good care of, struggling to breath, wheezing with every breath, his sides working just to push the air out, Wilson is very sick. Wilson has what is similar to asthma in humans but in horses its called heaves. Once a death sentence, heaves is caused by an allergic reaction to dust and mold. We will be bringing this little guy home today - he will be in quarantine for a while - wishing he had a better shelter but we will cross our fingers that the weather stays ok for a while. I have a call into the vet and she can hopefully make a trip out this coming week and give her opinion whether we can try to help Wilson - there are a few new treatments but it will be up to her if she thinks he has a chance. If she thinks he is suffering and the likelihood of living a happy life is minimal, we will give him the love he deserves and the last act of kindness BUT until that decision is made we are determined to help this little guy and at the very least, he will never know the fear and hopelessness of that long trip across the border. I tried to find the most unlikely to be purchased at the auction and Mr Wilson was that horse.
November 8 2021
Wilson is the sweetest little guy, would come over every chance he got to get a scratch - his breathing / asthma / plus some other issues - will take some work and hopefully the fresh air and green grass with help a bit.
Wilson is the sweetest little guy, would come over every chance he got to get a scratch - his breathing / asthma / plus some other issues - will take some work and hopefully the fresh air and green grass with help a bit.
November 10 2021
Wilson knew exactly what to do with the treat 14.3 hands and 950 lbs (he is a chunk!) Wilsons breathing is very labored - wheezing with almost every breath - they are in the lower pasture with just the shelter logic right not so he has fresh air 24/7 - we have been spraying his hay with salt water with a bit of cocosoya oil mixed in (they both seem to love it) thank you Erin for the super second cut hay with no dust - no mold - after it is sprayed i could almost take a bite Wilson is the sweetest boy and stood like a champ for all his worming / measuring |
Wilson and Fergus in quarantine
November 21 2021
Wilson’s breathing is improving every day. He is outside 24/7 with a run in shelter logic that neither he or Fergus will go in. We have weaned him off hay – no hay what so ever and that means Fergus cant have any either! We haven’t had to medicate him yet and so far so good. We will try to add some hay at some point – good hay – out side – and see what happens but for now we are just letting his lungs rest. He and Fergus both had a snotty nose – day 5 of antibiotics and they seem to be feeling better but still 2 more weeks of qt to be safe. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get too cold.
Wilson’s breathing is improving every day. He is outside 24/7 with a run in shelter logic that neither he or Fergus will go in. We have weaned him off hay – no hay what so ever and that means Fergus cant have any either! We haven’t had to medicate him yet and so far so good. We will try to add some hay at some point – good hay – out side – and see what happens but for now we are just letting his lungs rest. He and Fergus both had a snotty nose – day 5 of antibiotics and they seem to be feeling better but still 2 more weeks of qt to be safe. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get too cold.
December 10 2021
Wilson is hoping for a family of his own for Christmas. Standing just under 15 hands (sounds better then 14.3 Wilson is the sweetest, most handsome character we have had in quite some time. He does have heaves (asthma) and will need a home that has some experience or is willing to learn about his disease. Caused most likely by his former humans, Wilson has spent years at a camp, taking care of kids and boy, is he good at it. Wonderful ground manners, stands for the vet, farrier and loves to be brushed and loved on. Because of past lung damage, Wilson should not be ridden but his sunny dapples will add happiness to the special person who sees all he has to give. This boy is looking for his forever home, could that be you?
Wilson is hoping for a family of his own for Christmas. Standing just under 15 hands (sounds better then 14.3 Wilson is the sweetest, most handsome character we have had in quite some time. He does have heaves (asthma) and will need a home that has some experience or is willing to learn about his disease. Caused most likely by his former humans, Wilson has spent years at a camp, taking care of kids and boy, is he good at it. Wonderful ground manners, stands for the vet, farrier and loves to be brushed and loved on. Because of past lung damage, Wilson should not be ridden but his sunny dapples will add happiness to the special person who sees all he has to give. This boy is looking for his forever home, could that be you?
January 21 2022
Wilson stepped on a ?something? days ago and it isn't getting any better - Cat did xrays and didnt see anything left in his foot. Possible abscess brewing? that would be a good thing. For now he is getting bute (horse aspirin), antibiotics, daily soaks and hoof wrap/boot. He is also limited to his small paddock outback but Lily is there to keep him company
When we got Wilson from the auction, he was in extreme distress - fighting hard to breathe. After a month without hay in the quarantine pasture and only a run in shed, he was doing much better. We slowly added hay to his daily diet and it did not take long for him to regress back into flaring nostrils, wheezing with each breath, his sides 'heaving' with each breath. He had the distinct signs of the abdominal muscles being over developed to help him breath. So Mr. Wilson's hay was taken away and he is fed soaked hay cubes three times a day. At this point he is fairly well controlled. We have ordered a hay steamer that will take out 98% of the dust and mold from the hay but like everything else it is going to take 12 weeks to get it. Until then ..... Wilson will be kept seperate from the herd because they eat hay. Now he has Lily to keep him company.
Wilson stepped on a ?something? days ago and it isn't getting any better - Cat did xrays and didnt see anything left in his foot. Possible abscess brewing? that would be a good thing. For now he is getting bute (horse aspirin), antibiotics, daily soaks and hoof wrap/boot. He is also limited to his small paddock outback but Lily is there to keep him company
When we got Wilson from the auction, he was in extreme distress - fighting hard to breathe. After a month without hay in the quarantine pasture and only a run in shed, he was doing much better. We slowly added hay to his daily diet and it did not take long for him to regress back into flaring nostrils, wheezing with each breath, his sides 'heaving' with each breath. He had the distinct signs of the abdominal muscles being over developed to help him breath. So Mr. Wilson's hay was taken away and he is fed soaked hay cubes three times a day. At this point he is fairly well controlled. We have ordered a hay steamer that will take out 98% of the dust and mold from the hay but like everything else it is going to take 12 weeks to get it. Until then ..... Wilson will be kept seperate from the herd because they eat hay. Now he has Lily to keep him company.
January 25 2022
Meet Callahan.
Standing at (I actually haven’t measured him) around 13 hands, Cal is one of those ponies you only dream of for your kids. A little over 2 weeks ago we answered an ad that was on facebook. Typically we do not purchase horses from individuals but there have been several occasions when we feel the horse/pony is on a track that will not end well. Callahan was on that track. He had been purchased from an auction a year ago (according to the owners). They said he was thin but they “fed him and had the vet pull a tooth” and he had gained a lot of weight. Not sure what he looked like then but he is still very thin, malnourished, covered in rain rot , lost another tooth and although he can eat hay his 20+ year old body sure does appreciate some soaked cubes at night.
Although timid at first, Callahan wants to trust. Someone loved this little guy once – he has excellent manners and enjoys kids. I put a small pony saddle on him and when my 3 year old granddaughter took a little spin on the driveway, he led slowly and placed each foot carefully so as not to knock her off balance.
Callahan is afraid of larger horses, maybe even littles. He was obviously pushed around by a herd in the past. We have him in his own paddock during the day, donkeys on one side and horses on the other. I would love to see him go to a home that has a small pony that needs a friend or an older gentle soul that wouldn’t scare him. He is in his 20s (and at least the last few years were not easy ones), he has an old injury on his front fetlock that may or may not bother him in the future. For now he hasn’t been asked to do enough to have it bother him (the long ride he took with my granddaughter consisted of 3 times up and down the driveway at a slow walk). He will need to have his eating monitored – I believe he is gaining well but malnourishment for an extended period of time can wear the body down. We are treating the rain rot but until his body is healthier, I don’t expect it to heal quickly. He has scars on his body that seem tender, he is very guarded when you touch them and when you run your hand down his hind quarters he tucks his butt and seems very worried.
Callahan is a Ruby in the rough and when his family finally finds him, they are going to be the luckiest people to have him in their lives.
Meet Callahan.
Standing at (I actually haven’t measured him) around 13 hands, Cal is one of those ponies you only dream of for your kids. A little over 2 weeks ago we answered an ad that was on facebook. Typically we do not purchase horses from individuals but there have been several occasions when we feel the horse/pony is on a track that will not end well. Callahan was on that track. He had been purchased from an auction a year ago (according to the owners). They said he was thin but they “fed him and had the vet pull a tooth” and he had gained a lot of weight. Not sure what he looked like then but he is still very thin, malnourished, covered in rain rot , lost another tooth and although he can eat hay his 20+ year old body sure does appreciate some soaked cubes at night.
Although timid at first, Callahan wants to trust. Someone loved this little guy once – he has excellent manners and enjoys kids. I put a small pony saddle on him and when my 3 year old granddaughter took a little spin on the driveway, he led slowly and placed each foot carefully so as not to knock her off balance.
Callahan is afraid of larger horses, maybe even littles. He was obviously pushed around by a herd in the past. We have him in his own paddock during the day, donkeys on one side and horses on the other. I would love to see him go to a home that has a small pony that needs a friend or an older gentle soul that wouldn’t scare him. He is in his 20s (and at least the last few years were not easy ones), he has an old injury on his front fetlock that may or may not bother him in the future. For now he hasn’t been asked to do enough to have it bother him (the long ride he took with my granddaughter consisted of 3 times up and down the driveway at a slow walk). He will need to have his eating monitored – I believe he is gaining well but malnourishment for an extended period of time can wear the body down. We are treating the rain rot but until his body is healthier, I don’t expect it to heal quickly. He has scars on his body that seem tender, he is very guarded when you touch them and when you run your hand down his hind quarters he tucks his butt and seems very worried.
Callahan is a Ruby in the rough and when his family finally finds him, they are going to be the luckiest people to have him in their lives.
February 9 2022
Wilson may be bypassing Chester for all time veterinary visits! On January 16th I found a nail in Wilsons hind foot - almost at the apex of the frog - not a great place but could be worse right? After 3 visits from the vet, 2 different sets of xrays - a exploratory dig, wrapping and soaking for almost a month - im not so sure it could have been much worse. Poor Wilson cant seem to catch a break.
Wilson came from a local auction back in the fall along with Fergus (who is living his best life with his girl friend and family). Wilson was in an acute episode of heeves (aka asthma). After taking away his hay and his pasture mates (because they all eat hay), Wilson finally started to ease up on the breathing and wheezing. We put our order in for a hay steamer (12 weeks out!) We ordered it January 7th so still a long way to go before we get it.
Such a good boy, between the heeves, the ice and the nail, we rode Wilson around the yard a bit with just a halter... perfect gentleman! sweet as pie! loves kids and all the attention he can soak up!
Then the nail happened Wilson has been lame for almost a month with no signs of an abcess exploding. The xray showed a brewing abcess that our vet wasnt able to dig deep enough to drain - now the plan is for poor Wilson to take a ride to Dover and have the vet do a nerve block and dig deeper :((((( and then take the long ride back home again after the dig UGH! i am not looking forward to that and i am so glad he doesnt know what will happen - planning on Thursday to make the trip - if anyone has any abcess exploding dances - please do them today !
We will keep you updated on his progress
in the meantime, please vote on the Bangor Saving Bank link below - Fingers crossed Wilson will return to normal soon and this ring would help showcase his awesomeness to any future family that may be wanting a little golden nugget of their own.
Wilson may be bypassing Chester for all time veterinary visits! On January 16th I found a nail in Wilsons hind foot - almost at the apex of the frog - not a great place but could be worse right? After 3 visits from the vet, 2 different sets of xrays - a exploratory dig, wrapping and soaking for almost a month - im not so sure it could have been much worse. Poor Wilson cant seem to catch a break.
Wilson came from a local auction back in the fall along with Fergus (who is living his best life with his girl friend and family). Wilson was in an acute episode of heeves (aka asthma). After taking away his hay and his pasture mates (because they all eat hay), Wilson finally started to ease up on the breathing and wheezing. We put our order in for a hay steamer (12 weeks out!) We ordered it January 7th so still a long way to go before we get it.
Such a good boy, between the heeves, the ice and the nail, we rode Wilson around the yard a bit with just a halter... perfect gentleman! sweet as pie! loves kids and all the attention he can soak up!
Then the nail happened Wilson has been lame for almost a month with no signs of an abcess exploding. The xray showed a brewing abcess that our vet wasnt able to dig deep enough to drain - now the plan is for poor Wilson to take a ride to Dover and have the vet do a nerve block and dig deeper :((((( and then take the long ride back home again after the dig UGH! i am not looking forward to that and i am so glad he doesnt know what will happen - planning on Thursday to make the trip - if anyone has any abcess exploding dances - please do them today !
We will keep you updated on his progress
in the meantime, please vote on the Bangor Saving Bank link below - Fingers crossed Wilson will return to normal soon and this ring would help showcase his awesomeness to any future family that may be wanting a little golden nugget of their own.
February 11 2022
Wilson update:
First of all I want to say this boy is golden. Trailered all the way to Dover on 3 legs, stepped off the trailer like he was home, never nervous or squirrley while at the vet barn, stood perfectly still and walked and trotted over icy driveway. Wilson is such a good boy!
We were lucky enough to have Dennis and Cat at the barn to combine their skills and assess Wilson. They had both seen him in the last 2 months and were happy at the way he stepped off the trailer.
side note: we had gotten a tip from Susan Lamarre the day before. Pack his foot with epsom salt and artimud. Our thoughts were "cant hurt. We have tried everything else"
Dennis was a bit miffed at the mess of the artimud but liked the whole poultice recipe.
After xrays, a nerve block, walking up and down the aisle many times, the consensus was "lets leave it alone!" YEAAAAA!!!!
the best words i have heard in a while. I did not mind the trip to Dover just to hear that it was worth every minute of trailer hauling to know we were still on the right track and Wilson didnt need "THE BIG DIG" and the block showed it was all hoof, no hock or other issues and the x rays showed to coffin / navicular involvement. All good news.
When we got home, everyone welcomed Wilson back with loud neighing and Little miss Lily was so happy to have her friend back. The boot will stay on for a while and we hope to see continued improvement with weight bearing. When we finally get this all resolved he will be in need of a session with the Integrated Veterinary Services (Becca White) since walking on 3 legs has no doubt created a few body issues. He will also be needing the work of Andrew on a very consistent basis - We arent out of the woods yet but we are standing on the edge of the trees looking into the field. Thank you all for the abcess dance
Wilson update:
First of all I want to say this boy is golden. Trailered all the way to Dover on 3 legs, stepped off the trailer like he was home, never nervous or squirrley while at the vet barn, stood perfectly still and walked and trotted over icy driveway. Wilson is such a good boy!
We were lucky enough to have Dennis and Cat at the barn to combine their skills and assess Wilson. They had both seen him in the last 2 months and were happy at the way he stepped off the trailer.
side note: we had gotten a tip from Susan Lamarre the day before. Pack his foot with epsom salt and artimud. Our thoughts were "cant hurt. We have tried everything else"
Dennis was a bit miffed at the mess of the artimud but liked the whole poultice recipe.
After xrays, a nerve block, walking up and down the aisle many times, the consensus was "lets leave it alone!" YEAAAAA!!!!
the best words i have heard in a while. I did not mind the trip to Dover just to hear that it was worth every minute of trailer hauling to know we were still on the right track and Wilson didnt need "THE BIG DIG" and the block showed it was all hoof, no hock or other issues and the x rays showed to coffin / navicular involvement. All good news.
When we got home, everyone welcomed Wilson back with loud neighing and Little miss Lily was so happy to have her friend back. The boot will stay on for a while and we hope to see continued improvement with weight bearing. When we finally get this all resolved he will be in need of a session with the Integrated Veterinary Services (Becca White) since walking on 3 legs has no doubt created a few body issues. He will also be needing the work of Andrew on a very consistent basis - We arent out of the woods yet but we are standing on the edge of the trees looking into the field. Thank you all for the abcess dance
March 15 2022
Wilsons homemade hay steamer continues to do the job but it is not built for barn living and we are anxiously waiting for the real steamer – how much easier that will be! His hind foot seems completely healed now. His furry winter coat is starting to show signs of a dark golden glow underneath. I can not wait to see how handsome he is going to be!
Callahan is probably the sweetest little guy at our barn. He melts my heart each time I see him looking at me. We are waiting on a cushings test for him and then he may be looking at a new home soon. Fingers crossed for him
Wilsons homemade hay steamer continues to do the job but it is not built for barn living and we are anxiously waiting for the real steamer – how much easier that will be! His hind foot seems completely healed now. His furry winter coat is starting to show signs of a dark golden glow underneath. I can not wait to see how handsome he is going to be!
Callahan is probably the sweetest little guy at our barn. He melts my heart each time I see him looking at me. We are waiting on a cushings test for him and then he may be looking at a new home soon. Fingers crossed for him
May 15 2022
It seems like yesterday i saw that chunky palomino standing in a dark damp stall at the auction, flanked on both sides with tall healthy camp horses. They were calmly chewing their hay, he was gasping for air and nervously cribbing on anything he could reach. People commented as they walked by "that one needs a bullet", "he's not going anywhere but the pen" "heading to Canada that one is". There was no question I was there for Wilson, he would be coming home with us. Im not going to say the last 6 months were easy but boy they were worth it. Wilsons breathing improved over the fall months as he was on pasture 24/7 and soaked cubes. As winter set in, he was brought into the barn at night - his ulcers started getting the better of him with hours of not eating (at this point he wasnt eating hay so his food would be gone in a short time). We decided to make a hay steamer to help and see if he could tolerate the normal diet of the horse again. Yup, the steamed hay worked - still needing to do 3 feedings on top of steaming the hay but still worth it. Mid winter the nail incident happened - ugh! That was anther whole ordeal that lasted months, multiple vet visits, a trip to Dover but finally without any drama, the abscess healed and Wilson was back. During the spring months, life was good, breathing managable, not lame - steamed hay. Wilson met a few friends that he looked forward to when they visited. About a week ago, the weather turned hot, the maples started dropping their pollen and Wilson starting wheezing. (but those friends of his kept coming to visit - the heaves didnt scare them away).
It was a warm day in January when Mary, Mimi, Eloise and I headed down east to answer a craigs list ad. When we all approached the small ring that held what was advertised as a "horse anyone could ride" my first thoughts were - thats a baby! Shaggy, malnourished, covered with lice and scared to death, Callahan was the cutest little guy Ive ever seen. There was no way we were leaving this little guy behind to be sold to the first person who wanted a "horse anyone could ride". Callahan jumped on that trailer and never looked back. A Survivor - thats what he is. Callahan was not a baby, he is an older gelding with so many skeletons in his closet - skeletons that we let come out slowly during the winter months so we could sweep them away. One by one, Callahans demons are melting away and what a sweet boy this little guy is. They were right, "anyone can ride him" - once he has a halter on his mind goes to work and its like he says "i got this, I know what to do" but if he is loose in the paddock - he is scared to be touched. The people told us he was an easy keeper "we feed him every couple of days"! WHAT? Cal spent his winter sharing Wilsons world. When Wilson got soaked cubes, so did Cal. When Wilson got steamed hay, so did Cal. He wants to trust, he tries his hardest to be brave - Callahan IS a survivor.
Fast forward to yesterday - For the very last time Wilson walked on that trailer, this time led by his little girl. I could almost feel Cal saying "dont take him away, he is my friend". But after Wilsons trailer door was shut, Callahan was led onto the very same trailer by his very own person. So brave. They didnt know where we were going -
Callahan, "Wilson, where do you think we are going?"
"Probably another camp, we will have to work even if we cant breath, we will work every day and many different people will ride us. "
Callahan, "I hope they feed us"
it was a short trailer ride, maybe 15 minutes
I can only imagine how wonderful their first night was:
Callahan, "Wilson, did you ever dream we would have our very own people who love us and feed us?"
Wilson, "We are home Callahan, and I heard our people say we will never have to leave again"
Thank you Chris, Makenzie and Maddie
Not scared away from wheezing and skeletons, Callahan and Wilson arrived at their forever home on a small island with lots of salty air, green grass and all the LOVE they can soak up
It seems like yesterday i saw that chunky palomino standing in a dark damp stall at the auction, flanked on both sides with tall healthy camp horses. They were calmly chewing their hay, he was gasping for air and nervously cribbing on anything he could reach. People commented as they walked by "that one needs a bullet", "he's not going anywhere but the pen" "heading to Canada that one is". There was no question I was there for Wilson, he would be coming home with us. Im not going to say the last 6 months were easy but boy they were worth it. Wilsons breathing improved over the fall months as he was on pasture 24/7 and soaked cubes. As winter set in, he was brought into the barn at night - his ulcers started getting the better of him with hours of not eating (at this point he wasnt eating hay so his food would be gone in a short time). We decided to make a hay steamer to help and see if he could tolerate the normal diet of the horse again. Yup, the steamed hay worked - still needing to do 3 feedings on top of steaming the hay but still worth it. Mid winter the nail incident happened - ugh! That was anther whole ordeal that lasted months, multiple vet visits, a trip to Dover but finally without any drama, the abscess healed and Wilson was back. During the spring months, life was good, breathing managable, not lame - steamed hay. Wilson met a few friends that he looked forward to when they visited. About a week ago, the weather turned hot, the maples started dropping their pollen and Wilson starting wheezing. (but those friends of his kept coming to visit - the heaves didnt scare them away).
It was a warm day in January when Mary, Mimi, Eloise and I headed down east to answer a craigs list ad. When we all approached the small ring that held what was advertised as a "horse anyone could ride" my first thoughts were - thats a baby! Shaggy, malnourished, covered with lice and scared to death, Callahan was the cutest little guy Ive ever seen. There was no way we were leaving this little guy behind to be sold to the first person who wanted a "horse anyone could ride". Callahan jumped on that trailer and never looked back. A Survivor - thats what he is. Callahan was not a baby, he is an older gelding with so many skeletons in his closet - skeletons that we let come out slowly during the winter months so we could sweep them away. One by one, Callahans demons are melting away and what a sweet boy this little guy is. They were right, "anyone can ride him" - once he has a halter on his mind goes to work and its like he says "i got this, I know what to do" but if he is loose in the paddock - he is scared to be touched. The people told us he was an easy keeper "we feed him every couple of days"! WHAT? Cal spent his winter sharing Wilsons world. When Wilson got soaked cubes, so did Cal. When Wilson got steamed hay, so did Cal. He wants to trust, he tries his hardest to be brave - Callahan IS a survivor.
Fast forward to yesterday - For the very last time Wilson walked on that trailer, this time led by his little girl. I could almost feel Cal saying "dont take him away, he is my friend". But after Wilsons trailer door was shut, Callahan was led onto the very same trailer by his very own person. So brave. They didnt know where we were going -
Callahan, "Wilson, where do you think we are going?"
"Probably another camp, we will have to work even if we cant breath, we will work every day and many different people will ride us. "
Callahan, "I hope they feed us"
it was a short trailer ride, maybe 15 minutes
I can only imagine how wonderful their first night was:
Callahan, "Wilson, did you ever dream we would have our very own people who love us and feed us?"
Wilson, "We are home Callahan, and I heard our people say we will never have to leave again"
Thank you Chris, Makenzie and Maddie
Not scared away from wheezing and skeletons, Callahan and Wilson arrived at their forever home on a small island with lots of salty air, green grass and all the LOVE they can soak up
May 28 2022
Quick update on these two lucky boys - all shed out - shiny dappled butts, clear breathing and giant stalls for each - We miss you Cal and Wilson but we could not be happier
Quick update on these two lucky boys - all shed out - shiny dappled butts, clear breathing and giant stalls for each - We miss you Cal and Wilson but we could not be happier