In our last blog, we told you the story of Lady and Ellie and how they came to us. Our story focused on Lady, but now it’s time to tell Ellie’s rescue story.
As you read previously, Ellie and Lady have a very touching rescue story. They were a bonded pair who were fortunate to have a previous owner who loved and cared for them for over two decades.
To recap their story, in the summer of 2020, we received a call from a gentleman, whom we’ll refer to him as Mr. H, asking if we were in a position to take on two horses. He explained that the horses were his wife’s, that she was nearing the end of her life in hospice, and that he was searching for someone to take on the horses when she passed. His wife’s hospice nurse referred him to us, who followed our Facebook page and was familiar with our mission. We listened to the brief explanation and what Mr. H was looking for and agreed we would at least visit his farm to see the horses and learn more about the circumstances he was dealing with. Ellie and Lady were Mrs. H’s prized mares. She was a local school teacher in the county and an avid equestrian who spent her free time grooming, riding, and loving her horses.
Mr. H explained that as she began getting sick, she made him promise that he would keep and care for her horses until she passed. She promised he would find them a good home when she was gone. He was honoring her wishes. He explained no less than a dozen times that his wife was the light of his life and would do whatever it took to honor her wishes. He even explained that when she was put in hospice in their home, he converted a room on the bottom floor into her room so she could see out of the window and into the pasture where her beloved horses were.
One of the first things we do as a rescue is a complete veterinary check-up to evaluate the horse’s overall health. This includes a look at their body condition, teeth, hooves, coat, and movement. Ellie’s checkup found her to be in good health overall. Her limp, the remnant of an old injury most likely, was permanent.
We do our due diligence and learn as much as possible about their past and history. Because Ellie was from the local area and was a registered Paint, I discovered a little backstory in her past. She was pretty young when she suffered her injury. Ellie was trained as a show jumper and was competing in competition in the local area. In addition, she was being used as a lesson horse and leased. Unfortunately, through this, she suffered an injury that wasn’t properly diagnosed and cared for, resulting in a permanent limp. She would never be able to be under saddle again. We were ultimately disappointed with her diagnosis because she was a beautiful horse with excellent body condition and muscle tone. If not for the injury, she could have had a fantastic riding career. Ellie is a white and brown 22-year-old paint mare and completely gorgeous! But due to her injury, she requires special shoeing and medication to alleviate pain and keep her mobile.
For most of her life, Ellie was Lady’s best friend and pasture mate. When we decided to euthanize Lady humanely, Ellie grieved her loss for a long time afterward. But in time, Ellie bonded with Cash and Kiah and is still going strong two years after bringing her to our rescue. Ellie is an example of a horse that will remain with us as a sanctuary resident. After consideration, we decided that it would be in her best interest to stay with us due to the level of care needed, the cost, and her injury.
Freedom and Whiskey Equine Rescue continues to evaluate the needs of our horses. As they age, their needs change, and so must their level of care and cost. If you have the desire to help these wonderful horses, please contact us.