| September, 2003...I went to Kentucky to pick up a gelding
that a friend was buying. While she talked with the owners about her
new horse, I saw a buckskin weanling colt dragging around an orange
baling twine on his back hoof...never picking up the foot high
enough for it to fall away. He was so thin his hipbones stuck
up like a dairy cow, he had several patches of missing skin down
his spine...dried...like he'd scraped it on something and it was
trying to heal...could see the joint in the spine. His nose
was snotty...greenish yellow. The owner said his dam had died
at birth, but the vet says he'll be fine by time he's 6mo old and
someone was coming to buy him that weekend. We loaded up my
friends gelding, headed back to Ohio....half way home...I said
"Man...I cant get that colt out of my mind!" She says TURN
this truck around lets go back and get him...I said we
can't...someone is coming to buy him this weekend....we continued
home.
Monday...I couldn't shake it...called and called...finally reached the owner...asked if the colt had sold...she said no...the people didn't think he would make it back to North Carolina. I asked if I could buy him...she said yes...for $100 which would cover his vet bills. Next morning...I headed back to Kentucky with the trailer and my dogs....to get this colt. I put 3 bales of hay in the trailer, made a triangle "play pen" for him to stand in, thought it would give him a padded area to travel safely. I called my vet on the way down, told him to meet me at my farm next morning. When I got home with him, Tim picked him up and carried the little 3mo old colt into the arena to a pen I had made for him. Tim said..."Now I see why you couldn't leave him." This is Trooper September 9, 2003 when we arrived home: |
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I body clipped this 3 month old stud colt right away...without a halter...that is how bad he felt. I knew I had blankets to keep him warm...but felt I needed to get that nasty wooly hair off so we could see if there were any other issues to deal with when the vet arrived next day. This is Trooper September 9, 2003 after I clipped him for the vet to inspect him. |
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Vet came next morning, said it was the worst emaciated horse he'd seen. He put the colt on antibiotics for the green snotty nose and said be very careful how you feed him....you could kill him with kindness by over feeding him too fast. He said feed him all the leafy alfalfa hay he wants 24/7 for the first 10 days. Then slowly introduce grains back into his diet. Every morning...I would go to the arena ..slide the door open holding my breath and praying...."Dear God please let him still be alive!" When I would see him standing...I'd say Thank you Dear God!....whew. It was then, that we named him Trooper...because if he survived this...he was a trooper indeed. We feed Nutrena pelleted feeds so on day 10...I gave him about a teaspoon of grain a.m. and p.m. and slowly built on that each day. The pelleted feed is so easily digested....it helped him utilize everything he ate. The antibiotics got rid of the green snotty nose...but had to go another 10 days to fully get rid of the yellow snotty nose. I had a pen set up in the arena so he could go out in the sunshine each day and get a little bit of grass. When I clipped him, I could not clip below the knee...he had hundreds of 'scratches' ... it's something that draft horses get...under all those feathered legs they have...dampness...etc causes a pimple like sore....Trooper's legs below the knees felt like hundreds of scabby pimples. So each day...I would soak the lower legs in a bucket of iodine soapy water, let them dry in the sun...then apply Corona medicated salve heavily all over the lower leg. After about 3 weeks of this...I was able to clip away the hair bit by bit and really get down to healing the last of the sores. The vet was so pleased with Troopers recovery and progress...he smiled and said "That's Connie care....you did good" I swear we both stood there looking at Trooper almost in tears! This is Trooper 40 days later after he arrived here:
As a yearling, Trooper measured 34" tall...and at the time, we didn't show AMHR.....a family near Cincinnati saw him when looking at another horse and fell in love with Trooper...begged to buy him....so we let him go to this family. We emailed now and then checking up on him...and I always felt it was a mistake letting him go .. I missed him and he moved so awesome. I told them if they ever didnt want him anymore to call me. In February, 2006...I told 'Trooper's Story' at dinner with bunch of horse friends....that night...got home and there was an email from his owners....asking if I wanted to buy him back. Tim said....I know...hook the trailer in the morning....I said yes dear! The family was at work when we arrived, had told us to go ahead and take him. It had been two years since I saw him....there he was in a lush field of clover...biggest, tallest clover I'd ever seen. A big horse was laying in the field...and Trooper was standing over her. He looked at us and snorted...forelock had grown past his nose, covered his eyes...mane full on both sides of his neck...his buckskin color was breathtaking. He stepped towards us...but wouldn't let us touch him after several attempts. I asked him to move off...trot...so I could see how he moved. Even as fat as he was...he drew those hocks up under him almost touching is belly...and trotted off...lifting those knees...trotting level and snorting...like a wild brombie horse from the mountains in that movie "Man from Snowy River." I thought how are we ever going to catch him in this 5 acre field....finally asked the mare to get up and head into the barn paddock....bless her heart...she was so foundered...she moved but you could see age and her founder were trying on her. Trooper trotted into the paddock, turned stood in the corner of the paddock....I approached and let him smell my hand...and my breath...I told him if he would let me take him home...he would home for good...this was the 2nd time we had rescued him and this was going to be his forever home. I moved in...he stood, let me halter him...walked to the trailer, stepped right in like we did this everyday! As we backed out of the driveway...I started bawling....Tim said "It's ok babe...we got him....he's going to be fine." I said I know...but I should have never let him go the first time...I feel so blessed to have him back. SO...here he is....God love him....here at Cherokee Stables...for good. We gelded Trooper last fall after getting his weight back in check. He is doing great! I am so proud to have Trooper home and look forward to spending time with him and taking him to shows! This is Trooper fall of 2006 here. Isn't he stunning!
Welcome Home Trooper....Welcome Home |
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