When I was sixteen, I got a phone call during the middle of
the night to go pick up a horse that was found in the middle of the road.
Details on the horse were not given, but I got out of bed and got dressed.
After informing my parents that I was heading out, I hooked up the horse
trailer and went to a friends house where the horse was being held. Not knowing
what to expect, I prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. Since the
horse was found in the middle of the road, I figured it had just escaped it's
stall or someone didn't close the gate on their pasture. This happened a lot of
around here. When I arrived at my friends house, I found all the lights in the
barn were on. After parking the truck, I got out and headed to the barn to see
my friend and meet our late night wonderer.
After just a glimpse of the horse, I was taken back. My heart
was in my throat and I just couldn't believe the sight in front of me. She was
a black Thoroughbred mare, she was wearing a dark pink halter and looked to be
about four or five hundred pounds under weight. There were burrs in her main
and tail, the spark was gone from her eyes. She had looked to be well used,
obviously had been ridden a lot. The area over her ribs which in a healthy
horse are normally plump and filled out, were sunken in and rib bones were
showing. Her hip bones were protruding and I could feel every bone in her
spine. She was nothing but skin and bones.
After seeing her condition and looking her over, I wrapped
my arms around her neck and told her that she was safe now. I decided not to
waste any time and hooked my lead rope to her and walked the normally four
minute walk from the barn to my truck which that night took almost a half hour
with the mare. She was so skinny and weak that she could barely move. Each step
she took was an effort, by the time I got her in the trailer and got her home,
she collapsed in the stall.
I gave her plenty of hay and water, even gave her a hand
full of oats and waited. I didn't think she was going to survive the night but
she did. The next morning I called the vet and she came right out to take a look
at my new rescue. She took some blood tests and checked the mare over, she said
she would look to see if anyone had reported a missing or stolen horse.
Later she gave me a call and said the police had reported a
horse missing, but that the owners of the horse were being charged with neglect
by neighbors. The local humane society had offered their help with the mare and
even offered to get donations for extra hay and supplements.
I agreed that the mare who I know knew was named Hona could
stay with me. The vet had informed me that Hona had a heavy infestation of
worms which needed to be treated right away. Between myself and the vet, we had
gotten her on panicure. I had put her on senior feed and saturated it with corn
syrup as the vet recommended to get her weight up and even saved corn husks to
help with the weight as well.
Before long, Hona was putting weight on and even had a spark
in her eye. The local authorities stopped by once a week to check on her
progress. I surprised them one day by working Hona in the ring and showed them
exactly what kind of horse she was. She threw up her magnificent head, held her
tail high like an arabian and even had a nice spring in her step. I had her
walk, trot and canter for the officers.
After having her for five months, I decided to take her for
a ride as she was finally healthy enough to do so. I took her out in my woods
on one of the trails that I always went on. On our way back home, there was a
hill that I normally rode down, but knowing Hona's history, I decided to walk
her down the hill instead. Hona had other ideas though, I pulled back on the
reins and got ready to dismount when Hona lunged forwards.
It was all I could do to hold myself right in the saddle
until I regained my balance. Hona took the hill at a canter and went straight
down until she hit the bottom of the hill and then galloped away and in to the
field. She had a nice gate, a smooth ride and she obviously knew what she was
doing.
I loved Hona and had even talked the humane society in to
letting me adopt her myself. They agreed and I adopted her. I had Hona for
eight wonderful months, until one day while I was at school, my dad had gone to
the office and had me called down from my classroom.
I will never forget that day, I walked in to the principles
office and found my father there. He stood up and wiped a tear from his eye. I
had checked the horses that morning and all of them seemed just fine, but while
I was at school, Hona had taken a turn for the worse. She went down in her
stall, my parents called the vet and she came out to take a look. The vet said
that the case of worms was worse than she thought and they had eaten Hona from
the inside.
Her organs had holes in them caused by the worms eating
their way through. Hona had only put on weight and started looking healthier
because she had constant access to hay and grass at all times. She was taking
in more than what the worms could eat. The vet had told my parents that Hona
was just too far gone and was in a lot of pain. She recommended putting her
down.
My parents did not want to let her suffer any longer, so
they had her put down while I was in school. I felt like the world had stopped
turning, like everything had just stopped. I helped my parents to dig a hole
under an old oak tree that we had which was Hona's favorite shady place. So we
buried her there and said my final goodbyes. I will never forget Hona nor
will I ever stop loving her. I will always cherish those months that we had
together and know that her spirit lives on within those woods where we spent
many happy days together.