When we made the decision to open the K2
Equestrian Center and provide equine assisted growth and learning, we wanted it
to be a place of safety and rescue for all living things. We had been actively
participating in horse rescues for several years; keeping some of the horses we
rescued, and finding quality homes for others.
This image of Sophie has become the
logo for K2 Equestrian Ranch…
The Spirit of the Healing Horse.
One rescue was particularly disturbing for
us. The information we received stated
that multiple horses had been abused and starved. Horse rescues can be dangerous and one really
never knows what they are getting into when a call for a rescue comes in.
With our trailer in tow, we arrived at a ranch
where the horses were being kept. It was clearly visible that the horses had
not been fed for quite a while; and several of them had whip marks on their
flanks. One horse had an old halter so
tangled in its mane that it had to be cut out.
We had already made a vet appointment for the next day to have the
horses examined, but as we loaded the horses on to the trailer, it was obvious
that one horse was very ill. One mare
had explosive diarrhea and was showing signs of being dehydrated. We called our
vet, Dr. Bob, who suggested we get her to his clinic immediately.
The mare was a beautiful, caramel-colored,
Palomino quarter horse, with white blaze down her nose and the longest
eyelashes. My son thought she was incredibly beautiful and had already fallen
in love with her. Even with the deep wounds on her body, she was gentle and
receptive to our touch. On the way to the clinic our boys named her “Sophie.” I
knew we had crossed the line in naming her and we were now committed to keep
her.
When we arrived at the clinic, I didn’t like
the look is saw on our veterinarian’s face.
Dr. Bob was concerned and worried.
As he did his exam, he continued to look up at me, but never utter a word. My youngest son was
standing next to Sophie, petting her head. He looked up and said, “Please save
her.” Bob looked over and walked me out of the stall.
“It doesn’t look good,” he said. “She is
extremely sick, undernourished and dehydrated. It will be a miracle if she
makes it through the night.”
“We have to try to save her, I know she’s not
ready to die,” I responded to him.
Sophie loves kids and loves getting
pets.
The vet said that her treatment would have to
be aggressive and that her recovery could take a long time. Deep in my heart I felt that she was going to
live and I didn’t care what we had to do to help her survive. The look in her
eyes told me she wanted to live and be part of our family. After two hours at
the vet clinic and giving her lots of love, we left. I knew that we would see
her again.
The phone rang at 6 am the next morning — my heart stopped when it rang. It was Dr.
Bob, but his voice was upbeat and the news was good! Sophie had made it through
the night. The diarrhea had stopped, she
was still on I.V. fluids, but she wasn’t so lethargic. While she wasn’t out of
the woods, he was encouraged. She had to
stay at the clinic for several days and we went to visit her everyday. I wanted
to bond with her and let her know that she was safe and loved.
The other horses remained at our ranch and we
treated their wounds and fed them supplements to get their weight up. All of
the horses had to be de-wormed, but were generally in good health considering
their weights.
It was several days before we were able to
bring Sophie home. We were told that it would be a long journey for her; that
she would require a lot of time and many extra feedings. At the time of the
horse rescue we were working with a group of women at the ranch, who were in
recovery from domestic violence. These ladies were part of our equine assisted
learning group.
They all thought Sophie was gorgeous. These
women, who had been through horrific trauma in their own lives, wanted to help
this wonderful horse. They knew that she had to be fed every two hours and knew
that my husband, Keith, and I were teachers and could not be at home during the
day. So, they made a schedule among
themselves and came to the ranch every day at 10 am, 12 noon and 2 pm, to feed and love on Sophie.
The women were fabulous! They fed her and
groomed her. In addition to helping heal
Sophie, it also helped them to heal, build confidence and self-esteem. Both the
ladies and Sophie thrived. It was an amazing end to a horrendous beginning.
Today, Sophie is beautiful, healthy and strong.
She is the showcase to our ranch and logo. She knows she is safe and is in a
place that will never let anything awful happen to her again.
As for the women who helped her survive, they
are all doing well. They have picked up their lives and moved on. Several of
them still come out to the ranch to continue our friendship and love on the
horse.
Sophie is healthy, strong and
beautiful!
K2 Equestrian Center Horses | Sophie's Story
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