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The Horses of ESS
This page of notes was compiled by ESS director, Ruth Bourgeois.
A great teacher once told me, "Every horse comes into your life for a reason."
That teacher was Linda Tellington-Jones. I was participating in a TEAM clinic and Linda's words have come back to me time and again over the past 20+ years since that clinic. I am reminded now, as I was then, of how every horse has a story ... and every horse has lessons to teach us. By listening to their stories, we can learn so much.
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Bindy
Bindy is an adorable, ornery, sweet, loveable little mini-donkey that was donated to ESS in August of 2005. After spending most of the first 6 years of his life as a companion to his equine friends, little Bindy is now embarking on a new career. He is going to be trained to be a therapy donkey. Bindy will be taught to drive and will be an ambassador for the Equine Spirit Sanctuary.
If all goes according to plans, we will have a small cart made specially for Bindy to pull, filled with treats and goodies to share when he makes visits to nursing homes and schools and special events.
Bindy's great disposition and size make him an ideal candidate for the therapy program. We know he will make many friends - both children and adults - at the sanctuary. Watch for more pictures of Bindy as he steps up to his new role and very important position.
Bindy is seeking a sponsor to help with his expenses - hay, hoof care (vital for his new job, you know!), routine veterinary care (vaccinations and deworming and health checkups), and new equipment.
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Kat
Kat is a 10 year old mare that was donated to ESS in  October of 2007. She is in need of a home.
This sweet Arabian mare is sound and healthy. She's broke to ride but needs an experienced rider, as she hasn't been ridd en much for a while.
In November Ruth rode Kat for a lesson with Linda Benedik,atuhor of Yoga for Equestrians.
Kat seemed to enjoy the lesson as much as Ruth did. With a little coaching from Linda, she soon was learning to stretch down and relax her back muscles. She figured out quickly that this was way more pleasant than carrying her head high in the air.
For more information about Kat, contact Ruth. |
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Comanche "Dancer"
Comanche "Dancer" is a 7-year-old mare that was donated to ESS as a potential therapy horse for the riding program. It turned out that although she is very sweet and loves attention, she was a bit too insecure and nervous to be a lesson horse. Comanche has a complicated personality and is not a horse for beginners.
However, we are pleased to announce that Comanche was adopted out to a new - and definitely "forever" - home in November 2007.
Comanche was the most photogenic horse, a beautiful mare so pretty that when she was out in the front field grazing, people driving by would slow down or stop to take pictures of her. This photo was taken in October 2007. We miss her, but are happy that she is doing well in her new home.
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Buck (the horse formerly known as "Buck")
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Yes, you read that right. One evening, shortly after Buck came to live at my place, I was having dinner with friends. I wanted to give Buck a nice new name because "Buck" just didn't seem to fit him. We spent a great deal of time discussing possibilities.
 Photo, left: Buck, October 2004
I got kidded sometimes about how I should call him "My Last Buck" (because it cost so much to feed him); or "The Buck Stops Here" (because everyone knew I'd never let him go to another home); or "Whoa Buck" (because we figured there must be some reason why he got that name - it sure wasn't his color!). We never did come up with a name. Finally I said I'd just have to wait a while, see what name suited the big guy after I got to know him better. Six months later, we got together again for dinner and I told my friends "you need to come see Buck - the horse formerly known as "Buck." Needless to say, the name had stuck. |
Buck, August 2005
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Star
Star was a very sweet-natured Appaloosa gelding, mostly white with some little black spots sprinkled across his snowy white coat. No, he didn't have a star on his forehead.
Star came to live at my place in January 2006 after he was found, apparently abandoned, near the river about 20 miles north of Taos. When the call came in about Star, it sounded like he had a lot of problems and the most humane thing to do would be to go get him and take him to the vet to have him put to sleep.
Star had severe arthritis in his legs so I assumed he was an old horse, but when we went to look at him we found that he is fairly young, around 12 or so. Apparently his severe arthritic condition was a result of birth defects, possibly from his mother eating locoweed while she was carrying him. He was still a stallion, but he had such a sweet temperament and delightful attitude, it just didn't seem right to have him put to sleep. He got around pretty good on those arthritic legs, and he seemed quite able to take care of himself.
As I drove home that evening after going out to see this horse, I struggled with what to do. I knew he'd never be sound again. He had a lot of issues to deal with. Besides the bad legs, he needed to be castrated. I told myself, "Ruth, you can't save them all." But I wanted to save this sweet horse. Suddenly I saw a shooting star flash across the sky, and I thought to myself, "no I cannot save them all. But I can save this one. He's like a beautiful shining star."
Thanks to the help of Pennie Wardlow of Four Corners Animal League, Star had a loving home with ESS.
July 2006: Star's arthritic condition worsened over the past couple of months. The hind ankle that had a large lump of calcification became even more enlarged, making it painful for him to walk and he began to drop weight, even after having his teeth taken care of in June. His eyes showed the stress he was feeling but he remained good natured and still loved attention. Sadly, we decided that the kindness thing to do for Star was to let him go, and we had him humanely euthanized.
As I struggled to make the decision and to prepare for losing this dear horse, I reflected over the past six months. Did we do the right thing to save him? Was it worth all the trouble and all the expense? Six and a half months seems like such a short time, not nearly long enough to have with this wonderful animal. But yes, I feel it was worth it. He had six+ good months here and even though I miss him a lot, I am grateful to have had the pleasure of getting to know and love this sweet horse. What I miss most of all is looking out my window at night and seeing him standing there, the moonlight reflecting off his beautiful white coat. That always gave me a feeling of peace. Whenever I see a shooting star, I'm reminded of him. Star was a horse that reminded us that everything doesn't have to be perfect in order to be content with your life, and that life is precious, even when when things don't always go right.
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If you would like to help out with sponsorships for Bindy or Kat, please contact ruth@equinespiritsanctuary.org. The horses will be most grateful for your generous contributions!
The Equine Spirit Sanctuary - For Horses and People!
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