A New Home for Wilbur

A New Home for Wilbur
Wilbur is an appendix Quarter horse that was donated to ESS in the spring of 2007, with the intention of having him go to be a part of the school program at Eagle Nest. Unforturnately, it turned out that he was not really suitable for the program there. He is an older horse, in his 20s, and he has the teeth of an older horse which means that keeping weight on him is a challenge. Will is a very sweet gelding, gentle and well mannered. But it seems that his entire lifetime was spent as a speed event horse. Even now, at his advanced age, he loves to run, can spin on a dime, and is a real "goer". He has plenty of interest in still doing those activities, but with his age and teeth problems, it was pretty extremely difficult to keep any weight on him if he were ridden like that. We decided that he had really earned his retirement and there was no need to ask him to continue to be a working horse.
Will was put out on a big pasture for the summer. Despite having plenty of grass to eat, he still dropped a lot of weight, so after a couple months he returned to ESS and was put back on a twice daily ration of soaked shredded beet pulp, equine senior, corn oil, and special supplements, along with hay and pasture. He started gaining weight back right away.
In October Will was adopted out to a new home, to live out his days as a companion to a little mare that was in a single-horse home and was lonesome. Will, upon arrival with new owner, Rita, and Ruth. Will and Perla meet first across the fence.
The two horses immediately became friends and he is now content and happy with his new family. That horse probably thought he died and went to Horse Heaven. All horses should be so lucky! At ESS, we were thrilled to be able to place this sweet, deserving animal in a wonderful home where he is well cared for and loved. An older horse like this can still have a useful purpose in life as a companion to a younger horse and as a teacher and yes, even as an incredibly beautiful pasture ornament! And taking care of an older animal like this is a way to give back some of the joy and meaning that horses have brought to our lives.
Blessings to Big Will and his new family - Abby and Rita, and little Perla, in Black Lake. A big thanks to Sandy Miller for trailering Will to his new home.