Rainbow Bridge

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Roadie - "Mr. Goodie Two-Shoes" (R.I.P. June 25, 2008)

"Roadway" (Roadie was his barn name, or "Mr. Goodie Two Shoes" his show name), was a superior athlete. He was bred for me, and I remember being pulled out of school as a little girl, and my parents picked me up with the horse trailer and brood mare in tow, saying, "We're going to go get your horse for you. Charisma is in heat!" So this eventual hunter champion was a loooong time in the making. He was born on our farm, carrying the only white marking that neither sibling nor dam nor sire ("On the Road") had. We always said it was the star of our old pony, "Wee Willy" blessing us with his return in this young foal...
Anyway, I continued to ride and show my "nothing spectacular" show ponies, growing out of each one, Deckers, then Sam, until I was finally old enough and experienced enough to ride this amazing horse. In the meantime, while I was dealing with timid ponies who would "chip in" at fences, Roadie was being trained by Jill Shull, and then leased to a woman who eventually went on to be a backup on our USA equestrian show-jumping team?! Needless to say, I was not at all prepared for the athlete that I got when that lease ended... This was a horse who, given the chance to "relax" in an indoor ring would go around jumping any jumps that were set -- just because he loved to jump?!
When I first jumped him, I dropped my shoulder anticipating a "chip in" at an oxer like my old ponies did? Yeah, he was having none of that. He took the long spot -- on his own! Needless to say, I landed on the other side of the fence on the ground in front of him. I still bear the divot in my shin where his front shoe made contact, and broke a piece of my bone off. But I got back on (my trainer knew if I did not get on him immediately after that, all was for naught... She even threatened to take my stirrups from me if I didn't stop complaining about the throbbing in my shin... Wow--imagine that today?!). And I did. And I grew through my fears to love and trust him. And we became such a TEAM that people at horse shows (in the background of the old VHS home videos) would say, "Now there's your winner" when they saw us in the ring. My riding aids were nearly imperceptible, and it was like we were one animal, one mind.

After many years of retirement (I went to off to college and we tried to sell him -- but couldn't bring ourselves to...), and a broken back, I finally ventured back into horses. He patiently dealt with me cautiously getting him in shape again, and after years of freedom, giving in and taking commands again. Roadie was one of a kind.
What we didn't know is that after all those years of jumping, and then sitting without work, an old nerve injury must have been lying dormant. When I started working him again, just on the flat, it must have made it flare. We notice him start to "lean" on one hip. For about 2 weeks after we brought Mark home as his companion, he leaned to the left. I have a picture of me on his back on a Sunday. He was sturdy, and happy. Two days later, I got a call. "Roadie is having trouble walking." I raced home. I spent the next 24 hours watching him, worrying, seeing the light in his eyes had dimmed, and waiting for the vet. When she arrived, she said, "This isn't the same horse I met. It's time."
Roadie was my first horse. My first taste of really knowing what it feels like to fly. I hope your wings are souring Roadie. You will always be missed.

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"My Last Star of Hope" (R.I.P. September 7, 2015)

We found The. Perfect. Horse. She was in the craigslist pages in Md. She was there a few weeks, but, well, we already had enough horses, really. Right? Her ad eventually fell off craigslist. When it re-appeared, I knew I had to see her. I called. He said, "Oh, no. She's sick. There's something wrong with her. Call back in a few days." I called back, and he indicated he thought she might die. (?!) I immediately called my mother to conference about the situation. I made plans to see her, even though "she's too sick to ride." When I saw Hope, she was covered in hives scabs, and most of her hair was falling out. She was skin and bones -- such a dramatic contrast to the ad (and video!) that was posted only 45 days prior? My mother met me there to see her, and we were so shocked at her condition. It wasn't the guy's fault. Unbeknownst to all of us, Hope had cancer. That said... We looked at Hope, and another unwanted horse he had for sale, an ex-ranch horse he was calling "Buck." We agreed to buy Buck (now "Leo"), and would be back the next day.
When we returned, Hope seemed to have turned a corner. She was more alert, and her head was no longer hanging/drooping, the way a sick horse's does. At this point, the dealer said, "Now she can stand at auction." He just wanted to be rid of this trouble maker -- and we knew the sentence that meant for her: Slaughter. In the condition she was in, she would not have even withstood the trip to the border, and likely would have fallen in the slaughter truck and been trampled, deemed just another "downer" for the meat industry.
We could not bear the thought. We asked the dealer what it would take to save her from that plight, and he said to pay his vet bills for her steroids, etc. With that, it was done, and we just prayed she wouldn't fall in the trailer on the ride to our farm...

Hope knew love in the short time (two weeks) with us. Our volunteers were there daily, giving her medicated baths, and oatmeal rinses to sooth her naked and recovering skin, her hives sores, etc. But on the second Sunday, something was different. I said in a text when making a plea for help, "It seems like this horse wants to die." Indeed, the flies knew too. She wasn't eating at all. The flies were gathering around her as if she'd already passed. Her skin started oozing. Her nose bled. She spit out partially eaten blobs of food. And then, she lost her balance. We were so stunned when she fell. We kept her down a while to recoup her strength. When she struggled to get back up, we let her. Mistake. She immediately lost her balance again, and fell, stiff and hard, as if in shock.
We knew for certain what had to be done. We held her, and caressed her, and laid loving hands on her while we said good-bye and waited for the vet to end her life for her, with love and with dignity. We know we will see you again, Hope.

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"Mark My Words" (R.I.P. December 1, 2016)

Mark was trained in dressage. When I say "trained" I mean, someone put thousands into this incredibly smart animal... We had someone ride him, and she was amazed that he could even canter side-ways -- NOT many dressage horses have the skill and smarts to figure out how to do that!
But then the girl who loved him went off to college, the parents got tired of caring for him (alone, in their pasture, apparently), and the next thing you know he was sold, back to "work" in dressage, but wouldn't you know, he had developed arthritis in his knees. So...
He sat. Stood, rather. In his stall. 24/7. In a dark, poorly lit barn, with absolutely no where to be turned out. It was horrifying when we went to see him. And based on just his disposition alone we decided to buy him. He was 19 by then, and in pretty poor shape -- literally his hoof wall separated within a month of bringing him home, due his barn conditions for that year and a half, standing in the dark, dank stall, in his urine. Did we mention he also has cushings disease, which makes horses pee more? A lot more. And with that undiagnosed, and standing in the extra urine his cushing produced? His foot fell apart.
That wasn't all... from the barn conditions, the ammonia, and just standing in that mess (imagine, after YEARS of roaming free on his own farm...?), he also developed COPD.
It wasn't at all clear to us when we got him just how much of a rescue case he was, until all this happened. And then we got a call from the woman who sold him to us, asking about his welfare after she had sold several other horses to abusers and one even died. Oh my!
We were SO THANKFUL that we rescued Mark -- and as it turns out, Mark rescued us as well! He brought us back to the joy of horses once again, and has brought a level of joy to our lives that we had no idea could exist. This horse is so special... And he helped me to realize my true purpose and passion in life: to rescue the needy, kind, helpless horses that are usually just abandoned and thrown away...

In the end, despite the Cushings, COPD, arthritis, and even gum disease, it was a diagnosis of renal failure that took Mark from us.

On the day we released him from his failing body, he had the best day! He was on anti-inflamatory meds for a month and had refused cookies and treats for some time, but on that day? He gobbled them! He had apples. He had a good grooming, and lots of scratches. We went for a walk, he and I, which he loved -- though the vet recommended against letting him run up the hill he loved so... I would put the lead rope over his neck and let him run ahead of me, and he'd stop and turn back, waiting for me to catch up to him! But the vet was afraid of too much exertion with his blood so poor... Still, his heart never got the memo that he was so sick... it didn't want to stop. Just like Mark. So strong. So brave. I loved him so much.

I have been blessed with having two once-in-a-lifetime horses in my life. I couldn't have asked for more in a companion and a partner. I am sure that somewhere, he is galloping up that hill, over and over again, turning to wait for me at the top...

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Sarge

(R.I.P. November 12, 2021)

Sarge's owner was selling him "as a punishment" to her son, to teach him not to lie to her. We can only be so thankful that we found his ad that day -- as he was one of the safest, and most reliable riding horses we had in our whole herd! Our equine dentist aged him in his mid-to late 30's -- maybe 36 in 2016?!

In 2021 we fully retired Sarge because he could no longer bear weight on his back right leg; it popped out to the side with each step and does not cause him pain without a rider, but with a rider, he doesn't want to walk. He was SUCH AN ANGEL for us -- he surely deserved retirement!!

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"Daisy" ( R.I.P. October 1, 2021)

Daisy came to us from an Amish household who "didn't know" what happened to "retired" amish horses at age 25... The "nice man" was going to pick her up and transport her to auction "for free" -- meaning he was going to get paid her cost for the meat man and never think twice about the 15 years of hard service and labor Daisy had given to her owners, running all over Perry County pulling a buggy. Daisy was a tiny horse, so this was extremely hard on her and took its toll. Her heart gave out and started weeping a few years after we rescued her, and then her stifle. Her knees already had terrible arthritis in them, but it wasn't until the last few years we tried injections to help ease her pain...

Ohio was our second rescued horse, back in August of 2008. He was an off the track thoroughbred (what is commonly referred to as "OTTB") rescue. Ohio was picked up in the kill pens in New Holland. Identified by his racing tattoo, this horse won over $63,000 in purses on the track, had a jumper career (as evidenced by his ability and form at jumping), and then unceremoniously landed in the kill pens? He was pulled by another rescue group (in 2007, we adopted him on July 4, 2008 -- what more appropriate way to celebrate America's birthday than rescuing a horse?!). Ohio was our second rescued horse ~ and a true Black Beauty! He was the dominant male in our herd, and we referred to him as our "Athletic Director" since he loves causing mischief and keeping everyone in line!
Ohio was laid to rest on our farm, beside his beloved Miss Daisy. RIP my friend.

This sweet, sweet girl came off a truck on the New Holland parking lot. A rescuer grabbed her before heading into the meat pens because she had "kind eyes." She was also more than 300 lbs. underweight when we took her in -- and that was after some time re-feeding her at another rescue facility! When she arrived, she was afraid of drinking heated water (clearly had been electrocuted from someone not checking the water heaters), and would tremble and shake for 15 minutes before building up the courage to literally *plunge* her head into the water to drink. After nearly a year, she began trusting that she was not going to be shocked like that, but it's a sad, sad story. She also trembles (literally, her whole body shakes) when some men speak around her -- their voices clearly resembling the voice of a man who must have just terrified her...
But not here at Ups & Downs! She thrived being the dominate mare in her own herd, being Sterling's seeing-eye and hearing companion, and just gleaming in the sun! Even though she was estimated to be about 42 (or older!) when she fell ill, it was still so unexpected! She was laid to rest here, and her mischievous personality will be truly missed!

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Sterling

(R.I.P. September 29, 2024)

Sterling came to us because his mom had cancer, and her family could no longer keep him. Apparently, Sterling had once been a trail challenge horse, and he was not afraid of much -- his owner was even wheelchair-bound and he did not flinch about the wheelchair. However, since his former owner fell ill, he was left to stand, and seems to have lost most of his skill -- and confidence, it seems. Since he had blue eyes and started losing his vision (and hearing), he became very, very fearful, and easily startled. He couldn't even be cross-tied as he literally flipped up and over backwards before we took him and when he was in cross-ties, so we needed to be very careful about Sterling...

When we took him in 2016, they said he was only 10... but an equine dentist put his age at closer to 33 years old. Wow!
We were proud to be Sterling's "Silver Lining" and provide him a peaceful retirement with his seeing eye and ear companion, Ginger. Unfortunately, when she passed away, he would not attach to any of the other horses, and apparently didn't want to go on without Ginger. He was laid to rest beside his love a few days after her passing, on September 29, 2024.
Rest in Peace, dear Sterling.

Thomas

Thomas was my favorite barn cat, and was very spoiled, eating mice any time he wanted, having the run of the barn and my house. He was also purrfect at the vet's office, every time I had to take him in to drain an infection after a fight... (which happened far too frequently!). He was with us for at least 19 years, and I will always feel like I just caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye, or hear his soft whisper of a meow (which was all but silent unless you were looking...).
Rest in peace my dear Thomas.

Lapua

Lapua appeared one summer out of nowhere and had a very large swirl on her side that someone said would make a good target. As awful as that sounded, she was not in fear of death by gunfire at our rescue(!!), and the name "Lapua" (a very renowned sniper rifle) stuck. She was super sweet, kept to herself unless you were willing to hold her, and was a very easy barn cat to love (this is her in the house after she got fixed). She will be missed!

R.I.P. April 7, 2024

Bella

Poor Bella was a "free" (unwanted) cat on Craigslist, and the poor girl was abandoned, and once here at the farm, she chose isolation and to live many years under the dresser in my bedroom... Only in the last 2 years, since spring 2019, did she take up a personality and start coming out of her shell. She made friends with my other indoor cat, would come running to the door when I came home, and would meow for attention! I wish she had more time as a happy, outgoing cat, but she was pretty happy towards the end. That makes it worth the heartache of loosing her (so soon!)!
R.I.P. Kitty Kitty Bella