UPDATE: Hope and Grace

Today was farrier day down at Hanaeleh! Our wonderful farrier, Josh Riley, came down to trim all of our horses. Hope and Grace got their second trim since they came to Hanaeleh, and Josh said that their feet look so much better! The seedy toe has grown out, and he was able to cut off the rest of the diseased hoof. They still need one or two more trims to be back to normal, but both Hope and Grace now have healthy, normal hooves, and are able to be exercised normally.

We have been working both Grace and  Hope in the arena and round pen. Grace has a little arthritis, which is understandable for her age (close to 30). We have both Grace and Hope on a joint supplement as well as other supplements to help build up the muscle they lost while languishing in the stall, in addition to vitamins to help their immune system. Grace is an ex- show horse, and after we have her teeth done, we will start working her a bit to see if she is still rideable. We also learned that Hope is not 14 as her owner originally stated, but is closer to 20. She is NOT trained to ride, and with her age and conformation we believe it is not worth the time or energy to try to train her; rather, she will be adopted out as a companion to Grace (they come as a set!). If everything goes well, we anticipate that they will be up for adoption near the end of April.

The horrible fungus that was all throughout Grace’s legs and back is gone, and she is growing in a healthy summer coat (she is shedding so much it looks like it’s snowing when we brush her!). She seems to enjoy being brushed and loved on, and is slowly starting to open up to us emotionally. When we first took in Grace and Hope, neither wanted us to catch them or put their halters on- it took several minutes to catch them when we turned them out in the arena or their paddock. Now, both of them come right up and put their heads through the halters! They still don’t like it too much if we separate them, but they will stand well for grooming or for the farrier, and will work well in the round pen and arena if they are separated. Considering that they only really had each other for several years, we understand their co-dependence, but we anticipate that when they start to feel more comfortable, their dependence upon one another will gradually decrease. They will probably always be a little upset if one is taken out, but their stress level when separated will eventually go down.

It has only been about two months since we took in these two lovely girls, and they look so much better than they did when they came in. On Thursday they will have their teeth done, and the vet already warned us at their wellness check that their teeth are awful and probably have not been floated for a very long time, so it will probably be a very long day. After their teeth are floated, however, they will feel better and be able to eat more easily as well.

We at Hanaeleh are always a bit frustrated and confused when we have to take in horses who are victims of neglect. It’s not really rocket science to care for a horse: they require love, food and care. Horses need the love of their humans and need their humans to spend time with them. They need good food, and food that is adequate for their age and metabolism. Finally, they need care. This means vet and farrier care, as well as basic care of brushing, exercise, and providing a safe place for their horse. If this is a stall, it should be well-kept and clean. If it’s a paddock, it should also have shelter. If these three things are not met, then the horse is neglected.

Not only does Haneleh help people who may need help caring for their horse, there are a number of wonderful people who in the world who will help horses in need. If you or someone you know needs help caring for their horse, please let us know so we can reach out and offer some help. There is no reason why horses have to suffer when there are other options available. Luckily Hope and Grace are doing well, and we are very pleased with their progress. We are thankful to all of those people who helped intervene in their case, and that we have been able to rehabilitate them and help get them back to the healthy, happy horses they were meant to be!