Trudy Andrew | Canadian Author

Horse Tails

The Thrill of the Hunt

If there’s one thing the girlchild really excels at, it’s hunting down the deals. Just because times are tough, and money is tight, doesn’t mean we still don’t need things. Driving a super economical Mini Cooper makes chasing down the deals, all the more possible. When your vehicle gets about fifty miles to the gallon, driving is almost economical, even with high fuel prices.
With winter coming, a winter forecast to be extra cold, the idea of getting a better winter blanket for Levis the Belgian, had a good deal of appeal. When said blanket is an actual Draft horse blanket for far less than new, we had to check it out. An added bonus was that the girlchild also had a line on a new, UV-rated mask for our Lucky Jim. It was possible that we would be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
The drive out took about an hour, and was well worth it. Being the good, little negotiator she is, sweetpea ended up making an offer on both blankets and getting them. From there, we were off to pick up the fly mask for Jim. The sun reflecting off sparkling, white snow is bound to be irritating, to the spotty gelding’s eyes. It’s important to take the very best care of him that’s possible. It’s the commitment one takes on, when an animal comes into their possession. A blind horse like Lucky Jim, should come with a special care tag. Do not cold water wash, dry clean often, keep upright to dry, water often, feed well, and mind the eyes. Fly masks, especially UV protection ones, aren’t cheap. To be able to assure there’s a nice, little stash on hand, gives a good feeling.
The flymask was at the farm of an acquaintance of the girlchild’s. We looked forward to not only picking it up, but having a bit of a visit with her animals as well. For you see, Sirja has saved several horses over the last, few years, including blind ones. One of those is Ghost, a blind Appaloosa gelding, she’s owned for a couple of years. Picked up at auction, he wasn’t just blind, he was aged and surely destined to be purchased by a meat buyer. What a sad travesty that would’ve been. Ghost has carried Sirja in a parade and so much more, and now she’s saved another. Hero, an aged Appaloosa that was recently put through a horse auction, has joined her little menagerie of critters. She outbid the meat buyer to get him, and he’s lovely. A bit wary, of course, but who can blame him? It should be illegal, to put blind animals through auctions. It’s confusing and traumatic enough for sighted horses. To be blind and thrown into the loud noises and unfamiliar surroundings, has to be terrifying. Thank goodness for people, who pluck an otherwise doomed horse, from an inevitable fate.
As long as I live, I’ll never understand how some people think, or how they justify their actions. A horse provides years of pleasure and companionship, teaches the kids to ride, keeps them safe, then is simply discarded with no qualms whatsoever. Instead of rewarding an old friend with a good retirement, or at the very least, find it a good home, horses are sent to auction. A few bucks is more important than a conscience. It’s no wonder, so many kids grow up without a sense of compassion and caring. Their parents teach them that age has no value. That loyalty and great service, don’t mean anything. Ruin a horse, through misuse or neglect? No worries, discard it and get another. It’s a sad, sad world we live in. Still, when horses like Lucky Jim, Ghost, Hero and Max, are given a new lease on life, it’s a beautiful thing.

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About Trudy Andrew

Trudy Andrew lives on a small farm just east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she enjoys her Morgan horses. A dreamer since she was a child, its no surprise to those who know her well that her imagination would find an outlet in writing, as it has in the past through artwork.
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Location

 Oakbank, MB