March 13 Blog: I DUNNO. I dunno. I just really don’t have it in me to write something pithy or happy or inspiring, today. Yeah – all of our horses are okay – except for the ‘bulb’ abscess on Buddy’s right front - & that’s improving daily. Poor guy. He’s the gentlest guy on the ranch - & also the most sensitive. So when he hurts – even a little – he ‘drutzes’, if you know what I mean. He feels sorry for himself. He goes into a funk. So, to help him fight his little ‘depression’, we’ve brought him up to the barn every day for the past few days. And he loves that. He just stands there, in front of several of us who may be sitting in our chairs……his lead rope gently hanging over his withers & as gentle as a three month-old kitten. Buddy never moves. Just stands right there, enjoying our company. Well, he also enjoys several carrots & a few handfuls of treats, but that’s not really why he’s there. No. He loves the attention. He can stand there for an hour - & everybody who’s here joins him for a little while. They just can’t believe he’s that mellow. That’s why his nickname is ‘Buddha’. Any other kid gets a little abscess & they really don’t think about it too much. But Buddy/Buddha? Oh, man – you’d think he’d just been sentenced to life in prison. I love Buddy. We all love Buddy. Why? Because he’s the most honest, most lovable kid you’ve ever met. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. As a matter of fact, I’ve often seen him say to a fly, “Get out of here, fly! Before Jimbo comes with the fly spray & you have to die! Fly away! Fly away, now!” That’s Buddy. That’s Buddha. And, over the past few days, not only is his abscess improving, but so is his attitude. He’s stopped – pretty much – feeling all sorry for himself & all. And he’s up at the front of his stall, once again, at feeding times & all of that. You can see it in his eyes. You can hear it in his ‘Equus’ – the only language he can really speak. He’s coming around - & that makes all of us very, very happy. I don’t want to put him on antibiotics – we don’t do that unless it’s absolutely necessary. After all, who needs poison in their blood? I’ll keep you posted, but don’t you worry. Ah…..I guess here’s why I’m more than a little upset, today….. You’ve probably read or heard of a young woman jockey – Anne Von Rosen – who went down after the first race this past Tuesday at Turf Paradise. The horse landed on her. And broke her back. In the worst possible way. The accident severed her spinal column. And paralysis is guaranteed. The only question is how much paralysis….Her legs? Just about guaranteed. Her arms? Still to be determined. Now, we all know that being a jockey is just about the most dangerous business in the world. But, 99.9% of the time, jocks go home at night perfectly safe & perfectly well. It’s that one-tenth of one-percent that can break your heart & leave you kind of empty, inside. The last I knew – as of a little while ago – Anne is back in surgery, to correct some more things that had gone wrong. The ‘kids’ & I sent her a teddy bear yesterday afternoon. I only hope that she can cuddle it. A number of us – including Turf Paradise’s Chaplain – are in discussions as to the best tack we can take in helping to set up a funding source for her. Many, many people want to help. We just need to make the process as streamlined & as focused as we can get it. So, it’ll be another few days before all those details are ironed out. Our goal? To raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this kid. She’ll need it. Forever. Oh, sure. We, at Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary, always need money. You know that as well as I do. But when something like this happens to one of our brothers or sisters, it’s all hands on deck. For them. We’ll make our money. Somehow. We always do. But this young woman needs more than you & I or anyone who reads this will ever need. Not only in terms of money, but in terms of love & support & encouragement. For the rest of her precious life. We plan to hold a fundraiser for her, here at the ranch, once things settle down a bit……&, just maybe, she can even join us here. But that’s in the not-too-distant future. For now, just imagine what this poor kid must be going through! Her life changed in an instant - & for the far, far worse. So, if you’re one of those people who pray, please pray for Anne. If you’re one of those people who send the best possible positive energy, please send it her way. She needs it, now, more than you or I ever will. I hope. I guess that’s about it for today. Buddha will be fine. Simple abscess. Anne? With the heart of a jockey, someday, Anne will be fine, too. As fine as she can be. Now…..you see why I’m a little bummed, today? I’m sure you do. God love ya, kids. And, please – stay safe. As safe as any of us can be…….. Through welling eyes….. Peace. Out.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:49:53 +0000
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