This summer a feedlot owner we sometimes work with contacted me to let me know he had 3 stallions that might fit into our rescue program. Two Thoroughbreds and one Quarter horse. With a limited budget I knew there was no way we could take all three so I spread the word within my network of horse people. This feedlot owner has never been great with details and pictures were completely out of the question. With the feedlot 3.5 hours away, I gave what little info I had. The first person I reached out to is active in the horse show world in Canada and is very pro rescue. She chooses to remain anonymous but has been key in saving the lives of many horses since we first met a couple years ago. She sent out a mass email to all of her contacts who likely all thought she was crazy. Three slaughter bound stallions needing to be rescued from a feedlot- no ages, sizes, colors and no training history 5 hours from the Canadian border. But surprisingly she DID get a hit! A mother and her two daughters were possibly interested in a Thoroughbred as a project. Within a day the younger daughter Courtney and her friend were on the way to the feedlot to assess the boys. They quickly fell in love with a skinny bay Thoroughbred stallion. They trimmed his horribly neglected feet to give him some relief while he stood like a perfect gentleman, absolutely smitten with the two young ladies giving him the attention he was craving. After hearing this I was certain he would have a home and told the feedlot owner REIN would buy the Quarter horse stallion. But bad news followed. The two girls made it back home and showed the Mom and sister the pics, videos and shared all the details they had gathered. The Mom and sister didnt think he was the project they were looking for. He was terribly thin, had horrible feet, was in his low teens and to top it all off, he likely never had any training off the race track and his racing career likely ended years ago. With his current body condition there was no way to ride him and find out what he knew or didnt know. I heard the news and was crushed. Its tragic when any horse ships to slaughter but even more tragic when the horse is gentle. I understood though, a former racehorse with no history and a bit of age on him was not a great project for people with a background in jumping. Courtney however did not find this acceptable, she had met the horse in person and looked him in the eye and had decided he was coming home one way or another. She begged, borrowed, and showed a tremendous amount of determination to make this work. Fortunately for the horse, she was on his side and fortunately for them both, she comes from a terrific family who ultimately all pitched in to purchase the stallion. He was paid for, transported off the lot to quarantine, gelded, and eventually he made his journey home to Canada. In no time the horse that they named Chance was up to ideal weight with healthy feet. Not much longer after that she started sending me pictures of Chance under saddle. And then the videos. I watched them over and over. He wasnt what I expected him to be, she had him doing flying lead changes like an old pro, he carried himself with a level of presence you just cannot teach a horse to have. When he was going nicely on the flat, Courtney started free jumping him which was clearly foreign to him. Although it maybe wasnt picture perfect, he tried his best. The first picture she send me of him jumping under saddle I had to gather my thoughts before I could even respond to her. Wow! Not only was he talented but by his face, specifically by his eye, you could tell he was a completely different horse than the sad but kind stallion she had brought home. Since then shes jumped him plenty more, hes traveled to a show where he successfully jumped his first full course with ease and hes been on trails (bareback and in a halter no less.) They have even picked up the haters that you tend to attract when you reach any level of success in the horse world. Courtney is a talented rider and is always working to better herself as a rider. Other accomplished riders have ridden him and give the same positive feedback. Courtney frequently refers to him as the best horse ever and calls him perfect. I agree with her, he is a spectacular horse. Shes said she thinks he is grateful, and I agree with that too. He absolutely knows she saved him. I think hes probably always known and has heart for her. Im thrilled that she calls him an honorary REIN horse, we had such a tiny part in Chances success story. Ill always be proud of Courtney and the champion of a horse she was determined to save. Every possible odd was against him as he stood on that feedlot the day they met, everything about him made him undesirable to most. His age, his color, his condition, his breed and his lack of history. But on that day, Courtney saw something in him that most people wouldnt. We will never know who Chance really is. His tattoo was altered so he could never be identified. The QH stallion that REIN took in is Fetch, who is finishing up hoof rehab and will be available for adoption soon. Fetch is a fantastic horse himself, with what weve learned is a notable history as a reining horse. The third stallion, a chestnut Thoroughbred unfortunately did ship to slaughter. Soon Chance will likely move on to a new home where he will be a once in a lifetime horse for someone needing a horse thatll give his rider more than he will ever take. Its bittersweet to know this dynamic duo will be without each other, but exciting to think another horse might get the same opportunities that Chance has had. With the support of her family, Courtney did what most horse people fail to do. She followed through. She made up for what was likely a lifetime of wrongs with a handful of rights and the end result was brilliant. She gave Chance the only insurance a horse can have and that is training. He has a bright future wherever the road he will travel next. Chances story is a great reminder that the only thing that can ever make an ordinary horse extraordinary, is the follow through. (Pictured are the before/after pics of Chance and a picture of him jumping under saddle for the first time.)
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:35:17 +0000
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