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BLUEBONNET EQUINE HUMANE SOCIETY |
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Horses |
2008 Rainbow Bridge Equines
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Rainbow Bridge April 2008
Bay colt
Its so hard to lose one - especially one who was so young and never had
a chance to really thrive. He may have been with us only a short while, but he knew he was loved while he was in our care.
Dale and Mary K. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge August 2008
1986 sorrel grade mare
Beulah came to BEHS from a neglect case. When she arrived, she was
underweight and lame. She moved into a foster home who provided the best
care for her, but her lameness continued. Veterinary examinations revealed
she had suffered a fracture to her knee before coming to BEHS that had not
been properly cared for and she had foundered in both front hooves. She
could barely walk and her veterinarian recommended that we let her go.
Although we long to make every horse better and fix every problem, sometimes
the only thing we can do is free them from their pain.
Bobby and Denise C. Kathy F. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge December 2008
1988 sorrel Quarter horse mare
Biscuit arrived at Bluebonnet in February of 2007. She was badly emaciated and had hooves that were so overgrown
that they had begun to curl up. When a BEHS investigator first arrived on the scene to check out the neglect report,
Biscuit was down and the investigator thought she was dead. Fortunately she wasn't and we were able to quickly move
her into a BEHS foster home where she received the care she deserved. She put on weight and her feet got much needed
hoof care. She was lame from founder but was adopted as a pet and beloved friend. She died of natural cases/old
age in December 2008 and is greatly missed.
Hays Co. Animal Control Nan C. Regina A. Courtney A. Cecilia A. Cassie S. Amy W. Vivian A. Gail and Joan M. Cathy P. Amber S. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge August 2008
2004 Quarter horse gelding
In April, three skinny horses arrived at BEHS thanks to the hard work of a
handful of Bluebonnet members. These guys were reported because they were
skinny, and the owner decided to sign them over. He clearly couldn't take
care of them!
All three foster horses began gaining weight, and they all proved to be nice
horses. One particular horse, Buckwheat, stole the heart of his foster home.
This young horse was only four years old;. Although it seemed he hadn't
been handled much, he quickly came around and became loving and sweet.
After a month and half in foster care, he had gained a good bit of weight
and his foster home knew they wanted to make him a part of their lives
forever. Unfortunately, he mysteriously lost a great deal of weight. After
two veterinary visits, we transferred him to Caldwell so one of the
Bluebonnet Hero vets could examine him and so that he would be near A&M for
any necessary surgery.
For the past two months, Buckwheat has fought the good fight. He would
spike a fever, go off his feed, lose weight and then recover. When he
recovered, he would start eating again and would gain a little weight. Each
time he took a downward turn, the vet came to examine him. She consulted
with A&M and other specialists. Denise and her family took excellent care
of him, trying to nurse him through his health problems.
Unfortunately last night, he took a bad turn for the worse and went down.
He heart rate went up, his temperature went down and when the vet arrived,
he was clearly in shock. Denise and I discussed it along with the vet and
decided it was finally time to let him go. He fought and fought, but he
couldn't overcome. Additional tests are being run to see if we can
determine what was wrong.
But I know his first foster home who wanted to adopt him, the Hales, are
heart-broken. I know Denise and her family are also heart-broken. He was a
sweet young horse with a future that was cut short, and his story will touch
us all.
Thank you to those who gave him love, good food and excellent care. You
fought hard for him and showed him that humans can be kind, loving and
caring.
Jim Wells Sheriff Annette H. June W. Scott H. Nan C. Pam A. Kathy F. Denise C. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge September 18, 2008
1985 grade gelding
Clyde came to BEHS in December of 2007. He was a 23 year old, Morgan cross gelding who had spent his life as a riding horse and pet, but his owner could no longer keep him so BEHS took him in. He moved in with Dale and Mary Korn in Arkansas where he lived a great life. Unfortunately Clyde appeared to have Cushings and then foundered severely. He was suffering from several other age-related health conditions, and his veterinarian felt it was time for him to cross the rainbow bridge. Clyde was lucky to have a loving foster home for almost a year - and I know they miss him dearly. Thank you to Mary & Dale for giving him a loving home.
Dale & Mary K. Wendy T. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge April 2008
1984 Sorrel grade gelding
I don't like Thoroughbreds, I told myself last year as I prepared for the arrival of my newest foster horse, Crimson. But I needed a gentle pasture mate and friend for Casey, the 36 year old Morab I had taken in from a woman in Houston.
When Crimson stepped off the trailer, he paused, taking stock of his surroundings. He was elegant, despite the drooping pasterns which marked the presence of DSLD, the insidious disease which had made him unsuitable for riding. He looked down his nose at me and snorted, as if to say "Show me where I am going to live, and I'll see if I like it."
We opened the gate to the barnyard, where Casey was pacing the fence line, as he had for the past three weeks, looking more gaunt every day, as he tried to adjust to his new home. Casey's ears pricked up, and he trotted over to greet the newcomer. Their muzzles touched, and as I removed Crimson's halter, they turned and walked away together, side by side.
They spent the next year that same way, never more than a few feet from each other. Crimson was the gentle boss and Casey his adoring companion. Casey never again paced in worry. But the DSLD continued to progress, and Crimson moved slower and slower the past few months. He no longer trotted. He no longer was able to enjoy rolling when he was turned out every morning, and his pasterns were so low they would sometimes touch the ground. I knew it would soon be time. Casey had never fully bounced back from a bad colic this past winter, and his appetite grew less every day. I knew that his time was also approaching, and grieved for what I knew I had to do.
Last evening they both were bathed, and brushed until their coats gleamed. Manes and tails were lovingly combed out, feet cleaned and hooves polished. They sensed my emotions, and both were unusually good, with none of the jealous squabbling over whose turn it was to be brushed or petted.
This morning as they loaded into the trailer, the horses remaining behind gathered by the fences to watch. Each called as if to say goodbye to these two gentle souls, and my tears started again.
Crimson and Casey showed no surprise when a bucket of alfalfa hay and handfuls of carrots appeared as we waited together for Dr. Goodman. We stood on a rolling hill, in field sprinkled with wildflowers. The vet tech placed a note with Crimson, asking him to watch over his young calf with a broken leg, which had crossed the Rainbow Bridge just yesterday. I whispered to both of them to look for Sharon's Sky and Lexie, Goldie, Petey, Oreo, Junkyard Bob and Spirit, and to make sure the little donkey Junior was not getting into mischief, as donkeys are apt to do.
I said my goodbyes and wondered why each time, it hurts so bad, instead of getting easier.
Goodbye, Crimson and goodbye, Casey. You were loved.
Sharon M-H Wendy & Mearl T. Denise C. Joanne T. Jodi L. Leland and Sylvia C-M Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge September 2008
2003 pinto gelding
Dillon arrived at Bluebonnet on March 14, 2006. He was removed from
negligent owners by law enforcement officials and then placed with BEHS by
the humane society who saved him from a deplorable fate. Wendy Taylor
rushed out to pick him up so we could find him a foster home. Bob and Cindy
Rodocker volunteered to foster him and welcomed a thin yet beautiful Paint
to their home. Under their care, he quickly gained weight and they began
working with him. Before long, they had him carrying a saddle and seeking
his "forever home". He was such a pretty boy that it didn't take long to
find his home - Cindy B. adopted him on September 16, 2006 with great plans
for his future. She spent time with him in training and came to love the
gorgeous boy.
Sadly, Dillon passed away in a barn fire about a month ago. I know his
"forever mom" is heartbroken - she loved Dillon and had huge plans for his
future. His former "foster parents" Bob and Cindy are also heartbroken -
Dillon had stolen their heart and they almost adopted him themselves.
Godspeed Dillon. And my condolences to Cindy B and Bob & Cindy R.
Wendy and Mearl T. Sharon M.H. Cindy and Bob R. Cindy B. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge November 9, 2008
Chestnut mare
At the end of September of 2008, Emma's owner was unable to care for her medical needs and sold her to a concerned friend that donated her to Bluebonnet. The day after Emma's late night arrival at the vet, it was determined that she needed a lot of care. She had a uterine infection, an infected tooth, anemia, a body score of 1 and had suffered a broken pelvis in her recent past that had been healing on it's own. At her own expense, the vet offered to keep Emma at her place until she was stable. Just over a month later, Emma was gaining weight and feeling good. The heavy course of antibiotics, food and lots of TLC seemed to be working. Emma was practically on her way to a new foster home to finish her rehabilitation and wait for her forever home with some lucky adopter. She was a sweet, nice, easy going mare. The day before Emma was to leave the vet's care and go on to her new foster home, she re-fractured her pelvis and had to be humanely euthanized.
Though Emma never made it to our "Available" (for adoption) page, she knew we were pulling for her. Thanks for trying so hard Emma! You had a kind, strong spirit. May it rest in peace. Pat B. Dr. Trish T Randi S. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge September 2008
Sorrel gelding
Arriving on May 5, 2005, Jake was just the fourth horse to arrive at BEHS.
Before coming to BEHS, Jake's donor said he had been a children's riding
horse. However a barbed wire injury while at his donor's home left him
unridable. When his owners were no longer able to care for him, they asked
us to take him and Jake moved into his first foster home. When Jake arrived, he was a nervous and scared horse. He didn't like new people and hated confined spaces (including horse trailers). He didn't like being caught and wouldn't enter the barn. However with time and a patient foster home, Jake began overcoming his fears. He learned to stand for grooming, to ride in a trailer and stand tied. He also started coming into the barn during bad weather. Jake's foster "mom", her veterinarian and farrier also worked together to treat the injury the barbed wire created in Jake's hoof. For a while, Jake improved. Unfortunately Jake's leg began to slowly deteriorate. The old injury caused strain on his tendons and ligaments, and in a short time he grew increasingly lame. Further veterinarian examinations revealed that Jake's leg was slowly breaking down and would eventually fall apart. As lameness progressed, Jake began hanging out by himself, grouchy and we could no longer keep him comfortable. So we made that very difficult decision to
send Jake on across the Rainbow Bridge. I know all of his foster homes mourn for his loss. Although we didn't cause his injury, I regret that we couldn't keep him sound and comfortable. Sharon M-H. Joanne T. Cat B. Painted Ridge Farm Denise C. Kathy F. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge June 2008
Sorrel filly
Lindy came to the rescue on Friday, June 6. The sheriff’s office called us
to request help. On officer went out on a neglect complaint and found a
starving filly. Someone dumped her off on the people who owned her, and
they didn’t know how to care for her. I and another volunteer rushed out to
get her. At first glance, I didn’t think she was so awful but when I looked
again, I was worried for her. Although the temperatures had been in the mid
to upper nineties for several weeks, she was still covered in long, coarse
hair, a sign of malnourishment. Her backbone stuck up, and her ribs stood
out. She moved slowly, too weak to walk at a normal pace. We loaded her up
and carefully drove her home. She unloaded well and began whinnying at the
other horses; I don’t know how long it had been since she last saw another
horse. I fed her a handful of feed which she ate slowly. From her size, I
thought she was a weanling who must have been dumped off shortly after being
weaned, but a day after we picked her up, she went into heat. I knew she
must be at least 1 ½ to 2 years old.
We named her Lindy because after I got home from picking her up, I found out
that my husband's Aunt Linda died. Unfortunately Lindy was with us only four days. On Tuesday morning, my husband got up and didn’t see her. He went out to the barn and saw that she was gone. There was no sign of a struggle, but it appears that she just laid down and went to sleep, never to get back up.
Some people think it is only the old horses who suffer this fate. But Lindy
shows that even young horses can starve to death. Its so sad to know she
never had a chance to be healthy. She never got to run and play like other
young horses. Her short life was one of hunger and loneliness.
Jennifer and Spencer W. Brazoria County Sheriff Herb B. Janice S. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge November 2008
1995 Sorrel mare and unborn foal
One midsummer day there was a call to go out and see a down horse. The horse was severely malnourished and had been down for a few hours that rainy morning. We struggled for more than two hours to get her up as the other horses looked on. When the veterinary came on scene he informed us that she was slipping away and we had to let her go. I vowed that I would do everything I could not to let it happen to the ones left behind. One young stud was so skinny that he tripped and was almost too weak to get back up. There was a mare that was thin and looked as if she might be in foal. Then the neighbor said that there was one more still in the thick pasture that I had not seen yet. I was taken back deep into the thickets and briers and started calling and kissing to find this final mare to see what kind of shape she was in. When I thought I just might not find her I started to turn and I heard a whinny and there came Mahdi up to me. She was thin and I wanted to bring her to the front with the others but I did not know if she would follow. I gently caressed her chin not knowing if she would come and without a fight she started to follow through the thickets and the briers ripping into my jeans and her chest she followed. My heart cried out for this skinny mare whom the neighbors said was muscular and beautiful when he was first purchased. During the walk to the front clearing the limbs would smash her in the face and chest and gently she would duck and dodge without a fight and still she followed. Once we came to the front and as all the horses looked down upon their departed pasture mate and the look in their eyes as they looked back at me I knew I would not leave them with out a fight. Later that day I left with the mare and stud but not Mahdi. Her owner was putting up a fight. I knew I could not leave her so I stuck to my guns and convinced the owner to sign her over. I picked her up a few days later. She was so sweet and gentle and I knew she had to of been someones prize at one time.
Once she got to a good weight it was confirmed that she was a seasoned horse. She loved getting a bath and playing in the water every time I filled the water trough. I had planned on her never leaving my place and in a way I guess she never will. She was found to be in foal and I would love her belly and love on her every day. One cold frosty morning when I went to feed I found her down. For 36 hrs the vet and I fought to keep her here but it was too much she laid down and decided never to get up again. She is buried in a beautiful spot by my pond on my property she will never leave. It was a life cut too short. She had so much more to give; but knowing she was loved by all gives me some peace. I wanted her to stay here but this was not the plan. She will ever rest under the shady tree her and the unborn foal my place they will never leave.
Tonya D. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge December 2008
1981 Paint mare
Rainey came into the rescue on April 1, 2008. She was in horrendous condition--about a 1 on the body scale, covered in rain rot and filth, and with a mouth in condition worse than any our vet/equine dentist said he's ever seen. She would have been 28 years old in 2009. Rainey was a registered American Paint Horse and a registered Pinto. Her registered name was Fine Wine. Rainey also had a very definite sense of humor. About a month ago we started turning her
out with a mare and gelding during the day. Her appetite picked up and she would go out in the morning trotting and loping and sometimes bucking and twirling like a yearling. When Rainey passed, it was pouring rain and there was lightning and thunder in the distance from the storm that had passed over. I like to think the
thunder was the sound of galloping hooves as the horses who have crossed before her ran to meet her at the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. The backhoe driver moved Rainey to her resting spot with such care and respect. I was so appreciative of his efforts, especially given the weather conditions. It seems appropriate that Rainey (named for the great blues singer Ma Rainey) was buried while it was raining. A forum friend commented with respect to Rainey's passing, "Blessed are those upon whom the rain falls." Indeed, I think Rainey was blessed to have the love and support of the Bluebonnet family and her little herd of friends. We will miss her but we take comfort knowing that the last 8 months of
her life were spent with a full belly, in the company of equine friends, and with people who loved her.
Linda T. Russ Chace Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge January 2008
Brown and white paint mare
In September of 2007, Tina Shalmy responded to a call from an Arkansas
Sheriff's department. They had discovered a group of horses running on
the road and they wanted her help. She arrived and helped corral the
horses in their pasture,, but she was disgusted at the condition of many
of the horses. She gave the owner a list of things to improve, but the
next day the sheriff's department called again. The horses were once
again running lose on the road and the deputies feared someone might hit
a horse - killing the horse or passengers in the car. To further
complicate things, the owner of the horses was being evicted from her
property and had no place to take the horses. After talking it over,
she agreed she could not provide for them and surrendered the horses to
BEHS.
One of the horses in that group was a beautiful and sweet seven year old
mare Tina named Snickers. She had a distended belly and the vet who
originally saw her diagnosed her with a ruptured pubic tendon. The vet
said that due to her condition, she could not carry a foal to term.
Unfortunately Snickers had been running with stallions when Tina picked
the little herd up and we discovered she was pregnant. Snickers was
transferred to Texas where she saw three different vets. Thanks to an
abdominal ultrasound, we learned Sneakers actually had a very large,
very untreatable hernia and was likely in pain (actually, the surgeon
was surprised she was still alive). All three confirmed that she could
not foal and the foal was too large to abort. They told us that
Snickers could not carry the foal to term and if we tried, she would
like rupture and die an agonizing death.
We were ready to do what it took to save Snickers and her foal - but it
seemed there was nothing we could do. We made the difficult decision to
let her go - before she died an agonizing death alone and afraid.
Tina S. Dale and Mary K. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge March 2008
1984 sorrel mare
Sundancer arrived in Bluebonnet in 2005 - the 55th horse into the
organization. Unlike some of the horses who find their way to BEHS, Sunny
had had a good life. She had been ridden and loved, but her owner could no
longer keep her and gave her to Bluebonnet. She moved in with Ralph and
Loretta and took over their small farm - bossing all of the other horses
around. You see, Sunny was not shy or reserved - she knew what she wanted.
And she wanted to be in charge.
After a little while with Ralph and Loretta, Sunny moved on to live with
Julie Bradley. She was still a cranky old gal, but at the age of nearly 25,
she had earned the right to be cranky. BEHS horse Logan ignored her - but
Geronimo adored Sunny. Since Sundancer was so dominant and good at putting
horses in their place, I sent my mare Freckles to live at Julie's a while -
so she could get put in her place. Well, it wasn't long before it became
clear that Freckles and Sunny were cut of the same mold. Sunny let Freckles
eat with her, and the two of them rule the pasture together. If you walked
out into the pasture and either Freckles or Sunny saw you - they would take
off at top speed with the rest following and playing a game called "Catch me
if you can". They always beat the humans at that game!
If 2006, Sunny found an adopter - and we were excited. All old guys and
gals need a home of their own. However apparently this wasn't what Sunny
had in mind - she was extra-crotchety and hard to get along with and her
adopter returned her. She moved into another foster home where she settled
back into the routine. She made the rounds, visiting several foster homes:
Denise Crosthwait, Jennifer Oliver, Christa Bass. She seemed to like being
a Bluebonnet horse - although people put in their applications for Sunny,
she just didn't find her home until late last year.
Once again, though, Sunny didn't want to be adopted. This time, she began
picking on the other horses in her adoptive home and her adopter returned
her to Bluebonnet. This mare was determined to be a BEHS foster horse! And
she was until the last....
Today, Sunny ended her life as a Bluebonnet foster horse. She had gone
quickly downhill and her foster "mom" Julie had the vet scheduled this
afternoon. Julie and I planned to be there for Sunny as she crossed the
Rainbow bridge. Last night, I went to visit her and whispered in her ear. I
told her it was ok to go whenever she wanted. I told her many horses waited
for her on the other side - horses who needed to be bossed around.
She waited until she was back "home" in foster care, and she waited until
her foster "mom" left home, and she laid down and crossed the bridge. I
fully expect she's up there bossing around the horses who we've lost before.
After 10 years in rescue, my rescue herd up there is pretty big but I have
no doubt that Sunny is in charge. And she always will be.
Jennifer and James O. Ralph & Loretta P. Dottie C. Julie B. Marianne S. Denise C. Brian S. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge August 2008
1999, Welsh Mountain Pony gelding
Tempest came to BEHS in March 2007 along with several other Welsh Mountain Ponies. These guys had been running lose on
a large acreage and breeding over the years. Once the owner had about 30 horses, he realized he had too many horses to
deal with and asked for help. Unfortunately these horses hadn't been handled much and were wilder than wild! Tempest
was the harem stallion and did not want to become a domestic horse. He was adopted by his foster "mom' and given a place
to live out his life in peace. Unfortunately his time with his adopter was cut too short - but while he was with her,
he had the best of everything: a safe place to live with someone who cared for him and plenty of great food.
Joanne T. Marianne S. Denise & Bobbie C. Gaye & Mike P. Trisha & Mike G. Mearl T. Charlotte A. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge February 2008
Bay filly
About three weeks ago, BEHS representatives went to pick up five starving horses. They were from a neglect case that had been in the works for months. The owners were given several chances, but they did not make the required improvements - and in fact, they went out and got yet another horse, a bay filly who was in a body condition of about 1.0 when they were picked up. Things were
touch and go the first day - the little filly was very weak and could
not stay on her feet. But she began to do better and moved into a new
foster home.
Last weekend, Tess took a turn for the worst - she went downhill and by
the time the vet arrived, she was too weak to pull through. He believes
she probably had sustained organ damage before she arrived at the rescue.
Its so hard to lose one - especially one who was so young and never had
a chance to really thrive. Tess was given two weeks of wonderful food, love, kindness and care - something all horses deserve. She may have been with us only a short while, but she knew she was loved while she was in our care.
Jackie and Leon E. Donna F. Linda K. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge November 2008
Miniature gelding
Thunder's story is a perfect example of what can happen to horses when their
owner's don't plan for their own death. Thunder's owner had him and had him
and a couple of mares when he died. He left the horses to his family, but
they didn't want to care for the horses. They decided to leave them out on
the pasture to fend for themselves. Thunder bred the mares and foals were
born, but no one ever handled the horses. The grass died and the horses
lost weight but the family did nothing. People began to complain to the
sheriff's department that the horses were starving, and that's when Deputy
Pete stepped in. He called one of the Bluebonnet volunteers, and they went
out there. They found the little horses starving with no food. Deputy Pete
went to talk to the family who decided to sign the horses over to the
rescue. We rushed them to foster homes where they slowly gained weight.
Once healthy enough for surgery, Thunder was gelded. He had turned into a
cute little pony - big enough for children to ride. When Tonya brought him
to the Expo, he found a rider who tested him out and the little guy was a
good little riding pony. Shortly after the Expo someone applied to adopt
him, and just a few weeks ago Thunder moved into an adoptive home. The
family fell in love with him and their pony mare was excited to have a
companion.
Three days ago Thunder got sick, and after multiple vet visits, consulting
with a second vet, and trying to treat Thunder, he lost his battle and his
family sent him over the Rainbow Bridge. I know they're heartbroken - they
did everything anyone could think of to save Thunder, but he could not pull
through.
My sympathy goes to his adopters, his former fosters and everyone who knew
and loved the little man.
Tonya D. Victoria G. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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Rainbow Bridge October 3, 2008
1980, Thoroughbred gelding
Tucker came to BEHS in 2005 - one of BEHS' early horses. He was emaciated but such a sweet and kind gentleman. He quickly
became a favorite of everyone who met him. Once he was healthy, we discovered he was broke to ride but at his age, he needed
to be limited to light and easy work. His foster mom decided to adopt him and give him a place to live out his life. He
was with her only a few short years when age caught up with him. Tucker has left a huge hole in the hearts of everyone
who knew him.
Marianne and Stephen S. Return to Rainbow Bridge Page |
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