or a hunk of meat on the dinner table of someone in Europe. Rhythm came to me 2 days ago after being rescued while on the brink of being sold as horse meat.
Before you get in your mind some old, broken down horse ready for the glue factory let me dispel that myth. She is far from broken down, and besides some needed weight and muscle, she is a very beautiful animal. She is rideable, sound, easy to handle and mannerly. I suspect she may be an ‘alpha mare’ but that’s okay. Every herd needs one. As we speak Royal and Rhythm are working (and squealing) those issues out over the fence.
I received Rhythm thanks to some great networking on facebook and the efforts of the women at Another Chance For Horses at http://wwwac4h.com/ Rhythm was brought to the New Holland sale barn in PA. by a horse broker who receives money when the horses are sold at auction. Most of the time the horses are bought by a ‘kill buyer’ who hauls them either to Mexico or Canada for meat.
I became familiar with AC4H on facebook. Each week a new batch of nice horses going to auction were posted on facebook and passed around to all my horse friends with AC4H asking for help and homes. People can fill out an application to become an approved home and from there the rescue group begins to network and ask for donations. There are many people who would like to help but can’t take another horse so this gives them an opportunity to see their donations at work in a very real way. the rescue posts photos of the horses in the broker lot and being ridden. If the horses are so lucky as to get rescued their photos are shown as they are being loaded on the trailers leaving the auction.
I had a home and space for another horse and will have expenses for care etc. but did not want to risk paying all the expenses myself. People pitched in and helped post ‘bail’ for the horse and donate part of the transportation costs. She came to me without a hitch. And I was pleasantly surprised at what a NICE horse she was. What a shame it would of been if she ended up on someone dinner plate instead. 😦
By the way I did learn that the horse meat that comes from these kinds of sales do not go to feed hungry, starving people. I could almost justify that since other animals are raised as food animals. Doing this to a horse of this type is like sending your dog to be butchered. I appreciate the rescue groups efforts and all the people who pitched in to get her to me. I am sure her rehabilitation and life her will be a part of this blog. I am making headway into getting her trust and even after just 2 days of rest, food and water she looks remarkably better. I can tell by the look of her hooves and coat that this was NOT a horse left neglected in someones backyard but very likely someone’s loved riding companion. With the tough economic situation for so many people I know horses can be a financial drain but also except the previous owner’s did not think their horse would of wound up as horse meat. Too bad I can’t let them know since there is no information on this mare.
Please stop by my blog at http://www.abstracthorseart.blogspot.com/ or http://www.suesteiner.com/ The income from my artwork is what I use to support my horses. I have a painting in mind of this horse that I hope to do as a daily painting soon.
Thank you and take care!
animal artist
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