Help Rosemary Farm Welcome a Senior Appaloosa Mare in Immediate Need

This old mare was out of time. Rosemary Farm was contacted a few months ago about a lone mare, not far from the Sanctuary, born in the same field she lived in. Her mother was long gone, and now her owner was passing away, and she was aging, by herself, in a place filled with tall weeds, no training, no companionship, year after year. But time was up. A friend reached out to see if we could help her.

It is very, very tricky moving an untrained horse, much less one that has lived its entire life in one spot. Our Executive Director went to meet her... and found a lively spirit desperate to live, a big Appaloosa mare with hope. So a plan formed. Rosemary Farm purchased a round pen and set it up adjacent to the mares field, and the friend agreed to help get a halter on her in this new space, to prepare her for trailer travel. This has been going on for months, and we wondered if the mare would survive the journey.

This week it got closer. Another friend loaned a strong stock trailer to help her practice, because the weather is getting colder, and if she was able to move, it had to happen right away. The alternative was putting her down in place....and we talked about that, and talked through moving the wild Ruby, and the wild group of April Fools horses. We talked through the details of gates, footing, weather, pharmaceuticals, ropes, and all of the contingencies to keep the humans and mare safe. And today, all plans came together; we got a text that the mare was on the rig, and on the way!

The sun was shining, the sky clear, the weather cool. Our Guest Paddock was waiting, emptied two weeks ago, and gate panels were in place. The trailer arrived, being driven by the special friend to this girl, teary with emotion. She backed into place, we adjusted the gate panels, and opened the door. The mare stood facing out, shaking quietly, but curious. Ahead of her, in the middle of the paddock, was a pile of fresh hay, and on the opposite side of the adjacent field, a group of horses watched. She took it all in. We called her a bit, and then, watched as she gingerly stepped out, the first time on new land, now home at Rosemary Farm.

This senior girl needs training, medical care, and a good brushing, but her future is bright. It may be surprising how many old horses there are in fields, because people ended up with the horse and have no answers, no funds, no skills to handle the situation. Almost no SPCA’s are equipped to welcome horses, instead relying on the loose network of private non-profit equine rescues, like Rosemary Farm Sanctuary.

We can’t welcome them all, but we will love fully all we do, including this girl. Isn’t she splendid? We welcome the support of our donors who care, to make this important work possible. Thank you for whatever you can offer, it truly matters.