What a day, spring is COMING!!!! I can not wait neither can Shy Shy. I did manage to get some pictures, not all that I wanted but hey its a start. I did pick up at stall mat at Katahdin Trail Saddlery in Newport today for $40 bucks. I will put it in tomorrow, some thing she really really needed!!

I do need to call the vet on Monday she has come down with a skin issue. Her coat is gross, stinky, waxy, dull and dandruff hell. Just not a healthy coat, it defiantly reflects her past history for sure. Right where her belly ends and her leg starts, on both sides she has pea like hard spots, some have the hair coming off, some are scabby, but they sure are itching her like crazy to the point of her chewing it raw!!! I lathered her up with baby oil and iccima. Tomorrow I will take warm cloth and a mild baby soap wash her areas good dry her off and apply more ointment (I am only washing the areas that are affect and have the bumps) He is the best picture I could get:

Ouchy

Here is a udder picture. I have never noticed the far sided one a little swollen before

The far sided one is a tad puffy. But thought I would show you all, so you can watch with the rest of us.

I did get brushing pictures!! She had fun between scratches carrots and apples we had when happy girl that was in my pocket and just being so sweet!!!

OOOOOOO thats the spot.

Here are a couple videos as well. I tried to get hoof shots and it just was not happening. So I got some quick videos so you can see the hoof wall and flares.

This is the other back hoof

(see the video of her sratching under the videos page)

Shy’s coat is really gross, its a product of her former environment. Bad living conditions, not the proper nutrition either. Her skin is dull, waxy, stinky (abnormally), and the dandruff is enough to make you sneeze for hours on end. I feel bad for her I really do, she is so itchy and her skin is sooooooooooo dry it has to be uncomfortable. I lathered the bad areas with baby oil and iccima. I am also going to start putting oil in her food on top of her mineral oil. We will get her cleaned up tomorrow with a spot bath and try and get her comfortable again.

Shy went for another walk today, a little one and she loved it. Looking around and enjoying herself. I still have to guide her on the left side to help her stay straight but hey its improvement.

I just saw the news again and am pretty ticked. The former owner, had called the news and said she was not neglected. WTF??????????? She did NOT get like this over night!! Said she had her teeth done, NO VET I called had done ANYTHING to her teeth. I REALLY hate people that lie. I have not mentioned names and if this keeps up I will. If the old owner does not stop the harassing I will get authorities involved, and turn over all the photos and testimony to the stay animal welfare, and I WILL release your name,I have been nicer then most would be.

To me NEGLECT fits, are you saying really underweight is not neglect? Her feet in those condition, cracks up to her cornet bands is not neglect? Full of tape worms and round worms (many people have seen them and witnessed them in her poop) is not neglect? Come on give me a FREAKING DAMN break!!! You called the news to add that on because you feel guilty and you SHOULD FEEL guilty. You SOLD her for 200 bucks to some people in Sangerville cause she was to much work now and had a lot of special needs, instead of keep her. You made money off her and you should be ashamed. I guess this seals it. You are not a horse lover and to say you did not neglect her PFFFFTTTT shame on you SHAME ON YOU! O and to boot you call everyone BUT me to ask for your blanket back, the nerve. If you claim she was not neglected then please explain her condition!!! You make me sick! You should not have horses period. I am glad people out there will see through the crap and seeing a horse in that condition, knows that you got some wires loose.

KK I need to go cool off, the stupidity and the ignorance has got steam running out of my ears!!

Update, why people have to go there, I just got off the phone with the previous owners and they have threatened me with court. Nice huh. They said they have vet records GREAT, awesome. I could not find any so least that will be something I can add to her file! Court I don’t understand if you could not keep her and have to go this route its stupid and I don’t get it but thats ok. I will go, I will stand up for and there will be more on the news Monday!! Yippee. I stand by my statements 100000000%. If she was taken care of 100% then she would not be in this condition period.

I shake my head at this, I really do.

These are pictures from yesterday!!

peeking around the beam!

Just before I took her out for her little stroll for the first time!

Looking out the door way

Shy and her other mommy, that loves her so much!

Wow what a day. Shy was patiently waiting her stall when I arrived. Gina and I clean the BIG side, then let her walk herself over and she gets a pan full of denji. Guess we were yacking to much and not enough work cause she was getting mouthy (music to my ears).

I was thinking, she is making eye contact, WANTING to be near us, not taking her food and doing away with us. So I am like you know what she has not been outside in awhile so lets do it. I put some denji in a pan and put it outside. It took me a minute to get the halter on the rattling upset her so I switched to a rope halter and out we went. HER EYES WENT BIGGGGG. She looked around, saw the herd was in sight. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, and let out a huge sigh and just stood between Gina and I. That to me said it all.. no words can explain this none, you had to be there to see it and feel it. She refused the food she wanted to explore (YEAHHHH). We walked around, she looked, miss judged a few steps but all in all it was awesome. I let her go wherever her heart wanted to go. We went in and out of the barn several times, watched the herd, then finally back into her stall where lunch was ready.

Soon after Channel 5 News arrived. We took the long walk down the driveway talking about her and I opened the door and she was still munching. You could tell the news lady was WOW. I went in the stall removed her blanket and then she saw, the bones, her back bone sticking up, her ribs, her dull dander filled coat. We talked went over things and I was so nervous.

Somethings I wish were in the news cast that were not, but all in all it was a good thing for people to see. I do have to make a correction she does NOT have ring worm its ROUND worms. That may freak some out who have had contact with her. So rest assured if she had that you would have been notified. I think it went well.

So after the news left we were on a feed run and a few things that are needed for her. She has a REALLY hard time drinking cold water. I have left water for her once it gets cold she wont touch it. So I picked up a small bucket heater for her, another bucket to drink from. 4 bags of shavings, 1 bag of haystretcher, 3 bags denji ( she goes through these fast). I spent,

Pam even donated a long cord so if we want to put her outside fore a little while she can have warm water and this will help if we need to use foaling lamps.

I have come home to SEVERAL donations, I am in awe!!! I really really am!!!! Paypal is back up too.

$162.68 USD

Check the donation page for the latest donors!!!

Ty you all and I will be adding pictures here in a bit from today!!!!

I will be back in a bit to write more but wanted to put the link to the news story.

Its after midnight and I just can’t sleep, well I should say my body does but my little brain wont shut down, grrr.

I have been thinking a lot lately. For a long time, my faith in people was pretty close to nill. Between the true ugliness that some people bring to the world weather its towards animals or humans, the lies the mind games… it just makes you want to swear people off forever. I have that choice, I can minimize my contact with the world, I can hide behind a keyboard, order someone to get my groceries, have things delievered.. it can be easy. Right? I can talk and articulate what it is I want and I need and not have to depend on someone to figure it out for me (well for the most part). That brings me too, horses.

I thinking back when I first meet Shyanne in Novemeber of 2007. In a field with very little grass, a small little pony as her company and a shelter (if you want to call it that) made of wood and tarp, the tarp shredding into long thing pieces, I guess if you were color blind you could mistake it for hay. Indeed Shyanne was eating it, remminance in her poop littered with blue tarp pieces some small some longer. Her only water supply was a run off culvert from the road. Her immediate reaction to me sitting in the field was to stay FAR FAR away. Holding a bucket of grain in my lap, I settled in, something about this mare I had to reach I just had too. I can’t explain it, I still can’t to this day. Maybe I saw something in her that I saw deep within myself. Wanting so much to be apart of something but so scared to follow through. Always on the outside watching in, wishing I had the courage to jump with both feet in.

She would keep one eye on me, while pulling up roots and dirt, looking for anything to eat. I know the grain was like a drug, she wanted it she needed it, but I was in the way. I sat there looking at the ground, looking up at the clouds and inhaling the crisp fall air into my lungs, trying not to shiver. My arm still in a sling from surgery a month before. I thought to myself maybe this big black foriegn object we call a sling was making her leary, with the protest of my husband I discarded it wincing at the pain and cradling my arm. Then she looked up at me, maybe to see I was vulnerable too? Maybe I was damaged like she was? Was I threat? Could she steal just a bite.

I sat there for what seemed like a eternity, her getting closer and closer, till I see her hooves, long sharp and stinky. The roll of skin on her knee from a injury that was never attentended too. I hold my breath and close my eyes. Could she, will she. I feel the pressure on my legs, YES YES she took a bite, and backed up. I remained still, my heart over flowing. She kept coming back for more, I never touched her I never made eye contact, I was just there… for her not my needs to hold her and pet her and whisper to her that everything will be alright.

The days passed to weeks, I could brush her, rub her and put a rope around her neck. She was starting to trust me. This mare that was a handful, the one that had been through auctions 3 times, who had her baby ripped from her and milk still in her utters. SHE made a choice to forgive, that when Shy Shy slipped from my lips.

Time passed on and I was no longer allowed to see her, my bond with her was a threat. She was meant for one thing and one thing only, to be breed. She was moved to a place that was small, moldy hay and no shelter. I caught glimpses of her and saw her bones her eyes were dull and my heart ached. I filed reports, had my life threatned for doing so, to no avail I failed her. My heart sank. I lost faith I HATED people I HATED ignorance. I HATED myself for getting close.

My contact with her was permantly cut, no updates no nothing, not a day went by that I did not think of her. I often spoke of her and the ignorance surrounding her. I HATED the law, man I did SO BAD. I felt like I was in shackles I could do NOTHING. I could not understand while people ALL OVER that were like this were allowed to have animals, why was the punishment not stricter WHY. These animals can not speak. They can react, then they are deemed dangerous when in fact we are whats dangerous.

God I think I talked about these horses at this property to everyone and anyone who would listen, I just felt like it fell on heavy hearts and deaf ears. I was hoping she was ok, hoping I could some how get her back.

Then I heard, she was pregnant, with the stud on the property OMG!!!!!!!!! In her state????????? WTF you NUTS!!! One of the so called animal lovers ( I say that losely and with the highest of sarcasm) Bought her. With no place to foal, no common sense. Till she gave her away cause she was so called kicked in the head. So she was disfigured THROW HER AWAY??????????????? So if I get disfigured I need to be thrown away?

A friend was talking to me online, said this mare needs me. I looked and isntant tears it was Shyanne, MY Shy Shy. disfigured, thin, and eyes that stared and blank. OMG. We went and picked her up Feb. 3rd. She was mine, she now owned ME!! She will NEVER NEVER over my DEAD body ever feel anything but love and respect.

My heart sank. I have 2 horses, money is tight. One of my mares has to be layed to rest this spring, I just put one down in October, I was not certain I wanted to go through all this again. I will admit it I get attached and I do not use that term loosely. I can not just give up a horse, rehome it NO WAY. Something in me is just not going there. So I reached out reached out to people I cared for and shared my same ethics in horses. Treat them like you would want to be treated. Kind, gentle but a firm leader. I was beside myself when Gina said bring her over, she was my last hope, I did not want Shy to slip through again. I DON”T trust people WHY should I? I am not saying there are not caring people out there, but once your sour it takes some time and this is not one of those times I wanted to practice forgiveness. Not with her life.

When I first saw her that day we picked her up, she was like dead inside, food was her thought that was it. She could careless about getting rubbed, connecting. She was in survival mode for herself and her unborn foal. My heart broke, I was worried can I save her? Does she want to be saved?

Let me fast forward to now. The light in her eyes is back, she makes eye contact. Its NOT all about food. She wants to be brushed (just don’t get the baby kicking). She wants to be with other horses, she moves with meaning. Everyday I see her, she is getting stronger mentally and spiritually. I think she has HOPE I truly do, and you know what I do too.

After being pushed and proded, I reached out. I admit it and some people look down me for taking in a horse when I don’t have the total cash to do so. I partly agree but you know my heart is there and she did NOT come back into my life for me to turn my back. We have something, even the day I walked on that property and said her name her head darted up and stared at me… she knew she was home.. in my heart all this time.

I started taking donation, careful to mark each thing down and let anyone have access to the records to know, I am not shady 100% is going to this mare and only her. The pouring in that came and I am not talking just money, the support for both of us, the cheers come on Shy Shy your gonna make it. As far away as California, Canada and here in Maine! I feel weird I will admit it, how can I say Thank You? That just does not seem to be enough. It was not just me saving her life, its all of us, all us horse lovers that see these majestic creatures as more then just animals… but a meer part of us.

Shy has done more for me than I realized, she has restored some of my faith in humans. Not all there are bad ones out there but she is bringing the good ones out to the fore front in leaps and bounds. Bringing people into ours lives that are a true blessing and ones I am sure will be with us for a long long time.

My Shy, floppy ear and all, is a survivor, same as I abuse never leaves your soul. But you can move on and regain faith in those that do truly have kind hearts. Her foal is gonna be one lucky Filly or Colt to have a mom like her!!

Shy, I love you.