Spirit's Page

Spirit

Spirit came to live here from Animal Services last Halloween. She is a beautiful Palomino mare, most likely a quarter horse. She is in her mid to late 20's.

Her former owners moved and left Spirit and another horse to starve. She was extremely thin when we got her, but was back up to an acceptable weight in three weeks. Initially she was very difficult to catch and though she tolerates being led wearing a halter she doesn’t seem comfortable. We suspect she wasn’t handled well in the past.

She has a sweet nature and enjoys being groomed and going out to pasture with her barn-mates. She receives a daily supplement to prevent ulcers due to her nervous temperament.

Update: Spirit died on July 22, 2016 of sever colic complications. She had lived here for almost two years and had come to trust us (most of the time!) to have her best interests at heart. She never got comfortable with lifting her feet for cleaning or trimming, but nature took care of her in that respect, and her feet seemed healthy. She was a treasured part of our Sky Ranch family and we will miss her.

Jul 23 2016

Spirit

Yesterday morning, at about 8:30, our pretty, feisty mare, Spirit, died from serious colic complications. It happened so fast: she was fine and then she wasn’t. By the time our vet arrived, Spirit had gone into shock. An examination revealed that there had been a rupture and nothing could be done for her; she was dying. She was euthanized and she will be buried this morning.

Spirit came to live here a couple of years ago on Halloween. Her owners had moved away and left her to starve. After a brief time at county animal services she joined the Sky Ranch family. It took her a while to trust anyone, but she got there and got along with everyone. The only evidence of her dissatisfaction was banging on her stall door when she apparently didn’t think we were getting things done fast enough! Come on you guys!

We are heartsick at this loss and will miss her forever.

Apr 14 2016

Spirit

Spirit, a pretty mare, came to live at Sky Ranch on Halloween of 2014. We had no way of knowing her name, so I named her Spirit because I liked the name! Little did I know how apropos it would be in her case. She has plenty of spirit! She stomps her feet and kicks the barn walls with impatience when it’s time to go out into the pasture. If she were a human, she’d be standing, arms folded, foot tapping and rolling her eyes; wondering why no one knows it’s HER turn.

We didn’t always know Spirit like that…or Sheldon..or Digger..who were severely undernourished when they came to our attention. Food does more than keep the body going physically. It’s nourishment for what makes a being “alive” and willing to address life head on. One only has to look at the photos of children who are starving to see how dim the light is in their eyes.

One of the greatest aspects of this work, is seeing an animal who has been deprived, come alive in spirit as well as in body. Personalities unfold and their individualities shine.

Dec 08 2015

Spirit Update

Spirit has been with us now for just over a year. She arrived from Animal Control on Halloween in 2014. Unlike in Digger’s case, her owner didn’t die; just took off and left her and another horse behind. The sheriff’s department had to dart her with anesthesia in order to catch her initially. And when she came to live here some weeks later, we had trouble catching her.

(The reason she had to stay awhile with Animal Control even after we offered her a home at Sky Ranch was because in this type of case, an owner must either relinquish ownership to the authorities or the case will be tried in court. Often the owner will give up ownership to avoid prosecution.)

Weight back on, Spirit is a beautiful, lively mare with a mind of her own. She can be a little pushy when begin lead, but never aggressive. She can get impatient and will kick her stall or paw at the fence if we aren’t getting things taken care of as rapidly as she would like. She still isn’t crazy about lifting her feet for cleaning or trimming, but we got her through one trim and will take on the challenge again next time. Fortunately she wears her hoofs down naturally and doesn’t need trimming as often as the other horses. Looking at her, and enjoying her sweet but bold spirit, we can’t help but wonder why she was left like that. Guess we’ll never know.