Willow's Story---Part One

 

Ever buy a horse sight unseen?  Believe it or not, that’s how I got Willow.  The most important thing is the integrity of the people you are dealing with.  In this case that was Saddlebred Rescue, a wonderful organization in New Jersey.   I worked in the Saddlebred industry enough in my youth to know that the breed has the temperament­---if not usually the background---that I wanted.  Just in general, I’ve found Saddlebreds to come in two types.  Either they have fabulous temperaments and are very versatile, reasonable and affectionate, or they’re bats**t crazy.   I’ve owned both types, although in my defense, the nutty one was tranqued when I tried her.  Live and learn.    I’ve been fortunate to own two of the solid gold ones. 

Willow bless his little heart has the typical love-bug personality.  He’s never happier than cuddled up to a human who’s preferably rubbing or stroking his face, especially his forehead.  And this from a horse who’s ears I couldn’t handle for years.  My wonderful---and versatile herself---barefoot trimmer Marilyn Gilligan is a tall soul who could reach Willow’s ears no matter where he put his head---unlike my relatively dwarfish self.   She simply put a hand on his poll/ear area and followed him around as he tried to dislodge her, only requiring that he keep his feet mostly on the ground, til he eventually realized that he wasn’t in grave danger, something I never could have done on my own.

Anyway, Willow was born on a lovely farm in West Virginia and was a promising youngster, being shown in hand successfully in the State Fair as a weanling.  Soon after that something went wrong.  I don’t know exactly what happened, but the equine sports masseuse/therapist who worked on him thinks the scenario was most likely something like this.  Baby lies on the ground by fence.  Baby gets back leg under fence.  Baby panics, thrashes around, grinding the bottom hip into the dirt, and breaking off the wing tip of it (“dropped hip”).  Baby continues to try to rise, damaging and tearing many muscles in other back leg and groin.  After that I guess they waited to see if he’d come sound, but due to the scar tissue and permanent damage even after Willow healed his back stride never became completely symmetrical, resulting in a mechanical lameness.  He’s not in pain, but one back leg strides a couple inches further in each step than the other.  As far as showing goes, he’s lame; he’d never pass a vet inspection.  Nothing more was done with him, and he was turned out and lived a happy pasture life for several years. 

Eventually his luck ran out and Willow found himself at New Holland sale in Pennsylvania, and unbroken coming-four year old.  Saddlebred Rescue only buys horses that are headed to the meat packers.  If anyone, even horse traders are bidding, they pass.  Willow’s gait imperfection is so slight that you really have to look for it; it’s not something you’d see til you’d watched him quite a while, unless you’re a judge.  Saddlebred Rescue outbid the kill-buyers and came home with this anonymous chestnut three year old in their trailer.  I can’t stand to contemplate the alternative.  To be continued…