In July 2020, Equestrian Living magazine (EQ Living) selected The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need as its EQ Book Club feature, publishing an excerpt titled “Helping Horses in Need” in the Favorites department of the July/August 2020 issue (pages 26, 88, and 92). The excerpt, adapted from the book and reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books, tells the story of Cookie: an emaciated mare, the elderly couple who loved her but could no longer feed her, and what her case taught about judgment, economics, and helping horses in need. It also includes two of Stacie’s own photographs.
Helping Horses in Need
Excerpt from The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need by Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS — Equestrian Living, July/August 2020
This article is provided for general information only. It is not a substitute for veterinary examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed veterinarian before beginning any treatment or making decisions about your horse’s care.
A few passages from the excerpt, as it appeared in the magazine:
The knock on the door
It was early January, the air was biting, and a week’s worth of snow came up around my boot tops as I traipsed across the yard and knocked on the door. Rose and Dan, an elderly couple, were wearing coats and hats inside the house—it was almost as frigid inside as it was outside.
The neighbors had been calling the authorities for weeks and reporting their horse Cookie’s emaciated appearance. In most jurisdictions, a veterinarian must examine an animal before it is confiscated because of neglect, so I had been called to examine the horse in question.
A wake-up call about judgment
Rose and Dan knew Cookie was thin, and cared deeply about her. They couldn’t feed her because they had no money—they couldn’t keep heat on in their home or feed themselves. They had honestly tried to the best of their ability and had lost their beloved friend.
For me, this case was a wake-up call about the judgment that we sometimes feel without knowing the entire situation. Please help your neighbors. Please learn more about their struggle before assuming the worst of them. Cookie’s situation happens hundreds or thousands of times over the world.
Working together for the horses who depend on us
The daunting facts are that we cannot save every single horse in need. Money is a huge factor in restoring health. We may have to choose between the possibility of helping a horse with a very expensive problem or helping four or five other horses with less severe problems. It may take six months to a year to restore a starved and neglected horse to maximal health. There may be lingering health or behavioral consequences that last his lifetime.
Morally, we must help alleviate suffering. Horse people are strong people, and this is even truer for people who rescue horses. By working together to learn what each horse needs, we can better help horses who depend on us for their fate.
The complete July/August 2020 issue of Equestrian Living can be read free on Issuu, with the excerpt on pages 26, 88, and 92: issuu.com/wynnwood/docs/jul-aug2020.
The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need covers care, training, and rehabilitation for rescues, adoptions, and horses in transition. The book is available directly from Stacie or from Trafalgar Square Books.