Myrtle

A MISDELIVERED CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Before
 
The aged bay mare was dropped off at the farm across the road from us sometime around Christmas. Recognizing that our facility was a more appropriate place for her to be, our neighbors walked the old, blind, emaciated mare across the busy road with only a piece of baling twine and a soft voice. This told us that either the mare is well trained or that she totally trusts and depends upon humans - the same species that dumped her. Myrtle they called her and Myrtle she remains.

Her spirit proved strong and she made great progress, letting us know she would be happy to eat 24/7. We knew that overfeeding a starved horse could be fatal, so Myrtle was given half-flakes of alfalfa hay every few hours. After settling in to her stall for a few days, we introduced her to the outdoors carefully. Within a week she had memorized the boundaries of her new pasture by making bigger and bigger circles until she bumped into something. 
 

After 
 
Despite her blindness, Myrtle is adjusting very well at HAHS. She is eating well and has gained weight since her arrival. Belle, who was impounded a few months after Myrtle, has become her pasturemate and best friend. The two are inseparable, and though they each have their own stall that connects to their pasture, they often choose to share a stall. Belle has made it her mission to protect Myrtle, and often comforts her when Myrtle gets scared of a noise she can't identify.