The DeKalb Eleven

DeKalb: The Long Road to Recovery

Before
Over the years, we have seen almost everything here at HAHS, but never before had we rescued a group of horses so abused and so traumatized as the ones that came from DeKalb County, Illinois.  We had seen for ourselves the personal torture chamber of one of the horses-the one we call "Trailer Boy."  When we found him, Trailer Boy was standing in a metal stock trailer in the middle of summer with no food or water and his head tied down to his front feet, a victim of the owner's "do-it-yourself" castration method.  Another horse was found wandering the property on three legs because of an untreated, infected wound on his left hind.  The rest of the horses were tied with ropes and chains to pieces of ancient, rusting farm equipment in an old dairy barn.  One mare was suffering from open cuts over her entire body.  While the owner made some improvements to the situation after we wrote him a Notice of Violation, the Department of Agriculture agreed with us that the changes were not enough and allowed us to impound eleven horses from the facility in September 2000.
 

After  
When the horses came to the HAHS farm, you could see the change in their expressions and the excitement in their body language as we turned them loose to frolic in the fields after being shackled in the darkness for so long.  Our first task (besides feeding them properly and providing veterinary care) was to show the horses that their lives had changed and that contact with humans did not have to mean pain and fear.  This meant treating each one carefully, slowly, and gently, with infinite patience and acceptance.  We now have some very willing horses that try very hard to do what we ask of them.  Instead of fearing and hating humans, these horses eagerly greet us, and every day that passes adds strength to the bond between horse and human.  They have improved to the point that all but two have been adopted out to permanent homes. Tangles and Bucky, our two remaining residents from the impound, are very sweet and are favorites with all the visitors to the farm.