Last week, this 17-year-old Standardbred gelding stood in a trailer for 800 miles. Yes, he was given hay and water… but, 800 miles! It’s the sad and ongoing story of unwanted horses. These Standardbreds work hard their entire lives, pounding the pavement as they pull buggies around town for their owners.
This gelding’s registered name is Sudden Paradise and, as you can see, he certainly didn’t come from paradise. I was told before he arrived that he had “facial paralysis.” As it turns out, his lower lip hangs down, making eating and drinking quite troublesome. Perhaps that explains his thin body condition. He will need a little extra care and attention but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Of course, he has his own stall where he can eat and drink at his own pace and, so far, he’s been eating “like a horse.” It’s good to see him enjoying his new life, especially after all he has been through.
Rainhill has had a few horses pass away recently so that is why there was some room to take in a few new ones. My phone never stops ringing with requests for help with horses, especially the blind ones which no one wants. Those calls are the hardest to say no to, but I must put my horses first and not jeopardize the welfare of my horses while trying to help others.
Sudden Paradise has only been here a few days and really does need a sponsor. With the winter months just over the horizon, we must buy and store great quantities of hay. We do feed hay year-round but the need increases when the pastures stop growing and the horses must rely on grain and hay to maintain their weight and health.
The sponsorship is $25 a month or a one-time donation of $300. These horses did not ask to be born but they are here and deserve to be fed, loved and cared for. If you’d like to help, we’d be so grateful. Every donation means so much and no donation is too small or unappreciated. We can do this important work because of folks like you that love horses and want them to be treated with respect. Rainhill is a 501c3 non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible.
Let me thank you in advance for any help you may provide. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and let’s remember all we have to be thankful for.
Check us out on Facebook. I try to post once a week. And thanks for reading our little stories.
-by Karen Thurman
Rainhill Equine Facility
11125 Ky. Hwy. 185
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270-777-3164
