Congratulations are in order to Iron Gait Percherons Draft Horse Rescue
for their fifth year anniversary.
Miriah is a fine example of the
exemplary work that IGP does with the horses they rescue.
Miriah lived in the Carolinas. When a
neighbor became aware of the abuse Miriah was experiencing the
neighbor spoke up and told the owner they intended to file a report
with local authorities. Miriah was immediately put of for sale at
auction.
When the neighbor heard of Miriah being
for sale at auction, they purchased the young horse. I can't blame
them but, they didn't have plans much beyond saving Miriah's life.
After a few years, there was realization that Miriah had needs that
were more than they could provide. They contacted Iron Gait
Percherons Draft Horse Rescue and requested placement for Miriah at
their facility.
We will never know Miriah's full story.
For myself, I first saw her a few years ago when I attended an open
house at the rescue. To say I saw her is really a stretch because she
hid in the corner of her stall and would barely look over her
shoulder to acknowledge my existence. She behaved this way with
everyone and the other horses at the rescue too.
The workers at Iron Gait wouldn't give
up on Miriah. She was a loner and that was fine. She didn't like to
be around people and that was fine too. Eventually, she allowed
someone to sit with her in her stall. A few months later she started to enjoy
having people talk to her and she would accept a treat from a human's
hand. She even came out of her stall to see what the other horses
were doing!
The staff at Iron Gait recognized that
Miriah had progressed in her rehabilitation. Rather than leave her in
pasture, they made arrangements for specialized, individual training
for her. Miriah spent a couple of months at what I referred to as,
sleep-away camp with her trainer and then she returned home with
special handling instructions from her trainer. Look at her. You know
Miriah's trainer had fallen in love.
Miriah's story is somewhat unusual in
the fact that she had been hurt physically and emotionally beyond
what human imagination can fathom. This is when I change the channel
of the television because it hurts too bad to think about.
The staff at Iron Gait doesn't tune
out, they give Miriah that daily stability of food, patience and
love. They made the commitment to rescue Miriah and they are happy to
be patient during her recovery.
You are welcome to visit the rescue but, I suggest you schedule an appointment. Believe it or not, the rescued horses have a fairly tight schedule! Volunteer opportunities are available and again, I suggest you schedule an appointment. Donations made to Iron Giat Percherons Draft Horse Rescue are tax deductible and will help Miriah and her friends with their well being.
