Dalton

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to Dalton. He is an off the
track Thoroughbred racehorse, and I adopted him in January 2006. When
I met Dalton at a rescue facility, he was 500 lbs. underweight, had a dull
coat, rotten hooves, and could not move his hind legs appropriately due to
his stifles locking up. He was on his way to the slaughterhouse when the
rescue facility saved him, and in worse condition than when I met him.
Obviously, he would have trust issues with regard to humans, but I fell in
love at first sight. With all of his issues laid before me, I saw through all of
it to see what he could be again.

It has been a slow process, but he is today what I envisioned he could be.
He is at his recommended weight, his hooves look better and his stifles
were operated on to help him move. He still has some issues with his
hooves that are keeping him from training, but we hope to have those all
worked out by the spring so he can get to work and maybe one day be in
the ring at competitions in 2008.

He can be one of the most ornery horses I have ever met, but he can also
be the most kind and loving. He has my family’s heart, and in return we
have a good portion of his trust. I ran across a quote that immediately
made me think of him:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crownless again shall be king.

~J.R.R. Tolkien

Please sponsor or contribute to your local rescue facility for they are the
true warriors that fight the endless battle of neglect and abuse of these
precious and truly magnificent creatures. Please click on some of the links
we have provided in our links page to help support rescuers and their
cause. Without our help, they, and the horses we love, would be helpless.