Two weeks have now passed since we first laid eyes on the horses of The Bone Yard. 19 horses, severely starved and many near death rescued over the course of a few days. They were all eventually taken in at our facility in Bell, Florida. We are happy to report that all horses are now physically out of the critical phase of recovery and are improving rapidly. Some more quickly than others, depending on many factors.
We see improvement in many ways. Hip bones, ribs, shoulders and spines are much less prominent. With diligent care and many medicated baths, diseased coats are beginning to slough off and appetites are ever increasing as we are able to slowly increase intake, working toward a more normal diet. Activity among the herd has increased, eyes are brighter and personalities have begun to emerge.
Perhaps not quite as visually captivating as the first, the next phase we enter holds no less importance. These traumatized animals are evaluated and handled as each begins to tell their story. Trainers and handlers must be cognizant of a myriad of non-verbal signals as each horse displays actions and behavior that communicates how the journey must continue on from here. Some are shy and withdrawn while others are demanding and aggressive. Having to fight in the past for any morsel of available food has a way of doing that to a horse. The will to survive is very strong, even for the weakest of beings.
The path that we, as horse trainers now choose will make the difference between the possibility of a lonely life for a horse who is not able to cope in a social situation, to a successful partnership with a loving human in a mutually beneficial relationship. Our goal for each and every horse is the latter.
Until now, most of our followers have only seen the weakest of the herd as we struggled to support them not only physically as they regained enough strength to safely navigate their environment and stand independently, but emotionally as well. We are helping them adjust as they begin to trust in our team as their caretakers. The video segments have been sad at times and have even caused some to turn away, but the vast majority of social media followers were riveted by the journey of each horse as they struggled to survive. Cheering them on to victory along the way.
We hope that all will continue to join us as we meet each of the individuals of The Bone Yard, assess their personalities and begin the training process to ensure that every horse gets the future they so richly deserve.
