This is a story about abandonment, and then along came love.
Love is determination that has grown over months out of compassion. There were many tears. But friendship developed, trust became a bond, with carrots, apples and fresh water daily.
I wrote about horse that I saw every day,alone in a paddock. She looked lonely, and for this sentient being, she was. Occasionally the cattle grazing in the paddock came along the fenceline and were her only contact.
She had no shelter in the winter, or in the summer.
I spoke with friends and we erected a sail cloth for shelter where I fed her. But the high winds came and one corner tie came undone. The wind was too strong to retie it so I had to take it down.
The SPCA inspector taped a notice to the fence on February 7 to say he'd been to check on her. He said there had been five calls about the lone horse over the previous months. The farrier has been to check on her hooves and they passed inspection. She needs to be brushed, and her mane is matted.
The morning I wrote this I stopped on my way to work to feed her more apples and carrots and to fill her buckets with fresh water.
The cattle were back and she was communing. I thought I'd quietly drop the food into the paddock but she saw me and came galloping toward the fence. She neighs and I talk. I was able to tell her that she only had three more days and she'll be on her way to her new home to share a paddock with other horses.
The SPCA inspector said the news made his day. Many people have come to know about this horse's plight since I started visiting her, and all have been concerned. Many more have noticed her alone in the paddock.
This has been a remarkable connection for all of us. Sharing is caring, says my sister. My son says she will cost thousands to care for.
I'm already planning on growing carrots and apples as treats. This is a story about love and a horse named Lulu L'Amore.
