Hershey

Foaled Approximately 1986
15 hand QH Gelding, Dark Brown w/white blaze.

This is Hershey (left) in May 2008. (I hope to have him looking this good again soon!)

On May 20, 2009, Hershey’s former owner Eileen contacted me with this email:

I am writing to inquire if you might have room at your retirement facility for my senior horse? His name is Hershey and he is a quarter horse in his mid- to late 20′s. I believe he is partially blind and going partially deaf…because when I call him and wave at him to come in for feeding time he does not seem to notice…and I have to walk across the field close to him to get his attention. Also, he is in a large open pasture with my other 7 horses who are not letting him eat. Other than as described, he continues to be in good health. He is a wonderful, kind, very well behaved horse. I rode him on trails through my 8th month of my last pregnancy. He is a retired lesson horse. If there is room for Hershey at your facility, my husband (Matt) and I would like to be able to offer something (such as services) in return for the home and care you provide retired horses. Hershey only needs his hooves trimmed about every 2 to 3 months (he has always had good, healthy feet). Matt is a farrier and could volunteer his time to trim the hooves of 4 or 5 additional horses each time he visits to trim Hershey. We reside in the French Valley / Winchester area. Thank you for your time and your consideration of Hershey as a new resident of your retirement facility.

My reply to Eileen’s first contact was:


If you can give me some time, to see if I can find a sponsor for him, I might be able to either take him or find him a good home. Donations of some trims every 3 months sound nice, but I’ll be honest with you, I don’t see him doing that. It’s 1.5 hours to get here from Winchester area. It’d be waaay easier to trim two extra horses a month and send me that money to feed Hershey. But donations are terrible this year as you might guess, and I would be doing Hershey no service to take him without some sort of financial support. I may be able to find him a good home; or I may be able to find a sponsor for him. If so, I’ll let you know right away. Can you please provide some more current photos?

Of course, I didn’t realize how bad he was. Some weeks passed, and on June 10, I just had a feeling, so wrote to ask if she still wanted me looking for a home for him (thinking she hadn’t sent pictures because she’d placed him already.). She sent this photo, below, this time.

This is Hershey in May of 2009, only a couple of weeks before he came to TGC. Apparently Eileen tried to separate him and feed him a special diet including grain (not a great idea but an effort) in order to build him up. He looked almost this bad when he arrived.

 

 

 

This is Hershey’s rear end on his first day at TGC (below), while Juan Mercado tries to even up his front feet. He stood like a good boy. But look at that back end! It seems so clearly out of balance to me, and you can see it when he moves. I’m still trying to find an equine chiropractor who will come out this far to adjust him, and others – any references accepted!

 

 Eileen asked me to take Hershey, promising a monthly donation, a new blanket and fly mask (which she has provided) and indicated he was UTD on all worming and vaccinations. She couldn’t understand why he looked so bad.

Hershey has no vision or hearing problems – when it’s time for his bucket, he could find me if I was in Afghanistan. He has blossomed with 4-5 buckets a day, spread out over the day. After 5 days, he was looking to join the herd, although still freaked at the numbers facing him. He is slow to heal the little booboos he gets but is tolerant of being treated; he had a little fungus going on in his coat so has had a nice medicinal bath and a soaking with anti-fungal solution has stopped his tail rubbing. He did get some fly eggs laid in his right eye, and under the influence of some mighty drugs, he stood quietly while Dr. Zadick cleaned them out and injected his eye tissue with antibios and steroids. After a few days, he started to be impatient with the daily application of antibio ointment in his eye, so now I have to enlist the help of my neighbor. Once caught, he stands resignedly…. Dr. Z also had me give him another dose of Ivermectin to prevent fly eggs laid in his booboos from burrowing in ….. at this stage, he’s just too frail to fight off the usual stuff.


This is Hershey’s butt one month after he arrived at TGC. Dr. Zadick sez he’s not out of the woods for probably six months – at which time, it will be dead winter here in Anza. Please think good thoughts for this strong kind horse.

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the nameplate made for Hershey by my Girl Scouts on Julia's Birthday visit in July 2009

 

 

 

 

Here is Hershey on 7/14/09. Looking a lot better, yes? One month of food worked this miracle, added to his courage and strong spirit... His spirit is unshaken - here he hooks up with Savannah only 2 weeks after he arrived!

 

 

 

Two weeks after arrival at TGC, Hershey has joined the herd

 

 

 

 

 


Here Hershey carries a novice rider, steady as a rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Sierra, much more advanced, Hershey was responsive and forward. This gentleman knows his job!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hershey is being one-third sponsored by his former owners. In addition, several donors stepped up with extra $ to get him through this first rough patch. Thanks are due to Lynn Wells, Margaret Squires and Sharon Stephens-McLain for their help in rehabilitating Hershey.

Please contact Casey if you would be interested in sponsoring Hershey or any of the un-sponsored horses at The Golden Carrot.