The Gold One

Initial Report on Goldie
("Turning Copper into Gold")

Several weeks of rolling coins - your donated change - has netted us one of the most intense rescue efforts in the history of the Equine Rescue League. Your change, including over $400 in pennies, added up to $851 and was (partially) used at an auction to purchase six horses that were otherwise destined for slaughter. The grief and sadness of that day, along with the faces of the five who were humanely euthanized, is permanently etched upon our hearts. "Cecily's Gold" is the last survivor of the six that were rescued that day. What follows is her story.

Probably the oldest of the six, it is somewhat ironic that Goldie outlived the others. Her age is conservatively estimated to be early to mid thirties. Weighing in at only 60% of her normal weight, Goldie was one of the most severely emaciated horses that any of us had ever seen survive. We were only half kidding when we joked about angels holding her up in the trailer during the three hour ride back to the shelter.

Despite the will to live that burned brightly inside her, Goldie's body had already started its process toward death. Her metabolism had slowed so much that her body temperature was a mere 96 degrees - four to five degrees below normal. A heart murmur was detected, along with a fluid filled cyst on her right ankle. As we already suspected because of her constant quidding, Goldie's mouth was an equine dentist's worst nightmare. Some teeth had super-erupted into the roof of her mouth, others were broken or missing. She was placed as a "minus 1" on the Henneke horse conditioning scale. Her digestive system was in a state of constant uproar. Her golden coat was ragged without any sign of good health. Her frail body was liberally laced with hundreds of scars that bore mute evidence of a life that had been less than grand. She was dirty, stained, and carried with her a most obnoxious stench that refused to wash off.

July, 1996 - Cecily's Gold upon arrival at ERL.
(Note the auction tag glued to her hip.)

Goldie's first major victory came exactly 14 days after her rescue when she was able to lay down to sleep. We theorized that she knew she would never be able to get back up in her severely emaciated state, so she simply just never lay down. More than one tear was shed while watching her leaning against a wall, dozing in the summer sunshine.

Another major victory was achieved when Goldie was healthy enough to be given a bath. What a joy it was to scrub through the layers of filth and discover the glow of her soft golden coat. At the conclusion of her bath she held her head proudly, pleased with the elegant mare she had become. She was enormously pleased to be the object of desire of a handsome black gelding who spent the afternoon nickering at her.

Goldie's bath, a few
weeks after arrival.

Sometimes it seems as if her rehabilitation can be measured in leaps and bound instead of day by day. Despite having only the bleakest odds of surviving her ordeal, she has seized her renewed chance at life with a gusto that continues to surprise us. She has gained over 300 lbs., and is thrilled to have three hot meals a day, plus all the hay and grass she can quid. Her dental problems were so severe that she required surgery. We remain extremely grateful to Dr. Ray Hyde and Dennis Lynch for their expert work on Goldie's mouth.

She has progressed so well that she is now turned out with several other mares. Goldie loves her pampered lifestyle and seems to grow sweeter with each passing day. Despite her horrific experiences she shows no malice or suspicion toward any of her human handlers and nickers happily to us at times when we walk by. Goldie is currently available to adoption to a home that can continue to pamper her, as well as shower her with love and treats. She would like nothing better than to spend the remainder of her life as a much loved and treasured companion.

This story was written in the fall of 1996, only a few months after Goldie's arrival at the ERL. She has continued to progress and is truly one of the most inspiring creatures we have ever met.

READ UPDATE ON GOLDIE

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