In June 2005, I made my second trip to the feedlot, to pick up 6 horses sponsored by our COTH group. At that time, there were probably 30 or more horses on the lot. We spent some time looking at all the horses and taking pictures.
One mare caught my eye. She was way in the back in a corner. She kept her head hung low. As I approached, her dull eyes didn’t acknowledge my presence but her ears went back to let me know she wanted to be left alone. I came up to her and then realized why she wasn’t moving. Her left hind leg was cocked at a horrible unnatural angle. Broken at the fetlock. Due to the way that her hoof had grown, she had obviously been like this for a long time, maybe years. As the horror of it sunk in, I just remember saying “Oh my God, Oh my God” over and over again. I looked closer, she was dripping milk. She had been used as a broodmare, had just had a foal weaned from her.
She became my mission that day. I returned home to tell our group of the plight of this mare, and to beg that we purchase her only to put her down. We agreed as a group to do so, but first, this pretty bay TB mare needed a name. “Serenity” was suggested, and I do hope that by putting her to rest that serenity could be her gift from us. The day she was laid to rest, one of our country’s leading activist’s against horse slaughter, Mary Nash, passed away. Serenity’s name was changed to Mary’s Serenity, as a tribute to this amazing woman.
Rest in Peace, Mary’s Serenity. You touched us all and will never be forgotten.
