Back to Life: A Senior Horse Essay Contest Honorable Mention

by Cindy Kingsberry

[Note: this essay was originally attributed to Bonnie Orr in our reader newsletter, based on the name on the email containing the submission. Cindy Kingsberry is the author.]

Senior Horse Essay Contest is a great idea, so often its seems people forget the older horses and the years of service they have given. I want to tell you about special moments with a senior horse called "Coffee". Coffee came to us as a Sheriff's Office seizure. He was in very bad shape with a body score of a half! The attending veterinarian said he might not live thru the night. Coffee was so starved and neglected, it was a effort for him to take one step after another. His big beautiful brown eyes were dull and lifeless with no hope. We managed to get him home with extra human help in the trailer. The first three days were critical and required 24 hour hands on care. Coffee ate his grain a hand full at a time every few hours. Because a horse in that condition has already had his body start to shut down, the refeed process is slow and small bits at a time. Worming at that time was out of the question. Thank goodness he was still able to drink water.

After a few days it was wonderful to see him start to respond. He slowly started to move around and looked forward to the loving attention from us. It was wonderful to see those big beautiful brown eyes full of hope and a will to live. Over the next few months Coffee continued to improve and gained 300 lbs. He turned out to be a perfect gentleman and was happy to return the loving hugs we gave. He was quite a character, he would spend his time following everyone around the pasture like a puppy dog.

Everyone that came in contact with Coffee knew he was special. His time with us was filled with special moments and those big beautiful brown eyes were unforgettable, they were now filled with life and happiness. We know his last years were happy and carefree with plenty of food, care, and love. To save him from a death of starvation and neglect is worth more than words can say. We said a loving good by to Coffee at age 34. The special times and moments with him will never by forgotten. He gave more to us than we gave to him.