Sam - Description

It all depends on how you look at life. Depending on how you look at the situation, Sam may be considered a rescue.

In November 2007 an ad appeared for an 18-20 year old Belgian who was located in Mitchell, SD. I desperately wanted to look at him since we’d just gotten Bob the Percheron in October. Unfortunately we never had the chance as the horse was bought by someone and the ad removed. Not more than a few days later some friends told us they had purchased Sam.

I don’t know all the details about Sam’s past. I do know that at one point he was used by the Amish. He has the scars to prove it (on his neck and hind legs). I’m unclear as to how he ended up in Mitchell or what other owners he had between the time he was with the Amish until he went to stay with the friends. As we are finding out, many Amish horses are uncomfortable around strangers and since we were strangers at the time, he flinched every time we touched him. I made a note to try not petting him so that I wouldn’t make him flinch. Poor guy.

Jump to spring of 2009. The friend’s other horse became sick and was eventually euthanized, leaving poor Sam alone. The friends were looking for a different riding horse and put Sam up for sale. I was shocked to see a picture of Sam and instantly sent an email saying we would purchase Sam. I was disappointed because I remember hearing that these same people would keep Sam forever. Circumstances change and I understand. But if you make a promise, you keep it, especially when it’s a promise to a horse. The asking price was low and we were worried that he would be purchased and then sold around until he ended up in the auction circuit and eventually the slaughter pipeline.

At the end of April 2009, we drove to Madison, SD and picked up Sam. I was shocked at his condition. Sam was thin. I was even more disappointed to see how thin he was because at one point he looked so good. I knew money was very tight for these friends but I was still angry that it appeared “fun” costs came before the care of their horse. Sam had not had his teeth floated in two years. I’m sure that for some, their horse(s) receive the best care they can afford and when money runs low/out, the “fun” horsey stuff stops. But the standard care to feed and maintain a horse should never be compromised and it looked like Sam’s health had been compromised.
We originally put Sam in with Brego since Brego is pretty passive. Within hours Sam and Brego became best friends. It’s a sight to see, tall Sam standing with petite Brego.

We let Sam gain weight and just be a horse. It took the entire summer for Sam to gain weight. We had planned to float Sam’s teeth in the fall after he’d recovered from his weight loss and was feeling better but in October 2009 Sam came down with a cold and ulcers. He dropped a drastic amount of weight. We were worried. We decided to increase Sam’s grain ration and Sam soon discovered that he likes eating beet pulp.

Because of Sam’s weight loss and struggle to gain it back, we purchase Sam a blanket (since Bob’s was too large). We wanted to make sure that Sam spent his time gaining weight instead of trying to stay warm all winter. It’s a good thing he had his blanket because the winter of 2009-2010 was rough.

We have come to the conclusion that Sam will always be a hard keeper. He loses some weight every fall/winter and it takes the entire spring/summer to gain the weight back. We’ve come up with a number of different grain mashes to try and think we’ve found the best one yet! Every evening Sam gets his grain and he not so patiently waits at the barn to be let in. If a horse requires grain, they go in the barn so there’s no competition and no fighting. At first Sam was uncomfortable being in the barn. We were forced to bring his best friend in the barn until Sam finished his meal. But as the same routine continued on, Sam became more accustomed to the barn and now bangs on the door demanding to get in (thanks Bob for teaching Sam that bad habit).

We have permanently retired Sam from all work. Sam is the happiest when standing in the barn eating his grain. He is such a character. For being such a large/tall horse, he has a fairly high pitched whinny. Before we started feeding him a wet mash, Sam used to have a mustache. It was the biggest mustache we have ever seen on a horse. But Sam has decided to keep his mustache to a minimum.

Sam really is a clown. He has such large ears that when he walks, his ears bob. For all the hard work he put in and all the different demands others have put upon him, Sam is still a happy go lucky horse. We are blessed to have Sam with us. And if you recall we mentioned that Sam originally flinched when we would pet him. He’s since gotten used to use and loves to be brushed and hugged (and given treats)!

Now you decide if Sam is a rescue. He was given a promise that was broken and not provided adequate food when he really needed it. He could have found a good home after being placed through the local ads or he could have wound up in the slaugher pipeline. You decide, is Sam a rescue?