GRETA TIN-TIN
Greta is Staydopted and supported for life by Michelle M., her dedicated sponsor since 2022.
“The Dragon”
Greta Tin-Tin is a breathtaking grey Thoroughbred mare, and may seem an unusual horse to call ’The Dragon”. Dragons are (supposedly) fierce, powerful, and formidable, but also graceful, and able to fly. Thinking in this manner, Greta is indeed a dragon! In her past, she raced 49 times, an astonishing number of starts, flying around the track again and again as was asked of her, under the registered name ‘Exchange Artist'.
When she slowed, she was sold down the usual path of breeding and pleasure riding, both activities to benefit humans, and Greta always tried. At some point, she was flipped, and flipped again. Having physically and emotionally declined at each transition, at a mere 14 years old, she was ‘washed up’. A mere shell of her former self, she was in no condition for anything, and was lucky to be signed her over to Rosemary Farm Sanctuary. rather than be euthanized.
Greta arrived at the Sanctuary, a bag of bones. She was the thinnest horse to ever arrive and live. So neglected was she, that she had maggots in a hoof. At 14 years old, after serving people her entire life, the mare ought to have been in the prime, but instead was dangerously starved and close to passing away. Saving Greta’s life required careful re-feeding, and managing her emotional as well as physical issues.
Step by step, she began to recover. She is missing her front teeth, a result of severe ‘cribbing' (a stress related habit seen in many young horses stalled too long). She is blind in one eye, described as likely blunt force trauma, which, odds are, was ramming into the starting gate. She has diminished vision remaining in the other eye, so she struggles when out in the field, and she has extreme food aggression as a result of the starvation. Handling this dragon requires patience and lots of skill and love. Despite these considerations, she has thrived and blossomed.
Today, Greta is Staydopted by a loving sponsor, so her basic needs are promised for life. Her recovery to a beautiful mare, albeit one with a dragon’s temperament, is astonishing. Her emotional state will likely always be guarded both with food and with tack; she has a very negative reaction to saddles, and will never be ridden again. She requires expert handling in case she turns into a dragon for a minute or two, which happens. It is to be expected after what she went through. Then she can return to being loving and seeking attention from the caregivers she trusts. She receives extra food when inside, can now turn out to run with other horses for short periods. Her lessons back to willingness are slow and patient. Whatever she is comfortable with, whatever she needs, she will get.