FANNIE
“The Plain Brown Wrappers”
There are horse auctions all over the country that rescues attend, to help horses in need. Horses in poor condition, horses that are old, injured, used up, or untrained, are the prime candidates to get on the “wrong trailer” and lose their life, alone, frightened, and painfully. The humans who do this work, rescuers, tired and overworked, do so because they are righting some wrongs in the world. Quite simply, to help.
We are some of those humans.
As the Holidays arrived, the local auction house had announced they are CLOSED for winter, so their last sale of the year promised to be a big one, with more horses in danger, more being sold before the long winter months. Amongst many facing this fate, a pair of old mares, bonded friends, beyond use.
Many people don’t understand the dangers at auction. The owner had hired a hauler to take them to the sale, and asked him to “make sure they stay together, they have been together all their lives." He explained that was not possible, that they would likely not sell together and likely NOT sell to a good home at all. This information made her panic, and ask him for other ideas, for some safe alternative. One phone call lead to another, and here we are, the safe alternative.
Any horse rescued in advance of auction wins in many ways; by avoiding the trauma, the risk of injury and illness, separation from family, and of course, the high risk of selling to the kill buyers. Can you imagine two old friends dumped at auction? They are "plain brown wrappers" and are just what the kill buyers love. BUT NOT THIS TIME!! Instead they became our 2023 Holiday Miracle Horses.
The smaller of the pair, a quiet Quarter Horse, is estimated to be 15 years old. She is likely registered, as she has a shoulder brand common amongst broodmares (so they can be picked out of a field easily), but there is no way to trace her past. She is now named Fannie, or Fan, from A Christmas Carol, described as “Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered… But she had a large heart.”
She may be a “plain brown wrapper” but she has a delightful personality, and we are so very happy to have saved her life.
Perhaps you want to Sponsor Fannie with a monthly donation of $10 or more, or Feed Fannie for a Day? How marvelous to be part of the beautiful next chapter for this sweet girl!
Fannie is:
• a bay Quarter Horse Mare
• welcomed to The Sanctuary in December 2023
• a New Intake
• in transition *
• fun fact; TBD!
* Any equine that we are still evaluating and getting to know following arrival, is in training, or is changing in some way, is in transition. Please feel free to send an email to inquire about their status and future possibilities..