Hey, Everyone! So, last we spoke, we had big plans of a relatively quiet day today. And well….that kinda sorta happened…. Lol. To start though, it is COLD outside!!! Like not just a little cold, but like super cold! It’s been worse here in the winter in WI and it will likely get worse (sadly), but brrrrr!!!! That doesn’t put a stop to the work that needs to be done around here though. Members of our team were out there moving the horses that needed to be moved, working with them beforehand as needed, etc. to get the job done. I won’t lie…I had to escape back into the office a couple times to take my boots off and place my feet directly on the heater to thaw them out. Getting just the right boots in this weather is still the holy grail that I have not been yet able to find.
And while my feet did thaw, what made me super (physically) sad, was that the heater in the office is cranked up to 80. This morning when I came down, it was 58 in the office. It went up to a staggering 64 in here during the peak part of the day when the sun was shining directly into the window, but as I type right now, while still cranked to 80, it is 57 degrees. And after doing evening chores…my feet are frozen and very unhappy with me….
As I did chores, just me and the horses walking around out there almost sounded like everyone was walking on glass. The snow is so frozen and crunchy and hard and just blah!! My fingers from the first knuckle up were freezing. Like unbearable pain, freezing. As I went about taking out hay and filling water buckets with half-hands, it reminded me of my days as a mail lady. And because of that, I knew that if I just tough out this excruciating pain part, that my body will take over and my fingers will adjust and warm up and everything will be fine. The worst thing to do in that first few minutes is to go into a heated area to thaw out. If you do that, when you go back out, you start the whole process all over again. So, I plodded away and prayed that my fingers weren’t going to break off….
And of course, they did not, but the pain was becoming awful and I just wanted to run back into the shop…even for just a minute. I was literally about to do that, when…as I headed back towards the barn…Kristoff approached me….
He had his food. I was taking hay out to the neighboring paddock and was just walking back towards the barn, but…he stopped and stood directly in my path as if to say, you shall not pass until you touch me…. It was very surreal. And of course I stopped. And I extended my hand to him. And he sniffed it. And he lowered his head. And I ever so briefly was able to scratch his forehead. And just like that, he walked away. I stood there and watched him and just thought about what an amazing thing just happened. This unhandled, no-time-for-people, young man, sought out my attention…even if ever so briefly. And as this was happening, I didn’t even notice the cold….
These…are the moments that we live for. This is what helps drive us on our mission of helping as many as we can, no matter their breeding, their history, their training, anything. To experience something like this…and know that all the time and hard work is giving this horse that second chance that they deserve…is all the payback that we could ask for.
The temperature in here has now dropped to 56, so I am going to head up to the house for the night. But, in closing, I hope you all got to see the premier of the auction episode of Horse Rescue Heroes. If not, see the YouTube link here, until Amazon gets straightened out. I have only been able to watch it myself all the way though one time. I was crying by the end as is what everyone has been doing, I am told. This is the reality. We brave the cold, we brave the auctions, we brave everything out there…so these horses get what they need.
The auction rescue planned for tomorrow has been delayed due to the winter storm that is set to hit us in just a few hours, but we are now planning to attend the auction next week (weather provided of course, so please hope for good weather!). We have raised enough to save 3 from slaughter and with the delay now, we are upping our goal from 5 to 6. We are half-way there. Please help us help those so in need. Help us help the “Kristoffs” of the world learn that people are good. Thank you all. I am going up to the house now to thaw my feet.