Turning Despair into Hope for Horses - Keep the positivity going

Despair ...

 "to no longer have any hope or belief that a situation will improve or change"

 

I love Facebook and Social Media 

I hate Facebook and Social Media.

I love being connected to the greater world

I hate being connected to the greater world.

I know I don't live inside a bubble

I wish I lived inside a bubble.

I want to know how others think, love and cherish

I shudder at how little others think, love and cherish.

It's remarkable how quickly your positive thoughts and feelings one moment can deep dive into doom, gloom and despair the next.

I have 4 Facebook pages and anyone can follow any of them whenever you want.  It serves a purpose of capturing thoughtful moments, special occasions, inspiring quotes and a vehicle for some of my blogs.

I find it very hard to receive other people's facebook page images of dead horses, mutilated dogs and abandoned cats, then sleep easy at night!

I'm filled with despair at human kind and where we are heading with such ability to disregard the life and rights of others. Where has all our kindness gone? Where is our compassion?

I suppose that I have not joined up with some who cry out to stop sharing such images in case it does in some way help to raise awareness and spur people into corrective action.  Hope springs eternal!

I have even joined and supported one such group "help the horses of Fosse Park" and joined them to protest last year outside Parliament for better protection for neglected horses.  (See post from last year). 

I have learnt over the years from first hand experience, that with large animals the RSPCA acts only when a horse is actually on the verge of death,  - as happened last night right outside my own home.  This too should change and I wont donate to them until it does.

In addition to last nights tragedy on my door step, I am currently looking after 2 abandoned ponies, plus filly and foal - a total of four gorgeous hungry mouths - also close to my home.  Dragging 60 litres of water into their field each day and spreading a bale of hay out for them is all I can do, but I won't watch them starve to death or die from dehydration when I can do something no matter how small.

Abandoned Mare

With her foal and youngster

Overgrown, neglected hooves on the young gelding

Its such a topsy turvy world: the land owner (where the four under my watch are temporarily residing) does nothing with his land - its disused, full of broken glass bottles, wood pallets, butane gas canisters, and general debris.   There's no proper fencing to keep livestock off the road.  Yet, he's put a sign up (as is his right) warning that these horses will be removed if not claimed and taken.  Why?  What harm are these four doing?  Of course he is right to be worried, as 4 small ponies today, could easily become 10 or 24 in a matter of days or weeks...  

... It seems we abandon our horses as easily as we discard our litter all over the road side.

There are days when it gets to me and seems overwhelming.  There is such a sense of hopelessness as people all over the country report via social media similar problems and sightings of animals in plight. 

Is this the slippery slope down for mankind, how much further south can we head?

I hope not.   I chose (on most days) to believe not.  Each bad day, where I'm having doubts an 'angel' seems to appear in some form or fashion.  Take yesterday,  as I fed and watered the four 'strays' two men (strangers), approached wanting to know if the horses were mine.  One had brought a bag of carrots and another a small container of water for them.  I wanted to smile at the 3 litres of water for 4 animals thinking - that's not really worth bothering, but I answered their questions and thanked them for their help.  

The joy and relief to know other people will help and do whatever they can - however small is priceless; a tonic.  People do what they can, with what resource they have, and using what knowledge they possess, it's not up to those of us who may know a little more to go around putting others down with our facts and know how.

I am blessed to know people like Margrit Coates and Chris Day who remind me of the need to be positive around horses especially those that are suffering.  To be, as the quote above suggests  that bright 'light' for them in that moment.

Last night, as I drove off and rounded the corner, the Police and RSPCA were in attendance of a distressed horse they had now put out of it's misery. A woman walking her dog passed the field and  saw the horse in distress and called everyone she could think of.  She was wrapped in a blanket clearly in shock at what she had witnessed.

Life can be a cruel awakening if you are blanketed from it's reality.

These are the moments where hope is restored and where one by one each of us really can make a difference.  I expect that lady didn't sleep well last night but I hope in her heart she knows she did good today!  She did something, she took action and helped a horse in need.  

Now all we have to do is to start finding ways to take action BEFORE horses suffer so needlessly.  

If you feel you haven't done enough yet to raise your voice to support horses after all they have done for mankind through wars, agriculture, policing and sports, or simply because you see their beauty, and feel the wisdom in their eyes,  you can do something NOW.

On Valentines Day there will be a further protest in London.  Further details are on the dedicated Facebook page.

Join in! What have you got to lose? 

Both horses and humans have so much dignity to re-gain.

Heavy frost adds to the beauty

Today is a new day.  Tomorrow will be too.  I thank goodness for nature, for landscapes such as this morning and for heavy frosts that lace your eyes with a freshness that inspires hope. 

This morning's slow sun rise