Tootsie
After Horse owners, anxious to rid themselves of their horses, erroneously convince themselves that summer riding camps for kids are the ideal place for their horses to “retire.” Depending on the camp, the prospects of a possible tax deduction for their “donation” seals the deal for these irresponsible owners: Not only do they think their horse go to a “great place where they will be teaching kids how to ride,” but they have rid themselves of a responsibility that had turned into a burden.
So the camps get these horses for free, or next to nothing, and they are taken away from their homes to teach kids how to ride by going around and around in circles in an arena, or by taking the kids on trail rides - often in the blazing summer heat. But, once the summer is over, and because these same hard-working horses are no longer creating revenue and, for whatever reason, might not be worthy enough for continued care until the next summer crowd… they are disposed of at horse auctions.
Sale at auction - that was to be Ruby’s and Tootsie’s fate. Fortunately, we were able to stop these horses from making that terrible journey and they are here, living their lives as they should… receiving all the love and respect we can give them.
Tootsie made her journey to Heaven on January 31, 2007. We loved her dearly and will always miss her and the grace with which she carried herself. She was with us for almost 5 years, the second of our original three horses to make the journey.