New life for abandoned horses

By Nichole Livengood  

AUGUST 18, 2011 10:55 a.m. (1)

In Marietta, Dogwood Terrace Stables is known simply as The Barn.

And, increasingly, it’s become a place where people turn when they can no longer care for their horses.

Owner Daniel Pierce said he gets as many as three calls a week from people who want to relinquish ownership of their horses, which along with livestock are a forgotten casualty of a bad economy.

“The market has dropped to the bottom for horses, so people can get one for next to nothing, however the price to feed one has gone up and is still rising. Corn, which is used in most feed, is also being used for fuel, so the demand for it has risen, thus the price has also risen,” said Pierce, who is also an accountant.

He and his wife Ginny have taken in 17 abused or neglected horses in the past five years, and have turned away many more.

Recently, Mrs. Pierce had just turned down two horses when Henry Stevens pulled into her drive and said his neighbor had been reported to the Humane Society for neglecting horses.

“When he told me it was a mother and a baby, I thought, here we go,” she said.

The 20-year-old mare and her two-month-old colt were in a dirt lot.  There was no shade and no water.

“The mare’s skin was sunburned and bloody and she was coated with mud.  It was one of those days when it was incredibly hot.  When I went into the fence the mother neighed and came and laid her head on my shoulder,” said Mrs. Pierce.

The baby’s halter was becoming embedded in his skin, and there was a piece of logging chain hanging from his halter. When Pierce bent to pet him, he put his nose to hers and breathed into her face.

“In native American culture if the horse does that to you they are communing with you,” she said.

The owner did not want to give up the baby, but finally agreed to let her take them both for $500.  Mr. Stevens loaned her the money.

“We loaded them on the trailer and brought them home. When we finished washing them off and put them in the stall with fresh water and hay, the mother let out the biggest sigh,” Mrs. Pierce said.

Veterinarian Sean Eastman came out and donated his services.  He said the mother had given everything she could to keep the baby alive.  She was so dehydrated she would not drink.  A few of the children at the barn used a syringe to give her Gatorade. By the end of the day, she drank three buckets of water. She also had medical issues such as bad teeth and inflamed feet that will need attention when she is stronger.

The baby is healthy. He runs around the pasture, bucks and talks to everybody.

“He’s really sociable,” said Mrs. Pierce.

They named the mother Grace.

“She’s handled all this with such dignity.  She has incredible manners and training, but you can tell she’s had a rough life,” she said.

Two spots on the baby looked like birds so it was decided he would have a bird name.

“We thought of buzzard, hawk, sea gull and some others that didn’t seem to fit, but during my morning quiet time an old hymn came to me that says ‘His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.’ That’s his name, I thought.”

Dogwood Terrace Stables is a lifelong dream for Ginny Pierce.

“Circumstances were such that we couldn’t have horses when I was little, but my grandmother always took me to see horses and ride horses. I used to ride my bike by this red barn and dream of having horses here.”

When the couple found out they could not have children, Daniel gave his wife her first horse, Sweetie, on which she taught her first lessons. She quit her job as a social worker and began working with horses and children.

During the past 14 years, the couple’s barn family has grown to 25 horses, one sheep and approximately 25 children who come to the barn on a regular basis to ride and take care of the horses.

Rescued horses are rehabilitated and often given to a child at the barn, who like Ginny, loves horses but cannot afford one.

“If the parents are able, they help pay for the food, and if not the children work off their care,” she said. Children – 70 percent of whom are on scholarship – are taught to train, feed and take care of their horses.

“We are not a nonprofit, but we operate much like one. Everything we do here is volunteer and donation based,” said Mrs. Pierce.

Becoming a mentor at the barn is an informal rite of passage. Mrs. Pierce said she saw it happen again as the last horse camp of the summer came to a close.  The older, more experienced girls were teaching the six year olds.

“I hear my voice coming out of these children’s mouths, teaching skills better than I can teach it because it comes from a peer.  What’s heartwarming to me and what makes us different from any other barn is that they aren’t just teaching where to put your hands or heals, they are teaching love and compassion for the horses, for each other and teaching responsibility.”

She said there are two kinds of horse people: people who have horses because they love to ride, and people who ride because they love horses.

“There’s a huge difference in those two.  Horses have to be in your blood to be a mentor and I never know who will become a mentor when they start riding,” she said.