In Memoriam: a Tribute to Four Souls
RESCUE IS HARD.
How can you put into words the level of impact an animal leaves on your heart? How can we be expected to sum it up in a social media post, an email, a newsletter? The truth is, we can’t, but I’m going to try.
This is an aspect of my job that I wish didn’t exist, and myself and the entire team at Zuma’s have been feeling quite raw from all of the loss lately. Many of you have heard all of the details, many of you saw it on our social media. And many of you have no idea what I am talking about, in which case I offer an apology for the delay in sharing the news of so much loss. As you can imagine, we have been in a fog and I am finally feeling like I can put all of our grief into words.
George
Rescued with three other minis (known as the Seinfeld Herd) in early February of this year, this poor little gelding’s body just couldn’t recover from the abuse and neglect he faced before Zuma’s and our partner Ariel Fox stepped in and pulled him from the auction kill lot.
With Ariel by his side, George was sent over the Rainbow Bridge on March 29th. We will honor his legacy by providing lifetime support and love for his herd: Jerry, Elaine and Kramer.
Caspian
Fondly known as “The Seniors”, Levi (l), Caspian (m), and Copper (r) are among our most cherished herd here at the ranch. These three boys have seen it all as they approach 30 years of age. Caspian was estimated to be even a few years over that!
Rescued in 2019 mere inches from death, this handsome bay gelding bounced back and thrived under Zuma’s care. In the fall of 2020, the vet gave us two weeks for him to live after a scary heart-attack-like event. Because of the love and support he received each and every day, sweet Caspian thrived another 18 months. In the end, his heart was too frail and his body simply could not go on.
With incredibly heavy hearts, we sent Caspian over the Rainbow Bridge on March 31st, surrounded by dozens of friends and loved ones. His besties Copper and Levi show their grief and look forward to extra love from volunteers these days.
Ben
While Ben was not an original Zuma rescue, he quickly became a cherished member of the Zuma herd. This paint gelding arrived as a privately owned horse last fall with a few health issues of his own. The team at Zuma’s helped provide additional resources to keep him happy and comfortable the last months of his life, but in the end his body just couldn’t go on.
Surrounded by his owner and loved ones, Ben crossed the Rainbow Bridge on April 13th. We will miss his picky-eater attitude and kind disposition!
Dumped from the horrific PMU industry, these three yearling fillies were untouched and incredibly fearful. Through love and patience, they overcame their mistrust of humans.
Everest was immediately adopted by Zuma’s friends Parker and Charlie, and we knew this mare would be forever cherished when her new humans spent hours each and every day with her, gaining her trust and love.
In March, Everest succumbed to a colic episode that required two intense surgeries and the removal of a portion of her intestines. She returned home and was well on the road to recovery. But just two weeks later, it was discovered that her body wasn’t healing internally as well as it should have.
With heavy hearts, Everest crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on April 14th. We are devasted at this loss of such a young horse, and send our deepest condolences to Parker and Charlie, and Peach and Makalu who grieve for their lost sister.
So much loss in just two weeks’ time. Our hearts are heavy, our emotions raw. These four beautiful beings touched the heart and soul of Zuma’s from the first moment we met them. And they can never be replaced. However, it is in these moments of grief that we see our future, that we know our mission must go on. Knowing the difference we made in these horses’ lives is all the proof we need to keep going, to keep fighting for them, to keep being their voice.
And so we go on.
For George. For Caspian. For Ben. For Everest.