Hello, my name is Jones . . .

I am a 4 year old Tennessee Walker and I am very thin and sick. My previous owner neglected me badly. I was starved until I just looked like a skeleton and then taken to a sale barn in Louisiana. There I was purchased by a kill pin buyer to be shipped to Mexico for slaughter. They packed me onto a trailer with other horses like cattle and I got beat up pretty bad. I am so thin that my hips and face have wounds from the trailer bars. I have a puncture wound in my lip and and gash on my face but I survived the ride. They pushed me off of the trailer and took my picture, then after a few days I took another ride, this time to Texas. It was bright and early in the morning and I was standing slumped and unstable, covered in mud, in the corner, alone! Then this lady showed up. She promised me I would never suffer again! I was so tired, but I loaded into her trailer and made the journey to my new home! It was scary because I have to lean while I stand because I am too sick and weak to hold myself up well. But I made it! My recovery will be a long one but I hope that you will follow with me. Day by day, I am going to fight to be big and strong and beautiful again! Just watch. . . you will see!

This is not what life is suppose to be!

But he never quit.  Jones had to be picked up multiple times because he had made the mistake of laying down.   We are eternally grateful to the veterinarians and friends that came to Jones' rescue when he was in need of a lift,  without question, Jones was rescued by a community!   His heart was so BIG and full but his body was mutilated and his muscle mass was gone.   Even when he was too tired to move he would talk to us just to let us know that he was still fighting.  The road to recovery would be long and would require great patience.  

Not only was Jones emaciated, but he was very sick.  He had been introduced to just about everything that would make a healthy horse sick and with a compromised immune system this was another battle that we had to fight in it's own.

Starvation has many side effects on the body.  When re-feeding a horse that is extremely emaciated, it is detrimental to their survival that they are monitored very closely and that their body is re-introduced to nutrition slowly and correctly.  This is so hard, because as humans we want to love through food!   Jones began to visibly gain pounds but his muscle mass was so diluted that he was not capable of carrying himself safely, in a controlled manner, so we need to take further steps to help him.  Anabolic steroids were an option but only after Jones' diet was large enough for the drugs to work properly, more waiting!!!  Finally, after a few more weeks we were ready!  Ready to administer these steroids that we hoped would give our Jones an advantage in overcoming this obstacle.

I couldn't sleep well for months, worried about Jones!  My morning ritual had become, feet on the floor, go check on Jones!  Each day there he was, with a good morning and bright eyes.  The weeks became months and he had overcame the snotty nose and cough, wounds had begun to heal and he was getting the chance to be a horse.   He had began a daily routine of eating and going out for exercise, he needed to get stronger and use his muscles, this can't happen in a stall.  Then this happened. . .

He always makes a point to walk up to me and give me nudge, I think it's his way of saying thank you.  Today Jones runs everywhere, as though it was his first time finding his legs.  Maybe it's because he remembers not being able to or maybe it's just because he can!   I am moved to tears when I see these struggling videos of our Jones when he arrived and then I smile!

Truth be told, we opened Spirit Run because of Jones!  Jones is the lesson in this great cause that we fight for every day!  You see, Jones never gave up, even when he couldn't pick himself up, he just kept fighting!  So that is how we live every day here at Spirit Run!