Sam

Sam is a standardbred, who is close to 28 years old. Sam raced, probably pulling a cart; he has scars on the backs of his legs where he received injections meant to deaden the nerves, allowing Sam to run through the pain. The coloration on Sam’s face shows that he spent most of his life in a halter. And his teeth were damaged so badly from a lifetime of wearing a bit that he could no longer properly chew grass, leading to extreme weight loss.

We put Sam on a wet-food diet, and turned him out into the fields every day so he could mosey around. The vet floated his teeth and ground them down so he could use them to chew. Sam isn’t sure how it happened, but he has found himself in a place where no one wants anything from him. He’s not asked to push, pull, or race anything. He’s fed and looked after, his stall is cleaned and freshened, he socializes with the other horses. And everyday when Sam comes in from the field he is just beaming with happiness and contentment. Sam is an old man, and he deserves this kind of retirement.