 
The intial care of these horses had to be carried out in the paddock in which they were found, as they were not strong enough for us to attempt to transport them. This involved driving to their paddock 4 - 5 times daily to take small amounts of feed to them until we could gradually increase the amounts of feed given in each session. We were very lucky in that none of the horses became ill with the onset of their refeeding.
11.04.07
12.04.07
Today I'm sure that sweet Cherish was saying thank you.
 
From Cherish's adopting mum Julia:
Cherish
In mud and dust your life hangs wasting.
Descending, in decline, drowns in oceans of neglect.
Taut skin clings tightly over bones, skeletal frame revealing.
Matted, sun-crisped, coat abrades our skin when touched.
Wearily you fade, devoid of energy, depleted,
Dulled by desperation, all vitality extinguished.
Defined by deprivation life’s essentials long denied you,
A thirst borne deep inside you neither love nor water quench.
Absence of a cure leaves you now withdrawn and withered.
Fluid elegance, so parched, self concealed in shambling form
Source so deeply hidden far beneath tormented life.
A warped existence this, far from the covenant proclaimed,
In which respect and care to human gives its name.
Then came a heart of justice biding here it stopped to find you,
With no averted eyes or life too full your plight to see.
Calming, caring salve applied easing physical desires,
Bringing more beside life’s base needs the fires of life to feed.
A friend and champion of the woeful the abused and the forgotten.
Love nurtured ailing spirits, soothing softly, watched them soar.
Aspiring, onward, upwards, to greater heights than e’er before reached.
Reborn, complete and vital, treasured, so you rise.
Julia Walker 28.06.07
14.04.07
16.04.07
Elise came back from holidays last night, so I was able to introduce Cherish to MY baby.
She was very taken with her !
  
20.04.07
We have finally managed to move Cherish and her little Astraea to their safe interim home. They were both very brave and sensible about loading, and I was very proud of them both. Cherish was a tad concerned that Astraea was not going to be going with her, but the brave little battler plucked up the courage to follow mum onto the float after having a bit of a think. They travelled well, and unloaded calmly and unscathed. It was ME in the cold sweat !
Rhonda has very kindly offered to care for them, for the time being, at the property where she agists her other horses. I am very limited for space here, so this has been a great option for them. They are only five minutes away, and believe it or not, they actually have green grazing there! The property is irrigated, and has good shelter belts of established trees between the paddocks, so they will be as comfortable as we could hope for. Little Astraea has not lifted her head up since she arrived there.
THANK you Rhonda, from Lucy, Cherish, and Astraea. You are one who never ceases to dig that bit deeper, each time, for the horses that we come across. You now have six horses on agistment, four of them our rescues, one retired boy, and one youngster. Also your retired Princey here at Carinya Park. Not one horse you actually ride! You are a horse lover in the truest sense of the term.
In time, when the girls are recovered and healthy, we will be asking for offers of a home for Cherish, but in the meantime we will keep her progress and news updated on her page.
Cherish & Astraea safe in their new temporary home.
21.04.07
 
6.05.07
Cherish and Astraea today with Astraea's new adopting mum Julia.
 
Cherish's breeding and details can be found on the Bridgewater Horses page.
Cherish is doing fabulously, and we feel she is well and truly ready to move on to a new home. She has had her teeth done, her worming is up to date, and her feet are great. Cherish is a very unique horse in her temperament. She is incredibly affectionate, and 'people friendly'. Even when the girl was still out in that barren paddock that we found them in, and we were visiting a few times a day with feed, Cherish, although she was famished, would not go and eat her hay until we had left. She preferred to stand with us and lap up the attention. She is very quiet, well mannered and accomodating.
She deserves the very best of homes, as I would hate to see this wonderful nature of hers exploited. She deserves much respect and loving. She has been through a very traumatic ordeal, trying to keep a bub alive in the conditions in which they were living, and being so close to death herself. I'm hoping that somebody special will feel that they'd like to 'give back' to this mare, and continue to allow her the dignity in which she deserves to live. We are all very fond of the girl, and would like to stay in touch with Cherish's new home, as we do with all of the horses.
I'm sure she would take to being ridden without a problem, and she is a Trotter, not a Pacer, as are all of the Bridgewater horses. However, I don't know that this would be the ideal outcome for her. We would like to see her with somebody who is just looking for a special friend. Although she is a tall mare, she is as gentle as a lamb, and not intimidating at all. She self loads on to the float, and is a dream to catch, rug, worm, dentist, farrier, etc.
Cherish is free, as are all of the Bridgewater horses, the home is the priority. If you feel able to make such a commitment to this grace filled mare, please feel free to drop us a line, we would love to hear from you.
4.06.07
Today we lost Cherish's beautiful daughter, who Julia had named 'Astraea'.
You can visit Astraea's page by clicking here.
6.06.07
Well....what an emotional week it's been all round (and it's only Wednesday ). On Monday we lost little Astraea, Cherish's bub. Losing any horse is hard, but losing one so young, who had no quality of life from the moment she was born, is very hard to take. Astraea was due to go home to her adoptive mum on the day we had to euthenase her.
Julia and David had been coming out to visit little Ast whenever they were able, and came to know her mum Cherish also in that time. They have now decided to offer Cherish a home. In Julia's words: "It is one way I feel we can continue to do the right thing by Astraea, because we can care for her mum the way her mum, against all odds, cared for her."
Cherish is going to be sorely missed, particularly by Rhonda, who has done such a sterling job of caring for her since she was brough back from that paddock. Julia is not far away though, and we know that we will receive regular updates and pictures of Cherish's progress.
Good luck Cherish with your new life. We are in awe of your strength and quiet dignity, you are one hell of a horse. I can still see you lying on the ground out at that paddock that first day, your foal standing over you, and the water we tried to help you drink just streaming from your nostrils. You were as close as a horse can get to death, yet here you are! Loved by many, never to be forgotten again.
I cannot express in words just how it makes me feel to see these pictures of you below, arriving at your new home, only two months from that day. I take my hat off to you my girl, you are forever engraved in our memories. You will never be in a position again where you will experience such desperation, with so many people who now love you. That's a promise. Thank you for trying so hard. Thank you also to Rhonda for showing Cherish so much love, which we know is crucial in a horse's will to thrive.
 
 
8.06.07
From Julia:
"Here is our beautiful big girl on her first outing to the paddock. The boys had a big sulk because they had to stay in the yards. I reckon she looks pretty happy. I know we are."
13.06.07
Cherish and one of her new roomies, 'Buffy' (Love the matching outfits Julia!)
22.06.07
From Julia:
"Here is the beautiful girl today having a brush and a chat with me up in the yards by the house. I think she has put on a bit more weight too which is great. She is settling now but still has moments especially when there are lots of new things going on. Today we had the ride on mower and trailer out doing cleaning up around the place and a bonfire going and it was all quite nerve wracking for her. She came on a nice walk down the drive to the far gate and had a look at the grey pony across on the neighbours property she was as god as gold, whereas Saxon chucked a wobbly in his yard (one day he's going to pull something being an idiot)."
 
3.07.07
 
Wow Julia, Cherish has a bum !
12.07.07
 
15.09.07
 
29.09.07
13.10.07
 
28.10.07
26.11.07
Love this pic...two happy girls !
16.02.08
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