THEN and NOW

I have an update on the Arena Collapse. 

This past weekend, we went out and got the plants for the girls (Butterfly and Rosie) Memorial flower bed. Butterfly bushes, Roses and a Bleeding Heart fill (or will with time) the flower bed. Its hasn't been easy on us, but we think being able to watch the plants grow will help heal the scars on our hearts. 

The Serenity Prayer 

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. 
~ Reinhold Niebuhr 

Arena Update

We want to say thanks for the continued support of family and friends. They have been there to share laughs, share cries, share the sunburn, and share the sore body. We had nine people out on Saturday and six on Sunday to help clean up and clear out part of the wreckage. We manage to get most of one arena down and cleaned up. We were about to just get started on the second arena.

Steve who put us all to work at jobs we were able to do, was able to get the most work out of the team without undo stress on any one person. He was pleasantly surprised at the amount of work that was done. We are already farer ahead then were hope for in two work weekends. 

RIP Cando Rosette and Butterfly. 

After writing this and reading it over I see how badly I express what happened, but then I don’t think there is anyway to put into words what happened so I will do the best that I can.  

The weather was so bad on Saturday that Mom and Steve decided that the outside horses would stay the night in the barn. My mom opened the doors and gates to make a hallway from outside to the indoor arenas. That way the horses from outside could be called in all at once and given a chance to roll off some snow before going into stalls. All but the stallions were in the arenas, mares in foal, yearlings, geldings and minis. While they where in there my mom got the stalls readied. She was on her way back to the one arena to start sorting out mares, when there was noise, a noise that could only be described as earth shaking. My mom called out to Steve to ask what it was.  Steve was the closest to the arena door, he opened it up and yelled back that the roof had fallen in and he couldn’t see any of the horses.  

While you plan for cuts, early foals, bad mannered horses and plan for anything you can imagine, this was not something you plan for, this is not something that you think would happen in your worst nightmares.  

There was only the two of them doing chores that night. Mom was faced with a horrible blank, who to call for help.  She called 911 in shock, they asked her if she needed an ambulance, no, the police, no, the fire department, YES - Manpower. Next was a call to the vet, and her mother to take over the calling for help. 

During this God had his hands around the horses. There was a small herd of horses that made it to the only part of the arena still standing, a small part closest to the door. They had to have run over tin, nails, and around broken lumber. And they came out almost untouched. One gelding cut his cornet band and needed a few stitches; the others in that group were just covered in insulation. Three pregnant mares were found pined to the side of the arena. All three were able to be lead out. One of the three mares, Tory, was in the farthest and she is in a great deal of pain, but the vet found nothing that won’t heal with quiet stall rest.  

The arenas were in a T shape. The top of the T had the minis and yearlings. It was also the worst of the collapse. Out of the five yearlings in the top arena three of them had to be pulled out. One yearling, Showdin was found standing with the fallen roof all around him. He was so good, he didn’t fight the helpers, and he didn’t freak out at all and managed to make it out without any injuries. The other yearling colt, Pic was saved by being knocked down beside the tractor and manure spreader. The force was so strong; it broke the tires off the spreader. He came out with most of his body swollen but no broken bones and no cuts.  The last yearling was a filly, she was not so lucky, she was found trapped under beams with at the very least a broken leg. The vet was there to end her pain. Three of the minis were able to run out a side door. Two others were not able to do so. One mare, Chicklet was down and so covered with snow that people were climbing over and on her and it wasn’t until one man broke through the snow and was pulling his boot out that he noticed hair. Chicklet was pulled out and rushed to the vet. Other then shock she only had a small cut on the inside of her leg. The last mini mare, Butterfly was not found. Everyone looked for her, in any place that was possible to look.  But as horrible as it is, her body wasn’t found.

My moms apartment has a office that looks out over the arenas, I found her in there sitting, looking out grieving. No one that goes thorough something like this is the same afterwards. 

We want to make sure that we thank the people were there to help us in our hour of need. We are really sorry if we miss anyone, but that night is a blur of faces and animals. I know my mom and Steve would have never been able to handle it all without all the help and support.  

Thank you to; 

The fire departments of Smiths Falls and BBD&E

Steve Scott of Perth Vet Clinic

Andy of A&L Motors.

The Weber family, our neighbors and friends.

John of John Edwards Custom Services.

Eric Beere

Steve

Peter and Wendy.  

Kim, Mel and Mary.

Kim Braid and Sherry for offering barn space.    

Jen & Jessica for coming out and helping on Sunday.

Also thank you to the people that came or called offering support, and comfort. 

THEN