Hip Tag #690. We had just entered the auction, hadn’t even checked in; we were doing a quick walk-through when she was rushed down the aisle beside us. We both stopped breathing for a second and I can’t even type what I said, but in my mind I thought “dead horse walking”. I have learned to compartmentalize my emotions so I can stay on task. I decided to go check in and get my bidding number.
The office is at the top of stairs above the bleachers, and when I walked out, bidding card in hand, I could see her on the auction floor; bidding had started. No time to think, I threw up my bidding card, but it was back and forth between the two killbuyers. I finally waved my arms in the air, and I was in the mix. I kept throwing my card up until I won.
Holy crap….we had just gotten there, I knew NOTHING about this horse, except that she was emaciated. I was shaking and ran to find Liz. Turns out she was at the bottom of the bleachers wishing I would hurry up because this horse needed to be saved, and then she looked up and saw me bidding. Great minds…
The horse was tied up outside with temps in the low 30s, visibly shaking and freezing, snotty nose, and terrified. I grabbed the vet, and when he saw her, he said there’s no way she should have been allowed to go through the sale. To his defense, the auction was packed, and they ran her through so quickly he didn’t have a chance to stop it. Lucky for her, in a great twist of fate, she was able to go home with us instead of being returned to her owner who brought her in like that.
Sometimes you just know you were in the right place at the right time. ✨
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