11/03/2026
It is with sadness and gratitude that I report that Spirit Ridge Judy was humanely euthanized this week.
Sadness because it is always that way when we lose one. Gratitude because this smart, gentle, amazing little mare enjoyed 3 years of care, love, and medical management to live pain free she would not have otherwise known had she been allowed to ship.
We knew when we rescued her that she had a serious problem with a foreleg. As best as the vets could decern, it had been broken and then allowed to heal on its own, with no veterinary assistance. The vet examining her after she settled into QT said it would have healed well if only someone had taken the time to see to it. The damage was permanent, yet after it healed in a bent and crooked way, this little mare was put back into service pulling a carriage. The information we were given was she was driven to the auction on that twisted leg.
People criticized us for spending money to save her life, but we knew it was the right thing to do. We realized saving her might be simply to give her a gentle death right then.
However, Judy had other ideas. With a good trim and proper meds, she had 3 years of great care with Tom and Cindy, who loved her very much. She was incredibly sweet towards people, and a boss hoss in the herd, one of those the other horses listen to with just a flick of the ear. "Parting the Red Sea" was how it was described.
During a routine vet visit this fall, however, it was obvious the arthritis in that twisted joint has gotten worse and keeping her free of pain was no longer possible. With the coming winter, the tough decision to let her pass from this Earth was made. After a day of deep grass with an equine friend, and apple treats from the human ones, she went to the heavenly pastures we know await all horses.
Here's to you, Judy girl. You are finally free of the pain human misuse and neglect caused you. Kick up your heels and race across the field.
So let us not mourn her. Let us remember her strength and her ability to love humans despite the cruelty she had known, and to recognize that in rescuing her we reaffirmed our own dedication to these magnificent animals who so often suffer without a voice.
She, too, is why we do what we do. Two photos from when we first rescued her are included, so people will understand when this mare had endured.
