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UPDATE: Thanks to everyone for all your inquiries! Freedom found a great home, just miles away from where I live!
FREEDOM:
Black Percheron gelding in his 30's looking for a permanent home. For more information, or to schedule a visit to come see Freedom in person, please contact me:
Cheryl (630) 267-0357
I think the ideal home for Freedom would be as a therapeutic riding horse (due to his gentle disposition, and slow-moving gaits), however, I have heard that because of his height, the side-walkers would have a difficult time. He would fit well into any home where could either be a companion horse, light walking/riding, or to lead kids around.
Freedom is a black Percheron gelding who's in his 30's. He is currently kept in Kirkland, IL. He is the most gentle horse I've known, which is why I rescued him a year ago from the situation he was in even though I didn't have much money or time to rehabilitate him. When I found him, he had been sitting in a stall 24/7 for the past year with a puncture wound in his stifle area that had not been treated or even cleaned for months. The flies swarmed around him and ate at the flesh of his wound. His hindquarters were very weak, his chestnuts were so overgrown that they touched every step, and at his first hoof trimming, 4-5 inches were taken off.
Above: August 2006
I talked to some of the people who have known him, including his past owners. He was born and brought up on an Amish farm, where he was a plow horse and was ridden by the kids. Then, a man who did carriage driving in Chicago bought him and he worked for another 15-20 years doing that. Freedom's work ethic is amazing. He is currently being ridden a couple times per month for short rides by either myself or my 6 year old son, Tyler. When I ride him, we take a walk about 1/2 mile down the road to the hay field where I let him graze for a while, or we'll go for a short walk through the woods. When Tyler rides him, Freedom doesn't seem to mind at all that Tyler slides around his back, stands up, kneels, and even slides off his butt like a playground slide. He doesn't seem to spook at anything, and is very laid back and sweet. The summer camp kids last year loved him and all took turns riding him around the arena. Afterwards, Freedom was all they could talk about!
Above: April 2007, Gentle Giant!
Freedom is approximately 1600 lbs. and somewhere around 16-16.2 hands (although we have not measured him). He has not been diagnosed, but we suspect that he has EPSM, a disorder often found in draft horses that causes excess sugar from the diet to be stored in the muscle in the hind end. The disorder is similar to some forms of diabetes. The sugar that is stored in the hind end makes his hind end stiff. So, we counter-act the effects of the disorder with a special feeding program. He is on Purina Strategy, which has lower sugar and carb content, but higher protein and fat content. He has 2 scoops in the morning and 2 scoops in the evening, although he would likely benefit from a lunch feeding as well. According to research, the less fat he has in his diet, the more stiff he becomes. He is currently on pasture board with access to several lean-to's and a wooded area. He currently eats free choice grass hay and has access to pasture grass in the spring/summer/fall. For grain, he eats approximately 6 bags of Purina Strategy (or he can have Nutrena SafeChoice, since these two products are very similar) and we add as much fat (olive & canola oils) onto the pellets as he'll eat. He seems to do well with rice bran added into the feed as well, but to keep costs low I only add that in when he seems a little stiff.
The wound that he had in his stifle was too late to suture without expensive surgery. The edges of the skin began to heal during the months that nobody cared for it, and the vet said it should be fine. Because the surface area of the puncture was too wide for the skin to heal quickly, it was more like a scab all last year, and I had to apply fly repellent to keep the flies from getting at it. With a lot of care, it has closed up, but it is taking a long time to scar. After 1 1/2 yrs, it's finally growing some hair over the scar tissue (the surface area was too wide for the skin to heal properly). There doesn't seem to be any lasting problems from the puncture, and it's healing slowly but surely.
Above: August 2006
He does have some arthritis, but it doesn't seem to get him down anymore. When I first got him he had some trouble with the muddy paddocks in the winter, but I then moved him to a place where he could be on firm limestone screenings for footing during the winter and rainy seasons and his movement improved greatly. I think it was just stressful for him to pull those big draft feet out of the suction-cup-like mud every step. He moves around the pasture and paddock as much as the rest of the horses. I tried him on glucosamine and devils claw herb and didn't see much of a difference in movement. I did see an enormous amount of improvement in his movement the more fat we added to his diet, so I think the EPSM bothers him more than the arthritis when he isn't getting enough fat in his diet. He seems to digest the fat very well, and it does not make him overweight.
His hind hooves can be difficult to trim if his diet is not right (low sugar, lots of fat). He moves around good, but it's difficult for him to stand still with his weight on one hind leg for an extended period of time for trimming. Whenever we've had difficulty with that, we've given him some bute before his trims and he did just fine. I am a wholistic bare hoof specialist, so I'm willing to continue to do his trimming at no charge if I can find a home for him within 30 miles from either Kirkland, IL or Frankfort, IL. Freedom currently resides in Kirkland, IL (just north of Dekalb, but just south of Belvidere). Or, anywhere directly in-between Kirkland and Frankfort.
Above: August 2006
I think he would stay happy and healthy in a situation where he could be outside during daylight hours with free-choice hay, and in a stall for morning/night feedings. He is the "low man" in the pecking order of the herd and has never been aggressive toward his pasture mates, but I think he really likes the "break" he gets being in a stall for feeding so he doesn't have to worry about being pushed around by other horses. His weight needs to be watched because he is so passive to other horses that he won't eat unless he feels like he's at a safe distance from any horses that may push him away from the hay. This is why some stall time at night would be a good thing for him -- he can eat his own hay and grain in peace and keep a healthy weight. In his current home, he is brought into a stall for about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening for his feeding, and he's outside the rest of the time. He seems to like the peace and quiet of his own stall time feedings, but when he's done eating, he'll stand with his head at the door just waiting to come out.
Above: February 2006
He has had a very noble past, and I've heard so many touching stories about the things he has done. His previous home was going to send him to the slaughterhouse because his driving partner (another black percheron, of whom he had been with for many years) died from colic and they didn't want to pay for Freedom's board anymore if they didn't have a "team" to drive (their wagon was for a team, and they didn't have the money to buy another draft). I just couldn't let that happen, he deserves to live his life out in a much better way.
He does have the normal age-related problems, but he is healthy enough to carry around children and to have a simple job to do. I think the use and movement would be very good for him physically and mentally, and his past history seems to bring out the sympathetic and caring side in everyone. He loves to stand still for grooming and attention. As much as I want to keep him (I just love him to pieces!) I have three horses and I'm having difficulty finding enough time for all three, and Freedom is ready now to move on to a more permanent home where he will be lightly used, cared for and loved by many.
If you are at all interested in Freedom, would like more information about him, or would like to see him in person, please call me:
Cheryl (630) 267-0357
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