Ebony suffered a lifetime of abuse. Not all the details are known, but what I do know is that Ebony and Ivory never had much of a chance. The first time I met Ebony was years ago when I was working with a vet at the time. We had an emergency call at the ranch where both Ebony and Ivory were. The call was for Ivory. She was cut up from head to toe. The owners never said what cause her injuries, but we spent most of the day stitching her up along with two others. But My eyes were fixed on Ebony, a pregnant mare who could barely walk and was under weight.
The ranch had over twenty horses. The condition of the ranch was disgusting! All they cared about was breeding the hell out of these horses. They were reported several times, yet nothing was done. Over the years, the horses started disappearing one by one. The last two left were Ebony and Ivory.
When I received Ebony and Ivory there wasn’t much life left. By now both were 24 years old, both with severe arthritis, Ivory’s due to injuries, and Ebony’s due to having partial hip sockets. Of course that didn’t stop these people from using them as brood-mares and running them into the ground. Since I’ve had these two, I watched them slowly come back to life. I’ve watched them build a trust for me, run, play, and just enjoy what they have. But the bond, the bond they have for each other…is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.
Update:
This never gets any easier. Once again I have to say goodbye to two more beautiful animals that have touched my heart. Ebony and Ivory, two horses with an amazing bond and compassion for each other, together all their lives. They had lived in horrific conditions, severe abuse, being the only two survivors of 26 other horses who died of illness, beatings, and just plain neglect.
Granted, they both had good days and bad, but neither was sick at the same time and when one was, the other always stood strong by their side. Neither would eat unless the other one was able.
This past couple of weeks, I have watched these two slowly get weaker. Both were starting to fail and both pretty much let me know it was time.
Ebony and Ivory passed away on August 7, 2014. They were both 31. They went together. Both Ebony and Ivory were with us for seven years.