A former optician quit her job this past summer so she could focus on a bigger, lifelong passion: horses.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Penny Parker experienced a literal pitfall of her new occupation – saving horses from the slaughterhouse – when Cyrus, an 18-year-old Clydesdale, needed a second rescue after falling into a muddy ravine. About six weeks earlier, Parker had outbid someone who intended to turn Cyrus into horsemeat at an auction in New Holland.
Parker said she watched nervously as about 100 emergency workers struggled for four hours to extricate Cyrus, who had been anesthetized, before a giant crane lifted him to higher ground. She said a moment of panic occurred after veterinarians reversed the anesthesia and Cyrus stumbled. “The crane lifted him up again,” she said.
Then she summoned Ghost, one of Cyrus’s equine companions, to come and visit, which immediately had a positive effect.
Susie Spackman, whose family has owned the 300-year-old Thornbury Farm for more than a century, witnessed the reunion. “It was so heartwarming,” she said. “The horses were just nuzzling one another.”
On Thursday, Oct. 6, Parker said she’s optimistic that Cyrus would make a full recovery. She said he is being housed temporarily at Unionville Equine Associates in Oxford for observation, where the staff would be working to prevent pneumonia and rehydrate him. She said Cyrus has a slightly droopy lip from some paralysis, some pretty sore muscles, an elevated heart rate, and a rattle in his lungs – not unexpected outcomes given his ordeal.
Once he’s released, he’ll get lots of TLC and should be ready to go to his new home in Virginia in a couple of weeks, Parker said.
Parker explained that she divides her time between barn management duties at Thornbury Farm in Thornbury Township and Heartland Farm Stables in East Marlborough Township. She also volunteers with Horses of New Holland, an online rescue operation. Every Monday, she attends the auction, buys the horses people have expressed interest in saving, and quarantines them for 30 days at Heartland before transporting them to their new owners.
Cyrus had graduated from quarantine status and had been hanging out at Thornbury Farm, awaiting his trip to Virginia, when calamity struck, Parker said. “I think he’s going to be totally fine,” she said.
Pamela Horswill, who rescued Cyrus with her husband, Keith, set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/2tn3m66k to help defray the costs of the horse’s rescue.
“This was a massive rescue effort that included many, many wonderful people,” her posting said. “We are eternally grateful to all for their safe extraction of Cyrus from this swamp. A lot of large equipment was used, including a crane. All of this machinery and effort does cost money and we need help with that. Please help us with anything you can. Every little bit helps. We are so appreciative of you and your prayers.”
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