March/April 2024 Issue

Page 60 March/April 2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Marcella Peyre-Ferry You never know where you will find the horse that is perfect for you. For Janine Guido, the horse that fills all her needs Returning to Riding, She Found the Perfect Warmblood in a Kill Pen came out of a kill pen in Ala- bama. Janine has been riding since she was five years old, but injuries kept her out of the saddle for more than a decade. She remained vitally entwined with animals, running Speranza Animal Rescue at her family’s 17-acre farm near Mechanicsburg, PA. The rescue focuses primarily on bully breed dogs, but also includes a wide range of farm animals plus two zebras and a camel. As far as horses go, Speran- za was focused on a few older, neglected or unrideable animals that needed a healthy retirement home. Known for her willingness to take in the worst cases, Janine didn’t have a horse she could ride. In 2021, a year after recover- ing from knee surgery, Janine let her friends know she was inter- ested in returning to riding. Soon she got a call from one who had spotted a horse in an Alabama kill pen. What made this horse stand out was that he was a branded warmblood. “I had gone through so many bad injuries and knee surgeries. I wanted to get back into riding but I needed something that wasn’t going to kill me,” Janine said. The 16.2 hand, bay Holstein- er gelding that would become known as Murphy was in poor condition weight-wise, missing several front teeth from peri- odontal disease and had a healed bowed tendon with no apparent lameness. “He looked broken. His eyes had no hope,” Janine said. “Little did I know he would turn out to be the perfect mister unicorn ever. I cannot say enough good things about this horse.” All Janine had to go by was a photograph, but she was willing to take a chance. “I thought, ‘if I can ride him great, if I can’t, I can’t-- that’s OK,’ There was just something special about him,” she said. It took time to get Murphy back into shape. As he gained weight and condition it became apparent that this was a horse with a history. When it came time to get on his back, Janine was hesitant at first, but Murphy exceeded all expectations. The first ride was a five-minute walk - a small step to build confidence. The next included trot work and Janine began to see a hint of how well Murphey had been trained. “He does incredible lead changes, he jumps anything - you just point him at it. He’s got the best brain. I can’t say enough good things about him,” Janine said. “He’s a once in a lifetime horse and I got him from a kill pen.” In addition to being a willing jumper, it is possible he was trained for eventing at one time. “It’s apparent he has had dressage training,” Janine said. Although he is believed to be in his mid-twenties, Murphy is still fit and ready to show. Janine has taken him to nearby shows under his new show name “Sim- ple Man.” In February 2023 they won all three of their over fences classes at Heritage Acres Winter IV and placed fourth in the flat class to earn the Baby Green Hunter Championship. (Continued on page 67) After not riding for more than a decade, Janine Guido was in search of the perfect partner when a friend stumbled upon this warmblood, once loved and spoiled, now broken and slaughter-bound, in a kill pen in Alabama. Guido and ‘Murphy’, now rehabbed and back in the show ring, won a Baby Green championship in February. t 1G ' · 1 Wor s To $ave H I rses trom l Standard Treatment for Colic Treatment of Future - Past 30+ Years Available Now! • Wait on Veterinarian - some vets no longer make house calls • Walk horses for Hours • Give SHOT in vein - Muscle Relaxant! • Stuff stiff tube up horse's nose and down into his mouth - complications • Mineral Oil placed down tube - does not dissolve the impaction Order NOW Why is there a need for an alternative treatment for colic? Colic, World Wide in 2008, killed a record 5.9 Million Horses or approximately 1 horse every 8.9 seconds! 98%, died from impactions! Those horses received conventional colic treatments by a vet, surgery by a vet or surgeon, or were hospitalized, before they died. Why give Equine Colic Relief? • No Bowel Sounds, horse still ill? See if cures a normal bout of impaction still alive in morning? • Eliminate waiting for Vet! - Does not require a vet to administer • Eliminiate walking for hours! Ok to lie back down (if not rolling) • Eliminates Shots! Muscle Relaxants - • Eliminates Struggles & Tube Complications! • Eliminates WORRY! All natural ingredients, 14 years shelf life • Bowel sounds in 10 - 30 minutes - Cure normal bout within 3 hours colic - every time without fail! ine Coli� Relief is your Fir � t Defens� to stop bout of colic Orde� Today nline: E1uineCol � cReliefU .. A.com Retail Store Wanted -- Help Do Your Part In Saving More Horses