Meet Beriah
Beriah aka Lightening Jack
Arrived 2nd March 2016
Passed 25th May 2019
Beriah was rescued around 11 years ago due to the former owner labelling him as “Surplus to their requirements” and considering it “time” to maybe shoot him. This once magnificent looking horse had completed at the highest level of Equestrian Sport, but now before us stood a sad under-nourished black gelding.
We were told that a person who had worked where Beriah was stabled and trained had witnessed him being beaten, starved and abused. Beriah’s rescuer set about treating him gently and with consistent kindness enabling him to trust humans again. Being of course, hand shy any sudden movement of any one’s hand would cause him to rear up in fear. Unfortunately, the lovely lady who rescued him fell on bad times and her property had to be sold, necessitating Beriah to be agisted else where and away from his rescuer’s loving care. Her efforts to still care for his welfare financially in spite of her personal problems became too much, and after 8 years of “No hands on care” agistment she realized he needed a sanctuary as his health was rapidly deteriorating.
Beriah’s rescuer’s sent out a heart felt plea to C.H.S. to please consider him to join our family. After much consideration we opened our hearts and gates to this 26 year old, beautiful and forgiving horse where we will endeavour to help him regain his health, self esteem and continue to trust humans for his remaining years…however:
Around 10.30 AM on 25/5/2019 this horse with a giant heart and soul was put to sleep. He was found down very early that morning and all indications by the marks on the ground he had been suffering for a long time.
It was a repeat of what I saw with dear Topaz and Merc, on both of these sad occasions it was kidney failure and they just could not get up. Myself and helper Vince tried very hard to help him to stand but his rear end would not respond, also we were concerned about his organs being damaged by the continue weight by lying on hard ground. Merc totally lost an eye during his terrible time of not being able to get up, he just rubbed the eye right out of the socket and twice I had to open Beriah’s eye socket and swap with a sponge because it was filling up with sand.
Again with Merc also his mouth was caked with sand and I opened up Beriah’s mouth and there was sand in it, not as full as Merc but it would not have been long before it would have been. With the fear they experience plus the terrible discomforts they are experiencing makes it all so horrible.
I was forced to make the terrible decision of having to put this dear horse to sleep with my own hands because of his suffering. What was so painful for me is that by just moving just one finger about 10 ml I brought to an end around 30 years of life and that of a horse that was near perfect. He NEVER laid his ears back in anger, he never ever gave a slight indication of a kick, he was so polite and cooperative and I freely use the word PERFECT.
When he arrived here he was very thin, he had a visible bone running parallel with his spine and his ribs were protruding etc. His teeth were extremely long and he would be continually seen sucking his tongue and be dribbling. This was corrected by some very skilful equine dentistry. The indication was for a great length of time fly’s had been affecting his eyes and I had to regularly bathe his eyes with water and tea leaves etc.
He seemed to be dragging his hind leg as he walked and I had to carefully trim his hooves to give him some relief. (The last two years this trusting fella used to let me trim his hooves with power tools and I will say it was a pleasure to me to work with him.)
It was interesting to note when he arrived the two top Alpha horses gave him special treatment. In the past Rebel and Irish would be quite strict on all new arrivals into the sanctuary in showing them what is expected of them to join the herd, but with Beriah they in fact were quite soft and very gentle with him. Beriah being such a sensible horse found his intro into the herd uncomplicated. Because there was some evidence that he was loosing his eye sight, we gave his companion Omar a small bell to wear just in case Beriah needed a sound to be able to safety move around. A few days after Beriah died it was evident that Omar missed his companion Beriah.
I personally found it very painful to have to bring the life of such a lovely horse to an end. Every time I am called upon to do this I tear up. The day after doing this was a very long sad day indeed. I had to keep reminding myself that the sanctuary gave him three years and two months of daily care and love that he would not of had.
I miss him dreadfully and cannot believe he is gone; sometimes I feel I am not strong enough for this type of life and need others to help carry the grieving.
Rest in Peace our dear friend. May you run free across the Rainbow Bridge.
Alan Gent