February 16th, 2010

I do have to tell you something really amazing – you skeptics probably won’t believe it and I wouldn’t blame you at all. There’s a lady with an amazing talent – an ability to communicate with animals. When my business partner (Kathi Davis) was away at a meeting this woman was a featured guest. I had to put the 6 babies in the barn that night by myself and they weren’t cooperating so I was crabby by the end of the ordeal. Apparently after two years of going into the same stalls each night this was a new experience for them and they were being difficult. After finally getting them each into their correct stalls with their grain and water for the night I turned the lights out in the barn and didn’t say goodnight to them as I usually do. Just closed it up and went inside. Little did I realize that my business partner would ask this woman to communicate with our horses and that the little monsters would ‘tell’ on me that I hadn’t said goodnight to them and they were upset about that. The woman’s name is Marilyn. She told her and others present, things about their horses that only they and their horses could possibly know. I happen to believe that we are all spiritual beings in these carbon shells so it’s not a big stretch for me to believe that somebody could communicate with horses. The reason I tell you this is that before today’s lift with the sling, Kathi put in an urgent call to Marilyn Tokach. Marilyn called back and communicated with Windchill. The notes from the call are amazing, Windchill told her where he hurt. He told her he didn’t understand why we were trying so hard now for him, that he didn’t want to die but didn’t expect to live and that now he’s holding on mostly out of curiosity to see what happens. She asked her to tell him what we were planning to do with the sling and he apparently understood. And you know what? Windchill was as calm as could be as we moved him in the sling and lifted him up that first time, quietly waiting to see if his legs would hold him. I don’t want to sound like some sort of commercial – like I said, had I not experienced it myself I wouldn’t believe it but if you find yourself in a position where you desperately need to communicate with your animal – I would recommend talking to her: Marilyn Tokach, 952.226.2622, www.pure-spirit.com Marilyn donated her time for this session today when she heard the story and that meant a lot to all of us.

For those that have read the news-tribune’s articles, or watched on this website, if you haven’t experienced the bitter cold we’ve had it’s difficult to describe. We’ve gotten inquiries asking why we don’t just soak him in warm water, why we didn’t run an IV — I think it’s hard when you haven’t experienced it to not realize that warm water freezes very quickly in the cold we’ve been experiencing and an IV would freeze as quickly as it was set, thus when we began re-hydrating him it had to be with warm water in buckets held close to him so he could drink. Those of us who have sat on the frozen floor with him walk away with cold, sore joints and bones. We can only take it in shifts. Even with all the blankets, hay and sawdust on the floor the cold is always present. I bring this up not to bring attention to the humans involved – we can all get up, we can all get some hot coffee and walk around and get the blood flowing through our systems. Windchill can’t – go lay your face or arm on some ice cubes and see how long your system can tolerate it. Windchill did just that – he didn’t slip and fall on the ice, he endured the bitter -20 temps, 30mph winds and -55 windchill until the lack of water and nourishment finally brought him down and there he lay for 6 hours calling into the wind. How do I know that? Because when we got there with the trailer, the only thing that worked on him was his head and neck and he was whinnying his high pitched call for help across the wind-swept pasture – we could hear it above the winds themselves. The cold wind was so vicious I could hardly take a breath as we moved him. He survived all that, plus the ongoing bitter cold we’ve had laying on that floor. The unbelievable thing is he’s still alive, he’s hung on and for what? His experience with humans has been one of neglect, loneliness, and having to fend for himself . If you stop and think about it, he has clung to life and never really experienced it in a positive way. Maybe somewhere deep in each being’s heart and soul is a belief that it can be loved and that’s what Windchill holds on to. I know he’s swallowing up the hugs, the pets, the kisses and massages and people reading to him and singing to him. I believe that he can feel in his soul the warm wishes and prayers of the many who have reached out to him and want him to live. But he didn’t have that before. So as I watched him re-learning to use his legs today suspended in that sling I wondered what he held onto out in that pasture as life slowly slipped away from him. Whatever it was ultimately, I’m truly glad he continues to hold onto that. He’s sure put things in perspective for me – my problems aren’t quite so bad when I think about him laying there clinging to life so desperately based entirely on a hope that it can be better. And in his case, it will definitely be better, that we all promise him.

9:40pm: Whew! A long day but one definitely worth living. After standing for 10 minutes with the help of a sling earlier in the day, at 5pm a group gathered to again help keep Windchill placed correctly as we raised him back to his feet. As soon as Windchill heard the chains of the winch working he knew what was going on and was ready to put his feet on the ground. Once again he stood – this time for 20 minutes. He was less interested in eating and more interested in trying to move around. At the end of his 20 minutes of aerobic workout, trying out the legs that have slowly come back to life over the past couple of days, he again told us he was exhausted by slumping down in the sling and starting to go to sleep. We lowered him back to the ground and he was able to reposition his legs just before drifting off. I find it difficult to put into words the feelings and emotions that ran through us as we saw him standing there, his eyes bright and excited that he was looking at the world as a horse should – on his four legs, standing proud, ready to run or walk or get him into mischief like the other babies on this farm do. I was both proud of the little guy, like a dad, and I was humbled as I stood there watching. Windchill’s story has apparently spread across this country. He’s been getting email from all over. We’ve gotten calls from all over the area and all over the country. We never expected any of that. We underestimated the depth of caring in our community, and in fact, the country. When we loaded that frozen colt in the trailer one week ago today we knew it was a battle for his life with very little chance of survival. I figured we’d be in this alone, nobody would really care about us trying to save a little horse. I was wrong.

1PM: WINDCHILL IS UP! Windchill stood for the first time since he went down last Saturday! It was a major team effort from the crew that volunteered to be here for the lift today, which is largely the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department (many of whom came in on their day off as they have been all week to check on him) along with some additional volunteers – Larry Erickson, from a neighboring farm; Cindy Aho from Cloquet who donated the use of her sling, as well as block and tackle wench to lift from the rafters; Sheriff Tom Dalbec; Deputy Karen Kucera and of course Kathi Davis, Walker, and myself!

Windchill preparations to rise

Windchill rising

11am: Jamie Meagher, DVM has examined Windchill from head to toe. While there’s still not a strong pulse in his front legs they’re definitely warm and he’s definitely flexing them. After giving us a bunch of tips for his continued care she gave us the green light to go ahead and lift him onto his legs. We can now call in the crew that’s volunteered to help in the lift! And best of all she said – DON’T PUT HIM DOWN!

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=60418&section=homepage

02/16, 7:29am: This is Windchill’s big day. All of our energies will be focused on getting him on his feet. Late last night he was slipping back into his funk. He was showing some spirit with the visitors here last night but even before our last volunteer left at 10pm he was slipping back into it but perhaps it was just exhaustion from his earlier efforts to push up on the hay bale. We think once we all start working to get him on his feet that his spirit and probably adrenaline will kick in and he’ll want to help. He’s a fighter – he’s been battling overwhelming odds and has more than gotten his mileage out of a “1% odds.” If, correction: when, he survives this that little guy should really buy a lottery ticket!

We’re encouraged by his spirit today, he’s trying to sit up which is a good sign he’s trying again. Kathi just moved Dance back in with him, we rotate the ‘moms’ to give them a break. We think he has a crush on Dance, he gets excited and starts ‘talking’ quite a bit when she moves back into the stall next to him and she dotes over him like a mother hen. Annie acts more as a protective guardian, checking out each individual as they come in to see the little guy and then standing by in case they do something she doesn’t like. So with Dance encouraging him, and his volunteers helping him get up today, I think he stands a really good chance of seeing his stall from above instead of below today. Pray pray pray pray!