Commentary—

Farewell Amadeus

By Virginia Devlin

I first saw Amadeus in this barn in Woodbury during a huge snowstorm in 1996. There were several of us there that night to water and feed these starving horses and ponies. It was bitter cold, and some of the stall windows were completely broken so the wind whipped through the stall and throughout the barn. There was one horse there that made an impression on me. He was a tall 17.1-hand red chestnut horse who was like the others — bone thin. But he had this look. In spite of his declining health he still had the look of eagles. Two years later all the horses and ponies were seized for animal cruelty because a vet had the courage to make a complaint.

A year after that, on New Year’s day in 1999, the same red chestnut was dropped off at my farm that I use as a sanctuary for abused and neglected domestic and companion animals that other rescue organizations do not want because of age, injury, and/or severity of abuse making them unadoptable.

The big red horse was now 25 years old and very nervous. He was still 300–400 pounds underweight and very head shy. He had a gash on his poll coming down his brow a bit that needed stitches. The call to the vet had gone out. He had been shipped to my farm in too small a trailer with no head gear on. And now this terrified, head shy horse was about to have me and the vet work on him to get his head sewn up.

Amadeus came through the procedure with only minor problems, and over the next week I got him to get over being head shy. He had good hay, plenty of grain, and lots of water. He did not like getting turned out because at the abusive barn he was turned out all the time with no food, so his safety lay in his ability to get back to the barn and, more importantly, back to his stall. That was a trait that never left him — that and his fear of a halter, which is how his abuse always started.

In April Bob Simard, a well-known horse dentist, came to the farm to do the horses, and I asked him if he recognized Amadeus who by now was the picture of good health. At first he was not sure, and then he remembered the horse as one he had worked on while the horse was on the grand prix circuit. He told me Amadeus had been worth between $1.5 and $2 million in his day, and had represented the United States all over the world. Then he asked me how I got him because he knew I only took in abused horses, and I told him the story.

Amadeus never took his eye off of me as he gained weight and got used to life at the farm and the other animals here. We became inseparable and a deep and lasting bond was formed. We had many wonderful times together, and I remember one in particular.

It was the 4th of July a few years ago, and I got home from work a few minutes before 9 pm and Amadeus was out looking over to the ridges that is our view at the farm. So I went out to him to see what he was looking at. It was the fireworks. There was no noise, but you could see all the pretty colors as the fireworks exploded. So we watched them together standing side-by-side with my arm up and over his back. We watched to the very end. Afterward, Amadeus went back to the barn, and I walked to the house. But it was a wonderful moment.

Amadeus became the social director of the barn as he walked down the aisle talking to all the animals — mainly the other horses. He would not dare to talk to the goats or the poultry — and forget talking to a cow! He also became our poster boy to represent all abused animals because if it happened to a horse of this caliber, then what chance do the little horses and ponies have who have not had huge careers? He would politely pose for pictures until he had enough and then he would walk back to his stall.

On December 17, 2009, just three weeks shy of turning 36, Amadeus collapsed in his stall. I called the vet, who said that his vitals were all normal and there were no broken bones. Then he said the only way to get him up was to hoist him up. I spent the day between the telephone and Amadeus giving him water and then trying to find a beam, a hoist and straps. I called the fire department, and they tried to get the noble horse up, but we did not have the right equipment and it did not work. Then my vet said to call New England Equine and see what they could do. So I did and I learned that they will come to your barn to get your horse up. Because Amadeus was in his stall, I was told to bring him into their hospital. So I lined everything up for such an undertaking with New England Equine sending someone to supervise, me getting a trailer and the firehouse people to carry Amadeus. I returned from the vet with more pain medication only to discover that Amadeus had died. He had talked quite a bit that morning and ate and drank, but now he was gone.

When Amadeus had been at the farm for a few months, he colicked, which required surgery or I was told he would have to be put down. He was 24 years old. I found someone with a trailer that he would fit into comfortably, and with shipping boots and head gear we were off to New England Equine and the surgery. He came through it with flying colors, and I went to the newspapers to raise the thousands of dollars to pay his bill.

At age 29, it was discovered that Amadeus had a sarcoid — a cancerous tumor — up high on the inside of his right hind leg that required surgery or he would be put down. Once again I got a trailer, shipping boots and hear gear, and off we went to New England Equine to have the surgery. And again he through it with flying colors, and he was cancer free.

Amadeus had survived so much during his lifetime. A demanding career as a Grand Prix jumper, eight to ten years of horrible abuse, and now two life-saving surgeries. And once again he was outside playing as if nothing had happened at all while once again I went to the newspapers to raise the money for his expensive surgery and ensuing vet bills.

I called a friend who came with his equipment to bury him between the barn and the grass paddock, and then I called everyone who helped and thanked them for what they tried to do. The vet said horses do not die because they are down for two days, including a nearly 36 year old horse, and that there was something internally going on for him to die.

I miss Amadeus and will do so for the remainder of my days. He was a gentle horse who led a wonderful life here at the farm. He did as he pleased, wandered where he wanted to within the fenced fields, and always was able to get back to his stall.

We are now faced with bills for Amadeus. If anyone wants to help, we are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. All donations are greatly appreciated and may be sent to The Martina Foundation, Inc, 172 Wood Creek Road, Bethlehem CT 06751. You may e-mail me at gdevlin@live.com for more information.

Virginia Devlin has owned Ryton Farm in Bethlehem for 14 years. In 1996 she formed The Martina Foundation, Inc, to be a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals unwanted by other rescue organizations as they are deemed unadoptable due to age, injury, and/or severity of abuse. In addition to horses, she cares for goats, poultry, an ox, dogs and cats.

Virgina Devlin owns Ryton Farm in Bethlehem. In 1996 she formed The Martina Foundation, Inc, and became its president to be a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals unwanted by other rescue organizations as they are deemed unadoptable due to age, injury, and/or severity of abuse.