FREYJA

Freyja came to us in October 2021 after we rescued her from a local Kill Pen with Jon Snow and Sir William.  When she came to us she was just ‘5926’ at a Slaughter auction. We got her for $1,000 the day before her 'slaughter date', and I knew upon seeing her she’d be ‘Freyja’: Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, magic, war and death. She also commands the Valkyries female warriors of the Gods. I never knew how fitting this would be for her. The Goddess Freyjas beauty earned her unwanted attention, much like my Freyja who was kept in a breeding program until they broke her down so much she was unable to carry the weight of a baby at just 15.  She was kept as a broodmare for the past several years after becoming lame.  The person(s) who dropped her at the pen said she 'made a wonderful mother and took really great care of the babies.  That sounds like our Frey, as she even took on Sir Willy from the start, almost as if he was her baby.  When Frey arrived to us, she had a serious respiratory infection, a badly wounded left eye, to the point where portions and layers of her lower eyelid were completely missing.  She also had severe osteoarthritis in her front knees.  She healed beautifully, we managed and improved her arthritis with red light therapy and Adequan injections.  During our 8 months, I developed one of the most special bonds I will ever have with a horse.  She was truly majestic and she had her favorites both human and animal.  She was whip smart where she knew when and where to put herself at feedings times or come in for the night.  It took a month to be able to catch her with a halter...soon she'd be greeting me every day at the gate with a whinny.  She was ferociously protective of Willy, she could buck and kick with the best of them even with her bad knees.  She and Jon Snow developed an unlikely friendship in his last months.  Her spirit was truly something to be in awe of and seeing her every day was truly nothing but a gift. 

after we lost our beloved Jon Snow, the herd was unsettled. Freyja suffered multiple freak blows to her elbow from our other Mare. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, all the right things aligned perfectly for the absolute worst to take place.  Her elbow was shattered, but not her spirit. She spent 4 weeks surprising so many vets and battling her way back to us.  She beat a serious infection at the surgery site, but In her final week she developed laminitis in her other front leg from the significant weight bearing, so the surgeons had to take her off the tie and allow her to lay down at serious risk to the success of her Elbow surgery.  She made it an entire week, happy, cheeky...her beautiful self...I thankfully had traveled almost every day her last week the 1.5hr drive where we spent at least 3-4 hours together...treats, pets, massages, snuggles and chats...she knew I loved her with everything I had and she loved me.  I'd be chatted and questioned daily on if I was going to have her move on.  I told them as long as she continued to get up every day, continue to act herself and eat that she had every right to try and live on her terms.  I would tell them I was running on faith and my faith in her, and that no one would change my mind but her-but that i would never let her suffer. 

On May 21st we woke to the news that due to her ability to lay down, the hardware in her surgery site did not hold.  This was the end.  I will never forget the vet saying 'catastrophic...we're at the point of no return'.

My girl didn’t lose the battle. I’m in awe of her. She’s traded her limp for wings. My girl went looking into my eyes being told how loved she is, with all the tears and kisses. She had all the treats and snuggles on my lap and went peacefully knowing she was taking a lot of me with her. She is proof of a bigger purpose, she is proof of Gods work. Now she flies high, surely God and all the Angels in awe of her. I made her promise to be one of the first to welcome me when I am called home.  Sometimes I swear I still catch a glimpse of her in the pasture, or hear her pitch perfect whinny...I like to think it's her letting me know she's still with me.  I'll forever be blessed that this path of rescue led me to her.  It wasn't what we planned or ever wanted, but i'm beyond grateful for our 8 months where I can say a second was not taken for granted on my end that I was her Mom and she was the most free she'd ever been on Earth.