Description:

Darla is a 15.1 hand QH Chestnut mare foaled in January 2009. Darla was rescued by Red Bucket while pregnant. Darla came to us a victim of severe malnutrition. She is feral and is currently being gently socialized. Her baby, McGarrah was born healthy despite of the horrific abuse Darla suffered.  Darla is currently nursing McGarrah.

Facebook Welcome:

Spring has sprung…or at least it is making a very strong effort. Our orchard is prematurely boasting new buds, the air is full of the promise of the fragrance of blooming flowers yet to come, and new life is starting to make an appearance by way of birds trumpeting the joy of the arrival of a nest full of chirping youngsters and new little bunnies invading our freshly planted flower beds. As for Red Bucket, we are tenderly linking our arms…and our hearts while we prepare for the birth of our three new little foals. Marlee, Darla, and Darcy, our malnourished, neglected and abused feral mares recently saved from slaughter are showing telltale signs that the new birthdays are not as far into the future as we may like. While these three new mothers may have been robbed of the joy and blissful innocence of their pregnancies and deprived of every shred of dignity, we are slowly building their trust by way of our consistency, compassion, and kindness. We are channeling our outrage for the abuse and indignity that they suffered into gentle words and a positive energy that we hope will permeate the rightfully defensive amour of our beautiful mothers to be. Marlee, Darla, and Darcy will themselves soon bloom with heath, live in peace, and nurture their babies….babies who will never know the torment, fear and unspeakable abuse that their mother survived. We will keep you posted, and thank you for supporting our meaningful work. We are grateful.

Facebook Update April 15, 2014:

To the uninformed person, this photo might appear uninspired and certainly less than remarkable, but of course, they would not have the benefit of the truth beneath the mask. Darla is feral, Red Bucket rescued her with with 12 other pregnant feral mares. While it was not possible to put a halter on her (and frankly no one cared to, as she and her herd mates were roughly herded into a stock trailer and then the auction yard which was to be only a temporary stop before the predetermined Mexican slaughter plant) she wore only the degrading hip number crudely glued to her filthy and neglected coat. While clearly, she was pregnant, every visible ribs were a reminder of the malnutrition and neglect that was robbing her unborn baby of any opportunity to thrive. Her eye lid bore a painful wound and raw reminder of her terrorizing ordeal. Today, the hip number and glue are gone….and so are the visible ribs. Rather than retreating to the back corner of her stall when we approach, she greats us with a whinny, and buries her muzzle in a red bucket that brings nourishment for her and her baby….and a promise for tomorrow. Lauren can almost brush the length of her body and Darla shows signs of enjoying both the touch and the company. Her afternoons are spent with her previous herd mate Marlee, who is also pregnant, and still untouchable. The mares soak in the sunshine, role in the soft sand, and groom each other, all while incrementally dropping their steely guard. Towards the end of the day they wait by the gate and we gently usher them through a portable chute and back to their respective stalls. Their stalls have clearly become a safe nest….the first real home that was really their own. Darla wears a new red break-away halter and a hand-me-down fly mask. Her stall monitor captures her every move, and while the mares no longer appear to walk on egg shells, we clearly are. Darla’s baby should arrive any day (night) and while Susan and Karen are glued to the monitors, Lauren is sleeping in her jeans, as we do not plan on missing one second of what is to be Darla’s miracle.

 Facebook Update April  18, 2014:

Darla has proven herself to not only be a survivor….having survived the perils of starvation and the foreboding threat of slaughter, but also to be a very good mother. Darla’s miracle, a petite bay filly named McGarrah will not only have an April 17th birthday, but many birthdays in which we will not only celebrate her life….but that her life is possible. Rather than a perilous ending, this precious and innocent baby will be gentled…and gently loved, trained, and provided a true second chance, and a forever home…and gratefully, she will never know that her fate was gently redirected to a life of love and happiness. Happy birthday little girl…and job well done, Darla!