Dear Ron:

We have never met and never spoken, but we have something in common. You are the backyard breeder who sold my Paint horse Blue to the man I bought him from. I am a backyard horse owner, and Blue was my very first horse. I thought that you might want to know how he turned out.

Having loved and cared for my Bluester for almost seven years, I have come to the sad conclusion that Blue was a Genetic mistake. This is despite, or maybe because of his beautiful blue eyes so prized among lover of his breed. He has suffered because of your mistake .So have the people who love him. When I found him he was already in jeopardy at the tender age of five. In the Cariboo where he was living, people have little patience for animals that serve no useful purpose. That probably explains why his former owner who bought him hoping for a team penning prospect, had let him deteriorate into the thin , worried and lame animal I brought home as a rescue. Even in his pitiful state, however he had a spirit that enlivened his startling blue eyes that no amount of neglect could extinguish. With the help of a tem of dedicated vet, farriers, nutritionists and trainers, Blue was restored to healthy and to sufficient soundness to be suitable for light trail riding. His happy, useful life lasted for a couple of years.

But then, even with the best care we could provide, his terrible conformation began to takes its toll. His crooked front leg is now stiff with arthritis. He is so cow-hocked that his hocks now touch each other. His huge hips, so out of proportion to the rest of his body, used to be fashionable, in so-called halter bred horses. A plus-sized behind, combined with tiny, weak-walled feet, have probably been responsible for the plague of navicular and premature lameness that affected so many young horses, bred to win at shows. So far Blue has been spared that fate, thanks to his big feet. But even with a special stall mattress and deep bedding, he struggles to get up in the morning. With a lifelong regimen of injections, medication and supplements, we hope to erase or ease the pain now reflected in those beautiful eyes. He is an extraordinary spirit trapped in a prematurely aging body.

It clearly saddens him to watch his pasture buddies go for rides and chase each other around the fields while he can only make the most careful movements. In some ways, Blue has been lucky. Many horses like him are discarded at a young age and end their short lives with a terrifying trailer ride to a slaughter house. At least Blue has a family able to cope with his special needs and to make the best of a bad situation.

I realize he and I will not grow old together. Every day I wonder what to do for this animal; how to give him a better quality of life. That is why, even though we have never met and never spoken, I think of you. And I hope that before you breed another horse you think of Blue and the tragic legacy of his crooked body and beautiful eyes.