Our beautiful Autumn was a sweet 9-year-old Clydesdale mare rescued from a slaughter broker’s lot by Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue in the fall of 2015. She was number 5343. To say she was neglected and abused would be an understatement. Autumn came to us extremely sick and in so much pain, we were not sure she would make it. Her hind feet were torn apart from canker. With every step she took, her hoof wall separated from the sensitive tissue. Her pasterns had oozing sores from untreated scratches. She was coughing, her breathing was irregular, she was running a fever, had diarrhea, and needed to gain at least 500 lbs. Her teeth were a mess and she had trouble eating hay.
And perhaps the most stunning realization—Autumn was pregnant.

All this at only nine years old.
And yet, the light in her eyes still shined.

And so this special Clydesdale mare was named Autumn for that beautiful season of change, a time when everything bursts with beauty. She would never be called #5343 again.

Our team of 3 veterinarians, 2 farriers, and some very dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to bring her back to health. It was a long road for Autumn and at times we were not sure she would make it. The odds were stacked against her. But our sweet Autumn survived all the challenges thrown at her. Through it all, she maintained her kind, gentle temperament. She snuggled with our volunteers. She delicately searched pockets for peppermints and would gently eat apples with tiny bites. Autumn lost her baby, which we surmised she would. The stress and weight of carrying a draft foal to term would have been too much for her delicate body to handle.

Sadly, sweet Autumn left this world in the Spring of 2016. While her time with us was brief, we were blessed to have Autumn in our lives. When you experience something so great for only a short amount of time, you realize how lucky you were to have it, even if only briefly. Just as the leaves change and disappear, so it was with our Autumn.

When we found a plot of land on Chestnut Hill Road in East Hampton that would become our permanent home, it was fitting that we would name our farm Autumn Ridge, in honor of our Autumn. While she did not make it to our new home, she is here with us every day in spirit and continues to inspire us all.