Finding Family and Joy
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
After sharing our adoptable horse of the month yesterday, we’re returning to our December stories. These are the journeys that shaped this year and the horses who remind us, day after day, why second chances matter. Jetta’s story is one of resilience, return, and finally finding her place. We couldn’t walk this road without you and our entire All About Equine herd beside us.
JETTA
Jetta came to All About Equine in April of 2015, transferred from another rescue after being part of a large-scale law enforcement intervention months earlier. Though still thin when she arrived, she immediately showed us who she was: a kind, affectionate mare who sought out human connection.
Soon after settling in, Jetta traveled to the Monty Roberts International Learning Center to serve as a project horse for students in one of their courses. But her plans changed quickly when it became clear she was expecting (unbeknown to us until then), and her foal would be arriving sooner rather than later. Jetta returned home just in time, and on April 18, 2015, she welcomed a handsome colt we named Willie.
When Willie was about six months old, the pair were adopted together, a happy chapter that seemed to promise stability at last. After Willie was weaned, Jetta was sent out for training to begin work under saddle. Not long after, we received a call asking for help bringing her home.
Communication with the trainer had broken down, and what we found when we arrived was devastating. Jetta had been severely neglected, again, and she was in worse condition than when arrived at AAE. The man claimed she was uncatchable, unsafe, and impossible to load. None of that was true. Within minutes, Jetta was calmly haltered, led, and loaded into the trailer. What stayed with us most was the emptiness in her eyes.
Once back at her adopter’s home, Jetta began healing, again. Over time, life shifted for her adopters: a divorce and moves we can’t fully account for. Eventually, finances made it impossible to keep two horses, and Jetta made her way back to us.
Despite everything she’s endured, Jetta remains the gentle, affectionate mare we met all those years ago. But once again, something feels missing. We estimate she’s around 18 now, and while she may never have returned to consistent training, we know she formed a special bond with someone at her boarding facility who doted on her and helped her continue moving forward. Jetta thrives on attention and enjoys grooming sessions. She’s easy to halter, lead, and generally cooperative with hoof care, though her hind feet could be challenging at times.
Not long after her return, Jetta developed a huge hind hoof abscess that opened and explained the prior hind hoof issues. Relief wasn’t immediate; it was large and tender, and healing took time. Shortly after, another large, deep abscess appeared in her chest. It required patience and daily treatments before it finally opened, then follow-up vet care. (We will spare you the photos, as it was not a pretty sight.) Once both issues resolved, the change in Jetta was unmistakable. She grew more comfortable, her weight rebounded, and her spirit lifted.
And then, just when it felt like she’d truly turned a corner, the perfect family came along. Jetta was welcomed into a loving home where she now shares life with a new companion, Storm. Together, they rotate through peaceful pastures nestled in the foothills, they share a beautiful barn, and they have the best of everything. Jetta is finally enjoying the quiet consistency and beautiful life she has always deserved.