Horses put out to pasture
But, for them, it's a field of dreams
March 28, 1996
Web posted at: 4 p.m. EST
From Correspondent John Zarrella
ALACHUA, Florida (CNN) -- Amid the rolling hills and giant
oaks of this central Florida town, horses freely roam the
picturesque landscape.
But it's not your typical horse pasture. It's more like
horsey heaven, or at least a horse retirement home.
About 70 old and sick horses wander the land. Some have been
abused; others suffer from old age. And before they arrived,
they were all on the verge of death.
Twelve years ago, Peter and Mary Gregory founded the
retirement pasture, giving horses renewed life. For if it
weren't for their pasture, the horses would have been
put to sleep.
When horses arrive, Peter makes two promises: The
horses will never be ridden or worked again, and the
horses will never be forced to leave. (107K AIFF sound or
107K WAV sound)
The Gregorys and several volunteers take care of the animals.
A blacksmith visits four times a year to file and replace
horseshoes, basically giving the horses a pedicure. On
Saturdays, anyone can visit the farm.
For funding, the couple relies on an adopt-a-horse program.
And although that has helped -- one horse was adopted by
tennis star Martina Navratilova -- the Gregorys aren't
keeping up with expenses. Last year, the horse retirement
home was $19,000 in debt.
But the lack of funds doesn't bother Mary.
"I love animals," she says. "They're my life. I wouldn't
want to be doing anything else."
Volunteer Sheryl Ryland simply explains, "There should be
more people in the world like the Gregorys."
The horses have varied backgrounds.
One of them, Wendy, was used by a local university for
scientific experiments. Sensors are still in her body and
wires hang from her stomach.
Just hours before she was to be destroyed, a veterinarian who
had worked with Wendy sneaked into the lab, led her out the
back door and brought her to the retirement pasture. (193K AIFF sound or
193K WAV sound)
"She has had five years of life that otherwise she wouldn't
have had," Peter says.
Another amazing horse is Margo. Her body is riddled with
arthritis and her coat is as tattered as a Civil War
soldier's. Margo came from a vocational school where she
carried many children on her back over the years while they
were learning to ride.
Rather than face a brutal end, these horses live out their
remaining days in peace. Over the past 12 years, 46 of the
horses have died on the farm. In memory of each, the Gregorys
plant a tree.
"When a horse dies, we give it a final resting place. We call
this our field of dreams," Peter says.
For information on adopting a horse, the Gregorys can
be reached at 904-462-1001.
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