If you visit the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Horse Rescue and Sanctuary (https://www.eiahorses.org) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, you may be greeted by a strapping warmblood/draft horse cross gelding known simply as Bud. A resident at the sanctuary for over a decade, the former jumper is described as a “gentle giant” who follows guests around looking for snacks and begging for attention. Like many of the residents at F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Bud’s story is unique, and his caretakers, Robert Barwick and his assistant, Anita Aubin, believe that he serves as the perfect ambassador for sanctuary horses.
In 2015, Bud and 21 of his stablemates were exposed to an ionophore antibiotic called Monensin through contaminated grain. Monensin is a common additive to feeds intended for cattle or poultry, but this particular class of antibiotic is highly toxic to equines"as little as 0.035 ounces can cause symptoms to develop in an 1,100-pound horse. In equines, ionophores cause acute dysfunction of both skeletal and cardiac muscles, and death (typically within 48 hours) is the most common outcome of exposure. Unfortunately, ionophore contamination of equine grain can occur in manufacturing facilities which process feeds for different species, and other than occasionally having a bitter smell, affected grain can be impossible to identify in the field. In this case, USDA laboratory testing definitively linked the feed to these horses’ illness.
Although symptoms of poisoning can occasionally take months to manifest, at Bud’s barn, the first horse passed away just four hours after consuming the contaminated feed. Ultimately, all but two horses at this particular facility either succumbed to their symptoms or were humanely euthanized. But Bud survived-- partially because his dedicated owner fully depleted her bank account in trying to save him, and partially because his massive size meant that he had perhaps been exposed to a smaller dose of toxin. Unfortunately, the Monensin exposure left Bud’s heart compromised - meaning the then 12-year-old gelding could no longer be ridden and needed to live in a calm, quiet, peaceful environment.
In the interest of Bud’s long-term well-being, his owner decided to place him with F.R.I.E.N.D.S., a registered 501(c)3 non-profit and EQUUS Foundation Guardian Charity.
“She did everything to save him selflessly and she followed through,” Debbie Beye-Barwick, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. director and treasurer, said. “Even though the previous owner could have received a settlement if she had put him down, she loved him, so she gave him a chance at life.”
When Bud arrived, he was still under weight as a result of his ordeal and had lost vision in one eye. Further, he seemed apathetic, interested in neither people nor feed. But as time went on, and he continued to recover, all of that changed"and staff now report that Bud fairly “runs the place.”
“His health is good, he looks great, and most importantly, he feels great,” Beye-Barwick said. “We find him to be a true ambassador, and he is a regal, steady steed for such a ‘Big Guy.’ He acts so gracious that everyone wants a picture with him-- and there have been thousands of pictures--and he has created millions of memories for so many people over the 10 years we have had him.”
Beye-Barwick notes that many visitors to F.R.I.E.N.D.S. have never been close to a horse before, never mind one so big and magnificent as Bud.
“Instead of making people timid and scared, he welcomes them in,” Beye-Barwick said. “We share his story with them so other people learn about what happened to him and how his previous owner was truly selfless to ensure that while he would no longer be ridden, he instead has become an ambassador."
