ANASTARA & BELLASTARA: A TAIL OF TWO LIPIZZANS Part II

by Lisa Gurian

“You are going to have new friends,” I told Diva. “They are going to need you to welcome them.” 

Meanwhile, plans were being made with Equine Express (EE) to pick up Ana and Bella, along with another mare from the herd on the way to her new home in Utah, from the Oregon foster location. They would drive several days on a large transport rig. 

The shelter arrived one day before the big storm. The driver maneuvered expertly through the paddock into the exact spot so horses could access the water trough and go out into the big pasture. Tenkara and Rootbeer quickly tested it for horse appeal and soon all 4 were tromping through it, eating hay and giving their seal of approval.  I wanted it to smell like happy horses, not new construction. 

Suddenly, the first winter storms moved across the US, shutting major interstates, creating detours, and imposing road restrictions. Mountain passes were closed. The transport was delayed several times. 

Then I got news: the three mares were on their way! The next leg of the journey had begun. Ana and Bella are once again in a trailer, leaving their Lipizzan and new human friends at the foster home, and being separated from the herd. Having done rescue work of a variety of species for over 40 years, I know this can be most distressing and traumatic. 

I began checking road conditions and talking with the transport multiple times a day. The weather got worse, the schedule further behind and the arrival was delayed, updated, and changed. Thus began several sleepless nights.

At one point there simply was no route possible into my rural town. Each nearest highway had closures, slides, detours, and size restrictions due to the snowstorms. The huge transport rig was a heavy vehicle meant for interstate, not backcountry roads, and it became apparent they would not even be able to get to the bottom of the ranch road. Now I scrambled to make plans to meet them in town with the help of my neighbor friend, who had a stock trailer. I had two lipizzan mares who had never traveled coming in from the West coast into icy snow and mountain altitudes. Yikes! 

Finally the day arrived, the meeting place set, friend Mike ready with the stock trailer; then another conundrum! One of Mike's small critters had an emergency, and he had to drive over the mountain to drop off at the vet and get back to meet the transport. In our rural community, ranch vets take several weeks to get an appointment. 

I was eagerly awaiting the call from EE to tell me they were an hour away – this would give me time to drive the half hour to town. But they missed the spot to phone before losing cell signal, and then: “We are pulling into the parking lot”  -  “What! OK, on my way.”  Mike had left the stock trailer, unhitched, so if he was delayed, we could load. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when we pulled into the lot and I saw the big rig, with a big Lipi head looking out.  “Let me out!” Bella demanded. They had been on the transport for 48 hours! The EE crew was great as the two mares were anything but calm. Dancing all over, shoving, pulling, entwining 2 humans, lead ropes, 10 feet, breathing the cool Colorado air, prancing in the snow. Looking both bewildered and noble. 

“OK. Let's get them in the trailer.” 

“OK, Anastara. I know this has been long, hard, and confusing. I need you to get in another trailer, and then we will go to your new home.” I was relieved of Mike’s foresight in leaving the long 5th wheel stock. 

As Ms. Ana stepped up into the back I had a sudden flashback. Long ago in another story, someone had caused my beloved ‘Neo” to be seriously injured. I had splinted his leg with plastic pipes and whispered, “I need you to hop into this trailer. We have to go to the emergency vet hospital now.”  He looked at me with understanding and trust and hopped 3-legged into that trailer for a 2 1⁄2 hr ride. 

Now it was Ms Ana who stepped forward and walked onto the trailer. I shut the middle gate, with the help of Lisa from EE, as Bella joined Ana, and we shut the door. Shortly after, Mike drove in, hitched up and I breathed a sigh of relief as off we went.  Then he said, “I really don’t feel I can make it up the hill. We are going to have to walk them up.” 

I did not look forward to a mile walk, with a 200 hundred plus foot rise in snow, ice, and mud, with two tired, weak, anxious mares not used to leading or snow. The next step of the journey was still to come. 

At the bottom of the ranch road, we pulled into my neighbor's wonderfully helpful circular driveway. The mares hopped out, looking around, snorting, licking at the snow, and neighing a bit, “where are you? Where are you?”  They had left their familiar herd, and then en route, another member had been dropped. “Let's get moving.” The mares were already pulling and tangling. 

On a good day, the driveway is quite a trek. I was glad to have two strong men to help – I am 5ft tall and a hundred pounds. “I will take Ms Ana first, and you take Bella, stay back a bit, and try to keep moving forward.” 

Wandering left, right, grabbing snow, stepping off the road, circling, dragging, bumping, we made our way up Cutbank Hill. Resting sometimes for my helpers to catch their breath, along with the mares. Ms Bella was not having any of this standing still, rest. “Let's go. Let's go. What are we doing now?” she insisted at one point, just walking all over them and almost pulling away. 

By now, my herd of four, whom I had closed into the paddock, could hear us and were calling. Hearing the whinnies, Ana and Bella picked up the pace even more. It took about 40 minutes, and my arms felt like they were pulled out of their sockets. And then, we were at the barn!! 

I made a quick decision to go around the paddock to a lower gate, deep in snow but opening to a large fenced field, because by then we could barely hold them, and if they broke loose, they would be safely contained rather than on the open road. The two Lips plowed through the snow like they had been doing it all their lives. I let myself be dragged along. 

Whew! OK, I told the guys, I need you to get these mares into the area with the food and water and get their halters off. Easier said than done. While my friend tried to undo Ms Bellastara’s halter she stomped his foot, head butted him and shoved him sideways. Finally, they were free. And there was food. Eagerly, the girls began sharing a bowl of grain and hay. Diva came over to the pipe rail, gazing intently. 

While they were settling, I looked up Ana and Bella's lineage. Chills ran up my spine, and the hair on my neck stood up. Anastara is a half-sister to the beloved horse taken from me 15 years ago. 

Throughout the few days settling in, Diva continued to stand by. “I know what you are!” she said. “I speak Lip. It’s OK. It’s OK now. You are safe. You are home. 

I want to thank the Sundance Horse Rescue for their diligent work to save this herd, Lipizzan Rescue Foundation volunteers and foster, my friends Mike and Eric, and the team at Equine Express for their help in bringing these magnificent beings safely to me in the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Colorado at 8800 feet.