I spent nine hours yesterday with Mr. Trembly and his horses. To come in at midnight and read the onslaught against him only added to th pain. It was one of the hardest days I can remember experiencing. Yes, the phone calls to elected officials helped tremendously, but the personal tirade against him is harmful. There are no easy answers here, folks.
Go there and see for yourselves? I wish you wouldn't if you can't conduct yourself professionally. It isn't easy to see the numbers and see the conditions of many of them. It isn't easy to witness the effect this whole thing has had on Mr. Trembly. As rescuers and horse lovers, we carry an obligation to see to the care of the them, but we can't forget our fellow man.
I explained to Mr. Tembly who feels, as you can imagine, like he is being terrorized, that there is no bad guy here. People's actions and words stem from a love of horses. When I came home and read the comments on the forum, I had to rethink that. Was it a love of horses that caused members to make fun of the refrigerator and the cars on his place? What will words like those possibly accomplish? On a public forum, they will resonate longer even the spoken word. They will only hurt the efforts of the people who continue to further their efforts.
It is essential that Mr. Trembly cuts down his numbers, that the ones that remain in his care receive better and more feed, regular worming, etc. There are just too many. As in any herd situation, some are in good condition and others are heartbreakinly thin. There are veterinary issues that he simply can't address. I can't deny the place is a junkyard.
I'm not a psychologist and I can't pretend I know what in Mr. Trembly's pysche caused this to happen. Is he a hoarder? Is he senile? I have my thoughts, but they are an unqualified opinion. I do know and I can tell you one thing--he is not an evil man. He is a man with a life and a past like all of us. It is a very unfortunate situation here and there are no easy solutions. Everyone on this forum wants the same thing--to see the horses cared for, and I hope all of you can reach into yourselves and ask what you can do to help--even if it is keeping some of your words and opinions off the public domain. They are cross-productive to the common end we want to see.
Every person acting on the behalf of the minis conducted themselves with professionalism and compassion. Mr. Trembly was completely cooperative and aided in getting the horses caught to load. His emotional trauma was evident, and still he continued to help. I commend everyone who was there and believe me, this includes Sheriff Coleman and Deputy Gray. MaryKansas and her friend were there in the morning and their kindness and concern were awesome. They offered tangible help. The representatives from Southern Winds --what can I say--they rock! This was a sensitive situation and they handled it capably and professionally, while showing the utmost of respect for Mr. Trembly and concern for the horses.
Lets not forget our own humanity in the quest to get these horses taken care of, whatever that solution may be.
Kristin Chambers
Winding Road Equine Rescue and Retirement