Lonesome George
Lonesome George arrived unexpectedly one evening in the back of a stock trailer. A neighboring ranch family had decided Lonesome George was too old to use as a pack mule for fall hunting trips. They originally planned on taking Lonesome George to “the sale,” which is usually the first stop on the road to the slaughterhouse for an old equine.
The family was fond of this small, 20-year old mule and told
us they didn't want to see him end up in a can of dog
food. They knew we took in elderly animals and hoped we would
take Lonesome George, too.
We asked about the name. They told us his story: Because of his size, he was always getting beaten up by horses and bigger mules. To stay out of harm's way, he would stand in a remote corner of the pasture by himself, far from anyone else. Even in winter the other horses wouldn't let him get near the hay, so family members would have to carry hay all the way out to him. Day after day, this old mule would stand out there alone. So they named him Lonesome George.
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We agreed to take him in, and Lonesome George is lonesome no more. His pasture buddy is Lena, our blind Quarter Horse mare. They munch hay together, wander around together, and stand side-by-side, snoozing the afternoon away. He still can't quite believe his luck – that after all those years alone, he ended up with a beautiful girlfriend half his age.
