Saved from slaughter, delivered to love

By Vicki Botta
GOSHEN — In some countries, horses that no longer race, and are of no value to their owners, have no protections. They're sold to slaughterhouses, where they often endure inhumane treatment and great deprivation. Some are slaughtered in a way that induces brutal suffering.
Victoria Shade of Goshen rescued one of these very unhappy horses. Without her help, Moonshine would have been slaughtered for food. She shares her story in her first novel, “The Tale of the Dancing Slaughterhouse,” a tale of dignity, compassion, and bonding.
Shade is an attorney, district leader for the Volunteer Humane Society of the United states, and a full-time mom. Moonshine and Shade learned dressage together, and go to the biggest shows in the country.
Shade's book began as a short story assignment while she was an undergraduate at New York University. After reading her story, her English professor, a huge animal advocate, wanted to know more. He encouraged her to continue the story as a novel.
It wasn't easy for Shade to find the time to write. She went on the law school, and was competing full-time in dressage on her horse Luino. But she had always wanted to become a writer and kept at the book until it was finished.
Her professor helped her establish Rocky's Law, championed by Orange County Legislator Mike Anagnostakis, which puts convicted animal abusers on a registry for 15 years, among other penalties. The law was approved unanimously by the legislature.
“The hard part was editing it," said Shade of her novel, as she held her 13-month-old daughter, Olivia, in her arms. "I got lots of rejections and sent it to literary agents."
Amberjack Publishing discovered the book. One editor liked it, then others, then the president of the company. Shade edited her manuscript one last time in February. That was “crazy,” she said, because she was in the middle of a trial and also had her duties as a mother and district leader to attend to.
Moonshine, whom she affectionately call “Moony,” is now 33 years old. He has Cushing disease, a dysfunction of the pituitary gland that afflicts horses over 18 years old. At 28 Moonshine suffered severe colic, which can be fatal to horses. The vet said he probably wouldn't survive the surgery to repair his strangulated intestines, especially if there was necrotic tissue to remove.
Shade begged the veterinarian to perform the surgery. His condition was as they had feared.
It was crucial that the horse not thrash around as he came out of the anesthesia. Moonshine's strong will to live, and owner's love, help him make it through.
“It's always the crotchety ones that live forever," the veterinarian told her.
"And now he will,” said Shade, because his story is now in print.
Fiery horse becomes gentleShade first started riding Moonshine in 1993, and her mother bought him for her the next year. Woman and horse were both inexperienced in dressage, but they learned.
Moonshine had been kept in a stall for much of the time before Shade started riding him. He didn't like men. He kicked through the walls of two trailers. Now, though, he is gentle, even enough for baby Olivia.
They went in 1997 to the National Junior Dressage Team Championships at AHSA/Cosequin, where only 12 riders — four from the West, four from the Midwest, and four from the East — got to compete.
She shudders to consider Moonshine's fate, had he gone to the slaughterhouse. She said one slaughter company ran over live foals with tractors and attached a pit bull to a horse. They posted online the heartless way they killed the pit bull, and then, when charges were brought against them, denied doing it.
The most painful part, said Shade, is that horses were never meant to be raised for food. They are intelligent, hard working, and loving creatures.
Luino, to whom Moonshine had become attached, suddenly fell ill and died in the field. Shade and the two horses had been together for 20 years at that point.
Moonshine began screaming for Luino. A horse that Shade boards stood between Moonshine and Luino as Moonshine screamed.
Shade called the humane society for another horse companion for Moonshine and was able to get Spirit the same day. Olivia slept through the night for the first time.
Shade's writing style is very clear and takes you right into her story. Her book gives insight into her tumultuous home life — her volatile estranged father, the grandparents who raised her and her sister, the abrupt changes that happened whenever she felt life was beginning to settle down.
Horses have always grounded her. She finds solace in being with them. She understands their plight and lack of control over their destiny.
Dressage, and managing challenging horses with compassion, gave her a purpose. It's taught her much about herself.
“The Tale of the Dancing Slaughterhouse” is available at all major retailers and on Amazon, and will also be sold at Linda's Office Supply, 22 Main St., Goshen, and Ye Old Book Store, 31 Main St., Warwick.
Shade will be signing her books from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Hambletonian Auto Spa, 1 Bryle Place, Chester; and at noon on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Barnes & Noble, 1245 NY Route 300, Newburgh.