Sunshine, rainbows, puppies, kittens, sunshine, rainbows…
Nov 05 2007
OK, after yesterday, we really do need to look at something better (and possibly bleach out our brains, yuck, yuck, yuck…) so I’m going to spotlight some more of your much-loved fugly horses and rescues. To all of you who are great homes for your horses, fugly or not, hooray for you. Thank you for all of your stories and pics, whether or not they make the blog, I appreciate them all!
“I have a rescued TB jumper who eats double a normal horse (he’s 17 hands and VERY large boned). His left fetlock sags on a leg that’s over at the knee. When it’s cold, he limps and I give him a tiny bit of bute. The polo pony TB is 22 and was going to a guy who starves them and puts 225 lumps of human flesh on them. He says if they’re starved, they won’t dump the lump of s___. This pony is 14.2 hands. Yes, 225 lbs. That’s how I got him. They put a 225 lb man on him and ran him for two chukkers (7 min. each) at full speed turning and stopping. He tore a tendon. Since he wasn’t even the guy’s horse who put the fat blob on him, I contacted the owner and got the horse. She had gone to have a baby and had no idea they were using her horse. The third rescue was my baby when he was 3. He came from the track because his trainer loved him. She had begged the owner not to run him in his last race because he had an unhealed suspensory torn on one front leg. The owner made her run him and he tore the other one. He would have gone to be a French steak, and he is a grandson of Mr. Prospector!!!!”
“I just wanted to show you one of my horses that have come from an auction. i have 6 horses and have got them all as abused, starved, or slaughterhouse bound. here is my 8 Year old Standardbred GELDING. who was sent to auction as an unmanageable stud. he is now being used for trails, lessons and for mentally challenged riders. he is an amazing horse and very glad to have him. what scares me is the the asshat owner that had him previously to me, was terrified of him, so let him go in whatever paddocks he wanted, breed whatever he wanted, etc. the day after i had him he was gelded, and now he is amazing. here are some photos. he doesnt have terrible conformation but is not worthy of being bred, especially where there is “such a HUGE demand” for unaccomplished standardbreds.”
“This is a picture of my 3 yr old grandson, and my 37 year old horse. He was the 4th generation of my family to ride her. I bought her when I got my first job straight out of High School in 1972. She was 4.. My parents both ride her a few times. I went to school for some training, got a job in Atlanta, and moved her south with me from Pennsylvania. I met my husband while he was attending school there, we married when he graduated, and moved to Texas, taking her with us. Almost as soon as I moved here, I got the hunter- jumper bug, and switched from western trail riding, to hunter over fences. She taught all three of my children to ride, and I bred her at 21, to a friends Arab Stallion. My daughter and I have trained her son, gelded at 18 months, in several different disciplines. He drives, jumps, hunter limit only, rides western, a little dressage, and jousts. My daughter broke the old mare to drive at 25. She developed some arthritis in her hocks over the years, but was fine for easy riding well into her 30s. When I became a grandma, my daughter introduced her son to horses at a very early age. He was riding the old mare by himself at 2, with someone close by, and a hay string tied from crown piece to saddle horn, so she couldn’t put her head down to eat grass while he was riding her. She was 36. I had to put her down at 38, when she wasn’t eating enough to hold her weight, no matter what we tried, to peak her appetite. The hardest part of this decision was taking my grandson’s horse away. He was there when the vet gave her the injection, and pulled the tarp over her when it started to rain after she was gone. He still includes her in his bedtime prayers, but is now, at 4 1/2 , riding a friends 22 yr old 1/2 QH 1/2 Welsh pony. Her son is now 17, and I ride him as a mounted patrol officer, as well as jousting and SCA games. I still miss the old girl as I owned her most of my life.”
FHOTD in: I love a good before and after!
“This is about Buckley, a standardbred gelding i acquired 2 years ago, as a skinny little 3yr old. He is now 5 and has grown over a hand since i got him, now just under 16hh. He recently did his first ODE for the year and came 2nd in a field of 22 non-fuglies hehe. He’s nothing special looks wise but has THE BEST temperament ever and is such a fun horse to have around! So here’s a pic of him when i got him.”
“Here he is at dressage club.”
FHOTD back in: This is what I like to see! Her hard work and attention to proper nutrition has turned this horse from a typical $50 at auction, headed for the Mexico Express horse to a competitive dressage horse who has a great chance of finding another good home even if she cannot keep him for life. This is what I mean when I talk about setting horses up for success. It’s like teaching your kids to read early and helping them with their homework. It’s putting someone on the right track to a great life – and yes, it takes time and effort. Kudos to all of you who take the time and put in the effort!
85 comments to “Sunshine, rainbows, puppies, kittens, sunshine, rainbows…”
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Thanks for posting the great stories!!
It is so incredibly comforting to see horses that are best loved and cared for until their last breath, and knowing despite the bounty of horses NOT making it past the dinner plate, that there are some of us knocking ourselves out to make the good happen in a world of pain and suffering for a lot of innocent creatures…
I know there are people who may take a second (let’s hope more than that) when they think that breeding that scruffy little critter to another scruffy little critter is gonna make them a few dollars richer. Wake up and smell the french steak sauce on a piece of horse meat…
Thanks for the great post. I also happen to know the lady who owned the 38 year old mare. She’s a wonderful lady who takes great care of her horses! She’s currently also battling breast cancer and in my thoughts every day.
That helps so much. The roan mare was gorgeous, though I first read it as she was 3, and I was a bit worried.
More stories, please! I love hearing the good along with the bad!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb32kqHqh0k
This is Fizz – I got him from a trekking centre when he was in his 20′s – they told me he was younger (!) he’d been a flapping (illegal racing) pony and gone through the auction in his youth, but no-body had done anything with him for years as he was crazy.
He just wanted his own person – we had so much fun together. I had him for nearly 15 years and he was pts quietly at home on 24th August this year. He is buried on our land. I miss him dreadfully!
I kept him through some really tough times – poverty and serious illness – but I owed him everything, and never compromised his care.
I have another 2 horses now – one 8yo who I have had from a foal, and a retired Showjumper, both will be with me for life as well. I rescued a welsh pony last Feb, he was in terrible condition, and we were going to sell him on, but we had such numpties come to see him, we found a lovely woman for him to go to on loan, so we still have control over his situation!
Thanks for the lovely stories Fugly – we need reminding that there are wonderful people in this life as well.
Niki (from Wales)
I love the last! What a great photo! My daughters favorite jumper right now is a little 14.2 hh appy/morgan that I picked up for $500. The guy said it wasn’t the kind of horse he normally sells so if I took him as is,a 4 year old with no guarantee, I could get the price. He was broke out by a kid, they traded him for a house payment. I thought we would work him a few months and maybe sell him as a kids horse. Well, we fell in love with him. He is the only horse that I could actually make a profit on! I get offered money on him everywhere I go. He took top Intermediate jumper in 4-H at county the first year. My daughter took him to a real jumping show in Kalispell, MT where she was jumping against $$$ horses and held her own. When word got out he was a little $500 from Cusick, WA it was amusing. Hey, who wouldn’t want a beer drinking, cheeto eating pogo stick that’s cute? His one bad habit: he loves to eat out of garbage cans at shows! How redneck is that? You can dress him up but he still can’t get over that “I’m gonna starve!” feeling. Embarrasing.
absolutely LOVE the two standardbreds, what fabulous horses!
After the last bunch of sad stories, this is definately a breath of fresh air. Lovely bunch of horses, especially that 38 yo arab. The only horse i’ve ever known to live that long (and longer) was the old black pony i first started riding on. It’s great to see people making real commitments to the animals they take in.
Shortly after the 38 year old mare was put down, I moved my pony into her stall from another barn… needless to say, a pony-less boy and a grumpy old pony have made a fantastic match. I know my old man will be in GREAT hands till the end of his days. At 22 he has plenty of life and stubbornness to teach a boy the ropes!
If I hadn’t found these folks my pony would never leave me, but knowing what I know of the care he will get I feel positive that he will do much better hauling that boy around than sitting alone while all the other horses get ridden…
>>I kept him through some really tough times – poverty and serious illness – but I owed him everything, and never compromised his care.< <
It’s amazing how that can be done when you actually consider it to be a priority, isn’t it? Your horse was very fortunate to have you.
My gosh look at that, a standardbred doing dressage!!Thats wonderful. Many years ago when I was taking lessons as a kid,we often got the “treat”of reschooling standardbreds off the track. The stable where I rode sort of “rescued”them, and those of us students,who were capable of it,got to school them as riding horses.
Now not too many were as sucessful as the one pictured, most of these had raced for several years and were pacers who had been trained to not break into a canter (which eliminates them in a race).Occasionally we would end up with a young one who had never received race training and could actually trot, and yes we did succeed in turning these ones into useful school horses.
It’s so reassuring to hear the GOOD things that are happening in the horse world.
It’s amazing what a little time + money (good food and care) = can do for a horse. Physically and mentally.
Thanks, that was nice to see after the weekend of fugly people.
Ohhh, I feel better. Thanks, and to all those taking such good care of their horses- you are appreciated! It’s nice to know some folks do the right thing because it is the right thing. I don’t own any horses myself, because I don’t have the means to care for them (I could afford regular feed, etc, but not catastrophic care and I won’t get one until I could.) I still manage to ride at least once a week and be around horses whenever I can.
Kudos to all you REAL horseowners out there!
This is offtopic, but I had to share with horse people.
I’m a vet tech student, and the other day we were practicing different types of leg wraps on this absolutely STUNNING Friesian gelding. He stood patiently while we wrapped and rewrapped his perfectly healthy legs, and sniffed us curiously, and drooled on a few of us.
I mentioned to his owner that I could fall in love with him and he says “Well, he IS for sale.”
I asked the details on him, and he’s a 7 y.o. gelding, is trained well enough as a trail horse and has shown some receptivity to learning dressage and jumping, but hadn’t been taken too far in either direction.
By now I was even more in love with him. I have to admit, I am a sucker for the look of a Friesian. THEN he told me the price…. $35,000!!!
My jaw hit the ground. He wasn’t out of any famous horses, he hadn’t been shown or had years of expensive dressage training…. and he was THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DAMN DOLLARS???
Needless to say, I’ll keep dreaming.
I thought you all might like this.
HORSE GLOSSARY
Hock: The financial condition of all horse owners.
Stall: What your rig does at rush hour in an unfamiliar city on the way to a big horse show.
A Bit: What you have left in your pocket after you’ve been to your favorite tack shop.
Fence: Decorative structure built to provide your horse with something to chew on.
Horse Auction: What you think of having after your horse bucks you off.
Pinto: Green coat pattern found on freshly washed light colored horses left unattended for 2 minutes.
Well Mannered: Hasn’t stepped on, bitten, or kicked anyone for a week.
Rasp: Abrasive metal tool used to remove excess skin from one’s knuckles.
Lunging: Popular training method in which horses exercise their owner by spinning them in circles until dizzy.
Gallop: Customary gait a horse chooses when returning back to the barn.
Nicely Started: Lunges, but not enough health insurance to even think about riding him.
Colic: Gastrointestinal result of eating at horse fair food stands.
Colt: What your mare gives you when you want a filly.
Easy to Load: Only takes 3 hours, 4 men, a 50 lb. Bag of oats, and a tractor with loader.
Easy to Catch: In a 10×10 stall.
Easy Rider: Rides good in a trailer; not to be confused with “ride-able.”
Endurance Ride: End result when your horse spooks and runs away with you.
Hives: What you get when receive the vet bill for your 6 horses, 3 dogs, 4 cats and 1 donkey.
Hobbles: Walking gait of a horse owner after her foot has been stepped on by a horse.
Feed: Expensive substance used to manufacture manure.
Dog House: What you are in when you spend too much money on grooming supplies and pretty halters.
Light Cribber: We can’t afford to build anymore fencing or box stalls for this buzz saw on four legs.
Three Gaited Horse: A horse that. 1) trips, 2) stumbles, 3) Falls!!!
Just some terms to think about while browsing dreamhorse or craigslist!
LOL aj! Priceless!
Niki said…
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb32kqHqh0k
Great tribute to your old pal!
Just what we needed – some heartwarming stories! Thanks
Happy Happy JOY JOY – That’s what I like to see!
I’m 220 and sorry, so not consider myself a “fat blob”, and think that was a really shitty thing for the author to say, and to have posted on the blog. I’m 18% of my horses weight, and she has NO PROBLEM carting me around. Here’s a nice Fuck You to the author.
I think the point is that 225lb (what is that in stones??!) is way to heavy for a 14.2hh skinny pony – it’s not a fattist comment – I’m sure you ride a horse that is up to weight and in good condition!
Thanks for the comments about my Fizz boy – he was very special.
Niki (from Wales)
To PT…
Maybe if you’d bothered to actually read the entry, you’d realize that the 225lb “fat blob” was on a 225 Skin and Bones pony.
As a 245 lb person… I did not find that statement offensive. In fact, I found it horrific, for the pony.
Make sure you read the whole thing before getting your panties in a bunch.
Amy, I DID read the entire post, and said author very clearly, and numerous times, calls the rider, “a tub of lard”, or “a fat blob”. Since I’m 220, how am I not a “fat blob”??? Yes, it’s disgraceful that the man rode the horse, so snark on the man and the person in charge of the horse for having the man ride the horse, not his weight.
Amy & Ptandme,
There is a great yahoo group call PlusSizeHorseChicks that is a wonderful source of information and friendship. Great ladies there!
Anyone not appropriately sized for a horse would appear as such. It’s why I’m not taking offense at the terms.
I ride a percheron cross, so I ‘scale’ with the horse. From what you say, you also scale appropriately with the size of your horse so you would not elicit the same reaction.
To be completely honest, even I would call someone that if they had the gall to sit on an underweight pony. They deserve no less. But don’t take offense if you aren’t in the same situation, in fact, be proud you aren’t.
I don’t think 225 lbs. necessarily equals “fat slob”. I have a friend who is 6’3″ and weighs 210-230 depending on how much weight lifting he’s been doing. He rides a lot. Riding, roping, packing…his horses hold up fine. Bad riding is bad riding, regardless of the size of the rider.
OK let’s not go all off the handle here…A 225 lb. man on a 14.2 pony IS overburdening the pony, do we all agree? People use vitriolic language when they’re upset about how an animal is being treated. It doesn’t mean they think you are a fat pig if you are 225 lbs (or more) and appropriately mounted.
That girl on the small pony at the auction was overburdening the pony, and it wasn’t about her weight. She was just way way big for the pony, although she was not at all overweight.
Yay Fugly! You are a fellow Standardbred lover! We had a farm show yesterday. We had a small turnout due to it being a rain date (It poured Sat), but included were 3 Standardbreds packing around kids… In Equitation, Pleasure, Costume class, games, they ruled the ring!!! It was wonderful and the judge loved them.
Thank-you for the nice comments about my old mare. I’m back up to 3 horses now, since I picked up a OTTB in June for $1.00. He is 9 years old, totally sound, awsome conformation, no old leg injuries, and has a good mind. His owner wanted him to go to a good home that wouldn’t try and race him any more. He raced through his 8th year, and didn’t even place in 8 starts. He won $59,000.00 during his carreer.
He will be used for mounted patrol, and ,if he takes to it, jousting, and maybe jumping. Some people do care about the horse, and not the money.
The old mare who had to be put down at 38 really tugged at my heart strings. That is an excellent example of someone who is a responsible owner. Loved and worked with her whole life and then taken care of in the end. Good job.
periodwarhorse – where are you that you do jousting? I’m in the SCA, but not a lot of horsey stuff happening in my area. Mostly I have to go down to Maryland if I want to see anything like that.
Thanks for Good News For Once
Kkstoop, pity he’s not doing dressage http://www.lulu.com/content/216508
I like the idea of OTSB’S, but compared to OTTB’S, there are, oddly, few to be had here. There’s a big harness org. in Columbus but the only OTSB placement I’ve seen is New Vocations. They had a drop-dead mare I’d've bent my minimum-6-YO-rule for, but I won’t bend my try-before-buy rule. I’m fairly green, and know my limits.
One OTTB, one of a few non-CANTER/Exceller Fund horses I’m looking at, has an online pic w/2 riders. Some goofy joke, maybe; they emailed a few w/a slight change of cast members. Not like I haven’t seen it (saw it in Spain), I just don’t like it much. I’ll ask about what he can/likes to do and if they can send a side view W/O saddle/rider(s). I don’t really trust my judgment–ESP. not back legs–and haven’t gone out to visit any yet, but keep thinking of this one. He seems somewhat tied in in some pics, so are a lot of TB’s I looked at, is it me or something endemic? Maybe cow-hocked, too, though those pics…I don’t know how to tell anything when the horse seems to change its build every time the position changes! (Don’t start me on trying to pick apart any but the most craptastic pintos/paints–any of you know the WWI Dazzle Ships?) But he’s only 8 and it’s mitigated if he’s that easy about everything (but anyone might be easy when they know they can’t possibly get you and your buddy the hell off). And I can’t stop wondering about that WTF $600 TB broodmare, though I know I can’t–it’s probably been years since she’s seen a saddle. Meanwhile, they’ve only lunged her and say “trail potential” -sigh- Tell me if you think I’m overreacting, and anyone giving thumbs-up on OTTBs, give me an email addy for pics.
Starrynight, Warhorse–which Kingdoms/Baronies?
kokorami – i’m in Barony Marche of the debateable Lands (Aethelmarc), about 1.5 hours south of Pennsic (which is nice when you forget something!). though technically i’m part of Bakhail (East) since that’s where everything important gets mailed (i’m in college, so i move around a lot).
starrynightxxi said…
periodwarhorse – where are you that you do jousting? I’m in the SCA, but not a lot of horsey stuff happening in my area. Mostly I have to go down to Maryland if I want to see anything like that.
OOOH! I am a SCAdian too!! We live in Gleann Abhann. We are currently trying to get the Equestrian activities up and running in this kingdom.
FREE Arabian Mares, older. Call after 4pm Call 208-934-5179
This was in our local paper today.
Sorry, should have waited to post all of it together.
This was also in our paper:
HAY BY THE BALE SOUTHERN IDAHO FEEDS Non-Certified $6.50 Certified $8.69 Straw $3.79 208-732-5270
LOVE to see the Standardbreds out there!
A little information about them….they can indeed trot if they are pacers…YES they CAN Canter.
Retraining is the key!
These horses have the most versatility you can imagine and the tempermants to go along with it~
I have owned my Standardbred since he was 3, he retired wasnt fast enough and would break often. He raced as a trotter.
My daughter also has a trotting mare who trained but never raced.
Both can canter. My daughter just came in second in a training 1 test yesterday with her mare
Dont discount the Standardbred because of myths you may have heard!
Great stories today!!
I agree. I have two friends with STB’s and they are terrific. I’d recommend them to anybody. They have a disposition like an appendix QH. Very easy to deal with, willing, forward and not spooky.
Hey angel. I googled that number and came up with this on a news forum.
I just read this article on avg age of farmers getting older and older because so many young people are opting out. What I have to say is this: It has been my dream for years and years to farm/raise livestock (beef or sheep/goats). I and my wife would like nothing better than to be able to work hard, together and with our 6 kids. I am not naive about how much work there is and what financial difficulties there are. But we don’t have the money to get started! How can anyone get into ag production? Is there anyone out there who could help us in any way, both with some creative way to get started and mentoring us? Here’s my contact info. Bruce and Leanna Hanson 1806 E. 1400 S. Gooding, ID 83330 208-934-5179 Thank you very much. “
I wonder why they are suddenly giving away horses?
this isn’t a rescue like is usually posted here, but without her expertise who knows how these horses would have been abused or left to fend for themselves….
http://tinyurl.com/ywbezt
ilovefuglies,
I am very leery of “free” ads, especially from around here. There are so many horse “traders” here it is scary to buy local.
Like the filly that I posted earlier. I was told by a credible horse person that her conformation isn’t up to par. “Not sure what you want to do with her.
She is straight in the shoulder and in the pasterns. There is no angle in her pasterns she is almost straight up and down. In a young horse this is sometimes to be expected but in a long yearling…. no, this is her conformation.
She will not have good extension and will be heavy on the front end when she stops”
Well that just burst my bubble! I am still debating on whether or not to go and see her now. My HA show mare was a big front end stopper and not real comfortable to ride so I do not want another one like that.
Woodlandduck,
Have you watched all of her videos? They are real interesting to watch.
Kokorami, another SCA person here in the Kingdom of Trimaris. (That’s peninsular Florida for non SCA folks)
i cant get over that first picture! pair of senior citizens carrying on like pork chops… it gives me the joy ^__^
Yay, Standardbreds! I had been away from horses for many years, when I got a job locally, and commuted twice a day past a number of horse farms. I started to realize how much I missed being around horses, but could not afford even a part lease or lessons, so when I saw an ad in the local job classifieds for “Responsible person to work with horses” I was right on it. Now I work part-time on top of my day job, at a small Standardbred breeding farm. If I ever get a horse, I would definitively consider a Standardbred. Even the fugly Standardbred head is starting to look good to me!
And now, after working with the 8 well-fed, regularly wormed, well-bred youngsters at the farm, I am shocked at some of what I see on the internet. Never having been around babies much, I didn’t know what they are supposed to look like. Some of our mares had foals this year, nursed, and are bred back for next year. At our last staff meeting, we were lectured about the proper amount of hay to feed, as the good stuff bought straight out of the field needs to last as long as possible, and some of the mares are almost too fat. Ribs? I have no idea if these horses even have ribs.
As for pacing/trotting/cantering, these horses are all pacers, but in the field, the pace is often only used when ‘shifting gears’ such as slowing from gallop to slow trot. And they are trained to pace in harness, so under saddle is all new anyway.
How can you tell I am a fan?;)
Thankyou for showing that Standardbreds can have a future after racing. Many people i talk to just dont seem to like this particular breed, thus being very hard to re-home(even if they dont pace) What is the stigma with this breed??
angel with a broken halo asked if I had watched all of her vids….
no. there are 112 of them. But I did watch the Chiki one, Breathe and started through the Sabi ones.
>>What is the stigma with this breed??< <
People are not terribly bright and think because the horse trots/paces instead of gallops during its harness racing career, that this means it “can’t” canter.
*sigh*
Woodlandduck, I didn’t really mean all of them, LOL. Just the ones of the horses that she has on the Breathe vid. It ws nice to see a younger rider be calm and quiet on the horses.
I was working my way through the gray horses vids, did see training clinic where the bucking bay gelding did well.
this is the dressage test the mare nearly flipped over in.
Some kinda riding there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PzBjLs-ybyI
Starrynight, Poneez, SCA, Warhorse–Cleftlands, technically, but still consider myself Brendoken (Midrealm). I’m hoping to get back into things more with a horse not only patient enough to put up w/my sloppy canter, but willing to figure out the quintain isn’t going to eat him/her for lunch. (I wonder what my patient teacher will think of this.) Starrynight, I’m around 2 hrs. west of Pennsic. You know Mistress (was Baroness) Judith of Kirtland?
I love these stories! They make me happy that there are humans with souls out there! I have had several abuse/neglect cases and it makes me warm and fuzzy to see them doing well now. Nothing is more rewarding than that.
My current hole-steen-ur, while not exactly rescued or fugly, did have a brief “what the Hell are we going to do with him now” moment while included talk of ending his life.
Several years ago he was a Fourth Level dressage horse. We had plans on moving him up to the Intermediares if we could get his flying changes sorted out. He started mysteriously going lame (not like limping aroud, but slightly off type lame) every once in a while and no one could figure out why. We assumed it was the high level of work and he was backed down to Third level then Second level. He stayed there for a while before a ligament injury two years ago took him not only out of competition but riding all together. The vet was nearly certain he would never be sound again.
Not only was this terrible news for us, but for the horse as well. What were we going to do with a 15 year old (at the time of the injury), 18hh, former dressage horse who could not only never be worked again but would hate not being in work?
I don’t know about you, but it’s not exactly cheap to keep a pasture puff anyway, never mind an 18hh, 1,500lb tank of a pasture puff.
But we loved him and we knew he had given us everything so he deserved at least whatever we could do for him. He was given a GIANT stall, a large paddock, and a German Riding horse to prance around and make him feel important. He was around the dressage work which kept his mind occupied, and he was kept on a healthy diet so he stayed at a really good weight despite losing the muscle.
And the good news? This year our vet noted that he was 100% sound. No lameness at all. After we move to our new training barn at the end of this week, the once-doomed former dressage champ will be back in work! Granted, it be will walking to see how it holds up and if it does it will never be much more than walk/trot/canter the rest of his life, but his eyes are already lighting up at hte sight of saddles and bridles being pulled out again.
So it’s no “starved horse pulled off slaughter-bound trailer now gives pony rides to deserving children” story. Our lives aren’t that interesting. We are fairly fortunate. But it DOES show that caring individuals can be found at all levels and it doesn’t take an extreme abuse case for someone to show they have a heart. My hole-steen-ur gildin’s story is no where near as heartwarming as the amazing stories here, but small acts of kindness CAN be found.
And more than that, it shows that ANY horse can be in need of a second chance.
thanks for posting about Buckley, he turns 6 today! What a champ he is. Apple of my eye!
For those interested in how he’s going, he has a website:
http://buckleysfanclub.wetpaint.com/
You rock, Hypnotoad! I’m glad your horse is doing better. It was wonderful, so what if maybe it wasn’t the same way to a Happy Ending? You _prevented_ someone’s needing to be rescued by doing the right thing and now you have a happy horse.
Starrynightxxi,
I’m in Texas (Ansteorra). Our Sir Alexis helped draft and test the SCA form of safe, sane jousting.
SCA equestrians,
I’m from Stargate, in Ansteorra.
Houston Texas to the rest of the world.
In addition to battleing Breast cancer, I’m busy fixing fence on my newly purchased 49 acres, so I can move my horses out there.
periodwarhorse – ooo, leave it to the Texans ;0) although jousting IS the state sport of maryland. random, eh?
kokorami – hmm… is that judith as in Judith and Sir Bear? Because I didn’t happen to know the rest of her name, but if so, then yes, in fact, I camped with her these last two years -lol-
How funny to run into so many of us, here!
StarryNight–The Same. Originally from Marche of the Thistle. Very nice lady!
I came across this recently and nearly fell out of my chair laughing though I’ve hardly scratched the surface, AFAICS. It might not answer what my _teacher_ would think, but might cover what any horse I get might ask about all this (“um, what was I going to do?”)…
http://www.eques.com.au/discus/messages/
73467/72827.html?1133733568
Yay a happy post!
I’d like to take the opportunity to call attention to the rescue I helped out for my senior project in high school. Maybe FHOTD knows of her as she is in the same area.
http://www.hopeforhorses.net/
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kokorami – Judith really is very nice, and funny too. Last year during Pandora’s Box’s big party (we camp directly above them) I was up late reading and I suppose her and Bear and some of the others couldn’t sleep because they came out and regaled me with “no shit, there I was” tales. Scadians have some of the best stories!
that war horse thread was hilarious. I really want to do mounted archery, but I need a horse first… Perhaps I will apply there as a horseless knight! ;0)
not last year, last Pennsic. bah!
I’m haven’t been “in” the SCA for many years, but we play with the local equestrian crowd in this area because it’s good for the horses to do different things. Here’s what we did this last June:
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=691587
My husband and our friend doing SCA-style “jousting” and other games. I’m behind the camera, as usual…
i got a (totally random) cutie patootey pic to cheer everyone up. gelded of course!
http://www.horsedeals.com.au/content/enlarged/112530.jpg
dawwwwww. he thinks hes dressage pony
To the owner of the standardbred gelding who is now eventing:
GREAT JOB!!!
Your gelding is in beautiful condition and you and your instructor have obviously done a wonderful job training him. I love the attentive, concentrating expression on his face…clearly he knows is work time and he is paying attention to you.
Pat yourself on the back, and give him a carrot for me.
l
lifelike001 said…
i got a (totally random) cutie patootey pic to cheer everyone up. gelded of course!
http://www.horsedeals.com.au/content/enlarged/112530.jpg
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MUCH better than the last link I followed that you posted
He is darling! He’s trotting on air, he looks like he knows he’s ‘all that’.
aw, wow… beautiful horses, people, conformation aside. Happy horses give me the warm fuzzies, it’s nice to see the good stuff on here too
I got my rescue from a great outfit that buys up Amish rejects and rehabs them. They mainly do foxhunters but occassionally get one that would be good dr or eventing. And they are picky when they shop and make sure the horse is sane and sound. And they do good business.
I also have a Standardbred that I bought for a hundred dollars, in two days she was going to auction in Amish country. She had spent 4 seasons on the track as a pacer in
Saratoga NY. She got too mean for anyone to handle at the track, come to find out she had a back injury that they couldn’t give her the time off to heal so they kept racing her!! All my friends thought I was crazy for buying her (she will never canter, she will never jump, blah, blah, blah)long story short she went on to beat high priced, tall (she is only 15hh) warmbloods at jumper shows, amazing, she would have been some ones dinner!
Great stories! Well done all!
Lovely dressage pic btw….to whomever has that horse–nice!
Kokorami said…
Thanks for Good News For Once
Kkstoop, pity he’s not doing dressage
If you want to see “Oliver” go to:http://community.webshots.com/user/deadmuleranch These aren’t the best photos of him, but they are the only ones I have. My daughter best photos are on the TB.
She does dressage at the 4-H level. It is the same night as jumping so if we are there, good warm up. She doesn’t enjoy it as much but recognizes it’s value in making a good jumper!
I checked your link, I love it! We love doing clinics but hard to find one at her level where they don’t look down on us b/c we don’t have tight little braids in and didn’t bathe in 40* weather and clip to perfection – wait, we don’t clip for clinics! And I use a stock trailer. Oh, the horrors! Such rednecks.
>>this is the dressage test the mare nearly flipped over in.
Some kinda riding there.
link here < <
This girl is my idol. I WISH I could ride like that. If I were in Texas, I’d take lessons from her. Her instincts are so impressive to me. She knows EXACTLY when to push and when to soften (and she seemingly has no fear, which doesn’t hurt). You almost can’t learn that. It’s a gift. This is the kind of person who should be doing clinics, not all of those NH snake oil salesmen. What she does is what most people who have problems with their horses need to learn – to be quiet, calm, consistent, to demand good behavior and immediately reward by softening when the correct behavior is displayed.
She really is an amazing rider. I love her comments how she doesn’t know how she did it, she just DID.
I was just having this conversation with my boyfriend the other day after some particularly nasty jumps, how WEIRD it is after the fact when you realize that you reacted without even noticing it. There’s nothing quite like the instincts that come from riding horses.
Yes, and if you’re an instructor, which I was for many years, you realize how you almost can’t teach it. Some people react quickly and judiciously, and some don’t. The ones who don’t simply need to purchase steady eddies and do their riding on them.
You have to realize your limitations as a rider and work with them. For example, I have a crappy eye for distance. Therefore I don’t jump much over 2 feet and I don’t jump solid obstacles. It would be dangerous for both myself and the horse to do so, since I simply do not see distances well enough to adjust early enough. I see it in the last 2 strides, but you’re too late then.
Yeah.. I haven’t found any limitations yet that I think are unfixable, but I can sympathize with the crap eye for distances thing. I’ve been jumping for years, but nobody ever really trained me beyond how not to get in the horse’s way.
for all you standardbred members (yes I am one) there is a club in Ohio and some other states as well called the standardbred pleasure horse org. I am a member of the one in ohio and we do a lot with our horses. Trail rides, hunter paces, horse shows, clinics just to name a few things. I raced for 20 years and we rode every standardbred I owned. every horse that i owned that we raced was given to a forever home after his racing career was over. Most of my retired race horses are now being used as youth horses or trail horses. please do not overlook a standardbred. They make wonderful pleasure horses.
I’m a member of SPHO Maine! great organization.
Fugly – not sure what the deal is, but the 8 year old standardbred with the sad little tail is currently up for adoption on an Ontario rescue site…my brain is scrambling for a logical explanation!
Wow! I just watched that video. My 14 year old has what I call Velcro butt. At her first jump show at age 8, she lost a stirrup and still continued the course! Now she rides a living pogo stick and schools at 3’3″. People often ask her to ride out their nasty ponies, she just doesn’t come off! She rides race horses on the excercise track and puts my skills to shame. Who taught her? Well, she has instructors but it has always been there. Me? I trail ride for a reason. I can stay on, but it aint pretty.
Shannon says she’d like to become a great dressage rider. I think she’s well on her way.
Day 2 of the dressage test is also up there, Shannon held it together when the mare made a small spook in the test.
Long time reader first time poster…the pictures of beloved fuglies put tears in my eyes. My very first horse I purchased with my own money was a 5 yr old morgan gelding with a huge attitude issue, and a tad bit of a fugly. Steep shoulder, weak neck attachment, weak hind end…He was pushed to fast too young and was deemed unpredictable and dangerous for his young rider. He is now 21 yrs young, my very best friend and with me for LIFE! My second horse is a 9 yr old paint mare given to my hubby and I as a house warming gift. nice mare, bit sickle hocked….Yup, owner didn’t want her anymore, and wanted her to have a good home (she was then 2 yrs). We have our disagreements, but I love her and she is also with us for life. I then…..free leased a morgan broodmare, very nice mare and bred her to a very nice stallion and the resulting baby is also very nice – he was gelded a month ago! He is a pride and joy for me being my first (and probably my only personally designed baby). He will be with me for life also (god willing I live longer than he does!!) And now the last and finaly lifer on my farm – his mom. She is my true charity case and a testament for those breeding farms who don’t think they need to at least green break their broodmare band. She came to me as a 13 yr old, never been saddle trained mare. The owners decided they didn’t want her anymore because they had taken what they needed from her (a foal…) and didn’t need an untrained broodmare around anymore. She is now 16 yrs old, her second and very successful year under saddle, and she won’t be going anywhere unless she goes to live with my friend who currently rides and loves her. I have 4, very well cared for, very loved horses, that will remain with me until death do us part.
I have 5 horses in Northern California. I am an equine appraiser as well and appraised a case against a woman who had her horses taken away from her. The pictures I saw of these malnurished horses was heartbreaking. It’s nice to see rescues like the ones you have done. Your site is a joy to visit.
Linda
Here’s an article about my Fugly that I wrote for our annual newsletter. She and I both work at a therapeutic riding program.
As a youngster I ate, slept and breathed horses, at least I wished I could. A real horse was out of the question so I had Glassian, a rocking horse, that I quickly wore out and replaced with Black Rockin’ Thunder. I also had a herd of 15+ stick horses that I bred, showed, raced and kept a stud book on. I contracted out to my little brother and cousin to jockey them, even going so far as to outfit them with apprentice licenses. Fox racing stables had business cards, too. The family’s pet Rottweilers wore bridles and saddles and were “broke†to jump with me astride. Every year I asked for a horse.
One year I got something almost as good, I got riding lessons. At age 7 my mom signed me and my sister up at All Seasons Riding Academy. All Seasons also offered therapeutic riding, something that would later play a significant role in my life. I rode both English and western, participated in camps, had my first jumping lesson and was going to enter my first show when the worst happened.
At age 13 I found out we were flat broke and were in danger of losing our house, which definitely meant no more lessons. My family was not a horsey one and we had no clue there were other avenues to being around horses. Besides, we had much bigger problems to deal with. My father suffered from severe depression and was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. I witnessed fights that escalated into violence and resulted in the cops coming to our home. Eventually we did lose our house and began living out of our car. Many days we had meals of top ramen. My mom was suffering from emotional issues and working on ending her own drug use. Horses were a painful subject that I refused to talk about as I saw no way they could be in my life again. Not being able to be around them was like having my heart torn out of me. We could not afford to buy a horse or to resume lessons and those were the only avenues I knew of to be around them.
By age 16 I was regularly suffering from bouts of intense rage and depression. I was self mutilating and using drugs and alcohol myself. A couple of years later I was able to stop the substance abuse but the pain of mental illness and the cutting remained. Unbeknownst to my family, at age 18, I began counseling to try and stop self mutilating and was diagnosed with Bi-polar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. My mom had a hard time hearing any of it, as she took my problems as accusations of her being a poor parent. A scary diagnosis coupled with drugs being prescribed with serious side effects and zero family support scared me badly. Around this time a huge family blow-up resulted in my leaving home and not talking to her or my sister for the next several years.
At the age of 19 I saw a brochure at my junior college from All Seasons Riding Academy seeking volunteers for their therapeutic riding program. I couldn’t believe it! Here was a way to get involved with horses again that didn’t cost anything. I couldn’t get over the fact that they would actually let you come out and be around horses for free!? Not only that, but here was the very same barn I had ridden at as a child! Volunteering became a great motivator to heal myself. I knew there was no way they would let someone unstable handle the horses or interact with the students, and so being on my best behavior became a way of life. I was surrounded by positivity and hope. I had the motivation to fight against deep depression and to make friends. Prior to that point I had totally socially isolated myself.
All Seasons gave me something I could succeed in. I could see accomplishments, whether that was motivating a student to verbalize or by working with a flighty horse. I felt important, needed, and wanted. I suddenly had a lot to say and share about myself, and everyone there actually listened! Here were the horses of my youth Ali, Princess, Mercy. Pictures of horses I had ridden hung on the wall Jim, Dunny. Wonderful childhood memories came flooding back and pushed away the negative ones.
One Fall, I helped ASRA look for program horses and had come across an ad for an Appaloosa mare. “Gentle†it read. I went with one of the instructors to look at the little buckskin roan appaloosa mare with a lop-sided heart on her forehead, standing just 14.3 hands. I looked into her eyes and saw something so incredibly soothing. She was a bit barn sour and the head instructor was out of town so ASRA hesitated to spend their limited funds on a horse they were not all able to fully screen. I did the craziest thing ever, I took $2400 from a car insurance settlement (meant to fix my crunched car!) and $100 from my bank account and I bought her. $2,500 was a small fortune to someone living on their own, paying their own way through college and making just $1200 a month. Funny thing is, my father was the one to give me the best advice when I told him my dilemma not being so close to fulfilling my childhood dream, but not really being able to afford it. “If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it work†He also came with me when I went to have a pre-purchase exam done and to pay for her. It meant the world to me. He is still to this day in and out of jail and deeply an alcoholic, but I often like to think how he contributed, in his own way, to the happiness I have now.
I remember the day when the hauler dropped her off at the barn I had found to board her at. The responsibility for her care was all mine. No one was there to tell me when to groom her or what to feed her, it was up to me to figure it out. It was time to use everything I had learned from All Seasons.
The first week I didn’t even want to ride. I took her jogging with me on the trails as we got to know each other. The first year was all bareback rides as I couldn’t afford a saddle for her. We learned many things together. We braved bulls blocking our way, trail rides in the pouring rain, affordable barns closing and being forced to pay high board and thus not make rent, vet calls and farrier visits, and so much more. Being highly introverted and shy, I also learned how to interact with all the various human personalities at the barn.
Despite the joys that horse ownership brought, the first year I got her was also the year I was most suicidal. I went so far as to write out my letter as to who would get my belongings, the $300 in my savings, my cat, etc when I ended it all. When I got to my horse I couldn’t do it. How could I burden someone else with my responsibility? More importantly, who would take as good care of her as me? I worried what would happen to her and where she might end up. I credit that moment and her with saving my life.
She also helped me heal relationships. The first words I think I spoke to my sister, Shari, after years of silence were “You can come ride my horse if you wantâ€. I knew how desperately she wanted to be near a horse as we both had that horse crazy gene. Little Bit helped her get back into horses and her gentle nature helped boost Shari’s confidence and prepared her for when she got her own horse, Amber. Our childhood dream of packing up our lunches and hitting the trail together came true. Many hours were spent riding through meadows, past waterfalls, jumping over logs and observing wildlife throughout Las Trampas Regional Park and EBMUD’s Rocky Ridge Trail. I got to be with my best friend and fellow horse crazy cohort.
By immersing myself in horses and the healthy people surrounding them I found many role models. Strong women were all around me. My barn manager Diane, Jan the head instructor at ASRA, Laura and Lyndsey the officers of O.P.D. where I also volunteered, my current boss Max at Equi-Ed, women who do so much, and influence others so greatly. They all freely shared their horse knowledge and life experiences. I was also able to develop a healthy, supportive adult relationship with my mother who stands behind all that I do.
As the time neared to finish college the idea of facing the impending change became very difficult for me. The chaos of my childhood had made me crave the routines and orderliness of school. Against my advisors recommendations, I began internet searches to find a therapeutic riding program where I could complete my required internship and finish my degree in Recreation Therapy. My passion was Therapeutic Riding and I was determined to be in that field. After all that it had done for me, I knew I had to be a part of giving something back. I found Equi-Ed two hours away from my home, which to me at the time was a world away. Maxine agreed to try out Little Bit for the program. She went on ahead of me and I just about died those few weeks without her, wondering how she was doing.
The time came for me to move to Calistoga, away from the East Bay Area for the first time. My emotions were a roller coaster as my stability and way of life was challenged. But again I had my pony there. Many nights I would run down to the barn and cry into her mane as I tried to get over the senseless anxiety and emotional rollercoaster every new situation seems to bring. I was far from the family I had just reconnected with and far from my comfort zone. She made it into the program and I was so proud as she gave a little bit of her specialness to the students that rode her. I was also proud of myself as I graduated summa cum laude that year.
Before life with me Little Bit had mapped State Park trails and competed in endurance rides. Together at Equi-Ed we attempted parades, horse shows, ride-a-thons, quadrilles, vineyard rides and safari rides within feet of Watusi cattle, ostriches, giraffe and zebra and water buffalo. We jumped, we roped, we vaulted, we tried pole bending, dressage lessons and darn it if she didn’t do everything I pointed her at.
This past year Little Bit suffered a fracture to her right front leg (another horse possibly kicked her) and it sort of knocked the wind out of me as it was the first time she ever took a bad step since I got her. I’ve been very lucky to have her for the last 6 years. She’s waited patiently for me when there were times in my life where I only was able to see her 2 or 3 times a week and was game when I was out there 7 days a week (twice a day when I first got her). She ended up healing completely and returned to being ridden but it made me wonder, “What if something caused me to lose my Little Bit?†It takes a lot these days to make me cry but the mere thought of being without her sends the tears streaming. It made me think over everything she has given me, a reason to finish school, a calling in life, my closest friends, career and life skills, and an escape from painful emotional issues that have been at times, crippling.
I once tracked down a previous owner to try and find out more about Little Bit. He couldn’t give me the specifics I sought on her breeding or purported registration papers, but instead went on about how “that little mare will take care of youâ€. I couldn’t agree with him more.
I handle life rather well these days despite intense anxiety, and the emotional ups and downs. I use the ups to help get the job done and the downs as a reminder to take time-outs and to take care of myself.
Therapeutic Riding is often thought as therapy for our riders, but I firmly believe there is a part of all our volunteers, staff and horses that need a little tender loving care as well. We learn from each other and help each other grow, often in ways we do not realize. We also learn to appreciate what we do have instead of focusing all our energies on what is difficult for us. At Equi-Ed I continue to learn more about myself and ways to make me better everyday. In my job position I work with volunteers and others new to our program and I find myself calling on those past experiences to help me help others. And, whenever I need Little Bit, I just walk out of the barn and she is right there in the paddock nickering to me.
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