Finding a little human decency…
Nov 14 2008
“There was something about the doleful animal standing at death’s door that attracted Rebecca’s attention, something that caught her horse lover’s eye.
She returned home and told husband Shannon: “I can’t get this mare out of my head. She’s so lovely, so quiet, so nice to ride. We have to save her. I’ve got a feeling there’s something good about her pedigree.”
The mare’s name was Decency and not only was she a very well-bred mare, but after her rescue, her half brother won the Melbourne Cup. Needless to say her rescuers are thrilled and have retained her for a broodmare. The inset picture is her 2008 filly.
You know, I’ve had this happen. You see some skinny rescue horse waiting for the killer’s truck and it just hits you…despite the condition…and you go, hmmm, that one got lost…that’s an expensive/well bred horse – and it turns out you are right.
So let’s talk about that. Has this happened to you? What’s the most amazing find you’ve discovered at a dealer’s, at an auction, in bad circumstances? Did you have one that just looked at you and said “I’m a celebrity – get me out of here!” Tell your tales!
Today’s Friday Featured Rescue is this 4 year old OTTB mare. She came off the track a few months ago with a suspensory injury and is still a little off on it, but has only been rested. She needs a home immediately and there is no problem with having your vet examine her prior to taking her on. This mare is well bred and I believe she is 17 hands or close to it. Seattle Slew/Secretariat/Green Dancer/Mr. Prospector lines. She is in the Seattle area – e-mail me if you’d like to meet her!
4 comments to “Finding a little human decency…”
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When I first went horse shopping with the help of my (now ex) instructor, I have no stinkin clue what she saw in Chief. To me, he was a fugly blue appaloosa and I could easily count every rib without touching him. His hooves were overgrown and he was only about 14.2 hands. He had a short tail, the hairs were only about a foot long, which I guess isn’t unheard of in apps, but he was not what I pictured my first horse to be. We bought him for $900 and almost sold him five times over the next three years.
He gained a much-needed 200lbs, both in muscle and fat and didn’t look so horrible. Now, I think he’s actually very handsome, but back then I thought he was the ugliest horse I’d ever seen. He was blue roan with a bold white blanket around his barrel to his butt, with medium black spots around his butt.
His attitude was horrible, and for two years my ex instructor wasn’t helping. We went to tons of shows and never won anything. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, I was looking up to my instructor, and she was a teenage high school rodeo contestant trying to teach me reining and western pleasure with the worst methods I’ve ever seen. Fugly, sometimes I get so mad at her I just want to snap pictures of her riding and send then to you, they’re that bad. She’s in college and no longer my instructor, but unfortunately I still have to put up with her because her parents own the barn my horse is boarded at.
So for the next year, I went onto my own methods (I was in sixth grade) and he actually improved both in attitude and preformance. And then last year my mom got me lessons with a 4th level dressage instructor, and since then everything has just gotten better. Chief is truelly amazing now, and finally I’m not being blamed for him being confused or having a bad day (my old instructor? she almost made me QUIT riding, every time my horse did something wrong she would get in my face and YELL at me. My horse was learning, I was learning [again, don't see why she thought this was a good combo] and even though she was my instructor, this was my fault, apparently)
Every time we go to a show, we come back with other a dozen blues. He was a rescue with no papers who turned out to have phenominal confirmation and now an amazing horse to work with. Everyone at my county fair knows exactly who “that roan appy” is, and so far this year we’ve gone undefeated in halter and showmanship.
Riding’s gotten alot better, too, I’m reteaching him western and my current instructor (the 4th level I was talking about earlier who I adore) is working with us on english now. I play around with small jumps with him, I can jump 4ft with my project pony, however jumping Chief seems to be a lost cause. He’s the only horse I’ve ever jumped who managed to go halfway over a jump, then backwarms, and somehow manage to take the entire jump down. But we’re working on it, and no one’s perfect for having come from a horse dealer.
I have one of my mares thanks to a caring person who seen her dam all beat up and decided she was worth a shot. The people went to buy another horse from the then-owner of my mares dam, when they seen her laying in the corner of the pasture, all beat up and looking really bad. They inquired as to what happened and all they were told was she had an “accident and she had to slip the foal, so shes worthless to me now, who cares about her” It turns out this guy had spent $5000.00 to have her bred to a son of Strait from Texas, and he figured since she “lost” the foal, he was out the money so now the mare was worthless. These people asked if they could take her home and try get her better and were told if they could get her in the trailer, they could have her cause she was gonna die anyway. Well, they took her home, took care of her wounds and low and behold she was still pregnant, so 5 months later, R Strait and easy Annie arrived. The gal I bought her from bought her from her rescuers as a yearling and I bought her as a 5 yr this past Feb. I love that little girl of mine and am so glad someone found her dam, cause if it wouldnt have been for them, she proboly wouldnt be here. She will either be with me or my best friend for the rest of her life.
Wow, what a story. What a lucky mare!
I bought my registered morgan for $75, because he had been cut badly by wire on all 4 legs and the breeder didn’t want to spend the $$$ for the vet on a horse that would be definately scarred and possibly lame. Another @ $500 for Tx , Rx and gelding. Best $600 (+/-) that I ever spent.