Knottymare
Well-Known Member
I just had to come here and share how excited I am.
First, a little background. I'll try to keep it short... but I know this is ridiculously long...
I used to be very involved in horse rescue. In November of 2010, one of the OTTBs that we had in rehab, a horse that I had fallen head over heels for, kicked my husband's face in. It's a long story but hubby didn't follow my feeding and safety protocols and while I was out of town and he was feeding, he got caught in the crossfire between the OTTB and another of the rescues (he neglected to get everyone stalled before bringing out food). The injuries to his face, eye socket and sinus were pretty bad... fixing his face required extensive plastic surgery... meanwhile, I realized I couldn't allow anyone else to work out in the barn area as long as we had the OTTB.
In Jan of 2011, I got pneumonia and struggled to keep up with barn chores. By this time I was down to just my own saddle horse and the OTTB. In Feb 2011, I tore the miniscus in my knee when I dodged a kick from the OTTB, making it difficult to get around... then in March, tore it up again and this time, I was off my feet. Meanwhile, the OTTB had lost his eyesight and developed serious ulcers (he had congenital cataracts and had already had one surgery but they came back). He was on a lot of meds but it was becoming apparent that we were losing the battle and needed to put him down. When word got out, the lady that runs the local TB rescue got in contact with his breeder, created a nightmare of drama and forced us to give him to her. I was heartbroken and physically completely laid up. The irony of this was that she used this poor horse to get donations and sympathy and he ultimatly died from repeated colics. So sad...
Giving up the OTTB left my mare all alone. A friend of mine called and told me about Dolly, a mini mare that needed a home. We decided that we'd give her a try, hoping that she'd be good company for my mare. They became very bonded and I fell in love with Dolly...
Then, I heard about Sparky who we now call Mimsy, the little palomino mare that used to belong to Valarie Ginther-Clark, and we brought her home... and fell head over heels for her, too.
I started teaching Dolly to ground drive as best I could limping around and one day in April, my knee completely collapsed. I had a complete reconstruction of my right knee in May and was non-ambulatory until Aug. In Aug, I got back to work with Dolly as best I could, still limpy but fired up and excited. We made great progress until in October, I got shingles which laid me up for 9 weeks, then a "viral syndrome" which kept me down until January of 2012, then strep had me down till February. I got up and at it in March but was afraid at that point to go out and work with the horses because I was still just getting my strength back. I was hiking and going to PT and doing reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally well when on March 26th, I slipped while going out to feed the horses and broke my ankle in 3 places. It was a bad break, 3 breaks, actually, which required screws and plates to put it back together. And I was laid up for months...
All this time, my husband was caring for the animals. Finally, a month ago, I determined that my big mare, who LOVES to get out on the trail and who'd been stuck in the pasture for the prior 18 months, would be better off moving to a home that could really care for her and ride her and enjoy her sweet nature. I decided to give her to a family on a contract. I interviewed 10 applicant families, did the background checks and finally, on July 12th, she went to her new home. I felt like my heart broke in a million pieces and my dreams died.
My daughter was out from NY on a break from school and talked me into seeing if Dolly remembered what she had learned before the year and a half from heck came along. She worked on the ground work with her and Dolly did GREAT... so on the 15th, we hitched her the cart and lead her around. No problems...
(if you are still reading all of this you are a saint!!!)
As of today, I've driven Dolly almost every day. She whinnies as soon as she sees the car come home from work or if she sees me in the house. She throws her head into her halter and is raring to go when she sees her stuff. I've been tying Mimsy to the cart and taking her along, too, and she's just as excited to be getting out and about. We've been all over the neighborhood, out on the country roads, around cars, dogs, lawn equipment, kids on bikes... nothing phases either of them.
The last few drives I started concentrating on working on Dolly's transitions. She is doing GREAT on walk to trot so today we worked on collected trot and extended trot. Finally, on the last stretch, we cantered!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like I was flying. I could tell she was having a ball, too! I wish I had pictures because I'm so proud of this girl. Mimsy, too... just toodles along next to us with her little blonde hair flying in the wind...
I just had to share. I thought my dream of horses, that I had waited till I was 40 to finally realize, died this year when I turned 50. But a new dream is taking wings - I feel like a little girl with her ponies!
Thanks for listening!
First, a little background. I'll try to keep it short... but I know this is ridiculously long...
I used to be very involved in horse rescue. In November of 2010, one of the OTTBs that we had in rehab, a horse that I had fallen head over heels for, kicked my husband's face in. It's a long story but hubby didn't follow my feeding and safety protocols and while I was out of town and he was feeding, he got caught in the crossfire between the OTTB and another of the rescues (he neglected to get everyone stalled before bringing out food). The injuries to his face, eye socket and sinus were pretty bad... fixing his face required extensive plastic surgery... meanwhile, I realized I couldn't allow anyone else to work out in the barn area as long as we had the OTTB.
In Jan of 2011, I got pneumonia and struggled to keep up with barn chores. By this time I was down to just my own saddle horse and the OTTB. In Feb 2011, I tore the miniscus in my knee when I dodged a kick from the OTTB, making it difficult to get around... then in March, tore it up again and this time, I was off my feet. Meanwhile, the OTTB had lost his eyesight and developed serious ulcers (he had congenital cataracts and had already had one surgery but they came back). He was on a lot of meds but it was becoming apparent that we were losing the battle and needed to put him down. When word got out, the lady that runs the local TB rescue got in contact with his breeder, created a nightmare of drama and forced us to give him to her. I was heartbroken and physically completely laid up. The irony of this was that she used this poor horse to get donations and sympathy and he ultimatly died from repeated colics. So sad...
Giving up the OTTB left my mare all alone. A friend of mine called and told me about Dolly, a mini mare that needed a home. We decided that we'd give her a try, hoping that she'd be good company for my mare. They became very bonded and I fell in love with Dolly...
Then, I heard about Sparky who we now call Mimsy, the little palomino mare that used to belong to Valarie Ginther-Clark, and we brought her home... and fell head over heels for her, too.
I started teaching Dolly to ground drive as best I could limping around and one day in April, my knee completely collapsed. I had a complete reconstruction of my right knee in May and was non-ambulatory until Aug. In Aug, I got back to work with Dolly as best I could, still limpy but fired up and excited. We made great progress until in October, I got shingles which laid me up for 9 weeks, then a "viral syndrome" which kept me down until January of 2012, then strep had me down till February. I got up and at it in March but was afraid at that point to go out and work with the horses because I was still just getting my strength back. I was hiking and going to PT and doing reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally well when on March 26th, I slipped while going out to feed the horses and broke my ankle in 3 places. It was a bad break, 3 breaks, actually, which required screws and plates to put it back together. And I was laid up for months...
All this time, my husband was caring for the animals. Finally, a month ago, I determined that my big mare, who LOVES to get out on the trail and who'd been stuck in the pasture for the prior 18 months, would be better off moving to a home that could really care for her and ride her and enjoy her sweet nature. I decided to give her to a family on a contract. I interviewed 10 applicant families, did the background checks and finally, on July 12th, she went to her new home. I felt like my heart broke in a million pieces and my dreams died.
My daughter was out from NY on a break from school and talked me into seeing if Dolly remembered what she had learned before the year and a half from heck came along. She worked on the ground work with her and Dolly did GREAT... so on the 15th, we hitched her the cart and lead her around. No problems...
(if you are still reading all of this you are a saint!!!)
As of today, I've driven Dolly almost every day. She whinnies as soon as she sees the car come home from work or if she sees me in the house. She throws her head into her halter and is raring to go when she sees her stuff. I've been tying Mimsy to the cart and taking her along, too, and she's just as excited to be getting out and about. We've been all over the neighborhood, out on the country roads, around cars, dogs, lawn equipment, kids on bikes... nothing phases either of them.
The last few drives I started concentrating on working on Dolly's transitions. She is doing GREAT on walk to trot so today we worked on collected trot and extended trot. Finally, on the last stretch, we cantered!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like I was flying. I could tell she was having a ball, too! I wish I had pictures because I'm so proud of this girl. Mimsy, too... just toodles along next to us with her little blonde hair flying in the wind...
I just had to share. I thought my dream of horses, that I had waited till I was 40 to finally realize, died this year when I turned 50. But a new dream is taking wings - I feel like a little girl with her ponies!
Thanks for listening!
