A gal who has a ranch about 1 1/2 hrs from here has a bunch of girls that ride on a drill team. Just about every horse in that team is a rescue of some sort, whether it was neglect/abuse, or going thru the sale barn in horrible condition, headed for fates unknown (okay, we really do know...we don't like to say it). They have a lot of experience and those girls are just like I was when I was a kid...tried to ride anything just because it was a horse! Well, except for the time I tried to ride a sheep to show off for a boy, but that is another story. :-) In addition to drill team they ride thru the woods, which Wy loves, and I heard they recently rode to town to Dairy Queen. I am still waiting to do that! Here is the ranch site: http://jackknifehollow.com/
When we got there we put Wy in a big paddock area by himself, and there were 4 horses next to him. They have hot wire that was not on due to shorting out issues, and he was testing it. We decided to put him in with the group next to him. Oscar squealed and challenged him, but nothing big. Just enough to let Wy know he was there first. Josie, who might be his partner in drill team, didn't pay much attentin to him, Sophie, the blind mare sniffed at him, then made a face, so Wy walked away. He is not a fighter. The buckskin horse (Amy?) did not pay attention to him. Wy wandered around a while then came back over to us. Mendy (ranch owner) showed Wy the auto waterer that has a big ball in it. They push the ball down, get water, and the ball bounces back up. The ball did not scare Wy...he was curious about it. Then he spotted a skinny horse who was by himself on the other side of the barn lot...that is Aaron...
Aaron is a rescue TB who has had a rough way to go. You know the TB stories...raced young, got injured, and this guy was left in a stall to pick up horrible habits because stall life is not good for a horses mind, especially if they are left alone. He cribs a lot, even on the metal pipe fence/gates. He has not learned to be a horse yet and I personally think he is mentally stressed...once he deals with that stress he will start to put weight on and be happy. Thankfully Mendy has taken him in and is working on rehabbing him. He has access to over 80 acres of pasture with several other horses that have separated into small herds, but Aaron stays in the barn lot by himself and has not made a friend in the few months he has been there. Wy was watching him and talked a bit, and Aaron seemed interested. We brought Aaron over to the paddock with the others and he and Wy started to bond immediately. Mendy was amazed, and I was so happy!
Photos are taken with Brian's cell phone, so the quality isn't great but it helps me keep this picture fresh in my mind. :-)
They are getting to know each other gently and quietly...
They sniffed and walked, and sniffed some more. They are friends.
Wy, being the busy bee that he is, started to test the fence again, so Mendy let them out in a bigger area and Wy left Aaron. Wy was just checking things out, following the fence line, and he headed over to the big group of horses. Aaron went to the fence and started to crib for a little while, then he followed Wy!!!! YAY!!!!!
I got an update today. My friend Angela and her daughter Jessi went to Mendy's for drill team practice, and they got to see Wy, and Jessi said that Wy and Aaron are still friends. Woo hoo!!!! She also said the girls love him! Woo hoo again!
I can't wait to see him in the drill team...I will be so proud!
It was tough loading him up again, but I know that these girls will have a ball with him, and he will have a ball with them. He will have so much to do, and I have learned that is what he needs. I am sad to see him go because he really is an amazing horse and is so much fun to ride, and he can only get better, but I am also happy because another mustang has been saved! :-) So, I will say that I did not cry when we left! Mendy also knows that if he doesn't work out that I will bring him back here and adopt him myself.
I met Mendy for the first time a little over a year ago. I was hauling a horse for someone (Judy, from the Judy and Bob team (first time I met her too)) because she was getting a horse that Mendy had. If Judy wanted to get rid of the horse, Mendy and Angela got first shot at getting him back. I have that same agreement with Flash, the large pony we had, and a lot of other people have that agreement. Well, when I was there the first time we met several horses who had recently been saved, and they are still there, but healthy and happy now! I was so pleased! I also got to meet some horses that have come and gone and come back again because of that agreement. Almost every horse Mendy has out there has a story....sad stories that turned into happy stories. It really is amazing and I am so glad there are people like her out there.
One of the horses I saw the first time I was out there was an appy mustang - he was a tank and not at all happy about people entering his life. He is still there and still a tank, and he walked up to us when we were at the gate to the big pasture. Mendy says he still is shy and usually won't approach like that. I did not reach out to him...just let him stand there in his comfort zone. Then there were others who loved to be loved on. :-) It is a neat place!
Long story longer...I think Wy will be happy there!
Until later...Karen and Tripp
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