The week before I had called my friend Kim, a wild horse and burro expert, to ask for help with this rescue. Kim not only had a stock trailer, but she was also experienced at coaxing frightened, barely handled horses into trailers. Kim agreed to help but she had one stipulation:
“So long as you’re sure you’re going to take her,” she told me over the phone. “My husband will divorce me if I bring home another horse.”
“No, no,” I promised. “I’m sure. We’ll take her.”
Only I wasn’t all that sure we were doing the right thing---for us or the pony. The little mare had had no real contact with people for the last eight years. No brushing, no hoof care, no veterinary care. She hadn’t even worn a halter. My husband Dave and I had owned horses for many years, but I worried about our ability to handle a semi-feral horse, even a small one. How had I gotten us into this situation in the first place?
It was the pony’s advertisement on Craigslist: “Free horse. First one Who catches her can take her.”
When I saw the ad I realized it referred to a pony that lived on a vacant lot less than two miles from our farm. The field was hidden behind a dense thicket along a rickety fence line so we’d had no inkling of her situation until we investigated the ad. As any horse person knows, kill buyers love free horses. We couldn’t let that happen.
This story is from the Spring 2020 edition of Equus.
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This story is from the Spring 2020 edition of Equus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PROGRESS AND STRUGGLE IN SENIOR HORSE CARE
A study from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University confirms what many dedicated horse owners have long known: Caring for a geriatric horse with a chronic health condition can be a significant physical and emotional burden.
THREE WAYS TO PREVENT BLANKET INJURIES
Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
While it’s impossible to prevent all discord at the barn, conflict resolution techniques can help solve problems, restore calm and enable everyone to enjoy their horses.
The turning point
You don’t always get the horse you want, but sometimes you get the one you need.
A FOREVER HOME
How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
Nice work if you can get it
A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
