| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 1:09:42 PM
Hi all, I am struggling with a big desision concerning a seven year old rescue horse named Smokey. I found a horse rescue ranch not too far from my home and visited. I had been considering the rescue of animals larger than my dogs and cats, but didn't feel adequate to the task. The owner of the ranch thinks Smokey is the perfect horse for me. I help out a few hours each week for hands-on learning. I don't ride (I'm 61 with back issues) and Smokey was stepped on by her mom when she was a baby causing Smokey never to be ridden. She was then starved later as the owners had no need for her! I have always wanted to help the animals that have "special needs" and have different types of healing issues.
I am struggling with the issue that I would be isolated with Smokey. My setting is rural, on a mountain and it's just my hubby and me. He is committed to helping and wants to adopt, but what if we need to go away. Our families are out of state, and friends are mostly 20 plus miles away. I know God will help us in our decision, but some people think we're crazy. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What resources were available? Can horses travel if we were to move to another state someday? I know this could be a 25 year commitment and wonder if I am being fair to take Smokey when I am already 61.
Nervous but very hopeful, Jan |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| crittergranny |
Posted - Jul 27 2012 : 2:55:53 PM
I live in north central NM. You might like to look at our website below. My daughter is doing some more work on it this week. If you come to NM you will have to look us up and stop in.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 8:08:42 PM
Laura,
Thanks for further insights and now I am excited to learn more about the Arabian breed. Thanks for your encouragement. I see you are from NM. I LOVE New Mexico. My husband and I were able to visit New Mexico several times for vacation. I love the pioneer, free spirit. It is quite different from Arizona, which seems a bit too civil, but beautiful. We traveled all over NM; just drove and drove. Where in the state are you? TTL, Jan, a wanabe cowgirl |
| crittergranny |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 5:10:54 PM
Janis you are one smart lady, and are obviously thinking this through. It sounds like Smokey will be one very blessed horse. It sounds like a reputable rescue to me too. The success they had with the "untrainable" horse shows that they have thoughts for the horses futures also. As far as an untrainable horse I just do have to say that someone thinking a horse is untrainable because it is wild is just silly. Wildness is simple to fix. I've never known a horse that can't be gentled. Sorry just had to say it. Of course gentling is my specialty. I leave the bronc busting to my daughters these days. Have fun with your new horse/ horses Janis. You are one sweet lady to take her in. BTW arabs are very personable and smart and she would probably be great at learning tricks. They were raised by King Soloman in the Bible for the purpose of riding them into battle. Which is why some of them will stomp your head after they throw you off LOL... sorry been there just had to say it. The foals have been raised for thousands of years in the arab tents and grew up with children. Which is why most arabs love children. They were also bred to scan the horizon and spot danger and carry their riders to safety in the desert. Which is why many of them spook a lot, which may not work out too well on the trail in a wooded area. I used to have an arab welsh pony cross. I broke her and rode her for 5 years. She was a challenge. She had the arab spookiness on top of the pony trickiness. And the welsh pony side made her thicker and stronger and she was a full sized horse, which is something a pony should never be..LOL. But I learned a lot from her about training and keeping my butt in the saddle. I also did a lot of research on the breed. They are really quite different from other breeds. I would think that of all breeds an arab would be the most fun to have if one has a horse that can't be ridden, because she will still be interesting to play with on the ground. I hope you share pics with us soon!
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
| prayin granny |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 10:33:02 AM
Best wishes on your new adventure!!!
Please let us know how it's going!
Farmgirl hugs,
Linda |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 10:18:43 AM
Alee,
Smokey is also an Arabian and I have a dog obsessed with ball playing. Her front "fangs" are flat from her carrying her ball 24/7! |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 10:13:59 AM
Alee and Nicole,
Thanks for your responses. I am now on a computer I can actually type on. Your answers were practical and though provoking. Yesterday I was listening to the local radio station and they were doing classified's for people who wanted to ask for particular things, jobs,etc. and I thought that would be a good way to get help in addition to your suggestion to post at the feed store.
I didn't even know you could go away for two days and leave the horse alone if there is a good water supply and plenty of hay. I would be nervous but the thought of being able to go for a weekend or whatever really gave me a sense of relief. Perhaps you can read the response I just posted to Laura and see where I'm at. Thanks sisters, Janquote:
Originally posted by Alee
I just want to throw an idea out there- you could always put a flyer up at the local feed store saying something to the effect of "would like to make contact with someone who could help with horse feeding or horse sitting" I find it good to make contacts before you need them for the weekend trip- but you might be surprised how many people would be willing to horse sit! Maybe have them out a few times once your rescue settles in so they learn the routine and you can make sure they are trustworthy.
Also horses can also get companionship from other animals such as dogs and goats too. My arabian used to play tag with my old dog when I would kick my dog's jolly ball for her. They form a "herd" with what they have- including you!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wff7Xpc/]
[/url]
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| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 10:05:34 AM
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for all your wisdom. I appreciate it. I am finally at a slow but normal computer(not a touch and peck - like my tablet). I have been looking over the Horse Adoption Contract and the "Know What Will be Required to Care for Your Horse", brochure. I have read them but haven't signed anything yet. I am visiting Smokey twice a week and asking questions - LOTS of them. My husband and I are currently helping to fundraise for the rescue ranch and helping to put together info for their needed non-profit status, which I don't think will be a problem. I have been delighted by the professionalism I have seen so far.
Concerning, why not another horse rather than Smokey, who can't be ridden, that probably has to do with my attitude toward rescue. I have always thought of rescuing animals and have on a small scale, but have been greatly concerned by the number of horses here in the Panhandle of WV that have been found starving and left to die. I am speaking of large herds 45 and 75. It has been in the paper etc, and the ASPCA has had to intervene. I have been praying for these horses and others for a more than a year now and thought perhaps I could take one, with training, that no one else will. The Horse Rescue has had her for over a year and fattened her up. She also has had a very healthy colt (a great surprise to all since all the males are gelded -- hmmm).
The Horse Rescue Adoption Contract states that I can return the horse anytime in the first year if I am unable to care for the horse or if she becomes unwanted. I realize that this is only for year 1 and what about the possible other 20? I would find it hard to put her down if after that first year my life changed dramatically and I couldn't take care of her and no one wanted her. Your comments really made me think. It would be emotional devastating for me to put her down. What would I do. So, I am going to have to amend the contract for a more feasible arrangement. The ranch knows me and we are committed to the ranch, so I hope they realize this is an exception because of her situation. If all goes well, I may obtain a smaller horse in the future to keep her company.
I asked about traveling because of the possibility of someday having to move and my ignorance about such matters. But for now, we are intending to stay here and I see no need to visit anyone with her. It helped immensely when you said you go away for a day when you need to and your 19 are okay. I worry about my dogs when I go 60 miles away for shopping!! I guess I have to learn these animals are animals and not human. I've always had that problem.
Well, my husband is calling for help on Labor Day for a barn/stable raising, so I suppose if we get the answers we need from the Rescue, we will be getting Smokey, and the Rescue Ranch can get one more horse from an abusive owner. The owner is a trainer also, and paid $700.00 for a beautiful horse that the owner said wasn't trainable. He was absolutely wild. Now he is the most affectionate horse and taken has a lead on trails. It's exciting to see.
Again thanks you for your help. When Smokey comes, I'll let you know how it goes. Jan
Well, my quote:
Originally posted by crittergranny
Janis that is such a sweet story. As a breeder and trainer I would share this advice with you. The first thing is to make sure you are able to handle the horse at home by yourself. One has to be firm with even the sweetest horses or else they will get pushy. The thing is that a horse that can't be ridden is not marketable at all, and if you take her you will be stuck with her for life. No One wants a horse that can't be ridden unless it is a high dollar broodmare. Now as far as travelling you have to determine how much you want to travel. You will have to be there every day to feed her or else have someone else do it. Maybe the rescue folks would but then will the rescue folks still do it for you 10 yrs from now. That is a pretty young horse with a lot of years ahead of her. As for the friends 20 miles away well, I'm 120 miles away from everywhere, literally, and I manage to go to town and leave 19 horses for the day. If she is in a secure pasture or pen then she is ok alone for the day. Also in the summer if you have a large pasture then she would be ok for weeks just grazing as long as she has water. But probably not in the winter, unless you have very mild winters, I didn't notice your location. In the winter water freezes up and they have to be fed hay every day. Now as far as if she can travel, yes if you have a horse trailer, minimal price 1500 to 3000, and a large enough vehicle to pull it with. But then there is the issue of where would she stay when you get to your destination. Do the folks you are visiting have somewhere for her to stay, and is it safe from boards with nails, too much grass that she isn't used to is there shelter from rain etc...Which are also things you have to consider about your place before you bring him home too. Also if she is used to other horses then you will need to consider how she might react to being alone. Some horses pace when they are alone which makes it difficult to keep weight on them. I would say that if you were to decide to take her then you would want to do it on a 3 month trial basis, put in writing, because it WOULD take that long to really see what you have gotten yourself into. But even then they may tell you they will take her back but they will have to put her down because there is no room for her any more. Just please consider that she DOES have a place right now and she is very lucky to have that and if you take her out of that situation and can't keep her then you will have taken away what she has now and there probably will not be anywhere else for her to go thus you will probably have to face putting her down. Even though you don't ride you probably do want to have a broke sound horse that you can find a home for if you need to. Just take into account the rescue is set up to keep rescue horses and you are not. And if she is fat and happy there then it doesn't get any better for her than that. There are gobs of rescue horses that have far more potential, thus making it easier on you if you have to pass it on sometime. Does the rescue have any other horses that you would like and that can be ridden? Just because you don't ride doesn't mean you don't need something that can be ridden. Horses with health and soundness problems can also be a money pit and a drain on your psyche. If the horse is in pain you will be spending what you can to help her whether you ride him or not. Just keep in mind that most horse rescues get funds from donors so they have the funds to do that and you may not. And to be honest with you I would be a tad bit suspicious about them wanting to match you up with her instead of a better horse. However if they are sincere then you may talk to them about doing a foster care situation, or what is called a feed lease, just be sure of their character because again they may someday tell you they will only take her back to put him down, thus holding you as an emotional hostage and forcing you to keep him. Unfortunately there are some ruthless people in this world. Basically once you have a horse for a while it can feel like selling your firstborn. A rescue horse even moreso because there arent very many people that are good to horses that don't want something more useful. And another thing to think about is even though you don't ride, if you were to rescue a broke horse then maybe you have a grandchild or someone that could take riding lessons and ride it, thus you have provided a many fold blessing by fostering a love for horses in a child.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com
|
| queenmushroom |
Posted - Jul 26 2012 : 09:03:24 AM
Laura, very good advice. Many people take on large animals and don't realize what they are getting themselves into.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 8:42:13 PM
I just want to throw an idea out there- you could always put a flyer up at the local feed store saying something to the effect of "would like to make contact with someone who could help with horse feeding or horse sitting" I find it good to make contacts before you need them for the weekend trip- but you might be surprised how many people would be willing to horse sit! Maybe have them out a few times once your rescue settles in so they learn the routine and you can make sure they are trustworthy.
Also horses can also get companionship from other animals such as dogs and goats too. My arabian used to play tag with my old dog when I would kick my dog's jolly ball for her. They form a "herd" with what they have- including you!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wff7Xpc/]
[/url]
|
| KansasFarmMomma |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 8:19:14 PM
I think you've gotten some really good advice. I will say that having animals does tie you down. We can leave for the weekend without two much concern, but no longer than that. It's part of the curse of having critters.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
 |
| kysheeplady |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 4:11:19 PM
I do hope you let us know what you decide.
Take care
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
White Sheep Farm
www.whitesheepfarm.com |
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 2:56:45 PM
Laura, thank you so much. I am writing on a tablet and find it difficult to type. I am going to think more and write you tomorrow. Soooo much to digest. Thanks, Jan
janquote:
Originally posted by crittergranny
Jan that is such a sweet story. As a breeder and trainer I would share this advice with you. The first thing is to make sure you are able to handle the horse at home by yourself. One has to be firm with even the sweetest horses or else they will get pushy. The thing is that a horse that can't be ridden is not marketable at all, and if you take him you will be stuck with him for life. No One wants a horse that can't be ridden unless it is a high dollar broodmare. Now as far as travelling you have to determine how much you want to travel. You will have to be there every day to feed him or else have someone else do it. Maybe the rescue folks would but then will the rescue folks still do it for you 10 yrs from now. That is a pretty young horse with a lot of years ahead of him. As for the friends 20 miles away well, I'm 120 miles away from everywhere, literally, and I manage to go to town and leave 19 horses for the day. If he is in a secure pasture or pen then he is ok alone for the day. Also in the summer if you have a large pasture then he would be ok for weeks just grazing as long as he has water. But probably not in the winter, unless you have very mild winters, I didn't notice your location. In the winter water freezes up and they have to be fed hay every day. Now as far as if he can travel, yes if you have a horse trailer, minimal price 1500 to 3000, and a large enough vehicle to pull it with. But then there is the issue of where would he stay when you get to your destination. Do the folks you are visiting have somewhere for him to stay, and is it safe from boards with nails, too much grass that he isn't used to is there shelter from rain etc...Which are also things you have to consider about your place before you bring him home too. Also if he is used to other horses then you will need to consider how he might react to being alone. Some horses pace when they are alone which makes it difficult to keep weight on them. I would say that if you were to decide to take him then you would want to do it on a 3 month trial basis, put in writing, because it WOULD take that long to really see what you have gotten yourself into. But even then they may tell you they will take him back but they will have to put him down because there is no room for him any more. Just please consider that he DOES have a place right now and he is very lucky to have that and if you take him out of that situation and can't keep him then you will have taken away what he has now and there probably will not be anywhere else for him to go thus you will probably have to face putting him down. Even though you don't ride you probably do want to have a broke sound horse that you can find a home for if you need to. Just take into account the rescue is set up to keep rescue horses and you are not. And if he is fat and happy there then it doesn't get any better for him than that. There are gobs of rescue horses that have far more potential, thus making it easier on you if you have to pass it on sometime. Does the rescue have any other horses that you would like and that can be ridden? Just because you don't ride doesn't mean you don't need something that can be ridden. Horses with health and soundness problems can also be a money pit and a drain on your psyche. If the horse is in pain you will be spending what you can to help him whether you ride him or not. Just keep in mind that most horse rescues get funds from donors so they have the funds to do that and you may not. And to be honest with you I would be a tad bit suspicious about them wanting to match you up with him instead of a better horse. However if they are sincere then you may talk to them about doing a foster care situation, or what is called a feed lease, just be sure of their character because again they may someday tell you they will only take him back to put him down, thus holding you as an emotional hostage and forcing you to keep him. Unfortunately there are some ruthless people in this world. Basically once you have a horse for a while it can feel like selling your firstborn. A rescue horse even moreso because there arent very many people that are good to horses that don't want something better. And another thing to think about is even though you don't ride , if you were to rescue a broke horse then maybe you have a grandchild or someone that could take riding lessons and ride it, thus you have provided a many fold blessing by fostering a love for horses in a child.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com
|
| newfarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 2:44:10 PM
Hi Teri,
Thanks for such a thoughtful and speedy reply. After I read your response, I thought things aren't always meant to be forever. Change doesn't always mean bad or a defeat, but what is needful. Doing what is in my hand today may be enough.
I worried about Smokey being alone, and we were told that because she is handicapped other horses pick on her. They treat her at the bottom of the social scale. lHmmmmm, something the human species often do to each other. Thanks for helping me to think a little deeper. Janquote:
Originally posted by kysheeplady
Hi Janis,
That is a hard one, I don't think anybody can tell another person what is right for them. I always think a pro and con approach works best. And then there are times that our heads are left far behind by our heart.
Hubby and I did something like that for an Amish fellow. He needed some cash and came to us for help, he wanted to sell his Haflinger team, but did not want them going to someone who would not take care of them. We gave him the cash and still allowed him to use them as his own. We fed and pastured them. When he needed them to work he came over and took them (we lived across the road)
He moved away a few years later and we had the girls two beautiful sisters. And we kept them for another 2 years after he moved away, and then one day as I was watching the girls in the pasture I thought what a lonley life for them this must be ... to never be worked again, to never be around other horses and so on.
It was clear what we had to do. We found someone who was wanting a matched pair of Haflingers and rehomed them to him. The person we rehomed them with was a man of about 60 years young and wanted to work them on his small farm.
Sometimes I think we are put in the spot and on the spot ... for the right reasons.
I wish you much luck!
.jpg)
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
White Sheep Farm
www.whitesheepfarm.com
|
| crittergranny |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 2:36:04 PM
Janis that is such a sweet story. As a breeder and trainer I would share this advice with you. The first thing is to make sure you are able to handle the horse at home by yourself. One has to be firm with even the sweetest horses or else they will get pushy. The thing is that a horse that can't be ridden is not marketable at all, and if you take her you will be stuck with her for life. No One wants a horse that can't be ridden unless it is a high dollar broodmare. Now as far as travelling you have to determine how much you want to travel. You will have to be there every day to feed her or else have someone else do it. Maybe the rescue folks would but then will the rescue folks still do it for you 10 yrs from now. That is a pretty young horse with a lot of years ahead of her. As for the friends 20 miles away well, I'm 120 miles away from everywhere, literally, and I manage to go to town and leave 19 horses for the day. If she is in a secure pasture or pen then she is ok alone for the day. Also in the summer if you have a large pasture then she would be ok for weeks just grazing as long as she has water. But probably not in the winter, unless you have very mild winters, I didn't notice your location. In the winter water freezes up and they have to be fed hay every day. Now as far as if she can travel, yes if you have a horse trailer, minimal price 1500 to 3000, and a large enough vehicle to pull it with. But then there is the issue of where would she stay when you get to your destination. Do the folks you are visiting have somewhere for her to stay, and is it safe from boards with nails, too much grass that she isn't used to is there shelter from rain etc...Which are also things you have to consider about your place before you bring him home too. Also if she is used to other horses then you will need to consider how she might react to being alone. Some horses pace when they are alone which makes it difficult to keep weight on them. I would say that if you were to decide to take her then you would want to do it on a 3 month trial basis, put in writing, because it WOULD take that long to really see what you have gotten yourself into. But even then they may tell you they will take her back but they will have to put her down because there is no room for her any more. Just please consider that she DOES have a place right now and she is very lucky to have that and if you take her out of that situation and can't keep her then you will have taken away what she has now and there probably will not be anywhere else for her to go thus you will probably have to face putting her down. Even though you don't ride you probably do want to have a broke sound horse that you can find a home for if you need to. Just take into account the rescue is set up to keep rescue horses and you are not. And if she is fat and happy there then it doesn't get any better for her than that. There are gobs of rescue horses that have far more potential, thus making it easier on you if you have to pass it on sometime. Does the rescue have any other horses that you would like and that can be ridden? Just because you don't ride doesn't mean you don't need something that can be ridden. Horses with health and soundness problems can also be a money pit and a drain on your psyche. If the horse is in pain you will be spending what you can to help her whether you ride him or not. Just keep in mind that most horse rescues get funds from donors so they have the funds to do that and you may not. And to be honest with you I would be a tad bit suspicious about them wanting to match you up with her instead of a better horse. However if they are sincere then you may talk to them about doing a foster care situation, or what is called a feed lease, just be sure of their character because again they may someday tell you they will only take her back to put him down, thus holding you as an emotional hostage and forcing you to keep him. Unfortunately there are some ruthless people in this world. Basically once you have a horse for a while it can feel like selling your firstborn. A rescue horse even moreso because there arent very many people that are good to horses that don't want something more useful. And another thing to think about is even though you don't ride, if you were to rescue a broke horse then maybe you have a grandchild or someone that could take riding lessons and ride it, thus you have provided a many fold blessing by fostering a love for horses in a child.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
| Bear5 |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 2:11:38 PM
Teri. What beautiful horses. I think you did the right thing. Good advice.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| kysheeplady |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 1:53:37 PM
Hi Janis,
That is a hard one, I don't think anybody can tell another person what is right for them. I always think a pro and con approach works best. And then there are times that our heads are left far behind by our heart.
Hubby and I did something like that for an Amish fellow. He needed some cash and came to us for help, he wanted to sell his Haflinger team, but did not want them going to someone who would not take care of them. We gave him the cash and still allowed him to use them as his own. We fed and pastured them. When he needed them to work he came over and took them (we lived across the road)
He moved away a few years later and we had the girls two beautiful sisters. And we kept them for another 2 years after he moved away, and then one day as I was watching the girls in the pasture I thought what a lonley life for them this must be ... to never be worked again, to never be around other horses and so on.
It was clear what we had to do. We found someone who was wanting a matched pair of Haflingers and rehomed them to him. The person we rehomed them with was a man of about 60 years young and wanted to work them on his small farm.
Sometimes I think we are put in the spot and on the spot ... for the right reasons.
I wish you much luck!
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
White Sheep Farm
www.whitesheepfarm.com |
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