Post by honeyfish on Oct 8, 2007 3:30:46 GMT -5
This is the story of Ben's companion mare, Magpie.
She came to me through an add in the paper when I was helping a friend of mine look for a second "family type" horse to join their other mare. Her add read simply, "17 year old pretty black Arabian mare. Good for 4H. $700."
I thought she was worth checking out, as I have a fondness for the A rab character and so does my friend, whose other horse is a small 21-year-old chestnut. When I spoke with the owner, she said the horse seemed a bit too much for them, and they were looking for a more experienced home for her.
I got out there to look at her. I have to say I expected a horse with a bit more grace, after they had told me how beautiful she was. She was terribly mangy and rainrotted, and definitely seal brown. I asked to lunge her and see how she moved. As I approached her with the line, walking three quarters to her shoulder, she raised her head as if to strike and bite me. I remember being surprised but not frightened, although she had become very aggressive with no warning. It was really strange.
I did not back off though. After I assured the flabbergasted owner that I was fine, I sent the mare away from me and lunged her both ways. I saddled her with Ben's Crosby (which fit, by some miracle, for although she's stout, she's very narrow in the shoulders and wither). She was fine with that. When I got up, she was a very pleasant ride, but nervous. I took her through her paces, cooled her down, thanked the owner, and drove home.
My friend was not interested since she is such a short little thing. They were looking for a tall horse, and though I have never stickied her, she can't be more than 14 hands.
I called the owners back and told them my friend wasn't interested, but I thought with some work she could make a nice horse for someone. I also told them I worried she might have Cushings because of the crested neck and shaggy hair. I told them they might want to consider having some blood work pulled on her, thanked them again, and hung up.
The next day they called me back pretty "desperate to get rid of her". Since the "biting" episode with me had been very worried that she might try to hurt their small children, whose mount she was originally supposed to be. They said they didn't want to pressure anyone but would be taking the horse to the Eugene Livestock auction the following Saturday.
I agreed to take her. I trailered her in to PEC on February 7th.
The rest has pretty much been history...she arrived a very overweight, scraggly, nasty looking (and smelling!) little horse. I rented her a big stall in the beginning, unsure of how she would adjust to boarded life. She was fine. I clippered some of her hair off one day in an attempt to keep her cool during work-outs and we both suffered much teasing. The poor thing had the hair of a llama and a shaved silver-gray chest. Everyone told me how ugly she was.
I had taken her on as a companion to Ben, my older gelding. Both of them took a fast liking to one another, although she did "ignore" him for a few weeks in the beginning. She quickly grew on me, too. Her quirky personality is very likable, and despite the regular work I subjected her to, and my caution on the lunge, she never tried to bite again.
Later I discovered the reason for her fear: her previous owners had hired a "trainer" who came out and beat her over the head with the lunge.
I did not take any pictures of her when she arrived, since I'm pretty sure I had misplaced my camera (I don't have any pictures of Ben from this winter, either).
I took these photos of her and Ben out on the spring grass for their sparse 10-15 minutes in March, I believe:
As I noted on Ben's thread, I took those pictures when I thought she was starting to come around and look quite a bit better. I worried constantly about Cushings though my farrier said he saw no sign of founder. Her hay was cut back considerably over a period of time and she received no grain save a handful with her supplements.
I rode and lunged her as I had time, and with a steady healthier lifestyle she began to improve. Much to my relief she shed out in late spring to a lovely little black mare. With really obscene conformation. Still, she's cute.
By August of this year she was really looking nice--still not muscled, but at a good weight for her frame. She even had pretty little dapples in her coal black coat. Most people at the barn didn't even recognize her as the same horse...and to be honest, neither did I.
She isn't beautiful, but she sure is cute.
I have been looking to re-home her to the perfect home who can put her to use being a great trail horse, but I have had a hard time letting go--and finding the right home, which is always such a challenge. I tried a trial re-homing with a "friend" of mine, but it didn't work out. The boss is what she is--a herd boss. She's very fair and has done nothing but good for our gangly filly and my good ol' man, but she doesn't do well with other dominant personality types.
She's also most certainly not full-blooded Arabian. Most people guess Morgan/Arab, but I tend to think she's crossed with a pony breed. She really feathers out in the winter, even after 8 months of good care and feed. Maybe Welsh or Shetland? Your guesses are welcome. ;D
Doing what her Highness does best:
Showing her fairness with the baby Chevelle:
And the usual sight, Ben keeping guard while she grazes:
I should probably also mention the horse who used to run me around the pasture chasing her for half an hour now comes running--RUNNING--to a whistle. Like, full gallop let-me-in-LET-ME-IN!! running. She's always the first to the gate (almost to a fault..you know, if you want to bring another of the horses in) and whinnies prolifically. She's a goof. Like my other two. So she fits right in.
Demonstrating her first-in-line status (but with Ben hot on her tail):
Recently she has begun a new career as a child's leadline pony, trucking Rose's kids around the arena and building up their confidence (and it's great, because it gives her something to do besides eat!). I haven't yet been able to see it with my own eyes, but Rose tells me she makes an excellent child's mount. She is rock steady, that I know. Any Arab she has in her sure doesn't come out around scary things, and her forte is trail riding. But with an experienced rider, she loathes the arena--due, no doubt, to several OHSET/barrel racer/cowgirl let's-use-and-abuse teenage owners.
She's a sweet thing, though, and Ben is quite in love with her. Two old souls, in the herd they always pair off together.
She came to me through an add in the paper when I was helping a friend of mine look for a second "family type" horse to join their other mare. Her add read simply, "17 year old pretty black Arabian mare. Good for 4H. $700."
I thought she was worth checking out, as I have a fondness for the A rab character and so does my friend, whose other horse is a small 21-year-old chestnut. When I spoke with the owner, she said the horse seemed a bit too much for them, and they were looking for a more experienced home for her.
I got out there to look at her. I have to say I expected a horse with a bit more grace, after they had told me how beautiful she was. She was terribly mangy and rainrotted, and definitely seal brown. I asked to lunge her and see how she moved. As I approached her with the line, walking three quarters to her shoulder, she raised her head as if to strike and bite me. I remember being surprised but not frightened, although she had become very aggressive with no warning. It was really strange.
I did not back off though. After I assured the flabbergasted owner that I was fine, I sent the mare away from me and lunged her both ways. I saddled her with Ben's Crosby (which fit, by some miracle, for although she's stout, she's very narrow in the shoulders and wither). She was fine with that. When I got up, she was a very pleasant ride, but nervous. I took her through her paces, cooled her down, thanked the owner, and drove home.
My friend was not interested since she is such a short little thing. They were looking for a tall horse, and though I have never stickied her, she can't be more than 14 hands.
I called the owners back and told them my friend wasn't interested, but I thought with some work she could make a nice horse for someone. I also told them I worried she might have Cushings because of the crested neck and shaggy hair. I told them they might want to consider having some blood work pulled on her, thanked them again, and hung up.
The next day they called me back pretty "desperate to get rid of her". Since the "biting" episode with me had been very worried that she might try to hurt their small children, whose mount she was originally supposed to be. They said they didn't want to pressure anyone but would be taking the horse to the Eugene Livestock auction the following Saturday.
I agreed to take her. I trailered her in to PEC on February 7th.
The rest has pretty much been history...she arrived a very overweight, scraggly, nasty looking (and smelling!) little horse. I rented her a big stall in the beginning, unsure of how she would adjust to boarded life. She was fine. I clippered some of her hair off one day in an attempt to keep her cool during work-outs and we both suffered much teasing. The poor thing had the hair of a llama and a shaved silver-gray chest. Everyone told me how ugly she was.
I had taken her on as a companion to Ben, my older gelding. Both of them took a fast liking to one another, although she did "ignore" him for a few weeks in the beginning. She quickly grew on me, too. Her quirky personality is very likable, and despite the regular work I subjected her to, and my caution on the lunge, she never tried to bite again.
Later I discovered the reason for her fear: her previous owners had hired a "trainer" who came out and beat her over the head with the lunge.
I did not take any pictures of her when she arrived, since I'm pretty sure I had misplaced my camera (I don't have any pictures of Ben from this winter, either).
I took these photos of her and Ben out on the spring grass for their sparse 10-15 minutes in March, I believe:
As I noted on Ben's thread, I took those pictures when I thought she was starting to come around and look quite a bit better. I worried constantly about Cushings though my farrier said he saw no sign of founder. Her hay was cut back considerably over a period of time and she received no grain save a handful with her supplements.
I rode and lunged her as I had time, and with a steady healthier lifestyle she began to improve. Much to my relief she shed out in late spring to a lovely little black mare. With really obscene conformation. Still, she's cute.
By August of this year she was really looking nice--still not muscled, but at a good weight for her frame. She even had pretty little dapples in her coal black coat. Most people at the barn didn't even recognize her as the same horse...and to be honest, neither did I.
She isn't beautiful, but she sure is cute.
I have been looking to re-home her to the perfect home who can put her to use being a great trail horse, but I have had a hard time letting go--and finding the right home, which is always such a challenge. I tried a trial re-homing with a "friend" of mine, but it didn't work out. The boss is what she is--a herd boss. She's very fair and has done nothing but good for our gangly filly and my good ol' man, but she doesn't do well with other dominant personality types.
She's also most certainly not full-blooded Arabian. Most people guess Morgan/Arab, but I tend to think she's crossed with a pony breed. She really feathers out in the winter, even after 8 months of good care and feed. Maybe Welsh or Shetland? Your guesses are welcome. ;D
Doing what her Highness does best:
Showing her fairness with the baby Chevelle:
And the usual sight, Ben keeping guard while she grazes:
I should probably also mention the horse who used to run me around the pasture chasing her for half an hour now comes running--RUNNING--to a whistle. Like, full gallop let-me-in-LET-ME-IN!! running. She's always the first to the gate (almost to a fault..you know, if you want to bring another of the horses in) and whinnies prolifically. She's a goof. Like my other two. So she fits right in.
Demonstrating her first-in-line status (but with Ben hot on her tail):
Recently she has begun a new career as a child's leadline pony, trucking Rose's kids around the arena and building up their confidence (and it's great, because it gives her something to do besides eat!). I haven't yet been able to see it with my own eyes, but Rose tells me she makes an excellent child's mount. She is rock steady, that I know. Any Arab she has in her sure doesn't come out around scary things, and her forte is trail riding. But with an experienced rider, she loathes the arena--due, no doubt, to several OHSET/barrel racer/cowgirl let's-use-and-abuse teenage owners.
She's a sweet thing, though, and Ben is quite in love with her. Two old souls, in the herd they always pair off together.
