Post by dowedoit on Nov 11, 2005 22:27:39 GMT -5
We rescued Lucky from the feedlot on Labor Day, 2004. We spent half the day looking at horses, none of which were right. As we were leaving, Sam pointed out a little Arab mare over in the corner that she had overlooked. It was hot and I was tired and discouraged. I had hoped we could save a horse but we needed a horse that would be suitable for my 8 year old beginner son, to be used in 4-H. My son had long ago lost all his patience but I figured what the heck, we're here and you never know. So we were introduced to the little, skinny, bay Arab mare. She was very sweet and I hopped on her with just a halter and lead rope and walked and trotted her all around. She was the one.
Although we found our horse we didn't have anyway to get her back home to Wenatchee. I called my sister in Bothell and she hooked up her trailer and headed east. While we were waiting for her, Joshua pondered what the mare's name should be. She was registered and we were lucky to get her papers so we knew her registered name was Partier (she is pure Polish and it's a Polish name with a meaning I have yet to discover). But we couldn't get a good barn name out of that so I suggested Joshua just pick a name. It took him about 15 seconds to come up with Lucky because, as he said, she was lucky to be saved from going to slaughter.
My sister finally arrived with her trailer when it was nearly dark. Lucky loaded right up with just a slight bit of hesitation. She had a buddy she was leaving behind and I felt so guilty leaving him and separating the two but we really couldn't take two home as I hadn't had a horse in nearly 20 years and wanted to make sure we could manage one before expanding. We arrived home around 1 am. Here is a picture of Lucky a few days after we brought her home:
During her quarantine she had a big, three stall open barn with an attached paddock. Her water was in the paddock and that was the only reason she would leave the barn - to get a drink of water. Otherwise she'd stand inside with her head peeking out to see what was going on outside. She loves having a stall, deep with shavings, and feeling pampered (as she deserves to be).
Lucky was so skinny when we first got her! You can't tell from the pictures how skinny she really was. We set about getting some weight on her. After her quarantine we moved her to a stable so that we'd have access to an arena because I was not going to allow my beginner son learn to ride out in the open or in a pasture. When we moved her, everything changed.
The nice little quiet mare, who let our two Boxers run between her legs with never a flinch, and allowed my son lead her around anywhere, wasn't so quiet anymore. In fact, the minute we unloaded her at the stable it was obvious that she was an Arab - her head was high, she was prancing and snorting and generally being very headstrong. She had put on a fair amount of weight in that first 30 days so I'm certain she was feeling much better than when we first got her and it was very obvious! Lucky continued to thrive and gain weight. Here are some pictures taken of her on Easter weekend this year:
Sadly, we are now looking for a new home for Lucky. She's just too much horse for a timid beginner so we went in search of yet another, more appropriate horse for a beginner (see Duke's soon-to-be thread). So now Lucky has no person (I have my own project - Dowedoit) and she desparately needs one. She forms a very strong attachment to one person and really needs that bond. She also needs to be ridden consistently and I've never been able to do that with her. She would be great for a 4-Her who is horse crazy and wants to lavish love and affection on her and ride her several times each week. So, if anyone knows of someone in need of a really nice, sweet mare, please direct them to me. I am negotiable on EVERYTHING, except that she must go to an exceptional home. She loves having a stall so that is an absolute requirement as well. I'm willing to lease her and will sell her to the right home with a buy back contract. I may also consider gifting to the right home. She's so sweet and deserves so much... I will never let her return to the fate she once faced. Just look at her eyes...
Here's a link to Lucky's photoalbum: photobucket.com/albums/b122/Dowedoit/Lucky/?
Although we found our horse we didn't have anyway to get her back home to Wenatchee. I called my sister in Bothell and she hooked up her trailer and headed east. While we were waiting for her, Joshua pondered what the mare's name should be. She was registered and we were lucky to get her papers so we knew her registered name was Partier (she is pure Polish and it's a Polish name with a meaning I have yet to discover). But we couldn't get a good barn name out of that so I suggested Joshua just pick a name. It took him about 15 seconds to come up with Lucky because, as he said, she was lucky to be saved from going to slaughter.
My sister finally arrived with her trailer when it was nearly dark. Lucky loaded right up with just a slight bit of hesitation. She had a buddy she was leaving behind and I felt so guilty leaving him and separating the two but we really couldn't take two home as I hadn't had a horse in nearly 20 years and wanted to make sure we could manage one before expanding. We arrived home around 1 am. Here is a picture of Lucky a few days after we brought her home:
During her quarantine she had a big, three stall open barn with an attached paddock. Her water was in the paddock and that was the only reason she would leave the barn - to get a drink of water. Otherwise she'd stand inside with her head peeking out to see what was going on outside. She loves having a stall, deep with shavings, and feeling pampered (as she deserves to be).
Lucky was so skinny when we first got her! You can't tell from the pictures how skinny she really was. We set about getting some weight on her. After her quarantine we moved her to a stable so that we'd have access to an arena because I was not going to allow my beginner son learn to ride out in the open or in a pasture. When we moved her, everything changed.
The nice little quiet mare, who let our two Boxers run between her legs with never a flinch, and allowed my son lead her around anywhere, wasn't so quiet anymore. In fact, the minute we unloaded her at the stable it was obvious that she was an Arab - her head was high, she was prancing and snorting and generally being very headstrong. She had put on a fair amount of weight in that first 30 days so I'm certain she was feeling much better than when we first got her and it was very obvious! Lucky continued to thrive and gain weight. Here are some pictures taken of her on Easter weekend this year:
Sadly, we are now looking for a new home for Lucky. She's just too much horse for a timid beginner so we went in search of yet another, more appropriate horse for a beginner (see Duke's soon-to-be thread). So now Lucky has no person (I have my own project - Dowedoit) and she desparately needs one. She forms a very strong attachment to one person and really needs that bond. She also needs to be ridden consistently and I've never been able to do that with her. She would be great for a 4-Her who is horse crazy and wants to lavish love and affection on her and ride her several times each week. So, if anyone knows of someone in need of a really nice, sweet mare, please direct them to me. I am negotiable on EVERYTHING, except that she must go to an exceptional home. She loves having a stall so that is an absolute requirement as well. I'm willing to lease her and will sell her to the right home with a buy back contract. I may also consider gifting to the right home. She's so sweet and deserves so much... I will never let her return to the fate she once faced. Just look at her eyes...
Here's a link to Lucky's photoalbum: photobucket.com/albums/b122/Dowedoit/Lucky/?