I spent a little time in the pasture today with the horses. The task of getting burrs out of tails gives you lots of time to reminisce and I went back to "the beginning". Here's our story!
My husband always promised daughter Dakota a horse if ever he could find work locally. He had been working in Minneapolis during the week and only home on weekends. Well...he found a job so...
For Dakota's Sweet 16 birthday, she became the proud adopter of Dakota the horse who forevermore became known as Dakota H.(orse). And the two Dakota's quickly filmed a tight bond. In fact, if Dakota H. deems herself 'neglected' because her girl didn't see her enough, Dakota H. will pout and throw a buck or two until her person has made up with her.
My husband always promised daughter Dakota a horse if ever he could find work locally. He had been working in Minneapolis during the week and only home on weekends. Well...he found a job so...
For Dakota's Sweet 16 birthday, she became the proud adopter of Dakota the horse who forevermore became known as Dakota H.(orse). And the two Dakota's quickly filmed a tight bond. In fact, if Dakota H. deems herself 'neglected' because her girl didn't see her enough, Dakota H. will pout and throw a buck or two until her person has made up with her.
But is this really fair? Dakota H., all by herself out in the pasture. Horses are after all herd animals...
So I go back to Helping Hands where we adopted Dakota H. from and asked about any "nice horses". That was literally the highest standard. She was just going to be a pasture mate to keep Dakota H. company so she didn't need any fancy pedigree or training or skills. Old would be fine. Tonya had one that she thought was going to be just the ticket. She was a previously adopted horse that was coming back because it wasn't working in the adoptive home. So here comes Zona.
Let me say before I show you the before and after pictures that as bad as it may look, it also shows why adoption is a good option. It was during followups that Helping Hands found that Zona was not thriving. I believe it was not from abuse/neglect but rather the other horses were not letting her in to eat so she got skinny.
Alright, here goes. I very rarely show these pictures, but this is "my horse story".
Here is Zona as she arrived on our farm. (How do you explain this to your husband when he arrives unsuspectingly to a new horse in the pasture? There was a whole lot of headshaking happening.)
So I go back to Helping Hands where we adopted Dakota H. from and asked about any "nice horses". That was literally the highest standard. She was just going to be a pasture mate to keep Dakota H. company so she didn't need any fancy pedigree or training or skills. Old would be fine. Tonya had one that she thought was going to be just the ticket. She was a previously adopted horse that was coming back because it wasn't working in the adoptive home. So here comes Zona.
Let me say before I show you the before and after pictures that as bad as it may look, it also shows why adoption is a good option. It was during followups that Helping Hands found that Zona was not thriving. I believe it was not from abuse/neglect but rather the other horses were not letting her in to eat so she got skinny.
Alright, here goes. I very rarely show these pictures, but this is "my horse story".
Here is Zona as she arrived on our farm. (How do you explain this to your husband when he arrives unsuspectingly to a new horse in the pasture? There was a whole lot of headshaking happening.)
Let's quickly move on, as believe me, this look was very short lived. Upon arrival, she lowered her head and I think she ate for 5 days straight before she even noticed the rest of us. :) Here's the fattened up version.
Zona is exactly what we asked for and does the role of pasture mate very well. She just hangs out! She loves kids and gets excited when she hears their voices and takes great care to make sure she doesn't step on them. I guess I didn't share the beginning of Zona's history. Zona is a very well bred Arabian, but as a youngster another horse kicked her in the head and that caused her to go blind in one eye. So besides being underweight ... Her hang out personality sometimes lends to people jumping on her back in the pasture and that's ok with her too.
Then Dakota went off to college. And then Dakota H. went to join Dakota at college...which would leave Zonie all alone in the pasture... so we now needed a pasture mate for the pasture mate. Enter Molly.
Molly is alot of mane and tail (aka burr attractor!). She also thinks that big horse rules do not apply to her and believes that fences are optional. Obviously, if God made her so short, he meant for her to go under the fence and see what was going down. She has recently added a new skill of curling her lip when she wants a treat.
The Dakota's come back from college so life is good. The horse herd is complete and then I read the horse ads on Keloland. I didn't shut my eyes fast enough! I really think that Molly needs a playmate her size so down to Pukwana and here comes Roseannadanna aka Rosie.
Rosie is still a project so the story isn't finished, but our horse herd is now complete.
Do you know what I really want? just one time... a baby mini... wouldn't that be fun!?
Do you know what I really want? just one time... a baby mini... wouldn't that be fun!?
RSS Feed