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 "Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
  
Location: Iowa, LA | Wow! You've got your hands full!!! Good luck to you! |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
 
Location: Riding Crackhead. | SaraJean - 2014-02-01 12:58 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-01 11:51 AM You're doing this why? There would have to be a hell of a lot of money in my pocket paid up front before I'd touch that kind of crap. lol I'm with ya! I've had phone calls to work with similar type horses. I run the other direction as fast as I can. I refuse to risk getting hurt because someone else didn't take the time to work with their animals. But at the same time glad you're willing to give these boys a chance to improve their lives and maybe have a future.
I've had those same phone calls and one of the people is one of my best friends. She's notorious for having too many horses and not touching them so I'm supposed to break my neck fixing her idiots? Not in a million.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 794
| ok first of all they were not just dumped into the sons lap. His mother has been aging since she was born and since he has been old enough to know that each year people get older. He needs to Cowboy up and take responsibility for his own property. |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | They're not as bad as I was expecting, although they're still going to take a good bit of work.
Fortunately, they're gaited horses which tend to be a little more forgiving than other breeds so that's a plus. They're also not mouthy at all even though he gives them carrots. 
She originally got them a little over 4 years ago so they've not had a halter on in those 4 years. However, I suspect that they had some handling prior to that just don't know how much.
The black horse is a little easier to deal with. He'll let you rub on him without too much trouble and he'll let you pick his foot up, he just pulls back if you hold it. I don't think it'll be too much trouble to get a halter on him.
The bay horse was an interesting case. When I first started working with him, his body language was agressive -- ears back, nose pinched, neck tense and arched-- but he didn't do anything. I'd go to rub his shoulder and he'd walk off. I had a wadded up rope halter in my hand and he smelled of that thing and wanted no part of it.
There's no pen anywhere on this place and it's mostly hilly and woods, barbed wire fence and T-posts. So I had to work with what I had. He'd put out two tubs of feed and the bay wanted the feed. So I "round penned" him at a walk around the feed. It worked -- I was able to direct his feet and get his eye.
I knew he was funny about his shoulder and that was a "no" area, as well as his face. So maybe the "it" spot was his tail. Most stallions like their tails rubbed and it made sense that he'd be more comfortable with being touched further back if he was funny about his front end.
I walked up to him and started rubbing his tail and he let me without walking off. I found my starting point. He let me rub all over his hips and about halfway towards his front end before he'd tense up or walk off.
The interesting thing is that once I started doing that, I saw a HUGE physical change. He blew his air out, licked and chewed and his eyes and ears softened. He was a totally different horse. He let me take the wadded up halter and rub him with it, and he let me rub my hands down his legs --that's what makes me think he's had at least some handling. It took me 2 hours to get to that point and I quit on that.
If he doesn't find them a home, I'll be going out there again next Sunday.
Some have asked why I said yes to working with them. They offered to pay me, I declined. Here's why -- they need help, the horses need help. Someone has to help them. I see it as a ministry opportunity. I've got a passion for working with tough horses and I think that instances like this are the exact reason for that passion that God has given me. I'd be wrong NOT to help these folks.
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Blessed 
Location: Here | God Bless You |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | You are an amazing woman, God bless you and thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts with us  |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I think it's ironic that my name is Frances... which also happens to be the patron saint of animals.
Those horses didn't ask to be in the hands of someone that wasn't responsible. I just hate to see them pay the price for it. |
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Blessed
Location: Here | Fairweather - 2014-02-01 9:16 PM I think it's ironic that my name is Frances... which also happens to be the patron saint of animals.
Those horses didn't ask to be in the hands of someone that wasn't responsible. I just hate to see them pay the price for it.
I agree. I am glad they have you. At least you are trying
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | If you're still trying to figure out how to get them gelded.... I'll tell you what we did with my father-in-law's horse...
My father-in-law is very similar in thinking that horses shouldn't be contained... You should smoke peyote and do calm dances around them (or some schmidt like that). He is obviously NEVER allowed to deal with my horses because they can see his Parelli bumper sticker the minute he pulls in the driveway...
Anyways, i decided it was time to geld his stupid 3 year old stud colt that had LITERALLY had the run of our 3000 acre ranch for his ENTIRE LIFE - before he knocked up my mare, or the neighbor's mare, oh yea - or KILLED SOMEBODY. So my husband and I waited until Dear Ol' Dad was down visiting family in California.....
And then I called my vet and the county trapper (good friend of ours); the vet brought the tranquilizer cocktail, and the trapper brought his tranquilizing gun. There was no adrenaline in the horse's system to fight the tranquilizer, unlike the time my FIL tried to snuggle the stupid horse into submission, and it worked like a charm.
Snip snip, and we had a gelding
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | Fairweather - 2014-02-01 9:16 PM I think it's ironic that my name is Frances... which also happens to be the patron saint of animals.
Those horses didn't ask to be in the hands of someone that wasn't responsible. I just hate to see them pay the price for it.
Bingo...you hit the nail on the head. I get a lot of flack for being a "doormat," but I don't do what I do for anyone or anything but the animals. They don't get to choose where they end up. Some end up in a great place and others are not so lucky.
Bless you. They are beautiful horses.
Edited by sophiebelle 2014-02-01 10:58 PM
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | svincent - 2014-02-01 9:39 PM If you're still trying to figure out how to get them gelded.... I'll tell you what we did with my father-in-law's horse... My father-in-law is very similar in thinking that horses shouldn't be contained... You should smoke peyote and do calm dances around them (or some schmidt like that ). He is obviously NEVER allowed to deal with my horses because they can see his Parelli bumper sticker the minute he pulls in the driveway... Anyways, i decided it was time to geld his stupid 3 year old stud colt that had LITERALLY had the run of our 3000 acre ranch for his ENTIRE LIFE - before he knocked up my mare, or the neighbor's mare, oh yea - or KILLED SOMEBODY. So my husband and I waited until Dear Ol' Dad was down visiting family in California..... And then I called my vet and the county trapper (good friend of ours ); the vet brought the tranquilizer cocktail, and the trapper brought his tranquilizing gun. There was no adrenaline in the horse's system to fight the tranquilizer, unlike the time my FIL tried to snuggle the stupid horse into submission, and it worked like a charm. Snip snip, and we had a gelding
giggle |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I would get a stock trailer and panels run them up in it haul to the vet have gelded while sedated slip on halters and lead ropes trim feet and vacinate while under. Then haul to the nearest round pen for breaking while they are coming out of sedation and leave them in the round pen. While they are good and sore halter break them and throw a saddle on they won't do a whole lot of bucking and being jerks while healing. You'll have 3 good days to put it all together. Then the pain will begin to go away. |
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Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I would get a stock trailer and panels run them up in it haul to the vet have gelded while sedated slip on halters and lead ropes trim feet and vacinate while under. Then haul to the nearest round pen for breaking while they are coming out of sedation and leave them in the round pen. While they are good and sore halter break them and throw a saddle on they won't do a whole lot of bucking and being jerks while healing. You'll have 3 good days to put it all together. Then the pain will begin to go away. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| Bless your heart. I also have the passion for working with troubled horses. I wont break my back to do it but I will if I have the time and it wont cost too much for me (gas money).
I did this with an OTTB that was just dangerous in the hands of a very inexperienced person. I offered after she became pregnant and literally couldnt even continue her failed attempts at brushing this mare. She was okay with giving the horse away but in the shape she was, she would be slaughter bound. She literally had a black beauty type background/history. 30 days with that mare and she was a different horse. made someone a fantastic dressage horse and I dont regret it for a minute.
I agree that horses shouldnt suffer for human stupidity. You cant save them all but you can help where you can.
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | At least they have been fed and seem in good shape. My BF and I had this conversation last night. A lot of times it's easier to deal with a horse that hasn't been touched versus one that's been handled by an idiot, starved, locked in a stall, etc. They have no reason to distrust you from the start so it can be easier and quicker to gain some trust and progress.
Good luck! |
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