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Post by aoconnor on Aug 18, 2015 13:01:18 GMT
Well, the sadness of losing my old man on Friday did have a better ending for the day after all. I am at full capacity, really can't take anymore horses in right now, but when I put Ranger down it opened a door to another. I was having lunch with my mother in law after we put Ranger down, when I got a text about a heavy bred paint mare getting shipped over the border that afternoon if no one grabbed her. I decided to pick her up (I so despise thinking a heavy bred mare is going to slaughter), so we headed down to the kill buyers place. She is a lovely paint mare, very sweet personality, very in your pocket. And VERY ... fat. The minute I saw her I highly doubted a pregnancy, even though she looks it very much. No other signs at all of an impending birth led me to a trip to my vet Saturday morning for a preg check. Nope, nothing there, in fact she is in heat and building multiple follicles on both ovaries. But she is home now, and she will stay here. I will try breaking her to saddle if she isn't already, but her name Shyah, or Shy, seems appropriate as she is rather startled by things easily. We will see. She came from a recipient mare facility, and if they booted her to the auctions she is probably around 14 years old. That is when the facilities around here stop using a mare to be a recipient. They like them from 6 years old to 14 years old, the best breeding years. Here is Shyah and Banner, who I picked up 3 weeks ago from the same kill buyer. He is a 2 year old gelded colt that needs lots of groceries! He just was gelded last week, he is still mad at me:-) They are on my top pasture, which isn't a very good one, but keeps the new horses safe and easy to reach when meds need to be given or temps taken.  |
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Post by mollymckee on Aug 18, 2015 16:52:47 GMT
It is so nice that you can save them, I would love to do more but my husband doesn't want to, he thinks we are too old. It makes me so sad to see nice horses going to the kill buyers. I really hate to see the old horses dumped,just because they are older. I think it tells a lot about a person that tries to sell a horse they had for years on Craigs list or at an auction. The least you could do for your faithful companion is to put them down instead of making their life a nightmare.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Aug 18, 2015 20:14:54 GMT
Oh, my, she IS a chubby girl, isn't she! Pretty, though. Banner looks like he's starting to fill out a bit, too. I think he's just beautiful - lovely head. Thank you for doing this.
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Post by aoconnor on Aug 18, 2015 22:14:01 GMT
Oh, my, she IS a chubby girl, isn't she! Pretty, though. Banner looks like he's starting to fill out a bit, too. I think he's just beautiful - lovely head. Thank you for doing this. Banner is doing quite well. I think he has an ulcer or ulcers, but he is calming down more every day, and being gelded will help that as well. He is a lovely little guy:-) Shyah is a tub! No wonder the kill buyer thought she was pregnant! Im glad she isn't though, it is too hot to be foaling right now, she and baby would have been miserable. |
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Post by here to stay on Aug 18, 2015 23:56:43 GMT
I'm not fond of white feet but when they have those dark coronet bands, the hoof is dark even if it is white above that. I hope she works well for you.
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Post by aoconnor on Aug 19, 2015 14:54:26 GMT
I'm not fond of white feet but when they have those dark coronet bands, the hoof is dark even if it is white above that. I hope she works well for you. When I take a rescue it doesn't matter what they are as long as they are safe. I have many with white feet, it has never bothered me. I also have a lot with black feet! Feet are good:-) She will be here no matter what she does or doesn't do, but I do hope to break her if she isn't already. That goes for any that come in, if I can, I break them to ride. If not, they are pastured and can comfortably graze out their days here. Either way, I am content hat they are safe and well. |
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Post by here to stay on Aug 19, 2015 16:06:59 GMT
The remark about white feet was not a criticism of her. Just that the dark coronets make it possible to have white legs with dark hooves. I had a chestnut like that and always was amused by it.
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Post by aoconnor on Aug 20, 2015 2:44:35 GMT
The remark about white feet was not a criticism of her. Just that the dark coronets make it possible to have white legs with dark hooves. I had a chestnut like that and always was amused by it. I didn't take it as criticism:-) I only mean I have no choice in what rescues have as far as hooves...I take any of them in no matter what they are!! Which DOES get me in trouble on occasion! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 2:46:35 GMT
You have been blessed that you are able to help so many and in turn prove to be a blessing to them. You indeed change the world, their world.
May God continue to bless you for your kindness!
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Post by Mari-in-IN on Aug 24, 2015 1:22:50 GMT
Well, the sadness of losing my old man on Friday did have a better ending for the day after all. I am at full capacity, really can't take anymore horses in right now, but when I put Ranger down it opened a door to another. I was having lunch with my mother in law after we put Ranger down, when I got a text about a heavy bred paint mare getting shipped over the border that afternoon if no one grabbed her. I decided to pick her up (I so despise thinking a heavy bred mare is going to slaughter), so we headed down to the kill buyers place. She is a lovely paint mare, very sweet personality, very in your pocket. And VERY ... fat. The minute I saw her I highly doubted a pregnancy, even though she looks it very much. No other signs at all of an impending birth led me to a trip to my vet Saturday morning for a preg check. Nope, nothing there, in fact she is in heat and building multiple follicles on both ovaries. But she is home now, and she will stay here. I will try breaking her to saddle if she isn't already, but her name Shyah, or Shy, seems appropriate as she is rather startled by things easily. We will see. She came from a recipient mare facility, and if they booted her to the auctions she is probably around 14 years old. That is when the facilities around here stop using a mare to be a recipient. They like them from 6 years old to 14 years old, the best breeding years. Here is Shyah and Banner, who I picked up 3 weeks ago from the same kill buyer. He is a 2 year old gelded colt that needs lots of groceries! He just was gelded last week, he is still mad at me:-) They are on my top pasture, which isn't a very good one, but keeps the new horses safe and easy to reach when meds need to be given or temps taken. Hello again! It is I...Mari-in-IN the silent lurker... I am SO GLAD that young boy is doing well... Do you mind explaining what I have bolded? Sorry to bug you-but I am so glad you are able to do what you do for these animals... Kinda reminds me of my crazy love/fascination with my chickens  Take care! Mari |
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Post by aoconnor on Aug 24, 2015 3:05:53 GMT
Hi Mari:-) A recipient mare is used when a mare has extremely good genetics or is a great show horse...an owner of a mare like that might not want her good show horse to be pregnant and mess up her show career or possibly have complications birthing, so they use a recipient mare (surrogate) to carry a foal for the show horse. Generally they do a hyper boost type shot to get multiple ovulation from the show mare when she is in heat, they fertilize those eggs, then transplant them into a recipient mare that is in exactly the same heat cycle place as the donor mare. That way a mare besides the show horse can carry a foal but the owner still gets a baby from the donor mare and stallion they bred to.
Where I live it is a HUGE business. There are recipient mare facilities all around here. They have lots of mares, one place in town has at least 50 or more every year that they use, and they will impregnate the recipient mares yearly, year after year. They have a prime breeding time frame from approximately 6 years to 14 years of age, but after 14 the mares are often sold off or put down as they are no longer needed. It is a sad thing, those poor mares are used up over those years and then tossed away.
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Post by Mari-in-IN on Aug 25, 2015 13:21:44 GMT
Hey aoconnor, Thanks again for taking time out to "educate" me. I am just appalled how these gorgeous/gracious animals are "used up" and then thrown away. It really saddens me... ~Mari |
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Post by aoconnor on Aug 25, 2015 15:30:14 GMT
Hey aoconnor, Thanks again for taking time out to "educate" me. I am just appalled how these gorgeous/gracious animals are "used up" and then thrown away. It really saddens me... ~Mari Mari, I enjoy teaching others about my horses. They are my passion, so talking about them is always a pleasure! Ask away! Now, I have to take the chicks out of my office and put them back into the brooder coop in the big coop. I figure the little guys are ready to go back out, they are flying to the rim of their container and then back into to tub, then back up, then back down, as I type this! Crazy chickens:-) |
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Post by motdaugrnds on Aug 25, 2015 16:23:38 GMT
Hello Aoconnor. Sorry about losing Ranger. As kind hearted as you are, I know that hurts. Those two new horses you picked up are sure fortunate you took them. I do hope they get as healthy as you want them and enjoy their life on your farm.
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Post by mollymckee on Sept 4, 2015 2:09:03 GMT
How are the new guys doing? Have you had the time to see if the mares have any training?
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Post by aoconnor on Sept 4, 2015 2:25:48 GMT
How are the new guys doing? Have you had the time to see if the mares have any training? Hi mollymckee, thanks for checking in with us. The new "kids" are doing great! All are intermixing a lIttle tiny bit with a couple of other horses in the herd, but mostly they hang out together in a little group. They do follow my others in and out to pasture, but they will come in alone at meal time if the others haven't headed in yet:-) Because of various medical issues with Bella, though we are working through them as best we can, I have not tried to see if she is broke. I am of the strong mind that she is not broke to ride at all from the way she moves away from touch and has an issue leading and moving around on the ground being led. She is so afraid of me, it will take her a long time to understand I will not harm her, even though I handle her daily. Shyah, or Shy, is a dear girl. She is older than we expected, around 18 years we think. I do believe she was saddle broke in her distant past, though she hadn't been ridden in years as far as I can tell, but I am going to saddle her this weekend and see how she behaves. She is spooky, but really, really responsive. She hasn't been handled in a very long time, but when I ask her for something a couple of times, like backing up, she motors backwards as soon as she remembers that she knows how to do it:-) I love this mare, she is so excited about being my friend, she gets really up close and personal a lot. I am teaching her, gently, about my personal space and her personal space:-) Banner is a gaited horse, I believe he may be a Walker or maybe a Standardbred/Saddlebred or similar. He loves to play with my other gelding's, and my mini-mule. He isn't afraid of anything much, except my big mares:-) He is scared to death of those big ol girls!! Thanks is again for asking about them! |
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