dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 4, 2012 10:36:32 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 4, 2012 10:36:32 GMT -5
Barney has been so depressed and lonesome since we lost that poor pony we were trying to save. Even though we only had her "officially" for a short time, he had been in love with her over the fence for years. So I decided to get a friend for him. We always get our pets from animal shelters because we know we can give a good home to one who needs it. So I started exploring the rescues to find a mare, possibly older mare, that has decent ground manners and is not a walking vet bill. We had no intention of riding her, so that wasn't an issue. All the rescues are crying that they are full, so I mistakenly thought that someone with a good, clean home, some prior horsekeeping knowledge and excellent references from the local vets would be wecomed with open arms. NOT.
The first one would not even discuss anything with me until I paid a fee to submit an application. The second one turned us down because my 2 year old barn isn't good enough. They said the run in had to be 21 ft square and mine is only 18. And I would have to cover the finished, painted metal sides, with rolled metal trim on all corners, with plywood up to 8 feet high.
So we went out to a third one near us. I was appalled at the poor condition of all the horses! Now I realize some new arrivals might be in rehab and still look awful, but some of them had been there for years. I'm talking ribs showing, skeleton butts, sunken eyes awful. They had a farrier out there and rather than taking time to work with them, they were roping them and laying them down. And when I said no thank you and tried to walk away, this woman got all bent out shape and harangued me all the way back to my truck.
Barney needs a friend, but ..... The horse prices in Texas have not fallen off like other places and I'm not sure I want to lay out a thousand bucks or so just for him to have a playmate.
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wjminwi
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"Begin to know Him now and never finish."
Posts: 234
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Rescues
Feb 4, 2012 11:16:27 GMT -5
Post by wjminwi on Feb 4, 2012 11:16:27 GMT -5
Check your local Craig's List.......people are often giving away nice horses, esp. ones that can't be ridden but need a home.
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Rescues
Feb 4, 2012 14:15:26 GMT -5
Post by MaryS on Feb 4, 2012 14:15:26 GMT -5
If you can make it down to stephenville, 1st Friday of the month, you could still rescue one at the sale barn. I'll check on the prices from yesterday's sale, but I think there are some pasture pets that you could snag for less than $100, and not the really pitiful ones either. I'll get back with you on that, though, because prices may have changed. There's also a flea market the 2nd and 4th and a guy has ones that need rescuing for sale. I don't think they are outrageously priced, but it tears your heart strings to see them.
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 4, 2012 14:35:52 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 4, 2012 14:35:52 GMT -5
I had thought of going to Stephenville, but so many times in a sale you cannot even touch one beforehand to see if you can even put a halter on them or anything. And I don't have any way to separate them ay home. I don't want to bring in some unknown disease to Barney.
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 4, 2012 14:40:09 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 4, 2012 14:40:09 GMT -5
I forgot to say I checked Craigslist and there wasn't really anything right now. Decent here is still 1-4 thousand. I may have a line on one, but it belongs to to a friend of a friend of my son. So I'd have to haul her 425 miles. I can do that, but there is an ongoing divorce in the mix, so that's always an uncertainty.
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Rescues
Feb 5, 2012 21:07:40 GMT -5
Post by ghostrider on Feb 5, 2012 21:07:40 GMT -5
On the news here last month they said that people in TX were turning their horses loose due to lack of feed? I'm surprised you haven't found one at a local rescue. Maybe place an ad? there may be someone who needs to find a home for their horse.
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 5, 2012 22:14:08 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 5, 2012 22:14:08 GMT -5
All of the rescues are full to overflowing. But it's the people running them that are imposing such high restrictions for adoption. I know they have to be careful about where the horses go, but some of them are being way too picky. I'm still hoping my son will come through on this mare. She sounds just right. And I know her ground manners will suit me because he's the one that initially trained her for the people. She was the lady's pole bending horse, but she blew out her knee. She's okay now for light riding, but she will never compete again and they are the type that won't keep one if they are not paying their own way. She's only 4. She was too young for that hard riding anyway in my opinion.
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Post by MaryS on Feb 6, 2012 8:35:21 GMT -5
Denise, I think the news may have overstated that opinion. A few people have resorted to that, but most find rescues or other people to take them, or they haul them to the sale barns. Found out a girl at Friday's sale asked $20 each for two beautiful horses. I missed it ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png) unfortunately, there are even some that just let them starve; they feed them what they.can afford, but they waste away slowly. It's sad around here.
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Rescues
Feb 6, 2012 19:15:43 GMT -5
Post by ghostrider on Feb 6, 2012 19:15:43 GMT -5
There's always those who allow an animal to suffer. When we had a drought a few years ago many turned their horses loose. At least they can run free and graze with the hundreds of thousands of BLM land there but here they'd get hit or killed very easily.
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 18, 2012 16:54:46 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 18, 2012 16:54:46 GMT -5
I may have found a ladyfriend for Barney. Supposedly it's a done deal, but until she's in my barn, I'll still be apprehensive. My new farrier knew of a soldier from Ft. Hood down the road who is being transferred and cannot take this mare with him. She's is about 20 and is a Doc O Lena. The farrier has done her feet for several years and says she has good ground manners and loads beautifully. She is an old roping horse so I know she has been hauled and hauled. I really don't want to go get her today though because it has been pouring rain since last night and the pasture is very muddy. The first thing they'll do is run and chase and act stupid and I don't want anybody falling down in the mud and getting hurt. Fingers crossed that this is the right one.
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Rescues
Feb 18, 2012 21:04:38 GMT -5
Post by MaryS on Feb 18, 2012 21:04:38 GMT -5
So great to hear that.
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Rescues
Feb 19, 2012 0:53:01 GMT -5
Post by ghostrider on Feb 19, 2012 0:53:01 GMT -5
That's neat so will you be able to ride too?
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 19, 2012 13:28:29 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 19, 2012 13:28:29 GMT -5
Not her. Like all Doc O'Lena's, she's small - only about 14. If I ever get to where my hips will stand up to riding again, there's no better horse than my Barney. As long as I have him, I'll never ride anything else.
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dani
New Member
Posts: 48
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Rescues
Feb 20, 2012 11:45:20 GMT -5
Post by dani on Feb 20, 2012 11:45:20 GMT -5
We're supposed to pick up new mare at 3. I'll need help finding a new name. Her name is Bella and that won't work. That was the name of one of the girlfriends my first husband had on the side when we were married.
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Rescues
Feb 20, 2012 23:37:31 GMT -5
Post by ghostrider on Feb 20, 2012 23:37:31 GMT -5
We have to see her first, what color is she? I hope pick up went well and Barney likes her.
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