Abused TWH Performance Mare

Angilina · 07-29-2008, 08:30 PM

I am in the process of buying (or, as I call it, the $2500 rescue) a 6 y/o Walker mare. She's about 17hh, most gorgeous bay you've ever seen, and she reminds me of a VERY tall teddy bear. Unfortunately, her last two owners have not been kind to her. The man who owned her before the guy I'm buying her from was feeding her one small alfalfa flake and some low grade pellets once a day or every other day, while she was constantly stalled with water that sometimes worked, sometimes not. She was about 150lbs underweight or more, and was never brought out of the stall or touched other than at feedings. Her current owner has used soring, weighted chains, and various other "aids" to get he to pick up her front feet. She is a versatility mare with a gorgeous natural gait that is being forced to work as a performance mare. Her trainer flat out told me that she was being treated this way and that she was the only horse in the barn he "had to do it to" because she wouldn't "relax" enough to perform. As I was preparing to leave the place, they almost put a kerosene mix on her legs right in front of me, and it took all manner of BS and lying about being interested in buying her and leaving it be a few days and blah blah to convince the guy to stop.

She has never been in a pasture except a few times when she was still at her mothers side, and not once since. Other than in passing she has never had contact with other horses (besides her dam). She has been living in a 10x10 stall for this entire time, never leaving except to train an hour a day. What amazes me is that she has been through all this, be retains a grace that I have seen in very few horses and amazing disposition. She found me, and now it's my turn to give her a helping hand.

I have dealt with horses that have been neglected before, my other Walker mare was rescued by a friend before she came to live with me, and she was dangerously underweight. My Anglo-Arab gelding was also neglected before he found me and abused at the track when he was very young. But I haven't dealt with a horse of quite this type before.

I took her outside the barn, just about 5-10 feet out the door, and stood there for a moment. After she figured out that the stuff on the ground was food and took a nibble of it, she sat there, her nose to the ground, chewing the grass with her eyes closed. The wind was blowing, and she turned to feel it in her face. For a moment, just a moment, all was calm and right in her world. She soon let me know that she didn't understand much of what she was looking at. She threw little spooks at cars, butterflies, grass in the wind, birds flying and chirping, stepping on a small stick, a cat emerging from a bush, her hooves hitting dirt after she's been walking on grass and vice-versa, etc. She didn't stay afraid, in fact she calmed down faster than most horses I've seen, and didn't spook about that object again.

Once I took her back into the barn, she was completely fine. She would bend over backwards to complete a task I asked her to do, quickly learned the commands I was giving to run next to me, then stood patiently in hand while I was going over her papers and writing down serial numbers for the truck we're also buying. Nothing scared her, no matter how I tried, she didn't even react to things that would have had other horses running.

My questions are these: How do I help her acclimate to life outside? We're in the process of building a barn, a stall is 2 months away, so I can't slowly introduce her to it. How do I help her learn how to be with horses again? How do I keep her from being touchy about he front feet? She's not now, but I don't want to start her on that.

Please consider going and buying one of these horses. Any other breed would not be gentle enough to put up with this, these horses know exactly what is going on and have no out of this sport. They start calling them old somewhere before 12-15, that's halfway through a typical horses life. These are sweet, gentle horses that will win your heart over! If you do know a trainer or barn that does this, please report them to the USDA. As soon as this mare is legally mine and I have her safe I am filing a report/complaint.

shymare · 07-29-2008, 08:53 PM

You're awesome.

I love TWHs. They're great. You're going to love her!

Angilina · 07-29-2008, 09:04 PM

Going to? I already do!

I honestly don't need another one. I didn't even come there to look at a horse. We were going to buy the trailer and truck (both of which I'm drooling over) and I finally got my Dodge Ram I've been after for years! I'm pretty excited all around. But she's probably going to take a great deal of work, and I know that.

I'm trying to let her tell me what she wants to do. The little voice in the back of my head is screaming "DRESSAGE!" but I'm going to just give her time and space to figure things out, then go from there.

I forgot to link to my Blog Post that elaborates a bit more on her history and how we met. Enjoy, and thanks!

IMustBeCrazy · 07-31-2008, 11:01 AM

HURRAY for taking on your $2500 "rescue". I HATE what people do to these beautiful creatures. I would like see them walk 24/7 with 3+" heels, chains and soring agents!

Is there a boarding barn nearby? You could temp. board her while she acclimated. Other than that, a lot of desensitizing work is in order.

07-29-2008, 08:30 PM	#1
Angilina Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4	Abused TWH Performance Mare I am in the process of buying (or, as I call it, the $2500 rescue) a 6 y/o Walker mare. She's about 17hh, most gorgeous bay you've ever seen, and she reminds me of a VERY tall teddy bear. Unfortunately, her last two owners have not been kind to her. The man who owned her before the guy I'm buying her from was feeding her one small alfalfa flake and some low grade pellets once a day or every other day, while she was constantly stalled with water that sometimes worked, sometimes not. She was about 150lbs underweight or more, and was never brought out of the stall or touched other than at feedings. Her current owner has used soring, weighted chains, and various other "aids" to get he to pick up her front feet. She is a versatility mare with a gorgeous natural gait that is being forced to work as a performance mare. Her trainer flat out told me that she was being treated this way and that she was the only horse in the barn he "had to do it to" because she wouldn't "relax" enough to perform. As I was preparing to leave the place, they almost put a kerosene mix on her legs right in front of me, and it took all manner of BS and lying about being interested in buying her and leaving it be a few days and blah blah to convince the guy to stop. She has never been in a pasture except a few times when she was still at her mothers side, and not once since. Other than in passing she has never had contact with other horses (besides her dam). She has been living in a 10x10 stall for this entire time, never leaving except to train an hour a day. What amazes me is that she has been through all this, be retains a grace that I have seen in very few horses and amazing disposition. She found me, and now it's my turn to give her a helping hand. I have dealt with horses that have been neglected before, my other Walker mare was rescued by a friend before she came to live with me, and she was dangerously underweight. My Anglo-Arab gelding was also neglected before he found me and abused at the track when he was very young. But I haven't dealt with a horse of quite this type before. I took her outside the barn, just about 5-10 feet out the door, and stood there for a moment. After she figured out that the stuff on the ground was food and took a nibble of it, she sat there, her nose to the ground, chewing the grass with her eyes closed. The wind was blowing, and she turned to feel it in her face. For a moment, just a moment, all was calm and right in her world. She soon let me know that she didn't understand much of what she was looking at. She threw little spooks at cars, butterflies, grass in the wind, birds flying and chirping, stepping on a small stick, a cat emerging from a bush, her hooves hitting dirt after she's been walking on grass and vice-versa, etc. She didn't stay afraid, in fact she calmed down faster than most horses I've seen, and didn't spook about that object again. Once I took her back into the barn, she was completely fine. She would bend over backwards to complete a task I asked her to do, quickly learned the commands I was giving to run next to me, then stood patiently in hand while I was going over her papers and writing down serial numbers for the truck we're also buying. Nothing scared her, no matter how I tried, she didn't even react to things that would have had other horses running. My questions are these: How do I help her acclimate to life outside? We're in the process of building a barn, a stall is 2 months away, so I can't slowly introduce her to it. How do I help her learn how to be with horses again? How do I keep her from being touchy about he front feet? She's not now, but I don't want to start her on that. Please consider going and buying one of these horses. Any other breed would not be gentle enough to put up with this, these horses know exactly what is going on and have no out of this sport. They start calling them old somewhere before 12-15, that's halfway through a typical horses life. These are sweet, gentle horses that will win your heart over! If you do know a trainer or barn that does this, please report them to the USDA. As soon as this mare is legally mine and I have her safe I am filing a report/complaint. __________________ "For the soul of a Harper, No mortal can kill" -The Brobdingnagian Bards

07-29-2008, 09:04 PM	#3
Angilina Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4	Going to? I already do! I honestly don't need another one. I didn't even come there to look at a horse. We were going to buy the trailer and truck (both of which I'm drooling over) and I finally got my Dodge Ram I've been after for years! I'm pretty excited all around. But she's probably going to take a great deal of work, and I know that. I'm trying to let her tell me what she wants to do. The little voice in the back of my head is screaming "DRESSAGE!" but I'm going to just give her time and space to figure things out, then go from there. I forgot to link to my Blog Post that elaborates a bit more on her history and how we met. Enjoy, and thanks! __________________ "For the soul of a Harper, No mortal can kill" -The Brobdingnagian Bards

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07-29-2008, 08:53 PM	#2
shymare Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 1,735 Images: 8	You're awesome. I love TWHs. They're great. You're going to love her!

07-31-2008, 11:01 AM	#4
IMustBeCrazy Full Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 106 Images: 11	HURRAY for taking on your $2500 "rescue". I HATE what people do to these beautiful creatures. I would like see them walk 24/7 with 3+" heels, chains and soring agents! Is there a boarding barn nearby? You could temp. board her while she acclimated. Other than that, a lot of desensitizing work is in order.