I'm posting some updated pictures of Emmy, two weeks after the first set of pictures I posted. There is also some video of her in the round pen that I managed to take myself, so if its a little jumpy, sorry.
Yea so scratch the whole Breyer State thing. More research led me to discover that they are not an accredited university and many states have laws prohibiting use of credentials from these "diploma mills". I guess that puts them right up there with all the other TV advertised certificate and diploma programs. If I wanted to blow $275 a course just for my knowledge then I could, but I'm not exactly Ms. Moneybags yet.
I did find ARIA, the American Riding Instructors Association which grants licenses through formal testing to become an instructor. The only draw back is the test is $595. I would only qualify for a Level I license to instruct, because in order to be a Level II, you must have three years of teaching riding, references, and video tape yourself giving a lesson for review. If you fail a test, then the retake price is $200. If you take any addition test its $200.
So I'm pondering my options. I'm beginning to have some frustrations with the whole boarding experience. However, I've heard from many people that the first 1-3 months are the hardest for new horse owners/boarders while settling into a routine and adjusting. Its been 2 weeks but its seems like longer. I keep telling myself to have patience. After all its a virtue.
I've come to realize that I have a total lack of attention when it comes to school now. I think it has to do with the pressure I get from my parents to be successful and nowadays the only success people my age have, is in the business sector of the career market.
I originally wanted to go to college to get a degree in equine studies with an eventual goal of having my own equine business. That all went to hell when the acceptance letters started coming in saying "Congratulations! You've been accepted...blah blah blah. Your tuition for this semester with be $25,000" AHHHH... um how about community college? So I skipped out on my horse-career dreams and went to school for business. I have my associates in genereal studies and another in Business Management, but I still wasnt satisfied and neither were my parents. I chose Marketing as my major for my Bachelors Degree, for the pure and simple reason as it is the only field in business that involves creativity. I enjoy what my father calls my "artsy-fartsy" side, aka my ability to express myself in my fiction writing, my drawings, and my ability to sweet talk people when I need to and blunty say NO when I want to.
Well, the marketing field is boring me...we in reality the business major is boring me. Since the turn of 2008 and getting back into horses, I've been more relaxed and happy being out at the barn. I catch myself looking at all the horse farms on the way to and from work, daydreaming about how some day I'll have my own and what it will look like. I even started searching online for transfer programs with a study progam for Equine Management to incorporate my business credits into. No such luck unless I want to go away to school. I think its a little late in the game to do that.
Until today when I came across Breyer State University in Alabama. What a coincidence huh? They have an online degree program for a Bachelor's of Equine Studies that is self pased and costs $7500 total. You can't beat that. I dont even have to go through enrollment of transfer credits. It's like starting all over again. There are no BS courses as filler in the program. Every class is an Equine class. This has the wheels in my head churning. If I can get a student loan for the amount, I'm going to do it. It's what I want and what I've dreamed of. I'm going to school like mom and dad want, but I'm tired of feeling like I have to be in a profession that makes "decent" money by there standards. They never have been to keen on a trade being a profession but oh well. My New Year's resolution was to start doing things to make myself happy, not other people and putting myself first. So I give myself a big pat on the back. I'm so excited.
I think I could have the degree finished in no time. There is so much motivation there and so much will to learn the things I don't know. I'm crossing my fingers on the loan thing and willing that I dont need approval from my parents. Good luck to me... I'm finally getting my stuff together.
Yea, it's true what they say... you learn something new everyday. That is so true with Emmy. Everyday day she gets better and better about coming in from the field, standing quietly, or progressing through groundwork.She's a lot more relaxed now, she's gaining weight and looking healthier, and best of all, she knows more than I originally gave her credit for.
In the beginning, we tried bringing her in the barn. She would pace and dance around and look for a quick exit, so I began to avoid the barn with her until she settled down with just being outside. She tends to walk with her head held high and she is already tall for having just turned to, so her stride when I'm leading her seems huge. It's like I have to run to keep up with her. Now, she has slowed down and will walk more willingly with me and is an angel in the barn. She doesnt push to get out of the stall when I open the door and she doesnt paw the door when I first put her in anymore.
The first time in crossties was a disaster. She panicked and pushed back and forth. How she didn't break the halter or the ties, I don't know. the second time was much better. She danced in place for a minute and then settled down. I bought a razor blade made especially for trimming whiskers, much like a human razor because I didnt want to go through the ordeal or electric trimmers yet. She did ok for the first two minutes and then became bothered by me holding her held still so she snatched it back, and ended up breaking the leather breakaway. Bad news is I have to spend the money to replace the leather, good news is the leather breakaway halters really do work. The softer the leather the better. I have seen a nylon halter rip before a thick piece of stiff leather ripped, so I'm glad I found a good one.
Friday and Saturday we worked in the round pen for 20 mins, working on moving off on cue, walking, and picking up a trot. We even got the stopping nailed down. It was like she had done this before, but to what extent I dont know. We havent quite mastered the canter, but she is content to trot around the round pen with her head up and her ears on me, which is a good sign. When I asked her to slow and stop, she did it and squared up with me and I couldnt have been more happy. I managed to hold the video camera in one hand and the lunge whip in the other to capture our first day in the round pen. I was beaming, I was so proud of my girl for making my job so much easier and being so calm through the whole thing. Even her second arena session was great; no desparate calling to pasturemates and cantering wildly around. Just a lazy stroll around right by my side sans leadline.
Saturday I put her in the crossties for the third time. This time she stood there quietly like she had done it a million times, so quiet that I was able to curry and brush her everywhere, pick her feet, and braid her mane in a running braid which takes more time and patience to get it right, and she didnt seem to notice or care.I think she even fell asleep at one point. When two other riders and horses came into the barn to untack and groom, she didnt even pay them any attention, so I just kept on grooming. Grooming relaxes me and they say the more time you spend with a new horse the greater and faster the bond will be. I have heard the the best way to bond with a new horse is to groom, so thats what I've been doin. It also has given me a chance to experiment with products and techniques and really learn every inch of her as wel as her sensitivites, which so far have not really amounted to anything other than she doesnt like her lower lip being messed with.
I've been recommended a lot of products to use on Emmy to condition her coat and bring it back into a smooth, healthy shine. Some of them work and some of them dont.
Im going to swear by Nu-Image, which is a crumble feed supplement that produces a show quality coat in as little as 10 days. Emmy has been on it for a week and I can already see a dramatic change in how soft her coat is, how her old scares are healing faster, and her old sun bleached fuzzy coat is shedding out into a dark mahogany brown. She's a lot easier to brush and her coat is becoming so shiny. I use a gel detangling and shine product in her mane and tail. Its unbelievable.
It smells great too. It keeps her her smooth and shiny looking and makes it super soft to handle. I use a couple quarter size dabs throughout her entire mane because its pretty thick and it lasts for about 4 or 5 days and keeps tangles out. I just run a brush over her mane real quick and were done; no picking hay and burrs out, no tangles, and no pulling wads of hair out. I love it. its also nice because its not a spray, something that Emmy is not quite used to yet. I put it in her tail also. Her tail hairs are very course and dry, especially at the bottom. I considered cutting her tail to even it up and make maitenance easier, until I used this product. I am not a fan of pulling/roaching manes or trimming tails. I like a well groomed natural look, unless I absolutely have to cut it. I really want to grow her mane and tail out. They Eqyss line also makes an all natural fly spray that features Marigold which is a natural fly and knat deterrant. I plan on giving thata shot in fly season, but I'll let you guys know how that works out.
Emmy is packing on weight. We are at 3 scoops of Growth feed a day, with the coat supplement, canola oil, and shredded carrots mixed in and she is loving it, not to mention all day turnout. I hope by June that she is at a healthy weight so we can start saddle work. I'm anxious to see if after the success we had in the round pen if she has ever had a saddle pad or training surcingle on, maybe even a light saddle. That would certainly be a huge advantage to me.
I cant wait to put my saddle on her and go for our first ride, but I have patience. I want to do this right. Tim bought me a Wintec 250 english saddle for my birthday (Yay!). It's a synthetic with a cloth seat. Its light weight which makes for easy carrying and its easy on the horses, its easy to clean-just wipe with a damp cloth-, and its more comfortable than ANY english saddle I've ever ridden in, even the top of the line $3,000 dollar saddle I borrowed for a day. I'd recommend for a first saddle for just general riding, a Wintec over spending $800 to $1000 on a leather english saddle, any day. You just cant beat the price, and the comfort. I think it will serve as a good training saddle for Emmy too.
That being the only thing I wanted for myself, not necessarily for my birthday, I have no idea what to ask for now. Any money I get will go to an Emmy fund I have in the bank, but other than that I guess it just the typical gift cards to clothing stores and Dover Saddlery. I'm pleased with life right now, there's not much I want that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm ready for my birthday this weekend. I'm sure I will have tons of pictures to post!
Here's a little bit about the farm I ride at, and where I can often be found.
Spring Valley Ranch is tucked behind Beacon Hill on a late 1700s Colonial farm. The original stone house and barn foundation are intact, with the updated barns and additions on the old foundations. The property backs up to Arthur Godfrey's estate, and descendants of his pigmy deer herd can still be seen in the evenings above the farm on the hills and often in the fields with the horses. The two barns feature 18 stalls with room for more, two tack rooms, and a wash stall. Outside are three large turnout pastures, a round pen, and a bluestone/sand riding arena. There are hours of trails through the Beacon Hill developement that are accessible from the farm as well as convienent to the WO&D trails and other regional parks.
The environment is very laid back and quiet, no outside noise from traffic and situated off of a private drive so ist offers peace and quite. There is no "show barn" atmosphere here, however they focus on the bond between horse and rider and improving communication and proper seat in both western or english technique.
I personally enjoy the atmostphere and the horses. The rates are exceptional and the staff is friendly. I board my horse, train, and take riding lessons here. I also help with barn chores, grooming, tacking up for lessons, leading horses in lead lessons or pony rides, and I will be heading up the marketing efforts to draw new students, children & adult, as well as new boarders, and clients seeking a stud service.
My instructor owns a beautiful 15.3hh chesnut Thoroughbred stallion named Ju Ju's Deelite (Afternoon DeelitesxPolish Spirit) aka "Noah". He has exceptional bloodlines and would sire some beautiful sporthorse crosses/Thoroughbred show horses. The stud fee is very reasonable and his temperment is amazing. You'd think he was a gelding. He is even turned out with other gelding and seems to not mind other mares.
If anyone wants more information, feel free to email me. I have the contact info and Jessica & Brandon Raithel are very easy people to work with.
visit www.springvalleyranchva.com for more info.
One a side note, I've been doing some research on Emmy's possible Sire. Keep in min Emmy does not have a tattoo and did not come to me with papers. I'm going purely off of desperation and media coverage/research.
The only 3 stallions of breeding age that were under training/breeding contract with Shenandoah Equine Investments and Dennis Danely, the man convicted multiple times of animal abuse, where Sandlot Star, Zizou, and Jo Jo Dancer. (A correction to my earlier note: Conquistador Cielo's son, Stately Cielo stood at stud for SEI in 2004, but is not mentioned as having bloodline ties to any of the young horses seized.) The majority belief is that the young horses are all descendants of Seattle Slew, but within the Thoroughbred Racing industry, nearly every horse can be traced back to a famous Sire within 4 generations, and most of the time multiple times within the pedigree of an individual horse. Hence, the inbreeding that has produced the fragile-boned horse with the potential to either be a dud on the track, run itself into the ground literally, or the 1 in 10,000 Derby Winner that makes them famous and qualify to charge ridiculous stud fees of $100,000 or more. If you dont believe me, the highest recorded stud fee last year was by a Stallion of Claibourne Farms in KY; a whopping $500,000. Bringing up baby just got a whole lot more expensive.
Anywho, back to the point of my news flash...
Sandlot Star is a bay 1998 son of Seattle Slew who stood at stud in WV for the past few years for $2,500. The Jockey Club has on record that he has 10 reported live foals from 2006 to 2007, none of which are being raced. In 2006, there were 6 fillies born, 4 were dark bay which is the color Emmy is. Only one is shown as unnamed. In 2007, 3 fillies were born, all dark bay. He raced for 6 starts in 2 years earning some $60K
Thats as far as I could get on that one without knowing her actual Dam.
Zizou is a bay 1998 son of Quiet American with Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer, Nureyev, Nearctic and Dr. Fager in his bloodlines. He is unraced and has no foals of racing age. Between 2006 and 2007 he sired 7 foals.
Jo Jo Dancer is chesnut 1999 great grandson of Mr. Prospector and grandson of Secretariat, with Alydar, Raise a Native, and Northern Dancer also in his bloodlines. He had a race career of 29 starts earning $130K plus. He began his stud career in 2006, with a total of 5 foals reported between 2006 and 2007.
So my dilemma is she is obviously of good bloodlines, just which one she is from is the hard part. Other than by some miracle she is registered and papers magically appear or I can find a way to get in touch with any of the owners of the stallions to find out if the broodmares where also owned by the company.
Word has is that 18 of the mares that were seized were pregnant. The exact number of mares that were bred to Sandlot Star, the only stallion with any money earning babies. However, Zizou was bred to 8 mares in 2007, and Jo Jo Dancer was bred to 4 mares in 2007 all for 2008 babies.
So I'm back to square one...damn
Today the clouds broke for some decent sunshine to dry things up a bit and jump start the grass in its effort to green from its burnt out blades from the summer drought. I, personally, could have done with out the 25mph wind gusts.
Emmy has figured out that coming to the pasture gate is a pretty good idea and worthy of a reward...dinner. Only problem is when she sees me coming, so does the whole herd and they come chaging down the hill hoping thatthey get a treat too. I've been spoiling her by hand feeding her out of a bucket in different places on the farm every evening to get her used to different environments. I dont want her to be herd bound, but I want her to see me as a leader and that its ok to be with me, and that when i ask her to go somewhere, she goes. She is skittish and constantly alert when outside of her turnout, but I dont think this is what people would dub typical "thoroughbred behavior". She's just a baby whos been starved and left alone, taken from her herd and thrown into another.Judging by the good sized bite marks on her chest and sides, Id say she's still finding her place.
Anyhow, We took a walk today from the high field down the road on the back side of both barns around by the old stone house to the arena, a good 5 minute walk. After she stood for a minute or two judging her surroundings, she attacked the feed bucket until it was clean, and in between mouthfuls of grain, she'd whinny to the stallion in the neighboring pasture. And so her adventure began. I turned her loose and she made her way slowly in a circle around me, blowing soft puffs of air in the bluestone dust, a quick check of the mounting block, and she moved off. It didnt take her long for her to kick up her heels.
I only wish I had thought to bring my camera to capture the whole thing. She glides so smoothly in her trot and covers ground in huge strides in her canter. A few times she broke into an all out Hell's on her Heels race towards the fence, throwing in a few wild bucks before skidding to a halt or cutting a corner back down to the other side. She seemed to enjoy stretching her legs. Ive never seen her do it in the field other than the first day she was at the farm in an effort to outrun her pasture mates who were just curious to meet their new buddy.
She responds very well to me moving into her space from behind, picking up her pace and when she goes into corners or cuts across on a diagonal, she changes leads so smoothly. When I dared to step infront of her, she slowed and squared up with me. Maybe she has had some round pen training...
When she got tired of running after a good ten minutes she stood at the gate and when I got closer she walked to me and stood as if to say "ok, ive had my fun. we can go now". I was impressed. If my dog only knew how much time I spend praising her and rubbing her down, he'd be sick with envy.
It's a slow process and each day Emmy and I learn something new. Hopefully I can stay one foot infront of her though, otherwise I'm in trouble and I'll have to enlist some real, not to mention expensive help.
God, I cant wait for some warmer weather...HURRY UP SPRING!
This is Emmy 3 days after I brought her to her new home. You can see her ribs through her winter coat as well as her spine, hip, and shoulders.
This is a good view of her face. We discovered her "beard" the other day, a small patch of white hairs under her lip. She is apparently large for having just turned two, with large knees. Hopefully she grows into her frame soon.
Here's Emmy doing what she does best...eating. Her pasture mates are in the background. Allie is an Arabian/Thoroughbred, Guinness is a Paint/Draft, and Lily is a Paint/Draft. Not pictured is Emmy's nemisis, Hank the paint Pony. He's just jealous because it took him took weeks to fit into the herd, unlike her 12 hours.
I'm beginning to get frustrated with Mother Nature and the weatherman. Can't you two work something out and give me a day of sunshine?!
My plans of round pen work with Emmy have been cancelled everyday this week because of rain. Rain is great considering that we are suffering from the summer drought and the price of hay has skyrocketed due to low production and lack of grass. Grain is ridiculousy expensive too. If only Emmy could morph into a cow or something and eat just straight corn...
Well, unfortunately for me I will have to suck it up and shell out the money for more round bales and more grain. Hopefully with all the rain, it'll bring a flood that will wash down the prices. On top of feed, theres board. I've been lucky to find a good barn with a great price, but now the fun part comes...bringing up baby into a beautiful, collected, not to mention rideable mare. So the hunt for training commences...
I've been reading up on the pros and cons of natural horsemanship vs. traditional training methods. I've even checked into becoming Parelli certified, however the courses cost just as much as my school classes and thats a little far from my ideal budget. I'm working with her on some basics when I have time after work and on the weekends but I need someone to take her further during the day when I cant be there to do it myself.
So if anyone knows a good trainer or individual willing to train and break my 2 year old for a reasonable price let me know. I'm not looking for a drill sergeant with whip and spurs or the someone who will hand out bribes to get her to do what they want. I'm looking for someone who is practical and uses more natural, gentle methods and builds a trust and respect with her. I dont plan to compete with her so competetive training isnt necessary. I dont even really care about jumping. Please let me know if anyone has any local recommendations! Thanks
The following is the story of Miss Emmy Lou:
So it all began on one of those muggy, rainy days at work when things are slow and you just want to go home and cuddle up with the remote and a blanket. A coworker happened to be passing by the front desk and asked if I had heard the big news story from the day before, something about a bunch of horses being rescued. I really didnt think much of it, horses get rescued everyday. Just not 48 horses from the same farm. So I followed the story, checked the animal shelter website, looked at picturesof the half starved, neglected animals, and fell in love. I've never had a love at first sight experience with a guy, it is always something that grows into love, and later into a failed relationship. Oh well.
After much contemplation and battling with myself over whether I was ready to do something that big, I decided to fill out an online application for adoption. Having never owned a horse before, I figured my chances were slim to none on qualifying. As soon as I hit the SUBMIT button, I had a surge of adrenaline. I dont know why, but it happened. It felt great to do something without telling anyone about it, without needing approval, and without seeking an outside opinion. Looking back that feeling seems so immature, like a child breaking a rule because he/she wants to test push the limits, but I'm glad that whatever possessed me to do it that day, did.
Back to the story... Three days later I received a phone call from an animal shelter representative to schedule a viewing of the property where I would board. I still wasnt convinced that I would qualify for the adoption. Most rescues have long lists of prerequisites, require background checks, vet checks, references, etc. I was getting nervous, not that I have anything to be nervous about. I scheduled for Sunday afternoon and hoped the rest of the week would pass quickly. If I was going to be denied, I wanted it sooner than later rather than get my hopes up and have them come crashing down after months of waiting.
Sunday rolled in as a lazy day with mild weather. Jessica, my trainer and barn manager of the ranch where I would board, and I waited impatiently for the lady to show. After nearly an hour of waiting she showed up. To my disappointment and frustration, the inspection process lasted nothing near the time she kept us waiting for her arrival. A grand total of five minutes was spent showing the interior of the barn and stalls and the general turnout field. A quick nod in the general direction of the water tanks was enough to satisfy her inspection, and then her attention turned towards her fascination of the historical aspects of the property, which happens to be a late 1700s colonial stone farm house and barns with original foundation and rock walls. So 1 hour of waiting, 5 minutes of inspection, and 30 minutes of questions on the property's history and she finally left. Needless to say I qualified. Yay for me right?
My frustration began to settle in. For the 48 horses who had been seized from a farm where it was reported that there was no food, frozen water troughs, no grass of hay, and nearly all the animals where 150-300 lbs underweight, their future was in the hands of someone who spent less than 5 minutes inspecting their new homes. Is it just me or does the whole thing seem a little sketch? So much media exposure went into bashing the man reportedly responsible for the care of the now famed "48", yet so little attention was being paid to their future. The animal shelter was beginning to sound just a little too willing to unload these horse in the fastest way they could.
It wasnt until Tuesday that I was allowed to come out and view the available horses for adoption. I didnt have a preference of age or gender, I just wanted to give one a good life and loving home with endless food and care. Immediately I was drawn to the youngest of the horses left, a two year old dark bay filly with a whole lot of sun bleaching, a thin frame, and exposed bones. She laid her head against me as I rubbed her ears and was content to let me run my hands all over her, up and down her body, down her legs, picking up her feet, along her butt under her tail and back up the other side to her head and mouth. The shelter manager was trying hard to pitch her "sales" technique on the filly and the other mares and even pointed out a stallion and another colt that were available. She kept pushing me to take two, insisting that they have been doing better in groups and that they would get lonely if separated. True horses can go through withdrawls after being separated from a herd, but after ovserving the pushy, bossy attitudes of the older mares with the timid, sweet disposition of the younger horse, I had no doubt in my mind that she would do just fine on her own with a deserved break from being pushed around, picked on, and probably never shown an ounce of love or trust.
So I settled on the 2 year old and called for a trailer. The animal shelter manager informed me as the trailer was pulling through the property gates that she was letting her staff go home for the night because adoption hours where over, and therefore I would not be able to take the horse tonight because she feared she would not have enough man power to load the horse. I was dumbfounded. After spending an hour looking over the horses, filling out paperwork and handing over the adoption fees IN CASH, I was told I could not take more horse home because she did not have enough man power to load a horse between her, my trailer driver, myself and another technician. Seriously, how many people does it take to get the horse in the trailer?! The more people present, the more nervous the horse is gonna get with all the excitement and the longer it will take.
***This is a "supposed" picture of Emmy at the Lo. Co. Animal Shelter. The picture does not do just to how thin she really is, or how sunbleached her dark bay coat is. I noticed that the picture doesnt match her description in the vet files as well as the paint coloring has changed from orange to purple so who knows if the picture is really horse number 47 aka Emmy. Each horse wore a halter 24/7. This horse has a purple halter and Emmy came home with a too tight blue halter.Sketchy?...yes indeed.***
Slightly bummed and fully irritated, I left the animal shelter...without my horse. It was a sleepless night that night, anticipating bringing her home the next day. Wednesday wasnt coming soon enough for me.
Finally Wednesday rolled in. My excitement could barely be contained. I was bringing home my girl today. I made sure that we got to the animal shelter with plenty of daylight hours left and no room for excuse about not having enough people to load the horse. That excuse turned out to be just an excuse to close up shop and go home, because not one of the animal shelter staff helped load the horse. It was in its entirety a 2 man operation, I walked her to the trailer, and Brandon loaded her in, all in less than 5 minutes. The animal shelter staff just stood and watched the whol process, not once offering to help. I was royally pissed that they were the ones, by their own contract who were supposed to load the horse, and they didnt. Nor did they answer my repeated question about feeding schedules and feed, or worming. I was told to ask my vet. Well duh, I know that but until the vet can come out and see her, I need to know what kind of schedule she's on! I give the animal shelter an A for looking like an inexperienced group of horse handlers, an A for not providing detailed information pertinent to the horses health, an A for not attempting to learn anything about the animals history or training, and an A for not having the animals vet cleared and breaking a law.
It took me three days of telephone tag after bringing her to her new home to finally get ahold of her Coggins test results, which were back three days after being performed, but the animal shelter failed to follow up even two weeks later when I adopted her. I would bet they still havent followed up or mailed adopters copies of the results. Its a Virginia law that horses cannot be sols or transport into or thru the state without a negative test. The animal shelter adopted 40 horses to new homes not knowing if they were carriers of the fatal virus with potential to spread it to other horses.
I honestly could go on and on about all the short comings of the adoption process I went thru. Aside for the hassle at the anima shelter, the unanswered questions, the phone calls that were never returned, and the prying i had to do just to get information on my own horse I discovered that she is still 200 lbs underwieght, no better than when she came in. In the pictures the animal shelter posted, all the horses looked like they were on the road to recovery, but its amazing what a little camera angle and sunlight can do. More research lead me to her possible identity. She isnt tattoed, she was never in race training or raced. She didnt seem to keen on being blanketed so I suspect she's never had any equipment on. So far her training consists of her being easily caught, haltered, led, groomed, and trailered. Of the horses that were siezed, three were stallions, two of which were direct sons of Seattle Slew and Conquistador Cielo. Stallion registry with the Jockey Club confirms that she most likely is from a 2006 crop of foals reported to have been bred from the two stallions, if not the third, but none were registered, or of racing age. Other than the guessing game of her identity and the legal BS surrounding the seizure, there is no way to identify or get any registry papers that the prior owners may have had. For now she is a companion. If anyone knows of a way to confirm a horses identity through the registry, I'd love to know. DNA sampling would be an option if I had access to the Stallions, one of which is still at the animal shelter and another is reportedly in a custody battle between a primary shareholder/owner and the county. His name is Sandlot Star, a 1998 son of Seattle Slew.
Miss Emmy Lou aka Emmy has been field bound for a week now, with an unlimited supply of hay and grass and I've started her on grain and coat supplements to clean her up a bit. In just four days she has shown and improvement and is starting to fill out. She is content to eat all day long and would rather not be taken from the field. She doesnt like the barn so far, but we are getting her used to being in the stall for feedings and adjusting to the barn activities. I could sit for hours and just watch her and she knows when I'm coming. She watches my car as I come down the driveway and anywhere I walk. When I come in the field, she stands quietly with me and enjoys having her head scratched. We're working on her ragmuffin appearence though. I will post pictures of her progress from day one.
Aside from the fact that I will never adopt another animal from the animal shelter, I thank them for qualifying me, however sketchy the terms were, to adopt my girl. She has a new home now, a quiet environment, a full buffet of grass and hay, a herd to call her own, and all the love and attention she could ever want. She is my new love and I cant wait to see how she turns out.
If the weather holds out today, we'll start round pen work. This should be interesting...
This is a picture of the horses a week or so after their arrival at the animal shelter. Emmy is the horse in the background with the number painted on her hip.
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