Spirit's new start!

[Emma'n'Alfresco]

Hey All, Have already posted about my new horse Spirit in the Introductions sections but fot those who han't seen (copy's and pastes )

About 2 weeks ago now i bought Spirit. 15hh Bay Aab gelding. I first met him when he came to the riding school i work at on trial and i fell in love with him instantly. He came to us from a farmer with no idea about horses. He was underweight, feet very overgrown and misshaped his vaccinations had expired and he was filthy with very bad mud sclaud on his lower legs! I spent a good few hours grooming him and picking off the scabs and in this time i noticed his shoulder. He had come to us a 9pm (so was very dark as winter) and had had a rug put on him as he was naked and freezing, while being groomed i noticed his shoulder 'stuck out' is the only way i can describe it. We had no idea what had caused this but it caused him no pain, he was perfectly sound although dishes terribly. Unfortunately he was no good as a riding school and they could not afford to look into it properly and he was sent back which broke my heart. To make matters worse I then overheard the farmer saying he was going to fatten him up for meat as loading him onto a sheep trailer! so i was appualed in tears and had no time to talk to the farmer as i had a lesson to teach. So that night i found out the farmers number and the next day I went to pick Spirit up. To my horror when i arrived to pick him up he was once again rugless, and being kept in a stable made of wooden pallets strapped together in an open barn! he had no bedding and a very small amount of muddy water! I felt better because i knew i was taking him to a good home then i noticed the mare and foal in a shed! Picture cows caked in mud and their own dirt, underweight, that is what they looked like! Unfortunately i could not afford to look after them aswell but the farmer has since been reported and the mare and foal have been taken off him, thank god! the poor darlings! So in two weeks i have gone from no intentions of buying a horse (although wanting too!) to having Spirit! and i don't regret a bit of it!

I have since managed through alot of digging to get in touch with a woman who once had him on loan and it turns out his shoulder has always been like that and was a birthing 'defect?' not sure of the correct word. He has been thoroughly looked over by a vet and his shoulder does not cause him and harm and he is completly sound and can be ridden!

So today I braved it up and sat on him! We only went for a little walk down the road as his feet are still needing more work before he can be properly ridden. He was an absalout star, he looked around at everything which was to be expected and standing still needs some work! But we are both still in one piece and he seem to enjoy being ridden again even if ot only was for 5 minutes! The next step is investing in a saddle!

 

[Cortrasna]

Read about Spirit on your introduction thread - so pleased that your kindness rescuing him is being rewarded by his good behaviour Bet you are absolutely thrilled with him

 

[Emma'n'Alfresco]

Yes I am, i was worried he would be a bit of a fruit loop the first time I sat on him but he wasso well behaved. It's definately rewarding when things work out and you can see progress And the OH has been rewarding him too! Every time my back is turned he is sneaking Spirit carrots and apples out of the house even though he claims not to like horses! He's being converted!

 

[Emma'n'Alfresco]

So it's been 2 weeks and 2 days now Since Spirit came home and he is doing great! He now comes cantering over when i go to catch him from the field which is great is great! (my last pony i had on load would run the other way for a good half hour!) He just needs to practice stopping in time now, It seem's to be a case of 'oh look there's mum she has carrots weee lets canter over, oh noes cant stop in time, skidding, skidding way past mum now oh no lets trot back!' he does make me laugh at him at times.

So the vet was out today and he was glas that Spirit was such a friendly horse, apparently it had been a day of vet hating horses. He checked Spirit teeth which he said were absaloutly perfect which he was suprised about! So was I but very happy about, he's not in pain and neither is my bank balance! He also said how his weight was looking good as I'd said previously on the phone he was a bit underweight and that he just needs to build up some muscle espec along his topline. He took a quick look at his shoulder and conifrmed what I had been told that it does look like a birthing defect, he then done the foreign vet talk that i nodded along to pretending to undersand about ligaments and bones and how they can set 'funny'. So after the basic checks of heart etc we got onto the jag. He can be little bit fidgety in the stable so I didn't think he would be very apreciative of it but low and behold he stood like an angel he didn't even flinch! He did however stand glaring/huffing at the vet afterwards!

So now that he has had his jag and the passport has been signed it's been sent away to get the owner part changed! I need to see it on paper that i have him i still feel sureal

After the horrid jag and few carrots and huggles we went for a little walk down the road and thru an empty field (in hand he's my big hairy dog we go for walkies!) was amazing we came up to a little cleearing and there were 5 dear lying down dozing but at the sight of us they jumped up looked us over and darted off, boy they can shift! they ran across the filed jumped a fence and fallen tree in one, jumped the burn then another fence to take off across the next field! It made me think about the things you could do if deer were bigger and could be ridden, a whole new sort of XC! I have an odd imaginanation.

So The First vet visit was a total success, roll on the farrier on Friday so we can go for ridden walkies!