Like A Bad Penny

After a very busy "rescue" year in 2009, I told myself I was done rescuing horses. While it can be rewarding & self-satisfying when all goes well, rescue work can be emotionally, financially & physically draining. I decided it was time for me to concentrate on MY horses & focus on riding. My resolve to be rescue-free in 2010 didn't last long.

Flamin Haat Love

(Haat Soxxs x Touch Of Love)

Registered, chestnut, arab gelding born 2004

By Jan 8th I had already brought home my first rescue of the year. I was at the local feed store when someone I know mentioned they were "getting rid" of a little arab gelding that was out of a mare I used to own, by a stallion I once owned. Flame was like a bad penny, how could I NOT bring him home?

Flame had been a bit of a hard luck little horse, never quite being wanted. His original owner traded him for a filly when he was a coming yearling. It had been my task to find him a home back then & I placed him with friends. Unfortunately not much was done with him beyond a little groundwork for the next few years as he became harder & harder to handle. He would bite, rear & strike, & walk on his hind legs. He was kept in a small stall, set up the hill from the other horses & isolation didn't help with his behavior. As a 5 yr old he was gelded & eventually tossed into a pasture with a few other geldings. Never having learned any social skills, Flame didn't fare well in a herd environment. After getting some knocks & dings & losing weight, he was once again put back in a stall where he sat untouched because his owner began battling illnesses. Fast forward a year & Flame was once again heading back to my place.

When I got home from work that Thurs Flame had already been dropped off. He was thin, his feet long, & he didn't really want to be bothered. I'd been told he ran the fences all the time & that's why he was thin. Supposedly he wouldn't stand & eat so couldn't keep weight on. Hmmm, did they drop off the wrong horse? Here was skinny Flame with his head buried in his hay, no running, no fretting, & definitely NOT interested in not eating.

I knew he was a very athletic horse with correct legs, a beautiful hip, & a ground covering trot. I sent word out among friends, mostly endurance riders, that I had a really nice prospect looking for a home. A very dear friend & riding partner of many miles emailed that she'd like to come meet Flame. I was so excited because I just knew she'd love him & she'd be a perfect home. That next Sat my friend & her husband drove 3 hours to meet Flame. She worked with him a bit & he responded well. Then she led him to her trailer & he hopped in like it was HIS trailer. Flame has spent that last 2 weeks settling & getting to know his new friends, a couple of endurance geldings. I expect I'll be riding next to Flame by the end of the year. What a great start to 2010.