He's more than a rescue horse.

[Jinglebob]

A lady I know occasionally takes in rescue horses. She called and asked if I could give her a hand with one she had just gotten. I don't deal with rescue animals but went over anyway to take a look. The horse was puny and wormy with a respiratory problem. He had sutures across his nose and open wounds. He was a biter and a kicker and was terrified of humans. Work around horses long enough and you can assess them pretty quickly. This horse showed signs of severe abuse. Often a horse in this condition, with so many problems, is euthanized.

There was something though that caught my attention. Despite what he may have suffered he still had his pride, his spirit had not been broken. He was strong of heart. That's why I agreed to take this horse.

I wormed him, started antibiotics and began a good diet. I worked with him every day for the good part of a year. It took longer than I expected but with love, kindness and firmness he began to turn around. From that point on it got easy. He has grown to fifteen and a half hands and is a gentle and beautiful animal with lots of spirit and is a joy to ride.

My wife has fallen in love with him. She named him Apache and now cares for him and claims Apache as her own. He seems down right happy with that.

Funny note: Whenever a stranger comes up the drive Apache will stand at the fence and snort and whinny. I was away form the house one afternoon when a UPS man came with a package. He complemented the horse and my wife tells him that it's her attack horse. If anyone bothers her, the horse will clear the fence and attack. The poor guy's eyes got big and he handed over the package and speed off in his truck.


Me and Apache a couple of months after he came here.



This is Apache now.

 

[Chipmunk6]

Beautiful horse.
C6

 

[shotgun693]

I bought a Red Horse, QH with papers, from a woman who was starving him out of stupidity. I started feeding him up then let a trainer take him to see if he liked him. 'Red' turned to be a great horse. It's the trainer's favorite. In return he took a Belgian Bay Mare and trained her to ride for me. Things worked out just fine.

 

[Big Cholla]

Good for you and the Mrs. Working with a normal behaved horse is enough of a trial and tribulation. What you took on with one that was "iffy" was a trying and dangerous task. I raised registered Morgan Horses for 15 years and had my share of difficult personalities, but nothing as far off the wall as you describe. "Apache" grew up to be a great looking Paint Horse, or do you call him a 'Pinto'?. Congratulation on taking on a big problem like that and succeeding..........

 

[rwsmith]

Great trade!

You got a gorgeous animal in trade for a half dead one.

Of course it did take time, work, patience, money and whole lotta other stuff but it's still one of the best deals I've seen and you've got the feeling of a job well done to boot.


Fixing the physical part was one thing, but changing the mindset of a badly abused animal....now that's one for the books.

Did you whisper a lot to him?

 

[pawncop]

Kindness, especially in a situation like this, is most noble and a testimony of your character.

I would be honored to walk the trail with you.

 

[lowriderfxr]

Beautiful horse!

Here's our Hawk with his buckskin brother Maverick.

 

[rwsmith]

That's a big...

That's a BIG horse. I just reread your tale and.....

My SIL had a big horse that was like a big dog. He'd come running to the fence whenever we came down the driveway.

 

[snowman]

Those paint horses are gorgeous -especially with 4 white socks. Kudos to you, sir, for bringing this one back from the brink.

Regards,
Andy

 

[Tex1001]

I have two rescue dogs that literally are members of the family. This bumper sticker says it all.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.

 

[tlmetesh]

Great story and good looking horse.

Here's a photo of my two boys: Leo, on the left, is 9. Holliday, on the right, is 23.

 

[BC38]

My grand dad grew hay to feed his cattle, and to sell. One time he sold 100 bales to a guy on credit (back when it was about a buck a bale). After a couple of months of not being able to pay him for the hay, the guy offered him a little scrawny one year old chestnut mare with a blaze face to settle the debt. Poor little thing was shaggy, dirty, and so skinny you could count her ribs.

Grandpa took the little horse, not so much because he wanted her, or because she was worth what they guy owed him (which she probably wasn't at that point), but more as a kindness to the poor starving little mare. After a good cleaning up and a couple of months of good feeding he very gently started getting her broke to the saddle (saddle blanket only at first, then blanket and saddle, then saddle with a sack of walnuts on it, then eventually the saddle with one of us teenaged grandsons on it). She was now a riding horse. He named her Krissy.

Once she was saddle broke, he discovered she was a gaited horse - specifically a fox-trotter. Over the next 10 years he entered that little horse in hundreds of horse shows, in the gaited and fox-trotting classes. By the time he retired her she had amassed a whole room full of ribbons and trophies. His little horse that he got for 100 bales of hay ended up besting other people's high-dollar "papered" horses, over and over again in competition. Plus she was always a very gentle, smooth-riding horse that you could trust to be so docile you could safely put even the littlest kid on her.

Sometimes a good deed ends up benefitting the one who does it as much as it does those they've done it for. That's how it worked out for Grandpa and Krissy. Looks like Apache is one of those stories too.

 

[Fishslayer]

Kindness, especially in a situation like this, is most noble and a testimony of your character.

I would be honored to walk the trail with you.

Bless you for taking in an animal in need.

 

[jag312]

Jinglebob, Apache is a fine looking horse. I am very happy that he found a good home with you.

Some people called my friend in Carson City and told him that they had a lame 6 year old horse they wanted to get rid of. They told him that if he didn't take the horse, they were going to sell it to a meat buyer. My friend took the horse.

My friend examined the horse pretty closely. He couldn't see anything wrong with the horse except that the hooves hadn't been trimmed in many months and was in need of some good feed. Once the hooves had been trimmed and a month of alfalfa, oats, and vitamins, the horse was perfect. My friend says the horse was a diamond in the rough. He gave the horse to his grand daughter, and she and the horse couldn't be happier.

 

[Doug M.]

Rescuers of animals are special people. Those who make rescue necessary are oxygen thieves.

 

[Chuck24]

Mega extra karma points for you!

 

[shouldazagged]

Handsome horse, and a wonderful story.

You and your wife are good people.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

Good lookin' critters!

 

[rog8732]

I think we don't have near enough Horse posts in the lounge ! But this was surely a good one.
Looks like he was just a youngun when you took him in, but he is a "full growed man" now.

I haven't ridden in a few years now, no longer own a horse, but I still have a nice old saddle in the out building.

In the animal kingdom, there is nothing so beautiful as a horse at full gallop, just for the joy of running.

 

[Watchdog]

"He's more than a rescue horse."

What a great story. The world needs more people like you. You have my utmost respect.