Hay Is Definitely For Horses!

"Opportunities are never lost. Someone else will take the one you miss."

From the beginning Brett and I knew we wanted horses.

Honestly I completely under estimated how serious Brett was about acquiring a horse! Before I knew it, he had found a free horse available on Craigslist! That's right, Craigslist. There was an ad for a free 9 year old companion horse. Brett jumped at the opportunity and we inquired. We found out that the thoroughbred gelding was considered a companion horse because he could not be ridden. We were a bit disappointed but we really just wanted to get our hands dirty and knew that our priority right now was going to be learning to care for a horse and not necessarily learning to ride. Then, I was nervous when we found out why he was a companion horse. He had been in an accident and had suffered a knock to the head which left him with nerve damage and he had damage to his spinal column. He was rescued from a kill sale... can you believe that!? I think it is so unfortunate that just because he couldn't be worked or ridden he was sentenced to death... but my concern was how much care did he need and could we provide that? Brett assured me that he was a fine horse and would make a great starter horse for us. After all, he just needed to be kept alive and loved. We went for it. After checking to make sure that our starter farm was suitable we made arrangements for Ferdinand to come home!

To our delight, we were able to adopt another horse from A Pinch of Luck, Inc. Her name is Brighton and she is a 4 year old filly. Besides being physically in tact, she is attached to Ferdinand and he to her. Having prepared to receive one horse, we decided there would not be much more work in preparing for two. I personally LOVED the idea of Ferdinand having someone to keep him company. I hate the idea of a lonely animal. The situation just seemed too perfect to pass up. You can read about her history here.

The day that they arrived we were beyond nervous. I was so worried that our property wouldn't pass as suitable. For the past several decades the property has been used to house tons upon tons of scrap metal. Over the past several years it has slowly been sold and cleaned up. Most recently, the entire property was harvested for hardwood. Now the view of lush forest has opened up to gorgeous mountain views... but the land is full of stumps and is in desperate need of years of landscaping. We're working hard but as Heather said, "Life is a process." Holy wow, she nailed it. Better yet, we passed! We were floored when we saw Ferdinand and Brighton for the first time. "Majestic" is the perfect word to describe these big, beautiful, thoroughbred horses. 

We transformed two stalls in our 'barn' previously known as 'the building' and fenced in approximately two of the prettiest acres on our farm. These particular two run along the 'bottoms' near the creek so the horses benefit from the grass and grain that grow in the fertile soil and have access to constantly flowing fresh Georgia mountain spring water.

I hope that they are happy and will continue to be! I have learned so very much in the past 9 days. My original fear of them, they were after all so SO BIG, was eased by my mom who compared them to 'giant dogs'. That helped put their care into perspective. While fencing in the pasture we had to make do with what we had. They came from pasture so we decided to walk them twice a day to ensure they were given plenty of exercise and fresh grass. We walk them for about an hour and we're too scared to let them go so we are always within three feet of them. Our Ferdinand has OCD, like me. He likes to stand in one place and graze in a circular pattern until he can't reach any further and takes a step to continue his grazing. He also likes to be sang to and really likes to have between his ears scratched. I've grown attached to him and he to me. I coddle him as if he were a child and he doesn't seem to mind! Brighton is a pretty lady and appreciates being treated like one! She demands respect and shows appreciation by nuzzling us. She likes to wander while she eats and really enjoys a short jog every day. Talk about a rush... try jogging beside a 1500 pound beast for 45 seconds! She handles well though and is so respectful of her guide, whether it be Brett or me.

There is a definite learning curve but we seem to be doing alright. We are dedicated to providing them with the best lifestyle possible, and they seem to be happy.

To read more about our adoption story, visit A Pinch Of Luck, Inc. and read all about it!