Meeting My Pony
My truck jiggled and banged on the dirt road up to the barn, with the trailer following behind. I didn't like it much, but hey, I was getting my new pony. My new pony was one of the ponies rescued from either abandonment or abusment, but I didn't know which one yet. But none of that really mattered, but I did want to give a horse chance at being in a good home. I slowed as I pulled up to the barn.
I got distracted looking at all the ponies in the pastures, that I had forgotten to back up to the barn. A little embarrassed, I backed up, turned, and backed up to the barn. Just as I was parking a small group of people were opening the barn doors, and through my sideview mirrors I could see two rows of horse stalls, there were a lot! I got out of the truck and met with the little group, they had been expecting me, and I was a couple minutes late. I apologized, they said it was fine, happens all the time, and I entered the barn.
On my left there was a pony, and the number on the side of the stall was #001. On my right, there was another pony, the number; #002. I pulled the slightly crumppled price of paper out of my jean pocket, and read "#117." I had a long way to go. I wanted to run down the barn at least till I got to the hundreds, but that would have spooked most of the horses, so I was forced to walk.
After a minute or two, when I was at the 90's, I realized that my pony would be on the left so I kept walking, while scanning the left side. "#091, #093, #095..... #103, #106, getting closer. #107... #111, #113, #115, #117. Finally!" I had finally gotten to the stall, I was getting tired of the numbers and had a little bit of a headache now.
I peered into the stall and saw a beautiful Palomino mare. The mare had her rump towards me while eating hay and seemed to not have noticed me yet, so I spoke in a very hushed tone; "Hey there girl," The mare jumped a little and faced me, but backing as much as she could away from me. But I totally understood why.
The little group from before had made their way up to me, "There is a front desk out at the house, and that's where you sign." One of the men said. 'Ugh, I forgot and now I have to go all the way back!' I thought. "But not to worry, We saw you hurrying to meet your pony, and we knew it was a long walk, so we got the form and a pen from the front desk and brought it." The man continued. I sighed a releaf, as he held out the clip board and a pen. I took them both and signed my name on the paper.
"She is now officially yours!" The man said as I handed the clip board and pen back to him, which he gave to a women in the group. "Do you want to load her now?" He asked, but I was only half paying attention, I was mostly watching my new Palomino mare, who had gone back to eating. "Oh, yes please. The sooner the better, I guess." I replied.
I backed out of the way to let them do their thing. I watched them go into a near by storage room where there was a break in the stalls. The mare looked up to see what was going on. The group all came out holding folded, metal, walls, which I guessed was for a path for the pony to my trailer.
About half an hour later, there was a complete tunnel, made out of metal walls, all the way to my trailer. I was shocked that there were so many walls, I had watched them go in, and out, and in, and out, grabbing more walls.But they were done. And now was the tricky part.
One person from the small group had to go into the wall tunnel, from a small space they opened for him, and open the stall door, which scared the mare a little. Then, two ropes with loops were passed over the wall to him. The man had to slip both loops over the mare's head and around her neck, and pass the ropes to people on the outside of the tunnel.
There were two people on each side, holding the ropes and slowly leading the horse to the trailer. While another person let the guy on the inside out through another gap in the wall which they closed. Let me tell you, that mare did not like this one bit! She kept pulling and trying to go back to the safety of her stall, but no use; the man who was in their before, leaned over the wall, and closed the stall door. Every time the mare passes one of the removable walls, the two other people (the one who put the ropes on my pony, and the one who helped him out) folded the walls behind her, so she couldn't go backwards.
The whole process took almost an hour, and it didn't help that stall #117 was so far away from the entrance. But soon enough my new Palomino mare was loaded and the team folded the last walls and closed the trailer doors. I thanked them for their help, and watched them haul the walls back to the storage room.
I was happy, my mare was in my trailer, and we were ready to go. I hopped into my truck and started to drive home, thinking of what I would name that pretty palomino.
New Home
I could see my stables ahead, as I turned off the road and drove a short distance down a dirt road towards my house. I spotted my dad's car, and soon after noticed my dad and my brother waving from the stables entrance. Then I remembered I had asked my dad to come over and help me with my new pony, because I knew she would be hard to get into her new stable. I guess my dad brought my older brother to help too.
I backed slightly into my stable's open doors, and my dad and brother walked over. I got out of the truck and they greeted me. "So, do you have a name for the pony yet?" My brother asked. "Yes, I came up with it on the way home. She is a beautiful palomino mare, and I named her Isabella, but I am yet to come up with a show name..." I replied. "Well, let's see her" my dad insisted, I nodded and we open the trailer doors which spooked the poor mare.
Isabella had been on a long 2 hour trailer ride, and she was not happy about it. My dad also had two ropes with loops in his hand, similar to the ones at the barn where I got Isabella, that I must not have noticed. I tried to calm her, but getting closer only freaked her out more. So a backed up, trying to sooth her while my dad and brother got the ropes over her, but it was no use.
My dad and my brother lead, well, rather pulled the mare, and I helped get her into her stall, and closed the door. Her stall was the first one on the right, at least it didn't take hours to get her there. The stall was already fixed and ready for Isabella, with hay and water, and straw on the ground.
Isabella walked around in distressed circles until I left. I came back half an hour later to find her munching on the hat I put in there for her. "How you doing girl, enjoying your snack?" I said in a low voice, but I only got the same reaction I did at the barn. So left her to peace once again.
Gaining Her Trust
The next morning I entered the barn, determined to gain Isabella's trust. Isabella was lazily snacking on some hay and immediately noticed me, she turned to me, and I could see the fear in her eyes. I reach my hand in and waited, not expecting much. But then Isabella surprised me by walking up to me, she had calmed down, and was now sniffing at my hand. I was getting a step closer to gaining her trust!
I turned my hand so my palm was facing up, and the palomino mare continued to sniff my hand. When she was done I slowly pulled my hand out and put it into the back pocket of my jeans. I had brought a few snackssnacks, to see what she liked. I pulled out a baby carrot and slowly put my hand back into the stall. Isabella sniffed it and are right out of my hand! I was amazed, I wasn't excepting this. I pulled out another, she knew what it was this time, and are it again.
I reached into my pocket to pull out a couple sugar cubes, and held my hand confront of Isabella once again, she barely sniffed it before gobbling it up. She knew I was giving her tummy treats, and I took another step closer to her trust. I pulled out my final treat, two Apple slices. I guess I figured out her favorite treat, because she ate it even faster than the sugar cubes. Just to test, I pulled out one carrot, one sugar cube, and one Apple slice out of my pocket, and held them out on my hand. I was right she went right for the Apple slice!
The next step was petting her, which I really wanted to do! I was out of Apple slices, so I have Isabella the sugar cube and walked out of the barn eating the carrot. I ran into my house and cut up an Apple, and what was left from the first Apple and shoved it into my pocket.
I reappeared into the stable, and it looked like Isabella was waiting for me. She had her head over the stall door and looked rig at me, almost as if she was saying: "where are my apples?" I walked over and went inside the stall, The mare ecame uneasy, but when she saw the Apple slice I had pulled out of my pocket, she walked right up to me and ate the Apple. Next a grabbed out three Apple slices and held them out for her, while with the other hand I began to let her nose, and her forelock. Isabella backed away, but soon came back and ate the apples. I kept letting her until she was used to it.
About and hour later of feeding apples and petting, I was able to fully pet her. I stroked her neck, and have her my last Apple slice. I had gained Isabella trust! As I was leaving Isabella nudged my pockets. "Sorry girl, no more treats today." I closed the stall door behind a and walked to my house. I looked at my hands and they were covered from fingertip to palm in dirt, then I realized how dirty Isabella was, tomorrow it was bath time!
Bath Time!
I entered the barn early the next morning, remembering how dirty Isabella was. I already had half of an Apple.in my pocket, in slices of course. "Good morning girl, you ready to get clean?" I asked holding out an Apple slice for her and petting her nose. I closed the main stable door, so that if Isabella decided to run, she wouldn't get lost.
I opened Isabella's stall door, and started walking towards the shower block at the end of the stable. About half way there I looked over my shoulder, and sure enough the palomino mare was following me. When we got to the shower block, I gave her another Apple slice as a reward.
I reached for one of the looped ropes off of the wall and Isabella became uneasy. "Its ok girl," I said as I held out another Apple slice. She calmed down and I was able to slip the loop around her neck. I tied the other end of the rope to a hook on the wall.
Once she was finished her Apple, I noticed her watching me grabbing the hose, I grabbed the rope, and slowly turn on the water, which came running out of the hose gently. I was surprised when I turned up the water and Isabella was still perfectly calm. I began running it over her back and she tensed up, but soon after giving her a pat on the neck and talked to her, she was calm.
I turned off the hose and put it back on the wall, then untied the rope from the wall and held it in my hand. "Good girl" I said as I patted her neck and gave her one of my last Apple slices. I lead Isabella back to her stall and tied the rope to the bars. Isabella stood in the middle of the stable as a grabbed for the brushes.
Twenty minutes later her mane, tail, and coat were practically sparkling! I had discovered Isabella's beautiful palomino snowflake appaloosa coat. I petted Isabella more before untying the rope and leading her into the stall. I took off the rope from around her neck and hung it over the door. I patted her neck, gave her her last Apple slice and sat down in the hay.
Bad idea I know, but I knew I could trust Isabella. I looked down at my boot, when I felt Isabella nibbling my hair. I giggled a little and found myself looking at her. It was then that I noticed she looked very underweight, and had scars around her mouth, and her hind legs. I knew the scars by her hind legs must've been from spurs, but I couldn't figure out the cause for the scars on the sides of her mouth.
I got worried, so I got up and left the stable, but not forgetting to hang up the rope on my way out. I walked into my house, and went to the phone. I called the vet, had a conversation with him and scheduled an appointment for tomorrow.
Vet Checkup
i woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door, I got up and answered the door. I introduced my self, and told him I'd be out in a couple minutes. I got dressed and fixed my hair. i popped out the door and the vet was in his car.
I waved and he came back out. We walked to the stable, and i introduced him to Isabella. "What a pretty mare! Too bad she's in bad condition," he said frown creeping on his face at he looked at her wounds. Isabella got unsettled, "It's ok girl, he's here to help you." I said as i reached over the door the pet her nose.
I opened the stall door and walked in, calming her down as the vet examined her. "You ready?" I said as i looked at the vet, "Yep, just give me a second to get my supplies!" He looked in his bad and pulled out a couple bottles, swabs, and bandages. I held Isabella's face gently and opened the stall door to let the vet in. "Hi Isabella, I'm just gonna have a look at you." He almost whispered. He put some sort of disinfecting liquid on a swag and cleaned the wounds, both on her mouth and on her flank. Isabella whinnied a few times, but i was able to calm her.
Next the vet put bandages on her wounds, and she was good to go. "All done," he said as he patted her neck. Me and the vet left Isabella alone in her stable, and walked to his car. "She's should be good as new in a couple days. You should be able to take off her bandages in about a week, if she is still wounded, give me a call. Also, when i was patching her up I noticed that her hooves were in pretty bad condition, you should get a hold of a farrier." The vet had told me. "Ok, for sure! Thanks for the help!" I thanked him, and he hopped back into his car and drove off.
A week later, i removed the bandages and she was fully healed, well, except for her hooves! I gave her an apple slice and headed to my house to make a call to the farrier. He said he was completely free that afternoon, and he would stop by.
Farrier Time
I was getting Isabella ready, i grabbed two looped ropes, put them around her neck, and tied them to the two sides of the stable, attaching to her stall bars, and the one across from her's.I had fed her a couple apple slices, when i heard a car pull up outside. I walked outside and the farrier got out of his car with a fairly small bag.
We walked to the barn where Isabella was already ready. "This is Isabella, my palomino mare." I introduced my pony. "Nice to meet you Isabella," the farrier. He ran his hand down her front leg, and picked up her hoof, making sure she was ok with everyone. Isabella looked to him, but mostly ignored him, then he started to work.
It was her last hoof, and then she was done. He finished up the hoof, and gave Isabella a good pat. "Thank you for coming!" I thanked the farrier, "No problem, thanks for having me! You have a really good pony too!" he replied. "Now, I know I'm not vet, but your pony seems to be a bit underweight," He added as he got into his car. I waved and walked back to the stable. "There we go, no more check ups, hey?" I said to Isabella. She nuzzled my pockets, so I gave her an apple slice.
I took the loops off from around her neck, and brought her into her stall, holding about an apple slice. She came in, I went out, and gave her the apple. I put away the ropes, and took a good look at the mare, she did look underweight, time to change that!
Feeding Time!
Soon after the farrier left, I restocked Isabella's hay. I gave her a pat, fed her a whole apple, and went to my house. Over the next couple days, I gave her extra food, to gain some weight, and it worked. After a couple weeks, she wasnt under weight any more, she was perfect!
Healthy and Clean!
I fed Isabella a treat, yep, apple slices! I took a step back, and admired her coat, her beautiful palomino snowflake appaloosa coat. The way she looked, you would have never told she was abused/abandoned! She was perfectly healthy and clean! I looked at her and tried to imagine our first ride. Then I realized, she must be trained again before I can ride her. I liked training horses, and ponies for that matter, it was kinda fun!
I went inside my house, to my computer, and ordered a halter, because that was essential for training, and for a horse or pony in general. I logged on and went to a fairly famous online tack shop. I wrote the measurements, and selected the color I wanted. I couldn't wait for the new halter.
