Kleine, it must have been awful to have to sell Shadow.... But it sounds as if you did a very good job with him and some other horse-lover will benefit from your efforts. I hope that lady enjoys Shadow as much as you and that they are both happy.
Sincerely,
Christy

Thanks Christy,
It was hard to let him go but the people that bought him have a large ranch with 20 plus horses and they use their horses to push cattle. The guy told me that when they ride, they ride all day so Shadow will be used a lot which is good. I only was able to ride him occasionally. They also grow their own hay and he told me they save out the best hay for their horses, so I know he'll get the attention that he deserves which makes me happy. I asked him why he needed another horse when they have so many on their ranch, he told me they raise young horses and train them but they're all to young and green for his wife and that he was hoping to use Shadow as the older more experienced horse to pony his young ones. It sounds like he'll have a lot of responsibility, he can't just sit around getting fat anymore. I think he'll be happier.

Sometimes selling a horse is the right desision. I once bought a horse from a friend who moved to a different province. Rusty was athletic and strong. He could work for hours without getting tired. But he hated me from day 1. Actually I believe he hates all men. Must have been a man that broke him. I hold onto Rusty for 3 years. In that time I was bucked off more times than I have fingers and toes! When riding in a group he would suddenly out of the blue freak out, bucking and rearing. One time he put our lives at stake by starting to back up while we were navigating a mountain pass. I jumped of his back milli seconds before he slided down the mountain side. It was a miricle that he survived without even a scratch to show! I noticed that his attitude towards women are children is tender and caring. So I advertised him and I was brutally honest about his short comings. A women operating a guided horse riding business came and pick him up. This was four years ago. She uses Rusty to guide tourists on horse back and according to her she never ever before had a horse that worked as hard as Rusty. He loves his work and he is super quiet for her. In the last four years Rusty never ever had a bad day. This was before I knew of Monty' methods. Monty' method might have made a difference in the relationship between me and Rusty. Since then I got Starbuck for free. Starbuck is now four years old, I trained him myself. Not with Monty' method though but now I am enhancing his training with Monty' method and we both love it. Starbuck is the perfect horse for me, layed back but not lazy.

I still see Rusty once a year and seeing him in such a happy state makes me happy too.

I think you're right about some horses not liking men or at least associating a bad experience to another person. My farrier told me a couple of stories about horses that she's worked with; one horse some people bought and it was wonderful with everyone but her husband, the minute her husband stepped into the corral the horse took off after him and tried to stomp him. Then one day a friend came by and the same thing happened when he tried to approach the horse. They finally figured out that both men smoked cigarettes and it was the smell of the smoke that the horse associated with his abuser. I thought that was really fascinating and certainly something to think about when dealing with an abused horse that doesn't like someone when they've never hurt them in any way. The other horse she told me about, a guy owned and roped off of for several years. The horse began to resent his job of roping and started fighting back to the point that he threw his owner and literally tried to kill him by stomping him. The owner called my farrier from the hospital and told her if she wanted him she'd better come get him before he sent him to the slaughter house. Cindy went and got him right away and says he's the best trail horse you'll ever find. It just goes to show how important it is that your horse is happy with what he's doing and never abuse a horse in any way. I'm glad Rusty found a home where he is happy and useful and you were able to find a horse that works well with you. I'm really glad you weren't hurt when your horse went down the hill...Yikes! Scary stuff!

Totally agree that horses always remember the abuse and often associate other people with the abuse and react accordingly. My Pie was terrified of men when I first purchased her as she had been so abused by the man who retrained her however she was usually good with women but not teenagers. A woman had initially broken her in using gentle methods and then her female teenage owners couldn't handle her and gave her a bad time until they finally sent her out to this brutal man who said he would retrain her. He must have also always worn a wide brimmed felt hat as any man wearing such a hat is a reall NO, NO for her. My gut feeling is that something like this is the reason why the horse I have been recently concerned about played up so badly with the young expert rider. Hope Shadow enjoys his new life as much as Rusty has!

Kleinne - that is such a nice story with a happy ending for the horse! Many people would have either given him up as a lost cause or tried to control him with force and fear. I think it wasn't only Shadow that had patience, but you as well, you should be proud of your achievement, he has been given the best chance for a happy and fulfilling life.

This thread reminds me of how we got Ginger. When my daughter was 14 she was looking for a horse of her ow. A friend heard from a friend that a local trainers client was looking to rehome her mare. The lady was quite intimidated by the horse and had to bribe her to even catch her in her stall. When we went to get Ginger we were told that she had jumped out of her stall just that morning. As you might imagine I was a bit wary. We picked her up and brought her home to try. She was very head shy wouldn't tie broke halters and ropes. It was interesting. When we had her better she was so calm the vet asked if she was drugged. No not a chance. She passed her vet check but while he examined her he found a scar inside her lip which he believed was from over twitching. Well after the doc left the pullback circus began again. I looked into this crazed horses eyes and promised her she would never be twitched again she watched me for another moment and relaxed. She still had problems with her head but we worked on them and made progress. It turned out that she hated her dressage job but loved to jump...loved it! My daughter rode her bareback over fences and through fields, took her to college and to many places around the country before sending her home to me. Ginger lives in my yard with her goats and chickens and now Lily. At 24 she is a testament of what a horse can do when she loves her job and her family. And that patience and communication is key in any relationship. Thanks for letting me share

*vetted not better

I loved this story about Ginger Studio_me. Thanks for sharing it.