My Little Hero: The Magic of Adoption

28/02/2023

Hero tried out his blinkers today. These are so much nicer for him. He can wear any bridle over them and he still gets the security of having a focal point. He also completed his 2nd big kid ride from the barn all the way to the house… but this time it was in the pouring rain and hail… in a tornado warning/watch. I was halfway home when James comes looking for me… sees me soaked… plodding along… shakes his head. Then when I make it home he just looks at me as I’m grinning ear to ear and says I need psychiatric treatment… I’m sure Hero was thinking the same thing as we were being pelted with rain. However, he did as I asked, with no real complaint. He was brave and surefooted. He paused a couple times and continued when I asked. These blinkers are such a game changer and I’m loving every minute of it.
Maybe taking this long wasn’t what others would do… I know what many think… but that doesn’t matter. What matters is Hero is safe, he is learning, and he is steadily improving. I love him and he has his home here. So he and I can take the time it takes. I have patience. He has been showing me the rewards of being patient with him. we will continue to grow together.
Sorry no pics of the torrential downpour ride we went through🤣 James said it was raining so hard he couldn’t get his camera to focus 🤣🤣🤣.

02/11/2022

Hero has grown up so much in the past few months. He has traded in his light weight kiddie saddle with minimal gear… for a heavy duty ranch saddle that has all the extras, he’s trading those burrs and lack of responsibility for braids and a job. We’ve had a long journey so far… just setting the foundation and making sure it’s solid. Slow and steady we will win our race.

29/03/2022

After ups downs twists and turns… numerous obstacles in our path… need for time on hero’s part… need for time on my part… lots of stopping, starting back up, short bursts of progression, seemingly endless turn out and time to process. So many steps forward and even more steps backwards. It has all added up finally to this past weekend. I pulled hero out of the field, from a multi month break, to join in the c**t starting/spring tune up that was going on at the ranch. I had another horse I was taking through as my primary project, but I would work with hero during the breaks and on the side. Straight out of the field hero remembered his ground work flawlessly. Right, left, stop, go WTC, even side passes. I thought ok cool! No tuning needed in that regard. Now onto the hard part… at least what’s always been an issue in the past. Saddling and preparation for mounting. Hero stood like a rock for saddling, walked out cool as a cucumber. After a break like that he would have normally blown up worked through it and then calmed down. He stood perfectly each day as I saddled and unsaddled him. So then next up is attempting getting on… after all my tricks and crazy shenanigans trying to see if he will react adversely and him standing beautifully, I finally put my foot in the stirrup and held my breath. I hopped three times, swung my leg over, and pet him. He was so calm and secure. I did this a few more times and called it good… then the next day I swung on and started asking for some movement. Hero would back up, and yield his hindquarters for me both directions easily. He started getting a touch nervous when I asked for forward movement, so I stuck with backwards and hind end movement for now.
Such a small thing… saddling and mounting a horse… asking for small movements… these are things we take for granted with our horses… even on most c**ts just learning the ropes… these things tend to come so easily and quickly. For hero, these things are just now comfortable for him. After years of re approaching and re evaluating… and just being patient. I finally swung my leg over my pony confidently and without fear from either him or myself and there is no feeling in the world like it. ❤️❤️❤️

17/03/2021

I’ve waited half a year to try this set of packs out. They look mighty fine on him in my opinion! Now just to add weight and start ponying out on the trail again. I’m so glad his foundation is proving to be just as solid as can be. From completely feral and scared beyond reason to having copious amounts of time off and now partially blind and just stepping right back into work like he never missed a day.

16/03/2021

This soft nosed boy gave me a clear sign a couple weeks ago that he is finally ready mentally to handle regular training. He eagerly approached a complete stranger out in an open field who had a halter and the intention to catch him. When he walked straight up to them and stood quietly and relaxed to be haltered I knew that he had finally accepted that humans are cool. Every day he greets me at the gate/door and is eager for attention. I have had a couple short sessions with him since this, and he picked up exactly where we left off. He saddled beautifully, worked on a long line beautifully. He stood for my shenanigans and even stood quietly for me to put weight on each side of the saddle and be above him. I have not swung a leg all the way over yet... I don’t want to ruin a good thing. My plan is to start packing with him again and getting weight on his back out on a trail setting. Following numerous horses and being respectful yet associating weight in the saddle and following other experienced horses as good before I swing up and over. I’m excited for the things that he will continue to teach me, and super excited for him to show the world just what a throwaway feral pony can do if just given the chance. ❤️

02/02/2021

Hero said domestic spoiled life isn’t so bad after all! He was warm and dry when we had that freezing rain the other night.
Snug as a bug in a rug ❤️

05/10/2020

Be careful feeding the roundbales this year. Hero was diagnosed with a case of botulism earlier this year, when we found out what it was we asked the barn crew if they noticed anything wrong with the hay and or grain that had been fed recently and it turned out that one of the roundbales had a skunk carcass in it. Which wasn’t found until it was too late.
Hero miraculously survived his case of botulism, but not without cost. He almost died, we walked for days. Slept in the barn for days. He came out of it with a blind eye, but he is lucky to have come through it at all.
Trust me on this one, be careful feeding your horses roundbales. If there is mold or carcass in your bale just throw it out. It’s far more beneficial than trying to pick around it.

ROUND BALES & HORSES

As you're making plans for the colder weather ahead and your winter hay needs, you may be considering purchasing round bales due to their lower cost and greater convenience for feeding pastured horses.

While well-managed/stored round bales can still be a safe option for your horses, there are a few things you should be aware of — in particular, the increased risk of botulism, a deadly disease caused by the toxins produced by the bacterium "Clostridium botulinum."
This toxin is produced when "Clostridium botulinum" is exposed to the right environmental conditions — such as when forage materials are baled and stored while still damp, or when they include the carcasses of dead animals, like birds and mice.

Because of the high death rate and the difficulty in diagnosing botulism, prevention through vaccination is critical, especially in areas where this disease is prevalent (such as Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee).

If you own horses and cattle and feed the same hay to all your animals, it is important to mention that cattle are not as sensitive to botulism as horses, but they do die from this disease. And regardless of the type of bales you feed, always remember that not all hay is created equal. Have your hay tested for nutrient content to ensure it meets your animals' nutritional needs; check for mold, dust, and poisonous weeds before feeding.

As in all horse health issues, your local veterinarian is your best source of information. Consult your horse doctor on best practices when feeding hay this winter, and on botulism prevention and treatment.
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Learn more about botulism on our website, athttps://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Outside%20Linked%20Documents/BOTULISM_Final.pdf

04/09/2020

Hero said he needed a mud bath. He has plenty of green grass to roll in, but he wanted to fit in with my mud monsters. Can’t be upset with a sweet face like that! I’m sure España Silk will make quick easy work of it!

26/08/2020

Update on Hero. He has recovered from his case of Botulism. He is still re gaining some weight that he lost while he was going through the worst of it.
It’s amazing how resilient these ponies can be. Botulism is a high fatality low survival thing. I can’t tell you how many hours we walked. How many nights I slept (with one eye open) in the barn with hero. I can’t tell you how many times I thought “here it is, he’s going down, he’s not going to make it.” All at the same time thinking “ please, please just push through this.”
After it was all said and done, the bond was made so much stronger, he watches for me now, picking me out from across the yard. He eagerly walks up to me and wants to be by my side. It’s not a “I trust you to walk up to me and I’ll follow you if you have me on a leadline” kinda thing anymore. It’s a real friendship. He chased off a mare that was seeking my attention this morning because he wanted it more.
Unfortunately in the midst of his case of Botulism he injured his left eye. He is now partially blind in that eye. That has obviously made things a little different in the way we can continue our training. However hero continues to show me that he trusts me.
Keep an eye out for this little guy. We have some big things we still have to accomplish.

03/07/2020

Someone was sleeping when I checked on him. He was laying down, of course I had a mini heart attack because the vet emphasized that he needed to remain standing or he may not be able to get back up. But this little bo**er was sneaking in a nap laying down and he shot right up no problem at all and gave me the “ you woke me up for this???” Sassy pants look. I think we are getting closer to making it out of the woods. Keeping my fingers crossed and prayers sent that it keeps going up from here!

01/07/2020

Today we moved Hero closer to the house, now we have full access to the arena and won’t be hindering any events, and I can sleep in my bed knowing he’s right outside and easy to keep an eye on. He settled right in and is demanding more feed. Which is still a great sign. Obviously he has been spoiled rotten.

30/06/2020

Alright everyone, I’m trying to keep updates coming while we get things figured out. The vet was out last night and he did quite a few tests. He has a few ideas of what he thinks it is, however he said that the most likely and most supported idea is a case of botulism. That he could have ingested toxins from out in the field or from his roundbale. Since we can’t tell how much or how little toxins he ingested we have no idea if it is a mild case or if it is going to get worse. He said that while he continues improving to go ahead treating him the way we have been. Continue monitoring and continue giving anti inflammatory medication. However, to keep in mind that he can still turn downhill and if he does it may get ugly fast. Our goals are to keep him up and hydrated and interested in feed. This morning he was bright and alert, eager for his hay and was being sassy pawing for grain. He was actively following me around like a puppy dog. He even spooked a little bit when I went to fly spray him.

29/06/2020

He’s finally got interest in feed back! Slow eating, but eating! Still waiting on vet for blood tests and such. But my goodness this is the best he’s looked in days! Really crossing my fingers and praying that this is a sign he will pull through. Trying to not let my hopes get too high though.

29/06/2020

Hero has been resting much more and hasn’t been obviously distressed. He is not eating or drinking, which is problematic. Please keep him in your thoughts as we continue trying to figure out what the cause of this is, and as we continue to monitor him. He is a fighter. Here’s hoping we get some decent news soon.

27/06/2020

Hero still seems off. I’ve been letting him rest in a stall with a fan turned to him. He’s not offered to roll and he’s been relaxed, but his breathing has been heavy. He has continued having bowel movements but he definitely isn’t feeling very good.

27/06/2020

Hero could use some healing thoughts. He is having some tummy trouble. He’s been given banamine and has been kept walking on vets recommendation. We’ve had minimal bowel movement but minimal is better than none.

26/05/2020

Hero is happy to be back in the barn. He said he had his fun playing in the mud and having a break. Now to get all that mud off him and get back to work! 😂
I love my little formerly feral pony. ❤️

09/05/2020

As pick up day approaches for the 2020 ATFO, I find myself thinking back on last year’s journey. Hero and I still have a long way to go, he’s had a couple months off to socialize with his herd mates and just be a horse. Although even with an extended break from work he is a far cry from the entirely feral and scared pony that he arrived as.
He has helped me overcome obstacles that I never expected, in turn I’ve earned his trust and will have a partner for life.
This year I hope to bring home a less feral horse, I don’t have anything against them... I have just realized that I personally fall harder for them. I want to help a horse so it can go on to a forever home with it’s own people.
Hero found his home with me, now we will work hard to help this next horse find its own home.
Keep an eye on my Wild at Heart Horsemanship page for all the updates on this years ATFO horse!

02/03/2020

Hero is so expressive. He loves fun stuff like grooming, and going for walks, and really just being a big pet. When it comes time for real work he gets his grumpy ears. Which for him real work consists of standing still for saddling, standing still for hoof handling, and repetitive desensitization. He’s finally retaining things longer than a couple days without having to go back 5 steps. He’s also to the point where he greets me at the stall door or will come and catch me from his turn out. Which means he wants to see what we will do next. He wants to be doing whatever I’m doing. One of his biggest hurdles that we are still working on is gaining access to the space directly behind him. We made some progress today. I found a balance point for just a few seconds where he would stand while I stood behind him. Long enough to snap a picture.
Slow and steady we continue to build on our lessons.

19/02/2020

Every horse has a soft nose.... but of all the noses I’ve had the pleasure to pet, Hero has the softest of them all!!! I don’t think I’ll ever get over just how velvety his nose is. ❤️❤️❤️

19/02/2020

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything on my boy! Today he proved he is ready for domestic pony tasks. He had his first real farrier visit and had those long hooves trimmed to where they ought to be! It’s been a long road leading up to this. The first time we tried to mess with his hooves he was a wild child. We asked our vet to sedate him, that day wild child scored 2 double barrel kicks in on our vet and he earned keeping his long hooves. Since then I have put in tons more time on his hooves and acceptance of the things I ask. Today there was zero thought of sedation and I was confident that my pony was ready for the farrier. We love our vet and we love our farrier, so it is our biggest priority to keep everyone safe!
As you can see Hero was so relaxed while he had his hooves done. Just one more thing for my heart to smile at.
Thank you CS Performance Horses & Farrier for always being so patient and quiet with our horses!

05/02/2020

Some days we just hang out for a little bit. Those big brown eyes just melt my heart.
Good company is good for the soul. ❤️

11/01/2020

I’ve shared pictures of Hero laying down in his stall before, but normally after a few seconds he gets too nervous and will stand up. Today, not only did he feel comfortable enough to stay laying down while I opened his stall door, walked in, moved a bucket and perched my phone on it and hit record, but was comfortable enough to let me not very gracefully crabwalk over to him and pet him.
This is the first time getting hands on him while he is laying down. First time even getting this close while he’s laying down.
Y’all don’t even know just how exciting and incredible this is for me with this pony. Honestly it’s pretty exciting for me with any horse, but it’s infinitely more exciting for THIS pony. I’m so glad I was able to capture and share this first with you all!
My heart is full today.

05/01/2020

We are moving right along on hero’s acceptance of farrier work. He was a bit nervous at first of the farrier apron, but he settled down pretty quickly and I started introducing all the necessary tools for trimming him up. As you can see he is doing wonderful. Calm and willing to let me play with the tools on his hooves. He certainly is a character with his grumpy gelding ears, however he never did act out of line. I think he was just annoyed at my perpetual playing with his hooves.

05/01/2020

In the future Hero will be expected to do many ranch things, and on a ranch he will have to be ok with cows. So the other night I introduced him to a whole herd. He has been around minimoo for a little while now, but it can be scary moving up from one mini... to a whole herd of big cows. So we took it slow, started out following behind the herd with more experienced horses leading the way. Hero quickly became confident in that role. So we moved on to entering the herd towards the edge so he was really only working with one or two cows at a time. He was a little hesitant, but when I asked him to follow he found his courage and stepped up for me. When he realized that the cows would move away he relaxed and started getting into his work. We only moved a couple of cows out of the herd and then called it good. I don’t want to risk a bad note with cows since it will be such a huge part of his job. So slow and steady we will go!

26/12/2019

Here’s to Hero, and life after Adoption. Follow Hero and see just what Adoption can mean for horses throughout the world.

26/12/2019

Today, Hero officially became my pony. He and I have been through so much already. James surprised me with his adoption this morning for Christmas. I have fallen in love with this wild child, and I look forward to all of the amazing things we are going to do!
The most amazing thing, is how This completely Feral pony, who thought humans were going to kill him about 7/8 months ago has transformed into a more trusting and willing partner. It would never have been possible without RESCUE.

26/12/2019

Another wonderful milestone is for Hero to allow a stranger to handle his hooves. This will prove beneficial when I ask our farrier to trim Hero. The more hands I can get on Hero the better he will be as a part of modern society.

26/12/2019

One of the biggest breakthroughs has been gaining access to Hero’s hooves. Being a Feral horse most of his life means he relies HEAVILY on fight or flight responses to survive. His hooves are directly linked to both of those responses, and by picking them up we are asking our horses to willingly put themselves in a position where they (feel like) neither is an option. Once I have Hero’s hooves I have greater access to his brain. More specifically, his trust.

26/12/2019

We have been steadily progressing every lesson. Just this past week Hero learned how to RESPECTFULLY be ponied from another horse. We had a short , but productive, trip around the Clubhouse and then dropped into the woods and back up to the barn. There were a few spots where Hero wanted to challenge us, but he was quick to settle and get his manners back in check.

26/12/2019

One of our adventures included a bag of corn, and lots of tricky terrain for us to navigate. Our mission was to deliver the corn to a camera site so we could track all the wildlife coming to that area. At this time Hero would be willingly led wherever I would ask him to go, but still had little respect for being ponied off another horse. So I was on foot leading him while he carried the heavy (for me) load of grain through all the obstacles we came across along the way.

26/12/2019

After the ATFO, Hero had a much deserved break, he earned his pasture time. Once he had time to rest we went back to work and continued on his groundwork, all working towards the goal of preparing him for a rider again.

26/12/2019

When it came time for the ATFO, Hero surprised me with just how well he handled the crowds, the noise, and all the things I asked of him. However in the end he was not adopted at the event. So he traveled back to the ranch to continue his journey with me, at least until he would be able to find his forever home.

26/12/2019

After Nelson helped get us confidently outside into the big bright world, we saw many more things. I started taking Hero for walks around the ranch. Started asking much more from him. When it came time for the Face Off, I was still not confident that hero was ready for under saddle work, even though we had been working under saddle quite a bit. He just still wasn’t confident under saddle. I didn’t want to push too far and ruin everything we had worked for. So we focused heavily on Ground work and all the things we could accomplish on the ground.

26/12/2019

Hero and I worked on lots of things inside his stall... but when Nelson arrived he helped me get Hero over many of his hurdles. The main one being getting out of the stall, and into the big bright world. See... Hero wasn’t like your average horse... normal(socialized/domestic) horses may bolt, but typically when they hit the end of the line they see their human and it sort of resets their mind to where things are ok in their world. For Hero, he would hit the end of the line, see the human and it would multiply his fear reaction 100 fold. There were many rope burns, lots of boot ski marks in the arena sand, and lots of trials and errors. Nelson showed me how to help Hero realize that running is not going to help him. Nelson made a huge breakthrough with Hero, and he helped me realize that I was holding back. He showed me that MY fear of losing Hero’s trust was a huge factor in the block to our progress. He also affirmed my thoughts that Hero is extremely smart, but still not quite ready for everything that would be asked of him at the face off. Nelson did give me the tools to prepare Hero as best I could before the competition though.

26/12/2019

When normal tactics were not working, I had to start thinking outside of the box. When I couldn’t get a halter on him... or touch him... I had to reverse the game. I started teaching him to touch me. That his release would come from him approaching me. So he learned to be led without a rope... but I still knew that I had to get ahold of him to get any kind of beneficial progress... we were moving far to slow in my mind... not to mention compared to how the competition was moving. So I asked for help to get a halter on him, back into the squeeze gate he went, got the halter on and was able to progress from there. Well.... sort of. 😂. From there I was able to introduce all sorts of scary things, hoping that he could learn that I’m not as scary as all the objects... but that nothing was going to hurt him. He took to objects far quicker than human touch. But eventually he stood for my touch, realizing it wasn’t going to hurt him. He learned to (sort of) lead. However he had a real problem with bolting... now I tried for awhile to fix it... then I tried to ask for help from those around at the ranch. Finally I asked Tinia about some outside help. I continued work in the confines of Hero’s stall until help arrived.

26/12/2019

After picking Hero, I had to get him back home. He was conveniently in a stall with sturdy walls. I worked for over an hour, trying to get close to him. We played cat and mouse for awhile... finally when I ran out of time to be patient James tried to help and managed to get a rope on him. We then worked for quite a bit longer, James came out after being double barreled already not liking Hero very much. So after another 30 or so minutes I finally gave up on the idea of walking him on the trailer... and we ran him up on rope and all with the other two horses coming to Smoke Rise for the Face Off. Once at the ranch I wanted to get the nylon halter that had been wrangled on him off, and replaced with a rope halter. We had to put him in a squeeze gate (for our safety as much as his)and we managed to get the nylon halter off, but he was turned loose in the corral before getting the rope one on. I thought “no big deal, a few roundpen sessions and the halter will be on no problem!” I’m not sure I’ve been more wrong in my life 😂.About a week in, and already more hours than I expected spent, I couldn’t even attempt to touch him without his whole body shaking and shriveling away from me. Hero was proving to be far more wild and scared than I could have ever imagined.

26/12/2019

In the beginning...
2019 Appalachian Trainer Face Off (ATFO). Hero was one of Three Feral ponies brought off the coal mines of Kentucky for this year’s event. He was slated for the professional division, for good reason. He was not fond of humans. Maybe he didn’t have much interaction before rescue... maybe he had some bad interaction, however his trust towards humans was in the negative thousands.
I have a tendency to have a soft spot for the small scraggly and generally unwanted horses. Hero is no exception. He was small, had wild hair, and was an obvious challenge. Right down to the card on his stall that read “Caution! DO NOT ENTER “. Everything screamed “Don’t pick me if you want any chance to win”. So, knowing that his chances to be picked were extremely low, and with my “amateur “ choice already picked, I jumped off the deep end. I chose Hero. Honestly... when I blurted out his name I was simultaneously thinking “Jessica what have you done?!?”. When Tinia turned to me and smiled her infectious and warm smile I knew this horse needed chosen, and Tinia made it clear that she approved my wild choice.
I knew the next 100 days were going to be crazy. I just had no idea how much I was going to learn. How much this wild little thing could, and would teach me.