Keep-Her – previously named Ariel

Adopted by Kasandra Olson on 2019-06-01

“Keep-Her” My “Best Kept Secret”

About two years ago I adopted a horse named Ariel. I had recently outgrown Mylee, the pony that I’ve had since we were both three years old. This was a hard decision for me because we had been riding together for over 10 years old and jumping 3 feet and showing all over. She is my best friend! I knew that it would be hard to fill her hooves and I never expected to fall head over hoof again!

A new horse was not going to pick up where my pony left off, and I wasn’t sure what my next horse would be. My mother and I reached out to Phyllis at the Rescue to ask about fostering. I didn’t want to rush into getting a new horse, so I thought since I had a stall I could rescue-rehab-rehome until I found my new partner.

Ariel was the first horse I met. She didn’t trust people at all and it took a long time for her to come around. When I met her she would not let anyone take her halter on and off, and you couldn’t fly spray her without her flipping over. She was always nervous, picky about what she would eat, and generally just worried about everything. The first time I met Ariel I wanted to take her home, but my mom said it was too fast. My mom said if I like her we could schedule to visit her again—and we did just that.

On our second visit, I convinced my mom that I really wanted to take her home, so we made arrangements with Phyllis to make that happen.

As soon as we got Ariel home I started working with her. She had her own paddock and shelter so nobody else had to handle her, which was good because she was able to settle in. First, I just started hanging out with her. I would go into her paddock after school and sit with her while I did my homework. When she started to get more comfortable with me simply being around I started grooming her in her paddock and then bringing a wheelbarrow in and cleaning her paddock. Yes, these are all little things we take for granted sometimes, but they were a very big deal in the beginning for Ariel!

I worked with her every single day, not because I wanted to rush her but simply because I wanted her to feel loved and safe and have consistency. Ariel and I bonded pretty quickly. She started to come to me in the paddock and meet me at the gate just in the first week or so. I could now take her halter on and off, and I was even able to get her a fly mask. Next, we worked on simple handling. First, she needed to be safe for others to halter and lead around, and safe to be handled by the vet, farrier, and dentist, and secure outside of her paddock around other people and horses.

In the first week, I knew I wanted to keep her but my mom still thought it was too soon. She wanted me to be sure, because I still was not able to do too much with Ariel. We were not even close to thinking about riding. I don’t know how long it took but I finally convinced my parents that I was in love with her and I wanted to keep her no matter what. I didn’t care about riding. My parents made the deal with Phyllis and I got to “Keep-Her”!

Ariel, now known as Best Kept Secret (Keep-Her), is my second-best friend. She and my pony love each other, so it’s perfect! Keep-Her is now completely under saddle and loves trail rides, swimming, gymkhana, and jumping! We have been to several shows and were Reserve Champion in the2’3” Jumper Division at the NHHSET 2022 State Finals. She is fast and sassy and is the most challenging horse I have worked with, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Every minute has been worth it! “Keep-Her” is my “Best Kept Secret.”

 

 

 

Papa

Adopted by Patrick on 1642032000

This was written by Patrick, 12-1/2 years old:

When I first saw Papa, I thought, “That poor horse!” He was out in the field being pushed around and seemed abandoned. No one loved him. I wanted to adopt him because I felt in my heart that he wanted someone to love him. He was so cool looking the first time he came over to me. When I scratched him, he was so happy, and I wantedto make him happy for a long time.

When I first adopted him, I was excited but afraid that I might do something wrong. My mom and I did some research to find out things that would be good for him. I have been feeding him grain and adding corn oil to his grain to help with his itchiness. I have been taking him for walks to exercise because before, he didn’t move a lot.

My plan is to love on him and give him the best life as I can. I don’t mind if I don’t ride him. I just want him to have a good life. He follows me around everywhere, and it makes me feel special. He always comes over to me and looks for good scratches. I love him with my whole soul. I am looking forward to celebrating his 25th birthday on May 3rd!

BoBo and Golden – previously named BoBo and Earl

Adopted by Heather on 1621382400

It was a month or so after my son Samuel passed away suddenly, he was 15. 

As any mother would be, I was, I am, broken. 

I was visiting a local farm stand. I love visiting with the animals just as much as the kids, they make me happy. As I was feeding grain from my hand to the horse, I let her take it from my hand. She was very gentle, and I reached up to stroke her face. Our eyes met, her long lashes and black, brown eyes with a pure light almost shining through. 

At that moment, I felt like I was laying with my son Sam in hospital. It was God, it was pure contentment, peace, love. I was feeling understood, listened to, loved. I began to weep and had to retreat to the car. 

The next day we drove by the local farm stand, I had to stop. I had to see the horse. If I could just get that feeling again,  I would feel better, my day would be better. It would be okay for just a minute, maybe more.

I began to realize that horses possess much more than beauty and power, they possess something very special. Something I could not really understand. I found out that her name was Sally and I would stop frequently just to feed  her treats or to  pet her. No kids with me, not even to buy a vegetable, just to be with Sally. 

Sally at the local farmstand was the beginning of my healing with horses. The opening of the door to begin my journey to heal, not just from the grief, but from more than I ever knew possible. 

I have loved horses since I was a little girl.  My parents said they were too expensive and dangerous, my dreams of riding always turned down, in fact the subject was always changed. My mother loved horses, and I would always hear about how she almost died, she got bucked off and broke her back. Her fears became my own.

I began to notice that families that had the nice houses and the fancy cars , were also the families that owned a horse. My mind drove my dreams away, how silly. Only rich people can afford horses. I went on a couple trail rides, the ones where you pay and go as a group. Always kinda disappointing, I didn’t get to spend much time on the ground with the horses and it was just following the leader. I  picked up a lesson here and there, always from a different instructor.  Life always had different directions, kids, work, doubt, fear. Always an excuse. Never made it a priority, just something I loved but the kids, work, etc., was more important than pursuing some silly little girl dream of owning a horse and taking lessons. 

How beautiful they are to watch. So massive in size but yet so graceful. As a child I would just be in awe of their beauty and they smelled so good. It just always felt so good to be in their presence. The power they possess yet how gentle they can be. But yet I never had a horse of my own.

After visiting with Sally for a few weeks, I began to realize that maybe there was a better way to be around horses. I finally found Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue. I met with the owner Phyllis. She introduced me to a horse named Tucker, and I think wept with him for about 20 minutes. He hugged me and trusted me, it was an instant connection. I felt loved, I felt okay. Phyllis encouraged me to come back and that she and everyone else would be support for me. How amazing to come across people that understand you, who want to help you—who don’t even know you. 

It was a winter of ups and downs, I learned A LOT about myself, about horses, about everything. 

I knew that in order for me to keep going I needed to keep being around the horses, and the friends I call family at HPF. Who knew that horses were God’s gift to us. A beautiful, strong, caring gift that only those open to healing with horses can understand. 

Today I have two beautiful Standardbreds, BoBo and Golden, rescued from the kill buyer before they were sent to slaughter. Saved from a life of neglect and abuse. These two boys have been through hell, and I can relate. Together we are healing, learning to trust each other, to love one another. It’s an incredible journey. 

Some days I don’t even recognize them: their skin is starting to shine, their eyes have a little sparkle. 

I am truly blessed to have these two horses. They may feel that they have been rescued, but they are rescuing me. I hope that one day I can help others find the beauty and healing in the presence of horses. 

I know that every time I am in the presence of a horse, I feel calm, I feel loved, I feel God, I feel my son, I feel peace and I want the world to feel that too. God bless. 

 

Foster

Adopted by Edie on 1501545600

Foster was an Amish workhorse who got rescued twice. He was bought at an auction by a kill buyer, and then bailed from the kill pen in 2015 or 2016. After some months, the woman who owned him took him back to auction, where an HPF foster barn owner saw him and notified us. So I rescued him again.

After being in quarantine, he came to Surrey Lane Farm in Hamilton, MA, as my guest for several months in the summer of 2017. I named him Foster. He was a big horse, and extremely skinny. He clearly had some issues with his back feet and legs—his fetlock and hock joints were misshapen, probably from being forced to pull loads far too heavy for him.

His demeanor when he first arrived was very shut down. He did what was asked of him and stood quietly to be groomed, but his eyes were dull and he wasn’t reaching out to connect with people. At Surrey Lane, Foster lived in an in-and-out stall next to other horses, and slowly settled in.

He had a huge appetite for hay, and got to eat plenty of it while he was at Surrey Lane. Foster started to put on weight very quickly, and soon was looking like the horse he probably used to be, big and strong, with a nice coat and a bright eye. His back legs, however, were never going to be fully sound, so at best he would make a good companion horse.

I decided to retire him to pasture. It seemed like the right thing to do; let him just be a horse, probably for the first time in his life. So Fairway Horse Transport trailered him to Horse Heaven in Bear Creek, North Carolina, where he lived outdoors in a big pasture with a herd. We got updates on how he was doing, and a few photos. He was big and glossy, and looked very content.

In October 2019, we got some sad news: Foster had colicked and was put down. He deserved a far better life than he had, but at least the last couple of years were good, living in a beautiful place with friends and plenty of grass. I am so grateful that I was able to do that for him.

Franklin – previously named Franklin

Adopted by Dineen Corey on 1467331200

Franklin was bred with a purpose. He is double-registered AQHA/APHA.

He’s named after his original owner, who became ill and sold him to a neighbor as a 2-year-old gelding. He noticed the new owners were not feeding him or his pasture mates. Franklin (the former owner) would drive over to the farm where Franklin (the horse) lived and would throw hay over the fence. I feel as though if it was not for Franklin’s kind heart and love of his horse, Franklin (horse) would never have survived—and that’s why Franklin was named after him.

Some of his pasture mates were in such bad shape that they were euthanized before Franklin was sent to auction, where he was purchased by a kill buyer. He was rescued by Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue on his 6th birthday in 2015. I adopted Franklin in July of 2016.

He’s handsome, goofy, extremely opinionated, and intelligent. He is also a total ham for the camera. He rarely takes a bad photo and poses for the camera.

Franklin loves attention. If he feels that he hasn’t gotten enough attention, he won’t go back in the barn. He plants his feet and will not budge. (He is 16 hands tall and about 1100 lbs.) However, if I ask him to walk away from the barn, he will gladly follow me—he’s just not quite ready to go back into his stall. If he doesn’t want to do something, he’ll pin his ears and stomp his feet before doing what is asked. He wants to let me know he doesn’t approve of what I asked of him, but he will do it just because I asked.

He is very picky about the treats that he eats. They have to be crunchy. Franklin will spit out a mushy apple or any type of soft chewy treat. If you try and put medication in his grain he will sniff it out and won’t touch it. Even after you take the medication out of his grain bucket, he won’t eat his grain for a few days until the scent of the medication is completely gone from the bucket.

Franklin is extremely social and loves playing with his pasture mates. He enjoys walks down the trail either alone or with company. And he adores small children. He will put his large head down to their level and just nuzzle them. He surely makes my life better.

Grace

Adopted by Kerry Quinn-Senger on 1557446400

I first saw Grace in a photo taken at a kill pen in Pennsylvania, where she was waiting to be shipped to slaughter. She was Hip 310 (the number of the tag on her hip from the kill pen). It was April 2019 and Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue was having a fundraiser to cover her bail. I have to admit that she was not what I had in mind for my first horse. I knew nothing of her background and she didn’t look well.

At first I just wanted to help. To get her out of danger. After paying her bail, she stayed in quarantine for 3 months with a bad case of strangles. I kept checking in on her and after a few weeks I decided that I wanted to continue the journey with her as my horse. I adopted her on May 10, 2019, which was 4 days after my birthday.

Grace came up to New Hampshire in July 2019 and I began boarding her at Hidden Pond Farm. Phyllis and many other volunteers helped me to get Grace settled and assess her capabilities and level of training.

Within 2 months, Grace came down with uveitis that quickly evolved into a serious case that affected both of her eyes. For months, she required multiple doses of medications everyday in her eyes and in her feed. She underwent surgery to have cyclosporine implants placed into her eyes to hopefully prevent future episodes of uveitis. It looked like it might work, but the long course of topical steroid treatment led to irreparable damage to her left eye and, regretfully, it had to be removed in February of 2020.

Grace had to learn how to get around with one eye, and I must admit, she’s handled it quite well. Her remaining eye has stayed healthy so far. Now that the pain of her ordeal is over, Grace’s personality seems to be coming out. She seems to love people and is a very sweet and gentle horse. Grace has taught me to appreciate the good things in life, and she continues to teach me how to let go of things that I cannot control.

I am so appreciative of Phyllis for never giving up and being so vigilant in Grace’s care during her battle with uveitis. I’m also so thankful for all the volunteers at Hidden Pond Farm who have been a part of Grace’s journey and who have offered me so much good advice.

I am so fortunate to have found Hidden Pond Farm and Phyllis. It’s truly a wonderful place.