Clark (Adopted)

Update August 2023: Clark (pinto gelding who was foaled in 2020) is doing very well at his new foster home at Anderson Acres where he has been since June 2023. Sara is continuing his training and he has now been started under saddle. This is what Sara has to say about him: “Clark has been doing amazing under saddle. He does very well with starting, steering, and stopping at the walk and trot. He is super fun to work with and is very agreeable, calm, and easy going. However, at this time he still needs a advanced rider sine he is still so green. He is going to make a great horse.”

Clark has had all of his vet work done for 2023 and he was a “rockstar” for the vet! He’s filling out very nicely as well. He stands approximately 14.1hh and still has some growing to do. We don’t know what his breed is but he has a stock-type build.

Clark (called “Ziggy” by his foster home) came to MHARF as a stud colt during a March 2022 Pine County humane case (approximate age at intake 2 years). He has now been gelded and is currently in a foster home working on ground manners. Here are some updates from his foster person Carol on what they have been working on as of Sept. 2022:

Learned how to use the automatic waterer after being shown just once (maybe he had one before?)
Learned how to stand in the back corner of his stall until being asked to move out (I cannot tolerate horses that rush stall doors, so best to learn from the beginning)
Learned how to pick up all four feet, and will stand quietly for the farrier
Knows how to wear his fly mask, but really doesn’t like having it put on, and can get out of it as fast as you can get into the house
Learned how to have fly spray put on, though he does best if you spray and rub with your hand at the same time
Will stand quietly for grooming, being tied using a blocker tie ring (if you know what that is, it allows the rope to feed through in case of significant movement or spook). I have not done a hard tie yet, though I do not think it will be an issue
Can be touched / rubbed / scratched all over, including his boy parts, without objection.
Can have his tail gently pulled
I can toss a very long rope all over his body, including around his front and back legs while he stands quietly.
I can swing the long string on my “handy stick” or whatever that thing is called, against the ground next to him, and all over his body, while he stands quietly.
He has walked right up to my riding lawn mower when it was running and put his nose on it
He stays home alone while I ride my horse (his only friend) out on the road, and for the most part does very well with it. Sometimes will call out, and once was very upset when I got back, but he worked through it.
I take him away from his only friend into the arena to work, and down the road for a walk, and he does well with that.
I can jump up and down next to him, putting weight on his back with my hands and he doesn’t care.
He will not bite or kick, and he no longer strikes out.
He did extremely well with my very high energy 9 year old niece who was in the pasture with the horses, and she was jumping around and touching him all over etc.