Thank you to Cindy Theiringer-Werronen for this update on Mr. B!
“My wonderful Morab, Mr. B, which stands for Big Beautiful Brilliant Bay, sometimes Butthead Boy. My Trail riding buddy Adopted from Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue many years ago and still going strong. Thank YOU MHARF!”
Midnite Gamble (Gambler) continues to do well. He is holding his own physically and still a delight to everyone who knows him.
Over the winter, our barn owner was moving him around in the indoor arena with his two gelding herd mates. She uses a stick with ribbons & flags attached. One evening, Gambler marched into the arena, to the “scary” corner (never for him!) and grabbed the stick and chased the other two fellas around. He is a rascal!
I hope all is well, and thanks for the wonderful work you all do on behalf of horses.
Julie B. H.
Sadly we received news that the great old mare, Honey, had to be put down. Honey originally came to MHARF from a 2013 case involving an abandoned herd from a failed breeding program. Honey was the herd matriarch. She went into foster care with Lynn Secord and Catherine Master, where Sara Sedgwick met her and adopted her. Honey had made new equine friends in her foster home and she was lucky enough to stay boarded there after Sara adopted her. We want to thank Sara (who also sent us a very generous donation in memory of this sweet mare!), Catherine and Lynn for everything they did for this old broodmare who certainly deserved to live out her last years in peace, health and happiness! We are truly blessed to have people like you involved in our program! The following is a portion of the email we received form Sara: ” I lost Honey last night. Catherine, Lynn and I were with her at Anoka Equine telling her how much we loved her as she passed… Monday morning she went down in her stall when I brought her in to feed her. Catherine dropped her whole day of work and we had the vet out early, tried some pain meds and we sat in the paddock all day. She got worse and we brought her to the hospital. Her symptoms were varied and perplexing as time went on. Blood tests, ultrasounds, multiple vets…they kept trying. Neurologic, skeletal, immune problems, blood clots??? We will never know. They called me last night–she was worse– they were kind enough to let us come and be with her.
Honey brought me so much! She was gentle, kind, funny, snuggly and a joy. How she came to me– I am sure she was a gift from my long term horse Dixon. I wonder if he knew he was giving me a wonderful friend in a horse and bringing me together with Catherine and Lynn and their wonderful horses who I could not possibly love more.
I have so much gratitude to you at MHARF and all you do. I hope you know the extent of the gifts the work you do brings? I hope you do.
I will spend extra time with Zicha (27 year old Saddlebred adopted from MHARF in 2016). Catherine and Lynn will let me continue to do some chores and spend time at their farm a couple times per week. We will spread Honey’s ashes in her favorite pasture and sit in the dirt and sip coffee or a cocktail remembering Honey and celebrating the silly group of girls that will likely be in our back pockets.”
Catherine sent us the picture of Honey under the flowering crab tree along with the message “I will miss this girl–she was the crowd favorite with visitors here. So friendly and gentle. She was very loved.”
Here is an update on Piper we received from her adopter, Wren. We want to say thank you to Wren for sticking with this very nice mare through the first more difficult months! We can never stress enough that horses, whether they are adopted or purchased, are all living, feeling beings with minds of their own. Most of them come with baggage from the past that they can’t tell us about. Responsible owners are those that are willing to give them the time they need to settle in, learn to trust, and learn just exactly what it is we want from them. If we are willing to give them this time and patience (and yes, it can often mean working with a trainer!) then they reward us by becoming our willing partners. Well done, Wren!
“One year ago I started a long eventful journey with my first horse. Piper has been a wonderful project who has taught me and continues to teach me more and more everyday we work together. Our journey started off quite rough. For the first two months I was terrified to ride her, let alone go and work with her as something usually went wrong. We had issues from rearing up to bucking under saddle due to her lack of wanting to work. She was unhealthy and out of shape, making exercise unappealing. Piper struggled with many trust issues as well as anxiety over lack of food stemming from when she was starved as a yearling. Piper’s favorite thing to do is jump, don’t let her size fool you, she clears 2’9 with ease. We enjoy jumping together and plan to go to attend a few schooling shows this upcoming summer. She has gained a huge amount of trust and respect for me over this past year. It amazes me how much of a different horse she is, she loves to work and enjoys giving kisses for peppermints. This past year has gone by quickly and I couldn’t have asked for a better horse!” –Wren
