The lovely horse standing with such pride in this picture is Twizzler (Ian). He rocked his costume and he and his little girl won Most Elaborate in the costume class. They also won first place in their dressage class. Not too shabby! I think he thought he looked nice in his flower garden costume! -Sarah R.
When we first met Violet her coat was bad and bald in places, she was too thin and had a detached expression on her face. She wasn’t what you’d describe as a pretty horse but something more like majestic. We liked her right away and wanted to take her home. Violet is very smart and quickly picked up on and took advantage of our inexperience. For example, she would push past us at gates, refuse to pick up her feet, stand still, and refuse to be led. This behavior earned her the nicknames “Freight Train” and “Violent”. All joking aside, we knew we needed help and we hired a trainer and sought advice from experienced horse people. Once we learned how to communicate and be leaders, it did not take long for Violet to accept us as her “bosses”. She is now the most affectionate, gentle, loving mare of the herd. She loves attention and often seeks it out. She will come close and put her big head on your chest and just breath. Or she will walk up slowly and position her body to be sure you pet just the right spot. And my very favorite thing of all: she will put her chin on your shoulder and gently pull you into her chest while you are scratching her neck. She is also great to ride with a smooth trot and lope. She is calm and confident and very compliant; I always feel safe on her. Also she is patient and gentle when we give “pony rides” to the kids who visit. Violet has blossomed here and is now healthy and content. Long gone is the detached expression. She can frequently be seen playing and frolicking with her herd, Willow, Perdita, and Honey (all MHARF alum!) She is a very special horse, a one in a million, and we love her dearly. Thanks to all who have helped us on our journey: Everyone at MHARF, Cindy Werronen, Aubreanne Dockter, and Scott Boe! –Catherine and Lynn
Violet at intake
Here’s Vegas (formerly known as Reba) killing it in halter class (July 2016). She took third out of fifteen! –Andrea
Hello MHARF family,
We adopted Brutus last fall and he is just a wonderful horse. He is always the first one to the gate, friendly and willing. We don’t ride a lot, so it is great to have this big guy who is ready to go for a ride whenever and doesn’t fuss about anything. The most important thing about my story is that he isn’t the first horse we adopted from MHARF. The first horse, through no one’s fault, just wasn’t a good fit. Natalie worked with us to not only find him a better home, but then to match Brutus with us. It gave me great peace of mind to know that the people at MHARF are there to put the right animals with the right people! They were so helpful and understanding. I couldn’t be happier now, and I believe Brutus is as well. ( and I just love how his stripe sways to the side of his face, fits his personality!)–Molly
