Dear MNHARF,

I just wanted to send you an update on Thunder Zone, aka Thibidoux and now known as Tibby.

Tibby is doing great. I have felt so blessed by being allowed to own him. He is truly one of “my boys.” Every day he makes me laugh with his curiosity and insistence on being paid attention to. He has made fast friends with the 29 year-old (sometimes crabby) mare that he shares his pasture with. They are now hard to separate. It helps me to feel confident when I leave the farm that he has a more experienced partner to guide him through the ropes of pasture life. I have just spent a good portion of my summer building a fence to enclose a new section of pasture so they now have an additional couple of acres to graze and roam around in.

We have done some riding and every time that I go out on him he shows me how special he really is. He is so quiet and gentle, if he startles at something, he jumps and then he is done. If you tell him that something is okay, he calms right down. The first time I took him outside of the pasture to ride, I was a little nervous since I didn’t know what to expect from this ex-racehorse. He was great! He is a born trail horse. He is always looking forward to see what is around the next corner and loves to be out. He was so good that first time out my husband decided that he would get up on him. That was amazing since my husband has only been on a horse one time, when he was six years old! So I boosted him up and led him around like an oversized pony ride. Tibby was fantastic.

I fall more in love with him every day and I want you to know that he has definitely found his home for life. Thank you so much!!

Sincerely,
Jessica Hovet

Dear Hooved Animal rescue:

Last summer I adopted this gorgeous Belgian mare that we named “Bella” (formerly known as “Katrina”). She had been in Drew’s tender care for quite some time, but it took her a while to trust us in her new home. Her wonderful, honest attitude made it very straightforward to begin to transfer her from a driving horse to a riding horse. She is an absolute delight to ride, and thoroughly enjoys a good trail ride. I am so grateful to the Hooved Animal Rescue for making it possible for us to bring this big lovely girl into our lives! Thanks for your important work!

Sincerely, Peggy Callahan

December 28, 2006

Dear Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue,

A month ago, Drew told me she got a very interesting pony mule in that she named “Hoolie”. Her age was late teens to 20 years old. Drew thought she was a great mule.

I own a Handicapped riding facility named Majestic Hills Ranch. We give free rides to children that have all sorts of special needs. They range in ages from two to 18 years old. I heard about Hoolie and was really interested in her. I asked if I could adopt her for the children and then brought her home to let her get used to my ponies. She loved the ponies, but they weren’t quite sure about her. Now she gets along with the ponies great!

I asked one of my boarder’s kids to help me see if she has ever been ridden. Well, as you can see, she is great with the kids! I can’t wait until the spring when I can use her in my riding program. She loves the attention that everyone gives her, so she’s going to work out just great for the program.

Thank you so much Drew for letting me know about her. She is truly a great mule and a hoot to be around.

Sincerely,
Jodi Townsend

Four years ago, my parents adopted Charlie Brown, a horse from the Hooved Animal Rescue. He was one of 45 horses, abandoned, and, thankfully, rescued. Charlie was my dream come true. I had been riding dressage for three years. I didn’t really know Charlie until after he was broke to ride, when I rode him in one of my lessons. In that lesson, I found the best horse (in my opinion) in the world. From March to July, we trained Charlie at intro level. Charlie and I went to the Midsummer Dressage show, mostly for fun, not caring about scores and being happy if I did really well. Over fall, winter and spring, we took a slightly larger step in dressage, trying to do a bit more. The next summer, we felt fairly confident at intro, and had taken a shaky step towards training level.

In late June 2005, we were planning on taking Charlie to the Dressage Lite in Mason City Iowa. Well, what do you know; he would not take a step into the big scary trailer. That summer, we trained him to associate the trailer with food. Soon, he was walking in and out without a problem. We took him to the Midsummer show in July, taking on the trailer. That Saturday was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Charlie and I had received a 71% and a first place in intro. We had officially graduated. That Sunday, we took on training level. It had rained the night before. Charlie refused to go through any puddles.

That winter, we succeeded in becoming round. At last! We were so excited to go do the team challenge in Mason City. Then, one day, I came home from spring break. We got a call from the barn. Charlie had gotten a gash on his elbow area. I couldn’t ride for a month and a half. I was crushed. We had worked so hard. The day before we left, we gave it one more try, and succeeded. I could take him to the show. We went, not expecting the greatest scores after not being able to ride for a month and a half. Charlie gave it his all. He was fantastic in my mind, but not the judges. I didn’t care. I was just happy to ride my horse.

Last winter, once more, we worked and worked and worked. We had improved so much. In the spring, we did some jumping for fun. A horrifying experience (for Charlie anyway) but, finally making it over. We took him to Mason City again this summer, doing great. The next weekend, waking up at 4:30 in the morning, we took Charlie and two other horses to Parkside Dressage. It was the craziest weekend of my life but it was so much fun. On Saturday, we arrived at 6 AM. In our first class, my sister, Kate, and her friend Rachel and I place first second third. On Sunday, I could not believe it. Rachel and I were in the same class, Kate in another. Before my ride, I realized that Charlie and I had some tough competition. Rachel, who had rode earlier than me, had gotten a 70%. Charlie and I had the best ride of our lives, coming up 1% below Rachel. When I walked out of the ring, Charlie and I realized we had some fans. No one could believe that this wonderful, great- gaited horse was a rescue pony.

Later that day, in our last ride, we confronted and conquered our fear of puddles. What a ride. It was pouring rain. By the end we were soaked through.

Charlie is the most amazing horse I’ve ever met. We have bonded so much throughout the years. When he sees me coming to his stall, he nickers. When I fall, he stops dead still and looks at me like he’s asking “what on earth am I doing down there?” The only people I can’t thank enough for Charlie Brown is the organization that rescued him.