Ruby and Mara

Updated February 2009:

Ruby:  It was decided that Ruby would stay with her foster mom because of the bond between the two of them.  Ruby trusted her and would do anything for her foster mom.  When she first arrived, it would take at least 45 minutes to catch Ruby in a round pen! 

During the 6 months with her foster mom, Ruby learned that these humans (especially the male ones) were not too bad.  She progressed to being in a 15 acre pasture without a halter and would come willingly when her foster mom called her.  Ruby was one of those horses that would bond/trust with maybe one human and her foster mom was deemed worthy of her trust.  She progressed from a scared, thin, unsure mare to a beautiful, loving, smart horse.  In the end, she trusted her foster mom to make the right decision when Ruby suffered a severe colic and had to be euthanized.  Ruby's foster mom was very grateful to have the time that she did with Ruby and misses her a great deal.

 

Mara:  Mara is in the process of being adopted.  She has been in foster care with one of our adopted horses, Ed.  Her foster family have enjoyed her so much and with the progress that she is making with them, have decided to adopt her!  We are very excited that her story has turned out so well.

Ruby and Mara's story begins with a call from the authorities of Marathon County.  They had two horses that had been abandoned by their owner, they had not been fed properly and were thin, had not had access to fresh water and they had no facilities to care for them.  On these types of calls we are never sure what shape the horses are going to be in, whether or not loading them will be an issue and in the case of a seizure, whether an owner may or may not show up.  Arrangements were made and we picked up Ruby and Mara on March 28, 2009. 

What we were told is that there were three horses (one "disappeared") that the tenant at the farm had bought at a sale the previous fall.  During the time that she had the horses there was no hay and no fresh water.  They were kept in a small pasture area with rusted machinery and no access to any type of shelter.  The owner of the property had complained that the horses were not being properly cared for but he was also dealing with a tenant who was not paying.  The tenant was eventually evicted and she left behind her horses, dogs and cats.  The dogs and cats were placed with the humane society, however, they could not take the horses.  The horses were not as thin as we had expected because in the past few weeks the owner of the property felt sorry for them and had fed them some hay -- but was not a horse person and wanted them removed from the property. 

When we arrived we found a mare and filly who definitely needed some weight and a good cleaning up.  They had burs everywhere!!  The youngest of the two (Mara) was very friendly and more than willing to follow us -- Ruby was a little more cautious.  After minimal coaxing, they were loaded and we were on our way. 

Both of these lovely young ladies appear to be Arabians.  They are easy to handle, lead well, pick up their feet, clip and load. 

RUBY

UPDATE (4/17/09):  Ruby is a registered Arabian

Ruby is approximately 5-6 years of age.  Once we started cleaning her up, we realized she has a lot of red flecks underneath her white winter coat.  Actually, since she has not shed out completely yet, she has a lovely "pink hue."  She is the more timid of the two but is very sweet and willing to give you a chance.  She has the kind of eyes that melt your heart.  We are unsure if she is broke -- we're giving her a chance to settle in before we find out the extent of her training.  UPDATE (4/17/09):  Ruby is a registered Arabian and she is not broke to ride. 

Amazing what a difference a little (okay a lot) of brushing can do!!
(The pictures below were taken on April 5 -- we had two inches of snow!!!)

Mara

UPDATE (4/17/09):  We not only found out that Mara is 4 years of age -- but we also found out that she is a registered Spanish Arabian.  We were also told that she is green broke and was being started in hunt seat.  We were pleasantly surprised at what a "different" color Mara is when cleaned up.  She has a rose gray hue.  Mara loves attention, is very friendly, curious and an absolute sweetheart.   

Again, what a difference a little (okay a lot) of brushing can do!!
(The pictures below were also taken on April 5 -- we had two inches of snow!!!)

Ruby and Mara are currently not available for adoption -- charges are being brought against their previous owner. 

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