Saturday, October 1, 2011

Scarlet and Rocket

Well, we took the plunge and became horse owners this past summer.  After looking long and hard at various options for getting horses, I decided to adopt horses from a horse rescue here in Montana.  The rescue's name is Horse Haven Rescue and they have some of the most delightful people there.  I highly recommend them.  I chose to adopt rather than buy or look for a free horse (there are plenty in the paper), because I believe that there are plenty of wonderful animals out there going to slaughter (yes, people eat horses in Canada, never mind that the horses are treated with medications that should not go into food animals) and any horse I adopt is going to give another animal a chance.

Scarlet
We wanted horses for riding into the back country and for hunting.  The two horses we adopted were one from north of us named Scarlet and a horse from a very decent situation named Rocket.   Neither horses are particularly tall (about 14.3 hands). 

Scarlet is a half Morgan and half Quarter horse mare.  She's sorrel in color, which I think is more or less a fancy term for red.  The situation was pretty odd where the man who owned her lost his pasture because the family who let him board his horses were foreclosed on (this is the story I heard).  He had five horses.  One was a very green mare about 4 years old.  One was a huge thoroughbred about 17 years old with some severe back hoof problems -- either foundered or had ringbone.  One was a mare that was very beautiful, but Alpha (11 years),  and a 30 year old mare.  Then, there was Scarlet at 15 years. 

Scarlet's hooves were overgrown and she was very sore on them.  When we got the farrier out here, he remarked she had a hoof ball injury and might or might not have problems.  The vet we had evaluate her said basically she had been injured in the hip at one time and didn't extend her leg all the way.  Exercise would improve that.  Then, he mentioned that she might have arthritis in the back pastern because of the hoof ball injury.  So, she might need bute occasionally. 

She is lactating.  The vet says its a hormonal thing and she may need some supplement if her hair doesn't grow right.  According to the former owner, she had one foal (stillborn) but hasn't been bred since.  

I've put her and Rocket on joint medication and have been working them on the ground.  This week we may be riding them.

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