I have never met a more ungrateful animal than Foxy. I went out to visit her tonight and lately our visits have consisted of me taking her out of the field, feeding her a bunch of carrots, and then putting her back. That's about it. Nothing strenous or painful. Just.....carrots!
Tonight? I couldn't even catch her. Never did get her out of the field. Couldn't even get a halter on her. She took off any time I got near her. I did actually touch her nose once but then the other horses and that stupid fucking mule were crowding and she got spooked and took off. I spent probably a half hour trying to catch her, but in a 10 acre field in a herd of horses, I was shit out of luck. She could have, at any time, COME UP TO ME. But instead she would either stay just out of reach, take off running or stay away.
Okay. So I put up with a horse that had chronic medical issues. I put up with a horse that was sometimes difficult to handle. I put up with a horse that was difficult to ride and not safely ridden anywhere but in an arena. Then I put up with a horse not safe to ride at all. Then I put up with a horse who went lame.
Now I have a horse who is going half wild because she is out to pasture with her buddies.
I will not pay hundreds of dollars a month for a horse I cannot touch. I'll give it a few more visits, and try moving her to another field to see if that helps, but if this continues I will euthanize her. This is just ridiculous.
About Me
- MsFoxy
- Foxy is a rescued horse that I came upon January 2006. She is a work in progress (to say the least!)....but is one of the sweetest horses you will ever meet. She is not ridable and has navicular issues but is a lean, mean, money burning machine. This blog is about our struggle to make it all work....just taking it one day at a time for now....
12 comments:
Pretty frustrating when a horse turns its rear on you even when you have a handful of goodies. Lyra used to do this - it drove me to extremes until I found my "inner predator." Seriously. Best ever video on catching is "Understanding the Horses' Mind" by Dr.Robert Miller http://www.robertmmiller.com/viunho.html
and I guarantee it will enable you to catch any horse or mule. Lyra is on 40 acres with 14 other horses. I was pretty desperate. The first night I applied his principles it took me about 45 minutes to catch her. Took 20 the next day. Then 5, then it was walk up and halter time.
Oh heck, its spring, she's feeling it and being a brat. She's probably in heat. Give it some time, shes still sort of new in that group isnt she? She'd rather hang with her friends at the mall mom. She wont always be like that i bet, once she is more settled. Is she stick trained or will she freak out if you have one? Sometimes i have to take a stick out to keep the other brutes away. And of course, never feed any of the other horses/mules ANY treats or you will never get rid of them. My mare is sort of a brat this way too, so no treats for her ever until the halter is ON.
Well, maybe I should note this has been an ongoing issue that has been steadily getting worse.
This happened once before at the last place....when she had her best buddy Abby. Until they got rid of that horse, Foxy was difficult to catch.
A good chunk of the problem is the other horses, namely the mule that STALKS me the entire time I am in the field. I will be calling the BO and having her either move Foxy to another field or the mule.....
But if it continues (she was half wild yesterday) she will not remain on my retirement dollar. I think about all of the sweet nice useable horses dying every day that would LOVE to get pulled out and fed carrots and visited and RODE around every few days or weeks.....and then I think about my completely disrespectful halfway pscychotic lame and chronically colicky horse that hates to be handled, can't be safely ridden, hates to be groomed, is still somewhat lame even at pasture (slight limp but moves fine).....and that just does not work for me. I'll put up with a lot of shit, but it is getting to be a struggle to fight her day in and day out just to "be nice" to her. If you notice in pics, she is always pissy looking....I have to fight to ever get her ears up a picture here and there. Most of the pics with her looking irritated that I joke about....are because she is a permanent state of irritation about being "bothered".
You've given her so much...if you have to lay her to rest you must never feel bad for doing so. You tried.
I know I have said this before - but I totally understand not being able to keep a horse you can't enjoy fully (riding, driving, whatever). It is different if you have your own place, are keeping a few horses, and you have a pasture pet.
But when your horse is your one and only, then things get trickier. Foxy deserved the chance. You were screwed over when you adopted her. You never would have taken her on knowing the problems that she had. However, you have gone above and beyond for her.
If and when it is time, then it will be the right time. You will, in time find someone else to steal your heart. And you can do it your way, having learnt the lessons you have with Foxy.
Oh - I can feel the flames coming towards me, but Foxy was not what you bargained for - and you have done SO MUCH for her up to now.
I have to agree with the previous poster! You were screwed when you got her. Period. End of story. You've done what you could...Don't feel badly. She had a decent life with you, but...if she isn't going to progress and be rideable, then you need to decide if you can afford to keep her! Not an easy decision, I know!
I have to agree, try another pasture maybe but if she isn't rideable, never going to be and gonna have another 15-20 years of being the same way and possibly worse. Theres plenty of other horses out there needing the home and would lovingly want to be brought in and groomed and ridden and just plain fed.
I know my Naigen was eternally grateful she never missed a meal for the last three years of her life. She got spoiled rotten and in return taught so many children and adults alike the wonderful deeds humans can do to help an animal and the kindness and love that animal can return. I miss her every day. I hope someday to find another rescue as appreciative as her.
Can you tell us exactly what you do when you go out & try to catch her? I had similar issues w/ my rescue mare & it's better now, but I've moved her twice & we started all over again w/ this business each time. Now she's only out w/ one other mare who tries to crowd her out when I go out to catch her, but whom I can shoo away successfully. If there were more than just that one other mare, I bet I'd be experiencing your problem too... please keep us posted !!
If you end up putting her down for any reason, I agree with all the other posters that you have NOTHING to feel bad about. You gave her a happy and loving home and she had some very good years from you. You have done AMAZING things with her, and you should be proud of what you have accomplished with a horse that wasn't even halter broke when you got her.
That said, I don't think being difficult to catch should be an unfixable problem. Next time you do catch her, you could start working in the arena on coming to you when you call. When she doesn't come, she has to run for a while and get tired! You can even do this with another horse in the arena. If you had all day, you could do this just as well in the pasture. Bring something to wave at her. Approach and be friendly. But when she loses eye contact with you, get after her and make her move. Drive her away from her friends and the roundbale. You don't have to run. Walk after her. But always give her the chance: come to you, or get driven away. A Saturday project - might take a while, but supposedly you can catch even wild horses doing this if you just keep at it long enough. But seriously, it might be all day.
It sounds like your feelings are hurt by Foxy's attitude. That's not entirely resonable. I agree that putting her down might be best (because she is lame/unridable), but whether or not she is lovey dovey in the pasture should have no bearing on the decision!
I owned a lovely horse for 15 years. About once a month he wouldn't let me catch him. It was so annoying! And this horse was on a ONE HUNDRED ACRE pasture--talk about a lost cause! But he always, eventually, gave in and let me get him after I followed him calmy for a while. Eventually, as he aged, I was more amused than annoyed by his occasional defiance.
Point is, I have no doubt that Fancy loved me as much as a horse is able to love a person. I owned him for almost his whole life. But I didn't expect him to be like a dog always happy to see me. Even when I could tell he was glad to see me, he always played it cool. This made it all the more strange when, on the last day I saw him before he died suddenly in pasture, he whinnied at me.
Now that he's gone I'd give anything for one more day of chasing him around the pasture.
Foxy is a horse. She's not a toy or emotional support for you. Even if you get another, sweeter horse, she or he might be a brat every now and again. You have to learn to love the horse's "horseness"--good and bad--and not expect it to act like a dog, or a person, or anything else but what it is.
I had one of those - a pretty redhead mare with moodswings. One day she wouldn't leave you alone, she loves people so much she has to put her head on your shoulder and just breathe because you are just so wonderful... 12 hours later she won't talk to you, has no interest whatsoever in you or your bucket, she's far too busy walking away. When she was in that mood the only way of catching her was to take all her paddockmates out and put them somewhere she couldn't see them (at that point she thrust her nose into the halter so hard she almost knocked you over)
Hi-
My two cents are that you're are a saint. A very strong person and above all very dedicated to making Miss Foxy comfortable, healthy and happy. I've read your entire blog, and at times just couldn't believe the things you've gone through. I can't imagine the tough decision you're facing - but you should definately be proud of yourself. Many people wouldn't have done what you've done with this mare. I think you are facing a tremendously difficult decision, I wish you and Foxy the best.
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