Friday, April 15th at 7pm and Ben Bacca delivers all four from Elbert County Sherriff’s impound. We made a chute to get them from the trailer to the round pen. All appear to be either full or part Arabian.

All four are extremely thin. The white mare, Georgia, is the only one who is gentle. The other three are leery and scared of human contact. The bay and the gray (behind the pinto) ran over anyone in their way and tried to jump out during the impound.

This is a picture of Georgia on arrival. Her lack of muscle and fat along her topline has left her with only a “shelf” where her ribs join her spine.

Mark Husmann tries to approach the bay (we assume gelding) that we have named Tiger.

We named the gray (gelding?) Tomboy. His winter coat masks the actual condition of his emaciated body.

Early Saturday morning, we found all four lying down with food in their bellies, and finally feeling safe at last. Tiger jumped when I went to get my camera.

On Saturday, April 16th, we started the process to try to gentle the three and get them haltered. Here, Terry Michel tries to gain the confidence of the little pinto filly now called Hope.

By Wednesday, April 20th, we were able to get the three to take treats. And since we were able to get closer to thme, we discovered the awful truth that the two supposed geldings were actually STALLIONS! Next task was to get the two females out of the round pen as soon as possible and hope that they weren’t pregnant. We built a chute within the round pen 12 feet long and 6 feet wide and then lured Hope in and closed the back gate. Dr. Gary Pallaoro of Golden Hospital said he would be out Thursday morning with help to try to get a halter on Hope. We left her trapped in the chute overnight with food and water to give her time to settle down. If we had let her out, we knew we would never be able to entice her back in and we didn’t want her with her boyfriends.

Thursday morning found Dr. Pallaoro and his assistant Nick Hoyt trying to put a halter on Hope. Since we had tranquilized her with a liquid gel in her feed an hour earlier, we thought there would be few problems. We were wrong! Hope was frantic and crashed around in the chute trying to escape. She acted like a wild mustang while Nick and Gary worked quietly trying to get a halter on her.

Finally, they were able to get a halter and lead rope on her even though she tried climbing out over the top or pushing her way out under the bottom of the chute.

Hope was then pushed, pulled and dragged behind gentle Georgia to her new pen and shelter where Nick put a weight tape on her and she was given her shots. We then left Hope dragging her lead rope and teaching herself to lead and to yield to pressure.

* She was aged at seven or eight although she looked like a two or three year old.

Mission accomplished! After a few hours of stepping on the rope, Hope would willingly be led around her paddock like a trained horse.

April 24th--Rob Nixon reinforced her new skills two days later. Next assignment: get her cleaned up and starting her new life!

The horses continue to add weight, become more civlized and sociable and endear the volunteers here at RMHR.

As you can see from these next pictures of Hope she is looking good and ready to continue her training..

Hope at a gallop.

Hope at the trot.

Gaining weight and now much more at ease with people and leadable.

We're estimating Georgia is in her mid to late teens. She is a sweetheart and her progress has been wonderful.

These next few pictures really reinforce how easy it is with some proper feed and attention to turn a rescue into a beautiful animal.

Late May and Georgia still has her winter coat and is extremely thin.

Early June. Groomed up and gaining weight!

Mid June. Georgia is able to be saddled and led.

Mid June. Georgia can be trotted with a saddle, stirrups up andthen stirrups down and swinging We’re sure she will be gentle to ride.

7/14 - We found out today that Georgia is ten months pregnant! We have no idea who is the sire of the new foal due to arrive in about a month. We'll keep you posted.

7/14 - Tommy is learning to tolerate a rope on his neck; next step---------a halter.

7/14 - We trapped Tiger in the small chute in order to halter him.

He put up a real battle, but is now wearing a halter and dragging a leadrope.

Experts now say he is four years old.

Georgia had her baby boy. What a cutie he is and healthy as can be.

What a momma's boy!

To see live action of Georgia's Baby Boy go tothis link on YouTube.

February 2012 Update

Cody discovers Jean Gallagher’s hoof knife while she is trimming Mom Georgia.