October 2009 – A Story on Fostering an ASHA Rescue

Like so many horse lovers I could ride (through books) before I mounted my first horse at age 10. Every weekend from then on I was seen at the local stable mucking out etc., just to get that free bare back ride back to the fields at the end of the day. As a teenager I started with “Shane” a gentle 8 year old 15.3 black gelding schoolmaster who was kept at full livery – lucky me! After a 20 year break I bought Ricky Ticky Tavey, a solid 13 year old 15.1 ex Grade A bay gelding who certainly taught me a thing or two, improved my riding no end & together we enjoyed novice one day eventing. I particularly enjoyed dressage, he was sick of show jumping and couldn’t wait for the cross country. Being in a busy DIY yard I learnt so much from my friends on different approaches to horse care. Ricky had a dust allergy and I spent many an hour mucking out his wood chip bed and lifting frozen soaked hay during the winter months before going off to work and returning in the evening to change rugs etc. Molly Chaff & Barley were the order of the day to stop him getting too heated. We also took on “Sunny” a 14.1 Arab for my son, a joy who when sold went to the Diamond Disabled Riding Centre in Surrey. Natural Horsemanship & Bare Foot was not in the vocabulary at that time.

I moved to France in 2004 never dreaming that once my husband had got sick of mowing our 12 acres I would fulfil every horse lovers dream of watching my horses from my windows, despite having a further 20 year break and now being a 50 something owner, looking for a slightly less active style to my riding! Knowing if I was to have horses it would be a minimum of two I found Murphy (an ex-racehorse from the UK) and Indigo (a French Selles). They arrived on the 21st May 2008, on the 26th May we had severe flooding and I was wading in 1m of water to rescue my horses, keeping my head calm whilst my heart was racing I led them down the road to a local farmers stable. Boy had I bitten off more than I could chew??

Fortunately for me & the boys I was introduced to Helen. Murphy in particular had got the measure of me and refused to let me go near his very sensitive feet & I was extremely cautious about going near those 17.1hh long legs! He tiptoed over stones, even being shod by my very caring patient farrier Yael, he objected most strongly. In fact he was sensitive from head to toe and would try to take a chunk out of me or rear against his headcollar just having a body brush put over him.

Now more than a year later, with a great deal of support and taking in all the advice given, Murphy’s feet are the best they’ve been (without shoes) and last week he walked down our stony drive without a second thought. He knows now that I’m very firm doing what I need to, although cleaning his sheath remains a “no go area!” I’m working on that one & I’ve still a long way to go getting my “head in the right place”, but knew when Helen & Joan asked if I would foster Sportif they thought I & my boys were the right place for him and he was right for me & my boys. Or perhaps they were just desperate???

Anyway……

It’s only been two months and when you’re with your horses every day you don’t really notice how much they’ve come on, but you can see his photos & read his history in the Rescue section. Nothing ever prepares you for each horse ASHA takes on. Looking back on the photos I can’t believe that I have actually made a difference to his life. He wasn’t just unfit & undernourished, he was deeply depressed and his body language showed this.

It’s not easy being a fosterer. Every day you go to the field & just hope they’re alert and fit. Sportif certainly is. He even reminds me around 5.30pm that it’s about time he had his tea! He is very vocal. Its hard work pooh picking, grooming, feet, topping up the water, checking them over for cuts/grazes, is he eating/drinking, doing everything he should, along with our own horses?? Why is he rubbing his tail, treating that gash over his eye where he bumped his head when Indigo put his bossy boots in?? It is a great responsibility.

Living with them day to day you don’t really notice the difference, until those that haven’t seen them for a while, Pascal – our vet, Helen & Joan, come to visit.
 

Sportif (on the left) enjoying life in company again