| I've always wanted a horse. Doesn't every animal lover? Knowing how to care and train one can be an overwhelming thing to a beginner. So, I put it off. I talked to people about auctions, and heard more horror stories than I cared to. I have a friend who told me about his horse he raised from a foal and told me to look in to the possibility. Around that time I heard about bucket babies, orphaned because their mothers were sent to nurse other foals. I was intrigued and started asking around for anyone who knew about them. It took about 5 yrs before I found out about Casey Creek Horse rescue and their nurse mare foals. This sounded like what I was looking for. I joined the foal rescue list and listened for a while to see if I could handle the job of raising a foal. Then, I found out that since I didn't have a horse, I'd need to have two foals. Oh boy, that was going to be tough. But they need to have another of their species to be emotionally better equipped for the World. In May I decided to take the plunge and get my foals. My husband and I rented an Enterprise van (and boy were they thrilled their van would transport horses, not!). We took 2 walls from a dog crate that was about 4' tall, and we attached them to the walls of the van, and lined the van with lots of straw. The floor of the van had a heavy rubber mat, so it provided great footing for small feet. We drove to Casey Creek, and met the Hollands, and our foals. It was the longest trip I've ever been on with the anticipation of seeing those babies! A 4 wk old Percheron x Paint colt, Clyde, and a 1 wk old Draft x TWH filly, Bonnie. It was love at first sight. We spent time learning how to feed and care for the foals, how to deal with them on the trip, and how to make their first few days as easy as possible, being so young and having to make such a big transition with no Mommy to guide their paths. Our ride home was about 11 hours. We stopped to give the foals a rest, and give them milk. The reaction of other motorists seeing horses in a van was priceless. Bonnie was so frail looking, and so unsteady on her feet, but not confident enough to lay down for the trip. Clyde watched her for a while. Then, he did something, which completely amazed me. He would stand diagonally in the enclosure, and lean against Bonnie. It seemed difficult to believe, until I noticed that he would change sides according to the curve and tilt of the road. When we got home, got them settled in without a problem. That was 5 months ago. I'm still in love with my foals. They're warm, fuzzy, mischievous and loving. Terri, November's Feature Adopter |
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