# Beautiful New Addition



## MatthewsHomestead (Jun 15, 2018)

Ever since I was a kid, growing up around horses, caring for them, learning and growing with them, I have wanted one of my own. Here I am 10-12 years out of the saddle, a bit rusty, and I finally have my very own! It took some shopping around. A let down or two. The first horse I attempted to buy was not the one I ended up with, Thank God. (Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20)!  After a big letdown on a paint filly, I was pretty discouraged. I thought to myself that I would never find the right horse for me and for my family. Later on that day, I decided to look some more. Try to be encouraged and keep looking. I came across an ad that was just a few mins from our home. A pretty gal. Sounded positive though a bit older than I had hoped. What did it hurt to go give her a gander though....right? And so my beautiful, gentle, sweet sorrel Rose entered my life. The guy actually had several up for sale that would have made a great choice for me. But after my big letdown that morning, I knew I needed to look for my family, not just myself. So while the beautiful black gaited TWH mare would have been a dream to ride, she wasn't practical around my mostly roudy and sometimes obnoxious boys. And my beginner level husband would have no clue how to do anything on her. I told the man that while she was a wonderful specimen, I needed a broke as they come, been there done that horse. One that didn't spook around kids or happy dogs, and that was generally an easy keeper. That is when I saw the lightbulb flick on in his head. He mentioned a 12 yr old mare he had and asked us to please wait while he brought her up from the lower pasture. 
When they say "love at first sight" they really are underestimating those feelings. He brought to me a creature with kind eyes full of life, a gentle and loving spirit, patience like even I do not posses, and an attitude of an angel. She loved the attention from my crazy boys and was gentle and mindful of her size and step around them. Here at the farm, she listens for us and knows each of our individual sounds. As gentle and calm as she is, she is like an eagle on the wind when you let her wide open in the fields. She trots next to our 10yr old, but follows our 4 and 6 year olds like a mindful momma. She nickers when she sees me coming and blows when the goats get too roudy. At night she likes to graze near our quail pens and you can see her ears perk to their nighttime songs. She even likes the ducks and whinnies to them. She is even mindful of the chickens who are sometimes underfoot. She has fast become a member of our family. And at last she has found her forever home where we will love her, care for her, and let her live out her days happy on the trails, content in her pasture, living a full and healthy life. It is true that our animals are fated to us. While she is not what I originally set out to find, our QH Rose is exactly what we needed.


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## RollingAcres (Jun 15, 2018)

Rose is beautiful!


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## Mini Horses (Jun 15, 2018)

Beautiful gal you have there, inside & out.   Horses are so awesome.  I often consider getting another riding sized.  Alas, not really anyone around to ride with.  I have plenty of the pasture ornaments with the minis, so have put off buying.

Some of my most wonderful  days were riding my horse.


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## Donna R. Raybon (Jun 15, 2018)

What a sweet, sweet, girl!!!!!


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jun 16, 2018)

Last night she very nearly saved my doelings life. I went out to go do my final head count if the day and make sure everyone was tucked in.... When I stepped outside I could hear my goats crying. It was so loud that it sounded like I was right next to them! When I walked out to the pasture, Luna was no where to be found. I could hear her, but with no moon and as dark as it was I could not see here. I asked Jupiter "where is she boy"? He just ran back into the barn crying. So I turned to Rose and asked her "where's Luna girl"? She flung her head and pointed her muzzled, stomped her front hooves and walked up to the fence line. Somehow, Luna had escaped to get to her beloved kudzoo. She was trapped between the kudzoo thicket and the fence! The silly chit couldn't find her way around the corner of the fence. I grabbed a lead line and walked around to guide her back to the safety of the barn. Then I walked the perimeter of the fence line. I knew she couldn't have jumped the fence because she barely can jump up onto her favorite wooden spool! I found a rooster in the back curved section where she had literally lifted the fence loose of the brackets. Rose had followed me around so I turned to her and asked "is this where she got out girl"? Don't you know that Rose nodes her head vigorously to me. She was telling me yes! My lovely gal is so very smart. And even though Jupiter can be annoying, she watches over them as if they were her own babies! Of course she got a special treat of carrot sticks for aiding in Luna's rescue. And Luna immediately went up to her and nuzzled her when we got back into the pasture. I've never seen anything like it. If only it hadn't been dark! I would have so loved to catch the whole scenario on camera!

Speaking of babies! Inside our "chicken lot" just off the rear pasture is our rabbit hutch and pens. We have been anxiously awaiting for the arrival of Lilo's very first litter of kits. This afternoon during our midday water rounds, Rose was standing over the section just on the other side of Lilo's house. She wouldn't budge. She would look at me, then look back to the rabbits. I walked up to her and asked "what is it pretty girl"? She nudged me then looked back to the hutch. Curious, I went inside the lot to find Lilo with a nest full of fur. I looked closer and she had three perfectly pink kits squiggling around in there. The proud momma hopped out of her nest and presented herself as if saying "look at my pretty babies"! Rose new what was going on! It's as if all the animals that we have are entertaining new family members to her. Every day she surprises me with how smart she is. How caring and lovable she is. How perfectly perfect she fits in with our harem of critters. It makes me wonder what her reaction to the upcoming piglets will be! I love this beautiful, gentle giant with everything I've got (ahhhh, don't tell the Hubbs, he may get jealous)!


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jun 16, 2018)

Thank you for your warm comments! We are truly blessed to have her!


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## Baymule (Jun 16, 2018)

What a wonderful horse to have for your first! She sounds like a best friend in a horse suit. I also am horse crazy. I have 3 and would have 100 if I could. I’m happy you found her and brought her home.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jun 16, 2018)

Baymule said:


> What a wonderful horse to have for your first! She sounds like a best friend in a horse suit. I also am horse crazy. I have 3 and would have 100 if I could. I’m happy you found her and brought her home.


Shopping around for her was a real eye opener to some of the things a lot of people choose not to accept in regard to the lives and fate of horses. The Hubbs and I are all in with our animals. Even the annoying ones. We have been discussing the option to buy and develop land into healthy, thriving pasture and open a rescue ranch. Some long term goals for when we become empty nesters...... I'm so glad we found her. She has been properly trained and has that gentle and kind spirit. I love all my critters but she is by far my favorite!


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## OneFineAcre (Jun 16, 2018)

Sounds like you have yourself a great horse 
Congratulations


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## Baymule (Jun 16, 2018)

My avatar is the eye of Joe, my cremello Quarter Horse. He is 29 years old and the love of my life. He has 2 speeds, slow and stop. LOL


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jul 14, 2018)

Soooo. An update on Rose...... The vet came out to do her well check and get her rabies shot. Rose did very well. The vet confirmed the thrush which we have all but two hooves cleared of. She also thanked me for giving her proper hygiene on her hooves and grooming schedule. The vet says she has great body condition but she does want to see her gain about 150#. Come to find out, our 12 year old mare is actually 18. So I feel a little jipped in that regard. But we still love her nonetheless. She is doing better after just two in her series of corrective trims. We still have some work to do...... Overall, she is a great addition, we love her, she loves us and we still couldn't be happier. 

Now to find her a pasture mate......


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## Baymule (Jul 15, 2018)

I am glad that Rose is improving under your care. She certainly sounds like a sweetheart. Do your homework and find her a suitable friend, to give you another horse to ride.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jul 16, 2018)

Oh yes. We will be going into the next purchase quite a bit more carefully. And it will be MY vet doing the presale check. Just not sure what kind of personality to look for as a mate for her. A gelding? Another mare? What's your experiences?


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## Baymule (Jul 18, 2018)

In herd dynamics there is a lead mare. The lead mare bosses the whole herd. If you got a dominant mare, she could beat up on Rose, who sounds pretty laid back. A gelding might be a better choice.


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## HomesteaderWife (Aug 30, 2018)

I hope Rose has been doing well since you got her- she's a good looking mare! Still any talk of finding her a pasture mate?


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## MatthewsHomestead (May 11, 2019)

HomesteaderWife said:


> I hope Rose has been doing well since you got her- she's a good looking mare! Still any talk of finding her a pasture mate?



I quite forgot to update this thread. For that I do apologize. 

Rose, as it turns out, IS the lead mare. We now have five horses. Nature Boy was the first addition after Rose and the two became fast friends. It was late when we finally arrived home with him, so into the stall he went. Rose spent the whole night on the other side of the stall door with their heads touching. It was by far the sweetest thing I had seen. NB is a quarter horse gelding. He is huge with a nice straight topline and high withers. He is the biggest goof and a selfie addict. Nature Boy will stand in place for as long as you will love on him and groom him. At the start he was a bit shy but he warmed up to us and now craves the attention. He is truly an in your pocket horse.

A week later we got Tilley. Rose took to bossing her around and to this day Tilley still is the bottom mare on the totem pole. For a while it was just the three of them. Tilley claimed our four year old and he claimed her. She is a mutt of a horse. We believe she is predominantly Missouri Fox Trotter with TWH and Saddlebred bloodlines. Beautiful as can be and sweeter than honey. She hates a bit but does very well with a bitless setup. She is learning to neck rein as she was trained to hard rein.



 
About a month and a half ago, we went and picked up Allie and Sully. They are both Tennessee Walking horses. (So I've been told). 

Allie and Rose have become fast friends. She is not mean or bossy towards Tilley. She is the youngest of our herd and loves to trot about next to our oldest son. She came with old shoes on her front hooves but we have since removed and trimmed her up really nice. She has filled out almost completely and has fast become one of the family. 


 


Sully. Poor ol Sully. He has a will to survive. His rescue story is the saddest of our four new rescue horses. When he went into QT (quarantine), he was so emaciated that you could fit your fingers between his ribs. As you see below, he has come such a long way. He still has a long way to go, but he is definitely on the mend. He was very wary of the other horses and of us. But with Nature Boys gentle friendship and our loving care, he has blossomed into a confident and sweet natured boy (gelding). He sees me coming out to the pasture and walks right up to me for love.


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## MatthewsHomestead (May 11, 2019)

I apologize for the repetitive pictures. My phone was being wonky on the uploads.


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## MatthewsHomestead (May 11, 2019)




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## Baymule (May 12, 2019)

It takes awhile to put weight back on such a skinny horse. A lot will come on pretty fast, then will slow down, it may take a year to get Sully slick and shiny.


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## MatthewsHomestead (May 13, 2019)

Baymule said:


> It takes awhile to put weight back on such a skinny horse. A lot will come on pretty fast, then will slow down, it may take a year to get Sully slick and shiny.


He has all the time he needs. He is going to be beautiful. He already is, but just so much more once he is healthy. We are loving him and his sweet gentle nature.


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