Malachi belongs to my friend, who sometimes house sits for me. She adopted some needy horses and conducts a faith-based program using equines in her ministry. Sometimes her 'herd' comes to visit me for a vacation. My friend's pasture can't sustain 6 horses. Recently, with all of our rain, her pasture, paddock and run-ins have turned into quagmires. So... she brought the herd to visit.
I hadn't met Malachi before. He is a recent acquisition, and he needs a lot of extra TLC. He is in sad shape; a bag of bones.
My friend has had the vet check him out. Other than being 20+ years old and having come from an abusive situation, the vet can't find any reason for him to lose condition. So, I start and end my day making Malachi very happy!
Gypsy is happy, too. She is a chow hound, for sure. She loves licking up the drips and dribbles. However, one day her herding instincts kicked in and she decided the food was hers, and Malachi needed to leave. She snapped and tried to drive him away. She nipped his nose! Poor guy! Poor Gypsy - she is now relegated to the house during feeding time!
What a great thing you are doing for these ponies. Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteI see this as a win-win situation. I get to enjoy 'sometime' horses and I get a housesitter at no cost in exchange. We get our pasture mowed and fertilized... it's all good!
ReplyDeleteMalachi has a handsome coat and it looks like you are feeding him well to fatten him up.
ReplyDeleteThanks. He is a pretty guy!
DeleteI have tried to help with equine rescues since our fields are empty. I wish I could find one.
ReplyDeleteMalachi is beautiful. It won't take long for him to get back into shape.
In my case, the horses have found me!
DeleteWhat a handsome boy he is! I'm sure he'll be fat and sassy in no time. Unlike us, horses tend to lose weight quickly and are extremely slow to gain it back. Up to 50lbs a night under stressful conditions; wouldn't it be helpful if we could do that? We'd all learn to appreciate stress, that's for sure ;o)
ReplyDeleteWow! I didn't know that! It would be sweet if we could bottle it!
DeleteI sure hope he picks up weight. He is very sweet and doesn't deserve to melt away!
That poor boy, my heart goes out to him but I know you will be keeping a good eye on him! They seem to fatten up pretty fast once they have been dewormed and get a decent ration of food. Fun for you to have horses in your pasture! :)
ReplyDeleteWhy do people get animals if the are going to abuse them? So glad there are people like you and your friend in this world that gives them a happy life. Keep us posted on Malachi's progress.
ReplyDeleteCindy Bee