SadieRose has just been released from quarantine so we can start assessing her. She has not gained weight the way she should considering her young age and the proper diet she's receiving. If you watch her backend, she has profound weakness showing at the walk, hock wringing that is way more than a typical Walking Horse. Based on symptoms we are starting her on an EPM protocol with hopes that the damage is not permanent. This would also explain her mood swings and failure to thrive. EPM treatment is not inexpensive, costing as much as $1000. A donation to her care would really help us. paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2417873
Yesterday was Willow's dental day. She did great and our dentist aged her at around 20. Her mouth was full of sharp points that also made it difficult for her to chew. We are still in the rehab process with her feet at this point, the neglect she suffered, is to be a long road for recovery as her soles are cupped from years not being trimmed. Thanks to Ashley Blordstat for your support and thank you to Jamie Dice for coming down to lend a hand.
StarlingAdoptionVideo
AVAILABLE through GAIT, Inc. under an adoption contract
Name: Starling
Breed: Grade Spotted Racking Pony
Age: 18yo (est)
Gender: Mare
Size: 13.3h (est)
Handler Appropriate: Novice
Rider Appropriate: Confident Novice
Limitations: None - but easy keeper - so no lush pastures
Adoption Fee: $1300
Location: Frederick, MD
WOW is all we have to say about this amazing pony. She does it ALL! Solid 4-beat racking gait nice enough to keep up with the big horses. Looks? you know it! She's as flashy as they come. Sweet - yep, she's happy to have you loving on her. Trail rides - you got it! Obstacle clinics - yep, she's done those too. This is just a nice all-round pony mare.
Starling needs a size appropriate rider, she's a stocky 13.3h gaited pony. The video shows her being ridden in a snaffle and barefoot. The bad? well she is more than happy to move out, she needs a confident rider because she will move forward when asked. Starling has been with us since July, she needed to lose a few pounds on arrival and needed some rest from an injury, but she's 100% sound and being used consistently in a lesson program.
If you're within a reasonable driving distance of Frederick MD and would like more information on Starling contact us at [email protected]. GAIT, Inc. is a 501c3 Horse Rescue that specializes in gaited horses. All of our horses go out on a LIFETIME no rehome, no breeding contract. We do NOT adopt sight unseen, so plan to come and get to know the horses before you adopt. Adoption applications must be received before appointments are set up to visit any horse that is available through GAIT, Inc. Visit www.gaitrrr.org to see other available horses.
Coming soon! Starling is a really phenomenal gaited pony - Walk, slow rack, fast rack and canter. We still need to get her out on the trails before we can post more about her. She'll need a small rider and attention to saddle fit and body work. She came in with a front-end lameness, we've taken weight off of her, gave her a couple months off and this was her first day back under saddle. If she goes hollow she'll get a little ouchy, so proper body posture is going to be important to her long-term soundness. This is not a beginner's pony, she is very happy to move out and will do best with an intermediate youth rider.
Jemma update (still fundraising https://paypal.me/GaitInc?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US ) - she arrived yesterday around 5pm, just before dark. We brought her in after she was rescued from the Sugarcreek Stockyard auction Friday night. Right now no signs of illness, but because she had some snot yesterday we started her on Exceed (antibiotic) to hopefully stop any progression. She loaded and trailered like a seasoned big horse. She has amazing halter and ground manners. She has been completely calm and relaxed and even blanketted like a champ. She was great for the Exceed shot - which is 2 shots (one on each side of the neck) of a very viscous fluid that takes time to push through the needle. She's eating great and has a pony friend for company while she's in quarantine - of course the pony (privately owned with permission) is fully vaccinated and will be equally quarantined until they are both done.
How does such a nice filly end up at auction? Someone invested a lot of time into this filly. Well, she's got something going on. She's exhibiting stiff limbed movement, balance issues (not just in the hind end), strange gait when asked to move at a quicker walk - stiff legged. The vet is the ONLY person that is going to be able to help figure this one out, but she's in the right hands to make this happen. She's just a baby, stands around 12h and said to be a yearling. She doesn't seem to be in pain, but she needs our help and YOUR help. The vet has been called for an appointment and we'll be sure to keep everyone up to date. She does have an old clipper mark (a couple months old looking at the hair growth) about where an IV would be inserted. So is this a side effect of an illness? (botulism, WNV, Lyme, EPM??), is it a result of an injury to her spine, wobblers? Is it maybe a vitamin deficiency - selenium/Vit E? So many possibilities. For now she seems happy and comfortable anyway. She came to the right place.
Rescue Highlight of the Week. Check out these short video clips from today! Barney is looking forward to finding his forever person. He's been with GAIT, Inc. for over a year and he's come such a long way. Standing an "easy keeper" 15h he's a solidly built gray Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. He's approximately 12 years old. Gets along with his field mates and has been in a mixed herd. He's just as comfortable with men or women. He's got tons of trail miles, he's even been camping. But Barney needs just the right human to be his best Barney self. You see, Barney can get a bit emotional if over faced. His trainers Amber and Ashley have helped him harness his emotions. He is going to need his forever human to be confident but also kind and forgiving, his human needs to be able to reassure him and to know enough to catch his emotions and redirect them in a positive manner quickly. His person is going to be able to help him if he gets upset, but in return, he's going to try his heart out for that person.
Barney has a lovely 4-beat gait even barefoot (check out the video on his post on our website - www.gaitrrr.org), he's easy to live with, but really needs to live in a quiet and consistent environment and have his own person. Barney is NOT a husband horse, not a guest horse and definitely not a novice or beginner horse, but he IS a good boy with a LOT of try and a lot of knowledge just waiting for the right person to spend the time to build a bond with.
Visit our website under Available Horses for details on adoption. He is currently located near Lancaster, PA and will remain in training until adopted. www.gaitrrr.org
Meet Zee! GAIT, Inc. Adoptable Highlight of the week.
Status: Available
Name: High Country Freedom aka "Zee"
Breed: Registered Spotted Saddle Horse
Age: 2011
Gender: Gelding
Size: 14h (est)
Handler Appropriate: Confident novice
Rider Appropriate: Confident intermediate
Suitability: Trail, camping, pleasure riding
Limitations: Rider under 140lbs
Adoption Fee: $1800
Location: Frederick, MD
Video Link: VIDEO
Zee came to GAIT, Inc. as an auction intercept in June of 2021. He had an old groin injury and required some down time to heal. He has been in refresher training for the last several months and had some remembered pain issues to overcome. He still gets anxious with any riders over 140lbs so we are adopting him with a rider weight limit.
Zee has a lovely gait and a nice canter to go along with it. He is beautiful to look at, is great in the herd and has a lot of "try" under saddle. He's well broke and has done well on trails. He will lead or follow. We have not tried him out alone. We are recommending him for intermediate riders, he is the type that does best with a rider he has bonded with and wants to know you've got his back. If he tests his rider, they need to have the experience to redirect him in a positive way not start an argument with him. Zee is ready to find his new trail partner, will that be you?
https://youtu.be/U-nVIhoQJWY for his riding video.
Wait for it... 30yo Icelandic still has sass. Go get em Tori. Thanks to Tracy Kiefer at 2 Bears Farm. Testing to see if his gut can handle grass, fingers crossed.
Freeform saddle raffle 2021
Congratulations Robert Roesler, you are the winner of the Freeform Saddle Raffle this year!
We are still very shy of our $950 goal for Tesora, currently needed to meet goal $200. paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2417873 We received a call on Wednesday from Eyler's Sale Barn, that a Paso Fino mare had been purchased at their last sale and then the buyer backed out leaving her at the lot. The seller got paid, but the lot was now responsible for this horse. She was shutting down and had become lame. They had no information on her, but they were afraid she would not make it to the next auction. They offered her to GAIT, Inc. for $500 and we decided we would not be the next people in a long line to let her down.
Tesora means "Treasure" and that's what she is, not someone's trash. She arrived into safe quarantine the Thursday morning. Her front feet have multiple deep splits, which is the most likely cause of her lameness. There's evidence that she's had very poor nutrition for a long time - pot bellied, loss of muscle including a flopped crest. But even with all that stacked against her she's being very sweet, taking treats, eating and drinking well. We have some hoof boots on the way for her and the farrier has been called so we can give her some relief from those painful feet. She's a good-sized Paso mare and was said to have been ridden through the auction, but we have no idea even how old she is at this point.
Please consider a tax deductible donation to help cover her first 30-days of rehab. The $950 goal includes her $500 auction intercept purchase, $300 quarantine and $150 for vaccines and farrier. She will also need multiple doses of wormer, a dental and possibly a pregnancy check, but we haven't added those costs to our goal.
Please consider a tax deductible donation for Tesora.
First evaluation ride on the trails for Willow. She is a Walking Horse mare that we rescued from Rotz Livestock back in September. We're still busy pushing all her buttons and shaking her out to make sure we can learn as much as possible, but the rider in this video is a beginner rider and she's going in a hackamore.
Quick update on the five senior Pasos. They came in as a group when their owner passes and the wife sold them at auction within a week. They range from ages 21 to 31. The oldest, who we've called Peeya is going to live her best life with a senior paso specialist that is fostering her for the rest of her life, she is currently enjoying the pastures in Virginia. We did the first evaluation ride on the 23yo mare we're calling Sonata. She still has a little weight to gain, but was more than happy to enjoy some saddle time. She'll be light riding sound and will probably need a little Previcox, but this mare is happy to be out and is currently on a short trail ride as I write this. The video here shows her with an intermediate youth rider. She's a little stiff in the back end, but she is very willing and very broke in the ring and on the trail. And she's a big girl for a Paso - standing almost 14.3h (est).
The remaining three - Arrow, Amigo and Georgia still need to gain some weight. The stress of their ordeal was very difficult on all five of these horses. Their teeth were a mess when they came in (they have all had dentals), they were rattled by being ripped from their home, going through auction and landing in a dealer lot. They all went off their food when they arrived, they all got sick with an upper respiratory. Recovery is particularly difficult for seniors. But they'll get there.
Ashley Lauer is making great progress with Rana. We purchased her at auction in the spring, she's a 3yo gaited mare that was barely halter broke. This is a video of her very first "ride" - she looks so relaxed! Good work!!!
Skinny Sid got his teeth done today. Thank you Kelsey! She confirmed his teeth show him to be 17. He stood quietly without sedation, such a good boy. His teeth have been let go for so long that his lower teeth have ground down his uppers. But he'll be chewing much better tonight. If you're wondering I pulled his fly sheet up so the vet could assess body condition, he also got vaccines today
The five senior Pasos have arrived. They're sick and a bit dehydrated, but luckily they're together so they're less stressed than they would be if they were by themselves. Their manes look like they haven't seen a comb for quite a while, feet are long and the 31yo mare is thin. But they're safe now.