August 2018
Tommys story evolves as you scroll down the page
Tommy is a 13 year old Big Grey gelding. Standing a little over 15 hands, he is a big presence. He too came from Kaufman kill pen in Texas with the 2 Arabians (making up the Texas Trio). He was a little thin, not too bad and he quickly gained to a plump 1100+ lbs. He is a very easy keeper.
Tommy gives the appearance of being unflappable, cool, calm and in control but on the inside he has some fears. He doesn’t like being cornered in the barn. He wants an exit available when things get crowded. He does fine in his own stall – stands very still to be brushed (that’s the only time I see him not eating) He loves being patted, rubbed and brushed all over. When he first came we had a problem with him trusting us to put a halter on. He didn’t like his nose, head, ears fussed with. A few trips to the pasture with a carrot in hand and he is the first one to push his nose into the halter. He still doesn’t like his mouth messed with (might have something to do with a scar on his upper lip). Speaking of scars he has a few – one across his chest, down a back leg and that lip :(
I have sat on Tommy in the pasture with just a halter on. Seems his biggest issue is he doesn’t want to move but I haven’t pushed it either – he has been diagnosed with navicular syndrome. If he is really only 13 years old it was a hard 13 years. He moves like he is at least in his late teens.
With all of Tommy’s physical issues said, he is probably one of the sweetest, safest horses to be with – People are hesitant because of his size but its Tommy that I have people meet first. If we are in the pasture and the herd starts getting a bit crazy, if I stand beside Tommy I feel completely safe.
We will be trying some shoes in the spring in hopes we can make him comfortable enough for short trail rides, but he will probably never be a horse that goes all day. Put someone on and lead them around, or set a child up there? He is a great guy for that . He is great in the herd, pretending to be the boss and protect the herd but its Birdie who rules the roost. He may pin his ears at the others when they try to get his hay pile but its all show – never does he pin them at people.
Tommy will need a place that has room to roam, he loves it outside (but does well in a stall at night) – he is very respectful of the fence. He will need a nice quiet home with lots of love and attention but one that wont ask too much of him when it comes to riding. He is a big sweet lug that will give you all the love he has.
Since the above was written, we have learned a bit more about this ole guy.
In the pasture, Tommy is the quiet leader. After Birdie left for her forever home, Tommy stepped in and became the protector of all, defender of the new guy in the pasture and sharer of his hay pile (not his grain thought). Tommy has won our hearts and if we ever find the perfect field for him to roam, with friends and a small girl to be led around on his back, we will let him to but if we dont find that place? He will stay with us
We did try the shoes and although it helped for the short period he had them on, it triggered something in his memory that created panic, a fear that even our trust couldnt overcome. Now, when the farrier comes, he snorts with distrust and is unsafe for the farrier to work on his feet. What that trigger was, we will never know but it was definately a strong memory that he will never forget. Now, his feet are trimmed by me - i am in no way a farrier and working on a horse with navicular syndrome has made me climb the learning curve as fast as i could.
Tommy is lame - Tommy will always be lame - I have come to accept that and our main goal now is to keep him as comfortable as we can and when the pain becomes more intense then his love of life, we will not hesitate to let him trot on to greener pastures. This guy deserves to live and die with dignity and that we will give him.
Tommy gives the appearance of being unflappable, cool, calm and in control but on the inside he has some fears. He doesn’t like being cornered in the barn. He wants an exit available when things get crowded. He does fine in his own stall – stands very still to be brushed (that’s the only time I see him not eating) He loves being patted, rubbed and brushed all over. When he first came we had a problem with him trusting us to put a halter on. He didn’t like his nose, head, ears fussed with. A few trips to the pasture with a carrot in hand and he is the first one to push his nose into the halter. He still doesn’t like his mouth messed with (might have something to do with a scar on his upper lip). Speaking of scars he has a few – one across his chest, down a back leg and that lip :(
I have sat on Tommy in the pasture with just a halter on. Seems his biggest issue is he doesn’t want to move but I haven’t pushed it either – he has been diagnosed with navicular syndrome. If he is really only 13 years old it was a hard 13 years. He moves like he is at least in his late teens.
With all of Tommy’s physical issues said, he is probably one of the sweetest, safest horses to be with – People are hesitant because of his size but its Tommy that I have people meet first. If we are in the pasture and the herd starts getting a bit crazy, if I stand beside Tommy I feel completely safe.
We will be trying some shoes in the spring in hopes we can make him comfortable enough for short trail rides, but he will probably never be a horse that goes all day. Put someone on and lead them around, or set a child up there? He is a great guy for that . He is great in the herd, pretending to be the boss and protect the herd but its Birdie who rules the roost. He may pin his ears at the others when they try to get his hay pile but its all show – never does he pin them at people.
Tommy will need a place that has room to roam, he loves it outside (but does well in a stall at night) – he is very respectful of the fence. He will need a nice quiet home with lots of love and attention but one that wont ask too much of him when it comes to riding. He is a big sweet lug that will give you all the love he has.
Since the above was written, we have learned a bit more about this ole guy.
In the pasture, Tommy is the quiet leader. After Birdie left for her forever home, Tommy stepped in and became the protector of all, defender of the new guy in the pasture and sharer of his hay pile (not his grain thought). Tommy has won our hearts and if we ever find the perfect field for him to roam, with friends and a small girl to be led around on his back, we will let him to but if we dont find that place? He will stay with us
We did try the shoes and although it helped for the short period he had them on, it triggered something in his memory that created panic, a fear that even our trust couldnt overcome. Now, when the farrier comes, he snorts with distrust and is unsafe for the farrier to work on his feet. What that trigger was, we will never know but it was definately a strong memory that he will never forget. Now, his feet are trimmed by me - i am in no way a farrier and working on a horse with navicular syndrome has made me climb the learning curve as fast as i could.
Tommy is lame - Tommy will always be lame - I have come to accept that and our main goal now is to keep him as comfortable as we can and when the pain becomes more intense then his love of life, we will not hesitate to let him trot on to greener pastures. This guy deserves to live and die with dignity and that we will give him.
June 2021 Update
One of the Texas Trio - June 12, 2018 - Blossom and I were thinking it was getting a bit too quiet on the hill. She had been rescued from a killpen in Texas by a Maine horse rescue (thats how i got her) - my boredom brought me to the Kaufman killpen page (where she had come from ) That night i clicked the button... 3 times... and my life has never been the same since. Tommys face at the killpen, his eyes looking at me - i was powerless. I had to save this horse. So instead of heading south over the Mexican border to a slaughter house, Tommy traveled north to a pasture full of grass and a tub full of fresh water. Since he arrived, he has been our greatest mystery - we have absolutely no history, no story, no idea of what his life was like before stepping off the trailer in Brooksville. But if his last 3 years tell us anything, he did some amazing things - was he a cowpony running a ranch in Montana? was he a showpony jumping the stadium to a cheering crowd? was he a working horse or a family pet? He honestly could have been any of the above. Shortly upon arrival we discovered he had navicular and a deep seeded fear of the farrier - a combination that would not prove to be an easy fix. Everyone says "put shoes on him.... that will fix it" well... .hard to do when he would rather kill the farrier then have shoes put on and i am not so completely convinced that shoes are best for navicular but that is for another day. Tommy is stuck with me doing his feet. In the months and years that he has been with us the words "Protector" , "Leader", "king of the hill', "pain in the ass", all come to mind - He has protected every new horse that has come into his pasture - he has led the herd he had at the moment - sometimes that herd is easy, sometimes its not but Tommy takes his job very seriously. He has earned a position at our barn and will forever live his life on the hill. The following pictures tell a better story then i could ever tell
One of the Texas Trio - June 12, 2018 - Blossom and I were thinking it was getting a bit too quiet on the hill. She had been rescued from a killpen in Texas by a Maine horse rescue (thats how i got her) - my boredom brought me to the Kaufman killpen page (where she had come from ) That night i clicked the button... 3 times... and my life has never been the same since. Tommys face at the killpen, his eyes looking at me - i was powerless. I had to save this horse. So instead of heading south over the Mexican border to a slaughter house, Tommy traveled north to a pasture full of grass and a tub full of fresh water. Since he arrived, he has been our greatest mystery - we have absolutely no history, no story, no idea of what his life was like before stepping off the trailer in Brooksville. But if his last 3 years tell us anything, he did some amazing things - was he a cowpony running a ranch in Montana? was he a showpony jumping the stadium to a cheering crowd? was he a working horse or a family pet? He honestly could have been any of the above. Shortly upon arrival we discovered he had navicular and a deep seeded fear of the farrier - a combination that would not prove to be an easy fix. Everyone says "put shoes on him.... that will fix it" well... .hard to do when he would rather kill the farrier then have shoes put on and i am not so completely convinced that shoes are best for navicular but that is for another day. Tommy is stuck with me doing his feet. In the months and years that he has been with us the words "Protector" , "Leader", "king of the hill', "pain in the ass", all come to mind - He has protected every new horse that has come into his pasture - he has led the herd he had at the moment - sometimes that herd is easy, sometimes its not but Tommy takes his job very seriously. He has earned a position at our barn and will forever live his life on the hill. The following pictures tell a better story then i could ever tell
December 24 2021