Beautiful Appaloosa!

I met a gorgeous Appy this week. The lady heard we were looking for a companion horse and came by to talk to my man a few times. What bad timing, now we're really horse shopping, and cannot take on a boarder.

But I wanted to meet her and since she lives near the Thai place in our village (really an out-of-place thing, a Thai restaurant surrounded by fields and trees!). We talked horses til midnight and the husbands talked teaching, they're both teachers. What fun!

I wanted to meet her horse so I got the chance on Sunday. She's within riding distance and sometimes goes out with the old guy who does endurance here on the big Standardbred. It's a small town and this lady wants to get into endurance. I gave her a warning about the not-nice side, but it would be nice to train with her when I finally get a horse.

Doesn't she kind of resemble Pony Girl's horse?

Approaching us.

Her mare was so nice! Her name is May and she had this huge field but she just stood with us the entire time, even following us if we moved around, and she just nuzzled and smooched and lipped at my watch and acted so very loving, I think I would have bought her too and I've never been an Appy fan. Who could not want such a loving horse?

May never once nudged us or pushed us or got in our faces. She apparently has manners. The lady said it took her a full year to get her over her fear of people. She was a nervous wreck and terrified all the time from abuse. What? This puppy of a horse? Unbelievable. What a success story. I would be so proud to turn a horse around like she did.

She said yesterday she rode 4.5 hours, so she's serious about long distance riding. The mare looks ready for it too - a really stout build with great legs and beautiful striped feet.

The love between these two is obvious, and I'm so happy for them both.

Now I know I'm not the only one who's gonna say "Knabstrupper" when they see her tail. Is it even possible for an Appy to have such a tail in Knabstrupper land? Hmm!

I wish them many joyous miles together in the woods, and I hope to join them soon.

Someday we'll hitch our horses outside the Thai restaurant after our ride: )

***

Now I'd like to show you her barn.

Oh but first, a pic of her meeting Baasha. I dont' realize how pretty his face is until I visit others sometimes. I love him so much.

Her barn is closing due to the owner's health so all boarders (2) must leave, and the owner's Icelandics can stay. Good that they will stay because what an utter shame it would be if this place stood unused!!

They had a little round pen.

This is the view of the mare pasture from the round pen.

Isn't this a wonderful barn? These are the stalls! They are huge and bright and soft, and huge, and I don't like that cow-feeding system (which they use) but other than that, I love it. Imagine how cozy this is in Winter, with horses coming and going from the outdoor (concrete) paddock.

I have never seen feed-through fencing in America except for cattle but here it is common for horses. To me it's barbed wire. It works fine until the day it really hurts your horse. Horses are not cows, they fling their heads up FAST and don't always think about the bars entraping their necks, I'm sure. But I still love this big open barn.

This is one of the Icelandics coming into the stall for a drink. Note how the "stall" is a huge common area, always open to the paddock and field, too, in Summer. I love these communal barns where horses mingle indoors.

This is where they feed hay in Winter. A very tidy system, but IMO unsafe.

I hope this guy knows how lucky he is to live in such a place.

Lots of bedding straw behind the tack supply area.

Tack lockers.

This is an Icelandic Trailer, another Ifor Williams (English) brand that I like but WHP warned me about. I think they look wonderfully sturdy. This one was way high off the ground as if it was not a livestock transporter, but the lady told me even May could ride in it cuz she's only 150 cm (15 hands).

I don't like the scary opening slats at leg level, what is that about?

In closing here is a photo of May's broad back. I even like her spots (gasp). She was really something.

(Some of the images in this post have been altered for brightness/contrast and one was posterized.)