Not every landing is soft

DAY 2...

There were two horses listed for sale during the online auction. My mare was one of them and the other was a chestnut Arab mare. They were both picked up yesterday and today I've already seen the sale post for the Arab mare pop up online.

Her ad says that her new owner's other horse doesn't like her and that she's just too much/too skittish for her daughter. Apparently this was the 3rd auction that she's been through. Horses need time to settle in and acclimate to a new home and environment. Horse sales (and especially auctions) are something that need to be approached with caution. Some people will say anything just to sell a horse. Make sure that you take someone who's experienced with horses and has your best interests in mind when you go to look at a potential new horse.

As for this little grey mare, she's already making small steps forward. She seems to have a good mind and plenty of confidence. What she's missing is trust. Whenever I go into her pen she'll come close to me but stop just shy of allowing me to touch her. Today was a great experience for her because it's one of my busiest lesson days. Every one of my riders wanted to give her a treat or pet her. By the end of the day she was more than happy to interact with people across her fence line.

She's one of the most food motivated horses I've met in a long time but she's thankfully not aggressive about it. I've been keeping her hay net filled ever since she arrived and she's already at the point where she's relaxed enough to let me stand next to her and pet her while she eats. She's not a wild horse at all but she's also not quick to trust. I can understand that considering what she's been through lately. In this picture you can see her auction tag glued to her shoulder. I cut it off but while spending time with her I found two other glue spots from old auction stickers. Now she's beginning her journey to gaining the trust, love, and skills she needs to never end up at another auction again.