A few weeks ago, Goldie, a beautiful palomino mare, came to live at Sky Ranch Sanctuary.
Goldie’s owner was conscientious and took good care of Goldie but was finding her more and more difficult to ride. Goldie would become very anxious being separated from other horses and would not listen to her rider. Her owner hired a trainer, but things just kept going downhill and her owner was becoming as anxious as Goldie. Our Sanctuary vet happened to be Goldie’s vet also, and when Goldie’s owner told him she was running out of options and did not want to pass Goldie and “her issues” on to another rider, he suggested Sky Ranch might be able provide a safe and caring retirement home for Goldie.
Fortunately, we were able to say yes! After a few weeks, Goldie is happily out in the pasture with the other horses. She still demonstrates some anxiety when asked to go anywhere or in any direction she feels might separate her from the other horses. Our horses are here to retire and are not ridden so we are confident with ground work training she will adjust and become more comfortable when the routine varies a bit.
People ask a lot of horses and much of what we ask them to do is not in accord with their nature. For some horses, going along with the “human agenda” is harder than for others. There is no pressure here for a horse to perform. We think with a little time and a building of trust, Goldie will have found the perfect spot for her retirement.