Barn visit!

Gobie got a barn visit today from the volunteer coordinator at HorseNet Horse Rescue! Every horse that is adopted into a new home from the rescue gets several periodic visits, just to make sure everyone's happy and doing great.

It was HOT out. Not just hot, but humid. Like a sauna, really. So I had already committed to not doing too much work with him, aside from the usual groom and once-over.

Chris and her helper Debby showed up around 10am. Gobie and the gang were hanging out in the side paddock right along the drive way. The Corgis came out as the welcoming committee and I got to introduce Bonnie. First thing was first and that was a tour of the place. We checked out the tack room, the places where they are fed, the different shelter areas and of course all the paddocks and fence lines. Everything looked lovely, of course! Bonnie's place is the greatest.

The fun part was hanging out with the horses, though.

Gobie came right up to us in the field.

He looks a little grouchy here, but he wasn't actually.

And then there was just a bunch of scratching and loving going on.

He's such a pocket pony, which is why I love him of course. He was licking my hands, and searching for treats, and showing how well he backed up when asked.

It was a nice little visit! You should check out Chris' Facebook where I snagged these great photos. My favorite comment on the album comes from Debby: "Beautiful horse // awesome adopter.. It seemed he would do anything for her, and vice versa:}"

Aw shucks! And it's true.

Aw, shucks you guys!

The other day I got the nicest mail from HorseNet Horse Rescue. It was a letter and a postcard from Chris, their excellent Adoptions Coordinator, saying thanks for adopting Gobie!

I'm not going to lie, you guys, the letter was super sweet and I even had to flick a tear.

On the back of the postcard it says:

"Saving the life of one horse may not change the world but the world will surely change for that one horse."
- Author Unknown

I'm really glad that Gobie and I found a good match in each other, and I was able to adopt him. He lucked out as much as I did: he got a good owner and I got a great pony. I'm also really glad that rescues like HorseNet Horse Rescue exist. After all, they say when you adopt a horse you're saving two lives--the horse you adopted, and the horse that can now take his place at the rescue :)

Of course, not everyone is able to adopt. But you can donate, sponsor, or even volunteer and I have to say, that's pretty rewarding, too!

What's in a name?

I've been thinking about calling Gobie something else. I know! This is kind of controversial. It's a hard decision to make because on the one hand he's been "Gobie" at the rescue for years and that's what I've known him as for months. On the other hand, this is a new chapter in his life. And, from a superficial stand point his name makes me think of two things:

Neither of which I feel particularly tied to!

So in the spirit of that I've created a poll including potential names that you can vote on. Also feel free to submit suggestions in the comments. Here they are:

Gobie
That's right! One of the options is to keep his name as Gobie.

Ash, Smokey or Punk
These names are all homages to my first horse, Cinder. They are all names related to smoldering fires just like Cinder was. Ash and Smoke as pretty self explanatory. Punk is defined as: as substance that will smolder and can be used to light fireworks, fuses, etc. Plus, I'm sure he will be a bit of a punk :)

Gotham or Salem
Whenever I have something to name, I always turn to names of place. It started when my sister named her dog Melbourne after a trip to Australia. Gotham would be after my favorite comic locale, and Salem would be after my honeymoon destination. I also think "Gobie" could be a nickname version of Gotham (a stretch, I know...)

Nottingham
This is also the name of a place, but it's also related to my dog's name, Locksley. Themes! I think it could be also shortened to Notti (sounds like: naughty) which is kind of cute.

Pan, Pipkin and Skelly
Pan would be after Peter. Pipkin and Skelly (or Skelton) would be after a character in Ray Bradbury's Halloween Tree. Literary themes!

Let me know what you think--I'd love your help!

Moving Day

After a false start on Friday, we finally got Gobie loaded in the trailer and moved to his new home!

Friday Bonnie, Melanie and I attempted to load him ourselves. It was a gray, cloudy day but the morning was pretty dry. He came in from the herd without a problem, but as soon as he saw the trailer he got a little nervous. There was lots of circling and pulling and despite trying to tempt him into the trailer with grain he just wouldn't go in. There was too much room for him squirrel around in, and though he would bring his knees right up to the trailer he wouldn't jump in. He was obviously afraid not not just being a jerk, so when it started to drizzle we called it a day.

Saturday the whole crew came to help! Michelle had a plan and it worked rather well. Of course I knew it would, for "In Michelle We Trust!" Patty, Jason, Melanie, Bonnie and Berry had panels to help box Gobie in close to the trailer. Sam held the trailer door. I was inside the trailer with Gobie at the end of the lead rope, and Michelle was by Gobie, helping to guide him in. She and Berry talked me through getting him so close to the trailer, his front knees up against it and his back legs right under his belly. Still, he didn't go in until Michelle and Berry held hands, and pushed against Gobie's rear. He tumbled right into the trailer with me and settled down pretty quickly.

Success!

Since it was a stock trailer we didn't have to tie him or anything. Sam and I followed behind the trailer the whole way to his new digs. He was so quiet! No rocking or headbobbing or anything like that.

When we arrived, getting him off the trailer was no big deal. Bonnie had moved the resident horses into one paddock together so Gobie could be in his own with a shared fence line.

First he made friends with Bonnie's corgis.

And then checked out the tree in his paddock.

His first meeting with the gang went great.

We could even detect a friendship between him and Bonnie's horse Honey.

Bonnie gave him some hay, though he wasn't too interested in eating it.

He came to visit us over the fence, and looked for treats.

No big deal!

I was so grateful for everyone's help and felt really good about leaving Gobie in Bonnie's capable hands. We hung out for a little while until it started raining. As soon as I left I couldn't wait to go back!

We're adopting Gobie!

That's right! After volunteering at HorseNet Horse Rescue, falling in love with Gobie, and sponsoring him for months, we've decided to take the plunge and adopt him.

From his adoption papers:

Gobie came to HorseNet in 2004 from a horrible cruelty case in Washington County. It took him a long time to trust people, and will continue to need reassurance. He is a super smart boy and should be a fun project. Gobie requires training both on the ground and under saddle.

Breed: PONY
Sex: GELD
DOB: 2001
DOR: 2004
Weight: 715
Height: 14
Training: UNTRAINED
Coggins: NEG
Markings: star, stripe, snip, right front pastern, left front fetlock, left hind coronet.

I'm excited to have a horse again, though I know having a rescue will be a lot of work. Fortunately I enjoy all the bonding that goes along with training--even if we never get to the point where I can ride him. Wish me luck! I plan on documenting the process of bonding and training Gobie on this blog, so stay tuned.