Miss China is doing great. Finally this year, her brain caught up with the rest of her- she's like a different horse. She showed over fences for the first time last month, and got 5th in the undersaddle out of 30 horses! Slowly but surely, she's getting there!

It's hard to believe that Miss China has been with me three years now- it seems not too long ago that a little bay hellion entered my life with a bang! It's been amazing to watch her grow up- in some ways more than others -)

This year, as China has turned five, suddenly a new horse is being revealed to me. We started taking some dressage lessons last year, in an attempt to work through some behavior problems, and China has excelled in that arena. I am hoping that next year we will try our hand at Training and possibly even First level- it will be the first formal foray into dressage for both of us! On the other side, her hunter flat work and jumping has improved in so many ways from the dressage and collection work. We've had to go slowly with jumping, but she's finally at the point that I think next year some hunter shows will also be in her future- baby greens to start, and from there, who knows!

Enclosed are some photos of China we got recently- a far cry from that homley creature in the feedlot of three years ago!

Happy Birthday China Doll! In celebration of her birthday, China's mom, Mina, made China her own webpage!

China's Website

Hi auntie Gail!

It's me, China Doll, remember me? I stayed at your house for a month before my mom could come back from Taiwan and bring me home. It's been six months since then, can you believe it? I can't, and neither can Mom, who keeps telling everyone how wonderful I am and how much she likes me- all that gushing can make a girl feel quite embarrassed! But I guess it's true, because Mom comes out to take care of me every day, and we have even started going for rides. I wasn't too crazy about having Mom on my back at first- I even bucked her off twice- but now that I understand what she wants, I've been a really good girl. We've even started cantering, something that is so much fun! Mom says I have a really, really big stride- I hope that means we can start jumping eventually!

Even though I don't live at the same barn with Mom's other horses, I've visited with them several time. Vivian, the old mare, doesn't like me too much, but I've been told not to take that personally. But T.P., mom's hunter, really likes me, and nickers when he sees me coming. I like TP a lot more than I like the horses I live next to at my barn- they are always trying to steal my food! But Mom just moved me so that I have a big corral all to myself, with horses next to me, but not so close that they can steal my food! Now that I'm living in there, I've gained a lot of weight- Mom even had the vet come out to make sure I wasn't pregnant, because she says I'm fat! I'm not fat, just happy and enjoying my new life. I've even started standing in the crossties- I hate it, and I'm afraid of the chains, but I'm trying because Mom wants me too. And to make her really happy, I finally let her put the bridle on me, without having to take it apart and put it on piece by piece. I had my teeth done, and the mean man took out 6 whole baby teeth- but now I don't mind having a bit in my mouth, and don't slobber so much when I eat all my treats every day!

I guess that's it for now- I just wanted to say hi and thank you for helping to save me!

Merry Christmas!

Love, China Doll

Dear Gail,

Well, China said most of what I wanted to say for me. Seems you let that horse at the keyboard and she just has at it -) But she's just an amazing girl, and I am thankful every day out of all the times I have looked on rescue sites, I chose the day I did to look at your page, saw her picture, and the rest, as they say, is history. China had been doing very, very well, and aside from a stone bruise that saw her resting for several weeks (well, we tried to rest her, she just wanted to run around and play!) she's been awesome. I moved her to another corral about a month ago, because the one she was in before had no space between her and the next horse, and she wouldn't stop kicking the bars trying to protect her food. This new stall is out in a more natural, quiet area, with other horses close, and lots of things to see going on, but far enough away that she can relax without worrying about the other horses. The change in her with this new stall has been amazing- she is so calm and relaxed that I was worried something was wrong with her, to the point that I had my vet out to make sure she wasn't pregnant, with her being so gentle and gaining a little weight. Luckily, she's not pregnant, he just says she's happy and robust! I'm starting to ride her a little more frequently now that she's got some more weight, balance and a head on her, and she's really a lot of fun. I'm hoping that by spring she'll be ready to start trailing over to the barn with my other horses and take a few lessons on the flat.
She had her teeth floated about a month ago, and the dentist actually thinks she's quite a bit younger than we thought, somewhere around 2 1/2 or early 3. She's just at 16hh now, so I think when she's fully grown, my hopes for a "real" horse (both my others are 14hh) will be more than fulfilled! I'm so glad I've got her now, because had she stayed unbroke and left uncared for much longer, I don't know if she would have been able to be so easily rescued being much bigger. She's actually grown a ton since you last saw her- not just height, but muscle and bulk.

Anyway, I'll stop gushing about my girl, but I will enclose some photos to make my point -)

The little missy just keeps getting better and better! She amazes me constantly, because of how hard some things are for her to understand (like the fact that the crossties, washracks and farrier are not going to kill her) but that this horse is just taking every step in her riding training in stride- literally! After two days of riding her at the walk in the bull pen, working on stopping and turning, in a attempt to see just how she'd progress, and taking advantage of a blissfully quiet barn moment, I got on her today outside of the ring (about the 8th time total on her back), and instead of the uncontrolled backing up she had been doing everytime I got on outside, she was quiet, and easily walked calmly over to the big ring. After a few minutes at the walk, I took a deep breath and asked for a trot... and she did! What a monstrous stride this girl has, big and scopey, smooth and she has an instant wonderful head position.

She's got a long way to go, but after riding her for almost 20 minutes today, ending up on a little walk around the barn, I cannot stop being amazed at this horse. If only whoever bred her, mistreated her, dumped her and sold her knew what they missed out on with her, I hope they'd be kicking themselves. People who saw her the day she came to the barn, and see her now just can't believe it's the same horse- she is so calm, so sweet and confident, and so easy. I think China is going to spoil me into thinking that all 3 year olds that start off not even halterbroke can become quiet, calm riding horses broke with love and care, instead of roughness, in only 3 months... she certainly has!

Thanks again for giving me this opportunity to have this absolutely incredible horse. I can't imagine her anywhere else but here, at home and loved.

Well, it was an impulse move, one that neither of us really expected to work out, but.... almost 4 months after her being sprung as an unwanted, untrained wild-child, Miss China today, after a nice lunge with side reins and a saddle, got a rider on her back for the very first time!!!! I wasn't planning on being the first one to get on her at all, but after working her with a saddle for a few weeks, I started getting her used to the feel of weight on her back, with her not even noticing. So today I enlisted the help of my father to hold her, and I leaned over her, then when she didn't care about that, I swung my leg over, just got on and.... nothing! Just got on and off a few times without incident (I don't think she noticed, she was too intrigued with the carrot pieces she was getting for being good). So then we tried going for a little walk- that was a bit more scary, but we walked for a few minutes and called it a day... but I was thrilled with her! She has been so calm lately that I was really hesitant to send her off to a trainer to be broke, and so I am thrilled that it looks like I won't have to. She still has a LONG way to go before I would even begin to really ride her, but just that I can start getting on and off, working with more side reins and eventually on the lunge with a rider is great!

Will have to get you photos of her in her tack- you won't recognize her! She also got a visit to the vet today, just to check on her cold (no temperature, no lung problems, just a little respiratory thing) and a few bumps on her legs (all old and set, but her feet need to be done again and reshaped), but all in all it was a wonderful day for her, and she celebrated the whole thing by bucking in the turn out afterwards and rolling 4 times -)   Mina

This lovely filly is also coming to TIER tomorrow! Her new mom, Mina, has christened her China Doll. China for short! Mom is very active in dog rescue in Taiwan and will be home shortly. Until then, TIER will have the distinct pleasure of having China visit us! Thanks Mina! Can't

China is a typical squirrley, curious, baby! Played hard to catch and thought about jumping the fence at the feedlot. HA! She's settling in quite nicely. A couple scrapes that I will put Corona on. Other than that....she's big and she's awesome.