McKayla
#144
Gray QH Mare.
Appx. 15 - 16 yrs. Appx. 15.1 - 2 hands. This mare rides very
well but one of her eyes is somewhat foggy. She would need an
advanced intermediate rider.
She
has found a new home with Debbie in Arizona! Yeah! And, she has
two sisters anxiously awaiting her arrival. These are Dynasty
(the cremello mare from the feedlot) and Luna (another mare from
the feedlot that is a WB)! Awesome! Debbie called/e-mailed me
to inform me that Luna and Dyna needed another buddy! I love these
success stories that go on and on and on!
McKayla
will be coming to TIER tomorrow (Wednesday 3/29/00) to await her
limo ride home. Debbie wanted her off the lot immediately. Especially
since she knew this little mare had been there quite awhile and
that she probably has the same kind of sores that Precious does.
We will be awaiting McKayla's arrival with water hose in hand
(to begin the mud removal) and the furazone close by! She will
be bunking with Precious (since they knew each other previously
from the lots). Thanks ever so much Debbie!
Update
2-11-01 - Thought that you would like to hear about my "friend"
McKayla!
From the scared and untrusting, never allowed to have a human
bond, not knowing that it is OK to take a treat out of a hand,
unable to be touched, groomed or bathed and terribly arthritic,
thin bodied horse that sheWAS........to the thriving and HAPPY
individual that she IS today!!!!!!
Yep, she has come a LONG way!!!!! McKayla now enjoys the grooming!
She now likes to go out on hand walks! She does not freak out
with things happening on her blind side! She knows how to take
treats and will be the talk of the barn when she sees you coming!
Her best friends are the 2 Nubian goats that just adore her! She
loves to be out in the pasture with Jesse, Dynasty and Luna! And
she is content enough to sleep on the ground, in her stall at
night! She evens trusts enough to take treats from her ground
position!
McKayla has finally figured out that she is HOME forever! The
only care in the world that she has is trying to trust enough
to take a full bathing at one time! She has figured out that when
the farrier comes out and I am there holding her, she can rest
her head in my chest and take a nap while her feet are trimmed!
Yes, that IS an accomplishment! Her feet and legs have always
been an issue and we have taken things very slowly and positively
to try to erase the 22+ years of negativity she has
tolerated!
The main problem that this little gray mare faces is the melanoma
that has burst and has been draining in her rectal area. She is
very good about being cleaned up and we have been watching her
to try to determine the best course of action (if any) to take!
Being that this is not an easy site to manage, we(the vet and
I) are doing the most in evasive methods that we can!
For mow, McKayla loves to be ponyed out in the neighborhood and
her hand walks are a great source for her to grow and trust! I
think that she is now officially retired from any riding and will
be able to enjoy the rest of her life, loved and cherished in
my pasture, along with anything else that she enjoys doing!
Thanks to you Gail, for allowing us to help McKayla learn trust
and love!
She is one of my best friends and we am honored to have her here!
TTYL
Debbie and all of the kids
Update
2/11/02
Dear
Auntie Gail,
Thank you so much for helping me to find my "forever"
home! It has almost been 2 years that I have been here and I don't
hardly remember any of the years that I had before coming home!
I
love to run and since my stiffness is gone, I am able to show
my Mom and Dad that I love my pastures! I get to go out on hand
walks quite a bit.......Mom rode me once in the beginning and
then told me that I would never have to be ridden again, and she
meant it! I love to go out in the neighborhood and explore! There
are such neat smells and the other horses around here love to
talk to me and I will always have to answer them back. Dynasty
and I have been spending a little more time together because that
Luna has been taking up all of Jesse's time. She is such a flirt!
But, Jesse does take care of us all during the day!
I
am at peace here and all of those things that used to scare me.........they
do not exist anymore. I am so secure that when I take my naps,
Mom will come out and rub on me while I am sleeping.......it feels
so good!
I
have to tell you a secret though, when Mom comes back into the
barn during the day.........me and the goats will sneak away from
the herd to find her. She always sneaks us treats and I do not
have to compete with the others for attention or the goodies!
I am so special! I love to stand for grooming..........and I love
for my Mom to give me her time and hugs!
Well, gotta go back out to the pasture...............
Talk to you soon and give my best regards to my old friend, Precious
Gem!
Love,
McKayla
Update
11/1/02 - McKayla is my watch dog for the barn/pasture.....she
will yell if there is a problem out in back to get my attention!
Her personality has changed sooooooo much since she has gotten
here! She definitely realizes that she is "home forever"
and is such a sweet and gentle mare! The shell of a horse that
she was when she arrived has blossomed into a beautiful, calm
and kind majestic soul that she is!
Update
2/2/03
- Hi! Auntie Gail,
I just thought that I would write to you since Mom keeps saying
that she needs to but, just never has the time! I had to slip
away from the barn to let you know about my life!!!!!
When
I arrived here in AZ 3 years ago, I was so scared and I did not
trust anyone! I hardly remember those times and that just seems
like a nightmare that happened so long ago. My days are spent
out grazing, rolling, sleeping, and playing with Dynasty, Luna,
Jesse, Munchee, Pretty Boy and Magic. I come in my stall at night
so that I can have my delicious dinner then I sleep comfortably,
as does everyone.....then we get our breakfast and spend the day
out on 2 acres, together! We get lots of treats from all of our
admirers; and Mom and Dad are here to give us all of the TLC that
we can handle! We have 2 Nubian goats to play with and plenty
of chickens to play chase with!
Here
is a picture of me with my boyfriend and protector, Pretty Boy!
Pretty
Boy came home here the day before Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad went
and picked him up from a terrible situation at a very elite riding
stable. They told all of us that he would only be here visiting
for a few months until he felt better and could go to live with
his rescuer Mom, Molly in Maine. Well, it turns out that he is
just my age of 25 and just a bit older than they originally thought.
The decision was made for him to live out his life with all of
us here! YEAH!!!!! We have become the best of friends and spend
all of our time together! He sometimes gets a little bit protective
of me when Jesse comes to see me, but, I keep telling him that
I belong to him and we can be social!
We
have so much in common as far as our background and I have been
showing him the ropes around this barn and he has been helping
me with my confidence and I really feel that I am alive! I am
so happy and content that my memories of that other time in my
life have just about gone. He is teaching me to go out on walks
following him (Mom rides him and takes me so I won't be lonely,
plus I need the exercise!) We don't go very far yet because I
get kind of scared sometimes when things crop up on my right side....I
don't know but, Mom says that I am blind in that eye....whatever
that means! I am learning a whole different side of trust and
Pretty Boy is trying to be my guide! I think that he gets a bit
over-bearing sometimes, but I really like all of the attention
and having my very own bonding friend is something that I have
never known before.
Ooppss!!
I hear Mom coming.....I better stop typing and get back out to
the barn! Please don't tell Mom that I can type........she really
thinks that she is the only one here who can write to you!
Thank
you Auntie Gail for helping me discover that life is not just
to exist and then be thrown away! It is all about love and caring!!!
I sometimes have to reassure Mom that I am okay....so, you will
always hear me being the first to greet her whenever she comes
out into the backyard!
Love,
McKayla
Update
11/30/03 - I never thought that I would see the day the McKayla
would be this comfortable and bonded with another horse! What
do you think of this!!!!!!!
YEAH!
PBC is the QHx that we rescued a year ago off of the elite riding
stables!!!! He is now rehabbed and giving rides as long as we
keep McKayla near!!!!!!
Yep...they are definitely meant for each other!
Update
3/1/04 - I thought that you might like a bit of an update
on McKayla!
I caught McKayla taking an afternoon nap today!
She is doing great and just loving life!
We just cherish everyday that we have to look out and see how
much she has
blossomed since she has been with us!
Take care! And THANK YOU for being YOU!!!!!!!!
This
is McKayla with her best buddy, PBC!
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