Local Horses Needing Homes

We adopted Sweetie and Magic three years ago from Nevins Farm. They have been together for a long time and must go together. We are giving them up because my husband and I are in our 70s and can no longer care for them properly.

Sweetie is a roan appaloosa mare, 22 years old, 13 hands. She was ridden in her first home by a boy who died, which is why she was given up at that time. I was taking riding lessons on her as well. She is a sweet pony, very friendly and easily handled. Sweetie, unfortunately, has Cushings Disease, and takes medication for it: Prascend (pergolide) tablets which she easily takes in a little hay extender mash.

Magic is a chestnut gelding, 18 years old, 11.1 hands. He has never been ridden and is skittish. A young and skillful rider with a lot of patience to teach an old horse new tricks might work. He cannot be cross-tied, but stands well on a single tie and the farrier has not had difficulty with him, nor has my vet. Once caught he is calm. Magic, unfortunately, has chronic founder, which means he cannot be on grain or pasture. He has not been lame since we took him off grain and pasture, shortly after we adopted him.

We maintain both ponies on hay alone. They have a large pen in the barn with direct access to a large dry lot. They are savvy to our electric fence, and although their paddock is surrounded by grass, they have never attempted to break out. They are located in Tyngsboro. U.D.T. on all shots, worming, and their feet are trimmed every 6 weeks.

Please email carole@woolgather.org.

Jazzie is a 30-35 year old grey Appaloosa gelding I need to find home for, around 15 hh.  He is a good boy with lots of personality, and is liked by everyone including other horses, especially mares. He has issues with his hind end and is no longer rideable; he also has Cushings, so is on previcox and prascend daily. Jazzie rolls without difficulty and canters around the paddock. He is presently a companion horse.

Please contact Annette at adarezzo6@gmail.com. 

Take Me Away “Tommy” is a lovable, goofy 16-hand 2009 Appendix QH gelding looking for a new, lighter workload in a therapy/horsemanship program or as a companion. Tommy is desensitized to animals, kids, kites, toys, strollers, wheelchairs, roads, bridges…etc. He is great in the woods alone or with others. He is easy to handle in hand (and loves going for long walks – he will lead at a walk and trot from either side). He accepts sidewalkers, assisted mounts, and he loads, clips, bathes and stands for the vet/farrier. I have trailered him on several occasions to the Pappas Rehabilitation Center for Children (the former Mass Hospital School in Canton, MA), where I instruct lessons, and hr has been exposed to all of our toys/sensory items, in addition to our Hoyer lift. Sadly, we don’t have the space for him to join our horsemanship program there at this time, otherwise it would be an easy decision to have him go there! He is an inquisitive type with a puppy dog personality, and would excel with children or adults in ground work and horsemanship programs. He is also great being led for walk/trot lessons (and responds well in a halter with clip-on reins, or a snaffle). 

Tommy is currently best suited for regular walk and light W/T work, either under saddle or in hand, due scar tissue in his left hind leg. The scar tissue will not worsen with time; in fact, it could be removed for return to full WTC work with PRP and shockwave therapy. He is not under any restrictions in turnout, nor does he require any special maintenance other than a grazing muzzle if he’s turned out on grass (he is insulin resistant = easy keeper!). He is low in the pecking order and is a great babysitter/companion for other horses and farm animals, as well. He’s currently on first cut hay, no grain. and wears front shoes only. He does fine in 24/7 turnout alone or with others, or being stalled at night. 

Tommy adores all people and animals and would love to make you smile when he sticks out his tongue (which is often!). UTD on all shots & Coggins, worming, teeth and feet.

Located in Mansfield, MA. For more information please write to cynthia.conquest@gmail.com

I have been caring for and placing a herd of horses from a breeding farm dispersal for the past two years. Amanda and Eva are two of the older mares who I would really like to be able to stay together. 

Amanda is a grey, 11h, ASPC mare who is 23 years old. Eva is a black pinto, 10h ASPC mare who is 16 years old. 

Amanda has been ridden and driven but I don’t believe she should be. She has some hock issues on the right side and suffered a significant uterine prolapse with her last pregnancy. I do have some questions about possible melanoma because she is lopsided when you look at her head on but it may also just be uneven muscling from being pregnant so many years of her life. I have not had any ultrasounds done. Her hock issues have improved over the past year. The only thing I have done is move her from a grain based diet to a hay based diet with a little ration balancer and 24/7 turnout unless there is bad weather. 

Eva has only ever been a broodmare. I have put a saddle on her and she did not object so she may have potential to be lightly used for pony rides. She was very lame when she arrived and I considered humane euthanasia. She does have a history of Lyme and I believe she foundered at some point. We had the vet do x-rays of all four feet and determined that there was no active/recent laminitis and only very minor rotation of the coffin bone in one hoof. The hoof with the minor rotation was just about folded over on itself from not being trimmed so she was walking on the side of her hoof rather than the sole. Corrective trimming since last summer has rendered her sound, walking on her soles, with occasional hock stiffness that I think is to be expected given how unnaturally she was forced to walk for so long and being constantly bred from 3 years old until just two years ago. 

These two mares have bonded and look for each other when the other has been out of sight for a while. No panic, just happy to be with each other. Amanda gets along with everyone. Eva can be protective of food toward other horses. She swings her butt and kicks if another horse that isn’t Amanda or a couple other favorites comes up behind and is too close to her face when she’s eating. She is also on a hay only diet. Both were out on grass with hay last summer and neither exhibited any symptoms of founder (no heat in feet, no fever).

Both girls do not have a current Coggins and both need to be updated on their vaccinations. Both are located in Westport, Maine.

Please contact Amy at lotusfarmmaine@gmail.com for more information.

Trigger and Frasier are quarter horse geldings. Trigger is a dark bay, 15 hands and approx. 21 years old. He is very affectionate. He rides both english and western but has not been ridden in a few years so would need to be reworked.  He is sound and up to date on all vaccines. 

Frasier is chestnut,16 hands and rides both English and Western.  He does have navicular however it has not progressed in the 7 years I have had this horse.  I ride him lightly due to the navicular, he would make a good beginner horse for a child due to this.  He is  up to date with vaccines. 

Both horses stay on the property and have no contact with other horses so I have not done a coggins test, they had one years ago when boarded and were fine. 

Trigger and Frasier are in Milton VT. Please contact Donna at 802.578.6315