Avis A Townsend
Appleton, NY 14008
ph: 716-795-9672
Avie47
Horses I've Adopted
HALF OF THE HERD: From left, this is Jack, Coty and Itty Bitty, enjoying a summer day next to the barn.
Coty: Coty stood in a stall for 18 months before being taken out by a horse trader that wanted her large quarter horse mom. She is half Welsh Pony and half Quarter. When I got her, I didn't know she was a paint, because she was covered with mud balls. Her owners divorced, and the woman moved away, leaving the husband to feed the animals. When the hay ran out, he fed them stale loaves of bread. Coty's ankles were raw from standing in feces on a daily basis. The day we let her out in the field, she ran from dawn to dusk, and we thought she'd give herself a heart attack. Now she is eleven, and when she runs she resembles an Arab, with nostrils flaring, tail lifted, and legs going at a prance.
Jack:
Jack was born on the Fourth of July, 1997, so his name had to be Crackerjack. He was purchased to keep out the coyotes and to be a friend to Itty Bitty on recommendation of a local veterinarian. Jack is very comical, and he loves to grab hold of your clothing in his teeth and pull you close to him. His hee-hawing is loud and can be heard by the distant neighbors down the road.
Jack, Itty Bitty and Willow in the barn.
Willow:
I first saw Willow when she was a foal at the local paint breeder's place about a mile from here. My barn was full, or I would have bought her. She is a medicine hat paint with light blue eyes and pink skin. After Brandy died, the man who helped me bury her was showing me his horses and I saw Willow and remembered the foal that I wanted two years before. The man said, because I was so heartbroken at losing Brandy, and because he knew I would make a great owner, that I could have her. Sometimes I ask myself what have I done. Being old, will I ever be able to train her? To make things worse, after I had her for a few months I realized she is completely deaf, so I am working with her using sign language. I'm glad I took her, and that she didn't go to someone else. The owner had no idea she was deaf, and if someone else bought her and found that out, they might have sent her to auction. She came here for a reason.
Itty Bitty: I bought Itty Bitty in 1992 when he was only three weeks old. Born April 15 of that year, his mom was a solid black half pony/half Arabian horse, and his dad was a purebred Haflinger. I was hoping Itty Bitty would keep the flaxen mane and tail he was born with and represents the Haflinger breed, but his mane blended in with the rest of his body as he aged. He was very intelligent, and by the time he was three he was a lesson horse for kids. When we moved to our current residence, he was no longer in a herd of horses running and bucking all day, and he was forced to slow down and be a horse. Because of this, he developed founder, or laminitis, in his feet. We have been dealing with it off and on now for twelve years. But he is still full of life and very happy. There have been times when I thought he was suffering, but all vets, as well as an animal communicator, says he still has many years in front of him. He is my little champion.
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Little Tiny Peed:
I wanted a Shetland pony for my grandchildren, and was offered Little Tiny Peed instead. Peed is a miniature horse, and she is about fifteen years old now. When Brandy died, she took over as queen of the herd. It's funny to watch a bunch of grown horses following her around, paying respects to her like she is the matriarch. Peed is very fast, and when she runs her little legs look like the cartoon characters with their leg movements in the form of circles. She can stop and spin on a dime, and no weather daunts her. She has white eyelashes and is a sweetie. In the summer, when her winter coat is all shed out, she is dapple chocolate palomino.
Silver:
Silver was advertised in the local penny saver for $75. I called the woman who ran the ad and told her meaters would be buying him and selling him at auction. Come to find out, the woman who ran the ad was the local puppy mill woman who has been arrested numerous times for animal abuse but always seems to come out unscathed. We assume she traded the pony for a puppy, because she had no idea how much he ate, when he had his feet trimmed, or any other pertinent information an owner would know. Also, she had him tied in the front yard with a frayed rope attached to a stake. It was on a busy major highway, and if he had broken the rope he would have been run over. Silver is cute and behaves well with humans, but he is pure evil to other horses. He bites them, kicks them, and is as rude as he can be. This summer he will be confined to his own corral, so he can't hurt any more of his stablemates. He needs a home where he can live alone, but as he's 35, no one would take him, thinking he could die overnight or live another ten years. He has handled his age well, however.
Itty Bitty and Willow are great friends in the pasture
They are also great friends inside the barn.
Peed relaxing in the sun.
Baby Rain and her mom, Cloud, were born at Horse Rescue and Sanctuary in Pavilion, NY, in 2008 and the owner, Mike, asked if I would take them in. Rain was a true joy and a handful. She was flighty and crazy and had wild eyes, but I loved her. Cloud was a great mom. In April, 2009, I went to the barn and found Rain standing in the stall unable to move. She was only 11 months old. Somehow, she had managed to break her leg and had to be humanely euthanized. She is buried behind the barn and her grave is covered with astilbes. I still miss her. It was a tragic loss, and I will never have a foal here again. Just too heartbreaking. Cloud is still here and reminds me a lot of Brandy.
Appleton, NY 14008
ph: 716-795-9672
Avie47
