Quarantine

      Taylor and I visited Pebbles and Sugar, the other mare rescued by SMEM, several times over their quaratine period. They both gained weight and gradually the anxiety left their eyes and they started to look more relaxed. Both mares thankfully avoided getting any "crud" from their auction visit and brief time spent in the kill pen. We checked regularly for snotty noses and coughs but they stayed bright-eyed and eating well. Pebbles remained indignent about being touched but liked being right next to me when I was in the paddock. On one of my visits I brought a long training lead rope with the intention of just moving her around the paddock and establishing some communication. However, as it turns out Sugar is very scared of lead ropes in a human's hand and started running more than I was comfortable with. I didn't want to cause her any stress so I decided to just wait and work on it once Pebbles came to my farm. We also learned that despite both horses clearly knowing what the sound of a treat bag was neither one would take treats from our hands. They gobbled up all kinds of things when they were put in to feed buckets but refused to eat carrots and apples. At one point I picked some long grass that was outside the fence and tried to use that as a way to make contact with Pebbles. Grass is apparently the ultimate treat and she successfully was taking it out of my hand when I got bold and reached out to touch her forehead. What I got was a repeat of her snap and charge that had happened at the first meeting. This time I was more prepared and I drove her back away from me and made it clear that I wasn't going to be intimidated. At no time in any of our visits did Pebbles ever look scared and I think its important to make that clear. Her behaviors towards me were very much like how she would react to another horse for invading her space. I think that she has gone unhandled but not suffered any abuse and in a way that is going to make working with her easier than a fearful horse or one with PTSD.