UPDATE: Cindy Lou and Noelle

We thought that people would like an update of our Christmas rescues, Cindy Lou and Noelle! They are both up in a foster home at Sylmar, and are gaining weight and doing well.

Noelle is the chestnut mare we rescued when the man who purchased her at auction no longer wanted her. She faced an uncertain future, and possibly would have been shipped to slaughter if Auction Horses Rescue had not intervened and asked us if we could take her. Thankfully, although Noelle had quite a bit of neglect and was very fearful, she has started to come around, and is doing well in her foster home. Interestingly enough, Noelle is the more level-headed of the two mares.  Noelle is still underweight, but she is eating well. When she was first picked up, her feet were like slippers, with underslung heals and long toes. That type of poor farrier care compounded with lack of decent food for a long time takes a while to change. Noelle was visibly sore, but we put her on Equiiox in order to make her more comfortable. Now, less than two months after being rescued, she is sound at the walk, and enjoys going for walks through the neighborhood!

It will be at least another month until Noelle will have gained enough weight to comfortably wear a saddle, and she will need her feet done a few more times before they are back to normal. In the meantime, she is learning that people are good and is less tense and fearful when people are working with her.

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Cindy Lou is an Arab/Paint mare who needed a home when the barn where she was living went bankrupt. Cindy Lou hadn’t been worked with for several years before the barn manager came in to sell off the horses, and she was intensely bonded with her son. We did ask to take both horses, but they already had a home lined up for the son, so we just took Cindy Lou. It took her a few weeks to settle in, but she began bonding with the other horses as soon as she was out of quarantine, and is very bonded with Noelle. Overall, Cindy Lou is happy as long as she has her friend with her.

When we first took Cindy Lou in, she definitely needed some farrier care along with more human interaction. Thankfully, her foster mom Natalie and her friends helped to slowly get her used to a saddle again, and started with very short rides around the arena. This past weekend they graduated to a short trip around the neighborhood on the street (Cindy Lou was great as long as she was with her friend Noelle). Cindy Lou is great with a sidepull, and knows how to neck rein and move off the leg. She has a lot of scarring in her mouth, and gets visibly upset when a bit is introduced, so are assuming that she has had some abuse in the past, either with aggressive riders, or severe bits, or both. Since she is perfectly good in a sidepull, however, there is really no reason to ride her in anything else.

Cindy Lou’s foster mom will continue to work with her, getting her used to everyday things again, and she will continue to get short rides until she builds up her muscle. Thankfully she is feeling good, and is staying sound at a walk and a trot, so we expect her to make a full recovery!