Meet Freeda & Frederick – Our Newest Rescues!

Two New Horses at Hanaeleh

We are excited to share that we have two new horses at Hanaeleh! Both of them have been in pasture in Petaluma for the past few years. We had agreed to take Freeda at the beginning of the year when her family was no longer able to take care of her, but her pasture mate would have been left alone. His owner was concerned that the separation would have been very hard on him, so we agreed to take him as long as they could live safely together.

Freeda’s owner was able to drive up to Northern California and pick up both horses and bring them down to Hanaeleh. They trailered well, and settled in quickly at the ranch.

Because it is springtime and all of the horses are shedding, one of the biggest challenges we had was to get rid of their thick winter coat. We pulled enough hair off them to make a small pony!

Freeda

Freeda (short for Freedom) is a 24 year-old Buckskin Mustang mare. She looks a lot like our resident Mustang, Gypsy. She, too, had been born wild and rounded up by the BLM at three years old. She had been professionally trained to ride and theoretically can still be ridden- we are allowing her to settle in at the ranch and start some regular exercise with her at liberty before we try riding her. She is a bit shy, but seems to like and trust people, and has been very good while being groomed.

Frederick

Frederick (his previous barn name was Fluff) is a registered 12 year-old Hanoverian gelding. He was imported from Europe as a dressage prospect, but was diagnosed with Wobbler’s, a neurological issue that prevents him from being ridden safely. He had been put in pasture once he had been diagnosed with Wobblers, but he had become laminitic on the rich pasture grass that is prevalent in Northern California, so his owner had been trying to move him back down to Southern California.

Frederick is on a low-sugar diet to prevent another flareup of laminitis, as well as a high dose of Vitamin E to help reduce some of the effects of the Wobbler’s disease. Our vet is also coming out to assess him this week so we can determine what level of exercise at liberty will be safe for him. Frederick is the absolutely sweetest horse that we have had on the ranch- and yes, that includes Mr. Darcy! He’s just a lovely, gentle boy and is wonderful with any level of handler.

Vet and Farrier Care

Both horses needed veterinary and farrier care when they came to Hanaeleh, but besides just regular upkeep (hoof trim/vaccinations/teeth floating), they were relatively healthy and the vet didn’t see any additional issues. Obviously Frederick has some issues with his hooves because he has a history of laminitis, but otherwise his hooves look good. Both horses did well for their teeth float and had minimal issues, most likely because they had been on pasture grass and had been able to eat all day and wear their teeth down naturally.

Freeda and Frederick in the Arena

When Freeda and Frederick first came to the ranch they had to be in quarantine because they were behind on their vaccinations, but once they were out of quarantine we were able to turn them out and let them run around in the arena! They played a little, but were pretty calm  while they were together.

We decided to see if the horses could be worked separately by putting one horse in the arena and one in the round pen. The idea was that if the horse was upset, at least they were running around safely, rather than moving around in their stall where they could run into the shelter or the railroad ties.

We put Freeda in the arena, and she seemed fine at first, until she realized that Frederick was not coming into the arena with her, and then she got VERY upset and started to run around and call for her friend. Frederick walked well to the round pen, but once his halter was taken off he ran about and called for Freeda as well. They went on like this for several minutes, even though they were about 20 yards from each other and could clearly see one another. Finally, they both calmed down and while they weren’t necessarily *happy* about being separated, they were resigned to the short separation, and once their turnout time was up, they were both happy to go back to the paddock together. We will continue to work on putting them out separately because it is important for their own safety that we can take one horse out without both of them getting upset and possibly hurting themselves or those working with them.

Next Steps

Both horses have settled in well and have learned very quickly that they get grain everyday (no sugar and low starch grain, but still: grain!) at lunchtime, and they will hang their head through the bars if we are even a minute late! Their grain includes electrolytes and their other supplements and is mixed in with some water. They gobble it down as if it were candy!

We are still waiting on the vet report to determine the best exercise plan for Frederick, and we will continue to get both horses comfortable at being separated. Otherwise, they seem to be a very calm and sweet addition to the Hanaeleh herd!

Welcoming two new horses is a big commitment, and your support makes all the difference. By sponsoring Freeda, Frederick, or both, for as little as $10 a month, you’ll help provide the care they need. Be part of their journey—start your sponsorship today right here!