Life Begins Again

It's almost Thanksgiving time and we have alot to be thankful for. Indy is doing great! Our lives are very quiet these days. Indy spends his days in the warm sunshine in a very big turnout with his favorite girl Dixie. He gets a bath once a week and his food twice a day and his most favorite thing ever, his bucket!

He has made great strides and I think the choice to give him the winter off to "just learn to be a horse again" was the right way to go. Let me take you back a minute...

                                          Remember this photo? This was taken May4, 2011.

                                         Look at him now! This was taken October 15, 2011.

Looks like a happy, loved horse. You know, I hope that everyone that sees this will find the courage to make a call to help any animal that needs help. Please be courageous! Indy made it because he is courageous. He and I are together because he inspires me to be brave! This horse was dying when he came into my life and today, I still can't believe he will be in my life for many years to come.

It's going to be a cool winter and we will continue to do what we are doing, turn outs, self exercising and lunging in tack. While he isn't being ridden, I am working hard to become the rider Indy deserves. I am riding daily, exercising and doing what I can to make sure that when the time comes, Indy and I are the best we can be together. Like I said, he inspires me everyday!

Happy, healthy and safe! Thats what all of God's kids want. Indy and I are happy, healthy and safe.

So, if we don't get back to you before Thanksgiving, take some time this holiday to give some thought to the people and things in your life that you are grateful for. Indy and I do that most everyday...we are grateful!!!

So, until then, happy trails and happy holiday!

                                      Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am grateful for my life!
                                                                       Love, Indy

Learning to be a Horse Again

Here we are ready for the fall. For Indy it has been a whirlwind five months! New home, new life, and his bi g reveal! Now, it is time to slow down and just get about the business of remembering how to just be a horse. Safe and sound with Dixie and his new friend Huey, whose owner is Cassie, the daughter of Darren Lutz of Haulin Hooves, the three of them are settled in at their new home.

They are in stalls lined up with one another and they love it. Roger, the groom turns Dixie and Indy out in the morning and brings them back in at night. They are thrilled to be able to run and play and just stretch and lay out in the sun. Who knew they would become so close?

I think it is a love match! They seem to be happy with each other... wouldn't you agree? Indy seems to be happy and enjoys eating his Alfalfa and whatever he can steal from Huey and Dixie. I think he is happy here, at least, he hasn't said otherwise.
Terry Phankuchen, Indy's Ferrier, came by on Friday and took his shoes off. He is is a little sore footed but I guess he will get used to it. It is me that hates to see him uncomfortable in any way.
Anyway, we are just enjoying getting settled in and look forward to the next six or seven months of rest and relaxation. Winter vacation is here, Indy! Time to play, gain weight, have fun being barefoot and loving your new life!




Just kicking it with my ladies

So, as always, we will keep you posted how we are doing. It seems like it it might be pretty quiet around here, but we will be in touch.

Until then,  Happy Trails!

Indy's Big Reveal

Here is a little bit of the festivities on Sunday, August 28, 2011. Indy had his big day!! Indy represented all of the horses that are currently in need. He made it but there are thousands of horses out there who are still struggling.
Please contact the Heart of a Horse Foundation and see how you can help. It just takes one phone call to help a horse in need. That is how Indy made it! A concerned animal lover made a phone call to the ASPCA and Indy was on the road to recovery. Please help any way you can.

Please contact, heartofahorse.org and find out how you can help.

Indy and I thank you in advance!

Where We Go From Here

The Bombardier Polo event with Heart of a Horse event yesterday was magical!! Our day started early with a whitening bath, a comprehensive grooming session and a big kiss on his forehead, Indy was bright and polished like a shiny, new penny! He looked so handsome! About 9:15am, Haulin Hooves arrived and Indy was loaded up and off we went.
We were met at the gate by Katie and Mimi and a camera crew. Hopping into the back of the truck, they helped us to find Indy's stall. Once Indy was unloaded, there was filming, interviews and pictures. Indy found the boom microphone and the camera items of interest and once he had checked them out, we had to keep him from batting them out of the way with his nose. With so many things to see and all the activity, Indy did a remarkable job. Mimi and all the little girls from Fieldstone took turns keeping him company, taking him for walks and keeping his water bucket full. I did realize something, new mother's carry baby botttles and binkys in their purse, and I carry horse treats and peppermints....hmmmm.
The Heart of the Horse tent was wonderful! Full of people who paid a considerable amount of money for the cause, enjoyed an afternoon of Bombardier polo, wonderful food, ice cold drinks and conversation with April Horowitz, Robert Davi, Allan Thicke, and a long distance phone call from Robert Duval from Spain where he is currently filming his new movie. There was a silent auction with wonderful things to bid on, a children's zone for the kids with games and prizes. All of this for the love of horses in need!
Later in the afternoon, it was time for Indy to make his appearance! Shiny and wide eyed, Dr. Kevin Smith and I made our way up to the stables and gave Indy a little medication to keep him calm as he had made his way to meet all of the people there in the the tent and the hundreds of spectators in the stands. The polo competition had just finished it's first two rounds and, did you know that all of those polo ponies are MARES? Well, Indy was calm while he was waiting, but once we had to walk past all of those newly bathed ponies, lined up along the field with their hind quarters pointed in Indy's direction, Indy responded as a healthy, Thoroughbred should and he became a bit of a handful! With Dr. Smith doing the honors of walking him in, Indy reared high into the air, came down and bucked, crow hopped in circles, and put on quite a show. Oooohs and ahhhs came from the tent as they watched a brand new Indy give each of them an idea of who he is now. Healthy, happy and full of life!
There was a beautiful storyboard made by Michelle Pacyna, Indy's trainer, that was viewed by the people in the tent, and there was a flood of emotion as they watched Indy carry on. The sad, skinny horse that they had seen in the pictures was not the horse they saw in front of them on this beautiful, summer day! Take a look...


May 4, 2011
We had really no idea how close to death Indy actually was.
Looking at this now, it is really kinda hard to believe.
This was one of the pictures shared at the Bombardier event.



This photo was taken 10 days ago, and when I get some of the pictures from the event yesterday, I will post those straight away.



August 18, 2011.
Indy loves to be the center of attention!
"Silly Boy!"







August 20, 2011.
He loves the cotton candy smell of his hoof polish.
Indy and Mimi are the best of friends!

So, now we are up to the next phase and a new start for the both of us. Tomorrow I am moving Indy and his best friend Dixie up to another ranch. They have nice big stalls next to one another. There, Indy will have the winter off to gain the rest of his weight and just be the happy, healthy horse he has become. Now, he knows that he will be fed regularly, he will see me, as always, everyday and he is loved and protected.
"Finding Indy". I think we have him back. It took an entire community of people to make this happen. Indy's trainer, Michelle Pacyna, said it best:

Rescue:      We brought Indy in and loved him, fed him and gave him a home.
Re purpose: Evaluated him once he was feeling better and had put some weight on and he was given a job
React:         His hocks were a source of concern and pain for Indy, and his physical condition was
reevaluated and he was treated accordingly.
Reward:      Indy was not only rescued, he is now successful! He is a working horse that has a happy,  useful life ahead of him.

Indy has gone from near death to being pain free, jumping, trail riding and learning that life, maybe, can be a little better than he thought. Thank you to all of you for all of your encouragement, love and prayers. It has been an interesting journey to this point and this is just the beginning! Please continue to follow Indy and...     Happy Trails!