Sammy is truly an inspiration; when I found him he had spent his entire 4 years in a tiny little 8 foot square of dirt, had barely ever been handled, and was so undernourished that every bone shown through his long, dull coat. His feet had been neglected for so long that his toes had curled up and split, his halter had been on for so long that the metal parts were rusted into his fur, and his mane was one giant dreadlock. He trembled with fear when I reached to pat him, and my heart sank with the realization that this horse was a much bigger project than I was looking for…BUT THEN I SAW HIM TROT, and even with those messed up feet, he floated over the ground like he was in slow motion, and I knew I had to bring him home…it took years of incredibly slow and patient training to bring him out of his shell, but now Sammy is one of the goofiest characters in the whole barn! He is a magnificently talented horse, with limitless potential, and yet he seems to know when he needs to tone it down and take it easy for less experienced riders! Everyone has a crush on Sammy, and he knows it!

When I first met Eve I thought she was a lost cause…she was head-shy and would break free of her halter at the slightest provocation (and then be very difficult to catch, even with a delicious bucket of grain as a lure!) and she had been through a variety of methods of training throughout her life. Under saddle she was difficult and unbalanced, and after our first ride I remember thinking how much I disliked her (which is very rare for me and horses!) but she was on my training docket while I worked at The SquarePeg Foundation, so I ended up working with her many times per week during that first year. I decided to start her over, as though she had never been ridden before; After extensive groundwork, Eve and I finally began to bond…and when I left SquarePeg to start EquiFabula, I was honored and delighted to be given the opportunity to bring Eve with me! Our entire philosophy with her has centered around making her whole life so easy and simple that she could finally start to trust humans. I promised her I would never push her, never expect her to compete, and never ask her to do anything really hard. Since then she has blossomed into a fabulous little horse, and has not only become a barn favorite, but has excelled beyond my wildest expectations! Her life changed drastically when she met Dr. Joanna Robson and finally got some huge parts of her body adjusted. Then we found her a saddle that really fit her well, and slowly brought her feet into a shape that would help her move more correctly. We treated her ulcers, and put her on a diet rich in supplements designed to bring her anxiety levels down. We taught her that going exploring the world on long trail rides in the mountains was not something to fear, but to look forward to! She has bonded deeply with many of our students, and always presents just enough of a challenge to teach them to better themselves as riders, and yet is always ready to make them laugh with her array of tricks that she uses to beg for treats. She has become the step up, second level horse that people usually move up to after they graduate from Batman, and the students who bond with her truly fall in love with her!

Eve has now retired and lives close by with two Nigerian dwarf goats and a bunch of chickens to keep her company. She is living the life of luxury, and has never been happier.

Cupcake spent most of his life doing pony rides at fairs, and then was lucky enough to be pulled off a slaughter truck and saved! When he came to EquiFabula he only knew how to go left and refused to be ridden without being led by someone… he is also 90% blind due to cataracts, but he has overcome ALL of the odds against him and has turned into a fantastic little lesson pony! He can now walk, trot, and canter independently, and has even learned to jump! Thanks to a generous donation, Cuppy will be getting cataract surgery sometime in the near future, and we can’t wait to see the results! 

Pumpkin isn’t even technically ours yet, but in the 6 weeks that we have been caring for him, he has already captured our hearts! He has a had a rough life as a race horse, and then was misunderstood by an unqualified owner, underwent surgery for kissing spine a year ago, and has finally landed with us. Despite his unhappy past, he has quickly realized he no longer needs to be defensive and scared, and has relaxed into his new life beautifully. He is a full rescue and rehab case, and we have started from the ground up with him. He needs everything- dental care, hood rehabilitation, bodywork, ulcer treatments, a very difficult saddle fit, and more groceries than most horses…He has already gained a ton of weight, and we can’t wait to see what his future holds! If you would like to help with his rehabilitation, donations are absolutely welcome! We are trying to fundraise $2500 for his needs, so every little bit counts…