Thursday morning

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope this finds everyone well. It has been a couple of days since I have written as I needed some time to think this post through.

On Tuesday, we had a very terrifying experience that could have changed our lives in an instant and one that would have changed my life forever.

It all began with us preparing to do Rosie's front feet. I went out and caught her up without any problems. She was a bit snorty and I was very cautious with her as Rosie has proven in the past that she can snap and rear up in a split second. I brought her out and Rob reiterated that we have to be careful. Rosie has always given her front feet without much of a fight and it has always been the rear hooves that we had to have her sedated for. However, she had a chunk out of the front right hoof and Rob wanted to trim and repair it before it got worse. I stood holding her, talking to her and petting her neck. She was jerking her foot away, rearing up, going backwards and then charging forward striking out with her front feet and coming at us. At one point, she got away from us. I had her on a 12 foot lead rope and the rope whipped through my hands, and I could not hold onto her. Once we got her into a position where she could be caught, she spun and charged at Rob, teeth bared.

We did not stop, we allowed her approximately ten minutes to settle down and I continued to stroke her neck. He went to work on the other front foot and she was getting progressively worse. After the third attempt of picking up her foot, Rob threw in the towel and said we will have to call the vet for her.

As Rob was walking her back to the football field she tried bum rushing him on several occasions. What happened next was the most horrifying experience that I have encountered. As Rob took Rosie back into the football field, he turned her back towards the closed gate so he could remove her halter. The next thing I knew Rob was in the corner and Rosie was above him rearing and making every attempt to strike at him, just as she did to Wilbur. I began screaming and ran towards the gate and it was at that moment that Whiskey and Grace came running up, and Rosie took off. Rosie's intent was to destroy. Rosie has never ever been treated badly since she has come to us..ever.

So, we have deemed Rosie to be completely and totally OFF LIMITS TO EVERYONE. Rosie will ALWAYS have a home at MHR. She will have her feet done, when it is needed BUT ONLY UNDER SEDATION. She will be treated with the diginity that she has had from the day she was rescued. This was extremely, and I mean extremely, terrifying for me, as Rob could have been seriously injured or worse yet killed. I shudder at this thought. I am thanking the Lord that he escaped with just a few minor bumps and bruises.

Please everyone know that you never can tell what will happen in a split second. In all of our years of experience with horses we have never had an incident of this magnitude ever happen with us and I do not want to go through this again.

Everyone have a great day and tell those that are part of your life that you love and truly care for them.

Stephanie