Mystical in the California sunshine!
Josie, first came to the ranch to volunteer and learn more about horses several months back. With her entuhsiastic attitude and love of animals, she is a delight to be around. During her first visit, she was immediately attracted to a beautiful filly with a bald face and amazing azure blue eyes. I had already named her Mystical, and had picked her out from photos that I had seen of her in Canada, months before we actually made the trip. Mystical came down in August with her mom, Target (more appropriately referred to as Marilyn Monroe, the blond, blue eyed, "bombshell" who graces the cover of Hose Illustrated's March 2006 issue, also inside on page 72 of the pull out section, with her adopter April).
Target and her filly, Mystical apparently had a rough trip down to California from Canada,. When they arrived I was quite concerned as to why Target had suddenly become so fearful of humans. So we waited on her to warm up to us as she went through her quartantine time quietly and alone with her filly. I would sit by their feeder in the evenings and watch them eat, I was unable to touch them yet, but just being near the both of them was all I asked. Mystical sometimes hid behind mom but was not as frightened. Curious about all of our attempts to touch the both of them, Mystical made her way over to let Josie be the first to touch her, and my doing so Mystical made her way into Josie's heart. This encounter was mesmerizing for Josie, and it was all she could talk about for days. We realized that she had made a connection. Upon her second visit, Josie managed to feed a small piece of carrot to Mystical she sat in the round pen for four hours and it was then that I knew, Mystical was going to be hers. Allowing Josie time to make the decision about the responsibilities of horse ownership, she confronted her boyfriend Todd, who decided it was time to come out to meet the little horse that has stolen Josie's heart. Questions came up as to the benefits of raising a horse from a baby, and about all the requirements and commitments and costs...
Josie and Todd went camping for the weekend to consider this new aquisition to their family. Several days later, Mystical now relocated to a large stall with mom, miraculously had discovered that humans were fun and carrots were delicious. Josie was thrilled with Mystical's new approachable behavior after being in what we now refer to as the "magical stall". In the stall, we can safely and secretly, touch the babies, while they are munching away with mom at the feeder. Soon, sometimes overnight, they begin to allow us to rub, brush and imprint them, and it is then that they realize, we pose no threat, but can offer a much needed scratch to the itch they never even knew they had! Lifetime friends are made in the magical stall. And life time friends were made with Josie and Todd as they decided that Mystical would indeed be joining their family.
Mystical, now halter broke and weaned from Target, resides here in our care, until her new stable is complete and Josie and Todd can take her to her forever home. Thank you Josie and Todd for being great friends of the farm and giving Mystical the perfect forever home! We love you guys!
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