1. Flicka's Journey - A Rehabilitation Story

Flicka in 2011

Flicka’s Journey

In 2011 an amazingly athletic pony passed through our farm, her owner had to sell her, but she made a hasty choice and the 13 hand brown mare went to a new home with good intentions.

The pony had been a pack horse for hundreds of miles and was raised from day one using kind and effective natural horsemanship training methods, daily work, moving to increasingly difficult tasks and challenges in increments.  She was full of willingness, potential, impeccably conditioned and athletic; a well started four year old with superior ground work and experience as a pack horse but too small to make that her full time job.  She was ready to go into serious training for riding or driving; with a few years of consistent training, she had potential to be one of those amazing ponies that took care of their children and performed as ponies should in the most athletic style.

This Facebook Page has been started to support awareness of horse care.  Horses need the companionship of other horses, horses need to move and run; through domestication horses need to work with a human in an interspecies partnership which can have phenomenal results. Horses also need hoof care, nutrition, clean water, shelter, simple but regular vet care, safe and properly fitted tack for the jobs they do and these all have a cost.   After almost three years, this pony came to a place where the owner could make the tough decision that her dream was not coming true at that time, and the pony and owner needed some help.  Flicka arrived at our farm on November 20th, 2014.  While it was late, it ended up not ‘too late’ for this pony.  She did have laminitis (separation of hoof wall from the hoof and rotated coffin bones).  She was also lonely, depressed, in pain and obese.  I stepped in and offered help, not criticism, and was taken up on the offer.

Flicka - November 2014 - day one

I hope that hundreds of people “Friend” Flicka and share the opportunity with their horse Facebook Friends and potential horse owners to ensure that there is opportunity to learn some serious lessons from Flicka’s story.  It is a worthwhile educational journey to follow.  This story is for all horse owners selling their horses and for new equestrians wanting to be owners of horses, and even for those who just “dabble” and only want to enjoy watching and having a horse in their backyard. 

The goal of telling this story is to encourage more horse owners to make decisions fair to the horse, to have a plan and to follow it or be humane enough to get help if needed. Another goal is to document the rehabilitation of a horse through photos and story; giving people hope that horses can turn around from dire condition to fit and ready to get back to work with simple, effective nutrition, hoof care, movement, natural living conditions and training.  

In the long run, with knowledge and witness to small miracles, we can build capacity of knowledgeable horse owners and may well contribute towards the rebuilding and even reshaping of our Canadian horse industry. Dedicated, knowledgeable and honest horse owners support the vibrant equestrian community of the future. 

Flicka - November 2014 - day one; the hoof care specialist

and nutritionist are booked for the next day.

As well, this story will demonstrate how people can be fair to themselves and their family by being aware of what horses need to have a basic healthy life and what actually goes into training a horse to be safe enough for you and your children.  I hope this page will inspire horse owners to keep working to prevent neglect and abuse of horses. 

Flicka - November 2014 - day one

I want to share photos, stories, costs, trials and tribulations of bringing Flicka back to her healthy self both physically and mentally.  Then I would like to share what it takes to train a horse to be a safe and consistent mount or driving horse and eventually present her to the perfect home for a sweet, athletic, smart and fit pony.

This is a multi-year project and we are at day one.  There is much to discuss already. Please remember this blog is about healing.

 Copyright Windy Coulee Canadian Horses - Heidi Eijgel