They met outside tonight! And we rode together! here are pictures! Story - a bit later, I’m just out of breath. 
Enjoy the pictures!
In short - she was casual, he was showing off like - Darling, just look at me - I’m so big, beatiful and powerful! Darling, looooook at me!
No kicking, biting or anything like that! And - they already have bonded! He went out first, and called her like mad, and when she came out…
All red hearts were filling the air around! Puika is in such a love!
And here are two pictures of her only offspring - Gavrosh. He is 7 yo now and doing quite well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/barryz15/shella%2019-04-08/gavrosh/2007_0630pinkGavrosh.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/barryz15/shella%2019-04-08/gavrosh/2007_0630pinkGavrosh2.jpg
Wow!
Anna, I love your thread. How wonderful for Shella that you have taken her in…a very well trained school horse gets an easier life and lots of love, and you get…a very well trained school horse!
The riding pictures are wonderful…typcial mare, leading the way! Puika looks totally entranced. Gavrosh is gorgeous too.
I also think it’s wonderful the way you have shown such sensitivity to Puika’s former owners and any feelings they may have about the changes in Puika’s routine.
Lastly, I loved the pictures of the boy riding Shella and practicing his “politician’s wave” and the little girl leading Shella off the trailer!
So, a bit more about tonight. We put saddle on Puika and took him out. When peter was leading him away from barn, Puika already started call for Shella! It was fascinating.
Peter went on Puika (this time Puika was not interested even in his lead, he just stood there like an angel, very unusual) and then started to show off - prancing, and parading like he is leading the show.
I went back to barn and took out Shella. When Puika saw her… OMG, it was something. He pushed the saddle back becuse his chest probably doubled the size. My mum said that she never ever before had seen such a PROUD horse!
Shella was very casual, like she can not see any boy there 
Then Peter let Puika to move towards her, and we just stood still, letting them both sniff each other. No agression both sides, so far so good. So peter slowly turned Puika around until I led Shella to the gate to mount her - it was easy job, she is well trained so I did it by myself and she instantly took her way to the main road (it is safe as she is used to all sorts of cars and trucks, and is not frightened at all). She was just in halter, and i sat bareback on her.
Puia followed as a baby. Only smoke probably was coming out of his nostrils and ears - he was so full of power! He was trotting these short steps, knees high up each time, like marching on dressage competition.
We went down the road and peret let Puika to go side by side with Shella - Puikas eyes were so full of happiness, it is not like human emotions, it was his emoutions, clearly all over his face.
Then Shella started to breathe heavy, had few coughs, so I unmounted her and walked gently back (BTW, is it possible that her hoofs are cut too short so he does not feel happy walking on the road - she tried walking all the time on the grass, and did not seemed happy walking on hard surface).
Peter was riding Puika with us - and Puika was not interested to leave her at all, like they have already bonded and he is already willing to follow her whatewer she decides to go.
I took her back inside first, Peter was holding back Puika in the yard . When I came out and Peter unmounted Puika, it was quick dragging me stright back to box in case if Shella had missed him the past 3 minutes
the main idea of getting Shella was to keep Puika happy. keeping me happy with much easier horse was a bonus. Seems like both targeds we have had hit! Puika is not only happy, he is extatic about the first girlfriend in his life!
And I’m happy as Shella is not only well schooled horse, but such a calm sweathart, just perfect for me.
Wow Anna! I just love this thread!:yes: You and Peter are doing so well with these guys- and Shella looks like the perfect horse for you! I always look forward to reading updates about you guys- it’s truely amazing. You guys live in a beautiful area too!
Please keep the updates and pictures coming!
Love the new pictures! Shella’s son is quite the looker!
Did Shella get her feet trimmed recently? It is indeed possible that she could be ouchy on the road if they were trimmed a bit short. Also if she used to wear shoes when she was at the riding school and just got switched to being barefoot it will take a while for her feet to harden and adjust! Ride her on soft ground for a while until her hooves grow out a bit!
It looks like Peter might be having a bit of trouble keeping Puika under control, hopefully Puika will settle down once he gets used to his new friend. I am glad Peter wore his fur hat for a little protection, but he really needs a helmet. I may have one…
We had another ride tonight. Shella was all day out in pastures, enjoying the grass, so we decided to take a nice walk trough the forest in sunset.
Puika was very good (without her he does not like that road, but as she was leading, he can not show that he is frightened the shadows )
But Shella has no strenght at all. Today she started with such a pride, I gave her lead very loose, so she was able to do what she wanted and she wanted to work, oh, yes. But after about 400 – 500 metres she was out of breath completely and just stood, so I unmounted her, waited when she got a bit breath and then we walked back slowly. I took her in until peter give a bit of proper ride for Puika.
I was just sitting with her in the box and crying. It is sooo sad! Tomorrow maybe my friend will arrive, she is very light, I will let her walk Shella as she is about 30 kg lighter than me, so lika a child actually.
Poor Shella, it is so sad.
[QUOTE=AnnaCrew;3193110]
We had another ride tonight. Shella was all day out in pastures, enjoying the grass, so we decided to take a nice walk trough the forest in sunset.
Puika was very good (without her he does not like that road, but as she was leading, he can not show that he is frightened the shadows )
But Shella has no strenght at all. Today she started with such a pride, I gave her lead very loose, so she was able to do what she wanted and she wanted to work, oh, yes. But after about 400 – 500 metres she was out of breath completely and just stood, so I unmounted her, waited when she got a bit breath and then we walked back slowly. I took her in until peter give a bit of proper ride for Puika.
I was just sitting with her in the box and crying. It is sooo sad! Tomorrow maybe my friend will arrive, she is very light, I will let her walk Shella as she is about 30 kg lighter than me, so lika a child actually.
Poor Shella, it is so sad.[/QUOTE]
Oh Anna, try not to cry! Shella is one lucky mare to have found you! Yes she may be having difficulty breathing, but in a different sense, she’s breathing easier now than ever before because you care for her so much already and she is getting top notch care at your house. You stop when you feel she can’t go on, and I’m sure she trusts you to continue doing that. Her handsome Puika is a comfort to her as well, I’m sure.
You may have mentioned this before and I missed it…have you had the vet out to see her? Meanwhile, buck up, and know that you are doing the absolute best thing for her - giving her love!
If she is heavey, it would be worth trying her on an all soaked beet pulp diet instead of hay. Our horse went from having major breathing problems to absolutely none at all. Also, conditioning can make a huge difference, so by slowly doing what you are now doing, with short walks, you may find that over several months, she can do more, and more.
Another possibility is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levamisole. We had a horse that coughed whenever he was worked. Once, every couple of years, we would do levamisole injections. It makes a large lump at the injection site, so the vet would put it in 3 or 4 places. Hot compresses for a week would get rid of the swellings. No cough for a year or 2.
Thank you for Levamisole info. Here we have only powder registered for vet use, as devormizer, but I will fry to find all info and probably will find the needed solution for injections.
By some reason, beet pulp is not popular here for heavey horses, we soak the hay here - a square bail in water for at least 20 minutes. And of course, fresh beet - today I was putting beet seeds in for next winter.
Shella will have the same vet as she had for past six years and the best specialist for consultations on top of that. The best thing here - the vet is friend of my friend And the top specialist I also know by his and mine political activities (see, Latvia is not a big country, and there are some pluses.)
Shella is not poor neglected horse vet-wise - her vaccinations and blood tests are all done in time (she is registered mare with proper pedigree, so papervork is done perfect), and vet had cared for her trying everything like herbal teas, inhalations, and traditional medications.
And she will continue like that until specialist (the best awailable in this country) will suggest try something different. The only problem - nothing so far had really helped. But we shall try, we shall try everything in case something might work!
annacrew- Has she ever been scoped? That way they can see weather it is upper airway or lower respiratory tract…
Just a suggestion…
If a horse is alergic to hay, no amount of soaking will fix it. As a test, I would just leave her on the grass and grain, with no hay at all for a few weeks, to see if there is any improvement. Sometimes a horse is alergic to one kind of hay, but not another. We had a horse alergic to grass hay, but not to alfalfa.
You could also try somethng like Benadryl to see if that helps an alergy.
Thank you all for ideas. Will discuss them with vet next week, in case something will work. Currently I’m not in the best shape to assist vet as my toe is broken on left foot, and I’m limping around very silly as it hurts quite bad (Shella is not very good with her legs and she stepped on - she steps on much heavier than Puika does - he did it several times and nothing, her stepping on was much worse, maybe her hoofs had been trimmed really much to short).
Anyway, they are in LOVE! :sadsmile: They are like newlyweds on honeymoon. He just melts like icecream on hot rocks! All day they spent about 100 metres apart, and Puika just ate some grass, most of the time he was just standing and drooling over her.
At night Peter took Puika back at home, and rode down back to pastures, put Shella on lead and they both - Peter and Puika - walked Shella home. It was something to see. They walked so regal, head by head, and just looked in each others eyes… If you want to see pure, real LOVE, come over here!
And he is such a friend!
At first, Puika can not get taller - he was 10ft tall with very small invisible Peter on his back. Any predators who would come close, would be killed just by his sight.
At second - he responded to any bite movement and was prancing backwoods, on side, started to dance - if he would be on show ground, tonight he would win some ribbons in dressage. It was amazing! His neck was going in that dressage style beautiful arch (and it was not Peter, it was Puika himself), he tried to impress her in all possible ways.
At third, he takes such a care of her. When she stopped for a caugh, he instantly put his head close to her, licked her face like “Darling, are you ok, can i help you?” When she wheezes, he stops, listens like a doctor, putting his neck under her head like lifting her up… I wish I would be able describe it all… It is worth a Disney stile move, indeed. You just look at them and tears instantly make eyes blurry.
And Puika is so easy to mount now - all what he wants is to stand still to be mounted faster so he can be ridden. No silly games, no naughtiness at all anymore. He is just really good beheiving adult horse now. Responsibility made him!
PS (not horse related) - tonight new member to our pack arrived - a fox cub, about 4 weeks old. People had found the cub in the drainage weel in the field 2 weeks ago, bottle fed and today passed to the local shelter. As shelter has no facilities for wildlife babies, I agreed to foster the cub until the decission will be made what to do with him/her (Had not checked the gender yet). Baby is healthy and quite agressive, and has his favorite Teddy bear with him so will be ok.
These are all our today’s news.
Puika definitely get the sweetest horse in the world award! More pix please, really makes my day better when you post your lovely pix. With gentle Puika taking care of her and your obvious love for her, Shella is in a very good place to start to heal.
Just few pictures of this morning…
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/barryz15/shella%2019-04-08/09-05-08/?start=0
Anna you have the best life!!!
I love you pictures. Puika is, as always, stunningly beautiful. And I wanted to squeeze that little fox so bad, he is so cute!
Love Puika’s new red halter! He looks wonderful!
And that cub is the cutest thing I have ever seen online!
[QUOTE=NEEDS A NAP;3199889]
Love Puika’s new red halter! He looks wonderful!
And that cub is the cutest thing I have ever seen online![/QUOTE]
Ditto! Puika looks so regal! There’s something about him that’s different now that Shella is there…Oh, I know! It’s LOVE! :lol::lol::lol:
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