Freedom Reins

Happy New Year to you and yours! A new year always seems to bring a moment of reflection. I sat down yesterday and went through the pictures of all of the beautiful horses that have come through our property. Each one of them is so unique and special in their own way. Some left some pretty hefty imprints on our lives.

To start the year off in 2021, we closed on our property in the end of January. It had been abandoned for the previous ten years, with just a couple cows being cared for on it, and a secondary house having major tornado damage, and a few outbuildings/barns that had been severely damaged by a tornado that had been left to ruin. The house was in need of a lot of work before we could think about moving into it. But, my husband has always been a “fixer upper” expert. He has flipped houses since he was very young with his Dad. This was no new task for us, and we were up for the challenge! We had our very own little farm!

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Fast forward throughout the year, we worked on demolishing the big barn that had fallen, demolishing another fallen barn, clearing debris, clearing weeds and burs, picking up metal and wood pieces, converted the corn crib so it had two stalls and a turn out in it, building fences, building more fences, finding deals on water troughs, building stalls, deciding to do the barn different, taking down the stalls, putting down better footing, and building stalls again, to recently running new water lines to make things more convenient, hauling off stuff, burning some epic big burn piles, working on the foundation of the house, working some on the inside of the house. Some days it’s like we are living a daily episode of Dirty Jobs… We also hauled in several truckloads of sand to make an outdoor arena, Nathaniel built jumps, (built a roll top even!) spread sand out over and over to try and get it right, we converted the open pole barn into a temporary “indoor” riding area that is more confined for new horses and has a nice sand footing. We demolished the second house and cleared that area. It was too far gone from tornado damage. We have done a LOT of work! This isn’t counting any of the work with the horses that we have done throughout this year.

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One hundred and thirty. That’s how many horses we have served this year. Well, horses, donkeys, minis, drafts, etc… It’s a mixture. One hundred and thirty. I had to pause a minute and let that sink in. Some of them are still with us, like Versace who is here for a long haul of rehab, whom we picked up in the loose pen because Destini insisted she saw potential in him, when no one else did. Versace has come a long way, and still has a ways to go. And Mind Trappe whom we stumbled on at the right moment to be able to buy him before he was put down for knee chips. We bought him straight off of the track, injured and no longer able to race. He has put all of his weight on and waiting on University to give us a set date for his surgery at this point.

Mama Concord Pretty, and her foal Vegas Amy Dawn are both with us longer term. They were separated in the auction ring and we were able to buy the foal later to keep them together, when we then found out Vegas wasn’t even old enough to be weaned yet. Not that you would have guessed it from her size, but still. I have a couple older horses that we have had trouble finding the right home for, but I know one will come up eventually. And we have Mama Cielo and her foal, Princesa. We bought as a package, the people did not know if Cielo was bred or not, and she had been running with a palomino stallion that we later went back for and had gelded and rehomed. They are still with us.

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The rehabs we had over this year have been so rewarding. Clara the Clydesdale found her perfect home this year. We got her in December of 2020. Watching the trailer really hit me square in my emotions. So many days were spent sitting out in the pasture with her, or forcing her to walk and soak her feet with abscesses, dealing with sickness, and rebuilding her faith in people. We had a few devastating losses. We lost two donkeys this year suddenly and both separate cases. One was bred to something too large and went into premature labor and died giving birth. Another donkey went into respiratory distress and the vet thought he must have been exposed to cattle feed. There wasn’t anything we could have done for him. But we gave him a last few good days of love. And we lost a pony that was brought to us overdosed on Banamine. He had been foundered and the owner gave him a full horse size dose, and unfortunately it really messed up his insides. My kids held him and sat next to him while he was doing poorly and unfortunately found him dead soon after despite our best efforts to care for him. My kids learned a lot about compassion and responsibility this year. My personal horse, Lightning, also passed away this year. Dying with her, also went all of my plans for the year of riding with her at the new property, and trail rides, etc. Versace gave us multiple scares of wondering if he would need put down as well as he steadily declined for a while, and a couple dramatic episodes of choke and colic. He basically wasted away for a while despite our best efforts and had to be put on a refeed program to reset his liver, as he started to go into liver failure. He had his teeth done, which really made a huge difference for him. He had one of the worst mouths of a young horse that Chenoweth’s had worked on. I am so thankful for my friend Michelle who helped us get Versace straightened out! She has been such a wonderful friend and support for us. We also had a scare with Commander where he got injured clear to his coffin bone. It was questioned whether he would ever be sound again, let alone show jump. God must have worked miracles with that situation. Commander has come back from that injury completely sound and fully capable of show jumping without issues, even passing a flexion test on that joint!

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They came from all walks of life. The outstanding Liem’s Luck, and ottb that my then eight year old son took and showed his very first cross rails class on this year, who was found discarded in a loose pen because she couldn’t get bred last year. We had a few amish work horses, and a seeming carriage horse percheron. We had horses we bought to keep out of a sale, horses we bought or took in because the owners could no longer care for them..We had horses we bought directly from a kill buyer following an auction because we couldn’t stand the thought of them leaving with him after seeing them go through the ring, or having put hands on them in the back in the loose pens. We had horses come through just to find a home from their owners knowing that we don’t just turn around and dump them off in another auction. We have had mercy buys feeling bad for them, and excited buys seeing immense potential when looking at a horse. We have bought several straight off the track thoroughbreds this year, and we really enjoy helping them adjust to normal horse life after racing, and starting them toward a new career.

We had chiropractor appointments, dental, vet, after vet after vet appointments, and farrier, after farrier, after farrier appointments. We had a few Bemer appointments, and lessons we hauled out to.

In 2021, Destini continued on taking lessons on weekly basis, and I started taking some English riding lessons with my horse Warrior. We have been learning new things, and practicing new skills, so I can be more involved in Destini’s world. Nathaniel has spent a lot of time training horses with Destini this year, and they have had a lot of fun and friendly competition with their thoroughbreds. We started our own youtube channel, and had some fun attempting to do Vlogmas, even though we knew from the start we were a bit too busy. We started a Tik Tok to fit in with the “cool” crowd…And an instagram. Up next, WEBSITE.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the work. When I reflect on the year of 2021, that is the way I see it. The year of work. We got up in the morning, and worked through the day. It’s definitely a full time job. But the work is rewarding. I believe what we are doing is “well doing.” The Bible specifically talks about being not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. We haven’t fainted at our workload, although I can understand why some people do… I pray that God will help us not become weary in our work. I hope and believe in 2022, we will reap the benefits of all of this well doing we have sown in 2021. In 2022, our house should be done and ready to move to! And I hope to continue to do rescue/rehab horses and continue to help save them from the slaughter pipeline, and help OTTBs. Maybe in 2022, we will be able to expand into a volunteer program, or hire an extra helper here and there. We will see! Plans are being made, and dreams being formed, and work being done…

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It’s that time for New Years resolutions. My husband told me when I was thinking about resolutions a few days back, that the thing is New Year’s Resolutions are just setting you up for failure. A lifestyle change is what will leave an impact. What are your plans for a lifestyle change? This year with our horses, my plan is for more organization with a website, good routines which we already have established, and to spend more time enjoying the little moments with my family and children, and make the time for them to ride and enjoy this crazy horse world of ours instead of always being caught up in the work. Work is necessary for a season, but we sometimes need to step back and just breathe in and enjoy the blessings God has given us. In 2022… That’s what I want. What do you see in your 2022…?

“I just don’t know how you do it all..” Is something I so frequently hear when starting up a conversation with someone I don’t know very well (sometimes even with people who do know me well!). I can understand, how people look at my busy life and wonder sometimes. Social media allows us to present ourselves in such a happy, put together sort of way. We share pictures of our house when it’s in tip top shape. When the laundry pile is shoved out of the frame of the picture, or the bedroom door closed. Or maybe the sink is freshly removed of dirty dishes, and we do a quick sweep to take that picture to share our accomplishment. We are careful with our pictures not to depict “real” life scenarios. We show our happiness, the beautiful things we appreciate, the moments with our children we cherish, and the special things people have done for us. We may share a picture that we have lined up all of our children’s school work nice and organized, like it depicts real life, but it doesn’t.

Let me just tell you a little about my life. If you don’t know me, or if you do, you will soon realize I am a very busy person. I begin my day with a “Priority List” for the day. I used to make To Do Lists, and I would get very frustrated not getting them done. I am quick to beat myself down sometimes, and have often referred to myself as a “failure” of a Mom, or a pastor’s wife, or a wife in general because of my lack of ability to get things done. I have been working over the past few months and praying that God would help me change that mentality. Because I am not a failure, and God doesn’t see me that way, and neither does my family.

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On my priority list, I glance around my house and make a quick list of things I would like to get done through the day of the most important needs. I also write down any appointments, and I put simple things that I know will be accomplished on it, so I can make sure I have something to cross off. For example, I start every morning with a devotional and prayer and Bible reading. That will get done whether it’s one Scripture or a chapter. I write down to make my bed, and I write down SCHOOL – and list each of my children’s names next to it. We are homeschoolers. They are the top priorities of my day and are always at the top of my list. Then underneath it, I might make subcategories of the kitchen and tasks that need done, and the bathroom, and having my children clean up certain areas.

A priority list is very much like a to do list, but the difference is, if I don’t get it accomplished and have everything checked off, I have not failed. Instead, I have gotten done a few of my priorities and that in itself was an accomplishment. By writing it down, you get a visual of all the things you have done in a day. I don’t include my barn chores, and horse work on my list. But if I did, my priority list would be two pages long! I know the work involved there and that’s a work load that does not waver on whether it will get finished or not. It always does. I then add one scripture verse to this list and I read it throughout the day. I try and focus on one scripture and just let it circulate in my heart and mind. I can’t always focus on a chapter, or multiple verses even. As a pastor’s wife, maybe you think we are super spiritual and set at a higher standard than most… We are human beings too, with just as much distraction in life as anyone else. Hide that one verse in your heart. It will help you throughout the day.

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The last thing that I do with my priority list, is throughout the day, I write down some things that make me smile. Maybe it’s a morning hug, or a cup of coffee with a friend, a text, a phone call, my crazy three year old learning to ride the hoverboard, or an easy day of schoolwork, or a compliment, the sunset, my goofball horse, a good ride, laughter, etc. Anything that would bring me joy, I try and write a little word or two on my list, and at the end of the day or the next morning I count the blessings, and thank God for them.

That being said, I don’t get it all done. I’m human just like anyone else. I am sometimes referred to as “super mom.” Even Super Mom couldn’t possibly keep up with it all! So, some days, my laundry pile is stacked up on my couch (more often than not!) Or My kitchen may need a good scrubbing, but all my kids got their schoolwork done, and we took care of our horses, and everyone was healthy and alive and somewhat clean at the end of the day. Other days, maybe schoolwork wasn’t completely finished, but the kitchen was clean and the living room freshly swept and a load of laundry done, and at the end of the day we all sat down and had dinner and gave thanks for another beautiful day.

My typical schedule is, Wake up, get dressed, have some coffee/devotional time, make a list if I haven’t the night before, get the kids breakfast as they come in the kitchen, do schoolwork, and try and be done with our school day by around 12:00. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t. My husband generally does the morning feeding and watering at the farm. Occasionally, I will go out and help him, usually on the weekends. Sometimes I have a load of laundry going and successfully dry it by lunch, other times, I rewash it a time or two… So then I have a few hours that I try and catch up on things around the house that need done, like the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, general clean up, and the kids pitch in around the house. I try and squeeze in twenty minutes of reading time for myself, and twenty minutes of Spanish study time.

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Then, off to the farm we go. At the farm, we gather all the feed buckets from each pen, check water troughs making a note of whose needs refilled that water has to be hauled out to, we clean up any messes, ride anyone who needs ridden, make videos, take pictures, try and have fun, enjoy the golden hour, fill water troughs, dole out grain to each bucket, some on different feeds than others with different supplements, and soak it, pass it all out, pass out alfalfa as needed or put out new round bales. Some days the farrier or vet is there, and that adds into the busy schedule of our lives. Sometimes I take quick pics on my phone for updates on our page. Other times, I think OOPS! Haven’t updated on that one in a while, and it’s after I already have a blanket back on the grumpy ottb who is angry at the fact he is blanketed even though it’s for his benefit… I try and really enjoy my farm work. I take the time to take in the beautiful sunsets, and enjoy the goofy moments of horse scratches and treats, and I cherish the fact that my kids help and pitch in anywhere needed. Its a breath of fresh air for me during my day. It’s a lifelong dream that I get to live every day. Then we come home after all the chores are done and the horses are happily munching on their evening meals.

I’ve not always been the best planner for meals. Cooking has never been my strong point. I’ve always wanted to be a “good” cook, but it does not come naturally to me. So, I may or may not have to go to the grocery store before cooking dinner, and then come home and fix dinner. We eat our evening meal together, and get pajamas on, tuck the littles in for bed, and sit down and watch a Netflix show with our oldest daughter that would usually not interest the other kids. Then, I draw a nice warm bath with Epsom salts usually and then go off to bed.

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During this whirlwind of a day, there is lots accomplished and there is a lot that may not be accomplished. Either way, I have not failed. And neither have you. Your day might not be as busy as mine. But you are no less living a demanding life. You are not a failure, Mama if you have chosen to hold your baby, and let the laundry sit. You’re not a failure if your house didn’t get cleaned up the way you intended. You’re doing your best. Maybe the barn is spotless, and your horse is clean, and you got some ride time in, but your bed isn’t made and the kitchen is a mess. You are not a failure. You just took time on some of your other priorities. Our lives are full of priorities and demands. We can only do our best, and when it does not get done, know you are valuable, you are important, and you are not a failure. Look at all you HAVE done. When someone says to you, I just don’t know HOW you do it all, just smile, give a small shoulder shrug, and say I don’t…

People tell me they love rainy days. They like to cozy up with a book by the fireplace, with a nice cup of coffee, a warm blanket, and just enjoy the peaceful sound of the rain falling. I agree, the rain can be quite mesmerizing and peaceful from the comfort of our homes with a nice solid roof over our heads. Rain, in itself is beautiful. It brings discomfort, but it also brings new life. I love seeing the grass turn a brighter shade of green, and perk up after a while of going with no rain. I love seeing more flowers bloom, and things just come to life after a spring rain.

But this October rain…

October rain is dreary and cold. It brings the temperature down a level, makes big mud puddles that my boots try and get stuck in, and makes a statement every time it hits. It’s bringing in the colder, gray season of fall transitioning into winter. The time, us horse people aren’t looking forward to as much. With each October rain, I don’t see new life springing up, but rather more fluff and thick hair coming in on my horses and ponies as they are preparing for the winter weather. October rain, chills me, and soaks through the sweatshirts, and causes wet squishy feet in my leaky boots. Where is the blessing in that?

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Earlier this month, we went to the farm to get farm chores done in the late afternoon. We have morning routines that get done, and chores that get done later in the afternoon into early evening. Regardless of the weather there are certain things that have to be done, so you grit your teeth, put your layers on, and do it. The weather was crazy that day. To my right, the sky was blue with white clouds, to the left, the sky was ominous with flashes of lightning and booming thunder on and off. We were hurrying to get things finished, so we could hopefully beat the storm and get home to our own version of cozying up with a warm blanket and TV show. None of us particularly wanted to get stuck in the storm.

My own feelings and emotions were a bit of a whirlwind that day. Everyone has days that are ups and downs, no matter how “spiritual” they are, or what position they may hold. Being in ministry makes you no less human, and you are not above anyone else just because God wanted you to do a special task in His kingdom. That day was a downer day for me. I was going through our farm tasks watching the weather with dismay thinking of ALL the things I need to get done, and how I needed to get a move on it. I was grumbling about the weather, and thinking on all of my life’s care’s and current situations. There are some days as a woman, tears are just close to the surface of your eyes, waiting to be provoked. This was one of those days. Ladies, if it’s one of those days, let me tell you, I feel you! You’re not alone in that feeling of unbridled emotion. Some days, that’s just the way it is.

We had two thoroughbred rehabs we needed to bring inside. During the rainy days, they need the extra warmth, and one of them has very sensitive skin and is prone to rain rot. So during the pouring down rain, my daughter Destini and I were bringing those horses out of turnout and bringing them into shelter for the rainy days. I had forgotten to check the weather. That is a new skill I have acquired over the past year, and I’m still learning to always be prepared for the weather.

It poured buckets and buckets. We were wet from head to toe, and I was feeling pretty dark and grumbly, and we got the hay bags filled, filled their water, got everyone’s grain/beet pulp soaked, added in the right amounts of each of their supplements, and the kids helped pass out the feed dishes to each pen making sure each horse had their dinner, and we passed out hay to those who needed it. All in the pouring down rain. Then we got the two thoroughbreds toweled off and had been using the sweat scraper on them, warming them up, and got them settled in the barn. And wouldn’t you know it…..The storm began to clear.

You can imagine my relief that the storm was over, right? Only I was resentful. I had been doing ALL that work in the rain, when I could have waited an hour, and done it then and had squishy socks and wet alfalfa clinging to my clothes? God, what are you even doing? Don’t you know I’m already having a bad enough DAY? I was feeling pretty salty. BUT our chores were done, all except I felt like I needed to clean out my minis’ area. They have their own little area in our corn crib that I like to call Mini Prison. They are escape artists. So our corn crib, we revamped to have two open access stalls with rubber mats, and then a twelve foot turn off off of the stalls with very fine gravel as a dry lot. It’s perfect for those founder prone little escape artist devils. So, I have two mini horses in there and my mini donkey. They are at the very center of the bustling activity of the farm and get SO spoiled despite being little grumpy elves about being locked up.

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The storm had calmed to my left, and the brightness of golden hour began to set in to my right. I got the wheelbarrow, and started to scoop out one of the stalls, and I looked to the sky, and see the most stunning rainbow set against the darkness. The storm had been raging, and the skies flashing with lightning, but now all that was left was the darkness on that side, and a beautiful bow in the sky, which would soon turn into that impressive double rainbow we so often look for when we get the chance to see a picture of God’s promise in real life. It shone so vibrantly. The colors were intense and seemed to be glowing, just popping out of the sky. It was declaring a bold statement. It refused to be ignored.

I stopped what I was doing, and walked out to some of my favorite horses, kicking myself for not having my camera, but still wanting to live in the moment, so I pulled out my phone and took a picture so I could cherish this moment later on. It was a beautiful sight to behold. My muddy horses with that gorgeous sky in the background. And then I went to another section where I could really see it well in the background and took a selfie. Seeing my tired, and discouraged eyes on my phone screen with this radiant rainbow in the background, I realized that I was ungrateful. I paused for a moment, and I said God I’m sorry that I have been ungrateful in certain aspects of my life. I feel overwhelmed, but I know that You are always with me. And I said, THANK YOU, God, for the rain because without it, we wouldn’t have seen this beautiful rainbow.

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The moment I realized I was thankful for the rain, God spoke to me. It wasn’t an audible voice, or crashing Lightning. But that still, small whisper. Look to the right,. That’s what you long for. The beautiful sunny skies, and the feeling that everything is going as it should. You can see clearly everything that is happening in the sunny times. It feels good, and happy and easy. Look to your left…In the distance where I could see the dark stormy skies and still see flashes of lightning . That’s where you feel like you ARE. You feel you’re in the middle of the storm. All you can see is wind, and rain, and you feel beaten down. Lighting crashing and Thunder booming. But look there. To the rainbow, which was oddly near the middle between the two worlds that looked so starkly different from one another. That’s where I SEE you. You may not see it yet, but without the stormy times, the rainbow would never appear. You are becoming the beautiful creation of the rainbow, and when I look down on you, that is what I see. You are fearfully, and wonderfully made.

I may have cried a little, surrounded by my muddy fur ball horses, sitting in my rain drenched clothes, but I clung tight to the promise. When you are in your darkest hour, God is doing a work in your life. We don’t see the big picture, but only small glimpses of it, so how could we possibly understand? We are human, and we doubt. We tend to rely on ourselves, instead of trusting in God to work the process.

I’ve learned to embrace the rain. We have a choice, during our rainy season…We can go about our lives begrudgingly, and spitefully doing what needs done, despite the uncomfortableness of dealing with the cold, wet and hardly enjoyable circumstances. OR, we can take delight in knowing that throughout the rain, God is still working in our lives, molding us and making us into the beautiful work of art He wants us to be. We can laugh, and play in the puddles, or we can grumble in dismay.

There’s no greater delight to be seen than a child allowed to play in the rain. It is like it is the most wonderful treat that could be offered to them! They splash in the puddles, and dance in the raindrops. Their hair gets soaked and their shoes filled with water but they don’t care! They live in the moment, and are in awe at God’s creation. It brings them great joy. We would do well, to have the mentality of a child about our rainy days.

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After the chores were done, and my short bit of tears were dried, I went and played in the puddles with my kids. They had seized the opportunity to have a boat making competition. They each found pop bottles, and hay bale twine, and some wooden pieces, and little bits of random things, and made their own boats and were having a contest to see whose could float the longest. They were amazing! Hezekiah’s was the biggest, and skillfully crafted together in a very floatable fashion. Isaac had a pretty good design, and there were a few others. They were all sloshing through the puddles adding on little rocks to add weight and see whose boats would last the longest.

Their smiles were beautiful, and the laughter was healing. The fun was great to be had, and the rest of the world stood still. A moment frozen in time.

Maybe you are in a rainy, stormy season. All across the world, people are struggling with feelings of being alone, and overwhelming sadness. I don’t have all the answers for you, but I can tell you rejoice in the rain. Know that God has a plan and a purpose for you, and he will never leave you, or forsake you. God sees your pain, and sees your circumstance, but more importantly, God see’s the rainbow that will come about after the process.

I was reading a scripture last night, in Psalm 33:9. It says, “For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” What has He spoken in your life? What has He commanded? If He spoke it, it is done, and if He commands, it will stand fast. His word never fails. Another verse I have been reflecting on this week is found in Isaiah 41:10. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

If you are struggling, try turning this verse into a prayer. God help me to fear not, because you are with me. I will not be dismayed because You are my God. Strengthen me, and help me like you said. you would, and uphold me in your hand. You cannot go wrong by leaning into the Word. All it took was a rainy day and a rainbow to instill in my soul some amazing life lessons. I am thankful for the rainy days, and I am thankful for God’s Promises. It’s amazing the work that God continues to do, and all the things that were blessed on the day that we did chores in the rain.

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Thank you for following along with our family adventures. If you have stumbled across this blog, please feel free to check out our page on Facebook at Aldrich Equine Adventures. Where you will see frequent updates on rescue horses, and rehabs, and kill pen saves, and projects and transformations and little bits and pieces of how God is blessing us along the process.

During the bustle of the sale, we often have a list of potential horses. Destini and Nathaniel will handle them in the loose pens, and pull them out, hop on them, check their teeth, etc. But sometimes, we aren’t able to buy the ones on our list because they go to high, or they are going with another rescuer, or an individual. We pay attention to what the kill buyers are bidding on. That’s our main priority.

So, what happens, when we want to save another, but our list is exhausted? We are not a gambling family, but in this moment, we become the gambler. Really, any purchase from the loose pen, handled by us or not, has a risk of costing us money. We don’t know for certain we won’t get home and some sort of issue come up that will require more expenses, or possibly being harder to rehome them, etc. It’s always a little intimidating because you put money out there, hoping for the best, knowing that whatever the outcome, we will be first and foremost taking care of that horse to ensure they have a good future.

This month the gamble was a big one. A sorrel mare came through the ring in the loose pen. The horses on the loose auction side are usually only in the ring for about thirty to forty-five seconds. That’s thirty seconds to make a HUGE decision. Our list was pretty well exhausted, and she walked in and Nathaniel and Destini said, she looks like she’s broke, and liked the look of her, so they bought her. We did not see anyone handle this mare, or put hands on her ourself. We all hoped for a good outcome! For all we knew she could be a crazy untouchable horse. You never know what to expect. She was short, and needed a few lbs. Not the fanciest pretty thing out there. She was just a plain Jane sorrel mare. And a temperamental one at that, which is probably why she didn’t get handled much. Some horses, when they are thrown in a loose pen, are not thrilled about being stuck in a pen with a whole bunch of horses they don’t know, and they like to pin their ears, and back up and kick and squeal. She is one of those horses.

We gave the horses a couple days to settle in after the got home. And one by one began to pull them out to see what they knew. We had bought a handsome white percheron cross out of the catalog side. He spoke volumes to us with his temperament with a little girl riding him through the ring in a halter. Some horses, you can tell, they just try and make them look like a good horse. He was. straight up gentle horse. There was no smoke and mirrors with him. So, we knew kind of what to expect with him. Aggro Crag, the six OTTB gelding we bought, was such a pleasantly good minded horse for his first ride. First ride was bareback, and he did a nice WTC his first ride off the track that we are aware of, bareback with Destini. He is an amazing horse and will be a fantastic prospect for someone to bring along. Then there was Rock on Snaz, the older ottb we bought. He was pretty mellow. Western type fellow. And then it was the sorrel mares turn.

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We walked out and caught her, brought her to the trailer and she stood nicely tied… Then we tacked her up and she stood for that. Fly sprayed her, and she did good with that. Picked up her feet. Little squirrely with her back feet… Then Destini got on her. Out in the field, just by the trailer we use for the sale, and she walked her off, checked her brakes, and then the fun began. Phoenix began to shine. She walked off, and when we asked her to turn her around, she turned right around very soft in the mouth, and surprised us with a one hand neck rein. When I say one hand neck rein, I don’t mean a little tug, or really laying the rein on her neck, but just a slight leaning of the rein against her neck and she did a nice turn around at a nice pace. She brought her back and was playing with that neck rein a little bit. And I asked Destini when she brought her to a stop, to move the rein further up on her neck, and see if she spins. Sure enough, she spun on a dime both directions. We took Phoenix out to the riding arena, and she asked for a walk, trot, and lope, both directions. And much to our surprise that plain, simple sorrel mare, we had never laid hands on at the sale, showed her amazing skills. She would lope off from a stand still, digs in with her hind for turns, spin when asked and do a quick 180 for a change of direction with a neck rein, and she was so responsive it was mind-blowing.

So we decided to take her in with the cows. We thought maybe she might have been a cow horse. I will state, we are pretty amateur at sorting around here, but Phoenix does not appear to be. We have had to push a few cows here and there if they get out, with our lazy family horse, Jester. But when you get on Phoenix, it’s a whole new ball game, sparking laughter and a smile on your face, every time. We picked a calf, pointed her at it, and she chased that calf clear to the corner we picked and stayed locked on it. She had no fear of any of the cattle, and the moment you give Phoenix a job, she will work her heart out for you and do her best. She lives for the thrill of it.

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I didn’t post much about her for a while, because I was certain I wanted to keep this little redhead for myself. But I have a wonderful horse and so much going on that I decided I’d give it a couple years, and then add a second, similar to Phoenix into my group. We always have extra mouths to feed, and rehabs over the winter, and a lot going on with fixing up the property and our house, and homeschool, etc. We are busy right now, and I wouldn’t have the time to enjoy both horses. I had SO much fun riding this little mare. I found myself going to catch her a few times at the end of the day just to have some fun with her. This isn’t the end of the surprises that came from her. We figured since she seemed pretty amazing with the cows, it was pretty likely she had seen a few play days. We have barrels, but not poles, so we set up cones with pretty close measurements to what they would be at a fun show. Sure enough… Phoenix knows the barrel pattern, and knew right away what to do with poles. She is just SO much fun, and such a brilliant, fiery horse.

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I don’t know how Phoenix ended up in the loose pen. How does a horse like her end up in a place like that…? Perhaps she was sold with an estate sale, or sold to a good home. She does come with a scar on her back right fetlock. We had that x-rayed this morning because of a potential home lined up for her, and it was a concern if they would be doing junior rodeo with her. Maybe that’s why she was sold. She could no longer do the job she was needed for? When I know she has worked her heart out for her people. Phoenix never does anything half hearted. I have thought and wondered, but we will never know. Whoever the person is who gave up on her, she is well cared for, but her alternative would not have been so great.

Sometimes I look at the horses that can’t be handled at the sale. The ones that are causing the ruckus and kicking and squealing, and I pity them because they have less of a chance of leaving with an individual. I think of my own horses and how they would respond in a situation like the loose pen. Some of them would not do so great and they would be too worked up to be handled, let alone ridden. Phoenix was lucky she came home with us, and we are blessed to have her with us. My kids helped me name her. They liked the name Phoenix, and I did too. She is a beautiful fiery version of the mythical Phoenix rising from the ashes shining as a brand new creature. She has her restart with us, and we are thankful to be a part in allowing her to shine once again.

Thanks for following along with our family adventures. If you haven’t already, please check out our facebook page at Aldrich Equine Adventures.

Yesterday was a long day. It started early in the morning for Destini and Nathaniel and they did not get back home until about 12:30 am. We went with hopes to bring home a full trailer, as we try to most times, but with the knowledge we had a limited amount of funds to spend, and still horses left over at home still looking for good homes, so we could not over do ourselves this trip.

There were at least 1,000 horses there yesterday. The catalog sale did not finish until around 8:00-8:15 pm. I stayed in the catalog and watched for the very last horse that went out of our budget that someone had really hoped to be able to buy. In the catalog, there were a lot of lame horses, but even the lame horses brought a decent amount of money. I would say at least one third of the horses were sold “at the end of the halter” or smooth mouthed (meaning they would not state their age or didn’t have the teeth to check their age).

The loose pens were full and overflowing. There were a lot more skinnier horses this trip now that a lot of people are having to feed hay. Lots of thin ponies too, which are usually the easy keepers. There were trailers everywhere, lots of semis and large horse trader trailers. We rubbed shoulders with the guys who run very popular kill pen “rescue” pages. We were literally sitting right next to them in both the catalog and loose auctions. I watched as the guy in front of me bought horse after horse and wrote their number and kept a tally of how many he had and filled up his auction card. I heard familiar bidder numbers of known kill buyers and bail out people called out frequently as the winning bids.

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I left a little while into the loose auction because I needed to get back home with the kids. It was a long day and exhausting. We can only do so much. And yes, it was disappointing coming home with only three. When there were SO many, that we knew where they were going to, we wished we could do more. We had a list of about 20 some possibilities this trip. We brought home a mini jack, a wonderful pony, and a sweet quarter horse.

My sweet friend Amber sent us the story of the star fish, and how the little girl walked down the beach and picked them up one by one and threw them in. Her grandma asked her why when there is a whole Long Beach full of them and she would never be able to get them all, and she replied, no but I made the difference for this one. That’s what we did this trip. We made the difference for the three sweet souls that came home with us, and we still need to focus on the horses we have at home. We have some incredible horses just waiting on the right people to fall in love with them and see their value and put the effort into them to turn them into their heart horse.

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Someone commented yesterday, that they may be interested in a Percheron mare who came through the catalog. She sold for $1700, at the end of the halter, was work broke, and walking a little off. And I stopped to say, I still have a beautiful Percheron mare at my farm, work broke, green to riding, in good health and full of live at 15 years old for just a tiny bit more than that and you know so much more about her. I couldn’t justify $1700 on a lame percheron when I still have one at home looking for her forever home.

Ponies, and minis sold for high amounts. Broke minis, even a lame mini broke to ride and drive sold for $1150 in the catalog. I was surprised to see mini’s prices still high, as I had a hard time rehoming ours for three times less the amount, that was broke to ride and drive and having had been foundered but sound. Some of these ponies were the same.

Someone asked why there were so many. There was no sale last month, July-August is usually a slow time for the horse market. People don’t like to take on a new animal in 100 degree weather. And there are horses upon horses for sale if you look around, and very expensive horses! However, just because the horses are for sale, does not mean they are selling like hot cakes, because, they are not. I would say a lot of people who could not get their horses sold, brought horses to the sale yesterday, and got decent money for them. But sadly, I think the majority of the horses being bought were by major horse traders and kill buyers, and bail out type pages. There were also individuals buying. And the rescue groups were small in number in comparison to the big time buyers.

Next month, is the Labor Day Sale. It is the two year anniversary for us going and rescuing. I would like to help as many as I can next month and we will do our best to meet that goal. The Labor Day sale is always huge and will be expected to be about the same size as this sale. It will be a long day and a late night, and lots of horses in need. So today, I shake off the disappointment, and embrace the reality this is what we do, and why we do it. When we started, we only owned a tiny two horse straight load trailer, and could bring home maybe one extra horses, at the most two. And since Sept 2019, we have rescued more than 200. We have grown and not every month will be the same! We do only as much as we can. .

Thanks everyone for following us, and sending your support. We appreciate you all SO much!

Scars are a sensitive subject. Whether it be physical scars, or emotional scars, they leave damage either way. Many of us try and hide our scars, thinking they make us less beautiful, or are just an eyesore. We compare ourselves to those around us with seemingly flawless skin, or wish that they hadn’t happened to us. Emotional scars are especially deep when dealing with trauma in the past, emotional abuse, physical abuse, or loss.

A scar is permanent. I used to feel that scars were ugly, and I hated when I got a new nick on me, etc. But as time has gone by in my life, I have learned to embrace the scars as part of who I am. I have gone through a lot of emotional loss, and loss of family and friends in my lifetime, regardless of the reasons why it happened, it still left a mark behind in my heart. I learned that when the Bible talks about forgiving Seventy times seven, it’s not just forgiving a person for repetitively hurting you, but maybe perhaps you have forgiven, but then something comes up a few months later and old feeling surface, and you pray and ask God to help you forgive them again. You Forgive time and time again for the same offense. Wouldn’t it be nice to just forget some things?

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I have spent a lot of time researching and praying about forgiveness, and reading into the Scripture about it. Dealing with foster children, and having adopted children from foster care, we also see a lot of emotional scarring and sometimes years later, old things come up on a moment’s trigger. After all my research, and studies and personal journey, I have come to the conclusion that scars don’t define you. They don’t make you less beautiful. In fact, they help shape you into the person that God wants you to be. Every circumstance that you experience, can further be used to help someone else who may be going through the same thing. You may be their only light and their only person who they can relate to.

Each scar has a story to tell. I have scars from getting into a tangle with a horse and some barbed wire, I have a scar from an evil cockatoo latching on to my shoulder and my thumb. I have a scar on my lip from Louie when we were starting to break him to ride, where I bit through my lip when he reared and hit me in the face twice. I have a scar from having a skin biopsy done, and scars from chicken pox as a child. I have a scars from running into a glass door, racing my sister, and shattering the glass. These are all physical scars. There are emotional scars that no one can see except for myself and Jesus. Those scars, although not visible on the outside, may show up occasionally through reactions, and emotions, and a lack of trust on occasion.

On the subject of scars, let me tell you a little about Warrior. In August 2020, we were at the sale, sitting in the loose pen auction. I had come to the sale a little late, and didn’t really get a lot of time in the back where the loose pens are, but I was there for the loose auction. The horses are in the ring for less than 30 seconds. They don’t have an introduction, they just shout out mare or gelding, and hopefully that’s right. Their weight is on the screen along with an approximate current bid. You have a short amount of time to make a big life changing type decision. The sale was in full swing, and one horse exited the ring, and the next one came into the ring. It was a gray thoroughbred covered in whip marks, and bites. He was sad and scared, and beat to pieces. His knees were a little large. When he walked into the ring, you could hear the reaction of the crowd as everyone was murmuring and a quick gasp when they first saw him. He looked terrible. I remember hitting my husband on his arm when he looked at me saying we need to buy that horse. I had to save him.

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Number 551. Covered in scars, afraid, somewhat thin but not bad, and very not trusting. My husband got the winning bid on him, and we were so excited to bring him home. A man walked over after winning his bid and handed me his jockey club papers. Turns out this poor beaten up gelding was a successful race horse named Poker Player, having won over $214,000 on the track. A war horse. Yet somehow he ended up here in the sad condition that he was in.

Our friends Shannon and Rexall were with us at that sale, and Rexall told us he would have bought him if we didn’t. It worked out so they were able to bring him home with them and really pour the love and healing into him that he needed. At first he liked to crash through their fences like a typically OTTB. But Rip grew friendlier every day and calmed down little by little. He had a wonderful home with them.

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A lot of people, especially people who show horses, don’t want a scarred up horse. They want a nice flawless animal. Rip, as named by Shannon and Rexall, was covered in scars, and likely would have permanent scars. Not only was he dealing with the physical scars, but also the emotional trauma of changing from life as a race horse, to normal horse life, to being probably bounced around through a few traders, and going through a loose pen auction. He was a lost soul all around. He really needed their healing time.

Fast forward to nearly a year later, my horse passed away this summer. She left a big hole in my heart. I was frustrated, doing horse chores, and having so many horses to care for, but not having my own that I clicked with. I didn’t know what I wanted and was just casually feeling out horses as they came through our property. When Rip’s owners contacted us about buying him back, we initially thought he would be a good horse for a free lease to be able to give a young teen who couldn’t necessarily afford to buy a horse the opportunity to have a decent horse to ride. We planned on putting training on him and maybe doing something like that with him. It became very evident, very quickly though that Rip was no ordinary OTTB. His owners had gotten busy with work and didn’t have the time to ride him as needed, and sometimes he could be a bit forward and she had some bad ankles and had a hard time with him. The first time I rode him, I rode him around our entire property. He was sweet and gentle, and kind and very enjoyable.

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I have never loved OTTBs… My daughter loves them, and my husband loves to train them. At first I thought he was too tall. A nice horse, but not the one for me. I had someone who wanted to come and see him and they came and tried him out. Before they arrived, while driving to the farm, I was reflecting on what a good horse he is, and I felt sad about the thought of him leaving, but it was already scheduled, so I prayed about it, and said God you know what horse is the one for me. If it’s Your will for him to stick around here, then you know what’ best. I watched as the girl tacked him up, and rode him all around the property, and rode him through the gate and out to the road. I watched as she walked, trotted, and loped him and he picked up both leads, and thought for sure he was going to go home with her. She had recently lost her heart horse, and got emotional into his visit, and realized she just wasn’t ready for a new horse yet. Even though he behaved like a perfect gentleman.

I was happy she didn’t take him and I realized just how happy I was standing in the corn crib while it was pouring down rain with the big white goofball unicorn. Suddenly I remembered that prayer, and realized, I had found my horse. Some people think Go doesn’t care about small things like that. But God cares about what makes you happy. If it’s important to you, it’s important to God. Because He loves you more than you can fathom.

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Warrior is what I named him. Because when I look at him, I’m looking at a fighter. I’m looking at a horse whose scars should have made him not trust people anymore, but he chose to give people a second chance. I’m looking at a horse, who won over $200,000 on the track running his heart out, only to end up in a kill pen auction at eight years old.

His scars remind me of where he came from, but they don’t define him. The things that define him, is what he has become despite the scars. He has become an amazing, loving horse. He can be a goofball and make people smile on their roughest days. He likes to escape his pasture and try and help himself to a breakfast buffet by removing the top of the grain barrel. Warrior LOVES to be petted and talked to, and will come running to you when you come to see him. He loves to be brushed down and fly sprayed, and will yawn big yawns and take a nap during grooming sessions. He is rarely impatient. If Warrior gets out, he will walk over just to be with you. He lets my boys ride him double, and any of my kids could ride on him, without me being concerned for their safety. I know he will take care of them. Warrior, shows what it means to forgive and to love.

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Maybe you have scars too, physical, or emotional. Those scars do not define you, nor do they limit the great things you are capable of doing. The Japanese embrace the broken piece of pottery by repairing the cracks with gold, thus making the pottery a more beautiful, unique piece of art. You can be the same way. If you are struggling with scars, and have emotional baggage you tired of carrying, turn to God and turn to the Scripture. He will make you new if you ask Him to. And you won’t be known for your scars but, but they will shape you into who you can be, and you in turn can help someone else see the beauty in their own scars. God can use a scarred up vessel, or a cracked pot. God can use a goofy horse to remind you to forgive time and time again and not give up people.

Don’t let your scars hold you back. You are more than the scars you carry. You too are a warrior, meant for so much more than you can imagine.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in work mode. The physical work of owning and rehabbing horses is taxing. Getting up early for morning feeds, and going to bed late, after a full days work, late dinners, feeling tired but accomplished. Sometimes I briefly get caught up in the work, and lose site of the reason why we are doing it.

We currently care for twenty six horses, ponies, and a donkey. Some are here long term for rehab, some are listed for sale and ready to leave at any point, and some are personal animals. What our day consists of, caring for them is getting up early, checking water troughs, collecting all the feed buckets, filling the feed buckets, taking them all out to be wet down and letting them soak for about 10-15 minutes, and then taking them all out to the horses in their individual pens. It also entrails addressing any issues with the horses that may need tended to, like bandages, etc, patching up. In the afternoon, I go out to the farm with my kids and we are there to do any clean up, work that needs done, pony rides, etc. Destini is usually riding horses by 3:00 pm and if any horses need training time, that usually begins in the late afternoon into evening. We often have a lot of horses needing ridden, so they get rotated throughout the week.

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On into evening, we begin making the rounds to collect feed buckets. Most all of our horses get two feeds a day, but there is one pen that gets one evening meal, along with their hay available all day, mostly consisting of ponies and easy keeper horses. Then we go around and check the water troughs. Especially on these hot days, it’s always important to keep those water troughs readily full and available. So, we have a system of filling them all up, and a series of hoses that go along and can be connected or disconnected for convenience. Then I check the rehab pen up front and make sure they have full water troughs and hay, and get their grain buckets. Then the process from morning is repeated, filling up each bucket with the right amount for their nutritional needs, and adding in any supplements they may be on. Carrying them out, once again, to be wet down. And then they get loaded in the skid steer bucket and a few of us hop on and ride through the property passing out their feed for the evening. It saves time and a lot of walking with a wheelbarrow!

The horse market is always slow in the heat of the summer. People don’t like to come out and buy horses, or take on a new horse to take care of in 100 degree weather. So, the workload is higher because we have a lot of equine residents to take care of, and the feed bill is high, and the amount going to new homes is fewer. It usually picks back up in August. But it makes things seem slow and sometimes discouraging, wondering if we will have horses rehomed before the next sale. Or the funds to be able to rescue as many as we usually do. Don’t get me wrong, even if we can only bring home one or two it is worth it. But we like to be able to do more, and unfortunately don’t have any magical money trees growing on our property. 🙂 We have lots of money burners though!

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When I got discouraged one day, I scrolled back through my facebook photos and began to smile… I realized just how many amazing memories we have made this year with our family. Yes…There’s been a lot of dirty, gritty, hard, repetitive work. But my kids have had so much life experience this year because of it. We took on some orphaned kittens, and my kids learned how to take care of them and have loved every minute of it. We experienced calves being born. Summers full of popsicles and riding, and kittens and ponies, and dirt and sand. These kids are living the life.

In reflection, I realized how much we have grown as a family. My own work ethic and strength as grown, my daughter Destini is doing amazing things, and with her own riding improving is able to further help train horses. She does a lot, and is a great rider, and I see her dedication on a daily basis. Nathaniel has worked and worked and worked to make my personal dream come true. I’m surrounded by horses of all shapes and sizes, able to help horses in a bad situation, and turn them around and get them into good homes. He’s been cleaning up the property, making an outdoor arena, working on a new quarantine area for our sale barn horses, teaching our kids to ride, training horses, doing things that I know a few years ago, he would not have thought about doing with horses because he loves me, and I had big dreams. His love for me shows through every day.

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Over this summer, I have watched my daughter start showing and growing a huge collection of blue ribbons in her room. She shines every time she enters the show ring, and if something does go right, she walks out with a smile on her face and a good attitude and speaks of rider error. She has also helped Elijah learn a lot this year. Elijah is eight years old and has started riding Cupcake and plans on showing her. His very first show, he trained with Destini every evening with a rescue horse, Liem’s Luck. He got a fifth place ribbon in a green rider over cross rails class. To watch her inspire others is an amazing thing.

I have also noticed, our children’s screen time has gone down immensely. They are spending hours outdoors, helping with chores, riding, and using their imaginations. I have seen homemade bows and arrows at the farm, digging in the sandy arena and attempting to make sand castles, the joy of discovering we have clay dirt underneath the old barn’s foundation that has been torn down… I have been asked a couple times by doctors this year when our kids had appointments, how much outdoor time they have, with them ready to give me the speech about how limiting screen time and making them play outside is important, to have them stopped short and shocked that our kids spend six to eight hours outside a day. I would not change that for the world. They are healthy, and happy, and not constantly glued to youtube or video games. At home, they exercise with me, play video games/ tv in the morning and afternoon they help clean the house, and then we go to the farm. Beginning of September, we will add in their home school routine.

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or seem stuck in the rut of every day work… Look around you, or go back through the things that have made you grow this year. Look for the joy in the little things. The little things like, taking a pony ride with a kitten, splashing around with the water trough, your kids doing cartwheels. Look for the moments when they were grinning ear to ear and giggling. Maybe it’s the moments of a new experience, or a first time one of the kids or yourself tried something you haven’t done before.

The sunset, animals, horses…they all inspire joy. For me, one of my favorite activities for the year has been chasing cows with Jester. He is SO slow, but he perks up the moment he sees cows, and we have gotten somewhat decent about chasing them back in to where they are supposed to be and have both discovered a fun hobby when the cows manage to escape, which is not as often anymore. Despite your circumstances, just take a look around at God’s blessings, and you will be reminded that there is joy to be found.

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We are preparing for our sale on Monday that we will be rescuing from. After looking through memories, and past horses that we have done, a renewed fire of compassion once again in my heart, I am looking forward to rescuing the ones we can. With it being slow this month, I’m unsure how many we will be able to bring home and I am anxious to see what the prices are again this month since they have been high all summer. If you don’t follow us, make sure to check out our FB page @ Aldrich Equine Adventures and our instagram @aldrichequineadventures.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in life. We get busy. And sometimes overwhelmed. Maybe it’s the laundry piled up on the couch, or an overflowing trash can, or dirty dishes, but your children have their schoolwork done. Maybe the barn is clean, but the house is suffering, or maybe it’s the opposite. Any way you look at it we get overwhelmed with life here and there. Our journey gets busy.

Sometimes our journey through life is hard, and we have circumstances we can’t understand. We question why we go through somethings and really can’t see the bigger picture. For myself, one journey that I struggled with was my children’s congenital heart defects. I had three babies in a row born with holes in their hearts. For each one, prayer was made, and I am a believer in miracles. I’ve seen God heal people, and intervene and heal in some circumstances with animals. You will never convince me that God does not heal.

My first heart baby was Isaac, who is now six. He is hearth healthy and has been cleared from cardiology since he was a baby. His heart is in great shape with no intervention and perfectly normal. But, other times, God doesn’t straight out fix the problem. My second heart child is Jonathan. He is now almost five years old, and still has a large ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) which is basically an extra large hole in between the top chambers of his heart. It goes so far down toward the middle that there is no place to attach a patch if they wanted to. His prognosis before birth was much worse, and to this day JJ is a walking miracle. He runs and plays and continues to grow and thrive, but does have lower oxygen levels then the average person. It is likely JJ will never have surgery.

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As if two were not enough, we were graced with a third heart baby, Danielle. Danielle was a surprise, and I had high hopes she would have a healthy heart (my first two sons did not have any heart defects).. We had just taken in a wild little foster child that we did not intend to be permanent, but you know how that works. Malachi ended up joining in with our wild bunch permanently, and Danielle became Aldrich child number seven in our family. Her prognosis was a borderline hypo plastic right heart syndrome. It was quite possible she may have needed to function as a single ventricle heart because the VSD (ventricular septal defect or hole in between the bottom two chambers) was so massive, it was hard to tell how her heart would function. We went to appointment after appointment and it was HARD. My husband is a pastor, and as a pastor’s wife, sometimes we try and hold ourselves to a higher standard. We are just people and the trials of our faith are the same as anyone else. Two weeks after Danielle was born, she landed in PICU with RSV. She was so tiny, and so sick, and it sent her into heart failure. If I remember right this first hospital stay was nine days. It felt like an eternity. As a newborn, it is so hard to see your baby failing to thrive and struggling to live. You question if its your fault or if theres anything you could have done better. You question God, as to why your baby? It’s hard.

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Heart Mamas, I want to take a minute to encourage you…You are the warrior. They say our babies are warriors, but the parents are the real warriors. They fight for their children and strive to do everything they can for the best interest of their child’s health. You will see heart mamas in the hall ways of PICU in sweatshirts and disheveled hair, and darkened eyes from their minimal amount of sleep on a cot. You will see their strength and weaknesses in the hospital. You will see countless beds of babies hanging on to a thread of life, often times that thread that is holding them is the hope and care of their mothers. Heart Mamas, you are enough. You’re not a failure, and your child feels that love and support.

Danielle’s journey didn’t end there, a while later she went home and began to be a failure to thrive baby, despite tons of calories going into her. Danielle had to stop nursing and be a bottle baby so I could make sure she was getting enough. Despite the amount of food she was getting into her, her little heart was burning up all of her calories. It was decided she needed heart surgery where her chest was opened up and a small band put on to her pulmonary artery (a PA band) to help restrict the blood flow to her lungs . In theory this would allow her extra time to grow and become healthy enough for a full open heart surgery when she was older and bigger. After the surgery, which was about a ten day stay, Ms Danielle went home a new baby, but it was not a new happy baby .She was fussy and crying and always projectile vomiting and was not gaining weight. Five weeks later Danielle was in emergency procedure draining five ounces of blood off from around her heart. The next day, they had to open her up again and look for a bleed and cleaned out some clots, and decided they needed to tighten her PA Band. She had another hospital stay for recovery time for about a week this time, and we were home and this time she was thriving.

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Danielle made it to two years old before she needed surgery. In June of 2020, she had her full repair. She handled surgery like the amazing warrior that she is. It was open heart surgery and she was on bypass for some time, and of course we were worried through it like most parents, but also had the firm belief that God was in control of the situation. Baby girl came out of the operating room a nice beautiful pink tone. I didn’t realize how pale and bluish she was at times in comparison to her fully oxygenated skin tone. Within days she was bouncing back, and doing better and better. She had to have one of those toddler cribs because she was too busy trying to climb out of the crib. When we got home she had six weeks of sternal precautions and could not be lifted under her arms, and follow up appointments, and is not a heart healthy fully repaired kiddo. Her XL VSD is patched, and they patched a large ASD which turned out to be multiple small ones. They removed the PA Band, They left one very small hole just to make sure her heart did not get overwhelmed by the change in pressure. My baby girl now runs circles around her brothers and keeps up with all of them. She climbs like a ninja and loves to ride her “baby ponies.” And loves mini donkeys. I fully expect to see her being a wild little cowgirl as she gets older.

All of that said, finding the blessing in the journey is hard. Obviously Danielle is the biggest blessing in that journey. We almost lost her a couple of times, and I can’t imagine life without her. But there are more blessings throughout the way. The people that came into our path as a result of it, are part of the blessing. We had amazing doctors, and ran into some amazing people in the hospital, and God opened so many doors to witness to people throughout our journey. He gifted me a testimony of strength and the ability to rely on Him and lean on him when I can’t stand on my own.

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This last sale, I connected with someone over a donkey. Of all things a mini donkey. Because of that mini donkey, the same day we were conversing about him, is the same day she had a fetal echocardiogram because they got some bad news about their precious unborn baby. Because of my journey, I was able to talk with her about CHD and the support of heart moms, and the support and miracles of God. Do I believe that was coincidence…? No. Not in one bit. God allows through our journeys so we can help other people. Do I think that is solely the purpose? I suppose I’ll never know. But I do know that with all we have been through, we can be a light to other people going through a similar journey, and when they just hit against a brick wall, or feel their world is spinning from underneath them, we can help show them that it is not a hopeless situation. That they can lean on God and we will be there however we can.

The blessing in the journey doesn’t only apply to heart defects, every month we have rescue horses through. The blessing in the journey to me comes through a fiery red head, praying for our horse to continue to recover and for wisdom of how to help her along the way. Or a tiny donkey becoming tame enough that he wants scratches and affection from us. A blessing comes in the form of a wild white donkey who doesn’t trust people, landing in her new home and coming to her new owner to be petted. A blessing comes in seeing the life come back into a horse that has been failed by people. A blessing comes in seeing a pony that was thrown away in a loose pen bring my children together to work with it, and in turn teaches them so many life lessons and confidence.

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As you go through your journey, whether its health issues, or horses, or just life itself… Look for the blessing. We are quick to see our problems and slow to see the blessing. Stop, and breathe, and ask God…Show me the blessing in this, and He will.

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Spark, my children’s pony is the whole reason we ever started going to the sale every month. We were in search of a pony for our kids in September 2019, and didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg, so we figured an auction was the best way to go. We went back into the loose pens, and handled the ponies, and my kids were mostly all along for the trip. It was a long day, and it was a crazy emotional roller coaster of a day as our eyes were opened to a whole different part of the horse world. But that in itself is a different story. Our boys really wanted a paint pony. There was a cute black and white broke paint gelding in the back, and we planned on bidding on it. Our kids rode It in the loose pen, and it seemed pretty mild. But when it went through the ring, it sold too high for what we had planned on spending. The disappointment was very evident in our boys’ crestfallen faces. But we also handled a couple little black ponies in the back, that had shoes pulled prior to the sale, and were friendly and broke. So we watched for those ones. When the little black pony with the white snip on her nose came through, our kids gave a nod of approval and we bought her. We also bought another beautiful palomino horse I had fell in love with in the back and felt sorry for. She was very thin and sad looking. We came home with a horse and pony in our little two horse trailer.

They named her Spark. The van was filled with excitement on our way home. The kids were so happy about their new pony and could hardly contain themselves. I was just hoping we made a good choice and she would be a calm enough pony to put up with five little boys!

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The first day home, it was evident that we got a pretty special little pony. Spark, at 11 hh, and 14-15 years old, was patient in every way. She loved the little boys petting her, and brushing her. She was gentle on a lead rope, and she gave pony rides like a dream. I wished we had bought the other pony who had looked like her too. Spark picked up her feet like a champ, and she would follow a person anywhere with kids on her. Amish children, when they are young, often train ponies this way. One child will ride the pony and the other will walk ahead of them, and then switch off, and then they will ride independently later on. We once met a the cutest little Amish boy twins that were about 5 years old, and they rode ponies together in this fashion. I was pretty delighted we had made a good choice. Some of our boys were disappointed that they did not find a paint. Some day, I will get those boys a second paint pony.

Spark has continued to live up to her name time and time again. She “sparks” joy. She has sparked a love of horses into a LOT of children. She’s taught my children responsibility, and how to care for a horse. They learned to pick out hooves on Spark. They learned from the farrier about proper hoof care. They learned to bathe a horse and brush them, and properly lead a horse. They learned about dental care when Chenoweth’s came out and did teeth for us and they got to watch the process. They have learned their basic riding skills on that pony!

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I have a lot of good memories of my kids with Spark. The first time they rode double is one. In the yard of the house with kids running around playing, I saw my two oldest boys riding Spark around double together. Going on a ride through Westport subdivision with one of my kiddos and Spark is one memory that will always make me smile. Seeing her go to a fun show with Hezekiah and win ribbons in their costume class dressed as Hiccup and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, is another To think Spark was a kill pen pony, was so disheartening. I watched my boys learn how to trot poles, and barrels on her. They learned that every animal, and person has a bad day here and there. Spark’s bad day was trying to knock Elijah off her back by going under the over hang of the gooseneck trailer with him. Or occasionally trotting off to the barn with a less confident kiddo. . Spark is an angel compared to some. She has never offered to buck, or rear, or bolt with my children. My oldest boy got brave enough to stand up on her back and rode her at a walk crouched down on her. He loped her once or twice and that was enough speed for him. They are still building confidence. Seeing some of the horses we have had, they know to be cautious. We have had a little bit of every kind of bad behavior.

Spark is very bonded with my old Arabian mare, Lightning. Everywhere they go, you will see those two together. Lightning used to act like Spark was her little baby. It’s very amazing to see the bonds that form between horses. I’ve seen a lot of horses get split up from an obviously bonded friend at the sale barn. Some people think horse’s don’t have emotions…They are wrong. I’ve experienced it first hand SO many times.

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Spark is not the most well behaved pony at shows. It’s not her strong point. And she is a bit wheezy with heaves. She isn’t perfect and she is not super well trained, but she’s enough. Enough to trust her to take care of our littles. That’s a lot in my books. We discovered Spark’s favorite calling is that of a trail pony. She will lead, follow, or go in the middle. She will pack two kids around with her. My kids love trail riding, and so does Spark. It’s an adventure for both of them! The first trail ride we went on, she shone! Two kids rode her, and she walked and trotted on cue. She stopped and took a break when we did and the kids switched off on the horses they were riding. Spark didn’t blink at a thing. At home, she will allow my four year old boy to feel like a big kid and ride her following along another horse. She will follow another horse anywhere. So Jonathan can ride alongside his big brother on Spark, while he rides Jester or Bedda. Just walking along side the pony even, without having to hold her on a lead rope or hold on to her rein, makes the littlest kids feel like they are the biggest cowboys in the world.

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If you’re debating on buying your kid a pony… Even if they are a “character builder” instead of a “confidence booster,” there are so many life lessons your child will learn. It is an investment into their lives. My vet jokingly says pony is a four letter word. Some days, I would agree. But Spark has been such a huge role in creating a wonderful childhood for my littles. I used to use the hash tag #fromkillpentobestfriend a lot. Spark has done that. She was someones discarded trash in the sale. I am thankful we brought her home that day.

If you are new to my blog, please feel free to check out our Facebook page, Aldrich Equine Adventures and you can find us on IG @aldrichequineadventures. Once a month we rescue horses and ponies like Spark. Spark was our first, since then we have rescued monthly all we can handle financially. Good ponies like her can be found at the sale barn every month. Maybe your child’s next best friend is in the next sale. We quarantine them, vet them, have their feet trimmed, deworm them and handle them and put ride time on them while they are with us. I have 7 children involved in getting ponies ready for a family that has kids and they do a great job! They love to help! If you’re looking, please contact us!

Just an old horse. Aged, possibly arthritis, perhaps missing some teeth here or there, or have worn down teeth. Maybe they don’t quite have the spring in their step like they did in their younger days. Often times, old horses will get passed by when people are in search of a family horse, because they want something with a lot of years left in them to last their kids, etc. Just because they are old, doesn’t mean they are not golden. That old horse might do one hundred times more confidence building for your child, than the beautiful 8 year old geldings you bought to last them.

My old horse is 24 years old. She is a beautiful flea bit gray grade Arabian mare. She’s never had much of a forelock, and she has some black marks on her nose where she must have had a halter on too long in her younger years. I used to photoshop out the black marks in pictures of her for a photography shoot, but they are part of her. She has scars below her knees on both front legs, and I would love to find out more of her history, but I don’t have a lot of history on her. I have had Lightning for over a year now, and she’s with me forever. Prior to coming to me, Lightning belonged to a wonderful family for ten years and was her first horse. Before that, she came form a rescue.

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Initially, when we got Lightning, she was pretty spicy. Lightning was broke, but hadn’t been ridden in some time, and she certainly had an attitude if she wanted to go her own direction. Lightning rode better for Nathaniel than me, but she made me tense when I got on her, and I’m sure that tension transferred from me to her. I got frustrated with her time and time again because she always trot and never want to just slow to a walk. Sometimes, it’s nice just to be able to relax in the saddle. You would never guess Lightning was old, based on her love to trot and run!

Lightning used to be a bolter. It took a while to figure out that she associated me riding her with her bit to having a heavy hand on her mouth. She had been stuck in a rut of bad behavior. She knew if she was at a trot, people would be yanking on her to get her to slow down, and it just further fueled her fire. It really felt like it was out of necessity to be heavy handed, because she was unresponsive if you wanted her to slow down. One time, she ran off with me despite me trying to turn her head, and continued and suddenly stopped in front of the fence line. I was so thankful that she didn’t toss me over the fence! She is very good at continuing to run in a straight line with her head turned completely to the side. It is quite the sight to see!

I started riding her here and there bareback, and she was an amazingly different horse. I would ride her in a rope halter around the pasture. She would rarely try and trot off with me, and I noticed when she felt that my balance started to slip, she would slow down. I was working up my confidence bareback riding on her. I even got to the point with her I could put a rope around her neck and she would ride off of leg pressure. One day, we tacked up, and while taking Lightning for a ride down the road, she kept behaving horrible for me, and my husband and I switched horses. I rode Jester and he rode her back. She immediately kept a walk for him, and I noticed he was able to one hand rein her. I didn’t understand the difference, because in a rope halter and bareback, she is just fine. The saddle fit well, nothing was pinching. The only thing different basically was her bridle. But in his hands, the bridle was fine.

We got back from that ride, and I took her bridle off, and slipped on a rope halter, and kept her tack on, and got back on her, and she was a different horse for me. I didn’t have to fight with her to stay at a walk, she was responsive to my leg and very light pressure with my simple tied rope halter reins. I rode her through the neighborhood and didn’t have any trouble with her at all.

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From that day forward, Lightning and I have and a mutual understanding of each other. I ride her in a hackamore. I don’t use a bit, and she doesn’t run off with me. I trust her to take care of me. Riding bareback with her, has improved our bond a lot, I think. Over the summer, I got to the point I could lope her bareback. I can ride her trot easily, and she can feel if she needs to slow down and let me get adjusted. We have had many bareback rides through the little subdivision around our farm. and She’s helped us round up a loose horse or two. Lightning has run barrels, and poles, and flags, and trails. She is such a good trail horse! She loves being in the lead, although lately, she doesn’t care as much. She’s just happy to be out and about with us.

Sometimes, she makes me chase her. And we have worked out an understanding in that area as well. I chase her and change directions twice, then I walk up and put the rope around her neck. I’ve caught her by her tail before. She seems to enjoy her games of chase! She knows MOST of the time, I won’t give up, and is always ready to give in after a couple minutes of her naughtiness. She makes me laugh, and she makes my day better on any rough day.

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An old horse can teach you a lot. Almost every horse, regardless of their age, has some quirk or two to work through. Lightning’s was just a result of previous behavior and people’s reactions through the years I imagine. After we established a mutual trust with each other, she has become an amazing horse. Not just anyone could ride her and run her. But I trust her. Lightning has taught my kids a lot. I have given them some lessons on steering, walk, trot. Lightning and I have done some beginner liberty training and she is great for pony rides off of a lead line. Little kids feel like they are big stuff being able to ride my horse independently, while I walk nearby and give her hand signals.

Lightning has done fun shows with my kids and got to help instill in them a love for horses, and allowed the to be a part in the “big people” fun of horses. She’s done barrels and poles with the kids and a costume class being Flash’s sidekick horse.

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Lightning turns into a marshmallow for kids. At the beginning, I could have been running her and having to turn circles, or fighting to stay at a walk instead of a trot, but after a frustrating ride, she would be an angel the minute I put my children on her for a ride. She still loves the littles.

If you’re thinking about a horse for your children…Don’t pass by the old horse just because of their age. They may not have a decade left to give your family, but the lessons they will teach you are worth so much. The patience of an old horse far surpasses that of a young one. They have been around, and seen it all, and rarely will you find a spooky old horse. They may have a quirk or two to figure out, but a little time, and that relationship will develop. Take the time and listen to them. You’ll figure each other out. And you will have a horse that you will have such rewarding memories, you will cherish them the rest of your life.