Leslie Johnson of Woodlawn, TN came to MAHR looking for that special horse that she could “click” with. After riding several of the horses here…she saddled up Tessa and got on…after about 5 minutes of riding, she had a big smile on her face and said “This is the one!” What a pair! Tessa left MAHR on June 20, 2010 to her new home.
Time to go to her new home!
Some fresh hay for the road!
Thank you, Leslie, for giving a rescue horse a second chance at life!!
Below is a letter MAHR received from Leslie on 1/23/11 from our happy adopter!!
Hello Kathy,
I came by your farm in June 2010 on the advise of my aunt, Maria Blackstone (who later adopted the down right adorable Eyore). After riding a few of your adoptable horses, I mounted Tessa, and within minutes knew she was the right one for me. I have been just tickled with her ever since. Tessa and I have begun a life long partnership that I am so grateful for. She has a heart of gold and we’ve enjoyed developing in a variety disciplines. If you recall, she had a mysterious old injury marked by significant scar tissue near her left hind hock and random uneven movement. Vets agree that it is not actually string halt, x-rays are all clean without evidence of any bone damage, she maintains full range of motion, so we’ve deduced that there must be some nerve damage. Over the last 6 months, Tessa has built up some great muscle tone and much to my surprise, her funny little stepping has nearly ceased entirely. If she feels uneasy about something or becomes frustrated, she will step higher with that one leg, but any challenges she face are minor and usually unnoticeable. Tessa has proved a trusty companion on long trails along the Red River, as she quietly tromps around through water, up to a small dam, through a lush hay field, and up and down hills on her steady shoeless feet. We enjoy dressage work to show off her beautiful lateral movement and our new trick, effortless flying lead changes. I recently discovered that she quite enjoys some light jumping for fun. She uses her hind legs equally and neatly squares up over fences.
My husband came home from Afghanistan for just two weeks this past fall before returning to serve. He’s not very “horsy,” and was a little shocked when I handed him her lead as we fetched her from her pasture. He said, “how do I get her to move?” I said “Just walk, she’ll follow at your shoulder.” He hesitantly walked out the gate and was soon walking zig zags and circles amazed at her puppy like personality. As he watched me show her off under saddle, he said, “Are you sure she was a rescue? What’s wrong with her?” I smiled and said “absolutely nothing.”
Thank you for saving Tessa and all the other horses you give another chance at a happy life to. Tessa is family and someday we’ll be back to find her a companion that I can convince my husband to ride. I’ll be sure to send you updated pictures and videos soon.
Sincerely,
One Happy Horse Owner
Leslie Johnson
Awesome!! Another wonderful success story!!!