Today as I worked at my barn, my trainer came up to me and told me that we were expecting a new arrival. This horse was underweight and his desire to work was gone. He wanted me personally to take care of this horse and nurse it back to health and I could own this horse. I was so excited that I was going to own a horse but so sad about his condition, what happened to him that made him so unhappy? My trainer told me he was trained under an english saddle and he was and excellent 8 year old brown QH gelding. My trainer showed me a picture of the horse and I couldn't believe it.THE NEW ARRIVAL IS GOING TO BE OZZIE!!!!!! I am so excited that I get to see by little boy again, and even better, I am going to own him!!!! I am just wondering what happened to him, he loves to work and he was a big healthy boy the last time I saw him. I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to see him, I am so HAPPY!!!!!
Today was the day I was going to see my little boy again. I went over to the barn at about 7:00 am since he was suppose to arrive at 8. I got his old stall ready and prepared him a special meal so he will gain some weight. When his trailer pulled into the driveway my heart gave a big "Yippee!!!", he was here and we were going to see him again. The person who previously owned him went into the trailer to retrive him. As she backed him out, I saw the condition he was in. He was about 100 lbs. underweight and his tail and mane was all knoted. It broke my heart to see him like that. She continued to back him out and as soon as he was fully out he saw me standing off to the side watching him. Then the wildest thing happened, Ozzie whinnied then reared and broke away from the handler and ran over to me, I was so happy he remembered me. I grabbed his lead rope quickly and he started nuzzling me and I gave him many kisses and patted him. After the vet checked him for any diseases, I brought him to his stall and let him eat his food, he ate it all without any resistance. After he was done with his food, he didn't move on to his hay like I thought he would, he came over to me and whinnied and nuzzled me more. I grabbed some of my grooming supplies and jumped into his stall. First I groomed his very dirty and shaggy coat. Gave him a shave so his itchy coat wouldn't bother him. After that I brushed out the knots in his mane and tail, also gave him a haircut for his overgrown mane. Then I moved on to his hooves, I thought they were going to be the worst but they weren't at all overgrown, just really, really dirty. I just used a hoofpick on his hooves then put on some hoof polish to make him as beautiful as he was. When I was all finished he dipped his head low then raised it and did a full circle with his nose, a sign he was happy from finally being clean possible. I took Ozzie out to the pastures so he could graze and play all he wanted. He romped around the field having the best time of his life. He rolled so many times and he did his rolls with out itteruption, a sign he was in full spirits and on the way to recovery. I joined in with his play and ran around with him, both having a great time. I layed down in the grass to get some rest with him laying down right beside me catching his breathe. I really missed theses times I had with him when he was gone but now I get to play all I wanted with him now that I own him. I put him in a smaller pasture and reintroduced him to all the school horses, he remembered all of them and had lots of fun with them. By this time it was about 6:00pm and it was starting to get late. Before i put Ozzie away for the night I brought him to the training arena. He seemed to enjoy the sight of the tall jumps and equipment. To see if he really didn't accept a saddle anymore we put a training saddle on him and see how he reacted, he just stood there looking as happy as ever. I attemped to put a bridle on him and he took it with full vigor, didn't flinch a bit. Now the final test for him was, would he accept a rider. Since I was the lightest one there who had plenty experience rider and with him, I was the one who was going to get on him. I had confidence that he wouldn't react badly, but I had my doubts. I slowly got on him, making sure not to scare him, and I got on him fully. He did nothing that seemed like he was scared, he just turned his head looked at me and touched my leg and started walking forward. i was very proud of him, he was behaving like he never left, very proud, very proud indeed. We walked around the ring for a few turns and I trotted him a little. Making sure not to overexert him, we stopped after that. I got off of him and took his bridle off. Just to see what he would do, I left his saddle on and let him free in the arena, just to see what he would do. At first he didn't move, he just stood by me looking at me not sure what to do. After I encouraged him to go run he cantered out all over the arena, I was surprised he could find the stregth to do this. he cantered and galloped around having fun and what really surprised me was that he jumped a few small jumps without any order. But I knew after that he would be exhasted and he was, sweating a lot. I took off the saddle and walked him around the barn one last time. I brought him back to his stall and he finally started eating his hay. I sat in the stall with him watching him eat, happy that he was home. After that I am not sure what happed but I woke up at about 10:00 at night and unbelivably, laying right next to me was Ozzie sleeping soundly warming me with his body. My mom was calling me quietly from outside the stall that it was finally time to come home. sadly she was right and i got up and went to the door. Ozzie woke and whinnied for me not to go, but instead of staying like I wanted, I took off my sweatshirt and laid it next to him, so he had my scent with him and he would know I would always be near him. Even though he objected greatly he put his head on my sweatshirt and started to fall asleep. I gave him a kiss on the nose and left.
Now here I am at near 11:00 pm writing about my reuniting with my little boy Ozzie and boring the hell out of you. I contiue posting about his progress as he grows stronger. Sorry for boring you but it feels like I'm in a dream come true, and I am so happy to have my baby back home with his mamma.
I'm so happy for you! Believe me, you are not boring the hell out of me at all. I almost feel like crying myself, to know that happy endings like you and Ozzie sometimes happen in real life, not just in books and movies. Best wishes to you and your boy!
In the blog "Losing your best pal" I wrote what happened to Ozzie but I'll summerize it here. I raised Ozzie since he was a foal. After he was weaned he treated me like his mamma. As he grew up I taught him under an english saddle and he did very well, he was one of the top jumpers in the barn. Even though I raised him as babe I didn't "own" Ozzie, the barn I worked for owned him and they said I could raise him but he would be a school horse and I couldn't ride him when he was scheldualed for a lesson. But something happened that no one saw coming, not even me. Ozzie started bucking and rearing off his riders as soon as they mounted. I witnessed him doing this to a 13-year old girl. She mounted him and he started bucking up a storm. After the girl fell off he ran to me.The barn demanded that I fix the problem. So I mounted Ozzie, nothing happened, walked him arround, nothing happened, trotted and cantered, nothing happened, and I jumped some jumps, still nothing happened.The the 13- year old got back on and he started bucking and rearing. The next day when I came to the barn, Ozzie was for sale for $1. I was heart-broken, there was nothing wrong with Ozzie that I couldn't fix with time. I tried to convice them to just give him to me but since I couldn't afford the board they refused. From then on I spent as much time possible with Ozzie, riding with him, playing, trail riding, just so he would remember me. After a few months he was sold, and I stood in his empty stall crying my eyes out. I knew I couldn't be selfish and go after him because I knew he was happy in his new home.
Well that definatly changed after three days ago, Ozzie wasn't happy at all. He wasn't eating and he wasn't working to his full potential. But since he got here he has been making a full recovery. I just wonder what had happened to make him get to this kind of condition.
Oh and just to let you know, I am making this post on the computer at my barn while Ozzie is outside running around in his pasture with his friend Ace. I want him to have more time around his own species than me, don't want him thinkin he's human,lol G2G muck out his stall, bye
This message has been edited. Last edited by: ozzie4ever,
What a great ending.If anything else happens let us know.Also Ozzie is the most luckest horse ever to have a friend like you looking out for him.If people did that more often for animals there would be more happy endings like yours.Anyways congrats and give ozzie a carrot for me.lol.
Thanx. Ozzie is doing great he is playing with the other horses and I have lunged him some and he is doing great. He is eating all his food and hopefully will gain some weight soon. The only problem Ozzie is having is that he doesn't associate with people that well. He trusts me a lot so he doesn't shy when I come, he runs over to me. But when other people come to get him he either runs to the back of his stall threatening to kick or bite, or he runs around in the paddock avoinding capture. He tolerates some people when I am with them but he becomes very skiddish so I will have to work on that with him. After school today I have to drive over to the barn and turn him out into the paddock, while he graizes maybe I'll get some HW done, lol. I eventually do get my work done then I spend the rest of the night working with Ozzie. Man...life is good when you have your bestfriend with you.
I would send pictures but: 1.Since my family is paying $250 a month instead of the full $700 for board, I don't think I could afford a digital camera 2.To pay off the remaining $450 for board I have to do extra chores around the barn and when and if Ozzie wins competition I have to give them the winnings. I don't have time to go out to buy a camera or go to a place that has a scanner.
Sry to say this but I can't post any pictures of him because I don't have the time. Sry There is one picture of him that I took a year ago when he was still with me. I gives you a frontal shot. The picture is on www.theequineconnection.net. It's on pictures on the second set of photos. That is a really good picture of him when he was healthy hope that satisfies. Sry again
Today Ozzie has improved he gained 2 pounds since he has come, not a lot but a start. Today I worked on join up with Ozzie, when he volunteerly comes to me. No surprise he came to me withing one minute,lol. Also today I went on a trail ride with him for about a half hour. He wore a hackamore and did great. He even jumped over some logs. Ozzie is getting better every day, hopefully he'll make a full recovery cross fingers and toes.
Speedcards is right my cell doesn't have a camera on it, sry . But for the past few days Ozzie has been doing very well. So far he has gained 20 lbs. That is great! Yesterday I went on a trail ride with him with a hackamore and he really enjoyed it. Even when I walked him over trees he jumped them. Man I love that horse
I just got a new phone, and it takes some pretty great pictures. It has a 1.2 mega pixel, and an 8x digital zoom.
However, I never use it. I bought a new digi awhile ago, and it's a 7.1. I love to take pictures of everything. I think I have about 1000 pictures loaded on to my photobucket account.
I put him in a smaller pasture and reintroduced him to all the school horses, he remembered all of them and had lots of fun with them. By this time it was about 6:00pm and it was starting to get late. Before i put Ozzie away for the night I brought him to the training arena. He seemed to enjoy the sight of the tall jumps and equipment. To see if he really didn't accept a saddle anymore we put a training saddle on him and see how he reacted, he just stood there looking as happy as ever. I attemped to put a bridle on him and he took it with full vigor, didn't flinch a bit. Now the final test for him was, would he accept a rider. Since I was the lightest one there who had plenty experience rider and with him, I was the one who was going to get on him. I had confidence that he wouldn't react badly, but I had my doubts. I slowly got on him, making sure not to scare him, and I got on him fully. He did nothing that seemed like he was scared, he just turned his head looked at me and touched my leg and started walking forward. i was very proud of him, he was behaving like he never left, very proud, very proud indeed. We walked around the ring for a few turns and I trotted him a little. Making sure not to overexert him, we stopped after that. I got off of him and took his bridle off. Just to see what he would do, I left his saddle on and let him free in the arena, just to see what he would do. At first he didn't move, he just stood by me looking at me not sure what to do. After I encouraged him to go run he cantered out all over the arena, I was surprised he could find the stregth to do this. he cantered and galloped around having fun and what really surprised me was that he jumped a few small jumps without any order. But I knew after that he would be exhasted and he was, sweating a lot. I took off the saddle and walked him around the barn one last time. I brought him back to his stall and he finally started eating his hay. I sat in the stall with him watching him eat, happy that he was home. After that I am not sure what happed but I woke up at about 10:00 at night and unbelivably, laying right next to me was Ozzie sleeping soundly warming me with his body. My mom was calling me quietly from outside the stall that it was finally time to come home. sadly she was right and i got up and went to the door. Ozzie woke and whinnied for me not to go, but instead of staying like I wanted, I took off my sweatshirt and laid it next to him, so he had my scent with him and he would know I would always be near him. Even though he objected greatly he put his head on my sweatshirt and started to fall asleep. I gave him a kiss on the nose and left.
There is one picture of him that I took a year ago when he was still with me. I gives you a frontal shot. The picture is on 
