My Story with Tosca
I kept seeing the signs all over social media- there weren’t enough homes for all of them. The musters had been changed to yearly and it was a push for the experienced people to make space for the new ones. I understood that because I know how much time the foals born in captivity take to bring on quietly, let alone a completely blank canvas torn away from it’s entire family. But I didn’t know if I had the time or bravery to face one myself, I have a young family, a small farm and a busy life. But it didn’t feel right to know what was happening and do nothing. My long-suffering, non-horsey husband was only sold on the idea if Sarah from 3 Hearts Equestrian would do the hard yards first and then bring it to our property, which luckily she was happy to do. Filling out the application forms was exciting but sad, I left everything completely up to fate as I felt like if you’re rescuing something you shouldn’t be biased as to what it looks like or its anatomy (although quietly I was just hoping for anything but a plain chestnut). I had seen so many people complaining online that they couldn’t request certain colors or sizes like the plain ones didn’t deserve decent homes too. Muster and delivery day arrived quickly and I can’t really express the feeling of seeing him wobble off the truck. My heart hurt really. He was so lost and broken. Sarah and I both shed unexpected tears. That image will stay with me forever and remind me of how far he’s come and how kind we need to be with him. Sarah spent 6 weeks of long, quiet hours with him and I know she doubted herself a few times but the result was a foal who knew nothing but gentle hands and one day he very abruptly decided humans were safe so it was time to come home to his permanent family.
I’ve put no time pressure on Tosca since coming here, a lot of the first few months was just the ordinary routines going on around him. No expectations. And he has blossomed. He seeks me out over horse company. He chats. He’s cheeky. He’s snuggly. He’s a piggy. He’s not like any other horse I’ve met, which is definitely a theme amongst Kai owners.
People on the fence about it need to realise that once the initial handling is done, they don’t need hours upon hours to thrive. Just regular contact goes a long way and there are always people available to help if you feel stuck. Leave the application form as blank as you can, let fate decide who comes into your life.
