Trixie

It isn’t very often that we send horses out to foster, but every so often a circumstance will arise where it makes sense. When Rae’s adopter reached out about needing a companion for Rae, we were happy to find a match. At sleepaway camp (aka foster), alumna Rae is keeping her new chestnut friend very busy! The two of them have become inseparable, whether Trixie likes it or not. Despite having her own pile of hay, Rae insists on sharing with Trixie, and is even kind enough to join her at the water trough to show her the proper way to drink! Despite Rae’s close-talker shenanigans, Trixie is nice to this young whippersnapper. No doubt about it, Trixie has proven her title as Companion Horse (slash babysitter?) tenfold! While she is away, we look forward to hearing what other trouble these two will get into.. or more accurately, what trouble Rae will drag Trixie into.

Standing in her noble shelter, peering over the edge with just the top half of her face above the wall, Trixie resembles a hippo floating beneath the surface of the water. But unlike hippos, one of the most dangerous land mammals, Trixie is sweet sweet sweet. We could tell she was a nice mare when we first met her, and the few weeks she has been at SAFE has only solidified that truth for us.

She recently met with our vets at Rainland for her first check-up in a while, and was her mellow self during the appointment. She had a float to help file down the sharp points of her teeth, got vaccinated, had blood drawn to check her insulin and ATCH, had her feet and knee examined, and had a microchip inserted – all in addition to a routine once-over. Because she had been out with a stallion, we will also run a pregnancy test in the next few weeks to cover our bases. Her bloodwork came back with elevated ATCH, so we have also started her on a daily tab of Prascend, which she gobbles up with gusto each morning out of a slice of carrot.

In addition to being seen by the vet, Trixie has also had not one but two trims since her arrival. Because of the state her hooves were in, more frequent trimming at the beginning has been an important step to get back on the right track. The deep abscess tracks in Trixie’s hooves will take some time to heal up, but she remains sound both in and out of the Cloud Boots she wears in to protect her hooves as they recover. Her knee definitely features some arthritic changes, but she is moving comfortably on her limbs for now, so we will continue to monitor her and add in vet suggested support as needed. Trixie was a riding horse in her past, but given the wear on her body, those days are behind her. No matter – she will make someone a lovely companion horse.

Speaking of companions, she has made a friend in fellow companion horse Mirana. The two of them call to each other from across the road where their paddocks are, and happily munch grass together — two retired ladies appreciating the finer things in life, like rolls in the tall grass and scratches on the withers. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about!

Trixie was the fifth chestnut mare to join our herd in the span of a week (the other four being the Tennessee Walkers), but apart from the color of her coat and the blaze she shares with two of them, the similarities end there. Trixie is her own horse, after all, an should be introduced as such! This sweet mare came to us as an owner surrender, where she was living alongside a stallion with a severely deformed hind leg. Sadly, due to the severity of his deformity and discomfort, we helped the owner euthanize him, and brought Trixie here to SAFE. It was immediately apparent upon interacting with her just how much love she has known in her life. She has already shown us just how much she enjoys being brushed, and is almost always ready and waiting to greet you at the gate – sure, you might have some food for her, but if not, a pet on the face would be just as nice! Trixie has some deferred maintenance that we are getting taken care of, including a visit with the vet and farrier, the latter of whom she has already seen, and did great for. She demonstrated just how gentle she is by showcasing the ‘look ma, no halter’ during her trim.

Trixie’s feet are in pretty rough shape, and at her upcoming vet appointment we have scheduled radiographs for both her front feet and her large left knee, as we suspect arthritis given it’s size.

Due to these factors, Trixie will likely become a companion horse following vet assessment. But one thing is certain, her future holds a lot of love!