# Ellie and Basil's Recovery Thread



## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

Quite a few of you saw my last thread on these two, titled "New Rescues - Help!" ( New Rescues - Help! ) and gave me some great advice for how best to rehab these two girls. Today we got them outside and I was able to take a few "before" pictures of them.
For anyone who didn't see the last thread, I'll give you a little introduction.
Ellie - 7 year old chestnut QH/Standardbred mare, said to be broke to ride for beginners
Basil - 9 month old bay Friesian/QH/Standie filly

Here are a few pictures that show their condition, the winter coat is somewhat fooling and makes them look a little fuller than they actually are. I will be roaching Ellie's mane in a few days to get rid of those awful knots and even it out.


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## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

After a good long grooming session, Ellie looks like a brand new horse! The grateful snorts and sighs while I curried her all over made everything more than worth it. I took her and Basil up to our arena to let them have room to run and much to my surprise, I found out that Ellie is gaited! Not a detractor for me, I love gaited horses. I know that there are standardbreds that pace, but this looked more like a TWH rack to me. We were told that she's a QH cross "probably standardbred" but they were unsure. I can't wait for all this mud to dry up so I can get a proper video of her gaiting.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Well, that looks like a big ole Walking Horse head to me😘

They do look in need of some groceries and who knows what training they have - or don’t have.

Thank you for taking them in


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Thank you for taking them in!


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## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

Ellie and Basil had their first vet appointment today to get their blood drawn for a coggins test. The vet was very patient with a very sassy Basil and everything went great! We'll be starting both on grain in a few days, Ellie on Purina Senior Active and Basil on Equine Junior. The vet says with free choice hay and the proper amount of grain, they should get up to a healthy weight in 2-3 months!


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## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

It's been just over a week since I got Ellie and Basil and... oh boy. Their personalities are coming out more and more every day. 
Ellie is living up to the stereotype of a spicy chestnut mare, with a side of sweetness and a love for cuddles. Basil is somewhat of a wild card, but already an extremely sassy and opinionated little filly. If she doesn't like something, she doesn't hesitate to let you know!
We decided to wean cold turkey and it's been more stressful for Ellie than Basil, honestly. Basil really couldn't care less that her mom's not around, she has all the hay she could ask for and now she can eat her grain without anyone bothering her.
Ellie went in with my other two horses and she is loving the acre paddock she has to run around in. I think that's more space than she's seen in 2 years at least! The other horses aren't a fan of her quite yet, but they're not being mean about it. No injuries on the horizon (knock on wood) which was a worry. Ellie hadn't seen another horse in so long I wasn't sure what she would do.

They are both doing very well and are getting as much food and love as they can handle!

(I'm hoping to roach Ellie's mane next week while she's drugged up from the dental)


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## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

Ellie is looking astronomically better after only 2 weeks. She has cemented her place as my heart horse and I will keep her for as long as I possibly can. (I never say forever because circumstances can change, but this girl is so special.)


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## tishacking (Sep 11, 2020)

I have Ellies's six week update for interested parties! I have been blown away by this mare again and again. She is looking like a brand new horse. Her weight is exactly where we want it and now it's time to build some muscle. With as much hay as she wants, 4.5lbs of Purina Senior Active, and a weight builder supplement (all vet recommended) and no baby still nursing, she gained weight quickly and safely. The look in her eyes has softened and I know she knows she's safe.

We've started some more serious work recently and she is understandably a little rusty. She's perfect at a walk, has absolutely no buck/rear under saddle or any nasty habits on the ground. She has next to no muscle, so gaiting with a rider isn't something she can do comfortably right now. We haven't attempted to canter yet, we're focusing on muscle building before we go there. 

She has become a little bit barn/buddy/pen sour. She's perfectly behaved under saddle in the round pen and in the smaller arena at my boarding facility. As soon as we leave the round pen/small arena and attempt to ride to the bigger arena or just around in general, she has no brakes. She stops off my seat in the pen but will only barely listen to a one rein stop outside. When I can get her to stop, she spins and tries to go back to the pen we came from or go to her pasture. I think it's just her lack of experience working out of her "safe spaces" but I'm not sure how to help the issue. Should I lunge her on a line in the places she gets nervous? One of the places she gets really tense at is next to the barn's hot walker, I could put her on there? I want to be able to trust her in a more open space so we can eventually trail ride, but if I can't stop I won't go. She also tosses her head when I stop her outside of the pen, so I think it could also be a bit issue. 
She's in a D-ring single jointed snaffle right now. I started her in a loose ring, but I think she likes the D-ring better. I want to switch her to a double-jointed eggbutt bit because she has a sensitive mouth. I know that bitting up is never a solution, but what about bitting down? Would that potentially help her? 

We rode around in the round pen with just a neck rope yesterday on a whim and she was absolutely amazing! Like I said, she stops off my seat and turns off my leg in the pen, but completely ignores it outside.

I would also love some opinions on her conformation. I know she's built a little bit downhill and her croup is very flat, but I don't know much past that.

Thank you!!


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