an unexpected rescue...

so last friday started like any other day.  mama got up, made herself a nice hot cup o' joe and was relaxing for a minute when i received a text.  in this next i was asked if beloved and i were interested in a rescue horse, for free.  being the animal lover that i am, i instantly texted my friend asking more information on the horse. 

now let me be clear...i have NEVER owned a horse before.  to be honest, i had only been around a horse once or twice in my life!  i was a little nervous to say the least, but knew that when my hubby heard about it...it was a done deal. 

and i was right!

after a few phone calls between myself and the horses owner, and then between my husband and the owner, the decision was made and they would deliver him the following day. 

saturday morning arrived entirely too quickly if you ask me, and before i knew it, beloved was rushing in to tell me that they were on their way and that they would be here in under 30 minutes.  a mad dash was made by us both to clean up, and before long, they pulled in.

after a few words between the guys, and a quick trial run with him in the pen with our jennett, they headed out and as you can see, hubby and he have already bonded and become buds.

as you can see, he needs some TLC and most importantly...some food.  his current condition isn't due to neglect from the people we got him from, but from the people they got him from.  the story goes something like this...they, the owners, bought him a few years back.  they then sold him to another individual who was wanting a horse.  after some time, i am unclear about how much time, the current owner at the time contacted the previous owners asking if they would be willing to take him back.  after seeing his condition, which at the time was worse then it is now, they agreed to take him back.  he stayed with them for a few months, but they are also trying to put weight back on another horse of theirs who was a rescue, and between the other two horses she already has, bullying this guy, they felt it best to find someone who could give him a little more time and less competition for food.  hence us!

everyone is already in love with him, oh and his name is Salty too.  it is the name he has had for the last 20 years, so we didn't see the need to change it.  he is very funny and quite friendly.  we have him and our donkey gypsy in a pen, but plan to run some fencing along the property so that they can get out and graze.  we have a creek that runs through our homestead and we don't want them to wander into it and fall...that would be bad.  so hopefully within the next week or 2 we will have a bigger area for them.  until then, they will have to get along, share the pole barn and suffer through all the 'extra' treats and fresh brome and alfalfa.  well he gets the alfalfa, gypsy doesn't. 

as we were walking back in tonight from visiting the 'big kids,' as i like to call them my husband leans over and says, 'darlin', we can't  get any more animals until we get the fencing done.  i know you wanted dairy goats but they are just going to have to wait until after the summer.'  i looked at him and smiled, nodded and agreed with him.

want to bet that we have fresh raw goat milk on our kitchen table before the summer is up?  i wouldn't be surprised.  this homesteading thing is so unpredictable isn't it?

i hope you all had a great weekend.

i am linking this post with The Homestead Barn Hop, The Clever Chicks Blog Hop and Titus 2sdays.

peace and love to you all.