The Unwanted Horse Part 3

One of the Lucky Ones

If you missed the first two parts of The Unwanted Horse, click here for part one on U.S. horse slaughter and here for part two on responsible breeding.

Meet Splash.

How cute is she?

Splash is an unregistered Paint Horse who appears to have some Gypsy in her. She has no papers saying what her breeding is or where she originally came from. She can be traced back to a hunter/jumper farm in New Jersey before she was shipped to New Holland and bound for the slaughterhouse.

Splash at New Holland.

Photo courtesy of Kaeli McCarty via CHW Network.

Enter the McCarty family.

The McCartys came across Rain, a small, registered paint mare at New Holland from the CHW Network on Facebook. Splash was not originally in the picture, but after hearing of how Rain and Splash had bonded, the McCartys brought both mares home.

In mid-January 2014, Rain and Splash were shipped to quarantine before they came home to the McCartys the following month.

Rain and Splash in quarantine.

Photo courtesy of Kaeli McCarty.

Splash was not supposed to make it. Her breeding can’t be traced, she’s a crossbreed without a specific purpose, and was sent to New Holland where she was slaughter bound.

Although Splash was broke, she was a bit of a struggle at first. She wouldn’t flat walk unless you got straight on and trotted or cantered around the arena first. She also had terrible separation anxiety from other horses. Despite the problems she came with, she was a sweet mare. She had quirks to be worked out, but she certainly loved to nuzzle with people.

To further her training, Splash was sent to Dark HorseTraining Center for a month. With that and more work at home, Kaeli McCarty said Splash became “more attentive and willing under saddle.” Her separation anxiety got better too, which helped when Rain left to become a little girl’s horse.

“She’s open to everything she’s been asked of,” Kaeli said of Splash. She was nervous to take Splash on a trail ride at first, but the mare ended up being great. “She was better than the horse I bought to be a trail horse,” commented Kaeli.

Splash enjoying a trail ride.

Kaeli and I went on a trail ride together once and I was thankful to have Splash as my mount. She was very relaxed and happy on the trail, and she also enjoyed splashing in the creek.

Splash is one of the kindest horses I know. She’s never tried to bite, kick, or put anyone in danger. Even though she was placed in a rough situation, she was lucky enough to find people who were willing to put the work into her and give her the love she deserves.

“Many people failed her for her to get where she was,” Kaeli said. Thanks to people like the McCartys though, horses who had no hope are given a second chance.

Instead of escaping the slaughter truck, her only

worries are escaping her stall to get outside.

Splash kisses!!!