Bonita 

Bonita, a 1.5 year old filly, arrived at MVHR in November 2021. She was part of a group of four horses bought at an auction by a good samaritan, to avoid them going to slaughter.

Morgan adopted Bonita in September 2023. "I spent the first few months building trust to be able to touch and catch her, and eventually progressed to handing her feet, standing tied, loading in trailers, basic groundwork, and eventually wearing a saddle."

Morgan can now catch Bonita in a 50 acre pasture, and she approaches her every time! "She is truly coming out of her shell and trusting me more every day. She is engaged and curious in all of our sessions. I’ve also implemented positive reinforcement into our training and it’s helped us make so much progress!" Morgan is taking her time and letting Bonita grow to full adult size before trying to ride her. Bonita currently enjoys being ponied off Morgan's older mare. "I’m really taking my time with her training process to make sure she is physically and mentally ready for whatever I ask next. She currently enjoys living on pasture with her small herd near my home in Longmont. I’m looking forward to a lifetime of learning and growth with her!"

Thank you Morgan for sharing this update and for adopting Bonita in 2023! 

Firefly

Firefly arrived at MVHR in August 2022, together with two other horses, when their owner was no longer willing to care for them. As he dropped them off he said "I hate this horse". It was no surprise that Firefly was defensive, and even aggressive at times, as she had learned to defend herself from the owner that didn't care for her. 

It took some time for this mare to trust and she was slowly coming around when Kathleen and her husband came to meet her in January 2024. They took their time with her, getting to know this special mare over several months and ultimately taking her home. Here is Kathleen's Update on Firefly! 

"We brought Firefly to her new home in Hayden CO on April 20, 2024 and put her in a paddock by herself adjacent to our 4 llama boys, with our 2 horses on the other side. She completely ignored the equines; but wow, did she put on a show! We will probably never see such a fancy high-stepping trot or canter out of her ever again, but she thought those camelids were totally thrilling. Then she discovered that if she approached the fence, they retreated. Game over in 20 minutes. Such a smart girl."

"Weird looking, stinky cattle you've got, Mom; but I could definitely round them up." "Her first ride on our property was totally uneventful. We were two very happy old ladies together. We gave up early on a bit. She hated it, fussed non-stop, and was soft and responsive with the bosal. So why bother with the bother? Meanwhile we found out that my old cherished DeSoto endurance saddle fitted her very badly. Sigh. We ordered a new Specialized Trailmaster, and had it custom-fit to her."

"After that, there was no looking back. She's never met a gravel road she didn't like. Jimmy Dunn Gulch, Flat Tops, Elkhead Reservoir Preserve, our private road. She motors like crazy, has that hip-swinging TW walk that keeps pace with her stable mate Fancy Pants, who's a hand and change taller. And for treats: she likes girth rubs, and she loves places that the swather can't harvest the hay.

"We can't thank you enough for introducing us to this wonderful girl. She is cherished."

Thank you Kathleen for sharing this update and for adopting Firefly in 2024! We are especially grateful this wonderful horse found such love, after coming from such a difficult situation.