Welcome to the Christa Petrillo Total Horsemanship Training Blog

This is the beginning of the story of Hubble and Punkin, two horses I took on from a rescue to train.

The Grace Foundation of Northern California is hosting the first annual HELP Rescue Me Trainer's Showcase at the 2010 Horsexpo in Sacramento, California, June 10-13. I am going to be participating as one of those trainers. More can be learned about the Trainer's Showcase at http://www.thegracefoundationofnorcal.org/ . More can be learned about me at my web site at http://www.christapetrillotraining.com/ .

Today is April 22nd. The following is a look back at where we began .

I picked up two horses to train on Sunday, March 28th. One horse was assigned to me by the Grace Foundation, who was a rescue horse named Punkin, considered a "greenie" (meaning she had been handled at one time but there wasn't much known as to who or how much) and the other horse I got to pick out, who was a rescued wild Mustang, which the Grace Foundation named Hubble.

Hubble: In reality Hubble picked me. I walked up to the fence where the Mustangs were corraled. There were about 35 of them. As I stood there eyeing them, Hubble walked over to me and just stood by me. I went to pet his face- which I didn't really expect him to let me touch him- but he just stood there and let me pet his face. I thought "Hmmm... this is a good sign." After looking the herd over and Hubble being chased off by some other curious horses and then returning to me I decided if he was that drawn to me that I would take him. He was the scruffiest and the most thin of all the horses in the group and I knew this could be problematic if I were to be judged on condition in the short 70 days they were giving me before the competition. I would have been better off taking one that wasn't in such sorry condition perhaps but we connected and I knew there was something special going on here between us- it was meant to be.

Punkin: Punkin, a rescued mustang also, was also in thin condition with a dull coat and was very fearful. I was able to round pen her enough to get her haltered and a lead rope attached so I could load her in the trailer. After a few minutes of teaching her to give to pressure I was able to lead her. She seemed fairly smart and caught on quickly to what I was asking of her... and although clearly fearful, she willingly gave it to me. We were loaded up within 10 minutes with no help. (my Total Horsemanship Techniques really do work!)

Hubble was next. He was so lethargic he really didn't object to much and again within a short period of time I had haltered him and was leading him and had him loaded up as well. The horses were quiet on the ride home and once at the Christa Petrillo Total Horsemanship Training Facility they off loaded smoothly and walked right along with me to their paddocks with stalls, where food and fresh water were awaiting them. There was no nervousness in them and they settled right in.

EVALUATION: Once I got them to my facility I was able to observe the horses and evaluate them. Both were in needy condition- meaning they needed lots of help in the health department. It was clear these were NOT healthy horses. Hubble weighed 750 pounds and Punkin weighed 825. Neither knew anything with regards to training.

Hubble: Hubble was very shaggy and had bite and kick marks over every part of his body along with bald patches. These bald patches were not where he was shedding- his hair had fallen out alright but not because of shedding- it was because of his poor health condition and there was no new hair coming in. Just as a human would lose hair who is in a desperate health condition so it is with horses. Hubble's hip bones were grossly protruding and I could count every rib bone- it was as if his coat was just hungover a rack of bones. His spine was protruding as well- he was in a starvation state. He also had a skin fungus over every part of his body and head. Obviously being the low man on the totem pole (evident from all the bite and kick marks) he had been chased off his food. Trauma had been his existence for a prolonged period of time and it was evident.
I realized why Hubble had chosen me- why we had been drawn together- I am a rehab and nutrition specialist. It is something I have studied and that I take a personal interest in. If there was anyone who could turn this horse around, I knew it would be me. I have rescued other horses and dealt with nutritional issues in the past. I knew exactly what to do and as importantly what not to do. We would take each day as it came... As for Hubble's history- it is a sad, sad saga and every time I tell it I get choked up. He was rounded up with a herd of wild mustangs for adoption. After failing to be adopted at three different adoptions he went to a "Three Strikes You're Out" rescue ranch to live out his days. The owner of the ranch neglected and abused the 300 horses in his care and was arrested for such. When the horses were seized they found about 80 dead caracusses in with the horses and around the ranch. The horses were shipped across country from Nebraska to Texas where they were triaged and then cared for. The Grace Foundation of Northern California rescued a portion of the herd and shipped them to Northern California. The following links tell more about Hubble's story:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PMQGCsdoBtY&feature=related

http://www.cjonline.com/interact/blog/aleah_mahan/2009-04-20/scores_of_neglected_mustangs_impreiled_on_nebraska_ranch_update

http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/magazine_articles/sept_oct_2009/to_the_rescue_three_strikes.pdflf

Punkin: The thing that concerned me most about Punkin was her watery manure. It wasn't just runny- it was watery. This was more than just a stressed out horse- albeit too much stress is exactly what was underlying- this horse as it turned out has ulcers and is a cribber. Both go hand in hand- somewhat like which came first the chicken or the egg, with Punkin which came first? The ulcers or the cribbing? Punkin's history- from what little we know of her is sad and it is understandable why she was in the condition she was in. She at one time probably had been adopted as a wild mustang as she is tatooed as such. At the age of around two she was bred. During the year that she carried her foal she was starved and then taken to an auction. At the auction she had foaled out and her foal did not survive. She was rescued by the Grace Foundation of Northern California.
I have done a lot of studying of Equine Behavior and have come up with five distinct personality types, which I have written about and teach to my students. I have identified Punkin as a "fearful" personality type. These horses do not do well with change, nor do they handle stress well. I knew I had a difficult horse on my hands- not from a training perspective - - but her training would be affected due to her ongoing health issues. I knew I would be dealing with health issues that would set us back in the training and conditioning and if I were again to be judged on condition it would be an uphill battle. I also knew if it were ulcers I would have an expensive road ahead of me with her for Ulcerguard runs about $50.00 for a 4 day supply!

With both of these horses in such poor condition I just didn't feel I was in a situation where I could win the competition- regretably because the trainer who wins is going to benefit the most from their participation... I had a decision to make. I could turn the horses back in for some others less needy or continue on with the ones I had. Was I in this for the horses or was I in it for me? That answer came almost as a knee jerk reaction- of course! I was in it for the horses! To give them a life!!! Perhaps I wouldn't win the competition but I still would win in a different sense if I turned them around, got them trained and found them forever homes! And they would be winners too!

As you will see as you follow the horse's progression from here I have had to move ahead with their training at a snail's pace according to their bodies... Some days Punkin seems like she is over her ulcers and then the next day I will see her cribbing and having watery manure again and we have to pull back from the training until she copes with her stress. Hubble can only walk. I can't round pen him or do anything to him except treat him for his skin and coat condition and brush him and lead him around his paddock, pick up his feet and teach him to tie. He would fall down if I tried to make him trot or even go in a circle. He doesn't have the muscle mass to aid him in his balance and I don't want to cause his body to burn that precious nutrition I am putting into him- he is healing... But I am getting ahead of myself here. I will play catch up each day to bring you up to date on both horses through photos and postings...
Thank you for taking an interest in this journey of Hubble and Punkin's... There is a light at the end of the tunnel... and it isn't a train! :-)
Christa