Lacey

Have you seen a cute red mare recently? Even if the answer is ‘yes,’ it’s never a bad time to see another. When the sun is out at SAFE, Lacey never misses an opportunity to find the most optimal spot for a sunbathe. When the light hits her just right, she looks like a little sun herself.

Trudy, our wonderful Saturday barn staff, recounts an interaction that she and our sweet (and brave!) little Lacey had recently:

Our longest resident at SAFE is a little chestnut mare named Lacey. 7 years Lacey has been here, so you would think that by this point we know her very well. And while this isn’t wrong, there are many ways in which Lacey remains an enigma to us. For a while she was going well under saddle – she had gone off to training, and had been put through the paces by multiple different riders. But there is something that lurks beneath the surface of lake Lacey we have yet to identify. Getting along with Lacey is easy until it isn’t, and that ‘isn’t’ can be dangerous.

So for a while, Lacey sat dormant as we decided what to do with her. She could go out any time as a companion horse, yes, but she has her fair share of challenges even in that realm. She has not historically been the kindest to the people in her space, especially if said people are asking her to move (and if food is involved, forget it). If you touch her back end at the right time (or, wrong time rather) you risk a kick. She is one of those chestnut mares who give chestnut mares their stereotypes.

And I don’t mean to be unfair to her. There are many ways in which Lacey is a wonderful, sweet mare. She loves dogs. She can have the very softest of eyes. She enjoys being brushed, and she has been the support buddy of many an anxious horse out in the arena because of how well she can stand tied. The people who have spent the most time with Lacey keep a chamber of their hearts reserved with her name on it.

But she leaves a question mark in our minds. How can we best serve Lacey going forward?

We have decided this year to once again give it a go with Lacey under saddle. With the help of Joel, we’ve brought ol’ Snooki back into the fold of our regular horsemanship program. The biggest challenge with Lacey remains keeping her lively (the old saying goes, a dull horse is a dangerous horse) and not picking a fight with her. This is especially true for her restart under saddle, as it will be hugely important for Lacey’s success to ease her back into the swing of things. It’s early days yet, and I don’t want to jinx anything, but even after just a few days of riding, the positive changes Joel was getting in Lacey during his time spent with her were appearing to stick. For now, her sessions will remain short and – hopefully – sweet, as to make the lessons we’re trying to teach her crisp and meaningful. It may take some time to either get Lacey over the hump as a riding horse or decide once and for all it’s the companion life for her, but with 7 years here already under her belt, what’s a little longer?

Ultimately, it is going to take a special type of person to get along with Lacey — or at least, one who can understand who she is and be able to meet her halfway. Or some days, 3/4 of the way. But no good relationship exists without compromise. Lacey is a handy little mare who just requires a special kind of partner, and while there may come a time when she lowers her standards a bit, we will never accept for Lacey anything short of the very best.

Lacey has been enjoying some time off this year; eating yummy grass, sleeping in her cozy stall, enjoying long naps in the sun, and spending time with her fenceline buddies (one of which was a very sweet donkey who she liked very much). Since Lacey let us know that her horsemanship journey is going to take some time, dedication, and very skilled energy, we decided to wait until we could really dedicate that effort to restarting her under saddle. That was not in the cards for this year as we had many rather difficult horses to start and we knew they would take much of our time. Lacey didn’t seem to mind the break and time to reset and she’s been behaving well for the vets, the farriers, and the volunteers. We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to dedicate the time to help Lacey through her riding difficulties starting in the spring, but in the meantime, we’re happy to be able to see her sweet face napping quietly or diving into her hay net excitedly. Lacey is a very special member of our herd and we’re ready to do whatever it takes for her to have a lifetime of safety.

Lacey has taken a real liking to her fence line buddy, Freya. It was very cute when we first turned Freya out with the mare herd next to Lacey, the two of them spent a ton of time talking to each other through the fence. Then for days Freya would be found next to Lacey along the fence line just hanging out. The two mares are also stalled next to each other in the barn. When the better weather comes, and if both mares are still here, we may look for a nice big area for them to get acquainted and turned out (at non-feeding times) together. Lacey can be turned out with other horses but they just have to be the right temperament. She must be the boss and they have to be very submissive. Something about Freya’s old wisdom must interest Lacey because it is clear they are already showing us they are friends.  

Our sweet little problem child Lacey has been making some great progress as of late. In an effort to obtain some positive behavior changes, we’ve started her back on Regumate for hormone balance so that she doesn’t go into season. On Regumate, Lacey seems more content with her life, showing happy (forward) ears and more nickering to people and other horses. At the rate with which changes have been happening in her training, her trainer believes the Regumate is a significant help to Lacey. Her trainer has been pushing her to new acceptance through rope work, particularly to be less sensitive to things touching her hind quarters, and Lacey is now back to regular groundwork in the round pen. Lacey’s trainer said the she is continually surprised and pleased in each session with being able to pick up where Lacey left off in the previous session and progress further and further each time. Training objectives remain being able to break through Lacey’s reactive insecurities and turn those into responsive actions going forward.

Lexee, one of our SAFE volunteers worked with Lacey in the March Joel Connor Clinic and here is what she had to say about it.

“Ms. Lacey has taught me so much the last 6 months. I’ve been given an awesome opportunity to work with one of the most challenging horses I have ever met and learn not only a bunch about her and this horsemanship, but also about myself. She tests you without any bounds and until you can be true to your feel, she will not open up to the horse we know she can be.

She and I have been working mostly on life, for herself and I, which for her, when she has life a lot of holes pop up. She is used to going through life, dull, purely going through the motions of her work where she seems balanced however, as soon as you add life she starts to fall apart. This is where the real work begins. It’s amazing to see how unbalanced she truly is when she starts moving out. She then feels that and feels vulnerable, striking out and biting at the things she think will kill her because she doesn’t feel like she can get away.

My goal when working with her, is to show her how to get some life, “move your feet and you’ll be free”. Throwing the rope up on her back and getting out before she has time for an immediate reaction. This will then work up to her working with Terry or Joel and the lariat rope, where she’ll be able to use life as a tool, and not a hindrance. She will one day carry the rope on her back and not boggle down and buck. Hopefully one day she can realize that she can move and isn’t as reactive to the obstacles in her life, bringing balance not only to her feet, but to her emotional state of mind.”

Lacey Lacey Lacey…what a difficult pony you can be! 

Lacey participated in the recent Joel Conner clinic and gave the small, social-distanced audience quite a show, bucking and squealing away at the rope. It looks like it’s going to be a long journey for Lacey to overcome her ticklishness at the rope and things touching her hind area. While we’ve been riding Lacey for years, she always had this little explosiveness tucked away in her. Every once in a while, this would come out under saddle, causing a couple volunteer rider spills. After the most recent one last November, we decided we needed to take her back to groundwork and figure out how we can help prevent future episodes. It looks like it’s going to take a lot of perfectly timed releases and just the right amount of pressure to help Lacey feel more comfortable. Fortunately, we have some very dedicated volunteers and Lacey has stolen more than a few hearts. We are here for the long haul for our little pony, whether it takes one year, or it takes ten.

Oh Lacey…you sure are a conundrum! We love you just the way you are…but it would be a lot easier to find a home if you weren’t so hot and cold. The riding itself was never the biggest issue. I think even the random freakout bucking under saddle could be figured out… but having to test every single new person who comes along just might be an overreaction. Seriously sister, humans don’t eat hay…so when a volunteer needs you to move out of your shelter to clean around the hay bag, they are NOT trying to take your food from you! Clearly you think you need to protect your meals. I have yet to see any of our volunteers chomping down on any other horse’s hay…but I suppose you have your reasons. For now, we’re making sure that only staff or experienced volunteers enter your area and since then we haven’t had any other issues. 

As for riding, we will get there if we just keep chipping away. Lots of groundwork to help you feel like you can always move your feet. We know that you are still concerned about your back-cinch area and hind quarters being roped but you’re still making progress and relaxing more quickly. We REALLY want to get to a place where we can trust you 100%…but you may always be a mare that demands a thoughtful rider. You have made it clear: if people are fair, you are cool; but if they’re a little too intense or ask without a quick release, you feel wronged! In these situations, you feel it is well within your rights to throw a little redhead attitude their way.

Bottom line Lacey, you are one boss mare! You are loving and devoted to those you consider friends and we are honored when you bestow that privilege on us. Everyone else, well for now, just stay clear! We are still hoping with time and more experience, you decide strangers are not all trying to steal your hay! You deserve a person of your own, someone you can train…someone you can trust. That person is out there, Lacey, don’t lose hope!!!

At the most recent Joel Conner clinic, Lacey went into season and we saw some less than desirable behavior from her. She has a history of being sensitive around her flank region, especially when she goes into heat. She’ll squeal and make it known that she is not at all happy about being touched in that area. Lacey has come a long way since the beginning of her days under saddle, and she is no longer sensitive about things like saddle strings or peoples’ hands touching her hindquarters when she’s being ridden. And she’s a great little mare about 95% of the time. But it became clear that we have a problem to get to the bottom of.

We consulted with Dr. Renner of Rainland Farm about the behavior that we were seeing, and we have started her on a trial of Regu-mate. Regu-mate is an oral progesterone medication that is used to suppress heat cycles in mares. Lacey’s issues seem hormonal in nature and appear to be related to her cycle, so we’re hopeful that this medication will get this problem under control. If it is a hormone issue, training alone is not going to be the answer. Trying to solve estrus-related behavior problems with training is like picking a fight you’re never going to win.

If the Regu-mate works and Lacey’s behavior issues disappear, we’ll know that we’ve gotten to the root of the problem. If this is the answer, a long-term solution would be surgery to remove her ovaries. Regu-mate does no harm to horses, but it is readily absorbed into human skin and can cause issues for women. Spaying Lacey with a laparoscopic procedure would be a viable alternative to long-term medication administration.

Mares don’t typically go into heat during the winter. Because of this and the fact that Lacey’s bad behavior isn’t constant, we may not have our answer for a few months. If the behavior continues even on the Regu-mate, however, we’ll have an answer sooner rather than later and at that point will have to come up with a new game plan. But we’re hopeful that the medication will do the trick and we’ll be able to have our sweet mare back again.

SAFE was honored to be invited by Pet Connection Magazine and Dirtie Dog Photography on an exciting new television project called the Limelight Project. Their goal is to bringing more exposure to rescue organizations to help adoptable horses find families while increasing awareness about the work of the rescues interviewed. SAFE chose Lacey to spotlight for the interview. Here is the wonderful video and GORGEOUS photographs of this most deserving and adoptable mare! We cannot thank Tracy and Marika enough for their time and kindness to SAFE and Lacey.

Lacey thought she’d steal my coffee, then thought better of it

At the beginning of every ride, Lacey asks me the same questions. She asks, “Are you sure we have to ride today? Don’t you want to just groom me some more instead?” Then she asks, “Will you let me be a dull pony today? Because I don’t really feel like putting in a ton of effort.” It takes me about 5 minutes of warm-up and bending each time I get on her to convince her that my answers to her questions will always be, “Yes, I’m sure we have to ride today,” and, “No, you don’t get to be a dull pony.” Once we get through that initial conversation, rides on Lacey are really fun and rewarding. We’ve been working on improving her response times to my aids. She’s showing improvement there. We’ve also been working on lateral movements with improvement there, too. One thing’s for sure with Lacey, though: she is not a push-button horse (at least not yet). You have to really be present during the entire ride in order to communicate well with her. In my opinion, I think Lacey expects that if she’s going to put forth effort, her rider had better put forth effort, too. But if you’re willing to put in that effort, she’s one heck of a fun little horse.

Lacey has nice gaits. She has a smooth little western pleasure jog but also a nice forward trot when you ask for one. Her lope also has a forward and a relaxed setting. She’s very responsive to her rider’s seat aids, and it’s easy to bring her down from forward to relaxed with just the change in your own energy. She will also stop and back up off of just seat aids, although right now the back is sluggish without any reins.

I end up having a soft spot for all of the SAFE horses that I get to ride and I’d take any of them home if I could, but if I was truly in a position to be looking for a riding partner of my own, I’d consider adopting little Lacey. She’s not really “my type,” but she’s proving to me that size doesn’t really matter—it’s what’s inside that counts.

A sweet update from Kaya on working with Lacey, post-snow storm:

With snow falling off the roof of the arena, Lacey and I have been focusing exclusively on groundwork for the past few days. This is totally fine with me as we have a lot to work on! Today we went into the indoor arena (a place we very rarely go) and encountered some scary obstacles!

At first, the arena itself wasn’t too scary, but I could tell Lacey was almost walking on tiptoes waiting for something to jump out at her. She had no problem with the pool noodle obstacle, but the cat litter box on the corner demanded a lot of attention and snorting.

We moved past this pretty easily and went to the other end of the arena where there were voices and shovel sounds from outside. This was where Lacey started to get pretty nervous. I’ve been working on keeping my own calm in situations like this, so it was a great opportunity for both of us! After getting busy with hindquarters and front quarters, she settled down and started licking and chewing. Then the tractor started outside and we started all over. This was a bit more difficult to bring her back from, but in about five minutes, she was walking steady and about five minutes after that she was licking and chewing again, even with the tractor still making a lot of noise! After all this, Lacey was even more settled than when we first entered the quiet arena. It seemed like she actually looked to me for support, which was a big change from past incidents!

While the tractor was still running we went and played with the tarp which, to Lacey, is a fun toy rather than a scary crinkling monster like it is to other horses. When the tractor was quiet, we went back to the places she had spooked before and she maintained her playful, but not anxious mindset. After today, it is clear to me that we both need more successful moments like these so that we can both practice staying calm in unknown circumstances!

We have some amazing volunteers at SAFE and the connections they have with the horse are inspiring. Kaya has been dedicated to helping Lacey through some trouble and giving her the attention and miles she needs to find a home. This Christmas, Kaya had something extra special for Lacey:

“Merry Christmas to Lacey! This sweet pony really deserved some toys this year. She loves nuzzling soft things like saddle pads, so I thought she needed some stuffed animals. We have also been playing with the big yoga ball in the arena a lot lately, so she got one of those for her paddock as well! She has such a childlike personality, so curious and playful, I knew she would love opening presents. I love how she was a little spooked by them at first, but kept trying to get close to them to check them out. It reminded me of when we were on the trail and she started trotting after the biker! Chase the danger! This afternoon when I went to get Lacey out of her paddock, her ball was sitting about 20 feet away outside the fence. I guess she was playing a little too hard!”