Story submitted by New Mexico Horse Rescue at Walkin N Circles Ranch
Indigo arrived at the New Mexico Horse Rescue at Walkin N Circles Ranch the first week of June 2013 with several other horses from Southern NM. Char was a new volunteer and just happened to be there when the NM Livestock Board arrived. This is her story:
I gasped when I saw the horses unload from their five-hour ride in the heat of summer. I had never seen a starved horse. I couldn’t hold back the tears. It was so upsetting to witness the neglect of a human. I by no means had any horsemanship skills at the time. The only horseback riding I did was in Girl Scouts and family vacations on stable horses.
Weeks turned into months and months into years. Indigo filled out and I improved my skills by taking classes at the ranch, watching hours of online horse trainer videos, and reading everything I could about horses – even Dummies for Horses. Eventually, I sponsored Indigo and was determined to ride her. If I could ride her, I told myself I would adopt her.
Indigo and I went through two trainers whom she bucked off most times. It was suggested I pick a different horse; Indigo was dangerous at this point. However, I loved her and was determined to find help. I was given the name of a young trainer named JT. Jones who worked with problem horses. He was my only hope. JT. met us at the ranch over two years ago, and we began working together. Today, after hundreds of lessons (literally), Indigo is a rideable, calm, gentle riding partner.
I adopted her in 2015 and moved her to Albuquerque. I’ve even learned to trailer her myself. We’ve been to the mountains and down south on trail rides. Last year, we gave a shot at ranch sorting (moving cattle from one pen to the next in numerical order). It’s a very good day when I get to ride Indigo or take her for a walk.
