From Willow and Ana’s adopter: “We adopted Willow December 23, 2021. Madi (the MSSPA Assistant Barn Manager) absolutely moved mountains to get Juliet (who is 14) her heart horse before Christmas and we can never express enough gratitude! Ana came to me on May 11. I initially thought I didn’t want an older horse but she is teaching me so much and is such a wonderful addition to our family that I can’t imagine having another. Since both horses were involved in lesson programs and therapeutic riding in their previous lives, it’s been wonderful and challenging to let them learn to be the horses that they are. They’re learning that it’s ok to work in the round pen and that it can be fun and not just endless circles. Both are very confident mares, and so it was surprising how well and quickly they’ve bonded. We took them to a 4-day clinic with Chirs Lombard in June, and no one could believe that they had just met 4 weeks prior, to the point that they needed to share a stall or Willow would bellow for Ana.
Juliet says that Willow’s favorite things to do are eat, explore, sleep and throw her grain dish. I’ll add that Willow’s favorite thing in the world is Juliet. They both come alive when they see each other. Juliet loves how confident and outgoing Willow is, and says they suit each other perfectly.
Ana is also fond of eating (to the point that I’ve had to implement slow feed nets and limited pasture) as well as exploring. She is still a little anxious on trails and in the woods, as the world seems to feel big to her there, but she genuinely loves groundwork and learning new things. I adore how tuned into herself and our relationship she is. She’s full of gentleness and emotion and still has a good opinion about her preferences. She also is very understated, which is important as Willow is…not.
We are so thrilled to have been able to adopt horses from the MSSPA. It was honestly the very best way we could have found our companions and we could not be more thankful.”