Hopi
Hopi is one of the 2011 November Rescue Miracle mares (Mare #11). She arrived in late March 2012 with a yearling colt, Turner, at her side. Hopi was fearful of humans, unapproachable and very reactive. She obviously had little to no handling before her arrival and possibly had a bad human experience as well. She also had a skin condition on her face, likely due to over-exposure to the sun on the non-pigmented skin around her eyes and muzzle that is common in some greys and appaloosas. We believe this skin condition made her even more sensitive to touch than she otherwise may have been and contributed to her tendency to be very head-shy.
Fast forwarding to 2016, Hopi is coming along nicely. While slow to trust, she has made good progress. She has spent time in two foster homes and is steadily learning to develop relationships with humans. She can be haltered and has good ground manners. At her current foster home, she is being exposed to a variety of experiences in order to boost her confidence. She regularly goes on walks in the neighborhood, exposing her to cars, dogs, and other horses, and is doing great. Additionally, her skin condition has improved and is easily managed by limiting exposure to the mid-day sun through pasture/stable management and using fly masks.
Fast forwarding to 2016, Hopi is coming along nicely. While slow to trust, she has made good progress. She has spent time in two foster homes and is steadily learning to develop relationships with humans. She can be haltered and has good ground manners. At her current foster home, she is being exposed to a variety of experiences in order to boost her confidence. She regularly goes on walks in the neighborhood, exposing her to cars, dogs, and other horses, and is doing great. Additionally, her skin condition has improved and is easily managed by limiting exposure to the mid-day sun through pasture/stable management and using fly masks.
