MADONNA
Make no mistake, Madonna is no angel. A powerful appaloosa mare, with a history of acting out, she can be a challenging horse to have as part of our family. And she requires a watchful eye, and we continue to try to de-fuse her, and build smaller responses that are successful, to keep her behaving like a kind citizen. There is a lot of 'two steps forward, one kick back' kind of progress. It takes patience and it takes a skillful crew. Why do we 'put up with' a mare who is sometimes a PITA?
Because she has been created by humans.
This mare had a rough life, largely due to lack of training and management, and learned to fight back. As she moved from place to place, her reputation grew in proportion to her skills. There was no one, who knew her, who wanted her. We witnessed her display of power before welcoming her, and it was scary. We gave the process great thought in advance, to set her up for success. And now, 2 1/2 years later, she is part of the family, running in the field with her horse friends like Sunnie and Savannah, who she has taken on as a protege!
And most of the time, she is charming and kind. Over the greeting wall, guests hug on her and she loves it. She is safe in that regard, and we do not let others in the same space with her, because turning and kicking is her specialty. She will almost surely never be cleared for adoption (like many here) and will remain where those who know her, and love her, and appreciate her, can keep an eye on her.
This is Sanctuary. It is for the horses, for their well being and for their safety. It is especially for horses who were living a life they did not choose, moving places they did not want, not receiving the basics in instruction and trust building, not living with people they could trust.