Britta

When I arrived to pick her up, she was alone in a huge mud paddock. I haltered her and led her out to where she could eat some grass while we waited for the trailer. She was very well mannered, calm and when a truck backfired not 30 feet from her, she proved that she spooks perfectly in place (I jumped more then she did!). At one point while she was grazing she walked herself between a fence and a wall where a normal horse could have fit through but she was too big. When she felt herself stuck she stopped, thought about it then tried to turn left - still stuck. She stopped, thought some more and tried to turn right - still stuck. After a minute or so of thinking about it she just backed right on out of there and got herself unstuck before going right back to grazing in another direction. That seems pretty indicative of who she is. She is very calm, very smart and she stops to think about what to do before she does anything. Once the trailer arrived she got in and we headed home. She rode wonderfully with no fuss at all and unloaded like a dream. When we got there I let her meet the boys over the fence and then turned her out with them. I have never had such a drama-free introduction. Britta is a very nice horse who continues to impress me with her affectionate nature, good manners and calm intelligence.

Britta is gentle enough for a beginner rider, but would do best when following another horse down a trail. She is about 85-90% sound, but will need maintenance shots of Legend for her right hock. She is sweet, gentle, and a dream to work with - just an all around lovely lady.

Britta is a 20 yr ex-PMU mare. She was born in 1991 and was at a PMU farm called Griffin Valley Ranch in Alberta Canada until 2004. In early 2004 she was pulled along with a couple hundred other PMU mares by ladies in Sisters, Oregon. She was recorded as 15.2hh and 1300 lbs, then was given the name "Molly". She was allowed to run free with a brood mare band since it was found that she was pregnant. On 5/11/04 she gave birth to her last foal; a bay filly with a big star that was named Jubilee.

In February 2005 she was listed as available on their website using the following ad: "#831 MOLLY - Percheron Cross; unusual, Light, Golden Bay with Fawn highlights; 15.2 hands high; foaled in 1991. This is a great all-around type of mare that could do whatever you want with her! She has golden spider webbing on her belly. Very pretty! $600"

She was purchased by a gal named Darlene L in Monroe, WA. This gal got the mare to the point where she could be haltered before selling her to a 15 yr girl named Amber. At some point before she was sold to Amber she was injured on her hind leg. The injury healed and left only a stiffness at a trot/canter when she is left stalled or unworked for a long time. Amber dedicated the next four years of her life to this mare, whom she called "Ariel". She spent uncountable hours with Ariel and worked her through the enormous magnitude of issues the PMU mares usually come with. Amber taught Ariel to trust humans and to listen to what we say by treating her as a best friend. Eventually Ariel got to the point where she was an enormously trustworthy horse both on the ground and out on the trails.

According to Amber... Ariel responds best to a soft hand. She is a steady, calm, reliable and smooth riding trail horse that is safe enough for beginner riders. She likes to follow rather then lead on a trail ride and will hurry to catch up if the other horses leave her. She has been on trails and not had problems with dogs, ATVs, tractors or rivers. You can get on and ride her even after a long break. She is easy to catch and follows you around. She has been completely sacked out and has even been used as a volley ball net. She is fine at pasture or in a stall and is very respectful of fences. She is good for mounting and can be mounted from either side with a mounting block or even a playground slide. She has never reared, never bucked, and never kicked.

On April 16, 2011 there was an ad placed on the Seattle CraigsList that read: "need help with horse/ugent - I do not usually ask for help but i am in dire need with my and daughter's horse. We have her out in Monroe boarding and we need to have her removed from the property. We cannot afford to take care of her anymore due to me having a serious medical condition that happened fast. We do have all her tack out there and you are more welcome to take it with her. She has a english saddle that has only been used maybe 10 times and all her halter and rein and grooming. I do not owe a trailer or truck to move her. I will sign her over to you in legal papers. She is a draft mix, percheon/qh."

I responded immediately to the ad to find out more about the mare. I offered to take the mare as a rehoming project if a good home for her could not be found and I asked if I could share the info that I had been given. The ad was copied onto an Auction Horses thread where people sought to help and when I heard back from the owners, I posted what info I could. Over the next week several people inquired, visited, and even promised to take the mare; but no one did. Eventually the owner called me back and told me that she felt that everything had fallen through with the mare. She no longer had any time left to continue trying to find a home for her and so asked me if I would take her. I agreed and contacted my friend Geri to see if she could help me with transportation. She agreed and the next day we went to pick her up.

After finding her breeder, I have been able to add more to the information. She is in fact of a Ardennes mother and a Percheron Quarter Horse sire. She has had 12 foals.