Bella is a 9-year-old lady who came to us in August 2020. She came with Beti from the Horse Protection Association. Bella came to the Association as one of 13 horses who had been on pasture all their lives but had not been provided with basic needs, let alone genuine contact with humans. Most of the mares taken away were pregnant. We were also hoping that Bella might surprise us with a foal in August. (We do not breed horses on the Ranch, as we believe enough horses are needing a home as it is. But we wouldn’t mind if one of our adoptees brought to the Ranch a little treasure in the belly.) It turned out that she was just a well-bred lady. I should mention that we did not have her vet checked for pregnancy, as she reacted with distrust and fear to the examination. As she had not received much attention in the past, she was not used to human company or petting when she arrived at the Association. There, they showed her love and taught her that people can be nice and kind, and we have continued to teach her that. After a few months of cuddling, we have got to the point where Bella enjoys interacting with humans and we can pet and brush her anywhere. We didn’t want to ruin that with a rectal examination just to see if she was pregnant or not. But we kept her bedded with straw until the new year and monitored the udders every day.

Bella is a very stable lady who knows exactly that she is the boss. Anyone who doesn’t notice this quickly enough could be in for an educational kick. We are talking about horse hierarchy here, because otherwise, she is quite considerate towards humans, but still a bit insecure sometimes towards strangers. She is a gentle and affectionate lady who loves to be petted and certainly loves treats.

At the moment she is not yet in “the bigger” herd, as there are mostly elderly horses who already have their “disabled” boss (and she will not give up this position without a fight).

When Bella arrived at the Ranch, we first focused on her socialization and building trust and respect. We intend to train her (we don’t like the term “to break in” a horse) at the same time as Beti, who has just turned three.