Meet Rachel, the new member of our family.
This past January after we lost KK , there were many months of adjustment & grieving. Gradually it was time to begin the search for another animal. For some time now Virginia has been doing the work needed to find another horse. In the Mojave desert there is a horse rescue facility called LifeSavers that saves wild mustangs and other breeds. She found Rachel, a young female mustang and the search was over.
The adoption process at LifeSavers is quite involved since they want to make sure that the new owner is responsible. Several trips are required as well as training to deal with your new animal. After several Sundays spent driving out to their facility, the process was deemed complete by the trainer and arrangements were made to trailer her to the new stable.
Yesterday was the big moving day for Rachel. She and Virginia spent the entire morning on the road from Mojave to her new home a Bella Vista Stables in Shadow Hills. It was a long day in the trailer, but she didn't cause a single fuss during the ride. Nor did she spat with her new stable mates.
Rachel is about 6 years old. She comes from the Comstock - Virginia range in Nevada that is famous for wild mustangs. Her mother (when pregnant with Rachel) was rounded up with other pregnant mares in an attempt to separate them from the other non-pregnant wild mares. The females that were left wild were then part of a test to see if forced contraception could be effective as a way to curb the numbers of horses.
We think that Rachel was born just after her mother was taken to a temporary facility in the Comstock area during this testing period. Luckily, Rachel was then rescued to LifeSavers in California. Technically we're not sure if she was born as a wild mustang or born in captivity. Regardless, her DNA is pure American wild mustang, and you can see it in her build, demeanor and personality.
From what we've seen so far, she is quite relaxed and very smart. She's also petite for a horse but as mustangs are, very sure-footed. I met her as she took the first walk from the trailer to her new sable. She gave me a good sniff and let me give her a good pat. Since Virginia is the most attentive pet owner you’ll ever find, this mustang is in good hands at her new home. Welcome!