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Everyone, meet Fabio!

6K views 38 replies 35 participants last post by  Zoom 
#1 ·
As many of you know, my dear sweet mare, Lacey, passed away about two months ago.
And I wasn't sure if I wanted to ever own another horse...random people kept offering me horses but none of them felt right, you know the deal.

Last summer I worked at a hippotherapy place where they had a few horses, but one of them and I just really 'clicked.' He wasn't working out great as a therapy horse, but I was able to get him going better than he had been doing before. While I was working there and working with him, my boss at the time offered him to me a few times but I couldn't responsibly own TWO horses, etc.
It was a situation where I genuinely would have bought him if money had allowed.

Then I was let go from that job and probably the most painful part of that was knowing I would never see that horse I had grown to love ever again.

A few months went by, and I got a text from my former boss asking if I was still interested in this horse. Again, I definitely couldn't support two horses.
So I had to turn her down.

This happened again in January - "This horse, he needs to go somewhere, will you buy him?" Again, couldn't take him and be responsible.

Lacey passed away and I knew that that horse, from the therapy-place, was the only horse I would accept. I knew I couldn't follow Lacey up with just any horse, nor I didn't want to. I also knew that I had turned therapy-place-horse down multiple times and that, therefore, I would probably never get another chance at him.

Then, last Wednesday, I got a text from that former-boss-lady. She asked if I would like to take Fabio [THE HORSE!!], that she had placed him and he didn't work out there, and that she felt like he needed a forever-forever home with someone who loved him.


AND I SAID YES.


Nothing will ever replace Lacey, ever, but this guy is going to do a lot to help my heart heal. From the moment I met him last summer, I knew that he and Lacey would love each other. And, though they never got to meet, I think that's still true.

He's a sassy monkey, but I think we have a really bright future ahead of us. He has a good heart.

And he remembers me.
The moment I stepped on to the trailer to grab him off [former-boss-lady delivered him], he nickered at him and buried his head in my stomach.
Which, on a normal day, I'd be all "Ruuuuude. Check yourself, sir." but his entire nervous demeanor softened with that sniff, and it was clear that he knew everything was gonna be ok.

So meet my new, hopefully forever, horse Fabio.

He's just turned 10 and he's clearly an Arabian [supposedly he's an ArabX but...you never know]! No big surprise there. haha


Meeting Atticus



"Hey everybody! I even look fabulous with grass hanging out of my mouth!"



"Those goats disappeared! I wasn't sure about them, but they should come back."



"Ummmmm.....what are those...THINGS over there???" [turned out he had never seen llamas before! hahahahaha!]





Runnnnning
He was genuinely running for 30 minutes. And showing no signs of stopping. He wasn't even all that worked up. Just running cuz he can. Talk about endurance!!



"Look at how cool I AM! I can even trot downhill!!"



"...then I can trot back to you..."



"Aren't I gorrrrrrgeous?"






He's something. While Lacey was laid-back about her looks, Fabio...boy. Fabio knows he's something. haha
 
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#3 ·
What a gorgeous boy!! Definitely lives up to his name.

So glad you are finally able to find the one horse that will help you heal. I cried when I read about Lacey.

Many happy years and trails to you both!
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#17 ·
Thanks you guys!!

It's truly funny how much he reminds me of Lacey...but then doesn't. Their ways of approaching the world [caution quickly turning to "I OWN THIS TOWN"] are very similar, but it's clear how much experience Lacey had with the world. Fabs is still, very clearly, learning about everything.
The other thing is that Lacey would "pretend" that she was indifferent to me even though we both knew we had a deep bond, but Fabs has no qualms about showing that I'm his person even though we have like 2% the bond Lacey and I did.

And it's so funny - when worked with him at the therapy place, his ears were always half pinned and he was just kind of a grumpy-seeming dude. He would "pretend" bite and pin his ears just to see how much he could scare people and make them back off.
...I spent an hour with him after he got here, then when back to check on him for 15 minutes a bit ago, and I haven't seem him look grumpy once.

Maybe he knows he's home. :hug:

I'm excited for the experiences we'll have together over the next forever!! He's pretty green undersaddle so that's our first project. But I'm looking forward to it! I love finishing horses and I get to finish my horse, my way=perfecttttt.
 
#29 ·
The other thing is that Lacey would "pretend" that she was indifferent to me even though we both knew we had a deep bond, but Fabs has no qualms about showing that I'm his person even though we have like 2% the bond Lacey and I did.

And it's so funny - when worked with him at the therapy place, his ears were always half pinned and he was just kind of a grumpy-seeming dude. He would "pretend" bite and pin his ears just to see how much he could scare people and make them back off.
...I spent an hour with him after he got here, then when back to check on him for 15 minutes a bit ago, and I haven't seem him look grumpy once.

Maybe he knows he's home. :hug:
I didn't catch that Lacey had passed.. :( So sorry to hear that. I loved seeing pics and stories about her!
I just wanted to comment that your description of you and Lacey hits spot on what I feel like it is with my mare. I have only had her a couple of years, but she very much prefers me, but doesn't want it to go to my head evidently. Having read all you shared about Lacey, I like thinking that my mare is similar in that regard, since I thought Lacey was pretty darn cool! :)

And very nice that he knows he is yours and is home. :) He and you were meant to be. :) Have fun with him, and I love his name!
 
#18 ·
He looks so happy!

Fate? Yes I do believe so. Lacey had her hooves in on this wonderful idea. She is up in Heaven prancing around ecstatically at her match-making.
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#26 ·
We're grateful for all your compliments, guys!! :)

I'm really excited to start working with him.
My mom met him last night and she is smittttten.
She's not a horse person, or anything and he's at least a hand taller than Lacey was, so she was a little intimidated.
But she told me later that, even though she was intimidated, he never touched her once. He stayed close to her, but gave her her space. She was able to pet him, but he didn't maul her for attention.

That's actually something funny about him, for me - due to Lacey's vision issues, I'm used to having a horse gently brushing me pretty much all the time...but Fabs respects [and can see!] personal boundaries. It's so different, but kinda nice!
I do miss Lacey's touches, but I'm thankful Fabs is naturally respectful of boundaries!!


Tomorrow he's getting a bath. :D
 
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