Ask Miss Trudy

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Hello.  My name is Trudy and I am an Appaloosa mare that has lived at Save the Horses since 1996.  

I love my home and the volunteers that take such loving care of me. I often get questions about my roommates at the farm and I just thought I would jot down all I know about each of them in one place.

If there is anything else you would like to know about the animals or the procedures around here, just ask.  Love you all!
trudy@savethehorses.org.

PS: If you would like to read about me and other animals on the farm, visit the Animal Profiles page.

All you need to know about my friends @ STH

Beauty
Needs a lunch or special meal daily.  She is a very picky eater and she will not eat fat!

Carmel
Needs an extra meal daily. (From Pickens county abuse case)

Chevelle
Chevelle is a sweet boy, but is a bit cautious around people.  

Doodle Bug
Does not like to have his ears touched.

Gidget (Dwarf)
Gidget’s  (the dwarf mare that roams) best buddy is Beauty.  

Lobo
Lobo doesn’t enjoy having his face touched.

Quinn
Quinn needs to be hosed off when it is hot as he doesn’t sweat.  He also is a messy eater and enjoys slinging his food. 


Roscoe
He came to the rescue with a broken bone in his foot. He can only do light riding or he goes lame. He is a cancer victim as well. The light skin and the sun are not friends.  We keep him in during the day and and out at night in the hot sunny months.

Rosa
Loves to be groomed.

Sadie
Sadie is the new 29 year old polo mare that needs an extra meal daily. 
Sadie will eat soaked Alfalfa  cubes but not the pellets. (Pickens County abuse case.)

Slew
Has overheating issues and needs to be hosed.

Sparky
Sparky used to be a nanny horse/a horse that walked the racehorses to the starting gate.  He likes to work and enjoys company.  The work keeps his cribbing down.

Spirit
Spirit learned to give “mean face”when she was in a barn used as a jumper.  If she gave “mean face”she wouldn’t be chosen to jump.  She is all bluff, and she is a sweet girl.  

Sunday Spice
If you have handled Sunday Spice recently, you may have noticed that at times he has trouble being led out of his stall. Please recognize that this is not him misbehaving, or wanting to stay inside! He desperately wants to go outside, but is very much afraid. He doesn't like walking through the barn, and lots of things catch him off guard and he is scared. 

 If you are leading him, please be gentle! If he stops and lifts his head, he is not sure of the situation and is probably deciding how much danger he thinks he's in. Rather than tugging on the lead rope, which is pulling on his head, he will respond better to lighter cues. For example, if he stops walking, just talk to him for a second and tell him he's okay, you can rub his neck if you want. Make sure you're still facing forward (so he understands to follow you), and just walk forward like you normally do- but don't yank or tug on the lead. Just hold it, and add a small amount of gentle pressure. As soon as he starts moving, release the pressure- that way he knows he's doing what you want. He might get nervous several times on the walk out to the pasture- but please just remember, he's scared, not being bad! 

 You can also try just clucking to him- he responds well to the clucking sound, or 'walk on' better than strong pressure. (A lot of pressure, and he'll just toss his head.) 

 You can also try walking with a small crop, and simply lightly tap his shoulder if he doesn't want to go- but only do this after you can see he's calmed down, and not terribly afraid. We don't want to force him. We want to ask, and communicate that everything is fine, and then he will understand better and walk with us. 

 Please don't wildly wave the lead rope or hit him with it. He really doesn't like that! 

 All in all, please understand that he is frightened, and not trying to be bad! With more and more patience, he will come to understand he is safe. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for giving your time to STH, I really appreciate all that you do! ~Julie Clark

My Official Bio

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Trudy is a sweet Appaloosa mare. She was rescued by a veterinarian in North Georgia in the mid 1990's. She has lived at Save the Horses rescue facility since 1996. Trudy's history includes the most physical and mental abuse of any horse on the farm. She was bound in barbed wire, then dragged behind a tractor. Trudy has much fear of humans, deservedly so. Her safest place is surrounded by horses, because she trusts them. She does not kick or strike. She just blows very loudly and hard through her nostrils and looks for a way to escape. 

It is heartbreaking to feel the fear she holds in her.  In 2000, Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer, came to Georgia.  We were fortunate enough to have him work with Trudy by "joining up" with her.  It made a difference in her trust issues with humans, but nothing will ever make her fear go completely away.   Trudy will always be a permanent resident of the Rescue, as change would frighten her.  Her safest place is to be surrounded by other horses, since she trusts them.

Trudy is very inquisitive, and is a wonderful horse to learn from.  She has lost all of her vision.  Trudy loves children and is always willing to greet young visitors to the Rescue.  Trudy will always live at the rescue, but she needs someone to help pay her feed and hay bills. Trudy can't give back by being ridden. She is one of those horses that needs us to help them and get nothing in return.

If you would like to donate toward hay or food or medical care for Trudy, please visit the donation page. Thank you for all the love and care that you all show this sweet horse on a daily basis!

Read more about me here: Through Trudy's Eyes

Sweetie is My Protector.......

Note: Sweetie crossed the rainbow bridge in August 2014.  I miss her more than words can say.
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My best friend is Sweetie.  Why?  She protects me and is basically the Madea of the barn.  (Yeah, you know?  The Grandmother character that Tyler Perry created. Madea is a kind, wise grandmother, but she will nut up on you  if you mess with her family or  if she thinks you are stepping out of line.)  That’s my  Sweetie.   

You see Sweetie is the oldest mare at Save The Horses....  but don’t tell her I said so.  Even though Sweetie hasn’t ever given birth to a foal, she has adopted and loved many.   After her last adopted foal was adopted to a human home, I could hear Sweetie searched for her.  She would stand outside the main barn and cry for her .    She hunted for her.  When she realized she was gone for good, Sweetie  genuinely grieved.  Anyone could see that she was going  thorough  a deep sadness.    That’s when Sweetie started to spend a little more time with me and got to know me.   

Sweetie didn’t like it when the other horses act up in her barn  (She was Mrs. Cheryl’s first horse) and Sweetie will set them straight really fast like!  I can’t see and I am not able to  read  the body language of other horses, due to my lack of sight.  Look at my face and you will see I have had a few horse bites to my face. How could I know that a horse was walking by and thought it was disrespectful when I did not back up?   

Thankfully,   Sweetie  or  AKA Madea said she was going to put a stop to that foolishness, and she now stands guard in front of my stall to protect me from the other horses.    (After all, no one will mess with a strong, wise older horse).    Why does Sweetie do this for me?  Because horses are able to show compassion, just like people.  A horse is able to have strong bonds... just look at us. 
By Rachel P.

My Photo Gallery

Feel free to submit any pics you have of me.  Its hard for me to take my own selfies! :)
trudy@savethehorses.org

Check Out My Video!

Thanks Rachel P!