6/25/2023 0 Comments Buttercup dental![]() Have A Happy Holiday, now known as Buttercup, upon arrival at DEFHR in 2016. Photo courtesy of Days End Farm Horse RescueĪfter a brief rehabilitation and acclimation period on the farm, Buttercup entered into the rescue’s training program in January 2017. Head Trainer, Sara Strauss, recalled that it was apparent that Buttercup had solid training under her belt but had some minor quirks to work through including “little protest bucks” and picking up the correct lead when she was reintroduced to the canter. As her fitness improved, so did her performance and before long, she was participating in DEFHR’s drill team at the Montgomery County Fair. “She was a rock star about the crowds, music, and clapping,” said Strauss. In August 2017, Buttercup got her big break and was adopted by her forever family, Catherine and her daughter Gillian. Both Catherine and Gillian had been taking lessons at a hunter barn but didn’t own a horse. When it was decided that they’d like Gillian to have a horse of her own, adopting through DEFHR was a no brainer. “I’ve always wanted to look at a rescue first,” Catherine explained. “I like to give animals second chances and I have a soft spot for the ones that need somewhere to go. “DEFHR was recommended to us by a friend because they were really impressed by the screening and adoption process,” she continued. “Our friend shared that the trainers and staff have already vetted and trained the horses so they would be very upfront and honest about the horse we’d be getting.”īefore they set foot on the farm, Catherine promised herself she wouldn’t look at color or breed, she just wanted a good brain and a horse that would help build her young daughter’s confidence in the saddle. Though Strauss hadn’t campaigned Buttercup as a hunter prospect and had been riding her in a western saddle, after learning more about what Catherine and Gillian hoped to find, she felt the mare might be fit. As it turned out, Buttercup was willing to jump small fences and it was obvious she was smart and kind, so Catherine found herself going home to Pennsylvania with the palomino Quarter Horse in tow. It wasn’t smooth sailing from the get-go, however. “She was a little testy when we first got her, I think because someone broke her heart.” “The first issue was definitely trust,” said Gillian. ![]() Thanks to Gillian’s dedication as well as support from her trainer, Buttercup began to adapt to her new environment and rider, and the pair began to foster a special bond that has helped them conquer different goals in the ring. ![]() Though the two started in the hunters, Gillian recently introduced Buttercup to dressage.
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