BROODMARES

This mare taught me patience!

I would say that Pabellina is a sensitive mare—one who doesn’t give her trust easily.

When she joined my herd in the fall of 2024, I couldn’t touch her at all for at least six months after turning her out with the others. My husband, who is much more patient than I am, was the one who managed to catch her for the farrier and the vet whenever we had appointments scheduled.

As I’m learning to become more patient with each passing year, I decided to take her on as a personal challenge.

It started simply—going into the field with cookies. Little by little, over a couple of months, she stopped running away. Instead, she would stand still and wait for me to come to her, taking the treats… but still refusing to let me touch her halter.

A few months later, she allowed me to touch her halter—but the moment I had a lead rope in my hands, she was gone again.

Then, a few months after that, something shifted.

In the fall of 2025—a full year after she arrived—she finally accepted the lead rope and followed me into the barn.

Even then, I wasn’t confident enough to turn her out without her halter until the beginning of this year.

And now…

I’m so happy to say that sometimes (okay, let’s be honest—she’s still not running up to me for attention 😅), she comes close for a few scratches. And when we share those quiet moments, she closes her eyes and truly relaxes.

I think she has finally accepted me as part of her herd—and to me, that feels like a big win.

Earning the trust of a mare like her means everything.

I’m especially grateful that this happened before she foals. She’s expecting a colt by Beau Balou (the only one we had sexed by the vet), and I have a feeling he’s going to be something special, especially if he inherits his mom’s intelligence and sensitivity.