Herzog, Mella, Pia and Nuria
Foal rescue as a symbolic act (part 2)
From the perspective of Gut Aiderbichl
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
For Gut Aiderbichl it was nothing new to buy foals at an auction. Dieter Ehrengruber was horrified: "We live in a world in which animals are still traded as commodities. It can't go on like this ...". - We know that many dealers buy foals cheaply at foal markets and then transport them to the south and east of Europe.
We were able to buy six foals to give a face to the issue of animal transport, foal markets and traumatizing separation from the mothers and their foals.
The foals are no longer a number - the soul can heal
Today I would like to tell you about the development of the foals Herzog, Mella, Pia and Nuria.
Herzog
...would have a Tiger Noriker, but something must have gone "wrong". Herzog wanted to be a chestnut. He is small and very shy and in horse language he would be described as a runt.
At the foal auction, he was given the number 123 and was offered as the cheapest colt.
Herzog's four-legged friend is Mella, who was foal number 75. He loves her. And, Herzog now loves his foal muesli. When he first got the foal muesli, he looked at the bowl questioningly, as if to say: "What's that?". Until before the foal market, Herzog had been on the pasture and certainly hadn't had any foal muesli. Now feasts now he feasts on the wonderful foal muesli every morning. Herzog is grateful and lovable and is creeping more and more into people's hearts.
Mella
...She was the foal with the number 75. She was calm during loading, didn't neigh and was completely relaxed. Hdid she know what was waiting for her after the foal market? That she would go to Gut Aiderbichl would come?
Mella's mane was cut to the crest, but is now slowly growing back. She likes to sniff her mane and tail - is she possibly an eczema horse? eczema horse? Have the unsightly side effects possibly been realized and the mane therefore cut off? Everything will become clear. The itching will be treated with soothing ointment and everything will be fine. If the situation worsens in the summer and Mella needs more treatment, that won't be a problem.
Mella loves her new "safe place" and lets us feel her gratitude every day anew. A happy life should not fail because of a skin disease.
Pia
...has shed her foal number 80 and is developing into a personality who knows what she wants. At Gut Aiderbichl she has developed from an initial rascal into a cool and easy-going horse. Pia didn't really want to get along with Mella and Herzog and would sometimes lash out. At first it was also not easy for her to trust the horse girls, but slowly she accepted her humans. Pia didn't want to lift her hooves when being groomed and generally didn't want to be groomed. She also didn't think washing legs and tails wasnot super cool either. But it will happen - with patience and love, almost anything can be achieved.
Pia has chosen her friends from the foal group: Nuria and Alfred. She is the dominant one and calls the shots. The group is harmonious and wonderful to be with.
Nurias
... number At the foal market, you are not a sentient being, but a number. A number has no feelings. Nuria is developingwonderful. From the very beginning, Nuria was the very fair and calm boss in the foal group. She is a real beauty. Nuria's coat is dark brown and has other shades of brown. Her light brown eyes shine and it looks as if she hasher eyelids with eye shadow in a soft brown. Her mouth is light brown und her white star in the middle of her forehead.
Nuria loves to snooze, and then shows the typical Noriker mouth with a drooping lower lip. When the keepers groom the horses, Nuria is also briefly removed from the group, which she clearly doesn't like. To wash her feet, to scratch out hooves and things like that. It could have something to do with the situation when she was separated from her mother in October. The mother mare wasrde led away from the horse car andnd Nuria no longer understood the wt understand the world any more.
She stood there alone and whinnied loudly. It can be assumed that the whinnying for her mother and the whinnying when she is taken to the grooming station has to do with separation anxiety. Nuria will learn and gain confidence, we are quite sure of that.
Those who do not respect the dignity of animals cannot take it away from them, but they lose their own.
- Albert Schweitzer
Observing the animals is part of my job. When you know their life story and can observe how happy and content they develop into personalities, then you knowthat it is good the way it is.
Yours Gisela
