The Horses of Silver Mark Farm

Roundpen

We call our little 7-acre farm, Silver Mark Farm.  This really didn't take a long time to think up, and there is no real meaningful story behind it.  The road we live on is called Silver Mark Drive, hence the farm name.  Over the years, it has grown on us, as has the fact we aren't that creative in names.

In fact, we have changed very few animal names of those that have come to the farm from rescue situations.  Ike was and still is Ike, Daisy is Daisy, Bethy was Bethany (too many syllables), Moe was Sherlock (another story), Burton is Burton, Piper is Piper, Winston stayed Winston and Danny remains Danny.



Farm layout.  Roundpen to the left, 4-stall barn
and run-in shed in back paddock in the distance.

 We own a total of six horses.  Four are housed at our farm.  Two are boarded at a facility where I give riding lessons and work on my own riding skills.  I'll give you a quick introduction of each horse as we obtained them. 


Pharaoh mugging for the camera!

First, there is Pharaoh.  He is an appendix Quarter Horse (part Thoroughbred, part Quarter Horse) to the best of our knowledge.  No one knows much of his history, and he was originally named Oliver, which was just a name thought up by someone at the farm where I used to take riding lessons.  My husband and I purchased him in 1997 at the age of 5.  He is 19 years old, although that is hard for me to believe.  His show name was Pharaoh's Phire (with a play on the spelling...my attempt at being creative).  He and I showed alot on the NPHA circuit (Northeastern Pennsylvania Horse Association).  In 1998, Pharaoh was NPHA Champion in Baby Green (overall standings for the year).  In 1999 he was NPHA Reserve Champion in Pre Green. (These are divisions that you select to show your horse in over the course of any given show year.)  He's done quite well for himself.  He was also my fox hunting horse.  (Again, another story...I'm trying to be brief in my intros.)  Today he lives the life of luxury in retirement except for an occasional trail ride in the warmer weather.  He has arthritis in his hocks.  A little bit of exercise is good for him, but he doesn't jump anymore.  Flat work only.



Portrait of Gifford's face.  Yes, he has a question
mark on his forward.  He is very curious, so I like
to think this is God's way of telling us about him.

 Next comes Gifford.  Gifford is our Belgian Draft horse.  He is a very very large horse with a mentality of about a 12 year old child.  We acquired Gifford from a friend of ours who breeds show Belgians.  He is registered.  His acquisition story is VERRRRRY long, and one I will eventually post to this blog because it is quite entertaining, in the words of my husband.  Suffice it to say, Pharaoh needed a buddy when we moved him home from his boarding situation, after acquiring our farm and building the barn.  Gifford was the pal.  Gifford was about a year old (yearling) when he came to live with us in December of 1999, which makes him 12 years old this year.  We purchased Gifford at an auction when he was 16 months old, which will have you all scratching your heads, because I just told you he lived with us, but he didn't really belong to us at the time.  He still belonged to our friend who breeds.  He was here on loan as a buddy, but we fell in love with him.  Again, I promise to share his full story in stages.  Gifford has been trained to pull a single cart or a team cart (with another horse) but is mostly a big slug that loves to eat.

Parker enjoying a sunny day.  Yes, he has a freeze
brand on his neck.

Parker is our first rescue.  His name was Arthur.  I didn't like it.  I saw him on a website, pointed out to me by a friend in rescue, whom I was merely an acquaintance of at the time.  The rescue he was located at was in Delaware.  He was actually at a foster farm.  Parker is a beautiful 16.2 hand registered Belgian Warmblood, whose Sire, Leningrad, was among the top Sires for the breed many years ago.  He came to rescue by a concerned owner, who didn't want harm to come to him, but couldn't use him for the discipline she had chosen any longer, because his hocks were fusing (this happens to some horses, and can be based on breeding/genetics or how the horse was used).  I expressed some interest in him once my friend pointed me in his direction, and the rescue owner discussed some of his issues.  I like to think of our farm as a calming place for horses.  A place where they can be taken care of and not much is expected beyond good manners.  Parker was passed around from hand-to-hand for many years, had some dominance issues, biting issues, rearing issues, stall protection issues, etc.  We've had Parker living with us since 2000, and he has turned into a very good man.  He is somewhat grouchy, but that is his personality.  He always makes a liar out of me when people come to visit and I tell them to be mindful around him, and he proceeds to lick their hand.  Parker and I did do some jumping together, and flat work, took regular lessons, and I had him boarded at one time while riding him.  He now has ringbone, which can either be debilitating or not, depending on its location, which is in his front left ankle (ringbone is a calcification of bone matter, which makes moving stiff and flexibility difficult).  He is retired and happy.  I believe he is the most beautiful horse we own, and people who come to the farm often remark on him.  Parker and Pharaoh are the same age, 19. 



Our beautiful soul, Petey.

 Going back...quick review...we then had Pharaoh and Gifford at home and Parker boarded.  I was not actively seeking any other horses.  In 2001, a very close friend of mine, who owned a horse rescue in Pennsylvania, sent me a photo of a very emaciated horse named Pete.  I had never seen a horse this skinny.  I just started paying attention to the rescue world of horses in 2000, and really hadn't been exposed to alot.  I'm sorry to say that in 2011, I have been exposed to quite a bit, and the human hand can be a cruel one when it comes to greed and the dollar bill.  But, back in 2001, the photo she sent me, floored me.  She sent me the photo because she needed a place for this horse to go.  The horse was confiscated by the PA State Police, and was at her rescue until a court case could be held to transfer ownership.  I sent the photo to my husband, whom I know can't resist helping devastated animals in need, especially when there is a photo, and we decided to help Pete.  I attended the court case.  The SPCA won their case against the owner, and Pete was officially transferred to the rescue.  We adopted him in 2001.  The rescue owner--the best rehabber I have ever known in my life in terms of emaciated horses, whom to this day is still saving them--had already put weight on Pete.  My job was to keep adding that weight, maintaining it, and working with Pete to build his spirits and trust.  Pete is a Thoroughbred.  He was imported from Argentina (which we know by his tattoo on his upper lip).  He is small for a Thoroughbred at only 15.1 hands, but he is probably the kindest horse we own.  He is the one I always trusted my grandchildren around.  I don't think he has a mean bone in his body.  It's horses like this you can't help but wonder how their luck could be so bad to land in the wrong hands.  Pete was also boarded for a while.  He was rideable up until a freak accident in 2005, which most horses do not survive.  Again, another story.  He is retired and living the life of leisure in our paddocks at the age of 20.

So, these are the four horses at our farm.  We can look out our patio door and large windows and see them grazing and enjoying life.  It's a serene picture.  I have a swing on the back patio, and in the mornings of better-weather spring and summer days, I like to have my coffee or tea on the patio swing and watch them.

Tomorrow I'll introduce you to our other two horses.

Aarrooooooo