Rikki came to DEFHR in 2022, seized by animal control after being locked in a dark stall; The door to the stall could barely open due to the 4+ feet of manure she was standing atop of. Although her weight was okay, Rikki suffered from hoof neglect and had a long rehab ahead of her, not to mention the emotional/mental rehabilitation she needed to transition back to living as a normal horse. Everything was very overstimulating and her reactions were often to 'blow through' pressure. Her anxious behavior was very understandable given all she went through, and over the past year Rikki has blossomed and transformed into a great partner.

Rikki is no longer anxious and is confident in her surroundings. She is turned out 24/7, coming in for feed/grooming in a stall. Rikki has been ridden lightly both english and western, but she would also make a fantastic companion horse. She is big bodied and can be strong both on the ground and under saddle, so she does require both a strong handler and rider. After some minor lameness was seen under saddle, radiographs found some arthritic changes in her pasterns and coffin bones, consistent for a horse of her age. Rikki is pasture sound and would be comfortable for light riding, maybe the occasional walk/trot ride around the ring or perhaps a pony ride here and there. Rikki is barefoot and not on any medications/maintenance. She gets along well with other horses and is an easy keeper, currently on only one grain meal a day and out on a dry-lot/limited grass with access to a netted round bale 24/7.