Every month we’ll shine the spotlight on a family who have chosen to bring new faces into their homes and hearts and adopt one or a few rescued animals.
It always warms our hearts to hear how our former residents are settling in to their new abodes and causing their new families to wonder just how life existed before they shared their world with a farm animal. If you’ve never had the honour of spending time with a barnyard friend, you may be surprised by the love, friendship and fun they add to your life.
“My name is Cathy and I live in Greenhill on a small property housing several people, some sheep, their alpaca and, up until a short time ago, one very lonely, 15 year old Shetland mare call Shadey. We’d had Shadey with us for around 5 years, taking her in to help out her elderly owner, and gave her a home here. She initially had 2 other horses for company but one went home and the other passed away. Shadey was left without company and subsequently spent her days moping about the paddock, on an eternal diet, battling arthritis and ongoing laminitis. She was not a happy camper and just seemed to ooze lonliness and lay around a lot.
I’d heard of Edgar’s Mission through a young friend in Castlemaine. I looked up their website and was impressed by their ethical standards and caring sentiments expressed around the welfare of animals, focusing on the domestic and farm variety. I knew it was a long shot but I thought I’d write to them to see if they might have a small pony, needing a restricted diet who could possibly come and be a companion for our depressed little Shadey.
I was so excited to receive an answer from Victoria of Edgar’s Mission. She told us they did have a little pony there who also needed a friend and told us to take a look at his picture on the website. So we googled up Patrick Swayze and what we saw was not an ex movie star but a tiny, tan and white horse nuzzling up to Peter from Edgar’s Mission. Patrick Swayze was a bit of a mystery in that he had no history. The little stallion had been left in the Shepparton Pound and as no one claimed him he was taken in by Edgar’s Mission. He was given a medical, gelded and put out to pasture with other horses but did not seem to bond with any.
I had planned to visit Edgar’s Mission at some stage but we found ourselves there one day with the express purpose of meeting Patrick Swayze. My young friend, my husband, daughter, her partner and two little children accompanied us and we met Victoria who took us to meet him. I’ve met many horses in my time but Patrick Swayze was the most affectionate little fellow I’d ever come across in the initial encounter. He charmed us and we decided that he would be a delightful addition to our farm family.
A week or so later Peter called and we arranged for him to bring Patrick to us. Pausing briefly to bag up a brown snake for release later, Peter led Patrick Swayze in to the paddock where he met Shadey. Nose to nose and snort versus snort the two ponies were immediately curious about each other. By the next day they were in love and spent a lot of time mutually grooming each other. There was definitely a honeymoon period when they couldn’t be without each other. They are now very relaxed in each other’s company and Patrick Swayze is gradually relaxing into being the perfect match for us all.
Thank you Edgar’s Mission and all the wonderful staff there. The property you’ve created is the most pristine farm environment and you are people who have really walked the talk around animal welfare. Congratulations for being such excellent humans.”
If you also have the love, commitment, space and more to welcome new animals family members into your world, please take a look at our adoption page.
