Chewie’s Diary Week 1: Arrival

I have a new horse! Chewie and I have just wrapped up our first week together. In this post, I want to introduce you to Chewie and tell you what we’ve been doing so far. 

Where did Chewie come from?

I adopted Chewie from Habitat for Horses, a rescue group in Alvin, Texas.

They acquired Chewie and four other horses at the end of 2023 as part of a law enforcement seizure. The owner was severely neglecting the horses, and there were two dead horses on the property. 

Chewie’s name is actually short for Chewbacca! The rescue gave Star Wars names to this group of horses, and I’ve decided not to change her name. 

Chewie is quite young. She is probably a few months shy of turning two years old. When she first arrived at Habitat for Horses, she was a wild little creature who was afraid of people. Slowly and patiently, the rescue was able to teach Chewie that it was fun to interact with people.

(One thing I love about Habitat for Horses is that their trainers use clicker training and positive reinforcement as part of their training program.)

Why did I choose Chewie?

About a month ago, I visited Habitat for Horses to meet Chewie and some of the other adoptable horses. I was looking for a young horse, who was friendly and enjoyed interacting with people but who had minimal formal training. Chewie fit all these criteria. 

Chewie is easy to halter and knows how to walk on a lead rope. She also has had some practice picking up her feet and getting her hooves trimmed by a farrier. 

One aspect that I liked best is that Chewie is quite bold and curious. She is eager to investigate new things and wants to be part of whatever is going on. I think a lot of her personality is due to the kind, patient handling she received at Habitat for Horses. 

First week at the ranch

Chewie arrived last Wednesday. So, she has been with me for a week now!

We’ve spent most of the past week getting to know each other. I’ve been giving Chewie time to get settled in, as moving can be incredibly stressful for horses. 

We haven’t started doing any “formal” training yet, but we’ve spent time hanging out together every morning. 

One thing Chewie enjoys is scratches. So, I spend time scratching her neck, or her shoulders, or her chest, or her butt. Or, wherever she wants to be scratched!

She has already learned that she can reposition herself to “tell” me to scratch a certain body part. 

Also, we’ve gone for several walks around the barnyard. These walks have given Chewie a chance to explore her new home and have given me an opportunity to assess how she behaves in different settings. 

I’ll post more as we continue our journey together.