#Asta Bruun

[echointernationaljumpers]

WELCOME SOLVEI!

Please welcome Solvei to Patchwork Rescue Farm! Solvei is a small Icelandic mare, who is 4 years old and not broken in yet. Coming from Iceland she hasn't seen much else than her pasture in this life, so it was pretty big for her to arrive at Patchwork Rescue Farm, and see the GIANT horses we have (to Solvei everything above 145 cm is giants xD).

She is soft and easily spooked, though also pulls out her bravery when the other horses lets her know that something is okay. Here at Patchwork Rescue Farm she will be broken in, and then she can go to her forever home!

(What kind of horse would you like to see next? I am very open for suggestions!)

[brokenonyxestate]

NEW BOARDER

We just got a new boarder. The Bruun family, consisting of Asta Bruun her wife Sarah and their daughter Ellie, with horses PRF Patches and Old Man.

Today young Ellie got to ride a little on Patches, both by herself with mom Asta's help and with Asta. Looks like they had fun! Asta also trained him a little, while her wife Sarah held Ellie to watch her riding.

FEATURING: PRF Patches, Asta Bruun, Sarah Bruun & Ellie Bruun.

[echointernationaljumpers]

THANK YOU

Thank you for following us! Due to money problems (IRL it's me having too much going on, too many stables) we have been needing to close down Patchwork Rescue Farm, sadly. We thank you for the support that has been given to us over the last few months, but everything has an end, even something as good as this.

We will soon be moving the horses we have kept (which is my Patches and also Old Man) to @blackonyxequestrian, where you can keep following us, if you want to.

Both Sarah and I has been looking for new jobs, and has accepted the jobs as grooms (and occasionally trainers of young or troubled horses) at Black Onyx Equestrian, and are both looking forward to intertvine our story with theirs. Hopefully I can take over their blog once in a while to post a little about my family: The Bruun Family.

Good news is though that our daughter Ellie has been allowed to ride one of the small shetlandsponies owned by BOE/Hera Cole, so she can finally begin her riding journey. That's just lovely!

[echointernationaljumpers]

HE IS READY!

Today began with Sarah cleaning Zagazig's hooves. Which is pretty normal. What's not normal is how calm and in zen he has become over the last couple of months. As long as Sarah stays calm, it seems like Zagazig does so too. That's also the reason why I am not riding him. I am not as levelheaded as Sarah.

As always Sarah warmed Zagazig up from the ground wearing his riding gear. Letting him canter (yes, canter, not galop, he has to remain calm) a little before getting on his back seems to do him some good.

He has become quite good to ride since he came to us. He is not a Dressage PRO yet, but I am sure that with training he will become one. Or a champ in some other discipline for that matter - that's all up to his future owner to decide.

One thing is sure though, he cannot go back to jumping. He simply goes into a frenzy when he is jumping, and that hurt his old owner - she actually broke her back, and can't ever practice jumping again. She has to ride calmly for the rest of her life.

But he has become very good. He is a kicker though, and other horses shan't come too close to his hind legs, because if they do he will kick them. Therefore we put a red ribbon in his tail, when we are using the indoor arena Black Onyx Equestrian has. They have been so nice to let or loan it when we train our horses, as outside training this time of year - and with all of this snow - is not preferable.

While Sarah was training Zagazig, I had taken Solvei into the arena to get some rope training in. Which was a nice change of pace. It's not often we get completely untrained horses into our barns, so it's fun to work with those horses too.

She seemed ok with me touching her though, so I did some basic rope training with her. That was fun. Not for too long though, as she is still a baby in her head, and needs short sessions - for now at least.

When I had left the arena with Solvei, Sarah let Zagazig loose for some pictures for the add we would be putting up later today. He had a nice trotting session, though also went a little crazy when let loose. Good thing there wasn't anyone else in the arena at that moment xD

I had taken his saddle with me and Solvei, so she shouldn't handle the stallion, a bridle AND a saddle, when they would be going back to the barn.

With that done Sarah brought him back to the barn for a rubdown before he could go back into the pastures again. He seemed like he enjoyed that, though we cannot wash them in the winter. So brushing and a warm blanket to soak up the sweat was all we could do, before he could get on his outdoor blanket.

When we got to the pasture his pasture mate K (PRF Ladykiller) was waiting for him, and galoped up to the fence to say hello to his friend.

Despite his name K is the sweetest of them all, though quite skittish. We will see whose stable he will land at, when he is ready to be trained. Right now he is lame, and has been so for a while, so we will have to wait to the new year to train him, I suspect.

[echointernationaljumpers]

WINTERTIME AND NEW SMELLS

The other day the new owner of Bad Romance's (hanoverian mare) horse transporter had arrived and collected the mare, so she could go to her new home at Laura Graff.

Soon the new owner of Mist aka. Misty (the rescue mustang) will be collecting her. She is ready to go as soon as the money from the new owner Kyla Hunt ticks in. We know she will get a good home with Kyla that much is sure!

These days we haven't been that active as the only horse in training has been lame, but he is getting back to good health again now, and we will hopefully soon be able to start the training with him. Or so we hope.

It has been snowing all day here in this part of Denmark, and I had to put a blanket on Old Man, so he would actually exit the indoor area and go outside.

After the blanket he is chilling beside Patches, apparently enjoying the heat and comfort the blanket gives him. He has also become a good friend of Patches, and let the calm gelding quite close to him. Much closer than any other horse would be allowed to get. And much closer than both Sarah and I can get to him too.

The lanky warmblood boys (Patches doesn't count, he loves the cold, and suffers in the heat if not trimmed) wanted to go inside around midday, even if they got their blankets on. I might have to give them some warmer blankets soon, because they are apparently freezing more than even Old Man xD

[echointernationaljumpers]

I WANT YOUR BAD... YOUR BAD ROMANCE!

Today Sarah was the one training. She has been working hard with Romance to make her ready for sale, and she will be up for grabs soon too. Especially her jumping has improved. She is jumping taller and taller these days, and becomes better at each session.

We have also found her papers. She is from a stable with the prefix EIEC, and so we have added that to her name at our website.

But Sarah and Romance has been training. She will be ready for her first show soon to prove herself. The mare has been flying over the obstacles like she had never done anything else. She also had her 4 years birthday the other day, so she is ready for beginning to show herself at shows.

Today she was marvelous. She just jumped everything Sarah put her in front of.

"Come on Rommy, you can do it!" I cheered the mare on, and they cantered towards an obstacle, the first one of today.

The mare breathed heavily, and tensed her body ready to do a big jump. Just like that she was over it, and Sarah patted her neck, whispering something to the mare I couldn't here.

"She is really on fire today!" I told her. Pictures were hard to take because it was quite dark today, soon it would begin to rain, I thought.

"Oh yes she is!" Sarah yelled to me, as she slowed down the mare, "Can you make that obstacle over there a little higher?"

"Sure!" I called back, setting the bar up a hole or two, "Ready!"

As I had called out the obstacle to be ready, Sarah pushed the mare into canter, then urged her faster, as they cantered towards the obstacle. The mare didn't look the least bit nervous. She looked like she truly loved it, and I could see Sarah did too.

She probably wanted to keep Romance, but she also knew - just as well as I did - that we couldn't. Our job was to take in horses, train and heal them and then find them a forever home. And that home couldn't be with us, or our barn would be full in no time!

Anyway I only pulled up the camera in time to snatch another picture. We definitely would need a few for the sales add, or we could forget everything about getting her sold. She was such a good mare though, and I was sure she would find a good home.

Both Sarah and Romance panthed when they had finished the obstacle course, and slowed down into slow canter. The mare was carrying herself well already, for someone being only 4 years old.

"Let's cool down by riding past the pastures," she urged me, and I patted the mare's neck when I got close enough.

"Let's do it," she replied, leading the mare out of the small arena we had on our grounds.

Riding past the stallions' pasture Zagazig seemed to follow us all the way round. He was probably excited to see a mare. Mostly we kept them seperated as a stallion like Zagazig would kick into very high gear when smelling mares. Which was yet another thing we had to work on, if we wanted him to stay stallion.

He would probably end up gelded though, if he kept this act up.

"See he is following us!" I laughed to Sarah, who rode Romance for long reins.

"Oh! I can see that!" she said, looking back at him running around as she laughed.

After the cooldown Sarah took the mare to the barn, and gave her a good rubdown. Just like that today's training was over, and I had gotten some good pictures for a sales add.

[echointernationaljumpers]

Wild Mustang Challenge Part 2

Currently we are training a lot with the mustang Misty. Sarah is the one training her, as she is the best "horsewhisperer" of the two of us. The mare is really coming around and has become increasingly easier to ride.

Today Sarah brought her out to give her some more jumping training. Mind you this is the second time the mare is jumping with a rider on her back. She is suck a good girl, and does her very best with what she has. And she jumps quite explosively!

[echointernationaljumpers]

Wild Mustang Challenge Part 1

"Hello girl," Sarah said to the mare that had arrived just the other day.

The mare was a wild mustang, and my wife had taken it upon her shoulders to train her. Mustang Challenges was not something we would usually do, as it would take a lot of time training the wild horse from another country. Time that could be spend on horses in need here in Denmark. Which is the main reason why we don't normally do it.

But Sarah pleaded me to take this mare home, as she seemed so lost in her pasture in the US - at least on the pictures. I eventually surrendered, and let her bring the horse home.

So now we have a wild mustang in our round-pen, the place where she lives for now. Sarah has been training the mare every day, naming her Misty because of her greyish coat, on day three she began training the mare in leadrope, and then on day 6 she had won enough of the mare's trust to get on her back. No saddle though, which I found very brave, as the horse after all was wild.

"You sure that's a good idea?" I asked her, as she rode around bareback.

"Probably not, but I didn't want her to get used to me and a saddle at the same time, darling," Sarah replied, patting the mares neck carefully.

The mare seemed pretty dosile for now. Very calm and collected. But then again she had been like that from day one.

[brokenonyxestate]

Wild Mustang Challenge Part 1

"Hello girl," Sarah said to the mare that had arrived just the other day.

The mare was a wild mustang, and my wife had taken it upon her shoulders to train her. Mustang Challenges was not something we would usually do, as it would take a lot of time training the wild horse from another country. Time that could be spend on horses in need here in Denmark. Which is the main reason why we don't normally do it.

But Sarah pleaded me to take this mare home, as she seemed so lost in her pasture in the US - at least on the pictures. I eventually surrendered, and let her bring the horse home.

So now we have a wild mustang in our round-pen, the place where she lives for now. Sarah has been training the mare every day, naming her Misty because of her greyish coat, on day three she began training the mare in leadrope, and then on day 6 she had won enough of the mare's trust to get on her back. No saddle though, which I found very brave, as the horse after all was wild.

"You sure that's a good idea?" I asked her, as she rode around bareback.

"Probably not, but I didn't want her to get used to me and a saddle at the same time, darling," Sarah replied, patting the mares neck carefully.

The mare seemed pretty dosile for now. Very calm and collected. But then again she had been like that from day one.

[echointernationaljumpers]

Just a little show jumping with Patches

These days the weather is horrible. It's light outside still, but the rain came down stronger and stronger as I trained my boy Patches in some jumping. He is clearly a good jumper, and we soon need to make the jumps higher. My goal is entering a show jumping competition with him before the end for the year. It's going to be so much fun.

Patches is a special boy, and the horse that made me want to create this rescue farm. He is a Cleveland Bay gelding at the age of 15 years old. He is a lovely boy, so sweet and gentle, though he only trusts me and my family. I'm the only one who can ride him, as he will throw off everyone else.

The rain became heavier as we cantered around the arena. He was so good today. All calm and collected, which is impressive for him, as he can be a little skittish. Also he does not like the rain.

He really tries his best though, but it was clear at the end of the training that he was done with the rain.

So I took him inside for a rubdown. He enjoyed that very much. Even if people say he looks like a buckskin, his genetest says he is bay. Light bay. Very light. He is just the best horse I could wish for, and I would exchange him for anyone.

Finally I said goodbye to him for now, and went on with my day of training the other horses. After all he is not the only horse in the barn, even if he is the only one who has my heart completely

[echointernationaljumpers]

Today we had the vet Ysabel over. She is new to us, but she seems good. She is also a chiropractor, and really helped with correcting Old Man's body. It was quite sore after many years of hard work and little care, so he was not happy about being touch. And by a stranger no less!

"You will need to keep up with the massages to keep him painfree. Also you will probably need to put him on some painkillers for a few weeks. His whole body is very sore," Ysabel told me, as Old Man was standing in the background.

"If you say that's the best I can do for him right now, I'll do it," I agreed, and looked over at the mule with his long, floppy ears. He had kinda stolen my heart, even if I hadn't stolen his yet.

"And I see he has a lot of scares. He has had a hard life, huh?" she asked, though not judging me. It was like she knew that his battle wounds wasn't my fault.

"Yeah. He has been pulling a wagon his whole life, and got plenty of wip," my voice was sad, as I told her a little about his old life.

"Glad he is with you now then. I will make a prescription for pain meds as soon as I get back to the clinic. His back is very locked and sore, so be careful when you train him, and listen to him if he tells you there is something he doesn't wanna do. Go easy on him. Also: No riding," she kinda lectured me, and I just smiled back with a shrug. I of course already knew that. I wouldn't be riding him at all. He needed peace and a quiet life.

"Sure thing! Also might you be able to tell me how old he is?" I then asked, curiously.

"When I looked at his teeth, who are in an ok state as of right now, he is probably above 20 years old. Probably also above 25. Some of the teeth I wanna come back to. Some needs to be pulled out. But I'll give him painkillers until I am ready to pull them out," she smiled at me, then added, "But I am glad someone is taking care of this sweet man."

"Of course. That's what I'm here for," and I was. I wanted to take care of horses no one else wanted or no one else wanted to care for.

"Are you done with the vet?" my lovely wife asked me, as I pulled Old Man into the arena, while she was riding around the arena on Romance. That young girl had come sooo far!

"Yeah, we're done. He need some painkillers, massages and to get pulled out some bad teeth," I shrugged with sadness written all over my face.

"But otherwise he is good?" she replied, leading the mare carefully around the arena. We had gotten her pedigree from the ones who rescued her from that farm. They had found it in the old man's house, and from the freezebrand on her leg we were able to find out that she was purebred Hanoverian. A beautiful mare.

"Yeah, even though those few things are a lot. Don't think about the money though, we have what we need, and he needs to feel better. I would rather not put him down, as he is a good boy," I said thoughtfully.

"Still no one wants an old mule who can't be ridden," my wife said just as thoughtfully.

"Probably not. But I want him. I care."

"Of course you do, darling," she sent me an airkiss, and then turned her attention back to the mare whose back she was currently sitting on.

I brought Old Man back to the stable, then put him into the joined stall. The vet had given him a dose of painmeds for today.

He moved into the pasture, and did something I had never seen him do in the short time he has been here. He actually galoped around in the pasture! Probably because he was as painfree as possible right now. He is such a sweet boy, and to be able to galop without pain? Well, that's exactly what I wanted for him. To be happy and carefree.

[echointernationaljumpers]

As the headline says, my wife has a special touch - a special skill when it comes to horses who has been hurt or mistreated. And I don't think that Romance has been mistreated as such. She has just been forgotten, and not been handled a lot.

This morning we had the vet over here, and he deemed her 3 years old when he looked at her teeth. She is also very clearly a Hanoverian mare, and actually has a brand on her left thigh that I only actually saw this morning, because she was so dirty when she got here.

But wifey aka Sarah went into the joined stall today to see what she could do about the mare's skittishness and nervousness. The mare watched her closely from afare to begin with, but as Sarah just sat on the stall floor, minding her own business, not even looking at the mare as she rummaged around in the bedding with her hands the mare got curious.

Soon after the mare was sniffing the ground that Sarah was touching, and then sniffed Sarah's hand. She was accepted just like that.

So Sarah put on her leadrope after the mare had allowed her to pet her, and took her into the arena. Apparently it won't be a problem to train this one, at least not for Sarah, because she is not exactly nervous. Not as such. She is very curious, and a little shy. She needs to bond with her handler, before they are allowed to touch her. Something to dot down for a future owner, I'm sure.

The mare was soon after turning nicely when the pressure on the rope got greater, and I am sure this one just need to be trained slowly, even when used to a rider on her back. The breaking in definitely won't be a problem, she just needs time and space to be able to learn.

In the end of the training session, they were just standing calmly together, Sarah patting the mare's neck, while speaking softly to her.

Our, me and wifey's, daughter Ellie had come home from kindergarden. She is not that old yet, only barely 2 yo, but she loves horses with all her heart. She definitely has her mother's take on horses, though she is sometimes a little too eager.

When she got up to the joint stall she reached out for Romance, and the mare just looked at the little girl in wonder. Not really knowing what to do she just stood there, watching Ellie. That's a good sign I guess. Children, especially at that age, can be unpredictable, and horses who has been through what Romance has been through often doesn't like that.

"Hey, darling?" Sarah said, coming from the side as I was kneeling on the floor, trying to fill up the bag with hay. I had dropped it, and the hay had gotten all over the place.

"Yes, hunny?" I replied, and was rewarded with a kiss on my cheek.

"Are you almost finished, so we can start on dinner?" she asked me sweetly, hugging me from the side.

"Yeah, sure. I just need to finish feeding the horses hay, and then I will be right in. Ellie can stay here with me, while I finish this, if she wants," I offered kindly, and hugged her back.

"Great, I will get started on dinner then. And yes, I'll just let Ellie stay here. It's easier anyway to make dinner, when you don't have a toddler running around your legs. Just keep an eye on her ok?" She kissed my cheek again, then let me go.

"Of course. See you in there!" I then began finishing up the feeding.

[echointernationaljumpers]

Last night pretty late a new horse arrived. Her name is Bad Romance, and she has been in a pasture for years with little water and very little food. She has somehow survived, though she was kinda abandoned. And I'm saying kinda, because her owner had died, and no one realized he was dead because he lived so far away from everything.

Romance was the only horse to survive, when they found her barely 2 years after the owner's death. Why he died we don't know, and we don't know how she survived either. Probably from eating whatever was in the pasture, which honestly wasn't much if any.

She is sensitive and easily spooked. She doesn't like me touching her, and she is so, soooo dirty from mud and what not. The halter is new though. I bought it some time ago to have an extra, because at Patchwork Rescue Farm horses tend to show up at the oddest of hours.

And so this girl did. Luckily she hadn't been wearing a halter as such in the pasture, otherwise that thing might have grown into her fur and her skin. But she was lucky. The rescue organization who found her had to cut her mane almost completely down, as it was such a tangled mess it hurt for her to walk.

At first I tried to brush the dirt out of her coat, but it was too severe. It wouldn't really come off.

So I decided I had to give her a bath. She seemed to like that, a lot. Her skin was probably all scratchy from all the dirt and stuff in her coat. I couldn't even see what colour she was, other than she had some kind of headmarking.

I washed and scrubbed her hooves first, which turn out to be the easiest part. Then I began working on her body. And finished off with her head, as she of course didn't like getting water in the eyes or on her muzzle.

When I was finished with her, I decided that she could be let into the joint stall with Old Man. But she, just like Old Man, went outside right away. It was clear that she wasn't used to be inside at all. Probably always been outside. Which is why the joint stall is so great. The horses can go in and out as they please.

And I can tell you, Old Man wasn't exactly excited to have a pasture mate - not right now anyways -, but soon after he was grazzing under his favorite three like she wasn't even there. He didn't care much for socializing with her, but at least she will have his company now.

And what a beautiful coat she has! I really am enjoying seeing what was under all that dirt and mud. A beautiful Seal Bay! I am currently trying to dig up her pedigree and whatever other information I can find, but it will take the police a while to go through the desiest man's stuff to find things like that.

Tomorrow I will have the vet over to look at her, and hopefully she is okay. Also maybe the vet can find the chip, and we can get some information from there, as I only know her name nothing else.

[echointernationaljumpers]

Welcome to Patchwork Rescue Farm! I am Asta Bruun, and I live in Denmark with my horse Patches, and a barn that will soon be full of rescue horses, donkeys and so on. I'm 27 yo, and I have been training horses since I was a kid. I have been dreaming of making a rescue barn for many years, but only now I have gotten the money to make my dream a reality!

I take in many different kinds of horses. Mostly temporary stays, but I am sure I will find a few horses I just can't part with, just like my boy Patches.

My barn is not exactly big. I have a smaller pasture for the horses that has just arrived, three stalls and one big pasture with a joint BIG stall that is good for at least ten horses. Only for horses that gets along with others though.

Our first resident is Old Man as I call him. He is a 21 yo mule, and he is definitely worn from a not so good life. He is kinda skittish, but I hope he will soon feel safe enough around me for me to groom him propperly, as he kinda needs that.

Here on his first day he is spending it under the big Birch three in the pasture. He is currently the only horse living in the joint stall, as he has just arrived. Soon though I hope to let Patches into the pasture, so they can be buddies.

Patches is the kind of horse that is a little catious, but still mostly friend of everyone, once he had gotten to know them.