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In response to an email request from another rescue, the Kaluf family sent this information regarding their adoption of Laddie:

Hi Jenn, I'd be really happy to let you know anything you desire about our adoption experience from Crosswinds.  I'll answer your questions below but, feel free to ask others if you like.

 

We adopted Laddie November 13, 2003.  She is our first horse.  My wife and I have ridden on and off our entire lives.  I rode a lot in military college both in the "troop", recreational, a little polo, and musical ride.  Our kids: Heather-18, Andrew-13 had only ridden at rental stables in state parks.

 

Laddie was adopted for all of us, but primarily for Andrew.  He loves and has a very unique relationship with all animals.  We do cat and dog rescue ourselves so we have lots of animals around all the time.  Andrew also show goats in 4-H so we have seven goats at home.  They, like all of our animals (including Laddie) are pets.  Laddie will be shown by Andrew in 4-H at both the county and state levels.

 

Why did we consider adopting a horse?  What better way to get a beautiful animal and help them at the same time?  I knew AnnMarie and Mike through our interests and vocations in the radio control hobby/industry.  I also knew that AnnMarie had started the equine rescue and was now doing it full time.  So, when we began to look for our first horse it was natural that we went to them first.  Things moved quickly after our first contact.  In about 3 days we had driven over to see the horses and especially Laddie. Less than two weeks later AnnMarie delivered her to us.

 

Our experiences in adopting her have been tremendous.  She is a wonderful animal and has had superb care and training from Crosswinds.  Laddie was the second horse to arrive at Crosswinds.  She was a fairly newborn foal when she arrived so they have provided ALL of her training.  At the stable where we board her, we are often asked how old she is after someone has watched her work.  When we tell them she is less than three years old many are astounded at her level of training.  I sincerely hope we will be able to continue to improve her with our relatively low level of experience.  We are enlisting the aid of instructors, of course.

 

AnnMarie has been very helpful to us.  She's endured many e-mails from me asking if I'm doing something right.  Always, she has responded with a great answer or assurances that we are doing "it" in the correct manner or makes a suggestion.

 

Andrew and Laddie have developed a unique bond with each other.  He understands her every manner.  He seems to know her exact mood all of the time.  By the same token Laddie will follow him all over the indoor arena (off lead) at a walk, trot or canter depending on the speed he is moving.  He can weave in and out of cones and she will follow, never passing him.  She is very intuitive in knowing the experience level of the rider.  When she first got here, she shut down for a little while, did not want to do anything but walk, shortly thereafter, as Andrew's comfort level grew, she "came back online".

 

We are working with Crosswinds as volunteers whenever we can.  We also keep their flyers on our tack box and hay stack.  We do lots of word of mouth for rescue in general.  Also, since I write a column in our magazine I put a note in the column about adopting and supporting Crosswinds.  I wish we could do more, and will as time permits.

 

Finally, we are very interested in adopting two more horses.  If he becomes available Miata will probably come to live with us.  My wife has fallen in love with the big guy.  We've talked to AnnMarie about him and I think she knows that we would give him the kind of home he needs, regardless of what that ends up being.  I also want a horse for myself.  I'm seriously looking at Majesty right now and have to find the time to go take another look at her and ride her.  Both would remain at Crosswinds for the immediate future for continued training (Maj) and rehabilitation (Miata).  For us, we would almost never acquire an animal that was not a rescue (our two ferrets, goats and three fish are the exception to that rule).