Shire Horse RESCUE! Apollo The Shire Unbelievable Transformation!!

hey this is Apollo my beautiful 17-3 hands eight-year-old purebred Shire horse seeing him like this you can only imagine he came from the finest breeding stock and Bloodlines and had only the best of care since the day he was born and if you've watched some of my other videos then you've seen them looking much like this most of the time when you guys leave comments it's about how beautiful he is which is absolutely true he is amazing but Apollo didn't look anything like this when I first got him so this isn't the story of Apollo the amazing Shire horse but instead the tale of Apollo the rescue horse and in order to understand that we have to rewind a little bit which brings us to this horse right here it was my first horse I love draft horses of course and this was my very first ride and he had just bucked me off that's why I have that expression on my face I was so pissed anyways he was not a good fit tried to kill me one too many times and it was time to make a change it was a really hard choice but it was the correct one so I started looking for a new horse and that's when I found this ad instantly my mind started thinking up fantasize realities that could be a giant black stallionist beast to ride into the sunset my best friend forever charging into battle always has my back slumber parties watching our favorite equine movies together and so forth now because of circumstances at the time I made the decision to purchase him side unseen something I told myself I would never do and have him shipped to me in Scottsdale Arizona so it was one February morning in 2019 when I got a photo from my shipper of Apollo in transit and I about fell over dead I couldn't believe it I thought to myself what have I done I'm so stupid I could have just flown out there and looked at him he looked like a 35 year old one foot in the grave half dead horse he barely looked like a Shire horse to me this poor guy had spent one of the coldest winters in Midwest history outside in three feet of mud basically fending for himself all winter I was speechless I didn't really know what to do all I could do was look at my phone and wait for updates I was getting videos and pictures as he was traveling it took about three days to get him to me and I was sick I just had to wait it out I could already tell from this video for example that he was a little sore but I didn't know how bad the situation was I knew I was gonna have to get to bed and have him x-rayed and looked at all I could do was worry and second-guess myself and wonder what I'd gotten myself into until finally he arrived and it all melted away I didn't even care I was so happy and it was so beautiful and beat up and rough as he was I was in love so first thing we did was Rush him to a stall and get him some food and water so that he could just relax and calm down and eat and drink as much as he wanted he was really jittery and looking around and didn't know where to be and pace and understandably so he went from Midwest freezing cold temperatures to Scottsdale with cactuses and hop hot sun it was probably quite the shock for him in fact one of the first things he did when he got off the transport was back into a big saguaro cactus and he didn't even react I thought this is either a really good sign that he's got an amazing temperament or this horse is about to die his hair was a total mess he had dreadlocks from top to bottom huge Burrs clumps of burrs I thought I'm gonna have to chop most of this off just to be able to comb through it and his tail most of it had rubbed off we thought for sure he had worms just because he was scratching and rubbing at it aside from that it was crooked which is usually a sign of malnourishment and muscle atrophy that comes from starvation or injury the horse's tail especially if it's crooked can say a lot about a horse and its health condition but mostly we just let them sleep and relax and lay down if he wanted to bring him treats and talk to him just kind of make sure the transition [Applause] the longer he was there the more I fell in love with him and my mind shifted from worrying to problem solving and how to get him healthy he was such a joy to be around and his Aura was sweet and kind and even around my daughter he was very conscious of her and gentle and I could tell I was just gonna fall in love with him I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could I didn't want to go to work I wanted to just kind of be there and make sure that he was getting whatever it was he needed to give him the best chance of success and what I should have been worried about at this moment was my hair because it looks terrible I don't know what I was thinking but that definitely needed some attention so stupid okay so he was disgusting disaster these are my hands where I'm just petting him uh he was so dirty and gross so I got a haircut and then it was time to get him a haircut and it was mostly just cutting away uh birds and knots his hair so coarse Shire horse's hair is so coarse that it was clogging but Clippers and it was a bit of a chore she was so happy she loved him from the first moment and she just wanted to be around them all the time but the grooming was something that definitely needed to be addressed too just because in order to get them healthy you needed to be clean and that took time and proper care as soon as Apollo was settled I didn't want to waste any time I wanted to get to work on getting him healthy so step one was scheduling a farrier I was really lucky that Jeremiah lives in Scottsdale he's one of the best farriers in the United States he's on the U.S farrier team he competes internationally he's excellent this is a man who genuinely loves these animals and has dedicated his life to the proper care and excellence in his craft if you're interested in seeing more videos of Jeremiah I have several on my channel dedicated to just the sessions between him and Apollo really fun to watch he's very articulate and it's always fascinating to see a master at his craft what we discovered in that first appointment with Jeremiah as well as x-rays with the vet is that Apollo has uncharacteristically thin soles they measure half the average thickness for a horse that's half his size which basically menopolo was almost constantly in pain just standing could be painful for him at his weight especially if he was standing on a hard surface like concrete this wasn't something that could be corrected in one visit but we could give him instant relief uh by putting properly fit shoes on them next order of business was to address Apollo's teeth horse's teeth need to be floated every year filed or else they will grow out of control kind of like a pig's teeth how they grow out of the roof their mouth a horse can have really sharp edges create cuts and sores all over their mouth which makes it really uncomfortable especially if you're trying to ride because you have a bit in their mouth and that can be very painful in the wild horse will eat rocks and bark and just trash weeds and that will naturally fell their teeth down in captivity you need to do that with a proper vet I don't live in Scottsdale I'm there a few months of the year just for work and during Apollo's time there the focus was mostly to get him back to neutral but in order to give him as much pain relief as possible we put him on a strict diet to get him to lose as much weight as possible and take some of the stress off of his feet it was really tough watching him wither away and not give him treats or a little extra food the poor guy was desperate and starving and I just had to let it happen it was part of a process and I needed to trust the people that had more experience than me and that the answer wasn't always hug and kisses these photos are hard to look at they marked the end of the starvation period so it meant that he was at his weakest and his muscle tone was the smallest it ever got his bones were just pushing through the skin his coat had lost all its luster and shine his eyes were sunk and he was really lethargic it was terrible to see but it also meant that it was time to start feeding him more and start some mild exercise I'm getting him outside and moving and seeing if we could start rehabilitating his body which also meant uh play therapy which was actually so much fun to see him change and not just his physical change but his personality and emotional state would change day to day and he knew when I would get there it was play time but something could change for him physically and he could allow himself to stretch and jump kick and run and not feel pain watching him discover this was really wonderful and because it was something that happened while I was with him playing or exercising that is where the bond between him and me really started to take root it's where trust began and after that it was hard to get him to leave my side sometimes he just wanted to be right next to me all the time after some time I felt like I could start introducing some short rides nothing strenuous just walking at a slow pace for 15 or 20 minutes at a time really needed to invest in a mounting block it was really interesting to get to feel his body move from his back those first few times and feel his energy go through his body into mine it also meant that he was ready for more strenuous non-writing exercise like groundwork now some of you might see a bit in his mouth and say you're abusing your horse that's so mean and the comments like that my response is this any activity that involves animals there are going to be people who abuse their power choose to be cruel and I think that's terrible and needs a stop then there are those people who love their animals and want to interact want to engage want to see them at their best that takes training and money and so much time when your animal is a horse it's a powerful living organism that can kill you in an instant an animal to be respected and never taken for granted that being said it needs to be trained otherwise you have a thousand to two thousand pound toddler with clubs for hands and feet and is a danger to itself and everyone around it those horses usually end up in slaughterhouses in Asia that's no joke so did I ask him if he wanted a bit in his mouth no but I go to Great Lengths to make sure it's a proper fit which causes no harm or pain he never overreacts when I offer the bid to him and never has that's not a response of a horse that's hurting or that's been abused he likes to work and enjoys the time and the attention make work into a game and he thinks he's playing he's a sucker for treats and will do whatever to get one I love Apollo too much to let him sit and waste away he was already there when I found him he deserves more sometimes I don't want to go to the gym or eat my vegetables but it's good for me and I'm better for it plus the reality that Apollo spends 95 percent of his life eating sleeping and pooping even with all my abuse thank you these next few Clips are great he's just running but it's pivotal because you start to see his body move differently not just look differently and not just have a different temperament this confidence about him it's his muscle tone moving with power and each clip you see it a little bit more and if you were to rewind and watch the one where we're doing the plate therapy his body's moving differently and it's awesome and exciting to see him move with power and strength and Grace horses have this incredible elegance and to watch them move powerfully is one of the most beautiful things you can witness and and I'm starting to see it here through these training sessions and these workouts where now he has the power and the Elegance to go with the confidence and the happy demeanor which is just Apollo he's been like me I'm so fast baby I was like that and I was so fast like me my little boy was upset that we'd sold our first horse his name was Indy and so to make him feel better I told him that this was Indy we just changed his color this was black Indie as if we'd gone to Walmart and just bought a new color for a horse he did for the first year or so so much so once again we have a workout session work his muscles getting sweaty and then there's a reward a Bath treats a massage whatever it might be so that he knows and understands that if he gives me something he gives me effort he gives me a good attitude then he gets something in return and that's a really important part of the process and something that he absolutely understands when I show up he's there to greet me he enjoys being around me and wants to be close to me I'm not some evil task master that's gonna punish him we are a team when I first reviewed this clip shortly after this training session is when I realized I that he's starting to get some really great muscle tone and you start to see the shape of his body become plump and strong I love this clip because of that it's also fun for me to watch because it's one of those times when Apollo wasn't having the best of days for whatever reason maybe he could hear his neighbors getting dinner and he's stuck here working I'm not sure he just wasn't in the mood and when a horse doesn't want to play along there's not that much you can do about it you can't force a horse to do anything as you'll be able to see here he drags me across 20 feet of dirt like nothing you can't tell from that stupid expression on my face I didn't stop him the gate did and if the gate hadn't been there he would have kept dragging me with my face in the dirt until I let go of the Rope so we didn't stop the work we just changed the game and turned it into a different form of play some of these sessions were really great me and Apollo were the trainer having discussions discovering how Apollo learns what his triggers are and what makes him tick and also doing the math on how to create scenarios to give us all the best chance of success it's really fun cool process this is about a year after I got him and although his tail and his hair is really dirty can see that it's starting to grow in really nice and 12 months of growth compared to completely bare to the skin was nice to see it's work it's love and treats if it's grain if it's an apple if it's braiding his hair if it's giving him a bath the work comes first and then the reward after so he learns there is an end to the process it's not just work work work work and when it's over some positive weapons and he really likes the routine there's horses that are afraid of routine and there are horses that really embrace it and Paul's one of those that likes to know what's going to happen next a video of this time lapse thinking would be a cool way to show a workout session and it turns out you can't see anything that we're doing but the clouds turned out so awesome I love this clip because clouds I hope everyone is watching it can see it on a really big screen because the bigger the better and they just move so beautifully and in there somewhere is a good workout session with Apollo years of training and working with horses and this still impresses me every time horses generate so much heat when you're riding on top of them and they're sweating like this you feel like you're sitting on a furnace so much moisture and heat that is coming off of their bodies and when it's a little bit cooler you could see it and it's impressive I love watching them after a good hard workout they just turn into a steam room for a treat now oh drink the water and the work never ends every eight to ten weeks he needs his feet addressed or else they start to cause him pain and he'll get sore that's 500 bucks each time is not free folks and he earns it I have a job I earn my living and so does he doesn't mean that he's eager to work every single time nope but it's irrelevant I don't want to work sometimes and oh yeah that's the spot oh [Music] God this is one of Apollo's friends at the barn his name is Chip the Friesian Stallion be posting some videos of him in the future he's incredible beautiful horse most horses do but Apollo is no different he loves his carrots and he's really gentle with his lips he's never bit me or even come close he's very careful fun to give him treats he earned it [Music] these are some stretches that we do to improve his Top Line and flexibility and strength and he will do just about anything for a treat so it's really easy to get him to do it it's fun [Music] this time lapse is cool because you can see his coats start to shine and glow horses have an oil in their skin a natural sunblock or skin moisturizer and bug repellent and it's activated when they get brushed he was really dirty when he brought him into the cross ties and all I do is brush him and he looks so ready it's like he got an automotive paint job it's so cool whoa there you go buddy boy he was so good today I love carrots this is one of the biggest carrots I've ever seen in my life I really enjoyed it when you choose you can hear it from deep inside his head and jaw huge muscles and teeth crazy it has this added deep rumbling bass sound to it it's not just like the teeth popping sound it's this really base deep sound he's just biting it yeah this is a really big carrot rum like in the clouds time lapse video this is groundwork he has a regular dressage Bridle but instead of a saddle he has a Sur single it allows me to Long Reign him and lets me put the ropes through Loops in similar position as my hands would be if I were riding him a great tool groundwork because he gets to learn how to use his body without the added complication of a rider and a saddle I weigh around 180 and that changes his center of gravity a bit and also I'm constantly wiggling like an idiot and sending him all sorts of confusing signals here he can just focus on him and his own movement it teaches him to become aware of his own body and posture he's really starting to move with confidence in these sessions dressage is all about the natural elegance and power of the horse an athlete in any sport has to be taught the right way to move in order to perform a specific skill you aren't just born a professional tennis player or soccer player horses aren't any different have ways of moving and exercising that is most efficient or elegant a wild horse running around will just throw his body anyway it pleases and it doesn't know any different if it pulls a muscle or injures itself if it isn't as fast or as strong as it could be then it just is what it is a horse to move with the strength of a gymnast and the Elegance of a ballet dancer shows them how to move their body in the most effective way to create strength and avoid injury groundwork is a great way to get started This Woman's name is Margaret Paul loves her to death as you can see she gives equine massage and she can make any horse turn into butter in her hands he usually falls asleep standing up and passes the most relaxed gas ever when she works on him Apollo earns these weekly massages because he's a very good boy and a hard worker she's a super nice lady weekly massages brings us to this man right here his name is David McMillan he's a gold medal Grand Prix dressage writer and trainer he is the reason Apollo needs these massages he competed internationally since he was a kid born in South Africa trained all over Europe and the U.S and I'm fortunate enough that he works at the barn where I keep Apollo because this is where and when Apollo changed into a million dollar horse for me this was right after his first session with him and Apollo hated me that day for bringing David into our lives his face was saying what I do to deserve this I thought you liked me I'm so toast he quickly learned David doesn't play patty cake it's straight to work and hard work and the results were almost instantaneous his muscle tone his agility his flexibility and endurance all began to increase and as he worked through hard things he had his biggest confidence boost of all because Apollo doesn't say no or refuse he really wants to please he wants to work and get the answers right what happens with him is he thinks he can oh that's too hard I can't move like that or I'm not good at this um that's where his struggle is and what David teaches him is you are strong you are agile and you can do this and shows him the way it's beautiful to watch as he learns and becomes stronger and begins to understand what is asked of him his confidence really started to soar and he walks into a room and acts like he knows everyone's looking at him she knows he's gorgeous and Powerful I love this shot of him right here he just looks really slick it was around this time that I started getting offers from random people to purchase Apollo people who I didn't know wanting to pay 10 to 15 times what I had paid for him but he's not for sale and this is uh where he is at now with his body in mind is why we have worked so hard with him giving him time and love and patience and care for this so I wasn't about to give that up for money time is the most valuable thing we have and this is the time that Apollo and I earned together with lots of help and advice but in the end of the day it's just Apollo and me and it was so worth it this is in no way the end of the journey it's just the beginning but as I look back at how far Apollo has come I'm amazed at his transformation I see him every day and I still catch myself in awe of what he's become compared to what he was the look on my face when this photo came through on my phone must have been absolutely priceless but I wouldn't change it it's the path that had to be for Apollo and me and we're both stronger for it he trusts me and he knows I'll be fair do I expect things from him of course yes there are no free rides in this world but he knows that if he's willing that I'll do everything in my power to make sure he's otherwise happy and healthy this side by side just blows me away I'm not even sure what to say about it except wow Stark differences mind-boggling would he have picked a life as a dressage horse maybe not but that is the trade-off food doesn't magically appear in his stall the barn he lives in isn't a pro bono homeless shelter for lazy horses the years of education that equine vets go through isn't free and neither is a service that they provide the animals and farriers don't get paid and thank yous and high fives there are things that I give to this team and there are things Apollo puts into this team and it works like I said he knows I will be fair that's right I'll never ask more than he's able and he is infinitely more happy now than he was as a wild and free and almost dead sad horse I was there I looked in his eyes that first day when I met him there was a sadness in them he was crying for help lost and Abandoned and dealing with pain that he was probably becoming numb to he dealt with it for so long I put time and money into him but mostly Love sometimes I loved him with treats and a scratch on the withers and sometimes I love him with a top of the whip but never in anger or with malice I am fair with him and he understands he gives me a hundred percent pretty is this the way and I'm really grateful that I have Apollo in my life I'm so proud of Apollo and how hard he's worked on his journey I love that he's a horse that I can take anywhere be it up in the mountains on a trail ride to a fancy dressage show and all breed Smorgasbord show Trump sing alongside these dinky little Arabs or hard at work in the training Arena he is ready for anything it was a Gamble choosing Apollo and there were moments when I doubted my decision but with every day he proves to me that I needed him as much as he needed me it's a connection and an understanding that comes only with time and lots of trust in each other I wish I had a time machine and that I could run back in time and stop them before he was gelded the world could use a thousand more like him so willing and smart kind and gorgeous I love this clip because of my daughter's reaction when the ring announcer says Apollo and I won the championship round her face was better than Christmas she's there on the other side of the fence with a green vest she was also competing it was the first time Apollo and I had won anything so I had to take a Victory lap like a boss and with this training montage you're about to see you'll be up to date as of July 2022. it's been an awesome four years and I hope to have many many more learning and training and living with Apollo I've been posting videos from the national Shire horse show in England and I'll continue to do that just felt like it was time to finish this video first and I'll also be posting lots more Apollo videos including time lapses of paintings which is my full-time profession and also I'll be posting a full training session with complete audio from David McMillan my trainer which should be interesting and entertaining to hear him point out all my mistakes I hope you enjoyed this video of Apollo and thank you for watching [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] thank you [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Apollo The Shire & Santiago Michalek

Views: 1,185,055

Keywords: Apollo shire, shire horse, shire, dressage shire, clipping a shire, clipping a horse, trim horse, dressage horse, draft horse, draft shire, horse, hair cut, dressage draft, winter clip, Black dressage horse, apollo the shire, shire horse dressage, giant horse, dressage, clydesdale, clydesdale horse, clydesdale dressage, beautiful horse, horse stables, amazing horse, apollo, ASMR, ASMR HORSE, rescue, horse rescue, transformation, horse abuse, abandoned horse, stallion, the dodo

Id: xB4Ev2tztY8

Length: 36min 55sec (2215 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 18 2022