All my Robyns was hundreds of pounds underweight when she was rescued from the Unadilla Auction.
The kill-pen mare who left the Unadilla Auction April 12, 2013 all skin and bones and chewed-off tail, and reemerged six weeks later at a horse show where she won a ribbon, continues to amaze her owner who nearly passed her up.
Since the gray mare first bellowed a mournful whinny at Ingrid Messineo, making a plea that broke her heart, the petite animal has not let a day go by when she doesn’t delight and amaze the woman who saved her.
“I see her everyday now, because I’ve moved her to my backyard, and the instant she sees me, she starts calling to me,” Messineo says. “I take her on a walk up the road everyday, and my neighbors who walk by with their dogs come up and say, ‘Nice, big dog Ingrid.’ She’s a big puppy, is what she is, and to this day, I’m the only person she’ll come over to—I’m her person.”
The two have been inseparable since the day Messineo spotted the bedraggled horse while helping her friend scope out the Unadilla Auction for Thoroughbreds.
All My Robyns
New name: Diamond in the Rough
Sire: Robyn Dancer
Dam: East of Allemont, by Far Out East
Foal date: April 6, 1997She spotted All My Robyns, who has since been renamed Diamond, and quickly assessed that beneath the shabby wreckage of her body was a very good horse.
Four good feet, and good conformation. “You’re a nice horse”, she whispered to her just before leaving for the day. “I hope you find a good home.”
But as she turned to go, the mare whinnied long and low at Messineo, as if saying, “I can’t believe you’re leaving me here!”
Messineo couldn’t walk away. So her friend made room for the petite, 15.2 hand mare on the trailer, and six weeks later, Messineo wound up riding her in the walk-trot division of the Ulster County Fair. They placed 5th.
Many people, including Messineo, were astounded.
All My Robyns as she appeared the day she left the auction.
The mare had been hundreds of pounds underweight when the New York equestrian rescued her. Yet, in record time, the All My Robyns contentedly munched her way back to such a healthy weight that Messineo made an alarmed call to her veterinarian at one point, worrying the mare was in foal. She wasn’t. It turned out the mare was just fat and happy.
In the year since, life has passed agreeably.
Through the long, hard winter, Diamond has kept up her weight so well that she has earned the nickname Heffer. And recently, Messineo relocated the animal from a boarding facility to her backyard at home.
“We cut down some trees, put some fencing up, and we’ve made trails through the backyard snow so I can ride her around and help her exercise,” she says. “And we go for a two-mile walk up the road nearly everyday.”
All My Robyns showed six weeks after leaving the kill pen!
Though the mare recently suffered a mild colic episode, the animal felt so comfortable with her family and vet that she endured a rectal exam and tubing without anesthesia.
“She was at the first stage of colic after the weather had changed, and, because she’s so gentle, my vet suggested we try tubing her without anesthesia,” she says. “So I just grabbed her ear, and up went the hose into her nose, and there was no fighting—nothing.
“My vet was so excited she’s been telling everyone.”
Though Diamond will probably never be a flashy show horse, she lives her second-chance life with unusual class.
“Diamond came into my life a reason. I could not imagine her not being here with me everyday,” Messineo says. “When I am upset all I have to do is open my back door walk out onto my porch and hear her talk to me and there the smile appears from within. Her mannerism, kind eye and the love she shows me each and everyday, I could not ask for anything more from her. Our lives together are great.”
Nice story
You’re my horse Wisperer Ingrid. You heard Pet when I couldn’t! The article should have included her boyfriend, the pig!!
INGRID,
I hope you read this. Diamonds Grandmother was the kindest and most stunning mare ever! On our farm, with almost one hundred horses, ALLEMONT* always had a new friend, from Olympians to breeders to just plain folk. A coppery chestnut, with a chiseled face, longest of necks and an eye you could get lost in…she was the Biggs Farm greeter.
We rescued her, also! In her 20’s, her owner passed away. We boarded 2 for him at this age. Verruca and Allemont* lived into their 30’s. This retired broodmare even bonded with our young teenage neighbor. He learned to steer a horse on her. Kindness, tolerance. This family is amazing. I wish you both so much joy together. Blessings! Don Biggs, Lexington, KY
Wonderful story! Ingrid you are truly Diamond’s hero! Wishing you all the best in the show ring and for many happy trail rides!!
I would like to thank everyone for all the beautiful comments . It is greatly appreciated. I will continue to keep everyone posted on Diamond.
Awesome story. I don’t know how anyone could go to an auction and NOT leave with a horse, or two. Thank God for people like Ingrid who help save these precious creatures. I adopted my OTTB from a rescue and although I didn’t save him directly off the feedlot, I like to think that I made room at the rescue for them to save one more. Love my OTTB and hope everyone out there will consider one.
There is nothing on planet earth that compares to the heart of a mare. The boys are awesome BUT a mare is incomparable! I refer to those in my keeping as my beloveds which they most certainly are…
~”If there are more beautiful, magical and mystical beings in this world than equines are, I have yet to discover them and am not convinced it’s even possible for such to exist.” – 01/06~
I am so glad you heard her voice asking you to take care off her.
What a good work and love you gave too her.
I really hope that you will have many years together like I had with my mare.
And it does not matter who her parents where,you and Diamond are the ones that made her who she is now.
And a lot is due to your love and care for her.Diamond in the Rough is a super name for her.
Wish the two off you all the luck in the world.
Give her a big hugg
Belinda
Wow! So very nice to be loved so much by a beautiful equine! Long Live Ingrid and Diamond!!
You can never go wrong with a Robyn Dancer baby! In fact, I loved my first RD gelding so much that I stalked race tracks until I found another. Though conformation seems to be heavily influenced by the dam, the huge personality, athleticism and easy personality seems to be a consistent RD trait. I have retrained numerous OTTBs over the years and have adored each and every one- but your girl was truly a fantastic find!! I’m so happy for you both and wish you all the best!!! Congratulations!!!
Lovely.. I have a very similar story about my black thoroughbred gelding that was not going to let me leave him in a killpen five years ago.. Very special horse. Well done
What a beautiful and inspiring story. I am looking for my new horse after many years of being away from horses. I hope I am so lucky.
I can definately second that..I am Ingrids sister. and have had horses nearly my whole life .I have had great repores with my horses. but Diamond that mare wants nothing to do with me nor anyone else for that matter EXCEPT HER HUMAN INGRID it is a special bond they share for sure…and YES she had gained weight and held it sooo well that i must confess i named her and call her on a regular basis HEIFFER well maybe that’s why she doesn’t care for me….huh anyway it’d the truth….lol
This is “my kind of story.” And, my kind of woman, too. Yes, horses talk and yes, people can understand. But first, one must LISTEN. Best of luck and more fun to them both. I’m past the years where I could ride and take care of my horses, now I just have to “talk a good game” and remember the special horses of my life.
Yes they speak to us, if we listen my app I bought was one, I could not leave him behind, thin, dirty, but full of life I had to get him, I will fix him up and sell him, get him out of here to a better home, well I fell in love, at time of getting him he was 5 years and 15 days old, to the day we said good by till later, he was 35 years old, A love that reached through 30 years, he was so special to me and my family, I go to the barn and his empty stall tells me he is gone, I miss him so. His name was El Parker Kid nickname was Parker, my best friend of all time. I took care of him and he took care of me.
Well she looks pretty darn “flashy” to me and with her described temperament she would probably be a superlative side-saddle horse. Right height and right temperament and personality!
Ingrid you are All My Robyns true savior. How beautiful your horse became with a little love and care. Thank you.
Got me in tears here–so glad she found a safe place and enjoying the good life with Ingrid.
All My Robyns knew when she saw her person and she wasn’t giving up. She wanted to get the conversation going. Ingrid was a fortunate woman for listening, now they can talk everyday. Such a beautiful story!
She is a pretty girl and now she will take care of you.
WOW, just WOW! What a wonderful heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing the update. It has made my day! (Could somebody hand me a tissue!)
Horses can and do call out for help. I am so happy that Ingrid was listening for this girl…heart to heart, soul to soul.
Morgan, what a great compliment! To be crying at Starbucks. I hope they gave you a free coffee.
And really, thank you for reading the stories. It means so much that readers like you are responding to my site.
This just made me cry a little as I sit here in Starbucks. I feel the same way about my starvation case Rory. When you find your <3 horse it cannot be denied. What a beautiful story!