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Curly Allergy Testimonies!

NEW! "Here are three testimonials related to Curly horses that I sold to horse allergic people." Jerry Halvorson, WI

1. A teenage girl wanted a horse, but showed allergic symptoms so severe that when her mother went to a horse barn and just walked through the barn before coming home, the daughter would show reactions when her mother returned home. An extreme Curly gelding, purchased from Halvorson Farms, produced no allergic reactions in the daughter.

2. A family with 4 children, 3 allergic to horses, had a mother who was not allergic and had avoided having horses until she discovered Curlies. They decided to try Curlies. They have purchased 5 Curly horses from Halvorson Farms and have repeatedly reported no reactions.

3. A grandmother, entrusted with raising her horse allergic grandson, sold their straight-haired horses and bought Curlies, one from Halvorson Farms that was shipped all the way from Wisconsin to New Orleans.

 

The opportunity of a life time!

The first time I heard of a Hypo-Allergenic Horse, I thought Yeah Right!!! And forgot all about them. My oldest Daughter Kristal, was tested positive for being allergic to horses when she was 5 yrs old. And of course she loves horses. And we owned some at this time. Well as time came and past, she learned to ride and joined 4-H. She then started to show. So here she is, swollen red eyes, hives, sneezing, and plain miserable. When Kristal was 11yrs old. We had our opportunity to meet this Curly horse with the so called Hypo-Allergenic tendencies. When we got to the Farm where these horses lived, I told Kristal, before we got out of the car, "I want you to roll on them, breath them in, do what ever it takes to see if they make you react!!!" Well, lo and behold, not one sneeze, no hives, and we were there all day playing with them. I started working for this Farm part time and the kids were able to come along since it was Summer time. And she never once had a problem with being around them. I no longer work at this Farm, but we are hooked, we now own our own Curly Horses! And yes, they are Hypo-Allergenic, Just ask Kristal! She now enjoys showing her mare GCF Standing Rockette "aka Girlfriend". Without the pain and suffering of her allergies, that is of course if she doesn't handle our straight hairs or some of the other kids' in the group. Responses and Questions welcome. by Sheryl D'Uva and the Home of: Cozy Nook Curlys

As a child, I had horses.  They were my life.  I lived and breathed horses.  At the age of 13, I began having terrible allergic reactions when I even got near a horse.  I was stubborn and suffered for about a year at which time my parents both told me that I had to give them up.  I would get covered with hives, my eyes would swell shut, and my lungs would completely shut down.  No amount of medication would help.  My heart was broken and I was completely devastated.  Now, fast forward about 30 years.  I had just suffered the loss of my mother and had received a small amount of life insurance money.  I wanted to do something with that money that would be meaningful.  My first thought was to look into allergy shots so that maybe I could relive my childhood dream of riding a horse again.  When I did a Google search.....the curly horse came up on the screen.  What the heck, I might as well check them out.  Sure enough, I had absolutely NO reactions to them.  I ended up buying a mare and about 6 months later, she gave birth to a filly.  I named that filly Lacy's Spirit (my mother's maiden name was Lacy), bought a farm in Tennessee, added 6 more curlies to the herd, and am now living my dream on my farm named "Heaven Sent Curly Horses".  It just doesn't get any better!! Jo Ann Huston

Would you like to add your testimony here? Just contact me! Denise at denise.conroy@gmail.com

One Fine Day

by Susan

She was the beginning of a realization of my life-long dream. Her name was Nutri-sweet. She was sandy brown in color with dark points. Her curled eyelashes framed soft brown eyes. Her mane and tail looked like they had been spiral permed. She was a hypoallergenic horse called a Bashkir Curly!

Pictured to the left: Susan with her new curly mare, Ruby.

 

The word 'horses' was magical in our home. As a young girl I grew up devouring every horse book I could get my hands on. My favorite was 'The Sand Dune Pony', by Troy Nesbit. The book tells the story of a young boy who captures and tames a wild mustang horse. My sisters and I would play Barbie's and horses almost exclusively. We would gaze longingly at the horses in the fields as we sped by in our parents' car. Sometimes we would sit for hours begging mom to retell the stories of her youth with her own horses. Our family's dream was to move to the country and have horses of our own one day.

Every opportunity to be around or ride horses was sought after. We went to friends' homes and rode their horses. We walked to pastures and petted other peoples' horses. But mostly we dreamed of them.

Then one day tragedy struck for me. I was covered in hives. After the excruciating allergy tests were over I was informed that not only was I allergic to almost every kind of grass, tree, weed, dust and several other things, I was allergic to animals and horses !!! It was the beginning of years of allergy shots and Kleenex.

We did lease horses, for a time, we even realized our family dream of living in the country and we even owned horses. But for me it was a kind of torture. I could look, but oh to touch was misery. I did anyway, but I never learned to groom or tack-up a horse. That was all done for me. In fact, my riding was always done in full armor; long pants, sleeves and gloves. Not to mention the drowsy drugs and the wad of at least 20 Kleenex. My rides were always followed by a shower and a complete change of clothes, and then an hour or two of lingering allergy symptoms. Consequently, the only gait I ever managed to learn on a horse was the walk. With the occasional trot or canter for a few steps before I needed to stop to blow my nose. Our dream of living in the country with horses was not really fulfilled for me, yet.

That magical day when I met Nutri-sweet and discovered there was a hypoallergenic breed of horses called Bashkir Curlies, was a turning point for me. I now knew that I could realize my dream one day! It took another five years before I was able, now with a family of my own, to appreciate my dream. We moved to Alberta in the winter of 2002. We purchased a hobby farm of about 18 acres, perfectly set up for horses. Anticipation began. Nutri-sweet was but a memory, but there were other horses out there like her and I was determined to find just the right one for me!

I had met a lady named, Shelly White, just before we moved away from B.C. She owned some Bashkir Curly Horses, and actually, I had been planning to lease one before we decided to move. So naturally, after our move, I looked to Shelly in my search for my very own horse. I visited her place and fell in love with a black mustang. But wisely, Shelly steered me to a different horse. As it turned out, I am grateful for her wisdom and caring. I would recommend her to anyone else in their own search for a horse.

 

The red mustang convertible came off the trailer in our yard on August 13 th , 20 years to the day I'd met my wonderful husband. She was glorious! A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authentic mustang!! A hypoallergenic minimal curly, Bashkir Curly horse!! Her name is Ruby, Livingstone's Ruby. And she is better than anything Ford Motors could ever come up with! Ruby is living proof that God, and my husband, care about even the little things.

My journey with Ruby, it has been a journey and will continue to be, has caused me to grow. It was not love at first sight, believe it or not. Don't get me wrong, I thought she looked beautiful, but I was so scared and nervous. She tested me immediately. She would not let me do her feet. She either wouldn't give them to me, or she would kick and jerk them out of my hands. After two weeks I cried in complete frustration and told my husband to sell her! I hated her. This was NOT the dream I had envisioned!!

I smile at all this now because I have learned so much. I have learned patience. I have learned courage. I have learned perseverance and assertiveness. I have learned to understand the language of the horse. Yes, there is one, and it is not like ours. I have learned that Ruby is a wonderfully smart, easy going, and sometimes, stubborn mare. She has been so patient and tolerated so many of my mistakes. She is forgiving. She knows me, and I believe I am beginning to know her. She continues to test me. She baths me with her tongue. She follows me around and gives me her feet whenever I want. She stands wonderfully to be groomed and saddled. She lets me hug her. She doesn't spook easily. She is forever curious and putting her nose in where it shouldn't be. Like under the hand holding the hammer, poised to strike the nail. She turns and looks at me with disdain, but doesn't move a muscle when the saddle slips sideways because I forgot to tighten it before I mount. She gives me those looks. Watching her move is like reliving watching a Black Beauty or Black Stallion movie from childhood. She is my dream horse. And one day I will learn to ride her with confidence.

I am delighting in the gratification of owning a horse. I have had Ruby for a year and a half now. I can watch her from my front window. I can touch her and groom her and tack her up, all without allergy symptoms! I can do her feet. I can even ride her at a walk and sometimes even a trot, in the confines of a fenced field. We are taking lessons her and me. We are learning. I realize that being an inexperienced rider on a green broke horse is not a good combination. But we are not taking silly risks. One day I will ride her confidently on any path we choose. One fine day I will ride her on a sandy beach, cantering in the surf, bareback. Written: February 2005

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My husband's curse, brought the gift of Curls into my life!

Written by: Denise Conroy

I have loved horses ever since I can remember. As a child, I grew up in a subdivision with the closest horse being miles away or on the TV screen. I recall riding my bike with a friend 10 miles to visit a stable that had horses - just to see them, not even to ride. I would listen to them eat and wished I could stay forever. My room was covered with horse posters and book shelves lined with horse books. I think my parents thought it was just a phase...but I knew better. I looked forward to the day when I turned 16, had a full time job and could buy a horse of my very own. But much to my dismay, due to a lack of support from my parents, that dream faded. I had to be content with riding at the local stables and living through my dreams and hopes. I graduated High School and started working long shifts - those years flew by....

I met my husband (Tom) when I was 22 years old. We married just 6 months later. One thing I did not know about my husband is that he was deathly allergic to horses. We had talked about my love for them, but he never mentioned it....partly because he really didn't know just how severe those allergies were.

As a married couple, we lived within a few miles of some boarding stables and I remember just wanting to be close to a horse, any horse. I approached the barn managers and asked if I could work for FREE, cleaning stalls...just anything to be around them. Due to a lack of experience, they didn't want to risk the liability. I was heart broke.

Tom and I weren't married long, but it was evident that my love for horses was as strong as ever. He is such a great man, he really wanted to fulfill my dream. So we checked out the local classifieds and started shopping. I was absolutely giddy!!! The first horse I saw, I wanted. A TWH, Gorgeous, 16h and Chestnut. His name was Teggart. During this visit, I don't recall Tom reacting much - I think I was totally numb to everything going on. I had Teggart shipped to one of the local boarding stables. Life was Grand....almost......Tom's allergies grew worse. He had made my life so wonderful, and yet I had made his life miserable! Everytime I came home from the barn, he would have an attack and was a complete mess. Running eyes, wheezing, hives..the whole deal. I knew in my heart, I couldn't be happy if my husband was so sick. I decided to sell Teggart one year later.

I had to make a decision. And that was to be happy without horses in my life. I had so much to be thankful for and I focused on those things. But I did find that I stopped watching horses on TV and avoided contact with them for the most part. It just saddened me way too much. During the next 8 years, I had 2 children, Andy and Tracy. As Tracy grew, I could tell she shared my love for horses. At the age of 7, her Christmas 'wish-list' started with the words: "I want a horse, please." I tried to explain her Dad's allergies but it wasn't getting through. She persisted. I started going to riding stables again, taking Tracy with me. It was the most wonderful feeling to be back on a horse after so many years and sharing this love with my daughter! We were both in heaven.

At the age of 9, she was old enough to attend a Christian Horse Camp about 5 hours away. She LOVED it and the experience only convinced us more that she wouldn't be happy without horses directly in her life. I didn't want to deprive her of the childhood I missed out on, so we discussed how we would manage horses in our life again. Tom agreed to let me shop around although my mother in law was quite upset about it. (with good reason) I saw a few horses for sale, but I had found I had become quite picky about that next horse. I wasn't just going to settle for anything with 4 legs and a mane & tail.. ;-)

The very next day was Sunday and we went to Church. I was chatting with an acquaintance about horses and Tom's allergies. He said, "I just read in an agricultural magazine that there are Curly horses that are hypo-allergenic!" I laughed and said, "John, quit teasing me!!" And he said he was dead serious. I couldn't wait to get home and look it up on the internet. That was in 1997. There were only a few websites available, one being "The Curly Place". Sure enough, I found a few stories of people that had allergies and could tolerate Curlies. My first conversation with a curly breeder was with Trina Espinosa, whose husband Victor was dealthy allergic too. She sent me loads of information and was of great help to me. I must say though, my first reaction to the idea of owning such a horse wasn't so great. When I found out they shed their manes and tails I said, "you mean I am going to have to ride a poodle in the winter and a bald horse in the summer???" LoL. After making many calls, we found the closest breeder was 5 hours away. We made the trip the following weekend. It was summertime and they wouldn't have their curls but we would be able to see if Tom reacted or not. We loaded up the family and headed out.

We pulled into the yard and Amy was walking this INCREDIBLE BAY GELDING towards us. He was tall, big boned and carried himself with such pride. His name, *Zigachtcee's Parader. (aka Zig) I was immediately awe-struck. He had no mane and a very short tail.. None of that bothered me at all. I could see the remnants of tiny ringlets near his forelock. It was instant love for all of us. AND the best part, NO reaction from Tom!! We stayed for hours and he reacted very little...only when we went down to the barn where they kept some straight haired horses. While Tom surveyed what we would need to build our own barn, he had his hands behind his back as he talked. All of a sudden, he felt Zig nibble his fingers and Tom jumped! He turned around and there was the big, goofy horse standing there.....Tom died laughing. It was an instant bond. He had never been around horses much and found them intimidating for the most part...but Zig was more like a dog and we could see these horses were different. I am convinced that Zig picked Tom for his owner......;-)

We purchased Zig that day. We also purchased a well broke mare, Mary's Maiden Star for Tracy. (10 years old) Amy agreed to give us a 30 day trial just incase Tom's allergies flared up once we got him home. I remember praying before they arrived that I really wanted this to be the answer to my life-long dream, but I also felt that my life had still been very rich with many blessings and if it didn't work out, I would manage. I am still in awe -- how something negative like allergies can bring something so wonderful into our lives. It truely is a miracle to me. I had often thought, WHAT IF I had known about Tom's severe allergies before I met him, and WHAT IF I had opted to not marry him because of that (can't imagine it, but what if?) - I would have missed out on being married to my soul mate and owning these amazing horses!! Isn't it amazing how God works out everything so perfectly?

There are still times, especially in the spring when our curlies shed that Tom may have a slight reaction or if we have been out on the trail for 4+ hours...but overall he does great. He is very allergic to hay and shavings so being in the barn always messes him up. He has just found a way to deal with those things. He found he reacted more to curlies with stiffer, wirey coats, verses a soft curly coat. And he never reacted to any of our straight curly babies either. So, this is a true testament to their hypo-allergenic qualities.....

Zig is still Tom's horse today, he will be 15 years old this year...It is sort of neat because without his allergies we wouldn't have Curlies, but without my love for horses, he wouldn't have Zig. It is amazing how he has grown to love these animals as much as I do. Many people don't realize it, but it was my husband that insisted on Breeding Curlies way back when...and my husband that would get the Curlitis and have to bring a trailer load of curlies home everytime we visited Joe Mead! lol. Just goes to show you that Curlies can make even a non-horse person into a horse lover! My personal dream has always been to own 3-4 fine geldings -- ride and enjoy them. I think Tom finally has breeding out of his system, but he really does miss the foals.

Curlies have brought extreme JOY into our lives and brought our family together. My son doesn't share the same love for horses that most of us do, but he will still participate and ride with me on occasion. I consider them a gift and I thank my husband every day for having allergies!!! Not only are they hypo-allergenic but they have so many other awesome traits that make them incredible!!! They ARE the Miracle horse!

 

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