Nothing like a little horsing around

   Retirement provides some folks time to do a little horsing around. For David Odegaard, a little horse-ing around has become his livelihood.

   After retiring from the Georgia National Guard in Winder, Odegaard moved to Macon where his wife, Carol earned her medical degree. Upon her graduation, they and their children, Drew and Katie, moved to Monticello. Carol set up her practice and David, a stay at home dad, looked for something to do. 

   His daughter’s teacher raised miniature horses and suggested he buy one for each of his children for Christmas. Odegaard bought two mini stallions, Romeo and Tornado. Katie loved her little 33 inch tall Romeo so much that she wanted to find him a girlfriend. Her daddy obliged. The only problem was that the new little mare didn’t like Romeo. She fell for Tornado instead. So the search went on. When they did find another mare, the owner had four other minis who needed a good home. Odegaard couldn’t say no, and the next thing he knew, he wasn’t just horsing around playing matchmaker for his kids’ pets. He was breeding Monticello Mini Whinnies.

   Then his life took a different turn. Odegaard discovered through his work that there was a big need for horse rescuers. Some cases involve actual abuse, and others might involve elderly people who love their horses, but who themselves are not in good enough shape, physically or financially, to properly care for their pets. Odegaard now rescues these horses, revives them, then seeks good homes for them.

   “All I charge is enough to recover the veterinary costs,” said Odegaard. “The mini horses make great pets. They don’t eat as much or need as much real estate as a full size horse, and they are very loving.”

   The minis also prove to be valuable in horse therapy.

   “I’ve seen special needs children in wheelchairs come nose to nose with a mini horse. It’s amazing how they interact.”

   You can interact with Odegaard’s Mini Whinnies at the Chautauqua Festival in Winder this coming Saturday. If you’re curious to see – and feel - what a little horsing around can do to your spirits, stop by. If you’re interested in horse rescue at any level – big or small – you can contact Odegaard at 770-714-0354 or D_odegaard@hotmail.com.

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