Olaf

Looking for a tiny spitfire with dinosaur-sized opinions who’s shorter than our farm dogs? Perhaps you might enjoy being tortured by seeing the most adorable, fuzziest bundle of fluff, while knowing you can’t hug or snuggle him? Ok, total transparency… You probably aren’t looking for Olaf. But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love him. <br/><br/>If you believe every creature has a right to a peaceful, comfortable existence–regardless of their ability to perform tricks or work a “job”–then you might be the person Olaf’s been waiting for. And if you like watching adorable little ponies express their opinion and caring for creatures who will only communicate with you from a distance, then you may just fall in love with Olaf!<br/><br/><br/>OLAF'S BACKGROUND<br/><br/>Olaf arrived at SKE in the fall of 2020 after wounding some egos at the local stockyards. This little guy earned the nickname “Mr. Harding” after he showed off his ability to run backwards kicking with both hind legs as fast as he can run forwards (his little kicks are about kneecap-height).<br/><br/>We later found out he had been dumped for meat after a local petting zoo “gave up” on gentling him. They told SKE they tied him to a post with no food or water while forcefully petting him hundreds of times daily. They said this lasted about two weeks, but after a week or so it was impossible to pet him because he would spin and kick so aggressively. <br/><br/>He likely only survived thanks to his hearty half-donkey genes (though, they didn’t know he was half donkey, apparently they figured he was “just a really ugly pony”).<br/><br/>Olaf had a halter embedded in his skin upon arrival, but had no intention of allowing anyone close enough to remove it. Our advanced trainers used coercive R+/R- methods in order to remove the halter efficiently with as little stress as possible given facility restrictions at the time. <br/><br/>Once his halter was removed a few days after arrival, Olaf began his period of downtime, to heal from the traumas he endured. He quickly adjusted to life at the farm, proving himself to be the biggest flirt on property and the most adorable spitfire we’ve ever seen!<br/><br/>After several years of training up’s & down’s, we’ve embraced Olaf’s persistent drive for autonomy. He is intelligent and trainable, but shows clear aversion to any sort of handling, particularly tactile touch from humans or presence of ropes/restraints/halters/etc. Luckily, he is a very easy keeper and capable of thriving without needing direct handling from humans. We’ve decided to allow him to be his “feral” self and support him through environmental management, which allows our training resources to help other horses in need.<br/><br/><br/>OLAF'S TRAINING<br/><br/>Olaf is essentially “feral” and does not accept any form of tactile touch or physical restraint from humans. Despite this, he knows a few essential behaviors:<br/><br/>- Liberty leading (following a target from a distance or moving along a fenceline with his trainer)<br/>- Bucket stationing (sending to a bucket of feed or moving between multiple buckets on cue)<br/>- Trailer loading (sending to a bucket of feed on a trailer)<br/><br/>Olaf will perform those key behaviors reliably in a drylot/arena setting, but will likely ignore his trainer when on grass pasture. Luckily, he still thinks he’s a stallion, and he’ll follow a big, beautiful mare anywhere she goes, even if the ground is lush pasture covered in sweet feed and peppermints! (We’ve used our full-sized mares to move him through open, grassy areas successfully)<br/><br/><br/>OLAF'S HEALTH HISTORY<br/><br/>Olaf is likely between 10-15 years old and stands about 8-9hh tall (32-36 inches).<br/><br/>He’s a miniature hinny–meaning he’s half miniature donkey, half miniature horse. Mules are also half donkey, half horse, but mules are a cross between a male donkey (jack) and female horse (mare) while hinnies, like Olaf, are a cross between a male horse (stallion) and a female donkey (jenny). <br/><br/>Olaf is an easy, easy keeper–as long as he can smell hay, he’ll stay chubby! Like any equine, he needs 24/7 forage access to maintain his digestive health and thrives on the lowest-nutrient/calorie/sugar hay you can find. We have him on free-choice minerals, but any quality mineral balancer should suffice. Due to his size and nutrient-efficient donkey genes, Olaf is high risk for laminitis and should not be kept on pasture nor given any sugary feed/treats.<br/><br/>Olaf needs access to varied terrain (an environment where he frequently moves across gravel or rocky footing) to maintain his hoof health. Given this, he self-trims beautifully!<br/><br/>Olaf was gelded (castrated/“neutered”) about a year into his rehabilitation at SKE. Our local vet used a tranq dart to sedate him and completed a thorough physical, including dental check, vaccines, etc. and found that his dental health was also excellent and seemed to be wearing well without needing a float or other veterinary interventions. Our farrier was present to do a hoof check and found the same to be the case with his hooves–excellent condition without needing additional trimming maintenance. <br/><br/>Olaf is healthy and has not had any major medical medical issues that we are aware of. <br/><br/><br/>OLAF'S SPECIAL NEEDS<br/><br/>Olaf needs a home capable of handling and managing a wild/feral mini horse safely and ethically. Olaf will need secure, solid fencing and appropriate environmental management to support his health and wellbeing. <br/><br/>Olaf may warm up to someone in the future and could end up being a high-performance trick pony, or he may remain completely “feral” for the rest of his life. He deserves respect, kindness, and comfort regardless, and deserves a home who will love and care for him unconditionally (not contingent on his ability to perform specific behaviors). <br/><br/>Olaf is safe to be around as long as he can move away. If he is cornered, he might kick or try to run over/under/through anyone in his way. For this reason, he's only "safe with kids" if the kids know to respect his space. <br/><br/>Olaf has been mean to goats in the past, so we keep ours separate. We have had a few sneak into his pen overnight and found them peacefully coexisting in the morning, but we've always retrieved them promptly and advise smaller critters are kept separately.<br/><br/>Olaf currently lives with another rescue pony, Frosty, who is fully blind. Olaf is shockingly kind to Frosty (though he will occasionally "hide" by holding completely still while Frosty searches for him. It's unclear if this "game" is fun for Frosty, but it certainly seems to amuse Olaf). Olaf's adoption fee is waived for any adopters who want to adopt him and Frosty together, however they aren't bonded and are okay to be adopted separately, too. <br/><br/>Olaf will be due for another physical exam in 2026, which will likely require tranq dart sedation or a custom squeeze chute (must be small enough for his exceptionally tiny size). Local adopters can have this done by SKE’s veterinarian, or we can work with distant adopters to come up with a viable solution.<br/><br/>SKE provides ongoing support for adopters, especially those adopting equines with special needs. We will always remain available for consultations or assistance, and Olaf will always be welcome to return to SKE for advanced care or retirement (a “safety net” option for any equines adopted from us). Additionally, a portion of his adoption fee goes into a savings account that can provide assistance if needed in the future.<br/><br/><br/>HOW TO ADOPT OLAF<br/><br/>SKE seeks adopters who have good intentions & good core values to direct them on their horsemanship journey - plus the knowledge, resources, & facilities to provide a great life to their adopted equine. If you feel that describes you, we would love for you to provide Olaf with an amazing home!<br/><br/>Olaf is available for adoption through SKE for $750. He’s located in Willard, Missouri, USA and transportation is available in the US & most of Canada.<br/><br/>Start the application process by filling the adoption application:<br/>skequine.com/adopt<br/><br/>Contact SKE with any questions or concerns:<br/>adopt@skequine.com<br/><br/>Thank you so much for considering Olaf! We hope he can find someone willing to give him kindness, love, and care without needing him to perform tricks, go for rides, or pull a cart. He deserves it–he’s truly something special and brightens our day every time we see him.

Looking for a tiny spitfire with dinosaur-sized opinions who’s shorter than our farm dogs? Perhaps you might enjoy being tortured by seeing the most adorable, fuzziest bundle of fluff, while knowing you can’t hug or snuggle him? Ok, total transparency… You probably aren’t looking for Olaf. But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love him.

If you believe every creature has a right to a peaceful, comfortable existence–regardless of their ability to perform tricks or work a “job”–then you might be the person Olaf’s been waiting for. And if you like watching adorable little ponies express their opinion and caring for creatures who will only communicate with you from a distance, then you may just fall in love with Olaf!


OLAF'S BACKGROUND

Olaf arrived at SKE in the fall of 2020 after wounding some egos at the local stockyards. This little guy earned the nickname “Mr. Harding” after he showed off his ability to run backwards kicking with both hind legs as fast as he can run forwards (his little kicks are

Looking for a tiny spitfire with dinosaur-sized opinions who’s shorter than our farm dogs? Perhaps you might enjoy being tortured by seeing the most adorable, fuzziest bundle of fluff, while knowing you can’t hug or snuggle him? Ok, total transparency… You probably aren’t looking for Olaf. But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love him.

If you believe every creature has a right to a peaceful, comfortable existence–regardless of their ability to perform tricks or work a “job”–then you might be the person Olaf’s been waiting for. And if you like watching adorable little ponies express their opinion and caring for creatures who will only communicate with you from a distance, then you may just fall in love with Olaf!


OLAF'S BACKGROUND

Olaf arrived at SKE in the fall of 2020 after wounding some egos at the local stockyards. This little guy earned the nickname “Mr. Harding” after he showed off his ability to run backwards kicking with both hind legs as fast as he can run forwards (his little kicks are about kneecap-height).

We later found out he had been dumped for meat after a local petting zoo “gave up” on gentling him. They told SKE they tied him to a post with no food or water while forcefully petting him hundreds of times daily. They said this lasted about two weeks, but after a week or so it was impossible to pet him because he would spin and kick so aggressively.

He l