Recently adopted pacer Hello Mr P is now known as "Maverick" at his new home, but unlike his namesake from the famous movie franchise, he’s not the top gun. No, that title belongs to his new best friend, Roxie, who Maverick outweighs by several hundred pounds as Roxie is a miniature horse.
Anna-Mari Muller now owns both horses. The long-time equestrienne adopted Roxie in 2018. “She’s a spoiled pet and companion who loves attention and scratches, but due to her rough past, we don’t do cart driving,” explained Muller, who has been riding most of her life primarily in eventing and jumper. She also competed nationally in pony club PPG and dabbled in barrel racing, western pleasure and trail riding.
Muller recently started fostering horses for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS), which she was familiar with thanks to her friendship with Emma Christoforou, whose mother, Joanne Colville, has helmed the agency for more than 15 years. Muller's first foster horse for OSAS was Solid Queen, who found her forever home earlier this month after learning how to ride from Muller.
“Queenie” was still at Muller's when her next foster horse arrived, Hello Mr P aka Maverick. The five-year-old State Treasurer gelding was just two months away from the racetrack where he faced the gate a total of 55 times, winning just over $55,000. His life mark of 1:54f was taken at Pompano Park as a three-year-old.
Maverick sports his tack and a beautifully braided mane as he’s quickly learning to ride.
When Maverick first arrived, he was put in the paddock beside the one which housed Roxie and Solid Queen to give him a slow introduction. Muller knew the latter mare was going to be leaving soon so, “I kept Maverick and Roxie within sight of each other while I still had Queenie. When Queenie went to her new home, I introduced Roxie and Maverick in the same paddock. Roxie asserted her dominance with a few mini mare squeals and then they immediately hit it off as best friends,” she explained.
“The following day, they were grooming each other, napping together, happily sharing hay and playing together. They are pastured together outside 24/7, but if the weather is bad, they come inside and have facing stalls to keep each other company.”
Like his namesake, Maverick is very handsome and he attracted a lot of attention when Muller posted photos of him on the OSAS Facebook page, especially the picture of him with his unlikely new best friend. In that photo, Maverick is laying on the ground and Roxie is standing and they look close to the same height.
Maverick and his new best friend Roxie relaxing together.
It wasn’t long after Maverick arrived at her farm that Muller began teaching him the fundamentals of his second career and she quickly made the decision to adopt him herself for a number of reasons, including his instant friendship with Roxie.
“He has a very sweet, docile personality with sharp, handsome looks. He’d only been ridden once before and I have already ridden him on my trails and around my property and he was very well behaved,” said Muller, who is aspiring to become a fire fighter. “I am fully trained with all of my qualifications and currently do patient transfer.”
OSAS warmly welcomes Muller and her assorted equines into its foster farm family. Established in 1996, OSAS is the official adoption agency for Standardbred horses in Ontario. One of OSAS’s mandates is to promote the versatility of the breed and their easy going nature, which the relationship between Maverick and Roxie certainly exemplifies.
(With files from OSAS)