Learning it's not Riding, but it's the Horse I Love

I was on a major high, Bunny was improving and we had just had one of our best rides, ever, on a Thursday afternoon, but the following Monday, my world came crashing down around me, when I got the phone call every horse owner dreads.   Bunny was hurt, kicked by another horse in her pasture.   I was told she had a cut on her hind left leg, she was acting a little lame, so the vet was on his way out.   I was told they'd call me back after the vet left.

Monday was not one of my usual days to go out to the barn, so I didn't have a ride, so I frantically started calling everyone that I knew, that might be willing to give me a ride out to the barn, but everyone was either not home or too busy.

I had a meeting to go to that afternoon, where voting would be held for the officers for the group of disabled students.  I had been acting President, because the previous year, I was elected Vice President and the President quit college.  I had asked for help from the Secretary and Treasurer, who had different disabilities from my own, meaning they were not visually impaired.   They did not help me at all.   I had worked to try and get a therapuetic riding program started at the college, as we had the horses, the students on the Equestrian Team were willing to volunteer their time, and a fraternity had offered to build a ramp, but the faculty just didn't seem to want to do it or even try it, but I kept fighting for it.   Well, at that meeting, I was not voted to any position at all, in the organization and I could hear whispers amongst the people of that other type of disability, as they all were of one type, about not voting for me for anything.   They voted themselves in, so that all the officers of the group, now had the same type of disability, so there was no longer any diversity in the officers to make it seem like they really stood for all disabled students.

After the meeting, I pulled aside a friend of mine, who drove,, and told her what was going on with Bunny, and she said she'd come get me in about a half hour.

I rushed back to my room, unharnessed Zach, my Seeing Eye Dog, and got him taken care of, so I culd get out to the barn and not worry about him.

My friend arrived and we rushed out to the barn.  I had not heard a word, from the farm all day, not since the call that morning, about the injury.

When I got there, I was told that the vet had to x-ray Bunny's hind left leg.  I was told he was worried it was a significant leg injury, possibly a fracture of some kind.   I rushed to the stall where they had put Bunny and she was still heavily sedated, her leg wrapped tightly.   Her head hung low, as I entered the stall and I just wrapped my arms around her beautiful head and cried. 

I just could not believe this was happening.  My beautiful horse, who had been through, who knows exactly what, in her earlier life, before me, but obviously some kind of abuse, obvious neglect, and now she may be fighting for her life with a leg fracture.

I was told that the vet would call me the next day with the results of the x-ray.

I stayed with Bunny for a long time, just hugging her, trying to comfort her and myself, at the same time.  Praying to God that she would be alright.   I started praying that she would just live, even if I couldn't ride her again, I just wanted her to live, because I loved her and I just didn't think it was fair that she'd finally found love and to have her life end so shortly after it.   It was September and we'd only been together since the middle of May.

My friend had to get to her evening job as a reader for a blind friend, so I had to tear myself away from Bunny and I promised that I'd get back out to see her as soon as I could, hugging her and kissing her multiple times, before I left the stall.

I got back to my dorm room and hugged Zach, who was happily waiting for my return.  I made myself dinner and as I was about to sit down to eat, there was a knock at my door.  It was one of the those other disabled students coming to talk to me.  She had been designated the one to come inform me why they had decided to get rid of me, in such a cruel manner.

I was apparently not doing enoughf or them, they thought I wanted all the glory over the therapuetic riding program, and so on.  They hated that I used the word "I" when referring to things that I, alone, had done, without their support, they wanted credit, too.   They had wanted to sit in on meetings with the faculty for the therapuetic riding program, but had not, because someone else had told them not to, not me, but I was the one they blamed.  They decided that they also thought that all the blind and visually impaired students were getting special treatment because the Director of Disabled Students was blind, himself, but this was the furthest from the truth.  Anything time they wanted a ramp put in, a curb cutout put in, anything, it was granted, we aske for the room numbers to be lowered to eye or shoulder level, with braille put on them, and no, that couldn't be done.  Nothing was done to help make things better on campus for the blind students, except for readers, given longer times on tests, and so on, but any additions to buildings, like numbers or names, being put in braille or at eye level, for us to read more easily, on our own, without always having to ask, was too much trouble.

These other diabled students blamed me for a lot more and the blind population for a lot more, and I knew, from previous experience with one  of them, that some of them were jealous that we could walk across campus on our own, with the help of a cane or guide dog, but they could get driver's licenses, so it made no sense to me, why they'd be jealous, but one of them had come straight out and said to me, "Well, you can get up and walk across campus anytime you want."   I pointed out to this individual, that she had a van parked in the parking lot, that she rarely drove.   Oh, well, I thought, if they were going to dislike or even hate a whole population of a different type of disability, it was their loss.

I called another blind friend of mine and he was so mad about my treatment that he was ready to start a revolt of some sort, but mostly I needed his comfort to talk about Bunny, since my roommate wasn't back yet, for me to talk to, and I had to talk to someone about all that was going on with Bunny and the organization, it was so much to take in, all in one day.

I do not know why different disability groups pit themselves against each other, it baffles me.  I think so much more could get done if the different disabilities would work better together, even at the college level, like I'm sharing in this story, that really happened.

That night, as I cried myself to sleep, I prayed again, just asking for Bunny to be alright and to live, even if I couldn't ride her again.

I waited all Tuesday to hear something, but I didn't.  I called the vet office, but I was told he was not available and that he was trying to consult with another vet, about Bunny's case, before he talked to me, which did worry me and frustrate me a bit.

Finally, on Weds. morning, I got a call from the vet and was told that Bunny's hind left leg was indeed fractured, the outer splint bone was broken, a clean break, and there was a hairline fracture to the cannon bone.   I was told she would probably live, but she would need to stay in the stall for 6 months.  Another option was to put a plate and screws in, but being a college student, I could not afford that, so he said we'd just do stall rest and see how she healed on her own.

I bought her a calcium supplement and I began part time work out at the barn, because I could not afford stall board on my limited income.  I worked off some of her board, by filling water buckets for over 50 horses, sweeping and raking the large barn aisle, helping clean tack, clean out the grooming and wash stall area, and any other odd jobs that I could do around the barn.

I bought her a blanket, as winter approached, because it was apparent she was not going to develop much of a winter coat, in her current situation and the area of the barn, she was put in, was more open air and if there was a cold wind, there was  not as much wall protecting her from it.

I hung a sign on her door, that the blanket was only to be put on and left on at night, if the temperature got below freezing, but I'd come out on days where it was in the 60's and find her still blanketed, sweating.   I would just cry.  I longed to be able to take care of her myself.   SHe developed thrush, while I was home on Christmas break, because no one bothered to clean out her hooves for me and her stall didn't get cleaned properly, because some of the pople who cleaned the stalls only thought of her as a "crazy Arabian".   True, it was a barn of 99% Quarter Horses, so some people showed their breed bias.  

There are some people in the horse industry that for one reason or another will decide they don't like a particular breed and there is nothing you can do or a horse of that hated breed can do, to change their minds.   I may have my favorite breeds, but I still like all horses and try hard not to trash a whole breed, just based on limited expossure to that breed, because you never know that horse's true background and if it is breed related issues or it's background due to poor handling, training, or even abuse.

Finally, I just could not afford to keep Bunny there any longer, so I started looking for another place to board her, in late January of 1997.  Happily, a friend of mine was working for a small boarding farm that wasn't too much further down the road from where Bunny was currently boarded and she promised to take excellent care of Bunny and help me in her rehab.

So, I moved her in Febuary.   At the six month mark, we started limited turn out, as the bet had said to do, but it was obvious that Bunny was still quite lame, so I had the vet come back out and x-ray her leg, again.   The news was not good, though the cannon bone had healed, the splint bone had not healed at all.

I was again, left feeling devistated, what was I going to do.   The vet said if it hadn't healed in 6 months, it was not going to heal, leaving her lame and probably in pain.   So, we discussed the options, I still could not afford the surgery to put a plate and screws in her leg, to stablize the bone, so the only other option was to remove the lower portion of the splint bone, from the break downward.   The vet could not tell me if she'd be sound or not, after this procedure, but she would at least be out of pain.   He offered to do it for less than he usually would do that kind of procedure, realizing the situation I was in and not wanting to have a horse be in pain.

So, Bunny ws taken to the vet clinic for the surgery, where the lower three quarters of the outer splint bone on her hind left leg was removed.   She stayed there a week, before my friend and I went to go pick her up and take her back to the farm.

It took us 45 minutes to get her on the trailer.   We believed that having to ride in a trailer, twice, with her leg hurting, had made her afraid to get into the trailer.   We finally got her on and I knew I'd have to work with her more, once she completely healed.

After a month rest in the stall, she started limited turn out, again, and I anxiously watched her on her first day out in the roundpen.   My friend, Mary, and I stood there waiting to see what she would do and it didn't take her long, before she started to trot around the perimeter of the circular roundpen.   We turned to each other and I don't remember who spoke first, but both of us were amazed at what we were seeing, Bunny was sound!

A few weeks alter the vet came out to check on Bunny and I had him follow us into the roundpen, Mary closing the gate as we passed through.  I turned Bunny loose and with my limited eyesight I just watched the vet's face, because I knew Bunny was sound, I wanted to see his reaction.   I sear, even with bad eyesight, I saw his jaw about hit the ground.   He turned tome and said, "Not only is she sound, but she has one of the best trots of any horse I have ever seen!"   He couldn't believe it.   He had not expected her to go 100% sound or sound that quickly.

He said I could start trying to ride her in a month or two, when she got stronger, and just make sure I paid attention to her soundness, which of course I promised I would.

But when Bunny was ready for me to start working with her again, it was like we had gone back to day one or actually even worse.   Her freezing episodes were more frequent, almost every single time I got on her back, I never got to go but about 10 to 20 feet, she just was terrified.   As I'd done before, i'd lean forward and hug her neck and just talk to her.

Through prayer and just being with Bunny, I made the decision, that I was right in my prayers, when she first got hurt, I did not care if I rode her ever again, I just wante dher to live.  Yes, it was a bit upsetting that I couldn't ride a physically sound horse, but I could not put her through the terror anymore.  Something about being ridden terrified her and I could feel and sense the pain, the emotional and mental pain, she was feeling, and I just could not do that to an animal that I loved so much.

Bunny and I had been through so much in that first year of our relationship and she taught me that it was not riding that I loved, but it was her, the horse itself, and riding was a perk, a plus, a benefit, and a privilege of horses and I learned that if you truly loved a horse, you would not put them through that kind of mental pain, just for the perk of riding it.   I didn't think it was fair to put her through that, so I decided that my beautiful Bunny would become a broodmare and most of all, Bunny would be my beloved friend, I'd never part with her, because I would not risk someone else trying to ride her.   It is what love does, it grows and learns to accept and to sacrifice.  No, I never felt that awesome canter of hers ever again, but I knew that if I was patient and found the right stallion to breed her to, she would pass it along to her babies and one day I would feel it again, just on her children, not on her.

My love for Bunny was so strong that I just knew I would not pain her any more with trying to ride her and I told her it was okay, that she did not have to worry anymore.   I knew she'd had a few foals before I got her, so I told her she would get to have more babies and I swear I sensed happiness from her, that this was what Bunny wanted and she would pay me back for my love and understanding, in time she did, when Belle was born in 2003, she gave me my dream horse.

All for Love (Bunny's Story, Part 2)

Bunny arrived at my college riding instructor's farm a few days before I made it back to college from Virginia to Tennessee, in May 1996.   This had given her a chance to settle in a bit at her new farm, going through quarentine, so when I arrived, she was ready to be moved to the mare pasture and make some new horse friends.

The first few times I went out, I just groomed her, getting her used to going into the grooming area, which she had been a little bit afraid of, the night she had arrived, and also just giving us more time to bond.  I just took lots of time with her quietly encouraging her to enter the grooming area and eventually she would just walk right onto the concrete and go with me to one of the grooming stalls.

Since I am legally blind and can not drive I had to find rides to the barn.   I was able to find rides with other students heading out to the barn or I paid someone to take me out there, but it still wasn't every day, like I wanted, but I got out to the barn as much as I could.   I usually left my Seeing Eye Dog Zach, a male black Lab, back at my dorm room with my roommate, who also was blind and had a Seeing Eye Dog, so I knew he was happy.  It was usually quite hot out there, so I did this for his own comfort.   He did come with me sometimes, and I would tie him nearby or put him in the huge crate that I had bought for him to relax in.

Bunny continued to not be too hard to catch for me, despite the previous owner's warning of her being hard to catch.   Sometimes I'd have to patiently wait for her to come to me, taking about 10 minutes, but, she would usually come quicker than that.   On the days she wanted to be hard to catch, she would run around me in circles, as I stood there waiting for her.  She'd let me know when she was ready to be caught by stopping, then turning towards me to look at me, as if to say, "OK, I'm ready to be caught."   If I chased her, it would take me a lot longer to catch her, so I learned fairly quickly not to chase her and let her just get it out of her system and she'd let me know when she was ready.

After I was sure she was getting more settled in I started taking her to the roundpen to work her and start working with her on voice commands and her steering.   The roundpen is a great place to teach all of this.   She was a fast learner, so she progressed quickly with her ground work and I was soon starting to get on her back, again.

We were making great progress, she was learning to steer, but on some days I would mount her and she would just stand there, frozen, refusing to move.   I could sense that something major was bothering her, but I couldn't figure out what it was.  I just felt sadness for her, something just wasn't right.  I would lean forward in the saddle and lay on her neck, just hugging her and talking to her, trying to get her to relax, sometimes it would work, but most times it didn't.   There were days that I got on her that we were lucky if we moved 10 feet from where we had started.   I never pushed Bunny too hard, because I just sensed that something from her past was causing this and it was not  me.

That summer, my instructor was not there very often, as she was out doing the Quarter Horse show circuit, but she knew I could handle things and when she was home she'd watch Bunny and I and see the progress we were making.

On days that Bunny was willing to work, we'd go to the riding ring and walk and trot, working on steering, stopping, and other confidence building things, but mostly I just rode her and didn't over do things, so not to stress her.

As August approached and the beginning of the fall semester was about to start my instructor and I talked about the upcoming riding class at college, which she also taught.   She would usually bring student's horses that were boarded with her, to the college campus riding arena for class, and she said she would have room for Bunny and she thought it might be good for Bunny to come along.   I was thrilled that I'd get to take actual lessons on my own horse, for the first time in my life.

Bunny was brought with 5 other horses and at first I would take her to an empty stall at the livestock center and get her ready.    However, we changed this one day, when I left her stall to go get something and when I came back one of the guys had moved her, to put another horse there.  When I went to find find her, she was tied to a plank that was nailed to two posts, right next to where the cars would go by.   And, well, before I could move her, and right as my instructor was also appearing on the scene, a car went right behind Bunny, scaring her.   She reared up and the plank came right off the posts.   She began to drag it, but luckily, being a very smart horse, she quickly put her head down, stopped moving, and waited for us to get to her and out of this potentially dangerous situation, as she was headed towards the road.   After that, my instructor had Bunny brought to the main school barn, so I wouldn't have to leave her and she was put in the one cross tie area, and everyone was told that they were not to move her from that spot.

For the actual riding class, my instructor and I talked that Bunny should be lunged first, having her walk and trot around me in the center of the big riding arena, so she could see all the action without me on her back, and we'd wait for her to show that she was relaxing before I'd get on her.

We also agreed that I would not canter her, just yet, as we were not sure she was ready for it, in such a big arena with so many other horses being ridden around her.   And most times she listened and only trotted when the others cantered, but one glorious afternoon when the instructor called for everyone to canter, Bunny decided she was ready and willing and she picked up her canter, and for the second time I got to feel the most comfortable canter I have ever felt on any horse that I have ever ridden.    We made it about halfway around the arena, before my instructor asked me to slow her back into the trot.   We were both very proud of her and were thrilled that she was making so much progress.

My next riding lesson was at my instructor's barn and she had me ride Bunny.  Bunny was having one of her more nervous days, but she was not frozen, she just wanted to follow the other horses, for their comfort and I couldn't get her to stop following the others, so my instructor had me bring her down to one end of the ring and had the others stay at the opposite end of the ring.   She then had me ride Bunny in small circles around her.   After a few minutes she had me stop and walked over to me.

My riding instructor was a very nice lady, but she rarely talked of emotions when it came to horses.   She looked up at me and very seriously said, "Lisa, I have to tell you something.  The look in Bunny's eyes is sheer terror.  I truly believe that the only reason this horse is not bucking you off right here and right now is that this horse loves you."   This was something I'd never heard this woman talk about, the love of a horse for a human, so for her to say this to me, it makes it mean that much more and so much more believable.

We talked about what was going on and she told me that Bunny's mannerisms, attitude, and other behavior led her to believe that Bunny's early training had been very bad, possibly even cruel, maybe even abusive.   Obviously, we don't know this for sure, but Bunny showed a lot of classic signs of a previously mistreated horse.

So, Bunny was cooperating with me because of love, something that I bet she had not really known before.   It is amazing what love can do.   And I definitely loved that pretty little grey Anglo-Arabian mare, that was a give away rescue, that was about to be sent off to auction.  I was so happy to have her in my life and knew we were going to do great things.

It was all for love, my love for Bunny and Bunny's love for me.

Mustangs of Hawkeye Hill Racing School

While working at Hawkeye Hill Racing School in Indiana, during the summer of 1992, I met my first real Mustangs.   The lady that owned the place had adopted four of them from Nevada, she said they had come from the desert, and from their looks, they had definitely lacked in nutrition, in their younger years, as all were pony sized, so not sure if they came from the desert or not, but they had definitely come from an area of limited resources.   All four were geldings, their names were Moon Shadow, Desparado, Nips, and Nevada.

Moon Shadow and Desparado were kept in a small pasture infront of the main training barn, because if they were let out into the huge 20 plus acre field, they sometimes would not come back, still having some of their wild tendencies very strong in them.   Previous students or workers on the farm had worked with these two the most, so they were the furthest along in their training, but still very green.

Nevada was kept in a small dry lot, behind one of the barns, as he was still the most wild of the group, having the least handling.   I never worked with him, as another girl fell in love with him and promised she'd work with him, but she never got very far, at least that I saw.

Nips was allowed out into the main field, with the rest of the retired racehorses and other riding horses, but he always wore his halter, so that he could be caught more easily.  He was very afraid of things and would spook easily.   If anyone tried to put a lead on his halter, he would get very upset, but if you let him with just your hand on his halter, he was more likely to go with you.   It was only because of this, he was allowed out in the field, that he'd come up with the main herd and he was mostly okay to lead, if you led him his way.

There was something about the little chestnut gelding, Nips, that drew me to him, so I asked for permission to work with him, in my spare time, and it was granted.

First, I spent time in his stall, with him, to get him used to my presence and my smell.   I just put my hands on him, touching him where he would let me, at first, and then slowly pushing my way to touching other areas of him, slowly, as not to scare him, I just gently touched him all over his body, each day increasing where I would touch.   Then I added the grooming tools, the soft brush, first, then the others, like the curry, stiff brush, and main and tail comb, eventually I was even able to pick up his feet and clean them out with the hoof pick.   As his confidence grew in allowing me to do all of this, I would put the lead rope on him, for a few minutes each day, so he'd get used to it just being there, attached to his halter, then I started just leading him, the way he liked, but with the lead still attached, so he got used to it moving as he walked, because I think that is what might have been scaring him.   I slowly just led him around his stall and slowly was able to remove my hand from the halter and move it to the lead rope, so eventually I was not having to lead him with my hand on his halter and he was leading like a regular horse. 

At that point, it was time to try leading him outside of the stall, so I undid the stall chains and ropes, that were what was used for his stall door, and I slowly encouraged him to come with me, out into the barn aisle, and then outside of the barn.   At this point, the owner came over and saw how much progress I had made and was apparently impressed, because she then asked me to start working with Desparado and Moon Shadow, as well, as no one was currently doing anything with them and they needed their training continued.

I agreed that I'd start working with them, along with working with Nips.

Nips's training continued, with me putting the tack in the stall with us, as I groomed him, so he could get used to seeing it, smelling it, etc.  I let him check all of it out, as i groomed him, each day.  When it was time to try putting it on him, I took the saddle blanket, folded it up very small, into the size of a wash cloth.  I then rubbed it all over his back and sides, getting him used to the feel of it.

I then placed the folded up saddle blanket on his back and slowly started to unfold it.   Nips turned his head to see what I was doing, but stood still, like a good boy.   The next day, I did the same thing and then was able to add the saddle pad.   Each day, I added a new piece of tack, the saddle, then the girth, the girth cover, and eventually the bridle.

Then it was time to lead him out of the stall, all tacked up.   When he was able to walk around the farm, being led, with all the tack on, and not spooking, it was time to teach him to steer and do some more of his ground work, to get him ready to accept a rider.

Meanwhile, my work started with Desparado and Moon Shadow.   As it had been a very long time since anyone had worked with them, we put them in the roundpen and started by lungeing them, getting them used to the tack, ground driving them, so they would remember how to steer, etc.

Even though I am tall, I didn't weigh very much, back then, around 118 pounds, so despite their small sizes, I was not considered too heavy for them, so when it was time for them to be ridden,  again, I was the first one to get on them, as they were used to me, the most.

Both made a lot of progress at first, both being able to be ridden outside of the roundpen and eventually one of the other riders would ride Moon Shadow, while I rode Desparado around one of the 3 acre pastures, located on the infield of the training track. 

I was soon able to take Desparado onto the small 1/8 mile all weather training track with the other horses, to exercise him and get him used to horses being ridden around him.

It was so funny riding him, as others rode by us, because he was only about 13 hands or so and the other horses were almost all over 15 hands, some being over 16 hands.   He was doing so well, that one morning when we were given our riding assignments, the owner decided to let someone else ride Desparado.

I happened to be on another horse, at the same time as the other person was on Desparado and I watched as Desparado took the guy off the small all weather training track, into the center, where we had some jumps set up, for when prospective buyers came to look at the retired racehorses, they could have a jump or two to try them over.   Well, Desparado just took this guy into that area and just started spinning in circles.  I don't recall him bucking and trying to get the guy off of him in a mean way, he just was showing his major displeasure with this new rider by not cooperating one bit.   So, the next day, I was put back on Desparado to continue working with him, as obviously he did a lot better for me and I was getting through to him in his training.

I don't remember if it was that day or a few days later, but I was riding him on the 1/8 mile track along with about 6 other horses and riders.   This girl on a big grey horse went galloping by us and suddenly the grey went into a bucking fit and threw the girl off, almost right infront of us.   Desparado calmly trotted around her and kept on going, while some of the other horses got upset, he stayed calm and kept his mind on his business.  I was so proud of him. 

Eventually, others were able to ride him and he would listen to them, so my training and patience had worked with him.

Moon Shadow, meanwhile, had relapsed and had gotten very nervous about being ridden outside of the roundpen, so I had to take him back into that small riding area and start working him in there, slowly, to regain his confidence.  Unlike, Desparado and Nips, I also think Moon Shadow had a bit more of a mean side to him, as well.

As I would ride Moon Shadow around in the roundpen, he would try to get me off by slamming my leg into the fencing, and after a few days, when he realized that tactic wasn't working, he started getting hard to mount.   I'd go to get on him, and as I was swinging my right leg up and over his back, he'd jump sideways, to the right, leaving me hanging in mid air and having to quickly land on my feet.

Eventually, he got so bad about me mounting him, that we had to put blinkers on him, so he could not see me trying to mount him.  We also would have one person holding him and one person trying to help me get on him.   It would usually take a few attempts, even after all of that, but I never gave up and never let him win, and I'd always get on him.

I have no clue why he started doing all this, except that it started when the other rider was riding him, so something must have happened, I don't know what, to make him not happy about being ridden, because he had been at the same level of training as Desparado had been.   Who knows what makes horses change, it can be different things for each horse, that sets them off down the path of misbehavior and then you have to figure out a way to get back to them that it is okay to be ridden or handled and not to be afraid.

Before I left the farm, I did have him back to being mounted more quietly and riding better in the roundpen, but I had not started taking him back out of the roundpen, before I left.  I just know it was persistance, just working with him everyday and never getting mad at him, being patient, and he was slowly coming back around.

Before I left, Nips was starting to be ridden, but as he was the smallest of the bunch, the owner decided that even my light weight was too much for him, so had another girl get on him, because she only weighed 105 pounds, though, to this day, I really don't know if 13 pounds really would make that big of a difference. 

The owner was strange, at times, she'd be super happy with you one minute and mad at you the next.   She told you she wanted to know if you noticed any problems with a horse, but if you did approach her with an issue, it would suddenly turn into something that you did to cause the problem, riding wise, health wise, or whatever, so you started to learn to just keep your mouth shut and just ask amongst yourselves, but then you'd learn that some of the others would go and tell the owner something about one of the horses in your care, behind your back and you'd get fussed at anyways, you just couldn't win.  We were there to learn about racing, but when you are met with such hostility, at times, it doesn't make for a very good learning environment.

A lot of what we learned was from watching others, who had learned it from watching other previous students and workers, and what we learned at the track, when we took horses to breeze in the morning or race in the afternoons.

When a new group of student workers would come in, at the beginning of each month, she would start out teaching us, for about a week, and slowly the lessons got less and less, until non-existant, by the second week, and then not much learning, from her, until the next group came in.  It left a lot of students very frustrated, some even leaving, despite the non-refundable fees we paid her to learn from her.   They just got fed up with the lack of teaching and the conditions on the farm and how we were living, but some of us who were really serious, stuck around, and as we all learned later, I'm sure, because I did, most racing farms you work for had similar living conditions, if not worse, the pay sucked, treatment by trainers sucked, but you still did it, because you loved the horses, it was all for the horses and you learned to put up with a bunch of crap, until you just had it, and then you'd move on to the next farm.   I met a lot of people who just went from farm to farm, dealing with each trainer or owner, for as long as they could handle them, and then they'd move on, in fact, several of them had a circuit that they'd make, of about 3 or 4 farms, and the trainers knew these riders and workers would always come back in a year or so and stay for 6 months or so, before moving to their next farm.   So, they never learned to treat the employees any better, because they always knew they'd come back and there were young girls, like myself, to take their place, when they did leave.   It was a viscious cycle and I'm sure it still goes on, on a lot of farms, today.

I started at Hawkeye Hill on July 1st and I left in the middle of September of 1992, so I was there for only 2 1/2 months.  I had planned to return, after a short visit back home, but found the job working for Longwood Farm in Maryland, which my parents pushed me to take, as it was a lot closer to home than Indiana, plus it was a paying job, instead of one where I was working for free, in Indiana, for being taught, when I really wasn't being taught anything, anymore, from the owner.

From what I understand, Hawkeye Hill, had once been a very good place to go and learn, but by the time I got there, it was in a spiral downward and losing it's reputation as a good place to go and learn about the racing industry.   Since that was the time before the internet really took off, there was no way to truly research whether it was a good place or not.

I learned a lot from the horses of Hawkeye Hill, especially the three Mustangs that I worked with.    The racehorses and retired racehorses, also taught me a lot about how to exercise ride, deal with a variety of leg issues and other ailments, and just how to do the day to day care of a horse, things you just don't learn taking weekly lessons.   So, despite not meeting expectations and not learning nearly as much as I had hoped to learn, I did learn a lot, especially from those wonderful little Mustangs.

Showing Tom Boy

The first place I took true riding lessons from was Fox Meade Farm in Chesterfield County, VA.   I was in middle school and was definitely a horse crazy girl.   I rode several ponies at the farm, but my favorite was the first horse I rode there, a big chestnut Thoroughbred gelding named Tom Boy.

Tom Boy was about 25 years old and had some breathing problems, but I loved him, he was so responsive, I rarely ever rode him with a crop.

At my first show, there at the farm, I didn't get to ride him in any of my classes, but my 2nd show, I did.  I got to ride him in both my classes and I was so excited.

When it was my turn to ride him, he had already been in several classes that morning and was in the class before  mine, so I was to go into the ring and mount there, instead of him leaving the ring and having to re-enter it.   I went out to him and a nice gentleman helped me gmount him, as he was over 16 hands.   The girl who had just gotten off him, reached up and said, "Here, you'll need this."  As she tried to give me the crop.   I just shook my head and said, "No!  I don't need a crop with him."   Plus, I thought he might be tired and I wasn't going to force him.   I rarely needed it anyways, but just didn't feel I should use it on a older possibly tired horse.

After the gentleman helped me get my stirrups the correct length, I went out to the rail and the class began, with at least about 10 other girls riding the other horses and ponies in the riding program.

I listened for the ring master to tell us what to do, as it was a walk, trot, and canter class, and Tom Boy and I went about our ride.   He did everything I asked, when I asked, with no hesitation.  I knew I hadn't needed that crop and I bet I smiled as I thought about it, especially when he easily picked up the canter for me, in each direction.   He certainly wasn't acting tired or old, for me, and I think he was probably a bit relieved that I didn't have the crop with me.

Then we lined up in the middle of the ring, awaiting our numbers to be called as the ribbons were handed out.   They started with 6th place and as they went down the placings, I got more and more nervous, thinking I was going to go away empty handed, again, like I had in my first show.

But when they got to the blue ribbon, I was in shock, my number was called!  Tom Boy and I had won!

I was so happy as I left the ring and went to see my Mom, who happily greeted me.  I said, "It was nice of that man to help me get on Tom Boy.  I thanked him.  Do you think he is a parent?" 

My Mom replied, "No, Lisa, that was the judge!"

Since I can't see very well, I had no clue that it had been the judge who had helped me and I then said, "Well, that now explains the blue ribbon." 

My Mom said, "Oh, why?"

"Because when I got on him, the other girl tried to hand me the crop and I refused to take it.   I was able to get Tom Boy to do everything correctly without a crop, when everyone else was depending on it."  I answered proudly.

And later on, the judge had not forgotten, as when Tom Boy and I went in for our second class, we were rewarded with a red second place ribbon!

I loved that horse, Tom Boy, and I later learned he lived well into his 30's.  I never knew his real Thoroughbred name, closest I was ever told was it was something to do with "Wealth" or "Share the Wealth" or something along those lines, but nothing matches his age when I have looked it up.

Years later, I saw Tom Boy again, one summer, I went to visit him, and I swear he remembered me.

And then years after his death, it was like dejavu when I saw my first Thoroughbred foal, as an owner, born, as he was the spitting image of Tom Boy, who I named My Messenger, aka "Baron".   Even their small white stars were almost identical.   And like Tom Boy, Baron turned out to be a very special horse.

My First Thoroughbred

In the late winter of 1997, I was still caring for my first horse, Bunny, who had suffered an injury the previous September.   No one knew if she would be sound enough to ride, physically or mentally, so I started thinking about a second horse, despite being on a limited income and in college.   I wasn't really serious about looking, but I just kind of skimmed through some horse sale sites and one day I spotted this pretty chestnut Thoroughbred mare, named Mayo Lane.   SHe was built more like a Quarter Horse than a Thoroughbred, but the 3 pictures of her, on the for sale page just caught me and I just had to see her.   I got a video of her and a few others that the lady was helping to sell and liked her even more, when I saw the video.  

Most people I showed the pictures and video of her to did not think she was that attractive.   And even through the years, a lot of people have not thought of Mayo as beautiful, but she has her own beauty.  She has a big head, for her size, but Mayo does everything big, except her height of 15.2.  She weighs about 1100 lbs, has a lot of muscle and bone, has a big stride, a huge jump, and is just one of the most powerful horses I have ever ridden.   According to my husband, she just grows on you.

Mayo was 5 years old, had been trained to be a racehorse, but had never raced, due to a minor injury at 2 years of age.  Her owner had decided not to risk racing her, after that injury, rather being safe than sorry, I was told.  

Mayo Lane was born January 15, 1992, she was sired by Sorta Jolly, a son of Northern Baby, and out of the mare Carriage Lane, a daughter of Darby Creek Road.   Mayo is inbred 4 x 4 to Round Table, something you rarely ever see.   This means she has him twice in her geneology, both times in the 4th generation.  Northern Baby was a well known sire of steeplechasers and Darby Creek Road got a bit over shadowed by two great racehorses, Affirmed and Alydar, but he was a great racehorse in his own right.

I was in college at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Mayo was located just outside of Louisville, Kentucky, so during that spring semester's spring break, when most college students head to the beach, my friend Mary and I headed to Kentucky.   We planned to see Mayo first, then go do some touristy things, like go to Churchill Downs and go to Lexington to see a few farms.

Mary and I arrived at the farm where Mayo was around lunch time and both of us stood and watched her being ridden, then we each took our turn putting her through her paces.   She was obviously green, but nothing I couldn't handle, we believed, so I decided to buy her.

Mayo arrived at the boarding stable on Easter Sunday, after I had attended Mass with Mary.   Mary worked at the stable I was boarding at and helped me to take care of Bunny and was going to help me with Mayo, as well.   I had already made plans to live there that coming summer, with Mary, so I could be with my horses, while finishing my degree in Animal Science.

Things went well with Mayo, for awhile, she was definitely green, but she was learning.    One day I went for a trail ride around the big back pasture, with the owner's son.  He was riding his pony, who Mayo loved.   Unfortunately, he had not been taught proper riding etiquette.   While we were walking quietly around the pasture, suddenly he gunned his pony into a full run, with no warning.   Me being on Mayo, green, and who had been in race training, well, she decided to take off after her pony friend, but as she did, she decided to get rid of me, as well.

Mayo grabbed the bit in her teeth, giving me absolutely no control, as she took off.  With each and every stride, not only did she get faster, but she let out a huge buck.   Some bucks were definitely bigger than others, and one monsterous buck made me lose both my stirrups.   I was riding in my english saddle, but it was fairly deep seated, so I hoped I could hold on.   Then she put her head between her front legs, and I remember praying "God, please do not let me fall off infront of her!"   I held on as long as I could, then another monsterous buck and I felt one of the stirrups hit me in the face, right in the mouth, while I was still astride, it was that huge.  I have never heard of anyone else telling me about being hit in the face with a stirrup, while still on the horse.   I only remember a few bucks after that and the next thing I remember is rolling on the ground and watching Mayo run off without me.   Yes, I was wearing a helmet, as I always do, thank goodness.

I laid there for a second trying to gather what had just happened and how I might be hurt, when the kid comes riding up to me, as Mayo had passed his pony, of course, on her way back to the barn.   He asked me if I was okay, right as I remembered that my face had been hit with a stirrup.  I put my hand to my face and looked at it, as I pulled it away and it was covered in blood, I just showed him my hand and said, "Does this look like I'm okay?"    He raced his pony back to the barn.

His father, who was known for the same kind of stunt that his son had just pulle don me, racing horses away from other riders, with no warning, was back at the barn, with his older son.   Mayo  made it back to the barn and his son grabbed her, opened the gate and his father drove the truck out to look for me, his younger son meeting him and telling him where I was.

At this point, I had gotten up and was working my way back to the barn, but I couldn't walk in a straight line, I was listing to the left, but I couldn't figure out why, I was so in a daze that I felt no pain.

I got in the truck and he took me back up to his house and started to help clean up my face to see how bad it was.   My upper lip was cut and I had two loose teeth.   We decided I needed stitches, so waited for his kids to untack Mayo and the pony, and I called my Mom to let her know what had happened and that I'd keep her posted.   As I was on the phone with her, the pain started to hit.  I guess the adrenalin was wearing off and I was becoming aware of the fact that my right foot hurt, and it hurt a lot.

I ended up with 7 stitches in my upper lip, the two loose teeth, and a fractured bone in my right foot, so I was unable to ride for about a month or so.

Mayo ended up with some injuries, too.  Apparently, after passing by the kid on his pony, instead of going through the open gait that goes from the back field into the barn paddock, she decided to jump the 6 foot high fence.   Unfortunately, the top strand was barbwire.   Sense no one saw her do it, we only have the damage to her and to the fence to go by what happened.  The top strand of barbwire was broken, but no other part of the fence, Mayo had cleared, at least, 5 feet!  Her chest and front legs had scratches all over them, she had one deep cut on her chest and it developed a hematoma.   The vet came out to see her, and Mary took care of Mayo, while I couldn't get to the barn, as I was on crutches, and even then it was hard to get around due to pain.  The hematoma swelled up as big as a football, I'm told, though I never saw it at that size.   By the time I could get to the barn, it was down to about a softball size, due to Mary's excellent care.   Mayo still has a robin's egg sized bump on her chest, from that incident.

I worked with Mayo on the ground and then, when I was able, I got back on her.  I kept us in smaller areas, though, as whenever I did try to take her into larger places, she would get very strong.

After I graduated college I moved to Lexington, Kentucky, taking Mayo and Bunny with me, of course.  I found a little cottage to rent on a private horse farm, where I was able to board my two girls.   I loved it, the pasture was on 3 sides of the cottage and I could lay in bed and hear the horses running around my little house.   I was in heaven.

I got a job working on a small Thoroughbred farm, as the farm secretary, but it didn't last long, about 6 or 7 weeks, because I was let go, due to my eyesight, a problem the manager was well aware of, when she hired me.   Plus, one of her dogs had started to attack my Seeing Eye Dog, Zach, and somehow I was at fault for this, and it was just another reason for me to be let go from the job.

I tried to apply for a few more jobs, went on an interview at a company that I would have loved to work at, that deals with Thoroughbred research, but when the boss walked off the elevator and saw me sitting there with my beautiful male black Lab, Zach, my interview lasted maybe 10 minutes, if that.   All the questions circled around my vision and how he didn't think I could be a receptionist, which was the job I was being interviewed for.   I explained that I'd done that kind of work, before, was very good with computers, learned quickly, but none of this mattered, he just saw my blindness.   I had been told on the phone, that I was the first he'd interview, because I had the best resume and cover letter, but being blind changed all of that.   It was very discouraging and left me a bit depressed, to have been let go from one job due to my vision, and then to be turned down by another job, that would have been a great fit for me, also due to my vision.  

A friend of mine had tried to see if he could find me a job on another farm as a secretary, but by this point, I had gotten very sick, Mayo had developed an upper respiratory infection, and then my family started pressuring me to return home to Virginia.   Then an older relative of mine, who had a cattle farm, became ill and I was the only one in the family who knew anything about cows, besides him, so I was asked to come home to help him, being told I could bring my horses to his farm, as well, so right after Thanksgiving, after only living in Kentucky for 3 months, I had to leave.  It was very hard for me to do.  I don't think anyone knows how hard it was for me to leave a dream like that.

So, my two horses, Bunny and Mayo, my Seeing Eye Dog Zach, my new Jack Russell Terrier puppy, Sweetie, and I all headed to Virginia and the next chapter in our lives.

The Nicest Free Horse Anyone Has Ever Seen

I had wanted a horse of my very own, since I discovered my love of horses, when I was 8 years old.  That dream was not realized until much later, as I was 22, when I finally was able to find my dream horse.

I was a junior in college at Middle Tennessee State University in 1996, riding on the equestrian team and working towards my degree in Animal Science, with an Emphasis on Horses.  I told my riding instructor that I was wanting ahorse and she was keeping a look out for something for me, but just about everything she found was too expensive or just not right for me, she said.

I was going home on a 3 week break, between the end of spring semester and the beginning of summer school, which I decided to do that summer, so I could try and finish college in 4 years.   I told her I would possibly look at some horses back home in Virginia and she was skeptical that I'd find anything decent.

When I got home, I started looking in the newspaper for horses for sale and calling local stables to see if they had anything available.   Being that I was in college, I would not be able to afford much, especially if I got something in Virginia and had to ship it back to Tennessee, where my college was, so I knew I might have to settle for a project horse or one that had no training. 

I was hitting a lot of dead ends, though I found an ad in the paper for two Thoroughbreds and a Quarter Horse, all about 2 years of age, so I made an appointment.   Since it was a bit further away than most of the places I had called, I decided to call some stables near them, so if there was anything else, in that area, I could look all during the same day trip.

I called a few stables, nothing, then I called the last one on the list and started talking to the lady.   At first she said she had nothing available, but after talking to me for a bit, she said, "Wait, I forgot, there's Bunny.  But I doubt you'd be interested in her."

I said, "Oh, why?  Please tellm e about her."   I was not going to be afraid of a project horse, since I had experience with training and knew on my budget that it might be what I'd have to take on.

She started to tell me a little bit about Bunny, a 14 year old Anglo-Arabian mare, 14.3 hands, grey, had been a broodmare, owner had given her over to the stable due to health problems, and the owner of the stable had tried to use Bunny with her students, but no one could ride her.   She even told me that she had given Bunny away a few times, but everyone had returned her or if they said they wanted her, they never came back for her, always finding a reason not to get her.   But she explained she was tired of feeding and caring for Bunny and that if no one took her soon, Bunny would be sent through an auction.   I knew what that meant, she was going to sell Bunny to a meat buyer, most likely.  

I told her to hold off and that I wanted to come see the horse.  I could hear the doubt in the woman's voice as we ended our conversation, but something was there and I had to see that horse, Bunny.

My Mom took me to see the young horses, first, on our day trip.  They were in horrible condition, one young filly even looked pregnant or either she had a really bad case of worms.  Since one of the 2 year olds was a colt, it is hard to know which it was.   All 3 were small, pony sized, in fact, and in desperate need of new homes, but the people weren't going to budge on the prices they'd set on them, which were too high for unbroke youngsters in that bad of condition.

So, my Mom and I left, and headed out to find the stable where Bunny was located at.   It was super hard to find, and we got lost.  I had to use a pay phone to call the woman to get more directions, as we got later and later for our appointment.

Finally, about two hours after we had planned to be there, we pulled into the driveway.   The woman was out weedwacking near her driveway, so saw us pull up.  She directed us where to park and then met up with us.

She pointed out to the front field and said, "Bunny is out there.  I'll have to go get some grain, she's really hard to catch.  But you can go ahead on out into the pasture and I'll catch up with you."

So, I went through the gate and headed out into the pasture.  SInce I have limited vision, I moved slowly, but I could see a herd of horses in the distance, so I made my way towards them.   I can't see a lot of details at a distance, but I could tell there were some bays, chestnuts, and a couple of grey horses in the big herd, about 100 yards away or so.   As I walked, my eyes fell onto one of the greys.  I just used that horse as my point of walking towards, and then I realized that this horse was now walking towards me.   None of the others moved, but that one grey horse.   I could not take my eyes off of it, it was almost white in color and my heart was pounding, there was something about it and I could sense something special.   I think I was hoping it was Bunny, but couldn't be sure, since it wasn't the only grey in the herd.

A few minutes later we were within about 10 feet of each other, when the lady caught up to me and from over my right shoulder I heard her say, "Well, that's Bunny."

She quickly put on Bunny's halter and all I could think was, "So much for a hard to catch horse, she came right to me!"

The woman led Bunny to a stall, put her in and gave me some grooming supplies and went to get some tack, so I could see Bunny in action and possibly ride her.

I just kept looking at this most beautiful creature and exclaiming to my Mom, "Who could send this beautiful horse to an auction?"   I just kept gazing into her eyes, as I groomed her, quietly moving over her body with each brush.

She was a tad thin, but not too bad, her hooves were in desperate need of trimming.  She had one minor club foot, but other than that, her comformation was just about perfect.

I tacked her up and we took her up to the riding ring, where the lady put her on the lunge line.   Bunny lunged without any problems, walk, trot, and canter.   I then got on her and she lunged us.   Bunny was so nervous when I got on her, I could feel the tension, something wasn't right, but her movement was to die for.  I only rode her at a walk and trot, on the lunge line and then the lady turned us loose.  That is when I discovered what Bunny's major issue was, she had no steering!  But, thankfully, she had brakes.   I kept thinking to myself, "Well, steering I can teach, for sure, especially since she will stop."   Bunny continued to move nervously and so I decided after about 15 minutes that it was enough and I didn't want to stress the poor mare out, so I dismounted and told the woman, "I want her!"

I still don't think the lady fully believed me, but we went back down to the stables, I untacked Bunny, groomed her again, and turned her out into the field.   The lady showed me Bunny's registration papers.  Her registered name was Street Dasher, an Anglo-Arabian, sired by the Thoroughbred stallion Neal Street, and out of the Arabian mare, Edel Radasharyn.   She then showed me two of Bunny's offspring, a bay gelding and a grey gelding.   I was told that there had been two others, one had been sold and was elsewhere in Virginia and the other, Bunny's first foal, had died as a yearling.  

I went home and immediately found a stable near my parents house, to move Bunny to, so she could be closer to me, while I worked with her and bonded with her, before we headed to Tennessee.

I was lucky and found a place just 10 minutes away, that was willing to take on a temporary boarder.   The lady who owned that stable was skeptical, when I told her that Bunny was a free horse and said, "No free horse is ever worth anything."

But when Bunny arrived and stepped off the trailer, she changed her tune and said, "That's the nicest free horse I've ever seen!"

I got the vet out immediately to work on Bunny, getting her up to date on everything, we got her hooves trimmed, and updated her deworming, all of which she was severely behind on.   The vet also was amazed that Bunny was just given to me, saying how nice she was, and she should know what a nice horse looks like, as she had once been the vet for Secretariat, when he was a youngster.

I spent about 10 days bonding with Bunny, the first few days, just working with her on the ground and then I got on her.   I was riding her in the small ring, when she decided she wanted to be at the other end of the ring, but instead of running, she just picked up the most beautiful collected canter I have ever felt in my entire life!   I swear to you it was like I was riding on a white fluffy cloud, it's the only description that I think does the feel any justice.

I made arrangements for Bunny to travel to Tennessee and to be boarded at my instructor's barn.  I called the lady I got Bunny from to tell her I was definitely keeping Bunny and she promised to send me Bunny's registration papers, but I never got them, she never sent them.   I tried for months and never got them from her and finally was told to stop bugging her with updates and the like, even though I only called every 2 or 3 weeks, and that was because she claimed to have wanted updates when I first got Bunny.   So, I gave up on trying to get Bunny's papers from her, but I do wish I could have.

Finally, Bunny left for Tennessee, a few days before I was to leave and I anxiously awaited the news of her arrival from my riding instructor.   The next afternoon, I got a phone call from her and I heard, "I can't believe you got this horse for free!"   Just like the other lady, my riding instructor said Bunny was the nicest free horse she'd ever seen.   She couldn't stop complimenting Bunny.   The only issue, she told me, had been trying to get Bunny to walk onto the concrete of the grooming area, to walk her through the barn, to where they were going to put her in quarantine.   She said she had been very patient with her and that Bunny eventually did it.   We figured Bunny hadn't seen much concrete before and also it was in the middle of the night, when she had arrived and it being a new barn and all, no one blamed her for that.

I could not wait to arrive back at college and continue working with Bunny, "The nicest free horse that anyone had ever seen!"