Today is my 9th wedding anniversary, so I thought I'd write about how my horse, Bunny, and my 2nd Seeing Eye Dog, Zach, helped me know when I'd met the right man. So, I will start with some stories of how they told me that I hadn't, before I write about how they told me about Gordon.
I had only owned Bunny for about 2 months when I was asked out on a date by a guy who had a few horses of his own. So, after going out to eat, he took me by the stable where I boarded Bunny, for him to meet her.
I got her out of the pasture and took her to the roundpen, for us to spend some time with her and so he could see her in action. I free lunged her around us, meaning with no rope attached to her, at all, she only had her halter on. The guy and I stood in the middle of the roundpen talking, as Bunny went around us and after she was done with some light exercise, I told her "whoa!" And told her she could come to us, which she did.
At this point, I had already learned that Bunny really didn't like men very much and she avoided their contact, as much as possible. Well, she stopped, put herself right between us and then flat out refused to let this guy get near me. Every time he tried to move to the same side of her, that I was standing on, she would reposition herself, to block his advances. Again, remember, she had no lead rope, no lunge line, nothing, so neither of us were controlling her movement, at this point, it was all her doing. I don't think the guy realized what she was doing and why, but I figured it out.
Since Bunny was letting him touch her, but refusing to let him get near me, she was trying to tell me "Not him! Stay away from him!" I listened to my horse and never went on another date with him.
A few months later, my roommate, who was also blind, but had a lot less vision than I do, had a guy come over to talk and get to know one another. I got back from a class and found them sitting outside on the near by brick wall, where they invited me to join them for conversation. I was reluctant, but my roommate insisted, so after feeding Zach, I brought him back outside with me and sat down next to my roommate.
As the conversation continued, with me now included, we were learning that I actually had more in common with this guy than my roommate did. This guy and I seemed to be hitting it off, but I knew he was there to see my roommate and I was not about to steal him from her, I am not that kind of person. So, as it was getting cooler, I said that I wanted to go back inside, and my roommate agreed that it was getting cooler, so we should go inside, and she invited the guy to come in with us.
Our dorm room was more of a small apartment, as it had three rooms, a living room, bedroom, and bathroom.
My roommate went and sat in her favorite chair leaving only the sofa and table and chairs open. I sat down on the sofa and hoped he'd sit closer to my roommate, but instead, he sat right up next to me, which started to make me very uncomfortable. Zach sensing this, came over and I started petting him on the head.
Zach was a big black Lab, about 78 pounds. He and I had been partners for about 1 1/2 years at this time, so we had a very solid relationship and were very in tune with one another. Zach was an awesome guide dog and just the best friend, he knew me very well.
So, this guy starts talking to my roommate and as he's doing so, he quickly takes my hand, which of course increased my uneasiness tenfold. Zach looked up at the guy, as if to say, "What are you doing?" I may not be able to see very well, but I have enough sight to see some things and I also just could sense things from my animals and seem to know what they were thinking.
Zach seeing that they guy was not going to let go, as he put his head under our hands, trying to get us to pet him, when that didn't work, he took his nose and tried to pry the guy's fingers off of my hand.
I was keeping silent, because I didn't know what to do, I was in shock, I think, that this guy was taking advantage of the fact that my roommate could not see what he was doing.
Zach's antics weren't working, so this extremely well mannered and very quiet Lab took two steps back and let out the biggest bassiest bark you can imagine, startling us all.
The guy's response was, "Why is your dog barking at me?" So, I knew Zach was staring straight at this guy, that bark was meant for him.
The guy temporarily let go of my hand, but when he took it again, Zach let out another bark.
At this point, I decided that this creep needed to go, so I gathered up my courage and just said it was getting late and that we had studying to do. I stood up and the guy agreed to leave, but as he was about to leave, he reached out and tried to give me a hug. Zach barked again and got right betwen us, refusing to let the creep do what he wanted to do. I just played dumb and got the guy out of the room as quickly as possible.
I immediately told my roommate what had happened and that this guy was a creep to take advantage of the fact that she couldn't see what he was doing, when he was there to see her, in the first place. I mean, we agreed, that it would have been okay, if he had been polite and not done these things and afterwards called her up and said, "Hey, I don't think it is going to work out between you and I, but I did like your roommate, would you mind if I asked her out?" She would have accepted that, because she isn't stupid and she realized we had a lot in common and were hitting it off. But, no, he couldn't do the decent thing, which told me, that I wouldn't go out with him, either, because he'd learn what I couldn't see and try to get away with stuff behind my back, because I'm not stupid either, I wouldn't return any of his phone calls.
A few years later, I started emailing with Gordon, after a few months, we started talking on the phone, and then planned to meet on New Years Eve of 2000. So, yes, Gordon and I met online, before it was the fashionable or "in" thing to do.
I invited him to dinner at my Mom's house and said that he should come early and we could go see my horses, before dinner, at the barn I boarded them at.
When he got there, I introduced him to Zach, who met him happily, licking him, wagging, etc. I left Zach at home and we went to the boarding barn to see the three horses that I owned at that time, Bunny, Mayo, and Mayo's son, Baron.
We first went out to meet Baron, who happily met Gordon. Then we went to the mare field and I went to try and catch Bunny or Mayo. Mayo was one of the alpha's and she and the other alpha seemed to be having a bit of a fuss, so Mayo was not going to let me catc her, at first, so I went to try and catch Bunny, who could be hard to catch, at times. But this time, Bunny allowed me to catch her immediately and I walked her over to Gordon. She nuzzled him as he offered her an apple and she eagerly accepted it. I turned Bunny loose and she stayed near Gordon and then I went to catch Mayo, who finally was willing to be caught, as her arguement with the other alpha mare was settled. Mayo also eagerly met Gordon and accepted the apple he had brought for her.
Two weeks later, Gordon came to visit me again, and we again went out to the barn. This time I put Bunny in the roundpen and Gordon was going to take some pictures of her, for me. Gordon stood outside of the roundpen, so he wouldn't be in the way and could get ht epictures.
I took Bunny's halter off and she was totally free, as I sent her around the roundpen. I put her through her paces, walk, trot, and canter, and then I set up a small jump. After she would jump, she would go over to where Gordon was standing and stop. He kept laughing, because he said he felt like she was asking him how she did. It was really like she was asking that, becasue it was after each and every jump, she'd come to a complete stop right infront of him. She was letting him pet her, too, which was amazing, because through the years, I had truly seen just how much she distrusted men. So, I also took her stopping to see him and le thim pet her, as she was telling me, "I like this one!"
Later that evening, we went to a movie and so we went back to my place to clean up and for me to pick up Zach. Gordon's car was very small and there really wasn't much floor room for him, at my feet, where we usually put our guide dogs, for their safety, so I allowed Zach to sit in the backseat. Zach jumped into the back of Gordon's car and immediately started licking him on the ear. Again, I think Zach was saying, just like Bunny had earlier that day, "I like this one!"
So, my first horse, Bunny, and my 2nd Seeing Eye Dog, Zach, helped me pick out my husband. They have bothed passed away, now, but I will always be grateful to both of them for helping me find such a wonderful man! Thanks Bunny! Thanks Zach! You two were awesome and so trustworthy, that I knew I could trust your judgement completely in this matter.
Bunny and Zach helped me get a good one! Gordon is a wonderful husband, the best father to our two little girls, and most of all, he's my best friend! Happy 9th Anniversary hubby, I love you!
Showing posts with label MTSU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MTSU. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, June 3, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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!"
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!"
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