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!"
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