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!
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