It is amazing how God works and the inspirations that come from His faithfulness.
Already, there are three partners in our racehorse that are graduates of The Seeing Eye, myself, included. On Sunday, I received an unexpected call from yet another Seeing Eye graduate who wishes to join the partnership.
She has informed me that any of her earnings, past what will go directly back into the partnership, will be donated to The Seeing Eye, in her name. This has inspired me to do the same with part of my majority interest in him.
I currently own 42% of Marq Your Bible aka "Marcus" and I now wish to also donate at least 2% of my earnings, past what goes back directly to the partnership, to The Seeing Eye. I have been inspired by this new member and also by the faithfulness God has shown me and I am feeling led to do this.
So, now, Marcus will not only be owned by 4 graduates of The Seeing Eye and 2 other women, who are not blind, but he will be racing for the wonderful organization that we all love, that has provided 4 of us with amazing dog guides, The Seeing Eye Inc of Morristown, NJ.
Marcus will be taking a short break to do some more growing. He has nothing wrong, but has been growing so much lately, that we just feel it is in his best interest to let him grow. He will start his vacation next week and be brought back into training Jan. 1st, with a hopeful first race to be around the middle of March.
Become a fan of this wonderful horse that is now going to be racing for such an extraordinarily great cause
You can find his fan page on Facebook and also the farm fan page, Perfect Peace Farm, where you will receive updated news on what he is up to and see pictures of this totally gorgeous boy.
Marcus' fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marq-Your-Bible/193529944025899?ref=ts
Perfect Peace Farm fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Perfect-Peace-Farm-LLC/173890696024170
Go Marcus, Go!
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A little background on me and my connection to The Seeing Eye.
I am currently working with my 4th Seeing Eye Dog, Dextra, a 2 year old female yellow Labrador Retriever, who I received in April 2011.
I received my first Seeing Eye Dog, Ginger, a female German Shepherd, in July 1994. I have been blessed by this organization and the 4 great dogs I have been given. I received my 2nd guide, Zach, in May 1995, a male black Labrador Retriever, and my 3rd, Nalley, a male Golden Retriever, in April 2002. Nalley is still with me, at the age of 11, enjoying retirement.
These dogs have guided me at college, through graduation, on various horse farms and other jobs, down the aisle at a friend's wedding, been my ring bearer at my own wedding, guided me on the train trip we took for our Honeymoon to Saratoga Springs for the horse races, at several other race tracks, including to Churchill Downs for the Breeder's Cup in 2006, been with me when I sing solos at church, when I'm in choir, and countless other things, where they help me maintain independence. I am forever grateful to The Seeing Eye for their dedication to breeding top quality dogs, training the best guides for those seeking a dog guide, and the support they give students while in class and graduates after we return home with our dogs. It is a wonderful organization that I am pleased to be a part of and hope and pray that I can give back to, in part, with some of the earnings of this racehorse. I will be combining my love of dogs and horses all in one, it doesn't get much better than that!
Showing posts with label Zach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zach. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Bunny and Zach: My Two Matchmakers
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!
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!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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