Day Five & Six- A Busy Weekend
 

The past few days proved to be very eventful for Blue. He spent lots of time outside, had a few new visitors and even decided that treats weren't such a bad thing after all! Of course, knowing my luck, he took a fancy to the Stud Muffin and Horsescotti calibre of treats rather than the boring grocery store variety carrots and apples or Bulk Barn scotch mints that my horses have grown used to. As long as the generosity of his regular visitors doesn't wear off, Blue shouldn't be too disappointed by the mediocrity of my usual selection. It's very possible however, that I won't be his favourite for long....at least not on the weekends when the treat ladies show up!
 

In addition to the above developments, Blue also made a new friend this weekend...a relationship that I think may become a special one for him. One of my students arrived at the farm on Saturday morning for our morning hack. Sarah is a nurse who has been riding with me on a regular basis for about a year now and for some unexplainable reason, continues to come all the way from the East side of Toronto to ride with us twice a week, despite our recent move from Stouffville to Orangeville, which as many of you know, was not a favourable change in geography for her. She has been a consistent student who works hard to improve her riding and horsemanship skills and is always eager to learn anything and everything she can about horses in her time with us, even if it leaves her mentally exhausted and physically sore for days following her lessons. After our excellent hack, I took her to the bank barn to meet Blue and was very pleased with her enthusiasm towards him. She took an instant liking to the quiet nature and kind eye of our little bay gelding and almost immediately asked if she could help with his training program in any way she could. We have been working to find a good horse match for Sarah over the past few months and, while she's always game to try anything we suggest and has learned from each mount we've given her, I think she's still waiting for that special connection that all horse people remember as their first real equine partnership. For this reason, I was quite pleased that she and Blue hit it off as well as they did and I accepted her offer.

Under Barry's watchful eye and coaching, Sarah worked with Blue on Saturday afternoon and returned again on Sunday to do the same. As a matter of fact, she spent most of the weekend at the barn learning the groundwork steps and filling in as Blue's groom. She put as much care and time into combing out his tangles and making his coat shine as I like to and I found it very moving to watch the pair together. There was something about their mutual uncertainty and patience with each other that made me more than willing to step aside and let these two enjoy their time together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been lucky enough to have owned numerous horses and have had strong partnerships with more than one over the years. I know what it's like to sit and watch my horses in the field and have no desire to be anywhere else in the world but there. I know the feeling of teaching a young horse something new and watching them progress or having an older, more experienced one wait on me kindly while I fumbled through the latest challenge of the day that he, of course, had learned years prior to hooking up with me. I know that my horses rely on me every day for the necessities of life and trust me to be kind and compassionate to them while still providing the leadership they need to be confident. These are responsibilities which I gladly fulfill every day because the payback of the relationship with each and every one of them is worth it and makes me a better person than I would be without them. I know what it means to have that kind of partnership and I want Sarah and Blue to know the same trust, satisfaction and comfort that a real relationship between a horse and human can provide. I look forward to seeing what will develop there.....

In the meantime, Blue continues to brighten physically and mentally every day. Though, he still gets tired from his daily activities, he is starting to put a little weight on is developing a personality of his own. It's hard to believe that it's been less than a week since Blue came into our lives and he's already made so much progress in such a short amount of time. It's amazing how much of a difference can be made with a little kindness, a lot of food and a positive environment! Everyone who spends time with Blue benefits from their interaction with him....I think his potential for contribution is infinite and I'm so grateful that we can be the reason why he has a chance to make a difference in the world.