Day Twelve & Thirteen- Spa days & inspirations

 

Blue kept very busy again this weekend with a double dose of visits from Sarah, lots of attention from the weekend regulars and plenty of quality time with Lena, of whom he has become quite fond. On Saturday, we put a saddle on him for the first time and walked him around with the new object on his back. His obvious lack of concern for this process makes us wonder whether he may indeed have been backed sometime after he left his breeder and before he ended up at the feedlot. To our knowledge, nothing had been done with the horse but the three month black hole in his history leaves us guessing. It is possible that he just has that “not a big deal” kind of personality that is making everything incredibly easy. Unfortunately, it is equally possible that he may have been backed quickly and roughly and there are issues lying under the surface that we have yet to uncover. We will probably never know the truth but whether we're “starting” or “restarting” him our way, Blue will have the foundation Barry feels is necessary for any young horse and that knowledge will bring confidence for both horse and rider as we progress into the riding stages.

 

 

Desensitizing with the saddle blanket

 

 

Barry & Blue with his saddle on

 

Because every good summer long weekend should include a “spa” day, Blue had his on Sunday. Hanging around the barn after our morning hack, Sarah & Devon took the notion to spoil Blue rotten and brought him out of the hot sun and into the barn for some pampering. Accompanied by their jar of Horsecotti treats, they brushed him and fussed over him for some time. At one point, they decided his thick, unruly locks needed a new look so they spent at least a half hour braiding the whole thing over to one side.....poor Blue. Though he did get a bit impatient towards the end, I could tell that he loved every minute of the attention he was receiving and would have put up with them for longer if they hadn't both decided they needed to go home to nap away their afternoon.

Devon & Sarah braiding Blue's mane

 

It's so nice to see a horse who has never really had anything get so much love and attention....I wonder what he thinks of it all? Horses really are such social creatures, with such unique personalities. They are so smart, talented and willing, yet so simple if you really understand them. To watch a horse like Blue learn to trust again so quickly, it really makes me think about people. How many people, after being abandoned, uprooted from everything familiar to them and discarded as worthless, would bounce back to love and trust the next half decent person who came into their lives? Maybe some would? I know I definitely wouldn't but maybe that's just me? Blue's willingness to open up again so quickly continues to drive home the notion to me of just how powerful these rescue horses could be as a source of therapy for people. How many people out there fit into the description above? Individuals who, for whatever reason, are afraid to open up....afraid to trust again or to be loved because they have been hurt? How beneficial could Blue be to someone who needs an example to follow... an inspiration to get them started on the right track? Blue may look like just a horse to most people, but he is so much more than that. He has a accepting mind, an open heart and he operates every day from a blank slate.....

 

How many of you could honestly say that?