Enter our PARTNERSHIP and COURAGE Contest Today!!

[Barnmice Admin]

From now until June 30, everyone is invited to submit a photo, story or poem on the themes of Partnership or Courage for the chance to win one of three amazing prizes. We wish to thank William Micklem for his kind generosity in donating:

*The Micklem Multi Bridle
*The new Micklem Competition Bridle
and
*William's international best-seller, The Complete Horse Riding Manual

William is renowned as the consummate horseman. His revolutionary design is changing the way we think about bridles and his training philosophy is followed by some of the world's most accomplished riders. To learn more about William, visit his website at: www.williammicklem.com

Your entry can be long or short and you can add a photo with a story or on its own! Post your entries in the comment box below. Good Luck!!

[Kaitlyn Habermehl]

On the worst day of your life,
all you need is some time with your best friend.
Someone who will listen to your complaints, your thoughts, your fears and your joys.
And respond with only a soft breath of comfort.

[Tammie Caldwell]

ONE MANS TRASH IS ANOTHER WOMENS TREASURE

I always had horses when I was young, rode anything & everything, never had a lesson in my life, guts made up for everything (and Luck). Same old story, had children, gave up horses & worked, etc etc. After many years, my husband & I buy 4 acres - now I can have a horse! I bought a beautiful thoroughbred mare, who quickly turned into too much horse for me to handle. I presisted with her until one day she turned in a bucking bronc - well I was knocked out cold. After 7 hours in hospital, although thankfully nothing broken, I decided that my time had passed for horses. She was sold to a much more experienced home. Months went by & I was still determined that there would be ho horses in my life. Then my close neighbour was going overseas for 6 weeks & could I look after her horse (a 23 year old Standabred gelding). My heart raced everytime I had to go into his paddock, however 2 weeks later I found myself saddling up. I couldn't go any faster than a walk or I would break out into a cold sweat, but as the weeks past I felt more and more comfortable on him. When my neighbour got back, I knew I had been kidding myself, of course I couldn't give up horses. So now the search begins and my story..
So I had made my list - Gelding, no bigger than 15hh, quarter horse (or cool breed) under $1000. Easy.. or so I thought. I soon realised that I was trying to find a needle in a haystack, there were plenty of QH's, however you just about needed a second mortgage to afford them (not that they weren't worth it - just not my price range). After 6 months of looking with no success, the local horse market was coming up. I organised for my sister to go and see what was there (I don't trust myself, I would come home with a truckload of unwanted horses). On the day of the market I put $300 in her hand & reminded her - no mares, no thoroughbreds & nothing over 15hh. Back at work I paced nervously & every time the phone rang my heart skipped a beat. Then the call came - "I have brought a horse", my heart stoppped. I met her at the saleyards after work & as I walked towards the pen, there was this huge black/brown TB looking back at me. "well hes a gelding & I have change" she tells me. This horse was in a terrible state, he was so under weight & his coat was long & dull. His eyes looked defeated, it was as if he had given up all hope. So next step is floating him home, it's alot of horse if he doesn't want to get on. Well we shouldn't have worried, because he loaded, travelled and self-unloaded, met alpacas & settled in without any dramas. The next day I expected to go out & find a scatter-brained horse in the paddock, but no, he was the same sweet, gentle boy. After a few weeks and a lot of brushing, food, worming, dentist, vet and farrier, he was looking beautiful. His coat had gone a deep black & there was a spring in his step.I was totally in love with this huge gentle soul. Our first ride was incredible. It was as if he knew that I was terrified, but never put a foot wrong. It became apparent that this horse had been well educated in his day, as he can perform most dressage tasks & jump! Nine months has passed and we have been on countless rides, both in company & alone, and he never ceases to amaze me. He is enjoying this winter with 2 hot meals per day & warm rugs. Next spring I plan to have dressage lessons & if I get good enough, maybe a competition or two.
The question that I ask myself all the time is "How can I be so lucky to have ended up with such a fantastic horse, when his destiny was the trash?"

[Brit Kirkman]

I wrote this for an english project shortly after I sold my mare, it absolutely tore me to pieces, but yeah :(




For three years I worked as hard as I could to get things right, those hours of tears I went through making those decisions that could change my life, those hours of pain I went through to get everything right, those hours of laughter I had when I was with you, those glorious moments that were few and far between, those terrible moments which more often then not, those pretty blue ribbons which excluded me each time, those large amounts of money I spent on giving it my best, those days when nothing went right and I had you to fall to, those days when everything was perfect and I had you to thank.

It had been just over three years ago when I met you in January 2005, you scraggly little pony who stole my heart with the first glance, that scraggly little pony that cantered up to me when she first saw me, that scraggy little pony who changed my whole life and perspective on life. You scraggly little 6yro who still wasn’t broken in.

For a painful 5 months I waited for you, I waited to be able to call you mine, I waited ever so patiently to have you in my life. I worked with countless other horses in that time, little ponies galore, they were fancy and prancy and some quite fluffy but nothing measured up to your brilliant little neighs and your clever little looks.

June 4th 2005 my ever lasting dream came true, I could finally say I owned you, or more correctly you owned me! From that day I on, I had a daily commitment to feeding you, working you, brushing you, oh and I guess loving you! I had never known hard work until now, hard work surely came with owning a horse, along with the words commitment, time, money, tears, happiness, money, pain, joy, and did I say money?

I’ve never known the feeling of truly being afraid either before you, you showed me how to be truly afraid that something’s going to go wrong, you showed me life isn’t all dandy and fun, you have to take the good with the bad, you showed me being weak isn’t what is needed, and you don’t have to feel confident as long as you look confident. You showed me that there are two sides to everything, each side entirely different.

Along with the bad you showed me the best, you showed me what feeling on top of the world feels like, you showed me the joy you have when you get that exclusive movement correct or that joy when you pass that one spot without rearing. You showed me how to break down fears and how to face what scares me. You showed me its possible to love something without regrets, you gave me everything you had and put up with me when it went wrong. You showed me how to smile and laugh on a terrible day, you showed me what its like to be at the top. You taught me to take the good and cherish it as long as possible.

I remember the thrill I got when I filled out my first every entry form for an ODE, writing ‘Royal Storm’ proudly in big letters, proud to own you! I remember the tears I had at the end of the day where we finished a dismal last with terrible dressage, two stops on cross-country and a terrible but clear showjumping round. I remember the thrill I got when I got my first gymkhana schedule and remember circling all the classes I wanted to do! The hacking, the games and the showjumping. I remember how upset I was at the end of the day, no ribbons in the flat, I tried my hardest but we just weren’t showy enough, no ribbons in showjumping, we knocked to many rails, we got 2 ribbons in games though? I was so proud! I had my first ever ribbon and so did you!

You suffered from so many problems, so many vet visits, so much more money to spend. We tossed up the idea to sell you on, but I refused, I liked my little pony much to much to sell on to someone who might not love you the way I did. You could barely walk on the bad days; I would see you hopping around your paddock, wishing I could somehow magically fix your feet which had fallen apart. I was wishing your stifle lock would disappear; it hurt to see you lock up and it hurt to see me have to work you through it when I knew it was causing pain.

I remember the tough times, the stupid tricks you’d pull, the evil little rears that would get me off and your habit of not cantering on the left rein, oh gosh you annoyed me at the best of the times!

I remember the best times, like the day we jumped 1m and I was in tears, the day you got that left canter absolutely perfect, the day I truly felt you go perfectly with me, the day we won our first ever showjumping ribbon. You were simply perfect and my sense of direction when I was lost.

October 2006, you showed me what its like to win for a change, something must have clicked in your head, we had competed in the Launceston Royal about 4 days before this particular show, to bring down 3 rails in our SJ class. I had no hope of winning anything at the show but I entered the 85cms and 95cms with a vain hope of jumping clear. Well to my surprise you jumped the 85cms perfectly, to then jump the jump off perfectly and the quickest, to earn yourself that desired blue ribbon hanging around you neck. To my even more surprise you jumped a fantastic clear round in the 95cms, the highest we’ve done yet! We got to the jump off where they were a little to big for you, but you gave it your best, just knocking a single rail, which was my fault, but to my surprise you managed a strong 2nd, beating horses who had gone clear, but it proved to me that day you were fast and brilliant once you reached a jump off.

I pottered around that 2006 – 2007 eventing season, just doing some grade threes, I wasn’t a big eventer, but we managed a few places. We got to our first ever state champs in eventing, aside some bad luck we managed a 5th place, certainly a surprise for me! And only .2 out of the placings!

2007 was the change of everything; I got to more showjumping events and started to bring home some ribbons! It became very rare for you not to place or win in a SJ class. Your first 1.05m was scary! You hooned it around the jump off course to place 4th in a large class, I was so happy, and so looking forward to what might come after this. Numerous other little places followed, always winning the 85cms class and normally the 95cms and a place in the 1.05m.

I did my first B grade SJ day, the Tasmanian Interschool’s SJ Championships 2007, where I managed to win the first round, a simple 95cms -1.05m for the jump off, once again a blue ribbon was tied around your neck and I sat back and thought how long it had taken me to get you to even canter on the correct leg, and here you are now winning showjumping.

I had stepped you up to grade two eventing for the 2007 – 2008 season, we were never quite in the placings until our state championships, and we were winning after dressage, certainly a surprise! But as usual my winning after dressage curse came and we had a fall on XC, you brave little pony who doesn’t stop at jump leapt a jump that you should have stopped at, making it impossible for me to stay on! But we finished the course and finished the weekend in 5th place, enough to make me smile.

By now I had to sell you, you were 14.2, I was a long legged 175cms tall teenage who could almost wrap my legs around you! I had you advertised on a few horse websites with little interest, but that did not faze you, I wanted you to be mine for as long as possible.

I headed of to the 2008 Interschool’s SJ Champions with fears and hopes. I had us entered in the A grade class, the highest it went. Boy we got a shock! First round up to 1.10m, but it left us again in the blue ribbon spot with that lovely ribbon tied around your neck, you happily leading the winners lap. You started to struggle in the final round, they had gotten to 1.15m and you just weren’t there yet, pulled a rail with a disappointing finish, but managed to land us a 4th, your quick little spins and sharp corners made us quicker then those bigger horses.

I had the 2008 Interschools Eventing Championships left as well, our first Pre-Novice event? How scary! I was trampled moments before my dressage test was on, I rode my test in great pain but you took care of me, making my life so much easier to ride you through the correct movements. We managed a lovely clear XC round, you had not stopped at a XC jump since that faithful first ODE back in 2005, and you managed a lovely clear SJ round, bringing us to 3rd place! Our first pre-novice and we were in the ribbons!

Our biggest challenge came up. The Tasmania PC Showjumping Championships. You blitzed it with ease, you’d gotten the feeling of ribbons around your neck and you wanted more. You out jumped everything and anything to win the B grade championships which got to the insane height of 1.20m, getting as tall as you! You proved that day you were the best and nothing would stop you. I was never so happy that day, I was so happy with the fact my work with you had payed off. Forever that trophy stays in your name, sitting on my shelf currently, sitting next to the photo of us once we received it.

By now I had a fair bit of interest in you, a lovely family came from Victoria to see if you were suitable for their 12yro daughter, it was if she was seeing you through my eyes, and instantly I knew she was perfect for you. They rode you and loved you, you passed your vet check with flying colours, they booked the transport to take you Victoria and before I knew it you were not mine anymore,

I had to sit down to realise what this meant, June 4th 2005 I brought a freshly broken RP x TB mare named Maddie. On May 24th 2008 I sold a highly educated RP x TB mare named Maddie. Just shy of 3 years of having you in my life, my directions if I got lost, my saviour when it all went wrong.

How was I meant to sum up what you meant to me? You were simply my hold in life, my best friend and saviour. I could not sum up in words how much you meant to me, but I’ll tell you I love you and the moment you loaded onto that truck to Victoria, I’d miss you forever.

I knew you were happy with your new family, they loved you, and from what I heard you were happy with them. I knew there was no way I would ever forget about you, you were the special one, the one that would try as much as was humanely possible, the little 14.2 mare who gunned it round a 2** XC course for me, the little mare who would clear showjumps as high as her! The little pony who made me feel on top of the world.

There are no words to describe what you did for me, you saved me so many times, those days I felt like ending everything, I just had to picture your pretty little face and you kept me hanging in there.

How do you say thankyou? I don’t think its possible to say thankyou to your horse, but every day tell them you love them, you love them as if they weren’t going to be there tomorrow, you love them as if there your best friend, and to me Maddie was my best friend. My simple reason for staying together, my saviour when everything else crumbled

I have a new horse now that Maddie has left, a talented 16.2 TB mare, who’s got some huge horseshoes to fill! She’s heard all about Madds and tells me she wants to fill those horseshoes and possibly go even futher, I tell her, she might fill those horseshoes but she wont fill the whole in my heart which is just there for my special Maddie pony.

Some links to photos [just click on them]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/gomoogo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/24th%20D...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/24th%20D...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/Bakers%2...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/Exeter%2...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/Intersch...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/Intersch...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/SJ%20Cha...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/State%20...
last but not least
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/DarlenMaddie/Maddie/21st%20o...

[Emily Brown]

Wind tossed mane and lightening lit face,
Proud and beautiful, ablaze with grace.
Free as a bird to fly through the skies,
Until he became man's ultimate prize.
Used to win battles, used to win wars,
Now he's a pet, he could be yours.
Dressage or jumping, showing or games,
He's yours to keep, despite how his heart flames.
Free as a bird, now only in dreams,
He's lost all his friends, at least that's how it seems.

So now you'd better be his best friend,
Both share secrets right 'till the end.
Never give up, never let go,
Just keep on going, let your love grow.
Gallop through the wind, gallop through the snow,
Let his spirit be free, let his spirit show.
A horse has a spirit, he has a soul,
He is an angel from being a foal.
He constantly guide you, always take care,
So you should be gentle, forever be fair.
Shape, colour, size and breed,
Never place judgements on your trusty steed.
When you're troubled, both take a hack,
Remember to love him, and he'll love you back.

This is myself and my cheeky retired palomino pony, called Busby (:
I love him to bits.

[montyandzoom]

4 years ago Zoom was a top polo-pony, the best in the string. She is only about 14.2 but quick and brave as they come. Then, around christmas time in the field, she was kicked in the face resulting in her right eye being removed.

Her career was over but her owners set about finding a new home for her. She was taken on by a vet to play horseball with her and, 2 years ago, I moved my horse to her field. Her owner offered me her on loan. I had recently lost my confidence after a fall from my other horse. My instant thought was how on earth would I get my confidence back on a fizzy little polo-pony?

Two years later, we have never looked back. Starting from tiny 6 inch jumps we have built up our confidence together and now enjoy hunting and sponsored rides. She is nutty as they come but has the biggest heart you can imagine. She is the most willing horse I have ever met and I adore her. She has given me back the confidence to enjoy riding and really is the horse of a lifetime.

[IMG]http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo127/littleroboat/zoom2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo127/littleroboat/2922_20466277...[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo127/littleroboat/zoomfrensh2.jpg[/IMG]

[Ellen]

Hi, this is a short story about how my pony, Shadow, always is there for me. Ellen xx

[Erin]

First Ride

Shaking unsteadily as I take my step,
I repeat over in my head,
Come on now, it’s perfectly fine,
I say, masking the dread.

I’d never looked upon them before,
But now I came to see,
My childhood dream had always been,
These beautiful creatures and me.

Maybe that beautiful flowing mane,
Or that coat as white as snow?
Or those shadowed eyes watching me,
As dark as an ebony crow.

I watched the other riders,
Riding with such ease,
Their horses dancing across the arena,
Like floating on the breeze.

I try to imagine myself like that,
And my stomach seems to flip,
And it dawns on me how they do that,
And I realise – it’s partnership.

Move over, dog, as man’s best friend,
Because there’s someone new in town,
A creature so bold, courageous and striking,
They’ll surely steal the crown.

But deep inside me, I can feel,
Those nerves I cannot hide,
But I guess I’ll just go take a chance,
I have the courage – to ride.

I think this poem reflects a bit on me and how I felt when I first got on a horse. I was a bit nervous, but I was very young (I was only 5). However, I knew I could find the courage to just get on and ride. It's the only thing to do, and soon you'll find that riding is just the ultimate reward for courage.

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." - Winston Churchill

[Brenda]

SLSF My Halite (aka Hailey) is not the prettiest Arab horse to look at. With a sway back and rafter hips, she looks more like a 30 year old horse than the 13 year old horse that she is. But she is something special. She is the little horse that could. The underdog that no one bets on. No one but me. Together we have completed almost 1000 miles competing in endurance races, and have logged countless training miles.

Hailey came to Alberta from the sunny land of California. When she arrived in May she was terrified of all the patches of snow on the ground. On training rides she spent more time traveling backwards and sideways than forwards. Her previous owners also only ever rode her on the right diagonal at the trot. As such, it was almost impossible to ride her on the left diagonal. She would bump me off onto the right every time I tried the left. Patience and much hard work paid off though. Her transformation has been phenomenal. The scraggly, underweight, asymmetrical horse is now a strong, even horse.

The more time I spend with her, the more I realize how similar we are. We are both picky eaters on race day. Many times I have gotten off, picked handfuls of grass and stuffed it into her mouth, encouraging her to eat so that we may finish the race. I will only eat specific food on race day, and sometimes on 100 milers I don't eat at all. We both function better in cooler weather than hot weather. Her pulse recoveries are faster and I don't risk a repeat of heat stroke in cooler weather. We both love to haul ass on tight treed trails, bending around the trees like snakes. I suck in my side, lift my leg slightly, and she mimics me by sucking in her side, and slides right around the tree with inches to spare.

I know just about everything about this horse, from the kinds of food she will or will not eat on race day, to the specific electrolyting regime that encourages her to drink and eat throughout the race. I know how fast her pulse recoveries will be, and that pulling her saddle will drop her pulse even faster. She knows that I will protect her from the scary rocks, logs, piles of dirt, stumps, shadows, and horse eating monsters that are always just around the next corner. She knows that I will not sleep after the race until she has been fully taken care of, even if we cross the finish line after midnight.

Many people have commented on her conformation, and are quickly silenced when I tell them that she had major surgery to remove an ovarian tumor the size of a volleyball, has completed over 1000 miles in three years under several riders, has a sire and dam that have both finished the famous Tevis Cup several times, and was top endurance horse in Alberta in 2007.

When I think of her I can't help but smile. She really is the little horse that could.

Pictures are:
1. Afternoon of Day 1 Prairie Chicken Run, 50 mile race, Oyen, AB, June 2009 (only 10 miles left to go!)
2. Morning of Day 2 Prairie Chicken Run, another 50 mile race, Oyen, AB, June 2009 (we have spent many miles just enjoying each others company)

[Geoffrey Pannell]

Hi Brenda, I love reading stories like this. Clearly you have a bond with your horse, it's so refreshing to still see that there are people that have such an understanding of what it takes to be a horseperson. Great to see how fresh your horse looks after 40 k's too. Cheers Geoffrey

[Sarah Hambleton]

My forever horse

I have written this over and over and nothing seems to be quite right, so rather than explain the whys and wherefore’s I will just explain the feelings if I can.

I will start by saying that I have owned horses for years and loved them all to the point I feel like my heart could burst, but with JJ it went beyond that, it was a connection on a deeper level. People talk about soul mates but you think of it being the same species, I now know this is not always the case.

A brief history; we bred him, a strapping full RID out of a lovely little Irish mare we purchased. Breeding was my parent’s project but he came to me when he got a little big for his boots and needed to live with the big boys.

This was the beginning of the most incredible partnership that has rocked my world forever; unfortunately this journey was to be a short one:

I have never found it easy to bond with people and have always felt like I was missing something, searching everywhere for the unknown until JonJo came into my life. The bond that grew between us is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, be it human or animal, he became the very essence of my soul, he was my happy place, my solace and I too was his, this was the one thing in my life I could be sure of. I was so convinced because I could feel it and that is something I could never even try to write down. All horses love you, you feed them, water them and look after them, but with this horse I felt special. He needed me on an emotional level, I gave him strength and in return he gave me serenity and some of the happiest times of my life. When I walked around the corner his face would light up, he would ooze the need to be with me and he always made me smile, even when he was pulling faces (he liked to pretend he was grumpy but it was a front to a deeper, sensitive being who just needed the confidence of a leader and that was me) It seemed to be his task every day to make me laugh, he was always so entertaining and had such a huge personality which made our time together so incredibly enjoyable.

He was a true gentleman to break in a ride, when I sat on him everything melted away, he soothed my entire being and every trouble in my life drifted away. I felt safe with him and him with me. I always used to say that I would never, ever let him go because I had more fun with him than with any animal I have ever owned. No one likes to choose, but if I had had to choose just one horse it would’ve been him. He was my forever horse.

On the 28th February 2009 my world crashed around me. We had a horrific fall out on the hunting field and he was trapped in a ditch. Every breath was laboured and he was unable to move. People tried to keep me away from him but I knew he needed me, I was and always would be his strength, everything he did was to please me and I couldn’t leave him now. I begged him to get up and he tried when I asked, as always, but there was no movement in his back legs at all, he just fruitlessly scrabbled with his front legs against the walls of the ditch. I could feel his life leaving me, I could see the fear in his eyes and it has burnt an image in my mind I shall never, ever forget. He was looking to me to help him and there was nothing I could do other than be there. I tore at the branches of the hedge that were twisted and tangled around his legs and tail, we pushed and pulled to try and free him but nothing. People kept telling me it would be okay but JJ was telling me it wouldn’t, I could feel his life ebbing away in front of me.

His gums went pale and the rasping, heaving breathing became shallow. All of a sudden his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he stopped breathing all together. It was like a vice twisting everything inside me. I pleaded with him not to go, and as always he didn’t let me down. His eyes refocused on me and his sides began to heave again; but this was only to look me in the eye and say one last goodbye, the fear that was there before had gone and was replaced by sadness, a sadness because he knew he had to go. In the moment he left me I felt part of myself leave too, it was like being torn into pieces and my world was shattered. As with every moment with him, even his tragic death was somehow touched by our special bond and our deep understanding of each other.

I am not sure whether I believe in life after death but I definitely believe there is something more than the confines of our physical being and I know that wherever his spirit may be, the part of me he took will mean that somehow we will always be together; a bond and connection like ours will never just end. This thinking is the only way I can find the strength to go on.

What JJ gave me was belief and unconditional happiness; I looked forward to our future together and had so many plans for us that sadly will only ever be lived inside my head. We would’ve had the best life together and with him, my world would’ve been a brighter place. He was such a young boy; our journey had only just begun and with each other it was going to be amazing. I feel like I have been robbed of the chance to be with my soul mate forever, but at the same time I feel special to have felt such an incredible connection that some people never get to experience in a lifetime.

I am now left with a void inside me; my purpose and direction is once again unclear and my safe and happy place has gone. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason but I have no idea what the reason for this will be. I believe that he lives on with me everywhere I go and in everything I do. I will keep on going as I know that is what JJ would’ve wanted and I will never let him down again, his memory gives me the courage to keep searching for my purpose. There is a reason he came to me for such a brief time and one day I know that will become clear.

I will take this opportunity to say goodbye to the best friend I have ever had in my entire life and thank you JJ for the emotional riches you gave me. You touched my heart, you touched my world and you touched my soul. Rest in peace x

[Barbara F.]

I'm bawling my eyes out. Thank you for sharing this tribute to your beautiful boy.

[Meghan Bilz]

Luna in Feb. of 2008:

I met Luna about 18 months ago. I wasn't looking for a runty, unbroke, feral, malnourished, ill-kept, fearful animal, but circumstances aligned so that she became mine, else she was headed for the auction and an uncertain future. She would regard me with suspicion, never making direct eye contact and tensing up, as if to ask "what are YOU going to do to me now?!" At first I wanted nothing to do with her, but I realized that she needed a chance in life. I put my ambitions aside, and began the slow work of gaining her trust and healing her body.

After years of abuse and neglect, Luna found her home. Undoing the damage was not easy, but the rewards are many.

She whinnies and nickers to me, and will follow me wherever I go. She does whatever I ask of her, and gone is the fearful, mistrustful glance.

We go on trails, to the beach, and will soon enter a few small shows. She is sound, healthy and happy. I believe we are partners in every sense of the word, sensing what the other is feeling. I also believe it took courage on the part of this little mare to allow herself to love and be loved; to give humanity another chance when all they had given her is pain. I don't know how our story will end, but I do know that I have never experienced gratitude and love from a horse as I have from Luna, this unlikely mount of mine.