It seems Julie’s story struck a chord with a few of you. Thought you’d enjoy these:
“Hi and happy Friday from Charlotte, NC! Your story touched me deeply. 🙂 I wanted to share a little something…hope you don’t think it’s odd of me.
I have never had the privilege of owning a horse of my own. When I was a child, I volunteered my time at the horse stable down the street from my house every day! It was a home for about 30 horses. 🙂 The hard but most rewarding work was thoroughly enjoyed! I had the chance to get to know the owners of several horses and eventually they asked me if wanted to take care of them! If i did well, I could tend to them when they were not able to come into town. Well, I could not have smiled any wider!!! I learned everything I could, my brain was a sponge! They taught me how to ride as time went on too. To me this was the best! I’ve always had a great respect for horses, honestly for all animals. And I do believe that they can sense things in people. They know who to trust! As Julie said, by showing them patience and giving them love….well in doing that you get it back in abundance! And at that young age I learned that each horse is different!! Just like people! I am overjoyed even to this day at 46 years old when I get the chance to be around, ride or even see horses. I always get out if my car to look and call then over.. Sometimes they come! 🙂 I wish that I could work with horses again….it’s we’re my heart is. It is my dream to learn and do what you and Julie does with horses. It’s hard work but well worth every minute. Who knows? Maybe one day I will get the chance to work and be with horses on a regular basis! Sincerely, I love and enjoy to Pay it forward….it feels wonderful… working with horses would be doing just that each day!! 🙂 it’s not a give and take…..it’s a give and give for both horse and person. 🙂
Sincerely,
Jenn”
“For years my first horse, a cuttin’ quarter kinda gal, terrorized the neighbourhood. We frequently rode sans bridle, halter and saddle. It seemed like I would just about get everyone trained, then someone new would move in the area. Mom, or some other neighbour would get a call about a child being run away with on a horse who’d lost its bridle.
I took the horse to the Chicago area barn I was working in. The owner’s son/”trainer” lost $50 bucks in a bet about honest jumpers: I bet him the horse could jump a 5′ fence wearing only her halter. He set up two standards and a single rail at 5″. The mare was only 14.1 hands tall and could run right under the bar, so it was kind of a dirty trick. But it also showed his ignorance of a horse he’d supposedly “known” for 6 months. I told him we would to a figure 8 course of fences – with change of lead, then come down over the 5′ rail.
And then I dropped the halter off her head. Because the bet was all about honesty in the horse, after all.
Well, the horse did the smaller fences, in a figure 8, with flying lead changes, then came around to address the single rail. For a pony to jump over her own height is a pretty good deal. But to jump a rail she could run right under, or run around or completely avoid because she is wearing nothing was quite spectacular. It really infuriated the bettor – who actually refused to pay up!
His mother would sustain much the same fury when we decided to leave the barn. She turned out some 30 school horses with my horse, in an indoor arena. Every horse turned out had a halter on, except 1 single horse. Guess which one. Now I have learned where her son gets the “dirty trick” gene. She had tried to purchase my horse, and I wouldn’t sell; this was her way of encouraging me to change my mind!
I went outside, hitched up my trailer and opened its back door. Then I went back into the indoor arena, wherein were milling 30-odd horses. The owner was smirking as it was hard enough to catch up a school horse turned out in the arena on a day off. That was why they all had halters on – and mine did not! And she had no problem standing at the gate to the outside tossing dirt clumps to get them going.
As horses began to pick up swirling speed, I just stood there. As my horse cruised by, I called her name. She stopped and stood while I jumped up on her. Then she picked up a nice little canter down the arena, jumped over the gate to the outside – causing the owner to jump out of the way – and walked into the trailer, where I hopped off, closed the back door, and off we drove!
Thank you for this happy memory!
Cheryl”
Hope enjoyed those. I did. Please keep ’em coming.
Best
Al
😛 wow that was great!!
Every day I see horses neglected. Have retrained a horse for a woman who decided she doesn’t want him anymore and she’s giving him back to the person she received him from. I don’t know what his fate will be. Tried to find him a home in two days before this is taking place but….this is an awesome little horse who bonded with me in one week and wants to learn so fast. He’s alert and so willing. I can’t afford to keep him and wish I could as he already wants to please me. He knows all his ground manners, side-pass, flexion, back, come, moves fore and rear quarters perfectly…I put a lot of time into him and this all happened in only one week. Any one in Nevada who would love a bay with star on forehead, four socks and a little gelding that even has an extended trot?
Hi Janice how much would he cost ❓ can you send me a photo ❓ and would you be willing to let a vet check him over
I hope I can be interested 🙂
Because he sounds awesome ❗
God bless you Kathy!
We did similar scares unintentionally to the motoring public. When we came home from school on the bus, we would ask the driver to stop at the barn we leased . We would then change forms of transport and go to riding Turk instead of riding the bus ! We would ride Turk on the shoulder of U.S. 101 near Manzanita, Oregon with NO bridle, halter or lead rope to our families home .Turk would be carrying us ,our school books and sometimes a sack of soiled clothes too. Many times our parents received telephone calls saying we were causing a traffic distraction. It came to be that Turk knew when the Greyhound bus was due to arrive with us on it and would wait patiently for us to arrive . We always tried very hard to not disappoint him as he looked forward to getting out of his pasture and barn area. We enjoyed each others company for 30 years! We MISS him greatly and he helped us teach many other horses to be ridden. Sadly his kidneys failed him at the age of 30. Fred and Joan.
To Janice Johnson,
Regarding the little bay gelding in Neveda….I will gladly provide a home. How can we get him to Portland,Oregon from Neveda. Where’s there a will there’s a way. I can’t trust my old Ford pickup to go that far and back.
Please call (503) 630-3668. I can provide references to insure a good home for him and another gelding companion on 7 acres.
Hi! Have you worked out the details on getting the horse to Oregon?
wow amazing stories!!
😀 I love to spend time bonding with my horses. I will just go out and groom them, then if I feel my age take a pale to sit on or if not sit on the ground and softly sing or talk about what we will do in the days ahead. Before I know it, they will come join me and just stand beside me and groom me or rub their heads on mine. Just a peaceful wonderful time – ‘our time’
Its funny that you have brought that up, I had the same situation last week. my horse that I have had for 5 years since he came to me with dog rips, has a lot of trust in me. he was rounded up across from my work place as I noticed him in there going around, I went over and ask the young fella want he was doing, he was catching one of his horses. I told him that I’m take my horse out as he was looking stressed. as he trotted passed I called out to him he stopped look at me unsure at first then came to me as I open the gate and he came out, little did I know my fellow workers where watching me and commented later after I came back from walking him back down the farm where he can roam to eat. the time you spend with your horse really dose pay off as he trusts you more. its sad to see horses run away from their owners because they just ride them and let them go with no interaction to find out their personality, my boy can be pushy at times and I push back but he knows who loves him. Kay
I will share the breath with them, rub them where they like it and just be quietly with them speaking quietly and with a soft eye. I will send them love and light and colour [usually pink, gold or white]from my heart to theirs. I have never had it fail. Even a horse that people had been trying to catch for two hours just came to me and followed me at the shoulder without rope or halter and directly into the corral. If I am dealing with a difficult horse I don’t know at all, I work on my OWN energy, filling myself with light [often blue or pink or white] and surrounding myself in a golden egg of light before sending light to him. Of course, you then have to treat him with respect after that!
Two nights ago, I went out to my big boy and asked for a kiss. It took five times but taught him to kiss gently with his lips. Today when I went out to clear the stable whilst leaning down picking up poo , he gently started kissing me on the cheek and continued to this until I was finished. Boy did it make me feel good and proud. He has got some much love to give and I am glad I have him. I only got him last year and he is my first horse.
I didn’t understand your story at all!
Janice: I live in Southern California. We’re buying a trailer and might be able to take the beautiful bay if the lady in Oregon can’t take him. We are a rescue/sanctuary and if people would like to donate to us for this horse, I’m sure we could work something out to give him a good home at our place.
😀 love the stories, so many ideas to try.
Thank you,
Cheryl
Thanks to everyone for the stories! You have motivated me to spend more time with my horses! I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!
I have just learned very basic massage. I massage my mare twice a day, and the bond that has come from that is amazing.Who knew that a strong bond could become oh so much stronger from something so simple
it was a nice story. 🙂