A Baby Boomer Dreams of Arabian Horses - The Legacy Continues - Part 9

Part 1 of the Legacy Continues

The poor Arabian horse just was not adjusting to the move well at all. Being cooped up in the stall because of her leg injury with all of the other horses coming and going, just seemed to add to her confusion. Each day saw another new thing that terrorized her. I was really beginning to worry if she was going to adjust.

Two weeks into this the vet was supposed to come, look at her stitches and see if they were ready to be removed. I was really looking forward to getting this taken care of so the mare could finally be turned outside. At the last minute the vet called and cancelled telling me he couldn't even make it for another couple of days.

That was it for me. I just couldn't see keeping the mare inside any longer. If it came down to a scar on her leg or one on her psyche, I was voting for the former. I was turning the mare out, stitches or not.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I removed the mare's blanket. Standing before me was a rack of bones. In two short weeks, the horse had lost over two hundred pounds purely from stress. To this day, I can't get over the horrible tole it had taken on her. Looking at this bony stressed horse, I knew I was right, she just had to go outside.

As I walked her down the lane heading towards the field, the mare's eyes darted around furtively, just like they had each day she'd been hand walked. Even with that daily routine she hadn't been able to get comfortable with such a simple task. I still remember my frustration.

But I took her into the field and turned the horse loose with the mare who lived in the stall next to her. For a moment she glanced at me and she hesitated. Then she turned and jogged off to met her buddy. Once close to that mare, she stopped, dropped her head and started to graze. For the first time in two weeks, Bey Aana was relaxed.

That was all it took. The stress was over. The only thing I can think is that the horse couldn't understand what had happened to her. She was somehow convinced that her life had changed. When she finally got turned out with another horse, it was something she could understand. It was the same old routine. Out in the field with a buddy. The unnatural stress was gone.

We still had the trust issues to work out. Lindsay decided to take it upon herself to win this mare over. The timing couldn't have been better. Lindsay was having some of the typical problems with her self esteem that comes with the kind of cancer she'd had. She couldn't get a job. She felt the world didn't want or need her, Her life was going nowhere. She had no direction and no desire until she saw this frightened mare. Lindsay couldn't resist wanting to help and the mare could sense that Lindsay was a child in an adult's body.


In the beginning, even putting on the halter we had to be so careful. We didn't dare even lightly bump an ear or the horse came unglued. It took time, but Lindsay taught her not to be concerned about being haltered or having her ears touched by anyone.

That's not the only thing Lindsay taught Bey Aana. With hours and hours of individual care, Lindsay taught Bey Aana to trust and to love. The mare learned having a human around could be a good thing. Today just the sound of Lindsay's voice brings a softness to Bey Aana's eyes. There's no doubt in my mind that Lindsay is her kid.

To be continued..........

The Legacy Continues Part 10

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