When you take in a rescue its the little tiny changes you see in a positive direction that make this so rewarding. I am beginning to see a crack in the armor of my new horse Rhythm. She came to me off of a feedlot headed for slaughter on Monday March 9.
This photo is minutes after she was unloaded off the trailer. Her eyes tell her story. But I also see under the wariness from this whole experience a willing, kind horse. I got a welcoming whinny last night when I went to the barn on day 3. That warmed my heart!
I’ve been giving her space… and plenty of hay and water. I will add small amounts of grain now that she is more settled and hydrated. She was turned out in the big pasture (alone for now) and I got to watch her trot around and find a nice place to roll. My heart soared along with hers as she looked out over those open spaces. I know she enjoyed that. Its like horse therapy- for me and her!
We have rain the the forecast today so I may spend some time in her stall just grooming and hanging out. No demands, no pressure…. just hanging out and listen for the clink in the cracks of the armor to spread.
I took a couple days off from my studio so I could regroup here at home and catch up on house and barn chores. Tomorrow I will head back in and work on Joanne’s horse mural. I also am hoping to fit in an oil painting of this mare. I love her coloring. This horse reminds me of a bay arab in my past. When my kids were young I took riding lessons on an arab named Satire. He was a push button horse. He would do what you asked but only if you did it correctly. He was so expressive (as arabs often are!!) so he would let you know his dissatisfaction when you asked him incorrectly. But he was kind as well. One day I had asked for a canter and as we rounded a turn I began to lose my balance. Satire moved his body to scoop me up so I didn’t fall! You gotta love a horse who takes care of you like that!
To see my artwork please visit http://www.horseartonline.com/ I use my art money to help support my horses. I always like to tell people my art feeds my horses and my horses feed my art! Take care and feel free to pass this along. It is much appreciated!
Sue Steiner
equine and animal artist