I had relentless dreams about that red horse during the time I was breaking the
colt; haunting dreams... I didn't know what to do, I already had a horse and couldn't
afford another yet, at the same time, my conscious wouldn't allow me to just leave him
there to die.
When my work breaking the colt was finally finished, and I knew I wouldn't be back
again, I advised my boss that, if the owner of the barn wanted to give that red gelding
away, I'd be happy to take him.
I never expected to hear from him again but, much to my surprise, 2 weeks later he
called and told me, "If you still want that red gelding, come and get him as soon as
you can." I hurriedly made a couple of phone calls and arranged for a friend of mine to come and
pick him up with her trailer. I had never seen him out of his stall, but I knew I had
to take him.
We pulled up and, as we were getting out of the truck, I warned my friend that he was
thin... Neither of us was prepared for what we saw when he stepped out of his stall. Both of us, along with her step-father and another friend, broke out in tears... This was
not a horse; this was a walking skeleton. He was so malnourished that he'd not only used
up all the fat and muscle supply his body had, but he'd lost 50% of his hair as well! The
only thing he had going for him, at this point, was that he was still standing!
We trailered him the mile to my house and I tucked him into his new stall with plenty of
hay and water, then I called the vet.
The vet was amazed that he was not only alive, but actually *standing* in the condition
he was in. She told me that if I had waited a few more days, it probably would've been too
late... We wormed him, floated his teeth and she gave him a thorough once over. Considering
his condition, he was very healthy. Together we worked on a plan to put weight back on him
slowly. Too much change in his diet would make him sick, I had to be careful.
Lazarus(as he was finally named)gained weight at a nice steady pace. Six months after I
got him I began to slowly re-introduce him to riding. Having only ever been raced, and
never ridden for pleasure, it took a while for him to realize that he didn't have to run
every time someone got on his back. He seemed to finally understand and appreciate this
new lifestyle.
With the help of some very good friends, we began schooling in Dressage. Six months
later we entered our very first show. On our way to the show, Whitney Houston's song,
"One Moment In Time" came on the radio; it sent a shiver down my spine as I listened to
the words... That was all I really wanted, one moment to be more than I ever thought I
could be... I vowed to not be 6th out of six riders or 2nd out of two riders.
Happy endings don't just happen in fairy tales... There were three people entered in
our first class, Training Level One, and we came in second with a very respectable score
in the 60's. In our second class, Training Level Two, there were only two people entered
and we received the Blue (first place) ribbon!
I am still an avid Dressage rider. Dressage
is a method of riding that is commonly referred to as "ballet on horseback". In the
world of Dressage I am still a rank beginner, having only shown in Training Level
classes. For the time being, however, Showing is a part of the past; a casualty of
divorce. We continue to do ring work with our eyes on a time when we might be able
to show again.
