Life is an Adventure!

We are so sorry that it has taken so long to update our blog, but, boy, have we been busy! Indy has just blossomed. Having gained a tremendous amount of weight, pride and confidence! While we have been waiting for his weight to go up to get him back to work, he has been getting lunged three times a week and spends quite a bit of time in the turn out visiting with all of his wonderful friends, both two and four legged. It is apparent that Indy has changed his life. I wonder sometimes how he made it through? He is a tough guy and had the spirit and the drive to get through everything that happened to him. That is just the metal he is made of. He could have let go, but he never did and that is how he has handled his life changing efforts. I have the utmost respect and love for this horse! His strength, tolerance, desire and faith that his life is worth something, are all alive and well in Indy today! Full of confidence, pride and love, he and I have watched each other grow. Indy is bright eyed and ready for adventure.
Indy recently had his hocks injected, got all of his vaccines and dewormed. We are grateful to Heart of the Horse, April Horowitz and Dr. Kevin Smith for making this possible. Prior to this, I was concerned about why Indy, when standing, would rock from one leg to the next. He would do this for hours. Wearing away the shavings in his stall and mining a trench in the turn out. The rocking is a self soothing behavior, much akin to a child sucking it's thumb. Being no stranger to a belly ache from being hungry and being in pain, apparently from his left rear leg,  it is no mystery how he came to making this behavior his. Having his hocks injected and a donated adjustment from Equine Chiropractor, Kenneth L. Belsly, DC, this rocking behavior has completely disappeared. Whew! One more issue resolved! Indy, now, eats every bit of food that is offered him and will be happy to help you with anything extra that you might have.
 

                                Indy and I at the Fieldstone Home Show helping to raise donations
                                                              to help horses in need                                  

August 28th is the date for Indy's big reveal at the Santa Barbara Polo Grounds! The Bombardier West Coast Polo Finals is going to be a big event for Indy and The Heart of a Horse Foundation. April Horowitz, Founder and Director of Heart of a Horse, came out and spent the day with us out at Fieldstone Riding Club in Moorpark, also where Indy lives. We collected donations as Indy visited with participants and their families at the Fieldstone homeshow. Just a few months ago, Indy would have hidden himself away in the back corner of the turn out and hung his head in shame. Today, Indy loves having people pet him, eating treats and getting into every conversation, but, Indy and I always find time to have a quiet moment with each other. He always looks to see where I am and, believe me, I am very rarely, very far away. We rely on each other! I love him and he loves me and all of his angels and that is the way it's supposed to be, right?

We are grateful for all of our angels; April Horowitz and Heart of a Horse for saying yes and not letting Indy fall through the cracks, yet again. Green Feed Systems for their sponsorship. Dr. Kevin Smith for his his care and encouragement. Terry Pfankuchen  and Sound Hoof Products for Indy's healthy feet and legs. Michelle Pacyna and Fieldstone Riding Club for not making rescuing Indy just about getting him healthy, but more importantly, making him successful! Darren Lutz and Haulin Hooves for being Indy's limousine service. We couldn't have gotten to this point without all of these people and their time and donations. Yet, there are many people who have loved on Indy and encouraged all of through this.

Now, we are at the end of this. Indy was only planning on being with us until the 28th of August at which time Green Feed Systems would relinquish their sponsorship and Indy was to go up for adoption. Well, life has a funny way of moving things around. With a new lease on life and a new life at Fieldstone, I am planning to try and keep Indy here permanently. Now, you need to know that this is the biggest commitment I have ever made in my life! Indy and I have built a bond that I have never experienced, but it will all be fine. There are concerns and worries that keep me awake from time to time, but isn't life about living it? Isn't it about trusting that God has a plan and when presented with the opportunity to say "yes" to be part of it, it's a good thing? Well, Indy took a leap of faith trusting all of us when doing that in the past was so disappointing for him, and now it is my turn to take the same leap and trust God.

So, please join us on Sunday, August 28th at the Bombardier Pacific Coast Polo Finals and meet Indy and say hello. Please go to heartofahorse.org for all of the details. It's going to be a wonderful day!!!

Well, here we are again! Indy and I are off on another adventure!! Can you believe it? Another one!!!!! We'll keep you posted!

A Question of Self Worth

The horse, over time, has been considered many things. A beast of burden, a prized possession, a friend, a way of life, an integral part of ones livelihood. A character, a confidant, a wish, a dream and keeper of our hearts. The horse has been written about, had ballads, poetry and movies made to honor and revere his love, spirit and usefulness to us throughout history.
It's funny that with all the time we have spent revering the horse, there is still the option of mistreating and neglecting this magnificent animal. The question of self worth comes to my mind. Does the abuse, neglect and the refusal to care for and protect a living being come from lack of respect for the animal and,or the lack of self worth of the human being? I am not sure...and, I suppose, that is a question that has to be answered by the human being. What about the horse? I wish I could say I knew for sure what Indy was thinking, and, there are times, as most horse owners will agree, I have a pretty good idea, but I do know this, self worth in a horse is the whole ball game! Dagobert D. Runes once said, "You cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper". Kinda rattles your cage a little bit, doesn't it?

    Still Skinny, But Looking Better

Everyday, since Indy came to Fieldstone, it has been an adventure. Over the last five weeks, he has gained 70 lbs.! His hives and thrush are both gone! He has been under saddle, no riders over a 115lbs, please, and he has been given a daily exercise program. He is weak and still needs a lot of walking and trotting. His left rear leg, the one that was so swollen when he came to us, has continued to present a problem. Dr. Kevin Smith, DVM, has evaluated it and has given us a few options in treating the problem. Once the physical challenges have been dealt with, we can continue to get Indy back to work and keeping him happy with the job he wants so badly. He has been telling us he is so wanting to get back to work. Indy loves being out with the other horses. In the turn out he rolls and then pops up and rears while boxing with excitement. He is excited to get out of the stall and has shown us some beautiful things while being lunged. Being worked with a Paseoa Lunging System, he has shown that he has quality strides, moving in the frame and just more than we had hoped for. He did brilliantly for about the first two weeks of having his shoes, probably because he felt so good. Then we started to see some of the physical quirks that had been there prior and that have slowly started to present themselves. No matter, Indy is still moving forward!
He loves spending the night out with Slim Shady and Princess Dixie and long walks in the farmland fields. Recently, the farm next door finished harvesting all of their root vegetables and left hundreds of carrots exposed in the dirt. On a walk one morning, Indy spotted all of the carrots about him and stopped, turned his head and looked at me. As if asking for permission, I told him to go ahead and help himself. He lowered his head and sniffed a few and looked up at me again. I picked up a carrot and dusted off the dirt and offered it to him. He ate it and that was all it took. I think we were the for the better part of ten minutes as moved about and feasted leisurely on the carrots at his feet.
Indy is having to regain his ground manners. I have to admit, I haven't really held him to it and all it is doing is getting him in hot water. The treats that he loves so much have made him mouthy and he has had to learn that that is not acceptable. So...no more treats. He has had to remember that I am walking him and he is not walking me.
The dark, cold winter of Indy's life has given way to Spring. It is time to be that horse that he has started to show to us. Who Indy is has slowly started to surface. He is healthy again, full of himself and becoming a horse that wants to work. We know that he is happy with a job and having a job makes him useful and raises his self worth and his dignity. That is the way it is intended to be. Indy is off on yet another adventure, regaining his honor, majesty and relearning the importance of his own self worth. 

When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth shall lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt cast thy enemies between thy hooves, but thou shalt carry my friends upon they back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou fly without any wings, and conquer without any sword. ~ The Koran

LOOKING BACK: A Month That Saved a Life

It's easy to see the good when things looked so bad.  Luckily, we have the ability to forget what we cannot
accept.  However, something as simple as a photo brings it all starkly back to our minds when we see exactly the sad condition Indy was in when he came to us.  The benefit of hindsight is reflection.

INDY WEEK #1

We have all found ourselves, at some point in our lives, looking back and wishing we had done something different. Or, not realizing what we had been through until we had gotten ourselves to the other side of some terrible situation. Well, that has been the case this week for Indy and I. I see Indy most everyday. Lately, I have noticed that when I miss a day or two, it seems to be just as well as it allows me to see Indy with fresh eyes.

 Last night, as we went through all of the photos and videos of  Indy's journey thus far, I saw, for the first time, the severity of the life he had been living. I never really saw how bad he actually was! I saw pictures from the first day he arrived at Fieldstone, a training barn where I am used to seeing healthy, happy horses that have all of their needs met, I had so many emotions. There were tears and anger, pity, empathy and disgust at the fact that thinking, feeling, reasoning human beings can stand by and watch an animal deteriorate into such a condition. The first time he was trotted down the lane being led by my ten year old niece, I could not believe what I saw on that video! His left rear leg lame and swollen and hind quarters moving as if they were not attached to the rest of his body. Covered in hives, patches of skin missing and sore, bloody wounds on his legs, face and hip bones and layers of dirt and urine from months of neglect. How does this happen? Thank God, we don't always see how bad things truly are when we are in the thick of it. It isn't until we find a little breathing room, that we wipe our brows with the back of our hand, let go a deep, heavy sigh and think to ourselves and wonder was it really that bad? For Indy, it was! It was really that bad! He hung in there, though and there is and will continue to be redemtion for this horse. Things will continue to get better for Indy. In a little more than two weeks, he has become a different horse.

INDY WEEK #2

 At this moment in time, Indy is happy, gaining weight, courious, content and continuing to change his life a little bit everyday. After four bathing sessions, each containing full body scrubbing with a rubber curry at least two times per session, I can see the skin under his coat. The layers of dirt and filth at the base of his mane are finally gone and he is has new growth coming in that is so silver, it reflects the sunlight. Except his forelock. We still have a few head and face issues that need to be resolved, but that will come with time.

I guess the point of this whole thing is, some people can look at a bad situation and say this is so about it and that is just the way it is and now we get to fix it. I am not there yet. I can't see the reality of the situation as quickly as others. That is why those photos and videos completely floored me. I get defensive and want to make someone or something accountable. I want to know who dropped the ball and make them pay! It isn't until later on down the line, I look back and say that I can't believe what just happened! Where was I? I can't always see the forest for the trees, so to speak. I guess this is about as honest as I can be about it. Temporarily delusional....maybe. Emotional immaturity....perhaps.Or, maybe it is just the fear of the pain and the hurt of the reality of the situation. It's easier to miss it and deal with it when it is not so intolerable. So, until the day comes that I can stand back and look at the Indy's that come into my life and say to myself that this is what we've got and that is just the way it is from the onset, I guess I just have to get the medicine to fix my stomach ache, learn to handle my anger and buy a lot of Kleenex, because it's going to take time. So, like Indy, I'll just keep going and, I suppose, there is a journey here for both of us.