ESCAPE FROM CIVILIZATION

San Antonio Ranch had a hilly pasture behind the ranch, rows of stalls, washing area and an arena. This was the first time Mystery or I had been at a ‘show’ barn. I was dazzled by the beautiful tall horses jumping in the arena and intimidated by the mostly male instructors working their students repeatedly in their patterns. I was excited about the possibilities I imagined would be in front of me; washing my boy in the wash racks, taking lessons, jumping the jumps
The barn owner put Mystery out in the pasture with the other horses immediately. He had just fed everyone when we arrived late in the afternoon and felt there would be no better time for introductions. The horses were all busy and barely noticed my guy who also dug into a bale of hay. Darkness came quickly and I headed home. . I could barely sleep that first night just thinking about the adventures we would have ahead.

The next morning I was up and out to the ranch as soon as the sun rose. The horses were in front for their morning feed and I was excited about seeing my boy. Only I could not find him. I searched the herd and then headed up the steep hills toward the back; dreading what I may find. There was no sign of him. Panic set in and I found the barn owner and he drove to the back on his ATV. He soon pointed out to me signs in the long grass of a horse jumping a low part of the fence in the corner. I could plainly see where the grass had been trampled, leading up and into the ranch adjacent to ours. My boy had jumped the fence and headed for ‘home’.

I had my halter and lead rope, and started following the trail. I reached the crest and I saw more hilly grasslands for what seemed like miles and miles. This ranch was huge, and it looked so much like the pasture in Livermore where Mystery grew up. As I walked I became more concerned, more panicked. What if I never found my boy? What if the rancher found him first and would not give him back? What if he jumped a fence into the street? Why was he so unhappy he felt he had to leave.

Looking up, I saw the shape of a very dark horse in the distance. Would he come to me? As I got closer he picked his head up out of the grass and gave me a very hard stare. I started talking to him like it was any other day, calm, soft and what I hoped was soothing. He did not turn away but instead he let me put the lead rope around his neck and soon I had his head in the halter. We started the long walk home….....

I had many plans for Mystery and I in the 'civilized' horse world. Unfortunately, Mystery had his own ideas....

More Lessons On Human Nature

I was determined to leave Judy’s ranch as soon as possible. Judy refused to keep Pepper the dog away from the horses and it was only a matter of time before Mystery got hurt. I quickly found another ranch willing to take him. It was San Antonio ranch and they had pasture boarding, stalls and an arena. Next I found a two horse straight load trailer I could rent. I headed out early in the morning to take Mystery to his new home.

I was happy to find the ranch deserted. I had given Judy notice by phone and told her she could just keep the month’s rent, and was grateful I did not have her there to harass me. I had never loaded a horse in a trailer before, nor driven a truck pulling a trailer and was nervous. I filled the manger with hay and lead Mystery inside. He went inside without a problem and I closed the back door. I tied him from the other slot, went out the escape door and thought to myself “how easy was that?”

Just then I looked back at the trailer in time to see the escape door pop open and Mystery attempt to get out of the trailer through the escape door! I had never checked that side to see if it was latched! I was horrified. He had managed to get his front legs out but his head was pulled backwards over his back, still tied from the inside. I pushed against his chest, trying to get him to back up but I knew that would not work. He was bent, half in, half out with his head and neck twisted. I knew what I had to do.

I quickly untied his halter and freed his head. Then I stepped back and I prayed. I am not religious at all, but I prayed to God “Please, please, God, don’t let me kill my horse”. I watched as Mystery swayed, back and forth, then I saw him go side to side and in one motion he jumped through the escape hatch, lowering one side of his hip and was free. I could see he was scrapped up, his front leg and both (skinny) hips, but he just immediately started to graze and did not seem freaked out at all. “Thank you Lord” I thought to myself. Now what do I do?

Judy’s ranch was right down the street from a handicap riding center. I looked up just in time to see a truck had stopped on the road and someone was watching. I am sure I was in tears by that point and soon a young man was walking over to me asking if I need help. I blurted out what had happened and was probably in hysterics by then…I thought for sure I had killed my horse and how could I even think I could ever own and be responsible for a live creature like this. The man was calm and reassuring and told me he would help me. But how would we ever get him back into the trailer after such a bad experience? I thought to myself.

The young man went over to Mystery, put his lead and halter back on and calmly stepped inside the trailer. Mystery followed like nothing had happened. This same young man then followed me, over dirt roads, up and over the mountains, to the new ranch as I drove painfully slow; never having driving a truck and trailer before. When we arrived he unloaded Mystery and then he had me load him right back up again. Three times we loaded and unloaded him with no issues at all. I could not thank him enough….I never even knew his name.

But I did know where he worked. Halleck Creek has helped people with disabilities for over 30 years now. Therapeutic horseback riding is a valuable form of physical and mental therapy, as well as an effective way for people with disabilities to access rugged terrain. They are run by volunteers and rely on donations. I hope I have paid forward the favor over the years via donations. This young man unselfishly came through for me, a stranger, unasked when needed most. I will be forever grateful for that.

http://www.halleckcreekranch.org/view.cfm/3/About-Us

First Ranch - And Lesson on Human Character

Judy’s place was full of retired horses; old swaybacks and arthritic mares and geldings she had ‘collected’ over the years. The place was muddy, run down but had shelter and a small arena. Judy also fed her horses well; maybe too well. I made a promise to Mystery he and I have both kept to this day. “I won’t ever let you starve as long as you don’t buck me off”.

This was the first time Mystery had been off his ranch and he was a lost soul who couldn’t make friends. I felt pretty lost myself. Susan had died and I had no one to help me learn about taking care of my horse. I no longer had Susan’s sage advice.

I worked with Mystery every change I could get. Judy had an old saddle I could use in exchange for cleaning out an old shed on her property. Mystery was good natured and kept his patience with me. One day I did not tighten up the girth correctly. Just as I put my weight in the stirrup to mount, the saddle slid and I fell off. I looked up to see the saddle hanging under his belly and Mystery giving me a look like “you are so embarrassing!” Another type of horse would have run and bucked in panic but he just stood there and allowed me to loosen and reset it. Although he had been starved, he didn’t associate humans with starving or abusing him; but just with feeding him. I was lucky he had such an easy going personality.

Soon I saw a different side of Judy, one that I did not like. She had a run down arena type area which I used to practice riding. One day I set up plastic poles I found in there as very low jumps. Judy saw it and went into hysterics; of how I was abusing the horse and how would I like to whap my leg on plastic? She knew I was new to horses yet felt it would be better to yell and have a hissy fit instead of explain the problem. This was my first hint there would be problems with this ranch.

Judy had a little dog, Pepper, who loved to chase the horses and grab their tails. “Oh, the horses know they are just playing” she would say but I knew this really was not a good thing. I would see the dog nip a horse and the horse become very angry. I repeatedly asked her to not allow it but she ignored me and made fun of my concerns. One day I was riding in the back of her truck while she was feeding and the horses were following, helping her throw out bales of hay. She stopped and put the tailgate down and the horses came up. Mystery started feeding out of the back of the truck and Pepper snuck up on him and bit him, hard. Mystery kicked out (missed) and whirled around towards the dog but the dog was out of range. Mystery was so mad he just kicked out again….this time he hit the tailgate. I knew he was hurt but before I could say anything, Judy started yelling at me. “Oh you are going to over react, I know it! They are just playing, he isn’t hurt”….we got into a big argument then and I knew I had to get Mystery out of there, and fast…..

First Trailer Ride

Mystery was waiting for us in the roundpen. The pen was a circle of 10 foot tall plywood with two big doors. He could not see out and was circling back and forth, yelling to the herd. The cowboy I hired, a calm, soft spoken gentleman somewhere in his 50s, arrived with an old heavy duty truck and a two horse straight load. "How are we ever going to get him in there" I asked, watching thru a hole in the plywood from the outside as my horse galloped round and round. "Don't worry Miss, I have my methods" the cowboy muttered as he turned the truck and started backing the trailer toward the gates. "Now when I get close enough, you open those gates so I can back my trailer in and DON'T you let that horse ESCAPE" he said.

I opened the gates as he slowly back the trailer in. The entrance to the trailer was flush with the gate so where there was once an escape now there was a trailer. "You can try leading him in first Miss and when you get to the front you need to quickly tie him off and jump out of the escape door". Well that sounds easy enough... By this time I could halter Mystery and lead him around the ranch; he was learning he could trust me so I brought him staight up to the trailer and stepped in. He followed, smelling the hay and the sweet feed in the manger but as soon as I got to the front and opened the escape door he panicked, backing out as fast as he could go. I tried again, but this time he refused to enter the trailer and had a panicked look in his eye.

"well, lets try a different method then Miss" said the cowboy and asked me to step outside. Soon he had Mystery running in circles, round and round, changing direction. Soon he was lathered in sweat and the cowboy let him rest by the open trailer. As soon as Mystery moved from the area he would work him again, then invite him to rest by door. Soon, Mystery would just stop by the entrance and then it was like a light bulb went off in his brain, he looked at the entrance and stepped inside and up to the manger, grabbing a mouthful of sweet fed. The cowboy attached the butt chain and I attached his halter to the trailer tie...we were in business and ready to go home. I was thrilled and excited...Mystery would be about 40 minutes away from me instead of 2 hours and I would be able to work with him. Our new life awaited us...

Life Can Be Hard For A Horse

In the here and now:

Mystery currently enjoys his day in Northern California pastures with a small mixed herd of horses. He is still ridden at 24 years of age but mainly spends his day doing what horses are suppose to do. We just had a spectacular week of warm, dry weather and I went out to see him aroud 10 a.m. Here is what I found:

He is looking at me from the upper right part of the picture....don't get up!



Ok, I won't! The herd is use to me so no one was disturbed by me walking around taking pictures giggling at them all!







Ok, let me get to my feet....


And stretchhhhhh.....

Yawn! I'm ready!

The End and The Beginning...

“Kim, this is your Uncle calling, I have bad news”…. 5 a.m., wow, it is my Uncle in Pa., “how are you, so nice to hear from you”. And then he told me and I can’t remember the exact words, but time stood still. But it was about Susan; she had collapsed and was in the hospital. She had a brain aneurysm and was on life support.

That moment changed my life forever and started a very dark, very rough period in my young life. I raced to her town (1-1/2 hours away) and went straight to the hospital. It was early, no one was there. Susan was in bed; machines breathing for her, motionless. It was shocking.

We had spent so many hours together, talking girl talk, about our dreams, hopes, ambitions. Talking about what would happen if one or the other of us would die and what we believed in. She had two kids she loved more then life itself, two horses she was loyal too for their entire lives. She had opened her home, her heart, her life to her wayward cousin and now she was in front of me, eyes closed, the machines breathing for her. As I sat there talking to her, telling her I loved her, I felt an energy emanating from the top of her head. If it was just my imagination so be it, but I felt her there and I felt her leaving her body; I knew then she was gone.

The following days were horrible and a blur. Her mother came out to Ca., as did my Uncle and we helped to make the arrangements. They donated her organs and stopped life support. The kids had to move in with their alcoholic father since there was no will. Who expects to die a age 32? No one wanted to deal with the horses except to leave them at the ranch where they could roam for the remainder of their days.

My words on how the ranch owner wasn’t feeding or taking care of them fell on deaf ears. Gombol was 19 or 20 and no longer young, he was not keeping his weight up. Horses need good food, medicines, shots, trims or shoes but no one would listen. It was a sad and frustrating time. The girls father told me I would always be able to visit, but then started playing games when I tried. I would drive all the way out just to be told they could not go out with me and he refused to speak to me about it. I knew for their mental health I would have to distance myself as they needed to bond with their dad and his family. It was just one of many regrets in my life.

I made arrangements to board Mystery closer to home. He was too far away for me to work with him and get him trained. Once I found a place to board him, I just needed to figure out how to get him there……

Goodbye 2010, Welcome 2011

The holidays went by in a flash this year. I spent the holidays by myself; alone with the two dogs, rain and quiet. I have an almost 10 year old Beauty Queen Golden, Angelina, and a new 19 month old Red Field type golden, Cannella.

Many a Christmas day has been spent on the beach. This is one of those wonderful things about northern California...a clear winter day can be spectacular for outdoor activities. I brought the dogs and a friend to Limantaur; Pt.Reyes National Seashore and they LOVED it.

Cannella is quite a player and searched for any dog that would play...the bigger the better. She has reminded me what it is to have a young, energetic dog in the household. Fun, draining, challenging. I welcomed this time to spend bonding, training and just falling for her....






Leaving Limantaur and heading home I commented to my friend; "I have seen many bobcats out this way" and just as I said it, I glanced in a pasture by the road and there he (or she) was. What a spectacular way to end a great day!



I don't think there is a better way to spend the day then at the beach during a clear California winter. Except, of course, an all day ride on Mystery...