Fall is Here, and so is Spring

Sometimes a tragedy can blossom into a beautiful next chapter.

Several years ago, my horse Grace suffered a terrible loss. Before I became her human, she was sold in foal from the RCMP Musical Ride to one of my clients. This would have been her third baby, which she would have mothered beautifully like the others. She would have loved it fiercely, but this reality was brutally cut short.

Grace gave birth to a filly in the open field, and within seconds, a pack of coyotes came around and attacked her barely born foal. By the time they were discovered by my client, Grace was covered in the wounds of a mother desperately attempting to protect her young. Her baby was dead.

When I adopted Grace, she was physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken. Over the past three years, she has slowly pieced herself back together and each day she shines a little brighter. With extensive hoof, nutritional, and chiropractic care, her body began to feel and even look younger. I was continually flooded with feelings of relief and joy witnessing this transformation. With a matching horse-hearted-human, she was supported to find enjoyment in life once again. But there remained an underlying depression – evidence of a broken cycle that no one, of any species, should experience.

I considered trying to breed her again to give her another chance at motherhood. I felt that she was longing for this role once more and I was determined to find a way. As soon as I began contemplating the possibility, Grace had an absolute change in demeanour. The first night I went to the barn to feed dinner with these thoughts twirling in my mind, she was all over me! I really felt she knew and was uncharacteristically giving me gentle nudges with an expression that was no doubt pure excitement.

Life, however, had other plans.

For medical reasons related to her age and history, breeding turned out to not be a safe option for Grace. Initially unsure of my “crazy” horse plans, I had become quite excited about the idea of a foal and I was crushed to have to let that go. Grace, however, didn’t lose her enthusiasm. She had a new lease on life and wasn’t giving up so easily. Neither could I.

It was the end of the summer when I discovered breeding was a dead-end road, but it wasn’t long before I was given an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Spring, a miniature horse, only three years old, was in dire need of a new home. Her owners could no longer afford her care as she had a slew of physical problems that needed weekly farrier work. She was going to get put down unless someone took her away. I felt the world was flashing a neon sign saying: THIS IS HER BABY!

A week later, I organized a ride to go pick up Spring. Never having travelled before in her life, she marched right onto that horse trailer without any hesitation. I rode with her all the way back to my farm. Upon arrival, she was greeted over the stall door by a loving, caring, beautiful mama Grace.

Grace instantly adopted Spring. Her skills as a mother shine through every day with a perfect balance of loving and firm, patient and assertive, protective and allowing distance for Spring to be free.  As I watch the giant and the mini interact, I am learning to be a better person.

How has a closed door opened for you?

This is part of a continuing story, click here to start from the beginning.

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