Last week, I gave you a brief overview of the animals that live with us. Today, I want to tell you a little more about each one.
Pet owners know that each animal is an individual, with a unique personality. Mine are certainly no exception. Most of them have been adopted from a shelter or were strays that wanted to become one of the spoiled kids living here.
The horses were bought for a specific purpose, although for a while we did have a horse that was rescued, named JT. Ben is my horse; he 18 years old. His breed is Morgan; they are known for their bravery and ability to be versatile in their use. The breed originated in Vermont with a farmer, Justin Morgan. His stallion sired the breed. They are easy keepers (need very little feed) and get wooly coats in the winter.
Ben is sweet and loveable. He is built for endurance with heavy thick legs, and a big butt. His eyes are warm and soft, and his ears are fuzzy. He is a big sweetie who wears his emotions on the outside. Ben is the teddy bear that never can get enough attention, and frequently pouts to let me know he is feeling neglected. Perhaps he got a double portion of whatever it is that makes him so loveable, and missed out on his intended measure of bravery. His lack of bravery makes every ride interesting. I spent many hours riding him both in the arena and out in the open. He never aspired to be more than a pleasure horse, and as such, he is fun to ride. My attempt to make him a dressage horse was a disaster, and I eventually gave that idea up.
Now, Copenhagen is a totally different personality. He is a Quarter Horse. He is very level headed, calm and reasonable. He is not affectionate, but he is pleasant to be around. He was the perfect little girl’s horse. He loved to run and show his agility. When my daughter started competing with him, he was always ready to learn new things. At the same time, Copenhagen was always cautious to take care of her. He was never reckless, and always stayed right with her any time she fell off. He is 25 years old this year. When he was around 19, they found the limit to the height he could jump. Eventing is a sport that requires a lot of strength and endurance. The cross country jumping course is extremely challenging. It was a tough decision, but we decided to get another horse for my daughter. As it turned out, it was a hard transition not only for her, but for Copenhagen as well. You really could see that he was upset that she was riding another horse. You could see hurt in his eyes.
The newcomer was Duke. He is 18 now, but he was 12 when we bought him. He was much bigger than both Ben and Copenhagen; and he was already a seasoned eventer. He is a Thoroughbred/Dutch Warmblood cross. Duke is not a very emotional horse either, but he is opinionated. He demands you be a real leader, whether you are riding him or just working with him around the barn. He can be a bit like a train when he wants to do something, and he doesn’t have a problem running over you. Once you have his respect, he is an obedient horse. My daughter only competed with him for about 2 years. He had some lameness issues in the beginning, but fully recovered from them. They had some wonderful rides, both in and out of the show ring. When she went off to college without him, I started having problems with him at home. Duke was missing having a purpose to fulfill. He started to become unruly and grumpy. This lasted quite a while. I was not up to the task of riding all three horses. I really didn’t even take the time to ride Ben.
A couple of years ago, it became apparent that I was needing to make some changes to their diet. Copenhagen, already considered a senior, was having trouble keeping weight on, and he had developed a skin condition that several vets were unsuccessful in treating. His arthritis was getting worse every year, too. So, I made the choice to make some radical changes to their feed. I had good luck with changing the cats to grain free food, and the dogs were eating food that was wheat, corn and soy free, so it was time to do the same for the horses. To make a long story short, my horses are now grain free. It is a common misconception that horses need grain. Some horses in hard training do need some extra fuel for energy, but most do not need grain. It just is not part of their normal diet. I added some herbs, probiotics, and other natural supplements and the horses all look great. Everyone is much calmer now. Duke and Ben are actually fat, and Copenhagen is holding his weight just fine. And Copenhagen’s skin condition cleared up, too.
I have 3 different personalities to deal with every day, every time I feed the horses. I never quite know how everyone is going to be feeling when I go out to the barn. My heart goes out to Copenhagen as I watch him deal with old age; some days are good and some not so good. I pray for him every day, and for wisdom to know what to do to help him. These hot summer days are hard on him, but he is a trooper. I will be glad when the heat breaks, for all my animals.
Proverbs 2:2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
