Equestrian Clinics

A few years ago I lived in Mexico and during one of my many hikes in the countryside I stumbled upon a barn of about 15 horses. They all seemed fine and healthy except for this one castaway in the corner of the lot: he was a skeleton of a horse, living in an old half finished brick house -complete with bars on the windows. My heart went out to him, and when he looked at me with his soft brown eyes I knew I was meant to help him. He was very skinny, even by mexican standards, his halter had practically grown into his skin, and his feet were either little stubs or so long that he could barely walk. He had been abandoned and forgotten, it was a wonder he was alive at all with the flake per day they fed him, when they happened to remember. I approached the owner and asked him about the dark horse in the corner and he replied that nobody could handle him, he was wild, and the entire village called him "Sangre de Demon" (blood of the demon). He was left to die, and had they been able to trailer him they would have taken him to the slaughterhouse already. I mentioned that I was a horse person and asked if I could take him out. At first the owner refused but I told him I would take complete responsibility. He finally agreed. I spoke to this wild horse, pet him and fed him carrots for a good 30 minutes before clipping on the leadrope (yes -WITH studchain, one never knows) and led him out. He was a dream, so responsive and not at all a "blood demon," I had no idea what the owner was talking about. All I can say is that he needed a kind person to believe in him and be patient. Within a week I had his feet trimmed (yes I DID need to tranquilize him for that) and was riding him bareback on the trails. Within a month I had bought him and taken him away from that dreadful stable. One year later I had him quarantined in Tijuana and brought him to the US, where he now lives. He is definitely a fiery temperament -which is why he survived Mexico, but when I first saw him I knew I had to help him... and we've had many excellent adventures since!!!