Not Walking Away
by Angela Fotheringham
(Longniddry, Scotland)
This is a story without an end, like the eternal cycle of a golden ring, may it never be broken.
I saw a picture of Ardimersay Lightning and loved his innocent face. I needed a horse to do endurance with and take the place of my wonderful Jura... his paces looked the part and so Ardimersay Lightning became Glynn and came to live with us.
Glynn arrived terrified, gone was the young eager boy, and in his place was a frightened child. Disaster was on the horizon and dawned all too soon. It transpired that he had been a feral horse, running with a herd, starved, one of the few geldings in the herd and unhandled till his 6th year. The move, the second in his life, had thrown him into utter confusion and he expected nothing and feared all.
We had to return to basics. Basics is the first thing we learned together. We had to communicate, that was the second thing we learned together. Trust had to be re-established, that was the third thing we learned together and with trust came respect, mutual respect, which was the fourth lesson we learned together. Beyond this, we each have our own agendas, mine to ride and care. His to eat and follow ....
So what did he get from me?
After all the accidents, the concussions, the broken bones, I did not walk away, pass him on, give up. I stayed and so did he.
I gave him security.
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