| So many times growing up around horses I remember | | | | can have with a special horse. |
| a common warning was to never leave a nylon halter | | | | That was when I knew I had to give Alfie to her. I had |
| on a horse unattended. As I became a professional I | | | | to admit to myself that she loved the horse even |
| also issued the same warning to all my students and | | | | more than I and proved herself worthy to care for |
| any one handling a horse because it did make sense, in | | | | such a fine animal. To me he was just a nice horse; to |
| all honesty I never thought the worst case scenario | | | | her he was her world. Even to this day and in light of |
| being a horse breaking his neck would ever actually | | | | what I am about to tell you I have never regretted that |
| happen. I mean really... have you ever known of such a | | | | decision. |
| thing? Well, I'm here now to tell you it does indeed | | | | Alfie's recovery took some time but the girl never tired |
| happen and it happened to one of my best horses. | | | | caring for him and in time he was better than ever |
| I'll have to go back many years and to a student that | | | | with the two of them again in the jumper competitions |
| was all things horses. The girl practically lived at my | | | | and winning at the regional level assuring them a spot |
| ranch. Because of her fierce desire and dedication she | | | | to compete at the Arab nationals that year in |
| became a competent rider very quickly mastering in | | | | Scottsdale Arizona! It was after this accomplishment |
| weeks and months what would take others years. | | | | that Alfie came up with a lameness that was |
| She continued to improve being spurred on by the goal | | | | diagnosed as a pulled suspensory and would take a |
| of someday riding a brilliant but complicated horse I | | | | year of lay up to deal with. It was a great |
| owned that few people rode because he was almost | | | | disappointment but the girl's dedication held firm and |
| too talented for his own body and mind and was often | | | | her family resolved to finding a quaint facility near their |
| quite a handful. I put off her requests to ride him for as | | | | home where he could spend some quiet time healing. |
| long as I could until finally as she pleaded with me her | | | | It had been several months and Alfie was doing well |
| case that she was ready I gave in telling her it was | | | | with his leg healing fast. The girl's entire family |
| her funeral and to not be too disappointed if her ride | | | | embraced this horse because of what he meant to |
| ended badly. Much to my surprise it did not and that | | | | her and it was not uncommon for the girl's Mom to |
| was the beginning of a beautiful relationship between a | | | | stop by of an evening after work to spend some time |
| young girl and a horse that was her world. | | | | with him even though she knew her daughter had |
| The girl and the horse went on to do things nothing | | | | been with him much of the morning. It was on one |
| short of amazing all along being the best of friends. | | | | such evening that when driving away from her visit the |
| They had great success in competition along with | | | | Mom realized she had left Alfie's halter on from tying |
| enjoyable trail rides and great fun at play days. It | | | | him to allow her to give him a good grooming. As she |
| seemed there was nothing the two couldn't do well | | | | continued to drive toward her home even though the |
| and I watched their bond grow until one day her | | | | thought of what I had taught her about the danger of |
| beloved horse was the first in my barn to go down | | | | leaving a halter on burned in her mind, she dismissed |
| from having been poisoned with the infamous botulism | | | | her worries telling herself that she was running late and |
| outbreak in So. Cal. It was finally detected that it came | | | | that she had never heard of such a thing actually |
| from the hay cube feed and ended up being | | | | happening. |
| responsible for many equestrian deaths. | | | | The next morning as was usual the girl was out to visit |
| With the vets not knowing what we were dealing with | | | | her horse even before the help had arrived to feed |
| at the time, my instincts told me it had to be the feed | | | | and to her horror she was the first to find her beloved |
| and I changed the feeding regiment in time to save my | | | | horse laying there with his lifeless body dropped in a |
| entire barn with the exception of this one horse who | | | | heap but with his head in the halter strung up, attached |
| steadily grew worse even though we had him plugged | | | | to a post he had sought out to rub against. Apparently |
| into an I.V. and was doing everything we knew | | | | when he went to scratch the itch on his head the |
| possible to save his life. I'll never forget the long, | | | | halter had caused he caught it over a post on the |
| countless hours this girl sat next to the horse's near | | | | corral, panicked, pulled back and broke his neck! |
| lifeless body, stroking his neck and whispering softly to | | | | Can you imagine how the girl's Mother must have felt |
| him that he would be ok and she would always be | | | | when finding out she was to blame for such a horrible |
| there for him. This girls dedication went beyond the | | | | thing happening to not only her daughter's horse but |
| boundaries of caring as she only left this horse's rotting | | | | her best friend? And all because she had been |
| corpse when it was very late into the night and her | | | | thoughtless and paid no heed to her inner voice telling |
| mother would insist on her coming home and as I | | | | her to go back and take care of what she had left |
| would rise very early to go out to the barn the next | | | | behind. |
| morning she would already be there bending over | | | | So my friends, here is my warning to you! Never but |
| dressing his huge gaping sores as though his body | | | | never, ever leave a halter on a horse unattended. If |
| was dying from the inside out. | | | | there is some situation that demands a halter be left |
| The horse lived on the brink of death for over a week | | | | on then it MUST be either made from leather or have |
| when finally one day the girl came into the house | | | | a break away leather strap on it! Believe me when I |
| screaming that Alfie was up! He was up and wanting | | | | tell you... if you leave a halter on a horse they will start |
| something to eat. None of us could believe it and as | | | | to itch under it and they will find somewhere to scratch |
| we all ran out to see the horse was alive the thought | | | | and chances are huge that they can easily slip it over |
| of how many times I tried to talk the girl out of | | | | something and get caught. Are you willing to take such |
| spending so much time with him because I knew he | | | | a chance for no reason? |
| would die was a blatant testimony to the power a girl | | | | |