From what the farmer has told me, I gather that rocket was a wild stallion. He was captured, branded, and trained to herd cows. Then he was sold, apparently to the woman who rode him a lot.
He sounded like the ideal horse for Van. And unlike so many things that are different from what they sound, rocket has become a farm favorite, and it looks like he will be Van's companion on many trail rides to come.
Rocket is responsive. He is quick, he loves to run, he tries very hard to do what he's told, he is in good condition, he is sound, and he is very happy to be living with us. It also seems that he was abused at some point. I don't like to say this about horses; I think new owners are very much inclined to say that previous owners somehow were not good for their horses. But I think sometimes the fault lies in the new relationship, not the old one. I have seen a horse kick at his farrier while the owner stood by and talked about how that horse must have been beaten around the legs; to the farrier and to me, it looked as if that horse had simply not been told that it was a requirement that you not kick your farrier.
Rocket has a brand on his left hip. From the look of the brand, he was not sitting still when they did it. He also has gouges in his sides --both sides -- somewhere behind the girth. He react violently to any sort of equipment; but the farrier and I both think that the farrier's tools remind him of branding. He doesn't respond to the tools with irritation or annoyance or even anger. He responds with pure terror.
I have ridden Rocket through thick forests, across creeks, over stone walls, through swamps, along dirt roads and paved roads, in darkness and in the daylight, and not once has he ever faltered or failed to do as he was asked. At times I rely on his judgment. At times, he relies on mine. No horse has ever and as much of a partner as Rocket is. I have used him to herd other horses -- an extremely challenging job for any horse, especially one low down on the totem pole -- and he always gives his best. The merest hint or change in body language changes Rocket's response.
I do not understand how such a horse could have been abused as it seems he was. I am happy for him that now he has Van. Van can teach him how to trust; rocket will teach Van much about riding. Currently, Rocket runs away when he can.he is terrified when he is caught. I think this may be a clue. I get the impression that whoever trained him was angry when he ran away and punished him when he caught him again. I think he or she may have done something with the left hand. When Rocket has been running away and I catch him, he shies away from my left hand. His reaction is so sudden and so violent to even the slightest movement of the fingers on my left hand, that I believe this was a trigger point somehow.
as for the other abuse, I think the brand says a lot. Even that one experience, coming soon after being captured from the wild, would be enough to make an intelligent horse afraid of any similar paraphernalia. The gouges on his sides appear to be from spurs. rocket is extremely sensitive to any like pressure at all. I think it's obvious why.
Nonetheless, rocket is now wearing for shoes, which were put on his feet without the aid of tranquilizers. It took a patient farrier (and I highly recommend mine) space about an hour to put them on. Did I mention that Rocket is intelligent?
(By the way, I'm using voice recognition software to type this blog entry. It has its problems as you may have noticed that it is better than trying to type left-handed only.)
No comments:
Post a Comment