Bringing Collective Home

Sunday, February 8, 2009

I awoke to find my husband had already been working in the barn for a few hours, making it safe for a new horse who did not know how to be a regular horse. He had moved wiring to safer places, installed rubber hooks instead of the metal ones we had on the walls of the aisle way, and was working on installing removable wooden rails on the ends of the barn where the doors (that we never close) are. The wooden rails are meant to keep Collective in and the other horses out, but so they all could still see each other. What a blessing those rails have been already! I worked in the tack room and finished getting Collective's stall ready. Tonka would be giving up his stall (which he didn't really like anyway) for Collective. I had purchased a new kind of bedding, given the stall a thorough cleaning, scrubbed the water buckets, and it looked all ready to receive a new equine friend. I waited, somewhat impatiently, for my husband to finish up with the rails so we could go get Collective. Tonka had been fed in the stall the night before and had eaten a lot of the bedding (!?!?!), so when he strained but didn't pass manure, I occupied my impatience by watching to see if he was going to colic (which thankfully he did not!).

The drive to Leighton Farm seemed like an eternity this time. I was quiet and pensive, and afraid to share my fears with my husband, who was quiet and exhausted from all his hard work. I went through everything I have read in the past 2 months about OTTBs, the letting down process, retraining, etc. I was feeling anything but prepared to take on this project, but when I thought of his fate otherwise, I knew I made the right decision. But knowing you made a good decision does not eliminate the fear that accompanies a new adventure! Yes, I will admit, I was terrified, and the longer the drive seemed to take, the more grateful I was to have that time to reflect on my confidence. Where would I pull from to do right by this horse? I reminded myself that simply by providing him a home in lieu of slaughter, I was doing right by him. But would it be enough? Would I help him be the best horse, pet, friend he could be? I was terrified of making mistakes that would imprint on him, but as John Lyons says, it is better to do something with your horse and make mistakes than do nothing at all for fear of making them. That's when I began to pray in earnest that Kim really would be willing to help me like she said she would. I had to trust. I had to believe in myself. I had to do this - it just FELT right!

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Arriving at the farm, I wasted no time in finding Collective (who seemed to hate that name almost as much as I did!). I had played around with names for him but hadn't settled on anything yet. He was delighted to see his treat-bearing friends again, particularly my 7 year old daughter. He really seemed to like her the best, still! Kim gave Collective a tranquilizer injection and then warned me that he might not load onto a stock trailer like mine - it's nothing like he's ever ridden in. But almost to spite her, he walked right on without even flinching. It was a bit snug of a fit for his long frame, but he didn't seem to mind it too much. In fact, he behaved like a gentleman the whole time. Then began the drive home, which somehow seemed to go MUCH faster than the drive down. I drove slowly, especially over bumps. I didn't want to agitate him, or toss him around, and I realized how LOUD the stock trailer must seem to him. I had arranged for MJ (an exercise rider at Bowie and my neighbor) to meet me at my house and help unload him. Working around racehorses all day every day lends itself to a confidence I do not yet possess. MJ walked right into the trailer, unloaded him without incidence, and marched him up to the barn without even bothering to put the other horses away! No one freaked out, and most of them seemed completely unfazed by the newcomer. Collective behaved like a gentleman, and seemed to really like his new stall (once he discovered that he, too, could eat the bedding!). He seemed SO determined to inhale all the bedding, that I filled his feed tub with hay cubes which he still is convinced are the next best thing to peppermints. He happily munched away, and occasionally poked his big head out to see the other horses, but for the most part was just delighted to have more food. From the first encounter with one of the horses, it became evident that Collective really does not know how to behave like a horse. He seems totally unaware of what ear pinning and tail swishing means. He keeps his ears upright and acts totally oblivious to warnings being given by both mares. So far Laramie wants nothing to do with him, and Beauty wants to act like she's gonna boss him around. Tonka will not meet him yet. Tonka is our dominant gelding and he pushes both mares around. My gut was telling me that Collective should just meet the mares at first, so that's how it went.

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Feeding time - oh boy! With only 2 stalls, it took some juggling to figure out the best way to manage feeding time with a VERY dominant Tonka trying to run the show. I don't like booting Laramie out of her stall - after all, she was here first, is the oldest, and has never had her routine changed. It seems unfair to make her give up "her spot" at feeding time, so we barred off the aisleway into two makeshift stalls, and put Beauty and Tonka in the aisleway for dinner. It went beautifully, with Collective wholly ignoring everyone else because he had a full dinner plate (feed bin) in front of him - a joy he was just beginning to realize he could count on again. Beauty ate outside Collective's stall, and she did a lot of ear pinning and tail swishing, and even turned her rump to him when he poked his head out to see her, but Collective truly does not react to any of her warning cues. I hope he does not get pummeled when he is turned out with horses the first time! We decided to leave Laramie in her stall all night so Collective would not be alone - something Laramie was anything but pleased about! Upon doing a bedtime check on the horses (thankfully!) we discovered that Laramie had tried to break free, and had actually yanked an eye hook out (unbent it!) in an attempt to escape. It was like a sharp hook right at her eye level, so we decided if she was THAT unhappy in her stall, we would turn her back out (she's used to 24/7 turnout with access to the barn if she wants), remove the dangerous eye hook, and hope a few horses would visit in the barn with Collective over the night. He didn't seem to care that she left; he was greedily munching every last bit of hay I put out for him.