A year ago, Weather Wiz and I met for the first time in a hot, dusty stall out on the plains. Temperatures were in the upper 90’s without a breeze anywhere in sight. The grass was burnt a light brown in all directions. No water anywhere, but here we were. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but there at that moment. This was when we became friends.
It was also the anniversary of when I lost my beloved horse Shandoka. This was not lost on me as we stood there together amidst this horrible drought. I met Shandoka during this long, twenty-year drought. He was a wild thoroughbred at the time. He didn’t trust humans one bit. Before he was given to me, I would climb into his pen, sit on the opposite side of him while looking at the ground. I tried to be as non-threatening as possible. Each day he would come closer to me before walking off. The day he finally allowed me to touch him, it rained. It hadn’t rained in ages, but it rained while we stood there together realizing it could work between us. That is when I decided to name him Shandoka, which means Storm Bringer or Storm Maker. My last night with Shandoka was also during a time of drought, and that night it rained. I knew as those sweet drops fell upon our faces; it would be our last night together.
Weather Wiz’s dam is named Stormy Welcome. That first night together, the rain came. Beautiful rain came to that barren, dried out land. I stood with Wiz in his stall listening to that beautiful rain falling on the metal roof cooling off the stifling, hot air. This was not lost on me.
A lot of people ask me what Wiz is like. That isn’t an easy answer, because he is so many things. He is a big horse. I still haven’t sticked him to see how tall he is, but he is taller than me at the withers. When we walk together, I almost have to jog because of his long stride. Half the time he greets me wanting to cuddle, and the other half of the time he is all play. He has the sweetest heart, a big, tender spot deep within, so when I work with him, I always think about that. I want to preserve that, nurture it, and never make him feel like that part of him needs to be hidden. I want to be his safe spot.
He can be nippy, but it is with his lips, not his teeth. When he does that, he is telling me he is nervous; that I need to slow down or break the lesson down into smaller parts. I hand him the lead rope, or I play with his mouth. A chewing horse is a relaxed horse, and while he chews, I figure out a better way to present the lesson to him.
The other reason he can be nippy with those lips, is he is trying to pick pocket me looking for cookies.
Wiz is all about playing. We can be walking together when he suddenly rears up and starts crow hopping wanting to play with me. When the other horses are grazing, he starts trotting circles around them until Sueño or Dulce accepts the challenge, and off they go playing with one another. He may be 9 years old, but that foal in him is still wanting to run around and play.
Wiz likes a kiss on his nose when you bring him a bucket of food before he starts to eat. When it is time to eat, he stands at the fence watching me mix up the food through the back window of our tack room. He can be food aggressive towards Sueño, but that is a two-way street.
When I soak or trim Harley’s hooves, he stands with us keeping Harley calm.
When he is ready to be in his own turnout area, he stands at the gate waiting for me to notice and let him in. He still likes to have his own space at night, but don’t worry, he is surrounded by the other horses throughout the night. Often Sueño is sleeping with him on the other side of the fence. I often open the gate to see if he wants to go out with the guys at night, but he stands there looking at me while eating his hay. Doesn’t move at all. As long as he wants his space, he’s got it.
I’ve been asked if he was retired with an injury. The short answer is no. The long answer is that he was sore all over, and his tendons and ligaments were sore from a long racing career. This is normal for any horse retired from a racing sport. The rest this past year, along with different types massage including myofascial release, has done him a world of good. I also red light acupuncture points. He does not tolerate the needles well, but he loves it when I red light them, falling into a deep, restful place.
I’m often asked if he likes being an OTTB, and my answer is heck yes. He was so ready for this. He loves going up on the pasture in the mornings. He loves being with the other horses, and I think he likes me. I believe he loves not working all the time, and he truly enjoys the companionship and being a horse with the other horses. He and Sueño are like brothers, but he is extremely close to Dulce and Harley. I will write about this in another blog.
The other question I am asked is what will his second career be? Well, the first six months was about letting him learn how to be a horse again. Winter hit and we were buried in snow or drowned in rain. Mud…. we had the longest mud season ever as several atmospheric rivers flowed above us. Trying to work with any of the horses was next to impossible. When the ground did dry out a couple of times, I let him be with the horses instead of asking him to do anything else. I think the prolonged rest, in the long run, this did his body and mind good.
The times I brought out the saddle for Dulce, I noticed something. Wiz got aggravated and would walk at a brisk pace into his stall hiding from sight. The first time I saw it, I took note. The second and third time I saw it, I listened. I needed to figure out a new path for him, something completely opposite of what he’s done in the past. I know I could get on him right now, and he would accept me and do what I asked. However, it would be work to him. I want it to be fun for the both of us.
I had hoped we could go up and work on trail riding, but he is still not the biggest fan of cows. Deer give him pause, and I’m not sure what he would do at the scent of an elk, moose, bear, or mountain lion. This idea is on the back burner for at least another year.
One day I was watching a demonstration done by Jonathan Field, and I knew i found the right path for Wiz. I decided to try Liberty work with him as a jumping off place. It is the perfect choice. It does not resemble racing or his training in any shape or form. We need to do groundwork, but I want to make it fun for him. He loves to play, and he already follows me around as it is. Liberty is all about playing and dancing with your horse free of all tools such as a lead rope, halter, or saddle. We’ve begun on the basics, and he is picking it up nicely. He seems to like it, because he waits at the gate for his turn. Who wouldn’t want to dance with their horse? Horses seem to like to dance with us too!
Shandoka and I used to play hide and go seek. I would hide from him, and when he found me, we would run all over the place together.
None of this is lost on me. So many full circles.
We are so happy Weather Wiz is here. He is a blessing in every way, and he makes us all laugh each day. I love it when he wants a hugs or wants to goof off. He is a character in every way, and he fits in perfectly with our small herd. Happy 1st anniversary Wiz, and your are so missed Shandoka…..but I know you had a hoof in bringing all of these horses together.
If you don’t know what Liberty work is, here is a video. I will post updates as we progress.
Reenchanted Thoroughbreds 