11/29/2023
Golden Hour (Shine): the period of the day just before the sun sets or after it rises.
The best thing about a sunset and a sunrise is that it means a new day. A day to start over, to reset, to refresh, a day to be someone new or try something new, a day to start new habits and break old. Really, it's just a beautiful time to reflect and be grateful..
When I first met Shine, he was beautiful. He floated across the arena and even after a few years off he showed patience, understanding and Grace. He was said to be someones "heart horse" and I was lucky enough to sit on him and start teaching his mom.
After one misstep and a misunderstanding on the way to the paddock, he was discarded, he was beaten, and by the time I got him he was both mentally and physically broken.
He lost 300 lbs the first 2 months I owned him after coming off of multiple tranquilizers that his owner had been giving him and underneath lay a sad, angry, and dangerous horse.
It took me months. Months of food trial and error, months of trying, crying, and even being drug across the asphalt at one point on my side. Jacob was the only one who could handle him, I couldn't trailer him, and I felt so defeated. I felt like 23 years of riding should equate to more than this. I felt like I let myself down and I felt like the industry let him down.
Shortly after, we found he had a broken shoulder that had healed, a currently broken withers, and glue in all 4 feet where he had a scar defect that ran all the way down his front foot from his coronet band to his toe. When you'd shoe him, he'd flip over in the aisle way and panic trying to go anywhere but there.
After help from our animal communicator, our blacksmith team, our veterinarian, my chiropractor, and so many people that supported me, he was okay. We decided barefoot was better, we decided that time off would heal all wounds mentally ( over 14 months) and we even changed his name from his original name Bruiser to Shine from his jockey club name: Shine On Bruiser.
Immediately after changing his name, he started to change. He perked up, he finished meals, he came alive again. My cowboy, George showed me how to untraumatize his trailer experiences which are still an ongoing lesson (but hey 10 minutes is better than 6 hours), and now we go places. Where we used to stop at jumps, we go willingly.
We've been trail riding and hunter pacing, we've been to schooling shows, and we ride around the farm at home. I lead him with a halter and we stand tied to the trailer now. We let the farrier trim us with no drama and we even have a personality.
Shine walked right off the trailer to Octoberfest and did the cross rails and the starter combined test. He warmed up for dressage twice with Grace, he handled the wild warm up ring in show jumping like he had done it his whole life, and he got his first ribbon, 6th out of 13. We have a lot to work at, but it's a hell of a start.
He gave me confidence to warm myself up in the SJ and to put my leg on to the base of the fence, and on top of all that at the end of the weekend, he got right on the trailer with no argument.
We hunter paced again the weekend after, and he even let me school cross country which he previously would thrash at, spin, rear, and just flat out refuse.
A once, pretty decent racehorse nonetheless from a reputable barn owner, expendable. A "heart horse" that after one explosion, disposed of to the quickest $2500 bid. An ex racehorse whose anger consumed him because he constantly wasn't being heard. A horse who just wanted an opinión and to be understood. A horse that didn't want anymore drugs or misinformation and even a little turnout time would be nice.
Well I can tell you that never again Shine will you be overlooked. You're safe. You're heard. You're fat. You get unlimited turnout. You get to choose. And just like a golden hour, you get a chance to rise again and show everyone what they overlooked, what they didnt hesr or see. To show everyone that time heals, that not every animal is a race or $.
Ive been at the bottom. These past years, ive struggled, physically and mentally to run my farm and I am forever grateful for the people who have helped me, I am forever blessed to have my job at kesmarc where i get to ride and heal others horses both mentally and physically, and I am excited to see who and what my Where To Farm bring in it's path. A place to heal, a place to love, a place to start again.
Shine on buddy, it's your golden hour 🥰