Riding My First Horse
|
|
Boomerang is not my horse, he is owned by a rand called Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. But he is a very special horse to me. He was because he was the very first horse I rode.
He was so gentle and calm it surprised me. I hate to admit it but I thought he was going to be hard to handle because he was so big and I was so small. Especially because I had never rode a horse before that in my entire life. I was even more shocked when I heard his story about how they got him. He was abused majorly but he survived.
Here is his story they told me:
"I knew that if he could survive traveling 1000 miles packed into my trailer with 100 other PMU babies who were three times his size, he was meant to be yours." Virginia said as we made our way through her "new arrivals" corral. Virginia and her sister rescue PMU (Pregnant Mare Urine) horses by the hundreds and bring them down to Central Oregon. It was late in the fall and they had just returned with a new load of yearlings. With a voice broken by emotion, she recounted how the young horses were all gathered into a large corral in Canada to make it easier to be purchased by those who were coming to buy them. During the night bears entered the corral and because the young horses were so tightly packed together they could not escape the attacking bears. Many babies were killed. Many more were seriously or mortally wounded.
The dying and wounded horses were placed into a separate corral to be euthanized, Virginia shared with me how she could not bare to even walk by this corral knowing that these young horses were soon to be put down. As she passed by the gruesome carnage there was one foal that she just simply could not look away from. He was the tiniest, an infant of no more than a few weeks old. He should have still been by the protective side of his mother, not shaking within a herd of mortally wounded babies. His hind end was seriously injured, but Virginia felt that he could recover if he was given the chance.
Together we carefully made our way through the resting young horses. My tender hearted friend scanned the herd for the special infant that she had just told me about. "There he is" she said as the babies parted before us. He was tiny. He moved on gangly legs that seemed far too big and clumsy to be supporting such a little body. He was buckskin in color with the crowned head and feathered legs of a draft type. As he turned away from us his injuries came into full view. Clearly, the bear had attacked from behind by clawing into both hind quarters. Though both sides were injured, the left side was far more damaged with underlying structures involved. Individual claw marks could still be seen around an avulsion of his hamstring muscle.
We named him "Little Bear" to honor his humble beginnings. His extensive wounds took nine months to close. He came as a frightened 300 pound infant that was badly injured. Today, scars and all, he is 1000 pounds of pure buckskin! His scared areas seem to be shrinking as he rapidly grows into his Clydesdale heritage. He has enjoyed his ground training so much that we have started ponying him to continue his rehabilitation. Virginia was right, he was given a chance and he did recover.
http://www.crystalpeaksyouthranch.org
That story means a lot to me and I was glad he survived and I was able to ride him. I am not in any of the pictures shone its just Boomerang and another person. |
|
|
T W I
Aw, that's so sad! Great article.
Aw, that's so sad! Great article.
|
Apr 24, 2010
• 1,989 views
|
|
|
|
Passion4Horses
WOW I HAVE READ ABOUT CRYSTAL PEAKS YOUTH RANCH!!!!! its fab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW I HAVE READ ABOUT CRYSTAL PEAKS YOUTH RANCH!!!!! its fab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
Apr 24, 2010
• 1,991 views
|
|
|
|
Minnie
I'm going to be exploring volunteer opportunities at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch this summer! I remember reading about the abandoned and injured horse named Hero that they took in. What an amazing place.
I'm going to be exploring volunteer opportunities at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch this summer! I remember reading about the abandoned and injured horse named Hero that they took in. What an amazing place.
|
Apr 28, 2010
• 2,002 views
|
|
|
|
Katie Cullen
Ya. I love the place and hope to go there this summer and see Boomerang :)
Ya. I love the place and hope to go there this summer and see Boomerang :)
|
May 16, 2010
• 2,132 views
|
|
|
|
Katie Cullen
His official name is Little Bear but everyone calls him Boomerang... sorry if that confused you!
His official name is Little Bear but everyone calls him Boomerang... sorry if that confused you!
|
Jun 22, 2010
• 2,132 views
|
|
|
|
Padfoot Designs
ooooo, nice story. Great Article, I like it!
ooooo, nice story. Great Article, I like it!
|
Jul 27, 2010
• 2,006 views
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 8, 2014
• 1,542 views
|
|
|
|
|
|