A Sweet Change for Journey Europe
One month ago Olivia and I went through the difficult process of choosing three horses for our journey. We knew many of the horses we were looking at would end up becoming salami or some other product that Europeans would knowingly or unknowingly consume. After much thought we settled on Dalì, Lapo and Clyde. Each brought something special to the group and the story we are telling. Dalì was our senior citizen at 19 with the strongest heart and lungs of the group. A sweet disposition and love for human contact made him an instant favorite for us and everyone we encountered. Lapo is our “lovable lug” who is strikingly handsome but lacking in social graces. He is big and strong but his overall constitution has been compromised by years of under work and over feeding. Finally Clyde is Olivia’s special project. His overall condition was so poor a month ago I had serious concerns about riding him for any distance but Olivia was certain that with some time, food and slow steady exercise he would thrive. I’m happy to say that she appears to have been right and the changes in Clyde have been dramatic.
Over the past month the “boys” as we refer to them collectively have become a very close little family. Clyde has taken the position of leader and Lapo is second in command which frequently left Dalì as the odd man out. Although Clyde and Lapo are a dynamic duo the three did enjoy a close and amiable relationship. The past week Lapo has taken on the role as pack horse which has given me a opportunity to spend long hours with Dalì and really grow to appreciate him. After a long week of riding we were blessed with the opportunity to spend our rest day at Hewenhof Pferdehof with Steffi Klotz and Walter Wiesheu. Once again we were treated with kindness, generosity, warm showers and soft beds. Hewenhof is a wonderful place for horses and humans alike. The horses live in herds with unlimited access to the outdoors and plenty of shelter from the elements.Their herd includes horses from six months to thirty years old, of numerous breeds, sizes and colors.Walking amid happy healthy horses I was greeted with interest, ears forward, sniffing noses and completely without fear. This is the life I would like for more horses and it gives me such hope to see it’s not only possible but alive and well here in Germany.
One of the things I’ve learned through the years is to take all opportunities seriously. Some of my most memorable experiences have begun as jokes or silly ideas. So when Steffi half heartedly asked if we would consider leaving Dalî with her, I gave it some real thought. Olivia and I discussed the benefits for Dalì staying or continuing. We discussed the affect change would have on our herd, on us and on the story we are telling. Dalì was our ambassador for older horses and losing his “voice” was not something to be taken lightly. After some discussion we came to the conclusion it would be nearly impossible to find a better environment for Dalì to spend his golden years. We slept on our decision and this morning over breakfast we decided to have Steffi ride Dalì for a few hours today and I would ride Lollipop, a horse Steffi was willing to give us in exchange.
Steffi was instantly in love and as we rode she explained that she was hoping Dalì would help her daughter recover some confidence after an unfortunate accident. Olivia just beamed with approval at the thought of Dalì getting the love of a little girl. It was clear Dalì had found his forever home and somehow it had been our job to get him from Italy to a small village in Germany. Lollipop is a slightly larger version of Clyde which gives us a nearly matched set of red horses. He is four, full of life, a little fractious but has a soft eye and an easy spirit. He is young and has a strong enough personality to integrate into our little herd. We will have more information and conditioning reports on our sweet new addition soon but tonight we are just so grateful and a little sad to say Dalì has a new home. We miss him already but I’m certain a life filled with the love of little girls is heaven on earth for an old horse.
Category: Charity, Features, International, News, Uncategorized
