Horse Behavior Specialist
Licensed 2 Star Parelli Professional
www.nancyslater.com
18 / Sport and Trail Magazine
I only knew Mia for 18 days
There is a difference between a rescue and a sanctuary. A sanctuary will keep a horse for that horse's entire life, if need be. It is full of horses nobody wants because they are old, sick, or said to be "untrainable".
Well, this little pony was fed, watered, given a comfortable place to have her baby. After she gave birth, Mia got Her name "Mama Mia". Her baby, Bella, grew to have a different view of people than her mama. To her, people were pretty nice! She had no fear of them. But Mia new better. She knew what People were capable of doing. Even though the volunteers at the Sanctuary were kind to her, Mia knew they had human hands that could hurt little ponies.
She stayed at the sanctuary until a nice lady named Krystal, fostered baby Bella. The two ponies stayed with this caring person for 1 ½ years. Bella stayed, but Mia went back to the sanctuary, because there wasn't room for her, even though Krystal wanted her to stay.
Mia remained afraid. No kind acts could convince her that people were not bad. She never allowed any of the volunteers to brush her soft coat. She never got her mane and tail brushed or feet trimmed. She needed sedation to doctor her and get her teeth worked on. Mia was sure to die at the hands of people, she believed.
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nce upon a time, there was a scared little spotted pony. She had no name. She had no food. She was going to have a baby. Someone saw her and called a nice lady with a horse sanctuary. A horse trailer came and took the scared little pony away...
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When the sanctuary brought Mia to me for help, the first thing I noticed was how visibly she trembled. Another thing I noticed, was a dent in her forehead. Once she allowed me to run my fingers over her face, I could tell it resembled the impression of a hammer. In my head, I thought, "Oh, no. Not another one..." I knew of horses that had died from head trauma and others that, like Mia, survived a crushed skull. There's an old saying I've heard since I was young, "Get their attention, just hit 'em in the head with a 2x4."
I didn't realize at the time how much this little, spotted pony could affect me. When she allowed me to pet her soft neck for the first time, it felt like rabbit fur. She would look up at me, shaking, expecting the worst. I promised her, never again.
And so, using the principles and methods of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, the frightened little pony learned to trust. She finally understood that people could be kind and communicate without anger. She didn't have to run away, kick out, or freeze in fear. For the first time in her life, she knew she was safe around people.