I first fostered a horse for a rescue in 1999, and have fostered countless horses since then. Some came to me short-term as a stop over until a longer term foster home could be located, and I’ve had some for over a year. I’ve fallen in love with several horses, and I often wanted to adopt, but my husband and I were in transition ourselves, in graduate school, then living out of state for a post-doctorate program. I inherited three horses when my friend and mentor died, bringing me up to five horses. So I kept being unable to adopt.

In the spring of 2013, a young Andalusian-cross gelding was returned to the rescue I ran. He was only two and a handful. His adopter was scared of him and he took advantage of her. He came to me because I often work with the horses deemed “problems.”

When he first arrived, he didn’t want me to touch him – even in a stall. But within a few days, I discovered a smart, playful, young horse who took advantage of people, much like any other young horse would. I took him to a couple of open horse shows over the summer to see how he would do, just showing him in hand for experience. That fall, I officially adopted him.

My goal was to lightly start him under saddle the following year when he was three, and begin showing him at four. Instead, I got pregnant. I spent my horse time with Galeno focusing on ground work, finally starting him under saddle at age five.

He has been SUCH a fun, wonderful, quiet horse. He whinnies at me when I walk outside, and is jealous when I take other horses out of the pasture for grooming or riding time. He’s kind to my two-and-a-half year old daughter, and he gets along well with the other horses.

We haven’t made it to a show yet, but we will.  Every time I ride this horse, I enjoy it. He is such a joy. He is so sweet. He’s a great “spokeshorse” for how awesome rescue horses can be.
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This is what “right horse” means to me.
“The right horse” means the horse that fits me.  That’s the horse that fits my herd, fits my life.  And for me, finding the right horse is important because my horses stay with me for life (I’ve had one for 19 years now.  He’s retired and no longer ridable much, but he’s here for life).