Often a home or an environment that is familiar no longer works. What do you do? You can make a big announcement, “I am leaving now!” Or you can do what this Gentle Gray Giant did one day. He made a quiet exit.
We walked in the indoor arena tethered together. We have been working together for a couple months, thanks to the owner. On this day, I released the lead rope, we walked together briefly, and then he turned, and walked out gently into the daylight.
The Gray Giant was a school horse for most of his life, often being asked to take care of young inexperienced riders who would ask him to go in circles for hours, or leap over jumps with luggage on his back. He endured endless hours of riders yanking a bit in his mouth with spurs kicking him in the side, being asked to meet the human’s expectations of what riding should look like.
Horses are often said to be stoic. They also have an incredible ability to tolerate our requests while in pain. This Gray Giant was in pain for most of his life with navicular syndrome, often called navicular disease. This is a syndrome of lameness problems. It most commonly describes an inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone and its surrounding tissues.
It can be painful to walk for a horse with navicular. There are varying degrees. This Gray Giant walks on his toes and avoids putting weight on his heel. Many owners cringe when they hear this diagnosis. Or they ignore it. Or they try to mask it with medications and drugs. This horse and other horses go to endless clinics, shows and competitions with many overlooking these issues. The horses tolerate these requests until they can no longer.
This is what happened with this Gray Giant. He started to buck his riders. The pain was too great. No one was listening. This horse and most horses I know never want to dump their riders. They do this as a last resort when they are not being heard. He was sending a message: “Please help!”
The response was the use of more force, more medications and more drugs so he would continue to do the job for the humans. More than likely, this Gray Giant was headed to an auction, like so many horses who no longer perform to the humans’ expectation. He was “valueless” in economic terms.
A kind, petite woman with a big heart and a quarter of the size of this horse intervened. She gave this Gray Giant a sanctuary.
Thanks to a team of people including me, this older gentleman is showing us a side buried deep inside. He wants to connect, he is moving forward and he is happier. The difference: someone was listening to him.
“You never know how sound a horse can be until you try.” Alicia Harlov of The Humble Hoof
He is done going in circles and participating in the illusionary world of human desires and ego wishes.
He is ready to show the world his true self. We will never know if anyone really saw him for who he really is. He is a survivor who continues to love even after years of neglect.
He made a quiet exit, gently into the daylight.
Camron Adibi is a horseman, PATH Therapeutic Horse Riding Instructor and autism coach who holds a master’s degree in education. He offers equine assisted therapy, sound therapy and Chi Equine Massage. He has a mission to improve horse and human connections through education and storytelling.