Off the Track

Miss Bobbie Socks or as I called her. Peasant Girl "Giselle"

My dad called me and requested that I write a blog about my horse Giselle... it's a sad story to me... one that I have been keeping on my back burner.

When I worked at a local barn down the road from my house I was in the process of training Raven, and riding a bunch of the school horses. I really wanted to start training for eventing. Eventing is usually a three day event where you take one horse and do Dressage (ballet for horses), Cross Country jumping (a three mile dash across the country side jumping natural obstacles) , and Stadium Jumping (jumps that fall down). It is a triathlon for horse back riding.

I wanted to find a horse that was capable of doing this, and was sorta prepping for it. I wanted to find a rescue horse that was athletic enough to do so. Ginger (my old boss) has a great eye for picking rescue horses that turn into gold. I trusted her opinion. I went with her to Camelot Horse Auction to take a look at the horses.

We roamed the back stable where the horses were kept, and she got her eye on this Chestnut Mare with four white socks. "She sure is purdy, but a little over the knee" Ginger mumbled as she leaned against the fence looking at the rear end of this Thoroughbred as it calmly ate hay out of the manger. I wasn't that impressed. "Yeah I guess... what is over the knee mean?" "Her knee is over her hoof... see how it's not straight?, I don't think it will be  problem"

To make a long story short... Ginger bought the horse without ever watching her be ridden.

A week later, I was on this horses back. She was a little nuts... I couldn't put my heal against her body without her bucking, she was nervous, and had a bunch of stable vices... you couldn't tie her to the wall without her ripping out the rope, she kicked a hole in the wall, and she pretty much hated me. She was scared, and very anxious.

I wasn't sure if I had found the one for me. Ginger just kept saying "If you want her she is your horse" I wasn't sure what that meant. Who buys someone a horse with no strings attached? Even my own parents wouldn't do that for me. I was naive... and untrusting. Giselle and I had something in common.

Ginger closed the barn about a month later and three horses came to stay with me in my field next door.

Ginger said that Giselle had a tattoo on her upper lip from when she was a race horse. The cool thing about tattoos is that you can send in the tattoo to the jockey club and they look it up and send back all of the horses history.

I got a reply identifying the horse. No name horse which I named "Peasant Girl, Giselle the Gazelle" was actually named Miss Bobbie Socks. She had two wins and raced about 20 times. She won over $200,000 and was born in Oklahoma. She ended up with the Strain Family in Connecticut. A well known family for turning out some great and expensive horses.

This horse sure did have a history, and the more I researched her the more I ended up loving her. Meanwhile, she was casually grazing in my field next door and had become a happy well adjusted horse that was a total sweet heart... except when she came into heat... to which case she no longer let me groom her, and would spin around and try to kick my teeth out. She was mare-ish, as we say in the horse world.

Other days I could hop on her back and gallop her around the field as if we were on the track... she loved it, I could feel the winner in her. She put her whole heart into galloping, and once at the top of the field she would collect and balance herself under my leg and become a rocking horse under my weight as we did a perfect circle over a jump without hesitation. I would hop off her back and she would always take her head and tuck it into my chest and close her eyes and let me scratch her face... a horse hug is what I call it.

Raven would bully her though... and chase her away as she ate her food. She needed to eat desperately... loosing weight was her new hobby. Thoroughbreds are notoriously hard keepers and will eat you out of house and home... and sure enough that was what was happening. Squeals were often heard as Giselle and Raven would back their asses against each other and kick and buck relentlessly at each other. Watching this was horrible. Bare hoofs would make full contact with each other.. and leave giant round welts for days... my pony would walk around with a stiff limp and Giselle had missing fur from a quick kick. It was getting out of control. Meanwhile, Ellie was a protective mom to both, head of the pack and was equally a mother to both Raven and Giselle. She always had her eye on both of them, and kept the heard together.

I had lost my passion for riding momentarily... and because Giselle was withering away in weight and hoof I decided to find her a perfect home.

The day came that I found a lady that would take her... She came out with her horse trailer... it was a perfect day. I groomed Giselle and of course the bond between us made it ever so much harder.

Tears rolling down my face, I brushed her mane... "I found you a perfect home, your going to love it... many acres, only two other horses, top notch horse feed, a barn even... you will be so happy there..." Giselle rested her head against my shoulder and gave out a sigh. I was boring her....she just wanted to get this over with. The lady came over and introduced herself. I immediately liked her. She was well put together and already had done all of her research on Giselle. She was a trainer like me that rescued off the track horses and sold them to permanent homes.

She rode Giselle around the field... Giselle was in good form, and was behaving herself, ears back and nasty faces was all she gave... if only this lady had seen this horse just a month ago... the bronco bucking, the spins and dips to get rid of the rider... now she was trotting around in a frame, and the lady rode her beautifully. It was a sight to be seen. My horse was being ridden by an expert rider, and the two of them looked like they were ready for Devon. She was a little apprehensive to canter or jump her... "Do you want me to show you her real talent?" The lady was eager to see. I jumped on and quickly trotted Giselle down the field. On cue we stopped at the bottom... Giselle ears perked up knowing what was going to happen next. "GO!" As if I had gunned a porshe, her back legs dug into the ground and her rocket boosters ignited. We launched up the field at the women, her eyes wide and scared, the ground shook with the hoof beats. I laughed as we came up around her, I shifted my body weight back and immediately Giselle tucked her nose in and we did a slow canter around the lady.... "Want to see her jump?!" "YES!" And with that I asked for a flying lead change, jumped, and asked for another lead change and without pulling on my reins, I shifted my weight back and down, and Giselle came to a skidding halt.

I jumped off effortlessly.

The lady was impressed. "Ok I can work with that!"

Next thing I know Giselle is in my driveway as I went to get the Coggins papers. It happened so fast. As we walked across the street to the horse trailer Giselle screamed out... she threw her head up and looked back at the field. Then the thunder started... Ellie and Raven broke through the electric fence at the bottom of the field and were now in the upper corner of the field crying back. You could see the fence shaking as Ellie threw her body into it trying to get to Giselle. The screaming back and forth was one of the worst sounds I have ever heard.. my body started to shake, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer... this was hard... this was really hard. I almost grabbed Giselle and took her back to her family. Yet, she gave out one finale goodbye and walked effortlessly onto the trailer. I took her leadrope, gave her a pat on the butt and told her I loved her.... more then anyone would know.

I walked shamefully back to the field to calm down the girls. I gave them some food which they ate, screamed, ate some more. I stood in the field and watched as the trailer left. My horses in view as the trailer drove away. I could see Giselle turn her head and give one finale goodbye... it trailed off into the distance, and then I collapsed.

Sobs.... I have never felt so much pain.... I wasn't expecting this.

Raven came over and looked at me like I was the biggest traitor in the world. Ellie trotted back and forth... calling... calling... for her friend to come back... for two days. All night long... she called.

The horses demeanor changed. They both clung to each other for dear life after Giselle left. They became like mother and daughter. I had Ellie up for sale too.... but after that... I couldn't do it. I promptly took down the for sale ads, and decided to keep her.

Since then the horses have been much better and easier to keep.
They are happy and content. They have forgotten about Giselle... even though I know that if she came back they would gallop around, celebrating her return.

I have been in touch with the lady that took Giselle. She has gained weight and loves her new boyfriends. She is adjusting well to her new home till she finds the perfect home. When that happens I will know about it... and the new owner will have all of her paper work, her history, and know exactly who this horse is.... she will never go back to auction, and she will never be a no name horse. This is the only thing that can help me sleep at night.

I still think about her everyday. I miss her... even as I write this I have tears trickling down my cheeks. Over a horse.... she was so much more then that though. I learned a great lesson from her. I had bonded with her. I had gained her trust. I came to understand her... and I can't help but feel like I let her down in some way.

It's a sad story that I didn't really want to tell... but my dad seems to think otherwise.
Anyway, moral of the story. Rescue a horse, take the time to know them, and then keep them, love them, and care for them.

Many horses are going to meat markets. They are majestic creatures.... and will give you their soul for just a little bit of love and care. They are easy creatures to love, and they certainly love you back. They are a natural drug... they are a psychiatrist... they are the Adderall for your kid, they are structure for an unruly teenager, they are the teachers, of responsibility to youngsters. They are the living teddy bear of your childhood, the smelly blanket attached to your fist as you suck your thumb. They are sunshine up your ass.

Ok thats it... I'm done talking about Giselle. This chapter is closed. My heart hurts.