Hunter Hollow

That's what the add said.  No one seemed to want him, even the home where he was born.  With impressive Bashir breeding he was beyond a doubt  ....  curly.  What a wonderful breed, and so sad that he wasn't wanted at such a young age.  Why he was barely 6 months old.  After my experience with Polly and Penny, I was ripe to make sure that the greedy horse dealers wouldn't have a chance at him.  On a lovely November afternoon I drove to where he was and brought him home.  He was a very loveable little guy.   He had been handled by children since he was born.  The woman who had him had purchased his mother from a Bashir Curly farm and the mare was pregnant by one of the curlys at the farm who was with the mare in a field..  I would learn that the reality of the woman's story ended there so I will not go on to the various stories relating to his breeding, the farm where he came from, and others the woman had been in contact with regarding this little guy.  Because really, I don't know, I wasn't a party to any of it and it has no bearing on the fact that the first trailer to come to her house could have him.  Such a terrible way to "dispose" of a baby ..... who really didn't want to leave.  He had no hair around his tail and his mane had been pulled by his mother.  Apparently he was a little pushy with her and she put him in his place.

Once we got home, the project of keeping him tame, ground training and finding him a real forever home began.  This was not as easy as one would think.   A young horse, especially a colt is not something many people want to tackle.  But he was very loving and people would come with their children to see him, and I would tell them he wasn't a child's horse and they'd leave mad because I wouldn't let him go to them.  The one thing that amazes me is how people can think that a baby horse is a good thing for an inexperienced family with small children.  They seem to resent it when reminded that this little horse will be a 1000 pound firecracker capable of doing great harm.  Certainly he would not intend to harm, it really wasn't his nature, but being young and frisky, an accident could happen.   The more I worked with him, the more I realized that this breed was very special.  It was interesting to learn about the history of the "buffalo Horses" as the Native Americans refered to them.  

The next summer a friends daughter asked if I'd talkto her mother about them taking the little guy considering that they had lost a horse and she felt her gelding was showing signes if depression because of the loss.  She was not a little girl, she was 19 and confident that she would work with the curly.  After talking with her mother, we decided they would take him.  They took very good care of him, but unfortunately after a few months, it was clear that they were not prepared to train a young horse.  He returned to my house.  At this point it was time for me to make arrangements to have him gelded.  There was no reason to let him be a stallion because obviously there are too many horses in this country to justify breeding.  This is my opinion, but seeing what happens to even the best of bred horses, has made my opinion justified.  The gelding process was pretty interesting.  Especially since the vet, his assistant and myself were out in my front field for all the neghbors to watch, as well as passers-by.  It was quick and he recovered without incident.  Shortly after a young woman from Kennebunkport, Maine came to see him.  I really thought he was being a little pushy and I told her so, but I also saw that she had no apparent issues with his being frisky and recognized that he was ready for a new home.  A few days later she called to let me know that she just thought he was a great little horse and yes, she wanted him. 

It doesn't matter how long it takes, or how many people pass through looking ...... what matters is that the horse finds a home where it is loved and respected.  A forever home which nurturs and creates that great relationship between human and horse ... he's home.

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