Saving Bruno

Oh the power of social media….Little did I know that an innocent scroll through Facebook on December 6, 2018 would change my/our life forever.

I saw a post by Horseshoe Stable of the big, handsome face above and knew I had to go meet him. He had been saved from OLEX (a livestock auction in Waterloo that sees most horses sold there go to slaughter for meat…yes, meat…for human consumption) by the incredible souls at Horseshoe Stable and he was in really rough shape. We arrived at the stable and within minutes…possibly even seconds….I knew this big guy (a Clydesdale/Belgian cross at around 17.2 hands) was meant to be a part of our life….

The photo above is from the evening we met him and the photo below is a full view of the extremely poor physical state that he was in when he arrived at Horseshoe Stable. His eyes were so incredibly sad…..after meeting him I had an hour drive to go see my Mom and I cried the entire trip there. I had never witnessed an animal of this size in such horrible shape and it absolutely broke my heart. I didn’t get any sleep that night and at about 2am, I started a Go Fund Me as I knew at that moment he had to come home to me, our family and our farm family at Rivendell. The initial costs associated with rescuing an animal can be very, very high due to all of the unknowns regarding their health, behaviour, needs etc and this fund would go to help this big guy get the care that he so desperately needed. It was the start of his hashtag… #savingbruno

#savingbruno

He arrived at Rivendell at 7am the morning of December 8, 2019. I wish I had gotten a photo of him on the trailer as he’s so tall and almost had to duck, even on a stock trailer.

He stepped off the trailer and I hope he could feel the immediate love and support around him. We walked around the farm and stood to watch the sunrise on the first day in the next chapter of his life….a chapter full of happiness, lots of treats and the care he deserves. He also met his brother, Lightning, and it was brotherly love at the first touching of their noses.

He settled in well and one of our first endeavours was to have our Veterinarian come out to give him a full check up, his first round of vaccines, float his teeth and clean his sheath. Dr. Molson from McKee-Pownall Equine Services has such a thoughtful and patient manner with these incredible beasts and treated Bruno with such care and compassion. He was sedated to have his teeth floated and you could immediately tell there was something wrong when Dr. Molson opened his mouth…..his teeth/mouth were in horrible condition….in fact, the worst she had ever seen. Bruno has a fairly significant overbite (ie. parrot mouth) and his teeth do not wear properly because of this. Dr. Molson said that if we hadn’t done this when we had, in a few more months his teeth would have curled all the way around and would have started to grow back into his palate. Bruno will require dentistry care every 6 months for the next 2-3 years to get his teeth back to where they should be as we don’t want to take them back too quickly due to nerve endings in the teeth. He was such a trooper through all his initial treatments that morning and after 2 dentistry treatments in the past 8 months, I can tell he’s more comfortable and can masticate his food much more effectively. The photos below show his first and second sessions of dentistry care with Dr. Molson to help grind down or ‘float’ his teeth.

After ensuring a solid baseline from his visit with Dr. Molson, it was then time to figure out his food program (we needed him to gain weight but do so in a steady and healthy manner), get his measurements for tack, blankets etc (he wears the largest halter that Brubacher’s Harness and Tack Shop sells and a size 92 blanket - in comparison, Lightning wears a size 82). He lived his few few months with us in a stall overnight to stay sheltered and warm and then out in the pasture making friends during the day. He now lives outside 24/7 and absolutely loves his life with his field-mates and friends he’s made. He has two hearty meals a day and all the hay a horse could ask for. The first time I fed him an apple, the look on his face was like a little kid on Christmas morning. I have a feeling that he did not get many, if any, treats in his prior life and to see something so simple bring him so much contentedness was oh so heart warming.

I’ll now take you through a photographic journey of the past 7 months, to show you the incredible transformation that has occurred before our eyes, thanks to so many people. We truly do have a family at the farm, led by our farm manager, Lori. I can honestly say that I would not have even fathomed embarking on this journey without knowing she was the foundation of our farm and I truly cannot say ‘thank you’ enough for all that she has done for this big guy….and me! A huge thank you too to my Mom for all of her support (couldn’t have done this without you), the family at Rivendell - Mike, Grace, Chelsea etc, McKee-Pownall, Brubacher’ s, Sharpe Farm Supply, and of course, all of the Go Fund Me supporters. You helped me/us get this guy the new start he deserved and I am so beyond grateful and humbled by your support.

His first few weeks at the farm. The swelling in his legs had just started to subside.

Even with a full winter coat, you can see his ribs :(

He truly is a ray of sunshine.

A bit heavier blanket to keep him warm once the snow decided to stick around - size 92!

Making friends….you can start to see the brightness coming back to his eyes.

So handsome.

Eating dinner with his farm pup friends….

Dirty feet…

Look at that belly!

This first time hanging out in a field with his brother…..the boys :) They live in separate fields as Lightning is in our ‘weight watchers’ field with netted hay while Bruno has the ‘full serve’ option in his.

So shiny….and he’s starting to gain back some muscle tone!

Look at him!!! Such a commanding presence with a spark in his eye!

From the other night…. My happy place….

It has been quite a journey over the past 7-8 months and I wouldn’t change a second of it. We still have a long journey ahead….some work to do with standing much more politely for the farrier (he ‘dances’ as I’m sure he’s had a not great experience previously), more dentistry treatments, more weight to gain, more training to do….but that’s what it’s all about….the journey. Every time I pull down the laneway at the farm and see him standing there in the field, his head buried in a bale of hay or munching on some grass, my eyes well up with tears of happiness. He’s an amazing creature and I’m so glad the fates aligned the way they did to bring us all together!

A huge thank you again to everyone for all of your support….it truly does take a village!

RR

Back in the Saddle...

I pulled into the farm today and as much as LTN and I like to work outside, I decided we'd stay indoors with how the day was heating up. The windows were open, the doors were open and a nice cross breeze was blowing through, so it was pretty much as perfect as we could ask for. 

Since moving to the new farm, the big guy has taken some big strides forward with his training and I'm quite happy with how he's doing and more importantly, I'm extremely happy with how our relationship has/is developing. He's been a part of the family for almost 10 months now and while there has been some back and forth about who the 'boss' is some days, I truly do feel that we are falling in stride with each other. 

Some people know his story and some don't, so let me share.

This guy came into my life through two wonderful women who we're still with today (hence our move to this farm, as they were moving there as the new farm managers). He's 11 years old and is GREEEEN! Up to last summer, he essentially lived his life in a pasture with a mare and their daughter (he was a late geld at age 6). From what I understood, he had very little to no work done with him (up until last August) and he would need to be started from the ground up.

I know our progress may seem slow to some people and that's just fine with me. I'm in no rush and wanted to really establish a trusting and collaborative relationship with him first and foremost. We will never be jumping fences at The Royal (or any competition for that fact) or running barrels at a rodeo. He's my return to the equine world and to be able to take him out on the trails or ride him around the ring through walk/trot/canter is enough. I'd rather take our time and do things properly so both he and I enjoy it and can learn from each other along the way, vs me solely dictating to him. 

He's had someone on his back mayyyybe 15 times now and today was my longest session on him (about 15 minutes). We made it around the arena 3 times!! This is HUGE for a guy, who not matter what cueing you use, pretty much stands still as soon as someone gets on his back (he is absolutely more whoa than go). With A LOT of encouragement and me leaving him to his own timing at times, we did made it around and the smile on my face couldn't have been bigger! He moves forward perfectly on the lunge line and we're working on transitioning to that to the saddle. As you can see in the photo below, I'm currently using a halter and lead rope to guide him when I'm on his back. I have very mixed feelings about introducing a bridle/bit at 11 years old, but it is inevitable if we're wanting to head out on the trails (at least until he is much more seasoned and then I may move to a witless bridle).

Such a great view... #throughtheears..

I will also admit, somedays, I've been nervous to get back into the saddle too. I'm no longer a 17 year old with no fear (and a hockey helmet on my head, that would then climb on a wayyy too energetic 3 year old filly and hold on for dear life) and this 38 year old mind and body is all too conscious of the potential of being sent flying through the air to the dirt. I'm very aware that falling off is part and parcel of riding and I continue to wrap my head around that. I am absolutely amazed how well he is doing with so few rides 'under his belt' and once I'm on, I feel much better about things.

He is one incredible creature and has a 'once in a lifetime' personality and way about him. He's so smart and with that, comes his stubbornness (kinda like his Mom and his other furry brother Charlie). He's playful, caring (he'll literally lick/'kiss' you to death), full of life yet calm (most days) and there's this look he gets in his eyes that brings a huge smile to my face, no matter what. 

I truly feel that finding him was meant to be and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

RR

A Mini Moment.....

I think we can all agree that the pace that we move at today can at times be overwhelming! Up at 5am, out the door by six, first conference call at 7:30am, meeting, another meeting, emails, phone calls, trying to leave work on time, go to the gym, get groceries, make dinner, do laundry, clean the house, climb into bed at 10:30pm....and repeat the next day.

I will admit, there are some days where I feel like I can't catch my breath, let alone take a few minutes for myself. I know how unhealthy that is and the irony of this is that I've spent most of my career helping others take care of themselves (insert here: do as I say, not as I do). I then refer back to one of my old blog posts about when on a flight, if something should occur, to put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. We MUST care for ourselves first and foremost....

As I was driving to the office the other morning with a dozen different thoughts running through my mind about the day ahead, the sunrise was absolutely beautiful!! So...I decided to pull over into a park, get out of my car with my coffee in hand, turn off those thoughts and just sit and truly enjoy that sunrise for a few minutes. That 'mini moment' not only got my day off to a great start, but refreshed my way of thinking about taking care of oneself.....

Let me explain.....

This guy is the master of taking a 'mini moment'! He had been out sniffing every square foot of the backyard as I was bqqing one night. Then...all of a sudden, he went up on the deck and just laid there, looking around and taking it all in. There...that was his mini moment. He went from 'full steam ahead' to utter peace and tranquility in a matter of a minute.  

Now, how can we do this? How can we take that moment to recoup our sanity, refocus and allow us those few moments to breathe?

I walked into the barn one evening after a great session with the Big Guy. My time with him is supposed to be my escape, a time for me to focus on nothing but building my relationship with this amazing 1000lb creature. But....for some reason, I found myself distracted that night. I was actually angry with myself that I had allowed outside distractions to seep into our time together. As I walked down the aisle, the horses poked their heads out of their stalls and I just had to snap this photo....I had distracted them from their dinner and I'm sure every single one of them hoped I had a  wee treat to share with them (a mini moment for them). I then realized, I had spent an incredible hour with LTN and it had been full of fantastic mini moments and I should be grateful for that! Yes, at times, some outside thoughts and distractions creeped in...but...I'm human...that will happen.... and what mattered most was that time with him, those moments of pure contentedness and tranquility like the one below....

I can assure you that at the moment I snapped this photo, I was only thinking what a beautiful evening it was, how gorgeous my guy looked as the sun set behind him and how grateful I was to be in that moment....and that's enough. I'm sure that in the 5 minutes of him munching grass, I had many other 'outside' thoughts enter my mind, but at this moment, my only thought was pure enjoyment of the moment. My mini moment....

Whatever you're doing...find those mini moments just for you. Enjoy them, immerse yourself in them (if only for a minute), allow them to re-energize you...and.... if you're like me and have a passion for photography, capture a few of them so you 'have them' as a reminder to take that time for you. 

RR