As we start a new year, Bonnie Blue is whole, healthy and full of spirit. To see her now, it seems impossible that she was so thin and weak six months ago. Blessedly those day are behind her. Her weight seems to have  stabilized at about 825 pounds. Her coat is good and her attitude is Arabian. We think she is grand.

Horses, like many of us, seem to feel more secure with a routine that provides for our basic needs.
Bonnie Blue starts her day with her humans at about 7:00 AM each morning. The first thing is to tolerate being brushed, rubbed, scratched and groomed. Though this seems a bother some days, it seems to be the only way to get to the next step which is the morning ration of alfalfa and feed. However, the more we do this ritual of grooming, the more it seems to be fun and an enjoyable experience. After feeding her, her water is refreshed and filled for the day and her stall is cleaned if needed. At this point she can release her humans to go about their morning human business and she is free to graze in her pasture / orchard or eat hay in the paddock or stall.

Since moving to feeding her twice a day (morning and early evening), she gets treats at noon and a short visit with the humans of her herd (that being Rita and Robin). Treats vary some but usually consist of two large carrots and two corn muffins. This seems to be really well received by Bonnie Blue and a good time to make sure the humans are given any instruction from the horse necessary to assure continued smooth running of the tending of the horse. (For example if the feed or hay is running low she can dispatch a human to pick up more before the store closes and the supply runs out.)

In the late afternoon or early evening, once again it is time for feeding and checking the hay supply for the night and tell the humans good night.

As you can tell, this is written light hearted and poking a little fun at ourselves for being so attached to this creature. But truly, we belong to her just as she belongs to us. Sure we humans are the dominate species but that does not make us her master. Love and respect for the interconnectedness of the web of live, of which all living things are a part, tells us to care for one another. She shows us horse love ever day and we try to show her human love and caring. This creature has blessed our lives and shown us an aspect of inter species love which we had not known before. We are thankful and blessed by her presence.

The winter solstice is near but some of the days are still clear and cool and just right for a run in the open field. Yesterday when the photo was taken, Bonnie Blue felt so good she could not resist the urge to run, kick and buck in the cool wind in the hay field.

The last few days Bonnie Blue has been testing the social order of the creatures here at the farm. Without question she is above all of the dogs and cats and she chases them around at will. She also has been testing the humans. So far, the humans have held their ground and refuse to be scared off by her running near them on occasions. In fact they  stood their ground and even make horse frighting gestures. But a horse has to check occasionally just to make sure she is not missing a chance to be the leader of the farm herd.

At now almost five months after she came to live with us, it is hard to believe the wonderful recovery she has made in both body and spirit. She continues to be a blessing to us every day.

At just over four (4) months after Bonnie Blue came to share her life with us she hardly resembles the horse she was when she first came here. The bones that were so pronounced are now all covered with beautiful coat and flesh. Her spirit is good and some times a bit sassy. She seems to know that she is safe and loved here and even the dogs do not seem to concern her anymore. She moves as she pleases between her stall and paddock near the house and her orchard / pasture a few hundred feet to the east.

This past week George Lupper the farrier and Vernell Falgout the trainer both came to she her. Her hooves are in good condition and all of the small cracks have grown out and been trimmed away. Both noted that she had filled out nicely and was at or rapidly approaching ideal weight. Bonnie Blue may be facing a new reduced diet after the holidays with the rest of the family. We have just completed her transfer from the "Senior" feed to "Safe Choice" standard feed this past week. For now she is still enjoying a bowl of alfalfa twice a day and two (2) cups of feed twice a day. I am sure you know that we would never spoil her, but she does get several carrots each day and an occasional corn muffin.

                                          Bonnie Blue 4 months after Adoption.

Bonnie Blue has been and continues to be a source of joy and wonder to us every day. She is a wonderful sentient creature. She may lack some of the function of the human brain and will never write her own blog, but she still posses a wonder spirit and communicates her sense of curiosity, trust, loyalty, joy, fear and so many more feeling common to all of us mammals. I have had many dogs, cats and other animals close to me in my life, but none have I developed such a caring relationship for so quickly as with this wonderful Bonnie Blue horse. There is no way to know what the future hold far any of us, but I am thankful every day for the opportunity that I have had to work with this magnificent creature. She is a joy and a delight.

This should be titled Bonnie Blue acts out.  Yesterday Robin took her across to the pasture.  She was perfect - no pulling -no moving to fast -did not have to turn around once.

After we got to the pasture Robin as I started to walk.  Bonnie looked up and saw us and started running toward me. She has done this before but always stops about 10 or 15 yards before me. I turned away just in time.  Playing Chicken with a 800 pound horse ain't my kind of fun.

Today,  we had high hopes of having a picnic in the pasture.  Robin packed a backpack of coffee, cookies and a blanket to set on. If I say she acted like a fool I would not be exaggerating. She slung her head back and forth. Tried to rear up and bucked.  Robin turned her around about 5 times and  as punishment we decided to take her  back to the stall. After she went through the gate to the paddock and the orchard. Robin unhooked her and she cut up again.  Would run off bucking and kicking and turn around and charge me. She did this about 3 times and each time I would yell and wave her off.

Having totally ruined our picnic, we decided to recoup and go sit under the pecan trees and try to drink our coffee and cookies. She came over like, "What are you doing?"  Acting as though she wasn't the reason we failed to have a nice picnic in the pasture. Finally we gave up and came in the house. Being good was just not in her game plan.

Bonnie gets a C- for her lessons today.  Maybe she can bring her average up with good behavior.
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We will have to talk to Vernell when she comes in on Wednesday.

This article should be titled Bonnie Blue Cuts Loose.  For the past month Robin has been walking Bonnie across a neighbor's field and across the road to take  to our pasture (hay field) which is has about 30 acres of mainly Byhalia grass with some winter Rye starting.  After she figured out that there was  fresh Rye grass to nibble  and several rolls of hay upon which she could rub and scratch herself, she became  anxious to get there. Time out for some training on her parlor tricks.  When she would try to trot or kick we would stop and turn her around.  Well that's not fun.  Eventually she became better at walking with the humans. After all seems you couldn't get where you wanted to go without their corporation.  Last week we decided to take her to the pasture and allow her to see me close the gate which is the only real barrier to her running off, then unhook the lead.

At that time Robin unhook the lead.  Bonnie hesitated for a moment like she was saying,"Really?" and then took off in a gallop, shaking that head and kicking up her hind legs.  She ran for about 50 yard, stopped, turned and looked at us and then took off running again with her tail out straight behind her and the mane flying in the wind. She then stopped and started to eat grass. We were so happy with the first stage of our experience, but now we knew we would have to catch her at some point.  She grazed for about an hour moving farther and farther  away from the gate. Robin and I would take turns approaching her while she was eating  and giving her a rub. When we were ready to go Robin just went up to her and hooked up the lead   she walked her back to stall as thought she had been doing this forever. No drama for the Drama Queen .

Last Sunday our church had it's annual Seder Thanksgiving Service.  We use the Jewish style of Seder but adopt it to our Unitarian Universalist principles.  We have a ceremony where we recognized that Native American were displaced by us and then the many peoples who have struggled for freedom. Our church have also partnered with New Medina, a Muslin community near us. They came and took part in the service. Anyway, it's a big deal with lots of food and lots of clean up. Robin stayed behind to help clean up the kitchen and I went home. I'm sitting in a chair by the window and see this car drive by and go around by the stalls.  I got up to investigate and discovered it was a friend from the church, Mary Brooks and three of her friends.  When Mary Brooks saw me she said, "Robin told us we could come see the horse".  I replied, "I'll go gets some carrots." When Bonnie Blue, aka Drama Queen, saw that she had admirers she put on a show.  She walked out of her stall and allowed them to admire her and rub her soft winter coat share a few horse kisses. After the carrots were gone they said their goodbyes and went on their merry way. Bonnie Blue is so sweet and loving even with strangers.

I started this blog because my daughter, Santha, and dear friend, Carolyn Haines made me, but I am humbled by you who read it and take the journey with us.  I must confess I never thought that Bonnie Blue would survive let alone thrive. It has only been about four months since she came to live with us and she has gained over 160 pounds and is healthy in body and spirit.  If you look at her first picture and her picture now it is nothing short of a miracle. We have been so blessed by her presents here with us. She is a joy and delight every day.

Bonnie Blue seems to have figured out that she has a permanent home here with us. That being the case, she has advanced her training of us humans to the next level beyond the basic "get my feed on time" to "bonding".  We start the day with visiting, grooming and a discussion of the plan of the day. The plan often includes working on the lead, walking and grazing. By working together often we all get to know each other better and gain experience and confidence. Both horse and human seem to enjoy this bonding time.

It is turning cold here in Mississippi in the morning but warms up during the day.  Bonnie Blue is donning her winter coat and looking rather shaggy chic if I say so myself.

Vernell, the trainer, came this last Wednesday and worked with her right leg  training her muscles to  correctly walk.  She has improved greatly in her gait and hardly ever paddles when she walks now.  The exercise we work with her is a maze that teaches her to shift her weight when she has to make tight corners.  The gives her more body control.  We also threw down planks at random making her step through the open spaces. This helps her learn where to place her feet around  and through obstacles.

Robin says that she is 20 pounds to sassy.  She now shakes her head and runs to the paddock for the sheer pleasure of the run.  Sometimes she is running so fast that she misses the gate and has to come to a skidding stop.

I went to Virginia last week and was gone a week.  When I got home I walked out to the paddock and called her. She saw me and came up to give and get kisses.

Bonnie Blue has been in our family for less than four months and we can't believe what she has done for us. Robin calls her a big ole love muffin.