Introduction
Contents
Introduction
Dedication
Chapter 1 The Day I Snapped
Chapter 2 Slaughterhouse Save
Chapter 3 Sweet Memories, Sweet Cubes
Chapter 4 Janine
Chapter 5 Love at Last?
Chapter 6 Learning to Trust
Chapter 7 Awakening
Chapter 8 A New Chapter
Epilogue
Introduction
By Paula A. Green
When my precious daughter, Chloe, was in seventh grade, she was inducted into National Junior Honor Society at Hector Garcia Middle School. A service project was required and had to be planned and carried out over the course of the school. Chloe was inspired by her love of horses and her dream to own a horse one day. Through the connections of close friends, we were introduced to “Miss Janine” who welcomed us to come out to her ranch and volunteer. From that blessed autumn day in 2011 until I was hospitalized with a brain bleed in late fall 2012, we went to “the ranch” weekly and cleaned 12 stalls, scrubbed walls, cleaned tack or whatever else needed doing within our capabilities.
It was during our season of volunteering there, we met Gus. He is a real horse with a real story; but, since horses can’t talk, we can only imagine his history from the little Janine could learn about him. He had been abused, was acquired by Janine’s brother and brought to her for help in working with him. By this time Chloe had just turned thirteen and decided to base her Girl Scout Silver Award on her love and passion for horses. She wrote MyName IsGus to tell what could very well be Gus’s story based on the few facts she learned. Be sure to read the true epilogue.
Volunteering at the ranch was an excellent NJHS project but an even more awesome experience for Chloe getting to work around and learn more about her beloved horses and for me, her proud mom, to step into her world and her interests. I was reminded of words of wisdom penned by a friend of ours at a baby shower when we were expecting Chloe…”See the world through the eyes of your child.” We are hoping to return to our volunteer work soon and see Gus again.
DEDICATION
We dedicate this book, Chloe’s first, to Miss Janine for welcoming us into her world and teaching us both and to Kim Stallman for the connection to and shared love of "the ranch". We are blessed to
know you both!
My Story
The rope burns, cuts, binding my hooves together. Thrashing and kicking won’t do any good, seeing my hind legs are of no use. “Make sure you get them legs tied real well!” yells boss Mal Coron, the leader of these merciless wranglers. “I don’t want another bruise, stupid horse. . .” he mutters before limping off to his shack. That burning rope tightens, only making my pain more searing. “Hands off!” I snap at them, but that doesn’t do any good. Next thing I know, there is more pain, this time on my shoulder. “Shut up you worthless mount!” the cruel man screeches before cracking the
whip on my shoulder again. I bite my lip to avoid crying out, only because of what a little whimper could bring; a bad bruise or a bloody gash.
Through tears, I notice the man has brought out a saddle, three sizes too small. “You better hold still this time” he growls before showing his whip, leather with a metal tip. I wince and weakly give myself up to those cruel hands. The air is squeezed out of me as he straps the too-small girth around my middle. He has forgotten the saddle pad again. The saddle leather rubs my skin raw and the girth has about suffocated me when he brings out the bridle. Roughly he forces the metal bit into my mouth, then snaps on the head gear. Something warm and sticky trickles from my lips, blood. “Quit bleedin’ you piece of junk!” he rages in my ear before I receive another slap from the whip. The metal splits my skin, causing more blood to ooze. I clamp my jaw to keep from biting his britches off. He lazily loads onto my back, grabs up the reigns, and stabs his spurs into my sides. “Ya, Ya!” he cries, and I start at a canter. “What am I riding, a turtle?! Run you worthless boar!” he roars before digging his heels into my sides.
I don’t know what happened that day, I guess something snapped, because next thing I knew he was on the ground as I hoofed him and snapped at his neck, straining to end this cruel man’s days. Blood splattered my hooves and mouth, but rage and hate fueled the fire inside me. Ropes and whips bite and scraped my skin, but I took no liking to them. Turning away from the half-dead man, I leaped at the boss, eyes rolling, teeth bared. My assault was halted by a rock to the head, and a crack of the whip. Then there was blackness.
When I came to, I was lying in a smelly trailer. The floor was cold and hard, the paint was chipping, and flies buzzed around moldy piles of horse dung and hay. Muffled voices carried into the cracked windows, catching my attention. I perked my ears to hear out what they were saying. “What should we do, boss? That worthless thing almost killed Lee!” a man’s voice cried. “Don’t know, Gill”. Silence tensed the air as I hoped for mercy. The next words only doomed me. “Send him to the slaughter house”.
♦ ♦ ♦
Chapter 2
SLAUGHTERHOUSE SAVE
The slaughter house . . . the slaughter house?! How could they send me there? I’ve tried to be nice! I begin to wicker and whinny, thrashing about, straining to tear the ropes and flee my certain death. Suddenly, the trailer door bashed open and the boss stood before me, snarling. “Just shut up!” he screeched before landing a blow on my side. I bit my tongue to avoid more blows as boss slams the door and latches it tight. I lay my head on the cold railing, heart heavy. What did I do wrong? I’ll be somebody’s Sunday dinner in a few days! As if on cue, a truck engine roars to live, and old horse shoes, moldy halters, and dead hay begins to slide around at the trailer’s bumpy ride. The faster the truck drove, the more things flew around. I whipped my head round and round to make sure I wouldn’t be hit: bad choice. Right as my head was turning, a horse shoe hit me square between the eyes. Feeling light-headed, I lay my head down to gain air, when another horse shoe collided into my skull, making everything black.
♦ ♦ ♦
When I come to, a voice is raised at boss. “That horse is too fine to be someone’s dinner! I’ll give you $750 for the horse, take it or leave it!” he growled. “Alright! Take the horse!” boss muttered. There was clanging of a trailer chain, which only increases my already hurting head. More clanking and truck engine roaring, and we’re off. The road is smoother this time, and as I lay my head down to sleep, I somehow feel I’m safe. Safe at last.
Chapter 3
SWEET MEMORIES, SWEET CUBES
“You’ll never beat me!” I whinnied to my sister as I raced through lush golden fields, the cool breeze blowing my mane back. The small chestnut mare kicked into high gear, approaching me quickly with a determined look in her eyes. I neighed excitedly and ran faster, speeding ahead of my half-sister. Turning, I looked to see my mother and father standing tall and elegant, waiting for us foals to catch up. We were now neck to neck, puffing and blowing air from our nostrils as we raced, desperate to get those bragging rights. Suddenly, the ground gave way and I fell into nothingness . . .
“Hey bud! C’mon, big guy, we’re home!” I raised my head wearily as the golden happiness I felt trickled away slowly and gave way to reality. My foggy thoughts didn’t stop me from seeing the boss and crop, though. As if on cue, every sore and cut I’ve ever gotten from a whip seemed to ignite at once, sending me into a whirl of panic. I kicked and thrashed, then realizing there was no rope on my legs. Whotookitoff? I thought, and I slowed my raging. All together it stopped when I realized boss no longer had a crop, and the strange man wasn’t boss at all. I perked my ears and pushed myself up into an almost sitting position, then stood all together.
Interested in all the new smells and sights, I stepped down from the trailer, almost at once feeling wobbly. “Woah now, steady big guy!” the man said calmly, supporting me with gentle hands. I didn’t trust this man, but his support made me more confident and I stood straight and still. “There we go, good boy!” the man praised. Good boy?I wondered I’magoodboy?Then the man pulled something small and white from his pocket and placed it beneath my lips. Curiosity got the best of me and I slowly pulled the thing into my mouth. A tingly sweet feeling spread over my tongue, and I felt a happiness I hardly felt anymore. I sucked on the yummy treat for a while before nuzzling his hand for more. He gave in to my “cuteness” and let me munch a few more of the delectable things. “I’ll have to tell Janine about you!” the kind man exclaimed. Who? I was curious to learn more and I followed the man, eager to know more about what happened when I was asleep; and about this Janine. Maybe she has some of those little white things.
Chapter 4
JANINE
Days later the man tried working with me. No matter how trusting I had been to him the first day, the feeling of human hands on me was terrifying. The way hands would strike me hard when I did nothing for the punishment, the screeches constantly in my ears . . .
I jumped away, heart drumming as he tried for me again. “C’mon guy, I don’t want to do anything to you!” Lifting his hands defensively, the somewhat of a stranger showed that he held nothing harmful. Nothing that could sting or break flesh, bruise or draw blood, nothing to hurt or scar with. In his eyes, he felt this was the perfect tactic for my need, but what he forgot to remember is that human hands and tongues are just as much a weapon as a whip or rope. Shying away, I pressed against the fence, wishing I could melt into a puddle and dribble away from the arena. The man advanced still, holding his hands higher as he closed in. That’s when I snapped. Rearing back, I swung my hooves, not afraid to strike him in the head if he dared lay a finger on me. As he fell back horrified, I came down and snarled at him in warning. He stood, shakily, dusting off his pants and eyeing me closely. “Perhaps Janine can straighten you out, eh?” he chuckled before turning to leave the pen.
Janine. There was that name again. I perked my ears and stepped forward, eager to know more about this new being. As man turned and noticed my curiosity, he smiled and began telling me a story. “Janine is my sister . . .” he began, “She’s a professional at horse care and handling, much better than me. She has a way with the beasts.” Cocking my head to the side, I hoped he would tell me more, but he simply turned and left me to ponder the newly-found human.
Chapter 5
LOVED AT LAST?
The next day, this “Janine” person showed at the ranch. I wasn’t overly excited to meet her, she was the strange man’s sister, therefore she somewhat had to be like him . . . right? As I waited in a corral on Janine’s ranch, I surveyed the area. A large, 12-stalled barn sat directly in front, and beyond the building I heard the happy neighs of other horses. Sitting in one of the stalls was a heavy pony with furry hooves and a long mane. He looked like a paint horse from afar, and simply stood, looking rather bored. When he noticed me studying him, he raised his head, ears perked. “Can I help you with anything?” he muttered questionably. “Oh, no, it’s just . . . I’ve never seen a horse like you before.” I confessed, “What breed are you?” He seemed offended by the statement, and began to gruffly protest. “I’m a gypsy vanner! You’re a grown horse for sakes, how could you go your entire life and not hear of one?”
“Oh, don’t get your mane in a knot” a mare’s voice laughed. “He’s new, and that’s no way to treat a guest!” From another stall on the left, a beautiful Arabian appeared. She was a lush ginger color with exquisite white markings and deep brown eyes. Looking at me with cocked ears, she introduced herself, and I immediately took a liking to her. “I’m Gracie and Mr. Rock star over there is J.J.” The big gelding simply huffed and turned away. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to me. “So, whe-“at that moment she was cut short by an aggravated whinny, followed by an extremely old but spunky looking white pony trotting out of the barn with ears pinned back and nostrils flaring. “Dang door is bolted again! I swear, if I have to deal with that lock one more time I’ll-“, then she noticed me. Gracie giggled and filled me in on this huffy mare. “This is Spicy; she pretty much runs the ranch besides Janine.” The old mare looked me up and down with an odd look in her eye. “You bet your bridle I run this place. What’s your name, newbie?”
It hit me suddenly: I had no name. I had always been insulted and called cruel words I don’t wish to repeat, but no name. “Uh . . . I, I don’t have a name. . .” I said, the words sticking in my mouth like honey. “No name?! How are you full grown without a name?” the white mare gasped. “Where are you even from?” “A desperado ranch” I replied, and the air became thick with my words. Gracie and J.J. froze and their eyes widened, but old mare’s eyes filled with a new understanding. “Oh . . . those monsters . . .” she sighed as she stepped forward and pressed her nose to mine through the rungs. “No worries, Janine wouldn’t hurt a horse even if her life depended on it”. We sat like that for what seemed like years, but I didn’t mind. I felt like I was loved at last.
Chapter 6
LEARNING TO TRUST
The evening lulled on as I learned about the ranch and the horses on it. In all there were about 30 horses, some of them were boarded though. From J.J. I found out that there was another Gypsy Vanner, and she was a very large one. He admitted this with gruffness that only made us tease him. “Hey, I’ve got the style though!” he snapped with a smile on his lips. Gracie, I learned that had been bred by Janine from her dam Rain. Spicy was one of the oldest horses there, but she had the upmost respect of all of them. Even the dogs listen to her! Turns out there were 4 dogs and a cat that lived on the ranch, so there were a lot of animals here!
As it darkened, various people came to take Gracie and J.J. to the back as well as look at me. During a peaceful moment I heard the man’s voice, the man that tried to work with me. He appeared around the corner with a woman, average height with fluffy reddish hair and beautiful blue eyes. When she saw me her eyes lit up and she came up at an even pace. She leaned on the fence post and exchanged a quiet conversation with the man, who I figured out in that moment had to be her brother. Soon after he turned and left and the two of us were left alone. I backed away slowly, not sure what she was planning. The woman just watched me with an unreadable expression, and after a while I had a feeling she wasn’t going to hurt me. Cautiously I stepped towards her, and after what seemed like miles I stood directly in front of her, ears perked. From her pocket she produced a familiar treat: thesweetwhitethings! Almost bouncing I immediately sucked the delicates from her palm and savored them, once again feeling that relaxed, happy feeling I so longingly wanted to feel again. She smiled and lightly rubbed my nose and I chewed, then turned and walked away. I watched her go, and I felt something I never thought I’d feel: I didn’t want her, a human, to leave. But she walked on anyways.
Chapter 7
AWAKENING
“Rise and shine, foals, you got a work day ahead!” a familiar voice rang. Blinking sleep from my eyes, I lifted my head slowly to see Spicy trudging up, neighing loudly. “Oh golly, oh wow, training day!” barked new animals. From around the garden shed that sat near the gate, several dogs came running, tumbling over each other in a haste to get to the barn. The one in the lead was a dark-colored German Sheppard, close on her heels was a lighter-colored but bigger one. The two were yapping and snapping at each other as they ran, and I wondered how dogs did such a thing. “Oh pipe down you two! You’re gonna wake every neighbor in a one mile charge!” a gruff male voice growled. An old-looking black dog waddled after them, but stopped when he saw me. Sitting down slowly, he looked me up and down before asking who I was. Before I could reply, Spicy filled the old dog in, and with a nod he turned to me. “Welcome to the ranch, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Zeke; I keep the dogs in line.” Whispering, he added “don’t listen to Reemus; he’s got more bark than brains.” Without warning the bigger German Sheppard, who must have been Reemus, strolled out of the barn with a sharp eye on Zeke. “What are you sayin’, old dog?” he growled. Zeke simply shook his head and stood slowly before trotting away. Reemus gave an angry chuff to Zeke, and then turned to me. “Name’s Reemus, I’m the pack leader, so you listen to me!” he sniffed, “I run the ranch, I am the boss, I-““Oh quit it, you overgrown pup!” Spicy snapped, and Reemus whined before walking off. She gave a small whinny of laughter, and then told me about my training that day. I listened with a growing knot of nerves in my belly. I hadn’t told Spicy that I didn’t trust humans, and as nice as Janine had seemed, creatures can turn.
After her quick speech, Spicy waltzed off to wake the other horses. I continued looking around, wondering if there was anybody else I should meet. When I thought not, a tabby and white cat slipped from inside a small room to the left. She saw me and a glint of amusement shined in her eyes. Loping over, she leapt to the top rung of the fence before settling down with her tail wrapped around her paws. “Why, you must be new here? Funny, it’s been a long time since Janine brought new horses in!” she laughed, and I had a feeling I would like this cat. “Hello!” I said, “What’s your name?” “Not important,” she answered, “what’s yours?” With embarrassment, I answered her question. “Ah, abused horse eh?” she asked simply. I perked my ears, shocked. “H-ho- how did you guess?” I gasped, and she chuckled. “I’m a ranch cat; I can guess a lot of things!” Leaving that statement in the air, she jumped down and began circling me, looking me up and down. When she finished her inspection, she sighed heavily and said “Desperados, why can’t they be more merciful towards respectable creatures?” I was truly fascinated by this cat’s excessive knowledge, and without further a due, I began asking about all she knew.
Chapter 8
A NEW CHAPTER
My first work day didn’t really go as I hoped it would be. Janine tried to teach me trust, but too many people were watching and I got nervous and messed up everything. At one point she finally sent everyone away so we could work in private, and I did better, but I was still scared. I knew she had nothing that could hurt me, but the memories would flood back and I’d get skeptical all over again. At sundown, she wiped her forehead and sighed. “I’m calling it a day, old boy. You did pretty well today though!” My head shot up at this remark; Ididwell?I watched with wide, surprised eyes as she left me in the coral. I was slightly disappointed; I was hoping she would put me in the field with the other horses so I could get to know more of them.
The next day went a little better than I thought it would go. There were hardly any people, and most of them came and went after caring for their horses. Janine had to work with Gracie that day, and I watched with heavy interest as she trotted and loped flawlessly around the ring, mane billowing with the autumn breeze. Seeing this, I made a small decision in my mind that Janine was ok, but she was still a person with hands, hands that could inflict pain. After working with Gracie, Janine came into the corral and sat, watching me with an unreadable expression. I watched her back, and for what seemed like hours upon hours we stood. Time seemed to freeze and the silence was deafening. Giving a deep sigh, I decided. It’snowornever!Taking small steps toward her, I walked until I stood directly in front of her, but still she made no movement. After a while she moved her hand and laid a couple of fingers on my nose. I fought the urge to flinch away, she’snot goingtohurt you,she’s not goingtohurt you!Soon she had her hand on my nose and was gently petting me. I closed my eyes, savoring the loving touch she was giving me. After a while I felt a very familiar feeling on my lips, and I sucked the sweet treat in my mouth, nudging for more. “You sure love sugar cubes, huh?” Janine laughed before stroking me one more time and leaving the corral. Before walking away completely, she turned to me with a warm smile. “Goodnight . . . Gus”. With the words hanging in the air…
♦ ♦ ♦
Training continued day in and day out. New people and horses came and went, and seasons changed as the ranch built on. Gracie and I grew to be close friends, and Spicy became my almost- mentor. Janine let me go into the field with the other horses, and I made lots of new friends. One horse, Ringo, looked just like me, and we became play buddies. In time, the ranch became my new home and life…a good one at last.
Epilogue
Gus is doing really well so far! He has allowed Janine to lay over him on a blanket and feel the weight of a human on his back. He has recently learned to go into a trailer and back out. When he stepped out he had a look of feeling so proud of himself. All in all, he has been through a lot of training, as he and Janine have built a strong bond with each another. Gus is just a sweet, snuggly horse who could be a teddy bear on a store shelf for such a personality. Janine is still working with him, very careful to keep children who come for lessons and other visitors to the ranch respectful of Gus’ delicate trust and leeriness of us humans, and he is slowly but surely making progress!
Go Gus go!
Impressum
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 18.06.2013
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Widmung:
TO MISS JANINE, who has a heart for horses AND kids!