Tordrup Apache





Sometimes lightning strikes when you least expect it to - that was how it was for Apache and me. Born on the 15th of May 1993 she was the ripe "old" age of 15 when I first took a seat in the saddle with her in the early spring of 2008.

I started working with Apache for her previous owner just after I lost my own horse, and I guess that we were both a little bit reserved in the beginning, but we took our time. Mostly she took her time being reserved, being a real alpha mare, always on the look out, making sure her herd was safe and together, never letting her guard down. And since she was used to this behaviour in the herd, when together with humans, she really didn't appreciate the fact that I tried to take the place of herd leader when we were together. She didn't hesitate to tell me this - she ran away every time I tried to catch her in the pasture for the first two months of our friendship. On my part, I guess I was reserved and hesitating to let her into my heart since I always thought that this particular kind of horse wasn't for me. But one day, after approximately two months of getting to know each other, doing lots of groundwork and building trust-exercises, in the middle of a grooming session, she looked at me with her beautiful brown eyes and snugged her head into my arms as to say, "It's ok, I know it's ok here with you, it's a good place to be.", and she stood there for a long time being as relaxed as I had ever seen her before and I just fell completely in love with her.

We continued building our friendship over the next five months, and at the end of this period I could take her everywhere, ask her for anything and she just followed me around. We walked through the pastures, me waving my Stick N' String or large pieces of plastic all around her and she was so cool, never waving an ear and always trusting me to know what was the right thing to do.

Then came a break in our friendship - due to lack of time on my part I had to give up working with Apache in the winter of 2008/2009, but I didn't forget that special horse that she was. Come early spring of 2009 times had changed and I had plenty of time and space for a horse again, but none of the horses that I looked at came close to being Apache, they just paled in comparison. Then one day when I had just found a couple of horses I wanted to have a look at and try out, I got a message saying that Apache needed a new owner and that she couldn't be sold to just anyone, but that she could only be given to me, seeing that her previous owner thought that we were perfect together.

I sat on my sofa, totally stunned for a couple of hours, trying to grasp the notion of that message. Then I just rushed to the stable, armed with 2 kg's of carrots which she of course ate in a matter of minutes when I got there, kissed her on the nose and promised her that I would never leave her again and that I would love her forever.

That was on the 24th of March 2009 and from that day on we spent countless hours together being groomed, dazing and grazing, taking numerous trail rides. We picked up where we left off, doing join-ups and building trust-exercises and in no time at all she again followed me all around, trusting me 100 percent. Many times she snugged into my arms while being groomed and we just stood there cuddling and relaxing and just enjoying life together.

Sadly, I had to say goodbye to this exceptional horse on the 14th of September 2009 due to a chronic inflamed osteochondrosis condition in her hind legs. But I take comfort in knowing that I kept my promise to her, I never left, I loved her every day and I always will.

Kira







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