MARCH/APRIL 2013 THE RIDER /23 A Tale of Tails


By Cynthia Armour Most people don’t buy horses that come with trading cards but I’m for- tunate to own two former members of the Toronto Mounted Police unit. Brock (the Brontosaurus) is a Percheron/Standard- bred cross that got fired in 2007 for behaviour unbe- coming an officer. He’s 17.1 hands and now weighs about 1900 pounds.


Eques is in my DNA; in the early 1800s my great, great, great grand- father was a “saddleback minister” in rural Ontario. That heritage didn’t stop me from being somewhat intimidated by this noble steed when he first arrived. He had a reputa- tion for bucking and I had no desire to become a fre- quent flyer, particularly from that altitude. He’s also the smartest horse I’ve met which was a total pain as he kept let- ting himself out of enclo- sures the others never questioned.


I’d given him about six months holiday to settle into his new life, get his spine adjusted, find a comfortable saddle for him and prepare myself


for new heights. My cousin politely said, “You are planning to put some- one younger - who bounces better - on his back first aren’t you”. Noting I’m over 50, self- employed and my animals depend on me, I agreed. When I first met


liantly. Our first meeting poured rain. I’d asked a neighbour if I could use their arena and decided to brush up on our trailering too. Brock loaded without a care. I slowly proceeded down my bumpy 900’ long driveway with my new coach following


no struggle, just a resigned “oops!” Clearly he didn’t approve of his inherited wheels and far preferred the more upscale fleet he’d grown accustomed to on the force. Thanks to Andrew’s composure and skill with a hacksaw


had to put Brock’s 29 year old buddy down. Those two played tag fre- quently and my vet once asked, “What did you do to Josh? He’s getting younger!” It was a sudden death and a shock to the family. Then only three months later, my former mount Stormy had a severe laminitis flare up. Despite valiant attempts to save him I couldn’t bare seeing him in pain any longer. In both these losses I felt my long time friends were telling me it was okay to let go.


Andrew Rafail I exclaimed “I haven’t had a riding lesson since before you were born!” He fit the bill, definitely younger and didn’t need to bounce better because he handled Brock bril-


behind. Suddenly I felt something significant. I stopped and saw Andrew jump out of his truck. When we opened the side door of the trailer there was Brock dangling over the chest bar. There was


Brock was freed and sauntered off the trailer like nothing happened, grazing as soon as he could - end of lesson # 1. In 2010 I discovered I needed a hip replace- ment. I told the surgeon I wanted the horse-back riding hip. The day after the operation the doctor told me that based on the size of my horse he gave me an extra-large ball and socket. Within six months and Andrew’s help once again, I was back on Brock.


After nearly a year off I entered him in the Millbrook Fair. I hadn’t shown since the late six- ties so cobbling together an outfit was comical. Brock exited his (new) trailer with nostrils flared and high energy. I man- aged to get him tacked up and found the quietest corner of the fairgrounds to recompose. In the hunter class I thought his gleeful buck as we broke into a canter, right in front of the judge, would dash our chances but we came third in a class of 30. To my amazement, in equitation Brock and I came first in a similar- sized group. The prize money covered our entrance, gas and treats. In October 2012 I


To comfort Brock I borrowed a mare from down the road. A few months later I received a call from the Toronto Mounted Police asking if I was interested in a young retiree that was suffering from arthritis in his hocks. Dundas is a 10 year old 17.2 Thorough- bred/Clyde cross - not exactly what I was look- ing for as a guest horse but when I met him, how could I resist that face? He arrived June 25th, the day after the Queen’s Plate where he needed to be available for back up - in uniform, not on the track! All three steeds were excited to meet each other over the fence and introductions were uneventful. Once the fence was removed from that equation, I saw a side of Brock I didn’t know existed; I nicknamed him Studley Doolittle. He took off after Dundas at a flat out gallop with teeth bared and ears flat back. Dundas found the gate he’d come through and went tearing back to safe- ty. But Brock was close behind and I warned my sister not to try to stop him because his crowd control training taught him to plough through people. Luckily she was able to block the mare and once Brock noticed he’d lost his girl, he retreated. We all took a huge sigh of relief and called it a day.


Upon my vet’s advice I put Star and Dundas together and sep- arated Brock (much to his chagrin). That went on for a month before I attempt- ed my next introduction. In the meantime, I’d


strapped my round bale feeder in the gateway between them so they all dined together without a care in the world (as they happily consumed a valu- able winter supply). This time I separated Star from the mix. I put the two geldings together


expect you to get along. He’d had lots of attention and exercise while we were away. Once home, I separated Star again, put Brock in the bottom field, caught Dundas and explained what was going on. I had a broom in one hand and carrots in the


Star


and once again, the chase was on. Sadly, Dundas didn’t escape and Brock chomped down hard just behind the withers and held him in place. I was not about to step between 3500 pounds of horse flesh but I screamed like a banshee and threw two buckets and a broom. Brock let go and I rescued Dundas, apologizing pro- fusely.


The violence may have ended there but I was about to go away and couldn’t risk further injury in my absence. On one hand I was so angry at Brock and yet, I had to acknowledge how con- fused he was probably feeling. First he’d lost his best friend and shortly thereafter, the king of the herd. Stormy always told Brock what to do. Then Star the Seductress came on the scene and life was good. But who’s the new interloper that’s getting all the attention?


Monee Warner came weekly to give Dundas a massage during the first couple of months he was here. She once said, “Brock’s like the guy in the black leather jacket” and my response was, “that makes Dundas in a three piece suit with a bow tie!” One got fired for insubordination, the other received an hon- ourable discharge.


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A fractured wrist pre- cluded another introduc- tion until autumn. After three fun- filled days of riding in the Ganaraska Forest, I made up my mind the time had come! Our last hack was on a beautiful sunny day and I told Brock, this is it and I


other. All was peaceful and they were both praised and rewarded. I left the two of them together for a month before adding Star. With- in a couple of days Brock let Dundas approach her but initially he wouldn’t allow it. I wish I’d had my camera the day he was perpendicular between them and Star kicked him on one side and Dundas kicked him on the other; nothing sub- tle about that message! You may recall I “borrowed” Star a year ago. I could have made life completely uncompli- cated by just returning her. However, the owner said she was going to auc- tion and she’s not broken to ride. She was a brood mare for nine years and deserves her retirement too - in the company of geldings.


Recently, I spent two sleepless nights and very long days nursing Dundas through a bad case of colic. It was touch and go. His heart rate was double the norm but his stoic nature showed no visual signs of distress. It was only his disinterest in food that alerted me to listen and then jump into action once I realized the emergency. Despite our horsey heritage, family members said they wouldn’t have known to check his heart rate. I would encourage every- one reading this article to own a stethoscope, learn where to find a beat and log your horse’s healthy vitals so you know when your steed is out of sorts. It truly is a matter of life and death and I’m very grateful Dundas and Brock have more time to bond and scratch each other’s backs.


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