Saturday, January 9, 2016

River's New Journey


River has a new home!

Yes!  River has started on her next big adventure - she has a new home!  I am so excited and happy for her and her new family.  It is, of course, bittersweet since I, and all of us here at Blue Fountain Farm will be missing River terribly, but she is going to a great home where she will get the daily love and attention that she deserves.  She left today, and true to her form, she walked into a brand new (to her) trailer without hesitation.  

River will be living with The Shaffer family up near Burney Falls in Northern California.  She will have not only a loving family, but another gelding as well for company.   Plenty of room to roam, and cover from the elements when she needs.  

I let River have her last run in the covered arena this morning, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.  Here are some images from her play-time:








I got to say my goodbye to River -


and Dory wanted to be able to help lead RIver for the last time as well -


I think you can see the love that Hyon and River already have for each other in the quick image I snapped before we loaded River up and sent her on her way - 


I look back on my last year with River, and I want to thank her.  I have been training horses for a long time, and River offered me an opportunity to do something that I have never done with a horse before - she offered me the opportunity to help her - a horse who had no reason (except for her time at Safe Haven) to trust humans, and to help her turn that lack of trust around and make her one of the most trusting horses I have ever known.  She always met, and most times exceeded my expectations for her.  Yes, we had that one "parting of the ways" this summer, but I don't blame either of us for that - it just happened.

Remember where River came from - 





and look at her now - 


I have only been a part of her journey.  It all started with Marlene and Shirley who found her in the kill pens in Fallon, Nev.  Then it continued with all the wonderful and capable people at Safe Haven Horse Rescue and Sanctuary in Cottonwood, who put weight back on her and started the path for River to realize that humans were not all bad.  Then River came here, where Jessi and I, Becca and Steve and Mark and Mike and Jim all had a part in helping her learn to really trust. 

But, along the way, she has showed us what it is like to open up to the possibilities that life can be wonderful, that even when things seem like they can't get any worse they can get even better than you ever imagined.  River has always amazed me, and others, with her ability to touch all the lives she comes in contact with.  She has a beautiful soul, and I know Hyon and her family will be a perfect fit for her - I could tell at their first meeting that they were perfect for her.

Writing this is hard for me, which amazes me because I have seen so many horses come and go over all the years I have been involved with training horses and teaching lessons.  There are those few horses who touch a place in  your heart, and River is one of those.  This was River's last look today at the pastures she has lived in for the last year - 


This is not a goodbye, because I hope to see River again someday.  This is a goodbye for now, and I'll see you down the road.  I love you, River!


   
  







  

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful, touching story and journey. Thank you for sharing it with all of us, Lesley. You have truly made this world a better place!

    ReplyDelete