I had just returned from a horse-buying trip to Oklahoma and Texas finding nothing to please me. I spotted an ad run in a local Southern California horse-trading magazine and made a call to see the horse. Sometimes you can travel a long way only to find what you want is right in your own backyard.
When I first made eye contact with this smart looking dark bay quarter horse, I didn’t know he had plans for me. During my inspection of him, he watched me closely with his steady bright eyes. I was impressed with his gorgeous combination of rock hard muscle and brains. As an Equine Veterinarian, I have worked on thousands of top horses and I recognized this horse was the one for which I had been searching. It could be said that I picked him, but I truly believe he picked me.

Both his breeding and training were designed for performing Reining in an arena. Like his sire, Spunky showed himself a top athlete, very fast and powerful. Two top competition trainers had taught him lessons on turning rapid complete spins on his hind legs and sliding to a stop from bursting sprints of speed. A thrill to ride for the experienced horseman, this horse could really perform, which is why he got his name.

After the first ride, I knew we had a special bond. Spunky took a few months, as many horses do, to settle into being handled by someone new. To ease his stress I would ride him along the banks of the estuary and down the trail from the barns. By nature, he loved the trail and started to relax more under saddle. I let a few friends try riding him, but he would get over excited and difficult for them. Spunky thought he owed me the honor of being the only person he would work for without an argument. You could call him a one-man horse after our first year together.

Having recently retired, I had more time to ride and adventure out on the open road with my horses. I would load Spunky in the trailer and head out to explore parts unknown. One such trip took me to Oregon. After being there a few days, I felt something strangely special about the area. Deep in my soul stirred a mysterious spiritual calling. I tried reasoning with myself to return to the life that I knew, my friends and my home. It didn’t work. Impetuously, I bought a ranch in southern Oregon and stayed. My friends all asked me why the heck I was moving up there, leaving the life I had built. In answer, I told them I wasn’t sure at all, but somehow, for me this was a special place, and I needed to be there.

On the new ranch, I went to work fixing and fencing a few acres of pasture close to the house. That way I would be able to keep a lookout on the horses from the front room windows. My new neighbors came over to see what was happening and introduce themselves. We instantly became friends and they soon introduced me to their four beautiful children.

One of their children has Down’s Syndrome. Matthew is 13 years old and has never spoken. He does all his communicating by signing. Although he had always loved horses, his family didn’t own any. A few years earlier they started him in riding lessons at a stable that works only with disabled people. The lesson consisted of sitting on the horse, with a person leading its head and others walking on either side. After a few months, Matthew started wanting more independence with the horse. Unfortunately, this was not allowed at the therapeutic riding school and no other riding school would take on the liability. The limits of the riding lessons infuriated Matthew and that combined with the emotional and physical changes of growing up caused him to abandon riding altogether.

I often got together with Matthew’s family and during one of their visits for an early dinner something surprising happened. As soon as they arrived, Matthew started pestering his Mother to take him out to visit the horses. He had often fed and pet them during visits, so to get him out of her hair, she let him go out ahead of us to the front pasture. Occasionally he would chase the horses in the pasture, much to his parents alarm. But I asked them to “leave him be a boy,” just let him bond and play; the horses were gentle and loved his visits. After they had all run around, he would find a comfortable spot and sit cross-legged in-between the three horses while they ate their hay.

With Matthew now off to the pasture we could finally relax and chat and we lost track of the time. Eventually we glanced out the window and to our amazement, saw Matthew sitting on Spunky’s back. Matthew had climbed up on the new pasture fence and Spunky had simply allowed him to crawl aboard! We watched from the house as he hugged his neck, and played with his mane and even leaned backwards resting along his back, all the while Spunky grazed. His parents were astonished! No saddle, no bridle and the first time Matthew had attempted such a courageous act. Spunky appeared unconcerned about the boy on his back. I thought this was a one-person horse! This is a highly trained reining horse that turned so fast underneath me I lost my balance and had to grab the saddle horn! Oh my gosh! My fears started to well up inside of me, I could not let this beautiful child get hurt. If something spooked the horse, he would surely fall off. I pleaded with his folks to stay in the house and not rush toward Matthew. His parents listened to me and stayed frozen, watching as we saw that a magical bond had been created between child and animal.

Quietly we made our way out to the pasture. Matthew rode Spunky over to us, all the while relaxed and smiling. His mother pausing, gleefully waved to him while his father approached the two and stood at the fence not sure what to do. Matthew dismounted by simply sliding off Spunky’s silken brown back, came over, and gave me a big hug in thanks. His mother then signed to her son asking him if he was happy.

He proudly signed back to her,  “Yes, I am happy!”
Tearfully she told me, “This is the very first time he has ever used the happy sign, he always uses the angry sign.”
I asked her,  “You mean in his whole life he never signed that he was happy?”

“No” she replied, “never once.”

We were all tearfully overwhelmed, and spent the rest of the day saturated in profound bliss. This incredible moment reconfirmed my belief that God brought the horses and I to this special place I call Horse Heaven. I wasn’t sure why I had felt a force pulling me here until that moment. I have often said that most riders do not know what it is like to sit upon a truly great horse. Matthew now knows.