Two Kindred Spirits | A Story Of A Quarter Horse

By: Loren Spiotta-DiMare

Searching for his first horse, John was instantly drawn to the bay Quarter Horse. She stood out among the others. Head held high, she was alert and inquisitive as she paced back and forth in the field.

Born and well trained as a reigning horse out West, the mare’s life took a dramatic turn when she was sold and shipped to New Jersey. Stabled in a boarding facility, her new owner treated her like a sports car. He’d ignore her for weeks or months at a time then take her out on the trails, working her hard, forcing her off trails into impossible bush, pushing her beyond her will. Due to his callous behavior, she grew to hate the whole idea of being mounted because of what it represented.

Knowing little of her history, John climbed into the saddle. The mare began to spin, backed into a tractor and fences, then tried retreating to the barn. It took two assistants to lead the agitated horse to the trails. Despite this challenging start, John purchased the mare and aptly named her Spirit.

For the next several months, John always required the help of two assistants to mount Spirit and get her to the trails. He tried soothing her and using different tack to help erase her negative memories. But she fought being mounted every time. Fortunately, once they reached the trails she’d settle down and seemed to enjoy herself. John tried to make every ride a positive experience for Spirit, praising her and stroking her neck.

On the first glorious Spring day in April, John took Spirit for a long ride along a scenic mountain range. It had rained a few days prior and the ground was still soft. Five miles from the barn, as they trotted along a narrow trail, the ground gave way. Spirit pitched down the hill and John was thrown from the saddle. Spirit continued to roll 15 to 20 feet down the incline. As she did, the heavy Western saddle slipped beneath her belly.

John emerged from his fall with a painful broken wrist. Spirit was nowhere to be seen. He assumed she’d headed back to the stable. To his surprise, he found Spirit a short distance from where they had fallen. She appeared unharmed and seemed to be waiting for him.

It normally takes two hands to cinch a Western saddle. Slowly and in tremendous pain, John was able to slowly inch the saddle back into position and cinch it with two fingers. He then managed to crawl back on top of Spirit.

The previously unmanageable horse stood very still for what must have seemed like an incredibly long time. And then faithfully followed John’s instructions as he weakly said, “Take me home.”
The two traveled slowly, winding their way back through the deep woods to the barn, crossing over a bridge and busy highway. It was near dark when they reached the stable.

Only then did John realize Spirit was not unharmed. Cut and bleeding she had a serious shoulder injury and had lost a shoe. He refused to go to the hospital until the vet arrived and took care of his special friend.

The prognosis was discouraging. Shoulder injuries are very difficult to treat and chances for recovery poor. But John vowed not to give up on her. Once she had been made comfortable for the night, he headed to the hospital. He had sustained multiple
fractures in his wrist, which required a cast for six weeks.

As soon as he was able, he sought the advice of an equine veterinary specialist about Spirit. She would need several weeks of stall rest followed by a program of physical therapy consisting of specific exercises to strengthen her shoulder. So for the next 10 months John dutifully worked with Spirit three or four times a week. During her recuperation, Spirit and John developed an incredibly close bond. Eventually she did recover, and she and John have gone on to be an inseparable team, riding every weekend, even entering many trail paces.

Spirit no longer resides at the boarding stable. In recent years, John and his wife, Janet moved to rural Northwestern New Jersey in order to buy a home with a barn on the property. Spirit lives in luxury and she and John have direct access to over 100 miles of trails. Seems a fitting life for these two Kindred Spirits.