Each one of our teachers here at Pyramid Equine is special in a different way, just like the people who come to us to spend time with them. Today I want to introduce you to everyone’s favourite pony Squidward. Squid is an unusual name for a horse, especially a mare but it seems to suit her nonetheless. She is cute and quirky just as her name suggests. When Squid came to live with us she was terribly overweight and her feet were desperately in need of care. She had been a child’s pony but hadn’t seen much love and attention lately. She was gentle and calm from the day she got off the trailer but one of the first things we noticed was that Squid was terrified of people touching her backside and back legs. There certainly must have been trauma of some kind in her past. The first appointment with the farrier was not a success, despite his patience with her. One of the top priorities in taking care of horses is keeping their feet in good condition and without pain. My dad always said, “No foot, No horse”. Being able to get her to trust again was of utmost importance so that we could have the farrier back again and get her feet feeling better. Hours were spent grooming her and practicing picking up her feet. We needed to just be with her. Sometimes trust is not easily built, it takes time and consistent reliable treatment. Horses really are a lot like people in some ways. The good news is that Squid has found a home where she feels safe and has a real purpose helping people learn skills that last a lifetime. Don’t tell the other horses but she is probably my favourite!
