# Daphne's Story



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

I was not sure where to begin when I opened this thread to to start sharing the Daphne an I's story and then I was looking at a photo...where this big fluffy creature is sticking their tongue out at me...and I sat there and stared at it realizing it had been a month to the day of putting my last horse down that I snapped this picture not knowing whatsoever.....that that creature with a ton of hair and attitude and sass to scare any sane rider away and yet there I stood....with a pocketful of cookies galore to win the beast of a horse over.

At the time my heart was broken into so many pieces and my head hurt and my body was tired from the crying.
I did not want to go and work any horse, let alone this creature who had no idea of what the words "personal space" meant...But I had gotten a call from a family friend saying hey, can you help get Daphne ready to sell in the spring? So I trudged out in the snow and freezing cold to see what kind of shape this "thing" was in. 

I had known the horse since she was 2 years old. I knew both her parents. Dam being a plain yet EXUBERANT Thoroughbred bay mare. Sire being ......well if he was a person he would be a on the cover for dreamy fabio type guys ....okay but he is a 17H blood bay Shire stallion who was pretty much an iconic "thing" in the tiny town I live. 

It was cold. I missed my Ollie like none other and this thing looking at me was nothing like him. 
"why am I out here?" I kept asking myself as I tried to warm my hands up...

The horse was big. Fat. Rather round. VERY OBESE. What where these people feeding this thing.....or was she about to pop with shire twins...

"I could be in bed" I told the horse who was just standing there starring at me like a deer in the headlights

We stood there starring at each other for awhile. I remember loosing feeling of my fingers and toes.

Fat. Fuzzy.

"Can you come here please so I can see you better" I asked the big mare while slowly extending my frozen hand with a carrot in it.

That fat thing took off like someone was trying to kill her, squealing the whole time....her hooves thundered up the hill and with there being still a bit of snow and all it make this amazing echoing sound that struck me in a way that makes you draw a deep breath in ....just wow. I looked across the field to see a couple paints and bays and chestnuts running across the field to meet her at the top of the hill.....on the other side of the fence....because oh my the way the fat thing....doesn't play well with others.

"Ill take that as a NO...." I said as I started walking back up to the top of the pasture.

Walking up my head was down and I looked at the imprints in the snow...I put my own foot inside the big round hoof mark in the snow.....if you had been there I am sure you'd say my eyes grew 3 sizes bigger.

"I am out here. In the freezing cold. Looking at the fattest horse I have yet to see and it doesn't even want this stupid carrot" I grumbled to myself...by now I had no feeling in my feet but under the many layers of fleece and leggings and big jacket I was huffing and puffing sweating as if I was my own sauna. I was not pleased.

I got to the top and by now the fat thing called horse is eyeing me a good twenty feet away I am sure thinking...."with that mood you can just leave! I didn't ask you to come in my pasture!" 

Well that walk back up the hill in the cold with ten pounds of clothing on made me hungry so I bit into the carrot....cause if that fat thing doesn't want a healthy snack I will...
Suddenly there was a huge snort and breath behind me and I felt this presence.

I turned around I am sure again with my eyes at least 3x the normal size.

That fat thing was a stealthy ninja fat thing cause how it got from point A to point B without me hearing it thunder its way over in the ten second time frame from looking at her to taking a bite of carrot....

"How did you....get...from there...to here..."

I am pretty sure at this time I was coming up with thoughts that she had invisible helicopter wings....or maybe she slid in the snow over to me....or .....

I bit into the carrot again....intrigued with how such a fat thing could be so...silent

"Hi" I said while looking for the Pegasus wings she maybe was hiding...

She nodded her head as if to say Hi back and then stuck her nose way out toward my carrot (yes mine, remember she ran away when I offered it to her before) 

"No" I said firmly.... referring to the carrot 

She stepped closer....suddenly I realized....it is me or the carrot.

I turned back around marched a few feet toward the gate...

She was RIGHT behind me....

I took another bit of the carrot...

BAM...I had a fat nose push my shoulder, and hard might I add.

I turned around to face the fat thing....

She stared at me. HARD. THE FAT THING IS BEGGING. like a golden retriever.

I bit another piece off...Then I saw her eyes get bigger as if to say "What! I wanted that piece! How dare you!"

I decided to spit it out and offer it to her....

What felt like an eternity later....How I was not a Popsicle by this time I am not sure...but after thoroughly inspecting the treat, my hand, my sleeve, my shoulder, my hair, and hat, then my feet and then back to the treat and then boldly starring me in the face she took the carrot....and half my hand.....

Was she a human eating thing.....that must be why she is SO FAT.

I decided that was enough for the day and would come back the next day to investigate further.

I turned around, exited the pasture. When I turned back around to have a final look at her highness in all her fatness I was shocked to see this horse standing there STICKING HER TONGUE OUT AT ME.....

"You're gonna be...different" to work with I said.....I am sure I said it in tone of voice that would make your friends mother look at you wondering if they should be worried their own kid will cope a tude like yours....

And THAT is how our story started. Had you told me I was looking at my next horse I would have peed myself laughing.


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 2 Catching the Fatness*

So the picture I posted last obv. there was no snow, that pic was from later on but I at some point had that picture oh her in the snow sticking her tongue out at me!

The next day I come with an so many carrots they where falling out of my pockets every few steps I took.

I grabbed my rope halter, the one with a 12ft lead attached.....cause who knew how easy this fat thing was going to be to catch.

An hour after slipping, triipping, going up...then back down....to trudge back up the hill....run back down....you get the picture.

I HAD CAPTURED THE WILD FAT THING!!! 

At least I wasn't cold right?

The look on the wild fat things face....well I am glad that rope was LONG.

If I was not handing her highness FATTY MC FATTTY....a carrot, those fluffy fuzzy wild ears where not pointed at me but back....and her big fat nose was not in her personal space bubble but in MINE....WRINKLED.....READY to snatch the carrot holding hands....


"Well aren't you JUST lovely" I said to her while trying to dodge teeth or a big nose tempting to get the next carrot out to bribe her with to walk nicely next to me.....

Snarling so to speak.....ears mostly pinned...stomping BIG feet....swishing her tail and HUNTING me down for food.....I still was not convinced she hand not eaten the last human to venture out as far as her paddock and get eaten! HOW else could she be THAT FAT. 

I managed to escape with all fingers and anything that resembled a carrot that really was body part.

When I got home my mom (who at the time was recovering from open heart surgery) said.....I wasn't sure if you'd gotten eaten or sat on......I hadn't even thought of that....I BET THE FAT THING COULD SIT ON ME!

I replied with "Don't give that thing any ideas, I am starting to thing she is related to Mobey ****'s wale who swallowed HIM!"

This game of "catch me if you can" went on for about a week or so....and four bags of carrots.

It slowly dwindled down in the time it took me to catch her.....although it was almost more frustrating cause you could see in her eye it was THE BEST FUN SHED EVER HAD *insert annoyed flat voice*

Everyday my mom would laugh as I entered the house and inform me she was sure I was doing more "running" than when I was in schhol and had P.E (and used every excuse in the book and then some to NOT RUN.

At least she and the FAT thing where amused....

As you can see the LOVELY SWEET NATURED ADORING CUDDLY look on the WILD FAT THING'S face once captured...meanwhile I am grinning ear to ear whispering VICTORY AT LAST.....yes every time.


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 3 It's a bed! It's a couch!! Its a recliner!!...Um guys...It's her back..*

The days turned into weeks. I realized after a couple weeks I wasn't hurting as bad but the second it dawned on me tears would stream down my face and Id feel like I couldn't breath and I missed him, my heart horse who I had still so recently lost, to a brain tumor. 

The cold winter weather hurt my body on top of it all. The injuries from the accident leading up to my heart horses diagnosis had been severe, I had been temporarily paralyzed on the left side. I had a nasty concussion, and come to find out fractured my back in not 1 not 2 but 5 separate places and nothing could be done cause it wasn't "That bad" ad was healing on its own. But I was to stay off horses for a bit longer. (this riding accident happened in summer 2015, I had already taken close to a year off from any saddle time.)

I was now allowed to catch, and groom the WILD FAT THING....who had some major crankiness....

When I say grooming I really mean I was allowed to pet her neck....and look at her FAT tummy and FAT .....hind end for lack of a better word. 

If I dared go in the FAT zones....ears would be pinned and a rather large hind leg would (somehow) swing UP AND OUT AIMED at me....I will admit it was funny to see the WILD FAT THING able to move in such a way, I will give her credit...no wild animals would win when it came to attacking her....I would genuinely feel bad for what ever tried to eat her.....If she did not kick, bite, chase I am sure she would resort to sitting on them if she couldn't EAT them.

Many brands and flavored of cookies....and bags of carrots later ( not cause I thought getting her fatter would slow her down from eating me alive) But was simply a way to make peace between us....she let me start grooming more parts of her body.

Don't get me wrong I was under a close eye and if a brushed strayed half an inch into the DON'T YOU DARE THINK OF TOUCHING ME THERE zone...I would be given a fair warning before WWIII was launched onto my OWN hind end, again lack for better word.

After a few more weeks I was convincing her that chasing me up and down the pasture hill was a fun game and indeed got her MORE cookies. (really we where starting to work on a bit of fitness and the start of ground work and the world PERSONAL SPACE) 

I took a few pictures one of those days....thinking this will be a good reference to a before photo....

I will let you guys caption them all on your own. hehe 

Might I add she was still almost daily sticking her tongue out at me as if she was the one making fun of me...not the other way around. She was in the beginning stages of maybe tolerating me around her. LOL


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 4 If the girth fits...*

So by now it's April. We are tolerating each other as long as I all my pockets and brush bag is FULL of goodies. 

NOT at all food motivated. STILL FAT, but now I have a shedding tool that is like MAGIC. So the winter fuzz is becoming less and less ....and my clothes covered more and more in all of it....and my car...

I decide that 4 months of ground work earned us the right to go to the next level....TACK. 

Well being a still FAT THING I was sure my girth's from my previous horse would not fit.....BUT I had my dressage saddle and girths...


We found a winner, and I am pretty sure it was as lucky as a winning lotto ticket.

To my complete surprise I did get eaten, kicked, stepped on, sat on or .....anything when I girthed her up.

I must be onto something....

don't get to ahead of yourself....the girth was on the first hole each side and still...SNUG

After a few sessions of getting all our tack sorted and fitting for the most part I decided it was time for us to put our big girl panties on....and leave the farm to the local and near by round pen.

I don't know how to this day I can still hear......the lungs of the FAT THING

We did not agree that leaving home was a good idea....

THE WILD FAT THING DOES HAVE OTHER EMOTIONS THAN ANGER....who'da thunk that. 

All the ground work. MONTHS of it paid off. though it wasa struggle she did her best to listen, and we danced our way and screamed our way (THE WHOLE WAY SCREAMING) to the park and we started round penning.... 

Did you know FAT THINGS CLIMB

YUP. 8ft high paneled round pen.....

"Screw you tiny human I am leaving" and she would start climbing while screaming out of the round pen.... I am sure my eyes where 3x their normal size. We managed to keep her conatined in the round pen and she quickly learned the holder of all cookies was in the middle of the round pen and if we trotted and jiggled our FAT BODY around and around and around we may have a cookie tossed on the ground for us. 

One day I got brave enough to bring a friend (just incase the FAT THING tried any funny business)

I climbed UP and SAT on the FAT thing.

"I am going to rip my pants" I declared from way up high

"You're doing the straddle!" hollered my friend from WAY DOWN BELOW 

"My hips feel like they are going to dislocate any minute! I hollered back down

(I was now in the clear to ride from my drs)

I got even braver and asked her to walk.... and we walked....and then stopped and refused to move

"Now what" asked my friend from way down below....

"Come lead her around and feed her cookies" I instructed her from what felt like mnt Everest 

She (my friend) looked at me strangely....now that I think of it I am sure she was not sure if the FAT thing would try to eat her too.

IT WORKED THOUGH

VICTORY! 

I had my first ride on the FAT THING!

Many pats and good girls and cookies where given for her deciding to NOT eat or sit on us! 
Might I add....That first ride was in a HALTER. Thats right!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 5 From Then to Now*

A lot has happened between that very cold first day of our partnership together.

Starting as project to become a sale horse as the owner just didnt have time.

Now we are in the works of tranfering her into my name and with the hopes that THE FAT THING aka Daphne, the lovely big bay babe to become a show horse one day.

We have trimmed her weight up a bit and shed out into a sleek and dappled summer coat. Cleaned up and less like a mop.

We look civilized and like we know what we are doing!

We are solid walking and trotting and almost cantering! We are trail riding and road riding no problem! 

We have overcome a lot of hurdles in our path and now are bestest of friends!

This girlfriend has more hair products than I do!

She still gets a lot of cookies cause she is trying and working so very hard!

We have weekly lessons and LOVE THEM!

I do very much hope you laughed, snorted and giggled your way through this story and encourage you to check back often, as we have only just begun our journey together!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Video, FAT THING GOT MOVESSSSS*

This is from my lesson on the 20th of June, very simple and this was our 2nd lesson and about 10th ride together.


----------



## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

She is quite lovely!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 6 More Dieting, exciting news and HUGE progress!*

The fat thing and I have been having such a great week!!

I could not be more proud of the big bay babe who has made such a turn around in the past seven months.

Today her owner and I met with the vet who came out to do the annual check up for shots and schedule any teeth floating apts and collect fecal samples. We love our vet. He has known Daphne since DAY 1 as he was there when she was conceived 11 years ago.

He was super impressed with her and how she looks and told me I am on the right track. Thankfully she does not yet need her teeth done and was great for her shots and was told to remain on a diet so I may start playing with ideas of a hay net to slow her down and add in a couple more riding days even if that means just nice easy trail rides, she is for sure LOVING going out more and more.

Yesterday we had our lesson and I decided to ride her in the big outdoor instead of the covered even though it was hot. I did this because I felt she was ready to try cantering again after two solid months of trot work and getting her stronger and more confidant in herself and her body.

In the past we have cantered in the big outdoor, even though that was back in April!

We had THE best warm up on our own before our coach arrived and I was able to work on my body and how to sit better, stronger in order to help her and could feel her settle/relax and stretch instantly.

It was like washing a dirty white fence and seeing clean sprakle through while you rinse the crud off! 
We had the best tempo, I was able to add more outside rein as we have been doing a lot of inside bend and she has started for herself straightening out and seeking more contact.

We had Lots of stretching strides and I could feel that huge back lift and her step under. I felt like I was going to be gently bounced right out of the tack and was able to allow myself to go with her and relax my arms to not have tension or pull back. We had two great down transitions to walk where I just waited for her to come to me. 

THEN...

WE CANTERED!!! and we got it fairly quickly! we rode it like we where cowboys but hey it wasn't stopping and humping our back! We went to the right first and she picked up the left lead so that will be working on that. To the left she picked it right up and was very in tune to my body. but we went all the way around and she was so proud of herself!!!! 

She was so focused she refused to eat her reward when offered.....suddenly we are all about WORKING, hey I am NOT complaining! 

After a long walk break and catching my breath, we went back to some trot and I set her up for some intro baby leg yields and after a few times she caught on and I was shocked at how quick she picked up....it was like she was saying "hey look I can move my body like this....and like this....and it is really cool....look!" and we had to MAKE her stop and call it a day in the arena! 

We have one more lesson and I hope to get a couple rides in before it but I am rather busy.
After next weeks lesson I will be taking a break from them for about a month or so and just working on the things we have introduced to her, and then coming back for more as my coach has a busy summer show sched with her two horses. 

The other BIG FAT NEWS....

August 1st she ..the fat thing....Daphne.....WILL BE SIGNED OVER TO ME!! I will officially be momma to the diva draft! I am still in shock and part of me is is so protective over my emotions to get closer to her as I lost my last horse two years ago....


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 7 Fungus, time off and exciting news*

They never said horsemanship was easy....nor was owning a horse easy....But I already well knew this. Not my first rodeo...Always humbles you though does it not?

We will start with the GREAT AWESOME NEWS!
MONDAY! That is the day! The day Daphne legally, officially on paper becomes MINE!!! So excited! 

As for the lovely F word.....FUNGUS! :evil: Her owner did come out a couple weeks ago and really wanted to get her huge chestnuts off....well she didn't think about how coconut oil in large amounts when left on skin esp in HOT weather....effects said horse....She didn't wash the excess away like she should have and now her left leg from the back of her knee down has huge patches of hair missing....*shakes head*

I thankfully caught it in time to run and gran anti fungal wash and salve....spent 40 minutes carefully taking the dead peeling skin/hair off and then washed the crap out of it...in a gentle manner....lol then for two days 2x day applied the salve after getting more skin/hair off between applications, now for the past 3 days I have tried to keep as little gunk on it as possible and just carefully taking the crud off as it comes and spraying alcohol on it to kill and clean any tiny cuts/infections/more nasty crap and it really seems to be working! Today I applied a little bit of T tree oil in hopes that would sooth and help the process. The first day I found the patches on the leg I decided straight up was time for an all around bath scrub down!

As for the time off part of the title....yeah my bad I went out of town for 4 days and had not ridden her 2 days prior and then did not ride her 4 days after.....10 days off is now WAY to much and I was in the dog house....apparently grooming and kisses was simply NOT enough. lol

We had lots of....discussions when I asked for canter....BUT we in the end GOT IT! Might I even add that we got the correct lead both ways. We shall see how we do today!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 7 Part 2! She offered CANTER!*

So I had to pop on and give a quick shout out to the mare! Home from our ride and OMG SUCCESS AH! This girl so smart and really thinks on things over night!

I had a great trail ride up to the arena, she looked pretty pooped still from yesterday so was planning on a quick 20 to 30 min ride.

She offered canter!
THAT'S RIGHT!

BOTH WAYS...the best transitions to date and we did it twice...okay the second time either way was more "prove to me we can do this again, I got you, I know you got this!" And she didnt throw a fit....I didn't push it and threw my EQ out the window, went to cowboy riding and on the buckle, posted really big and we did it! Lots of praise and pets!


So hoping tomorrow we can just get some more trot work out done, she was so plugged in today!

Just love this girl more and more!


----------



## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

Daphne is so pretty! Drafty types are the best, aren't they?


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

Yes they are! I gave her today off as a reward and cause it was so dang HOT! We will be up in the arena by 9am when the clouds are still giving us a cooler temp before the sunshine bakes us!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

I have so much to share but have to rush out to work, my last post was on the 21st, 10 days later we have had the biggest most honest shift in our work! OMG I am so happy!!

We have 9 weeks until our first dressage show together!! With the amount of energy she has I am thinking two tests will be no issue! Wondering if this keeps up if we can do a warm up intro test and then focus on training level depending on how far our relaxation and transitions are coming.

I am frustrated about her hooves, and hoping that her farrier and I can really get this crack (does't make her lame hasn't gotten worse but just wont go away!) We have a farrier apt this week and I may have to bite the bullet on getting karatex hoof harder. 

I also will be having to bite the bullet on a nice fly sheet as this last week her itchies from thread worms....ugh I did worm her. so hoping that helps and will be fallowing up again with more this week and next week, talked to our vet so we hoping to help her itchy body....like rubbing her mane out and tail and its so hard to watch cause she can not help but itch so hard....not like I can be mad!

I also was able to switch her slowly this week over to a low starch and low sugar grain, I pre made all her "grain/supp" feedings for the week so I know exactly what she is getting and that it was fed or not fed. 

Alright I am running off to work or ill sit here and babble for much longer! Pictures and Videos to come! Our clinic with Lisa Boyer was AMAZING! could not be happier!!


----------



## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

Looking forward to pictures and videos!


----------



## TouchingTheStars (Jan 25, 2016)

*Ch. 8 Lisa Boyer Clinic*











This videos are from the clinic and the canter photo as well. 

I gave her two days off thinking she would be pooped after two hard days. NOPE! Last night she was ready to go and we had even more canter in store and it was more balanced and she felt stronger. 

This clinic was such a great addition to our training and honestly feel it may have been the best clinic lesson I have yet to ride in! 

The day before the clinic I decided to take another shot at getting her to canter...two days before that we had cantered and it was better then the time before and so I felt like it was worth a shot....she was so amped that day that I decided on the trail to the park to get some trot in....well then she was so good I added more leg and we cantered! She loved it! There was no sucking back, no pinning her ears or bracing her neck upward! So then we did some easy light trot work in the arena and I again asked for canter, BAM right away got it, both ways two times each! went back to some good easy trot work and she was stretching. While I gave her long walk break we wondered to the covered area, where I knew the clinic would be held and we hadn't been in that arena in a couple weeks so I wanted to not bling side her for the clinic. We walked in.....got some trot in, she was so relaxed but forward still and so I tempted fate hoping I was going to **** her off by asking for too much....Canter, even better than in the outdoor!! Both ways again!! HOLY CRAP! :runninghorse2::dance-smiley05:

Even on the long rein walk back home she was so proud of herself and was ready to go still! I was so so so happy!!!

So then it was clinic day Friday the 28th and I felt the lesson was going to one of two ways, either we could continue the path of loving cantering and a new work ethic or..... she would feel pressured, overwhelmed and defensive. Either way I was ready and felt if she chose option B, then I would get good tools and help on working her through and helping support her but getting her through it and if she gave me ready to lets do this we would get help on the canter and tools to help keep that going!

She chose option A and we had our own little cheering squad! I got some great help with more warm up exercises, and how to help when she gets wiggly/quick and distracted. I was so so proud of how she handled it and her work ethic through it as it was pretty dang hot as well! I also am so happy cause I feel like my coach set us up for this clinic very well yet at the same time it had been a good 2 or more weeks since our last lesson. Cloud 9.....no try cloud 16! She got a very well deserved two days off and pampered during those days.

Last night we went out for our first ride since the clinic and she was on fire! Snorting and practically drug me to the horse park....I almost felt like she didn't like having two days off haha

So we get up there and she was trotting in place while we opened the arena gate....:rofl::rofl:

Great warm up, had to toss my dressage whip, really focus on my tempo of my body and breath very deep. great warm up, asked for canter and it was as if she has been cantering all summer long.....

"why are you thinking maybe I wont canter? like ill stop and kick out?" - Daphne

"um.....well....actions speak louder than words and from past experience...." - me 

"No NO I got this, hold on here we go! look what I can do!" - Daphne

And so we cantered....a lot! both ways, two times. 

She was tired but didn't want to admit it until we got all the way home and I was off her. Its so funny she loves our rides now when before I am pretty sure she only tolerated them....because there was cookies involved!

So that is that! I am off to set up for a party and jump clinic for my trainer tomorrow and then off to let her take me for our ride lol 

Next week we are going to free jump her!


----------



## EagleStar7 (Jul 31, 2017)

She's such a pretty girl! I've always dreamed of owning a draft horse. Looking forward to seeing more of her.


----------

