I had just purchased a very short, very chubby Appaloosa mare. Shonee was certainly cute enough within her roly-poly white body that was completely freckled with black spots. Yet the true reason for the sale by her previous owner—of one week—was the mare’s nearly complete refusal to turn or stop at her rider’s request. Certainly, those are both truly important features for a kid’s horse to have! Nevertheless, there was something about her that spoke to me. Initially, she appealed to me because of her goofy stature. She was not only disproportionately short for her body; she was also incredibly strong. The first time I saw her, I nearly laughed out loud. Her front legs were separated by a huge chest. The gap between her knees was nearly wide enough to park a Volkswagen! Her body was so large and her legs were so short that she looked a bit like a white, freckled minibus with legs! Oddly enough, it was a combination I had been looking for. As silly as this seemed, her ridiculous conformation, the overall picture of how she was put together, was an important feature in my mind … because most of the disabled kids that we work with are also short and “round.”
What do You think about Bridge Called Hope (2012)?
