Sophie: The horse that wouldn't buck

Summer 2009 newsletter

by Wayne Geiger

Head shot of Sophie. Sophie enjoying better days.

Rodeo seems to be a part of the American West, attended and cherished by many who still have those romantic dreams of wide-open ranges, mountains and green meadows.

During the year, cowboys would round up the horses to “break” them into being fine cow horses and to show their bravado. Mostly, those days are gone, but continue on in arenas and rodeo grounds for entertainment and sport.

I suppose that many rodeo horses survive being broken, but what about the horses that don’t? For Sophie, an 11-year old, black and white paint mare, she wanted nothing to do with it. Instead of bucking out of the chute, she would run in terror. Exactly what happened to her is not known, but we believe she was shocked with a “hot shot,” whipped, strapped and maybe beaten.

What we do know for sure is that she does not trust people. It has taken nearly two months for me to be able to come close enough to pet her on her nose and only if she is munching on grain or carrots.

The words that would normally comfort a horse must mean something unsavory is going to happen to her. When using the command to “whoa,” she bolts. A simple pat with kind words…and she bolts.

To make matters worse, once it was decided by the previous owners to cut her from the “string,” it was reported that she was going to be abandoned in Eastern Oregon or taken to auction.

That is when a kind lady, with no barn or pasture, managed to back a trailer up to the stall she was found in and force her into a trailer. Sophie was put into another stall and eventually let out into a small pasture. This was only a temporary solution until a new home could be found. The new home she found was at the Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary.

Now, she spends her day with our older, gentler horses, grazing on our ten-acre pastures. Everyday, she is given some grain, soft words and a lot of patience. Happily, she now lets me pet her on her neck and stand at her shoulder. But
I can’t move too quickly, raise my voice, or say “whoa.”

In all of my years dealing with horses, I don’t believe I have ever seen a horse that is trying so hard, but can’t break through the abuses of the past. You can see the desire in her eyes, and it may take time for her to trust again, but it is time we have. She will never have to worry or be scared again.