Special Bond with Buddy

Our family continued to spend massive amounts of time volunteering with RVR Horse Rescue and spending time with Buddy and Sunny. We are blessed to live in the general vicinity of where RVR is located which has afforded us the opportunity to spend our free time volunteering and spending time with Buddy and Sunny. During this time, we were paying close attention to the needs and financial commitment required when you have horses. We felt comfortable with the financial commitment to proceed with the sponsor to adopt program with RVR for Buddy. We understood that there was a significant financial requirement and we wanted to make sure we did not get in over our heads to quick so that we could make sure we could handle the requirements for the horses before having the complete responsibility and time requirements.
  Buddy and I have become very close at this point. Many days I would just go to the barn to just see how he was doing. Often times I would be frustrated because I am not a person who allows people to get close to me on the inside and I am often cautious with allowing people get too close due to the things I have dealt with in my life. Isolating myself in this environment has taken over a part of me where in many cases I feel like I had no where to turn or anyone to talk to. On Veteran's Day (typically a day of reflection for me) I was feeling many mixed emotions and decided that I would feel better if I just went to the barn and saw "The boys". My wife Amanda and I went to the barn and when we arrived, Sunny was doing his own thing and Buddy was at the hay box eating hay. Amanda went off and saw Sunny while I climbed into the hay box and talked with Buddy. It was truly amazing to sit and vent all of my emotional feelings to Buddy. Buddy looked at me with this compassion as if I thought I was completely defenseless to his ability to see right into my soul. After a period of just talking and his complete attention to me (between bending to get a mouth full of hay) I realized at that point I had a friend that no matter the circumstances was there to listen. There was a point however, where I think even he had enough. At that point I started catching hay being blown all over me and his playfulness starting to come out. This was the point where I do believe that he was totally working to make me cheer up and have a great day. This has become a regular occurrence now. I find days where there are things on my mind and experiences that I have had that often people just don't understand but I know that Buddy is right there waiting and never gets tired of my company.

  Many times, people who have not had the experience of a relationship with a horse tend to think of them as live stock or another type of animal with minimal purpose. Spend enough time with a horse to establish a mutual trust with a horse and I will show you a relationship that will be priceless and you will cherish for the rest of both your lives. Horses are complete relational creatures that merely look for structure and an environment where they can experience compassion, love, and trust. Horses are flight animals because they are often prey. Establish a close relationship that I have just described and that horse will go to the ends of the earth for you. Establishing just the slightest understanding for the relationship Buddy and I have will change your life. If this is something you feel appealing and you live in the area of RVR Horse Rescue, opportunities for you to be a "Barn Buddy" is available for horses that need a friend just like Buddy. You can contact RVR Horse Rescue for further information.