Fly Away - HOME

My third son, Dustin, injured his shoulder last winter and couldn't work. Instead of coming back home to live, he chose to stay with a friend of his, the friend's mother, sister and her family. Dustin did end up moving back home to have shoulder surgery and has been living here the last 6 months.

A few weeks ago I was hoping to get some customers for my red-light therapy and thought, horses, have your owners call me!

Have you ever seen the movie, Fly Away Home? Well, I loved that movie, but hadn't seen it in years. About 3 weeks ago, it was on TV and I watched it. Then the girls got it out and watched it again. I've been subbing at school quite a bit, and when I went in to sub for Science, we were watching a movie, "Fly Away Home"! AGAIN? I thought to myself how weird it was that that movie kept popping up.

"B" at Hemphill's doesn't usually help people that have horses they need to place as she works at a place that sells them and it is a conflict of interest. However, a couple of weeks ago, she told me about a free TB/WB mare that needed a new home. A lame mare, 8 yo, lots of training, former X-country jumper. The current owner took her after she was injured as she was not heading anywhere good. Tried for 3 years to get her sound, no real luck. "No thank you" I said.

I have to go back to Hemphill's for grain this week. "Did you go see that mare?" B asks. No, I don't need another horse. I don't want another horse. I can't afford another horse. "I think you could really help her with your red-light therapy. It would be a great opportunity to see what it could do, a great project. She's got loads of training and she'll be put down if the owner can't find a home for her by the 6th. She doesn't want to, but has run out of options." So I go see the horse. Tall, skinny, knife necked, goose rumped, and very stiff and lame. Not my cup of tea. Very sweet disposition though, and a wonderful, kind eye.

I go back two days later to ride her, and brought my treatment system with me. She's still gimping badly, but was a doll to tack up and ride after loosening up a bit on the lunge. She rides okay for a lame horse. I scan and treat her and the owner says if she's not dead lame the next day, the therapy would have worked for her.

A couple days later I'm at Hemphill's again and B said the owner had just been in and was so impressed because the horse had steadily been improving, looking better the next day instead of more lame. Great, now I'm thinking I may have the one treatment that could really make a difference for this horse that's about to be put down. What to do? I'm down cleaning stalls, asking for guidence, when the thought of someone boarding her here popped into my head. I knew a couple of kids that really wanted horses but don't have a place for them that maybe interested in saving this one.

Later I'm talking to Dustin about what I should do and he mentioned the lady he'd been staying with this winter. I knew she loved horses and just blurted, does she want a horse? He said she'd actually been talking about getting a horse for the last few weeks, since they moved into a house with some land. Call her! She was very interested and after seeing her picture and hearing the story, she wanted to meet Fly Away. It was love at first sight, and as this lady has physical issues, the soundness issue of the horse doesn't bother her at all. She is so excited to finally have her own horse! This is something that she needs, something just for her, and I'm so pleased to be able to repay her for the kindness she showed my son all those months ago.

So, tonight, Fly Away is home.