It would not be long before my horse Krizta would have a companion, my next horse to come would be dear Cairo, a handsome chestnut Arabian, but before I can tell you a story or two about my beloved (but dangerous) Cairo, I have to tell you about Candy, the horse from hell.
One day an acquaintance called and asked if I could possibly board a horse for a friend of hers. I wanted to be agreeable to my acquaintance, who I realized might help me out someday too. The horses name was Candy. What could possibly not be sweet and agreeable about a horse named Candy? It never occurred to me that she would be any other way. I think I was taken in by the name. After I thought it over for a while I decided it would be a good idea for Krizta to finally have a companion. In hindsight (20-20 of course), this was another questionable decision on my part, but I’ve said I had a lot to learn about horses and the horse business back then! Of course, I should have looked into this horse much more closely before agreeing to board her. But since I had only one horse, and know that horses are herd animals and feel happier when other horses are around them, I agreed. Soon I would be wondering if somebody named this horse “Candy” in a fit of black humor (to match the horse!).
The arrangements went smoothly and the friend of my friend dropped her horse off at the farm. At first Candy seemed to be well behaved and it seemed that the horses got along well together, but this changed in a very short time. I had just had the amazing adventure with restoring my horse Krizta. In regard to Krizta I had been deceived by a horse trader, but at a higher level it had been an experience in healing all around that I would not trade for anything. It never occurred to me I was about to have a new kind of adventure with a horse named Candy that would put the old adventure with Krizta in the shade. Krizta had responded positively and became so healthy and well-adjusted that I think I had nearly forgotten about our situation at the beginning with her. I never dreamed I was about to be back to square one with my horse experience, and then some.
I soon discovered that Candy had so many bad habits that I lost count of them, having tried to list them all in my mind. After the first seemingly pleasant day, as soon as Candy got used to our farm, she lost no time in practicing every bad habit she had. It’s true I did not have a lot of experience with horses, as I told you, but especially not with horses like Candy! To my amazement I realized she had started to kick my little Arabian horse Krizta in the ribs so badly that I could clearly see the hoofmarks on my horse’s side. This alarmed me and caused my heart to sink. But I decided to keep my eye on them and tried to pretend away the evidence and hope it was not so. I believe I thought to myself that if I had healed Krizta, then if Candy had some bad habits and a feisty temperament, well then I would just find a way to improve things and train her out of it.
One day I saw Candy reach into the barn and pull out a whole hay bale with her teeth. Bales of hay are very heavy and cumbersome. I could hardly believe what I saw when she picked up the whole bale and shook it in the air. It looked like she was working out her frustration while shaking the bale till it fell apart. After that, she went after the next bale while at the same time chasing Krizta, who was of course interested in the hay from the bale that she had just ripped apart. It seemed that the peaceful days that I enjoyed with my horse Krizta had come to an end. Still, I remained hopeful.
Candy stirred up some trouble every day. One day Candy’s owner asked me if I could ride her to keep her training up, and I said sure, not knowing the danger that a horse like that could bring. If by now you think I was naïve, well you’re right. If you happen to be a horse expert, you may be wondering what in the world I was thinking and I can’t help agreeing with you. But if perhaps you were once a little like I was back then in the early days, just finding my way in the world that horses live in, then you might read my story of Candy with more sympathy as a cautionary tale. I saddled Candy up and to my astonishment and dismay she instantly turned into a real “bucking bronco.” I felt like I was in a rodeo as I flew off the saddle and tried my best to hang on. She bucked and bucked, but worse, she started to shake her body so violently that eventually she did send me flying into the air. As I was in midair I had a moment to hope to land safely, and I more or less did. I was shook up but okay. Before I hit the ground I vowed to never ride this horse again and I never did.
Still I kept Candy on, hoping to improve her temperament and because I still had no lead on a stablemate for Krizta. You know I did not have much experience in seeing an animal for just what it was, and as I told you, I had to my credit my success in bringing a very bruised and sick horse to health again.
