Mac, the Curly & Trey

Submitted by: Sgt. Arlyne M. Page

I have a story about this little boy, named Trey. His mother and father went to prison because of drugs and have been incarcerated since he was very young. He has been in the custody of his grandparents ever since. Trey is a great kid but has suffered some of the affects of his parents drug use. One of his dreams was to ride a horse but he was a bit frightened. Mac, my Curly, is a wonderful horse to help kids get over their fear of horses. Mac is so patient with them and loves all the attention he can get. We're still working on trying to recover some of his tail hair using some of the methods that you suggested.

I've owned Mac since he was 6 months old. He is now 5 and is a wonderful addition to our family. Mac makes kids feel so comfortable. I've trained him so that a child can be placed in the saddle and given reins that are attached to the sides of the halter. I walk in front of him and tell the kids that when I tell him to go left they are to pull the left rein and when told to go right, pull the right rein. I walk in front and give him hand commands just before verbalizing the turn. He's probably just following me but it looks impressive. He will not move if they are afraid and in fact if we are walking and he feels that they are becoming frightened or uncomfortable, he stops and will not start again until I've grabbed the lead rope. He's wonderful. I have also never had a horse that has such a smooth gait. Everyone comments about his soft and gentle his eyes. 

 Sgt. Arlyne M. Page Osage Beach, Mo