He's smart about himself, but he is inquisitive and playful.

Ring, ring...ring, ring...
"Hello, um? is this Belda?" (I substituted the name)
"Yes, this is Belda." a polite French woman said on the other end of the phone.
"Hello, My name is Christine and I was referred to you by Blankity Blank and Blankity Blank. I hear that you take very fabulous care of your horses and I am looking to move my pony to a barn like that." I said.

"Ohhh..I dunno about zat. I don't want any boarders. I dont even like the ones I have now, I wish they would all leave..." Her lovely aged voice sounded irritated. She continued..."have you gone to check with SheeeeeARhd (some other French sounding sound)? he is out on Blankitson road."
I chuckled because I KNOW what this is...

"Yes, mam. I know of SheeeeeARhd and I have worked for him. I have ridden with him. I respect him. I have heard such great things about you and your horses that I'm sorry you have no room. I would really like to meet you." I retorted.

She actually chuckled and said "well, let me see...maybe we can work somezing out. My boarders only pay $*** because they help me out around the barn. I am old and I have things that I can not do all the work anymore. I call them my slaves (lol), my LOVING slaves..."

I was sitting at the end of her long driveway. I was planning on showing up unexpected but there was a gate. She let me in and showed me around. We had a very nice conversation and she told me that she does something that nobody else around does with their horses.

Belda gives them a warm mash and warm lemonade at night for dinner. They get the BEST 12% feed- NOT PELLETTS, some beet pulp, some alfalfa all mixed together with warm water. Then it is covered to "cook" while the lemonade is served in their buckets. She says that it relaxes them. I'm down.

I made plans to come back the next day and get the stall she had appointed to me ready for Dusty.

Originally, she said there weren't any paddock stalls left so he would be in a box stall. When I got there I was very happy because she moved one of her horses so that Dusty can have a paddock. I thought that was very nice.

I asked my friend and farrier, Matt to help me out. I needed to get a truck and trailer. I knew that he maybe had a truck to use, and I like making fun of his fat dog so, I thought it would be fun. We got to the Belda's barn with a load of tack. The plan was to use her truck, go to BFE to get the trailer, come back to move him a mile.

"Where iz zis place your barn?" she asked.
"oh, it's just right down the road, maybe a mile." I said to her as Matt looked at me with wide eyes she spoke the words that I already thought of...
"Well, zen, you wrap his leg up and can you walk him? he can use his leg right? Matt? ziz horse iz ze good horse noh?"

Instantly Matt says "YEAH. We'll walk him."
I'm like, helloooooo it's me? the horses OWNER?- "yah! I guess we could walk him. Lets do it"
"You go. Before traffice gets too heavy. You be fine." She sent us off.

Gulp. Hello? my five year old baby Thoroughbred hasn't trotted a line in two months and were gonna walk him? A mile? down the road? I needed a Xanex badly. Matt began making fun of me, so I cracked on his fat ass dog and it took my mind off of what was about to happen.

We started off down the road of the old barn and I pretty much told Matt to bugger off- "I'll take him." I told him when he tried to grab the lead rope. We walked down towards the horses on the end of the street and Dusty got a little lookie- nothing big, just looking. I got a little bit nervous. Kinda. Sorta. I felt a little tinge of adrenalin and handed the lead rope over. "I just want to watch him walk. I need to see him move" I said, as Matt continued with him from the long driveway onto the side of the road.

It was effortless. Dusty was so well behaved I couldn't believe it. Fed Ex trucks, Busses, Little girls running up to him, kids on bikes, dogs barking and running...he didn't even care. His eyes were wide but never any snorting or excited-ness. He loves new things. He's smart about himself, but he is inquisitive and playful.

Something else good came out of the walk. The swelling on his leg had come down more than it was with anything that I was doing to it. More proof that horses NEED to be moving around.