The eye of a trusting horse is soft and dark, and that’s what I see in this photo of my horse that my friend Tom Brennan sent last night.
Tom’s student is leasing Sunny through the spring, and I’m grateful that he’s under the care of someone I’ve known for more than 30 years and trust. I’ve had Sunny since he was a yearling, and this June he’ll be 10. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed since I first photographed him as a foal. He’s grown up to be a trustworthy and quiet horse, quite unlike he was in his youth.
Early on, I wasn’t sure how he would turn out. He was the most difficult in the crop of 3-year-olds for colt starter Jose Alejos. He was virtually uncatchable, shy and spooky. It took Jose two solid days to get Sunny to submit to him, and watching them work it out was stressful. I knew Jose’s reputation was golden, but still the process was hard to watch, as two strong wills converged.
Sunny was still a challenge throughout his youth, with a penchant for spooking and bolting. But, when he turned 6, everything changed. After a solid year of showing, trail riding and lots of flatwork, he began to relax and become the quietest and most trustworthy horse I’ve ever owned.
Some of my favorite memories of our years together were the long trail rides we took through the Francis Marion National Forest, where just the two of us would explore, trotting and cantering down long sand paths to see where they took us. I’d sometimes bring my binoculars and bird watch while we walked, and all but once Sunny was perfectly behaved. The exception was one day when he spooked at some sound in the bushes and spun me off. Thankfully, he stopped and stood waiting while I got up and remounted.
I miss those days with him but know that it was time for him to explore on his own and find someone else to teach. He now has a 12-year-old girl to love him and learn from him how to ride, show and trust a horse. I see in his eye that he’s content in his world and with Tom, and that says it all.