Baileys, Bailey-Boo, Boo-Boo-no matter what you call me I will greet you with my adorable knicker, secretly hoping you have something delicious in your pocket. When I first heard that I was not going to Florida with my Dad, but instead was going to some girl named “Katie’s” house, I was miffed. I had visions of palm trees and grass pastures for my winter, not heavy blankets and sub-zero temps. Little did I know this “Katie” was a zillion times better than Florida. (Sorry Dad!)
I was a little unsure of going to a new place, but when I found out first off, she’s an equine massage therapist (um… Yes, please!). Second, she co-owns an equine rehab center which is basically like living in horsey heaven. We have brilliantly designed hay feeders that stay full all day long. Which is great, because I live to eat! Our stalls are picked multiple times a day, and without fail when I get a new bag of shavings, I’m down rolling in them within 30 seconds. I’m only seven, but I pretend that I am older and wiser in hopes that Katie will let me stay here a little longer! She mentioned to me that she has been able to lease a few awesome schoolmasters in order to teach her the ropes of the jumper ring- but was excited to try a younger man like me! I’m hoping that if I play my cards right, maybe I can stay here a little longer as I do love the program so much. I definitely up the charm in the stable, and I think she has been noticing!
Katie has spent a lot of time figuring out what I need to be happy, healthy, and comfortable. She had a hunch that my stomach wasn’t feeling good and thank goodness because she was right! Thankfully her business partner seems to have a graduate degree in ulcer care so they were able to get me feeling better in no time. My favorite part of living at the rehab center is all the different activities I get to do in a day. I don’t even have time to get into trouble because they are taking me from an hour on the Eurociser, to the Vitafloor, lunch, turnout, solarium… my calendar is quite full. When I first got here I had a few stiff spots here and there. Katie was able to pinpoint them pretty quickly and address them with chiropractic work, acupuncture, massage, and the soft tubes they lay over me that click- I think they call it Magnawave.You might even notice me dozing off in the cross ties because I feel so relaxed!
My body is feeling great, I love the attention we get all day, and I’ve almost grown out of my blanket because my muscles keep growing-all this and I’ve been here less than 6 months! I am happy to do my job simply because I feel great and the environment is fantastic for learning. We get to have fun outdoor paddocks, awesome treatments that make us feel good, and an abundance of rings and jumps to continue growing my muscles! The past 6 months have been fantastic, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Katie & I.