A Suzi Story

 7.7.21

As Suzi became a little more trustworthy, I began to see a different pony emerge. There was still that huge distrust of humans that she had. This would never completely go away, and I understood that. She was amazingly brave in other ways though.

Suzi was just 12.2 hands tall and considered a small pony. She was a perfect size for the younger students and for me to occasionally hitch her to the teeny cart for a short drive. All of the drives we took were very fast ones. She had learned that the human was just going to leap onto the cart seat and off she would go. Trotting was her favorite speed, by the way... a Very fast trot. Typically an Amish driving pony, Suzi only knew one speed.  Then to stop and "wait" if needed, then to go back home - yes, again at 90 miles per hour. Wow, that pony could trot!  I *think* she may have been a Trottingbred pony but there was no proof whatsoever. 

One day, I thought that I might turn my new Percheron mare, Kara, out with Suzi. Suzi usually got along well with all horses and she was so short if she was nasty, it didn't really hurt anyone.  I put Kara out and then let Suzi lose in the same pasture.  Walking back towards the barn, I heard a squeal. It was Kara attempting to be the boss mare. I turned around and there they both were. Kara and Suzi- rumps close to the other one. Both began kicking and squealing like mad. I began laughing when I saw nothing was going to come of those two backing up to each other and attempting to kick one another.  Suzi's kicks were about 3 feet off the ground and Kara?   At 16.2 tall ??  Hers were shooting higher and right over Suzi's rear end. Neither one was going to make contact in the least!😆😅   Shaking my head at those two, I kept walking into the barn. It wasn't long before those two were grazing together and becoming best pals. I wish I'd thought to take a photo of Kara and Suzi together as they were both flea-bitten grey.

Suzi let everyone realize that she was a very fierce pony and not to be reckoned with. Ears would lay back flat in a second and a bite might happen so fast we never saw it coming until it hurt! One day, a riding student's mom had dropped her daughter off for her lesson. Suzi was grazing lose in the barn area and being peaceful.  Nothing cuter than a little speckled pony eating grass, right? The mom was talking to Suzi, telling her how beautiful she was and did Suzi want a scratch on her back perhaps? I mentioned to her to not bother the pony- that she isn't as sweet as she looks...  Mom paid me no attention and kept on walking over to pet Suzi.  POW- ears flat back, eyes glaring and a big leap towards Mom who jumped back faster than Suzi could aim her teeth. So long as everyone ignored her, life was good and the older students all knew this. Even the little ones knew to ask me to help 'catch' Suzi...  This Mom was a horsewoman also and while she knew about horses, she didn't know about Suzi. She was shocked at that little speckly pony being so nasty!  Tell ya what, though... she never approached that pony again, wanting to give her a pet.

I'm not saying that Our Suzi was a mean nasty pony that tried to bite everyone. Only some who were a little timid got a threat from her. Once they learned to stand up tall and behave as though they were in control of the situation, they were good to go Eventually that little mare became almost trustworthy towards most humans and learned to trust them more than most abused equines did. 

We all loved her cantankerous ways and wished we had known her before she had been sold at that auction.