Willow

This week we are featuring a 15.2 hh Rocky Mountain/ Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse named Willow. She is bay with a white star, 3 white stockings and beautiful, kind eyes.

Willow is 19 years old and lives at Jim and Donna Christie's home, just south of Guelph, Ontario. Willow has two other herd members - a Rocky Mountain mare and a Rocky Mountain gelding named Trigger, who was our July 2nd, 2007 Horse of the Week.

Donna has this to say of her horse.

"Willow is a very sweet lady - gentle, friendly and good-natured. She is eager to please, whether being directed from the ground or the saddle. She enjoys human contact and is always the one who watches for us to approach the barn paddocks each morning, greeting us with a soft and welcoming nicker. On the worst winter mornings, that greeting makes our efforts more than worthwhile!

Willow has had several very beautiful foals and is an incredible mom. Right now she takes responsibility for looking out for the herd whenever Trigger, the gelding in charge, is too busy eating to do his job. Willow is very bonded to the second mare and spends many happy moments engaged in mutual grooming. The three often hang out in the wooded paddock in the darkness of night. As we call out 'star light, star bright ' it is Willow's bright white star that gives away their location, as it appears to be luminous in the deep dark.

We are fortunate to be able to work with the amazing horseman Ron Chauvin - all our horses are developing a solid foundation of training using natural horsemanship methods. Willow, her barn mates and us are being guided to a new level of understanding and communication. It is a wonderful and a rewarding journey that we are on together with our horses."

Congratulations to Willow for being our August 6^th, 2007 Horse of the Week!