This year, we said goodbye to the wonderful Gramma. Gramma was the ripe old age of 30. I bought her in September 2020, knowing our partnership would be a short one, but something just attracted me to her. I kept seeing her face on the website of Second Chance Cheekeye Ranch and knew I had to meet her. She was well loved and looked after at the ranch, but it is busy and this girl was surrendered by her family and I wanted her to live her final years in a quiet spot where she would be spoiled rotten.
What I didn't realise with Ms Gramma is how bloody stubborn and feisty and wonderful and cuddly and what an amazing therapy horse she would be. This girl taught me so much in the short time we had together. Primarily how fast she could go when she wanted grass, how she thought it was funny if she galloped into her shelter, making as much noise as possible, therefore scaring the bejesus out of all the other horses in the immediate vicinity (usually Henry, who would then shoot off with me behind him). How she would literally growl if she couldn't get her own way, ie had not finished eating her daily quota of grass. Only Gramma knew what that quota was and she wasn't going anywhere until it was filled.
She loved kids, adored them. Little girls, couldn't get enough of. Having little girls brush her for hours made her very happy. They could poke, prod, brush, fuss for as long as they wanted. She knew they would take their time with her, had no where to be, were in the moment and could just be. The joys of being a kid.
In sessions, she was a mirror, she told you your truth, whether you wanted to hear it or not. She worked with her body language, but she also would just impart her knowledge to you. It used to blow me away again and again. I would have her with a client, they may be brushing her and she would move away, telling them they were not congruent. I would tell the client to step back, breath, close their eyes, feel their feet on the ground and just see what their body was telling them. Gramma would hold space for them, guiding them through their body. When she felt they had made headway, she would walk over, trundle or gallop down to the bottom of her turnout and roll until she had released all that energy out of her. It was quite a beautiful sight to see. Even when the client felt they had got to a point, she would pull them back until she had finished with the client.
Grams had very strong boundaries as well. She did not do grief or sadness. She had had enough in her life and didn't want to have anymore. We respected that. Ironically, those who had grief or were sad navigated towards her for comfort. Gramma had other ideas on that!
Gramma had arthritis in all her legs and eventually this was her demise. She was uncomfortable, sore and ready to go. I had been having some personal issues and with that came with grief and sadness. Knowing how Gramma was not happy to support that, I had ensured I had not put that on her and also due to said personal stuff going on, I wasn't listening to my herd. Anyway, we had a little chat one evening when I was able to take a breath and asked if she was done. She took a deep breath and sighed as if to say, finally, you are listening. A week later we said goodbye. She went so very peacefully.
I will miss this temperamental old lady, but I loved her a lot. In Gramma fashion, she had briefed the herd she was done and not to grieve her, they all settled after she left. She has left a large gramma hole at the barn, but will never be forgotten. She was such a good sport, being dressed up for Halloween, wearing fairy crowns for her birthday and just being who she was.
Sleep well my sweet girl, say hello to Rumor and Hearts for me. Love you.
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