STAR’S STORY                                                            [back]

    “Star is not working out in the lesson program.  Either you buy him or he will be sold at the end of the month,” Sally informed me about Star Design, the flea-bitten thoroughbred I had been happily half-leasing for several months.  What to do?  On one hand, riding different lesson horses was to me a lot like dating - there comes a time when you just want to settle down, in the case of riding, with one horse.  On the other hand, I lived and worked in New York City and had a weekend house in Madison, CT.  From that perspective, the last thing I needed was a horse in Mystic!  Was I nuts? 

    But Star and I were getting along very well, and I enjoyed having him to ride. He’s “educated” which is good for me.  He did and does have “heaves” - COPD - which Dr. Anderson advised me was fundamentally a management problem, meaning it was best for him to live outside year round and that he could require medication to clear his airways and lungs.  Because I could not be at the barn 6 days a week to ride him, Sally suggested if I bought Star I could half-lease him which would also cut down on my expenses.  So I took the plunge in April 2006, and Star became mine.

     We (Star and I) are both very glad I purchased him.  A sensitive soul, he did not like being a school horse. I enjoy the communication I have with Star, and my riding has greatly improved. He also has a fabulous half-leasee, Kirstin Eikelberg, who takes excellent care of him and has done a wonderful job riding him.

    Initially underweight, under the care of Sally, MVHC, Kirstin and myself, Star has gained weight and a shinny coat and is now nicely muscled.  Tiffany (as in Tiffany and Patty’s Poetry), who is a Nutrena representative, could not believe it was the same horse she had seen months earlier!  I am still adjusting his meds - he uses an inhaler with a plastic mask that fits snugly over his nostrils and mouth.  He calmly accepts this treatment, understanding that it makes him breathe better. 

    Through the animal communicator, Star tells me that he is now taken care of the way he deserves to be, referring, I presume, to his being the sole horse cared for by two attentive females, Kirstin and myself.  He does not want to talk about his early life, other than to say at one time he was well cared for but was just a horse in a barn with other horses and then was ignored/neglected for a while.  He had been a jumper for a previous owner, but said he actually did not like the work of showing, although he did enjoy seeing the other horses.  He prefers the attention he now receives being an “only horse”. 

    At about 18 years old, Star is a “mature boy”. He is, however, a gentleman who really enjoys his job and takes pride in showing what he can do.  I’ve taken him to Hunter Paces and ridden in a dressage clinic.  Star can easily jump 2' 6" which is all I need.  Kirstin has shown him in a couple of MVHC shows where they were pinned amongst serious competition.  One can see in the twinkle in his eye that he is a happy boy who likes his life.  Kirstin and I are very thankful he came into our lives.

Betsey & Star Design