Sapphire

Sapphire enjoying retirement, age 34

Sapphire was 15 when we bought her, a washout from western pleasure due to her naturally large stride, high head carriage, and low tolerance for ring work. As my husband’s trail horse she was happy and reliable, truly a gem. In the 12 years Jerry rode her around our state forest, they encountered many tricky situations. When in doubt, Jerry trusted Sapphire’s good judgement, and she never let him down. My article What Did That Accomplish? describes how Sapphire took initiative to point out a danger to other horses and riders. When arthritic knees forced her retirement from riding, she and Jerry enjoyed doing Horse Agility together. With the help of our wonderful veterinarians and farrier, we were able to give her a long and healthy retirement, during which she and Brandy became close friends. For many years Sapphire appeared to be a stereotypical “dominant mare”. I was strict and stern with her, assuming that I needed to remind her that I outranked her. I was puzzled by the fact that she behaved much better for my husband, who seemed too lenient in my opinion. Only late in her life did I recognize that her “pushiness” was stress-related, and that my sternness only contributed to her anxiety, provoking more defensive behavior from her. When I finally tried being calm, quiet, and patient, her behavior improved dramatically. Pasture Politics, Social Skills, and Wild Horses explains some of the herd dynamics that made Sapphire appear dominant, and how her behavior changed as her friendship with Brandy developed. Some of Sapphire’s more amusing quirks are described in the article Horses, Goats, and Assorted Critters.