September’s Eleven

If storybook endings were possible, I’ve made it my mission to give Dagrenning hers.

It wasn’t clear that I was going to be successful. Last May, when I took the 33-year old Icelandic mare on, I took on the adventure of finding a spot that made sense for her breed’s specific needs. But also to find her a spot that lived up to, or surpassed, her previous life.

The goal for her was to find a dry lot that had plenty of active horses and people. Each spot we looked at was idyllic but not ideal. She had been so well cared for her entire life, that I wanted to make sure she lived out her long, gentle retirement in the grace of daily attention.

After a bit of a Goldilocks adventure that included a spectrum of fine horsewomen, we were connected with just the right place and just the right horsewoman.

Ironically, since Dagrenning’s has moved to her forever home, she has been a bit of a transient. The Lower Sugarloaf fire has displaced her twice now.

Earlier in the month, she returned to her former boarding spot, a lush pasture in the pear and apple orchards off of Highway 97. Her old herd welcomed her back, especially Forbes, a lovely senior redhead whose gallop shows off how splendid he must have been in his 4-H past.

Then, while Bitte Bitte was cooking the last retreat, Dagrenning returned to her spot up in the hills and settled back into canyon life. This past week, she was evacuated to the fairgrounds in the town below, where she has her own little comfy stall.

Her boarder, ever committed, has loaded and unloaded her at every stop.

In all the movement, it certainly appears that Dagrenning has found her place. She has a caregiver and growing community of fans. Soon, she’ll have more people – people who just need the kind of peace that a horse provides.

Sometimes the movie version actually happens – the happy ending with room for sequels and spinoffs and side quests plays out. Sometimes, your endeavors in the name of another being’s wellness, are successful.