This is about my new “rescue” fox trotter, Sonny D. I’ve known Sonny almost forever. He is 23 and has been long employed as a lesson horse for Tony and Jenny Vaught in Florida.
This past year he became allergic to Florida. His hair on his inside front legs was ripped off with long sores from his hooves to his knees. His chest had many little bumps. In despair, Jenny asked the vet, “What can we do”? The vet replied, “Get him out of Florida”.
Since moving to Missouri, the bloody sores have disappeared and there is some very light fuzz hair growing where the skin shows on his legs. I have spray medicine to treat him and he wears fly boots 24/7.
I’ve found a new friend whose son and family are building a house next door to me. She has been riding Sonny with Fancy and I around the two properties in the current and past week.
My project is the young son. I have a young boy to influence his life with horses! He just happened along today in a car with his dad when his grandmother and I were finishing our trail ride.
I had already determined that Sonny was a million dollar horse during our first few rides with grandma. Sonny goes forward after some thought on his part. He goes slow unless asked to go faster, and after decision on his part, obeys. He has never spooked and we have ridden around strange stuff in the house-building location.
Today we had a herd of geese walking down our one lane gravel road and I decided to have Fancy run at them. They took off. Neither Fancy or Sonny spooked!
The next door new-to-be son and grandson decided to visit the new house while grandma and I were finishing our ride, near the entrance to my property.
My young man wanted to ride for his first-ever time.
Both grandma and I thought it was safe. Grandma dismounted and walked beside him. Fancy and I were on the other side and we finished riding our ride in the barn stalls.
Sonny now attained “Billion Dollar Horse” status.
Our young man’s helmet is waiting for him in the barn as will be his boot requirement.
Introducing Southern Playboy’s Crown Pilot, barn name Sonny D.
