From Skeletons in a Pasture to Being World Show Bound

By: Amanda Delgado

When I woke up on October 20th, 2015, I wasn’t expecting to find her. Volunteering at Leilani Mae Horse Rescue under the guidance of Deb, the founder, was something to fill both my time and my desire to be around horses—I felt lucky just to be there. On that morning, I pulled up my Wranglers, threw on my boots, and headed to the rescue.

We heard her conditions were harsh, but when we looked over the barbed wire fence, all I saw was a beautiful copper-colored Paint horse. I broke my own rule and immediately became attached to her. I climbed through the fence, held my hand out to her, and she hesitantly allowed me to pet her. I couldn’t understand why she was still here, but there she was.

Another day came and another adoption fell through. I dropped my plans and went to her, realizing for the first time how terrible her living conditions were. The shelter was literally falling apart. There were massive holes in the roof, providing no protection from the elements. Across the pasture was downed barbed wire, vehicle parts, and random boards adorned with rusty nails. The west side of the pasture was strewn with horse skeletons, and one of them belonged to this horse’s pasture mate. No one had bothered to move the body, and it had died two years before. When this horse got hungry, she had to reach her head through the barbed wire to graze.

I couldn’t leave her here. I didn’t know how anyone could. She needed help—she was scared and aggressive. Her feet were a disaster, and she was lonely and timid. Not a single soul loved her. So, I went to Deb and I told her I wanted her. To my upmost surprise, she said yes. We began to move her out as quickly as possible.

It took four long days to get a halter on her. She ran from us, and charged at the six volunteers who spent their days assisting. No one thought she would ever be tame enough to be ridden. But I hadn’t given up yet, and I wasn’t about to start. When I finally haltered her, I named her Athena, after the Goddess of War. She was a fighter and a survivor. She was strong, regal, and elegant. Even better, Athena was the goddess in Greek Mythology who invented the halter/bridle to tame the horse. The name fit, and the name stuck. But only a couple days after getting her away from that nightmare, we were faced with a new one.

The Dark Winter

After 24 hours of being at the rescue, Athena hit her leg on the round pen fence. She went from bad to worse. We ended up getting an ultrasound to see if her tendon had ruptured from the impact. While the ultrasound seemed okay, the vet told me she would never be ridden—that she should probably be put down instead of living her life as only a companion horse. My world stopped. She had lived through Hell, abused and neglected in a barbed-wire pasture, and she got hurt in our rescue? It didn’t seem possible.

But none of it mattered to me. As she put her nose on my chest and looked into my eyes, I knew I would do whatever it took to keep her happy and healthy. I would never ride her, if that’s what it meant. And so I made her a promise, and I kept it. But the scary part of our story wasn’t over yet.

Days later, we found out the stitches hadn’t held. Even worse, a flesh-eating bacteria had eaten its way down to the tendon. We immediately called our local veterinarian. He was able to work quickly on this horse who fought through sedation and came out of it in 15-20 minutes, where most horses last 45. But he saved her, and we helped her heal. She made a full recovery—one without limitations—and we survived the dark winter.

A New Beginning

Following her medical setbacks and recoveries, Athena was finally able to come home with me. I’d found a barn less than a mile from my house that was owned by Sherry Stewart. She allowed me use her truck and trailer to move Athena. I was ecstatic to learn how much our training views aligned, especially with a horse who had been abused.

After we were able to get her in the trailer, we led her to her new stall. The next day, we got her feet trimmed. Immediately, upon leading Athena to her new pasture, she began to dance. She was thrilled, trotting and prancing around the field. She occasionally came back to me, and I was able to give her some love, but watching her with true freedom for the first time in her life was all the reassurance I needed.

Athena was finally home.

Training Begins

Being with Athena has been full of surprises, and one of those was the opportunity to work with Sherry. Athena and I started taking weekly lessons with her, beginning her groundwork. We would receive our exercises for the week, practice them every day, and follow up with Sherry a week later, officially beginning Athena’s training.

We initially started working on touching and picking up her back feet. Likely due to the abuse from her previous life, Athena would kick if you touched behind her flank. Her kick was like a bullet, fast and powerful. It took two long days to break this habit, but we broke it. We cleaned her back leg where her previous injury took place, putting scar treatments on the bald skin. She eventually learned to trust me. We healed more than just her fear and injuries. We helped her gain weight, rid her of her brittle coat, and helped her with ground manners. It took over two months, but with Sherry’s help, she was a new horse, and we were finally ready to saddle her up.

Athena’s hard work and courage was paying off. At the end of May, I finally got to ride her. I slipped my foot into the stirrup, carefully watching Athena’s body. Athena looked back at me, and I knew I could trust her. I pulled myself up without any event. I was finally on my mare.

For months, I was told by multiple people that she wouldn’t live or should be put down. It seemed like everywhere we turned we were told no, that we couldn’t. We battled her temperament, her leg injury, and the odds. We spent every lesson working towards this moment, to find that not only did she have talent, but she had real potential.

As we rode together, Athena blew us away during every lesson. She excelled, and we shifted gears, preparing for our very first show together. We gave her the show name Athenian Lady, a nickname for the Greek Goddess Athena which also highlights Athena’s elegance and ladylike manners.

The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

I couldn’t sleep on the 5th of November 2016. Our first show together was the next day. I ran over the list in my head, making sure I had everything we needed. All of my fears ran through my head with questions I couldn’t answer. Hours later, I awoke to a cold morning. I rushed to the barn and prepared Athena for our big day, knowing that I needed to remain positive. Athena has a tendency to mirror me, feeling my anxiety, frustration, or excitement. For her, I needed to stay calm, cool, and collected, having no expectations other than a wonderful day with my best friend.

I’d longed her really well before arriving, and it was left to me to get ready as quickly as possible. She handled it like a seasoned champion, and she looked like she’d already won. I was beaming with pride.

Our first class was Adult Hunt Seat Walk-Trot. They called out our class, and we got on the rail. I locked my focus on Athena, not worrying about anything around us, other than protecting her and allowing her to shine. When the class began, the world around us melted away. When it was over, it didn’t matter what happened. I was so proud of her. We lined up and waited for the results.

Something insane happened.

WE WON!

Tears poured down my face. This moment was the best of my life. This was the first show we ever entered, and I couldn’t believe we won! I quickly wiped my eyes and prepared for our next class, the Hunt Seat Go As You Please class. My heart almost leapt from my chest when I heard our name called AGAIN for first place. Then we came in first in a halter class, followed by first in a showmanship class. We won every class we entered that day.

Just one year before, I had rescued a terrified, malnourished, broken horse, and here we were showing everyone what she had always been capable of; what I had always known she was capable of.

Since then, Athena places first in almost every class she enters. She even ended her first show season earning the Reserve High Point in the Hunt Seat Division in one of the largest open shows in North Carolina.

She is my miracle.

The Future With Athena

I never thought we’d get to where we are today, but here we are. Athena has opened my eyes, reminding me that beauty can sometimes come from the darkest, most unexpected places. I am awestruck at what she has given me—patience and courage and hope. She gives me light.

She is my once-in-a-lifetime horse, and I am so thrilled to say we are setting our sights on the 2018 Pinto World Show!

My faith in this horse in unwavering—steady and strong—just as Athena is for me. When we met, she was dangerous, sickly-looking, and often panicking. Now, she is calm, sweet, kind, and patient. She is the star of each show we go to and is consistently complimented on her beauty, manners, and happiness. Getting here wasn’t without hard work, but the countless hours have been worth every second. We know making it to the World Show won’t be easy, but achieving our first world title with a horse who no one thought had a chance will be worth it.

Take A Chance

I’m often asked about Athena’s past—whether or not she has APHA papers and where she came from. To answer each of these questions, we don’t know. We’ve chosen to look past her past, because even if we can never find out her history, she is still the amazing show horse she is today. Once upon a time, she was just a horse in a pasture, surrounded by the bodies of those she shared it with, reaching her head through barbed wire to graze.

So, take a chance. Give love to a horse who hasn’t been loved in awhile, if ever. Put in the work and dig deep for the patience. Any rescue out there can turn out to be something pretty remarkable. And who knows: they could be the next winner of the World Show. Or even better? They could turn out to be your best friend.

Keep up with Athena’s journey.

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