Epic

17 year Palomino Quarter horse gelding.

Epic has been abused...brutally, probably by a farrier. Epic practically falls out of his skin when approached by a farrier or anyone with something in their hands. Epic has been with LCR since April of 2002 and still doesn't trust much more than the few people he works with. He has become a favorite trail horse for the manger, and they have bonded well.

Epic, the 1^st time we met

LCR is dedicated to helping not just the physically injured, but the psychologically injured also.

He was sent to LCR in hopes we could help him with his feet trimming issues. He wouldn’t pick up his feet and he was afraid of the farrier. He would also act up on the trails when confronted by something unusual. When we arrived to pick up Epic for his 2-hour journey home, he seemed fine. He loaded onto the trailer with confidence and ease. Stopping only 20 minutes into the trip to check, he was calm and standing perfectly content. We were told he was hard to catch in the field, and he was afraid of fishing poles. We arrived home and put him into a stall. He had arrived only the day after Foolish, so we put them next to each other in hopes they would become friends. They are a perfect match. Walking away from Epic’s stall everything seemed to be fine. Walking back to his stall a little while later, we thought he was going to jump out the window. He could not have gotten further into the corner. He was terrified of us. He would not turn or even look in our direction. Through the Natural way, understanding the body language of Epic, we were able to figure a few things out. He was terrified of people, especially ones with something in their hands, more so of men, but all people were evil in his mind. LCR’s horsemanship instructors and trainers spent the first 8 weeks just making friends and earning Epic’s trust. We made sure the men did as much handling as the women.  We have been desensitizing him to objects that seem to resemble a whip or a farrier’s rasp. We feel a farrier must have brutalized him, because he won’t even go near someone that has an apron on, or something in their hand that looks like farrier tools. Epic is now coming up to people in his stall or out in the pasture, for a friendly pat. One of the most precious and emotional moments for me was when I went out for my late night barn check. Epic was lying down in the pasture, and he allowed me to approach, pet, and sit with him without getting up. This position for a horse is their most vulnerable to predators, and horses will not remain lying unless they feel comfortable in their surroundings. It was a wonderful breakthrough. Epic has been picking up his feet for brief periods and even being trimmed.. He has turned out to be a wonderful trail horse for the knowledgeable rider. He is 100% sound and extremely well trained Western. He neck reins and responds well to leg pressure and weight changes for cues. He is always going to have apprehension toward people, but once trusted he really comes around to be a loving and devoted friend.