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Spot the Blind Horse

Spot, the blind horse I wrote about last December who was featured on the front page of the Chestnut Hill Local and served as my first blog subject, has gone to a better place. Even in the end, he was still teaching us lessons.

Spot was a nearly 30-year-old horse, who belonged to nobody and everybody at Northwestern Equestrian Facility (NWEF) in Chestnut Hill. He was a lesson horse for many years, carrying many riders on his back while he patiently tried to obey and understand their commands. Spot got his name because his undercoat, which you could only see when it was wet, had big brown spots show through his white overcoat.

In more recent years, Spot’s eyesight went and he was pretty well blind when I stumbled upon his story last fall. I had been doing a story on the Wissahickon Horse-lovers Organization for Adults (WHOA), when I took a break from the meeting and walked through the barn to clear my head. That’s when I saw Spot and a notice on his stall door that he was blind and that donations were being sought for his upkeep. The boarders at NWEF were carrying his load, which averaged about $500 per month. I wrote the story, sought donations, and placed a laminated copy of the article on his stall door. And then I visited him, and visited him, and visited him, and brought others to visit him. I took my good friend, Gina Pio Cossman, and her college age daughter to visit Spot. We ran him around in the ring and let him graze and groomed him. After interviewing Lisa Levinson, Zipora Shulz and Jim Harris for a story on their animal awareness group, Zipora and Jim asked if they could meet Spot. I took them to the stable and we fed Spot carrots. They giggled like little kids as his whiskers tickled the palms of their hands. They were very grateful to have connected. There were dozens of small children who would come up to me while I had Spot out to graze, and I showed them where he liked to be touched and told them his story.

Since I wasn’t riding regularly, I would carry horse treats in my car, along with some hard-toed boots, stopping in to see Spot several times a week. Sometimes I took him out, sometimes I groomed him in the barn. He was happy for the company. So was I. Everyone said how nice it was that I was giving him some attention; but they didn’t realize what he was giving me in terms of animal therapy. I had the honor of relating to this gorgeous animal, and on bad days rambling a bit about my woes. I got to stand with him in the sunlight and recharge from a hectic week as he grazed on green grass and we welcomed an occasional visitor. I got to groom him and smell like a horse for a couple of hours. I also got to write a lovely story about my friend. I got a lot from Spot.

I had written an initial draft of a story on Spot, and was returning to the barn with photographer Denize White-Christiansen, who lives around the block from me in Flourtown, when we stumbled upon a bigger and sweeter story. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and students from the Crefeld School were there on their weekly visit to take care of the horses. I talked to Gabe Pfeiffer, a 17-year old blind student who attends the school, and the article turned into one about what the sighted community needs to know about blind horses and people. He told me what would seem like common sense; don’t walk up behind a blind horse or person without announcing yourself softly. Spot, through Gabe, was still teaching.

This past Friday night I stopped by the stable after helping people get to ‘their stories’ during a Public Speaking Boot Camp for the Main Line Chamber of Commerce. I shared Spot’s story with the group and encouraged them to write down their stories about pets and people. It had been an exhausting day and week, and I really wanted to go home. But Spot’s spirit drew me toward NWEF. When I went in, I saw a sign on his stall stating that he should not be taken out of his stall unless Kathy, the barn manager, gave the okay. Not a good sign.

I tentatively knocked on her apartment door. Eventually, she opened it and told me that Spot had fallen earlier that day, and that they may have to put him down over the weekend. I went back down to his stall and groomed him from his head to hooves. He seemed to enjoy the grooming and didn’t seem to be in much distress. But the next morning I went to feed him apples and he wouldn’t eat them. He seemed scared and afraid to come close to the stall door. I told him he was a good horse and that if he had to go, we would understand. On Sunday morning, as I walked down the long aisle to his stall before the Wissahickon Day Parade and Horse Show, I was half expecting to find an empty stall – and frankly I was fine with that. The horse I had visited the previous day was not in good spirits, and I suspected he was in pain. Having been through this life/death scenario a few times with people and animals, I knew that putting an animal in distress down was the most humane thing to do; hard, yes – but also humane. Spot tentatively took some carrots from me, but it was clear he just wanted to be left alone. It was raining. I understood and let him be.

On Monday morning, I got a call from Denize asking me not to go to the barn until I had called her. I knew what this meant, and indeed, she broke the news, gently and lovingly. I told her I was okay and that I had said my goodbyes to him. Sometimes we aren’t so fortunate. She had not been so fortunate.
I later learned that Julie Goldberg, the Executive Director at NWEF, had spent the morning with Spot, giving him plenty of carrots, grass and love. His last moments were filled with mouthfuls of fresh grass, as she whispered to him and let him pass to the Rainbow Bridge.
When I got home at 3 pm, I did lose my composure when my sweet 9-year-old Golden Retriever, Simba, greeted me at the door with his tail wagging and a ball in his mouth. Simba (and Spot) made me realize that we only borrow these furry, hairy and feathered (and human) friends. We connect with them on so many levels, and one can only hope that when our time comes it will peacefully and that we had a chance to say our goodbyes.
Thank you to everyone at NWEF and beyond who took care of Spot for many, many years. I only knew him for a short time, but I am a much better person for having connected with him. Thank you to Len Lear and The Local for helping spread Spot’s story.
Thank you, Spot, for teaching us this final lesson about growing old with dignity and knowing when your time has come. You will always be a great lesson horse – and one who will be missed by many.

If you would like to make a donation to help pay for Spot’s final veterinary bills, please make checks payable to NWEF with Spot in the memo field, 120 W. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118.

Post Script: I had one green apple left in my Jeep. I always carried apples and carrots in the vehicle for Spot. Upon arriving at the barn late in the day after Spot had gone to the Rainbow Bridge, I decided to cut the apple in half and without thinking, gave half to Goober and half to Jasper, two horses who have no single owner – they too are lesson horses and owned by NWEF. The next day, Julie Goldberg e-mailed me to suggested I ‘don’t become and stranger’ and visit two other lesson horses in need of a little TLC. Their names: Goober and Jasper. Coincidence? You be the judge. I think Spot had a hand (or hoof) in it.

On the last Sunday of each month equestrians from area stables gather at the Valley Green Inn in Fairmount Park to catch up with to interact with each other and park visitors – particularly children.

The Horses in the Park (HIP) program was started in the summer of 2008 by Cynthia Turecki, who rides Sonny out of Courtesy Stables in Roxborough. Turecki, 50, grew up in the Wissahickon section of the city and she has childhood memories of seeing horses in the park.

“I was the youngest of 6 children, and my aunt would take us to the lower end of Forbidden Drive by Ridge Avenue to collect horse manure for her garden. I remember looking up one day to see a horse go by and thought, ‘someday I’ll ride my own horse in this park”, said the current Roxborough native, who works by day as a Communications Analyst. When her parents died, she decided she needed something to fill her time and started riding with the Philadelphia Saddle Club out of Monastery Stables in Mount Airy. She then shared a horse with someone, before buying Sonny, her own chestnut Kentucky Mountain Horse in 2005.

“Horses in the Park is my way of giving back and trying to continue the tradition of horsemanship in the park. When I hear a child scream ‘horses, mommy, horses!’ it brings a smile to my face.”

Indeed there were many smiling faces on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, an unusually balmy late November day. Perhaps the biggest smile came from Aimara Scharf-Simon who recently came to live in the area from Berlin. Still sporting a German accent, the six-year-old squealed with excitement upon learning that her name had been picked to receive a complimentary riding lesson. Scharf, who now lives in West Philadelphia with her parents and brother shared her knowledge of horses.

“I sort of know how to ride. If you push more into their sides they go faster, and if you pull on their reins they slow down,” she said, beaming as a group of onlookers listened to her impromptu lecture.

Diane Garvey, who took up riding in her late 40s and became a member of the Philadelphia Saddle Club had encouraged the young girl to fill out the raffle ticket.

“I’m really glad she won. She has a great spirit and I hope she continues to ride,” said Garvey, who, with other HIP members developed the backside of the entry ticket that reads:

5 Reasons to Leash Your Dog which spells out LEASH:

Laws- PA and Philadelphia require dogs to be on a leash
Equines may be startled, endangering the rider
Anxiety – of a lost dog
Safety of all park users, including dogs
Habitat – and wildlife protection

Other young horse enthusiasts were able to pet the horses and learn a bit more about these four-legged creatures. Luca Brown, 3, of Montclair, New Jersey, “liked the horses big brown eyes.”

Bella, 5, and Aquinnah Silverman , 8, of West Mount Airy liked how soft the horse Hot Shot was. Walt Sasse, Barn Manager at Courtesy Stables is a former mounted police officer and introduced Hot Shot to the young onlookers.

“It’s neat. You get down off of your horse and actually get to interact with the people. The little one’s crack me up, like this one,” he said as Josie Bullen approached the horses with absolutely no fear. The three-year-old was wearing a pink ballet tutu over her denim jeans and created quite the fashion statement.

“She is obsessed with horses,” said her mother, Amber Bulllen. “She’s also obsessed with wearing that outfit,” she said, rolling her eyes skyward.

Turecki credits Garvey, and longtime rider Carmella Clark, who has been riding for many years out of Monastery Stables, for helping to form and sustain the monthly interactive sessions between horses, riders and park visitors.

Dr. Thomas A. Fitzpatrick, President of the Philadelphia Saddle Club supports the whole idea. “Anytime you can do some good community relations with bikers, hikers and visitors to the park, that is an hour a month well spent,” he said.

The Horses in the Park program is held on the last Sunday of each month from 1 to 2 pm. near the Valley Green Inn, weather permitting. The next HIP gathering will be December 27th.

Barbara Sherf is a freelance writer and publicist who co-authored with her father, “A Cowboy Mission: The Best Sermons are Lived…Not Preached.” The book is about riding with her father in the Wissahickon Valley and his remembrances of life on the farm and in local rodeos. You can reach her at www.CommunicationsPro.com.

Spot, a Blind Horse and Friend

As you sit down to mentally or physically fill out your holiday shopping list this season, think about adding a line for faithful four-legged companions in need of some extra TLC. There are many examples of furry friends in need throughout the greater Chestnut Hill area.
At Northwestern Equestrian Facility (NWEF) in Chestnut Hill, barn staff and boarders are supporting a blind horse that has faithfully given lessons for many years. While he doesn’t have a spot on him, his name is Spot, and he is still teaching very important lessons in the form of trust and courage.
A sign on Spot’s stall notes that Spot was born in the 1980s and served as a lesson horse for 20 years, taking riders over 3-foot fences, and allowing them to fulfill their passion. The flier notes that Spot has no single owner, and so the good folks at NWEF are housing him and bearing the $500 monthly costs to keep him in food, board and veterinary care. There is a small donation box outside of Spot’s stall.
The barn manager says Spot is not depressed and as far as she can tell, has no big issues with his lack of sight. A fundraiser held near Halloween raised $100 to help defray the cost of Spot’s care, but that doesn’t even cover his grain and hay.
When a photographer and I visited the stable to bring Spot treats and take his photo, we stumbled upon a group of students from the Crefeld School, a private school on Crefeld Street in Chestnut Hill, who visit Spot and the other horses once a week as part of their community service class. One student, 17-year-old Gabe Pfeiffer stands out among the rest, for he too is blind. Pfeiffer gets close enough to groom spot and both he and Spot get help going outside to a field so Spot can graze on some fresh grass. Pfeiffer says there are many lessons sighted people can take away from being around a blind person or a blind horse.
“It’s really scary for a blind person or horse to have someone approach them from behind. You can’t hear the person until they are right on top of you, so always announce yourself,” says Pfeiffer as he brushes Spot’s neck. “But when you approach us, you don’t need to shout. We can hear, we just can’t see.”
To make a donation directly to Spot, make checks payable to Northwestern Stables, 120 W Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3620 and put Spot in the memo field.
There are so many worthy animal causes out there, but one near and dear to the heart of Chestnut Hill resident Kate Katchen is the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, where she serves on the Board of Directors. The Mermaid Lane resident, who has rescued a Golden Retriever for her family, is particularly concerned about the increasing number of dogs rescued from Pennsylvania’s notorious puppy mills,
“During the holidays, we encourage people to think of our many Goldens who have been rescued from puppy mills and who are spending their first holidays outside of a wire cage, and in a warm safe place. We encourage people to donate simple items like nutritious training treats or cheese to help us help these dogs on their long journey back to being a ‘real dog.’ We also encourage people with some free time to volunteer as a caregiver at DVGRR. Our Golden Gateway facility is open 365 days a year, so at the holidays (and every day) we rely on volunteers to assist our tireless staff.”
In October 2008, one such puppy mill was raided in the Lehigh Valley. A female Golden Retriever who was used as a breeder dog was among them. Katchen picked her up at the Philadelphia SPCA and transported her to Golden Gateway, near Lancaster. She was named ‘Jo Jo’ by the staff, and was adopted within weeks. Unbeknownst to Kate, her new family named her Katie. Katie has passed her Therapy Dog International and Canine Good Citizen tests and does therapy with patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Kate caught up with the family and Katie at the DVGRR reunion in October and was thrilled with the results.
“She was like a new dog. Her owners clearly showed her that there are good people out there who were willing to take a chance and give her a ‘forever home.’
To make a donation, volunteer or view their Wish List go to www.dvgrr.org.

Barbara Sherf lives and writes in Flourtown. She has recently befriended Spot and she and her husband have adopted Simba from DVGRR five years ago. You can reach her at Barb@CommunicationsPro.com. She gives a talk titled “What Our Furry Friends Teach Us About Diet, Exercise and Life.”

Wissahickon Horse Lovers Organization Forms
By Barbara L. Sherf

They call themselves the Wissahickon Horse-Lovers Organization for Adults or WHOA. Four women, in their late 30s and into their mid-40s, who have been taking riding lessons at Northwestern Equestrian Facility (NWEF) together on and off for over a year, decided to formalize their love of horses and share that passion with other adults.

The women – Sue Landers and Bee Morgan of Mount Airy, Andrea Shumsky of Chestnut Hill and Kristen Bowman-Kavanaugh of Center City – formed the group that had its first meeting at NWEF on Sunday, October 18th. The second meeting, featuring a farrier (person who shoes horses) demonstration and Q&A session, will be held on Sunday, November 15th at 10:30 a.m. Refreshments will be served and the program is free and open to the public.

According to Landers, WHOA’s goal is to provide a forum where adults can learn about horses, connect with other equine-lovers, and have fun. WHOA’s focus is not on any particular equestrian discipline, but on any and all aspects of horse-related interest. The group plans to have monthly meetings, clinics and field trips. They have already visited an equine rescue and several events at the Devon Horse show, and plan to visit an area therapeutic riding program.

Adults are the group’s focus since they often return to horses after not having ridden since being children; this can be challenging since so many horse activities are geared to a younger audience. Adults who have never ridden are also welcome to the group, which sees itself as a vehicle for learning and potentially an entry into lesson programs or riding clubs at local barns.

“Did you watch the steeple chasing event on TV yesterday?” one of the eight women present asked another, prior to the meeting in mid-October. They chatted while gathering to hear the speaker, Tarah Hannes, Assistant Barn Manger of NWEF, talk about horse care, barn management and her experience with miniature horses. NWEF is a city-owned stable run by the Fairmount Park Commission, whose lease has been renewed for 10 years.

Hannes – who remembers drawing horses at the age of 5, and who got to live her dream of owning a horse at age twelve – is very supportive of the group’s efforts. “I think it’s great for the adults in the area that didn’t ride as much as kids and they can learn and support each other. “

Shumsky, who lives on Evergreen Avenue, works as a librarian in Ogontz. “I have been taking lessons on and off for about 8 years and I’ve found this to be very therapeutic and rewarding. I would come riding and be jazzed and go home and nobody there shared that same love of horses. This is a way for us to get together and share information and support each other in our riding.”

Kavanaugh, a civil engineer, always wanted to ride when she was younger, but never got the opportunity. She learned to ride while at college and has returned to riding over the past few years. “We thought it would be nice to do something outside of lessons. We jokingly talk about franchising WHOA and going worldwide, but really it’s just a place where other people like me who wanted to get involved in horses can. I feel lucky that I have a place to go to ride and can afford to ride. “ Kavanaugh said she hoped to get other barns in the Wissahickon involved.

Morgan is a financial services professional whose childhood home was near a small horse farm in Surrey, England. She moved back to Mount Airy in started looking for “something to keep my mind off of work.” She started taking lessons at NWEF in the fall of 2005 and hasn’t looked back.

Danielle Mucciolo, at 23, is one of the younger members of the group. “I guess I’m the first official member and in charge of programming and barbecues,” she joked prior to the meeting, while riding Coosa, an American Quarter Horse, whom she owns and boards at NWEF.

During the meeting Hannes talked about managing the 30 or so horses at NWEF and fielded questions from the group. When the topic turned to first aid and the issue of bloating in horses, several wondered aloud about what the causes were. “Let’s look it up, we have an equine library,” said Kavanugh, pointing to WHOA’s nearly 4 dozen horse-related books housed in the meeting room.

Landers said she hoped that WHOA would give individuals the confidence to move from reading to actual riding. “We see this group as a way for people to expand their knowledge of horses which could lead them to start riding, renting or even owning a horse. It could also prepare them to join local riding groups,” said Landers, who by day works as a medical billing supervisor at an area hospital.

Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, President of the Philadelphia Saddle Club, run out of Monastery Stables in Mount Airy, said he did not see WHOA as competition. “Any group that forms to get people more interested in riding in the Wissahickon can only help all of us,” he said, adding that he hoped the WHOA members would bring ‘new blood’ to help organize the annual Wissahickon Day Parade.

“We would love to support the parade and the local equestrian community in general. But mainly, we want to help people move toward their interest in horses,” said Landers.

The group’s tagline sums it up neatly: “WHOA – where your passion for horses doesn’t have to stop”.

For more information about the group, e-mail gowhoa@gmail.com or contact Landers at 215-248-6450. To find out about programs and events at NWEF, visit www.northwesternstables.com.

Barbara Sherf is a communications consultant who has written “The Cowboy Mission: The Best Sermons are Lived…Not Preached” about horseback riding with her father. She can be reached through her web site at http://www.CommunicationsPro.com.

Spot the blind horse teaches many lessons...

On Seeing Spot

It’s funny how stories sometimes just stare you in the face.  I was covering the first meeting of the Wissahickon Horse-Lovers Organization for Adults (WHOA) for the Chestnut Hill Local, and lo and behold, I find another story staring me in the face.  His name is Spot.  Actually, Spot wasn’t staring me in the face, because as I soon learned by reading the information posted on his stall, Spot is blind.

I jot down that Spot was born in the 1980s and served as a lesson horse for 20 years, taking riders over 3-foot fences, and allowing them to fulfill their passion.  Spot, the posting noted, has no single owner, and so the good folks at Northwestern Equestrian Facility are housing him and bearing much of the $500 monthly costs to keep him in food and board.  There is a small donation box outside of Spot’s stall.

I took a break from the meeting and fed Spot the carrots and apples I had brought.  I whispered to him that he was such a ‘good boy’ and thanked him for his service to the many riders he has carried carefully to their destination.

The next day I return to the stable with more carrots and apples.  There, I cornered the barn manager, who gives me a quote or two to use in the story about Spot.  I ask her if I can come visit Spot a couple of times a week, and maybe groom him and let him graze on the lush green grass that is just steps from his stall.  She sizes me up and agrees to this arrangement.

I don’t have the right shoes on, so I give Spot the goodies and vow to return the following morning with the appropriate footwear, and more apples and carrots for my newfound friend.

The barn manager tells me Spot is not depressed and as far as she can tell, has no issues with his lack of sight.  I’m glad.

I have been out of the saddle for more than a year now, having had a freak accident on a Philadelphia Saddle Club horse while riding with my Dad.  The accident gave me time to heal and write a book with my father, that I was able to self publish and present to him and family members for this 80^th Birthday last November.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, “A Cowboy Mission: The Best Sermons are Lived…Not Preached” I will donate half of the $10 to Spot.  It’s funny, because I just read a fabulous book called Homer’s Odyssey, about a woman who adopted a kitten who was blind at birth.  She shared the lessons that that kitten taught her in terms of building relationships and taking risks.  I suspect that Spot will have a lesson or two still left in him to share with me…and there is clearly a spot in my heart for Spot.

To make a donation directly to Spot, make checks payable to Northwestern Stables, 120 W Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118-3620 and put Spot in the memo field.  To reach the author, go to http://www.CommunicationsPro.com for contact information.