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It was close to a year after we started volunteering at SCCR that we joined the Groom & Graze Program. If you’re not already involved, we don’t suggest waiting that long! Groom and Graze is a tremendous step forward in getting to know the horses whose paddocks you’ve been mucking in and, just as important, letting them get to know you! As "newbies" we were first partnered with two super calm horses. It was a great introduction to the program. After we signed up for our weekly spot, we were given an orientation that covers everything from how to halter the horse , how to clean their feet , to what to do when a horse really really doesn’t want to go in the direction you’ve chosen! Whether you’re totally inexperienced or (like us) coming back to horses after a long break, the orientation is definitely confidence-building. Plus it gives you a chance to find out a little more about who’s who in the herd – equine and human. A year or so after our first Groom and Graze experience, we were asked if we’d like to take on Oscar and Casper, a pair of retired race-horses who’d been moved into one of the paddocks we muck. Of course we said yes – eagerly but with just the tiniest bit of trepidation. These are very tall and quite high-spirited fellas. We were immediately pleasantly surprised to find that these guys LOVED to be groomed. – Of course they did! They were ex racehorses, for heaven’s sake- used to being handled. In fact, they were quite hilarious, vying for our attention. Taking them out for the first few times was interesting. We quickly saw the differences in their personalities: Casper was generally quite calm, Oscar easily startled and with little sense of personal space – the other horse’s or ours! We never feel unsafe but know to keep our wits about us and that’s part of the fun, especially now that we’ve added a third horse to our weekly Groom & Graze. Elton is a sweet and beautiful sorrel TB who had some bad experiences in his life before SCCR. We gradually got to know him in the paddock before asking if we could take him out with his pals. Elton went from being a little leery of being haltered, or of being groomed too far back on his body, to finding increased comfort, becoming a total sweetheart. He’s taught us a lot about being responsive to his mood and his needs and we’ve both quite fallen in love with him. This is what happens when you add the Groom and Graze partnership to your volunteer experience! You get an opportunity to know individual horses on a deeper level and to bring them joy, which in turn gives you joy. It’s lovely to hear them snort and feel their step quicken as we head for the grassy field on a warm spring day. All around a wonderful partnership to experience! Deb Peldzsus & Casper (below)
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