Willy

By Donalee Paul, associate trainer

In November of 2007 I was offered another rescue horse. This one had a reputation of flipping over under saddle! Trust of humans was his issue. He was put on the track and broke for racing at under 1 year old! The trainer was reported to have a VERY heavy hand and was very good at “BREAKING” the young ones. Well after flipping over, getting away from his groom and tearing down the barn isle scaring several other horses as well as running over a groom... he was excused from the track. The owner who doted on Willy (even naming him after himself) had no idea what to do, so he took him home and turned him back out in the paddock that he had been in since he was weaned! Where he again got doted on. Several years passed and a cowboy offered to buy him. He KNEW he could fix him. So, he threw his big heavy western saddle on and tied Willie to a post. FOR DAYS! Willy panicked, pulled on the post and flipped over again several times. The cowboy then sold him to a Dressage lady who KNEW she could fix him. No one really knows what happened there except that Willy scared her and she put him out to pasture without any another animals and didn't touch him for another 3 years! She then called a rescue group to come and get him. Willie was bought by a local trainer and her client (luckily his tattoo had lead to the discovery of what info I have gathered up so far!). After a year of working with him his new owner decided not ride any more due to scheduling conflicts. Willy was offered to me after another year off, and so starts his story.