Creating Pathways to Wellness

My name is Tuktuk, and this is my story, as told to Gail Giesen. I don’t recall where I lived in my younger years, but when I was eleven years old, a nice family in Vermont bought me at an auction. The teenage daughter took me to 4-H events and braided my mane in fancy patterns for showmanship classes.  When I was thirteen, they decided to find another home for me and advertised me on something called Craigslist.  That is how Gail found me. 

 

I grew to love Gail, who rode me on the trails around her home, and her husband Tom, who had long conversations with me in the barn.  Eventually, Gail and I learned dressage together.  I must admit that Gail liked dressage more than I did, but when she took me to horse shows at Green Mountain Horse Association, I did my best. 

After a while, however, my hocks became a bit sore, so Gail found a new job for me at Full Circle Farm in Newport, New Hampshire, where I helped children and grown-ups with special needs.  I learned about people who were afraid of horses and became accustomed to people who made loud noises at unexpected times.  After every ride, everyone gave me treats. Gail and Tom visited me every single week. About two years later, however, my joints began to hurt again, so Gail talked to a kind lady named Christina, who said I could have an easier job at Cooper’s Crossroad.

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Now, I am twenty-one years old, and I live at Elm Farm with my new equine friends Shamrock and Dusty.  There, youngsters brush me, clean my hooves, feed me carrots and, sometimes, sit on my back.  When they do, I walk very carefully, so nobody falls off because I know about people with special needs. At Elm Farm, I get food that is good for my joints; Gail still comes and tells me I’m special; and Tom continues to have long conversations with me. I am so thankful to be at Elm Farm!

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