I was hoping to be able to ride her, but she’s improving slower than anticipated, so I probably won’t get to ride her. But that’s okay. I’m happy as long as she’s happy.

As for her situation, it’s a lil weird and sad. Her owner doesn’t ever come to see her or anything. She just pays for the boarding fees and vet/farrier visits, and that’s it. Apparently she has a lot of personal issues that are preventing her from coming out. When I started volunteering at the stables last year, I was told that I could take Sandy out of her stall and brush her because nobody else does anything meaningful with her. There’s an old guy who lets her out to graze for a bit some days, but that’s not really enough interaction to make a horse happy. So I took it upon myself to treat her like the queen she is and make her old age great. She was close to feral when I started working with her. She had no idea how to be loved and had no manners. I was determined to change that and now she’s so happy and one of the better-behaved horses in the barn. I started her on a supplement for her weight and I schedule her farrier appointments and attend them. I can also attend any other appointments that she may need. I go out to see her at least 3x/week to at least say hi and give her a quick brushing. Her owner and I talk and she pays me back for everything I provide for Sandy. I’d offer to buy her, but the boarding fees are the only thing I can’t afford right now. If her owner ever can’t pay me back, that’s fine because the board is what I worry about. I have everything else covered if need be.