Meet Miss Molly
Meet (Miss) Molly. In the beginning her life was no fairy tale. She was brought up on the Cape flats and used as a cart horse from a very young age. In the beginning she was used to pull a cart. The deep chaff markings on her chest and behind her hind limbs are indicative of how ill fitting her harness was and that it cut right into her skin. Whenever we see these scars, we will be reminded of how cruel we as humans can sometimes be. These scars she will have to take to the grave with her.
On recommendation from the SPCA Molly was never to pull a cart again, well this did not happen BUT then the kids started using her as race horse down the streets of the flats. On rediscovering her by the Association, Molly had multiple stab wounds to her little body. It is a well known fact that in some "gangs" in the Cape Flats, if a horse goes down due to exhaustion, they will stab the horse with blunt objects and broken bottles in an attempt to get the horse to its feet. These marks too she will carry with her to her grave.
At this time Molly was confiscated and taken to the Cart Horse Protection Association. Whilst at the association, she met her new owner Sam. Sam took her home where she has been standing for the last 17 months as a garden ornament.
During my first meeting with Molly on 9 January 2015, I was introduced to a dangerous stubborn little mare, gnarling teeth, striking at me with her front feet and squealing as if she is being eaten alive. Continuous attempts to gun at me with her hind legs. If she had to strike me, those little feet would have cut through me easier than a knife cutting through butter.
The first couple of minutes were an attempt to touch her ever so lightly on the side of her neck, to no avail. I was met with squealing, striking front feet, baring teeth and unyielding resistance every time. Eventually I decided to make myself smaller. The only way I could possibly do that was going down on my knees, leaving me very vulnerable to any sort of attack she would have launched at me. With lots of patience and time she eventually allowed me to softly touch the side of her neck. A good beginning for our first meeting.
I could not put the slightest touch on her nasal bone as her survival instinct kicked in and it was a fight for her life all over again. This was so evident in her bewildered eyes, leaving the halter did the trick to begin with and I stuck with that.
During my first meeting with Molly on 9 January 2015, I was introduced to a dangerous stubborn little mare, gnarling teeth, striking at me with her front feet and squealing as if she is being eaten alive. Continuous attempts to gun at me with her hind legs. If she had to strike me, those little feet would have cut through me easier than a knife cutting through butter.
The first couple of minutes were an attempt to touch her ever so lightly on the side of her neck, to no avail. I was met with squealing, striking front feet, baring teeth and unyielding resistance every time. Eventually I decided to make myself smaller. The only way I could possibly do that was going down on my knees, leaving me very vulnerable to any sort of attack she would have launched at me. With lots of patience and time she eventually allowed me to softly touch the side of her neck. A good beginning for our first meeting.
I could not put the slightest touch on her nasal bone as her survival instinct kicked in and it was a fight for her life all over again. This was so evident in her bewildered eyes, leaving the halter did the trick to begin with and I stuck with that.
During my first session I mostly concentrated on cranio-sacral releases and TMJ work. Due to the fact that her tail was broken at eight places there was no way she was going to allow me to get close to even stroking her dock of her tail. In saying this, until today, she allows no one close to her hind without the threatening butt and pinned ears.
As the cranio-sacral work did its thing and the endorphins kicked in, slowly but surely she allowed me to explore on her little body, applying the softest touch. She gave some phenomenal releases and nonstop yawns. It was good.
As the cranio-sacral work did its thing and the endorphins kicked in, slowly but surely she allowed me to explore on her little body, applying the softest touch. She gave some phenomenal releases and nonstop yawns. It was good.
Molly's wither was so sore that if I touched it at any time, she went into fight mode again forcing me to take a step back during the session.
As I left on the first day I had to go back to the stables which are next to her paddock because I left my glasses on the mounting block. As I got out of the car she saw me from her paddock, came trotting towards me ... and calling. Not in a fearful way at all, rather in a very excited and friendly manner.
On 30 January I did my second session with Molly. It was astounding to see the change in her temperament ... at the onset, only whilst on my knees though. Within seconds I was touching her, stroking her neck, body, her withers without any resistance. She still had a couple of moments every now and then when her self-preservation innate instinct kicked in and I had to go back a step or two during the session.
As I left on the first day I had to go back to the stables which are next to her paddock because I left my glasses on the mounting block. As I got out of the car she saw me from her paddock, came trotting towards me ... and calling. Not in a fearful way at all, rather in a very excited and friendly manner.
On 30 January I did my second session with Molly. It was astounding to see the change in her temperament ... at the onset, only whilst on my knees though. Within seconds I was touching her, stroking her neck, body, her withers without any resistance. She still had a couple of moments every now and then when her self-preservation innate instinct kicked in and I had to go back a step or two during the session.