The Paddock

It was less than a week before Quiet Storm was out in the paddock. She wasn't interested in the least with the other horses, preferring to graze contentedly on more grass than she'd likely ever seen.

In the few weeks that followed, we spent time walking through narrow barn alleys, past trucks with kitty cats perched on top, and grazing out in the orchard. Daily handling, getting her to not stop and gawk at her reflection in the vehicles, and learning to stand while tied were the main focus points before Quiet Storm came home.

I must admit that, compared to many of the Quarter Horses I'd ridden in the past, this filly was a bit on the dull side. She was slow to respond to pressure, and in the early weeks that concerned me. "It's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for," is the thought that rang out in my mind. Friends warned me that, once dewormed and no longer starving, I'd have my hands full.

But it never happened. Quiet Storm was all quiet and no storm. There was no big spook, no complete refusal to do something she was asked. Sure, she would look twice at something new. She didn't want to walk beneath the low hanging apple tree branch the first time. The cat running around through the alley way that she spotted from the corner of her eye caused to to flinch and look. But by and large, she was a picture perfect example of what most people dream their domestic babies would be.

The most amazing transformation that took place in our new filly was her looks. It's so hard to look at those horses fresh off the range and see what they'll be like with a couple weeks of good food and a it of grooming. But here is the dramatic change that Quiet Storm went through between our first laying eyes on her and two weeks after her adoption. Isn't she a beauty?