Argus

Argus came into Emily’s life when he arrived as part of a job lot from a dispersal sale from a local riding stables here in Galicia, Spain.

Javier, the owner of the yard and who bought the horses, explained to Emily that Argus was an eleven-year-old stallion, experienced in dressage and a schoolmaster, and he wanted Emily to ride him. It wasn’t until Emily offered the stallion a carrot and he couldn’t see it did she realise he was blind. Javier was surprised as Argus had travelled in the lorry without problems and dismayed because he couldn’t see a future for this horse.

Emily didn’t know what to do and held out little hope for Argus’ future. But she fell in love with this beautiful Spanish horse and wanted to give him a chance. After discussions with Javier, he gave the gentle stallion a reprieve of three months.

No sanctuary wants a stallion, and she had Argus castrated in readiness. But although the procedure was a success, he suffered. He was eleven, after all, and the weight fell off him. Happily, he recovered from surgery, trauma and, although thin, the weight is returning.

Emily didn’t know how long ago Argus lost his sight, but he seemed to cope well with his first challenge, the new yard, whilst stabled. His next challenge was to learn to explore his new surroundings and Emily gave him space in the day to explore the well fenced arena. He learnt to find hay and ‘chat’ to the horses over the fence and she discovered he enjoyed the company of humans and horses. She had one disaster with him when she discovered electric fences didn’t keep him, a stallion, away from a group of nearby mares. Emily went back to the drawing board and after his castration created a paddock using orange builder’s fencing, success. A happy gelding grazing in his own space after touching and acknowledging his boundaries.

Argus arrived at Javiar’s yard with another problem, inflammation in his front feet. The barefoot blacksmith, Daniela, arrived and took off his shoes, trimmed his feet and advised Emily on diet and an exercise regime.

At first, with everything stacked against this beautiful, kind and generous horse, Emily wondered. “I watched Argus through the bars of his stable and pondered on what it means to find a future for a blind horse. Surely, there’s more to owning a horse than riding; he has so much to offer – how can I unlock that potential?

Just a postscript. Argus loved showing off his dressage skills and his rider is a competition level rider and trained by the Nuno Oliveira centre in Portugal.

My passion is horses and their welfare, which is why I love to write about them and my horsey novels, although historical, include aspects of natural horsemanship, care and our undying love for our trusting fourlegged companions.

Amalie, The Bronze-Age Series, follows a girl who not only rescues her horse, Roble, but is rescued by him when she becomes an orphan.

And I mustn’t forget Gelvira, The Barbarian Chronicles. Could you ride an unknown stallion? Follow Gelvira as she learns to respect Hawk, her stallion, and navigates growing up during the time of the declining Roman Empire.