Cameo has been in training with Andrea Lucianna for 30 days, and things have not been entirely rosy for our little bay mare. She arrived at Half-Trak Farm with a bit of an eye infection that had to be treated with daily eye drops…a routine that she did not care for in the least. This resulted in a lot of distrust and suspicion, and her behavior reverted back to the wild thing that she was when first rescued. She became difficult to catch, even in a stall. Because this behavior seemed so motivated by mistrust, Andrea decided that she would be the only person to handle Cameo, essentially making herself into Cameo’s “whole world” and helping her realize that she could be trusted. Fortunately, Cameo responded very well to this, and before long was greeting Andrea with ears forward and nickers, even when turned out in a pasture. The two have formed a bond, and this bond has allowed Andrea to move forward with her training.
She now is being worked in full tack and has already had a rider stand in stirrup and lean over her back (see below for video) Andrea is much more hopeful than she was a week ago. She feels Cameo is very smart and learning quickly. She lunges well and has learned voice commands. She is not going to be ready to go after 60 days of training like many of the SAFE horses are, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are beginning to get a sense for what Cameo needs if she is going to be successful.
It’s all about trust for Cameo. She needs one person that she can bond with and trust, and that person needs to handle her with consistency and fairness. The ideal situation would be if we could find that person right now, and have that person work with Andrea and take part in Cameo’s training. Our plan is to network with Arab trainers in the area and try to find someone who has the confidence and experience to bring Cameo along properly. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to a horse like this, but the potential rewards are great: she is young, healthy, sound, and athletic. She is beautiful and she can be extremely sweet. But most of all, there is an opportunity here to create and grow a bond of trust with a horse whose previous owner failed her completely. A horse who deserves a chance at a much better life.
Cameo’s person is out there and if you can help us find that person, we would appreciate your help with networking and helping in the search. The link to Cameo’s page is https://www.safehorses.org/?page_id=13324 — please share her story.
