10/21/2026
A lot of you know Bandera either because he was in the Challenge or because I fostered him a year and posted about him a lot.
For those who don't, he's a 12 year old, pony gelding (possibly Hackney/Arab cross) who came to us as a rescue transfer - and who came with a LOT of baggage. He's been assigned to the Challenge a few times, but he didn't get to compete until this year (last year he needed major dental work right before, the year before his Challenge trainer felt he wasn't ready).
Some horses can breeze through training and find an amazing home at the Challenge. A lot of horses may struggle but still find an amazing home at the Challenge.
But Bandera is a bit special. I rarely say that I think a horse has been traumatized. It is much rarer than people think. If a horse flinches when you raise your hand, he's probably not been hit but instead hasn't had a lot of experience or was taken by surprise. If a horse doesn't connect with you, it may be that he/she is more reserved and takes time. If a horse doesn't want to be caught, it may be that he was always caught and worked but not that he's been traumatized.
But I really believe Bandera's had it rough in the past. When he was with me the first time, he didn't want anything to do with people for the longest time. He was scared of everything, and the first time I brought out a saddle pad I thought he was going to lose his mind. It wasn't 'Hey, I don't know what that thing is', it was 'Hey, that thing is going to KILL ME BECAUSE IT TRIED TO BEFORE!' The saddle was even worse, I never actually got him saddled.
Margo, who had him for the Challenge, did a fantastic job with this guy. Not only did she get him saddled (although he's still very nervous about it), she got him going under saddle.
But special ponies need special humans, and we haven't found that "one" yet so he came back with me.
When he got here, he immediately resumed his place in the herd hierarchy. And he was quite put out with me because Chili now lives in "his" stall and he had to adjust to a new stall. He's been gone over a year, and he remembered where his stall was - so people can't tell me that horses can't have good memories.
I gave him a few weeks to decompress. And this morning after breakfast, I took him out for the tiniest bit of in hand work. He remembers the place, the horses, and "his" stall, but he's a little worried again. So right now, we're just working on the simplest things - a combo of Masterson Method and some exercises from Amelia Newcombe Dressage.
After our short handling session, he was less worried, had some licking and chewing, and seemed a bit more interested in just being with me. Proof you can accomplish a lot in just a few minutes.
