My name is Cookie and I’m one of the mares at Open My World. I love my job here because I really love helping people. I don’t like to brag, but I’ve heard some of the volunteers and therapist say that I’m the sweetest horse they have ever met! I guess it comes naturally with a name like mine!
Before I came to work here, I was a rodeo horse with a really funny official name. You’ll never guess it, so I’ll tell you. My name was “Gonna Raise the Roof.” And, boy did I ever! Rodeo was a lot of fun and so I put my whole heart into that work. But, it is the kind of thing you can do as a young athlete. Once you start to mature a little, the physical challenges can just be too much. So, when it came time for me to retire from rodeo, I think I was ready to try something new that was not quite as active. I still have a lot of heart in me and I want to keep working and having fun!
My owners were really kind people, and they donated me and my best friend Sammie to Open My World in hopes that we could be a big help to all the people here. It was exciting to come to a new place, and I was so happy to have a friend come along with me. Since we were together, we never felt nervous about coming to our new home.
The first couple of weeks were a little boring because new horses have to be quarantined for a little while. It’s something that would have to be done at any new home with other horses, just to make sure we are good and healthy and won’t spread any illnesses.
As soon as we were ready to join the rest of the heard, we found that we fit right in. There were so many good horses, all of which had really good and loving hearts and who were so excited about all the people they could help.
It was not long before we realized that we had really nice handlers too. In fact, at Christmas time they even made special stockings for each of us with our names on them. I was so excited when I discovered that my stocking was full of my favorite treat–carrots!
Sammie and I learned very quickly what our work duties would be like. But, you know, we can hardly call it work, because it is so much fun.
We get to teach lots of folks how to ride and even give them a chance to play games along some beautiful shaded trails!
I love to hear the laughter, excitement and pure joy as my riders are learning and getting stronger while they ride on my back. You know, I could not ask for a better job even if I could think of one. I just LOVE what I get to do.
Colin and Cookie:
“Hi, my name is Colin and the horse I ride is named Cookie. Cookie is dark brown with black stockings, a black mane, and a black tail. She also has a white splashy spot on the top of her forehead. Riding Cookie helps me with balance, my muscles, my talking skills, and my memory. At the end of the lesson, I like to feed her carrots and rinse her off or brush her. Riding Cookie makes me feel joyful because it’s very fun, while it helps my body out alot.”
Cookie needs a sponsor! It costs Open My World approximately $500/month to take care of each one of our horse’s needs, which include:
- Feed (Hay, Grain, and Supplements)
- Farrier and Veterinary Care
- Bedding and Stall Care
- Training and Conditioning
If you are interested in becoming Cookie’s sponsor, visit our donation page with various options to choose from, or make a donation below.
|
Donate Any Amount
|