Stanley, our new gelding, has had a busy week! Last Wednesday, he made a trip to visit Dr Fleck at Rainland Farm Equine Clinic to have a squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) on his lower left eyelid treated. Our wonderful volunteer Lexee was kind enough to haul him to the clinic for his procedure.
The tumor was treated with a CO₂ laser under sedation and local anesthesia, and Stanley was able to return home that same afternoon. Our veterinarian reported that he was a good fellow to work with, although they did offer one important reminder: keep an eye on that head, because sometimes he likes to throw it right into you! Haha! Those are all things we can work on with him through our horsemanship training.
We expect Stanley to make a full recovery from his procedure, with little to no complications. He did lose one of the tear ducts along his lower eyelid, but we’re hopeful the remaining duct in the upper lid will produce enough moisture to keep his eye comfortable without the need for daily lubricating drops. We’ll be watching him closely and will have his eye rechecked in 3–4 weeks to evaluate the success of the treatment.
Because of his albino coloring and sensitivity to sunlight, Stanley will always need protection from the sun. We’ll make sure that’s part of his ongoing care. All agree he looks pretty cute in his fly mask with floppy ears.
Building Confidence, One Step at a Time
Stanley is a stand-up guy. He’s sensitive and needs a little time to feel safe and learn that he can trust the people around him. When he first arrived at SAFE, the poor guy was literally scared of his own shadow. The world felt like a pretty big and intimidating place, and he needed some help finding his confidence.
Our wonderful volunteer Lexee has started working with Stanley on basic groundwork to help him build confidence and learn to move his feet with less worry.
It might seem counterintuitive that, to feel more relaxed, a horse needs to learn that he can move. But for a sensitive horse like Stanley, having the freedom and confidence to move can make all the difference.
As Lexee worked with him and showed him that it was okay to move, that no one was going to hold him back or trap him, something wonderful began to happen. Stanley started to relax. His strides grew longer, his neck lowered, and his body began to soften.
These may seem like small changes, but they tell us a lot. When a worried horse begins to feel safe enough to let go of some of that tension, we know we’re heading in the right direction.
Learning to Give to Pressure: A Lifetime of Safety
Lexee and Lily have also been working with Stanley to improve his comfort level with the farrier and help him learn to pick up all four hooves. He has made great progress! They’ll continue working with him on learning to give to pressure and relax when someone handles his legs.
This lesson is important for more than just routine farrier care. If a horse were ever to get a leg caught in something, such as a fence, learning to give to pressure rather than panic and pull harder can make a real difference. It’s an important skill that helps keep horses and the people caring for them safer.
Learning to give to pressure is a foundational part of the horsemanship education we provide to all our SAFE horses. We want them to be comfortable with necessary handling, easier to care for, and better prepared for life with their future adopters.
At SAFE, education is about more than teaching a horse to be ridden. It’s about helping each horse develop the skills and confidence to navigate the world around them. Every lesson, from picking up a hoof to learning to trust a handler, is another way we help set our horses up for success.
Because giving our horses an education is one more way we give them a lifetime of safety.
Looking Ahead
Stanley is scheduled to join the Joel Conner horsemanship clinic next week with our volunteer Annika, which will be a great opportunity for him! Over the coming weeks, we’ll continue preparing him for the next steps in his training. Throughout the winter, we’ll work on introducing him to the saddle, helping him become comfortable wearing tack, and building the confidence he needs to trust his handlers.
Our hope is that, by next spring, Stanley will be ready for us to try riding him and see how he responds. We’ll let him tell us what he’s ready for, taking the time he needs rather than rushing the process.
Stanley has some healing ahead of him, both physically and emotionally, but he’s already showing us what a little patience, kindness, and understanding can do.
We’re grateful to Lexee, Lily and Annika for the thoughtful work they’re doing to help Stanley build his confidence, and to Lexee for getting him safely to his veterinary appointment. We’ll keep cheering him on as he learns that the world doesn’t have to be such a scary place.
Stay tuned for more updates on this special guy!
