Julia is horse crazy. She fell madly in love with Pumpkin. Pumpkin was in need of love too. He found it in this funny, hopeful, loving young woman named Julia. This is her account in her own words. Enjoy it!
I don’t know what it was about that little horse that attracted me, but for a whole summer I was obsessed. Maybe it was his fear of people that made me want to help him to trust again, or maybe it was his past that caused me to want to give him something better to live for. But whatever it was about him, he stole my heart. I don’t know who named him but because of them I now walk around calling everything “Pumpkin”. Even to my cat, I unknowingly say “Hi Pumpkin”. It has become a term that I often use as a nickname for an animal close to me. I think if his name had still been Dawson that is what I would be calling everything “Dawson”.
Pumpkin suits him so much better though. He just ambles around much like a pumpkin, a little, plump orange thing. He is the sweetest thing though. Always comforting people and horses alike. He is friends with everyone, even Hershey. The high strung Thoroughbred, is always calm and relaxed around Pumpkin. You can’t be angry, or upset, or too excited around him because his personality just rubs off on you and makes you relax.
He wasn’t always the clam one though. When he first arrived you couldn’t get near him in the field without him taking off. He would run and usually it would take several people to herd him into a corner to capture him. I saw this and it struck me that he needed help, to be able to trust that people wouldn’t hurt him. So I took it upon myself to help him. It took time of course, as with anything with horses. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one helping him though. But I did feel some sort of connection when I was with him. Like I was telling him he could trust me and in some, strange, twisted way, he listened. So I sat there petting him and feeding him treats out of my pocket and telling him that I would never hurt him. For a whole summer I did this, spent time with him. After a while he let me catch him with a halter so I took him to the tree and let him graze for HOURS while I groomed him. Just the two of us and occasionally some guests. Curry, brush, curry, brush, curry some more, brush even more, hard brush, soft brush, hoof pick, tail brush, comb, in that order until he was spotless. They would tease me about it, but I knew he liked it so I had a reason to do it. Then after all that brushing I would take him for a trail ride. Even when it was too hot to ride, I grazed and groomed him and gave him a bath so he would feel good.
And I knew he appreciated all of my hard work because he waited until after I left to roll because he knew it would hurt my feelings. When I put him back in the field after a session he would stand at the gate and watch me silently calling me not to go. I was the only one who could catch him for a while. Timmy would go out and try to catch him for a lesson and he would run, but he would stand for me. He would let me catch him because he trusted me. To this day he still amazes me with his willingness. Almost anyone can catch him in the field now. Everyone is in love with him and he is docile enough to be used for children’s pony rides. He’s plump, happy, and sweeter than ever. People claim to love him more than I do but they have no idea how much I love that little horse and forever will. Whenever I see him I can’t help but think of the hours of grooming and trail rides and that special bond we had. For that whole summer, and still, I felt something special, something more than just a word. Love. And I pray that he felt it too.
Julia and Pumpkin
Anything For Horse And Rider 
horses know. He knew you.