NEON

This is Neon.

About 20 years ago in Santa Fe, NM, Neon, seven, belonged to actor Val Kilmer. Val's trainer was a short little woman who trained by intimidation, pain, and force. She had been especially hard on Neon because he was 17 hands of brains and brawn- a dangerous combination in a big horse that's mistreated. Neon decided that he wouldn't stand for that kind of treatment and became very aggressive, attacking everyone and everything that came near him. He wouldn't let anyone in his stall, greeting anyone who came near him with flattened ears and barred teeth. He had even attacked another horse and broken her jaw, so had been locked into his stall and not let out for weeks - or maybe months. Kilmer was going to have him put down because he was so vicious.

I contacted Kilmer and offered to take him. He agreed. I bought Neon for $1.00.

I went to Neon's stall, told him I was his brand new best friend, and walked in. He could have killed me, but he just stood with ears pricked up and let me put a halter on him. I led him out of the stall, outside the barn, climbed up on a half-barrel, and hopped up on his back, bareback. I guided him to the exercise track around the facility's polo fields, and urged him into a gallop and then a full run. I just held onto his mane and the lead rope and let him go. (My long legs came in handy. lol) He was SO happy! He ran about three laps around those fields, and when he was ready, he slowed to a trot and then a walk. He dropped his head and we went back to the barn.

I moved him home to our ranch and put him in a pen by the barn. He was like a big ole puppy dog for me from that day on, but he charged at our other horses and our dogs, and I was afraid he'd really hurt on of them or one of the kids. It was clear that my home couldn't be his final stop in his journey toward peace and happiness.

Pat and Linda Parelli were doing really good work with horses at that time, so a friend who knew them well called them and asked if they'd be interested in meeting Neon and maybe taking him on as a project. They drove from Pagosa Springs, CO down to Santa Fe, and they liked the looks of him. (Of course. He was a gorgeous registered Dutch Warmblood).

Pat said he'd take him home and see if he could help him learn to integrate better with other humans and horses. I jokingly said to Pat, "Now, Pat, I've never lost

money on a horse deal, and I did pay $1.00 for him." Pat took out his wallet, pulled out $2.00, and said, "Here you go. Now you've doubled your money." lol

They took Neon back to Pagosa with them that day. The turned him loose on the expansive Parelli Study Center property and let him go anywhere he wanted - except near any other horse.

In a few weeks, a whole semi load of horses arrived there after coming off winter pasture in MT. When they were unloaded into the biggest pasture at the Parelli study center, Pat went and caught Neon and took him to the pasture and let him loose. Neon started his dominance routine, trying to threaten the other horses. Those horses didn't know him, though, and they weren't about to let him take over. Every time he tried to charge at another horse, the herd leaders stepped up and gave him a good view of their backsides. He also got kicked in the slats a few times. It wasn't long before Neon decided that he'd better learn to get along, and eventually ended up near the bottom of the pecking order.

Neon was assigned to a very gentle high level student for the summer and they got along great. Neon thrived in the open space, fresh air, and humane treatment.

Pat had invited Olympic Champion David O'Conner to teach for a month at the Parelli center, and David was invited to choose any horse he liked to ride for that month. He chose Neon. So, big ole Neon went from being one day away from euthanized to being an Olympic champion's demonstration horse in less than a year.

Neon was eventually either sold or given to a young lady who was a Parelli student in Florida. I don't really know what happened to him after that, but I hope (and believe) that he had a very nice rest of his life with lots of TLC.

[This occurred years before I created Fleet of Angels and devoted my life to helping horses in crisis. I do believe that Neon received good care even after he left Pat's ownership, but if I had it to do over, I would probably have at least attempted to retain ownership of him just to guarantee his lifelong safety.]