Keosha Makes a Friend

A couple years ago I was blessed with the gift of a beautiful Saddle Bred horse.  She’s a tall red-head, fast as lightening, and moves with great grace and beauty.  She is also a typical Saddle Bred – high spirited and a bit nervous, having had little training before she made the long trip from North Carolina to our farm.  She was given the Indian name KEOSHA, meaning Indian Princess, by one of our program teens.

Here at The Mustard Seed Society we spend most of our time working with at-risk youth.  Most of these teen are in adjudicated programs, many in residential placements.  We serve both boys and girls, many who are much like Keosha.

Keosha has a strong desire to connect and to please and she is very smart.  She learns fast and forgets nothing – even when we leave her to herself for extended periods of time.  Like many of our teens, sometimes her “smartness” is a good thing – sometimes, not so much.  Keosha quickly assesses who is safe and who is not.  She knows who has her best interest at heart and who just wants to use her.  She reacts accordingly, being uncooperative with those who have a less than honorable intent.  She is not aggressive but has learned how to keep herself safe.  This is  important for these teens who have been so vulnerable in their lives.

A few weeks ago I was working with a group of 9th grade girls from a local high school.  Within this group was another group we affectionately called “The Bad Girls.”   They love the label and pride themselves on being big, bad and tough.   The head “bad girl” (BG) chose Keosha to be her horse.   The BG rarely talked or interacted with the staff, nor did she speak to Keosha for a few weeks.  However, they were a pair and Keosha cooperated with her completely.  One day they were outside grooming their horses.  I noticed that the BG was having difficulty combing out Keosha’s tail so I fetched some conditioner for her.  I began spraying Keosha’s tail and suddenly remembered how much she hates to be sprayed, to the degree that she jumps, dances and twists around!  Keosha, however, did not seem to remember.  She stood motionless as this wounded young girl carefully brushed her.  The love that had developed between these two built trust in Keosha that far superceded  my spray bottle.  As I spoke to the BG about this and how her ability to instill trust allows her to be a strong leader, Her entire self changed – body language, affect, everything!  That was the beginning of real change for her.

Last week we were preparing to beginning a riding program.  The kids were doing a drill team pattern, on the ground,  walking their horses on a lead line.  I looked up to see BG going thru the pattern with Keosha without a rope.  Their bond was complete!   Sweet healing!

About Kandie

Kandie Magargee is the executive director of the Mustard Seed Society and a member of the staff. She has been working with horses for over 20 years and has been working with at risk children for almost 15 years. Kandie is married with 2 children. She lives on a farm with 13 horses, 2 dogs and 3 cats. Kandie was a nurse for 16 years. For many years, she trained and worked alongside Glenn Magargee, the founder of Mustard Seed. After Glenn's untimely passing in January 2020, Kandie assumed the responsibility of executive director for the Mustard Seed Society.
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