To hear people whispering about him and the naughty things he did, one would think that riding him was an exercise in reckless risk-taking. I disagreed. Phantom's Paradox, also known as Fancy or The Pone,certainly needed an experienced rider wise to his ways, but I wouldn't call him dangerous. Misunderstood, perhaps. Fancy received most of his early training under harsh, abusive riders, to whom the goal of training was domination of the animal. Fancy doesn't do well with a "do it or else" philosophy. In time he came to realize that at 950 pounds, he was stronger than any of his handlers. When he grabbed the bit and ran, no amount of pulling could make him stop. He learned that if he ran straight at a wall, then dodged to the side unexpectedly, most riders would catapult off at high velocity. These maneuvers earned him the name "Psycho Pony".

I started working with him in the fall of 1997. Fancy apparently had never previously found a human worthy of trust, but together we forged a partnership that gets stronger as we go through life together. People who meet him now have trouble believing that he was ever considered a "psycho-pony". Now he looks upon most people as potential friends, and is loved wherever he goes.

page design and artwork
by Bonnie Urquhart Gruenberg, CNM, MSN
eohippus63@hotmail.com