This is a new feature brought to you by the friendly horses at MVA. Check each month for new stories, interviews and fun with our furry, four legged friends.

This month's featured horse: Zip

Character defines a person, but did you know that it also defines a horse? Depending on your view of animals, it might be hard to imagine a horse’s character, but each one has it. Some are gentle and sweet, others more feisty and ornery. And then there are those who’s intelligence shines through their eyes and almost give you a mischievous grin. Zip is all about mischief.

A truer soul you’ll never meet, but Zip loves to keep you on your toes. First, you have to gain her approval. Like many Appaloosas she’s not quick to trust and will make you work for her respect. Again, it’s never mean, just inquisitive. Her battery of tests will assess not only your knowledge but also your patience, devotion and self-assurance. Fail and she will remain guarded and edgy, pass and you’ll have an incredible new friend.

Zip was sure that she had humans figured out when she arrived at MVA. They weren’t pleasant creatures to be around so she had developed a plethora of tactics to limit her time with them. She didn’t hurt anyone, but she sure knew how to scare them. Coming to MVA was kind of a last chance for Zip. She’d proven to be a handful and couldn’t seem to find the right home. Being Appaloosa lovers, Angelika and Tanja couldn’t resist giving this pretty mare a shot. There were some hopes of her becoming a gymkhana horse, but one short ride demonstrated that Zip had other ideas. Actually, she had backwards ideas. Angelika’s first ride with Zip was the reverse of what we had expected, literally. Instead of charging forward and acting hot, Zip would only put in the reverse gear. This meant that Angelika had to watch the trail over Zip’s tail rather than her ears. For most of Zip’s life this had been enough to end a ride and head back out to pasture. Little did she know that Angelika had already figured this out. Rather than fighting, Angelika simply said “ok” and off they went on their backwards ride. Slowly but surely, Zip got tired of this game. Walking backwards is hard work, especially with a rider on top. Angelika knew this horse was not malicious but needed to communicate to Zip that things would be different for her at MVA. By the time Zip had decided that she had enough of walking backward, she had also realized that there was no harm coming her way. There was no anger, frustration or violence, just laughter, patience and acceptance.

There were a few more tests that Zip had to try, but the major battle had been won. She warmed to her new family and blossomed into a wonderfully caring riding partner. Angelika and Tanja adore her spunk and intelligence. But every now and then, when the mood strikes, Zip has to remind her friends that she’s smarter than the average horse. She’ll demonstrate a new trick, wait for a reaction and then give you that mischievous little look that we’ve all come to love. All of MVA’s horses are family members by now, but Zip is also a really good friend.