24 SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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tephanie Bitondo had been riding for just a little over a year
when she decided she wanted her own horse, but she’d
almost given up. With a budget of only $1,000, she hadn’t
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though she was searching the local horse rescue group websites.
The nearby Camelot Feed Lot in central New Jersey conducted
sales every Wednesday, and any horses that didn’t sell were sold
for slaughter the following Saturday. Rescue groups stepped in and
posted photos on social media of those horses otherwise doomed
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was there that the little bay mare’s sweet face and kind eye caught
the attention of a friend of Stephanie’s trainer, who immediately
recommended that she take the plunge and purchase the mare.
“I was kind of desperate at that point,” Stephanie explained. “I
really wanted a horse. When we saw her picture, my mom asked my
trainer, if she were in her place, would she do this? When my trainer
said yes, we just kind of trusted her on that.”
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card to buy the mare sight unseen and found herself preparing
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Stephanie decided on a name: Bellatrix, for a star in the
constellation
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Amazon, right?
What they found at the feed lot was a scrawny, rough coated
mare only a little over 15 hands. With her ribs showing and in
obviously poor health, she hardly looked like an Amazon, but she
did have the kind eye and sweet face that indicated a willing nature.
It was April 1, 2010, and the situation seemed like a real April Fool’s
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“She couldn’t canter, especially on the left lead,” Stephanie
remembered. “And everything scared her: the saddle, the girth and
even people.”
Realizing her inexperience with such a green horse, Stephanie
made the decision to move to Stepping Stone Farm and begin taking
lessons with Anne Marie Compagnone. Bellatrix, soon nicknamed
Bella, relaxed and began to bloom. “I always made sure to have
Ann Marie get on her for tune ups so that I knew she was getting
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something that helped me out since I had someone who was riding
her correctly. It helped Bella, and I think it made her calmer.”
Anne Marie and Stephanie worked with Bella slowly, treating her
like a very young, green horse even though she was seven. She was
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To help Bella with jumping, they started with simple grid work
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together, we started at the trot, then she began cantering when she
landed. When she got balanced and comfortable, all of a sudden she
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They soon found that Bella was a very smart horse. She
remembered what Ann Marie had taught her, and she surpassed
Stephanie on what they were learning together. “I had a green horse
and I was teaching her, or so I thought,” Stephanie said. “Then one
day Anne Marie and I laughed when she said, ‘I think your green
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Bella and Stephanie started in local shows in the New Jersey
area in hunter classes. They now compete successfully in the 3’6”
adult jumper division.
Stephanie’s experience proves that it’s possible to rescue
a deserving horse and make it into a quality show horse and
companion with a little hard work, patience and the help of a good
trainer. Especially if you start with the right horse. Look for one with
a kind eye.
A Kind Eye
FEATURE
HORSE RESCUE
It wasn’t easy to see much potential in the
underweight bay mare and there were no bids
on her at the sale, so she was destined for
the killer’s. But her sweet face and kind eye
would save her.
By Doris Degner-Foster
Stephanie Bitondo and her sweet
rescued mare, Bella.
Photo by Mary Bitondo
Bella was headed to slaughter,
now she’s headed to the
winner’s circle!
Photo by Paws and Rewind LLC
