The story of Vandoorne and the border-hopping mare started on August 25. There had been reports of a horse that jumped the 49th parallel a couple of times and headed north of the Peace Garden on #10 Highway. Dawson Keen of the Boissevain office of Manitoba Conservation, a department Vandoorne worked for in various sites for 37 years, gave him a call. The Boissevain native said he has likely broken 100 horses in his lifetime, which made him a logical person to call for help in the situation.
“He gave me a call and said, ‘Do you want a horse?’” Vandoorne explained. “I thought I’d check it out, and I talked to Audrey and then I went to see what I’d find.”
He went to #10 south of Boissevain where she had been spotted by the Horton road, and began asking around, giving people in the area his phone number if they spotted her, having been given a picture by Keen of her standing in the ditch. He also put the photo on Facebook. He said a quad had chased her across a field.
The next day, he received a call from Spud Strain who asked if he was looking for a horse. She was by the Horton road, and Strain tried to catch her, but again she kept running into a field. When Vandoorne had brought his horse and trailer, Strain had the escapee herded down the road by his alfalfa field. As luck had it, she went into the field, so they could keep her by Strain’s Percherons. Vandoorne left his horse Sabre there in the hopes the two would bond a bit.
“Next morning, they were both gone. I thought, ‘This isn’t good.’ She was running away with my horse Sabre.”
After a few hours of looking and chasing, the two had gone back to the pasture. Vandoorne got his horse out, and he and Audrey went to work. They would get on their horses and ride around with the mare, calming her a bit, and in five days they were able to get her into the corral. She was skittish and slowly they were able to get closer – from 200 yards to 20 yards – before she would run away. Vandoorne split the corral but still she bonded with the Percherons over the fence. As time went on, they were able to get her in a trailer, borrowed from David Hicks. The Vandoorne’s had nowhere to put her at their home on the south end of Boissevain. So he and his son Skylar built a smaller pen inside their corral, with lumber they got from Danny Warnez. When it was built, she moved in.
Over the next while, the work with her continued, and there were many firsts. September 9 was the first touch. On the 11th, on went the halter. On the 14th, Vandoorne started leading her, and on the 15th, the “join up” started, where the bonding began. On September 19, they let her out into the big corral with the other horses, and over time he was able to groom her mane and tail – keeping clear of the hindquarters. They found she certainly had a personality.
“When we put her in the corral, she fought with the others,” he stated. “She does not like to be pushed around.”
As they explained, they do not know the owner so they do not know the animal’s history. They do not feel she has been beaten or abused, but perhaps harassed continually, giving her a wild feel. Vandoorne feels she might be the biggest challenge he has had.
“It’s like training a wild mustang, training a wild animal. Not knowing her history, she’s probably been chased by everybody. She’s always looking for a place to escape. She’ll kick, I just hope she doesn’t kick me.”
Along the way, she acquired the name Whisper, like the horse whisperer. Vandoorne is not sure of the breed, although he figures she has some quarter horse, and is about two and a half years old. She can move and is quick on her feet. Although still a little skittish, by October 1, Whisper would let Vandoorne touch her legs, and it is obvious by watching them that the bonding is taking hold.
As for the future, it depends on different factors. They have not yet heard of an owner, someone coming to claim their horse from south of the border. If not, there is a good chance they have another horse. In fact, at some point, Vandoorne wants to get on and take her for a ride, even ride her in the parade next year.
“No promises,” Vandoorne said with a laugh, “but that’s the goal, I guess.”
In the meantime, Whisper has become a Facebook star, and Vandoorne thanks all of the followers for interest and tips. He also thanks Audrey for her help and patience, without which this would not be possible, Spud Strain for helping catch her, Danny Warnez for the lumber for the round pen, Marvin Unrau for lumber and drilling the holes for the posts, his son Skylar for helping to build it, and David Hicks for the use of his trailer and his good advice.
“I wanted one more challenge, and I got it.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff