Work to Love Yourself
Photos and Writing by Lindsey Jensen
Katelyn Ducey, one of my sorority sisters, spends six days a week going out to the farm to be with her horse Dan. During the summers she works at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington. It is a three-thousand acre farm, which gives guests four to six hour rides around the area. She has always loved horses, but growing up in Shoreline, Washington she was never able to have horses. Once she said she would pay for everything herself, her parents let her buy a horse. Ducey battles depression and anxiety from her sexual assault her freshmen year at Washington State University. She said she copes by getting out of Pullman to just forget about the world with Dan. From this photo essay, I want my viewers to get an inside look on her life and how much her horse impact her everyday life.
Going out to the barn five to six days a week gives her that escape to unwind and relax from all the stress of school and everyday life Ducey said.
She says horses are very sensitive to small movement, so Ducey rides Dan with a red flag. She said she recalled a time when a guest took off their jacket while riding and the horse got scared and bucked her off.
Ducey said she looks forward to spring semester the most because that's when she can bring a new horse to train from Sun Mountain Lodge. She says she takes a lower credit load to be able to go out to the barn more on those sunny days.
Ducey loves Dan because of his personality, she says he's a total 'momma's boy' but tries to act tough when given cuddles.
"If a good horse has bad feet, they aren't a good horse," said Ducey. Making sure to clean the inside of their feet before each ride will decrease the chances of them getting the infection, called thrush. Removing any rocks that could cause bruising.
Before riding, spurs are put on her boots so she can apply pressure to have the best communication with him. Using different pressures along his side will let him know what to do-stronger pressure means a faster response.
While working at Sun Mountain Lodge over the summer, she matches up the guest to the right horse to make their experience the best it could be. She laughed when she told me how so many people say they're experienced but 'forget' how to get on the horse.
Ducey always gets a kick out of making food for him when she's there. She knows once she leaves to make the nutrient filled grain, he is always whining until she comes out. He eats 25 pounds of hay a day, about 2.5 percent of his body weight- fed at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
When she first arrives at the barn, Weber Ranch in Colton, Washington, she cleans up his stall- scooping all of the manure and piling it up outside to be composted and used for wheat farming.
"Even if it's been a rough day, I know that he's innocent in his actions because he's an animal and he doesn't have malicious intent," said Ducey. "In his soul I know he means well".