Sean and the Ponies of Summer of 1999

Nancy, Sean's Mom. wrote this as a little story about Sean and his good friend Kevin Bingham.

Sean Wenlock Chronicles
Summer of 1999 and the Ponies

It was the end of the summer. Sean, our 19-year-old son, deaf and blind from birth, had enjoyed the best summer yet. First let me explain that while Sean is totally deaf, he does have some residual sight although very very little. He can see some large things and in familiar surroundings he gets around quite well. Four mornings a week this summer, our neighbor and friend, Kevin, on summer break from college, had taken Sean out to their barn and helped him ride their Indian ponies. The two ponies were siblings and no one but Kevin and his dad could tell them apart. They were traditional looking with brown spots. Kevin of course knew them both very well. The gelding was a bit more mellow than the mare and at the end of the summer, Kevin announced that the gelding, "Carnival", had really taken to Sean. By the end of the summer, Carnival would welcome Sean with a nuzzle or two. The mare, Circus", was not so taken. While the summer workouts did even her out a bit, she still remained the feistier of the two.

During their morning jaunts, Kevin took Sean out to the barn and led one of the two ponies out and would then help Sean onto it This was accomplished in a most peculiar manner. To watch it was amazing. Sean did not like the idea of leaning over the back of the pony and slipping on, although his size would have made it easy. Instead, he stood next to the pony, facing front. Kevin would then lift Sean's right leg up and over while Sean would push himself onto the pony facing frontward. I don't know how Kevin managed it because Sean was heavier than Kevin. I tried to catch their maneuver on film once but it looked like a Harpo Marx antic.

The ponies were like small horses, not tiny like Shetland ponies. Even so, Sean was tall and when he was on top of one, his legs dangled way down, nearly to the ground.

All summer Kevin worked to help make Sean more independent on these rides. He worked Sean hard and if Sean decided to slide off mid-ride, Kevin did not help him get right back up, but left Sean to walk alongside the pony. Consequently, Sean did a lot more walking during the summer than he had done for years. Usually after a few yards of walking, Sean would tug on Kevin to get his help in mounting the pony again. Kevin would help him on and Sean would hang onto the pony's mane and work to balance himself on the bare back of the animal.

No bridle, no saddle, no helmet, just the pony, a halter and lead line, Kevin and a dirt road that ran for miles out in the middle of the Colorado countryside. It was made to order for Sean who tolerates no headgear of any kind, so that riding at a stable where helmets are required has always been out of the question.

By the end of the summer, photos told the story: Sean had become much more relaxed onboard. He no longer tried to cling to Kevin for dear life and in fact, pushed Kevin away more often than not, so that he could ride without encumbrances, allowing Kevin to simply lead the pony.

Kevin pointed out that by the end of the summer the ponies had also made great progress: no longer did Kevin have to lead each one, pulling on the rope. Each had found its pace and mellowed to the idea that a walk out in the country was more interesting than standing in the corral looking at the same old landscape. By the end of the summer, Kevin didn't have to walk in front of either pony but could walk along its side or even behind it, with a loose grip on the rope.

Sturdy is the word for those ponies. They looked small but they easily carried Sean, who weighed in at over 210 pounds. Kevin said that they were much stronger, proportionately, than horses. I had no idea! I love horses and always have but I know next to nothing about them. Kevin not only knew these ponies but he had trained horses in New Mexico and had a great deal of knowledge under his belt on the subject.

The summer was not all smooth sailing of course. Sean's decision to slide off the side of the pony from time to time got him into trouble more than once. He didn't always decide to slide off during a walk. Sometimes Sean panicked and tried to slide off when the pony was trotting. Not a good idea. He slid off and crashed to the ground more than once.
Kevin would stop and wait for Sean to collect himself. Sean always got up and wanted to get back on, which I find noble. He never gave up. The worst fall was when they were actually on a paved street. Sean decided to slide off and although the pony was walking, Sean's foot got fouled up in the lead rope. Instead of crashing to the ground on his behind, Sean crashed to the pavement head first. Fortunately I was not a witness. Poor Kevin held his breath as he went to Sean and helped him up slowly. Not a scratch. Sean was none the worse for wear and he got straight back on. Kevin exhaled with relief as they continued. Kevin thanked his lucky stars on that one!

Then there was the pig. Carnival, the gelding, always had a fear of pigs. The mare couldn't have cared less about pigs or any other animals but show Carnival a pig and he'd bolt. Well one day as Kevin, Carnival and Sean were walking along their dusty dirt road, someone's pet pot-bellied pig wandered out to greet them. Carnival caught sight of the pig, jumped into the air and threw Sean into a majestic arc before taking off at a gallop. Kevin tried to hold on but was so surprised he couldn't keep the rope in his hands. He ran after the galloping Carnival, leaving Sean sitting in the middle of the dirt road, dazed and confused. Eventually Kevin managed to gather up all concerned. Sean, undaunted, made it up on his feet in one piece and got back onto Carnival with Kevin's help.

Kevin always drove Sean out to their barn, a good 20 miles north, in their old blue van. Kevin and his family enjoyed camping and all sorts of outdoor activities and the van was a vehicle that Sean, in his most curious mode, could not really wreck. Which was good. Sean can take inside lights out, or pull things off of upholstery if he is bored while riding along.

Well, one day Kevin drove Sean out to the barn as usual. When he went around to Sean's door to let him out he had a surprise. Sean refused to get out of the van. It was very hot outside, and being Colorado, it was dusty in the wind. Sean hates wind because it blows things into his eyes, which have no lenses. He took one whiff of the weather outside and absolutely refused to move. This is where Kevin's genius showed itself.

Kevin knew that further attempts to get Sean to come out would be useless. Sean clearly had made up his mind not to move. Kevin closed the van door and went around to the corral. He fetched the horse trailer and hitched it up to the van, then went and got one of the ponies and loaded the pony. Kevin's parents were out of town on holiday. Why not bring the pony back with them and let Sean ride at home? The pony could graze in the back yard and Sean could ride. So they drove back home, into Denver, where Kevin unloaded the pony, put it in the back yard and then opened Sean's door in the van. Sean happily got out, knowing exactly where he was. Then Kevin brought him through the house to the back yard and showed him the pony. Sean immediately wanted Kevin's help to get on. Sean seemed to take his new turn of events in stride. Kevin helped Sean on and led the pony over to our back yard, across the alley from their house.

My husband Mick was enjoying a cigarette outside out back door at the time. He nearly choked when he saw them. Wow! What a great idea! Sean slid off the pony and came over and put his arms over Mick's shoulders. This is Sean's way of giving a big hug. There are precious few people whom Sean favors by doing this. Once he'd done that, Sean pushed Mick over to the pony which was loosely tethered and happily nibbling the grass. Kevin had had to run to his house for something. Mick could not help Sean get onto the pony. He wasn't even going to try. Kevin appeared from his back yard and Sean immediately went over to him and pushed him over to the pony. Kevin dutifully helped Sean up onto "Circus"s' back as Mick watched in awe. Then Kevin led the pony down the alley, having told Mick he'd take the pony and Sean over to the nearby park. Mick watched them disappear down the alley, chuckling at the sight.

A few minutes later Mick realized our golden Labrador, Clancy, was nowhere to be found. Clancy never goes anywhere but keeps us in his sight at all times. Nevertheless, Clancy was gone. Mick went out into the alley and called and whistled. No Clancy. Mick went down to the bottom of the alley and called again. No dog. But the woman across the street asked, "Are you looking for a golden lab?" Mick shouted over, "yes!" "He went down the street following the horse," she said, as though this happens all the time. Mick thanked her and hurried down the street to the park. There he saw Kevin leading the pony around the park with Sean riding and holding on, and Clancy happily following the pony at a safe distance, fascinated by this new animal in the neighborhood.

Mick brought the dog back and left the boys in the park. When they returned after an hour or so, Kevin said Sean had done very well. After a few turns around the park, Kevin had let Sean sit on the grass a few minutes while Kevin gave rides to the kids in the park. After all, it's not every day that a pony shows up in an East Denver park!

The pony stayed in Kevin's back yard where Kevin arranged a water bucket for her. That day I was working and when I came home there was a distinct "fragrance de horse" in the air. I looked around and then saw the pony in Kevin's back yard. My eyes just about zoomed out of my head like a Chuck Jones cartoon character. I raced over with a carrot. To bestow upon Circus. Kevin told me about Sean not wanting to get out of the van so that he had the idea to bring the pony back here. I was astounded! What a brilliant solution! Talk about "thinking outside the box"!

That evening, neighbors came over and admired the pony. She in turn came over to the fence to admire the neighbors. As long as we all plied her with carrots and apple pieces, she hung out at the fence, but she ambled back toward the house when our snacks ran out. Altogether it was a terrific sight to look out of our house and see a horse in the yard across the alley. Every yard needs one!

Kevin kept her there for several days. This way, Sean got a lot more riding in without having to waste time traveling to the barn and back. He and Kevin spent several hours over at the park each morning and the pony was content to stay in the back yard and graze afterwards.

One afternoon Kevin mentioned that he was going to Boulder, but that he'd probably be back late that night. The pony was all set up with water so there was no worry. Of course the neighbors and I all made sure Circus had lots of goodies that evening too. She would not starve. I hit the hay at about 10:00 but didn't see any lights at Kevin's before I went to bed. The next morning when I looked out the back I didn't see the pony but I was in a hurry to get something done and didn't think much of it. Later on when I looked again, she was there, next to the house, munching on grass.

It was midday when I heard the full story. During the early hours of the morning, Circus had decided that she wanted greener pastures. She had maneuvered the back door open (it wasn't locked) and walked right through the house. The front door too was unlocked and with her skillful mouth, she'd opened it and gone through to the front yard. Kevin, who had decided to spend the night in Boulder with friends, came home about 7:00. His neighbor's son called to him as he got out of the car and told him that Circus was out in the front yard. Kevin looked up, horrified to see his horse free and clear in the front yard. She hadn't deemed it necessary to go further than his front yard, yet. He got the halter from the back yard and came around again, approached her and got the halter on her. Then he led her around the alley and back into his yard. A bit later however, while he was in the house, he witnessed her again getting into the house and trying to go out the front door. He managed to turn her around and get her out the back door again! Oh, I wish I'd had a video camera for that!

Well, that day Kevin took Circus back to the barn but picked up Carnival and kept him at the house for a few days, till the end of the weekend. Sean and Kevin spent more riding time at the park and I managed to get some photos of this event.

After one more week of riding, Kevin was due to take a trip to his grandparents' and then head back to school. He would be thoroughly missed not only by Sean but by us too. His work with Sean had been phenomenal. While he had hoped that by the end of the summer, Sean would be hopping on the pony and riding away independently, the truth was that Kevin had made great progress with Sean. Sean had lost his fear of riding and had taken the knocks with the fun and had come out winning. Sean's balance had improved, his confidence had improved and he had loved every minute with Kevin and the ponies. Kevin too had been changed by the whole experience. He had really made a connection with Sean when he saw how happy Sean was, and watched as Sean worked hard because Kevin didn't pamper him.

Kevin went off to his grandparents in North Carolina for a few weeks and Sean pined each morning that Kevin didn't show up to take him to the ponies. It was awful to watch because I saw Sean's morale sort of droop lower and lower as the weeks went by. I wished that I was confident enough to take him riding, as Kevin had invited me to do, but I was not at ease around the ponies. They were not laid back "old paints" even though they were the ripe old age of 23 and 24. "Bomb proof" they were not. Both ponies were ridden from time to time by Kevin and his dad. But Kevin told me about the way Circus could buck either of them off. Once her rider was gone, the mare would happily take off at a run for parts unknown. No, I was not up to dealing with the ponies, even though I bet they would have been fine with Sean.

When Kevin's trip was over, he came back home but only for a few days before he and another guy had to drive to their California college. It happened however, that one night when Kevin was back, Mick and I had been invited to attend a party. We seldom go out due to not having anyone to watch Sean, so I took a chance to see if Kevin would be willing to hang out with Sean that night. Kevin in his usual, informal way, said "sure." He said he would be packing that night, seeing as how he had to drive back to college the next day. Could Sean come over to their place and hang out over there while he packed? Kevin amazed me! His last evening at home and he was willing to share it with Sean! I double checked to make sure his family had not planned any special surprise or something, and found to my delight, nothing had been planned. So it all seemed to work out!

Late in the afternoon when it was nearly time for Mick and me to leave, I went and bought Sean's favorite dinner, cheeseburgers, so that he wouldn't eat Kevin's family out of house and home. Then we delivered Sean and his bag of burgers to Kevin's back yard. Kevin immediately welcomed Sean by grabbing his burger bag and making Sean follow him around the yard. Kevin treats Sean like any other friend. It is refreshing. Sean loved it and giggled as he followed the blurry outline of Kevin around the back yard. Mick and I took off, knowing Sean was in good hands.

When we got back late that evening, Sean was asleep on the sofa, his favorite place to fall asleep. It's where the action and family are in the evenings and he enjoys being in the midst of it. We checked with Kevin that all had gone well, expecting that Sean had been OK at their house and that Kevin had brought him back to fall asleep sometime during the evening. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

I should have realized something had gone on, when I talked to Kevin as soon as we got home. It was late at night and he was still packing. Kevin had to finish that so I talked to him mom, our friend, Janet, who filled me in on what had gone on while we were away. What she relayed remains one of our most memorable descriptions of Sean's persistence.

Janet had cooked a salmon dinner for the family and a couple of Kevin's college friends too. While Sean ate his burgers, the rest of the family sat down to Janet's salmon dinner. Then Kevin disappeared into his room to do his packing. About this time, Sean, who had finished his burgers, got up and started wandering around the house. Sean had spent enough time over there to know that Janet was Kevin's mom. He was also familiar with their house. While Kevin packed and Janet cleaned up the dishes, Sean made his way past the dining table and out into the back yard. He walked around it, then came back into the house. Janet noticed Sean's wandering with interest. He seemed to be looking for something but she didn't know what. What happened next blew her away.

Sean came over to Janet and took her hand, gently but firmly. He led her to the front door, opened it and led her outside. Sean took her straight down the walk out to their blue van parked on the street and placed Janet's hand on the door handle. Nothing could have been more clear. Janet realized with a start that Sean was telling her, "If the horse isn't here then you just have to take me to the horse!" Janet, acting in compliance and not really thinking, opened the van door. Sean promptly hopped in and sat in his usual seat. When Janet tried to get him to get out of the van, he staunchly refused. He just sat there waiting. Janet realized she'd been bested!

She left the unmoving Sean, went back into the house, and told Kevin what had happened. "You'll have to take him to the barn now." There was no way Sean was going to come back into the house. Kevin left his room and his packing and went out to inspect the insistent Sean. Sean sat there but what he didn't know was that the van was out of commission. It had to go to the shop before it could do any more driving. Somehow, Kevin extracted Sean. He led Sean over to his friend's car that they were driving to California in the morning. Packing was abandoned and Kevin, with his friends, all crammed into the little car. They drove up the 20 miles to the barn and spent over an hour riding the ponies. His friends joined in and all had a great time.

When we got home and heard that Kevin had taken Sean riding on Kevin's last night home, we knew he was a saint! But after hearing the whole story we realized he never had a choice. Even so Kevin is still a saint! And will forever be a saint in our eyes!