Soon after getting the mare to Ruth’s house, her husband went back to work and Asuka became Ruth’s sole responsibility. For a while Asuka remained scared and closed off to the environment and people, as she was when she first arrived at Circle A Home for Horses. Once Asuka realized that Ruth and her husband were her new herd, her aggressive behavior started to slowly disappear. “She is still incredibly opinionated but so am I [and] seeing her come around has been amazing,” Ruth wrote.

With “consistency, confidence, and trust” they continue to chug along in their training. Ruth couldn’t be prouder of Asuka. Some days they make a lot of progress and other days they just make small steps, nonetheless they move forward. Ruth is very careful with the number of expectations she puts on Asuka because she understands that Asuka probably had quite a demanding life as a racehorse. She just wants Asuka to be happy.

“We work every day on physical and mental health,” wrote Ruth. Starting in the summer of 2024, Ruth will evaluate Asuka on if she wants to be a riding horse. Ruth is not worried one bit if Asuka decides that she doesn’t right now, she is committed to going at Asuka’s pace and doing what Asuka wants when she is ready. “My # 1 goal is [to keep] Asuka safe, happy, healthy, and [that] she knows she is loved], Ruth wrote.