Town Crier Articles

Kathy Grieff, our October Noontime Talk speaker, was on a horse before she could barely walk and ever since then horses have been an important part of her life. She is one of those people who has a job that they truly love and that shown through in her presentation. Her job as a Zoological Specialist at Busch Gardens involves caring for and training the Clydesdale horses. Another important part is introducing the horses to park visitors and teaching them how to interact with the horses and how to make them smile – yes, we saw a picture of a horse “smiling.”

 

Kathy shared with her fellow New Town neighbors the history of this Scottish breed of draft horses of which there are unfortunately only 5,000 left. Six of them reside at Busch Gardens. Kathy described them as  “sweet and gentle giants,” who stand more than 6 feet tall, weigh 1,800 to 2,000 pounds and eat 50 pounds of hay a day and drink between 30 and 40 gallons of water.

 

Kathy explained how she trains the horses, starting with how she communicates with them through touch, and they communicate with her with their eyes, ears and tails. She noted that the Clydesdales can develop deep bonds with their handlers and that they have long memories. So, it is important for the trainer to build a positive relationship with a horse from the beginning, which means no yelling or negative reinforcement and lots of healthy treats as rewards. That is probably good advice for any relationship.  

 

At the end of her talk, she shared some fun horse facts, including that unlike humans, horses’ teeth constantly grow and need to be filed down. That is where we get the phrase “long in the tooth,” that is used to describe people of a certain seasoned age. That information drew a chuckle from the audience. Also, while horses will lie down when they feel safe and secure, most do sleep standing up and in the wild lock three legs and rest one at a time. It was a fun and informative talk.

 

At our next Noontime Talk, Thursday, November 12, resident Mike Kavanagh, a retired army officer, will share with us the life of a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps.  Join us and pass the word.

 

Also, do you have a story to share about your life and interests? If so, please contact Liz Fones-Wolf at efwolf@wvu.edu.  I promise you that you will get an appreciative audience.