VMCVM Pet Spotlight: Kasey
What’s your name, and do you think it’s as awesome as you are?
My name is WH Dream Kaset+/, but people seem to just call me 'Kasey.' I earned the '+/' at the end of my name through the Arabian Horse Association for excellence in the show ring, but what really makes me stand out is how loud I snore in my stall during my mid-morning nap, sometimes causing people to think I'm in labor. Then everyone laughs when someone tells them I'm a boy ... these humans make no sense to me.
Who is your human and what is their role at the veterinary college?
My human is Maggie Meikle, and she is the director of major gifts at the veterinary college. She has worked in the advancement office for 9 years now, visiting with other people and their horses behind my back!
What kind of critter are you, and what makes your breed (or mix) totally pawsome?
I'm a purebred Arabian horse, but my personality is more akin to my land seal pittie brother, Radagast. I'm at a farm with over 40 other Arabian horses, and most of them seem to be bothered by things like plastic bags, things flapping in the wind, their own tails, etc. I'm too lazy to get worked up over things like that.
How many candles are on your birthday cake this year—or are you keeping that a secret?
I'll have 25 candles on my cake this year. They won't fit on the normal cupcake my mom brings me, so she better figure something else out.
Where did you find your human, and what made you pick them?
My mom found me in an advertisement from my first humans who wanted to find me a little girl who would love me forever. She always tells me how she knew immediately when I walked out of my stall that I was the horse that would heal her after losing her first horse.
How would you describe yourself: a snugglebug, a wild child, or the boss of the house?
I'm definitely the boss of the field, no one else gets the round bale of hay that I want. But that is what happens after 21 years on a farm, you get street cred.
What’s your signature move to get attention—puppy eyes, zoomies, or something else?
When you are the stoic type like me, a little pathetic nicker gets you anything you want. Trust me ;)
Do you have a favorite toy that you’d fight a dragon to keep?
Toys aren't really my thing, but I enjoy my grain enough that sometimes I forget to chew and get it stuck in my throat. It's my mom's favorite.
What’s your go-to snack, and how do you convince your human to hand it over? (Do you have a secret trick?)
Carrots! You give them the perked ears and woogy your lips a little and they hand it right over.
What’s the most epic adventure you’ve had with your human?
Our biggest adventure was traveling all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Western Dressage World Championship Show. As a western pleasure horse, turned dressage horse, then turned into a western dressage horse, getting our World Top 10 felt like a long time in the making.
What’s something you did that left your human totally speechless—good or bad?
Eating a lightbulb -- everyone freaked out and I don't know why. My human's decided to stop decorating my stall so much when we were at horse shows. Seems like a bit of an overreaction to me.
What’s your best “I’m too cute to handle” pose for the camera?
Anytime I'm lying down they seem to grab their cameras. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to sleep over here.
Describe a day in your fabulous life. Do you work hard or hardly work?
Now that I'm retired from showing, I spend my days eating and sleeping. It has been a nice break after those first 20 years of the my life spent training multiple days a week and traveling the country for shows. I do have some cool neck garlands to show for it, though.
Do you have any rituals with your human, like belly rub o’clock or snack time at sundown?
I get my cookies every time she catches me, then after she finishes grooming me, and then when she lets me back into the field. If you ask me, I should be getting more cookies.
What’s your relationship status with other animals? BFFs, frenemies, or “it’s complicated”?
I'm a loner at the farm, but when I went to shows I decided Sera, my auntie's horse, was a my best friend. She was better than nothing.
Do you have any party tricks that wow the crowd?
On the good side, I have a pretty sick walk to canter transition -- it would often get me those extra bonus points I needed to stand out in the showring. My more devious trick is letting not only myself out of my stall, but then letting other horses out of their stalls to raid the feed room. Once we even cantered down the driveway to the road. The humans didn't seem to like that one.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Magically making grain appear in front of me, especially now that they put an extra lock on my door so I can't escape to forage for it anymore.
What’s one thing your human should learn from you?
How to relax, lie down, and not be worried that all you have for a pillow is a pile of poop.
What’s the best thing about being your human’s sidekick?
That we have been partners for so long, even when other horses, dogs, and now a human baby have come into the picture.
Anything else you want to bark, meow, chirp, neigh, or squeak to the readers? (This is your moment!)
Oh, to all you other horses out there, if you really want to see your human go crazy, just pretend to go lame right before you enter the dressage ring. Gets them every time.
