Teyla, our Appaloosa mare who we rescued a while ago, is just about the unfriendliness horse I have ever known. Just watch her body language here. Sometimes, she doesn't even like it when you look at her. And other times, when I'm petting or grooming the other horses, she stands about 4 feet behind me, looking at me with great interest and a longing, I think, to love and be loved, her eyes softening. On the rare occasion, you can walk up to her and give her a good rub on the neck or the shoulder. But sometimes, she just won't stand for any of it.

The fellow we bought her from was scared to death of her.

But the funny thing is, she'll let me catch her, she takes care of the kids when they ride her, she's never bitten or kicked us or tried to hurt us in any way, and she's one hell of a steely-eyed mountain horse, just point her in the direction you want to go in and she'll take care of the rest of it. She can go all day long in that rough terrain without one complaint. She's as surefooted as a mountain goat. She's also so quick and light, that if one of the kids needs my help with the horse when we are riding in the mountains, she has no hesitation about doing exactly what I ask. And on the rare occasion that something does actually scare at this spotted and branded mare who's made out of iron, she immediately looks to us for security.

She is just not what I would call warm and fuzzy.