When Talita joined Redwings in 2012, many of her family and friends commented that this was an unusual job for her to take as she was afraid of horses. Having worked with exotic animals in zoos, Talita wasn’t afraid of horses in the way she was afraid of rhinos, but she believed if you went near a horse it would kick or bite you. However, within her first week Talita’s beliefs were permanently changed when she met Boo.

Boo, the Clydesdale, came to Redwings after he was shot in the eye at point blank range by an air rifle. Having already lost an eye to illness, Boo’s owner called the vets to have him put to sleep. Luckily for Boo, a snow storm prevented the vet from reaching him, and during this time he showed a remarkable ability to adjust to his new, mostly blind existence. Desperate to give Boo one last chance, his owner contacted Redwings and he was welcomed into the Sanctuary.

During her first week at Redwings, Talita was brought to Boo to assist in some treatment for his feet. She was intimidated by his size and promptly offered to hold his head rather than treat his ‘dinner plate sized’ feet. However, her colleague convinced her to try picking up one of Boo’s feet. Boo was a perfect gentleman, and Talita recalls how it seemed that Boo was telling her that he was gentle and depended on her for care, and that if she treated him with kindness he would reciprocate. He was so patient despite his size and blindness, and Talita realised she didn’t have to be afraid of him.

From then onwards, Talita would spend as much time with Boo as she could. From treating him everyday while working on the Redwings farms, introducing new starters to Boo when she became a manager, to visiting him every morning when she moved to working inside the offices at Redwings HQ. When the day sadly came to say goodbye to Boo, Talita stood by his side for hours as queues of people came to give him a last hug. She recalls how that was the hardest day, but also so beautiful as it was obvious how loved and special Boo was to every person that he met.

Life isn’t the same at Redwings without Boo, but his legacy lives on. Talita reflected that the most amazing thing about her connection to Boo was that he wasn’t an anomaly. At Redwings, all the charity’s 1,500 residents are someone’s Boo and they are all given the chance to be loved and cared for.

Talita went from being afraid of horses, to finding a best friend in Boo the blind Clydesdale, and will always remember how lucky she was to have such a special connection to such a wonderful horse. You can view Boo's story here. It has been beautifully narrated by Stephen Fry.