‘Free Spirited’ Horse, Escaping to Spend Time With Dementia Patients, Receives Unbelievable Surprise From Her Friends

All the spectacle and charm of equestrian activities rests on the broad shoulders of its athletes – the horses. Their spectacular feats are a lure in and of themselves. The stunning Palomino paint horse Panda is no exception. She trains under her trainer on a daily basis and when she is not, she likes to get up to some mischief. In addition to her regular equestrian practice, Panda enjoys galloping out of her gate sometimes to pay a visit to her human companions at the local dementia unit.

Due to her habit of escaping, getting Panda back from the local dementia unit has become a concern for her owner, Maija Vance. In a recent interview, Vance told the tale of Panda’s playful misbehavior, and why the horse likes to spend time with her human companions.

A daily chore apart from the regular equestrian activities

Maija Vance says that if Panda had been given the option, she would have made regular trips to the local dementia unit. The horse could only leave her house to see her peers in more secretive ways. According to Vance, Panda has “gotten loose and galloped” twice, forcing her owner to go and fetch her back and apologizing to others for the mischief the “free-spirited” horse did.

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Vance acknowledges that she is entirely to blame for the horse’s misadventures. It was her idea to bring Panda to the local dementia unit, and she admits that the horse really enjoyed the visit. But Panda was so moved by the kindness of the residents that she is actively planning her escape back to the city and her human peers. As per the report by Stand News, in a TikTok video of Vance, she further states the reason for Panda’s escapade, saying, “They adored her and showered her with carrots.”

The owner of Panda

With 86 career victories and a total of $2,167,680 in earnings, Maija Vance is not just a well-known TikToker but also a popular jockey from Australia/New Zealand. But in 2018, when competing at the Rotoua Racecourse in New Zealand, Vance went down hard after her horse Zedsational crashed through a fence. Speaking about the incident, Vance revealed what she felt to The Spectrum, saying, “From my waist down, I couldn’t feel anything.”

Vance shattered 13 ribs and her back in five places, which put pressure on her spinal cord and rendered her immobile and numb below the waist. She spent more than 18 months in a wheelchair before transitioning to a walker after spending time in Auckland’s Spinal Rehabilitation. She eventually recovered and has since resumed her horseback riding.

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