Original subtitles

Christmas is coming in two weeks.

You finally decided you want something practical this year?

No.

I want the same thing that I ask for every year.

I would really love to make your dream come true.

But I just can't right now.

I can't commit to a horse.

I know.

But Jillian just got one as her Christmas gift.

I know, but I've been working so hard to get

this job opportunity and I've finally landed it.

What about the last ten years?

I spent them working to get this job of my dreams.

You're finally old enough to fend for yourself a little.

Taking on a horse is a huge responsibility.

You said it yourself.

I'm not a little girl anymore.

I can start to fend for myself a little bit.

And if I can't have a horse this year, then I don't want anything at all.

Well, how are you doing?

Good.

I like your sweater.

Thank you.

Do you like cats?

Yes.

Okay, cool.

Go ahead and take your glasses off and let's get started.

Okay.

Let's turn your glasses off when you put them down.

Put them like that so it doesn't scratch the lens.

Sorry, I didn't know they were upside down.

Okay, Willow.

You're no pro at this.

Put this on.

Put this over your right eye.

And tell me, read to me the letters of the lowest row that you can read.

P-H-J-B-S Okay, good.

Now put it over your left eye.

Now what row can you read to me?

I can't read any of them.

Okay, that's fine.

Thank you.

Good job.

How are you seeing with your glasses now?

Better.

Good, good.

That's our second prescription this year, I think, right?

Mm-hmm.

Okay, good.

Okay, how does that look for you now?

A lot better.

Great.

Okay.

I think we've got it adjusted properly.

Okay.

Okay, that'll do it.

Thank you very much.

See you next time.

Mrs. Whitley, may I speak with you a moment?

Wait in the car.

I'm afraid we've seen a 30% decline in Willow's eyesight in just one year.

But I gave her the drops like you prescribed.

I thought this was just an infection.

I've done all I can here.

I'm going to have to recommend you see a specialist.

It may be time for an eye transplant.

At this rate, she'll be fully blind in two years.

My

mom won't let me go to school.

Boring.

What did the doctor say yesterday?

They just want you to see another specialist.

But I've already been to a specialist.

I know.

I don't want them to put any more needles in my eyes.

Hey, I thought you said that didn't hurt.

It didn't.

I just don't like it when they put needles in my eyeballs.

I don't like it either.

It's a chance for us to take a road trip.

Yeah.

And I won't let them poke you with any more needles.

Okay.

We can grab lunch at the Olive Garden after.

Ooh.

That sounds nice.

They want to see if you're a candidate for an eye transplant.

An eye transplant?

Somebody else's eyeballs in my eyes.

It would be a blessing because it would mean you could see a kid.

Will it hurt?

I don't know, but I'll be there the whole way.

Hey, it could be really cool.

You might get two different color eyes or something.

I'm scared.

I'll be right here the whole time.

She.

That's good.

Yeah.

I don't know.

She's been whipped, too.

You should see these eyes.

Hi.

I'd like to build that blind horse.

Willow!

I have a surprise for you.

What?

Are we finally going to put the tree up?

Uh, no.

But we have the wreath hung up outside.

That's because you didn't take it down from last year.

Right.

I think you're going to like this surprise better.

Okay.

I got you a Christmas present and it's being delivered tomorrow.

Why would you tell me?

Because I can't exactly hide this present.

It's a horse!

Are you serious?

Yes!

Am I going to get a hug or what?

Yes!

Thank you!

There's just one thing.

Winter came in a gust of brisk wind Blowing snowflakes from the north Shining

stars and downtown lights Are turning on to bring you warmth Frosty crystals from

the rooftops Bells along the way Oh, what a joy around us On a Christmas day

Bring some garlands, bring some tinsel It's time to decorate the room Candy canes

and scented candles Can you smell their sweet perfume?

On the driveway there's a snowman Cakes run out to play Oh, what a joy around us

On a Christmas day Christmas, Christmas Magical time of the year Christmas,

Christmas Christmas brings a lot of cheer Come,

let's sing some good old carols Underneath the mistletoe We just love to light the

fireplace Standing by its cozy glow Santa's on his way with presents Reindeer

pull his sleigh Oh, what a joy around us On a Christmas

day Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas,

Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas,

Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas,

Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas,

Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas,

Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas

Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas Christmas, Christmas

So, what's her story?

She was an Amish workhorse.

She's over 20 years old.

She'd been beaten with a whip.

When she went blind, they put her in the auction.

She landed in the hands of a kill buyer.

He was gonna ship her off for meat.

When you go blind, all of your hopes and all of your dreams are gone.

Everything is ruined.

It's not.

It just takes perseverance and faith and keeping

yourself going and learning how to overcome that.

It doesn't matter what your disability is as long as

you keep the faith and keep going and keep trying.

It's gonna be okay.

We're gonna get you through this too.

It's not over yet.

We still have hope.

Morning, Mr. Stanley.

Good morning.

How's the new horse?

I think she's been through quite a bit of abuse.

She's pretty scared.

Oh, that's too bad.

Willow seems a little confused about how to help her.

You know, I might know somebody who might be able to help you with your problem.

He's one of the best trainers around.

That'd be very helpful.

Thank you.

Well, I got another hay delivery, so I gotta get it going.

Have a good day.

You have a good day.

Thank you.

Mr. Stanley.

How you doing, old Fred?

Oh, I'm just hanging out with old Bruno.

Well, you know I don't do that type of work anymore.

I don't want to see anyone get hurt, so I guess I'll go check it out.

Ugh.

Completely useless without you.

You're so pretty.

Good girl.

I'm sorry about your water, baby.

I can't see very well.

And it's getting worse.

You can't see.

How can you keep going and stand tall when you can't see?

You're a lot braver than I am.

I just want to give up.

I should take an example from you, but it's hard.

I'm so sorry, baby.

Alright, I gotta go in now.

But I cleaned your water bucket and gave you some fresh water this time.

And I'll come back and check on you later.

Hey, the vet's gonna be here in an hour.

I think I'm just gonna cancel my meeting so I can be here.

You don't have to do that.

I'm perfectly capable of meeting with the vet by myself.

I'm not totally blind.

I can still see.

Why aren't you wearing your glasses?

It was just... burning, so I put the cream in.

I'm fine.

I will meet with the vet.

You go to your meeting.

I'll tell you everything he said.

The cornea looks fine, but then, from there on in, I can't even see an iris

or something significant that happened to both those eyes.

The things that would be on my list would be did she have glaucoma at some point?

Did she have uveitis, and I don't think the two can potentially go together,

but those eyes are cleaveable.

So... It's never going to get better.

How was the vet visit?

He said that she's never getting her sight back.

There's nothing he can do.

It's going to be okay.

Mr. Stanley recommended someone that might could help us.

Give her a little training.

Help her connect with you a little more.

I picked up some treats and grooming brushes.

Do you like to try grooming her?

Sure.

She really knows the area well.

She learned it so quickly.

She's more than capable of living a good life without her sight.

I hope you enjoyed this video.

I read that grooming can be a great way to bond with your horse.

I already think she likes you a lot.

She doesn't jump as much when I touch her.

And when I make noises, she comes to me like she wants to get loving.

Mr. Stanley sent me by.

Oh, hi.

I was going to give you a call later tonight.

The sooner the better.

I don't want this horse getting killed.

You probably don't know what you're doing with a blind horse.

I'm sorry.

Have we met before?

Well, if we've met before, you would remember that.

So how would you know if I know anything about horses or not?

Do you know?

Well, no.

And that's why I'm here.

What a bucket of sunshine.

Nice to meet you too.

I don't think I can do this anymore.

I can't even see the notes.

A little hush.

Plenty of great musicians of today and the past have been able to play some of the

greatest musical pieces ever made, and they didn't have their sight.

I know, but I just don't think I have the patience for this.

Okay, then let's change the subject.

The Christmas art contest is coming up, and you have to enter.

I don't know.

I can't even barely color inside the lines anymore.

My pencil always goes off the paper.

Whenever I erase something, I can never find the right spot.

Oh, come on.

You're better than half the kids in the school, even without your sight.

You have to enter.

I mean, I don't want to embarrass myself.

You're gonna win that contest.

Just believe in yourself.

I appreciate your encouragement, so I'll definitely think about it.

Well, that's what friends are for.

We're here to lift each other up when we're down.

Just believe in yourself.

Is there a reason you chose a blind horse?

My friend recommended you.

Said you were a horse hero.

So I just need help.

For my daughter.

And for this horse.

She was an Amish horse.

She was scared.

Because she can't sing.

And to get her to work, they whipped her and they whipped her.

And when they couldn't get the fear out of her, they dumped her in the kill pen.

Am I correct?

It looks like they were right.

You're the man for the job.

I'm just gonna give you two days a week.

That's all I need to help you all build that bond together.

So you can build that trust.

But a storm's coming.

We have to move it to your barn.

Hey now.

I'm here.

Yeah, it's me.

Yeah.

See, she's covered in scars from the whip.

All over.

And God knows what else.

You see this definition, these indentions?

That's from wearing the collar.

That's from working.

This is where the collar goes up.

And you can see it's worn down.

From all the work.

Yeah.

You weren't gonna be whipped anymore, were you?

So they shipped her off.

She's gonna be killed.

For not wanting to be abused anymore.

The next day.

It's important to have the same feeder in the same water tank.

And at the same position that she had it over there.

So once she learns her way around, she'll settle down.

If you need me, call me.

Morning.

Good morning.

I see you brought someone with you.

This is my daughter Willow, the one you'll be helping.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

I was startled when I heard the loud noise coming from the barn.

But I thought it was you.

Yeah, I just wanted to get her back here and get her settled.

See how she did during the storm.

We checked on her a few times.

She didn't seem too scared.

She just had quite an appetite.

It appears she did well.

I didn't see any signs of cribbing.

What's cribbing?

Well, cribbing is when an equine eats the wood.

And they get scared or nervous or they want something.

You know, they develop that bad habit.

And that's why some owners get rid of them.

They'll bring your whole barn down.

But she did well.

I brought you some joint supplements.

And some senior snacks.

And you can give her a treat every once in a while.

Just to help you build the bond easier.

Because every horse wants a treat.

Thank you.

That's so wonderful of you.

There you go.

Thank you.

Well, I'll leave you two to your training.

I've got some work to do.

Have fun.

Bye.

I don't mean to be rude, sir, but what's your name?

What should I call you?

Well, you don't have to call me sir.

You can call me Kel.

Okay.

Now, the first thing we're going to go over is water consumption.

It's very important for a horse.

The average horse drinks about 10 to 12 gallons a day.

And that's not even when it's cold outside.

But you have a Belgian draft horse here, so you can double that.

And we want to keep the temperature around 45, 65 degrees.

Because if it's too cold, they're not going to drink.

Doesn't hay keep them warm?

Hay does keep them warm.

The rule of thumb is to increase your hay

ration by 10% every 10 degrees below freezing.

And if she doesn't have enough hay to stay warm,

her body is going to burn calories to stay warm.

And her body is going to take a deficiency.

I'll make sure she has plenty of water to hold her over while I'm at school.

And when I come back, I'll fill it up all through the night.

Okay, good.

So how much hay do I give her each day?

Well, the normal horse is about 20 pounds a day.

And that's a 1,000 pound horse.

But you're going to double that with her.

So we're talking 40 pounds a day.

How am I supposed to know what's 20 pounds and what's 40 pounds?

Well, come on.

I'll show you.

Alright, I have this old horse fleece I brought today.

I'm going to show you how to put it on her.

And it's basically a jacket.

It's the same thing.

Same straps.

Get to work.

I'm going to put this on.

Don't worry.

I'm going to make sure you're safe.

But I believe hands-on training is the best way to learn.

Okay.

I did it!

I did it!

I knew you could do it.

Good job.

I'm going to go tell my mom.

See you tomorrow.

Okay, now.

They made fun of me in school today because of my eyes.

But I'm not scared of them.

And I don't want you to be scared.

So I'm telling you in advance that the farrier is coming tomorrow.

But don't worry because me and mommy are going to be here the whole time.

You just need to be a good girl.

And don't kick anyone.

My lips are trembling.

See if you can get her to shift her front feet just a little bit.

So she's standing a little better.

There we go.

Just so she's better balanced.

I mean, most of her fussing, I think, is more balance.

She's looking for her balance.

Yeah.

Than anything.

But vision plays a big part in balance.

Wow,

would you look at that?

She's multiplied.

I made a judgment call.

I usually do what I feel is best.

And that's what I did.

Don't you think it would be a good idea to check

with the property owner before bringing a horse over?

The blind horse is going to need a friend.

I'm told I should trust your judgment.

So I guess I'll give you this one.

She needs to learn how to be a horse again.

And she's going to help her get comfortable.

Is this how cowboys work?

They just kind of do what they want?

I was hired for a job.

That's what I'm going to do.

I decided I'm going to cover the hay bill for both horses.

So don't worry about the money.

Is this your way of being nice?

Did Willow tell you I quit my job?

So now you're bringing the horse over so that you can pay for all of the hay?

Now why would I do a thing like that?

Maybe cowboys aren't so bad after all.

Well, I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is we finally came up with a name for our horse.

Ivy.

Aww.

That's such a pretty name.

I like that.

But the bad news is...

I'm not a candidate for a non-transplant.

So when I go total aligned, I'm going to be stuck with it.

Well, if you're not a candidate now, stay hopeful.

Things change all the time.

My grandfather had a really bad heart disease

and he wasn't a candidate to get a new one.

We all thought, you know, those were his last days.

But then, suddenly, he moved up the list and he got a new heart.

Well, I'm happy for your grandfather.

But I think things are a little different for me.

I'm trying hard not to give up, but...

It's not that easy.

Oh wow!

Two!

Is she blind too?

No, she's not blind.

Come on in and get a closer look.

Okay.

Having Grace here is going to help your connection with Ivy.

She's going to teach Ivy how to trust and love again.

She's so pretty!

As you can see, just within an hour, they've bonded already.

Look.

Yeah, look how close they are.

They're taking a nap together.

She's not going to be any extra trouble.

You just go about your day and do your chores.

Like you normally would.

She's actually just going to make things easier for you.

And Ivy's not going to be so startled when you come in and out.

Horses are herd animals.

They always need a friend.

They feel a lot of the same emotions that we do.

Whether it's four or five in a herd.

If it's just two of them, that's just fine.

But it's better than being alone.

Having Grace here is not only going to help Ivy and give her confidence.

It's going to give Willow confidence being around horses.

Not being scared.

Sounds good.

Alright Willow, so you take good care of Grace also.

And I'll check back in with you in a few days.

I will.

Alright.

Thank you.

Cause you're the only one that hears my speaking eyes.

It's you and only you.

That seems to understand my pain.

Then the sun shines through.

And I know it's you.

And you make me cry.

Cause you're the only one that hears my speaking eyes.

Hey, let's start with you throwing some hay in the feeder.

Grab some of that hay over there.

You can't be wasting alfalfa hay.

That costs a pretty penny around here.

Ivy's blind.

She needs to be able to find the hay.

I can't do this.

Some kids beg their parents for a horse.

The kid gets that horse.

They find out how much work's involved.

Then they get bored with it.

And their big dream's over.

That's not what this is.

Willow's losing her sight.

She gets frustrated when she feels like her disability's

affecting her ability to do something she wants to do.

Has nothing to do with not wanting to do it or giving up easily.

Come on.

Let me show you something.

She's been drawing horses since the day she can hold a pencil.

It started as a circle with a couple of sticks.

But that was the most perfect circle.

I just...

There she had.

A gift.

Way back then.

Can you imagine?

How she must be feeling.

Everything she's been through.

Everything she's ever known.

Her love for horses is as strong as her love for art.

They go hand in hand.

I just wanted her to see it.

To have it.

To know what it was like.

She'll be blind in the next two years.

If you don't want to help her anymore, I understand.

I'll help her.

As long as you two need me, I'm here.

Thank you for showing me all of this.

She really does have a special gift.

I'm so excited to try the new halter.

It's beautiful!

Alright, let's give it a go.

I'm very excited.

Good luck!

I hope you like it.

I really do.

I hope that no one will ever see this.

I'm going to go have a look at this girl.

Ok, I'm going to...

I'm going to help her now.

No, no.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

It's all right.

It's all right.

Hey Willa, where's your mother?

She's at her art club meeting.

Okay, look, I was just passing by.

I wanted you to meet Gina.

Hello!

Hey!

She's going to be helping us with the horses.

She's been around horses since she was a little girl.

And you two can get to know each other tomorrow.

She's going to be here at 9am.

She's going to help on the days I can't get here, okay?

Okay.

So just fill your mother in for me and I'll talk to her later.

Thank you.

Alright, you two will see each other in the morning.

Bye!

Kelvin said we need to keep them halter and lead trained,

so today we're going to walk them around the pen.

Let's get started.

Alright, that sounds fun!

Make sure you do halter and lead training in the field

or the big pen, because you can't do it in the small pen.

And make sure you don't do it alone either.

Have your mom, me, or Kelvin help you, because they're draft horses.

They won't mean to, but they could hurt you.

Okay, well, thank you for all your help today.

That was so much fun.

And I'll see you in a couple days.

See you then!

Bye!

The texture... it's like real.

Hello, Eileen.

Hi!

I brought some presents for you and the horses.

Some wind chimes for Ivy, so whenever she wanders far away from her shelter,

she can maybe find it again.

Oh, wow!

Thank you!

And some bells for Grace's mane.

That way, Ivy can follow her around, maybe.

Thank you so much!

Those are going to be so helpful.

You know what?

They're both in the large pen right now, so let's go put them in.

Oh, yeah!

That would be cool.

Now she's a Belgian!

Hey, hun.

Hi, Mom.

I'm so sorry.

I'm not home yet.

It's probably going to be another two hours.

That's alright.

I hope you had a great day at school today.

How's Ivy and Grace doing?

They're doing great.

While you're waiting, there is a surprise for you on the fireplace.

Go ahead and open it.

I think you're really going to like it.

Okay.

Thanks!

Okay, I gotta get back in there to the gala.

Make sure the doors are locked.

I'll pick up some food on the way home.

Alright.

I gotta go.

Love you.

I love you.

Goodbye.

She really loves that spot.

Really?

How?

You see her lip trembling?

Yeah.

You know what?

Close your eyes.

And breathe in and out slowly.

Just feel it.

See, horses can feel your heart so precisely that

they can synchronize their heartbeat to yours.

And you become so close that eventually they beat together.

She can feel your heartbeat.

She'll know if you're anxious, if you're sad,

if you're mad, if you're calm, if you're happy.

What do you feel?

Peaceful.

Relaxing.

Love.

And you know what?

What?

You don't need to be able to see to feel those things.

No.

Feeling is what's important.

It is.

Look at that.

She's crying.

What a beautiful thing.

See?

You're touching her heart.

And she loves you.

And you love her.

Just feel it.

I just need to feel it.

I'm glad we finally put the tree up.

Me too.

Maybe we'll leave this one up all year too.

When I look at the tree, it looks like a sparkly fog.

My poor eyesight makes me see everything in a complete fog.

It's very beautiful all the same.

And it's this which I'd love to have been able to convey.

All in all, I'm very unhappy.

Do you know who said that?

No.

Claude Monet.

Claude Monet.

One of the greatest painters of all time.

Did you know that he was going blind?

No.

In his later years, he developed cataracts.

And it made him see everything in a complete fog.

But we have some of the greatest impressionisms from him.

In his blindness.

Really?

Here this man was.

So gifted.

And in the middle of his greatness, he was unhappy.

But he didn't give up.

He kept painting.

And I think that you should continue painting and drawing.

And do the Christmas art contest.

Because you might create something beautiful.

Something unique.

Something the world needs.

He was a great painter.

A great artist.

And he had a disability.

It's not a reason to give up.

Sometimes we can feel unhappy.

Unhappy even in our greatest moments.

And that's okay.

Because we're human.

I think the unhappy part comes from not being able to give our best.

What we feel we can give.

Not because we're not thankful for the gift we have.

But what matters is that we give all that we do have.

And all that we are able to give.

You know what?

I think I am going to enter that art contest.

Yay!

You know, if all goes well, you might have two pretty Belgians to play with.

Yeah.

I wanted to come by and tell you my job here is complete.

Willow's been doing an outstanding job with the horses.

And I'm still going to come by every few weeks.

And if you need me, you can call me.

Thank you so much for all your help.

She's so much happier now that she feels confident.

I'm glad I could be of help.

It's been a long time since I've helped anyone and it really felt good.

I wanted to leave on this note, with your permission, of course.

I would like Grace to stay here with Willow as an extra Christmas gift.

I've never seen a bond like those three have.

And an old stubborn mule like myself can't compete with that.

She's going to love that.

And don't worry about the hay.

I spoke to Mr. Stanley and I got it covered.

And that's my gift to you.

I have one request.

That you have dinner with me in the future.

Yes, I can do that.

I'm home!

I won!

I won!

I'm the winner!

I won first place!

Wow, I'm so proud of you.

Thank you.

Wow, that's amazing.

Let me see that.

Let me get that.

Oh, that looks just like her.

Thank you.

Hi.

You are something.

Thank you.

Mrs. Whitley.

Yeah, this is Dr. Billingsley.

Listen, uh, good news.

New experimental treatment's been found.

And, uh, it's having remarkable results.

Yeah.

Willow is a candidate.

What did you name it?

It's called December Horses.

That's perfect.

There's a good chance she'll get her sight back.

Winter came in a gust of first wind Blowing snowflakes from the north Shining

stars and downtown lights Are turning on to bring you warmth Frosty crystals from

the rooftop Spells along the way Oh, what a joy around us On a Christmas day

Bring some garlands, bring some tinsel It's time to decorate the room Candy canes

and scented candles Can you smell their sweet perfume?

On the driveway there's a snowman Kids run out to play Oh, what a joy around us On a

Christmas day Christmas, Christmas Magical time of the

year Christmas, Christmas Brings a lot of cheer Come,

let's sing some good old carols Underneath the mistletoe We just love to light the

fireplace Standing by its cozy glow Santa's on his way with presents Reindeer

pull his sleigh Oh, what a joy around us On a Christmas day Christmas, Christmas

Magical time of the year Christmas, Christmas It's already here Christmas,

Christmas Wonderful time of the year Christmas, Christmas Brings a lot of cheer

Santa's on his way with presents Reindeer pull his sleigh Oh, what a joy around us

On a Christmas day Cause you're the only one

That hears my speaking That's so freaking nice