Head over beak for Henry!
Lucy Goose only has eyes for one stallion Sally Meakin, RSPCA, Victoria
‘She thinks he’s a bit of a stud,’ we laughed
Where’s Lucy? I thought, looking for our little white goose. An education manager at RSPCA Victoria, I often see Lucy at our animal centre.
And she’s usually not hard to find. That’s because she’s never far from her trusty steed, Henry the horse.
Sure enough, there she was, sitting under his legs.
Lucy came to us in the 1990s with her flock. While many of the birds were re-homed, Lucy settled in too well for us to ever let her go.
Then, seven years ago, her life changed forever when she laid eyes on Henry.
He came to the RSPCA after being neglected. Riddled with worms, he had painful problems with his skin.
Poor thing, I thought, appalled at the way he had been treated.
Thanks to a caring team of vets, nurses and carers, he put on weight and his skin healed to reveal a glossy coat.
That’s when he caught the eye of our goosey Lucy.
As soon as she spotted the new improved Henry, she seemed to fall beak over feet for him.
Following him around the paddock, she honked away and was soon spending all her time by his side.
‘She thinks he’s a bit of stud,’ we laughed.
To be honest, Henry’s a stallion of few words, but Lucy chats away all the same.
She stands under him to get shade and naps next to him.
The often eat together too. Lucy munches on her bread and grains, while Henry tucks into his feed.
It’s not quite a candle-lit restaurant, but I think it’s a dinner date as far as Lucy is concerned.
Lucy sometimes hangs out with cows instead, but they aren’t the same as her Henry.
At the education centre, we tell Lucy’s story and she’s become a bit of a celebrity.
People driving by our paddock often take a gander at her – the little white spot next to the horse.
‘There’s Lucy,’ the kids will scream, excited to see her.
In her late 20s now, her waddle is a little slower and she appreciates a nice rest.
Every night, Lucy heads into the barn to settle down for the night.
She climbs up a ladder into a baby bath and has a splash about in the special VIP spa we’ve created for her. Then, she settles down into her hale bay for some sweet dreams – about Henry of course.
It’s not every day a goose falls in love with a horse, but it’s a joy to see their special friendship.
He really does give her goose bumps!