Horse Sense: East sophomore builds bond with prized pal

T he 1,500-pound quarter horse named Lena never really got a chance to carelessly gallop into the open field and enjoy being a horse until she met her owner, Payton Koontz, two years ago. Lena lived in a trainer’s barn where random treats and playtime did not come often, and the training background made it hard for her to trust anybody before Koontz got a hold of her.