Looking back

Whenever we lose an animal around here, we spend the next few days remembering the animals that we've had that made a big impact in our lives.  Tanna was definitely one of those.  So today's entry is going to be a memorial of sorts to the horses that we've had the pleasure of knowing, and the sadness of losing.

Baby

My first ever pony, she was a tiny blah brown shetland/welsh cross with a bad temper and short patience!  The only thing she really taught me was how to fall off and that a bucket of grain will catch even the most stubborn horse!  She was older than the hills when we got her (MandD bought her for me when I was about 7, paying all of $10 for her... the guy brought her to the house in the back of his pick-up) and she lived on with us for about 6 years. 

Berry

We got Berry in a trade.  She was a strawberry roan Paso Fino, beautiful animal... zero brains.  She had two gaits... fast and faster, and whoa was no where in her vocabulary.  I fell off of her once and I really think I damaged my tail-bone, but I never went to the doctor about it (typical farm kid).  She had a nasty habit of eating tree bark, and ultimately that's what caused her death.  We got her when I was... gosh I guess about 5 or 6, and she died my freshman year at college.  That's when all my classmates realized I was really horse crazed... D called that she was sick and I dropped everything immediately to race home (a 45 min drive), went back for classes the next day, then raced back home again, only to get here about 10 mins too late.  I've regretted that I went back to classes ever since then... just how I am.

Brandy

The first horse that was all mine.  She was a fiery red chestnut Standardbred grade mare.  Worse temperment you'll ever find on a horse.  She had permanent "snarl" wrinkles around her nose.  I loved her dearly.  She taught me more about riding than any instructor I've ever had.  She taught me that it takes your whole body to really listen.  On the advice of the vet (same one that came out for Tanna mind you) I changed wormers and Brandy reacted badly to it.  No one really knows what happened to her (I've asked the vet repeatedly, and he just gives "reason X" that's different everytime I ask), but she started losing drastic amounts of weight.  She had always been a "good keeper" and this was so odd, but I was only 19 and the vet more or less told me I didn't know what I was talking about, so I (being 19 and still believing that the vet had her best interest at heart) followed his orders.  She didn't make it.  It was one of the worst experiences of my life.  Spring (my old gelding) called and called for her, for days afterwards... it was awful.

Della

I'm not going to go into great detail about the circumstances surrounding Della's death.  Ultimately she was killed by gross mismanagement/negligence.  I had gotten Della to be a lesson horse, she was a gorgeous 15 hh chestnut QH mare.  She was as close to "push-button" as you can get and still have a horse with spirit.  Such an excellent horse!  Anyway, after we got her I found out I was pregnant and so for the most part I stopped doing lessons and things, trying to keep from getting killed with the horses (I'm way too hands on) and getting ready for Sophie.  After Sophie was born I didn't have the time to do lessons really (and my students had moved on... most had given up horses for boys actually), so I considered selling Della.  I really believed that Della was too good of a horse to just be wasted here doing nothing.  So a local barn (that I won't name) contacted me about taking her for a trial period, to see if she fit in with their program.  I agreed since they were people that I had known for quite a while (not in horses, but in the community).  My cousin was also working in their barn at the time, so I felt that I had eyes to look out for her.  Turns out, the barn owners have no real concept of horse management.  They had her for 2 weeks.  They never asked how much I was selling her for (which in hindsight I should've noticed... but didn't because I thought they were good people, and the price I wanted, $2500, was cheap for such a good horse).  In that time they had an unknown farrier trim her feet (quicking her), they used her for copious amounts of lessons (I had warned them that she needed to be re-introduced to work slowly since she had been at pasture for over a year) without having shoes put on her (she required shoes on her fronts or she'd go lame), they didn't monitor how much water she was drinking as they only have automatic waterers (as far as I know Della had never had any experience with such waterers), and they turned her out on fresh spring rye grass.  When she colicked, they immediately gave her "bute" (which isn't to be administered to a dehydrated horse as it causes liver malfunction).  I got a phone call from the barn owner finally wanting to know how much I wanted for the horse, and when I told her, she said that was way more than they could pay.  Shortly there after I got a call from my cousin, telling me that Della was behaving oddly, and that I should come out and see about her.  When I got there I demanded that they trailer her back to my farm.  Jim and I spent the next 40 hours non-stop with her.  Again we contacted the vet (different one, same practice) and he told us what we should be doing (he doesn't really like to come out if he doesn't have to).  So we did everything we could.  We walked her, we gave her electolytes, we pulled every "anti-colic" trick we know.  Jim and I slept outside with her so that we could take turns making sure she didn't go down and roll.  The second night she was quite restless (we had been on the phone with the vet... he didn't seem to think he needed to come out).  Della came over to where I was laying in the hammock and rested her nose on my head... then she walked over to Jim and did the same thing.  She then walked away from us both, laid down, and died.  It was like she was saying goodbye, and that she appreciated all that we had tried to do... it was really really bad.  We held the other farm accountable, and to keep us from seeking legal action they paid for the cost of Della's meds, and burial, plus the original asking price.  I probably could've asked for more than that, but that would've been greed.  No amount of money will bring her back, and I have to live with the fact that I'm the one that put her into that situation.  I've since talked to one of the trainers in that barn (I had blanketed the whole establishment with my hatred) and found out that no one in the barn was told Della died, they were just told that the owners decided not to buy her.  What jerks!!  After Della, we decided to never sell a horse to a big barn again.

Spring

Here's the old man.  Our very first horse.  We got him when I was 3 years old (he was 5).  I wish that I had a younger picture on the PC, this one was taken when he was in his 30s.  Spring was just the best horse all around.  He had personality and weird quirks galore.  He was terrified of cats and rabbits, and could sometimes me quite spooky.  He was a 15.2 hh leopard appaloosa/QH.  I used him as a lesson horse for several years and he was very mild mannered.  I started all my new students on him.  About 3 years ago I retired him totally from riding, as he had totally lost his fat pad and his eyesight was pretty much gone.  Sadly we lost him this past February.  He lived a full, rich, well kept life.  He never knew any abuse, or hardship.  It would be a perfect world if all horses could have that sort of life.  When I was litte I would tell Spring all my hopes and dreams... I used to imagine that he was really an enchanted prince, and that when I was old enough I would be able to kiss his nose and he'd turn into a human (yes I know it's silly... but I had this horse I really LONG time).  I used to take naps on his back while he grazed in the pasture.  He's the only horse I've ever danced with (he had an incredible collected canter... felt like you were floating) and I cried copious amounts of tears on to his shoulder.  Some people have best friends.... I had Spring.  His passing, while not as gut wrenching as Della or Tanna, has left a void on our farm. 

So this is my memorial to them.  The little foal of Fantine's could be added here too.  They've all enhanced our lives, adding a richness we would otherwise be lacking.