WHEW! That Was Close

Launi, Launi, Launi. Went for a short ride this morning on my favorite Moose Baby (ok, he's my ONLY Moose Baby lol). We trotted downhill for the first time, just like the big, er older, horses do. We were having so much fun. Then we slow trotted up a steep hill & when we got to a flat spot, the next thing I knew we were airborne. Catching the shadow of our height out of the corner of my eye was pretty scary. I mean like REALLY scary. Haven't been on a buck that high since my Wraff Days. YIKES! Good thing Launi listened to my mad voice "HEY!" & stopped 'cause if he'd added any other naughty movement I'd still be laying out there among the poison oak. Whew, that was close. First time he's bucked & I hope it's the ONLY time. What a BRAT!!!  But not only did I not lose my stirrups, I didn't even lose my shoes.

RIP Sun

Oh Mr. Sun Sun, little did I know that my penchant for rescuing the unwanted horses would someday cause such pain. You were such a gentle soul who gave the greatest gift of all. You offered me your trust. You enriched my life, & that of my dear friend. We will both miss you & hold a place in our hearts for you always.

I will now always regret the day I brought that quarter horse gelding home from the auction. At the time it seemed the right thing to do. A young, healthy horse whose future was in danger. Everyone knows low end auctions are just a step away from the slaughter bound trucks. I just couldn't let a horse with so much potential travel that road. Justin had all the physical attributes to be a good athlete. I had visions of him going down the endurance trail with his effortless trot. Who could have guessed that powerful hindend would someday wreck havoc on one of the sweetest horses I have ever known.

On August 24th, 2011, 2 1/2 years after being saved at auction, Justin cornered Sun, kicking repeatedly & shattering Sun's knee. There was nothing the vet could do but end Mr. Sun Sun's pain. I know it's not rational to blame one horse for kicking another as that's what horses do. But right now I'm not rational & I DO blame Justin. While I hope he makes a great cattle horse for his new owner, I hope to never hear of him again.

Rest in peace sweet Sun. And thank you for sharing your life with me.

I LOVE Launi!

I LOVE Launi! Rode him on the dirt roads behind my dad's place. Had to lead him through the property with all the mares going crazy cause he was leaving. He was sky high & I thought "it's a good day to die". YIKES! Once I got on he was almost an angel. Rode on pavement, vehicles passed us, rode passed cattle, passed a tarp covered boat, & passed a horse who made Launi's eye's big. The first horse (a draft) he's met who was bigger. Poor Launi just realized he's NOT the biggest horse in the universe. LOL

My Beloved Reno

Reno Hancock

(Grey Bill x Alice Reno)

May 18, 1966- February 16, 1981

Bay, registered quarter horse mare

It doesn't seem real that thirty years have passed. My memory is as crisp as if it were yesterday. I'll always think of Valentine's Day 1981 as "hindsight is 20/20". If only...

My husband had taken me to Disneyland for Valentine's Day. We were having a great day with friends when I had to leave to feed Reno her evening meal. Everyone thought I should just call a friend to feed for me, but I needed to see Reno every day. I'd grown up with her & she was my heart. She was the rock who got me through my teens. I never trusted her care to anyone. Once at the stable I turned her out for a run & roll while I cleaned her stall. She was about six weeks from foaling so I was keeping a close eye on her, hoping to see the baby move. I thought she looked a little full, even puffy, in the flanks but no one else seemed to notice when I asked them to look at her. I decided I was just a worrywart so bedded her down & returned to Disneyland for the night.

I knew as soon as I saw Reno the next day that she was extremely ill. I a took a picture of her standing in her stall & the look in her eyes still haunt me. While no one at the stable thought she looked very sick, I KNEW her eyes were telling me she was dying. I don't know how I knew other than Reno & I were that bonded. It was an hour or so before she started acting colicky, showing outward signs of trouble by going down & rolling. The vet was already in route & would later admit that he hadn't believed the vital signs I'd given him over the phone.

Thirty years ago tonight, February 15th, 1981, was the longest night of my life. My best friend sat with me, bundled in sleeping bags, hoping beyond hope that Reno would live. The vet hadn't given very good odds but had been hesitant to make a final decision too soon, so left medications with me for during the night with instructions to call him in the morning. By early morning on February 16th, while the vet was again in route, I lost my beloved Reno. My life shattered as I listened to her last breaths.

There are still times when I think of Reno. Telling her how much she meant to me; how sorry I was for my teenage impatience; thanking her for always being there for me; letting her know that she's the reason I'm the horsewoman I am today; & that I will always love her. Thirty years and my heart still aches for the horse of my youth; for my beloved Reno.

Aristides--Connected Across Time

Aristides

(Leamington x Sarong)

1872-1893 Chestnut Thoroughbred

When I was 9 years old I read the book "Kentucky Derby Winner". It was the story of Aristides, the first winner of the famed Kentucky Derby horse race. It was the story of a courageous little horse who wasn't expected to be the racing superstar he turned out to be. While Aristides had a pedigree that read like a "whose who" of racing, he was small & unimposing & only entered in the Derby to lead the way for another to win. Aristides had the speed to pull the field along until his 1/2 brother, a bigger horse thought to be the best odds to win the first Kentucky Derby, could roll past the field to victory. As Aristides lead the field no horse made a move to overtake him. His jockey knew he wasn't supposed to win, but he also knew he was on the horse who could win. He looked at Aristides' connections as he flew down the stretch, getting a nod to go for the win. The rest is history. Aristides, a little horse with a big heart became the first winner of the biggest horse race of all, The Kentucky Derby.

I don't know how many times I read that book as a kid, knowing that someday I would have a horse named Aristides. That book & that horse gave me a love of thoroughbreds & horse racing that stays with me today. Ever since I read that book the first time I'd had a dream of going to the Kentucky Derby one day. While I still haven't gone to the Derby, in 2008 I had the good fortune to go to Louisville KY, home of the Derby. It was so breathtaking to walk through Churchill Downs racetrack, following the path of so many great horses. Standing by the rail I could almost hear their thundering hooves roll by. The names of all the Derby winners are hung for all to see on the grounds of Churchill Downs. The twin spires tower regally over the stands, overlooking the track. I passed the barn that housed Secretariat the year he won the Derby. I saw the stall that was Lil ET's. The Kentucky Derby Museum is a treasure trove of Derby memorabilia, complete with video/film footage of all the winners since film was available. I know I spent hours watching every clip. Big Brown won in 2008 & I took pictures of the statue painted in his colors. Then I took the walking tour & what a wonderful surprise when I found a gorgeous statue surrounded by roses. Imagine the flutter of my heart when I read the name on that statue--Aristides.

DreamCatchr Aristides

(DreamCatcher Alshain x DC Kobayashi Wrain)

7/8 arab/morgan cross

On Valentine's Day 2009 a gorgeous chestnut filly was born to one of my favorite mares. Soon after her birth I was scheduled to be back in Louisville & I had plans to tour Churchill Downs again. I knew before my filly was born that I'd found my Aristides. She was a beautiful chestnut with a star & 3 white socks. I said her name as she struggled to stand for the first time. She paused & listened as if she knew I was calling her name. Aristides & I have a special bond. Anytime she saw me or I called to her, she would coming running across the pasture. She would whinny, flip her tail over her back & prance up to me. Laying her head on my shoulder she blew warm air on neck. She would come through the hotwire fence to get to me.

Then one day things changed. She decided I was the enemy after receiving her vaccinations. It was weeks before I could touch her, & then only if I had nothing in my hands. It was months before she decided that I was friend & she started laying her head on my shoulder once again. But sadly she never ran across the pasture to greet me again. In those trying months she bonded with the other fillies & decided that I was just a human, not her special person. I hate to admit that it broke my heart. Not long ago my Aristides went to live with a very good friend. I'm excited for her because one day she'll not only grace the showring, but she's destined to go down the endurance trail in style. My friend will do right by her & bring out all her potential. It was bittersweet when my friend told me how Aristides run across the pasture to greet her, whinnying as she comes. She leaves the other horses behind to spend time with her special person.

I will always love both my Aristides. One a legend from the past, the other one that I'll get to watch grow & excel, & know that I was her first special person.

TF Jumpin Jack--a Placement Gone Bad

TF Jumpin Jack
10 yr, 15.2 hand, chestnut, TB x Appy gelding

Sometimes things don't go as planned or hoped. Sometimes things go terribly wrong. That's what happened to poor Jack.

Jack arrived with The Red Horse, aka Donut. He'd been passed around quite a bit in the previous 2 years & had lost his trust of humans. I'd been told he'd been abused when he proved hard to catch. Why anyone would hit a horse once caught is beyond me. That's like calling a dog & when it finally comes, beating it because it didn't come faster. All that teaches is NOT TO COME! I could tell right away that Jack was a sweet horse who wanted to be friendly, he just didn't know if he could. I went in with him & stood still. He slowly approached & reached out to me. A few scratches later he was following me & letting me blanket him without a halter. Someone was going to get a very nice horse.

I had what I thought was the perfect home for him. A teen girl (TG) was looking for an english prospect so she could be on the Fresno State Equestrian team in the fall. Jack had been presented to me as green, ridden in an arena at a walk, trot & canter. He had only been ridden english & that was by his original owner, who rode dressage. I just knew he was going to be the perfect project horse for TG.

When TG arrived, along with Stacy & 2 of my friends, I handed her a halter & let her get acquainted with Jack. She was very timid & quiet which put Jack at ease. Soon they were walking around & then lunging in the roundpen. Their temperments seemed to be well suited. I allowed them alone time so they could see if a bond was there, & told TG she didn't have to take Jack if she had any concerns. It wasn't long before I spied Jack's head in her stomach. It really seemed like a perfect match when he hopped right into her trailer. Six hours later Jack was unloaded at the home of my friends, who were keeping him for TG until a stall was empty at her barn. A few days later, on Wed, Jack headed for his new barn.

What followed next was a prolonged nightmare of emotions, not only for Jack but for my friends & I. We were on a weekend vacation together when they received a call from TG saying she wasn't going to keep Jack. Now mind you, this was only 48 hours after he arrived at her barn. She gave some excuses saying she was just too overwhelmed, she'd taken him too fast, she was hasty in her decision, people at the barn were saying she couldn't handle him, blah, blah, blah. My friends told her they'd help her when they got home & that seemed to calm her down. A couple hours later she called to say she wanted him gone by Sun (this was Friday) so my friends said they'd pick him up. A while later TG called again to say she had taken Jack to my friends' house & had tied him to a horse trailer. OMG WTF was the reaction we all had. TG had tied Jack to an unhitched trailer along the side of a road AFTER dark, with no one home. Fortunately my friends were able to call a non-horsey neighbor who was willing to go rescue Jack & put him safely in a paddock. We were all dumbfounded.

It was a few days before my friends found out that TG had taken Jack to a trainer of questionable repute for an evaluation. This trainer's reputation precedes her with her heavy handed methods. The claim was that Jack twice flipped over at a tie rail. Piecing the multiple conflicting stories that TG gave, we think the so-called trainer either had him bridled & tied by the bit & reins, or grabbed the reins & jerked, causing poor Jack to panic. At that, the so-called trainer deemed him crazy & dangerous. Why TG took Jack to this person is a mystery. Why would you take an english horse to a western trainer (for lack of better title) who then puts a western bit on a horse who's only had a snaffle? This whole scenario defied reason.

My friends decided they would keep Jack, not only as an eventing prospect, but as an endurance prospect. They had bonded with him while they housed him & felt he deserved better than he got from TG. My friends have a couple horses at the barn where TG keeps her horse because they like having an arena to work in during the winter. A few days after Jack was thrown away on their road, they took him back to the barn so they could work with him in the evenings. All was well for the next few days & then things went very bad.

It seems TG was so upset at seeing Jack back at the barn that she complained to the manager that Jack was dangerous & was going to kill someone. She wanted him banned from the barn. With these claims a witch hunt in the style of Salem began. On the word of a clearly disturbed teenager, Jack was being sentenced to what could have been a death penalty. The manager told my friends that they needed proof that he'd been ridden, proof (preferably from a vet) that he wasn't crazy & proof that he wasn't dangerous or they would have to move him out of the barn. Their attorney told them that the barn putting the crazy & dangerous label on Jack would make him a liability. A horse with those labels was slated for euthanasia. I was able to get a letter from a former owner that he'd been ridden. Along with this letter, I faxed one of my own for the barn manager. Mine was a bit scathing & I let it be known what I thought of the actions of TG. I also pointed out the ineptitude of the barn manager in handling the matter. I really have a very low tolerance for morons. When my friends gave the letters to the manager, they told him what their attorney had said. From what I was told, the barn manager did a lot of sputtering & indicated that they didn't have to get an attorney. He wasn't going to ban Jack. He said he didn't need the letter from the previous owner of his ridability. It was all a misunderstanding & my letter (which was quite detailed about the entire episode from start to finish) had provided details that explained everything. Jack was welcome at the stable as long as a sign was posted so people wouldn't feed him. The thought behind that was to keep strangers from scaring him as he's still wary of people. I personally think the suggestion for the sign was really to notify TG to stay away from Jack as we had concerns she would emotionally abuse him. She hates having to see him every day & goes out of her way to avoid my friends. She won't even walk down Jack's barn aisle. Did I say she was disturbed?

Poor Jack. I feel in so many ways that I failed him. But I suppose the saying "all's well that ends well" is the moral of this story. Jack is in a wonderful, forever home & I'll get to see him shine. Oh, and because he's risen from the ashes of what some considered a trash horse, his new name is FAWKES (after the phoenix in Harry Potter). Go Fawkes!

This is Fawkes with his new, forever mom. Does he look crazy & dangerous to you? Thank you Jenn for loving him & giving the chance he deserves.

Stacy & The Red Horse

The Red Horse

Chestnut, QH type gelding, born late 1990s

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a couple I know if I'd help them place some of their horses. They had a number of geldings they no longer wanted. I guess I forgot to tell them I was going to ride in 2010 & not concentrate on rescue. But being the "fallen off the rescue wagon" person that I am, I said no problem & told them they could deliver on Thurs.

I barely got to know The Red Horse (he came with this name & who was I to change it?). As I pulled into my driveway on Wed, I found a big, chestnut, QH type gelding in one of my front paddocks. He was happily eating grass & ignored me when I went in to see him. He was a little thin & his feet were in desperate need of a trim. I had been told he was stand-offish, not caring much for people because he'd been "cowboyed" quite a bit. I'd also been told he needed an experienced rider because he was quick. He could work cattle, spin on a dime, break out in a flash, & slide stop fast enough to put you on his neck if you weren't glued to the saddle. When I was first asked about taking him in, I had no idea IF I'd be able to find him a home because I didn't know anyone who wanted, or could ride, a quick cowhorse. But here he was & I had a prospective adopter coming the next morning.

When I knew I was going to be getting The Red Horse I happened to mention him to a friend because I just knew I was going to have him for a while. Her eyes lit up & she said she knew someone who was not only looking for a horse, but who had ridden reiners. Could The Red Horse & I be so lucky? When my friend arrived the next morning with Stacy in tow, I made sure everyone understood that The Red Horse was for an experienced rider only. I told them he didn't like people & wasn't personable; that if you didn't have glue on your saddle he was liable to leave you in the dirt; you needed to ride with quiet legs to make sure you didn't cue him by mistake & end up in the dirt. Did I mention I had been told he didn't like people & wasn't personable? Maybe with most people, but he sure wasn't that way with Stacy.

I was happy to see the way Stacy smiled when she went in to check out The Red Horse. She liked everything about him. She turned him out in the roundpen to watch him move. He wouldn't stop & come in to her when she said whoa so she sat on the mounting block to wait him out. It wasn't long before he'd walked up to check her out. Pretty soon he was following her. He hopped in her trailer about as fast as I've seen a horse load. I think he wanted to make sure she wasn't going to change her mind.

I heard an update a couple days later & The Red Horse had been renamed Taz. Stacy had gotten a taste of his blazing speed (I had a fleeting thought that she would return him after coming off him) & had decided that he was as fast as a Tasmanian Devil. From what I hear, she laughed at hitting the dirt & said she wouldn't let it happen again. Since then she & The Red Horse, aka, Taz have been out on the trails building a partnership. Two weeks later, yesterday, I had a phone call telling me that Stacy has renamed her new horse again. She says he's so sweet that she calls him her sweet Donut. That's right, The Red Horse is now known as DONUT!

Many happy trails to Stacy & Donut. I just love happy endings.