Friday, January 18, 2013

Hug A Horse

I was going to write a post about tails & my nice ride today but the combination of working from 7am-5pm (and going to the other job at 6) plus the news that one of my friends today lost a very dear ponyface to colic, made it difficult to summon the energy.

I never knew what it would feel like to lose a horse so close to me until Spirit The Wonder Pony died last spring. I didn't even own him anymore, but I still cried for days and broke down the instatn I heard the news. He was my first eventer and I loved him from the instant I saw his ad in the Dayton Daily News. I loved his scarred nose. I loved his white mane. I loved his speckles. I loved his ginormous head and tiny butt. I loved how he tucked his knees over fences. I loved training him to load into a trailer for hours at a time. I loved him. Funny how horses can touch your souls without you even knowing it.

And then a few weeks ago, with a terribly worded text message, I thought my Yankee was dying and I felt my world crashing down. I literally could not function. It was ridiculous and I never want to feel that way again.

It made me think of my friend. The heartbreak he and his girlfriend must be feeling over the loss of a beloved pony. I texted him condolences and he wrote back, "driving home with an empty trailer is the hardest thing I will ever have to do" and literally burst into tears right there against my pitchfork. I didn't even know what to say to that.

So please, everyone, go hug your horse and remember that even sometimes they duck a shoulder and refuse that coffin line, or have a sticky moment in the canter transition, or wont flex their ribcage to the right, or can't quite get their hind end to stay in line when half passing, or nail that lead change over fences, remember what it would feel like without them giving you hell.


6 comments:

  1. I lost a pony I really loved recently, I didn't even own him but it makes you really thankful that we have these animals in our lives and that they touch us.

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  2. We've lost a few horses on the farm over the years, and it never gets easier - I'm so sorry for your friend's loss :(

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  3. I dread the day this happens to either of the two boys in my life, they both mean so much to me, this weekend a friends horse went missing, he was going for four days and they were hell for her, she found him today and still hasn't stopped crying x

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  4. Well stated! Every time I ride my Riva past where my daughter's Henny is buried, I thank God we had him for a few years and pray Riva lives forever.

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  5. Aww so sorry for your friend... it's so hard to lose our beloved animals. I try not to even think about it because I know it's going to be very, very bad. I'm like Kelly, was kind of hoping Chrome would live forever lol.

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