In the spring of 1996 my husband came to me and said he had found a colt that he really liked. The horse had been bred to be a paint but had no spots so the breeder gave the baby to her sister. That baby was growing very big and had scared the woman so she could no longer do anything with him. Plans were being made to send the youngster to slaughter. That is where we came in.

We went to Lake City to see the youngster. I found a lovely sorrel colt with great bone and feet. And yes, he was big. But more importantly, I saw those lovely amber colored eyes that I so love. I sat in the pasture and watched that baby.  I could see that inside that rough exterior was a diamond. There was gentle horse there, wanting to come out. I saw it in his eyes. So, we bought him.

 I can't say that he was always perfect, because he wasn't. The first time he was saddled was an experience. He dragged me until I let go of the lead rope which was of course after my hands got a nice rope burn on them. He then ran through three fences bucking the whole time. It really was quite spectacular. He got to the highway, turned around and came back to the barn, still bucking.   Hubby and I were still in the same spot. Yup, we said, that went quite well.

I tried so many times to make him more flexible. Yeah, I found out that wasn't going to happen.  When he was two, I was working on the flexing and bending stuff. Of course we were bareback with a halter as I do all of the initial training that way. Anyhow I was up on the back of this big colt who is about to have a serious blow up. And I mean serious. Do you know the way cats and dogs stretch?  The way they stretch out their front legs and couch down with their head almost on the ground. Now picture a 1000  pound horse in that position with me on top of him. and he is ready to leap.  All I could think of was "This is going to hurt"  And of course, as usual, I was all by myself.  Somehow I got him distracted and prevented the wreck. I bet it would have been awesome.

He really only put me on the ground twice and once was not his fault.  A car drove onto the trail and spooked him. So he threw a fit and I hit the ground, hard.  It was a nice gravel road too.  I come up off the ground mad.  Not at my colt of course, but at the idiot behind the wheel. Jacob got petted and comforted. The idiot got a piece of my mind. However later that day, he started bucking really hard.  Unfortunately, we were approaching a six foot drop off, I again thought, "This is gonna hurt". So, knowing that, I bailed.  But it was nice soft sand and it didn't hurt.  Only my pride got hurt.  As for Jake, he leaped down the drop off and ran to the water hole.

So he did the usual dumb things that all colts all do. But as he matured, that diamond came through.  He grew to be a true 16 hands. His conditioned weight was about 1365 pounds. He was impressive.  And he was an athlete. He was the most comfortable horse I have ever rode. And I have ridden many.  I have said that his trot was so smooth that my big breasts did not bounce. Now that is smooth.  His running walk was heaven.  It was so smooth that most people did not realize how fast he was going until their horses had to jog to keep up.  His canter was like sitting in the old rocking chair. He was so well trained and behaved that I could ride him bridle-less.  He did everything and he did it well. He led many trail rides. He was as dependable as a  horse can be.

But something went wrong with his mobility  And we will never know the cause of it. Something neurological happened. But we have no idea what triggered it.  Did he injure his spine as a youngster in a fall?  And we knew nothing about it?   Did he get arthritis in his spine? All we know is that he was having a harder time walking.  There were so many things he could no longer do. And he would fall. He was losing weight and he was in pain. So last Friday we made the decision to have him humanely euthanized. The last thing he felt was my hand on his face. The last sound he heard was my voice telling him what a good horse he was. And that was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my lifetime.

I am still grieving. But I know that we made the right choice. It is our responsibility as the caregivers of these animals that we provide the best we can for them. And that includes not letting them live a life of pain and suffering. Jacob was with us for thirteen years. In that time, he never knew abuse, hunger or neglect. All of his needs were met.   He had a very good life.  Now he lies with Momma Horse, Foxy and Junior on the hillside.  As time passes, I know that there will be more of them there.  And when my time comes, I want my ashes scattered on those graves. I know that I will be in great company.   

To make you feel good on this Monday. tip, You might need Kleenex.

http://www.kttc.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=3711998&at1=News&h1=Keeping a promise

Sorry, It would not let me imbed the video.

            FOR thirteenrocks 





I hope you enjoyed your four day weekend.

For those of us in the frozen tundra of the north.



cause I am on the night shift and have nothing better to do. lol

I thought I would join in since I was able to get off of work early.
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Get your own Twelve Days:

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From the webpages of Cowboy Ethics

Having been rocked by one damaging revelation of misbehavior after another.
Wall Street is in a state of crisis. Investors are disgusted by the misdeeds of a few and suspicious of the industry at large. Every firm finds its integrity open to question. Regulators are up in arms. And the industry is facing billions of dollars in costs to comply with a floodtide of regulations.

But imagine what could happen if Wall Street firms looked back to a simpler time when a handshake was enough to seal a deal, and right and wrong were as clear as black and white. What if executives, portfolio managers, analysts and traders decided that some things aren’t for sale? What if every major investment firm agreed to live by the principle that the client always comes first?



1. Live Each Day With Courage                                   
2. Take Pride In Your Work                                           
3. Always Finish What You Start                                  
4. Do What Has To Be Done                                       
5.Be Tough But Fair                                                      
6. When You Make A Promise, Keep It                      
7. Ride For The Brand                                                 
8. Talk Less and Say More                                         
9. Remember that Some Things Are Not For Sale
10. Know Where To Draw The Line                           

                       James P Owen

Wouldn't it be nice, the client comes first. Honesty, honor and intregity could become something other than words in the dictionary.  

Earlier today babettew54</lj>  posted about the bad economy. I thought I would share this from last night's news. I have known about this happening for some time. And it will get much, much worse.  

I am posting the link because the video is shutting my lj down. I hope it wasn't doing the same to you.
http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?mid=948501480&maven_playlistId=a7beba5fbe937691ddf6700a5700f24092bb715c

from babettew54 

FOR bistyboo1974


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( Do Not Read )</div>

FOR alamo_girl80 
 


Happy Birthday Comments

     HAPPY BIRTHDAY
                                                                  
                                   
                         alphielj


 


HAVE  A GREAT DAY!!!

I found this last night and thought it needed to be shared. This movie is one of my all time favorites. It was the first movie on VHS  that I ever purchased.   And I did buy the soundtrack record. Yes that is right, record, remember that was all the way back in 1980. I have that stashed someplace, most likely the barn. I recently downloaded the soundtrack. As of yet, I have not found where to download or buy this track. But it is now on my wish list. The man singing it is Michael Crawford, the first Phantom.


 

Here is a slide show of some of the flowers that I have planted. The urns for the cemetery are farther ahead than my other planters. The urns have to be in full bloom by next week. I think that they will be. The four pots that I have in the slide show were all designed and planted by me. I hope you like them. If you like any of them let me know and I will tell you what plants are in each one. I am in the habit of making my father's urns always yellow and purple because his school colors were blue and gold. Grandma always has to be in red and white.

My flower beds and the front yard are not yet in full bloom. The lilies and the roses are just starting to come up. I do have some pretty tulips. And the crab tree is turning out spectacular this year. She was a memorial for my father. As my flowers grow, I can post of their progress. I did not count how many plants I have put in. Nor have I kept track of the amount of money and time I have already put into them.

I decorate with flowers. I want to be surrounded by bright colors and to be reminded that life is renewing. I plant flowers to bring in hummingbirds and butterflies. I want my yard to be an extension of my home. And I want that place to be relaxing and peaceful. As you look at the slideshow, imagine being in one of the many rocking chairs or benches on my porch or deck and listen to the wind chimes, bird song and the sound of my water fountain. And relax and enjoy.