Don't let it bring you down, it's only castles burning.
Find someone who's turning, and you will come around.
I will never forget you. I wish I could.
I've put my posts about him back up. I put them in drafts, because I was afraid of Chief's owner, a sociopath. The owner can't hurt me anymore. I just pray she never ever ever crosses my path again, and that everyone stops enabling her chronic animal abuse.
There is beauty in grays. Can you see them? A family of swans. -5000kelvin, winds howling, going for a swim. Because they can.
And just because I can, here's the picture of the "bom*" that was shipped to 13 places around the USA and Canada, to garner these precious signatures of my earliest, dearest blogging friends. After I received it, I finally understood strange comments that these dear funny friends were making, about a "package sent/received. Coordinates placed.". Apparently one USPS place was a bit suspicious about the package, because it had a LOT of re-directed addresses on it. Wish I'd taken a picture of it, but I was completely clueless as to what the heck it was at the time.
This book has travelled 13 places across the USA and Canada. Amazing. I remember the day I received it, at work, like it was yesterday. I cried. I hugged an inanimate object with words in it that had reminded my blogging-readers-friends of me. I never knew I liked the idea of Centered Riding, until that day...
BHM delivered it to our last work address, and I don't blame the car for wanting to exit the area. Just behind the jail, sort of thing, kinda ... okay, Icky. Super busy work day, I remember that.
I still kick myself that I missed meeting her. I hope Trooper (BHM's feral Shire) is well and happy. (The 13th is a piece of braille, glued to the inside page, by Andalusians of Grandeur, and OH, I would love to hear from her again!!) I don't remember the translation, sadly, she did tell me. OH. Might be in the comments... Off to check. Check!! CCC's "signature" is top right. I debated posting this, because well, you know, privacy and all, but 12 of the 13 don't use their full names, and the full name isn't a signature, and one is in braille, which you can't see, because I didn't post it.
Or DID I?? Ah, AofG, I do wonder about you. She loves a good blind joke.
I found another memory, which shows to goes that writing down memories can smooth them out of your memory banks. The post named "Six Years" about Flip has a CCC comment. She had a smelly tooter of a dog, named Spot. We were graced (Gracie dog!) with aromatic reports about good old Spot. A lot. (Not really, it just rhymed).
CCC was an Army kid, I think? and spent time as a youngster in Ethiopia with her family. Some of her stories!
At one pm today, Jan. 27, 2022 Unforgettable II finally laid his majestic head to rest, fighting for his flight to the end. What a grand old man, to pass where he was safest, with people to love him.
Our final time together wasn't nearly long enough, December 31, 2021. I didn't have much time to spend that day. I'll always regret that. I had planned to take January & February off from the barn, due to other circumstances which I won't bore you with.
He stumbled quite badly for our final ride, as if his hind and his front had forgotten each other. This wasn't one of his "I am so bored, my shoulder will DROP at the walk" gaffes. He loathed walking for any length of time anyway, and of course guess who was asking him to... Go FAST, Rob kept saying. (Jokingly) sOrry, Rob. Old broads don't go fast, without inner-doctor's permission.
The stumble was unusual. K & R were in the arena, and were surprised too by that stumble. Orry came very close to landing on his knees, while his hind end seemed to be trying to scrabble to catch up. Odd, and concerning to me, mentioned it to Sam of course.. What happened next? Completely the anthropomorphic dreamer in me, when I heard what happened the next week.
As we walked back from the arena to his barn, he stopped halfway, and looked soulfully north across the fields for several unusual moments. The next week, he had moved north, to be companion to an old girl-friend. Orry knew.
I was so glad Orry had a change of scenery, well-travelled old show-horse he was. In the summer, he'd piuffey up, get all snorty/prancey, as he went past the horse trailer, hoping he'd go somewhere and do something interesting, which to Orry was jumping. Instead, he had an old broad, so pretentious in her boring demands. Generous with her carrots, though.
Ah, Orry. The horse we all could learn from. His lordosis (sway-back) was strange for me to ride, having never ridden one with that condition before, like ever. Really strange. My back would try to mirror his. I tried NOT to do that, and I never really sat him, if at all. I could sit his trot, but why? Even his canter, as delicious as it was, my body wanted to stay out of his way. I'd sit, but it never felt well, you get the gist. New experience for this old girl! Whereas Orry just was the way he was, could care less what I thought. Orry would get bored. A lot. He even forgave me for kicking his croup the first time I dismounted, I forgot how low I was, relative to his croup.
The following I wrote while I was still riding him. I added the stuff that says **new**blahblah**end new** (for example). Pay attention, there's a quiz. I was so smitten. I started to write Nov. 14, 2021, but stopped. I knew it couldn't be finished. I just knew.
November 23, 2021
Nov.14, 2021
While other bits and bobs of my life may not be exactly rosy, I've so enjoyed riding with Rob M and Sam C! Thanks to Melanie T, as always, did I ever luck out. "Unforgettable II" aka his barn name "Orry" always, always makes me laugh.
**new**Okay, once, when he head-twanged me, notsomuch. I was grumpy & sore-backed, anyway, my own fault.**end new**
He's 27th years young-ish, acts younger than any of his other close horsey friends, all about 10 years his junior. When I started riding him in May (? I think??) he was very quiet, mostly.
Here I am essentially melting. Rob was so gently encouraging ;) (I HEAR YOU, ROB!!)
Easy to ride, absolutely lovely mouth, gorgeous gaits. Easy to catch. (He wasn't, once, just to remind me who was in charge. It was pretty darn funny, too. I insulted him, and it was a nice day, and who needs riding?? You aren't going to jump!!)
He was (and is) a TEENSY bit herd-bound, but at his age, it's one thing I can easily forgive. For several rides this summer, I felt brave enough to go up to the barn, catch him out of his field away from his two buddies, and ride him out the back field for a hack, alone. **new**Mistake. BIG mistake**end new**
Orry verrry gradually let me know that he would PREFER to ride with company, thank you very much. He'd cry in his stall when I'd bring him into an empty barn. He'd settle if Rob was there, though. Then, Orry started to cry piteously, hacking away from the barn alone, so I'd sing to him. He seemed to like that, but I guess I didn't sing well enough for him. Next, he became super magnetized to leaving the barn, in a very sad, eeyore like "i will go how can you make me do this go away from friends silly human." Complete negative enthusiasm.
His final opinionated statement, in response to the lack of sensitivity on my part?
We'd been (blissfully unaware of his growing irritation) cantering away from his friends up the green strip between wheat and corn fields, just a lovely day.
Orry: Function quick dump: Test of rider engaged.
A HARD 90degree spook towards the corn (which was taller than both of us at this point, so I dunno HOW Orry saw a bear), because Orry decided there was indeed a bear. I just couldn't see or smell it. Silly human. All alone out in the wilds? Herd safety is rule 1!
If he hadn't been such a basically good boy, realizing that this carrot lady might not like him anymore if he didn't at least LOOK at where the bear had been, before going home, we'd still be galloping through the corn... We eventually, mostly quietly, tiny-piaffed-ed a while then settled, and we went back to his friends in the boring arena. LIKE HE HAD (very politely!) REQUESTED. Lesson learned, Orry!
His canter is enough to make your eyes tear up, with it's purity and smoothness.
Now that the cold is here, he has stopped begging for tummy/other surprising area scratches. Probably xyz-rated to describe, but also utterly ridiculous. Or maybe I SHOULD have been scratching gelding/boy horses' erm, areas for all those years! Feel kinda guilty, really. sOrry, all my good geldings, it never occurred to me. Orry lets you know, by holding up a hind leg piteously, basically pointing...
He refuses to have a hind foot picked out, until the designated area is scratched. Hard to argue with that half-ton of logic. I kept doing it wrong, Sam and Rob tried to show me, but I just couldn't get it right. It was annoying to the poor guy. Rob and Sam can have him standing on hind-tippy-toe, ridiculous in itself, neck straight out in front of him, eyes closed, nose extended in utter bliss.
He makes me nervous, (not an unusual state for me) as he can come close to whooopsing his suspensory apparatus, which is... Yeah. Not good. He's big, don't fall down, Orry. He never does (so far as I know) so I'm sure he just does it to make his humans gasp. Finally, trying very hard to make him happy, I put him back into his stall, and he used that long head and neck to very gently push me towards the area in question. The rest of the story is preposterous. sOrry, it just makes me laugh.
He's very reasonable, as long as you follow his very few rules. Ignore them at your own peril, or you will comply. He's become woolier than a Shetland pony, which I often accuse him of being (in 16.2negative4 hand Hanoverian disguise).
He has all the moves of the ponies I've known. A blissful, "excuse me, I'm leaving now", sort of attitude. "Bye! I have a date!" And off he goes :) Skating along the floor with Orry trailing one cross-tie & me hanging onto his halter comes to mind. (His friends had LEFT. MUST LEAVE WITH FRIENDS!!) Orry's not like that all the time! I feel as safe with him as any horse I've ever ridden. Safety is such a relative term...
He's annoyed with me here, because I STILL haven't jumped him. He keeps hinting, and hinting...
I've seen him jump, in pictures and in person. Sam takes pity on him after I've bored him to tears with flat"work", and they zoom over a few little jumps for fun. **new**Orry's eyes would positively FIRE, and his ears would stay up. Rare for Orry, when I was riding him, to get his ears up. "flatwork is for wimps", says Orry.**end new**
Still not ready to jump, in my heart, yet. They only have so many in them, right? Orry doesn't owe me any. Honoured to be up there at all, really. He is such a handsome fellow, and so smart. Yep, I'm smitten, kitten. Maybe I should listen to his hints, eh? Orry, I do get what you're saying, and I appreciate your faith in my abilities. I think Sam is best equipped and most deserving of those jumps you love. No offence intended. You jump around enough for me on the flat, mister spooksatleastoncejustbecause.
Cooler weather! Orry has been barging, and gallivanting, and bucking up his heels when asked to come in for "work". I wear a hat now when I work around you, Sir Orry. You KNOW why, sOrry not sOrry! Yes, it was my fault, and yes, I spoil you badly. Taught me a good lesson in safety. And to not have a sore back when I "work" around horses.
END November 14.
Back to today, January 27 (not really, it's still taking me awhile to finish, as it has to be perfect). Stopped writing in November, I just had a feeling I shouldn't keep writing. Bad luck or something.
I was a bit worried about him, because he hadn't felt entirely "right" for the last few times I rode, but there was nothing to really say about it. He felt tired, is the hindsight way of telling it, I guess.
Just soooo bored. Rob likened Orry to a border collie, a Ninja of his equine species. Can't disagree. Orry's birthday was May the fourth, for dog's sakes! I called him a Jedi Knight, but Sam said he did have Sith moments ! Such an intelligent, kind, opinionated face..
It was his time. Orry knew, I truly believe he knew..
Orry would come when I called him, his ears pricked. I can imagine it's just the carrots, or I can imagine he was glad to see me, too. Didn't matter. Those ears, those eyes... Unforgettable. I could go on and on, and I obviously have, which I tend to do with horses...
I am grateful that Penny & Dublin's losses "prepared" me.
It's the truth I've always had a hard time with, when it comes to horses.
You can love them all you want, and you always have to be ready to let them go.
sOrry for the long post. Orry had a long life. May 4, 1995 - January 27, 2022, just a few months shy of his 27th birthday. Glad I was there for his 26th.
WHAT? No carrots??
To Horses.
To old friends.
To my new friends, Sam & Rob. Thank you for the fabulous care Orry enjoyed with you.
This is for Charles City Cat, aka CR Sullivan, aka Spunky. She was one of the original group that occasionally found me funny, and made me laugh.
I don't understand how FB missed showing me the post CCC put up on the Equestrians from BITD group, in February of 2020. Dammit. I wish I'd seen it, and commented!! Here's what CCC had to say on that Flacebooked day.
This is my second horse, Champagne Jam, about 1994, at the State Fair Grounds, Richmond, Virginia. It was a CHSA show and freakin 95 degrees. My wonderful trainer Don Sheehan schooled him for me, it was Schooling Hunter class and there were over 30 entries, it took forever because the pros were jumping client’s horses and there were a lot of delays for tack changes, etc. I am proud to say that we finished out of the ribbons but got called back for an honorable mention.
This horse was my heart horse, he took such good care of me and was a part of my life for over 27 years. I sure do miss him!
Here's the pic she posted. What a lovely shot.
Most of her comments on this blog make me guffaw to this day. Like when I was selling breeding rights to Butch... snork. Think I might have to scroll back a bit, and copy/paste some of them.
Here you go, just a smattering of CCCisms. There are many more, (find the Butch blog, I have run out of screen time, according to my eyes).
CCC's comments are spread over a lot of years, and various other blogs that are no longer with us. The "Kinder Ways" blog, #2 comment helped me so much, I can't even put it into words.
Blog Name CCC Said:
Butch, February 16, 2009
This here is Bubba, I been thinkin of breadin my good ole mare LuluBell, she one of them thar quatrharses, an let me tell ya she is a purty thang, she is a palomeener. I'm thankin that with that thar stud ya got thar, we could make us some purty babies. Could make some rally gut muney.
Maybe since that thar stud has 3 testicleez, we could have us some twinz, make more munee thatta way.
I dun drank up my last keg o' PBR, so kould we werk out a payment plan on that thar stud thang?
Further Jollies, Nov. 2011
Jolly ball looks a little sad these days, LOL! I wish I could send you the one I have, it is in perfect condition.
Wizard messed around with it for a week or two and my knucklehead dogs acts like it doesn't exist.
Kinder Ways August 2011
1st comment) Well spoken GL, I think I did understand where you were coming from and frankly I don't get the attitudes.
You have brought out what you don't like about other disciplines, including your own, many times as well. Guess it was okay, that is until now!
Today's western pleasure is a joke, and what is even more a joke is the HUS classes. In no way shape or form is how those horses are ridden
any form of hunter riding. It is merely western pleasure with english tack and apparel. As a true hunter rider, it makes me puke to watch what
they consider hunter under saddle. Lets watch them enter a hunter ring with eight 3'6" fences and see how well they fare approaching those
fences in that type of frame. Lets then guess what is going to happen, I know I can!
Why is it that english riders never try to emulate western riding, but western riders are all up in it? HMMMMMM!!!
Oh, and just so we are all straight, I did ride western, I showed western, I rode barrels and I was part of rodeo.
Whew GL, I guess I needed to get that one out in the open as well.
Well, there ya go.
Kinder Ways August 2011
2nd comment) Whatever anyone thinks of GL's opinion, she is entitled to it just as much as any of you are.
I don't care for many parts of rodeo or western riding either but that sure as hell doesn't make me a supporter of PETA or SHARK.
Just because someone expresses an opinion that you don't care for does not make them a supporter of a radical group of fanatics!
I also don't care for parts of hunter/jumper, dressage, saddleseat, racing, etc..., and I also know that GL has expressed those same feelings on a number of occasions. Frankly, I don't think GL cares what discipline it is, only that the horses are happy.
I am surprised to see her being accused of anything different.
I just found out today, Jan. 16 through the Equestrians from BITD group on FlackBk, that Cathy passed away suddenly last February, 2021.
Far too young, a new blissful GrandMom, living her best life with her much loved husband and daughter, and extended family and of course her horses and assorted other dogs/cats/alpacas.
CCC! I'm sending her my love. CCC was funny and kind and a staunch and true friend on the webs.
CCC always had my back. Always. As I was an impressionable aka sensitive aka wimp-ish netizen, she helped me stand frimly. I LOVE that typo, bery much. (One of CCC's favourite typos there).
Thank you, CCC, for your support, your humour, your beautiful kindness that shone through all your comments, for everything.
I KNOW you've been worried about Butch, and so I roused him from his stall-rest. Sadly, he got cast at the beginning, but soon righted himself. That good breading, ya know. Legs made of mild steel and all.
He's officially a pensioner now. Holly cow...
Butch's Breading Perfiticate
How amazing, how well he's lasted. There's a lovely BBC program "Repair Shop" that, not surprisingly, repairs/restores old treasures. Really talented group of people, with steady hands and expert craft.
They've revived Teddy Bears and the transformation was wondrous. I think Butch prefers his original hide. How I wish we had an old "out of the box" picture of him. I honestly have no memory of his first three years, they must have been... challenging for him. At any rate, by the time he's in the pictures, he looks pretty much like now, but with more hair. You can see his poor former chestnut (sorrel??) hairs hanging out beneath his Registered WarmBelly perfiticate.
I was terribly jealous of bigger yet shorter older sister, as her brand new toy horse looked waaaaaaay too good. I ThinK I was three when sister's arrived. Much drama ensued, I vaguely remember :)
Sisters horse sure didn't last, have NO idea why :)
Apparently, as a good chestnut should, Butch allowed his (mild steel, see perfiticate above) push bars to be snapped, cleanly enough to pose no danger to me, the kid who snapped it. I do NOT remember doing it!! Who needs the damn push bars anyway, we rided!
Probably my first fall from a chestnut, when you think about it.
Not my last, which was a long time ago now! I think it was Amber, the killer schoolie, but not sure...
Anyway, for posterity, my first friend and now yours, Butch. Still with all his ticking.
This Blog is dedicated to, and could really be blamed entirely on, GoLightly, the Irish Sport Horse SchoolMaster highlight of my riding life.
I had ridden my own and other peoples horses, (usually getting the ride on the difficult/ challenging/no-one else was crazy enough to ride them horses:) I especially enjoyed starting beginner riders of all ages. I taught people to ride for many years.
GoLightly taught me more in one year, than I had learned in 18 years of riding.
I'm good with animals, not so much with people.
My interests are in animal welfare and training methods of all animals.
