When he came to my sister he was in his late 30's. White with brown spots,shaggy coat,underweight and slightly addlebrained.
His original owners had given up trying to keep weight on him and Starfaxxy decided to give him another chance. So they gave him to her.
Joe-Joe had lived a full and exciting life. He had been a parade horse, a barrel racer and had won many speed events. But time was taking it's toll.
With a special diet of grated carrots,rabbit feed,horse feed,vitamins and fresh goats milk, Sis would mix up his daily doses of nourishment. And it worked. He steadily gained weight.
Because of his age, Joe didn't have any back teeth. The bit in his mouth would just slide back and forth on his gums. Because of Sis's wrist problems she had trouble controlling him. You see, Joe didn't know he was way past his prime. He thought he was still a speed horse. And Joe didn't like to be left behind so when we would go out for a riding day I sometimes took Joe. Joe had one gear....fast!!. It took everything I had to keep him slowed enough to ride with the pack. He had a wonderful racking gait that made him a pleasure to ride until all of a sudden he would spin to the right for no reason. It took us a long time to figure out why but one day it dawned on us that in his mind he was taking that first barrel. I just got used to it. After all, we knew he was a little senile.
Joe also had emphysema. So one day when we went riding and it was a little too warm to take Joe we left him at the barn. WRONG!
When we came back Star went to the barn first. When I came down she told me I better talk to Joe. He wouldn't even let her pet him. Joe was just standing there with his head down in that sulking posture a horse can get when his feelings are hurt. I explained to him that it was too warm for him to go. That no way was I gonna have him die on me under saddle and I'd have to drag his sorry butt home. I promised him that the very next cool day we had I'd take him out. He lifted his head and sighed and walked over to me as if to say I was forgiven for leaving him out.
Joe was enjoyed by all that knew him. He was one of the first horses ERD sat on. He would move very gently when she was on his back.
When Joe was 45 years old his suffered an aneurism and went blind overnight. He was terrifed and had been throwing himself around in his stall. Sis called with the news and told me she would have to put him down. I cried then as I'm crying now.
Joe's been gone 8 years now. But his memory is a fresh as if it were yesterday.
Joe-Joe you were loved by many and fondly remembered. I hope you're leading the parade in the sky.
--------------------
It's been more than 8 years now. I wrote this 3-4 years ago. But of course I'm sitting here reading it again an crying. In April of 2004 my baby sister, Starfaxxy, had a heart attack and passed suddenly. She is greatly missed.
The ERD mentioned above is my grand daughter Evil Red Dragon. Joe was the first horse she ever sat on. He is a bright memory for her too.
Star was a wonder with animals. She gave Joe a few more good years. He was loved then and loved now.
Old Paint
Old Paint
Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
Old Paint
Grumpaz wrote: When he came to my sister he was in his late 30's. White with brown spots,shaggy coat,underweight and slightly addlebrained.
His original owners had given up trying to keep weight on him and Starfaxxy decided to give him another chance. So they gave him to her.
Joe-Joe had lived a full and exciting life. He had been a parade horse, a barrel racer and had won many speed events. But time was taking it's toll.
With a special diet of grated carrots,rabbit feed,horse feed,vitamins and fresh goats milk, Sis would mix up his daily doses of nourishment. And it worked. He steadily gained weight.
Because of his age, Joe didn't have any back teeth. The bit in his mouth would just slide back and forth on his gums. Because of Sis's wrist problems she had trouble controlling him. You see, Joe didn't know he was way past his prime. He thought he was still a speed horse. And Joe didn't like to be left behind so when we would go out for a riding day I sometimes took Joe. Joe had one gear....fast!!. It took everything I had to keep him slowed enough to ride with the pack. He had a wonderful racking gait that made him a pleasure to ride until all of a sudden he would spin to the right for no reason. It took us a long time to figure out why but one day it dawned on us that in his mind he was taking that first barrel. I just got used to it. After all, we knew he was a little senile.
Joe also had emphysema. So one day when we went riding and it was a little too warm to take Joe we left him at the barn. WRONG!
When we came back Star went to the barn first. When I came down she told me I better talk to Joe. He wouldn't even let her pet him. Joe was just standing there with his head down in that sulking posture a horse can get when his feelings are hurt. I explained to him that it was too warm for him to go. That no way was I gonna have him die on me under saddle and I'd have to drag his sorry butt home. I promised him that the very next cool day we had I'd take him out. He lifted his head and sighed and walked over to me as if to say I was forgiven for leaving him out.
Joe was enjoyed by all that knew him. He was one of the first horses ERD sat on. He would move very gently when she was on his back.
When Joe was 45 years old his suffered an aneurism and went blind overnight. He was terrifed and had been throwing himself around in his stall. Sis called with the news and told me she would have to put him down. I cried then as I'm crying now.
Joe's been gone 8 years now. But his memory is a fresh as if it were yesterday.
Joe-Joe you were loved by many and fondly remembered. I hope you're leading the parade in the sky.
--------------------
It's been more than 8 years now. I wrote this 3-4 years ago. But of course I'm sitting here reading it again an crying. In April of 2004 my baby sister, Starfaxxy, had a heart attack and passed suddenly. She is greatly missed.
The ERD mentioned above is my grand daughter Evil Red Dragon. Joe was the first horse she ever sat on. He is a bright memory for her too.
Star was a wonder with animals. She gave Joe a few more good years. He was loved then and loved now.
Aww shared tears here
Huggs from afar.
Minks
His original owners had given up trying to keep weight on him and Starfaxxy decided to give him another chance. So they gave him to her.
Joe-Joe had lived a full and exciting life. He had been a parade horse, a barrel racer and had won many speed events. But time was taking it's toll.
With a special diet of grated carrots,rabbit feed,horse feed,vitamins and fresh goats milk, Sis would mix up his daily doses of nourishment. And it worked. He steadily gained weight.
Because of his age, Joe didn't have any back teeth. The bit in his mouth would just slide back and forth on his gums. Because of Sis's wrist problems she had trouble controlling him. You see, Joe didn't know he was way past his prime. He thought he was still a speed horse. And Joe didn't like to be left behind so when we would go out for a riding day I sometimes took Joe. Joe had one gear....fast!!. It took everything I had to keep him slowed enough to ride with the pack. He had a wonderful racking gait that made him a pleasure to ride until all of a sudden he would spin to the right for no reason. It took us a long time to figure out why but one day it dawned on us that in his mind he was taking that first barrel. I just got used to it. After all, we knew he was a little senile.
Joe also had emphysema. So one day when we went riding and it was a little too warm to take Joe we left him at the barn. WRONG!
When we came back Star went to the barn first. When I came down she told me I better talk to Joe. He wouldn't even let her pet him. Joe was just standing there with his head down in that sulking posture a horse can get when his feelings are hurt. I explained to him that it was too warm for him to go. That no way was I gonna have him die on me under saddle and I'd have to drag his sorry butt home. I promised him that the very next cool day we had I'd take him out. He lifted his head and sighed and walked over to me as if to say I was forgiven for leaving him out.
Joe was enjoyed by all that knew him. He was one of the first horses ERD sat on. He would move very gently when she was on his back.
When Joe was 45 years old his suffered an aneurism and went blind overnight. He was terrifed and had been throwing himself around in his stall. Sis called with the news and told me she would have to put him down. I cried then as I'm crying now.
Joe's been gone 8 years now. But his memory is a fresh as if it were yesterday.
Joe-Joe you were loved by many and fondly remembered. I hope you're leading the parade in the sky.
--------------------
It's been more than 8 years now. I wrote this 3-4 years ago. But of course I'm sitting here reading it again an crying. In April of 2004 my baby sister, Starfaxxy, had a heart attack and passed suddenly. She is greatly missed.
The ERD mentioned above is my grand daughter Evil Red Dragon. Joe was the first horse she ever sat on. He is a bright memory for her too.
Star was a wonder with animals. She gave Joe a few more good years. He was loved then and loved now.
Aww shared tears here
Huggs from afar.
Minks
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�
• Mae West
• Mae West
Old Paint
:-1 :-1 :-1
What a beautiful, beautiful story.
Thank you so much for telling it.
What a beautiful, beautiful story.
Thank you so much for telling it.
-
cherandbuster
- Posts: 8594
- Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:33 am
Old Paint
Gpaz
You write so beautifully
I guess when you love the subject matter it's easier :-4
What a sad yet uplifting story
Who says animals cannot feel emotions?
Thanks so much for sharing this with the Garden. :-6
You write so beautifully
I guess when you love the subject matter it's easier :-4
What a sad yet uplifting story
Who says animals cannot feel emotions?
Thanks so much for sharing this with the Garden. :-6
Live Life with
PASSION!:guitarist
PASSION!:guitarist
