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stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
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On 2013-01-14 13:40, S2000magician wrote: I think I understand. Thank you for sharing your loss with us. As strange as it may seem, we really are friends here at the Café, ans I mourn your loss. |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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On 2013-01-14 14:12, Mary Mowder wrote: Surprisingly, actually. (Long - but I'll try to make it short - story time.) Almost 12 years ago my wife decided that we should take horseback riding lessons. (When she was in middle school she had neighbors with horses, and used to ride every day.) I had no interest in horses whatsoever. On the first Saturday as we were driving to the ranch I thought, "I can do this for a month and figure some way to get out of it." I was hooked in about 15 minutes. She was convinced that she wanted a Morgan, so about four months later we were looking at Morgans. We found one we liked East of San Diego, but we didn't manage to get him. (It turns out that that was a good thing: at home he was fine, but off property he was a nut job.) Six months after we started lessons we went on a horse drive in the Sierras: three days bringing about 150 horses and mules from Mammoth Mountain to Bishop for the Winter. She had phoned the pack station to see if anyone in the area had horses for sale - figuring that we could go a day early, and get some video to show our riding instructor - and they told her about a gentleman who had two Arabians for sale. She didn't want an Arabian: they have a reputation for being crazy horses. But we went a day early anyway, and brought the video camera. We met Valentine: a gorgeous, 19-year-old, bay, Polish Arabian who thought that she was a 6-year-old. Her owner was a Canadian cowboy (and downhill skier) who had used her for pack trips and hunting and what-have-you. We got the video, survived the horse drive (another long story: I ended up with stitches in my leg), and brought the video back to our riding instructor. As she watched the video, she asked, "How old is this horse?" "She's nineteen." She watched a little more. "No, really: how old is this horse? She moves like she's a 6-year-old." "Carol, the guy told us that she's 19. What do we know?" Two weeks later (Labor Day weekend) we went up to see her again (about a 350-mile drive). Serendipitously, Carol's husband had been asked to drop off a horse in Nevada, so he was there, with an empty horse trailer. We had a vet check Val and proclaim her fit, then her owner rode her around the arena a while, then it was our turn. After my wife and I had both ridden her, our riding instructor told us, "As far as horseback riding goes, you two are in kindergarten; this horse is in graduate school. She knows so much more than you two do that I want to warn you: one day you will ask her to do something (without realizing that you've asked her to do it), and she will do it, and she will dump you." We loaded her in the trailer and brought her home. One interesting point is that the instructor and her husband hate Arabians, but, apparently, Val was an exceptional Arabian, so she was allowed at the barn. She was, indeed, exceptional. Nine months later we got another Arabian - a 13-year-old gelding - whom we still own: Khaleel. I need to go spend time with him because he's soon going to realize that Val - his buddy - is gone. He's exceptional, too. |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
From a dear, dear friend (whom I only recently met):
HARK! OLD HORSE Hark! Old horse. Please meet me at the gate. Hounds are leaving kennels soon, And we will not be late. Step up. Old horse. Carry me to the meet. Our years together count for much, Though you're no longer fleet. Trot on. Old horse. I know you hear the horn. The hounds are in the valley now, The fox is in the corn! Kick on. Old horse, My soulmate and my friend. Our years together hunting are The best that's ever been. Leap up. Old horse. Take the bit and fly! I still trust you like a brother, Even though the fence is high. Walk on. Old horse. We’ll soon be hacking in. Your nicker rests beside my heart. Our souls entwine within. Hark! Old horse. The years reveal our fate. If we should part before we wish. Please meet me at the gate . . . . Author unknown (though possibly Carla Hawkinson AKA “Fluffy”, Tennessee Valley Hunt) I wish that I knew (for sure) who the author was. It brings tears to my eyes. |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
After losing Valentine in January, and looking for another horse since April - in earnest since May - Marlana and I finally found the right horse a week ago Saturday, and he passed the vet check today! We'll be picking him up and bringing him home next week.
He's a 9-year-old bay Polish Arabian gelding, who looks and acts remarkably like Val. We're very happy. |
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Good news! Looking forward to pics.
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
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Devious Inner circle 2120 Posts |
Bill,
I only recently found out of your loss, so please forgive me. I truly know what it is like to lose a horse and it pains me anytime I hear of even a horse having to be "put down" as happens quite frequently here locally. I am also elated that you have found someone to add to your family as well. Polish-Arabian eh? Talk about a confused Gelding...lol. Yes, please share some pics as Magnus has stated. |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
My wife took a few. She needs to upload them to her computer, then send them to me, then I need to figure out where I can post them so that I can link them here.
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
Bill
I just found out, and I extend my deepest sympathy. It is hard to lose such a long time friend.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
Sorry for your loss, and congratulations on the new horse! I love horses and riding, thanks to my grandparents and summers at their place in upstate NY.
As to the pics, I've been using photobucket again with great success here at the Café.
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Thanks Al and Theodore: I really appreciate it.
I'll look into photobucket. |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Beautiful!
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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On 2013-10-06 15:54, Magnus Eisengrim wrote: Ahem . . . handsome. (Thanks, John!) |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Finally the end of a long search. Handsome animal/friend indeed.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
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On 2013-10-06 16:02, S2000magician wrote: My Arab-owning daughter says "Pretty!"
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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On 2013-10-06 19:34, Magnus Eisengrim wrote: ;) (I'll concede that he's . . . pretty handsome.) |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
Great pics! "Handsome" coat and I love his alternate socks.
How many hands would you say he is? Man, this makes me miss horses and riding. Thanks for sharing the photos. Give him some apples and carrots for me. We even used to give ours the occasional Klondike Bar. Shh! Don't tell
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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On 2013-10-06 21:11, Theodore Lawton wrote: He's 15 hands. We've had three other Arabs, all 14.3 hands, so he's the big boy in the family now. Quote:
On 2013-10-06 21:11, Theodore Lawton wrote: Will do! Quote:
On 2013-10-06 21:11, Theodore Lawton wrote: The chocolate isn't good for them, but the ice cream's probably OK. A lot of horses like peppermint. My gelding does, as did our mare. The other Arab we had (whom we lost two years ago) never liked peppermints, but liked root beer barrels. Shortly before he passed away, we found that he would eat peppermints from See's Candies; apparently he was vary snooty about the peppermints he ate! |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
Peppermint. That's a new one. They probably like the wild plant too. Root beer barrels- that horse had great taste!
One summer my grandfather rented two horses for me to ride and take care of. In a matter of about 2 days he had them trained to come from way across the farm to the sound of a chain banging in a metal bucket to get their feed. I've got some funny stories in writing about that summer. I've done a fair share of riding here and there, but that summer is the only time I ever rode a horse at a full gallop. I was about 8 or 9. Terrifying! And awesome.
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
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On 2013-10-07 01:17, Theodore Lawton wrote: A few years ago I was riding my gelding - Khaleel - in a local park when we came across a group of bird watchers. One woman was wearing a fanny pack, and told Khaleel, "I don't have anything you'd like: no apples or carrots. I only have peppermints." "If you give him a peppermint, he'll be your best friend for at least two minutes." (We met a Morgan near San Diego who would suck on peppermints. If the owners made the mistake of giving him one less than 45 minutes before a show, he would come into the arena with pink lips, drooling.) Quote:
On 2013-10-07 01:17, Theodore Lawton wrote: I started riding in April, 2001: my wife told me that we were going to take horseback riding lessons. (That Saturday, as we were driving to the ranch, I was thinking, "I can do this for a month and figure some way to get out of it!") Six month later - at one lesson a week with maybe 40 minutes or so in the saddle per lesson, so a total of about 15 hours actually riding a horse - we drove to Bishop, CA, took a bus from Bishop to Mammoth Lakes, and spent the next three days bringing 150 horses and mules from Mammoth down to Bishop for the Winter. One hour into the first day was the first time I was on a horse galloping: a Thoroughbred/Percheron cross named "Butch". You nailed it: Terrifying, and awesome! (The first thing through your mind is, "My gosh! Look how fast we're going!" A minute or so later, you start to think, "Well, I'm not falling off, and this is a lot smoother than his trot!") Of course, two hours after that another horse tried to kick Butch and missed, catching me just below my left knee. (An inch higher and he'd probably have severed my patellar tendon.) He cut me clean to the bone, so I ended up in the Mammoth emergency room getting my leg stitched up. The next morning I was back on Butch. My wife has a photograph of me doing a magic show for everyone with my leg swathed in gauze and an Ace bandage. |
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