Horsehair Memories 7

"My sister's horse Razz is a golden chestnut and she (Karen)
wears gold jewellery so it will be perfect! Razz has been in our family since my sister was 14 - she is now 36!!!! and he is now also heading to mid thirties himself. A lovely old gentleman, this is probably going to be his last year with us due to old age really now getting the better of him, so this will be so very special for my sister."

Tracy's Gremlin..."This is a picture of Gremlin, with our grand daughter on him. We just put him to sleep about 3 weeks ago at 30 years of age. He went down hill this summer and lost alot of weight. He is a standardbred gelding, that I mostly rode on trail rides, but also got into gymkhana with. He was a great little barrel horse and we won many championships over the years. Little booger could really turn -n- burn!!"

Meet Sue's "Sayel" as told by good friend Natalie...

"She was a really lovely natured horse, she was an ex-racehorse and my friend works for the trainer who trained her at the time. She had a wind problem and had a couple of operations to try to correct this but these did not work and so she was to be sold off so my friend paid the grand sum of £250 for her, when she was sold as a yearling she was £26,000!

She was sixteen years old when she died, very suddenly at a small local show. She had just completed a small round of jumps and just collapsed and died, most probably of an aortic aneurysm. It was a real shock as she was so well previously, showing no signs of pain or illness. My friend telephoned me from the show ground and I went straight away. Obviously there was nothing I could do but I took my friend away so she did not have to see her being moved. Somebody at the show fortunately had the foresight to cut off a piece of her tail and it is from this that I am sending some to you. I know it will mean a lot to have a wearable keepsake."

"Darem Cajun
March 13, 1985
September 21, 2011

Darem Cajun was foaled on March 13, 1985 and passed into another realm on eptember 21, 2011. He was adopted by Gwen and J.T. Clevenger on June 13, 1998 some would say by accident but those who truly know would say it was fate. He lived for 13 and ½ years as a faithful companion to Gwen. He provided many safe rides through trails, on roads, in fields and past noisy equipment (no small feat for a horse). He offered many hours of solace just by being present, being nonjudgmental, by listening and by enjoying the attention given. He exhibited his intelligence by learning quickly and by demonstrating his skills on command. He showed his sense of adventure and bravery by performing unfamiliar tasks when asked. He exhibited his free spirit by running like the wind when given the chance. At times, he showed his playful side by nudging his owner when she was bending over - and laughed hysterically to himself. He had a huge heart and a gentle spirit and his absence leaves a huge hole in the hearts of those who knew him and loved him."

"Her name was Topaz, and my stepdad (Robert) had her for 14 years. He rode her for at least 10 of those years on the Saltgrass Trailride (its a big trailride in Texas once a year that ends when the rodeo begins). She was such a neat mare, spunky and had lots of spirit, but gentle enough for my friends and I (Loren) to ride bareback in the creek on Robert's place. He felt so comfortable on her, and she was an excellent partner to him for all those years. He will be very happy to have something to remind him of her, and a part of her to keep near him :)"

Amy's Rougher...
"This was my (Sheyenne) friend's 6 yr QH, Rouger, who the hair belonged to. He died a few months ago from colic. He was with her for just under two years, but I haven't seen a horse so devoted and adoring like Rouger was to Amy. She was heartbroken when he passed, so I was thrilled to pieces when I found your website. Thank you so much for making this!"

DARE!
"Dare is deceased and was my (Cassidy) aunt's horse. She has had many horses in her time but he has always been one of the nearest and dearest to her heart. He was an up and coming in the dressage circuit when he was diagnosed with a disease and he had to be euthanized at the age of eight. I've been wanting to do something for her to thank her for all she's done in helping me pursue my involvement in the AQHA circuit and haven't been able to think of anything that would genuinely mean something...after seven years she finally pulled the box that contained Dare's tail and told me to do something with it. So I guess this is where you come in!"

Jess's Smash!!!
"My horse's name is Smash... He didn't race much because at three years old he dumped the jockey pre-race, took off and trampled somebody :) So his then-owners said "bad horse!" and threw him in a stallion pen to get beat on for a couple years and neglected him. Monica ended up with him through a partnership at age 5... His first race at Suffolk Downs with her he...dumped the the jockey and ran away, jumping the teletimer and ripping his left stifle open. She nursed him back and he raced just 6 wks later - very lucky horse - and ran a few times with no luck. So she sold him to me. Since then, we've had a long row to hoe uncovering "stuff" which included finding out last year that he had OCD chips in his right stifle which we removed. No damage to the joint or cartilage - lucky horse once again. Oh and treated for ulcers - with that his behavior did a 180 and we're moving down a positive path now. He's the All American boy in the back of the classroom that all the girls drool over because he's just so kind like he'll give you the shirt off his back, yet funny and a real punk at the same time. The teachers can't help but laugh at his practical jokes. He's handsome and athletic, the school's star athlete. He is smart and has good street sense and once he knows his job he will take care of his people. He commands honesty, integrity, consistency, bravery, and determination.
You can see why I"d like to preserve him forever :) "

Dena and her Secret...

Secret, who's registered name is Arctic Squall, was an off the track thoroughbred. He was a great grandson of Secretariat and raced until he was 6 in the Canadian circuit. I originally purchased him for my daughter 6 years ago but like any child she quickly lost interest and he became mine. He ended up getting a rare illness six months after I purchased him requiring surgery, 3 months of stall rest, and penicillin shots twice a day. It was during that time that our bond became very deep. Every day he would catch site of me at the barn and would meet me at the gate, sometimes galloping and neighing loudly even though he had severe arthritis due to his racing career. He was a special soul and preferred being around humans over anything else. He was notorious for searching all of my pockets looking for treats (which of course I always had) and would nudge me with his lip until I gave in.

I am so grateful to know that I will be able to have a part of Secret with me in the days to come. "

Alex and Spirit...
*Spirit was a quarter pony halflinger who I loved (and still love) to death. His greatest love were carrots and apples and it showed. He was a bit on the chubby side ;) Though his name was Spirit, I called him "Bear". I started leasing and taking care of him about seven years ago. On my eighteenth birthday I got a tattoo of a running horse and his name on my ribs so that he'd always be with me. I never expected that less than a year later that the tattoo would be a memorial to him."

Charli and Tex as told by her mom Staci....

"Her horse's name was Tex. We traded a goat for him. He was very underweight and in really bad health. We knew nothing about his background…next thing we knew Charli was riding him bareback in the pasture! She was about 6 years old at the time. Now she is 14. We believe Tex was around 27 years old, but there was no way to tell. He held on for a very long time. Charli slept with him on the goat stable floor on his last night and gave him permission to leave. She made up a lullaby that she sang to him over and over (brushing him) telling him that she was not a little girl anymore, that he could let go, and that she would be okay. I balled my eyes out. God sent her Tex when she needed him most and sent her Comet (her new horse, also an Arabian) at just the right time as well. We call them her fury therapist. Ever horse has a story. Now you know Tex's...he was a 'million dollar horse!' "