“The bond I had with my beautiful Beau began when he too was a frightened, little yearling. He too had never been handled and was tranquillised to get him in the float to take him to his new home. strangely he trusted me from the first day though he was very nervous about every thing.
I hadn’t had him very long when he got injured and had to be stabled for some time. It was then he was found to have red worm and a vet injected him with some medication to kill them.
The trouble was the medication had a bad effect on him and he spooked as I was putting his rug on him. I was trapped in a stable with a horse that was completely off his head rearing and climbing the walls as he raced around and around the stable. The only thing I could do was to hold on and talk to him as I had no way of getting out. I don’t know who was more scared him or me, but eventually he calmed down, I was able to put his rug on and leave him eating his tea.
I was advised to “Get rid of him! He will kill you!”
When he was well again he went to a new paddock with some new friends. I went to check on him but he had disappeared out of the paddock. (I learned later that someone who also kept their horse in the paddock let him out as they got their own horse out and they couldn’t catch him so they left him) I was calling and calling to him when a man came and told me he had been found racing on the road and had been caught in barbed wire and he was safe in a yard on another property. As the man was talking to me I heard Beau calling to me I couldn’t get to him fast enough.
When I saw him I was horrified his poor body was and legs were badly cut.
His legs were so swollen he could barely walk and we had to half lift him to get him in the trailer to take him back to the stable. All the time we were helping him he was pushing his head into my arms and making little whickering noises.
Beau recovered and we spent many good and not so good times together, he was there for me when things were tough and many times I cried into his mane but he never turned away from me and I never turned from him.
31 years later I finally said goodbye to my best friend and as he took his final breath I held him.
When God gave me Beau he said ” You profess to love horses, now prove it!”
I think I did!
Virginia”
Big thanks to Virginia for sharing that one. Seeing as it struck a chord with me, I thought it would with others.
Best
Al
My friend said of her mare, “If an artist painted a picture of our souls, they would look the same”.
It is so sad when you loss a horse. I had to put my stallion down last year and I use to go to him all the time even to cry.
I Have not be the same since
Glad someone had the same experience as I did. Feel normal now.
Thanks for sharing
This one actually brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful story. I too have a really scared horse; he’s 10, not a yearling; but badly misunderstood & has obviously had some awful experiences which have left him scared of so many things; especially his terrifying rugs! He’s a bony TB, but has such a sweet nature; if you can look beyond his fears. I adopted him as a companion for my other mare, in the summer. I nearly didn’t get him, because when I finally coaxed him into my trailer to bring him home, he went mental & tried to bust his way back out; terrifying both of us. I just got in the car & drove him home; once we were moving he was too busy balancing to be able to throw himself around any more. 3 months later I’ve got him over his fear of trailers using natural methods & no he loads on his own like a dream, calm & quiet. I hope to have him for many years to come. I don’t know if I’ll ever ride him as that has a whole new set of fears for him & I value my neck too much to need to attempt to big up my ego by ‘taming’ him. But he is a friend & I saved him from the knacker’s yard; so that in itself is a wonderful thing. XX
now I am crying at work. lol! just beautifull. I lost my best frien (mare) few years ago. I cried so badly my mom said: I thought some one in the family died? I said: she WAS family mom!
i had something happen too. My horse had laminitis and we got told many times that she was gone for, and that she should just be put down. Once she got over her laminitis, she got terrible arthritis in her knee. Although most of the time we owned her she could not be ridden, she was DEFINITELY my BEST FRIEND !!
About 6 months ago we had to put her down, as she could not really stand any longer. She took her last breaths with her head in my lap. She along with all our other animals could sense that that was her last day. The love being spread then was AMAZING !! We got to lie down together and think of everything we did together. Im glad she got to take her last breath in love.
Horses can definitely be soul mates, and Gypsy was mine.
A heartwarming story.I enjoy reading your posts every morning before work.Keep them coming. 😆
My soul mate passed last spring, loved and trusted her. Iwas so broken hearted my husband insisted I find another. I promised the young mare I would care for her as I did my old girl. It has not been the same, my new girl does not trust me yet… but this story gives me the courage to keep on trying.
That’s just it ! some of have souls and some of us have soles. That’s that have souls persevere no matter what, those with soles – when pinched, done, tainted, they give up and buy new ones. I like your soul. 😛
My vet told me to shoot my 4 yr old morgan mare rescue because she was wild, strong, quick and afraid of everything. After a yr of patience and kindness, she has become a pure delight, attentive, wants attention and is very smart.
The hair stood up on my neck when I read how you cried into his mane, however the next two sentences sent “tingling” all the way down my back and up again. Oh, Virginia! Like all the “gifted” ones who commented, you have it. The love or addiction or need to be around a horse, is really rare. I mean the true horse lovers, you brought back so many memories and I want to thank you, and the posters for this gift. My first time at this site, certainly not last. Thanks to you, too, Al….will be checking out your site…..good luck to all of you…:)
😥 This story brings tears to my eyes and made me feel sad for an older horse that wasn’t mine. He was being ignored. We became very close after I started to care for him. I earned his trust by grooming, caring for his poor condition and taking him out of his stall for grazing, free lunging and walks. He ran and knickered with excitement when I called his name. He was taken away and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I am so sad about this. And I don’t know his fate. All horses go to heaven.
I lost my beautiful mare Flame after having her for 15 years, two years ago and not a a day goes by without me thinking of her and loving her. She was the love of my life. One night shortly after her death a friend took a photo of the full moon with my other horse silouetted in the back ground and lo and behold there was a ghost horse standing with her just where Flame always stood with it’s foot looped through the fence just like her. No guesses as to who I firmly believe it was that had come back to visit us. x
Strange. I think every comment here so far (8)
has been from a member of the female persuasion. It’s not possible that only one half of the species feels the bond with our four-legged friends.
I have a 2.5 year old filly who is daughter of my big draft horse, and a wild mare he ran away with for five days till I lured them back.
I can say without doubt that she is my special girl, and with some shame I suppose I should say, we are much closer than I ever was with my own daughter. Every day now I give her a big kiss, and I know that she understands why.
They(mother and foal)lived in the wild for a year and a half, and she is still wild at heart. I never want that to change, tho I looking forward to riding her, as the mothers’ breed has a special gait that will carry a rider upwards of 200km a day. It will be interesting to see how she does – whenever she sees Dad and me ride, she kicks up her back heels and holds her tail in a perfect equestrian show form… even though she has never been trained.
Needless to say, I love her dearly. So here’s an offering from the male persuasion…just in case none other appears.
After my son Jeffery at 19 y/o died in a boating accident I was so lost. A while later my other two sons brought two yearlings for me not knowing anything about horses. Well those horses were the best gifts I ever got. I had them for 17 years and a year apart I had to have them put down. I know how you felt. It was so hard those horses were my friends and companions. Buck(babe)and Bailey (my angel baby). I had so many other love names for them. I know someday we will see them in heaven and my son Jeffery.
God Bless
Bonnie Resop
Ok. So now I have to drive 37 miles to the ranch with tears in my eyes. But I love your stories and have learned a lot from other participants. I have a 5-year-old dapple gray mare who was rescued from a terrible place, with a nasty wound on her leg that had never been treated. She had started biting and kicking everyone who came near her to survive. After a year with the SPCA, fighting them every step of the way as they cared for her, she came to our rescue ranch. I didn’t go near her the first day, just worked in the barn where she could see me, constantly talking to her. She kept her eyes on me as I worked. We bonded. On three occasions she has maneuvered herself to protect me from what she thought was dangerous to me. It shows her love for me. But it also tells me that she cannot trust me to protect her, if she thinks she needs to protect me. I’m anxious to try some of the suggestions that I have read here. Thank you Alastair for having this forum.
😥 sad it brought tear to my eyes i know what you are talking about..
Your story moved me so much! I’m sure your presence brought him great comfort as he slipped away. I am so sorry for your loss. You are so fortunate though to have shared 31 years together! You rock…..
What a beautiful story !
Showing all my emotions to my horse has only made the bond stronger for me. I laugh with her, so to never cry is
holding back. Maybe it is the deep full breaths we take or the fact that they know we really need them and they can protect us. I could not contain myself from crying about a recent friend’s illness and passing almost daily. After a couple of days when I walked in the stall at the end of the day, my horse would move her neck over to me as if to say I am here, let it out. I thanked her each time and when it was done we both just knew. No person gave me that much of their time ! Horses and dogs make life a joy !
The stories I have read on this page are inspirational and exceptionally sad in some cases. I got a horse ‘free to good home’ and he is gorgeous! I was (and still am a bit rusty) at riding. The first three times I rode him he threw me. I lost virtually all my confidence with him but not my other two horses. Someone suggested that I use a bitless bridle on him (I know, its a very contraversial subject) as he seemed to be trying to run from pain. Nothing would stop him when he went but he always stopped when I fell off. I tried a Dr. Cooks bitless and the difference in him is unbelievable! He is so much easier to control, his head is down and he is relaxed whereas before his head was always up and pulling at the bit.The lady I got the bridle from said that she wouldve given up on him as he seemed dangerous the way he is behaving. Ok, he still pulls a wee bit but nowhere near as much and I have only used the bitless on him twice. I would never give up on any horse. He is so much happier now and so am I at not getting thrown all the time. He has issues but I am working through them and I will get there. He has got his ‘forever’ home as I will never part with him.
😛 That was beautiful story. I saved Appy Stallion who had not had anything done with him for almost 10 years. I worked off his price by cleaning house for the owner who is horse poor. His last foal was about 5 years ago. I love him so much I’d like to think he feels the same. I had him gelded a ago. I ride him now and we are both very happy spending time together.
Hi I have a thoroughbred who can be a hand full at times and a lot are saying I should get rid of him. In the first two days we bonded where the seller said it would take two years, nonsense. I lost my son in the afghan war and every year around his anniversay I break down. I went to my big boy and could control the tears, he put his head over my neck and pulled me to him and there we stood until my tears stopped. I trust him with my life and I know he trusts me. My dogs are the same. You treat and love animals and look after them correctly they do will do the same.
Good luck to you good horse people out there
what a beautiful story. my heart goes out to you. i bought a rescue mare in 2004 had her for 7 years,my best friend, on nov 10th 2011 i had to get her put down.she was way older than i was told and she was tired and gave up. i have ridden 2 times since i lost her but i am thinking i need to ride again. i am throwing a party for her on sunday 2years since she has been gone, lots of carrot cake she loved it. she was a scared horse when i got her, she loved me and my family to the end. she taught so many kids to ride and my hubby who had never ridden she taught him too. she was my cheeky brat that would act bad and rear a bit, but i could trust her with a kids life. my daughter was 3 when she started riding my girl betts my daughter is now 11 and she rides english western she jumps and she actually has people get her to ride their horses. she rides and shows my 2 paints and alot of other horses and she always says betts was the horse who taught me respect loyalty and love for a horse. so for everyone that has lost a horse my heart is with you, i know how it feels. i bought my daugher when she was 5 a morgan mare, well she had cushings which we did not know, by the time we found out and got her meds the mare passed away within 2 weeks. my daughter was 7 then and what a trooper. she got a special notice at their school awards as her class send she was so strong for what she went through losing her horse. she just said she is in my heart,i have all my special memories. i think when we lose a horse, i am hoping they want us to move on and they know how much we loved and still love them and what a amazing impact they had on our lives.
This story reminds us of our first thoroughbred farm stallion Count Mein Too. When we first received him from a race trainer that went bankrupt, Count was thin and stunted and looked like a weanling instead of the yearling in actual age he was. With good pasture and good hay/grain in the winter he went onto sire a colt by Golden Jam, another rescue, that colt named Flemings Touch O Gold went on to WIN a race at Del Mar race track in California at 69/1 odds! Count was the kindest most gentle stallion we have ever handled in over 30 years. Anyone could ride him and we NEVER used chains , twitches or hobbles on him. We taught him to ride bareback and with only a halter and lead rope. Sadly we lost him to what the animal hospital thought was cancer a few years ago and before he died we brought him to our farm to be buried under a flaming red maple tree with our first horse, Turk. On the last night before he was put to sleep, EVERY horse on our farm came and said goodbye; foals, yearlings, broodmares, even our other stallion Slewquero all came and said goodbye with gentle nickers and quiet looks. Our horse herd was very depressed and moped around for months after Count`s passing.Golden Jam just this year has had a foal for the first time in several years and we still think she tries to look and find Count as she is always the last to come to the barn in the winter time. We all miss him GREATLY as he is the horse who brought us back to riding after a devastating accident at the track in 2004. It took a long time to want to ride a horse again and one day he looked at us with his eyes and said TRUST ME, climb aboard I have NEVER hurt you. Enjoy my strength and power again. So we did! We begin riding him and other horses again on our farm. Upon his death however there was another miracle in the making, Counts last filly was born the following year after his passing, Count and Slews Miracle. We miss Count greatly and we have dedicated our farm to placing his grandsons and granddaughters into the hands of people that love and enjoy horses as much as we do. Fred and Joan.