I Know Great Horses Live Again

 Somewhere
Stanley Harrison

Somewhere...somewhere in time's own space
there must be some sweet pastured place.

Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
some Paradise where horses go.

 For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again. 

Today we had to say goodbye to an incredible mare.  She was known around the barn as "Fergie", but I affectionately called her Fergilicious most of the time.  I met her years ago when she came to me for training, and then once she was riding well she continued on with boarding at Bit of Honey.

When Fergie first arrived I was told that the long term aspiration for her was to be able to walk and trot in the arena with a rider aboard.  That was the only goal that seemed reasonable to her owner at the time, based on Fergie's history.  Fergie was an opinionated mare who fortunately shared with me what she needed to be successful, and because of her willingness to work with me she went on to have a riding career competing at the walk, trot, and canter.  I loved Fergie, and I feel honored to have had her in my barn for so many years.

One of my favorite Fergie memories is from after she was in training with me for a few months.  We both liked to gallop in the arena, and we were having a good time one brisk morning racing around in the good footing.  Suddenly, in pure joyful exuberance, Fergie began hopping up and down bucking.  I was fine until she slammed on the brakes and put her head between her knees, which caused me to go somersaulting down her neck and land in the soft dirt in front of her.  She immediately stopped and looked at me, completely puzzled.  She placed her nose on my shoulder.

"Kim?"  she asked, "Are you ok?  What are you doing on the ground?  You were supposed to stay on!"  I remounted and we finished our ride in a more mannerly fashion, no hard feelings since no one was injured and Fergie kept her feet going in the correct order after that.  That was the only time I ever came off of Fergie, and it really is a happy memory because of the jolly time we had and how truly bewildered she was that I didn't just stay aboard.  She was just a really kind horse with lots of opinions.

Fergie was with her owner for nearly twenty years.  They had moved across the country together, been at several different types of barns together, and were a true example of friendship and dedication to one another.  Fergie taught her owner all about saddle and tack fitting (including the Thoroughbred preferences for fluffy girths and pads), and ultimately got her owner back into competing at local shows.  

Fergie's best friend here at Bit of Honey was Rain, the paint mare I use for riding lessons all the time.  Those girls spent so many years together as roommates and often the only mares at the barn.  They even took selfies together.

Fergie's photos from playing in turnout are some of the most comical ones I have.  She single handedly demolished all my cavalletti in her disgust at being asked to jump anything, despite being perfectly capable of jumping things.

We all loved our Fergie, and it's with heavy hearts we said goodbye to her today.  When I read the part of the Bible where it says Christ left to prepare a mansion in heaven for us, I always think that I don't need a mansion.  I just need a ranch large enough to accommodate all the horses I've loved here on earth.  I'm sure Fergie is now enjoying her lush pastures above, and we send our condolences to all those who loved her during her long time here with us.

Fergilicious Transforms to Ferginator

Fergie is a mare who has lived here for years, and most of the time we call her Fergilicious because she is a sweetheart and fun to be around.  Occasionally I do see her Ferginator side, though.  Thursday evening this week the tractor was finally repaired and running, and I was attempting to move large round bales into the paddocks for the ponies and the mares.  To do this I need to leave a large gate open, and so I tie up Fergie so that she can't escape and roam the property while the gate is open.  It makes her mad to be tied up while food is being distributed, and she does her best to untie herself and enjoy the feast, which she has accomplished on more than one occasion.

This time I had tied her very securely, and it wasn't possible to untie herself.  She was mad she couldn't get loose, so she performed a deliberate maneuver with her head and neck which snapped the leather crown piece and the whole halter fell off.  She was free!

Fergie proceeded to gallop around the back side of the barn to flirt with Highboy.  He is one of her favorites.  When I heard the thundering of hooves and the excited squeals from behind the barn I hopped off the tractor and headed to the barn to capture the elusive Fergilicious.  She ran into the barn to flirt with Monty over the gate (she has a thing for bay thoroughbreds I guess), and I cornered her there.  She made one effort to run past me and leave the barn which I thwarted by swatting her with the end of a lead rope.  I pointed at her and told her to stand still, which she reluctantly did.  I put a different, unbroken halter on her and put her in the stall in the barn to wait there until I was done moving big bales.

This made Fergie even madder!  She proceeded to kick the walls and make what I can only assume to be dinosaur noises, bellowing her frustrations at being confined without food.  I ignored her.  If I had responded she would have felt like her poor behavior was effective because it got my attention.  I put both big round bales into the paddocks.  I fed mash to the other horses.  I walked in and out of the barn at least a dozen times giving her chances to decide to be polite.  She continued to try to get my attention by banging the walls and screeching.  I went ahead and filled every water tank on the place.  Finally I paused in the barn and looked right at her and said, "I'm not letting you out of there until you are quiet and ask me nicely."  I then left to finish filling water tanks.

The next time I walked into the barn Fergie was standing quietly with a friendly look on her face at the door to the stall.  I asked her if she was ready to come out now and she nickered softly.  Satisfied with that response I haltered her once more and led her back to her paddock which now had a big round bale in it.  I made her stand nicely while I removed the halter and then dismissed her.  She took off at top speed headed for the big round bale, which is taller than she is.  When she reached it she reared up and mounted the bale, rubbing her belly on it until she fell off the side and over the metal feeder in which the bale was contained.  She mounted the bale twice more, rubbing her neck and chest on it and then falling off the sides before she finally just settled and decided to eat.

The Ferginator sure is intense about her hay!