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| Smokey Joe's Moonshine Whiskey |
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| c.1972--2007 |
I only got to own Whiskey for about year and half. He was given to me as a 15 yr. old Lippazan. I figured
if he turned out being broke he might make a horse for my neighbor who was 10.
I decided right away he was probably around 30ish. We thought maybe he had some Percheron in him, maybe some QH.
Whatever he had in him, he gave my neighbor some lovely rides and some confidence.
Then, my neighor was ready for a more advanced, younger horse. I gift-contracted Whiskey to a family a country
block away. They fell in love with him and babied him all winter. Finally, one winter day they called and told
me that the vet said it was time.
The vet diagnosed Whiskey with Cushings, a very bad heart murmur, Equine Metabolic Syndrome, previous founder from his
original owner, and also declared him about 35 yrs. old. My husband and I drove over and Whiskey loaded right up in
the trailer. We brought him home. He revived and did well for about a week. We washed his big, thick tail
and told him he was beautiful. We cut the tail off and dried it. It's in a plastic bag waiting to be amde into
a fake tail I can save forever.
A week after bringing him home, he crashed. He didn't want to stand he hurt so bad. We called out the vet.
We walked him up the hill to the barn where he was to be buried. My trainer had come over to help me say goodbye, so
we told him he was beautiful and that we loved him and missed him and couldn't let him hurt anymore. We both cried.
Whiskey is buried there now, next to the barn on the hill. I'm glad I am able to have horses buried where I live, and
don't have to have them 'disposed of'. Somehow is makes it just a little bit easier to let them go.
| Tallion |
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| c.1970--2005 |
I only really owned Tallion for about 10 minutes. He lived about a 1/4 mile from my house. We kept riding
by his pasture and thinking he looked awfule. I called the sheriff, but they did nothing. We have no humane society
to call, so finally we went to the door and asked if we could have their horse. The teenage boy who answered the door
said, "Horse? What horse, we don't have a horse?" We knew it was their horse because we'd asked a neighbor first
to make sure we'd be safe going to the door.
The boy figured out it was his sister's horse and told us to come back and talk to her a couple days later. We
showed up right on time and were escorted through the house into the backyard. We saw several well-fed goats.
The owner didn't own a lead-rope so found a piece of twine and a nasty halter. Tallion was so bad he could hardly walk.
She put the halter and twine on him and let us our onto the road. I asked what his name was. "Tallion" she said,
"And he's around 35". As if that was an excuse for his condition.
We began walking him to my house but he could only make it a couple houses down the street before he wouldn't take another
step. A lady was sitting on her porch watching us. She offered to take him in as he couldn't go any farther.
We ended up giving to her as she had cared for rescues that bad before and I hadn't.
She had the vet out about 3 times for him over the next week, trying to get him on the improving side of the hill, but
it didn't happen. The vet said his body had already eaten too much of his organs. His heart was failing.
They decided to put him down. At least he got to spend his last week loved and babied and petted over by the lady's
daughters. It is just sick how people can be.
| Stealin' Your Thunder |
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| c.1976-June 23, 2009 |
I first met Thunder when I was asked to exercise him and get him in shape to be a 4H horse for the grandchildren of his
owners. He had been standing in a paddock doing nothing for a few years, so it took a lot of grooming and discipline
to get him kid-ready. However, when I announced him ready for the kids, they decided they didn't want to do a horse,
they just wanted to do goats. His owners weren't prepared to give him the care he required as an older horse so I offered
him a paddock at my home and he came to live with me. I wasn't sure if he'd end up being sound as he had been standing
in manure for so long that one of his frogs was rotted out down to the little white node. However, with consistent hoof
care, a clean dry paddock, clean water, and food he could eat (soaked Senior Equine), he was a different horse in no time.
He ended up being the soundest horse I ever met. He taught me to jump and drive a cart, taught several children
to ride, and made great memories for everyone he met. He could neck-rein, trail-ride, cross water/bridges, he loaded
himself in the trailer, he did western, dressage, hunt seat, jumping, pole-pending, barrel racing; everything we could think
of, he did his best to do it. He was always ready to go and always ready for something new. He went quickly and
peacefully, we couldn't have hoped for an easier passing for our great friend. We will always miss him and we can't
wait to see him in Heaven where we assume we won't recognise him since we only knew him as an old man. Shows won't be
the same without Thunder stealing the show!
Thunder's Show Record (with us): 2005: Dayton County Fair: Morgan Halter - 1st Place English Equitation - 3rd Place Bareback Equitation
- 2nd Place 2007: Riata & Rowels 4H Show: English Equitation - 2nd USR Saddle Series Show #5: *Daily Reserve Hi-Point Youth 11-17* Showmanship 17 & Under - 2nd Youth
Halter Novice - 2nd Youth Halter Gelding 17 & Under - 3rd Halter Saddle Type - 1 Halter Non-Colored
Geldings - 3rd Halter All Other Breeds - 1st Performance Halter Geldings - 6th Walk/Trot
English Novice - 3rd English Pleasure Novice - 2nd Western Walk/Jog Novice - 5th Western
Pleasure Novice - 5th Trail Novice - 5th USR Saddle Series Show #6: *USR Saddle Series Reserve Hi-Point Youth 11-17* Sport-Horse In-Hand- 4th W/T Eng. Novice-3rd Eng. Pls. Novice-3rd W/J Wes. Novice-
3rd Wes. Pls. Novice- 3rd Country Carousel 4H Schooling
Show: Walk/Trot 18 & Over-6th Showmanship 18 & Over-6th West. Eq.
18 & Over-4th Eng. Pl. 18 & Over-3rd Eng. Eq. 18 & Over-3rd West. Pl.
18 & Over-2nd
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| Untouched (AKA Symphony) |
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| 1992--2007 |
I owned Symphony a little over a year. She had had a career as a race-horse in Yakima, then was sold to an old
QH breeder where she pumped out fugly Appendix QH for several years. 6+ fugly babies later, the breeder died and she
sold at the herd dispersal auction to a lady who turned around and sold her as a lame broodmare to people in Idaho.
They owned her long enough for her last fugly QH foal to hit the ground and wean and then were about to take her to a local
auction when I decided to take a chance on her. I sent my father-in-law to Idaho with a picture and some cash.
He brought me back a worried, underweight TB squished into a little straight load trailer.
Symphony went on to do Dressage lessons with me, some trail riding, some jumping, and even a tiny bit of Halter.
She was a nervous wreck in the show-ring, but got better as the spring progressed. Melissa used her as her lesson horse
for Dressage lessons last winter/spring. Then, I decided to sell her to her main lesson-ee; a 14 yr old itching to show
Jumping. They a lovely summer testing their abilities and building a partnership. I was happy to see her happy
and healthy and enjoying herself, and only a mile away at my trainer's.
Then, one evening in early October, I got the call. Symphony had gone down with no warning. She had coliced
and was gone. That fast. Her young owner is devastated, but is working through her grief by stealing her mother's
horse to ride. She claims she'll never Jump or do Dressage again with Symphony, but we all hope she will overcome that
someday.
All of us miss that beautiful mare with the big eye and fragile disposition. She was easy to work with even if
she could have used a 'chill pill'. She was a once in a life-time horse.
Symphony's Show Record:
With Bethany Lewis Handling-
2006:
Eddie MacMurdo Memorial Horse
Show: (double judged show)
Halter Other Breeds- 6th, 5th
Dressage Suitability- 6th, 6th
CBEC Fall Fun Show:
English/Western- 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, Reserve
2007:
NWQHA Show #1 Schafer
Stables Annual Schooling Show:
Walk/Trot Green Horse- 4th
Walk/Trot Green Rider- 1st
Walk/Trot Senior Horse- 8th
Walk/Trot Open- 7th
English Pleasure 18-49- 6th
English Pleasure Green Horse- 5th
English Pleasure Green Rider- 2nd
Egnlish Pleasure Open- 7th
Enlgish Equitation 18-49- 6th
NWQHA Show #2 Walla Walla Fairgrounds:
Halter Mares- 6th
Halter Non-Color- 6th
Walk/Trot Green Horse- 4th
Walk/Trot Green Rider- 3rd
English Pleasure 18-49- 6th
English Pleasure Green Horse- 2nd
English Pleasure Green Rider- 1st
With Krysten Powell Handling-
Country Carousel 4-H Schooling Show:
Walk/Jog Western Pleasure 1st or 2nd Yr Rider- 2nd
English Equitation Intermediate- 2nd
USR Saddle Series Show #1:
Showmanship 17 & Under- 4th
Halter Youth Novice/Novice- 4th
Halter Youth Mare 17 & Under- 2nd
Halter Mares 3 & Over- 5th
Halter Stock Mares- 6th
Halter Non-Colored Mares- 2nd
Halter Novice/Novice- 6th
Halter Thoroughbred- 1st
Sport Horse In Hand- 1st
Halter Performance Horse- 4th
Walk/Trot English Novice/Novice- 3rd
English Pleasure Novice/Novice- 2nd
Western Walk/Jog Novice/Novice- 3rd
Western Pleasure Novice/Novice- 4th
Trail Novice/Novice- 3rd
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