My Old Gray/Black Mare

She ain't what she used to.... ain't what she used to be. 

This is in all likelihood, going to be the last resting place of my old mare.  We have a close eye on her, and I'll end it before she suffers.  Though I imagine my heart ache will be felt statewide/country wide.  I dread the day.

This old mare is a 1/2 sister to the 1st horse I ever had.  My Aunt and Uncle gave me both.  She is from the ranch where I learned so much!  I learned to be tough, that life can be tough, and sometimes, you can't be too tough.  My Aunt gave her to me when I was about 23.  She was about 2 at the time.  Wild as a mustang.  Never handled.  But I was of course sure that I could do it.  Naturally I had no clue.  They had given me a horse when I was 11, and that horse was 1 at the time.  I taught that horse everything.  She and I did EVERYTHING, and I had no fear.  So, I thought the same would apply with this mare.  hmmmmmmmmmmm.... I was older.... And I think maybe she wasn't as gentle.  Brandi was the first one, Mariah the 2nd.  Really neither were gentle, but Mariah less so.  She was out of the same mare, but a Thoroughbred race track stud had been thrown into the mix.  Now we had hot blood also.  She was never mean, just wanted to be independent.  All I knew, was what I knew.  When she was 3, she gave me my first concussion.  I remember the start of the ride, and waking up in the hospital. (thanks to Mike Landers)  I was pretty beat up.  Bruised up, and sooo humbled.  So, added to what I thought I knew, now I also knew that I could be afraid.  Very very afraid.  They say, when you are bucked off a horse, you need to get right back on.  Do not let that fear nest and create a mess in your head.  Well, I didn't ride that horse for about a year.  Recuperation, winter, all kinds of stuff kept me from it, then eventually I had to admit, I kept me from it.  A great friend of mine stepped in, Penny Turner, I love you.  She took me and Mariah on a trail ride, in the trailer, away from the house.  I knew I'd ride her that day, or Penny would go for a ride without me.  I did ride her that day.  And rode her forever after that.  I still had moments of a kind of 'vertigo' type of feeling that lessened over the years, but yes, I do know fear.  It is actually a friend of mine, and keeps me alert. 

Mariah and I won ribbons and all kinds of stuff.  Katie barrel raced her in High School.  A good friend of mine, Shannon Hoagland also raced her many years ago, and did real well on her, thanks to that Racing Blood.  Later I did endurance and orienteering rides on her.  I even used her for some lessons from time to time.  I bred her once to a beautiful Arabian ... and she had Dauphin Rabi.  That was another beautiful horse.  Arabs can be pretty hot blooded, and many many people thought I was more than a little crazy for adding to her hot blood.  It seemed like a challenge to me.  I also loved that horse.  He was another "Do it all" kind of guy. 

Anyway, I took the old mare and the young mare with 3 rides on her, and the filly out to winter pasture.  I kind of think that's best to give a couple rides, and put them out, and kind of let the 'sleep on it'  Bring them back in the spring and just go to riding.

This is probably Mariah's last Winter.  She spent the summer in beautiful Cascade, and now she's in these local foothills.  It's what she would have chosen, had she been able to tell me.

Who in the world wouldn't be happy with this view?

I told her, "go, see your world!"

But she just came back!

She was waiting on the little mare.  Now they will go

This is the look over the shoulder "Bye Mom" look

As the sun is going down

Meeting a new Buddy