In Memorial

'God Jumps'
by Lauren Davis Baker

God gives us horses and compels some of us to love them. Yet why does the horse, an animal with such a big heart, live such a short life? Perhaps it's because if our horses lived any longer, we wouldn't be able to bear losing them. Or, perhaps it's because God wants to jump.

Perhaps God looks down on the fine horses we raise and decides when it's His turn to ride. He gives us a few good years to care for and learn from them, but when the time is right, it's up to us to see them off gracefully.

O.K., perhaps not gracefully. Blowing into a Kleenex is rarely graceful. But we can be grateful.

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle-or a computer-a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily, we know we've made the right choice.

Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you-you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it. I found one of ours on the front porch one morning, eating the cornstalks I'd carefully arranged as Halloween decorations.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people-which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.

If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday-but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car in "drive."

In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences...if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse "does all the work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.

You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our oversaturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses-it's about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.

Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place. And so we pray:

'' Dear God,
After You've enjoyed a bit of jumping, please give our fine horses the best of care. And, if it's not too much, might we have at least one more good gallop when we meet again?

Amen''

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One of the best lesson horses that a stable could ever have. Never gave problems to her young students. She had such a smooth trot and her canter was elegant as well as rocking horse smooth. She was a tribute to her breed - Half Saddlebred, Half-Arab. She carried her tail high during all the lessons. But her 35 year old muscles just couldn't get her up off the ground if she lay down to roll or sleep. After several months of helping her get back up, on January 10th, 2013, we tried and tried and tried, but we could not get this proud mare back to her feet. She gave me the "look" and told my heart that she was done, and that it was time for me to let her go. So the vet was called. I miss you Flicka. You and I came so very close in these past few weeks. I'll see you again sometime... on the other side of Rainbow Bridge.

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I bought Buttercup in 1985 to be a brood mare to a Quarter Horse stallion that I had at the time. She had such a pretty trot, that I actually started working with her, and with the encouragement of some Palomino friends, I started showing her on the PHBA circuit. In a very short time, she ROM'd in Equitation, Hunter Under Saddle, and Road Hack, and she earned my Amateur Championship on the PHBA circuit for me. Buttercup came with me then, in 1988 when I moved into the facility in which I now reside. She became a main stay for my lesson program. Everyone wanted to ride Buttercup. She became a favorite to my good friend, Colleen Parsons, and the time was right for me to sell my good mare to Colleen and her family. Colleen continued to board Buttercup with me until 1998 and then moved Buttercup and their thoroughbred, Mozart, to their own farm in Pine City. Buttercup has enjoyed her retirement years up on that beautiful hill. She enjoyed life until the age of 33, and her health was failing her, as was Mozart's. The two were inseparable. Colleen sent them kindly, together, to the other side of Rainbow Bridge. Even though BC and Mo have not been with me for many years, they will always have a very special part of my heart. I have so many wonderful memories with Buttercup, in addition to many ribbons and championship coolers. Thank you Buttercup for taking me so far, and helping me through the hard times.

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Karolien was Pam's mare......and Beike's sister. Pam imported her from the Netherlands in 2006. She and Beike were

instantly bonded back together. Karolien started showing some digestive problems, and acting colicy. Pam took her to Cornell

and after colic surgery, it was determined that her stomach just stopped working. We hoped that a special diet would help her.

However, recovery from surgery was hard for Karolien, and a month later, she just died with Beike by her side.

We are very sad for the loss of the very special mare. Beike misses her the most.

Pokey

On November 7th, AJ was released from his arthritic knees to run free on the other side of Rainbow Bridge.

I was his human for 20 years and I will miss him so much. He spent his last two hours grazing loose in the side yard and flirting with the mares, Sugar and Star. He enjoyed his last hours on earth, for sure. Run free AJ..... RUN FREE.

We'll miss you but we'll see you again on the other side.