One year ago I was asked to write a book, a pony’s story. I started but couldn’t finish. My emotions following this pony’s death were too intense to delve deeply into the story. I worked in fits and starts, through the haze of my tears. Time has passed and I am ready to begin the tale. It may turn into a book some day, or perhaps it is an alternate blog path.
There is a bright, new star in the Eastern skies this evening. As the sun burned rose and gold at sunset yesterday, a small pony with a huge heart closed his eyes and said good-bye to us all.
He had just finished another summer of camp. Tom said they tried to give him days off but when the girls flocked to the field to catch up horses for their rides, he was right there saying “Pick me, Pick ME!” He ran with his herd of 69 brethren through the lush pastures when it was feeding time up at the barn. Though he was never in the first wave, neither was he last.
Camp is over and the air is chilling as the sun goes down. Last night, Tom said he was slow to come in and just not himself. He was tired, bone tired. It was just time to go. He went peacefully, on his own terms and in his own time.
In 1994 he appeared in the parking lot at the Flagstaff Riding Academy. My life-long friend and cohort, Steph managed the facility and was working in her office when a cowboy shyly entered and introduced himself. Her account is wonderful, I will quote her here:
I remember the first time I laid eyes on Nelson. I was managing the Flagstaff Riding Club out in AZ and a fellow had come into the office to say he had a pony for sale and would we like him for the riding school. Said “he goes western but probably don’t care what kind of saddle he wears”. (my first alarm went off in my head… pony has probably never done anything beyond packing some kid around in a big western saddle, and while that was fine, we were mostly an english barn/school). The guy selling him wasn’t as backwards as I was lead to believe because as I started to thank him and decline, he said he had the pony right outside, and why didn’t I just come take a look, if we couldn’t use him, perhaps I’d know of someone else who could. So, minding my manners, and believing public relations was the key to good job security, I agreed to take a look. I fully anticipated him opening the back of the trailer and seeing the pony backed out and paraded around accompanied by the hard sell speech about how perfect this pony would be for us, blah blah blah. I came outside and out in the middle of our good-sized parking lot was a lone truck and trailer. As I wandered over to it, I naturally came around the back to help with taking the ramp down. And, there he was, already out and tied to the far side of the trailer. As I came around the back, he looked up at me, shiny chestnut splashes mixing with startling white, perfectly roached mane, full, lush, banged tail and SHINY little hooves. As he turned to look at me it was as if he said “what are YOU looking at?” It was love at first sight. Such machismo in such a beautiful package. I asked the guy how much he wanted and told him he was sold. Right on the spot. The next thing I did was not go back into the office, but right to my home and called my best friend and life long partner in crime, Martha. When she answered the phone, I simply said “I’m about to change your life” and told her about Nelson. We quickly planned his trip across the country which would change the lives of two little girls and their parents forever. Not to mention those on the farm in New Hampshire where he retired. Christmas 1994 was every little girl’s fantasy, that MY best friend and her husband pulled off without a glitch. I’m sure Marth, you could write the most wonderful children’s book about your family’s life with Nelson… (please). His strong belief in doing things right or not at all like simply quitting/stopping if he was given bad instructions by a careless child and refusing to go ahead until they were given correctly, no tantrums were allowed, much less reacted to, and teaching us all what “Mum, Mum,Mum” really meant at “snuggle time”. And yet, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do if the girls simply asked him. He adored his girls and gave his girls a sense of responsibility, empowerment, pride and independence. He is and forever will be The Perfect Paint Pony.
Christmas that year was a fairy-tale. We were young, broke, had two small daughters and a crazy/busy life. For $500 dollars we suddenly owned a pony. It cost almost twice that to have him shipped from Flagstaff, AZ to Littleton, MA. He was due to arrive on or about Lexie’s seventh birthday. I had to keep him a secret until Christmas. He was mine alone for one week.
The truck rolled into the barnyard late on a Friday night. The cowboys driving the rig were tired and still had stops to make in New Hampshire before calling it a day. I got the call from dispatch, they were an hour out from the barn. I scrambled to write a check and ran to the bank for cash for the tip. Waiting for their lights to turn into the driveway that cold December day was my first taste of Christmas. I had seen only photos and a choppy video of this beast. He was bought solely on Steph’s recommendation. I was riding but the kids were only showing a slight interest in my “hobby”. It was all a huge, expensive gamble.
When the truck and trailer parked it was just dusk. The ramp went down on the trailer and the door opened. What stood before me was the most perfectly proportioned, elegant horse. He took your breath away with his perfection but his attitude was all, “OK folks, let’s just move along. This looks like a good place to get off.” His journey from Northern Arizona had included a stop-over of two days in Florida, then two days to get up the coast. He had this traveling business down to a comfortable routine. They led him off and handed me the lead-rope. I looked into his eyes and there was no doubt in my mind this little being was important.
I’m not even a horsey person.. do it in your usual style and I’ll read it.
LikeLike
Thanks Cheryl! Working on it!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You bring tears to my eyes. Does this mean you are going to write it??? I really, really hope so! I’m just glad you didn’t kill me when I made that call…. I for one can’t wait to hear you describe his first ” mum, mum,mum” he was so famous for, and his first look at and impression of the girls, you, Jeff. What he thought of his first winter, blankets, snow ( being from AZ), jumping, light little saddles, barn mates…the list is endless. Deutz!!! OGM! That should be a good one!
LikeLike
I just re-read your blog “The Christmas Pony” ….. You Nailed it…
LikeLike
It will require some serious input and editing from you, my friend!
LikeLike
If you’ve ever had the “perfect pony”, this story really grabs you. Well done. (A paint! That’s where the personality comes from?)
LikeLike
Thanks Phil, assuming you must have had one! Paints just have to have big personalities because they stand out in the horse world for their coloring, right?
LikeLike
There was a round Palomino pony, but normally rode the cow horses (who were smart enough to keep us out of trouble). Paints are so flashy – they were highly prized by Indian tribes ( and those of us who grew up with Lone Ranger on TV knew that “real” cowboys – the ones who were antiestablishment and in tune with nature before it was trendy – rode paints.)
Paints seem to have retained some of that confident instinct and common sense of their wild pony heritage? One of my uncles had a gorgeous black and white one who was really smart and used as a cutting type horse. Too smart for his own good…he’d get bored when off duty in the pasture and would select a cow and practice working it on his own. My Uncle said the darn horse was running the weight off the cattle. So he was sold and replaced by ordinary brown….just wasn’t the same for us kids.
LikeLike
What great memories of smart beasts! I loved the Lone Ranger!!
LikeLike
I don’t really know anything about horses but I know how it feels to lose an animal and I wouldn’t wonder that it took you a year to be able to write about it.
LikeLike
He was a very special animal. Thanks for commenting Allen.
LikeLike
There truly must have been something special about this little guy. Thanks so much for sharing!
LikeLike
Thanks for reading and commenting, Julie. I hope his legacy will live through my telling of his tail/tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’ll be a great book. A fitting tribute for a wonderful four legged friend!
LikeLike
OK now the pressure is on to write the book!
LikeLike
Horses are not my thing but I understand the love that can be felt for an animal and the loss and grief too. I hope you write the book 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Marie. I will work on it!
LikeLike