Today I lost a good friend. Shenango came to our farm about 14 years ago. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that my brother, sister and I used to ride him around the yard. He has been part of this family for so long, it seems unreal that he is no longer here. Those of you who know what we went through with him last winter know that we were even more attached to him after narrowly escaping his death to his infection in his withers. Here are some pictures of him in earlier years of owning him
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| Megan & Shenango at a show |
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| Shenango and Cutlass, his first pasture mate here |
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Yep, that's Jeffery!
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Shenango made the transition from a family pet to a lesson horse gracefully, and over the last 3 or 4 years has been taking care of my students from age 4 to adults. He was one of my most gentle and patient teachers, not minding too much when a student makes a mistake. It takes a patient horse to walk with a beginner who is learning how to ride. He was one of the best.
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| My Senior Picture |
I will miss him, as will most of you too. Please post to facebook any pictures you have of him to share with us. I would love to see any pictures that I haven't seen before. Thanks everyone. Please comment your favorite memory of Shenango.
I just want to point out that just last week shenango was voted the favorite horse to ride right here on this blog! What a tribute :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories of Shenango was when he and Burgandy would get out of the pasture and go across the road to the neighbors pasture to "visit" some friends. You always dreaded that knock on the door and someone saying, "Your horse is out". One night they both got out and we went over to catch them. Your dad was yelling and waving his arms at him so he would see him and trying to get him to come to him and Shenango started barreling across the field like he was a wild pony trying to not get caught. He would run with such force then leap across the ditch and grunt as he hit the ground. Then stand and snort for about 10 minutes. I'm gonna miss him so much!!!
ReplyDeletethose are the cutest pictures!! one of my favorite memories of him, was when I was about 10. You wanted to teach me how to canter, but I was being a wimp, and asked you to run along side me.....after about 2 or 3 laps of trotting around the field, he broke into canter for me. It took me by surprise, and by the second stride he took, i bounced up on to his neck.:) Out of breath, you said "ok Melinda. that was good. how about we try that again some other time" :) I had so much fun with him!
ReplyDeleteI'll miss that guy!!!!
those are great pictures.! one of my favorite memories was when I was first learning to canter on him and I was in the field and I think Melinda was in the arena cantering on Tifi. and you were watching me from the arena telling me what I needed to be doing. I got the canter finally and immediately thought I was going to fall off so I kinda went into like a jumping position trying to hold on. you were telling me to keep my back straight and to sit up but I was too scared I would off so I just stayed how I was! and then he stopped but that was my first time ever cantering, and besides a veryy sore back the next day, it had been alot fun and I was so happy that I had actually cantered lol :)
ReplyDeleteI also loved feeding him dinner because I would run to his stall with the food and he would trot behind me-sometimes even canter behind me to catch up, and he'd be whinnying and snorting happily. it was really cute.
ReplyDeleteI have SSOOOO many memories with him, but the best is probably the year I took him to Pony Club Camp at Fair Hill. We spent a week together, riding the trails and having fun. Remember how he hated to walk downhill? He would turn his hindquarters sideways- somehow that made it better. I remember galloping across a field there, when suddenly he LEAPT over a little gravel patch... I thought we were going to die! He had the biggest heart of any horse I knew and was a very good companion :)
ReplyDeleteaww :)
ReplyDeleteyeah, he had a big heart alright, so big that he would jump tiny little poles on the ground as if they were huge barrels 3 feet tall! ( with a ginormous grunt before he left the ground!
ReplyDeleteYeah, you know about those grunts don't you. Especially as a warning of what's to come.
ReplyDeleteOuch... my upper thigh hurts just thinking about it... Ok I just found my favorite memory!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory of Shenango was this past summer. We were playing capture the flag in the pasture with Master's Commission and some youth from Maranatha, and I was trying to be sneaky by hiding behind the horses so no one could see me.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately even though no one else could see me, I had forgotten that Shenango could! (Though not clear enough to to NOT freak out about me sneaking around in the grass. He probably thought I was like a cougar or something hunting him!) He stood there about 20 feet from me, eyes and nostils wide and snorting. I waited until he looked away and then tip-toed up to him (so as to not give away my position to anyone else. And very quietly I placed my hand on his hindquarters. ... Big mistake. All I heard was one of Shenango's famous grunts before a hind leg nailed me and sent me flipping through the air only to land on my chin almost 10 feet from him. I was so shocked that I had really just snuck up and put my hand on a horse that I laughed (slightly). I had gotten just what I deserved. I vowed then and there as I lay on the ground silently checking for feeling in all my extremeties, that NO ONE would ever find out about this! I would take my stupidity to the grave. How embarassing!
I ventured to lift my chin from the ground. Shenango was standing over me, eyes like saucers, ears trained on me, trying to find the identity of his attacker. He blew a nervous blast of air in my face. Suddenly I wasn't sure if he might try to finish me off! I quickly gathered my self to a crouching position, talking to him in a quiet voice.
"Easy boy, it's ok. It's me. Please don't eat me."
I had suddenly forgot about keeping my position a secret. I knew that I would have to tell Someone... I was just too funny! But not anytime soon. I needed to let my ego heal abit.
That was definately my favorite memory. Something I'll never forget. Good lesson!
^^^ "like" :)
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