Like most parents raising young kids today their parents grasp at every straw available to them to assure their kids grow up to be good, decent human beings. Living in an equestrian oriented community and with their children showing a love of horses one of the straws they felt worth grasping was a horse.
Having made that decision, the search was on. The kids were quite young at the time so it was important to find a calm, mild mannered horse who loved children. One who would not run off with them, kick if they walked behind him and not too spicy. After interviewing several horses they came across an elderly bay named Freddie. It was a match made in heaven.
The girls became students. Not just students of how to ride a horse but students of many life lessons unique to pets. Granted a horse is a big pet but nevertheless, a pet. They needed assistance getting aboard and very short stirrups for their little legs but slowly they became more and more comfortable in the saddle. But that was just the beginning. Next were the life lessons. They learned that a pet needs to me fed, cleaned up after, washed, brushed, exercised and loved. The tack also needs to cleaned, polished and oiled. It’s ok to go out and ride but they learned you’re not done when you dismount. When not riding they did their chores, morning and evening
As time went by Jordan and Kelly became more comfortable in the saddle and around the stables. They progressed from walking to a cantor to a gallop. Then they learned to jump. Freddie was the perfect horse for two young girls learning all phases of horsemanship. All the while, a deep love was developing. The girls were not burdened by their duties, they eagerly looked forward to them. Walking down the long hallway at the stables they could see Freddie’s head sticking out of his stall. He seemed to sense they were there. He was gentle as he patiently waited for them to learn horsemanship and stood calmly when being brushed, put back in his stall and fed.
He became ill recently, ill enough to be taken to an equine hospital where he made a brief rally but left us for horse heaven. As you can imagine Jordan and Kelly are crushed. All the words their parents say to them do little to ease the pain. It is one of those times in life you just let them know you are there. The parent’s pain is in seeing their kids hurt. As time passes Jordan and Kelly will realize how fortunate they were to have a Freddie in their lives. The lessons he taught them will serve them well, just as their parents had planned.
What a beautiful tribute to Freddie. Freddie reminds me of that book The Giving Tree… It was one of my favorite books when I was little. It still is one of my favorites today, but in a different way.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, when the boy was young, the Giving Tree gave him everything he had and the boy was so happy! He didn’t feel sad or guilty or sorry for the Tree… he was just happy – which is exactly what the tree wanted. The Tree gave the boy everything he had without hesitation and without thinking of himself, because he loved the boy. And that’s what I think Freddie was like. He gave everything he had to Jordan and Kelly because he loved them so much, nothing else mattered. And he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Forest and Lina and Jordan and Kelly enriched Freddie’s life with purpose and friendship and love, and in return, Freddie did the same for them. When I re-read that book as an adult, it made me sad that the Tree gave everything he had until he was just a stump. I felt sorry for the Tree and felt like the boy should be more thoughtful. I tried to remember why I liked this book so much – it’s so sad! But the Tree wouldn’t have given everything he had if he didn’t love the boy so much and if he didn’t feel the love from the boy in return… and there is just nothing sad about that. It’s really a beautiful story!
The Bible says that we will find peace in heaven and that we will see the lion lay down with the lamb, the leopards will graze with the ox and the wolves will dwell with the calves; that gives me faith that Freddie and all the animals that we have ever loved will be waiting for us when we get to heaven.