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Read the heart warming story of Billy as he has come a long journey to be a part of the Keesling family. The story is a feature column written by Hoofprints owner, Gina Keesling, as she recognizes animals that we've known and loved. You can find horse artprints and other horse related items at www.hoofprints.com.
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A story about trust....
This summer I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience...
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After years without a vacation of any length, my parents graciously offered to bring my 15 year old son Jordan and myself on an adventure out west. To ensure that I didn't worry about things back home, Rob elected to stay here and tend to the farm and all the animals. (bless his heart)
Our 2 week odyssey was packed with many, many miles - and lots of sights and experiences as we traversed to South Dakota, Nebraska, and North Dakota. The South Dakota leg of the trip included a stay at the HoofPrints Lodge and trail rides guided by Andy Holmes of Andy's Trail Rides.
When we arrived at the meeting point for the trail rides, I quickly sized up the waiting horses... nondescript smallish fellows of indeterminable breeding. They looked pretty lean - especially after being used to looking at our Indiana horses who seemingly get fat on air. The horses all looked bright and interested - except for the big one in the back. He just looked tired. He wasn't even tied to the hitching post - so I figured he was REALLY tired - as we were not far from a major roadway and it could have been serious if he had wandered off...
As I got closer, I could see that this poor old guy had been through the wringer. He had wire cut scars on more legs than not, a bowed tendon, white hair where a girth had galded him badly and lumps and bumps all over. His stance was that of a horse that was hurting all over. He was ugly and I felt sorry for him. Like a kid beside the merry-go-round, I quickly diverted my attention to the other horses. Would I get the pinto? the grey? No. Andy chose the ugly dude for me. His name was Billy.
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After mounting up and riding off, I discovered that ugly Billy was actually a beautiful ride. He was light, responsive, and respectful. It seemed I had ridden him my whole life. Rental horses usually learn to ignore all but the "loudest" instructions - because they are ridden by so many folks who lack experience. The longer I rode him, the bigger this little plan in my head became... This thin old guy was not going to fare well for many more South Dakota winters... maybe they were getting ready to retire him? If they did, would he end up at the sale barn, and subsequently on a truck to a Mexican slaughterhouse like so many in Tony Stromberg's Forgotten Horses book? I wondered how much it would cost to ship a horse to Indiana....
Click here to download (pdf) and read the rest of the story.
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