Since we are telling stories...
Here is Sam's story...
I first purchased Sam in 1994, about 3 days before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. We bought him for my husband and at the time he was a big, unruly 4 year old who may have been proud cut. With perseverance and patience, we finally got Sam to where he would be respect his rider and listen to us. DH didn't ride much, so I began riding him and started doing some light jumping and dressage on him. He quickly became part of the family.
About 3 years later we purchased our first home on an acreage and moved Sam there. Shortly after, we got a second horse and learned how jealous Sam could be. He would play this silly "I don't want to be caught game", or at least until I caught the other horse and took her out. Once Sam realized he might be left home, he pretty much caught himself.
Life on the acreage was wonderful and Sam proved himself to be an awesome horse. He saved me more then once when riding near an alfalfa field and I had a major asthma attack. He knew I was in trouble and when I let go of the reins, he ever so carefully took me directly home, right to the front door. A few years later, DH got transferred to Saskatchewan and we were on the move again. I sold the other horse, but took Sam along.
In Saskatchewan, I found a lovely boarding stable for Sam that had indoor board. After about 4 times of getting out of his stall, the BO agreed he would be much happier outside. The winter we were there was brutal cold with giant snowdrifts. One day the snow drifted over the stock gate in SAMs pen, so he just walked over it and walked out (all 1400 lbs of him). He never went far, luckily.
After a year in Saskatchewan we moved back to Alberta. I couldn't take Sam immediately, so my BIL agreed to take him in at the farm. He stayed there for almost a year. Friends of ours agreed to keep him at their place if their daughter could ride him for pony club. They had wanted to purchase him for years. I agreed and in exchange my DD rode a pony they had. Sam was too big. So, arrangements made, DH borrowed a trailer and drove out to Saskatchewan to get him. I was so excited to see him. When he arrived, he was skin and bones. My heart broke
. He had been left out in the prairie pasture for a year to fend for himself. He was not accustomed to prairie grasses or the lack of moisture and didn't know how to properly forage. I thought he was being fed and cared for in my BIL's yard. Apparently not.
We brought him back to health and he proved to be an excellent pony club mount for our friends daughter. We discovered he LOVED to jump cross country! After a year or our friends begging me to sell him, I reluctantly agreed. I knew he had a good home and I had no time to ride myself and he was far to big for DD. So, with a heavy heart I sold him. A few years later, I begin riding again. My daughter got her mare Sally, and I found Koolio. We heard through the grapevine that our friends had sold Sam again to a young pony club girl in the south end of the province. Once again...
Fast forward to 2010. We finally found another acreage, literally within 1 km of where we used to live. We set it up for horses and moved Sally and Koolio home in October. It was another rough year at work teaching in a junior high (like this one) and one evening I was casually searching Kijiji (our version of Craigslist) for horses. I just happened that night to search the entire province instead of our local area, not really looking for anything in particular and who do I see come up on the front page. I didn't have to read the ad, because I knew from the picture it was Sam. I found him!!! It took DH and I all of 30 seconds to decide that we would buy Sam back at any cost and bring him home. So I responded to the ad. No answer for 4 very long days. The family that had him were on vacation. When I finally reached them, the first thing I asked is how was my old friend. The woman said he was sad and lonely as they didn't have other horses and because he is so big and strong, she and her daughter were afraid of him.
I think she was overjoyed to learn I had previously owned him and wanted him back as she told me if she couldn't find a buyer the the would go to auction. (A 21 year old unruly, big horse doesn't have a great chance of survival at an auction). Needless to say, I drove half way across the province to meet the family and bring my dear old friend home.
People always ask if he remembered me. When w met the family, he was being a total jerk. He barely got in the trailer for them and was hesitant to get in mine, baby he was also scared and as inexperienced people do, they got very physical with him to get him in. Once we got home and unloaded, I let m just chill in the pasture for a bit. At around 11pm, I went out in my pyjamas out check on him. When I did, he lowered his head, pressed the front of his face into my chest, closed his eyes and sighed. It is as if he said "I am home and I'm glad to see you again".
Sam is now 24 and has been home for 3 years. It took me about a year to get him to accept the bridle over his left ear without a fuss. Someone has twisted his ear to get him to lower his head. He has a few more scars and some arthritis from a few years of hard living. Here, he is treated like royalty. He loves trail riding and is the perfect gentleman about everything, including getting in the trailer. I let him decide how fast or how far he wants to go. Every evening, he gives my his signature "hug" with his face pressed against my chest, eyes closed, for a few moments.
I regret some of the choices I made regarding Sam, but I cannot turn tack the clock. I can and will however, care for him myself in the very best way I can until his last breath, and hope to enjoy many more years with my dear old friend...