The tractor and the herd

Beauty, Gigo, and Cali investigating a tractor when Beauty was with us up in Lancaster.

3 amigos~Camera Critters for 091909

That's Gigondas, Beauty, and Sunni when we boarded them up in Lancaster, CA. I couldn't find a boarding place for Gigondas and Beauty down in the desert and my friend didn't wish to take on 2 more horses for boarding, so we moved Sunni up to Lancaster and the herd was there for 8 months. This is the three of them waiting at the gate for their apples and carrots!

Beauty, Memorial Day, 2007

These pics are all from the Memorial Day weekend in 2007. See what a beautiful color Beauty was?

I miss you, my sweet one!

On a personal note, it is hard for those of us who have horses to lose one. I know now how hard it is. Our horses are almost like our children. They have different needs and personalities. Beauty didn't need much, just human affection. And she, in turn, returned that affection. She was a loving mare. She never nipped anyone or did anything bad. I would drive up to the ranch and she would see my car and nicker. My morning greeting! I would go over to her and talk to her and give her a morning hug. She was patient and wise, even though she was so young. I miss you, my Beauty.

Beauty, Sunni, and Mom in Lancaster

My two quarter horses, Beauty and Sunni. I'm not sure which one of them was more jealous in these photos! Beauty chose me as her human, and I will always remember that. Sunni, of course, was my first horse, and until Quad came, was my only "boy". Now I have two geldings, Sunni and Quad.

Every day I think of Beauty and realize how much I miss her snuggles and warm breath.

Beauty and Cali, April 2007

That's Beauty, will Cali in the background behind her, so this would have been April, 2007.

One month today that Beauty has been gone July 25, 2009

It's been one month now that Beauty has been gone. Sometimes when I look up at the clouds, I see a running horse, with a beautiful, flowing mane or tail, and think of her. Actually, most mornings when I take my morning walk, I can look up and see this. Of course, it takes some imagination, but I like to think she is still with me. This is one of my favorite photos of her, taken when she was up in Lancaster. I MISS YOU, my sweet girl! I hope you are running free in the green pastures of Heaven. We will be together someday.

Love,

MOM

Beauty and Gigondas, Lancaster, February 2007

At the same time I adopted Beauty, I also adopted a thoroughbred from the same rescue, Merryana, who my husband renamed Gigondas. They were both together during their quarantine in Washington. On the day they were scheduled to come to So. Calif, the boarding place where they were going changed their minds (they were friends of ours)...the key word being "were"! They said "Absolutely NO!" two days before the mares were scheduled to be transported. I had to call the transporter and tell them the bad news. AND, I was stuck with NOWHERE to board these two mares!!! That was in November. Gigondas came down with a little cold and was given SMZs. It wasn't until January of 2007 that I was able to secure transportation, again, and find a boarding place for them. It was up in Lancaster, a drive from our home of OVER 3 1/2 hours! But, it was the only place I could find for them. They arrived late one night and were unloaded and the next morning, when I saw them, I was so happy! They were both beautiful, chestnut mares! Beauty appeared to be an appendix QH/TB and Gigondas was a HUGE, red thoroughbred. They had been together since September of 2006 and were used to each other's company, so we kept them in the same "mare motel" which was part of a larger corral. We hired a trainer, Angi Keitel, to work with both of them. Beauty was much easier to work as she had a beautiful, calm personality. We could tell right away that Gigondas did NOT like humans and that she had been badly mistreated. We would have to earn her trust! But, Beauty trusted and enjoyed humans. Here are some pics of them from February, 2007.