Precious Memorial

Precious Memorial

She greeted me over a fence from a pasture where she was standing. There was something in her eyes that drew me toward her. It was truly love at first sight. We were there to see her friend, Samson, who had walked, trotted and loped into John's heart. I asked about her, and was told that her name was Precious, that she was very special, and that she was already in her forever home. She was their first official rescue and was a kind of mascot for the rescue. I looked forward to seeing her when we visited the farm. The day came when we picked up Samson to take him to his new home. Precious was curious and concerned about where we were taking him. We tried to reassure her and told her that he would have all the love we could give him. She stood for one last picture with him before we loaded him in the trailer.

Time went on and Samson was not the same horse we had known. He let the other horses push him around and wouldn't fight for his food. We worried about him, but figured he would adjust soon. One day we got a phone call. Tony and Kathryn wanted to know if we would like to take Precious home to be with Samson. It seems that Precious missed Samson as much as Samson missed her. We were shocked, thrilled, and extremely honored to be trusted with such a treasure. The timing was perfect. Our 13 year old son, Jonathon, had been struggling with depression and we thought this would be just what he needed. John went to pick her up, and after many hugs and tears, he loaded her and brought her home. Jonathon, Sarah (our daughter) and I were waiting for him when he pulled in to the farm where we were keeping Samson. John opened the trailer doors and Precious let out a beautiful nicker. Samson's head popped up from the round bale and he ran to the fence. He and Precious "talked" to each other while we got her ready to put out in the pasture. We led her through the gate and released her. Samson ran off all the other horses and took Precious to the hay where they began to eat together. It was a beautiful reunion.

She was just the medicine Jonathon needed to pull him out of his depression, and she put smiles on all of our faces. What a beautiful gift the rescue had given us.

Time went on and we finally got our own farm. Samson and Precious would finally be right in our own back yard where we could spend time with them every day. They adjusted beautifully and were ambassadors for the other horses that would be joining them. Precious was like a mama to everybody in the pasture. We had a party to celebrate our new home and she was so patient as she let people, young and old, ride on her back.

Precious continued to bring love and laughter to our lives in the months to come. She befriended a very sick horse, Gentle Ben, when we brought him home to help him recover from the abuse he had suffered. She scratched her butt on the chicken coop until the roof came off. She watched over Samson and protected Bo. She pulled our hitching post out of the ground when she tried to scratch her back on it. She gave John someone to talk to every night and gave me someone to hug every day. She taught many of our kids' friends to love horses rather than fear them. She made a special connection with everyone who met her in the 11 months that we were graced with her presence. She is always the first one that everyone asks about and everyone has special memories of her. We know that she touched so many other lives through her work as a therapy horse and at the rescue's summer camp and during the many years she had at rescue after having her life spared from the kill pen. Even at the end, she spared us from having to make a difficult decision by taking her last breath on her own. Her final gift to us was waiting until we were at her side before she passed. She has left a Belgian sized hole in our lives and will never be forgotten.

She was truly a Precious gift.