Chipper Registered Paint (APHA) 1 year and 7 months old when he passed Birthdate: April 25, 2002 Called Onto the Heavens On December 20, 2003 When I was 15 of last year January, I overheard my mom talking with a close friend of ours named Jo. They were talking about a baby horse and how it would be nice for me to have one. That way I could raise and train him to whatever pleasure I desired. I didn't think twice about it. I just thought that maybe, just maybe, I would eventually get a baby horse.  As the months passed, the more and more I heard about it, and when April rolled around, I was to go and look at a friend's paint babies that were born that month. She had quite a few, but when I looked them over, I saw he was the tallest and the longest-legged one in the bunch, and he was the most curious. He came right over to us. Not being more then a few weeks old, he wanted to know what 'we' were. I told my parents that's the colt I want. 'Chip' as he was to be called after much distress over finding the perfect name. Four months after he was born, he was trailered to Jo's house where he stayed for the majority of his time. As the weeks went on, I worked with him every day on getting him used to items such as tarps, bridges, cones, bags, dogs, cars etc.. Learning fast, Chip was very anxious to learn more, so out came the lunge line and picking up the technique quickly, he loved to be lunged, being a little frisky at times, he was a very well-mannered boy. He loved people. He would much rather walk over to someone in the pasture then munch on the green grass or stand with the other horses. I think this is what I admired most about him! I recall a few times when me and my cousins would pack a lunch and go out in the large pasture and eat out there with him. Chip being the helpful hand that he was, found out that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are pretty good. Chip stayed at Jo's until mid-summer of the year 2003, that's when it got too hard to drive the 45 minutes every day. So we had him and my other horse, Reo, moved to my cousin's house which was about 5 minutes away. Being much closer, I was out there every hour of every day riding my older horse with my cousin on her horse, and as we would saddle up to leave, Chip would whinny not to be left behind, so of course we had to take him along. Lunging him regularly had really taken its toll on him, he was looking more and more like a horse and not a little scrawny colt. His body was developing and I was so excited to start training him to ride. He already would let my cousin Danni sit upon his back and to be saddled without fuss. He thought it was great to have the attention and would let her sit there all day.  Towards the end of the summer, all of the horses had gotten out; Chip, Reo, and my cousin's horse, KC. They got into the grain and we had to have the vet pump their stomachs. They were all fine, but Chip kept getting sick after that and by the third time, which was on Saturday the 20th of December, I had a tournament for volleyball and I was not home until around 4:30. When I returned home I went out to the horses to find out that Chip had been acting weird all day rolling and pulling at his sides. I knew right away that it was colic. So me and Danni started to walk him and put his blankets on. We walked him until about 9:30 when I decided to have my mom call the vet because he was just not getting better from the dose of banamine that I had given him at 5:00. Getting him home, he layed down and I sat beside him with his head in my lap. I bawled because the way he looked at me I knew he was saying goodbye. I had to get a few brushes to brush him while he lay there and as I left his side, he watched my every movement. He needed me and I needed him. When the vet arrived, he gave him another dose of banamine and after awhile it still hadn't helped, so he told my mom the choices that we could make and as I heard them I held Chipper's head so gently as if he was the only thing left in my life. Hearing that we could take him to Michigan State and have surgery to help him, the vet said that he had a 25% chance to even make it there. So I gave my mom the ok to have him put down and I gave him a final kiss goodbye and then ran into the house. Til this day I miss his friendly nicker for breakfast and dinner. I still think that he never had his chance to shine and to prove what he had, only to those who knew him, knew that he could do it all if just given the chance. I say to myself that God has higher expectations for him and higher goals for him to reach up there then he would have ever had here. Three days before Christmas, I lost my best friend and lost a part of myself that I may never get back.. CHIP, I LOVE AND MISS YOU MORE THEN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD!! Please wait for me in heaven because I will be by your side before you know and we will prove to everyone that you have it all!. I miss you my best friend...good bye! Leslie Marie Morgan

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