My Tribute
to Junior and Jack
Dearly loved and
now desperately missed horses of Catherine and David.
Two field mates always running
together, their lives ended together as they ran
freely.
Jack (left in photo) was
a Welsh Section D Cob and Junior (right) was an Irish Sports
Horse.
Jack's date of birth, 14
May 2004, Junior's date of birth, 11 May 2001.
Both horses tragically died
together on Thursday 11 December
2008.
I have always loved horses
and meeting my partner, David, he developed the same love for them when I
took him to see a horse I looked after. David gave me the opportunity and
support to finally get a horse of my own in May 2006.
Junior was left in a field and had no attention – as soon as I walked
into his stable, I knew he was the horse for us. He was so friendly from
day one. He gave David confidence in learning to ride and was bombproof on
the roads. He had problems in his hind movement from early days – a
vet told us to hack him out to ease the stiffness, but tried to tell us to
return him to the previous owner. But we stuck with Junior and a year later
he was jumping over 1 metre. It took a long time with lots of lessons to
ease his stiffness and finally get out to our first competitions. We suffered
from numerous comments from the horse world as to his movement not being
"right". He went on to show everyone that just because he did not have the
perfect moves, he was able to do everything he was asked. On 10 December
2008, he won his first show jumping competition. He was my best friend and
an honest, genuine gentleman. Always ready to try what was asked of him.
Standing at 16.3hh, he was our Chestnut gentle giant.
Jack was Junior's companion.
We went out to look for an older horse and came back with Jack, a 15.1hh
three year old! He looked at us from his field as we looked at another horse
with his black and grey flecked face. He was such a mischievous little horse
and was very protective over his bigger pal, Junior. No one was allowed to
go near Junior without passing through Jack first. In comparison, he was
a delight to ride – David was able to hack him out and on the beach
he learnt everything from Junior. He had a fear of road signs, but that ended
as the calm way in which Junior carried himself was a great influence on
Jack's character. They went most places together and were our horses for
life.
They gave us back so much
enjoyment and reward; they will never be forgotten or replaced.
Sadly I had some terrible
news before Christmas 2008. Junior and Jack were involved in a road accident
on 11 Dec 2008 and both horses were killed outright. I found out on my way
home from work that winter evening and it was the worst journey I have made
to get home. It happened about 5.30 pm, they somehow had got out of their
field through two five bar gates and travelled about 1.5 miles down
the country lane and out onto a busy country road. Five horses escaped that
evening and Junior and Jack were the unlucky ones who got hit. No one knows
how it happened and we have resolved ourselves not to torture ourselves thinking
about someone letting them out or how they escaped through two gates by
themselves passing their open stables. My friend was the last to see them
alive and said she heard hooves passing in the dark and saw their shadows.
They were kicking their heels and heading off to somewhere we don't
know.
It has been a really hard
time – I cannot imagine what it can be like to lose a human member of
the family as this is the worst thing I have had to deal with yet.
The only comfort is that
the vet was on scene almost instantly and said they would have felt nothing
as she had to do nothing to them to put them out of pain. There were no terrible
injuries visible when I said my last goodbyes. Thank goodness no people were
killed or seriously injured as that would have been a terrible thing for
their families to deal with.
Their sudden
departure from our lives has left us with a huge hole. Never again shall
I be too weary to muck out a stable or pick wet mud from hooves.
I stayed late on the evening
in their stables before the accident to groom each of them down. I am so
grateful for this to remember them. I pray they are kicking their heels up
together freely somewhere nice. They were laid to rest Saturday 13th December
2008 in their summer field, The Winds.
Catherine
Junior 
