My most memorable friend
no longer walks the same path as I do, though he walks the same direction,
following my steps from afar. He influenced my life for the better, without
even saying a word. This friend of mine was called by the name of simply,
Mac.
Mac touched the life of
many, all in different ways. For me he acted as my mentor and coach, not
just for riding but for life. He taught me to value everything from falling
off to the beauty of life's everyday miracles. In some ways he was the greatest
miracle of my life.
He was also my best friend,
he was there standing rock solid for me as only a 2400lb Quarter Horse could.
When I was sad he leaned even closer to me, when I was happy he shared my
joy, and when I was frustrated he made me laugh and I forgot why I was mad.
That 27 year-old Quarter Horse knew me better than I knew myself.
The thing I miss the most
about him is his eyes. They talked for him. They were beautiful, it
was like looking at melting compassion and love when you looked into his
eyes. They always seemed to be laughing, crinkling up at the corners to produce
his inward grin I had always loved, and miss... Though they were full of
softness and peculiar humour, they also possessed an unfathomable depth to
them. As if they carried on right to his core. This gave him a wise and humbling
look.
Mac helped me figure out
who I am as a person. Perhaps that is why I miss him so much. Because when
the decision was made to put him down, it was like killing a part of me.
It was like killing the best part of me. But months before that I saw a weariness
creep into his eye. He was ready to go... So I cannot regret releasing an
old friend to the pasture, because he released me as a person.
Sarah Dyck
(Your Girl Doodle)
Mac
You fought with me
You taught me
You flew with me
You threw me
But
You loved me
And I miss you, my friend.
Katherine
Hazleton
My Old Friend
I remember how it was to fly
Without ever leaving the ground
Up I scrabbled upon his back
And away we went
Hooves pounding the ground
But as time passed by
My ageless friend
His stride upon the earth slowed
It hurt to see my once proud friend
To see him age and grow old
Time had finally caught up
To our free and effortless flight
And he tried, oh he tried
To be brave with all his might
But my friend was ready to go
And I not ready to part
And though he hurt, he stayed
Unable to break my heart
His gentle eyes looked at me
His sad, knowing eyes
For he knew it was his time
To spread his wings and take to the skies
The decision I now faced
Concerning my one, true friend
was to let his suffering continue
or to give him a quiet, peaceful end
I remember his last minutes
Seemed like another lifetime to me
For as he stood there bravely
I fell down on my knees
In the end
I made the right decision
The harder of the two
And when I'm feeling lonely
I remember how he and I once flew
He left me with a love no other will replace
The love of an old friend
That will carry me through forever
That will embrace me until the end
In memory of Doodle.
Sarah Dyck
Mac 
