I am not sure when I first
loved horses, but it was something innate because my parents never understood
my passion. I grew up down the street from a farm where I simply enjoyed
working my butt off at age 8 for a free pony ride. I was finally allowed
my first lesson at age 9 and, well, the rest is history. I cleaned my parents'
house to pay for lessons (yes, I actually replaced the cleaning lady) and
worked as a groom for the opportunity to ride a second time a week. Every
year, HORSE was at the top of my Christmas list, but a horse never came.
We weren't extremely wealthy, but we were upper-middle class ~ but horses
just were not a priority to my parents who didn't understand the passion.
To make a long story short, I waited 26 years for my own horse.
A good friend of mine worked
with a woman who no longer could care for her horse and as heart broken as
she was, she knew she couldn't give her horse the time she needed anymore.
She wanted a good home for her and would sell her and all her tack for $1.00
to someone she would hand-pick. She chose me...it was the most amazing day
of my life, after all these years, at 26 years old, I was going to have my
own horse. Her name was Melody and she came with the disease, cushings. Sure
she was well beyond her youth and had a serious disease, but I was chosen
for her and she for me.
From what I am told, Melody
went on some trail rides and her previous owner was not overly experienced.
When I rode her for the first time, I knew right away she thought she was
in charge. This girl moved like a 3 year old and with the power of a race
horse ~ SCARY and out of control. Melody and I, along with my best friend
and her horse (who quickly became Melody's best friend) rode all over town.
The four of us rode on the beaches of Cape Cod and had so many unbelievable
adventures together. Things you wouldn't expect an elderly and sick horse
to do.
Last year she battled some
ulcers and I held her head in my lap, that was the first time I ever saw
the effect of her disease. At this point Melody was no longer an "easy keeper",
she needed me more and her diet had to change. This past October I
finally got my first barn in my own back yard and Melody came with me. Finally
my pipe dream was no longer a pipe dream, simply amazing...I joined an equine
cushings group and dedicated every day to doing all I could to keep my "Mellie
May" going.
January 8th of this year, my
friend (who I always rode with) was riding Melody around the pond in my yard
and while crossing the foot bridge, both fell 5 feet into freezing cold water.
Amazingly, they both survived with minor injuries. It took the whole town
to get Melody out of the creek and walking with a leg we presumed to be broken.
I thought it was the worst day of my life holding her head above water wondering
if the cold would get her before any injuries. With her huge will to live,
Melody finally got up and walked away with a leg injury, that if it was any
deeper of a laceration she would not have walked at all. We made the paper
and the story came out today. But it's not as happy of an ending as it seems,
because her story doesn't end the way it is written in the
paper.
After almost a week of recovery,
I had to put down my dear old friend when I found her laying on her side
in her stall only 1/2 hour after I had changed her bandages. Her back end
seemed to be paralyzed, perhaps from a stroke, and try as she may, she fell
every time she tried to get up. This will always be the most painful day
of my life, but she has let me know that I have to let her go. So here's
to everyone's favorite girl, MELODY ~ May the angels love you as much as
I still do today.
Katy