Melody





American Saddlebred

Foaled January 1977 - Passed January 16, 2006


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














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