Moon lost his life in a barn fire at his boarding facility this past August
along with 10 other precious horses belonging to some of my best friends.
The following tribute is parts of what I wrote about Moon for the memorial
service we had for the horses after the fire.
My Beautiful Moon
How could I sum up what
he's been to me...what he's done for my life? The friendships
that have formed because of him. How could I not blow it...on my last chance
to really honor someone who has meant as much to me as Moon has? How could
any of us really express what we've lost. I was given the advice to just
open my heart and let it come. Please bear with me.
I didn't find Moon. Moon
found me. Maybe we found each other. I guess I'll never know for sure. But
what happened was for a reason far beyond my understanding. It was
Kismet...Magic...Fate and the hand of God all rolled into one. The first time
I met Vicky and did the barn tour...I laid eyes on him...and my life as I
knew it...was forever changed. He looked at me...peeking out of his
stall...complete with hay head...and I couldn't breathe until I heard Vicky's
words., "And this is Moon...you can use him if you want
to.". That day was the beginning of a partnership I
never dreamed I'd be blessed with. There hasn't been a day that's past since
that he hasn't taken my breath away. And I pinched myself constantly...because
I must be dreaming.
I was in awe not only with
the beauty and elegance that we and especially he knew he had...but
with all the clownish Shenanigans!! And the fact that he could go from being
this proud magnificent creature to looking like a cute little baby horse
in the blink of an eye. He delighted me with his mischiveous antics...from
the shaking bags at other horses and chasing them with them...buckling under
a western saddle (cuz God forbid, he was an English horse, after
all) to the stretching his cobra neck around stalls to bite at Perky
only to notice us all watching...and faking that bite into a yawn!
To me he was everything I
could have dreamed of. This was everything I could have dreamed of.
To say I was proud to call him mine doesn't even touch the depth of
my love and respect for him. We belonged to each other. I was his as much
as he was mine. All of us who have known the love of a horse know how that works.
He made me laugh &
also let me cry as I held him. I miss him so much I ache. I miss burying
my face in his neck & just breathing him in. I miss the way he'd use
me for a scratching post till he almost knocked me over. I miss the way it
felt to actually FLY...because I swear to God...this horse actually left
the ground sometimes. I miss rubbing under his chin until he fell asleep.
I miss absolutely everything. Even the equi spot!
Thank you, Moon, for all
you allowed. For being patient and loyal and never putting me in harms way.
I always trusted you...and in return you took very good care of me always.
I always felt safe in your care.
You got me through so much
and I will always cherish you and what we've shared. I only wish it could
have been longer. I promise you I'll try really really hard down here to
stand as tall and proud as you did. I'll try and hold my head up high and
cherish all you've taught me. I know you're watching over me...and I imagine
how beautiful you must look in heaven. It has to be an even more spectacular
paradise now...because it has you.