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Strawman's Kid
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Quarter Horse
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January 31, 1992 - September 26, 2011 |
Scorpio weighed about 600 pounds when I first met him. He was nearly 3 years old and had been banished to a stall where no one really cared for him. He was nothing but skin and bone. I was just a little girl when we met and somehow managed to save him. I named him Scorpio after a race horse I'd recently met named Scorpion. When Scorpio started to put on weight, everyone realized how beautiful he was. His father was Jose's Kid Straw who was as beautiful as Scorpio.
Scorpio was always a handful. He was full of energy and passionate about everything he did. Spirit is how we described it. Few people could handle or ride him—not that he was mean or vicious, just had a lot of spirit and wasn’t very trusting of new people. He was a nervous guy and the only thing that could bring him peace was my little mare Cyanna. He was so attached to her that we had to haul her with us to the shows, even if she wasn't competing in anything. When she was at the vet, we had to haul him up to see her just to get him to eat. When he was at the vet, we had to board her with him. I guess that is what happens when you have two horses together for 18 years. They were always inseparable.
Scorpio was very lovable despite his high energy. He loved to be groomed and would stand still as long as you were scratching him (about the only time he would stand still). Even though he caused a few broken bones and trips to the hospital, everyone still loved him. How could you not love him? He didn't really intend to be so ornery, it was just his nature. We always joked that he was the one that would keep us on our toes--and he certainly did! He was so funny. Even when he was irritating (which was fairly often), his antics would make you laugh even though you were mad. And it was just impossible to stay mad at this guy. Trust me, I tried pretty hard one afternoon when he embarrassed me terribly in the show ring. I stayed mad at him for about 15 minutes until I realized looking back that it was actually pretty funny to watch that judge nearly jump out of his skin when Scorpio decided to reach out and bite him. And I still tell that story today. And thanks to Scorpio, I still to this day owe ol’ Don and Susan a new porch awning—oops, I’m not sure we ever actually admitted to that one (we were young!). Candie and Tiffany—I know you are laughing about that one. I can still see him with the saddle on his side dragging that railroad cross tie THROUGH the arena fence, through the trailer awning, and all the way back to his stall. Just a heads up to all the kids out there with horses—nervous, high energy horses probably shouldn’t be hitched to a 100+ pound cross tie. All that was 10-15 years ago, but even as he started approaching 20 years old, you could watch him in the pasture and swear he was 3. I know if I was dumb enough to tie a cross tie to him a few weeks ago, he still would have destroyed a fence or two and possibly my whole house! Everyone that met him fell in love with his unique personality and spirit. It seems like the more spirit and personality a horse has (even if it causes you grief from time to time), the more of an impact he has on your heart.
Scorpio started feeling under the weather in August 2011. He was quieter than usual and seemed a little depressed. The heat here in South Texas was extreme and we were in an awful drought. And that is what we thought it was. He was put on a round of antibiotics and a tough dewormer. He seemed to improve for a week or so and then started feeling bad again. Scorpio was taken to the vet on September 19, 2011 because he was showing some incoordination in his back legs that scared me. He was still walking and balancing, but every now and then he would stumble, especially if the ground sloped. The vet immediately sent off tests for diseases that caused neurological symptoms--West Nile, encephalitis, herpes, and EPM. Because he was vaccinated for everything, EPM was at the top of the list. Before even getting the results back, we started him on EPM treatment. He got worse each day and would occasionally fall down. One week later, on September 26, 2011, he could no longer stand. His back legs were completely useless to him. It was the same day we got the test results back that he was positive for EPM. His case of EPM was acute and hit him hard. While some horses can recover with treatment, his body couldn't handle the disease. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I want him back. I want him to irritate me again and make me laugh again. I want to hear his voice ordering me to hurry up with his food. I still find myself looking for 2 horses in the pasture every now and then. But all I have to do is look back behind the pasture at the large pile of dirt under that beautiful oak tree to remember he isn’t ever coming back. And it hurts each time.
But I’ll always remember the good stories and good times I had with Scorpio. 18 years full of memories. Lots of blue ribbons. Lots of pictures. Lots of Love. Losing them is part of Loving them, and even though it hurts so much to lose them—the pain is worth it. I’d never trade the time I spent with him.
Scorpio—you may be gone. But you will NEVER be forgotten. You will live forever in our hearts. We will continue to laugh at your antics and tell your stories. Cyanna misses you so much. We all miss you so much. WE LOVE YOU!
Melissa
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Scorpio 
