November 16, 1993 - March 4, 2014 |
I’m using the dates above because this is when I got and lost Shadow. I’m not sure how old he was when I got him, the lady told me he was 14 and I didn’t care because I fell in love at first sight. He had the biggest and most beautiful soft eyes and I knew that was the horse I pictured when I was a very young, little girl.
He came to live with me the month before Christmas but I specifically remember standing there brushing him on Christmas Eve and Silent Night was playing in my barn. I just laid my head on him and prayed a prayer of Thanks for this big, bay boy. He knew I was as green as they come but he didn’t care, he took care of me.
Oh he had his cantankerous ways, he was the head man in the herd I created after him with 5 other horses. Three of these horses are miniatures and he took such good care of them. In 2008, we had flooding at the house and Shadow took all the horses over to the south side of the barn or I know someone would have been swept away. He was not a tall horse but he thought he was a Clydesdale and I thought he was bigger than life, still do….
There will never be another scent like him in my life, I always thought it was because it was him but now I’m convinced it was being around him that changed everything about me. He was so patient with me, once I took him with a friend to an afternoon ride out in the country. Shadow liked to sit back on the rope when tied and I saw him break 3 ropes doing that, so my friend said make sure you tie Shadow to saddle him so he won’t run off. When we got out there it was his horse we had to chase and we took Shadow to do that. He knew what we were doing out there and that anytime he was with me he wouldn’t be treated anyway but with respect. We had that about each other.
I’ve never had a lot of confidence in my appearance but Shadow didn’t care what I looked like, he just knew I was going to take care of him and be good to him as he did me. I can’t imagine what all he had been through before I got him but I think his 1st owner had to be a little girl because, first, his name was Shadow and I could just imagine that a child would give that name for some reason which I will discuss more in a bit. And, Shadow wasn’t comfortable with too many people in the barn or around him but if kids came around he was the 1st over to the fence to check them out.
Shadow took care of all of us. I tell the kids in my Sunday School class that when they look and see their shadow that is God there with them and that is how close he is all the time. All this time it really never occurred to me that God sent me a horse name Shadow 21 years ago to be a reminder of his unconditional love and closeness to me. I know God wants us to be happy and I know that is why he sent me Shadow. I know I will spend eternity with him and then I will be complete. Rest in Peace, Shadow…
Shadow
