Jack - R.I.P 
  Jan. 30 2010

I love you Jack. You will have my heart always and forever.
I miss you.

“To place your horse's need for you to let him leave his failing body above your need to keep him with you - that - is the greatest and purest love.”

Jack is my 29 year old gelding. The love of my life. I found him on the road....Here is Jack's story:

I was riding Tannar - the Arab I had at the time, down the road to meet my friend to go for a ride.  I saw something up ahead that looked like a dog, so I thought nothing of it.  As I got closer I realized it wasn't a dog, it was a horse!  I was thinking "what is a horse doing on the side of the road!?"  He was very skinny and just eating grass on someone’s lawn.  I continued on down the road to go get my friend, and he started following me down the road a bit and through a short trail, but he didn't follow me the whole way. 

I got to where my friend and her horse were and I told her we need to go back to her house 'cause there is a horse on the road and we need to catch him.  So we got back to her house as quickly as possible and got a bucket with grain.  We doubled on her horse down the road and I hopped off and shook the bucket.  He was so nervous and it took me a while to get him.  He wanted the grain so bad, but he was scared of me.  After a while I clipped my leadrope to his halter that had already been on him and we walked up the road back to Kelly's.  He looked so ugly. He was fluffy and skinny.  We called the Humane Society to let them know we found a horse.  After about an hour the owner had called in and got our number, I talked to the owner for a while and they didn't want him anymore so they asked if I wanted him.  I called up my mom, said I found a horse, and asked if I could bring him home.  She was a bit thrown off, but said ok.

It took me a while to get some weight on him and to shed him out.  He came along really well and he was so handsome when we finally got him looking how he was supposed to look. I started riding him and he was unsure about that.  He was obviously broke, but still quite green.

It was a while before I got him back into shape.

 We started cattlepenning, and man did he ever love it!  We were penning every weekend. He was awesome!  Then we took flagging lessons and he picked that up no problem.  He was unreal.  My trainer at the time was quite impressed with Jack.  For a grade, "heinz 57" horse, he sure was cowy!

I just continued to have fun going on trail rides, jumping, and swimming with Jack.  He is just the best, I love him to pieces!  We've done sooo much together. He is now semi-retired.  In his mind though, he is 3.   If I were to jump on him tomorrow, he would take off do a few little bucks and prance sideways for a while.  He has such a young heart still, and I love it.

So that is the story about "Jack of all trades".

Simple stall sign made by Leslie at Pyro and Paint

My tattoos I got for Jack on my ankles. They are of his brands (ZA and bar X7):

Danzig Sizzle

*FOR SALE*

 DOB: March 1999

I was working at Hastings Park Racecourse for about 2 years.  I was a groom there, and I had about 5 horses that were "mine".  I loved them all, but none were like Sizzle.  He had the best personality ever.  He was funny and cheeky and kept me laughing all the time.  Every time I would take the bridle off, he would not let go of the bit.  Every time you would put the halter on, somehow it would always end up in his mouth.  If you left him unattended for the 5 seconds you needed to grab a brush, he would have something in his mouth. He was funny. 

After the horses would get exercised, you would have to walk them out around the shedrow to cool them off.  Well, when sizzle would come back, he would prance around and puff up and think he was just the greatest.

One time, he came in second in a race and he must have known, because he was extra cheeky! He was just beside himself, you could tell.  After that I guess he figured he had conquered the world, because he was second to last for a while after that.  My boss at the time said, ‘if he does good, we'll give him another go, but if he does bad, he's yours.’  Well I brought him home that weekend.

It took him a bit to get use to the whole farm life and he was difficult to ride for a while.  Didn't understand much, but he learned quickly about leg yielding and the reins.  I would ride him bareback with the halter and leadrope on trail rides and through knee deep creeks and he was great!

I came to the realization that he is a Thoroughbred and that he would never be the cutter or reiner I wanted.  I really didn't want to part with him.  My mom was eyeing him up ever since I brought him home.  I said if you want him, you can have him.  So she rode him and she instantly fell in love.

I took a few jumping lessons on him and he went to a few shows and did really well.  He will go over anything, and he's so much fun!

Today him and my mom are doing unbelievable.  They are doing really well with their dressage lessons.  They both have come so far.

He is also doing very well with his jumping lessons.  Him and our trainer have been to a few shows this summer and they are doing great!  More shows to come, too. We are very excited!

Today, Sizzle is still cheeky and funny and still has all his quirks that we all love him for.

Simple stall sign made by Leslie at Pyro and Paint.