My fearless equine protector

[Leigh Costello]

Sadly, my fearless equine protector has made his final journey to the endless pasture in the sky. After bidding him a good day and happy hay-eating this morning, I headed off to work.

At some point he walked in a circle a few times and laid his head down for the last time. I only had him for 11 years, but his grand age of 30+ and the horrible winter caught up with him.

No more evening grooming sessions, stepped-on toes, playful bucket tipping, gentle tug-of-wars with lead ropes, moonlit walks in the pasture, forehead rubs....my eyes are leaking so good night Apollo Moonbeam, I will miss you.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My condolences Leigh! A good horse can be like a good dog.


When I elk hunted, we hunted on foot and used horses and mules to pack the elk out. One year the guy who owned the animals called me up and asked me to meet him at the fairgrounds arena. When I arrived he invited me to ride a big old gray horse he had just purchased. It came off a ranch in Montana. I walked and trotted him around the arena a time or two and then put him at a dead run down the middle of the arena. Then I applied the brakes. This big old intelligent experienced horse sat back on his haunches and when I started up over the saddlehorn...he released...got back under me and then sat back down again. He was so intelligent and experieced he caught me and kept me from landing on my face. He was age 18.

We had him for another 11 years and he was 29 when he went to that big pasture in the sky.

He had a neat personality and like you...I miss that wet muzzle on frosty morning.

Yup...a good horse can be a lot like a good dog!

My sincere condolences Leigh!

[Mike Cutler]

Leigh

I'm so sorry for the passing of your good friend, and family member.
May he always find tall grass on the other side.

We also have one of those 1100lb little miscreants that likes to play. I'll be thinking of Apollo when I give him treats next time.

[Belinda Barfield]

Leigh,

I'm so sorry to hear this. My sincere condolences. I know that he had a good life in your loving care.

[Rod Sheridan]

Leigh, my condolences.

It's hard losing a horse, I still miss my Appaloosa mare, and she's been gone for 20 years.

Some horses have such great personalities...........Regards, Rod.

[Phil Thien]

My condolences. :(

[Mike Cruz]

Boy, I don't know if I want to be around the day my wife's old boy passes. He's 24, she's had him 21 years, and she's had me just a few months less than him.

Your "miss" list certainly captured the daily joy that horses bring us...especially the best ones. Your mention of forhead rubs hit home with me. You did, however, forget to mention head hugs...don't forget the head hugs.

I've already done the last caretaking of the boys (all 5 of them) for the night. But now, I think I'll go back out and give Clever a hug and a carrot.

I think I speak for my wife when I say you've one of the luckiest people alive, to feel the love of a great horse. And he was just as lucky to have a person that cared so much for him.