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I am writing this story to tell people about one of themost wonderful horses I have ever had the chance to know. This story waspublished in Hoofprints at one time. When I was eight years old my parentsbought me my first horse a palomino gelding called Golden Boy (Goldie).They showed up at my house with hair on there clothing, I wanted to gosee him right away but they said it would have to wait till the next day,It was the longest 24 hours of my life. 

Goldie arrived at his new home on shellstone hill twoweeks later. Goldie was cared for with a great deal of love, and quicklybecame a cherished and permanent part of my family. He was ridden everydayduring twelve of the thirteen years I owned him, he never made a wrongstep the entire time I had him. 

During my teenage years, and teenage problems like weall have he was there with a shoulder to lean on, he never criticized andwas a wonderful listener. As the years went by we became very close andI spent every spare moment with him. When I would go to the pasture goget him, all I had to do was whistle and he would come running. Goldienever shirked when it came to work, we used to chase cows and horses withhim all the time. 

I would turn him loose on my lawn and sit with my backagainst his front legs and read while he ate around me, he never moveda muscle (so not to hurt me). One day I was lounging on a chair eatinga sandwich and he came over and stole it, I began to chase him and thiswound up in a strange game of tag with me chasing him and then him chasingme. It was allot of fun! To understand this situation you must know thatfor many years Goldie was the only horse on our farm, so he became moreof a person than a horse. 

When I got married 7 years ago and had children of myown, Goldie was there to show them that horses are not as scary as theylooked. Over Goldies 13 years with us he introduced horses to allot ofyoung children, I can say they all left with a love and great respect forthat old palomino gelding. 

Over my life time Goldie taught me responsibility andabout the loving relationship that animals can have with people. When Irode him I truly understood the saying "being one with a horse". 

In the last two years of Goldie's life he began to loseweight rapidly, the vet told me he had a bad heart condition. Goldie becamea pasture pet and was not ridden the last year of his life. ON May 20,1992, I lost my best friend of 13 years at the age of 36 in the pasturehe so dearly loved. Goldie to this day rests in that pasture with a headstone reading "GOLDEN BOY - DEARLY LOVED AND SORELY MISSED". Goldie wasn'ta famous horse like Trigger he couldn't win any races like some fancy TB,or be a jumper like a Gem Twist, he was just a good old horse dearly lovedby the family he touched so well. He was very much apart of my life andI will miss him and remember him always. 

When you have a horse who has given you all you want andmore, don't send them to auctions or dump them in pastures to starve, justbecause you consider them unusable. Remember the good years and treat themwith kindness and respect when the time comes. please remember my storyand do the right thing for your beloved horse!