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This is the true story of Trusty, a horse. And he was a very good horse, indeed.
Trusty was truly beautiful, a gelding, sorrel in color, with four white stockings and a blaze running from his upper lip almost to his forelock, with white "eyebrows", perfectly matching above each eye. This gave him a very wise look. His mane was so thick it fell on each side of his neck (on most horses it is one side of the other). He was proud when ridden, tucking his head and prancing.
My sister decided to get back into horses after she married. She and her husband had a small mobile home and lived behind my parents' farmhouse. She attempted to buy a buckskin mare (light, very bright yellow with black stockings, mane and tail), but the owners insisted their horses stay together. Trusty was the second horse, and was thrown into the deal for one-hundred dollars because he was older. We also got the tack for both horses. Trusty's was a little unusual. His bridle was a hackamore (no bit to put in his mouth), with clips instead of buckles. His saddle had a buckle, instead of the standard leather strap that you pull through a loop and tie. We were told that Trusty's owner before the people selling the horses was a blind girl, thus the adapted tack. When we slipped the bridle over his nose and up over his ears, he turned his head to the right, to make it easier to fasten the clip. We all laughed at that.
We rode and led the two horses home. They hadn't been ridden for years, because the previous owners' daughters had grown and moved away. We had fenced a large field and adjacent woods for the new arrivals, and gave them some time to settle into their new surroundings.
When we began riding the horses, we discovered what a great horse Trusty was. We were fortunate to live across the road from several thousand acres, on which we had permission to ride. When there was a branch hanging over the path, Trusty sidestepped so that it wouldn't hit the rider. He enjoyed it when ridden, and wanted to be the lead horse if we let him. Eventually we got a few more horses, most were rescues from unpleasant circumstances. We rode nearly every day, sometimes two or three times, and we took friends and relatives trail riding frequently.
Years passed. One day, there was a knock on our front door. That was very unusual; everyone who knew us just came to the side door, entering and yelling something like, "Hello! Is anyone home?". My sister happened to be in the house, as was I. We answered the door and found a couple on the front porch, a pretty, young woman and a handsome young man. The woman timidly asked if we were the people who bought Trusty.
Confused, My sister told her that we were.
The woman introduced herself and the young man, who was her fiance. She said that she had been blind, but had an operation a few years before which restored her sight. She was getting married in a few days and moving out of the area. She very much wanted to see Trusty, for the first time.
We led the couple through the old house to the backyard, up to the fence. The horses were all in the woods, as was their wont on a hot afternoon. She called Trusty’s name.
Trusty came running down the hill toward the fence. He looked amazing, like a young horse. His reddish coat shining in the sun as he skidded to a halt. It was apparent that he was excited, as he emitted snorts, high-pitched whinnies, and various other horse noises as he danced in place.
The woman just repeated, "He's so beautiful," over and over again. Her fiance stood watching, with a huge smile on his face, as she entered the field and stroked Trusty's neck.
Eventually, she said her goodbyes to Trusty, thanked us, and departed. Trusty wandered back into the woods.
My sister and I knew that we had witnessed something wonderful.
Trusty lived a very long life, active almost to the end. That is only right, because after all, he was a very good horse, indeed.
Sometimes I like to imagine a young, blind girl and her aptly-named companion cantering through the lush, green, rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, and wonder what amazing adventures they experienced.
🐎 Here are some songs about horses or horse culture…
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What is on your mind this morning?