Welcome Duchess TWH

 Sometimes things happen when we least expect them too. Not long after we said goodbye to Jess we were approached by a friend in the horse world, who asked us if we would want to consider her horse Duchess as our next horse. We hadn't decided if we were going to get another horse at this point, but she made it very clear Duchess wasn't going anywhere anytime soon so we had all the time we needed to make our decision. We have known Duchess and her owner since 2010 when we first got Pixie. So we made the choice to work with her and get to know her more to see if she would fit in with our family. We started working with her and quickly started to fall in love. I have said for a long long time that I really wanted my next horse to be big and I would love to own another TWH, as Willow has shown me just how much I love the breed. Not only is Duchess a big Tennessee Walking horse, but she had a great mind also!

Last weekend, we had the vet pre-purchase exam done. She got the all clear that she would be good as a trail horse, however due to some conformation flaws she needed to be worked and conditioned to hit the trails. Truly that is with any horse, it doesn't matter if they have perfect conformation they need to be conditioned before hitting the trails for a long ride. So we made the decision, she was going to join the family as a trail horse for us. She will be perfect for me when riding with others that have horses that can move out. Her walk is huge and you can really cover some ground :) I am so excited to hit the trails with my other half and Willow this year (if Spring ever comes). Willow and Duchess will make the perfect trail riding match, they are both big walkers and we can really cover some ground.

When we were looking at buying Willow and I was "test" riding her, I said then "This mare and I are going to have some fun"... the last few weeks with Duchess, I had been thinking the exact same thing about her. Yesterday, Duchess and I rode inside all alone and she was amazing. We kept it short and worked on relaxation. And in the end when I jumped down (somehow forgetting just how far away the ground is, lol) I looked at her and said "We are going to make a great team and we will have fun".

Welcome to the family Duchess. You quickly won our hearts over and we look forward to many years with you!

She really wanted treats, lol.

After our ride. We are riding in just the halter :)

Pixie in background, Willow, Navi, and Duchess

 

Saying Goodbye- Jess

It has been just over 2 weeks since we had to say goodbye to Jess. I thought maybe as time went on I would be able to come up with a post that would justice in remembering him. However, the truth is I still can't. Maybe the day will come when I can, but for now I still can't quite find the words that do him justice. So I will just write this short blog in memory of him...

 He meant the world to us and taught my partner everything she knows about finding a partnership with a horse. I have always been a "mare" person, but at the same time I have always said some times you just can't beat a good gelding. For me that gelding was Jess. He wasn't just good, he was great. He tried his heart out every time we set out to do a job with him. Even though he was bought for my other half, I always enjoyed getting to work with him. My favorite memory of him is when we did the games at the ranch. We went into the arena had fun, and we won a lot of the games. He always took care of us when we rode. Well with the exception of if he was in a muddy bogging place, he hated that and he would buck then. Well and then there was the electric fence incident...he crow hopped good with that also. And then well that one time him and Willow left us to walk home. Oh and when he decided to rush down the mountain with my partner when we took our first trail ride. He wanted to go home. I replay those memories, because I love them just as much as the times he was perfect! Those memories make me smile and laugh because he wasn't always perfect, but he knew his job and did it well.
Simply put there will never be another "Jess" for us. He was a once in a lifetime horse. He is in a better place now. Young and happy. Most likely working cows and eating all the green grass he can get. Our hearts are broken, and time will heal some of the pain. But we will always cherish the sweet memories we have of our boy. A piece of our hearts went with him that day we said goodbye, but he forever lives on in our memories. I will forever cherish the time we had with him.

We sent off tail hair to have bracelets made and will be getting tattoo's also to remember him by.

Rest in peace Jess. We miss you!

My other half, Sarah, riding Jess.