Happy 2016 and Goodbye Applejack

I say that with a heavy heart today but it can only get better from here. This morning we said goodbye to Outback Jack (aka Applejack). Jack crossed the Rainbow Bridge after a mild bout of colic on Sunday, that actually corrected itself; however he still refused to eat. On Monday, the vet could find no physical reason for his lack of appetite and by Tuesday night we felt it best for him to be put down before the next cold snap set in. Jack would have been 24 in March.

It was wonderful hanging in the barn alone with him this morning; reminiscing over the 20 years Jack was in our lives. I bought Jack from a horse dealer when he was just turning 4, back in 1996. Initially I wasn't going to meet him at all because I had not heard very favourable comments about Appaloosas. Luckily the  young fellow who worked for Kevin Pole had been riding Jack at the dealers place. I`ll never forget Trent telling me that Jack was one of the nicest Appys he had ever ridden and that he was 4 going on 12. I trusted that Trent knew the horse and my level of inability and so I went to meet Jack. When I arrived, he was in a large pasture with about 30 other horses and when the gate rattled, his head came up as if to say ``people`` and he ran over to greet us at the gate. In the moment I didn`t realize this was the horse I came to meet but needless to say - I bought him on the spot.

According to his registration papers, Jack was born in Yorkton, SK where he was sold at auction and purchased by the dealer I bought him from. I remember being wary about buying this horse from a dealer and waiting for something horrible to be wrong with him - but he was awesome. I wrote a letter to the folks listed on his papers to let them know I now owned Outback Jack and acknowledging how lovely his manners were. A couple weeks later I received a phone call from the lady who bred him saying she was visiting the Calgary area and would love to come see us. Apparently Jack was a darling from the moment he was born and her elderly father had a real soft spot for him. They were delighted to receive my letter and learn he would be loved and cared for. During our visit, she took video of me and Jack and gave me a very special gift - baby photos of him with his mama.

For several years Jack was my learning partner - always patient while I practiced TTouch, Clicker Training, Carriage Driving, Extreme Cowboy Challenge and Natural Horsemanship. There is no question I made my share of mistakes with Jack; including a carriage driving wreck and a trailer wreck but neither caused him resentment or resistance. However, my biggest mistake was trusting his teeth to Grant McKinnon whom my vet sincerely believes, greatly shortened Jack's life by taking off far more tooth than he should have. For nearly 3 years, Jack thrived on mash twice per day. He made looking after him so easy by meeting us at the gate, following us to the barn without a halter and when he was done eating, following us back to the gate. I knew something was seriously wrong when Jack was no longer waiting at the gate.

He was always the steady, reliable boy we could trust to get the job done safely. I took Jack to our bi-annual cattle drive up at Water Valley for 16 years. Unfortunately, that was the only time we got to play with cows so it took us 16 years to get it right; but he was so fantastic the last year I took him, it was definitely worth the wait. While Jack was too laid back to be competitive, I was always proud to have him as my partner.

When I started teaching beginners about horses, Jack was my first choice because he would stand patiently during lessons and help folks learn and practice the basic ground skills.

One of those students was a young woman named Lisa Schmidt who fell in love with Jack and ended up becoming his guardian angle for nearly 3 years; right to the end. Lisa, Sherri and I shared many memories and tears last night as we celebrated a wonderful horse. As sad as it is to lose him, there is comfort in knowing how much Jack was loved by many throughout his life.

Tovie, Lisa and her Doodlebug (aka Jack)