A new friend delivers a pretty cool gift.

Holly Clanahan

I love my job, for a million reasons. But chief among them is the people I get to meet. Quite often, the folks I interview turn into great friends.

Case in point: Tena Bastian. She’s the author of three books (“The Foal Is the Goal,” “The Horses We Love, The Lessons We Learn” and “Tips and Tidbits for the Horse Lover”) that we have gleaned information from for both the magazine and America’s Horse Daily. Plus, I’m working on a story about her and her husband, “Bear.” (Stay tuned to the print magazine for that; they have a great tale to tell!)

Tena’s also a poet and songwriter in what little spare time she has. When she read of my two “grandma” horses who had to be put down, she was inspired to write a poem in their honor titled “Mares in the Mist.” She had seen a greeting card (which she later sent me) with a photo of mares standing in a hazy pasture. It was just the creative juice she needed.

I was floored when I received the e-mailed poem, wowed by such an incredible gesture – and also by how well Tena captured my mares’ personalities and circumstances, without really even knowing the details of their lives. Just an unbelievable gift.

She agreed to let me excerpt the poem here. “It’s yours,” she said. So, the first few stanzas go like this:

There are mares in the mist of heaven
I personally know of two
They keep watch over all of God’s kingdom
They are wise and faithful and true.

They welcome all of the newborn foals
Who never saw the light of day
They comfort and keep the older souls
Who are trying to find their way.

They spend their mornings grazing
in pastures green, a gentle rain
They kick up their heels
Their thundering hooves are now strong and free of pain.

Pretty cool friend to have, wouldn’t you say? Tena … thanks again!

Happy riding!

Holly Clanahan,
Editor, America’s Horse magazine

Don’t miss the fun, educational and heart-warming stories in the print version of America’s Horse! It goes to all members of the American Quarter Horse Association, and it’ll also keep you in the loop on Association news. We want you to belong!