One Last Ride
November 18, 2009
A girl finds peace after saying goodbye to her best friend.
Kathryn and Country.
By Hailey Harroun
He wasn’t supposed to compete. He wasn’t even supposed to live.
Principle N Style was born with a deformed knee. Shortly after surgery, he was kicked, and the knee never healed correctly. The veterinarians told the owners to put the horse down, but Kathryn Dunham had other ideas for her colt.
“Everybody always said he shouldn’t do this and he shouldn’t do that,” said trainer Shane Young. “The only one they didn’t tell that to was the horse. His knee never got in the way of his attitude or his desire to want to come out and do his job. He never quit trying.”
Kathryn took “Country” to numerous championships and placings in western pleasure at the major circuit shows, as well as the All American Quarter Horse Congress and AQHYA World Championship Show.
It takes a lot of courage to step into the show pen for the first time. Let AQHA help you prepare with our Beginner’s Guide to Showing report.
But after the 2007 Congress, Country had given all he had left to give. His knee had finally given out. Kathryn and Country’s Congress reserve championship in 15-18 western pleasure would be the duo’s final competition.
“It was really hard to deal with because we’d gone from being No. 1 to bottom of the barrel, and there was no end in sight to his lameness,” Kathryn said.
Country retired to his pasture in Summerfield, North Carolina, and Kathryn forced herself to start over with a new horse, “Waylon.” But there was just no spark.
“She had lost the source of direction she had always found with Country and was trying to move on to a new project,” Shane said. “It was something unfamiliar, and she wasn’t quite sure how to adjust to the starting-over process.”
Then Kathryn’s world came crashing down around her.
In April 2008, just six months after starting over, Waylon died. Memories of her father’s unexpected death in 2002, her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her loss of Country as a show partner flooded Kathryn’s consciousness.
“After Waylon died, people say that for a few months, I ‘disappeared,’” Kathryn said. “I quit talking to people; I pretty much became a recluse because it was so difficult to deal with. It was a really strange feeling to be so uncertain about the future. I didn’t want to come home from college this spring. Not at all. I didn’t want to show horses anymore.”
But her mother convinced Kathryn to come home to North Carolina for the summer. The first day home, Kathryn went out to the barn to say hello to Country.
“I brushed him off and felt a twinge of belongingness beginning to set back in. So I saddled him up, got out a snaffle, walked him down to the riding pen and got on. This overwhelming sense of peace enveloped me – looking down a familiar neck at familiar ears with a familiar feel in my hands – and I started to cry. I was home.”
Do you want to show your horse, but just don’t know where to start? Let AQHA help you out with our Beginner’s Guide to Showing report.
Shane watched as Country helped Kathryn find herself again.
“The old adage, ‘The best thing for the inside of a person is the outside of a horse,’ if that was ever a true statement, it was about that horse for that girl. Country was always where she found her balance and her focus. No matter how bad things got in her life, she could always come back to him, and he was there, waiting unconditionally.”
Kathryn spent one week with Country, enjoying his company and finding a quiet serenity in the process.
Then, May 30, 2008, Country died peacefully in his sleep. The gelding was 9 years old.
“Shane remarked that Country did what no human words could do – he saved me,” Kathryn said. “It was like he was saying ‘OK, guys, I fixed her. I got my girl back. The rest is up to you.’
“Country taught me that it’s not enough to just wake up every day. You have to wake up and give every moment of every day all you’ve got. He had the biggest heart of any horse I’ve ever known and gave me all he had to give.”
Kathryn knew things would be all right, and it was OK to move on. She is now training a 2-year-old filly that, she said, reminds her uncannily of Country.
Comments
14 Comments on “One Last Ride”
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November 18th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Your story took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. Only “horse” people can understand. Best of luck with your new filly and the new bond you will create.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
This was a beautiful story of lve, patience, courage and endurance. Made me weep thinking of how you felt coming ‘home’……good luck in everything you do Kathryn! your a sweet strong girl!
November 18th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Anyone who hasn’t loved an animal will never understand.
“Don’t Cry For The Horses”
“Don’t cry for the horses that life has set free.
A million white horses, forever to be.
Don’t cry for the horses now in God’s hands.
As they dance and prance to a heavenly band.
They were ours as a gift, but never to keep
As they close their eyes, forever to sleep.
Their spirits unbound, forever to fly.
A million white horses, against the blue sky.
Look up into Heaven. You will see them above.
The horse we lost, the horse we loved.
Manes and tails flying, they gallop through time.
They were never yours, they were never mine.
Don’t cry for the horses, they will be back someday.
When our time has come, they will show us the way.
Do you hear that soft nicker close to your ear?
Don’t cry for the horses, love the ones that are here.”
By Brenda Riley-Seymore
November 18th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
We love and we grieve.but we never get over all our love for our dear departed horse friends. They never lead us astray, are loyal and are there for us. Time heals our wounds left by our horses leave taking but the memories of their love never fade. My gelding has been gone quite awhile now and my mare about 5 years. There is not a day that goes by that I fail to think of them and yearn for a comforting nicker from them. But the memories of the good times we shared still remain. That is the main thing.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
It is such a sweet story. Best of luck with the filly and keep riding!
November 28th, 2009 at 10:36 am
i am glad everything turned out alright
November 28th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
This story just broke me up. It is so hard to lose our horse friends. Good luck with your new filly.
November 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
When I read your story, I just cried because I have a 28 year old retired aqha. A little trail riding we do. He is so sweet ,kindest horse I ever had, not a mean bone in his body.He is a people horse, just loves people and I dread the day when he passes away. I hope he also just falls asleep with no pain and just old age. God Bless.
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I know exactly what you went through. When I had to put my old friend down at 29 I went into a deep depression. I got Jim when I was 16 years old and he was two. My fanily knew something was wrong, but didn’t know what to do for me. It took me two years to get over his death and five years before I could even think about getting a new horse. I now have the show fever again and am looking forward to show season.
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
May the time we have spent together never be forgotten by any of us.I pray that we all can find unbridled happiness as we move on without the presence of our equine buddies. Share the joy of riding with your new friends there are new muzzles to nuzzle. God Bless all those broken hearts out there.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Losing our best friends is the hardest thing to go through. I lost my quarter/arab cross last Dec 30, 08. I was at work on 12-29-09, my husband called me at work and told me Major had gone down and could not get back up. He was kicking but not hard. I left work early, went out to the corral, called his name and he whinnied at me. He knew I was there. I sat with him for 4 hours brushing, caressing, and petting him. I got so cold (in MN) I had to go in. The next morning, I called in sick to work. Did not know for sure if the time was there or not. I went out to the corral and he had passed. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about him. He was born on the morning Prince Charles and Lady Dianna got married, 12-29-81. He was going on 28 years old. I had him his whole life. I know what you are going through and it is tough but you do get through it and know there is a heaven for those equines that can just run, play, and eat. Hang in there. It just takes time.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:16 am
This helped me so much. Though my beloved gelding didn’t die.
I sold him. I had too many horses. My husband had been on me
to sell just one, I never thought it would be Moonpie.
Barnie called me looking for a small quarter horse for his neice
to show and trail ride. I did everything to try and talk him
out of him. But alas, it was the perfect match.
I had been crying for 3 days before he left. The morning he was to
lesbr I got up before dawn and saddled him up for once last trail
ride. For November, it was unussually warm and the sun was begining to come up. He was so responsive and good. It was
our last ride together and it was perfect.
Moonpie loved for me to brush his gums with my finger and he would
place his head in the crook of my arm to get me to do this for me.
When Katie came to get her new horse – he nuzzled me – then nuzzled
her. He as going to be fine and I could take solace in knowing
that he was going to have a loving home.
December 14th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
goodluck with the new filly. i own a 5yr old QH mare and have showed her in open shows. And it is true, the best thing for the inside of a person is the outside of a horse. Only horse people would understand that special bond
January 4th, 2010 at 7:45 am
Come on,guys!You are all great.Be confident,just say to yourselves “I can do it!”.Horse riding is amazing and I love it very much~~~ I am a cowgirl form NY,I love country life and I have 3 horses. i awalys ride them at weeked.I wanna meet those pople who love horse and hope they can share my passion of horse.if you have the same passion of loving horse.I would like to invite you to join my circle of friends @_www Horsehotties-com .the best of its kind in the world, to view my pics on here, and my blogs, to share with my passion of horse!!