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Comanche was a
scrawny, long haired, runt of a stud colt when I first saw him that snowy morning in
Van Buren, Missouri in 1992. He had been beaten back from the trough
by the bigger horses and looked like he needed a friend.
Somehow, I knew he was the one. He was just 6 mos. old when we
loaded him on the trailer and headed back to Georgia.
In the
14 years God let me enjoy him he carried me thousands of miles,
in many states. Sometimes we were on terrain so rough I
wouldn't have wanted to walk on my own feet. His fearlessness, patience and
memory of his love is a
treasure I will hold in my heart forever. He was a stallion
for his first 10 years and I rode him as my ONLY trail horse for
many years. We gained respect from fellow riders where ever we
went. He sired many wonderful babies and passed down his
temperment and conformation to several generations of Missouri Foxtrotters.
He was my search and rescue horse for, working for Fannin County EMA, in the
mountains of North Georgia. In August 2005 he carried
the body of a plane crash victim down off Springer Mountain, in North
Georgia (the Southern end of the Appalachian Trail).
He never spooked, balked or faltered. Regardless of the task,
he was always ready, willing and able to do his job.
A treasured memory........In September of '05 we were fishing a lake up in Cloud Peak
Wilderness in Wyoming. The fish were biting & we couldn't stop
fishing. Before we knew it, the snow began falling and we were in a
blinding storm at 10,000 feet. We couldn't see the trail
but Comanche and I led the way. I couldn't see, so I just held
on to the saddle horn for the eight miles of trail back to the
trailer. He seemed to have a built in GPS. We got back
to the trailer with 6 inches of snow on the brim of my hat and I was
nearly frozen. If it were not for him and his strength and
determination, I would not be here.
I miss him so...........
Only once in a lifetime does such a friend come along. It was
a blessing to know him. He and I learned patience, tolerance,
love, trust and so
many, many other things.......................
I thank God for him, my memories and
the good times we shared, but 14 years just wasn't long enough and
my heart is truly broken. I have other horses, but they can
never fill the hole left in my heart by his passing.
Whoever reads
this, I hope you have the privilege of knowing a true and special friend like
"Comanche" at least once in your life. If you do,
then you have been REALLY BLESSED BY GOD. There is no better,
closer friend than a horse who listens and responds to you, clearly
loves you and without regard for themselves and their safety,
will do whatever you ask. That is why Comanche was so
special.
I
rode him with absolutely no concern for my safety. I knew he
was taking care of me.....................
That only happens
once in a lifetime, if you're lucky.
Susan Williams
Shedd
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Prelude.......
I had a colt, the last one
of Comanche's left, after we had stopped breeding and raising Mo.
Foxtrotters.
He was a, not very pretty, cream and white paint gelding with
strange blue eyes. I had been trying to sell him, but had no
takers & then I lost my Comanche.
I knew that it was meant for me to keep him. His name is "Stimey."
Yes, right from "OUR GANG, " if you're old enough to know what I'm
talking about. We've had Buckwheat, Spanky and a
few others. Isn't it wonderful how God closes one
door and opens another...................
I just wish he would have let me know I was going to keep this one so I
would have given him a different name :0) |
