Remembering Those We Lost
Happy New Year everyone! It’s that time again to reflect on this past year. For the past few years, I have taken this day to share the horses who passed away and honor them one last time. Each horse is greatly missed and will forever hold a special place in our hearts. When you do this long enough you begin to see the horses in places that they once stood. You picture them there each time you visit long after they are gone. Each photo below holds a special memory for me that I will be reminded of whenever I find myself there again. Although we will no longer see these beautiful horses running through the park, the memories we have of them will be imprinted on our hearts forever.
With this post, I have decided to focus only on the five adult horses who are no longer with us. I will write a little something about each horse under their photos. Thank you all for your support this past year and best of luck for the next. Have a safe holiday!
[Featured Image]: 2004 Stallion, Granite’s Boy – This photo was taken in March of 2018. I was driving the loop road and came upon him standing on the side of the road. I thought he looked so handsome with the snow all around him. Just as I was about to take his photo, he turned to see if his buddy, Wind Dancer, was still nearby. He would always stop what he was doing to check for him. I loved that this photo caught his blue eye with the sun on his face. It was a quiet moment that I picture almost every time I drive by that spot.
2007 Mare, Nordie – This photo was taken in May of 2018. Nordie is with her new filly, Blue Moon, when she was firstborn. I had gone to Half Moon’s band to see her and her new sister, Selene. They were tucked back in an area of the park that was beautiful with trees and rock formations all around. I sat to watch Blue Moon for a minute when she walked over to Nordie and gently touched her on the head. I have seen a lot of mother/foal moments over the years that are adorable but this one will always be one of my favorites.
2000 Mare, Lacey – This photo was taken in June of 2018. Lacey was with her new colt, Cagney who was two months old. It was a warm day but that didn’t keep Cagney from snuggling close to his mom. I have taken many, many photos of Lacey over the past few years but this one will always be my favorite. I feel it captures just how stunning Lacey was and the beauty she left us in the park.
2002 Mare, Sweetheart – This photo was taken in December of 2018. The reason this photo is important to me is that it was one of the last times I saw her up close and was able to sit with her. I was surprised to see her and the rest of Satellite’s band that day. I made sure to hike to them first thing that day so I would not miss my chance to see them. Sweetheart was standing a ways off from the others like she often did so I made my way over to stand with her. She quietly grazed and only glanced up to me a few times. I was lucky enough to capture this as she looked my way. She would pass away less than two months later. I will be forever grateful for this visit.
1999 Stallion, Wind Canyon – This photo was taken in June of 2017. This was during one of the periods of time that he was holding the young mare, Paisley. He had kept her hidden for some time and had decided it was time to bring her out amongst the other horses. On this day, four bachelors were running together and decided to take their chances with Wind Canyon. The older and wiser stallion fought off all four boys by himself and protected his one and only mare. He showed everyone that day, including me, that he still had some fight left in him.