This video is two years old and was taken just before Storm left here for his new home. Now that he's back it's interesting to look at this old video to see the difference in his appearance. The horse definitely has more condition in the video than he does now and his neck is much finer. It' ll be interesting to see if we get that horse back or where things go from here. I'll see if I can get some new video shot and uploaded so you all can see the comparison.
Today is Lindsay's birthday. I can't believe that my baby is thirty. Not only does that thought make me feel very very old, but it reminds me that she is indeed a miracle.
It was twenty years ago when Lindsay was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had complications from her surgery and the balance center in her brain was nearly destroyed by excess swelling.
Lindsay's prognosis was not good. The hospital where we went for treatment had two cases with Lindsay's diagnosis that had survived eight years at that time. When we first began treatment the docs were hopeful they had found a cure. Before the end of the year both of those boys' cancer had returned and each succumbed to his disease.
That makes Lindsay the first at that hospitla to actually survive her diagnosis. She has some brain damage that makes it difficult for her to learn conceptual things and she has some nerve damage that affects her speech. Her hand writing and her balance are also impaired. She also has issues having the extremely short fuse brain damaged patients are known for.
Considering when she came home from the hospital Lindsay required twenty-four hour a day care and the rehabilitation experts thought she was as good as she was going to get, Lindsay has come a very long way. She cleans stalls for me. Helps turn horses in and out and feeds most of the time. She is my right hand "man" and I couldn't chase my dream without her.
Somedays it doesn't feel like those painful days of Lindsay's radiation and chemotherapy are that long ago. When I see her struggle with the discontent that comes from being different than others, my heart breaks.
Usually the discontent is triggered by unkind deeds or cruel words from those who only see she looks different. They don't recognize what a miracle Lindsay is and how amazing she is.
The horses help Lindsay remember what life is really about and help to heal those wounds, just as they have helped to heal mine. Neither Lindsay nor I can believe it's been twenty years in this journey. I guess there's no denying it since my baby is now thirty.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby................
OK, I know I'm supposed to be posting more about Aidol's history but it's been a really long day AND a new FaceBook friend pointed me towards this video today. As bad as the day was, this video was a shining part so I thought I'd share. The philosophy of this trainer is pretty interesting too. Oh, and he is my new FaceBook friend. Kinda cool!
Although I must admit as I watch this, I wonder about swimming next to those legs. What do you think?
I just got this in an email from a friend. I'm not normally into forwarding things on but this struck a note in my heart so I thought I'd share it here.
I know you must be wondering what in the heck I was thinking........ Oldies but goodies for my wordless Wednesday post. However, this is not the first time Wordless Wednesday has reverted to the very old hit parade with a hidden clue I've had to explain later. It just so happens I pulled this stunt the last time I disclosed the name of a new puppy.
Of course, I had to explain then Friday's Take on What Happened on Wordless Wednesday just as I'm explaining now. However, then I'd already given a bit more information about the new puppy in my life. Those multiple posts about the husky puppy before she was named were because it took me forever to come up with a name.
I'm known for being the queen of slow when it comes to names........horse names......puppy names it really doesn't matter...... This time, however, was different. Before the puppy even came home I had ideas floating around in my head........or maybe I should say songs playing in my head........well, and Lindsay's head too. Those two videos appeared because each of us had a different song singing away in our little pea brains.
Lindsay, you might recall, was the culprit for the choice of Delilah as the name for the Siberian husky. Maybe it was after Lindsay heard Tom Jones singing Delilah and the name stuck that the idea of songs having significance for puppy names began to brew. Whatever it was whenever I thought about names for this sweet golden puppy, I ended up thinking about songs.
Listening to the radio on the way home from Richard's one evening, I struggled with this darn naming thing. Then Sugarland filled my truck with All I Want to do wo wo wo wo
Who'd have thought a puppy name could have started there. With all the stuff that's been going down lately all I want to do wo wo wo wo is love on my puppy and forget the rest of the world. So it seemed only logical that somehow I should be able to tie that sentiment into the naming of this sweet girl.
Sugarland wasn't going to cut it, but golden brown "sugar" just happened to be the color of this girl's coat. The wheels began to turn. I mentioned it to Lindsay and the next thing you know she had a song swimming in her head..............that's where the Sugar Sugar came in. I, on the other hand, was found myself singing the lyrics to Sugar Pie Honey Bunch which just happen to tickle this puppy so.
Now to be honest, Sugar doesn't really care which song we serenade her with, she just loves us singing to her. She thinks she's one special puppy when we break out into song and point it her direction. So "Sugar" it is............now I still need to figure out a registered name.
Just in case you're wondering, Delilah really loves being sung to as well. For some reason the sound of her name in song makes her a happy puppy as well. Tomorrow I promise to post about Sugar's first days with us. As you can imagine, it was an adventure...........
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I came across this on my facebook page and I thought I'd share. What would a cowboy (or cowgirl) be without a little philosophy to share. This piece seems to fit my mood right now so I thought I'd pass it on. Chris LaDouix is sure missed.
I'm struggling with whether I should jump right in and post about the C-Fair show or whether I should catch up. I'm really behind here stll needing to finish off the Region 4 Championships. Then there is Region 5 and if I put off C-Fair, I'll be behind on everything.......but then behind seems to be what I do.........a lot. Any thoughts on the best course of travel would be great.
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Before I move on to the Region 4 All Arabian Horse Championships I really need to post about NaNa's pleasure class on Dandy. It's not just because it's such a cute picture with that little kid riding that great big horse but it's also because Richard and I had a bit of an altercation over that class.
Now, I'm sure you must be wondering how either Richard or I could get ourselves into any kind of trouble over a walk trot class. But horse shows can get stressful sometimes and where there's stress, short fuses are bound to follow. In this particular case both of us were running on some pretty short fuses for a collection of reasons.
It all began innocently enough. We were outside the barn getting ready to head up to the warm-up when Richard told NaNa to bridle her horse. NaNa grabbed the reins and poor Dandy's head shot straight up into the air as the child's grab made direct contact with his poor face.
Richard was busy adjusting the child's foot into the irons so he actually missed the whole display. I was the sole witness to the rude intrusion on Dandy's mouth and I responded instinctively with a stern voice, "NaNa, less hands and more leg!"
As the startled child heeded my instructions, Dandy rolled right over into the bridle and we proceeded on towards the warm-up arena. Things probably would have ended right there except Richard came over to me admonishing me that I needed to be more patient. After all, Nana is just a little girl.
Like I said, both of us were running on short fuses so telling me to be patient when anyone grabs one of my horses harshly in the face was more than enough to push me over the proverbial edge. To my way of thinking accepting harsh treatment is NEVER acceptable no matter how young the rider. If you want to teach good horsemanship, that is a very important place to start.
For me it's a given if I allow anyone at all to ride my horses that the horses will be treated appropriately at all times. I never would allow any of my horses to be used or abused by anyone without speaking up.........and certainly NOT Dandy. I did NOT take kindly to Richard's comment and I don't think he really took kindly to my follow up that if the horse wasn't going to come first, then my horse wasn't going to be involved.
I think poor Richard didn't really know what hit him. I doubt he was prepared to deal with me in a tailspin when all he wanted to do was get this kid in the class and get the darn horse show finished. But I wasn't about to let it drop. I didn't want my horse going into a class until it was perfectly clear that indiscriminate pulling on his face was NOT allowed.
We did manage to get through it although I think some in the proximity thought I was having a true meltdown. But after many years of standing around and letting others tell me how my horses should be treated (which I might add always ended up in my horses paying the price) I was not about to stand there and take it anymore. I was a determined advocate for my horse ........and I didn't care who knew it.
NaNa rode her class.........and despite her obvious lack of steering in some important places still managed to get qualified.
Richard and I, well, we managed to resolve the remnants of the conflict after the horse show was over. We really are not on different sides of this. It was more a matter of the stress of a hectic morning and the overlap that results from too many people, too close together for too long a time. We're OK now and Richard learned an important lesson about me. If I have a problem, he can count on me speaking up! Oh, and Dandy...........well, he's totally forgiven NaNa for her transgression. He loves packing that kid for sure!
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While I'm recuperating I thought you might enjoy these videos. Since many think Arabian horses are spooky crazy things........I love anything that shows the other side of these amazing creatures.
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Nana and Dandy walk/trot eq
I'm sorry about the confusion on the videos. I checked them all when I uploaded them and thought I was ok with the length. I have deleted the original video I posted here and replaced it with one that is supposed to be still available on YouTube. Will try to see if I can figure out how to edit those that turned out to be too long. In the the meantime, I hope you enjoy watching Nana's ride on Dandy.
AAOTR Championship
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40 & over
Walk/Trot Eq with Dandy
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AAOTR Video
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Of course, the comments on that video that Arabians have been bred to be crazy and the breed has been ruined by that type of breeding also pushed my buttons in a big way. While some breeders have bred for characteristics that are not desirable to everyone, there are plenty of responsible breeders in the Arabian industry. The breed has continued to improve over the years and the great disposition the Arabian horse is known for has not been compromised by current breeding practices. There are many breeders who consider producing a good minded horse to be an important part of their breeding decisions.
I got started in this industry fairly late in my life and sure wouldn't have wasted my time with a horse that wasn't worth that effort. I have NO TIME for stupid mistakes or crazy horses and I wasn't sucked in by either. I expect Arabian horses to be both beautiful and kind. I have rarely been disappointed.
I've come across a couple stallions in my journey that were real buggers, but it's people who turned them into those angry horses, not their breeding. Such things do happen to horses of any breed.
I've never met an Arabian horse that is downright crazy although I did met an older thoroughbred mare that was pretty darn close. Again, people made her that way. She was too old to fix at that point but still her behavior doesn't mean all thoroughbreds are crazy. It means there are reasons for this behavior....and it's usually people.
There were also,lots of comments on this video about how poorly the people in the ring handled the situation. However, when I looked at the video that's not what it looked like to me. Sure things were confusing. That's what happens when things get out of control.
As a show manager I can tell you when sh*t happens, you don't really have time to think about what you're going to do. Reactions are instantaneous and hopefully appropriate but that's not always the case. You try things and hope they work. If they don't you try something else.
The bigger the wreck, the more difficult it is to get things under control. The more horses, the more people involved the risk factors go up exponentially. All you can really do is give it your best shot and hope it works.
In this case there was a lot going on. Originally there were seven horses and carts in that arena, three judges, one announcer, one ring steward, probably only one scorer and a photographer probably with an assistant. When the timeout was called because the horse was out of control, other people slipped into the ring to assist. You can bet there was probably one additional person per horse and those were probably the trainers of those horses since this was an amateur driving class.
In all that's a lot of people trying to solve a problem no one has the time to discuss, thinking on your feet is the only way. Mostly you have people working individually trying to do what each thinks will work. While it may not be the most effective, it's still better than expecting someone else to fix the problem. It takes courage to step in to such a situation and try to help.
Some basic understanding of a horse's behavior under such circumstances would be important to know to determine the "right" thing to do. And, of course, there really is no "right" thing because each horse will respond differently to the stimuli. You might have a general idea of what might work but it's a guess at best.
In this case the horse was being "driven" forward by the cart or harness trailing behind. That's one of the things that makes driving classes so dangerous. When things go wrong, they go really wrong fast because the equipment used to help keep the driver and horse safe in the first place actually become part of the problem once things go wrong. The terrified horse can't see what's after him/her but can feel the drag adding to it's terror.
The horse's primal response is to escape pressure and that's exactly what it was trying to do. All other stimuli is secondary in such cases and may not even get noticed at all if the horse is "spooked enough." Attempts by the people to control this horse's movements were futile but the men were talking among themselves changing up things trying to find something that would work.
Since this horse couldn't immediately be stopped, obviously controlling the movement of the horse would be ideal. Accomplishing that goal is another matter. Wanting to keep the spooked horse against the rail was a great plan, but none of the spooking horses in this case really responded to attempts to accomplish that goal.
In the course of events the original spooking horse caused two other horses to break loose from handlers and spook. Someone managed to grab that second horse pretty quickly so it didn't cause even more mayhem. The third horse that took off dumped its handicapped rider out of the cart onto the ground. An onlooker drug the handicapped driver back towards the gazebo area getting her out of the open. However, she was later knocked off of her chair by her horse again because none of these loose horses respected the "barrier" that was that center ring gazebo., further testament to how out of control and unpredictable these horses were.
People were criticized for jumping out in front of the terrified horses. Yet, a horse wearing blinders only has that limited field of vision that is mostly to the front. How else did people expect anyone to affect a change in the horse's momentum without getting seen by the horse. All movement to the side of a horse wearing blinders is useless when it comes to controlling the movement of a loose horse. A change of direction, a break in stride, things like that are usually accomplished by breaking the horse's field of vision with some kind of barrier. Normally galloping horses can be turned or slowed when their path is intersected. That didn't happen here.
And yes, some people called the men trying to grab the spooked horse by the bridle crazy. Others would call them heroes. Many a spooked cart horse has been stopped by just such a man. And more importantly from what I know, that's usually the way those horses get stopped. Rarely does the horse get run down and quit on its own.
I know the horse that spooked at the show when I was manager was stopped by the ring steward who grabbed the horse thus saving the driver and the horse from a bad wreck. The ring steward injured his shoulder but he'll do it again, I can assure you.
Having the horse run itself down and get tired enough to quit would be good if the horse would stay in that outside area. But as you see on this video, these horses headed straight into the center ring gazebo, over carts, people and other horses. The unpredictability of these horses' behavior dictates some kind of intervention.
In this wreck the first horse was grabbed at unsuccessfully several times before someone was finally successful. The point is.........someone finally was successful thus removing this horse from the mix. Someone managed to catch that second horse very quickly before it even made an entire lap around the arena. I'm pretty sure that played a big role in this whole thing not ending much worse.
From the video there's no way to tell whose idea it was to rope that last horse but however it was, was brilliant in my book. I've looked over and over at that clip of the rope flying and bringing that horse down. All the time thinking there would never even been someone at one of my shows that good with a rope let alone in the right place at the right time. You can bet no one called the show office on the phone requesting the guy with the rope come show up and save the day. Talk about luck!
But then that's my point. You do what you have to do. Those who have the heart to try jump in there and give it all they've got. Those that don't sit back and criticize. In the end, no one was seriously hurt...........neither human nor horse. Considering the way this thing looks, it's a miracle but that miracle happened because those horses were finally stopped.........all three of them.
Watching this was chilling even knowing the outcome ahead of time. I'd heard about this wreck sometime last year because I'd been told a friend of mine was actually injured trying to stop one of the horses. I had not, however, seen the video until now. Guess I didn't even realize that video existed, although I should have knowing it was a regional championship class. Those classes tend to all be video taped and it's surprising how many actually find their way to YouTube.
This type of video is not my usual posting fare. It's bad enough it happened without some using it for entertainment or to promote their ulterior motives. But leave it to people through YouTube to make a bad thing worse. Some comments regarding this video got my blood boiling for a number of reasons so I guess I'm going to take this opportunity to do some venting and maybe a little educating.
I have to say some people voicing their opinions on this subject have made a lot of assumptions. There must be something or someone responsible for this kind of wreck so it's either the crazy breed or lousy training among other things. Did anyone ever consider that stuff just happens sometimes? In life...........and with horses?
And, of course, it wasn't controlled immediately because the people in the ring were too stupid to do so. The people watching the video are much more insightful than the dopes in the ring. Yet I wonder how many making those criticisms have ever dealt with a panicked horse, let alone a scared driving horse freaked out dragging a cart. From the sounds of their comments their don't know much about horse behaviors either. Yet they have all the answers about this situation. How could that possibly be when no one has all the answers no matter how hard he/she tries? So let's start off with my thoughts about theirs........
The assumption that the only horse that will bolt in the ring is a poorly trained one is most definitely false!
Horse activities are dangerous no matter how well trained the horse. The best trained horse in the world can get frightened and forget all his training reverting instead to instinct. It is part of the nature of the horse, no matter how hard we want to deny it. A horse can be stressed to such a point the little switch in their head clicks over to autopilot and instinct kicks in. Thinking otherwise can only make us vulnerable and unprepared, not to mention eventually get us hurt.
The accident that happened at the horse show I managed did not occur because of poor training. This horse was trained by a person known throughout the industry for his driving horses. He's been doing this for a long time and he rarely has a wreck. There is no way this man would ever take a horse into the ring to show that wasn't ready to be there. He would never risk his own life nor the life of his horse doing such a thing.
Then it had to be Arabian horses or part Arabian horses because of the assumption Arabians are all crazy. The assumption that any breed is all anything is equally false let alone the one that Arabian horses are crazy.
This mishap did occur at an Arabian Horse show but not because the horse was crazy. It was the Region 11 Championships held in Springfield, IL. I don't recall whether it was a purebred class or a part-bred class but just looking at the horses, I would think probably pure-breds. Not that the horses' behavior is a clue but looking at the "breed type" of the horses suggests purebreds to me.
People who have trashed Arabian horses in the comments on this video are just showing their ignorance if you ask me. All those trite things said about Arabian horses are biased and false. They say more about the people repeating them than the do the breed.
This wreck did not happen because it was Arabian horses. It happened because of the nature of horses as prey animals to flee when frightened. There is also the fact that driving classes are inherently more dangerous than other classes.
That doesn't mean I am trashing driving classes at Arabian shows or any other horse shows. I am stating the simple fact it is more difficult to control a spooked horse pulling any kind of vehicle than one with a rider on its back or a horse in hand because the vehicle itself becomes a source of "pressure" for the horse adding to the problem. Being unable to control the vehicle itself becomes an issue that directly affects the horse.
With that being said, accidents in driving classes don't happen often. While I have heard "stories" about driving wrecks that happened before my time, actual incidents since then that I am aware of are few.
In the number of years that I have been showing (about 20 years) I have only witnessed one incident in a driving class. A second incident occurred at a show I managed and a third happened at a pinto show where I knew exhibitors in the class. Then there is this wreck which I heard of within a week of its occurrence since this kind of news travels fast.
Some commented that the wreck happened because it was amateurs driving the horses. That's another off base assumption.
Surely there are amateurs out there showing who aren't really great at what they're doing. But there was nothing on this video that suggested that the driver caused this wreck or did anything to make it worse. Yet there were those people commenting who just seemed to feed off what other people said instead of looking for the truth.
Also, there are some very accomplished amateurs out there driving horses as well as riding them. That driving horse that spooked at the show I managed was not only driven by his amateur owner but trained as well. I hope some day I have as many national championships to my credit as he does.
Being an amateur doesn't make one incompetent. Jumping to conclusions like this, however, can make people look like *sses sometimes.
I have lots more on this rant to continue tomorrow and, of course, I'm open to your two cents worth as well. So step and and have at it!
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The title should be sufficient but since I said I was going to try to ride next week. I should probably explain just a bit. I couldn't stand another day without riding, so I climbed up on not one but two horses today. It would probably be appropriate to also add the video Cowgirls Don't Cry as well. But since I just used that video in a post a couple of days, I'll just leave it at this, that song now has new meaning for me. I'm pretty sure you can figure out the rest.
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I know I promised I would begin my post about long lining today. But when I said that I had forgotten what a difficult day today would be. I had a memorial service to attend for one of my friends and I think I'm going to do a quick post on that instead.
First off, I'd like to say the service was to celebrate the life of Russell Hornbuckle. He is the father of my friend, Crystal Baker, who I've mentioned here more than a time or two. Russell died after a year and a half struggle with stomach cancer. Russell was a gem and he will be missed.
The service was a lovely tribute to Russell. They played this video for the song, Cowgirls Don't Cry by Brooks and Dunn with Reba McIntrye. While I'm not much of a crier and this song really could be my theme song, the tears began to flow just a bit at the sight of that little girl looking through the fence longingly at her daddy.
They couldn't have picked a more appropriate video and song for Crystal Baker and her life with her dad right from that first ride. Her rough spots were different than the video but Russell was always there for her through them. I know how much it broke her heart to loose him.
After the video was finished they had a slide presentation of Russell and his life. Just about the very first picture was Russell on a horse. From there on out there were all those pictures that showed Russell, Margie (his wife), Crystal and her sister living just like in the video. From horse shows, to trail rides, to delivering foals, and even taking their horses swimming. Horses and family are rolled together. The grandkids came along and it was more pony time. It really was a celebration of a great and loving man and his passion for his family and his horses.
In the recent post on Patrick Swayze there were comments about Patrick being "real." Well, Russell Hornbuckle was a "real" man too. He was kind and thoughtful and always helping someone out........whether he knew them or not, it didn't matter. What was important was they needed help.
Someone told the story about Russell always helping strangers. One time he stopped on Pacific Ave in Tacoma to help out a woman he thought was in trouble. As it turned out, the woman didn't need the kind of help Russell thought. (These are the cleaned up words of the story teller, if you know about Pac Ave in Tac, you'll get what this means.....) the woman was looking for a date."
The entire room burst into laughter at the thought of Russell innocently trying to help ............a hooker! That would have been Russell, all right! A bit naive, in love with life and kind as kind can be.......and he's raised kids who are just like him.
I think that's maybe why Crystal Baker and I are friends. She has that same naive, in love with life attitude as her dad.........and she is as honest and caring as they come. I'm going to miss Russell Hornbuckle but I'm sure glad he left behind great people like his daughter, Crystal, to be my friend.
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I don't know if you saw the interview that Barbara Walters did with Patrick Swayze last week. These videos are the five parts of that interview without commercial interruption.
I watched because I know that Patrick Swayze is an Arabian horse enthusiast. He was at the US Nationals one year when I was there. I never saw the star but did hear about the poor behavior of some of his fans hanging over the rail as he was riding his class and shooting pictures, not to mention all the screaming.
Swayze hasn't tried to show his own horses since. That somehow has made me feel connected to him. The thought of not being able to pursue one's passion seems to haunt me, so I can understand how it must feel to Patrick to have one of the things he loves most (acting) cause interference with another great love in his life........Arabian horses. I'd always hoped that maybe someday his fans would get wise and let the man live and maybe he'd get to show a horse again if that's what he wanted.
Then Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. Again, I felt a connection having battled demon cancer as it attacked my child. I hung onto my Arabian horses as a way to give me strength and get both of us through. I hoped that Swayze's Arabian horses were doing the same for him. Also I hoped he could find that same solice in their company that had been there for Lindsay and me.
When I heard that Barbara Walters was airing this special, I was immediately drawn to it..........as was Lindsay. I wanted to see how he is doing. I also wanted to get a glimpse of his Arabian horses wondering if they are helping him along this difficult journey. It didn't take long to get that answer.
There are clips of Patrick with his Arabian horses throughout this interview. He may not come right out and say Arabian horses are part of what's keeping him going but it is obvious by the prominence they play in this interview. For me the fact the horses are groomed to a tee with even their ears clipped says it was part of the plan the horses would be in the interview, it wasn't just happen stance. It tells me these horses are an integral part of their lives even now...........probably especially now would be a more appropriate to say. I'm glad the horses are there for both of them, Patrick and his wife.
I haven't really known much about Patrick Swayze other than some information about his horses and trainer.......you know the important horse stuff. After watching this interview I must say there's a lot of wisdom here as Patrick speaks about the quality of his life, what he's willing to do to stay alive and what's important to him.
"I'm not going to chase staying alive!" is a quote from Swayze that really struck me. I knew instantly what he was referring to. Chasing a cure was something we tried to avoid with Lindsay. I remember seeing parents so caught up in beating the cancer that their children had no time to live. The quality of their lives had long since been sacrificed for a cure. I didn't want that for my child and I sure wouldn't want it for me.
Patrick Swayze shows his strength with quotes like this "If it's about pain, I can deal with it" in referring to his fight. It's clear the fact he is still alive despite the odds is directly related to his attitude.
"We're all dying..........that makes me feel good from time to time........we're all dying, it's just a matter of when." says Swayze and he's right. It's not the thought of dying that will do you in, it's the fear of it. If we can accept that our life is limited and make the most of it, then we won't get lost in our fear and miss out on living.
Barbara Walters asked Partrick and his wife about their decision to renew their wedding vows this year. On a spur of the moment whim in four days they put together an intimate gathering on their ranch which Patrick described as " very Prince Charming and Snow White , I rode in on a snorting steed.........white stallion " as he spoke these words you could hear the significance of the horses to their commitment to each other and their lives. As Richard would say, "Good Stuff!"
There were statements along the way that told of Patrick's disillusionment with humanity. Maybe those things like fans robbing him of the ability to show his horses had contributed to that pain, but this new journey had brought a response neither he nor his wife had expected as the studio did the right thing and let Swayze do his new series despite his illness and the letters poured in from strangers lending their support, offering their comforting stories and prayers.
" It's amazing what ..what love can change and what courage love can breed in other people. " said Swayze as he said the studio doing the right thing and those letters of support have restored some of his faith in people after all.
When Barbara asked him how much time he had left one of his answers was "I plan on spending a lot of time on the back of a horse........back in the mountains.........." his message that he still has things to do before he is done with this life..........and those things involve horses.
Walters asked " Patrick, In your heart you're a cowboy"
His response was simple, "Yes, Mam........I am........just like my dad."
She also asked him if he thought about Ghost to which he replied. " Bigtime............ because the biggest line out of Ghost 'It's amazing Molly,.......... the love inside........... you take it with you.' "
I'm not really a Hollywood type person. I'm not real big on movies and I usually forget who starred in the ones I do see and like. I do, however, remember Patrick and Demi Moore from Ghost I will admit that when I first heard of Swayze's cancer I thought about that role and wondered if it would turn out to be prophetic. And I will always remember those particular lines.........I know they are true and they somehow make death not quite so scary to me.
Watching this interview with Barbara Walters and Patrick Swayze didn't quite turn out the way I had expected. Instead of just catching glimpses of some beautiful Arabian horses, I learned a lot about the man, his wife and their values.
Some, I know, think that this interview will do a lot for the Arabian horse and certainly Patrick Swayze has done that in the past. There was a clear message that Arabian horses are a huge part of the man's life. But for me the most powerful message of the interview is " It's amazing what ..what love can change and what courage love can breed in other people. "
This weekend Patrick Swayze was admitted to the hospital. He told reporters it was just precautionery to deal with pneumonia.
No one knows more than me what that can mean. It's not the cancer that kills most people it is the chemotherapy. It weakens the body and opens the door for things like pneumonia. I hope that Patrick Swayze gets to have that time in the saddle he was referring to.............I wish him many more hours in the saddle on the white Arabian stallion...........
Laura, in the comments provided this link for info on Patrick Swayze's Arabian Horses
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