By Frank J. Buchman
“Do you remember this horse you trained 15 years ago?”
“Oh, I always came to your sale; remember this horse I bought 10 years ago.”
“Can you remember this horse you placed first 12 years ago as a baby at the county fair?”
“Remember when you helped load my horse after that training session 20 years ago.”
“You wrote that story about me, remember?”
“I won the all-around at the rodeo you announced 18 years ago, remember that?”
Those remarks and more were most congenially made at a recent horseshow, outside the regular locale.
Our cowboy position, to those inquisitors, had transitioned to contestant, rather than trainer, official, merchandizer, writer, announcer or horse assistant-advisor.
Each comment was pleasing that folks knew us from affiliations of years gone by. Yet, sadly, in many instances, we really couldn’t specifically remember the horse, or occasion which reference was being made.
However, we smilingly nodded acknowledgement of their proud reflections of good times, especially for considering us their friend with all things horses.
Vast numbers of more than 50 years’ professional affiliations with horses and equine-activities throughout the state and the country make it logical one couldn’t remember every horse and all those associated with them.
Impossible to count how many horses we’ve handled, evaluated, written about in one way or another in our lifetime, but it’d be many thousands, certainly.
However, it is interesting that we can remember specific horses from when we were a teenager. Certain horses in classes we judged three decades ago stick out in our mind like yesterday.
Sometimes, it’s because the horse was unique in color, conformation, ability, the like. But, also, horses are reflected because we placed them different in a class than we now think they should have been looking back after the results were announced.
Most distinctly recalled are the less than handful of horses that we were unsuccessful in training, always thinking what could have been done differently.
Acquainted with many more people than horses, it’s depressing when we don’t remember someone who knows us well. Few things hurt our own feelings more than not being recognized by one whom we feel personal friendship.
Reminds us of Romans 16:23: “He wants to be remembered as our good friend.” And, First Thessalonians 2:9: “Remember us in those days’ friends working together.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
