Freedom has passed on and will never be forgotten. He is missed by his family and friends, both human and equine. We know that he is watching over his herd and will be their guardian angel. Farewell Freedom, Until we meet again....
Freedom – 1989 – 2009
Majestic….. Fearful….. Trusting…..Protective….Loving
The above words may not mean too much to anyone but to me my husband and the Freedom Horse family it described a horse named Freedom.
I run a Therapeutic Riding facility and Freedom was one of our family members that worked with us. He was adopted thru Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue and was a horse in need. Freedom was an ex-race horse/ steeplechase horse. Freedom was our spokes horse for understanding that rescues are necessary; to help that horse that no longer had a home or a horse that could no longer race, or that couldn’t race at all. The economy has also caused people to lose their beloved horse. Rescues save them from an uncertain fate. This is20why we try to adopt most of the horses we use in our program.
Freedom had a purpose; maybe in the beginning it was racing or steeple chasing, but our purpose for him was to just be a horse first. This is what we allowed him to do. He was the protector of his herd. The last to go into the stall at night making sure everyone was safe. He also had a girlfriend, a 12 hand pony also adopted thru Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue. They bonded instantly, it seemed that they knew they had been slated for the same fate but was rescued and now safe.
Of course he took some time on figuring out that we were the good guys. Once he did he respected us as part of the herd. Sometimes at night when he was still checking to make sure everyone was in, and I was getting impatient, I would go behind him and use all my strength to push him on his butt to get him moving. He would turn his head and look at me as if saying… do you think you really can move me….but he would move his skinny legs and go into his stall.
We didn’t ride him for the first 6 months we had him. We wanted him just to be a horse. So when we tried the first time he gave it his all and listened and tried hard to please us. When he was ready we would use him in lessons and he had the slowest trot in the world. Just would meander along but during the lesson you would always here me clapping and cheering that he was doing a good job and he was a good boy. Freedom needed the encouragement from me, as his instructor and encouragement his rider. I don’t think you will ever see a trainer and rider screaming in a ring “good boy”, “you go Freedom” and “Whoo Hoo” as you were trotting and cantering. The louder you got the happier he was. My neighbors must have thought we were nuts! And I am sure that instructors would be appalled at my behavior, but he needed to know verbally that he was doing the right thing. If you were quite, he was scared. He taught me to listen and he would tell me what to do and how to do it. In life you don’t teach or work with everyone the same way and neither should you do this with horses. Sometimes you just need to shut up and listen….
Unfortunately, we lost our friend our teacher and protector. We were blessed to have him for two years, smarter for what he taught us and angry that he was taken away from us so soon Freedom made a big difference in all our lives and he will never be forgotten.
Freedom, we promise that we will see you again… once our work here is done.
Liz and Mike Carlson
Freedom - Thoroughbred Horse- In Loving Memory - 1989 - 2009 - "May you gallop freely forever"
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