Vela's Jake, beautiful TWH

[K9soul]

I don't have any poetic words from the heart right now, because my heart is too sick with grief for Vela and Jake. For those that didn't see the prayer request thread in pet general, Jake came down with an extremely severe colic that in the end cost him his life. I just wanted to wish him Godspeed, I hope he knows how special he was to her and all who met him. I hope he knows how many times he helped her get through the worst of days, and how much he was the reason for the best of days. Such a gentle soul, taken too, too soon, from a heart already burdened with so much loss this year. You'll never be forgotten, beautiful boy.

[zippy-kat]

Beautiful Jake, I wish I had words of comfort for your mommy. She's a pretty special lady and you were pretty darn lucky to end up with her as an owner. Good boy, rest easy now. Her friends and Gent will help her through your passing. It will take time but we're here for her.

Oh, Vela... tears flow freely. It's really not fair sometimes. {{many hugs}}

[Karen]

Jake, black beauty
Handsome and breathtakingly gorgeous boy
Sculpted muscles under gleaming obsidian coat
Stand forever in silhouette on the distant horizon
Watching over Vela's heart and home

Jake, so handsome
Every horse-crazy girl's someday dream
Sweet and strong
Silly and serious
Like a cast-iron figurine breathed into life
Everything she'd wish for
Even before she knew it

Jake, run free, colic gone
Whole and magnificent again
Wind in your silken mane
Send the thunder of joyful hoofbeats
Into Vela's dreams
And let her know
That love - love lives on
Even after we've had to say good-bye.

[Suki Wingy]

I'm sorry.

[Cinder & Smoke]

So very Sorry ...

Run with the Wind, Jake -
Run with the Wind.

I think God has a new Sky Pony ...
He'll look good with Wings.

{{{Hugs}}}

/s/ Phred

[shais_mom]

Oh I'm in tears.
I'm so sorry Vela.
Godspeed Beautiful Gentle boy.

[blue]

That is a handsome boy. RIP.

My prayers to everybody.

[Vela]

Thank you everyone, I cant say anything else right now. I just can't.

[Randi]

Vela, I'm SO sorry for your loss of Jake, what a beautiful boy he was!

I hope it will be a comfort that he is now free of pain.

Rest in Peace, Jake!

[chocolatepuppy]

Vela, you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm so sorry you lost your sweet Jake. {{{hugs}}}

[K9soul]

Somewhere
Stanley Harrison

Somewhere in time's own space
there must be some sweet pastured place
where creeks sing on and tall trees grow,
some paradise where horses go.
For by the love that guides my pen,
I know great horses live again.


I AM NOT THERE
Unknown

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.


I'm Still Here

Friend, please don't mourn for me
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side each night and day
and within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone but I'm always near.
I'm everything you feel, see or hear.
My spirit is free, but I'll never depart
as long as you keep me alive in your heart.

I'll never wander out of your sight-
I'm the brightest star on a summer night.
I'll never be beyond your reach-
I'm the warm moist sand when you're at the beach.

I'm the colorful leaves when fall comes around
and the pure white snow that blankets the ground.
I'm the beautiful flowers of which you're so fond,
The clear cool water in a quiet pond.

I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the spring,
The first warm raindrop that April will bring.
I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,
and you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.

When you start thinking there's no one to love you,
you can talk to me through the Lord above you.
I'll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees,
and you'll feel my presence in the soft summer breeze.

I'm the hot salty tears that flow when you weep
and the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.
I'm the smile you see on a baby's face.
Just look for me, friend, I'm everyplace!

Author Unknown

The Horsewoman's Prayer
author unknown

Dearest God in Heaven,
Give me the strength to guide my horse, make my hands soft and my head clear.
Let my horse understand me and I him.

My heart you have blessed with a special love of these animals- let me never lose sight of it.
My soul you have gifted with a deep need for them, let that need never lessen.
Always let my breath catch as the sun gleams on an elegant head.
Always may my throat tighten at the sound of a gentle nicker.

Let the scent of fresh hay and a new bag of grain always be sweet to me.
Let the warm touch of a soft nose on my hand always bring a smile.
I adore the joy of a warm day on the farm.
The grace and splendor of a running horse, the thunder of its hooves,
makes my eyes burn and my heart soar, let it always be so.

Dearest God,
Grant me patience, for horses are harnessed wind and wind can be flighty.
Let me not frighten or harm them, instead show me ways to understand them.
When I pass from this world, send my soul to no Heaven without them,
for this love you have given me graces my existence
and I shall cherish it, and praise You for it, for all time.
Amen

[Alysser]

Vela, I'm really sorry about Jake. May the gorgeous boy RIP.

[zippy-kat]

After reading K9Soul's poems/prayer, I'm in tears all over again. I'd like to add one of my favorites. I debated on posting this as, on a good day, I can't get through it without tears. So you might want to tuck this away for a little while or maybe read it in snippits. {{many hugs}}

God Wants to Jump
~unknown
God gives us horses and compels some of us to love them. Yet why does the horse, an animal with such a big heart, live such a short life?

Perhaps it's because if our horses lived any longer, we wouldn't be able to bear losing them. Or, perhaps it's because God wants to jump.

Perhaps God looks down on the fine horses we raise and decides when it's His turn to ride. He gives us a few good years to care for and learn from them, but when the time is right, it's up to us to see them off gracefully.

OK, perhaps not gracefully. Blowing into a Kleenex is rarely graceful. But we can be grateful.

To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.

Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle - or a computer - a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily, we know we've made the right choice.

Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.

If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it. I found one of ours on the front porch one morning, eating the cornstalks I'd carefully arranged as Halloween decorations.

Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.

If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday - but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car in "drive."

In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences... if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.

If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion, in addition to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse "does all the work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven.

You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.

If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our over saturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.

If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals...Some of us need these reminders.

When you step back, it's not just about horses - its about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, or a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.

Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.

In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place. And so we pray:

"Dear God,

After You've enjoyed a bit of jumping, please give our fine horses the best of care. And, if it's not too much, might we have at least one more good gallop when we meet again?"

[Scooter's Mom]

I am so sorry about Jake. He was beautiful.

[Taz_Zoee]

I am so very sorry. I couldn't even read all the poems and nice words everyone has for Vela because I just put my make-up on. I'll have to come back tonight after I take it off.

RIP Handsome Jake