Kenneth Eugene Smith - Obituary

How do you write an obituary for one of your very best friends that you have had for 23+ years?

Kenneth & I met just before Christmas when I was 10 years old. It was love at first sight! He was THE best listener and friend I have EVER had. He knew exactly what to do when I was sad, mad, hurt, frustrated, upset, heartbroken, lonely, and happy. He was ALWAYS there for me. He never, ever let me down. In college, when I was figuring out life, I would drive home, and FIRST, go to the barn to talk with Kenneth. Sometimes, I would just come home to talk with him, & not even bother to talk with my parents. Kenneth was the only person who understood me during my akward teen years.

Just wanted to let you know that my heart is truly CRACKED in two. I know he had a wonderful life. I know that he simply went to sleep & woke up in Heaven, but it still hurts. I know that my girls have cried most of the evening. My Honey called my dad, & Honey found him.

Yes, Kenneth was a horse, but. he. was. my. horse!

You might think this picture is morbid. But A.Cowgirl wanted me to take her picture one last time with Kenneth.

He was the first horse I ever had. I was 10, and had wanted a horse for EVER (really like 5 solid years!). My sister named him after a boy in her class and my Grandpa. Kenneth really was a person, you just couldn't see it from the outside.

I learned how to ride with Kenneth, and how to fall off. Kenny was technically a pony because he was 14.1 (feet trimmed) and he rode like a pony. Kenneth was born with a deformed front left foot. The first farrier he saw (and most everyone that trimmed or shod him) was amazed that he could walk, let alone be ridden and run. His foot was litterally shaped like a J, frog included. I always told them it was because he had SO much love for children that's why he could be ridden.

When I was about 12, I wanted to ride "Indian Style". You know from the movies how they rode bareback, and would shoot arrows under their horse's neck. Well, Kenny was too fat, and my legs were too short; but you couldn't tell me that. I would sidepass up to the well (it was a step up), get on, walk into the grassy area, try to get on the side and ask him to walk, FALL OFF, under his stomach. Literally under him. He would carefully stop and look down to make sure I was ok. He would step around me and go eat some grass. I would catch him, and take him back to the well to get on and start all over again. After about an hour, he would automatically walk to the well, so that I could get back on again.

Kenneth ALWAYS took care of me and NEVER stepped on me, no matter how stupid I was or how I fell off, or under him. He has done this with my girls, and everyone who ever rode him.

Kenneth taught most of the kids 10 years younger than me in Warren County how to ride. I showed him for 6 years, then my sister showed him for several years, then Sarah, the neighbor girl, then 2 other girls showed him, and so on and so forth. He went on trail rides with tons of people in Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska. I showed Kenneth in everything! Our favorite was Trail Class, because you didn't have to be a great mover, but a great thinker, and take your time to do everything just right. In Trail, Kenneth & I beat a AQHYA World Champion Trail Horse. She came to our 4-H Invitational two months before the World Show that year. It was awesome to work a course with Kenneth, because he would seem to read my mind & put his feet exactly where I was thinking I wanted them, with slightly any cues.

When I was in college, I wanted to compete in a Rodeo Queen competition. At that time I was riding my mom's stud horse, and the contest would not allow me to bring a stallion. I tried my sister's show horse, and did not get along with her (Sister has long legs, mine are very short). So, Kenneth was pulled out of the pasture, and tuned up in 24 hours. Once again we instantly clicked and I was ready to roll. At the beginning of this rodeo (totally unknown to me) they set off a LOUD boom firecracker. This is the biggest rodeo in IA (at the time) and I was standing with all the other contestants in a mob of over 200 horses, 4 of the other girls' horses freak, rear, and jump. Kenneth lifts his head and looks around like "what are you upset about"?

I could go ON, and ON, and ON with Kenneth stories! I just might sprinkle them from time to time. I won't forget him, EVER. He will live on in my life, as a wonderful person. Cause he was a people, not just a horse.

The Wreck and a 7-UPdate

Well, some of y'all were wishing for a 7-UPdate so here is a total horsey update.

The last couple of weekends have been BEAUTIFUL! Two weekends ago, we were going to pour some concrete pads for atutomatic water-ers (seems redundandt spelling, oh well).

So, since it was about 50 or 60 degrees, Squeak was napping in the truck, and we saddled up some horses for the girls. J rode Kenneth, my first pony, who is 14.1 and 25 years old. We saddled up Ozzie for A, and asked them to keep it at a walk, since it was mud on top of frozen ground, and still slick. Honey and I got started, and I needed to tote 80lb bags of quick crete about 40 feet to the first waterer.

Well, we had a horse and a calf sled, sooo. I decided that it was time for the girls to start to learn to use a rope and drag things. Started out with A, and Ozzie (did I mention the warm SPRING weather, and how well the horses were feeling, and Oz is only 5, and was started as a 3yo?). Just used an old lead rope for the girls to drag with, so they wouldn't have much tail, and no rope burns. I dallied up for her on Oz, and started leading her. The sled is RED and PLASTIC, and apparently a little scary. He twitched his ears, and turned a little, but he got into it and just drug it away. I had loaded about 400 lbs on the sled. I was trying to teach A to just let go of her dally, when she got in a tough spot and Oz would jump or turn hard. She got the hang of it and was having fun. J (5 year old) got to drag the empty sled back to the pile. Kenneth wouldn't spook for anything. And I seem to remember pulling my sister on a sled at a full run when we were kids off of Kenneth (SOOO FUN!!!)

I also had the kids practicing (sp) steak race. In other words, I passed them the trash from the bags, and had them put it in the trash can. (What, kids aren't my personal slaves??? The gotta learn these things somehow, and I gotta keep em busy!) We kept up with 3 or 4 rounds of dragging and (daddy was really nervous about a fresh horse that we hadn't warmed up) finished that waterer.

We decided to finish the other waterer, and loaded the truck with all of the supplies, since this one was over some icy ground. The kids were out in the pasture close to us now, and since the ground was good we let them trot around while we were working.

Then, they decided they felt good. The kids were both turning to come back to us side by side, and Oz wanted to stretch. He crowhopped 3 times, and A lost it. She held on for the first two and just couldn't keep her seat during the crowhops at a lope. My baby got bucked off. (well she fell off, but we're not telling her)

J was crying, A was crying, Ozzie was confused and sad (cause he was upset A was hurt), Daddy and I were relatively calm. Dusted her off, and she seemed ok. She decided to get back on, and walk around. YEAH!! I went in the barn to get another bag. When I came back out, A told me that she was OFFICIALLY a Cowgirl! Cause she got bucked off!

WOW! That one hit me hard! My b.a.b.y. is not my baby any more. She is a big COWgirl. Oh, the fun things I have to learn as a Momma. The end of an era! We all know it is going to happen, but when your baby grows up it is still a hard thing!

Now for the 7-UPdate. Since we've been calving, our stud, Koda, has been getting moved around alot. The night before he had been locked in the barn behind 7-UP's tiny pen. Koda decided he wanted 7-UP's premium alfalfa, and unhooked the chain latch, and helped himself. Not a big deal really, except we had taken off 7-UP's wrap to let his leg air out for the night, and now he was in a BIG (only 20x18, but big for a little shetland with a broke leg) pen. Well, he was feeling good! When he realised he was going to get caught, he started running. YUP, RUNNING, on his broken leg!! YEAH!! Well, kinda, but he felt comfortable putting weight on it and even stretched it out a little with a couple of good bucks. We caught the little fart (yes it took two of us). And Honey helped me put his boot back on, and his leg felt good. Didn't feel any movement and no pain for him when I felt the break area!

WOW!!! Thank you EVERYONE who helped with advice and encouragement to at least try to heal his leg. We put his boot back on and will keep it on for another month or so.

Mental Health Crisis Avoided

Y'all be happy to hear that I wont need therapy (at least this week). My mental health crisis has been avoided. You know that the past two weeks we have been moving cattle, and you might have noticed that horses were involved. But, did you notice, that my time on a horse has been limited to mere moments (can't spell minuets, see). And you might also know that I have a young son (11 1/2 months) and was pregnant the summer before. So I haven't had much horse time in the past @ YEARS!!!! This makes momma CRAZY, STRESSED, UPSET, and NUTS!!!

So, today I had to water the cows locked in the corral. They didn't get water this morning (the knocked the hose out, made a huge mess and pissed off the husband) so they were THIRSTY!! I started the water and waited and was mobbed by at least 20 cows (only 5 can drink at a time). I shooed those away, remember I'm standing in ankle deep mud. The cows kept coming back. Koda (Dakota Red Buck) came to get a drink and was just standing there nicely being petted........ so I jumped on. Then I remembered Squeak asleep in the truck, and an emergency room trip from this same sort of incident (bareback horse, no bridle, water tank met arm, not broken) and I hopped off and got the bridle.

I came back and actually put the bridle on and then AHHHHHHH I hopped on!! You can feel the stress leaving my body!! I decided that the cows should be in the other pen, because there would be less fighting if the tank was filled before they drank. Koda and I went to the other end of the pen and proceeded to move em out. AHHHHHHHH more stress leaving my body. OOOO that is the out of shape c-section tummy saying that it needs much more work to be this ready for a horse with this much "cow" (read - he cuts and turns faster than I can hold my stomach in).

SOooooo, I'm back in the barn getting - imagine this - a saddle. Novel concept.

All saddled up and AHHHHHHHH!!!!! This is it!!! A Great horse, a great ride, something to do (move cows to other pen, sort some back to drink, repeat, just for the hell of it).

AHHHHHHHHH!! Mental Health Crisis avoided. Koda is an awesome horse, moves great has too much cow in a muddy pen with an out of shape stomach, and it was absolutely wonderful.
You may be wondering what about Squeak?? Well, when he woke up, I rolled down the window and played peek a boo with him. Meaning that I loped, and trotted in and out of his line of vision and kept him interested.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!! A good ride will fix me EVERY time!! Even when I didn't know I was that stressed out.