EOQHA Editorials

Just a Horse!
Author Unknown

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or,”that's a lot of money for just a horse".

They don't understand the distance travelled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise.""Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past,
and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.

Two Horses
submitted by: Leanne Karoles

Just up the road is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each looks like every other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to her halter is a small bell.
It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him,
and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.
When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her
friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owner of these two horses, we should not throw friendship away just because
it is not perfect or because we face problems or challenges.
Instead we should watch over each other and help when we are needed.

* Believe in the 11th Commandment: Inside leg to outside rein.
* Know that all topical medications come in either indelible blue or neon yellow.
* Think nothing of eating a sandwich after mucking out stables.
* Know why a thermometer has a yard of yarn attached to one end of it.
* Are banned from Laundromats.
* Fail to associate whips, chains and leather with sexual deviancy.
* Can magically lower their voices five octaves to bellow at a pawing horse.
* Have a language all their own ("If he pops his shoulder, I have to close that hand and keep pushing with my seat in case he sucks back".)
* Will end relationships over their hobby.
* Cluck to their cars to help them up hills.
* Insure their horses for more than their cars.
* Will give you 20 names and reasons for that bump on your horse.
* Know more about their horse's nutrition than their own.
* Have neatsfoot oil stains on the carpet right next to the TV.
* Have a vocabulary that can make a sailor blush.
* Have less wardrobe than their horse.
* Engage in a hobby that is more work than their day job.
* Mucking stalls is better then Paccil any day.* Won't pay for minor medical services for themselves yet have a
legion of chiropractors, massage therapists, physiotherapists for their horse on speed dial
* Will pay emergency veterinary fees because their horse didn't "look right" yet will wait until they are death's door before getting medical assistance.

Are you a horse-aholic? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror and said the following " My Name is (your name here) and I am a Horse-aholic" For those serious about seeking treatment for your illness, don't fool yourself THIS IS THE FIRST STEP!

EOQHA would like to welcome you to this month's meeting of Horse-aholic Anonymous. Some of you are here tonight because a friend or relative brought you. You may be sitting here thinking that you are OK and don't really need any help. It is not easy to admit that you are a horse-aholic and it is even harder to bring yourself to an EOQHA -HAA meeting for help.

EOQHA-HAA is here to assist you. I have some questions to ask. If you can answer YES to more than three of the following, you have come to the right place:

-Can you say "sheath" in public without blushing?
-Do you drive a big truck with a towing package when everyone else drives a real car?
-Do you have more than one vehicle? One for you and one for the horses?
-Do you spend your holidays going to shows, clinics and seminars when everyone else goes on a cruise?
-If you do go overseas, is it to a riding vacation in Ireland or to Spruce Meadows to watch the Grand Prix?
-Do you discuss things at the dinner table that would make most doctors leave in disgust?
-Do you consider formal wear to be clean jeans and freshly scraped boots?
-Is your interior decorator the local tack shop?
-Was your furniture and carpeting chosen with your horses in mind?
-Are your end tables really tack trunks with tablecloths thrown over them?
-Is your mail made up primarily of horse catalogs and horse magazines?
-Do you get up before dawn to ride? Go to horse shows? Clinics? But do you have trouble getting up for "work?"
-If you do have dresses, do they all have pockets? Do those pockets often contain bits of carrot, hay, or sweet feed?
-When you meet a new person do you always ask them what kind of horse they have and pity them if they don't have one?
-Do you remember the name of their horse sooner than you remember their name?
-Do you find non-horse people boring?

EOQHA- HAA's advice to all of you with three or more YES's is to sit back and smile, turn to the smiling person next to you, and know that your life will always be filled with good friends and good horses and it will never be boring.

LEAGAL DISCLAIMER --- Please be advised the EOQHA is not responsible for contributing to your Horse-aholism, and will in no way be held liable if attending our shows worsens your condition.