Amwell Valley Trail Association
Tributes and Poems
In Fond & Loving Memory
A Kid at Heart …….
Sage has passed away ….
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A Tribute to Pharaoh
For those of us who had the privilege to know,
ride and love this wonderful horse …
You touched our lives in so many ways …
You will always be remembered
for your big heart,
so full of patience and kindness.
Always so curious, so smart, and so brave …
You kept us safe on the trails.
Your humorous ways always brought us up
when we needed it most.
You are a true Champion !
We will hold you in our hearts until
we meet again, our beautiful boy.
A Tribute to Jiminy Cricket
From Toy Box Farm …
very much loved …
Passed away Colors passed away on February 6th,
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In Memory of Colors
2008 at Toy Box Farm. He lived out
the final years of his life with serious
medical problems but was always
friendly and ready to say hello to
anyone who approached him.
He enjoyed the company of his true
friends, Jiminy Cricket, Yum Yum,
Jack and Tilly. Thanks to the kindness
of Kim, Joanne and Michelle
at Toy Box Farm, he was well taken
care of and dearly loved.
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When I am an old Horsewoman
I shall wear turquoise and diamonds,
And a straw hat that doesn't suit me
And I shall spend my social security on
white wine and carrots,
And sit in my alley-way of my barn
And listen to my horses breathe
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night
And ride the old bay gelding,
Across the moonstruck meadow
If my old bones will allow
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod
As I walk past the gardens to the barn
and show instead the flowers growing
inside stalls fresh-lined with straw
I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair
as if it were a jewel
And I will be an embarrassment to all
Who will not yet have found the peace in being free
to have a horse as a best friend
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of woman I will be
When I am old.
~Author Unknown~
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The Warmth Of A Horse
When your day seems out of balance and so many things go wrong ...
When people fight around you and the clock drags on so long ...
When some folks act like children and fill you with remorse ...
Go out into your pasture and wrap your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds you as he watches with those eyes ...
He may not have a PhD but oh, he is so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder, you hug him good and tight ...
He puts your world in balance and makes it seem all right.
Your tears will soon stop flowing, the tension will be eased ...
The nonsense has been lifted. You are quiet and at peace.
So when you need some balance from the stresses in your day ...
The therapy you really need is out there eating hay !
Ode to a Horse - A Poem by Ronald Duncan
Where in the world can man find nobility without pride,
Friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity !
Here, where grace is laced with muscle, and strength by gentleness confined.
He serves without servility, has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent, nothing as quick, nothing as patient.
The world’s past has been borne on his back.
We are his heirs; he is our inheritance.
The Horse
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Just A Horse
"Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire.
It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to accept
that his life will be radically changed". -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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 traveled, 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 horseman". So next time you hear the phrase "just a horse"
just smile, because they "just" don't understand. -anonymous
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