Hard, But Right

Betty here. Yesterday we did something very hard for me, but it was the right thing to do.

As many of you know, after the wreck I had on Gletta (Nov. 07) I started riding her again last Spring, but I never felt safe enough to start tolting on her again. (Tolting is the fast gait that Icelandic Horses have.) That resulted in us getting Sugar last December.

Gletta is a grand horse. Although she is older (27), by Icelandic standards she has a lot of riding life ahead of her (she could easily live into her 40s). I thought I would ride her until we were both old enough to say lets just rest for the rest of our lives. But that didn't happen. And she should be ridden now.

A good friend, Connie Petttingell, loves Gletta, too. She takes care of our horses when we're away and has connected us with a friend of hers who would like Gletta. Connie even volunteered to get Gletta back into riding shape before her friend takes her.

So yesterday we took Gletta to Connie's. It was very hard to put her into the trailer for that last time. Gletta and Savannah (Connie's Paso Fino horse) know each other from times we have ridden together so we put the two of them together right away. Connie's other horses were initially kept separate. All went well and Connie has already gotten out on the trail with her. Since it has been so long since she was ridden, Gletta has no stamina. Connie will work with her to build up her strength. She even tolted her a little.

I hate letting Gletta go. But she deserves better than what we can give her. Gletta will have company because Connie's friend has a Missouri Foxtrotter. All in all we probably couldn't have found a better place for her--thanks to Connie, a truly a good friend.

Here are some pictures from yesterday.

Me giving Gletta one last grooming while Morgunn and Sugar supervise.

Walking Gletta out to the trailer.

Gletta loading into the trailer. She is one of the best horses at walking into and out of the trailer. She made life so simple for me in that respect.

Morgunn and Sugar wondering where Gletta is going without them. I think they miss her, but they are already good friends so they'll be fine.

Unloading Gletta at Connie's.

Connie and me watching Gletta and Savannah greet each other. That went very well.

Gletta going off to check out her new, temporary home.

It was a hard thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.


Today is March 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Mia Hamm (Olympic gold medalist soccer player), Billy Corgan (guitarist, Smashing Pumpkins), Rob Lowe (actor, "St. Elmo's Fire"), Gary Sinese (actor, Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump"), Kurt Russell (actor), Patrick Duffy (actor, "Dallas"), John Sebastian (singer for Loving Spoonful), Paul Kantner (singer, Jefferson Starship), Rudolf Nureyev (ballet dancer), Nat "King" Cole (singer), Bobby Jones (golfer), Shemp Howard (one of The Three Stooges), and James Bridger (mountain man).

On this day in 461 according to tradition, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died. In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines (of course the inhabitants knew it was there all along). In 1776 having seized Dorchester Heights, George Washington forced the British troops under William Howe to evacuate Boston during the Revolutionary War. In 1897 motion pictures of a championship prize fight were taken for the first time as "Sunny" Bob Fitzsimmons knocked out "Gentleman" Jim Corbett for the world heavyweight title. In 1905 Eleanor Roosevelt married Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York. And in 1963 Elizabeth Ann Seton of New York was beatified. She was sainted in 1975.