The Aging Of Old Friends
Raydene Labatore

As our lives go by we have our animals friends that become so special to us.
We bought my daughter a beautiful arabian mare named Saladians Melissa when she was 8 so she could get more serious about horse showing.

Melissa (Missy for short) was so georgous. I remember the day we went to look at her. She was so shiny trotting around the ring.I was awe struck at her beauty. I could have watched her forever.

Missy carried Sheilana around ring after ring year after year.She has show ribbons hanging all around the top of her bedroom walls. Each one tells a story . Each brought a little girl and her horse closer.

Then there were the oops times too... The time as they cantered around on a wet muddy ring. Missy hit a soft spot with first one then the other front hoof, went down on her knees and flipped nose down and over flat on her back...I couldn't see where Sheilana was but I heard her scream, "Misssssssssy". I ran with my heart jumping out of my chest for fear for my child. She ran out of the ring leading her horse sobbing "MoMMMMMMy, I think Miiiissssssy is hurt!"
I asked if she was hurt and she said"Mommy check Melissa..Is Missy ok....Ohhh Missy..I love youuuu. Are you okkk?" She wouldn't let me look at her until I had contacted the vet (He was there also). She always insisted that Missy twisted just right so she could bail off!

There was the time at our county fair, after a frantic hour of searching my lost 9 year old she was found asleep in Missy's stall on the hay shelf.
There were the many days when a barefooted, shorts-and-tanktop clad child could be seen atop her trusty steed with no halter or bridle...just a piece of baling twine around Missy's neck and the two as one riding like the wind.

But that was the yesterdays and Sheilana is nearing 18 and Missy is nearing 30 and her days are closer to the end then the beginning. She retired and doesn't get ridden very often these days.

Melissa now lives at Sheilana's Aunt Joanne's 300 acre horse farm about 3 miles down the road. She has a wonderful stall with it's own paddock.She has hay, grain, and lots of treats. Sheilana goes to groom and love Missy every Sunday and stops to kiss her nose a couple days a week.

Once in a while Sheilana will take Missy to the arena for a slow trot.The two trot around the areana heads high and Missy's tail flagged.I can see their thoughts as they remember gliding around the show rings of yeaterday and accepting the many blue ribbons that as a team they earned.Then my sweet daughter will slide off her loyal friend with a tear staining her cheeks. She will slowly, sadly walk Saladians Melissa to her stall for her treats, a big hug, and a whispered "I'll always love you best Missy.You'll always be my best show gal. Night Georgous."

She'll turn to me and say "Let's go home." The ride home will be a quiet one with my daughter still in the saddle at the horse shows of memory lane.