Flickr: Jenny Gandert Photography - aka "Rays From Heaven"'s Photostream

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Copyright: Jenny Gandert, 2012
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Uploaded on Jan 26, 2012

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Rays from Heaven

1/26/12: Today is the anniversary of Red's passing in 2007. She's the horse walking away in this photo... my baby. Today is also the anniversary of the day I was born, although I celebrate my birthday on the 27th now. This day is for her and always will be.

Everything below was written before today...

Large views of all my photos or Closer View of Rays From Heaven.

My mom once told me that from the time I could point, I would point at horses excitedly. Every birthday, if I couldn't have a horse, I wanted something horse related. Books, subscriptions, statues, pendants, toys - it didn't matter as long as it had something to do with a horse. I would visit neighbors' horses and ride whenever I could, even breaking the rules to do so. I was a very well behaved child, but I loved horses so much. About the same time my mom passed on from cancer, my sister in Indiana bred her horse. April 11, 1975, Red (the horse walking away) was born and became mine. She helped me through the tragedy of losing my mom so young. She was full of spirit from the beginning... jumping over brush alongside us as I rode her mother. Red and I had many adventures together: show jumping, riding in a parade, riding eight miles on a divided highway to get from one point to another when she wouldn't load in a trailer, sneaking into a racetrack and racing around it, swimming in lakes and the Little Miami River, riding through the McDonald's drive-thru window, leading numerous trail rides and many more on our own or with dogs alongside - even a pet raccoon rode with us sometimes. She was gentle with children but a half ton temper tantrum with adults. She could test you to sheer exhaustion if she didn't want to ride a certain way and then tuck her head into you to be loved on and hugged. She always came for her hugs and kisses. She had more understanding of emotions than any human I've ever met. She could also escape from just about anything but that stopped when In 1989 she was bred to a halter horse and Rexx (foreground) was born in 1990, just one week after my ex husband and I separated. Rexx has his own antics - like stealing a bottle of water when I am working on the fence, or turning over a wheelbarrel full of manure. It's felt like a privelege all these years to have the horses. Feeding twice a day, carrying warm water in severe cold weather or hosing them down in the heat, struggling through mud or snow and dodging lightning is all part of owning a horse. Beautiful moments like the one above are frequent, but rarely captured. They fill my heart and make it all worthwhile. I could not imagine my life without horses... nor do I want to. Red left me at nearly 32 years old but will always be in my heart. Always be a huge part of who I am.

Uploaded on Jan 26, 2012

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