We lost an old friend around here. Squirt, a little half horse. Chance found him dead in the corral this morning….
He wasn’t real pretty, or of great conformation, but he sure made a lot of little cowboys and cowgirls happy over the years….
He was born on this ranch, out of a little Shetland mare. His sire was a half Quarter horse, half Belgian, we had raised and had not gelded as quick as we should have. He and Topsy, the little mare, had a fling and 11 months later, here was this tiny little horse walking around with this little squirt of a horse following her.
Dusty, my nephew, started him when Squirt was 2 and Dusty was about 13. I lead Squirt afoot while Dusty rode him, after a blizzard, and we went thru’ and over quite a few snow drifts to get him comfortable with a rider on his back. Not much longer after that, if Dusty pointed him at a telephone pole Squirt would try to climb it, so to speak. Once Dusty came in soaking wet as he had decided to cross the water in a creek where he didn’t think it was too deep. It was…..
Another time, I jumped on Squirt bareback to run the horses in the corral from a small trap. For some reason he decided to buck and when his butt went up, my head went forward and the his head came up… our heads collided in mid air. Some say I am hard headed… but not as hard as Squirt was! I fell off like Artie Johnson used to when he was riding his trike on Laugh In, years ago.
Squirt taught my 3 sons to ride and then moved on to the neighbors kids and then on to Dusty’s son and then on to another set of kids. He came back here a few years ago to train on my grandkids and was doing a good job.
He was never bad about bucking, but would kick up, especially in his later years when he was asked to move at more than a trot. All in all, he was a good feller…
He will be missed.
Dennisranch 
Well darn….
Looks like he was the perfect kids horse. Y’always hope there’s a horse heaven when one like this passes.
RIP Squirt. I have certainly heard lots of Squirt stories and he will live on in those stories.
I am so sorry to read this. I love watching how you and your good horses bring your young ones up right. What a loss
He darn sure lived a good long life! Now the grandkids will be stealing all your horses, so look out! 😉
Thank you all. I take comfort in the fact he was fat and sassy at the end. Can’t ask much more than that!
Sorry to hear about your loss.
Sorry, good horses are so hard to come by sometimes and when you do have one and lose it is always hard!
Always hard to lose an ol’ pal. Sorry!
everybody should be lucky enuff to have one like that……..they don’t come around too often. Consider yourself priviledged……………….
Awww. Damn. But what e nice tribute you write the little guy.
A kid horse..those are always the best:)
This is for Squirt, from EmmyLou Harris. I hope he’s in greener pastures now.
There’ll be greener pastures
Across that border line
We’ll see new horizons, my darlin’
Far beyond the great divide
Pools of clear blue waters
Star light in the sky
You’ll be mine forever, my darlin’
Far beyond the great divide
Somewhere in the distance
Northern lights will shine
You’ll be there beside me, my darlin’
Far beyond the great divide
You’ll be mine forever, my darlin’
Far beyond the great divide
Thank you!