Arriving at our bodyshop, Two Rivers Autobody, on a Monday morning is never my favorite. I'd rather be drinking coffee, smelling the wonderful barn smells, and listening to my horses eating their breakfast just like the day before.
I flipped the lights on, turned on the computer and downloaded my emails. There it was, another email from Jeff Hudson forwarded to me from Theresa Manzella, sending me pictures of horses. These were not just horses looking for a better life as before, these were minis. Everyone in St. Ignatius knows I want a mini. Not a purebred or show quality or something fancy, just a mini. Just another warm body to hug and squeeze and just maybe a horse I can bring to work just like my dogs. I dreamed of using my mini as a lawn mower on our front lawn of the shop as an excuse to have it with me.
After reading the email and cursing Jeff in my mind because I knew he put me on a mission - how was I going to tell my husband Pat that I want to bring home yet 2 more horses. You see, last winter my herd grew from 2 to 5 because of neglect, abuse, and a divorce. My husband Pat loves every one of them and wouldn't trade their mischevious ways for anything but often warned me that he was at his limit. And truthfully, I agreed. But this was different - they we're real horses, they were minis! Monday came and went and with our workload I didn't find a way to break the news to my husband that I really really wanted to bring them home.
Wednesday was a long day at our shop in St. Ignatius. My airbrush project was finally done and being shipped out of state. It was late, around 8pm and we were still at work winding down. I sat down in front of the computer and called my husband in. I found the email and showed him the pictures of the minis. He read the words and looked at me and said " Whatever!" To me that was a - YES! He said it was a good deal (I'm sure to justify it in his own head) and walked out of the office.
The next morning I was on the phone to everybody, Jeff Hudson, my business neighbor, Donna Morton, and my daughter. A call to Phyllis in Butte I rambled a quick list of references over the phone she told me she would get back to me. The following morning Phyllis emailed me and told me that I was approved from the owner and to come get them as soon as possible. I was so excited! The days crawled like a snail on an upward slope in the snow. I kept myself busy arranging an enclosed trailer to keep the elements off them on the long ride home and I sent my truck out for service. Trailer arrived on Friday afternoon and not longer after that my truck was delivered back to me.
By Friday afternoon every available space in the truck was spoken for. Saturday morning I woke up before 6am (and for those who know me know thats totally unnatural for me - I'm definitely not a morning person) . By 8am the truck was loaded with trailer, my daughter Jessi Clarkin, Donna Morton and another good friend and fellow animal lover Sara Udall. A quick stop at Cenex in Missoula for some diesel and a few bales of straw and we were on the road. The drive was effortless. With laughter and stories the trip went real fast. Around Drummond, Sara got a call from her daughter Stacy who is in college in Dillon. She wanted to meet us to see the minis. By the time we reached our turn- off in Butte, Stacy was traveling right behind the trailer. We stopped at a gas station, left her car, and crammed her into the already full truck. Fifteen minutes later we're pulling up a windswept driveway and saw the owner leading the girls out to our trailer.
After reading the email and cursing Jeff in my mind because I knew he put me on a mission - how was I going to tell my husband Pat that I want to bring home yet 2 more horses. You see, last winter my herd grew from 2 to 5 because of neglect, abuse, and a divorce. My husband Pat loves every one of them and wouldn't trade their mischevious ways for anything but often warned me that he was at his limit. And truthfully, I agreed. But this was different - they we're real horses, they were minis! Monday came and went and with our workload I didn't find a way to break the news to my husband that I really really wanted to bring them home.
Wednesday was a long day at our shop in St. Ignatius. My airbrush project was finally done and being shipped out of state. It was late, around 8pm and we were still at work winding down. I sat down in front of the computer and called my husband in. I found the email and showed him the pictures of the minis. He read the words and looked at me and said " Whatever!" To me that was a - YES! He said it was a good deal (I'm sure to justify it in his own head) and walked out of the office.
The next morning I was on the phone to everybody, Jeff Hudson, my business neighbor, Donna Morton, and my daughter. A call to Phyllis in Butte I rambled a quick list of references over the phone she told me she would get back to me. The following morning Phyllis emailed me and told me that I was approved from the owner and to come get them as soon as possible. I was so excited! The days crawled like a snail on an upward slope in the snow. I kept myself busy arranging an enclosed trailer to keep the elements off them on the long ride home and I sent my truck out for service. Trailer arrived on Friday afternoon and not longer after that my truck was delivered back to me.
By Friday afternoon every available space in the truck was spoken for. Saturday morning I woke up before 6am (and for those who know me know thats totally unnatural for me - I'm definitely not a morning person) . By 8am the truck was loaded with trailer, my daughter Jessi Clarkin, Donna Morton and another good friend and fellow animal lover Sara Udall. A quick stop at Cenex in Missoula for some diesel and a few bales of straw and we were on the road. The drive was effortless. With laughter and stories the trip went real fast. Around Drummond, Sara got a call from her daughter Stacy who is in college in Dillon. She wanted to meet us to see the minis. By the time we reached our turn- off in Butte, Stacy was traveling right behind the trailer. We stopped at a gas station, left her car, and crammed her into the already full truck. Fifteen minutes later we're pulling up a windswept driveway and saw the owner leading the girls out to our trailer.
There was a lot of screeching with excitement and admiration as we piled out of the truck and ran to the minis. As I talked to the owner we switched halters and decided it was time to go as I could see the emotions rising in her. She knew we would take the best of care and once again I guaranteed her it was so. We loaded them up and dropped off Stacy at her car and headed home.
By the time we arrived home, my husband Pat had cleaned the pen, found a shorter bucket for water and lowered the feeder to an appropriate height. We tucked them in and stared at them for hours until the darkness and cold sent us inside. Sunday found us and friends standing around in their pen playing with them. A neighbor who has a student from Russia, Anna, that has never seen a mini horse came to enjoy them for a few hours. When everybody left I cut a hole in our garden fence so they could have a direct route to our backyard so I could enjoy them even more. I have been warned though, "They are not to come in the house." We'll see.
Kathy Clarkin ( new mommy of mini's )
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