Calika

This horse was my everything.

She was the first horse I ever owned. She was who I grew up with. She saw me through heartbreak and she saw me through some of the happiest times of my life.We got through Colic surgery. More than one major injury and more than one major move over 12-ish years together. Huh, you know what, I think I lost her pretty darn close the day we officially bought her.

we were both babies

Calika came into my life as a late 4-year-old/early 5-year old ( I can’t remember for sure because I am getting old) when I started taking riding lessons again. I thought my coach was crazy putting me on such a young horse when I hadn’t ridden in a couple of years! I also could not for the life of me, understand what her name was. I kept thinking she was telling me it was Teacup – nope – definitely Calika.

I fell in love with her instantly. She was a tough ride for me coming back into lessons but we got through it. When my mom said we could FINALLY buy a freaking horse of our own I was over the moon excited….until I found out her price. Yeah, if you are asking, I did cry.

literally me when i found out her $$

Once we started looking at other horses, and finding out how difficult other horse people were, it was pretty much settled that she would be mine. With help from my parents, we did a vet check on the muddiest day of life and she became mine back in I think 2006.

I struggled so hard for quite a while with her. I kinda sucked at riding (looking back at videos ), and she sure let me know it. That didn’t matter, I was a kid and I finally had my first horse, whom I adored and knew she could do no wrong.

bestest

I was lucky enough to be able to bring her with me when I went away to University. She got to be extra spoiled when we left too, because my mom didn’t want her to be on outdoor board during the winter. She was worried about her “getting cold” at night during the winter so she funded the difference to keep her inside. Have I mentioned yet that technically my mom owned her? She called dibs on her front half, so of course I got the back-end. That’s okay, it was the best half – except when it stopped working.

PC: Sarah Ingram

and then we got sick

Who knew a horse not pooping for a little big would be so stressful? That was a long ten days in the clinic. And several of them were spent worrying whether or not we were going to lose her. Even though people kept thinking she wasn’t going to make it – she pulled through.

in our gear for the first ride back

Our return to work was pretty un-eventful, because she is the best, until she hurt herself right before I decided to bring her back home again. Like literally two weeks before we went home. Then we had a couple of months of work and she hurt herself….again! This time pretty good. Two rehab’s in less than 12 months is not my idea of fun!

That second rehab had me start thinking about things. I knew I was never going to sell her, but I never expected her to keep up to the level that I aspired to be at anymore. That’s when Luna kind of appeared in my life.

how could you not love this face

I made the decision at that point that Calika wasn’t coming back to the city with me. Looking back, I think all the things that happened to Calika were really her just trying to tell me that she didn’t want to leave her home. I wish I had listened to her better, maybe she could still be here.

when i left her at home again

It wouldn’t take long for Calika to make her way back down to the city. I couldn’t say no to bringing her back to me. That’s when she found her new person. The kid of her dreams I think. I always joked my horse didn’t love me anymore, she had her own kid, she loved that kid to the moon and back

my girls together

first ride back

meeting her lil sis

Her and that kid did so much together. She helped K grow as a rider. She brought her confidence back. I am so grateful for having such a magnificent horse and seeing how good she was to someone other then me. She took care of her her like she took care of me.

her bestie jazz

i spy a luna

But when she got hurt for the billionth time (girl was on a mission), she came back into my life, albeit for the final time.

1 week left of rehab….that’s it. That’s all we had left before we would have had the clear to go back to full work. 1 week. You never know when they are going to go. Even when you’ve had a brush with them leaving before, it doesn’t make it any easier when they do go. Seeing your vet upset when saying goodbye sure doesn’t help either

I thought writing about her this year would maybe help a bit, but I’m not sure that it has. Maybe after this weekend is finished, and I have this posted I will feel a bit better. But for now, my heart is still broken. And this blog post doesn’t do her justice, but I will keep on hoping that maybe I will feel a little less broken next year.

I miss you Big Red. 4/22/2016.

the best assistant/tear licker