Story of the War Horse (long but a good read)

I have to start this by saying, I did not want a horse.
This one was on property we decided to try to buy.
We (my wife and I) were living in "town" and needed to get out.
I have lived with wolves most of my life, and had move to town,
because Social Services had my child, and much of the reasons they gave as why,
was because I lived in the wilderness.

So I left the state I was in, because even after moving to a town there,
they still refused to give my son his freedom to live with his own father.
They finally gave up on him, though they had him on many drugs meant to fix his 'problem'
most of which they told him, was that he respected his own father, while they, did not.
Therefor he was wrong, and they put him on drugs for resistance to authority disorder.

Now back to the story of this war horse and why he is called that.
It starts with the death of my lead wolf of my sled team and best friend......

While in town with 3 of my wolves I had brought with me after returning to Alaska,
My lead wolf named "Woof" developed incurable, inoperable brain cancer.
When his pain became to great, I told the vet's it was time to put him to sleep.
I laid him in my favorite Mexican blanket, in the back seat of the car, where they came outside to give the injection.

As he laid in my arms, my last words to my lead wolf of my team,
were "I will not be far behind you".......................

And I HOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDD
and I CRIED and I did this in the parking lot nearly an hour and did not care who heard

It was an hour before I could see through my tears enough to drive.
My wife and I and friends, brought him to a cabin we used to own that we sold,
and the new owners approved of us laying him to rest there....
We covered him in moss and ceder and sage and feathers and prayers and tears.........

We were on our way back to town, when we saw or former neighbor sitting on her steps,
and stopped to talk.
She told us she was trying to sell her place, and my wife knew I am one who does not do well living in a town,
and that I needed to get out of there, and be in more wild and more natural to me settings.

After looking over the place and learning the price and terms we agreed to buy it.
She told me she had a horse and asked if we wanted him too, but we said "no".
So she asked if we could watch him for her until she could find someone to buy or board him,
I agreed but said I wanted him off the property as soon as possible because I had other things to do
besides drive up there every day to check on him and make sure he had water and move the rope he was on
to places with fresh grass.

So the first time I met this horse,
was minutes after laying Woof to rest....
And this horse, bowed to my feet
waiting for permission to lift his head.
I bowed back, and motioned with my hand and he lifted his head,
and we made eye contact and it seem to have lasted a long time with neither of us moving,
looking into each others eye, in shocked recognition of each other.
It was as if I had known this horse before, and he knew me.......
and we were both shaken from the depth of what neither of us expected.

The next thing he did, as best as I can explain it, and as best as he could,
he asked if he could be my horse..........
With all his heart shining in his eyes as if to promise if I said yes,
he would be the best horse I could ever ask for.
And my response was "No".
I tried to get him to understand, I was just there to bring him water and not to get attached,
and even told him this in human words trying to make him see the rest in my eyes.

Two days later,
he got off his rope which I did not tie well because of grizzly bear in our area
and felt bad leaving him alone while I went back to town.
we found him at the end of the road we drove out when we left
and all I had was a tie-down for the car with metal hooks on both ends to use as a lead rope to get him back to the yard.

After we got back, I had my wife hold him by this while I went to get his rope,
I dont know if he turned his head but the next thing I heard was my wife,
and turned around to see him rearing directly over her.
I said loud and STERN, "DOWN"
he froze in the air, then gently came down beside my wife.
The metal hook that was swinging hitting his face, still doing so.

Many things like this happened over the week or so I was watching him for the woman who owned him.
So many that my wife started trying to talk me into buying him
and I kept saying "No"
My lead wolf had died, the last thing I wanted was a horse,
all I wanted to do was cry...........
not some horse thinking he could walk into my life and take my Woof's place.
minutes after laying him to rest..........

I met and talked with our neighbors about this horse,
they told me he was violent, charged them, charged their children,
at one point had them stuck inside their home calling her to come get him
so they could leave their house.
Another neighbor told me (he was putting siding on his house...)
That he came over and kicked the siding off of 3 sides of his house while the man was in it,
then kicked his car doors before finally leaving....
I asked these and other neighbors who told me much the same,
because my wife wanted me to keep him how they would feel if I did.
They told me they never saw him listen to anyone before,
and because he listened to me to "keep him"
I felt a little shocked due to his history, would think they would want him 'gone'......
but that was not what they said.

I then found out, she had tried to sell him for 2 years on the local radio,
people came to look at him, and he would rear and threaten to attack them.
So too with those who came to look at him when she tried to board him.
This, was why he was there, because she could not sell him! Nor board him!
I also learned she tired riding him and he put her into the hospital 2 times,
each with multiple broken bones...........

Then one day he got off his rope again,
I went to the end of it to act curious about it.
never took my eyes off of it as I walked to it,
never looking at the horse, hoping he would come to me.

As I stood holding it, I then saw the grizzly bear,
15 feet to my right in the alders and spruce (in the picture with us in the snow,
it was before I built that fence and his stall, the bear was in those trees, in the area behind his rear end)
and the griz was looking right at me....
the horse was around 150 feet to my left,
and came CHARGING, flew right behind me,
and body slammed the bear.

I ran to the house for my rifle,
by the time I got back the bear was gone
and not a mark on the horse.....

I met him minutes after my lead wolf was laid to rest.
he asked me then if he could be my horse and I said "no"
my wife told me I should keep him and I said "no"
my neighbors told me I should keep him and I still said "no"
the woman who owned him told me I should buy him and I said "no"
after he put his OWN life, on the line, for mine, instead of running AWAY,
I could say "no" no longer,
went inside, told my wife I changed my mind,
and called the lady and said "Lady I'll take your horse".

It will be 3 years this coming spring,
and he has kept his promise to me,
he tries with all his heart to do everything I could ever ask of him.
he goes forward, backward, "sideways", spins in circles, ANYTHING I can ask of him,
he does.
I ride him almost ever day during the summer,
because he is safer than my car.

I dont know how to ride a horse very well,
I entered him and myself into classes, and he tried to attack the trainer who handed him back to me and said "No way!"
So all I know is learned from riding together.
No one else taught him, no one else taught me.

He was violent to everyone,
he has never once hurt me.
He STILL bows to my feet.

Its a long story, but, I thought it worth telling,
in honor, of the heart, of a horse,
who I only wanted, "off the property"

If it was the will of the grandfathers,
or great spirit, or even Woof,
that when he died this horse would be waiting for me,
and refuse all others until that day,
then I wish my Woof would know,
this horse has done him proud,
watching over his Papa...........

+~~============================================================~~+

He is still violent, only, not with ME.
this is how he is looking at the "camera" being to close to Papa..
he is, very protective of me.....

Same horse, after I held the saddle up and he moved under it so I could put it on him.
He is impatient for me to get into the saddle while I'm trying to tie the end of the rope to the halter to use for reigns.
so he took my shirt sleeve in his teeth and is pulling me towards the saddle to get on....

This is warm up before I let him wear the saddle,

I call him a War Horse,
because this is what a war horse is SUPPOSED to be like,
ready to attack ANYTHING or ANYONE, yet protects and defends his rider,
with his life.
This is the only way I can explain him, that makes sense.

Why me? You'll have to ask the horse....
I have virtually no experience with horses, other than him.
So I've had to learn to clean his feet,
I dont lift them, I simply point to which one I want and he holds it in the air for me.
I dont chase him in an open pasture with other horses when I boarded him for a few months,
All he has to do is see me and he leaves the other horses and comes to me,
I hold up his halter and he puts his own nose into it.
same with the saddle, I hold it up, he comes to put himself under it.
I used a bit, everyone who I asked to show me how it to put a bit and halter on him had to fight
often 15 minutes or more, to get it into his mouth.
When I was going to try, I held it up trying to remember what went where,
he came from across the yard reached his head and gently took the bit out of my hand,
used his lips and tongue to put it behind his teeth, then lowered his head for me to fasten the leather halter......
Riding him I soon learned, I had NO NEED for a bit!
I have not had him use a bit ever sence. I ride without one,
and normally dont even use the rope reigns, I just lean what way I want to go,
he turns to keep me in balance on him.
I have the rope like a seat belt, "just in case" I need it.

We live in griz country,
and had stood down, one griz, and 3 moose, shoulder to shoulder willing to fight with our lives,
together, as a team and in each case so far, they backed down.
The griz, went across the road, and within a minute, killed a moose.

My neighbors have griz,
I dont, since then.

Well thats the story of the war horse,
how I ended up with a horse, I didnt want.....