A Gift from Jazz

As you know, if you’ve been following my past blogs, that Jazz was my heart horse. He and I were best friends for 34 years. I came into his life when he was about 1 as his trainer. Then became his owner and his rescuer a year after that.

But the short version of our long journey together is that I truly trusted him with my life. And he trusted me with his life. On many occasions, we proved this to each other. So, it really was a loss in my life when he passed away in 2020.

Plus the loss of D’Artagnan in 2019 unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm and the loss of Apollo in early 2021 left me with a huge hole in my heart without my family of horses. The possibility of getting Kit back into my life as his new owner softened that pain. But then sadness hit again once Kit’s owner decided she just couldn’t give him up to anyone.

Well, something interesting happened while I was looking around at possible locations to move Kit. There was one place that was a part boarding facility and a part breeding farm. It was located about 45 minutes away from me, so it wasn’t too far. The next option was 2 hours away. 99.9% of boarding facilities here in Maryland do not accept stallions.

Well, while I was talking to the owner of this facility and she was showing me around for possible pastures to house Kit, my husband hung back at the large pasture with her husband talking. My husband is not a horse person per se, but he loves animals and enjoys watching horses. So, he hung out watching the herd of about 8 horses while talking to the owner’s husband.

He was standing there watching the herd from a distance and they all started to get a little closer and closer. Neither the horses nor the men were really paying much attention to the other and they weren’t interacting. Then this little 5-month-old colt decided to check out the situation closer.

He left the herd and wandered over to my husband. This brave little colt nuzzled into my husband’s hands, accepted and loved the scratches, and stayed cuddled up with him for a long time away from his mother. My husband had no idea how unique and special this interaction was. This colt didn’t go to anyone else, he went right to my husband and stayed there cuddling into him.

And Magic happened in that 15 minutes!

The connection was formed and they both fell in love. The little guy didn’t want to leave and go back to his herd, even when we were leaving. But then he realized my husband was leaving and he cantered back to the safety of the herd.

The next day my husband said that he couldn’t stop thinking about this little guy and he asked me a bunch of questions about the Friesian breed and how they grow up. It was sweet to see my husband so interested in horses and asking really good questions. He also knew that my dream horse is a Friesian. I figured he would want to visit this little one again and we could talk to the breeder about him.

Since I was so busy taking care of Kit, I really didn’t think much more of this little guy. But my husband couldn’t stop thinking about him. And unbenounced to me, he went back out to see the little one on his own.

Then last week my husband said he had a surprise for me and he had to take me out to see my surprise. Here I’m thinking it was a day trip somewhere fun, but he drove up to the breeding farm. We stopped at the pasture with all the horses, including the little one and he said, “I bought you a present” and he pointed to the colt. He said today is his 6th month birthday and he is your birthday gift this year.

Wow! I was beyond shocked and excited.

I was not looking for another horse. I was still sad about losing Kit. I had no intention of buying another horse anytime soon. But they say, the right horse comes along at the right time.

And this little one was the right horse at the right time. The more I learned about him, the more I cried and felt that this really was the “right” horse. A gift from my Jazz. My dream horse. He is a registered FHH Sport Friesian.

It turns out that this little one’s mother’s name is Jazz. Plus he was born on Easter Sunday – the same day that my Jazz was born. And to top it off, this little one’s mother has a bit of Quarter horse in her bloodline and she is a distant relative of my Jazz. The coincidences were out of this world.

When I went out to see this colt, now named Merlin, he came right over to me and cuddled into me just like my Jazz used to. I got goosebumps because I could feel Jazz and Apollo’s presence saying, “We’re here with you mom”.

He is kind and loving like my Apollo, he is fiery and courageous like my Jazz, and he is big and strong like my D’Artagnan. He is all three of my horses rolled up in one little one. I foaled Apollo myself and loved having a little one to watch grow up and play with. I think Apollo was saying, “here’s another one like me mom, enjoy”. A gift from Apollo too.

The breeder is really attached to this little guy and she had turned down offers to purchase him even before he was born. She even turned down an offer for twice what she was asking, just because she didn’t feel it was right. She told me “this one is very special” and she knew she had to wait for the “right” owner. Luckily, when we met and started talking, she knew that I was the right one for this little guy. So when my husband came around asking about purchasing him, she had to say yes.

It was meant to be.

He’s already 14.2 hands at 6 months. He’s going to be a big guy. His father is 17 hands and his mother is 16.2 hands. And he has no fear. What a loving and courageous boy. We are keeping him in the herd with his mother until she decides it’s time to part. The whole process is going to stay as natural and organic as possible from day 1. Then he will stay with the other colts and geldings in the herd as long as possible.

It couldn’t have been any more special and magical. This little one has stolen my heart and my husband’s. I am so excited to watch him grow up and be a part of his life forever. And of course, I will share our adventures with all of you.

Here’s a picture of him today. As a side note, he took to me putting a halter on him for the first time ever like a champ. No issues. Not even a question. We are already bonding as a family.