Welcome to Glacier Ridge

Photo taken Easter Sunday, 2011

May, 2011 update:

It breaks my heart to update Kissy's page in this manner, but I knew this time would eventually come. Arabians can be such a long-lived breed. And they truly give everything they have to the people they love, which Kissy has shown me for the last 25 years. But, I believe the time will come, sooner rather than later, for me to give back to her in a way that I won't want to, but know in my heart I have to. I noticed Kissy getting much more stiff in December, 2010. I had only been giving her the bute (pain medication) every other day or so, or as needed, as I know bute can cause damage to a horse given long term, so decided if she seemed to be ok without getting it every day, I wasn't going to do so. She was ok this way for a good year. She still received her joint supplement daily in her senior feed/beet pulp. However, in December, she went back to getting it daily, just starting out at once to see how she'd do...which was ok for a little while. But I gradually saw her conditon deteriorate through the winter...no matter what I did. I hoped if she could just make it through the cold weather, spring's warmer weather would help her improve. It has not. In fact, she continued to get worse. The bute increased to twice a day with no improvement. The vet was out to do x-rays on her knee, which is the worst affected leg at this point, and she does have severe arthritis there. Of course, I knew that, she looks like she's got a ball inside her knee...it's quite enlarged. I've tried various joint supplements, and she's now on Previcox, which so far has given her no relief. She continues to get joint supplements daily, and I rub a liniment on her knee daily, if anything, to help me feel better. Some days she moves around ok, other days she can barely walk. After giving me a lifetime of happiness, I can't let her live her life in pain. If I can't find a way to treat it, I will do what I feel is best for her, and say that final goodbye I knew would come someday. I have had a lot of suggestions through my friends in the horse community, which I am truly following up on. As you can guess, I have spent a lot of time on the computer lately, trying to save my horse's life. At least, if I have to say goodbye, I can do so knowing I did everything I possibly could for her. Twenty five years is a long time. And I hoped she'd be with me into her 30's, but it's not looking like it was meant to be. Every minute I spend with her, every minute I think about her, I am preparing myself for what I know is coming. I have one more thing I'd like to try....and it's on its way. I'm not ready to give up on my girl yet. She knows I'll never give up on her. But I will do what's best for her....regardless of how hard it's going to be on me. And, I am afraid that time is coming soon. Now, back to your regularly scheduled webpage....

My mare Kissy. I can't say enough about her. She is 26 years old this year (2011) and having bought her when she was only a yearling, we've had a lot of years together (25!!!). We have done so much, just she and I. We have a lifetime of memories!

I helped my grandfather bale hay all summer, which was payment for her. An even trade, hay for horse! It wasn't known to anyone (except she and the colt, of course!) that she was newly pregnant....but we certainly found that out the following February when she gave birth to a beautiful bay Arabian filly I called Val. It was an "accident"....but we were happy to have gotten a two for one deal...although Kissy was pretty young to be a mom. She was a great mom, for being so young herself. Unfortunately, I think being a mom so young would haunt her later in life, and we are dealing with that now.

Kissy was never 'trained' to ride. I remember the first time...I was showing her at halter at some open shows, and one day a the show I just jumped on. No saddle, no bit or bridle, just a halter and lead rope. We've been riding buddies ever since. We spent a lot of time on trails, or road riding with a friend, spent several years riding in our hometown parade, in the show ring at open shows and the county fair every year....she was known as the "pepsi drinking horse," as she loves Pepsi, and curls her lips around the can to drink it while I hold it for her. I have books and books of photos, and will be scanning some more as time allows. Kissy rode in several parades, and when I worked at a local nursing home, I would bring her on occasion on a day off, to share her with the residents there. She's always been so laid back, and is a definite people lover. She was a bit of a spitfire in her younger days, but as she got older, she proved she could be trusted with most anyone. I even rode her during my high risk pregnancy in 2001, and my son sat on her when he was just a baby.

Kissy has had three foals, Val in 1988, and then not until 2001 when she had an awesome Quarab colt, Boomer. Her final foal came in 2002. This beautiful black filly, with only a small white streak on her forehead, was born at 295 days, way too early to be born. Most foals aren't born that early alive. It was truly heartbreaking....She wasn't developed enough yet, and her chances of survival were slim. So we gave her a full belly of mom's milk (through a tube, while Kissy stood there while I milked her) and let her go. Kissy has not been bred since that time. But her little angel filly can be seen on our Memorials page. I always wanted to have a foal out of Kissy for when Kissy was gone from this world....and this little black filly was to be it. And she was perfect! But...it wasn't meant to be, and between Kissy aborting her early, having such an infected placenta (that was retained, and the vet had a heck of a time getting it out) and finding out she had a large cyst in her uterus, I decided I didn't want to risk any more problems with my girl or a future foal, so Kissy was never bred again.

Kissy is registered TA Kiss Afire, she is by Wylde Fire (x Fire Chief x Bask) and out of Kiss A Mee. She's been a long time member of the family, and hopefully she'll be here for a long time to come!

Kissy and I were on horse patrol at the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin on April 16-18, 2004. We both had a great time! Unfortunately, due to injuries she has acquired the summer of 2004, she will need to be retired from a riding horse. But she was my best riding buddy, and is STILL my best buddy...she's in very good hands with the vets who care for her, she's a model patient....she's just a model HORSE! Kissy and I have a LIFETIME of memories together. If we're unable to ride together, we still have enough of those memories to last forever. I think everyone who shares their lives with horses has that ONE special horse that sticks out from any other. Kissy is mine. She's awesome. There will never be another one like her. We rode, and we were One. She took care of me. Now it's time for me to take care of her.

Photos below taken fall, 2010, she loves being pampered...and loves kids!

I guess I can't know how long I will have my girl around. She has arthritis, and I had been having a hard time keeping weight on her. But senior feed, beet pulp, as well as an array of additives she gets in her grain daily help with that. I sure wish I could turn the clock around for her....she's truly been an awesome horse, an Arabian who owns a piece of my heart and always will. And she will stay here with us always, and enjoy her retirement as comfortably as I can help her be. She's my girl!

Kissy's photo gallery... I've scanned and included photos of her in her earlier days...click on photos for larger view and description.

Sorry for the scanner quality...it stinks!