A Little White Pony, a Thousand Memories, and a Story to Share
October has me thinking about gathering. Gathering around the table. Gathering on the front porch. Gathering our favorite books and telling the stories that make us who we are.
But sometimes, the stories that matter most aren't found in books at all. They happen in the ordinary days, in the places we call home, and in the friendships that find us when we least expect them.
For our family, one of those stories has four little hooves, a fuzzy white coat, sparkling blue eyes, and a nicker that could make just about anybody smile. His name was Shorty, we also liked to affectionately call him Bobo.
And for thirteen years, that little pony was woven into the story of our family in ways I don't think I will ever be able to fully explain.
Where It All Began
Lane and I first met Shorty in the winter of 2013. A friend called and asked if we could help a neighbor who was battling cancer. Miss Judy wanted to remain in her home, surrounded by her horses and all the things she loved, and we were happy to help make that possible. We began caring for her horses so she could stay home and watch them every day through the big picture window at Shady Oaks Farm.
When we first walked into the barn, two big horses and one fuzzy white pony greeted us. That little pony had the sweetest nicker and the most remarkable blue eyes, there was just something about him.
We faithfully cared for the horses and spent time visiting with Miss Judy. Shorty had already been part of life with Miss Judy and her grandchildren, and it was easy to see that he was a pony who brought joy to the people around him.
Before long, he began bringing that same joy into our lives. Lane was only three years old then, which meant he was a bit of a handful himself! Miss Judy loved watching him run around the yard, and I think those little visits gave us all something to look forward to.
When spring came, Miss Judy told me Lane could ride Shorty if he wanted to, well, of course he wanted to! I would lead that Shorty around the yard, passing by the big picture window so Miss Judy could watch. Before long, Lane began hamming it up as we trotted past. Then came the kisses he would blow to Miss Judy. I think it brightened her days to watch that little boy and her pony together, I know we certainly enjoyed making her smile.
Looking back, I realize those simple afternoons were already becoming the kind of memories that stay with you. We just didn't know it yet.
A Promise to Miss Judy
That fall, Miss Judy asked if she could give Shorty to Lane when she passed away. How could I say no? By then, I knew what a special little soul he was. Sometimes it takes only a few minutes around an animal to recognize that there is something extraordinary about him. Shorty had that way about him. He was gentle, patient, loving, and somehow seemed to know how to bring a smile to the people who needed one.
I promised Miss Judy that we would take care of him for all his remaining days. Sadly, she passed away that November. We hadn't known her for all that long, but the time we shared was sweet and meaningful. I truly cherished our conversations and the moments we spent together. In fact, the last thing she told me was that our friendship had been “short and sweet like an ass's gallop.”
That was Miss Judy. And goodness, did I love that woman. I still smile thinking about her words.
We soon moved Shorty to our farm, and the next chapter of his life began. I like to think Miss Judy was watching and loved knowing just how much happiness her little pony went on to bring.
A Little Boy and His Pony
Lane and Shorty's friendship grew stronger with every passing year. There were trail rides and training sessions, hours spent playing in the barn, brushing, cowboying, and playing tag. Shorty was patient with Lane as he learned and grew, and the two of them shared the kind of adventures that make childhood special.
They even brought Shorty into the kitchen one time. Lane thought that was absolutely hilarious!
There is something about growing up with an animal who becomes part of your everyday world. They are there for the ordinary mornings and afternoons, the playtime, the learning, and the little adventures that might not seem remarkable to anyone else. But years later, those are the things you remember.
Shorty was more than a pony Lane rode. He was his companion through those growing-up years, a steady and gentle friend who was simply there. Eventually, as Lane grew older, I found a woman with two young boys who needed a good pony. Shorty went to live with them for a few years, helping those boys learn and grow into cowboys of their own.
And that is another thing I love about Shorty's story. His life wasn't just about the years he spent with us. Before Lane, there were Miss Judy and her grandchildren. After Lane, there were two more little boys. And then, as life has a way of doing, another little cowgirl came along. Shorty just kept making room for more memories.
A New Little Cowgirl
When Addy entered our lives through foster care, we knew she needed a pony. So I contacted the woman who had Shorty. He was ready for another little cowgirl, and when Addy was not quite a year old, she got her pony.
Oh, how she loved that sweet boy from the very beginning and he loved her, too. She rode him and hugged his legs often. I suspect, though, that his favorite part of their friendship might have been the carrots she so faithfully brought him.
Before long, Shorty had figured out exactly where to find her. He would come right up to our front porch with a little nicker, letting us know he was there and quite possibly ready for a treat. Those porch visits became some of my favorite memories.
Addy spent countless days with him, playing, brushing, picnicking, and even giving him a haircut when he wasn't feeling well. In her own little way, she knew when something wasn't right with her pony. As Shorty's body began to give out, she would take him carrots and sit beside him while he rested in the barn or pasture.
There is something so tender about watching a child love an animal. And there is something even more tender about watching that child learn to care for a friend who can no longer do all the things he once could. Shorty had given so much to my children. In those later days, Addy had the opportunity to give some of that love right back.
I don't know that I will ever find the right words for what he meant to both of my children, I only know that they were blessed to grow up with him.
Thirteen Years of Love
We had thirteen years with that little guy. Thirteen years. It wasn't enough, I suppose it never would have been enough. I miss him in the little, ordinary ways that make grief show up when you least expect it. I miss his morning nickers when I headed to the barn. I miss giving him rubs, scratches, and hugs. I miss seeing him in the pasture.
For the longest time, every time we came home, we would look out across the pasture for Shorty. It became such a natural part of coming home that I don't think we even realized how often we did it. And now, there is a little emptiness where he used to be.
Lane and Addy each have their own memories, their own stories, their own pieces of a childhood that included a fuzzy white pony with sparkling blue eyes. I have mine, too. I loved that little guy for all he did for my children, but I also loved him simply for being my friend.
He had a way of making people smile. It didn't seem to matter who you were or what kind of day you were having. Spend a little time around Shorty, and somehow, things felt a bit brighter. What a gift that is and what a gift it was to have him in our lives for as long as we did.
The Memories We Gather Without Knowing
When I think about gathering, I often picture a table full of family, a front porch conversation, or a stack of well-loved books waiting to be read together. But I also think gathering is something we do in quieter ways, too.
We gather memories while caring for animals. We gather them on the trail, in the barn, and in the pasture. We gather them when a little boy blows kisses to a woman watching from her window, when a little girl brings carrots to her pony, and when an old friend greets us with a familiar nicker.
We gather them in the ordinary moments we never imagine we will one day wish we could have back. And sometimes, without realizing it, we gather a story that becomes part of our family's history.
Shorty gave us so many of those moments. His story began with Miss Judy and her grandchildren, continued through Lane and two little boys learning to be cowboys, and found another chapter with Addy, our little cowgirl.
He brought joy into so many lives, I wish we could have kept him forever. I wish there had been more mornings, more porch visits, more carrots, and more hugs. But I am so thankful for the thirteen years we had. Thankful for the promise I was able to keep to Miss Judy. Thankful for the childhood memories he gave my children. And thankful that, somehow, this little pony left such a big impression on our hearts.
Perhaps that is one of the beautiful things about love: it doesn't end when our time together does. It stays with us in the stories we tell, the memories we revisit, and the ways we carry that love forward.
A Little Pony's Story Is Coming Soon
It's been just over a year now that Shorty passed, Shorty's story has lived in our memories and in the hearts of our family. Now, I am getting ready to share a little piece of that story with you. The Adventures of Shorty the Pony is coming soon to the Maggie Blane Bookshelf.
This children's book was born from a real love for a very special pony and from the memories he left behind. It is my hope that his story will bring a little joy to other families, too, and perhaps become one of those books a child asks to hear again and again.
Because some stories are meant to be shared. Some are meant to be read together at bedtime, tucked into a quiet afternoon, or brought out years later when a child is old enough to understand a little more about the love behind the words. And some stories remind us to pay attention to the ordinary days, because we never know which ones will become the memories we treasure most.
That is what Shorty has taught me. So this October, as we gather around our tables, settle onto our porches, and make room for stories in our homes, I hope you will join me in welcoming this sweet little pony to the Maggie Blane Bookshelf. His story means the world to us and I can't wait to share it with you.
Somewhere, in the middle of all those ordinary days, a little white pony became part of our family story. Thirteen years wasn't long enough, but it was long enough to leave love and hoof prints on our hearts that will stay with us always. 🤎
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