A Story of Grandpa's Horse

Location: Oregon
Time: 1927

She had a big round kind eye, somewhat of a long nose, sorrel colored, and a heart that never stopped trying. In the early 1900's many buildings like cabins were built with horses. My Grandpa and Grandma built their home out of logs with horses. And they told us grandkids the story of Trixie over and over again. They used Trixie for many things, but this time she was pulling logs off the hill to the cabin site. My Dad was riding and guiding her off the hill, with one log behind her. She slowly leaned into the pull, lowering her head and dropping her upper lip out and over her lower lip with heart and try. The log began slowly sliding. It was not a steep slope down hill, but was still down hill when something happened, Trixie lost her footing throwing my Dad off and running a large stick into her stomach. Dad was ok but Trixie was not. Grandpa and Grandma did everything they could to save her, cleaning the wound regularly, feeding her mash, doing what they could and had in those days. Horses pick up infections fast, and infection set in .Grandpa and Grandma told us where Trixie stood close to the cabin waiting for what care and love she could get. Grandpa did the best he could to keep the would clean, and Grandma fed her warm mash. She died in 10 days. But for generations was remembered as the wonderful horse that was a big part of my Grandpa and Grandma's family. They always talked of Trixie's never ending try. Because horses were used so much in those days, many became a part of a family, and Trixie was a big part of my Grandparents life and family.