April's Sayonara
By Candy Lawrence

Yesterday, January 6th, my long time friend, companion and family member, April, left the planet for her ultimate final ride. She was 38-years-old. Although I've owned hundreds of horses, hands down she was at the head of the Top Ten list, simply because she was So Much Fun. An Appaloosa Thoroughbred cross who we got off a meat truck for $400, I often reflected over the years that I wouldn't have sold her for $400 million. No joke. She was the Deal of the Century....She was so entertaining, that she was absolutely Priceless.

A friend of mine, Jennifer, sent out notices to the equestrian community about her death, and another friend, Jill, made a wonderfully thoughtful movie to celebrate her life.....and put it up on the HVS website. To see it, go to HuntingValleyStables.com and click on the 'April' link.

During her life, April foxhunted with both the Grand River and the Chagrin Valley Hunts. She also competed in jumper horse shows and combined training events. She was one of the most enthusiastic horses I had ever met and had what I referred to as 'Happy Feet'. She'd constantly express her outrageous enthusiasm for life by throwing in these wildly dancing, happy bucks, exploding her hind legs up to the sky. It always painted a big, massive, spontaneous grin on my face and it always made me laugh hysterically because I knew she wasn't trying to unseat me, she was just enjoying life, expressing herself, purely, honestly and without repression.

April was always wild, crazy and full of herself, although misunderstood; she was often accused of being 'dangerous'. She wasn't mean or dangerous.....she was just happy and so passionate about life, so enthusiastic and energetic and 'out of control' that she could barely restrain herself. She was on a constant adrenaline rush, a 24/7constant high and she loved expressing it.....

One of the things that I was so blessed, so privileged to have experienced, was her role as Santa's horse during Christmas. Bedecked with a huge leather strand of screaming jingle bells, April would pull Santa's red sleigh around the farm in the snow, proudly giving rides. She loved the attention, the importance, adored being fussed over and was in her element whenever her special star was spotlighted.

April was too cool and it was a privilege to have her in my life, a privilege that certainly made my life a whole lot richer.

Thoughts are Prayers, simply stated, and by reading this and cognizantly processing these thoughts about this white horse who gave so much, you're actually sending her prayers, little luminous lights in her consciousness, and I appreciate that, because she was sacred, a member of my primary tribal unit, and I always got, literally and figuratively, such a great, big and powerful Kick out of her. She was, and will continue to be, an inspiration by demonstrating her own special version of Selfhood and for freely and enthusiastically expressing her Love of Life.