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Description
I woke up and looked out my window, and there she was, my beautiful black mare, Whisper. Beside her though was a new face. It was her six-month-old colt, Joker. We considered him a miracle to us. Just a last month we had lost my mom’s 21 year old horse, and he was born just before it happened.
When Joker was about to be born, we had to separate our mare, Stormy, and Whisper. We had an old pasture in the back so we fixed it up and then put her back there.
    About two weeks after joker was born, we let Stormy meet Joker. We brought her into the barn and put Joker out with whisper. While I held Stormy, my mom led Whisper and Joker down to the corral. I then brought Stormy down and let them meet each other.
    I started to laugh then, because Joker kept licking and chewing when Stormy got close. My mom told me that he was being submissive to her. Later, we let them out to run. Whisper chased stormy for awhile around the pasture until stormy understood whisper’s rules about Joker. When we brought Stormy in, we saw that she had a limp in the back leg. We put a hot wrap on it and soaked it for 20 minutes. That night we kept her in because of her age.
    We let her out back the next day and watch her carefully. She had no limp so we left her alone for the rest of the day. After thinking that everything was okay with her, we got a shock. About the second week of August, my life changed forever.
    One night, my mom and I went out to give Stormy some corncobs. We called and called, but she didn’t come. I then asked my mom if she wanted a flashlight, but she just said to go get a bucket and put the cobs in her pasture.
    The next day, we didn’t see her so Willie, my older brother, and I went to check on her. We found her lying down in the shade under an apple tree. I walked up to her and then I saw it. Her leg was broken in two. It was twisted back and I could see the bone. I screamed and then turned around and ran to find my mom. She said to calm down and tell her what happened. When I retold her, we ran to Stormy and took a better look at her.
She then told me to get Willie, some water and a towel. When we came back, Stormy was moving all around because the flies were driving her nuts. My mom then took the towel, got it soaking wet, and laid it over Stormy’s broken leg. Then, we gave her some water and she just kept drinking and drinking until she had drank around ten gallons.
    After sitting with mom and talking about what we could do, it happened. Stormy stood up and the towel fell off. I could see the pain and fright in her eyes as she stood there. Her broken leg hung there, flapping by a scrap of skin. As I started to cry, my mom yelled and said to go into the house until she came and got me. I turned and ran into the house. I then called my dad to let him know what had happened.
When I got done talking to him, I found Willie yelling and throwing things all around the living. He kept saying that Stormy was gay and a stupid horse for breaking her leg. I tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t listen. My mom came in later and said, “Laura, I got Stormy down again but I need your help to keep her quit while I call the vet.” I slowly went outside then and sat by Stormy while my mom called.
    The vet came out around 3:00 to look stormy over. My mom asked if I wanted to know if I was staying or going, but she already knew. While the vet got her things out, I sat down by Stormy’s head and told her it was going to be okay. The vet gave her the shot and Stormy looked at me. Her big round brown eyes had started to glaze over already. In her eyes though was something I could never forget. It was peacefulness. She was finally in peace even though she was leaving this world. Then her eyes closed and she took her last breath. I could feel the tears running down my face but I couldn’t hear a thing.
    The only thing I knew was that Stormy was gone forever and that she was never coming back. I laid my head onto her neck and kept thinking about her being in a better place where she was young again and there was no pain. As I stood back, my dad came up with the rented backhoe and picked her up. Earlier my dad had dug a hole by our fireplace. Me, Willie, and my mom followed my dad with the backhoe and watched as he laid her in. if I remember hard enough; I can still see the flowers in he field and Joker watching us with curious eyes. The day was warm, about 85, but I still remember the chills running down my back.
    Every year now in August, I go down to Stormy’s grave in our front yard and talk to her and give her flowers. When I think of her, I can still see her standing up and her broken leg hanging. I can also see her eyes, so full of pain and sadness. This horse meant a lot to my family and losing her was my first experience with death.
Today, Whisper and Joker still live with me. Whisper is getting old, at 18, but her son is still alive and well, at 6. We ride them still and we got a new horse to cover for Stormy (even though no horse can replace her).

Description
I woke up and looked out my window, and there she was, my beautiful black mare, Whisper. Beside her though was a new face. It was her six-month-old colt, Joker. We considered him a miracle to us. Just a last month we had lost my mom’s 21 year old horse, and he was born just before it happened.
When Joker was about to be born, we had to separate our mare, Stormy, and Whisper. We had an old pasture in the back so we fixed it up and then put her back there.
    About two weeks after joker was born, we let Stormy meet Joker. We brought her into the barn and put Joker out with whisper. While I held Stormy, my mom led Whisper and Joker down to the corral. I then brought Stormy down and let them meet each other.
    I started to laugh then, because Joker kept licking and chewing when Stormy got close. My mom told me that he was being submissive to her. Later, we let them out to run. Whisper chased stormy for awhile around the pasture until stormy understood whisper’s rules about Joker. When we brought Stormy in, we saw that she had a limp in the back leg. We put a hot wrap on it and soaked it for 20 minutes. That night we kept her in because of her age.
    We let her out back the next day and watch her carefully. She had no limp so we left her alone for the rest of the day. After thinking that everything was okay with her, we got a shock. About the second week of August, my life changed forever.
    One night, my mom and I went out to give Stormy some corncobs. We called and called, but she didn’t come. I then asked my mom if she wanted a flashlight, but she just said to go get a bucket and put the cobs in her pasture.
    The next day, we didn’t see her so Willie, my older brother, and I went to check on her. We found her lying down in the shade under an apple tree. I walked up to her and then I saw it. Her leg was broken in two. It was twisted back and I could see the bone. I screamed and then turned around and ran to find my mom. She said to calm down and tell her what happened. When I retold her, we ran to Stormy and took a better look at her.
She then told me to get Willie, some water and a towel. When we came back, Stormy was moving all around because the flies were driving her nuts. My mom then took the towel, got it soaking wet, and laid it over Stormy’s broken leg. Then, we gave her some water and she just kept drinking and drinking until she had drank around ten gallons.
    After sitting with mom and talking about what we could do, it happened. Stormy stood up and the towel fell off. I could see the pain and fright in her eyes as she stood there. Her broken leg hung there, flapping by a scrap of skin. As I started to cry, my mom yelled and said to go into the house until she came and got me. I turned and ran into the house. I then called my dad to let him know what had happened.
When I got done talking to him, I found Willie yelling and throwing things all around the living. He kept saying that Stormy was gay and a stupid horse for breaking her leg. I tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t listen. My mom came in later and said, “Laura, I got Stormy down again but I need your help to keep her quit while I call the vet.” I slowly went outside then and sat by Stormy while my mom called.
    The vet came out around 3:00 to look stormy over. My mom asked if I wanted to know if I was staying or going, but she already knew. While the vet got her things out, I sat down by Stormy’s head and told her it was going to be okay. The vet gave her the shot and Stormy looked at me. Her big round brown eyes had started to glaze over already. In her eyes though was something I could never forget. It was peacefulness. She was finally in peace even though she was leaving this world. Then her eyes closed and she took her last breath. I could feel the tears running down my face but I couldn’t hear a thing.
    The only thing I knew was that Stormy was gone forever and that she was never coming back. I laid my head onto her neck and kept thinking about her being in a better place where she was young again and there was no pain. As I stood back, my dad came up with the rented backhoe and picked her up. Earlier my dad had dug a hole by our fireplace. Me, Willie, and my mom followed my dad with the backhoe and watched as he laid her in. if I remember hard enough; I can still see the flowers in he field and Joker watching us with curious eyes. The day was warm, about 85, but I still remember the chills running down my back.
    Every year now in August, I go down to Stormy’s grave in our front yard and talk to her and give her flowers. When I think of her, I can still see her standing up and her broken leg hanging. I can also see her eyes, so full of pain and sadness. This horse meant a lot to my family and losing her was my first experience with death.
Today, Whisper and Joker still live with me. Whisper is getting old, at 18, but her son is still alive and well, at 6. We ride them still and we got a new horse to cover for Stormy (even though no horse can replace her).