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shelhangen · 5 years

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Horse Portrait #3- Boot Scoot’n Beat, his nickname is Vince, very smart and bold American Sorrel Paint Horse & paying tribute of him <3

These photos of Vince that I took back in my college years for my portfolio project in January, 2010. I happend to know this horse and his owner for many years and we all keep in touch. I felt like I know this horse Vince for AGES!! He was amazing horse. The reason I felt needed to share with this heartfelt post about this beautiful horse Vince because I discovered the sad news that he has passed away around a month ago. Ms. Linda and I have been keeping in touch and told me about her beloved best friend for life, Vince has been passed away. I was like, deeply lost for words. She raised him when he was foal. She must had him for more than 25 years. I was so heartbroken to hear about Vince passing and especially for Ms. Linda and her family for their beloved loss.

Let me tell you the story....

We all first met at Little Acres Farm in Dacula, Georgia in 2000. Vince was in round pen and wanders around. He sneaked his nose to nibble on my back while the barn manger were showing us the riding area and the barn. We were talking about going to take the riding lessons here. I looked back at him and gave him petting on his nose. Then he wanted more petting. My twin sister and I was like “Look at that beautiful horse!” The barn manger told us that his name is Vince and he does western pleasure riding. We met Ms. Linda for our weekly riding lessons. My riding lesson horse was Duke. He was huge sorrel quarter horse and my sister’s riding lesson horse was Gyspy, she was stunning dapple grey quarter horse. Ms. Linda told us that silly white and red horse in the round pen is her horse Vince and she raised him when he was foal. She also have another horse named Cheerio, she was such adorable bay quarter horse in pony size.

Few months later, my best friend Margaret and I went to 4-H State Show in Perry, Georgia. We were visiting and showed our supports to these riders, in and horses from our farm. I first spotted Vince in warm up riding area and then saw Ms. Linda. Her daughter Abbey were riding Vince and showed him in few classes at the State Show. They did really well and these classes was pretty challenging with number of horses and riders. This picture was in June, 2001.

Months passed by and our riding skills are more stronger and better. Our riding teacher Ms. Linda told us it’s time to get ready for horse showing in Spring of 2002. OUR FIRST HORSE SHOW! I was so excited and nervous at same time. My lesson horse Duke and I were looking forward to it. My twin sister Sara and her lesson horse Gyspy were getting ready and do some more training for upcoming show. Somehow, we got the news that Gyspy and her owner were moving to another state with the family right away. Sara were pretty crushed and she didn’t have a horse to show with. Ms. Linda told Sara that she could ride her horse Vince since he needed somebody to keep up with riding. Sara put saddle up on Vince and started taking lessons right away. I remember Sara ends up being so sore after the lessons because Vince is very unique. His riding skills and his body languages respond are completely different from her former lesson horse Gyspy. She has few weeks to learn all and work with Vince.

A our FIRST horse show, Sara and Vince did great job in her classes, they won couple of ribbons and award as High Point Champion. My lesson horse Duke and I were in same classes with Sara and Vince too. I have won few ribbons and didn’t win an award. After the show, I asked Ms. Linda if I could ride Vince to train my riding skills to be better and prepare for next horse show in 2003 because I wanted to win more ribbons and awards being on a such great horse like Vince. ((You can smell of my jealously of my twin sister because of her winning more ribbons than me and we were 13 years, haha eh.)) Months later, my twin sister started riding this new lesson horse named Toby, deep dark red sorrel american quarter horse. Sara has fell in love with him all the sudden. She started bathing him and spending more times with him after our lessons were end. I have started riding Vince for lessons as well. Till spring of 2003, my parent, me and my twin sister Sara has decided to buy Toby to be part of family since Sara loves him so much and has been wanting him to be ours while he was for sale at the barn. We made deal that my parent will buy another horse for me as on my own in later a year.

In mid April 2003, we have moved to another barn, Silvercloud Farm in Loganville, Georgia for better living opportunity and more access to 25 acres of pasture for Toby, Vince and Cheerio. We had few weeks to practicing and getting ready for our horse show in early May 2003. I believe it was around Mother’s Day weekend and the weather has been awful.

Vince and I won 1st place in our showmanship class.

Vince and I won the ribbons from all of my english classes!

Me and Vince & Sara and Toby waiting for our western classes at the horse show. Later in the summer of 2003, we have been accepted to 4-H Horse school camp for a week in Perry, Georgia. I begged Ms. Linda to let me take Vince with me to this schooling for a week because I didn’t have a horse on my own yet. My sister Sara does have Toby. She finally say yes. We packed up and went on the road trip!

My twin sister Sara & Toby and I & Vince spent a whole week in this hot and humid. We all had busy schedule for 7 days of learning, meetings, riding classes and social events. We had so much of fun and also very tiring. In later August 2003, we have began to looking for another horse for me to call him or she to be on my own. Ms. Linda had this connections with her friends with horses and asked me to tag along to see this palomino horse is that for sale nearby. This fella palomino is quarter horse and around 7 years old and it’s Goldi. After brining Goldi to our stable Silvercloud Farm to join with our group of Toby, Vince and Cheerio in the pasture. Sometime Sara either I takes turns to ride Vince for one of our riding lesson and spend our times together at our barn days. These boys and Cheerio plays all day together in the pasture.

Time passed on and our lives moves on during the high school years. Ms. Linda and their horses Vince and Cheerio has to moved to private barn close by to her home for their finical reason. I don’t really remember when was the last time I saw Vince when he left. I do remember saying goodbye and gave him big smoochy and handful of treats before he loaded up in a horse trailer.

Till then- in college years in 2009-2010, somehow I found to get in touch with Ms. Linda and discovered that she still has Vince and Cheerio! I asked her if I could come out to shoot the photos of them in the field for my college projects since I’m specialized in horse photography as my career. I came out to this cute barn for only two horses with more than 20 acres of land. Vince & Cheerio ran all over the places just for me to take their photographs. :)

My heart goes out to my dearly friend Ms. Linda and her family with their loss of longtime best friend, Boot Snoot’n Beat aka Vince. I do know that he’s no longer being in pain and his health condition due by aging. He’s no longer being alone anymore. He’s now with Toby and Cheerio in horse heaven. Running around like teenager boy and eating so much of “cloudy” grasses.

*Cheerio passed away in February of 2015* *Toby passed away in June of 2016* now Vince, passed away in January of 2019*

#equine #horsephotography #horse portrait #memorial #4-h horse

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