Our Clydesdale – COLBY You came to us as a Wedding Gift from my Mother over 30 Years ago, & to us you certainly were a “Gift that keeps on Giving”. Your beautiful nature, made training a breeze & you were soon being ridden. You learnt everything by the spoken word. Your canter under saddle was magnificent & worth every bit of encouragement & it was like the Toyota advertisement “Oh what a feeling!” Soon you were being harnessed & pulling a cart with us & our baby son in, & we enjoyed outings near & far. You then went on to plough our paddocks & pull our logs for our first home. Nothing ever seemed too hard or even like work to you. You took everything in your stride, always willing to please, & content with us as your owners, your trainers, & your Family. We enjoyed so many times with you over the years, on your back, in the cart, & by your side, on the ground, in the water, in the paddock, on the road, at home & afar. When we downsized our farm, & all our animals, we turned to each other & said, “We can’t let go of Colby – for He is not only a Gift – He is Family!” No longer needing any heavy work to be done, we enjoyed more riding adventures & paddock fun with you. You made us laugh so many times, turning up your nose & lips if something smelt odd or tasted awful. Running with me in the paddock & playing Hide & Seek. With all your strength & power, you would still shy & snort at the littlest of things, like a timber letterbox or small Llama. There were times, when we nearly lost you, like when you disappeared under the water & came up minutes later, breathing heavy & so out of breath. And when the Vets thought you had cancer in your jaw, only to surprise them that it was a bone infection. And constantly, God & our prayers & those of our Family & Church, pulled you through, especially in your older years. With every battle you faced, you came out a winner, & in recent months you got to keep your eye & died with it intact. From that first moment we saw you as a leggy, 8 month old, Clydesdale foal to an old, graceful, 31 year old, Horse – “You Captured our Heart” & the heart of many others. In your later years, I referred to you as “My Baby” & when people would ask which Baby, I would reply “My Big Baby – Colby”. When I retired you from riding, so many years ago, I taught you a new trick – to kiss. I would say “Colby – Kiss” & make a kissing sound, & you would put your big old white face & muzzle, up to my face. At first you would do it just for food & only for a short time. But for many years now, you would hold your muzzle to my face, for so much longer, as if to say, “I really do Love you!” For me, that will be the very thing I will miss the most – Your warm kisses. In the last couple of years, we fed you only the very best – “Old Timer”, so appropriately named. You would do anything for “Old Timer”, & you would turn up your nose at anything less. It seemed to put a spark in your eye & a briskness to your step. And even though it cost a penny, only the best would do for you. After over 30 years of having you in our lives & in our Family, you will be so sadly missed. But we take joy in knowing that you are in God’s embrace, & that when you finally fell asleep, the Angels welcomed your Big Beautiful Face into Heaven. “Well Done, Good & Faithful Colby!” Enter into the Rest, you surely deserve. You will be Forever in our Lives & in our Hearts! Your Family, Kevin & Teena Schloss
Colby our Clydesdal
