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Murfer & Miss Dollys Bid
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Murfer (lft) & Miss Dollys Bid (rt)
Quachita National Forest, Oklahoma
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Murfer was a registered Appendix Quarter Horse by Game Plan and out of Swiftly Suddenly (TB). A dark bay gelding foaled in 1984. Prior to my purchasing Murfer in 1989, he spent some time on the race track. After the race track is when his story goes down hill.
The first time I saw Murfer he was at a place I boarded my two breeding stock Paint colts. He was stunning, absolutely beautiful, so full of pride and spirit and his coat was like polished mahogany.
From his stall Murfer ruled the roost, if Reb and Yank got to far out of his site in the paddock, Murfer would call them back.
Murfer had never lived the life of a normal horse, he had been in a small paddock , stall or on the track. With the okay from the owners (partners), I started leading Murfer out in the big pasture, showing him where fences were, trees, stumps, and the little creek. After about a week of these daily trips with him on a lead and the colts froliking around him, I let him loose. What a sight to behold, he was finally free from confinement and loving every minute of it. It became a daily routine for him and the colts to spend their time in the big pasture.
We finally purchased our own place with room for our colts, so we moved them home with us.
About 4 months later, the partnership on Murfer dissolved, and he became owned only one of the partners. This lady didn't know much about horses, I had to teach her how to feed and care for him, but somehow it didn't sink in that well. We lost contact after a while, about a year later she contacted me to see if I could borrow my horse trailer to pick Murfer up from where he was being boarded at because they hadn't been taking very good care of him and he lost weight. The next day she was going to bring the horse trailer back she called and said that she didn't know how to care for Murfer, and didn't have the money to do so. I had her bring him out to me, I was appalled, he was a rack of bones, his coat was dingy, no shine and he hung his head practically to the ground. Where was the Murfer of the pride and spirit...it broke my heart. To make things legal I paid her $1 and she signed over his registration to me.
When I took him out to the barn, the colts were so happy to see him, Murfer just hung his head.
Months of rehabilitation went into Murfer, He regain his position of authority over the colts, but physically he never did regain that something extra, that sparkle, he had when I first saw him.
We trained him for riding (certainly not the same as his race training), I rode him in drill, on the trails around home and up in the mountains. He was a handful on the open ground, but up on the narrow trails he was always surefooted. He was a big character, just a real funny guy.
I later sold him to a great gentleman who loved him, and was willing to put up with his quirks.
Miss Dollys Bid was a 1977 Sorrel AQHA mare. She was by Doyles Bid and out of Queen of Seventy. I purchased her in 1990. Dolly at 13 had some pretty rough years behind her, as a youngster she showed in halter so she must of had some beauty going for her then. But, when I purchased her, she had a dingy coat, her feet hadn't been taken care of correctly for years. There was scarring around her front fetlocks and what looked like calcium deposits on her spine, along with old scars from a poorly fitting saddle. What Dolly had going for her was her ability to give a great ride, she was game, would go wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Through water, over bridges, through the woods and up steep trails ponying the youngsters. I could ride her in drill, in horse shows, barrel race her and round up cattle. After riding young and inexperienced horses for so long, she was a dream.
She did have a few quirks; one was when you were leading her with a halter, she would pull away so quickly...man, the rope burns on my hands...when I finally used my smarts, I would lead her with a bridle. Her other habit was pawing at fences, gee, I wonder how she got those scars on her legs?
She was the hardest keeper I have ever owned, it was very difficult to keep the meat on and she dehydrated quickly.
But she was wonderful and I would never have traded her away.
She lost her eyesight in one eye from a low hanging branch and it never phased her.
At 18 years old we lost her due to a major infection in her lungs. Littleton Vet Clinic in Colorado worked for months and couldn't get under control. It was a sad day for us and we miss Dolly to this day.
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