THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
KEITH MALCOLM HUNT
I had been faithful in doing God’s work from 1980; spent many hours a day studying and researching; bringing sermons to the two small churches I was pastoring [Oshawa, Ontario, and Rochester, NY]. I had undertaken writing a few books on important Bible topics [Church Government - Divorce and Remarriage], and many prophetic studies. God had given me a mind cleared of old theology things and like a new start with His word. Many more truths were flooding my mind. My gift of writing from High School days was now being put to work. When I say writing skills, I do not mean a gift of fancy words, and all that stuff; I mean theology writing is to put things that as easy to understand by people, and putting all verses on a subject together like making a jig-saw puzzle. God had always given me an analytical mind from a teenager. I well remember those Sunday school classes as a teen, where the teacher would be asking questions from us, and we would be analyzing our thoughts in the light of God’s word—— facts and the principles of facts and truth.
Yess I had worked really really hard for my Father’s work He had set for me from 1980.
I was in the small town of Cochrane, 20 minutes west of Calgary. A still small voice came to me, no in an audible way, but to my mind. It said, “You have always wanted to ride horses, have fun with horses, so now you can do it again.”
I found the Western Store in Cochrane, and asked, “Where can I rent a horse to ride individually, for I’m a good rider?” The answer was immediate, “O Griffin Valley Ranch.”
I asked the way there. I was off right away. It was a Friday. When I arrived there were many cars there; I thought they have a good business going. I found it was the kids summer horse camp, and on Fridays the parent come to see the display that the young ones do on their horse or pony.
I could ride by myself, but first I would have to have an hour with a guide, who would show me the main trails. My guide was a young lady, we talked about riding and she informed me the ranch was always looking for volunteers to take out trail rides etc. And then you would get to ride free of charge.
The man in charge of the horse riding part of the ranch was a follow named Russ. A nice guy. I did get to ride out by myself, and then talked to Russ about being a volunteer. He was pleased I would so become. And I was with Russ for two years, helping him, and taking out trail riders. It was super fun again to be working with horses, and meeting all the various people from various trades of work, who wanted to get away from day to day routines, and enjoy the outdoors on the back of a horse. Some groups were women working in down-town office building for oil companies. The company would pay them to have the day off and go horse-back riding. Those were the years when oil was a booming business, like a rocket-ship to the moon. People got filthy rich in those years. Buy this and buy that, after buying a fancy house. They thought it would never end. When it did, we found many were so far in debt, they had to sell their house and fancy expensive toys. Many had not saved very much during all those years, as I said, they thought that life style would never end.
I found the lady who owned and operated the “kids summer horse camp” and told her I could do a mid-day, lunch, entertainment of singing with the Sons of the Pioneers, Roy Rogers etc. and also some kids songs.
The lady was named Diane, and she excitedly said, “Great, and I will pay you.”
I actually ended up working for her during the summer camp, teaching with another lady, the kids on ponies, most never had rode a pony before. The young lady I worked with was Tanya, a very sweet young lady and we worked well together.
It would take a small book to tell you all the ins and outs of working on a horse rental ranch. I did write a “Diary of working on a Horse ranch”— maybe I will upload it one day to this blog. All horses are different, they have their own personality; some pretty smart, others kind of dumb but okay for trail riding. All the horses on a trail riding ranch have to be in the main, the mutts of horses, a mixture of breeds. They make the very best horses for trail riding, just plod along one after the other. Yes we did have some higher breeding horses, ones to rent out to experienced horse riders, ones who could canter or lope, ones with some “spark” in them.
You also have a few very bright ones, who could figure how to untie themselves. We had two brother horses that could do that like a fine art. So we had to tie a special knot they could not untie.
You had ones that the ranch bought at sales, who came with some touchy problems. One mare had a strange problem. When you went to bridle her as you do from the left side, she was okay to put the poll part of the bridal on her left ear, but you had to go around to her right side to work with her right ear and the bridal. If you stayed on her left side and tried to reach around to her right ear, she would freak out. She could never be trained out of this way to put the bridal on. I had to tell all new employees working in the summer camp how to bridal that mare.
We had a nice black gelding horse, I rode him often during those first two years with Griffin Valley. I taught him how to neck rein very well.
If you wanted to buy a horse it had to be Al Griffin who would give the yes or no. I told Russ I’d like to buy the black gelding, his name was Willyrock. Russ said he would ask Al. A week later when I arrived, the answer from Al was a NO. He wanted Willyrock for his 14 year old daughter in barrel racing. He knew how well I had taught him to neck-rein. It was a blessing in disguised, if he had sold him to me, I would never have looked for the horse of my boyhood dreams—— my Trigger.
Willyrock turned out to be un-catchable. They would try with some oats, and it worked for a few times, then he stretched out his neck, took the oats from your hand and ran off. He was soon back in with all the other horses for use on trails and the summer camp.
As I was not allowed to buy Willyrock, my mind, or again a still small voice said to me, “You have always wanted your Trigger horse from a kid of 7, seeing Roy Rogers’ Trigger; time to start looking.”
So it was search time for me, to find my boyhood dream horse.
I looked for months in all the horse magazines— nothing. I was not surprised as I had certain points to look for—— a mare, young, dark gold [not the creamy Palomino type], and about 15hh [height]. There was nothing like what I needed to fulfil my dream horse. I looked for about 9 months. Nothing!
Then I opened a horse magazine—— a lady and 5 horses with her; the words read, “Registered Quarter horses for sale, because of ill health” - on her part. I emailed her, Debbie was her name. I asked if she had—— and listed all I gave you above. I had little hopes.
She emailed me back and to me shock said, “Yes, I have the very horse you are looking for.”
I was up to her ranch about 3/4 hour north of Calgary, quick as I could. Seeing Debbie, as thin as a rail, not at all like the photo in the horse magazine, I surmised she had canter, but never asked. She brought out “Final Touch” a beautiful mare indeed—— wow…. she was all I was looking for; this was the horse of my boyhood dreams.
Final Touch was no problem to saddle and ride, but did not like being too far away from the herd of horses. She was in foal. And would not pick up her feet. She was 4 years old, and from the USA. With her top notch breeding Debbie had bought her to be a brood mare, just to have babies.
This was all in the fall of the year. I told Debbie I did not want a mare in foal, and the mare would not pick up her feet.
“Leave it with me Keith, I will work on her feet over the winter.”
And that was how I left it. I had no big hopes per se over the winter months for Debbie, by the way she looked she could die.
So January, February, March went by. Not a word from Debbie. The year was 2005. I had pretty well resigned myself to not hearing from Debbie.
I arrived home one evening and there was an email from Debbie—— “Final Touch has given birth, do you still want to buy her?”
I replied I sure did indeed, and asked if she had worked on picking up her feet. Debbie said she indeed had done so. And she had— it was a problem gone.
I was up to her ranch the next day. There was Final Touch looking so wonderful, with baby by her side. I sat down in Debbie’s living room. Deb. brought out the paper work on Final Touch. I was told she had super breeding, and some photos of her immediate father, great looking stallion. Deb said, “I could ask a lot more for her, but I know the market is flooded with mares, as the PMU barns are closed down.”
A little on PMU barns. I did not know they existed. Griffin Valley was one of them. I had been told by people who were at Griffin Valley ranch before me, and how they said the ranch had 600 mares and 40 stallions—— to breed naturally out on the ranges of the ranch. They told me the sight in Spring time was mind-blowing—— most of the mares with babies by their side, an unreal sight! The mare’s urine was collected by fancy modern equipment and stored in huge tanks; it went to the medical profession; the chemicals used in drugs, such as the birth-control pill. Now that the medical world could make these chemicals in the lab. there was no need of urine from mare horses. So all the PMU barns were closed down.
The babies were sold to the USA for dude ranches.
So Debbie went on to say, “I’m asking 3 thousand dollars for Final Touch.”
I pulled out my check book and wrote Debbie a check for $3000.
Debbie said, “I will bring her down to you at the Griffin Ranch, when she is weaned off her baby.”
It was a done deal!
MY O MY….. THANK YOU LORD, I SAID A NUMBER OF TIMES TO HIM!
In 2005, at the age of near 63 I finally had the horse of my boyhood dreams. Final Touch had just turned 5 years old.
Debbie did what she said, after the foal was weaned off Final Touch, she was brought down to me at the Griffin ranch. All the staff and volunteers said, “Wow….she is gorgeous!”
“What are you going to name her Keith” was the question—— one guy saying, “Triggeret?”
I said I was not sure but Goldie was on my mind.
“Ah… Goldie Hawn…. The film star” one replied.
“Well Goldie fits her real good” I answered.
So it was Final Touch became my Goldie!
I decided on who would be my vet, in the local town off Cochrane. He looked at my file and my horse, saying, “Do you know who her grandfather was? I said, “No I do not.”
“Well her grandfather was I’m Impressive!”
He could see I had no idea who that horse was.
“I can see you do not know who he was. Well he was not just a State champion, but the USA National Halter Champion!”
He went on to say, “Just look at her front end and her back end— that’s I’m Impressive coming out in her.”
So at long last I had my childhood dream horse; the LORD had given me what I dreamed of having from age 7.
The wait was well worth it!
My Goldie turned out to be the best horse you could hope for—— a sweet nature, but a sharp mind, a fast horse that loved to go fast when the opportunity was there. She was so laid back and nice with kids petting her face, people were surprised when they saw how fast she could go.
We had for 16 years, a special bond between us, and did so many things here and there, just the two of us, and there was the many Cochrane town parades we were in as Roy Rogers and Trigger.
My life was indeed full now, doing the work of the Lord, my website, and my blog; also having fun with my precious, and lovely horse Goldie.
………………………..
To be continued
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