Abigail (Abby Four Socks)
2005-2017
“Look! Abby has an angel on her shoulder!”
When Abby came to Gateway it was a real celebration! She was Sherry’s chosen horse and all of the Gateway family was there to meet her – and help clean up! She was quite a mess on arrival. Sherry bought Abby in July 2012. Abby’s purpose was to be an equine partner for Sherry and also to be an integral part of our Gateway ministry.
Preliminary examinations found that she had some serious physical problems.In many ways, she too became a “rescue” since her owner was prepared to send her to the meat auction if Sherry didn’t decide to buy her. She was a great example of finding intrinsic worth in all of God’s creatures. In God’s kingdom, there are no “throw away,”‘ and hope comes in all shapes at Gateway; specifically, the four-legged kind of hope! With lots of TLC and much prayer (yes, we prayed for her!), Abby had nicely recovered. She had mastered the Parelli Seven Games, and had become a steady lesson horse for Sherry’s students. Abby had a quick mind and could be mischievous at times, which kept Sherry and her students on their toes.
Sadly, in 2017 Abby’s physical problems with her back and hips grew worse, and every day she was in more and more pain. Despite plenty of rest and vet care, she showed no improvement, and steadily declined in health, and grew more and more miserable. In November of 2017, Sherry made the difficult decision of putting her to sleep, sparing her another harsh winter. Sherry and the Gateway family miss her very much.
We love you, Abby. Thank you for being a part of our lives for five amazing years.
Abigail (Abby Four Socks)
2005-2017
“Look! Abby has an angel on her shoulder!”
When Abby came to Gateway it was a real celebration! She was Sherry’s chosen horse and all of the Gateway family was there to meet her – and help clean up! She was quite a mess on arrival. Sherry bought Abby in July 2012. Abby’s purpose was to be an equine partner for Sherry and also to be an integral part of our Gateway ministry.
Preliminary examinations found that she had some serious physical problems.In many ways, she too became a “rescue” since her owner was prepared to send her to the meat auction if Sherry didn’t decide to buy her. She was a great example of finding intrinsic worth in all of God’s creatures. In God’s kingdom, there are no “throw away,”‘ and hope comes in all shapes at Gateway; specifically, the four-legged kind of hope! With lots of TLC and much prayer (yes, we prayed for her!), Abby had nicely recovered. She had mastered the Parelli Seven Games, and had become a steady lesson horse for Sherry’s students. Abby had a quick mind and could be mischievous at times, which kept Sherry and her students on their toes.
Sadly, in 2017 Abby’s physical problems with her back and hips grew worse, and every day she was in more and more pain. Despite plenty of rest and vet care, she showed no improvement, and steadily declined in health, and grew more and more miserable. In November of 2017, Sherry made the difficult decision of putting her to sleep, sparing her another harsh winter. Sherry and the Gateway family miss her very much.
We love you, Abby. Thank you for being a part of our lives for five amazing years.
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Five Years More
God works in wonderful ways
He put us together to save me some days.
If it wasn’t for you, I would have missed
Five special years of Gateway bliss!
Life threw me some curves at a very young age
But you found me and my life began a new stage.
You persisted and nursed me through all of my ills,
And put up with my very, very strong will!
Oh, to run like the wind was a wonderful thing,
Or to throw a few bucks in the exercise ring!
I didn’t mean to scare you when I kicked up my heels,
Or make you jump when I let out those squeals.
I just loved life and it was because of you,
I was able to really enjoy the last few.
But now my joins are starting to hurt
And it’s not so easy to recover from a spurt.
The winter is approaching, the nights are cold
And I’m not feeling so great if the truth be told.
So thank you for knowing the time is right,
To spare me from facing another long night.
Please don’t despair though I am leaving you now,
Between you and me, let’s make a vow.
Let’s remember the wonderful times that we’ve had
And try very hard not to be too sad.
Thank you for giving me Five Years More
Abby Four Socks