Published: September 12, 2008 12:44 pm      

Head over heels in love — with horses

Anne Morris of Danville admits she’s been horse-crazy since she was 8 years old.

Like many young girls, she had quite a collection of horse statues — and still does. As an adult, she’s been lucky enough to actually own horses.

Morris has had seven horses since 1983, but the latest beauty in her life is special.

Blackjack is an 18-year-old Tennessee walking horse with a sleek dark coat and personality-plus.

Last spring, Morris started looking for a horse to replace one that had died. She knew exactly what she wanted — a horse with an easy gait and not too feisty. She looked at a couple, but none clicked.

She was at a farm and had decided against one horse, when the owner brought out another one — Blackjack.

When she saw the black beauty, she thought: “I’m in love.”

“We bonded almost immediately,” she said. “He has the kindest eyes.”

She boards him outside Danville and drives out at least once a day to care for him, adding that he knows the sound of her car.

When she arrives at the stable, she can rest assured that another buddy — Nighty, a black cat — will be there to greet her and follow her around. The cat, who lives nearby, is the security guard for the stable.

One time, he startled Morris — who thought the barn was empty —when he jumped out from a back room.

SPECIAL HORSE

Morris has had Blackjack since May, but hasn’t had a chance to ride him yet, waiting until it’s cooler.

In the meantime, Blackjack has toys in his stall to amuse himself — a ball shaped and scented like an apple, and a couple of other balls.

He likes his treats, especially sliced carrots, and he likes to be groomed and fussed over.

“He’s a good boy,” she said. “He’s just that special horse. Blackjack is just like my child.”

Blackjack is named after the riderless horse that walked in the funeral procession of President John F. Kennedy and others.

Morris’ first horse was Parader, a saddlebred who lived to be 25. Other special horses were Danny Boy and Cracklin’ Rose, both saddlebreds.

However, there’s nothing like a gaited horse.

“They have a rocking-horse canter that could put you to sleep,” she said, explaining there are no jolts or bumps. “Once you ride a gaited horse, I don’t think you’d want anything else.”

Morris has some advice for parents whose child wants a horse.

Before investing in a horse or pony, let the child take riding lessons first.

A child — and even an adult — has to realize that owning a horse takes a lot of discipline and it’s a lot of work. Riding is fun, but the stable has to be cleaned out and the horse requires maintenance, such as making sure the hooves are trimmed and his teeth are in good shape.

If you decide to buy a horse, then take an experienced horseman with you. “It’s like buying a used car,” she said. “Use your best judgment.”

Morris used to ride horses with the Rev. C.B. Motsett, a well-known horse lover.

HOW IT BEGAN

When Morris was a child growing up in Hoopeston, her parents would buy her a horse statue for each “A” and “B” she got in school.

She now has more than 200 statues on display in her home — in all sizes, colors, styles and materials.

Her home is like a horse museum — filled with photos, prints, toys, saddles and bridles, books and other horse-related items, such as an alarm clock that gallops and whinnies, and wind chimes.

She also collects pictures of Victorian women with horses and dogs.

Memories of horses from the past are kept alive: oil paintings of her horses, their bridles, clippings from their manes, name plaques from their stalls and their shoes hanging on the wall.

She has a couple of horse statues that Motsett gave her, including a marble one from Italy, and a black one that a friend brought from Russia. There’s also a miniature jaunting car and pony from Ireland; she had the chance to ride in one in Killarney.

Some of the plastic horses have riders, such as Palladin and the Lone Ranger.

Morris pulled down one of her biggest statutes. She saw that horse with a removable saddle and bridle in a store window in Hoopeston when she was a child, and told her stepfather how much she liked it.

“My eyes popped out,” she said.

A week later, she passed the window — and it was gone.

When Christmas came shortly afterward, she was surprised and pleased to open a gift containing the horse and its rider.

She also has a nice collection of Breyer horses, including those representing Gen. Robert E. Lee’s and Gene Autry’s horses.

Other statues include a pink one that she bought for 50 cents as a child, a draft horse given to her by Motsett, a glass-blown horse and a statue with a tail made of real horse hair.

As a child, she read all the books about horses in the Hoopeston library, and today, still has a sizeable collection of books and videos.

An avid traveler, Morris also has visited the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

GOOD LISTENERS

Why has her love for horses persisted after all these years?

Morris explains: “You can tell them stuff and they’re not going to go out and repeat it.”

She agrees with this saying: “A bale of hay is cheaper than an hour with a shrink.” In fact, horses are her therapy, she said.

In addition, they’re very loveable and powerful.

“People carry pictures of their kids; I carry pictures of my animals,” she said, pulling out a stack of pictures.

She also collects memorabilia of her hero, John Wayne.

Morris retired in 2004 as a teacher at Southview Middle School, and she’s now a substitute teacher.

Her lifelong loyalty to horses is touching. As a teacher, she had the chance to share that respect and admiration with young people. Let’s hope they retain those lessons, and grow up loving horses like she does.

If you would like to have your pet featured in this column, contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.