Chipper Deep In My Heart | A Nice Horse Story

By: Lanell Witte

Once in a great while there comes a time when a horse touches our hearts just as Chipper touched mine. I can remember back to when I was about seven years old maybe even younger when Chipper first came into my life. A friend of mine named Steve owned Chipper he had gotten him for his birthday. Because I didn’t have a horse or pony back then we shared him. For years we rode him together in shows and on the road, trailrides, you could say we rode his legs off him. A few years later when I turned eleven my parents bought me a Quarter Horse filly for a Christmas present.

Low and behold she was only five months old so I continued to ride Chipper until Christmas turned two and I started riding her. As a matter o’fact Chipper trained Christmas.

Steve and I rode those two side by side for hours and miles. Because I only had one horse when
I wanted to take a friend riding we would ride Christmas double to Steve’s house saddle up
Chipper and take off. It was one of those times when my friend and I got to Steve’s and found
Chipper gone. He said he sold him but would never tell me to whom he had sold him to.
I thought about Chipper a lot over the years especially in Nov. of 1985 when I had to put my
horse Christmas down due to an injury that cut her ligiments and tendons in half on her left
rear leg.

I again asked where Chipper was. Again none would tell me. In August of 1993 my husband and I bought a house in the country, a big farm house on five acres. I could finally have horses again. It was January 1994 when I finally found out where Chipper was. I ran into Steve’s dad at one of our supermarkets. To my surprise without my even asking he told me where Chipper was. He said he might as well tell me cause he was only a mile or so from my new house.

My hands fumbled with my keys, it seemed like every stop light I came to was red, every stop sign had a line of cars, the car in front of me seemed to only be going thirty when in reality I was doing fifty five.

I just couldn’t get to him quick enough. All our memories together came flooding back in a sea of laughter, tears and finally elation.
As I pulled in the drive I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. I looked but didn’t see, my heart stopped if only just for a second. ” Can I help you” an unfamiliar voice asked. “Your horse, were is your horse, ” I was getting frantic I could feel my heart racing in anticipation. ” He isn’t my horse but he is out there in the field.” My heart raced faster and faster I couldn’t believe it could Chipper really be here.

I quickly explained, ” I have a history with this horse and have been looking for him for a long time can I go take a look.” It seemed an eternity until I got the reply, “Sure go ahead.” I turned in the direction of the field carefully trying to get my feet in rhythm with one another, do I walk, do I run. I stop, for my eyes had found him. In a field of white stood Chipper. “Chipper” my voice called out; it was music to my ears as tears rolled down my cheek, a soft welcoming “I remember you” neigh. I stepped over the electric fence where he met me as if to say “What took you so long.” I wrapped my arms around him in a sigh of relief. I checked on Chipper everyday after that.

Slowing down as I was driving by just to catch a glimpse.
As winter turned to spring I decided one Sat. morning to ride my own horse down to see Chipper. As I rode past the house next to the place Chipper was at I saw a woman out taking care of her animals I rode into the driveway to chat. As it turns out she was taking care of not only her horses but also Chipper. ” I don’t own Chipper but I can tell you who does.” As the name flowed from her lips my mind grasped it memorizing it immediately “Rose Walton.”

We chatted some more I politely excused myself and headed in the direction of home. As I rode into the drive all I could thing of was trying to locate Rose. I tied Maggie, patted her shoulder telling her I would be right back and headed for the phone book. My fingers just couldn’t dial fast enough and when I heard hello on the other end the questions just kept pouring out. ” Is this Rose Walton.” Yes was the reply. ” You don’t know me my name is Lanell I am calling about your horse Chipper.” ” What is wrong with Chipper.” “Oh I am sorry nothing is wrong it is just that I have a history with him and have been looking for him for years. I used to ride him all the time when Steve had him, I now have a daughter of my own and would love to buy Chipper from you to teach her how to ride and for us to enjoy.”

Her reply stung my ears; ” He is so old I don’t think he is worth much.” ” But you don’t understand I don’t care how much you want for him I would really like to have him.” She sighed and replied. ” Let me think about it for a couple days I will call you back what is your number.” I rattled off my number said a quick ” I will be looking forward to hearing from you and headed out the door to put Maggie away.

I was elated if only a slim possibility I might in the next few days have Chipper as my very own. Being impatient I watched as the minutes ticked by. What was supposed to be a couple days turned out to be only three hours. The ring of the phone the quick hello and then “If I would decide for you to get Chipper we would have a problem with his stablemate. He is stabled with an old goat.” I couldn’t apologize for cutting her off ” That’s ok I will take the goat to.” The tears formed as I heard the words. “Well then he is yours.” “How much do you want for him.” I was waiting to hear a price to my surprise I didn’t, “All I would like is that you provide both Chipper and Linda a good home I am giving them to you.” “In that case I would want you to come meet my family and I. and see just where he will be.” We set it up for the next morning. I made allot of phone calls that night the first being to Steve. I had always told him when we would go out riding that “Someday I will own that horse.” He was very happy to hear that his Dad had finally told me were Chipper was and that I would soon have him.

As Rose pulled in the driveway the next morning and I showed her around the farm she turned to me As she got into her car with a tear in her eye said, ” I know Chipper will be very happy here, you may go get him anytime.” She drove out the driveway. It was decided that since it wasn’t to far away that Linda would come home in the back of the truck and I would just ride Chipper.

I called Sandy, the woman that had been caring for Chipper and explained to her that I would be coming for Chipper that afternoon. Chipper slipped his nose in the halter just like he always had, danced around as I placed the saddle on his back and tightened the girth. I handed the reins to Sandy. She mounted and rode him out the drive onto the road and down aways turning and coming back. Chip’s head was down he still carried himself well, nice quiet, big build, he had really aged well. Sandy dismounted patted me on the shoulder and said. ” Enjoy him”. Finally after thirteen years, my foot was in the stirrup and I was on his back. His head came up; ears went forward he pranced out the drive and down the road.

I leaned forward, patted his neck and said “Let’s go home.” That was nine years ago Chipper was an old twenty-two at the time and now he is a young thirty-three. We have made up and then some the time we were separated. He has taught allot of people including my daughter how to ride, he has babysat many a young horse on a trailride, parade, road ride, he has dried many tears of happiness and sorrow as my arms have engulfed his neck. I don’t know for how much longer he will be upon this earth and I am so ever thankful for the time that we have had and will have it is a great comfort knowing that when the time does come he will be buried in our pasture and will remain a part of our family forever.