THE UNUSUAL THING ABOUT THIS HORSE WAS HIS AGE ALONG WITH MANY OTHER LITTLE THINGS HE WOULD DO. I'LL DESCRIBE A FEW OF THEM AS WE GO ALONG.
SANDY AS FAR AS WE KNEW WAS THE ONLY LIVING ANIMAL THAT WAS A VETERAN OF WORLD WAR ONE.
SANDY ALSO ATTENDED ALL THE AMERICAN LEGION STATE DINNERS AS SILLY AS THIS SEEMS. WE HAD A BLUE AND GOLD BLANKET THAT HE WORE TO ALL THE HORSE SHOWS AND MILITARY PARADES. ON THAT BLANKET IN GOLD LETTERS WAS HIS NAME AND THE STATEMENT THAT SANDY WAS A VETERAN.
ONE OF THE THINGS HE WOULD DO IS THAT SANDY HAD A SECOND SIGHT ABOUT HIM. HE COULD PICK OUT A RECRUIT WHEN HE ENTERED THE STABLE. FOR SOME REASON HE COULD TELL AT A GLANCE.
THE HORSES WERE IN STALLS AND THE ROPE FROM THE HALTER WAS SNAPPED ON ONTO THE FRONT OF THE STALL.
OCCASIONALLY A HORSE WOULD SOME WAY GET A FRONT HOOF UP AND CAUGHT IN THE HALTER ROPE. ESPECIALLY IF THE ROPE WAS TOO LONG. THIS IS ONE OF THE SPECIAL TRICKS THAT SANDY WOULD PULL. WHEN HE SPOTTED A RECRUIT COMING IN THE STABLE HE WOULD INTENTIONALLY LIFT HIS HOOF UP AND TANGLE IN IN THE ROPE. WHICH BY THE WAY IS DANGEROUS. THEN HE WOULD MAKE QUITE A FUSS UNTIL THE RECRUIT NOTICED HIM. NATURALLY THE TROOPER WOULD GO IN THE STALL, UNSNAP THE ROPE CONNECT IT BACK UP, PAT SANDY ON THE NECK AND TRY TO LEAVE THE STALL. NO WAY. SANDY WOULD MOVE HIS HIND QUARTER OVER AND KEEP THE TROOPER FROM LEAVING.. BEING NEW THE RECRUIT WOULD CALL SOMEONE AND THEY WOULD COME GIVE SANDY A SLAP ON THE REAR AND HE WOULD MOVE. SANDY JUST LOVED THE ATTENTION HE GOT WHEN HE DID THIS AND I GUESS WE ALL ENJOYED IT TOO. HE SEEMED TO KNOW EVERY TIME A NEW MAN ENTERED THE STABLE THE HOOF WOULD GET TANGLED IN THE ROPE. WHO SAY'S A HORSE IS DUMB. NOT ME. SANDY GOT ALL THE ATTENTION HE WANTED.
ANOTHER ONE OF HIS FAVORITE TRICKS WAS WHEN WE WOULD TAKE HIM TO A HORSE SHOW TO SHOW HIM OFF TO THE PUBLIC.
DRESSED IN ALL HIS DECORATIONS SANDY WOULD BE LEAD INTO THE SHOW RING AND THE ANNOUNCER WOULD GIVE SANDY'S AGE AND TELL ABOUT HIS HISTORY IN THE 119TH FIELD ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR ONE. AS SANDY WAS PARADED AROUND THE RING EVERYBODY WOULD APPLAUD AND SANDY WOULD RAISE HIS HEAD AND PRANCE AROUND AND WHINNIE. IT WAS SOMETHING TO SEE. AND AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE SANDY WAS A PROUD ANIMAL. HE WOULD DO THIS AS LONG AS THE CROWD CHEERED.
THEN THE ANNOUNCER WOULD APPEAL TO THE CROWD TO STOP THE APPLAUSE AS SANDY WOULDN'T LEAVE UNTIL IT STOPPED. AS THE TROOPER STARTED TO LEAVE THE ARENA THE CROWD WOULD START TO APPLAUD AGAIN. THAT WOULD DO IT. SANDY WOULD TURN AND PRANCE BACK TO THE CENTER ON THE ARENA TO SHOW HIMSELF OFF.
THIS HAD TO BE THE SMARTEST ANIMAL I HAD EVER RUN INTO. WHEN OUR OUTFIT WAS DISBANDED AND CHANGED INTO ARTILLERY PRIOR THE WORLD WAR TWO. MOST OF THE HORSES WERE EITHER DESTROYED OR SOLD.
BUT SANDY WITH HIS HISTORY WAS TAKEN TO A FARM WHERE HE SPENT THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE JUST GRAZING IN THE FIELDS.
THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. HE WAS JUST AS MUCH OF A VETERAN AS ANY HUMAN..
WHEN I WAS IN THE PACIFIC I BELIEVE IT WAS 1943 OR 1944 I RECEIVED A LETTER AND A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING FROM MY FAMILY. THE ARTICLE TOLD OF SANDY'S HISTORY AND THAT HE HAD PASSED AWAY.. SANDY WAS 34 YEARS OLD. A LONG LIFE FOR HORSE. AN WELL IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.