810-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 24, 1997
1 A
ED BANNING
Horse Owner
BRIDGEVILLE, Del.
Woodland Linn (Woody) is a
registered Clydesdale, who was
foaled on June 20, 1987 to his
master, Parke Brown of Tangier,
Indiana. Woody had white socks
to his knees a bald face (white
blaze from the top of his forehead
to the tip of his nose), his body
color was dark bay during the
height of the summer, yet black
the test of the year.
At two years of age he was sold
to Phil Farrell, then to Fane Hawn
Farms of St Louis, Mo. and John
Weber of Ocala, Florida.
In 1990 Tony and Cindy Moris
co bought him for their farm in
Copper Hill, Va. The Morisco’s
spent a lot of time training and
showing Woody in Stallion Halter
Classes throughout Virginia, tak
ing Grand Champion over All
Breeds several times.
When Woody was six, Daryl
and Lorraine Cobbs, of Hunting
ton, Indiana bought this beautiful
stallion. After gelding Woody,
they broke him to pull in harness,
on the wheel team of an eight
horse hitch and was shown at the
Washington National, the Ohio
and Indiana State Fairs, The
Clydesdale National in Wisconsin
and the Keystone Eastern Region
al Clydesdale Show in Harrisburg,
where he won many ribbons.
Woody was seven years old
18/2 hands tall and weighing in at
more than 2,000 pounds, when we
purchased him on March 11,
1994. Meeting Mr. and Mrs.
Cobbs in Wheeling, W.Va., we
loaded him in our trailer and
brought him to our farm. His life
of leisure in the show ring came to
an end. Instead of working for rib
bons, he would be working com
mercially for money.
It didn’t take long to find out
Woody had been given much love
and attention in his formative
years, that being groomed was his
favorite pastime he was particular
ly fond of women and was not
keen about pulling much weight
Yes, he was a spoiled people
horse.
We used him to do anniversar
ies, weddings, funerals, hay rides,
private parties, picnics, fundrais
ers, business promotions, driving
clinics, parades, trolley rides,
tours, nursing homes, school pro
grams, and work in the fields for
the next three years, mostly in a
two-horse hitch and rarely over
four hours a week. There was one
exception, where we drove him in
a wagon train for 10S miles, from
Cheriton, Va. to Salisbury, Md.,
hoping to get the kinks out of him.
This ' ik ff da - ’nd ’•
Woody, April, and Princess
pulling the trolley.
ids,
Gentle Giant Named Woody
fun for us but hard work and disci
pline for Woody.
Everywhere we went Woody
was the center of attention. Spec
tators were in awe at his size,
markings and disposition. One
day at a picnic in the Pocomoke,
Md. State Forest, a lady walked
up to him and began talking. As
she spoke she would shake her
head all around and the next thing
we knew. Woody began to shake
his head all around. Between each
trolley ride. Woody and this lady
would communicate for five or 10
minutes. The crowd enjoyed this
exhibition as well as they did the
rides that day.
On occasion, this gentle giant,
would let us know something was
wrong. He would lunge and throw
his head or legs in protest Some
times we could adjust his harness
or bridle and he would straighten
up and other times, we could not
put our finger on the problem. He
was not mean; it was his way of
telling us something was not right.
Last summer (June 17, 1996)
we were hired by the Caroline
Nursing Home of Denton, Md. to
give their patients rides on our
handicapped-accessible, horse
drawn trolley. When we arrived
and were unloading the horses and
trolley, the activities director,
Mary Lou Schoonover, asked us
to bring the horses on the nursing
home grounds, to their main en
trance. The patients were waiting
anxiously in wheelchairs and roll
ing beds, some using walkers and
canes to see the “gentle giants,”
Woody, April and April’s foal,
Princess.
The memories that were shared
with us of how they used to drive
and work horses on the farm,
brought much joy. About an hour
went by when Mrs. Schoonover
asked if Woody could be brought
into the nursing home lobby so
more of their guests could get a
closer look. I told her I wasn’t sure
how he would respond, but we
would try.
Woody walked through the lob
by door, cautiously looking
around as he entered. Twenty or
so patients were in a circle around
him as he turned completely
around, checking them out. One
lady was so excited, she wanted to
cling to him, holding onto his legs.
A nurse had to keep her back as
“No, he’s not running a temperature. Woody is cooil”
We were then asked if we
would take Woody down the hall
way throughout the home, that
others might come to their bed
room doors to see him. Walking
from door to door, with his ears al
most touching the ceiling. Woody
lowered his head and nostrils to
look and smell each guest as they
reached out to pet him. There was
an immediate bonding between
man and beast! His eyes bright
ened with each patient he met.
As we came to a door that was
empty. Mrs. Schoonover asked,
“Would you please just take
Woody inside this patient’s room
... she can’t get out of bed and
would love to pet him?” How
could we refuse?
Woody lowered his head, as we
led him through the seven-foot
tall, narrow door (narrow for his
size), and went straight to the bed
side. He loved these people as
much as they loved him. Again he
smelled them, as his eyes bright
ened, and placed his nose in their
hand. At his touch, tears trickled
from room to room and through
out the hallway.
There was no way to turn him
around in the patient’s room, but
that was no problem. On com
mand Woody would cautiously
back into the hallway and then en
ter and back out, from room to
room, as directed.
It was time to exit the main
building, harness the horses and
give rides on the trolley. One
young lady was in a wheelchair,
an I.V. running to her arm and
seemed so intent on petting
Woody. I was told she was 24
years old and had been ina horse
riding accident when she was 14.
If you could only have seen the
gleam in her eyes as she struggled
to raise her hand to pet him! Her
face glowed as if she were an
angel.
We made several trips around
the premises with the trolley until
all had ridden who were able to
ride, then unharnessed the horses,
loaded up the trailer, bid farewell
and headed for home.
As I was driving the dually, I
thought about the two nurses that
said “We have never seen some of
our patients respond as much as
they did with Woody.” Reflecting
on the past three hours, with the
tears, the gleam in their eyes, the
shared and the sounds
or%i
of joy, I felt tears trickling down
my cheeks ... it was I who re
ceived the blessing that day and
still do when these memories
come to mind. I am sure I will car
ry the memory of those three
hours with me into eternity!
I had to down-size my herd in
February 1997. Woody was sold
to Deborah and Kurds Burkholder
Each patient enjoyed the “physical therapy.”
After ducking his head to get in the doorway, Woody gave
his undivided attention to the patients and he loved all the
attention he received.
\s
of Reinholds, where he has a good
home and I am sure, he will bond
to the many special people he will
meet in his future.
During the three years we woe
privileged to share with Woody,
he made thousands of special
friends, many special memories
and will be missed by all of us.