Larry Hoover on Brick
Larry never came across as a big softy but he had a special place in is heart for horses. He had one that was bad off with a bad leg. The vet told Larry that it may just be better to put that horse down. Larry said “let me think about it for a few days”. The vet came back out to the ranch and Larry had made a lift and harness to put the horse into after the surgery. He moved all the stuff he needed to the back barn and made camp. The vet looked around and told Larry, “Well I take it I am going to fix that horses leg”. Larry just looked over and smiled.
For days after that, Larry stayed at the back barn and did not even come out to “Larry ’round”. I’d sneek up to check on them and find them sleeping in the hay together. Now some time later this same horse that the vet and others wanted to put down had been working with Larry. They rode up to the house and Larry told me “I’ll be back”. I asked when? “Do not know now”. Where you going? “Where the trail takes us”. Off they went.
Some time later, they came back and Larry told me we are ready! I said “We are?” He just laughed at me. The next day, Larry told me to get the horse trailer ready for a show. I asked him “which horse are we sending?” He just smiled and said “get it ready”. So I did.
That weekend Larry took off to a show with the bum leg horse that they all wanted to put down. Larry and Brick came back from the show with a hand full of ribbons and I do not know which one had a bigger smile the horse or Larry.
Contributed by Curtis Dalton
