The Silent Type
I first met my silent type in Phoenix, AZ. I had just sold my house and was waiting for my new one to be built. My neighbor was also moving and he said there is an extra room where they were going. It was Vince Lalor's ranch off Cave Creek Road and the new freeway. Vince was in law enforcement and was also a pastor who had his own radio ministry. The coolest thing about his place was all the horses! He was a horse trainer and even had the pleasure of training horses for John Wayne. Every weekend we would go to some horse auction somewhere in Arizona. This was all new to me so about three weeks in I asked, "What do they do with the horses that nobody bids on?". The answer terrified me. Vince said, "Like look at this next horse, he's doomed, as he is a cryptorchid horse. He is just looking down on the ground and unresponsive to the handler." "No, no, no I said! I'll bid on him". "Please don't bid on him Laurie", was Vince's reply. "No Vince we have to save him!" "$100 I called out". SOLD to the lady from Lalor Ranch. Vince was mad, the young horse would not get in the horse trailer right away and there were no papers for him. He had a barbed wire scar that ran from his leg to halfway up his chest. "I can't have stallions on my ranch, you better hope he heals so I can make him a gelding," Vince said as we eventually got him home. Vince refused to let me pay for rent at his place this whole time, but I demanded to pay him something for all the trouble with the new horse, and I begged him to at least let me pay him for boarding the horse. He reluctantly agreed. I named him after my three favorite rock bands, Poco - Kansas - Spirit.
Every morning and night I would hang out at his stall and try to get him to be happier. He was a sad little guy who just kept his head in the farthest corner and would not turn around. I offered him carrots, apples any kind of favorite horse cuisine and he wouldn't take it. I just kept trying faithfully. After about two months he finally did, and every day from then on we got closer and closer. He overcame his cryptorchid situation, and that made Vince very happy. He's been my silent type except to softly nicker at me in utter horse joy. He's been a best friend forever! I have never heard him cry out or make any other noise until I moved far out into the country. I bought him a lady horse, Lamata in 2023.
They have 40 acres to roam about, but this year, Lamata stopped following Poco around. She just goes off by herself, when she's far away, Poco then cries out with loud, long-drawn out neighing. I had never heard his voice before. Lamata usually ignores him. Which leads to more of this, so I run out of the house to comfort him. Now Poco has been neighing when he want me to come out of the house. He's got me trained! I decided to record him doing this. He is on my latest album! Not only a picture of him and Lamata on the CD itself (he's the one napping),
he is vocalizing on the song "Star Trails of Pegasus and Equuleus", and hoof sounds courtesy of Lamata. Thanks to Mark and Rayna at ProgRock.com Radio for playing the tune and thanks to Cerphe at Music Planet Planet Radio for the kind words about the song. You can listen to it here:
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