When I was 12, on the night of the mid-summer festival, Birta had a foal by the stallion Sirkil of Stora Hofi. We named him Birk of Knutsgården an I was the first one to get to go close to him and he was mine. I would spend hours upon hours with him in the pastures. I would sit in the grass with him, race with him, brush him, wash him and spent all my free time with him. I even sang to him and taught him tricks. When he was 1 year old I taught him to be led and took him for walks. I would lay in the field during summer with my head on his neck or belly while we both slumbered in the sun. During winter I would spend my evenings in the stable tending him.
When I turned 15 I used all the money I got at my confirmation to buy him from my parents and my confirmation picture was taken with me, in my bunad, sitting bare-back, side-saddel-style, on Birk. I spent my spring break that year, and one more week, at Kjersem stables in Tresfjorden working at the stables where Birk was being trained and got to take part in the process. We both learned a lot that year, and when I got him back some months later I took him for rides almost every day, but we still spent a lot of time just relaxing in the pasture together. He was my best friend in a life filled with bullying and few friends.
When I was 16 I moved away to go to school and could not bring him with me and after a while I met my boyfriend, now husband, Mr K. The weekends I spent at the farm I used with Birk unless my boyfriend was in the area (he lived 1500 KM away at the time). We got engaged that Christmas and the year after I moved to Tromsø with my Mr. K, and I could not bring Birk with me. When I cam back for holidays I still spent the time in the stables, but since I was now the only one tending to and riding the horses I had to divide my time between the three horses. After 3 years I moved back to the area where I grew up and again got to spend more time with the horses, but now too my attention was divided between the wedding, the husband, the horses, a job, practice and my friends. I still used all the time I had free to be with him and to tend to him and I loved him so very much.
The summer of 2009 i was accepted to the University of Tromsø and moved again, and I could not afford bringing Birk with me this time either. Since I had started feeling bad for not being able to go riding more and spend more time with Birk, I started looking for someone who would have the time and money to care for him properly. I had a stable hand that used to come ride him now and then, and she wanted to buy him but pulled out at the last second. After a while my mother decided to sell the mare and arrange for the gelding to be sold together with her since I had moved away and no one wanted, or knew how to, take care of them properly any more. They just spent all their time in the pasture and never got any exercise. When she got hold of a nice buyer that would keep them together and not move them too far away so we could keep tabs, she contacted me and asked if I wanted to sell Birk to the same stable so that he could stay with them too. I said yes, and soon after they all moved on to a new home.
I have not had the possibility to visit him since he got to his new home until this winter, and 2 days ago I went to a shopping mall in the area where i thought the new stables were, and I thought I'd finally get to go visit them. I looked for them, but soon found out that I was in the wrong place. The correct stables was a half and hour drive away and we already had too little time left. So I went home with the plan to go back after x-mas and spend the day there, but when I checked the home page of the stables last night I got the sad news that my beloved Birk had passed away. The new owner told me his heart had stopped a few days ago, and that he had not suffered.
To my beloved Birk: I loved you so much and I miss you sorely. I have missed you since I moved away and to think that I shall never again hold you around your neck and warm my hands in your winter coat, or watch you run in the pasture with your head held high like you owned the world, hurts beyond belief. May you always find the greenest of grass, may you roam in the eternal pasture in peace and must your sister Ronja give you a better greeting this time around, for I know she is already there waiting for you. May you never tire and always feel the wind in your mane and I hope that one day I will meet you again.
All my love
Kjersti
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