# Sad News, our member Smilie is no more.



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Folks, I know some of you were wondering why you had not seen any posts by Smilie in some time. We , too, wondered that, and when PM's to her did not receive any reply, we reached out to her via email.

It is with sad and heavy hearts that we share the news that valued member, *Smilie* passed away quite suddenly, February 15th of this year.
We have no details to share, but that she is gone , which was shared to us by her family.

A valued contributor to this forum with a broad depth of knowledge on many topics, she willingly shared and explained with great thought and generosity. She will be missed by many.

RIP and Godspeed to you friend... 













Please share your thoughts and remembrances HERE. Please respect the privacy of her family and do not attempt to contact the family directly, nor share this on other social media outlets.


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear this! I always appreciated her posts, pictures, stories and advice.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Such a shock to lose one of our own.

I will feeely admit that I did not always agree with Smilie, but I always appreciated the depth and breadth of her knowledge, and the passion she had for horses.

From the stories of her early life ‘out East’ to the pictures she shared of her rides in the mountains, you could get that feeling of passion.

God speed Smilie, you will be missed here.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Terrible news, I'd been wondering why she wasn't posting. Sad to lose a good member here and devastating for her family and friends, I'm sure. I bet she's enjoying a ride on Einstein though.


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## Light (Mar 4, 2012)

I am so sorry to hear this. I know I am not alone in saying how much I appreciated her taking the time to post and give such valuable advice. She will be missed.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Oh no! Not Smilie  

Always sucks to lose such a knowledgeable horsewoman. I so valued her input.


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## TuyaGirl (Mar 14, 2014)

JCnGrace said:


> Terrible news, I'd been wondering why she wasn't posting. Sad to lose a good member here and devastating for her family and friends, I'm sure. I bet she's enjoying a ride on Einstein though.


I could not say better. I am still in shock, it's the first thread I've read early today...She was a very valuable contribution for this forum. May she reunite with her beloved ones and ride often in there


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Such sad news. I did wonder why she had not been here for a while and was missing her. She did know her stuff when it came to horses and I am glad that I was able to be touched by some of her knowledge even if it was just on the internet.

Rest in peace Smilie and ride on.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Such sad news....

Smilie was a very special person.
Always a champion for her or anyones horses health and happiness, educating and sharing her wealth of knowledge and the beauty of the mountains she loved to ride and live in..
She will indeed be missed...

RIP fine lady...RIP.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

We're all here but for a moment in time, only a breath away from our last one.

Smilie will be missed.

Rest in peace.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

What sad news. I will miss her very much. I learned a lot from her thoughtful posts. RIP, Smilie, and ride on with Einstein.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Oh no! I can't believe she is gone! I was wondering why I hadn't seen any posts from her in so long! 

Smilie was so full of knowledge, and not shy about sharing it! She could be direct, but that's one of the things I appreciated the most about her. I could always count on her to tell me if something was bogus, lol. But she was also tremendously supportive, and encouraged me via private messages when I was so down about my mare Kodak. She was an amazing horsewoman, and a kind person. 

I'm so sad to hear of her sudden passing, but thank you @Tiny, for letting us know.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

Her and I did often butt heads, but what is the fun in everyone always agreeing? And I always respected that what knowledge I have of horses could probably fit in her coffee cup compared to what she knew. I had enjoyed her stories and had been looking forward to her project babies.

It's always so sad when one of our "family" passes away :sad:

I'm sure she's thrilled to be reunited with her Einstein. I'm sure he was giddy when he saw her crossing that bridge.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Wow, so shocking to read. I’m sure her family is devastated. I hope she lives on for them in the spirit of those two little colts she recently started training.


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

She had tremendous knowledge to share, and the only time I disagreed with her was when she pointed out how everything she does with her horses is so much more refined and advanced than anything we do. Still, I read everything she wrote, and found myself otherwise quite often nodding in agreement. I'm glad she lived the life she wanted and was able to care for her horses until the very end.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I am so sorry to see this. It was the first post up and I never expected to see Smilie's name. She was always one to share freely and spent time researching and questioning those things that crossed her radar. She'll be missed.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

She drove me nuts! She made me laugh and she made me grumble. She knew what she was talking about, she was stubborn and she was kind. A really great mix of sass and class. She will be missed.


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

.....and just when we were beginning to develop a budding friendship. Very sorry for the loss.


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## Whinnie (Aug 9, 2015)

So sorry to hear this. She was always the source of a lively discussion and very informative. Godspeed.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Oh my gosh! How sad and sudden. My heart goes out to her family and friends. She will surely be missed here.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I had been wondering about @Smilie and am shocked and saddened to hear of her sudden loss. May she rest in greener pastures with her beloved horses.


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

What sad new this is that smilie has passed. I knew her from another horse forum board she was so knowledgeable in many aspects of horse care/training. God bless her family and friends with peace and love in this difficult time. Rest in peace smilie you will be greatly missed. :--(


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## EmberScarlet (Oct 28, 2016)

Terrible news. Her absence didn't go unnoticed. 

My condolences go to her family, friends, and all those she left behind.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

WHAT! OH NO! I WONDERED where she was!

She was such a great source of help!

SO sorry to hear this! 


This almost feels forced, putting this here, but in the wake of a fellow baseball family losing their daughter to CF this week, I've seen it posted and posted and posted on FB by friends and loved ones:

_That breath you just took? That's a gift. Treasure it._


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## edf (Dec 20, 2013)

wow, very sorry to hear this! Best wishes to her family and friends!


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## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

Just scrambled thoughts. Sadness. Loss of her family and close ones. Loss here. Knowledgeable horse people are important to the equine world. 

Funny how this place brings people together. How it offers so much.

A quiet thank you to the HF team. For checking on folks. For updates, sad as they may be.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Often we just never know when, do we?
We will miss her.
Happy Trails, Smilie.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

​


farmpony84 said:


> She drove me nuts! She made me laugh and she made me grumble. She knew what she was talking about, she was stubborn and she was kind. A really great mix of sass and class. She will be missed.


Perfect description, i’m sure many will echo that thought. Not a person that one could ignore that’s for sure.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Smile will be missed.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

Oh no...such sad news. I was wondering about her absence on the forum. I always respected her advise - never afraid to shy away from a discussion, that's for sure! I saw her son had posted one of her horses for sale on FB, and I had a bad feeling. 

RIP Smilie - you will never be forgotten and will be sorely missed.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

So sorry to read this, what sad news and such a loss for her family, friends and loved ones! She will be greatly missed.  Happy trails, Smilie!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I think this song is fitting...


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I didn't cry until I listened to this^^^.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

RIP Smilie.
She was someone that I could disagree with on one subject and then we'd totally agree with each other on another on the same day. Never any hard feelings. 
I'm going to miss her input here, her passion for horses always shone through and she was always generous with her time to share her own experiences and any new information she came across.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

RIP Smilie, I'm sad to hear of your passing. May God shine his Light Perpetual on you.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

:-( Such sad news.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Oh no! I had wondered where she'd gone as well. Like Golden Horse said, I did not always agree with her, but she seemed to be a vastly knowledgeable and kind person, when warranted to be. She'll be missed.
@Blueeyedpony I hadn't thought of it, but it does fit. Love that song, sad as it is in this context.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

Oh no. I was only briefly visited by Smilie directly on one of my threads but for the year plus I ghosted this forum considered her to be truly part of the forum family, as I nicknamed it for myself. Every bit of experience and advice she shared was always enlightening and gave food for thought. I am so sad that this happened and I'd also wondered why such a frequent visitor and veteran hadn't been around much recently. Riding or training horses, I'd assumed! Life is incredibly unfair. If her posts are anything to go by Smilie lived a fulfilling life doing mostly what she loved. A reminder of our own mortality and to strive for fulfilment as at any moment we can be whisked away. Rest in peace x


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

How very sad to hear of the unexpected passing of @Smilie. Isn't it amazing though, how through the miracle of the net that we can make friends, grow to admire and appreciate people that we have never met? And then grieve at their loss. I haven't felt this way since we lost @Saddlebag
My sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Now there's a big hole in the forum where Smilie used to be. Some color has gone out of the world. I will miss her a lot.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I also wondered where Smilie was

Via Con Dios Smilie and Ride Free


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## Phantomrose (Jul 25, 2016)

This is terrible news  I did enjoy reading her posts during my lurking days on here. RIP Smilie, and hope you are still riding in heaven.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Oh no! She was one I could always count on to give good, knowledgeable advice, lacking any sugar coating. I hope some day I can have a fraction of her knowledge and experience. She will be missed.


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## EstrellaandJericho (Aug 12, 2017)

I was so excited to see how her youngsters were going to turn out. I'll light a candle for you Smilie. God bless your family, may they find peace.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

This news has been a dark cloud over my head all day. Smilie and I often saw eye to eye, but even when we didn't, it was obvious that she was very knowledgeable and could be looked to for sound advice. She was so excited about those two babies. I hope she is at peace, and her family can find comfort in the adventurous life she had.


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## ThoroughbredBug (Jan 18, 2017)

Such a horrible loss to Smilies family and friends and to our community. Smilie brought so much wisdom to us, and she will be missed. My thoughts go out to her family and loved ones, and to anyone else who may be struggling with this loss.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

HombresArablegacy said:


> How very sad to hear of the unexpected passing of @Smilie. Isn't it amazing though, how through the miracle of the net that we can make friends, grow to admire and appreciate people that we have never met? And then grieve at their loss. I haven't felt this way since we lost @Saddlebag
> My sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.


Well said, HombresArablegacy.


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## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

Chevaux said:


> Well said, HombresArablegacy.


Sure was. I thought of Saddlebag today as well when reading this.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Oh wow. This is such a shock.

She truly was a great horsewoman. I so admired everything she did and the effort and care she put into those horses.

RIP Smilie. I will be praying for her loved ones in their time of grief.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

@tinyliny thank you so much for sharing this sad news. Good to have answers even if they are not the answer we would like when members just disappear. Thanks for checking up on the members. 

It is odd to think of no more posts from Smilie. The suddenness of it is quite shocking. Then to read of her son posting her horse for sale, when those horses were her life :frown_color:

We often disagreed, but Smilie was not shy about giving her opinion on most any topic on here, and had a lot of wisdom. She appeared to have a genuine desire to help newcomers and had much pride in her accomplishments. 

Sincere condolences to her family; rest in peace Smilie. You will always be a part of the FH family and you are missed.


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## GMA100 (Apr 8, 2016)

Oh my goodness! I was just wondering where she was! That is so sad! 

As @mkmurphy81 said, she was always one I could trust to give solid advice without any sugar coating. She will be missed.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

So sorry to hear!
I had a huge amount of respect for her and her answers to posts. They came from real life knowledge and experience. I enjoyed her time here.
Rest in peace smilie.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Very sad news. :sad: It's sad losing a member, especially one that has been around for awhile.  Rest in peace Smilie.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Smilie's death is a horrible loss to to this forum. She was one my favorite members. She was an incredible store of knowledge, based on wide-ranging experience. She did almost all her posts from her phone so you could count on frequent typos. Her tolerance for nonsense was zero, which sometimes caused her to be direct to the point of sounding mean. In reality, I found her surprisingly open to seeing things a different way.

I wish she had written a book of her trail stories from the Northern Rockies. I often thought if I ever got back up to Alberta I would look her up.

I've heard when you get to heaven you get all your horses back. What a joyful reunion that would be. Smilie is probably still catching up with them.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I, too, always fantasized that I would one day wander up to the Canadian Rockies, and look her up for a visit. (But, then, I think that about almost any nice member here).

Yes, I was so very saddened to hear that she wasn't just not posting here due to being busy, or showing, or staying with a foaling mare, or any other mundane reason to not be here for awhile. Life is just so blunt, so immediate. No gray area.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Tiny, thanks very much for investigating. It's terrible, but at least we know.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Joel Reiter said:


> Tiny, thanks very much for investigating. It's terrible, but at least we know.


Yes, thank you Tiny.

I'm so sorry to hear of Smilie's passing. That hits close to home. We didn't always agree on everything but I'm so sorry to hear she's gone. :frown_color: She was an incredible horsewoman for sure.


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## EquineBovine (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks for letting us know. I'm dumbfounded. Doesn't really make sense that we wont see her on here again. She such an amazing horse woman and a well of knowledge. Always a kind word. Condolences to her family x


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## Loner (Dec 21, 2017)

Did not know Smilie but am very sorry to hear.May God be with her family and friends.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

I haven't been frequenting the forum much lately, but stop in on occasion. Was looking for some posting from her as she was my favorite HF member:smile:Her likes, experiences,disciplines & training methods were something we had in common. She will be truly missed. Ride on Smilie :cowboy:


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## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

I can’t believe what I’m reading. Even though we are “just” a virtual community, this forum and its members are such an important part of my life, and Smilie is... was... a HUGE presence in that community. Whenever Smilie posted, I sat up and read carefully. 

It was, I guess, one of her last posts (February 14), in which she wrote that she liked Renegade Hoof Boots. That post made me decide to try them. I thought, “If Smilie likes them, they gotta be good.” So if Renegades will fit Nemo’s rather upright hooves, done deal. And that is just a minor post: she always had something to contribute to whatever discussion was on the table.

And I loved reading about Jack and Jill...

Thank you, tinyliny and other moderators, for checking on Smilie and for letting us know the sad news.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

That's really unfortunate news. Had chatted with her for years on the forum. It's always a shock when someone you know is taken away so suddenly. Unreal.


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

I only just saw this... I'm heartbroken. She was an amazing person; very knowledgeable and with a deep passion for horses. This is extremely shocking to hear.

RIP, good friend.


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## Hoofpic (Aug 23, 2015)

This is incredibly sad news that caught me off guard. 

I do not post or visit the forums here anymore but I was passed on the news from another HF member that i talk to everyday and I wanted to make a one time post on here saying that Smilie was a great gal, she provided the forum (including myself) some very good advice. I enjoyed reading her posts. She was a key member of this community who knew her stuff. She will be sorely missed.

Thank you for everything Smilie, I hope you see horses over the rainbow bridge. 

R.I.P.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Oh, I am so sad to hear this. Such a loss to the Appaloosa fan club, and knowledgable breeders in gerneral!

Godspeed, Smilie.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm so sad to hear this. I haven't been on the forum very often the past year (hoping to remedy that), this was the first post I saw. Such sad news.


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## LlamaPacker (Aug 29, 2016)

So very sorry to hear this. Thank you for letting us know.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm so sorry to hear this sad news.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Such sad news. thank you, Tiny for investigating. I learned a great deal from the discussions whenever Smilie disagreed with someone. 


Godspeed Smilie.


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## Chaz80 (Sep 29, 2015)

omg, so sad
farewell smilie..i have not been on here long but i appreciated her imput


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I just saw this. I am utterly devastated for a family I do not know, who lost a person I did not know. This breaks my heart. Smilie was really one of the ones who taught me how to raise Trouble. Nearly everything I've done with him came from her written words. She's helped me through different issues and was an absolute wealth of knowledge, and a fellow app lover like myself. I am deeply saddened by this news. I've been wondering for months why she up and disappeared, and finally got around to looking into why today. She will be missed more than she ever knew. ****. 

I hope she's reunited with all her good old apps that have passed on over the years.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Going to write a bit more of a heartfelt goodbye to put myself at ease. 

Smilie and I didn't quite see eye to eye sometimes, I was 16 when I got Trouble and he was my first baby, so between googling and personal experience when she told me some things I thought she was downright nuts, but I always tried them and they worked. I learned how to bit him up through Smilie, I had PMed her and was invited to ride with her when I passed through Alberta and was looking forward to meet the "legend" in person. She left a huge mark on me as a young horsewoman, and most of her words I took to heart and regarded them with the utmost respect. 

I always found myself thinking of her advise when I was having a problem, and most of the time I had success. I shaped myself into a fine horsewoman solely due to her endless hours of typing and reading, her analyzing and opinions. 

I felt drawn to her because she was an appaloosa lover. I fell into appaloosas by accident and had thought hard about breeding in the future, and in my parts appaloosas are considered satan's spawn. 

This year has been hard for me. I lost five close friends within a year, and ironically, when I stumbled across this post, when I typed "Smilie" into the search bar after wondering for months what she was up to, I was watching breaking news about my small town. Today there was a mass shooting in my town. As I read this heartbreaking news about a beloved member of HF's small community, my own community was going through a crisis. 

I felt a lot of emotions. My legs got tingly when I read the words, and I got light headed. I held this woman high in my heart, and all of her horses. Smilie, Carmen, Charlie. I wondered what had become of them, where they were now. Her two colts. I would pay dearly for those horses if I had the chance to acquire one by chance. 

I truly hope her family is doing okay, and her horses are still held dearly. To me she was a legend, a wonderful book of knowledge that I drank in with the thirst of a man lost in a desert. In a way, I was a man lost in a desert, and she was my oasis. She was willing to let me drink her knowledge until I had my fill, and I never got the chance to quench my thirst before the oasis dried up. I will be visiting Old's to pay my respects, just to breath the air and know. 

Rest easy Smilie, I never even knew your real name but I will hold on to that word for the rest of my life. I hope you and Einstein are cutting your way across the golden foothills and up absolutely magical mountains, wherever you two are.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Her impact seems to have crossed forum lines all over the internet. I have run into posts on several forums and it is still such a surprise to scroll and "smilie" as the user tjpugh it should be no surprise. Her ad ice was always consistent, passionate, heartfelt and timely.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

@QtrBel, I had that same exact experience just this week, actually. I had to smile a little hearing her "voice" come through in a post on another site, just the same as it did here.

@WhattaTroublemaker, your post was really moving. Thanks for sharing it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

agreed. lovely post, @WhattaTroublemaker.


I, too , was very much affected by hearing the stunning news. I dearly hope her husband and family are reading these words of praise.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

And I hope you're doing ok Whatta. I know this is a tough time for you, and was moved by what you wrote. 

Today has been a surreal day in our quiet little town. Four dead, including two police officers in a shooting. This has never happened here. Not here. So weird to turn on the tv and see your city in the news all over the world. 

If Smilie were here, she'd be offering her sympathy and giving you great -- but blunt -- advice Whatta. She's still among us because those of us who knew her will remember her always. Sometimes I post things and think of what Smilie would say in response to my posts. But even when she thought our methods were garbage, she always cared, and remained supportive. Which didn't prevent her from telling us our methods were garbage, lol. I'm very grateful for that.


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