Fred is a beautiful Palomino horse, about 19 years old, and has touched many lives. He is gentle, but knows himself and what he will accept. He loves grazing on grass. He loves visitors, especially when they come with carrots or apples. As far as any of us know, Fred has always lived in Boxford.

Alice Turner and daughters, Wendy and Bitta.
Fred was headed for Tufts Vet School as an experimental animal. I was volunteering for Adopt A Horse Program with Jean Sullivan and picked-up Fred, brought him home; and, naturally, I kept him. Fred had been used as a polo pony, and hated it. Fred learned how to dump his rider, and was no longer useful in Polo. He was 8 years old, sound, and, as it turns out, Fred was extremely useful.

Bitta schooled him - Wendy and I hacked him. We hunted him; I did some Hunter Paces. We all rode him on Crane's Beach. Bitta used him to courier at Groton House. He learned his route and his job in one round! Fred was wonderful to work around and a joy to own in every possible way. A very kind horse who was offered a second chance.

Judi Milano
I leased Fred from Alice turner in 1994 when she could no longer ride because of a knee operation. He was my only horse at the time and was a joy to have in the barn. WHAT A PERSONALITY!

He was very vocal, always whinnied when he saw you coming to the barn. I used him for trail riding both locally and in Vermont on the G.M.HA. pleasure rides. After a couple years I asked Alice if she would ever consider giving Fred to me. She said yes and he was mine from that time on. In 1998, I got two new horses and free leased Fred to Stephanie Moody just down the street on Ipswich Road.

Stephanie Moody
Fred lived with Hal, Stephanie, Harris and Alexandra Moody for about 2 years. We built Fred his own "Fred Shed" as we still fondly refer to it. He also had a beautiful green field that he promptly ate. After he ate all the green grass in the field he started looking at the greener grass on the other side of the fence. This prompted a few escapes. The first he was caught at 3:00 AM by the neighbor and the second escape he was captured by the Animal Control officer (this was reported in the Tri Town Paper).

Fred had lot's of friends. The McLam family were frequent visitors and loved to bring Fred treats. Scott McLam still has dreams of riding Fred as the Headless Horseman on Halloween. The neighbors would stop by to see Fred and at all gatherings he was the center of attention. We had several parties in our big barn and Fred would hang out at the end of the barn watching the happenings. Our friends said he was the best dinner guest.

One of the nicest things about Fred was his greeting. Morning, noon or night if you went to visit him he would talk (whiney) to you. Okay that was mostly because he was looking for food, but he was always friendly. When I tell people in Boxford that we had a horse named Fred everyone knows who he is.

Nancy Merrill
Fred came into my life slowly. I saw Judi Milano's husband, Joe Dailey, riding Fred, in our neighborhood of trails. Then Judi sent me a note with a print of her painting of Joe and Fred.

In 1999, my trail horse, Bon, died at the good age of 31. Judi Milano came to me and said that I could half free lease Fred who was staying with Stephanie Moody within my neighborhood. This was a fine arrangement. I learned early on that Fred, while very gentle and slow, does not like ring work and didn't mind giving a small buck or two. He also loves grazing on grass.

Then Stephanie's life changed and Fred moved to my place. We both enjoyed his stay here. Sometimes we rode the Boxford Village trail system; sometimes we took a brisk ride at Cranes beach; sometimes we did an excursion to Maudsley Park. He was a great pacifier for frisky Thoroughbreds. Barbara Russell and her horse and I and Fred spent many wonderful trail rides together, in Boxford and elsewhere, riding at our pace and talking. Fred always talked to me whenever I walked to the barn.

Many people rode Fred during his stay with me. You will read their stories: Angela Stedman, Janine and Joe Willworth, Catherine Hubbard, Linda Young and many youngsters enjoyed a ride on Fred.

This summer, after not riding for a year and a half, I decided Fred needed another owner who could ride and enjoy him. Judi found Pat Puopolo, just down the street, between Judi's and my barns. Now Fred rides with Pat through my yard on my protected trail to the 100 Acre Woods. I really enjoy seeing
Fred and Pat riding together.

Angela Steadman
I had the privilege of riding Fred for several years. During this time, the sheer number of people out there who know and love Fred made quite an impression on me.

It seemed that every time Fred and I went out for a ride someone would spot us and enthusiastically exclaim, "Is that Fred?" Then the questions would start (How old is Fred now? Where is Fred living? ), followed inevitably, by a Fred story ("I remember when Fred first came to live with Alice, and…" or "I remember riding Fred once, and . . ."). It is amazing that one unassuming horse made such an impression on so many people, and that everyone that knows Fred seems to have had an experience with him that touched them in some way.

My most memorable and extraordinary experience on Fred occurred several years back when I first started riding him. Fred and I were out alone trotting along a trail one beautiful spring morning, when an owl landed on a branch just a few feet above our heads. I could have reached out and touched this magnificent bird. The movement of the large wings overhead as the owl landed would have spooked most horses, but Fred was unfazed. We stopped and stared at this owl just a few feet above us, and the owl stared directly back at us intently. Eventually, we walked underneath the branch intending to proceed along our way. I assumed that the owl would fly away with our movement. Instead, the owl turned completely around on its branch, and continued to watch us with what seemed great interest. So we turned around and continued to watch the owl. This lasted many minutes.

It's hard to describe this moment - the closest I can come is say that it felt like a scene from a Walt Disney movie, and I was sure that this owl was just waiting to the right moment to strike up a conversation with us. I never had an interaction with any wildlife quite like this before, and I doubt that I ever will again. I credit the moment to the magic of Fred.

Joe and Janine Willworth
Fred entered my life at just the perfect time. I had been taking riding lessons for about 9 months and was so eager to be out on the trails. Judy Milano took me to see Fred who was just about to move to Nancy Merrill's. He was as sweet as can be and before to long I was enjoying the beauty of the Boxford trail system. He was the perfect horse to explore new places and my very first ride at Cranes Beach was on Fred. It was one of those special rides I will always remember. Meeting Fred gave me the confidence to purchase my dream horse and fulfill a childhood dream, I will be forever thankful for meeting Fred.

Catherine Hubbard
A horse is a horse, of course, but with a name like Fred, my expectations rose considerably. Anthropomorphism is always fun, but Fred seems easier than most for whom sheer humanness may be attributed.

He was the first horse I came to know when I moved to Boxford 1 ½ years ago. Starved for equine affection, I was introduced to Mr. Fred by Nancy Merrill and was immediately taken by this handsome palomino. I took an instant liking to his gentle nature, and I often brought him carrots, whether my intention was to ride or just briefly visit with him.

One day I asked him to shake hands with me, something Nancy assured me he was never trained to do. On first command he responded without a clue as to what I wanted, so I lifted his front left leg to show him, then praised and fed him a carrot. I asked again, carrot in hand. He looked at me, and I knew the wheels were turning, but he just didn't have it all together quite yet. I repeated what I had done before, raising the leg, praising, and following with a carrot. The third try worked like a charm! Up came that leg, with slight trepidation at first, but then, as he saw my excitement, with utter confidence.

A dumb animal? Why, I've known men who couldn't learn to put a toilet seat down using Pavlov's or anyone else's theory. No dumb animal is Fred, no sir!

For the record, I learned something from this four-legged creature. Fred always stops to smell the roses (or eat them!), something I have spent much of my life too busy to do. Thank you, Fred, for listening, for responding, and for teaching me a thing or two. Enjoy your new home!

Linda Young
About four years ago I was thrown from my horse and suffered severe multiple fractures in my shoulder and arm. After three surgeries and months of physical therapy, I regained about 85% use of my arm and that was about the best it was ever going to be. At that point, about a year after the accident, I was determined to begin riding again.

Over the next three years, I owned two horses neither of which worked out for me in great part due to my tremendous fear of riding that I could not overcome. This spring Nancy called me to ask if I would be interested in a partial lease of Fred. This was very exciting to me as I knew of Fred by reputation and my daughter, Robin, had borrowed him from Nancy one Sunday to trail ride with me.

The instant I began to ride him, I felt the nervousness and fear start to subside. Fred was patient and understanding and only did specifically what I asked of him. He was a joy to ride every time. I once again looked forward to those Sunday morning trail rides. I have since then ridden other horses and the confidence is beginning to come back. Thanks, Fred.

Pat Puopolo
As a little girl growing up in Wakefield, Massachusetts, I can remember going for "rides" on my dad's back early on Sunday mornings. In the afternoons, you would find me in the back yard, riding on the post and rail fence that separated our back yard from the swamp, which bordered our property. I would take pieces of rope and make stirrups that would hang over the top pole and insert my little feet into them. A homemade bridle made of smaller pieces of rope with two rope reins would hang from the post. I can remember riding that "fence" for hours every day.

I was one of those kids who would sit on Santa's lap every year and beg for my own pony, promising to be good and help out around the house.

I can remember sitting on my "fence horse" and hearing the clip clop of other horses coming down the road. How lucky those older girls were to have their own horses. One of them had a beautiful Palomino that I admired so much. Tacked up in a western show saddle and bridle, she would trot him up and down the street, flaunting him to me, as she would go by. Then one day, I heard a horse's hooves on the pavement in front of our house. It wasn't a clip clop but a full blown galloping sound. I raced to the back door just in time to see that Palomino horse charging by our house, but this time he was alone! He had gotten away from his rider and was on a journey unknown. I got the longest rope I could find and searched the neighborhood all day for that horse, thinking "finder's keeper's!" and when I found him, he would be my very own horse!

So you see, dreams do come true, for a child who has always wanted her very own horse, especially a beautiful Palomino to love and to ride, to share a lifetime with. I have been the fortunate one to have this wonderful Palomino horse that everyone calls "Fred" come into my life.

I could not ask for a more wonderful companion and friend. He greets me every morning, noon and night, and many times in between, with a very loud winnie and nicker. He comes when he's called; he gives kisses and loves to be hugged. He carries me through the woods on his back as if he were 10 feet tall, he is so proud of who he is.

Although he has only been with me for a short time, this wonderful creature holds the key to my heart. He enjoys the company of my two older, retired horses, Brandy, 34 and Vessa, 29, as well as our three miniature horses. I look forward to not only many wonderful years of riding and enjoying our Boxford trails, but also to the quiet times with Fred, lots of carrots and a brush in hand, as I think back to many years ago when I searched with rope in hand, hoping to catch my Palomino horse…. Called "Fred." Thank you, Judi, for sharing this wonderful horse with me. And thank you to all of "Fred's" past "moms" for taking such good care of him, too!

Catherine Hubbard's postscript:
It is wonderful that Fred has been loved, ridden and cared for by many local people. He is one special horse!