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Woman's 'empty-nest kid,' her horse, goes missing

Police want to talk to a former owner after the theft from a Pinellas Park barn.

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published January 23, 2005

PINELLAS PARK - When other little girls dreamed of ballet or boys, Karen Feder dreamed of owning a horse.

After about 50 years spent dreaming, Feder's wishes came true about a year and a half ago when she received Jireh as a present for her 25th wedding anniversary.

Feder worked and played with Jireh and entered him in a couple of local shows, where he won some ribbons. Then, early Tuesday, her dream turned into a nightmare. Someone stole Jireh from the Pinellas Park barn where she boarded him.

"He was just a great little horse. He probably taught me more than I taught him," Feder said Friday. "He's been my life. He's like my empty-nest kid."

Now she just hopes that Jireh is okay and that he will be returned.

As far as Pinellas Park police can tell, Jireh disappeared early Tuesday. He was last seen in his stall around midnight, when the barn owner gave the horses some hay, police spokesman Sandy Forseth said.

Jireh was gone when the 8 a.m. feed time rolled around, Forseth said. There was still hay in his stall, which horses normally eat pretty quickly. That probably means the horse was taken between midnight and about 3 a.m., Forseth said.

Forseth said a former owner, Joan Gordon, 56, of Kenneth City might be involved. Gordon apparently had a dispute with a different former owner, Forseth said.

"Joan has turned up missing about the same time as the horse turned up missing," Forseth said. "She's a suspect and we definitely want to talk to her." Forseth said he is talking with police agencies elsewhere in Florida, asking for their help in finding Jireh.

The prime goal is to find Jireh and have him safely returned to Feder, said Forseth.

That's exactly what Feder wants. She said she desperately misses Jireh.

"He's just real intelligent, very compliant and sweet. . . . He never disobeys," said Feder, who is 53. "He's just a good horse for a little old lady like me."

Feder and Forseth said they hope someone will call with information about Jireh.

Jireh is 14.3 hands high at the withers (base of the neck). A hand equals 4 inches. He is 9 years old, part quarter horse, part Arabian and white except for his mane and tail, which have gray in them. He has been microchipped.

His barn name, which is Hebrew for "provider," can be spelled as Jireh or Jirah. He is registered with both the paint and Arab registries as Royal Rumble.

When last seen, he was wearing a new burgundy horse blanket with navy blue trim.

Jireh is also known to be a "chow hound," and will scarf down carrots, apples, oranges and tangerines.

"He loves them. He'll choke himself on them. I have to take them apart for him," Feder said. "I just pray that somebody sees him."

If anyone has information about Jireh, call Forseth at the Police Department at 541-0792.

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:14:21]