On a recent cold and rainy morning, Jim Fields entered Geauga County Public Library’s Chardon branch toting photo albums of a life well lived.
On a recent cold and rainy morning, Jim Fields entered Geauga County Public Library’s Chardon branch toting photo albums of a life well lived.
The life wasn’t his — it was that of a small, but mighty miniature horse named Rick O’ Shay, who sadly passed away unexpectedly on Veteran’s Day in his stall in Mantua.
The horse was rescued as a foal from a slaughterhouse and later adopted by Fields, a retired auxiliary deputy for the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office’s all-volunteer Mounted Unit. The adoption eventually led to O’Shay earning the rank of junior deputy with the unit.
“He put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces,” Fields said.
Their job represented the true spirit of community policing.
Prior to COVID, the duo popped up at many community events throughout Geauga County, with Fields hauling Rick O’Shay in his trailer.
Fields, who recently turned 77, plopped down at an arm-chair table and slid colored photos out of their sleeves.
When Rick O’Shay — affectionately known as Ricky — was about 3 years old, and sickly at that time, he was purchased for $20 by Nancy Zagan, of Ravenna, to help save his life and join Peanut, another mini horse with dwarfism, on her property.
About three years later, after Rick healed, word got out they both needed a forever home, and Fields and his wife, Susan, adopted them about 13 years ago, adding to their horse family on their 4-acre homesite in Mantua.
Fields soon after named his new 34-inch-tall stallion Rick O’Shay, after a famous Western comic strip.
“I thought it sounded good,” he said of the catchy name embossed in gold lettering on Ricky’s official sheriff’s blanket.
“Rick was very easy going from the start,” he added. “He liked people and loved attention.”
It is also why Fields thought he would do a good job of interacting with children. Already a part of the mounted unit riding a full-sized horse, Fields asked then Sheriff Daniel McClelland for his approval to bring Ricky aboard and begin training.
Ricky had a very good temperament, was easy to train and learned new things quickly.
He went through the same police certification training as his full-size equine counterparts and earned the rank of junior deputy as part of the auxiliary unit.
Ricky’s job was not finding missing people or sniffing for drugs.
“Sheriff Dan McClelland called Rick the softer side of law enforcement — Rick’s real job was to bring children to our uniform so they would know and trust all police officers,” Fields said.
He recalled they were busy during those early years.
“Rick has been in schools, churches, community events, parades, Great Geauga County Fairs, safety events, Geauga library events and more,” Fields said.
Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said Ricky will be missed.
“Rick O’ Shay was a very unique animal,” he said. “He was very friendly and well behaved. Adults and children all loved him. Jim was great to bring him out to events for the public. He also took care of him every day and I thank him for all that he has done.”
Ricky also enjoyed a good home life, living in a well-kept stall in the family’s barn with their other horses.
“I don’t know how many events Rick and I have done over the last almost 13 years,” Fields said. “Hundreds, I suppose. I do know we have passed out thousands of his trading cards. He liked kids. He was a good traveler. He was very loving.”
As far as Fields knows through his research, Ricky was the first certified mini horse used in a law enforcement department in the country.
Presently, there are miniature horses serving law enforcement in Florida and California.
Fields recalled one of his proudest moments was when Ricky was invited to be part of the prestigious Cleveland Grand Prix at the Cleveland Metroparks’ polo fields in Moreland Hills.
He also appeared on numerous local news stations throughout his career and received fan mail from as far away as New Zealand.
Weathered letters are included in Fields’ binders of keepsakes.
He said Ricky enjoyed Northeast Ohio winters and liked to run and buck and roll in the dirt or snow, eat treats and gallivant around with the other horses — his long-time friend, Peanut, Smokey, a 31-year-old former police horse, Krissy, a 21-year-old pony, and Stormy, a 28-year-old former police horse.
Fields flipped to one of his photo book’s final pages, depicting the Bainbridge Fire Department’s sixth annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 1 — their last public appearance together.
“He liked what he did,” Fields said. “He liked kids and people.”
In his later years, Ricky really enjoyed his apples, carrots and other horse treats when his schedule slowed from traveling anywhere, Fields said.
Before closing the over-stuffed books of memories, he said he’s certain Ricky’s in heaven, but lamented Peanut is still moping around in her stall.
He paused while his eyes gently filled with tears.
“Rick is eating carrots and sweet grass,” he added.
He opened a photobook one last time to Ricky’s burial site, on his property, adorned with a neatly placed American flag.
“He loved his job and was very good at it,” Fields said. “He put smiles on thousands of faces and brought joy to so many.”
