David Trinko: Unusual horse from Lima finds its way north

McCOMB — Something tells me that William Metzger would have liked his horse's new caretakers.Metzger was a memorable character in Lima's history. He's the guy who put up a sign saying “Eve Ann I love you,” a tribute to his oldest daughter, a few years after opening the Rose Shoppe at the corner of Jameson and West North back in 1967. Lawn ornaments overflowed to across the street from the shop. He had some interesting knick-knacks inside the store, too. He was colorful and had a child-like glee about life.That's why I think he would've liked Teresa and Ralph Andrews, who opened Community Thrift on McComb's East Main Street back in August. A few weeks ago, they received a rather surprising gift from Metzger's nephew, Dale Metzger, to sell in their store: this large and unusual electric horse.“I tied him to a post so he didn't sprint off into traffic,” Ralph Andrews said, motioning toward Main Street in McComb, which is probably best known for its large furniture store devouring most of its downtown.Teresa added, “I drew the line when he said he wanted to put down grass and leave something brown behind the horse.”People of a certain vintage might remember that horse, which sat near the front of the Rose Shoppe. Many people had their pictures taken with that electric-powered horse. Now it's in a store window 35 miles northeast of its longtime Lima home.“I tell people it's 6 feet long, 5 feet high at the head and just about 16 inches above the ground,” Teresa Andrews said. “Then I tell them its belly and head move, and they just stare at me like I'm crazy.”She's not crazy. I'll attest to that. I watched that horse's belly move in and out, as if he were calming down from a dash through downtown. I saw that head bobbing up and down, as if he were chowing down on oats, electrons or whatever else an electric horse might eat.After William Metzger died in 2001, Dale Metzger inherited that horse. It sat in his home for a few years before he donated it to the Thrift Store to sell.The hard part is figuring out what you charge for an animated 300-pound horse with a steel skeleton and skin made of a material resembling felt. Several dealers have stopped by to check it out, with one offering $1,700 for it. The Andrews want to know for certain what it's worth before they entertain any offers.There aren't any markings on it suggesting who made it. Aside from stories that it came from New York and a cord reminiscent of the 1950s or 1960s, not much is known about it. Internet searches left Teresa Andrews with more questions than answers.You can tell the Andrews would love to keep it. It's become a conversation piece in McComb, and many people duck into Community Thrift at 139 E. Main St. during its daytime business hours Tuesday through Saturday to see the horse. Some stick around to shop. Others return with other items to sell there.“I'd like to put some fake grass down and put up a plaque telling his history,” Ralph Andrews said.Still, the Andrews know that horse could help their community in other ways.Ten percent of profits go to God's Kids, a scholarship for children to go to camp at First Presbyterian Church in McComb. Much of the rest goes into an account the Andrews started to help people in need.“The economy's been so bad, some people don't even know how they'll get by,” Teresa Andrews said. “Families with two or three kids will walk in here and say they just don't have the money to get what they need. In those cases, we'll reach into that account and get them what they need.”Whatever that horse's fate, it's made an impression on everyone who sees it.“It is very unusual,” Teresa Andrews said. “As soon as people see it moving, they can't help but smile. It's really neat.”