Remembering the Wonder Pony

Last night a good friend of mine FB messaged me the saddest news that could have come to me at this moment in time. Nothing wrenched my heart like this. Not my lack of money and knowing what my future will hold. Not the death of my two previous dogs, Pepper and Tonka. Not getting my heart broken in high school.

My beautiful eventing pony, Spirit, has to be euthanized this past weekend. Seeing as it was Aprils fools day, I thought for a second she was messing with me, but I knew that she wouldn't kid about something like that.

My first ride on him as his official owner

I just collapsed and broke down. Call me crazy, but every single sweet memory came flooding back to me, and to think my courageous pony was gone forever was too much to bear. All my worries, fears and sadness came crashing down and I just cried and cried. I cried till I ran out of tears.

Spirit was my perfect horse. Perfect even in his flaws. He was stubborn and hated trailering and black mats. He sucked at dressage. He had a huge head. His butt was tiny. But even with all that, he had the heart to overcome his past and learned to love and trust me. After a few years, he hopped on the trailer by himself. He jumped anything, ANYTHING, I pointed him at. He let me ride him around bareback with no halter. I sat on his back in the pastures while he grazed. I cried into his mane when I was sad. We won everything and he made me feel special. He was my best friend and my heart horse. Never again will I know a creature like him.

Our last training level together

Eventually after all our fun, I grew tall. I had to sell him. He was getting arthritic and I was too big for him to jump comfortably. His life was competing, and I couldn't take that from him. I sold him to an older lady who used him for Foxhunting and leased him to Brittney, who showed him for a few years. He taught her how to ride and took care of her like he took care of me. Admittedly, I was jealous she got to have him when I couldn't. But then I realized he was still doing what he loved most and enriched another girls life, just as he had mine.

XC schooling

Our very first event together (3 pictures)

My favorite picture

I loved that we were the same age. I will always remember that he was 12 when I got him, and 17 when I sold him. He was 21 when he died. His past was uncertain, but I know he wasn't treated well. He was barely broke to ride, dehydrated, underweight, had mysterious scars and refused (REFUSED-took us 6 hours) to get in the trailer. Nevertheless, I convinced my parents I needed this Anglo-Arab I found in the classifieds in the Dayton Daily News.

Winning everything at the Green Co. 4-H fair

We had quite the ride together! He taught me how to jump and I taught him dressage. Our first show was a disaster. My worst dressage score to date...a 70. HAHAHA. God, I will always remember THAT disaster. Eventually though, we became unbeatable. He was the best jumper I have ever ridden, and being a pony, he could easily jump 5ft. He stunned everyone with his ability, and had a tendency to "lock" onto jumps. We actually got disqualified from one event because he took a prelim jump when we were only doing novice, HA.

Triple bar madeness at a Darren Chiacchia clinic

First jumper show

Britt and Spirit at a show

Briit and the old man in her Senior pictures. How adorable :D

The following are all of him and Britt, he was between 17-20 years of age

His last show.

I will always love him with all my heart. I just can't believe he is gone.

I love you Spirit. Forever my sweet, talented pony <3

Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride,
Friendship without envy,
Or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is served with muscle
And strength by gentleness confined
He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent.
There is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
~Ronald Duncan, "The Horse," 1954