# A real life Black Beauty story? Years in the making. With pics!



## Rissa (Feb 10, 2009)

Black Beauty is real! He’s not black, and he’s not what most people would think of when they think beauty.

However this is my little story..

A very long story.


This is as user friendly and G Rated as possible. I’ve cut out a lot of stupid childish drama that happened between parties involved.

I'm going to try sum it all up. Three years ago I had a friend who bought him. I was scared of him for a long time. Having some important parts of my hip and my back fractured by a horse years and years previous. This horse once I got over my fear helped me get back into riding. Helped me get over the fear. He would pass right over his owner, my old friend and walk up to me and stand in front of me. He knew when we were going riding. He was always such a love to me. His owner at the time would always look a little miffed when he’d ignore her for me.

She never did a thing with him. She had four other horses and was just very very lazy. She even admitted it. Too lazy to do anything with him for months. Any of her horses. We agreed I'd buy him. She sold him to someone else instead. I lost track of him for a year. We parted our ways shortly after the sale of Prince. I couldn’t get over it. He had so many bad habits. Herd bound, barn sour, buddy sour. Just an emotional wreck. Since he wasn’t mine I wasn’t able to work with him or do much at all with him unless his owner wanted to ride and that was like pulling teeth.

Someone e-mailed me said they knew the horse in one of my YouTube videos. Turns out he lived only a mile from my house. I visit him, he acts sluggish but I take it as happy where he's at. People were really picky about me only coming out when they are there and when they have time to get there.

Lady tells me my ex friend told HER I was the reason he had all the vices and issues he had. I told her that it was the opposite. Basically she told the current owners that I was the person who ruined him. I was shocked. Until I swallowed my fear she had done nothing with him for five months. He was a yard gnome with a big head.

Some drama happens and they tell me they'll sell him to me for 2500 dollars cash. I couldn't afford that. She stopped talking to me and began avoiding me. She and my old ex friend…well it was just a mess of lies and ridiculous ****.

Another year later flipping for horses for sale I find a Saddlebred named Prince for 90,000 dollars. For laughs I write the ad asking what makes that horse so special. The Friesians I'm involved with don't even cost that much. She writes back saying it was suppose to be 900. Then she says she bought him in my town and I was shocked stupid. I just started bawling because she said the name of the people who were avoiding me now. I knew them. She had Prince! Sixty miles away.

So I come out and talk to her. She can't get a bridle on him. He's skinny. She's scared of him. He's way too much horse for a first time horse owner. She didn't know the basics. He rears and freaks when she tries to ride. His bit is on wrong. The bridle is four sizes too big. Everything is a mess. I don’t blame her, everyone starts somewhere. She was just in over her head with two lanky Saddlebreds and a quarter horse mare.

Also she found out he was drugged when she came out to try him before she bought him. She tells me he's so head shy it takes her an hour or more to get a halter or a bridle near his face. HEAD shy. I used to hug his face. 

The people sold a lanky tall Saddlebred to her as a barrel racing horse. She didn't know the difference and those people could have gotten her killed.

Once the drugs wore off he was hard for her to manage and she tried for a long time and finally put him up for sale.

After seeing me put a bridle on him in five seconds, saddle him and ride him along a highway with no trouble she decided not to sell him but to try and not give up.

Months pass. I don't hear from her. Someone posted on a horse forum about Friesian scam ads on horse sites. A lot of times I'll find my own photos being used on scam ads online. So I went flipping though and found a few to report. Decided to search horses in my area on this site and lo and behold. There he was again. Only this time up for lease.

That would be the last thing this emotional horse needs is a stranger renting him and kicking him in the ribs when he has a melt down in a field.

So I wrote her told her I wanted to buy. Back and forth and finally here he is. With me finally. Three almost four years later. 

And he's with me for good. It's kind of been like Black Beauty only Black Beauty is a lanky gold semi-fugly Saddlebred.

He needs weight and she cropped his mane so silly and cut his tail short too. I can't fathom why.

After he adjusts and gets a good weight back on him I’m going to start using MTG on him, see if I can grow out that silly mane. I think I’m still a little shell shocked. I cry every time I see him. I can’t believe after so many years he’s finally mine. Bounced around from place to place and now he’s safe. No matter what issues he has, I’m going to work it though with him.


First a few old photos of him. These are when he belonged to that ex-friend.










Wearing my scarf.





























These were my very last photos of the two of us together. Then he was sold.










Looking at these actually makes me kinda sad.


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## Rissa (Feb 10, 2009)

These are photos I took of him when I found him after I was contacted via e-mail.





















Then when I found him the third time, when he was posted on accident for 90,000. In the hands of the clueless girl.





























She said since then the chestnut senior Saddlebred in the background of these photos has put on weight. 

Finally.

Yesterday he came "home" to me. These are the photos I took of him.

I picked blue for his welcome home halter. I think it suits him.


You can also see the ridiculous cropped tail, mane and forelock.










See Fatty Ethan back there? He didn't care, didn't even look up to see who was coming out of the trailer.










Tail is hardly long enough to get rid of flies!






















Boy, this is GOOD HAY!









Even the water is extra good here!










Comfortable enough to roll? I hope that's a good sign.




















That's all for now! I'll update this as he grows and gains weight and his scars and stuff heal up and he looks better.

Been a long road but he's finally home.


I have also ALWAYS hated the name Prince for him. Even before I was going to buy him I used to try and think of names I was going to change it to. I've known him as Prince for so long it would be hard to change it now.


I've settled on the name Eric.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Awww! He's adorable! I'm really glad you found him and were able to take him. He looks like he knows he's in a good place now. =)

Edit: I almost forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! =D


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## RoCru (Jul 19, 2009)

Omg, what a story! I'm so glad you've got him!! Be sure to post plenty of updated pics!


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

AWWWW! *tear*

Congrats and good job! Never giving up like that, even after being turned down so many times...I'm a firm believer that horses KNOW when we're trying to help them, even in the roughest of times. I know you'll do right by him and can't wait to see updates and new pictures as Eric gets his strength back...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

OMG, what a sad story. I am so happy that he is with you, after seeing everything you have done for Ethan, I am sure that Eric will be back to his old self in no time. He is just gorgeous (or will be with some groceries ;p). I can't wait to follow his progress.

Congratulations on getting him home.


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## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

How awful! I'm glad he's home with you! He's very pretty and with weight will be gorgeous!


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## andysgagirl (Aug 6, 2009)

Wow thats an amazing story! He's beautiful and you guys were just meant to be together! Congratulations and enjoy your time with 'Eric'!


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I'm a sucker for happy endings! Best of luck , he's a lucky boy.


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

I am so glad that he's in good hands now! Congrats!
Can't wait to see him in a few months.
:]


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

This is an amazing story!  Congratz!


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## Kiki (Feb 7, 2007)

Awww what a lovely story. I love these type of stories. And I think he's purty, he's got a nice pally colouring


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

What a wonderful story! I hope Eric lives a long happy life with you! Thanks for making me cry, that is the second post tonight that has done it!  

How old is he?


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## Rissa (Feb 10, 2009)

FehrGroundRanch said:


> What a wonderful story! I hope Eric lives a long happy life with you! Thanks for making me cry, that is the second post tonight that has done it!
> 
> How old is he?



He's about twelve years old.


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## welshpony15 (May 20, 2009)

Oh wow, what a gorgeous, sad, heart warming story. I'm so glad he has finally come home where he so obviously belongs  Congratulations on a wonderful outcome.


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## Iluvjunior (Feb 15, 2009)

Awww what an awesome story Eric looks so much happier home with you!


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

Yes , this brought a tear to my eye too, My heart really goes out to you and Prince Eric ....He seems to be in kind loving hands now


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hello Rissa!
What a wonderful story.
How awesome to finally have this horse with you. You two look so happy together in the photo's
I am so excited that you now have him and he can have what he well deserves! Love, kindness, anf of course "Food".
I do not know what you will do with him, but i am certain that you two were destined to be together...
Please keep us posted on your progress...
HP


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

What a beautiful ending. Nice to hear you are together for good. Congratulations and good luck.


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## HannahandAda (Jul 11, 2009)

Fantastic story. Sometimes there is that special bond that can't be ignored in the face of umpteen challenges. CONGRATS!!! he is Gorgeous!


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## Scrambles (Aug 23, 2009)

Thank God for such a happy ending! Man, whoever got ahold of his mane and tail should be ashamed of themselves! But I am so happy that you got your boy back! (And now it's all the more sweeter that he's officially your boy!) Gotta love those golden horses!


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