# A lengthy hello from Wisconsin ;-)



## nikelodeon79 (Mar 3, 2008)

Hi! I've been keeping horses for 17 years. I purchased my first horse, a Welsh Pony named Bandit, when I was 11 years old. My knowledge of horses came mostly from library books and the barrage of questions I would ask any horse owner that came within 50 feet of me. :lol:

A few years passed and I grew taller, while Bandit did not. After debating whether or not to sell my beloved pony, my mom and dad thankfully agreed that we would keep Bandit and purchase Cody, a 4 year old AQHA gelding. Cody was green broke and so was I, which is not a good combination but somehow I made do, managing not to kill myself in the process. 

When I was 18 years old I worked for a riding stable and took Cody with me. Because the riding stable owner did not have enough stalls, one of her horses (a 17 year old untrained Arabian named Royale that had recently been gelded) stayed at my parents' farm while Cody came to the stable with me. When the end of the summer came, the owner took one look at Royale grazing happily in the pasture along side my pony and asked if I wanted to keep him. My dad's response: "What's one more?"

He would utter the same phrase when my older brother's fiance asked if she could get a horse and keep it at our place. Then, a few years later when I was in college and picked up a rescue case Arab gelding named Mirage and wanted to bring him home, dad's now famous phrase was used again.

I very recently lost Mirage to what I believe to be an aortic aneurysm. I'm still reeling from the loss, though I only owned him three short years. I hope those years were good for him, considering the years of neglect and abuse he had to endure before I got him.

Three years ago this July, I had to make the impossibly difficult decision to euthanize my beloved pony, Bandit. He had lived with Cushings Disease for at least five years, and the last few months of his life made it evident that going on was much too painful.

As many of us know, losing a horse is a terrible experience. My two remaining horses are approaching 19 and 25, and the thought that I'll have to let them go someday, perhaps sooner rather than later, is a constant worry at the back of my mind.

I ride primarly Western and show in a grand total of one show per year. It's a county fair show that I co-organize and run. Trail riding is what I like to do best. In addition to my own horses, I've trained a few more for friends and people who have approached me for help.

As I mentioned above, my horses are:

*Pecos Cody*, a soon-to-be 19 year old AQHA gelding








Cody's a phenomenal horse that I'd trust with the smallest child or the greenest rider. He's a steady eddy on the trail and I've show him in Western Pleasure and also done some gaming. 

*SB Royale Heir*, a soon-to-be 25 year old Arabian gelding








I started Royale's training under saddle when he was 20 years young. He has a history of abuse so we took things slowly. His breakthrough in training happened last fall and he seemed to figure out something new each time we rode. First, he learned how to trot, then canter, then jump, then buck. :lol: As it takes him awhile to trust, I'll probably be the only one who ever rides him.

In memory of:

Bandit:








(with one of the many children who loved him and he taught how to ride)

The Desert Splash (Mirage)









Wow, this has turned into a lengthy post. Sorry!  I tend to be quite long winded. Hopefully you guys won't hold that against me. :lol:


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## Jr_lover (Apr 14, 2007)

aww thats so sad well hopefully you can enjoy your time here and i hope everything goes well for you and your horses. Welcome.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Awww.  I'm sorry for the loss.

Welcome to the Horse Forum; enjoy it here!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Hey, hello! Welcome to HF! I love your story and I'm so sorry for you lost of Mirage and Bandit. I hope you remaning two horses live many more years! 

BTW-Kudos to rescuing Mirage, he was a beauty!


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## buckaroo2010 (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome!


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## GypsyNymph (Feb 23, 2008)

Sorry for your losses. Welcome to the forum


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

hiya
welcome to the forum


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