# He's my life and was meant to live



## StarfireRebel (May 17, 2013)

I am new to this forum so I thought I would tell the story of my horse. (his pic is my avatar)
He is now 22 and doesn't act a day over 2 lol. His name is Starfire Rebel aka Ernie (don't ask that was what they called him when I got him).
He came into my life when I was 14 and he was 3, he is a registered Arabian gelding and has become my life and my best friend. My grandmother bought him for me after many years of pestering. Although he was green and totally full of himself and I was just starting my riding career it could not have been a better match. We have been through a lot together and he has taught me so much. Our life together started out kind of rough I guess you could say. 
Just a few months after I got him, he was being loaded into a very old straight load trailer, he was spooked by a dog reared up and slid under the trailer, when he came back up his back leg was badly cut. You could see every layer all the way to the bone. Luckily nothing was permanently damaged. The obvious wrong vet was called to get him help. After cleaning the wound the vet wrapped it with gauze and used duct tape of all things to hold it on, worse yet he put it half on the gauze and half on the hair.(ouch) The next day when we went to remove the make shift bandage it had swollen so much that he wouldn't let me near it. After much fighting with him, it was finally removed to find a golf ball sized proud flesh had grown over night. A new vet was called and they got him on a much better path to recovery, and the appropriate bandage. It went smoothly after this. About a month before he was to be released for light riding another incident took place I could not believe it. 
The only good part of this is that he new where to go to find me, I had to walk him from my house to his new pasture a few days after his trailer injury because he refused to get back in (I cant blame him). 
It was 5 am my brother and grandpa were on their way to work when they found him and the filly I had at the time, standing in the park right in the middle of town. Torn up badly and unable to go any further he just stood there waiting for someone to find him, he had made it 2 miles and just a few block short of my house. We managed to get the horses home (it was a slow process he, just didn't have the energy but he never gave up) Once again the (good) vet was called, when he arrived he could tell he had lost a lot of blood and suggested he be put down. I however was not going to hear that, something had to be done for him. From the extent of the injuries and the swipe mark on his side the vet knew he had been attacked by a cougar. The bandage on the leg from the trailer injury had been destroyed and the wound reopened (urg) not to mention all the new gashes and injuries. He was a strong boy throughout all of this although he did let you know he was not in the least happy about any of the after care. Now we had to start all over with the healing process. I can not imagine how it would have felt to lose him and I am glad he is such a strong boy and he pushed through it all. After many months of recovery, he is no worse for the ware.
The cougar was found in the area causing other problems as well soon after this and was destroyed by the game department.
We have now been together for 19 years and all is good. It took many years for him to feel confident enough to get back in a trailer freely on his own, although he is still nervous and jittery. He will not go in a straight load trailer and will not back out of any trailer. I got him a nice big slant load and he is fine as long as you let him come out head first. Many have tried to work with him on backing out but he will not have any of it and will slam his head on the roof if you force him to go backward. So call him spoiled I don't force him.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Great story, and I am glad you still have him with you after all these years.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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