"Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and once it has done so, he/she will have to accept that his life will be radically changed." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, July 4, 2011

Welcome to retirement, TylerRose.

Eastview Blue has retired.  

Since I took ownership of Tyler on September 29, 2007 a lot has happened.  We learned to event together.  We learned to travel.  We learned to do things right.  We learned to take care of each other.

On June 27, Tyler slipped while we were out for a nice evening walk around the fence.  He didn't scramble or save me. I was able to free myself of the stirrups, but my right leg was pinned between Tyler and a fence post.  He finally stood up and looked at me.  I started crying right away.  I knew what was happening.

Tyler has always had an issue.  I never spent the thousands of dollars to find out what the issue was.  We shod Tyler better, fit his saddles, strengthened his muscles, and gave him the best of everything I could.  Tyler managed.  He proved this by completing two starter novice events and facing new challenges in Aiken this spring.

Then the reaction happened.  Tyler recovered but he did not return to the 90 or 95% he had been at with the extra attention.  Tyler's fall last week told me in no uncertain terms that he was done.  

The supplements found new homes, his shoes now hang on my wall, and his saddle pads that don't look right on Fred adorn the lesson horses.  Parting with his dressage bridle will pay for a few fun lessons with Fred.  Parting with Tyler's jump bridle might not be so easy.  I have a feeling it will soon be a very expensive wall decoration that hangs next to Sunny's bridle in my room.  

Tyler left Harvest View as rapidly as he arrived.  Tyler's previous owner has kept his promise and Tyler has a retirement home for life.  Thankfully, Tyler lives between the barn and my parent's house so I can keep an eye on him. 

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