Eulogy to a great horse

Nell dar Tomar, affectionately known as Cody, was my first horse, after spending half my life riding horses owned by other people.  He was everything people love and hate in the Arabian breed.

When I was checking out horses to buy, he was the only horse who checked me out as well. That sold me, even when the owner went up on his price after she saw how we immediately bonded.

He was an energetic handful under saddle. He and I waged a constant battle for him to stand still when I mounted, and we had more than one bucking session when I pulled him in from a gallop or — god forbid — put saddle bags on him for a trail ride.

A leisurely walk was never on his “to do” list. He tried to turn tail and run every time he saw a deer, and he tried to give chase and bite – yes, bite – every time he saw a goat or my late doberman. They were insanely jealous of each other.

But … his version of a walk was a graceful prance, and when I rode in a group or unloaded him from a trailer at a new location, it was Cody who turned heads. He was so handsome.

Although he was gelded, he was a lady’s  man. He loved to hang out with the mares and they usually loved him back.

While other people had to chase or shake food buckets at their horses to retrieve them from the pasture, all I had to do was call and he came running.

He loved people and would readily abandon the herd to see what you were doing.  He had an annoying habit of picking up your tools and running off with them when you were trying to fix the fence.  He would retrieve a Frisbee like a dog.

He loved the trail and would practically jump into a trailer because he loved to go new places.

I  owned several other horses while I had Cody, but he was always my main man.  And, yes, I sometimes rode him bareback. We spent 15 years together.

My consolation is that I was able to retire him to a great farm with several mares he spent his last days escorting around lush pastures.

He will always, always hold a place in my heart.

(transferred from an earlier myspace blog post.)