Tippy was my first horse,
given to me by my grandfather right before I went into my freshman year of
high school. When I started riding Tipp at my barn, I fell in love, he was
insane but had a good mind to work. He was the grandson of the famous Secretariat
and had the speed to prove it. He was terrified of the wind and bugs, to
this day my trainer tries to remind me of how much she really saw his belly
and worried about us going over backwards. He was my horse though, and I
loved everything about him and he was everything I wanted in a horse and
more. He gave me hugs, he had his quirks, but at the end of the day he loved
me more then anything and would always be waiting, pushing his face against
the bars of his stall when I walked into the barn. That horse even knew my
walk.
Our first show was secretly talked about as going to be a disaster, a crazy
thoroughbred and a just 15 year old girl, but it was the day that we truly
became a team. He was a beautiful horse, the best mover you can imagine and
was willing to jump the moon, he loved it! When he came to my barn, he was
starved and injured and he thrived with us and became the horse that everyone
loved or wanted.
Tippy passed away on October
3, 2005. I rode him the day before and we had a great ride. I remember walking
him out and having my barn owner, Karen, driving away to go pick up a horse
and her looking out of the window and Tippy cocking his head in surprise
and she remembers how perfect we were together at that moment. My mom picked
me up from school early that day. I got in the car and she told me Tippy
had died. Karen went to feed in the morning and he was laying down. She said
he looked like he was asleep, no signs of distress, but she had a feeling
that he wasn't asleep and he wasn't with us anymore. She touched him and
he was gone. The vet came and found that he had a stomach aneurysm either
while he was eating or right after. It caused him no pain and wasn't my fault.
I missed that horse more then I ever imagined I would. He was my everything
and when I got a new horse too soon after, I resented my new one so much
and wanted Tippy back. He was my dream horse, the horse I fell in love with
the moment I saw him.
I will miss you forever,
buddy...
Sarah