07/18/2026
Tonight we had to say goodbye to this wonderful, spirited boy. He was a very special horse.
I’d been looking for a ‘husband horse’ that I could throw any novice rider on. I love horses, but my friends and family not so much.
I mentioned it to a friend who I was boarding my other horse at her place. Within a week or so, she called me to tell me she may have a horse for me. He had been boarded with her several times. However, she said ‘full disclosure, he had been returned three times because it didn’t work out’. She assured me he was a good horse, and people were crazy.
So I asked permission to take him for a ride, and he did great. I then asked permission to trailer him for a trail ride. My friend went with me. He did amazing! I even had an issue with his saddle, and it slipped. I tried to right it, and it slipped too far. I bailed off as we were going down into a gully. The saddle slipped around to his belly, and he just stopped and looked at me ‘like what are you doing down on the ground’. I looked at my friend and told her he’s sold!!! She was right. They were all nuts!! For those that don’t know, most horses would have bolted when something touched their belly.
He was always a bit sway-backed (someone probably rode him too young). I bought special pads for his back. He was great for anyone who didn’t know how to ride. When Scott and I were first dating, I put Scott on him, and he’d just put the reins down and drank his b**r as we rode the trail. Hank would just follow me. 😂
My granddaughters all grew up learning to ride on him. He was so gentle and never spooked even with the toddlers!
However, as he aged, he wanted his sweet feed when he wanted it! I was treating an injured cow and carried some sweet feed over to the medical pen to distract him. Well, Hank saw me and came running to get some. I shooed him away, and he didn’t take kindly, and I saw him kick back at me, in just enough time to jump back, but not enough to clear the kick. He left quite the bruise! I learned he always got fed before anyone else. 😂
The last few months, he took a turn for the worse weight-wise. We had the vet out, and he did blood work. He said either an abscess or cancer. But I can’t quit on any animal. So we started him on SR feed and really strong antibiotics. He was eating really well, which the vet said was a good sign. He had been doing well. Scott fed him lunch today, and he gobbled it up. We went out to feed dinner, and he was lying down. Scott started to mix up dinner, and I looked at him and said, “Don’t.” We tried for hours to get him up, and he just couldn’t stand. We were contemplating trying to lift him with the tractor, but he was so thin and weak, I was concerned we would hurt him. He laid his head down and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed. I made the decision it was time. He passed peacefully with me. Love that wonderful boy. I’m also thankful to all the nutty people who returned him for being a ‘bad’ horse. I’ve had him close to 12 years and he was NEVER a bad horse. He was a great horse.
Hank will be missed!!!
