In this new series we are sharing stories from you, the reader. These stories feature heart horses, rescues, off-the-track thoroughbreds, ponies, seniors and everything in between. If you have a story, we'd love to hear it! Submissions can be sent here.
From a surprise announcement to a well-earned retirement at 28, Cooper has been more than a horse. He has been a teacher, a teammate, and a friend. His journey carried one rider through childhood dreams, competitive challenges, and bittersweet goodbyes, only to bring them back together again. This is the story of a little red horse who shaped countless lives along the way.
"I started riding when I was nine and was instantly hooked. I would spend all my free time volunteering around the farm, mucking stalls, tacking up trail horses—anything I could do to spend more time with my favorite animal. I moved farms and switched trainers several times throughout my younger years to become more competitive and gain access to higher-quality horses.
Cooper came into my life quite unexpectedly. I was cooling out my pony with a little road hack after a lesson when, upon returning to the farm, my dad met me in the parking lot with two crumpled pieces of paper that had pictures of a little red horse on them. He said this horse was coming on Friday for me to try. Although he wasn’t the fancy import that would win every class, he was athletic, willing, educated, and safe.
He truly taught me everything I know. I’ve gone into the ring overly confident, and he’s slammed on the brakes and sent me flying. I’ve entered the ring terrified, and he’s marched around with little direction from me (except maybe the odd tremble). We’ve participated in costume classes, poker runs, fall fairs, and rated shows. He’s carried my siblings, friends, and boyfriends around as well. For a long time, my world revolved around him.
As my skills improved and I grew older, so did Cooper. Like most people who are competitive know, I had to make a choice: upgrade my mount or accept that we had plateaued and maybe start to slow down to save his legs. Horses had been my dream for so long that I wasn’t ready to slow down, and I certainly could not afford to cover the costs for two horses. Cooper was officially for sale.
When I say "for sale," I don’t mean posted online for the world to see. My coach and I sat at the dinner table, and she listed everyone she thought would benefit from Cooper's impressive resume. Most names on the list received a pass from me, until we got to one little girl whom I had let ride him in a few lessons. She and her family were wonderful, and most importantly, I could see the stars in her eyes when she looked at him. We presented the offer to them, and just like that, Cooper was sold.
He carried her around for years, and we always stayed in contact with picture updates and a few visits each year. It was the situation most people dream of. Time went on, and eventually, it was time for her to sell him and head off to school. She contacted me right away, and although I was not ready for horse ownership again, I bought him back that week.
I didn’t have the time or the budget for horse ownership at that time in my life. Cooper had aged, but he still had a lot to offer. I sent him out on a part-lease with one of the girls from the farm's lesson program. As time passed, it became increasingly clear that it was in Cooper's best interest for me to offer him for sale once again. I offered him to his lease family, and off he went again.
Once more, I was able to stay in contact and watch them grow as a team over the years. I watched her outgrow him, and he was leased to other kids in the barn. He spent his early twenties as a champion lead-line pony, beloved by all.
The time came for Cooper's full retirement and for his current owner to head off to school. I immediately opened my arms to help with his soft landing. All we both wanted was for him to have the peaceful retirement he deserves.
Cooper is still around at the ripe old age of 28, enjoying eating grass and just being a horse."
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