Trooper and Major left the ranch yesterday.

When you put horses, whom you have loved for many years, up for sale, the day they sell is rough. Major was my Parelli levels horse and came into my life as a nearly unridable 14 year old in 2001. The fact that I can do this with him now  is a testament to how well a solid natural horsemanship program can work. www.parelli.com

We covered many miles together and since I felt he had many more to go and wasn't ready for retirement, I put him up on Dreamhorse. I hadn't the slightest notion that someone out there wants a 23 year-old grade gelding. Then we met Bo - a bright, funny woman who lives near Dallas and wants a trailriding buddy who can also teach her a few things about natural horsemanship. Bo has her Parelli Level 1 pack ready to go. Perfect!

The surprising and kind of heartbreaking part of the story was...well...Trooper.

Trooper is Sam's old man. Sam owned Trooper's dam and sire and foaled him 25 years ago. A very old horse is about 30 or so.

Major and Trooper became friends on Sam and Erin's very first trip to the Colorado high country together (kind of a date) in 2003. Today the two old men often amble away from the herd together for long, uninterrupted naps.

A few days ago, a couple of miscreant cutting horses on the Kirk Ranch ran Trooper through a fence. Here are the miscreants in action. 

After the fence incident, Trooper stuck close to Major and his long time friend became his full-time protector. The next day Sam watched from the barn as Tank (the blanketed miscreant) tried to corner Trooper. Just then Major stepped between them pawing like a stallion at Tank. Major won't pick a fight but he won't run from one either. Tank in his 6-year-old wisdom, dropped his head and walked off. 

On sale day, I watched Bo start to fall in love with Major when he linked up with her and followed her in the round pen. I knew then I'd be loading him in her trailer and watching them pull down the driveway. I don't know how but Trooper knew too because he began hollering and running up and down the fence.  Supressing the urge to bawl, I grabbed a halter and brought Trooper out to say goodbye. 

That's when this wonderful crazy-woman said to Sam "You know, why don't I just take them both?"  She offered to put Trooper on special joint supplements and extra TLC so maybe her partner Bob could ride him from time to time. In this cynical world it's amazing that people will still make choices like that. A choice that acknowleges that animals grieve lost loved ones too and deserve respect and dignity in their dotage. 

So because of her and Bob, Trooper and Major will get to spend whatever time they have left poking around the grasslands of Texas together. I hope Bo and Bob have many happy years with both of them. Just like Sam and I did.