We all do it. We all tell people our name, and when we do, we are either proud of who we are, or maybe we're not. Maybe something has happened in the past, whether recent or not, that makes us a little nervous about sharing such information. It's a little like that in the horse world, too. I could throw a few names at you, and you'd say, "Oh, that was an amazing horse!" I like to think that most horses are amazing, but I'll concede to the facts at hand; there are some horses that, without question, are more memorable than others.
Among the list of horses that are both outstanding in their respective field of racing, and who were gallant and stunning to look at, would be names such as Secretariat, Man O'War, Mr. Prospect, and Raise a Native, to name a few. I could go on, of course; the list seems endless, and those are only the Thoroughbreds! Why am I mentioning Thoroughbreds, you may ask? I'll tell you—but I think you may already know if you've been keeping up with my blog over the past few days.
I rescued a horse from the Bowie Livestock Auction this past weekend. If I had known he was a Thoroughbred, I may not have bothered to bid on him - seriously, I'm not just saying that. I'm more of a Quarter Horse fan. I don't mind TBs, but in the past they've been flighty, strong-headed, too tall, or something. I know from experience, having owned a few, that they aren't always easy keepers. They have higher metabolisms, and they tend to want to...you know, run! They are quite the athletes, and generally speaking, I usually pass.
Well, apparently, God had other plans for me and for my new Thoroughbred! That's right. I rescued Wyatt, or Hip #479, and got him home. (Thank you, Dawn Foil) The second I took a good look at him, I knew. I didn't even have to pull up his lip. I knew. If anyone was a Thoroughbred, this guy was. He was tall, a little gangly at the moment, but he had an enormously long head, thinner or narrower in the chest, and legs that went on for miles. If I had to guess, because we haven't measured yet, I'd say 16.2H. What was I thinking? 😀
This guy, Wyatt, had the look of a prince from first glance. He's regal, and he's handsome. He's injured, but has that warrior look about him. He's not going to let life dictate his fate; it's all over him. He's not an alpha in the sense we usually use the term, but he is strong-hearted, a deep thinker, and cautious. He's curious, naturally, and that's a good sign too. When my daughter had the opportunity, she lifted his lip while I videoed it so we could see for ourselves exactly who he is. The tattoo is there, and it tells his entire story right up to the time he stopped racing.
S19205 -- According to the Jockey Club, his name is Awesome Logan. He was born on April 27, 2015, and was a racehorse in New Mexico from the time he was almost three until the time he was almost five. He ran 27 times and won first place only once. He took second place four times, and he placed four times as well. Then, he either lost interest or faster horses entered his races. He was retired on 1/14/2020, and Covid could have had something to do with it as well. Either way, he never officially raced again.
I say officially, because the boy is still wearing racing shoes. Those will come off soon enough. He will never have to race again - but he can run if he wants to. According to the man who dropped him off at the sale barn (who picked him up in El Paso a week before he sold him to Bowie), he was basically run into the ground by folks who didn't keep the horse's best interest at heart. Sadly, and I can say this, he was abused. There's clear evidence that someone dragged him around by a metal chain. His upper gum is severed. It's healed, but it's obvious the horse was not their pet. We'll leave it at that.
When I read his history on Equibase, and then looked him up on All Breed Pedigree, I found so much more to brag about than I ever expected. My horse, my beautiful, sweet, kind-hearted, clear-eyed, sweet boy, is out of good stock, and for whatever reason, the faster racing gene just took a beat. Remember those wildly famous horses I mentioned earlier? He has every last one of them in his bloodline -- he has Man O'War in his lineage four times (different babies of Man O'War mated with different horses to make that happen.) He has such a great history running through him - and now he has a great future ahead.
He's been bitten, kicked in the mouth, harmed, hurt, beaten, and trashed. He was forced to take drugs, no doubt, something to make him do a little better for his trainers, but not anymore. Wyatt (as I call him) will be spoiled, pampered, loved, and cuddled. He'll eat a lot of hay, grain, oats, and apples. He needs to gain 200 pounds, and I need to lose 40, so we can ride together. It'll happen. I'm off to buy him a new halter and lead. I could end up dolling him up a bit, but I think I'll wait to let him settle in. I've already called the dentist and the farrier. When I say he'll be taken care of, I mean it.
Photo Credit: Me. Laura is holding his lip.
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