🧡🐎 Cricket 🐎🧡

 Hi everyone, today I’m writing about Cricket. He just recently got sold, so I wanted to do a little homage to him. 

Everyone else thought of this beautiful gelding as not that pretty, but I thought he was the most gorgeous horse ever.

I started riding at my English barn in late November of 2020. The owner of the barn (who is a wonderful woman and a complete expert when it comes to horses) put me on a small bay gelding named Cricket. He was bay, hadn’t been clipped yet, his tail only went down to his hocks, and he had a wonderful personality. He was a little mouthy, but never in a mean way, just in a ‘haha, gotcha’ way. I immediately fell in love with him. He was actually considered one of the more difficult horses on the property, but he was by far the best horse I ever rode.

How do I say this kindly.... Cricket is NOT a jumper. He sucks at anything jump-like. He trips over trot poles, can’t lift his feet for the life of him. I never got to canter him, but apparently it wasn’t very easy to get him to a good canter. He had his flaws, for sure. Despite all this, I loved him. Everything about him from his too-short tail to his big fat head. He was a delightful ride and an amazing teacher for me. About a year ago, the owner bought him by the name of Governor and renamed him Cricket. He used to be a western trail horse. 

Another special thing? When Cricket got to the barn, he was skinny and malnourished. This is because he has about 7-8 teeth I  his entire mouth. I’m not sure how he lost them, but the owner nursed him back to health and turned him into the beautiful gelding he is today. He has to eat a green slop-like food, that has to be prepared the day before and is pretty  expensive.

He fast became the horse that we put the kids on. He liked to trot really fast on some days, but most of the time he was very chill under the saddle. I mastered my two point, stirrupless, and was a week away from finally cantering. 

Then, on Saturday, March 27th, I went to help out at the barn like every week, bringing my riding stuff to free ride.

“Hey, [owner]! Can I do a free ride later today with Cricket?” I asked, poop scooper in my right hand.

“Nope! I sold him!” She said, completely off handed.

I paused, thinking she must be joking. Cricket? Sold? I had no idea this was even on the agenda.

“You... sold him?” I asked, trying hard to keep my voice from squeaking.

“Yep, he’s gonna go be a Western trail horse. He’ll love it. He’s being picked up tomorrow morning.”

My face must have showed the confusion I was feeling. Cricket couldn’t leave no way. I must be dreaming, right??

“An old lady is looking for a trail horse, and she came and tried him this week. But you can still groom him, make him look all pretty!”

Suddenly I just wanted to be alone. I agreed to groom him and she left. I continued scooping the poop, on the verge of tears. It didn’t feel real. Cricket? Gone?

Later that day, I found out that I was the only one riding him, therefore he was no longer making any money. Because of his teeth, his food was expensive and a hassle. He was just to expensive. He was a hard shaped horse to saddle, only about three saddles could fit him. He had trouble bridling (I never had any fighting from him though), and apparently he had bucked a little with cantering. He was to expensive, to mean. I was shocked, as I had never, ever gotten even the slightest anger, upset, or anything other then pure happy joy from him.

I went home at 6 that night and finally let myself cry. My best friend, my favorite thing in the world. Gone?? I convinced my parents to let me go in the morning to say goodbye to him.

I got there bright and early, helped with bring out, then grabbed Cricket and brought him out to groom. We picked out his tail, wiped him down with a wet cloth, took pictures with him, and said my goodbyes. 

At 9:30 a.m. sharp, a 50-60 year old woman pulled up in a truck with a big trailer. She had white hair pulled into a messy bun, and a bright pink jacket. She bounced on her toes as her and the owner left to grab Cricket’s blankets, food, and papers. I hugged Cricket one last time, and tied his halter on slowly. Then his new owner took him, gave him a pat, and lead him to the trailer, 

I can see she loves him a lot. She talks about how this will be his retirement home, and he will get to teach little kids with Western riding. I tried to smile and act happy, but I’m sure I didn’t hide my sadness well. The trailer had a pretty big step, and guess what that silly old horse did! This horse that trips over poles, can’t jump to save his life, did a be-utiful jump into the trailer. We were all shocked, because in the year he has been at the barn, he has balked at everything even slightly jump related.

Cricket and me right before he left 

By everyone, I hope you enjoyed the story. 🥲

Amelia