 |
[RC] Kooter - victoria thompsonSuzanne -I'm so terribly sorry you lost Kooter. He was without a doubt one of the finest there ever was (or will be). I had the pleasure of crewing for Suz and Kooter many years ago at Tevis - a couple of times. Like Lucy, the year before she was shoving wet alfalfa cubes down his throat, I was doing the same thing - same place too, Michigan Bluff. He wasn't feeling off though, he just didn't want to bend his head down to eat! He really wanted to snooze, but was perfectly satisfied with eating as long as I stood there hand feeding him that sloppy mess. If memory serves me he came in 3rd that year and was just barely beaten out for best condition. The next year - the year Lucy hand fed him - he was in the top ten coming into Michigan Bluff, but Suz noticed something off about him. Instead of getting on and riding she walked all the way into Forresthill hand feeding him alfalfa along the way. So many people had passed her along the way she arrived - I believe - in the 60's (or was it the 30's). That was the first year the one hour hold had been moved from Michigan Bluff to Forresthill, and Kooter had a good long rest (eating lots of wet alfalfa cubes too). Suz got on and left at a walk. She said something happened when the sun went down. Kooter just kicked it into high gear and wound up crossing the finish line in 16th place, as I recall. What a horse. He was a magnificent Morab that stood 16'1, with the biggest legs I have ever seen on an endurance horse. They were like tree trunks. Suz kept him confined at rides with an electric tape corral that was maybe 2 feet off the ground. Kooter could have easily stepped right over it, but to the best of my knowledge he never did. I accidentally touched that tape in the process of getting him ready to go and thought my back fillings would fall out! He was the easiest horse I have ever crewed for (Suz also being the easiest person I've ever helped as well). Kooter knew exactly what he needed to do to keep himself going - eat and drink. There was no nonsense about Kooter - no extra movement to burn up calories. The only thing Suz ever wanted was chocolate pudding and Gatorade. How could it get any harder than that. Kooter will be sorely missed. Tori =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|