To put it simply, Laser was kind of an asshole. He had a nasty buck, he knew how to snuggle up to you and then use just his front teeth to pinch your skin, he would roll when he saw you coming to get him in the paddock, and he’d run away with a walk/trotter on his back if the trainer walked towards him with a lunge line in their hand. He came to us as a 6 year old from someone who bought and sold horses a lot and didn’t really know anything about his history. Laser ended up having a pretty successful show career as a hunter with the kid that leased him. He was really cute and careful with his knees over fences and somehow miraculously figured out how to do a lead change without us really having to teach him. He was good at shows for the most part (although he traveled with one of those hard rubber/plastic dog bones because he’d get nervous waiting at the in gate and needed something to chew on that wasn’t our arms!) so we looked past his quirks. Eventually his “kid” outgrew him and moved on to a bigger horse, so Laser got added to the lesson program. He started bucking more and “parted ways” with too many kids so I started riding him more. He still bucked and kicked out. After lots of chiropractic work, massages, magnawave, etc., we still didn’t know what his deal was. Finally, when he was getting his teeth done, we were talking with the vet about some of his issues, and said something about him “only being like 9 years old”…..I thought the vet was going to fall over. “What are you talking about?!” He said. “This horse is like 20!” Somehow, for several years, the vet thought we knew he was older, and he wasn’t papered so we assumed he was the age we were told he was! This news led us to back him off the jumping and use him as more of a beginner lesson horse – and he thrived! He was so patient and kind. He occasionally still bucked, but never with a super tiny kid…it was almost like he knew which kid could handle it, and which ones needed a reality check! He taught countless kids how to steer, post the trot, jump baby cross rails, win blue ribbons, lose gracefully, sit a buck, and play dress up. He was painted and had ribbons braided in his mane at pony camp, he took tiny humans on their first trail ride, he stood in the river with water up to his shoulders and let us stand on his back and rope swing off of him then swim back over and do it again and again, and he fulfilled so many little girls dreams. Laser also came into the lesson program as I was just starting to teach lessons. He taught ME how to teach and I am eternally grateful to him for that. He always let me know when I was wrong and he would give his whole heart to us anyways. He tried so hard for his little people and for me. When Laser died, I knew we’d never have another one like him. Lots of amazing lesson horses have come since him, but he holds such a special place in my heart and I know there are a hundred little girls who feel the same. Laser was kind of a jerk, but he had earned the right to be and I think even in his naughty moments, he was teaching us all something.