An exciting time in any equestrian's life is when they buy their first horse. In many cases, like my own, many young riders often lease the first horse they ride. The first horse I leased was a gray, Thoroughbred gelding named Travis. He was 17.2 hands and always skinny. No matter how much we fed him, he constantly walked circles in his stall, which is why he stayed so skinny. He also liked to crib on everything; his stall, the pasture fence, any surface for that matter. He would even go as far as windsucking, which is like cribbing but the horse doesn't have to bite anything to do it. He always had to have another horse around him or he would scream his head off. At shows, I would have to walk him constantly because he wouldn't stand still at the trailer. Even though he was a problematic horse, I still loved him because he was my baby.

I learned how to jump with Travis. Mind you, when I first learned how to canter, I was terrified. There was a short moment when I thought this wasn't the sport for me. I told myself that I loved horses too much to give up now. I put all of my trust into this 1,200-pound animal and it was the best decision I ever made. From little cross rails to 2'6" verticals, Travis taught me the basics of jumping. Shortly after learning how to jump, Travis and I both learned how to perform in a trail class. Since Travis was nuts out of his mind at shows, the trail class was perfect for him. It really made him focus on tasks like weaving through cones, walking over a bridge, and opening and closing a rope gate. Travis and I accomplished so much in the time I rode him. Our best performance was placing fourth in the equitation on the flat class at a 4H District show. I wouldn't have traded this crazy Thoroughbred for the world.

My world began to crash when Travis got sick. Along with the Melanoma on the right side of his head, his body was slowly deteriorating. I knew his time was coming soon when I was told he fell in the pasture and would not get up when someone tried bringing him in. We found out from the vet that his condition was mostly likely caused by EPM, or equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. In other words, a parasite was causing his nervous system to fail. When we put him down, I felt like a part of me went with him. I cried for two weeks straight. I just wanted my best friend back. But I knew that he was in a better place and no longer in pain. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him. I still have dreams that he is there and we go out for a ride in the field. Travis was the best horse I ever had and I am grateful for the time I spent with him.

Travis McGee

April 1, 1992 - December 13, 2011