Tronder  (1977–?)

TrakehnerX gelding
Mikado × Tatianna

I bought Tronder from my trainer in 1981 as a
4-year-old. His father was a lovely black Trakehner, and his mother was a dun Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred.

He grew up to be a talented jumper and trail horse. I loved his color—a red-gold bay with four socks, two with black ermine spots. In winter his coat was a deep chocolate brown, but when I trace-clipped him his undercoat was peanut-butter tan, resulting in quite a multi-colored picture indeed.

He was very bold and confident. Even as a youngster he took me for miles-long trail rides through fields and woods. When he learned to jump, we would ramble the local hunt's trails and pop over fences (see the picture below). Yes, no helmet. No one cared back then!

The only thing he was scared of was the tents that campers pitched in the local county park, where we rode every weekend. Deer could jump out of the trees, or pheasants out of the brush under his feet, and he didn't care. But tents? Horrors!

When he was 8 he lost his left eye to uveitis, but that didn't slow him down at all. After a two-week period of learning how to navigate with one eye, he was back to his normal jumping form.

Sadly, he developed navicular disease when he was 11 years old. When he hurt too much to be ridden, I gave him away to be a pasture pet. He was a wonderful horse whose career ended all too soon.