Kashan: The World's Best Partner

by A horsecrazygirl
(Round Rock, TX)

I’ve always rode at R.O.C.K (Ride On Center for Kids) in Georgetown since I was four. I thought the 1st and all the horses I rode in the past was where I would start a long-lasting bond with those magnificent, intelligent, and gentle creatures. I never knew that it would be Kashan to be the one that I would end-up having the tightest.

This picture is of Kashan. In case you don't know, he’s a light gray gelding Arabian, age of 26, height of 15.2 hands. He was donated by Mary Beth Read in October of 2009.

His background includes experience as a NATRC competitive trail horse, endurance riding, dressage, foxhunting, trail riding and camping.

Kashan carries some of our most challenged riders in the program and at horse shows with great compassion. He was adopted by Horseshoe Club member Emily & Glenn Befort for Feed Care.

According to the R.O.C.K. folks he is a very intelligent Arabian horse and very enjoyable to work with.

Now, you may be wondering what I like about this horse and what makes this particular horse so special to me.

Well for one, Kashan has endearments and energy. When we went out to the hero’s trail he wouldn’t eat a single piece of grass, even when we went on the occasional trail ride.

He’s also a good friend. For example, he’s always there for me. I also find him easy to talk to. He makes me forget about if I have a bad day at school, even my homework (if I have any that night).

Kashan: More than just a horse

I bet if you asked some people about a horse they’d be like, "oh, it’s JUST A HORSE." That saying right there really stabs me in the back to think of any horse as JUST A HORSE especially if the horse they’re talking about is Kashan.

When I think of Kashan, I happen to look beyond his somewhat horsey appearance. Instead, I think of him as a friend, a pal, and a good companion.

I’ll admit that sometimes it helps me to talk to him. I swear when I talk to him, it’s almost like he really listens and understands what I’m saying. Sometimes I even think that horses are much easier to talk to than some people.

If I have a bad day at school or have a lot of homework, just talking to him makes me feel better.

Also, when I go to horse shows and go into the arena riding Kashan, I feel like I don’t need to do anything because it seems like Kashan already knows what to do and how to act. It’s like Kashan has a sixth sense and can read my mind. Okay maybe not, but there’s something about a horse show that makes both of us rise to the occasion. Maybe that’s why I loved working with him so much.

I used to look forward to going to R.O.C.K. every Wednesday after school just because I always knew that my boy was waiting for me.

The reason I say “used to” is because: honestly it was my favorite thing in world—that is until Kashan was deemed retired. When I first heard about Kashan fixing to retire, it really began to hit me. Kashan was going to retire.

From then on it became hard to tolerate the idea. I remember throughout all that summer in 2013, I watched music video playing all sorts of sad songs, I even wished that I could somehow get to all my saving, take it out of the bank, and buy him. I would have done everything imaginable to keep this kind of thing from happening.

I rummaged through every single thing I could think of in order to stop this, yet something always seemed to pop up that made me rethink every single plan that popped into my head like even if I got through with buying him, where would I be able to put him? My yard’s way too small and I don’t have a barn.

When the day finally came for him to pack up and go to his new home, it felt the like somebody just jabbed me in the heart with a knife. It hurt so bad, though I didn’t seem to show it on the day of the retirement party because it honestly didn’t seem like that big a deal at the time.

But when I got home that night, I was up late in my bed just bawling my ears out. I still don’t get it, I mean I was fine at the retirement party. But when I got home and my head hit my pillow that night I became an emotional wreck, my self-esteem and confidence seemed to have hit rock-bottom.

Even when I went back to riding Okie. It seemed funny to me but after Kashan retired off to his new home—Okie seemed to sense my depression, because he seems to fight me everywhere I turn.

This desperation I feel in my heart almost feels like I am having a constant battle with myself, I don’t know if I’m ever going to get over this. At least not by myself, though when I try to bring it up with my parents they don’t seem to be too interested. I don’t think they even seem to care.

A Death of a Friend

by Sydney M.
(Round Rock, TX)

I can't believe Kashan is... dead! He was the best friend I could ever have had. I still remember the day that Kashan retired, I remember it like it was yesterday: It all started on Monday July 4, we had it at the center, for the retirement party we had.

Right when my mom and I got to the center, everybody was already pretty much gathered near the red picnic tables, my mom had wrapped a collage for Kashan's old owner as a way of saying thanks to her for donating Kashan to us, and I had the job of giving it to her - I also had to say a few words, but when it was time for me to saying something, I just couldn't. Instead, I stood there... frozen! Unable to speak.

We ate ice cream; I had a bowl full of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. When I went through the line, there were 2 picture lying on the table, they were of Kashan. They were pics of him in his younger year, he was dappled black/grey... and as he got older he got lighter. He didn't even look grey anymore; instead he looked white, with little specks of black dotted all over his fur. The retirement party we had was both for my wonderful and crazy horse Kashan, along with his friend; which just so happened to be another gelding horse named Mancha.

I actually wrote 2 stories about Kashan: one of which I wrote on 8/24/2014 at 12:03 AM entitled "Kashan - More Than a Horse" and the 2nd one I wrote on the same day at 12:03 AM entitled "Kashan - The World's Best Partner".

I also wrote a short story for a website on the same day at 12:03 AM entitled "Why do I love horses?" Writing for my profile for HorsecrazyGirls.com "Dear Kashan", I’ve also wrote poems about him.

Kashan is... my WHOLE world; he and I revolved around each other. He means absolutely the world to me. It absolutely broke my heart when I got the news on Saturday November 15, 2014 that morning. May he rest in peace.