A couple weeks ago my client, Teri, lost her paint horse, Nasdaq, one day before he turned 20 years old. In his 20 years of life Nasdaq touched many lives. Teri would come across so many people that would say, “Is that Nasdaq?! I knew him when…” and they would continue on to tell one of the many great tales of his life. From his show career in the Paint world where he had accumulated 59 lifetime performance points under a youth, to packing around timid kids during their first couple of shows, Nasdaq had quite an eventful life. Most recently he had been used at many IEA shows where he was considered a lucky draw as he helped quite a few kids get the points they needed to move on to the National Finals.
Nasdaq had definitely made a great impact on many, but most importantly he was Teri’s horse for the last 8 years. Teri didn’t start riding until her 50s and Nasdaq was her first horse. Every time Teri put a leg over Nasdaq, you knew she was in good hands. He took his job very seriously with her and they rode confidently everywhere they went. Nasdaq started Teri’s show career off with a bang with many Western Championships in the Novice and Open divisions at the open shows! We will also remember his unique character, especially when he would show it off running around the barn or horse shows! He knew exactly how to slip out of his halter and enjoyed watching Teri, myself and many others chase after him while he ran around!
Teri is slowly starting to heal from the loss of her beloved horse. It’s never easy saying goodbye to such a great friendship as they had. And it was hard for all of us to say goodbye to such an amazing horse. He was astonishingly smart, wonderfully talented and had a soft spot for one very caring woman. They say the horse is a mirror to his owner, and that was certainly the truth for Nasdaq and Teri. They fit together just perfectly. Rest in peace Nasdaq.