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Goodbye Kansas, and a Puzzle
Saturday, March 15th, 2025

Yesterday was a very sad day for our family.

We lost our horse, Kansas. She was very, very old—so her passing wasn’t unexpected. Above is a picture taken of her yesterday morning with the 20-year-old who loved having the chore of feeding and currying her. The sixteen-year-old loved to feed her slices of apple. She roamed our pasture with her three Mini-Mes—our goats—who loved her and followed her lead always when hunting for nice grass or sheltering from a storm.

I called my ex-husband to talk about Kansas because he knew her history well.

He told me she was raised by a little boy in the Smoky Mountains, but after a while his father decided he needed a bigger horse, so she was sold to a horse dealer and in turn sold to a family whose daughter wanted to become a barrel racer. Together with Kansas, she raced all over the region and did very well, qualifying to go to the nationals. However, the girl decided she didn’t want to barrel race anymore, and Kansas ended up in the hands of a friend of my ex-husband’s in Tennessee.

He’d go there to ride. She kept a lot of horses, and the one he preferred to ride wasn’t available one day, so he pointed at Kansas. His friend warned him that she didn’t like men and wouldn’t let them ride her. However, my husband is an “animal whisperer”—any animal really, but especially with dogs…and horses. Yes, he preferred bigger, flashier horses, but there was something about this little “foundation” Indian pony, a sturdy appaloosa, that he liked. She was called Kansas because of the white tornado on her face. You can see it in the picture above.

When he first rode her, he noted that she’d get “high-headed” and purposely bump people, but she let him ride her. They got along well. Afterward, his friend said she needed a home and gave him the horse.

He kept her for years and rode her in the North Georgia mountains and the Smoky Mountains with groups of horse riders who liked to trek through the wilderness in wild places with mininal established trails. He said she was a “go” horse, who just loved to go fast—a little powerhouse. She’d easily go up or down mountains on those long treks, and when they’d head for home, he’d pin a glow stick to her tail, drop her reins, and let her guide the rest of the group down the mountains.

He trained her to do a lot of tricks because she was very smart. He quickly had her doing sliding stops, backing up, and allowing herself to be mounted from either side, and more. She was never fond of men, other than him, but loved children. She’d grow a full wooly coat in winter and would break the ice for his other horses when the troughs or pond would freeze.

However, she got old, and he wanted her to find a place to live out the rest of her years in peace, well cared for. That’s how she came to us about thirteen years ago. The oldest girl, when she was younger, rode her for a little while, but for the remainder of her days, she lived in our pasture and woods. She was forty years old; her teeth were worn to nubs and her back was swayed with age. However, during her annual checkups, the veterinarian would marvel over how healthy and active she still was. The farrier would comment on how calm and gentle she was. She was a friend to our three goats, who followed her around like she was their mother.

Yesterday, the 20-year-old said she was off her feed. When she walked around behind her, she noticed something protruding from her vagina. We called vets all over the state to come check her out. One came in the afternoon. She had a prolapsed vagina due to cancer. With our blessing, he euthanized her in the field.

When he left, the goats stood in a row nearby, unmoving, as though they were at a funeral, giving their last respects to their friend. My son-in-law buried her nearer the woods. Then last night, we had a terrible storm and we lost power for eight hours. There were tornadoes in the area, but the only damage we had was to the goats’ pen. A limb fell on it, but they were unharmed. I figure the storm was Kansas, with her white tornado marking, leaving us.

I have a puzzle for you below. It’s of a group of horses. The one that’s second from the left is how I imagine she would’ve looked in her youth, and how I imagine horse heaven, with her in it, would look. RIP, Kansas.

18 comments to “Goodbye Kansas, and a Puzzle”

  1. Dana Zamora
    Comment
    1
    · March 15th, 2025 at 11:25 am · Link

    Beautiful puzzle, and what a beautiful tribute to Kansas, RIP, I’m so sorry you guys had to do that, but what a humane thing to do, prayers to you and your family Delilah Devlin



  2. Theresa Privette
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    2
    · March 15th, 2025 at 11:34 am · Link

    Please let your girls know how sorry I am that Kansas has moved on, sounds like she was happy and comfortable with her life as well as blessed to have been loved by you guys. She was where she was meant to be for your ex and then with you all. Hugs and prayers for you and yours, Theresa



  3. Pansy Petal
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    3
    · March 15th, 2025 at 11:55 am · Link

    HUGS! Beautiful tribute!



  4. Eileen McCall
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    4
    · March 15th, 2025 at 11:56 am · Link

    My sincerest condolences. Our animals/pets are our other children. My thoughts are with you.



  5. Linda Crawford
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    5
    · March 15th, 2025 at 11:59 am · Link

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful story of the life of Kansas!!



  6. Mary Marvella
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    6
    · March 15th, 2025 at 12:16 pm · Link

    That’s a beautiful story!



  7. Delilah
    Comment
    7
    · March 15th, 2025 at 12:24 pm · Link

    I left out some funny things she’d do.

    My favorite was watching her in the summers when the horse flies got bad. She’d walk into the pond and roll around in the muddy bottom, with just her head above the water. She didn’t need any bug poison. Mud worked just fine to keep the bugs off. Like I said, she was smart.



  8. Anna Taylor Sweringen
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    8
    · March 15th, 2025 at 4:35 pm · Link

    So glad Kansas passed surrounded by love.



  9. Katherine Smits
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    9
    · March 15th, 2025 at 4:55 pm · Link

    You were truly blessed to have Kansas with you for so many years! I will never forget my equine companions, Judy, Tommy, and Ice who have passed on, and I am so grateful for my elderly Corrin and my daughter’s middle-aged Zuppa, and youngster Tony.



  10. Jennifer Beyer
    Comment
    10
    · March 15th, 2025 at 5:31 pm · Link

    Horses are such smart and funny companions. I have heard that all horses go to heaven. RIP, Kansas.



  11. Deb
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    11
    · March 15th, 2025 at 6:12 pm · Link

    A beautiful story for your beloved horse.
    So sorry for your loss x



  12. Mary Preston
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    12
    · March 15th, 2025 at 6:33 pm · Link

    That is sad and kind of beautiful too.



  13. Margaret
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    13
    · March 15th, 2025 at 6:50 pm · Link

    So sorry for your loss.



  14. cindy
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    14
    · March 15th, 2025 at 7:38 pm · Link

    What a wonderful tribute. Kansas lived a full life doing what she loved most. She loved and was loved back.



  15. Diane Sallans
    Comment
    15
    · March 15th, 2025 at 7:46 pm · Link

    I googled “lifespan of horses” and got “up to 30 years” but then another estimate based on breeds with some showing 35+ (American Standardbred). It did note a four specific long-lived horses (51-62). So sad to lose her, but you did the best you could and didn’t let her suffer.



  16. Pamela Reveal
    Comment
    16
    · March 15th, 2025 at 8:40 pm · Link

    Beautiful tribute. Loved the puzzle



  17. Debra
    Comment
    17
    · March 16th, 2025 at 6:39 am · Link

    So sorry about Kansas. What a great post! the puzzle was wonderful



  18. Charlene Whitehouse
    Comment
    18
    · March 16th, 2025 at 12:51 pm · Link

    So sorry for your loss. Hugs.
    5:39



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