Howdy
1987 - 2008

December 2008: Program Director Dena Duncan shares the following on Howdy: "Sandra and I went out to meet Howdy and Suzanne Brenny (Howdy's owner) and immediately knew Howdy was what Three Gaits needed. A solid citizen, with a nice owner. We spoke with Suzanne and she explained that she was heading to the UW to become a vet and wasn't going to have time to care for him as she would have liked. She was open and shared Howdy's history - what he had done throughout his life - and we made arrangements for him to come to Three Gaits.

Over the past seven years, Howdy became Three Gaits rock - truly, our "go-to guy". We always knew we could count on him, in any situation. His unflappable demeanor, and steady gaits, gave riders confidence and allowed them to focus on their position as they learned to ride. He would stand for minutes at the mounting block or ramp, allowing timid, first time riders the time they needed to trust and take that first step.

Over the years Howdy had experienced bouts of sore feet, but excellent care from our farrier (Martin Roche) and our vets (Country View), along with TLC from Suzanne, allowed Howdy to remain with us. 

Image by ShortHorse Studios
www.shorthorsestudios.com

In trying to assist Howdy to feel even more comfortable the decision was made to have medication injected into his foot. With this procedure comes a slight risk of infection, but this is routinely done and we had hopes that it would help Howdy to be more comfortable. 

Even though Howdy received excellent care during the procedure from his owner and the UW Vet School, his leg became infected. Howdy was rushed to the UW Vet School and surgery was done to detect the amount of damage the infection had done. Because of the extent of the infection and the bad prognosis for Howdy's recovery, the difficult decision was made to end his suffering.

Since Howdy's death, the most commonly asked question has been "how long was he here?" When we look at the actual years, it was only a little more than seven years but Howdy was one of those horses that Three Gaits has been built around...from the day he arrived, nothing ever rattled or startled him. He just did what we asked - nothing more:) and nothing less. We will all miss Howdy's calm presence in lessons and in the barn - walking into the barn aisle you couldn't help but notice the beautiful head hanging over his stall door - the calm brown eyes watching and waiting for someone to stop by and greet him with a pat and a kind word - it always appeared that he was waking from a nap. Over the years Howdy taught many, many people important lessons, about horses, riding and about life. Howdy wasn't the flashiest or most exciting horse, however his impact on the lives of the people he touched cannot be mistaken. We owe him, and Suzanne, so much for allowing them to be a part of Three Gaits"

• Registered Name: Bricks Lazy Boy
• Date of Birth: May 16, 1987 
• Breed: Quarter Horse
• Height: 15.2 Hands High
• Color: Bay
• Markings: Small Sock
• Owner: Suzanne Brenny (Lease)
• Arrived at Three Gaits: August 2001
• School Horse Specialty:  Howdy is always willing to stand still for his riders to make adjustments.
• Previous Life: Before Howdy's owner went to college; she rode Howdy on trail rides, in shows, and even in parades!
• Did you know?: We try not to hang saddles on Howdy's stall because he knocks them over in a playful manner.