Iggy (Show Name: It’s Gonna Be Me), also known as Iggs, Mr. Iggy, I-G-G-Y, Ignoramus, Iggylicious, Ignacio, Nacho, and mid-course usually, “You ass!” is a 19 year old QH gelding I’m lucky enough to have on a long term lease from his owner down in Kentucky.
After I had to retire Doc from jumping in the fall of 2019, I was horseless and with a budget to buy either a Breyer horse, something with three legs, one eye and half a brain, a feral mini or twelve chickens, I went searching for another lease. A few false starts (and three months) later, both Emily and my trainer had tagged me in a Facebook post for him within 5 minutes of each other and a date was set. I went down and tried him on a day it was maybe 30 degrees, with a soaking sloppy arena and the caveat he’d basically been retired for six months. And he was pretty much foot perfect – so naturally, I freaked out and told Emily I wasn’t sure if I should get him.
Thank God she beat some sense into me and quickly I was off making arrangements to get him to Indianapolis. The rest of that saga is history, but he showed up and was the best little rocket pony around. Beloved in the barn, despite thinking he’s a Pomeranian, thinks horses are fine company, but people are AWESOME, likes to hold his own lead rope, wants to do all the JOMPIES ALL THE TIME, and would prefer a diet of banana peels and German Horse Muffins to all else. He’s snuggly and silly and everything you ever wanted in a pony at 12 (or 28) years old.
In late July 2020, almost six months to the day he came to the barn, he was diagnosed with chronic soft tissue damage in both front legs that would not heal. It was probably the result of years of incremental damage, but it had one conclusion: his jumping and competition career was over. It was pretty devastating news – I’ve never clicked and fallen in love with any other horse faster.
Luckily his owner was more than happy to bring him home and retire him. He’s back in Kentucky, fat and fluffy, babysitting the baby Thoroughbreds on the farm and going on the occasional hack or trail ride. I miss him everyday, but I’m so grateful I got even six short months with him.