Karen Chaton visits 35-year-old Tulip, AERC's highest mileage horse (22,280 mi), happily working as a therapy horse
November 20 2022
by Karen Chaton
Yesterday I mentioned getting to see an old friend while I was at the
Cal-Neva Gratitude Ride & Drive. That old friend is Tulip.
For those that may not know who Tulip is - he is a 35 year old Morab
gelding that also happens to be the highest mileage endurance horse in
the sport of endurance. Well over 22,000+ miles over an incredibly long
career. Tulip's owner, Les Carr, passed away in 2015 and Tulip ended up
in the capable hands of his wife Jill and daughter Cecilia.
I was excited to learn that Tulip was alive and well and has a new job!
He's been working as a therapy horse at the ROP Sierra Sage Equestrian
Center. It turns out that Tulip has never liked being retired, which is
understandable. Endurance horses love going places and seeing things.
They thrive on it. When they are suddenly getting left home, especially
when other horses are coming and going they absolutely know what they
are missing and in Tulips case each time he was retired he got
depressed.
Tulip's second career (therapy horse is at least his 3rd career, btw)
was as an outrider on wagon train rides. The type where they travel in
large groups over various passes in the Sierra's - like highway 50, 49
and 88. I remember when my junior excitedly told me that she got to ride
Tulip and asked me if I knew who he was.
Of course I knew Tulip. I had ridden a lot of miles alongside him with
Chief, and one time Les even invited me to ride Tulip on a 50. We had a
great time. Tulip has a well known reputation for bucking people off.
Tulip did try to buck with me many times but he wasn't serious and by
the middle of the ride he stopped.
There was many a time that we saw Les getting back on after getting
bucked off at a ride start. Once during a ride I was trotting along in a
group to look over and see Tulip trotting alongside me with no Les. 
Cecilia told me that within 30 days of going to the therapy center that
Tulip had gained 100 pounds, got his sparkle back and is loving his new
job. It is clear that Tulip is being extremely well cared for, has good
weight, his feet look fabulous and Tulip does indeed have a sparkle in
his eye. I'd like to think that he remembered me as he came over and was
very friendly. I brought a baggie of Strategy with me to feed him, and
he enjoyed every bit not losing any so being 35 isn't affecting his
ability to eat.
When we first rode up on Jovi and Apollo I could see a grey horse
running around, quite frisky. I didn't know yet from a distance that it
was Tulip (it was). It was nice to see an old friend looking happy and
healthy.