Ponies of the Track - Buddy: The Spotted Pony

Please enjoy the newest installment of my blog series featuring pony horses, Ponies of the Track: 

Buddy is a misfit. He is blind in his left eye. He is a cryptorchid, or what the Thoroughbred industry calls a ridgling. He is a wildly spotted Appaloosa. He is not always easy to get along with. But Danielle Rosier wouldn’t trade him for the world.

Registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) as Hunt N for Te, Buddy joined Rosier after his previous owners gave up on him. He had been used as a roping horse, but developed a habit of flipping over when backed into a roping box. It was time for him to find a new job.

“He was basically a wild man; you couldn't do anything with him,” Rosier said. “He was so beautiful I couldn't pass up the challenge.”

However, Buddy’s testing behavior made it difficult for Rosier to trust him with a racehorse. She offered him many jobs, jumping him and taking him on trail rides. But ponying racehorses was his calling.

“Once I started ponying with him, it's like he found something he was good at,” Rosier stated. “He's been my partner ever since.”

For the past six years of his life, Buddy has been ponying, working at tracks like Churchill Downs, Delta Downs, Indiana Downs, Oaklawn Park, and Tampa Bay Downs. Although it was once a struggle to find the ideal lifestyle for Buddy, the racetrack has proven to be where he belongs.

“He can't be turned out with other horses,” Rosier said. “He is aggressive, pushy, and territorial in a paddock, but he loves other horses and freaks out if he is alone.  So, track life is perfect for him.  He is around horses constantly but isolated enough so his temperament isn't a problem.  He is aggressive enough that the racehorses respect him but he is quiet and calm, too, which is important when you're holding a 1200-pound horse next to him that's ready to run.”

The racetrack is the one place where Buddy is completely content. No matter which racetrack it is, Buddy is in his element at the track.

“He is the same horse every track he goes to,” Rosier stated.  “If it has two rails and two left turns, he is good.  Take him off the track and, well, good luck.”

Perhaps what makes Buddy so quirky is his remarkable intelligence. And along with his intellect comes his loyalty.

“He knows who is on his back,” Rosier said. “My ‘little sister’ Katie has been using him for races and he acts up at the paddock before he picks a horse up.  He knows she won't get after him.  I used him one night to see what his deal was and he never made a wrong move for me!  He knows who his momma is!”

It should come as no surprise that Buddy’s striking appearance has caught the eyes of many – including Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Known for his superb skills and knowledge as a horseman, Lukas has a well-known string of racetrack ponies himself. The man knows a good track pony when he sees one.

“Last winter at Oaklawn, Wayne actually wanted to buy him,” Rosier stated. “[But] I couldn't part with him.”

Nonetheless, Lukas’ affinity for Buddy has not ended. This past fall at Churchill Downs, the Hall of Fame trainer took Rosier’s spotted pony for a spin around the famed Louisville oval.

“I was a nervous wreck when Wayne got on him,” Rosier said. “I know how [Buddy] is and as good as he is with me, he can be a bad boy if he is testing someone new. Wayne's assistant got on him for two days before Wayne was there and he said that Wayne would love him. He was right. Wayne couldn't say enough good things about him. His exact words one morning were, ‘Dally, I wouldn't mind riding this pony every day!’”

Among the horses Lukas escorted with Buddy were the 2014 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi and the talented graded stakes runner Mr. Z.

“He really settled Brandi,” Rosier stated. “She is a very aggressive horse and is all about her job.  I galloped her when she first came to Churchill last spring and she was a hard horse to settle.  They said, with Buddy, she was quiet as a mouse.”

Buddy’s appearance, peculiarities, and abilities combined make him a one-of-a-kind track pony. Although he has captured the attention and affection of many people, it is Danielle Rosier whose heart holds the biggest place for Buddy. Rosier took a chance on a seemingly unruly horse that others had given up on and ultimately ended up with an extraordinary bond with a special animal.

“Honestly, I've ridden a lot of ponies and I always say, ‘I want my pony back,’” Rosier said. “I don't trust many horses as much as I trust Buddy. He's special to me because he really is a one-person horse. He's beautiful and is always there for me. We've been through a lot, including times when I wanted to give him away because he was so horrible. I'm glad I didn't give up on him.”