Geno- The Pegasus | A Sad Horse Story

By: Tamara Minadeo

I still remember the first time I met Maya and Geno. It was the first weeks before the fall quarter began at my Los Angeles area college and I was at the school barn getting my horse, Nutmeg, situated in her new stall.

A silver truck and horse trailer pulled up to my barn and out popped a tall girl with shiny dark brown hair and a spray of freckles on her cheeks. Being in a friendly, welcoming mood I jaunted over to her and introduced myself. Before I could get her name she quickly spouted, “Is there a turn-out I can put my horse in? He has just been in a trailer for 12 hours and really needs to get out.”

Shortly after, I learned that she was Maya from Northern California and her horse, named Geno, was a gorgeous hunter-jumper with a golden dappled mahogany coat.

This first encounter completely defined Maya and the kind of horse person she is. Her horse and his well-being was her #1 priority. While most people would claim that Geno was utterly spoiled, Maya defended him, stating that he simply had high standards.

Never before or since, have I known a horse and owner relationship with such love, trust and respect. Maya received Geno when she was around 12 and he was just a young, untrained 3 year old. Years of riding and learning not only developed a duo that excelled in jumping competitions but also a pair with great love and affection for each other.

Maya and Geno did very well in the young hunter-jumper shows and in college she competed on the Arabian horse show circuit because Geno was half Arabian. They captured the Region 1 Championship for half Arabian jumpers and qualified for the Arabian US Nationals! However, graduation was approaching and Maya couldn’t bear to put Geno through the grueling trip to Kentucky and weeklong horseshow, even though we all know they could have had the title.

My college memories are filled with fun, horse-loving experiences shared with Maya, Geno and my mare Nutmeg. We would ride out to the college orchards and pick the candy sweet tangerines that could only be reached by horseback. Many weekends we would load the two horses up and trailer to different state parks for an exhausting, but adventurous day of trail riding.

Probably my fondest memory was when the four of us were riding around the pastures and decided to make a detour onto the main campus of the college, a strict no-no. It happened to be “University Hour” when all the clubs were out recruiting and no classes were in session. Boy did we cause a commotion! People stopped, stared, shrieked and tried to pet our horses as we slyly plodded onto the quad area in front of the campus bookstore. Maya and I were both shocked at how calm both Nutmeg and Geno were.

After graduation, Maya and Geno moved back up north and we both pursued our careers and visited each other occasionally in person, but always kept in touch via letters, e-mail and phone calls.

One after noon at work, I returned to my desk after a meeting to find a voicemail from Maya. I knew something was wrong. Just like I will never forget the first time I met Maya, I will never forget this phone call. I learned that while she was out trail riding with Geno they slipped and fell down a 30 ft ravine. Maya was unbelievably lucky and was able to climb out with some very bad bruises and sprains. Her beloved Geno did not make it out and died from a broken neck sustained from the fall.

I could not comprehend this news because it shouldn’t have happened to Maya. Geno should have died when he was 30 from old age. Maya should have been able to teach her children how to ride on her childhood horse.

Words failed me and I couldn’t console Maya or tell her that things would be OK. I was hurting because I wanted to take back what happened and never have the knowledge that Maya had to go through losing her horse like this.

However, it did happen and I will lose Nutmeg someday too. All of us horse people are so lucky to share lives with our cherished steeds and unfortunately they do not live as long as we do. I realized that I had to be strong for my friend who shared so much in common with me.

In contemplating what had happened and the severity of it, I realized the pure miracle that Maya survived with such minor injuries. For a fall that killed a 1,800 lb horse, it is pretty amazing that a petite woman did not fare far worse. Since Maya was unconscious for some time, she does not remember the incident. I believe with all my heart that Geno saved her. After their more than a decade relationship Geno had the opportunity to show his love for Maya and he gave her life. It was as if he pleaded, “Please do not take my Maya, take me instead.” There were no signs of struggle near Geno; he was just gone, quickly and painlessly.

Marveling in this knowledge of what Geno had given Maya, I made a connection that my many years of horse loving had never shown me before. When horses die they receive wings and become a Pegasus! Perhaps this is how ancient mythology found the Pegasus. Jason’s glistening white steed with the majestic wings was really his guardian horse-angel that would swoop down to save him from harm’s way.

Geno was now a beautiful Pegasus that will never feel pain or fear and can soar wherever he chooses. He is now Maya’s special guardian Pegasus to stay by her for the rest of her life.

While all of us that love horses so much hurt tremendously when we lose our special friends, we can find comfort that they will always be with us, watching over us with their silvery feathered wings and eternal love that we gave them.