Elmer Bandit Takes the Trail Home

I just read that Elmer Bandit, the 38 year old endurance horse, passed away on February 14. The decision to euthanize was made after Elmer was found, unable to get back to his feet, while out in his pasture. Attempts were made to get him up, blankets put over him to keep him warm, but as bad weather moved in, the decision must have become clear.

I followed Elmer's last years, reading various articles about him on The Horse Journal, so, felt I knew him. I admire his owner/rider Mary Anna for doing what they both loved, right up to the end. Elmer was one of the lucky ones. He had a mission in his life and he lived doing what he loved, with someone who cared about him, with him all the way. Mary Anna had often said Elmer would tell her when it was time to quit endurance events, but he actually never quit. They had cut back their rides in '09 but still managed to get in a few.

Elmer Bandit makes me think about older horses. These days, horses are living longer, often will into their thirties. People who own horses need to keep in their minds that they may be caring for a senior horse for many years. They should be dedicated to that issue and how they will choose to handle it.

My friend called me the other day. We hadn't talked in a long time. Our friendship began over horses. Lori told me she lost her old guy, Boy, just before Christmas. He was one of her first horses, bought when she got into horses over twenty-five years ago. Boy was in his late twenties.

Lori told me she noticed Boy had been acting odd that morning. He wasn't one to fidget but he kept walking, acting uncomfortable.So, she walked him from the field into his stall. Being the dedicated horse owner she is, she checked his vitals then called her vet. Unfortunately, before the vet had returned her call, Boy had fallen in his stall, seized, and quietly passed away. Lori was with him, as she had been all of his life. 

We all hope we can do that for those we love. Doesn't always work that way, but when it does, we feel blessed. Boy had a good life with Lori. Well taken care of, enjoyed as a riding partner, and nurtured. He was one of the lucky ones.

Another older horse in my memory is Koko. I only knew Koko for the three years I worked at the stable. She was one of the originals. Koko, even in her thirties, still enjoyed taking a child on her back and participating in classes on her good days. She passed away in the field where she'd lived for many years, surrounded by her herd buddies.

Whatever your view on end of life issues for yourself, or your horses, the main thing I keep with me is the responsibility of doing what is right. When the time comes, I hope I can make the right decision, though sometimes the decision is taken out of our hands. 

Happy trails Elmer Bandit, Boy and Koko! May you enjoy pastures of green lush grass and bright sunshiny days!

Elmer Bandit is new NATC record holder

One more weekend completed, Elmer is the new North American Trail Conference record holder with a completed lifetime log of 20,720 miles. Elmer is a 37 year old half-Arabian. His owner/rider, Mary Anna Wood, has been with him all the way. I am awestruck by both Elmer and Mary Anna. I have been following their progress since Elmer's name first caught my eye while reading articles from www.thehorse.com newsletters. They are a true team!

At the conclusion of the ride, Elmer was awarded a special turnout sheet with his name across the side, "Go Elmer" by his friends and fans from thehorse.com The picture of him in his turnout sheet is precious. He looks bright eyed and happy. What more could you ask for? He enjoys these rides and you can see it even in the still photos. Mary Anna has said that Elmer will tell her when he doesn't want to do it anymore. I believe that's true.

So today, I am applauding Mary Anna Wood and her partner Elmer Bandit for a fantastic career and an inspiring partnership. Mary Anna has taken exceptional care of an exceptional horse over the years. He is special and so is she!

Elmer Bandit rides again!

Found out that Elmer Bandit successfully completed another NATRC ride a couple of weeks ago. He completed a 2 day, 60 mile ride at the Dave Smith Fall Fiesta in Iowa and won the Open Sweepstakes Division.

Remember, Elmer is the 37 year old half/Arabian who is close to establishing a new lifetime mileage record with the North American Trail Ride Conference. What I find fascinating and refreshing about this is that he appears to enjoy the rides as much as his owner/rider, Mary, does. They are simply a horse and rider who enjoy the competition of trail riding, at least that's how they come across to me. They definitely seem to be a team. That's the kind of bond I'd like to have with my horses out on the trail one day.

Not only do horse and rider complete the 60 miles in two day, at around 5 mph, they also have to successfully maneuver over a variety of natural obstacles like downed trees and logs while being judged.

I am enjoying following Elmer Bandit's progress this year. Mary is planning to enter him in the Flint Hills ride near Manhatten, KS on October 4. If you'd like to read some of the articles I've found about Elmer Bandit, in one place, you can go to thehorse.com. You can also type Elmer Bandit in a search engine and there are a few others who have updates on Elmer Bandit.

The Incredible Elmer Bandit

For a while I'd been seeing the name Elmer Bandit pop up in some of my horse related newsletters. I ignored the name at first. Honestly, I thought it was just some kind of gimmick about a horse with a funny name. Then, I read one of the articles. Now, I am a fan of Elmer Bandit!


Elmer Bandit is a 37 year old, half Arabian, Competitive Trail Riding (CTR) horse. T-H-I-R-T-Y S-E-V-E-N! He's still competing and doing very well. Elmer Bandit and his owner, Mary Anna Wood, have been doing CTR together since 1976! I was a mere teenager at that time! Boggles my mind when I think about this horse, and his rider too, of course.


Since finding out about this incredible horse I've been gleaning all the articles I can find about him. Seems most of the interest in Elmer, and Mary, has come about in the last couple of years due to the record he could break. Elmer Bandit is 230 miles short of breaking the CTR lifetime mileage record. Elmer Bandit has logged 20,480 miles as of Labor Day weekend! I am fascinated by his feat. Probably more so because of his advanced age, but also by his humble life.


Elmer lives his non-CTR days out in a pasture with a herd of other horses. He's not special in that regard. His teeth are worn down so he gets his 2 meals a day specially mushed, as it sounds to me, and he gets his alfalfa cubes soaked in water. Can take him a couple of hours to eat his meals and he eats slowly. He is given supplements often fed to aging horses and a probiotic to help digestion. The only serious health problem I've read about was a possible eye ulceration back in 1998.

What a heart this horse has, in more ways than one!


His next CTR is this weekend, September 13 & 14 at the Dave Smith Fall Festival at Brushy Creek Recreation Area near Lehigh, Iowa. I'm looking forward to reading how he comes through. Mary, his owner, has stated that as long as he still loves his work and seems happy out there, she'll keep going with him.


So if you want an athelete to root for, look up Elmer Bandit and read about this unassuming yet incredible CTR horse!