PET MEMORIALS – Tanner ‘Bucky’ Rothenburger, 1990 – Feb. 25, 2025

ArmchairMayor.ca is pleased to publish Pet Memorials free of charge. To publish a memorial for your pet, please email the memorial, including the date of birth (if known) and date of death, as well as a photo, to mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca with the subject line Pet Memorials.

TANNER ‘BUCKY’ ROTHENBURGER

1990 – FEB. 25, 2025

With broken hearts we said goodbye to our beloved Tanner this week. Nicknamed “Bucky” for his beautiful buckskin coloring, he came to us as a young riding horse for Syd, and stayed for 30 years. He was a modest, easy going, yet sociable guy, the kindest, most handsome horse you can imagine.

And he was fast. The fact he was half thoroughbred and half quarter horse gave him the means and genes to fly like the wind. Watching him joyfully gallop around in the hay field was something to behold. It seemed his feet barely touched the ground.

His gait was so smooth that, when riding, you might have thought you were sitting in an easy chair. And his eyes. Those big brown eyes with flecks of blue and amber could spot a cow or another horse from, it seemed, miles away.

Like all horses, he could get into trouble whether or not he was looking for it. There was, for example, the time he decided to see if he could jump a fence between paddocks instead of using the open gate. He almost made it, too, except that he caught a front foot on the top wire and did a spectacular somersault at full speed. We thought for sure he’d broken something but the only injury was to his pride. That’s probably when he got his other affectionate nickname — Einstein.

Another time, he got both his hind legs tangled up in fencing wire. He could barely stand but he healed with time and good care.

His most spectacular misadventure was when he somehow sliced his belly open side to side in mid-winter. That one required some heroic life-saving middle-of-the-night surgery by Dr. Colin Mikkelsen, and weeks of treatment and rehab.

What we’ll most remember, though, is riding the hills around Barnhartvale, Cattle Drives of the ‘90s (riding down Victoria Street and across the Red Bridge was quite an experience), how he happily greeted us in the mornings, how he ran — not walked — in from the field when called to dinner, and his gentleness. And just having him as part of our daily lives.

When his riding days waned, he retired to a life of leisure but he still ran for fun every day. Tanner lived a good, full, long life and for that we’re thankful. They say the only problem with dogs is that they don’t live long enough. Maybe horses live too long, for how can you say goodbye to a friend who has been with you through thick and thin for three decades?

Bucky Boy was predeceased by his horse chums Bradley and William, and leaves to mourn him Syd, Mel, his equine bestie Emma and canine buddy Reo, the latter who loved to go into Tanner’s stall with him at mealtimes and try to mooch some of his mash spillovers.

If horses have a heaven, we know Tanner is re-united with Brad and William now, running free, pausing now and again so they can catch up.

We love you, Bucky, and we’ll think of you every day. Happy memories, there are so many. They can’t replace having the real Tanner out in the field, on the trail or at the barn, but memories are the gift he has left for us.