Ice Man Quest
May 22, 1984 - February 2,
2009
You Made My Dreams Come
True...
You were my best buddy and I
will never be the
same
without you. Growing up
with you was such an
incredible blessing. You
can never be replaced
or forgotten. I will love
you always.
Nicky
A faithful friend is a
source of strength,
And he who has found such a
friend
Has found a treasure.
Ice Man Quest was special
before he was even born.
His mom, while pregnant for
him, fell through the ice on
the pond and had to be
pulled free with a tractor.
Dianne and Harry Lindeborn,
breeders, were worried that
they may lose both Ice Man
and his mom, Joanne. His
sire's name was Diamond
Quest, and thus the name Ice
Man Quest.
As a little kid, I was
offered the privilege of
showing Ice Man's mom, who
was retired as a broodmare
after a wonderful show
career. My favorite
pictures of Joanne are the
times we shared showing with
my little nine year old legs
sticking straight out to the
sides because that sweet
mare was so pregnant. So, I
guess you could say, I
"rode" Ice Man well before
he was born!
Ice Man was one of the first
foalings I ever saw.
Foaling was always an
exciting time, especially at
the Lindeborns' who
specialize in breeding and
raising colored Appaloosas.
To be able to witness that
leggy, colorful boy entering
this world from his mom whom
I had been riding was a
special privilege.
Shortly after Ice was born,
he was sold to Chris Malik
to be shown on the Appaloosa
circuit. Chris worked with
him at Dianne's until it
became time to go off for
training for his riding
career as a 2 year old.
Chris chose renowned
Appaloosa and Quarter Horse
trainer, Terry Angelo.
Terry's goals and
aspirations didn't include
waiting for a loud-colored,
big, gangly, somewhat
awkward colt to mature and
strengthen enough to be
competitive in the tough
world of the breed shows, so
they decided to sell him.
Somehow I got it into my
twelve year old head that we
were going to the auction to
buy him, a fact I neglected
to share with anyone. So,
off we went to the sale in
Syracuse, NY with good
friends Harry and Dianne
Lindeborn and Norm and Ruth
Davis. I spent a lot of
time petting and talking to
Ice Man before he was to go
into the ring, and remember
being very impressed at this
brave 2 year old weaving his
way through the crowds in
the packed sale barn. As
Ice Man worked his way
around the sale pen,
gathering a few bids, my
anxiety was growing out of
control. Finally, I blurted
out to my poor unsuspecting
dad, "aren't you going to
buy him!?". That was all
the time he had to debate it
in his head, and with one
final bid of $1,650 Ice Man
Quest was ours! As I burst
into tears, the whole place
erupted in applause.
Growing up with Ice Man was
every child's dream. His
fabulous lessons in riding,
understanding, and
communicating with horses
paled in comparison to the
life lessons I learned as we
grew together. He was the
reliable friend that I
needed and helped me through
many tough times. I was a
good student, but not
necessarily the most popular
kid in school, and whenever
life's lessons or the "mean
girls" at school got to be
too much, I could always
rely on my Ice Man to be
there for me. I am still
searching for a horse since
Ice Man that will let me cry
into his warm fuzzy neck for
as long as I need. My mares
try, but have no idea or
patience for what I am doing
and why it sometimes takes
me soooo long to be ready to
move on and get back to
work!
The number of crazy ideas I
had that Ice Man so happily
joined me on are
innumerable. We always took
off for a bareback ride at
each winter's first snow.
Sometimes it came before
school, before the sun even
lit our way, but we always
had a nice trail ride to
celebrate that first
beautiful snow fall.
Everything I wanted to learn
about horses, he willingly
tried with me. I wanted to
learn how to drive a horse,
so I talked my dad into
building me an Indian style
travois. (He was always
such a good sport, too!)
This worked we
ll for
teaching him the basics of
staying between two shafts
and pulling something behind
you, but when I insisted on
standing on it so I could
have a ride, the birch trees
that the shafts were made of
dug into the ground and Ice
Man got a try at being a
pulling pony! Whatever I
wanted to try, he was game.
From english and western
pleasure and equitation to
driving, saddleseat,
jumping, barrel racing,
trail class, team penning,
roping, parades, swimming
bareback in the creek,
racing bridleless across
fields, Ice Man did it all.
When I invited him in the
back door of the house where
we grew up, he was happy to
join me and chomp a carrot
in the kitchen before
returning outdoors.
Another
favorite moment was winning
the musical freestyle ride
that I designed with help of
my mom to Dolly Pardon's,
I Will Always Love You.
I couldn't begin to count
the number of kids, adults,
and young horses that he
patiently taught throughout
his life. As I grew from
student to instructor, I
could always count on Ice
Man to safely teach even the
youngest and most frightened
riders. He did always find
his way of having fun,
though! There was the time
my mom decided she wanted to
ride, so after the lengthy
process of getting her in
the saddle, he took her for
a lap around the ring then
returned to the mounting
block and stood there,
staring at her foot, until
she got off! He would also
let me know when he was done
at the end of a lesson by
quietly walking out of the
arena, back to the barn, and
standing at the door waiting
for his rider to dismount,
ignoring the kicking,
clucking and pulling that
had just "worked so well"
for the rider, who actually
thought he or she had been
telling Ice what to do and
where to go for the last
hour!
One of Ice Man’s
last students, ten year old
Derrick was asked who he
thought he would ride when
he could no longer ride Ice
sums up the epitome of Ice
Man. Derrick replied, “I
think when Ice Man retires I
will retire, too.” Ice’s
many jobs that he completed
expertly, and with such
grace and kindness, spanned
the greatest range anyone
could ever ask of a horse.
He was so elegant pulling
the carriage for our
wedding, and such a cute
sweet friend lying on the
floor of his stall with his
head in my lap as a two year
old at the New York State
Fair show. Ice has been an
important part of every
significant day of my life.
We saved him once, in 2004,
when he had to undergo colic
surgery at Cornell
University. We rushed home
from the NBHA Colonial
Nationals in Lexington,
Virginia, to be with him.
Choosing to do surgery on a
twenty year old gelding may
have been a hard decision
for some, but for Ice Man it
was never questioned.
Complications from the
surgery led to seizures and
temporary blindness in his
right eye. I spent day and
night at Cornell for over
two weeks, with a “nest” in
the corner of his stall,
where to their dismay I
refused to ever leave his
side. He got through that,
and we were able to help him
through several
reoccurrences at home.
Twenty-five years together
are so many, yet never
enough. I would never wish
on my beloved friend to
spend any time in this body
tired or uncomfortable. I
still struggle with the fact
that there are many other
horses with longer lives,
but keep reminding myself
that none have lived better
or more loved.
When I found him in the
morning, already passed,
after saying good night to a
perfectly happy, healthy boy
just the evening before, I
did not understand how he
could be gone. Aunt MaryAnn
was able to answer that for
me in one of the most sweet
and kind notes. She said,
“Today you lost your best
friend and I am sorry for
you. He didn’t mean to hurt
your feelings when he left
without saying goodbye – He
thought it would be best for
you. That is what best
buddies do. Just remember
he is in a warm and better
place -waiting until you
meet again. He was a legend
in his time.”
The hole that is left in my
heart and soul by the
passing of my great friend
is immeasurable. I never
dreamed I could hurt so much
inside.
Click here to watch Ice
Man's musical freestyle
performance: I Will
Always Love You
Ice Man Quest
“Champion of
Champions”
You Made My
Dreams Come True
May 22, 1984 – February 2,
2009
Ice Man's memorial garden
