I am 13 years old. I had a horse named Magic, a beautiful black hanoverian gelding. He was my first horse, and I had him for three years. He was everything i ever could have wanted, and when things werent good at home, I would go to the barn, and nothing mattered anymore except me, and my best friend, him. But he had navicular disease. I went through so many hard times with him. After 2 years we couldnt afford him anymore, but someone at my barn took him in, and I was still able to ride him 4 or 5 days a week. It was hard though, knowing that he was no longer mine. His navicular got to the point where he was in constant pain, and he couldnt be ridden. I will always remember the day that we took him to U.C. Davis. I thought they were going to fix him. I thought that I would be able to go win ribbons at shows with him. I thought my best friend would be ok. But the x-rays told a different story. His navicular bone was nearly gone, and the nerve block would only hurt him more. So my precious baby was going to be put out to pasture. That idea grew on me, at least I would be able to visit him weekly. I went out to the barn still, walking him bareback until we could get a place for him somewhere to retire. Then one day, my friend Johnita asked me if I knew that Magic was leaving the next day. I was a bit surprised, and thought that his owner just hadn't told me yet that she had found a place for him. But somehow something didn't feel right. It was when Pearl, one of my best friends, wouldnt look at me that it came to me. But I wasnt sure. So I finally cornered her and asked her the question that I knew I wouldnt like the answer to: what was going to happen to my horse, my best friend, my baby? She burst into tears and ran to his stall, confirming my fears. We cried for hours in there, until it was finally time to go home... I couldnt leave. They had to pull me out to the car. But I couldnt help it. My horse was leaving forever the very next day. Later that night I convinced my mom to take me out to say good-bye to him, one last time. I brought 2 of my best friends, Nichole and Christina. Neither of them are really horselovers, but they cried with me. By the time we got there it was 9 o'clock. I turned the lights on, and began the walk down the aisle to my horse's stall, the walk i had done so many times, knowing that the next time I walked down there, it wouldnt be to see him. He stuck his head out the door and nickered, his usual greeting. I ran the last few steps to his stall, and threw my arms around his neck, trying to hold the tears back. Against my mothers will, because she wanted to leave as quickly as possible, I brought him out to the crossties and i brushed him and talked to him. I didn't cry. I was too caught up with just being with him. It had always been like that. I could be having the worst day, but when I went to go see him, it all disapeared. I could forget anything when I was around him. I grabbed his bridle and hopped onto his back for one last ride. I would never again be able to sit on his strong, smooth back, feeling safe and secure. I walked around the barn, straining to make sure I remembered every single detail of this night. Getting off of him and putting him away was so hard. Jill, the owner of the barn came out when she saw the lights on in the barn. She was crying. I hadn't cried, and i wasnt sure why. But then she cut some of his tail off and handed it to me. And I realized that this was the only part of him I would ever be able to touch again. ever. And suddenly I was crying. I couldnt stop, and I couldnt let go of him. Walking away from his stall that night was the hardest thing I have ever done. I still cry almost every time I think about him, and a year has passed. But it feels like yesterday. Some people don't understand, but I dont expect them to. To them he was just another horse, but to me, he was my best friend.