GoodBye Lenny, Scotty & Chance
Over the last few years, each of these horses has been navigating their own medical challenges. While those journeys looked different, they ultimately led us to the same difficult place. What follows is a look at each horse’s story while at Runaway Ranch.
🕊️ Open House – A Time to Say Goodbye
Sunday, January 11th
2:00–5:00 PM
If you would like to come give these horses some love, a treat, and a goodbye, we invite you to join us. We know the bonds our students form with these horses, and for many of you, this is just as hard as it is for us. This time is for quiet moments, shared memories, and honoring the horses who have given so much.
Lenny’s Story
Registered Name: Invite The Cowboy
Born on April 23, 2016, he is 9 years old.
On February 27, 2018, Krissy purchased Lenny when he was just 1 year and 10 months old. He was bought as a personal project—young, full of potential, and with so much life ahead of him.
In 2020, Ryan surprised Krissy with a yearling as a birthday gift. With that change, Krissy made the decision to sell Lenny so he could continue his journey with someone new. In August of 2020, Elaine purchased Lenny.
Elaine and Lenny found their way together.
They learned side by side, developing into a true team built on trust, patience, and connection. Their bond grew naturally over time, and it was incredibly sweet to watch.
In May of 2023, Lenny developed laminitis, which required approximately two months of stall rest. As he began coming out of stall rest, during a sedated turnout, Lenny became unsettled and unfortunately tore a collateral ligament in his hoof.
What followed has been a long and difficult road for both Elaine and Lenny.
Over the last two years, despite every effort, his ligament has not healed. Along the way, Lenny also developed navicular disease and was diagnosed with PSSM Type 2. With multiple serious conditions working against him, his body has simply been unable to recover.
At this point, there are no remaining options to keep Lenny comfortable or pain-free. As deeply loved as he is, the kindest and most selfless choice is to allow him to be free from pain.
Sometimes love means letting go. 🤍
Understanding Lenny’s Conditions
Laminitis
Laminitis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting the tissues inside the hoof that connect the hoof wall to the bones in the foot. It can cause severe pain and sometimes causes long-term damage
Navicular Disease
Navicular disease affects the navicular bone and surrounding structures in the hoof, leading to chronic pain and lameness.
PSSM Type 2 (Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy)
PSSM Type 2 is a muscle disorder that affects how muscles function and recover, often causing pain, stiffness, and reduced quality of life—especially when combined with orthopedic issues.
Scotty’s Story
Full Name: Scotty Pippen
Born on October 30th 2007, 18 years old.
In October of 2021, Scotty arrived at Runaway Ranch as a training horse. At the time, he was struggling with being buddy sour and had difficulty on the trails whenever his friends left him. What followed was, lovingly put, a bit of a boot camp.
Through that training process, it became clear that Scotty’s situation was bigger than just training. He was deeply bonded to his pasture mate, and it was evident that the owners would need to make a hard choice: either keep Scotty and sell their other horse, or sell Scotty and keep the other horse. Scotty would truly benefit from living in a large herd, and with heavy hearts, they chose to sell him.
Originally, there was no intention for Scotty to stay at Runaway Ranch. We were simply hired to help find him the right home.
Then came Kelsey.
In December of 2021, Kelsey purchased Scotty. He was her first horse, and she had only started riding in May of 2021. She was full of excitement and big dreams for the future they would share together.
In February, Kelsey found out she was pregnant. While this was a huge blessing and something she deeply wanted, she had hoped to have a little more horse time before becoming a mom. Once again, Scotty rose to the challenge.
He carried Kelsey safely through her entire pregnancy, teaching her so much about being a horse owner. He embraced her becoming a mom, quietly packing her around until her third trimester, always steady and dependable.
In September of 2024, Kelsey made the incredibly difficult decision to sell Scotty to Runaway Ranch. It was a choice made with love—one that better fit her life as a working mom, a wife to a husband who traveled frequently for work, and the mother of a busy toddler.
During Scotty’s veterinary exam, we discovered that he had low ringbone, the more severe form of the condition. At the time, he was not showing many outward signs of discomfort, though we could visibly see excess bone growth through his coat.
Each horse responds differently to this diagnosis. Bone structure, how the foot strikes the ground, and how bone remodels over time all play a role in how quickly a horse progresses to end-stage ringbone. In Scotty’s case, this condition had likely been developing quietly for quite some time, undiagnosed and not yet limiting him—simply flying under the radar.
Over the past year, Scotty has done okay. We limited his lesson load, monitored him closely, and provided pain management as needed to keep him comfortable. We gave him the entire month of December off, hoping the rest would help. Unfortunately, he came back from that rest worse than when it began.
As the bone continues to calcify over the joint, the pain increases. Having walked this road before with progressive conditions, we are choosing to let Scotty go before his pain is visible in every single step.
This decision is rooted in love, respect, and gratitude—for a horse who carried people through fear, growth, pregnancy, motherhood, and countless quiet moments.
Understanding Low Ringbone
Low ringbone is a severe form of arthritis that affects the coffin joint inside the hoof. As abnormal bone growth develops and calcifies over the joint, movement becomes increasingly restricted and painful. Because this joint plays a role in every step the horse takes, low ringbone is often progressive and difficult to manage long-term, even with rest and medication.
Chances Story
Registered Name: Thor Oughly Amos
Born July 1st, 2008. 17 years old.
In the spring of 2016, Elaine purchased Chance and brought him to Runaway Ranch. This was Elaine’s second horse, and she was beyond excited. Chance was beautiful, confident, and steady—the kind of horse that makes you believe in yourself. Elaine was ready to have fun, and Chance was ready to take her there.
Chance quickly proved himself to be a true confidence builder. Over the next two years, Elaine and Chance grew together, building trust, skills, and countless memories. While Elaine loved Chance deeply, her own confidence and riding abilities continued to grow. By the summer of 2018, she felt ready for a new challenge and made the bittersweet decision to sell Chance to Runaway Ranch, stepping into life with a more energized horse, Mick.
Krissy and Ryan owned Chance for about a year, and in August of 2019, Chance found his next family when the Irwin family purchased him. Their daughters were just 10 and 12 years old, purchasing Chance marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter as first-time horse owners. Once again, Chance stepped into the role he knew so well—steady, patient, and kind.
Karen embraced horse ownership, and learned a lot the first year. She was tested a lot, and learned to value the process of building her relationship with Chance, spending lots of time at the barn. He gave her a new sense of confidence, and cemented her love for horseback riding, carrying her through many lessons, shows, rodeos, clinics, and road rides. Ann embraced owning her own horse, and loved on him every minute she could, bonding with her friends’ group and developing into a strong rider with a love for speed. Evelyn, who was just starting her horse journey, had her first canter on Chance’s back. He took good care of her, being mindful and patient, helping her grow as a young rider. Chance always loved getting a little speed after turning the last barrel, but would always take care of his girls and meet them where they were at. Loving and riding Chance became something that Karen and the girls could share, and owning him got them out to the barn spending time and making lifelong memories together.
In addition to being the center of the Irwin girls horse universe, Chance also played a huge role in many other riders' journeys. For many, he helped them overcome their fears, lack of confidence, or helped them return to riding when it seemed impossible. Even after he was no longer being ridden, many riders would come love on him at the barn, thanking him for the pivotal role he played in their lives.
One important part of Chance’s story is that he arrived at Runaway Ranch in 2016 with navicular disease. Navicular is a progressive condition involving the deterioration of the navicular bone and surrounding structures, which can lead to chronic pain. While it cannot be cured, it can often be managed, and for many years Chance remained comfortable and usable.
We began his care with OsPhos, a medication that helps change bone metabolism and reduce bone-related pain. That treatment served him well for several years. As time went on, and as his condition progressed, Chance eventually underwent multiple neurectomy surgeries. While this procedure does not correct the underlying disease, it can provide meaningful comfort and is often used as a form of pain management in horses like Chance.
Now, Chance is in the late stages of navicular disease. Despite every effort, every option, and every ounce of care given, his body is telling us that he is ready. This decision comes not from giving up, but from listening — listening to a horse who has given so much to so many people.
Chance’s life has been defined by the confidence he built in others, the quiet lessons he taught, and the steady presence he offered through every chapter. Saying goodbye is never easy, but choosing peace for him is the final act of love we can give.
Thank you, Chance, for everything you gave. You were exactly the horse so many people needed.
This is heavy and heartbreaking, but it is also one of the kindest responsibilities we carry as animal and horse owners—to release them from chronic pain when there are no good options left. Throughout each of these journeys, we worked closely with our veterinary teams, sought second opinions, and did everything possible to keep these horses comfortable and living with dignity.
When the professionals you trust tell you there is nothing more that can be done, it is a day that stays with you. These decisions were made with love, with guidance, and with deep respect for the horses who gave us everything they had.
