Tribute to
Bandit
Bandit
We will Miss you!
For Bandit — The Horse Who Taught Me to Belong …. With Love, Kyla Preto
When I first arrived at the barn, I was struggling. I had just moved away from a life I loved, my best friends, and my new found love of horseback riding. I was deeply sad and felt like I had no one. I was looking for a place to feel safe, to feel strong, and to feel like I belonged. I wanted to build up my community, and since I had just started horseback riding, I thought that would be a good place to start. When I first began lessons with Ann, I didn’t know then that I was about to meet a horse who would help me find all of that and more. His name was Bandit.
Brooke and Bandit
Bandit was a constant force of good energy in my life for 7 long years. He taught me to ride the canter, and what a good one feels like. He took me over my first jump and didn’t even blink an eye when I fell all over his face. He just picked me up and kept going. Every time I rode him it’s like I was having a conversation and he was telling me “I got you, kid.” He taught me to pick up a stubborn horse’s foot and was a great model when I needed to learn how to bandage a leg. Bandit will be sorely missed in the heart of everyone who knew him. Thank you, Bandit. Rest easy buddy.
He wasn’t the first horse I ever rode, but he’s the one I’ll always remember. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a sucker for black horses. Maybe it was the way he made me feel calm when everything else in my life felt hard. Or maybe it’s because he taught me more than just how to ride — he taught me how to trust myself. With Bandit, I only had to focus on the present moment, and even if my mind drifted to everything I was struggling with, I knew he would take care of me. Whatever it was, Bandit changed my life.
Bandit was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He showed me how to be assertive when someone’s being stubborn — and he could definitely be stubborn! He taught me how to feel confident around horses, how to read their body language and understand what they were trying to tell me. He taught me how to listen, how to trust myself, and most importantly, he showed me what it meant to trust a horse.
He also showed me a horse’s sense of humour — like when he’d grab at your clothes while you were grooming him, just to see if he could get a reaction. I loved feeding him his favourite scotch mints, hearing his happy nickers, and seeing his sweet expression as he came up to the gate. That cute, mischievous face with his tongue peeking out… Mr. Bandy, he was one of a kind!
Over the months, we progressed from walking to trotting, practicing our circles, staying on the correct diagonal, and many other basics. The first time we ever cantered on a lunge line, I felt like a sack of potatoes! But he was there to take care of me. Then one day, while we were riding alone in the arena, he knew I was ready. He picked up a smooth canter, and I’ll never forget it. I felt like I was flying, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I had never felt more free in my entire life!
When I had my concussion and couldn’t ride for a while, I missed Bandit and everyone else at the barn deeply. When I came back and got to muck stalls in exchange for a ride with him, I was over the moon. Just being near him again made my heart feel full and taught me so much about horsemanship. On the weekends we spent together, I learned more than I ever expected. Not just about riding, but about myself.
I came to realize how much of my life I had spent dwelling in the past, how often fear held me back, and how little confidence I truly had in myself. Riding Bandit helped me move through that, teaching me to live in the present and become the person I had always hoped to be, and deep down, always was. There had always been a brave little girl inside me who dreamed of riding horses—she just needed the right horse to show her that she could.
The skills I learned with Bandit—and from spending time at the barn—have carried over into all other areas of my life. When I took on a new role at work as a Manager, it was the confidence and assertiveness I developed through riding that helped me stand up for myself, trust my abilities, and accept feedback with openness. But more than anything, it was the need to slow down and stay present that has had the greatest impact on me. Bandit taught me that progress comes from patience, consistency, and being fully in the moment—lessons that I carry with me every day. He also shared the gift of teaching others. Helping younger kids learn how to groom him or tack him up taught me how special it is to share a passion and pass on knowledge, something Bandit made easy with his gentle, steady nature. I always say now that I’m a better person when I get to spend time with horses.
Each and every one of the animals in our lives is special, but Bandit truly was one of the kind.
Thank you, Bandit, for everything. For helping me fall even deeper in love with horses. For all the skills you helped me develop, the confidence you gave me, and the memories I will hold close forever. Thank you for preparing me to work with my new riding buddy, Remi. And thank you for leading me to the people who truly care — like Ann — and for being the reason I found a place where I belonged.
You’ll always be with me, Bandit. Forever my teacher, and always my friend.