We are heartbroken to report the passing of Maxed Out Potential, a horse loved by many in the industry. This past week, his owner, Micah Howard was at the The Madness show in Wilmington, Ohio when Max collapsed and died after trail practice. His cause of death is still unknown. The beloved bay gelding was sent to Ohio State University for an autopsy but the results will not be available for another three weeks.
Max and Howard won the 2014 Novice East Championships in the Level 1 and Rookie horsemanship and was reserve in the showmanship under the guidance of Ryan Cottingim and Mandi Gately. The 2001 bay gelding was by Potentially Special and out of Cierras Silver Dream.
Max’s owner, Micah shares what Max meant to him during a very dark time in his life. A few years ago, Micah and his wife, Chantelle, decided to let go of their dreams of becoming successful singers in the music industry.
“I came to Nashville in 2002 with a pocket full of dreams–big dreams. I chased those dreams relentlessly. After a lot of heart break, we decided to let go of that dream. I spent the next two years angry and unsure of what my real purpose was. Then, I met a little bay horse named Max,” Micah recalls. “This horse helped me let go of past hurt and anger, and realize that it was a good thing to dream again. I had lost that. So, to Max, I say thank you. You were more to me than just a horse who went over poles or changed a lead…you were my friend. For that, I am eternally grateful. I love you buddy. Please wait for me on the other side.”
Howard’s trainer, Mandi Gately told us that Max and Micah had one of those bonds that you don’t see much of any more. “Micah loved Max and not just because they went to shows and were successful. Micah enjoyed coming out and just spending time with him. They had goals and worked hard towards them, but some days only consisted of bonding time–coming to turn Max out or hand graze him seemed to bring Micah just as much joy as practicing.”
Mandi continues, “Max was a horse that gave you 100 percent of his heart. He was happy to see you everyday, and always put a smile on my face. When I went in the show pen I never had to worry about if he was going to be good, I had to worry about if I was going to be being good.”
When we talked to Ryan Cottingim, it was difficult for him to put into words the sadness of losing Max. “He had a ton of athletic ability and mental stability. He was well suited for our program, and I feel very fortunate to have managed Max and follow the handful of successful programs that have had him,” Ryan reveals. “I would like to thank Micah and Chantelle Howard for the opportunity of working with such a talented horse. This is a very difficult loss, however, we are blessed to have had the time with him that we did.”
