Most girls go through that “I want a pony” stage at some point in their lives, and a lot of them get stuck there. I think kids have an animal begging hierarchy that goes something like this: goldfish, hamster/assorted small furry creatures, turtle, rabbit, cat, dog, pony. So you have to get pretty far along in the system to be begging for a pony, but most families have a cat or a dog, so it’s not a big leap. I never got beyond the goldfish, and eventually had to settle for a crap-ass hedgehog (my mom bribed an allergist to tell me I was allergic to fur), so begging for a pony never entered my mind. But I remember all those girls in school that would spend hours drawing ponies, focusing on their long manes and the intricacies of their legs. That job was a little quicker when drawing the hedgehog. Anyway, it seems Bruce Springsteen’s daughter is no exception in the pony loving, and with a dad like Bruce, you can get yourself a mighty fine equine. Just how fine? Well the cost of a luxurious house fine.

“Rock musician Bruce Springsteen and his wife are being sued by an Olympic equestrian for allegedly backing out of a contract to buy a horse worth $850,000 for their daughter. The Olympian, Todd Minikus, filed the breach of contract suit Thursday in West Palm Beach County, Fla. It claims Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, reneged on a deal. The Springsteens were to purchase the horse from Minikus by paying him $650,000 and give him a horse they already own that was worth $200,000, according to the lawsuit.

“According to the lawsuit, the Springsteens – who live in Monmouth County and own Stone Hill Farm _ put a $25,000 deposit on the horse, named Pavarotti, in July. However, they later had second-thoughts about whether the animal was right for their teenage daughter, Jessica, the second of their three children. The suit describes the Springsteens’ daughter as ‘a budding young rider,’ and says she rode Pavarotti twice in a “schooling ring” in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Springsteens also had their vet examine the horse before signing the contract, the suit says.

“The sale was to be completed by Aug. 24, according to the suit, with the Springsteens paying Minikus the $625,000 balance before receiving Pavarotti and turning over a horse named Scarlett as part of the trade. Minikus is seeking damages, and compensation for the continued daily upkeep of Pavarotti. He claims the horse has diminished in value since the Pan Am Games, in part because the famous couple backed out of a deal to buy the animal.”

[From Newsday]

Oh man, to even have half of that money to spend on a house would make 99% of Americans pretty darn happy. But to have it to spend on a horse? I don’t know if they’re stupid for not just buying the damn thing (it’s probably like $38 would be to me and you) or really smart for not spending $850,000 on a horse. But like I said, I was never so advanced in my bargaining skills as to have a pet that didn’t lead to spiky pain. I wonder what would make a parent consider buying their teenager an $850,000 anything? I mean we’d be all over a celebrity for spending that much on their kid’s car (though I’m sure it’s happened). Yet somehow a horse is just so much quainter, that I don’t feel I should mock it. So here’s to you, Bruce Springsteen, for having the cojones to almost buy what I can only assume is a diamond-encrusted flying horse.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s Bruce and Patti after performing on “The Late Show” on September 4th. Images thanks to PR Photos.