Volunteer Bobbie Kincaid has been Cruze’s handler since he arrived in February 2020.
She has now given him a permanent home.
"Each RDA horse is given a person to look after them on the weekends," she said.
"I’d been with RDA for a year and a bit and he came along and I put my hand up because he’s beautiful.
"I saw him when he came off the truck and ever since then we’ve sort of bonded."
Soon after Cruze joined the Hokitika RDA team, Covid hit.
"So him and I spent a lot of time with each other walking around the race track so we did that bonding, which was lovely."
Cruze earned the nickname "superhero" soon after joining the Hokitika disabled riding programme four years ago because of the mask he used to wear.
Two years prior, an eye infection had left Cruze blind in his right eye.
In 2021, the local community rallied to pay for eye removal surgery — and plenty of carrots to aide his recovery.
Last year, Cruze become the West Coast RDA’s first horse to win the national horse of the year award — no small feat given there are 500 RDA horses around the country.
Ms Kincaid said yesterday Cruze was now 24 years old, and sore in the back.
She said they planned to spend his retirement focusing on "friends, food, freedom and fun".
"I want to take his shoes off and walk him barefoot along the beach."
His new home includes a variety of paddock friends.
"There’s sheep, there’s lambs, two rams, a kune kune pig, an ex-racehorse and chickens — so plenty of company."
By Janna Sharman
