The long and winding road

Recently someone asked me how long I had been involved with horses. Involved??? I don't quite know if that would be the term I would use. Obssesed maybe.......
Anyway, it got me to thinking (which is always dangerous) about my life and horses and how much has changed as I travel down life's highway.
I thought I might take a trip down memory lane with you and fill you in on this crazy every changing part of my life. As I am on horse number 13 this may take more than one blog entry to cover them all.

My first horse well pony actually was a little red appaloosa with a blanket named Mr Specks. I got him as a gift when my stepfather died. We were close and I guess this was my mom's way of helping me through a hard time. We couldn't afford a pony and I realize what a sacrifice this was on her. I biked 3 miles each day after school to the stable he was boarded at, a run down old place on its last days . I helped the caretaker feed horses and clean up or whatever else he needed done in exchange for board. I forgot to mention I was eleven years old. Specks was all of 11 hands tall and had emphasyema so he coughed alot. He was sweet and I had great times with him until I had a growth spurt and outgrew him after two years. My second horse was Cherokee sometimes known as Fred, (don't ask) this horse probably taught me the most about trust and life itself.
He was a little bay quarter cross and full of mischief and life, he stood a mere 13.3 hands but was about that big around as well. I had Cherokee from the age of 13 until I was 19. I showed him all around in 4 H everything from halter to barrels. We actually did quite well and one year won state in poles. I got married, was working full time and attending college and spent less and less time with him. The right thing to do was to sell him and I found him the best home where he lived to a ripe age of 25 before founder did him in.

I did not own a horse for a few years and it wasn't until I took a friend's daughter on a trail ride at a park that I realized what was missing from my life. I bought number 3 just two short weeks later. She was a Paint mare named Splashdance and was 11 years old, I was in my twenties.
She was a red roan overo and stood 15.1 hands , not exactly what I would call pretty but she was bomb proof. I don't say that about many horses but this gal was the real deal. I kept her for two years until I had a life altering car accident that forced me to sell her. The good thing about that accident was I met my best friend Susan. She helped me take care of Splash until I sold her. After my recovery I decided to show halter horses since we were not sure if I could ride again, my knees were operated on 4 times in one year and I also broke my pelvis and suffered a brain injury in that accident. Horse number 4 was another paint filly, dun overo we named Fine dee dunnit. She didn't quite turn out to be a halter filly herself but did throw me a nice baby. I had dunnit five years and sold her here in Indiana. Horse number five was Dunnit's baby Dun the two step or otherwise known as Stella. She was a dandy candy apple red with lots of chrome, she was also the devil himself. Stella and I did not bond or get along whatsoever. She was ill willed and head strong from day one despite my being present at her birth. She stayed with me until she was age three , we showed lunge line and halter and did well despite her attitude. She now resides in Ohio, a judge at a show actually bought her for his wife to ride and show some.

I think I will stop at this point and catch you up on the rest next time around. I have to admit the way I kept horses in Florida was much different then I do here and some of it is logistics and some is from things I learned. My horses in Florida were mostly stall kept, grass was at a minimum and the heat was oppressively hot during the day. My horses were immaculately clean, always. When trailering my horses I would never stop to eat lunch and let them stand in a trailer. In a sense these horses were horribly spoiled rotten and not in the best ways. Oh the things we learn as we grow older and hopefully wiser. Til next time
happy trails....