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 Saint Stacey
   
| I love hearing stories behind the great horses that people have in their pasts. I have 3 that had a huge impact on me.
Soar With The Wind was the horse I had when I was showing youth. He could be a little mean and onery. I swear he blew at least one class a day jsut to prove he could. He accumlated a huge amount of AQHA points and placed at the World Show in Halter and Western Riding, was a multiple AQHA Champion with various people and had numerous Superiors. This past January he was inducted into the RMQHA Hall Of Fame.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/soar+with+the+wind
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Saint Stacey
| Hopeful Joy was a gelding my parents were forced to buy in order to get ahold of a mare they just HAD to have. The owner of the mare mare the trainer buy 3 geldings in order to get her and Hopey was the one mom and dad bought. He literally did everything but chariot race. He had his ROM on the track, was shown in 4H, AQHA and IBHA. He ran barrels, poles, jumped, did all show events, was headed on, heeled on and also did working cowhorse. My parents gave him to me when I was 12 and he was 3. He was an awesome horse. I lost him to colic in 2002. My heart still breaks when I think about it.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/hopeful+joy
 
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Saint Stacey
| Lasty Is Judys Sidekick. Sidekick was bred and raised by Gary and Judy Townsend. If you were ever at the Josey Ranch in the 80's and early 90's you probably remember Judy. When Judy got cancer, they had to sell off all the horses except for Sidekick because he was the one she was going to make her comeback on. Sadly that never happened. When she passed away, we had the opportunity to buy Sidekick. He was a great horse and is still missed to this day. He has a spot in one eye, a heart murmur and was a horrible cribber but he had more heart, try and personality than 5 horses combined We lost him to injury related wobblers a few years ago.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/judys+sidekick
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Member
Posts: 33
| 23 years ago my husband brought home a sickly, skinny 2 year old with really crooked knees. He found him in a kill pen at a traders place but noticed the Bob Loomis brand. The guy said he endend up with him because he wasnt by Bob's stud. This colt is an own son of Boon Bar. Well this colt looked bad. I about died when i saw him. We doctored him, fed him and my farrier husband was able over time to work on his feet and his knees got straighter. My husband made him a reiner and did that with him a couple years. I made him a barrel horse when he was 5. He stands 14.2 and could turn a barrel like you would not believe. He wasn't the fasted horse on the planet but his turns could win him the barrel race. This horse had more heart and try then anything i have ever owned or probably will own. He never did anything bad or mean. I had to retire him when he as 19 as his "reiner turns" really did a number on his stifles. He is still with me today in retirement. He is starting to look his age. I say to my other horses all the time they could learn a thing from "Boon". He was the most enjoyable horse i have had. Sorry such a long story! | |
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 Can You Hear Me Now?
Location: When you hit the middle of nowhere .. Keep driving | Betsey was a quarter horse but I never had papers for her, I don't know her registered name either. She was the most forgiving and tolerant horse in the world and had a passion for barrels. She threw me for a loop because she would do the pattern for fun and did it once with me while we were runnig in the field around some bales and it had me hooked. She lived to he 27 and was my girl for 12 years. We did everything in 4h and fun shows but this girl loved her barrels.
We got Ike when I was 13 and he was 3. Super quirky and goofy and it took me forever to grow to love him but he is my best friend and babysitter for anything I throw at him. Foals, kids, etc. He is 18 this year and I swear he will never leave. Retired due to a stifle injury he was a good barrel horse and bang up pole horse.
Here is a pic of Ike. I don't have a digital picture of Betsey
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I got Issac when he was 20 years old and I was 12. He was still a hot head and ran with the best of them around here. That horse taught me everything about barrel racing...and life. He always corrected my mistakes and gVe me his heart. That horse tried to bite everyone that tried to come in his stall...but not me. He changed my life forever and I miss him every single day!
Hemi...our blacksmith kept telling me he had a horse for me. He told me this horse is meant for you. I kept telling him he was crazy...the last thing I needed was another project but one day he convinced me to go and look. The instant that I looked at him, I knew I had to have him. He was a long, tall, skinny 3 year old but rode like an old pro. Just after I bought him, my Issac had to be put down. I honestly believe I was meant to have Hemi and he was sent here to help me deal with the loss of my old friend. This horse has a forever home with me.
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 As Good As I Once Was
Posts: 1211
Location: frozen tundra of pa | When i was 8 yrs old my father brought home a little appaloosa gelding that had been a 4h pleasure horse. It took six months just to get him to run,but he had so much ability and personality when he started to run he was super tough. he fell flat down in a pole class once jumped up and finished the pattern and got second in the class! No young boy ever had a better horse growing up. Hes been gone for 30 yrs now and still a day doesnt go by that i dont think of him. | |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | The horse that probably had the most impact on me was when I was 5... My mother's friend had just bought a saddlebred. She had dreamed of owning a horse for years. She took me out for a ride and after that, I was hooked. My folks are not horse people, but they started me in riding lessons shortly after. I believe this was '89...so I would have been 4 here.
She lost him to colic several years ago. He was very a very forward and strong ride, but he would pack me around when I was very small like a true gentleman. He was a good boy...I know she will always miss him.
My first time on a horse. I'm sporting an awesome snowsuit lol
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Each horse I have had holds a special place in my heart. These are the extra special ones though:
Tarifa (to be honest she was a junky arab...)-First horse that I got when I was 13. Didn't really know crap but was gentle, and helped ignite my passion for horses.
Rosie-Found a home for the Arab-she was not really sound and I was ready for more horse...so I saved up my money, made three payments of $400 and one payment of $300 when I was 16. She was just my general 4-H horse. Super athletic-would have loved to seen what she was capable of performance wise but never got the chance as she tore her entire tendon sheath and was given a few years off-then turned into trail riding horse/lawn ornament. I ended up breeding her before Murphy bought her a few years ago. She gave me a beautiful colt. LOVE this horse because I moved out at 16 and this horse is what kept me motivated and kept me out of trouble. I had EVERY chance to go get into drugs, get pregnant, drop out of highschool...my parents didn't care. I was pretty much fed to the wolves, BUT because I KNEW (thanks to the arab) I had a passion for horses I worked my butt off to have Rosie and keep her.
Gunner-My first performance horse, and luckily he turned into something special. He came from a breeding farm that was trying to take advantage of the KY breeders incentive fund. Pretty much all the horses ended up being wild and neglected. Got Gunner as an untouched three year old stud. He was my first barrel horse....got him for pretty much nothing-sold him last year and he bought me my new horse plus some extra. Now a little girl runs him-and she got in the top ten at Congress with him this year. He is going on 8 now? And my screen name on here is part of his registered name. At the second show the new owners took him to he ran second in the 1D to my trainers good horse Brand Me Lucky who actually ended up setting an arena record that run in Jackson OH.
Hollywood-my current prospect that is helping me take things to the next level. Super honest with a great work ethic, but also demanding in the sense that I have to become a better rider, which is why I sold Gunner. I wanted a horse that demanded more of me so I could become better. Started him this year-still pretty green-but showing a lot of talent and ability. We will see where we go from here. 
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | First for me is Two Eyed Brandy, my Appaloosa granddaughter of TEJ. In all reality her & I grew up together we even shared the same birthday of April 15, she was just 2 years older than me. My dad bought her as a 2 year old the year I was born, as my mom's first mothers day present. For most of her life she was my mom's trail horse & she played around with her on the barrels in the neighbors fields. But as I got older I needed a horse to show in 4-H so for a few years that was her job & then gradually we shifted into speed events & on to high school rodeo. She won a lot for me locally, was consistently in the 1D at jackpots & pretty hard to beat at any speed events at the playdays. We where consistent low 21's in poles & if her rider would have known what she was doing she'd have been even better! My sr year of high school she carried me to the reserve state championship in barrels & made the trip the the NHSFR with me. She then carried my neighbor girl for a couple years of playday & my parents then sold her to a friend of ours for their daugthter to learn barrels on. She lived out the rest of her life with them, losing the fight with cancer at 28 years old.
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | Next came Buck N Snort, who we call Shotae. Him and I also share the same birthday. He started off as my brothers 4-H horse. Then he was my dad's roping horse. And then finally when I quit running Brandy I took him as my speed event horse. There wasn't much him & I didn't do. I showed him English & he LOVED to jump. He also did very well at reining & western riding as he was incredible with flying lead changes....western pleasure was a game of torture the "slow" horses to him. Barrels, poles & the other games are where he excelled though. He was pretty much unbeatable at the local shows & playdays. I was told frequently to leave the black horse home so other people would have a chance! Unfortunately he wasn't blessed with good legs and just didn't hold up. I had to retire him at 16. He had way to much heart & desire to win to slow down & he was flat out hurting himself. It's been 5 years since I've made a run on him & I still miss it. He's now 21 & mostly retired other than an occasional trail ride.
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | Next would have to be the "other" black horse, Cash, my big Appi that I now shoot off of. He was pretty much an impulse decision, woke up one day & decided I wanted a different show horse. I started shopping the next day & within a week I owned Cash. He just had that stunning "look at me" presence & a personality to match. He was pretty green broke yet & just a 4 year old....but a month later we where at our first horse show where he did great. He was my show horse for 3 years, winning reserve overall in our club the first 2 years. Then the last year he placed in the top 3 in all 13 events (english, western & speed) as well as winning the overall. But he was bored with showing so I promised him at that point that he was done & didn't have to do it again. The next year we trained him for roping. And then last year found his true love....mounted shooting. He was so broke that patterning him was nothing, he just had to get confidence built up in his ablilty to handle speed. This year shooting he carried me to a bunch of wins, getting me to a Level 3. He won me the overall at a pretty big shoot in MN & a smaller one in ND, as well as a couple overall wins for my brother. The most wonderful thing with him is his mind though. I can make a smoking run on him, drop the reins & he walks out of the arena quiet. I can then throw a kid on his back & he'll walk off & carry them around until my next run. Or he'll make a flying run with my brother, turn around & slow lope the same course for my mom. He was a big part of me winning the ND CMSA State High Point Championship for the women this year. He's completely priceless to me!
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | And I'll quit with Ollie.....this little horse has taught me so much, especially when it comes to trust, patience & trusting your gut. He came to me from a customer about 2 1/2 years ago to pattern on barrels so he could be sold. He had been through several homes that year & was basically a mess. But I felt something in him & ended up buying him a couple weeks after he got here. I spent the better part of the next two years kicking myself for that decision! I'd make some progress & then loose it all, it was a constant battle between us. Finally this spring I was ready to give up & handed him over to a friend that we shoot with (he's also a trainer & equine chiro). Asked him to tell me if the problem was the horse, me, pain, mental....or what I wasn't seeing because something had to change or I was going to send him down the road. Simple answer was it was mental....Ollie has some issues from his past that flare up really easy & in turn he was making me nervous, he'd pick up on my nerves & fall apart. So we where just trapped in a cycle of scaring eachother! We made some major changes & about 6 weeks later I was competing on him at his first shoot. So far he's carried me to 2 Level 3 wins, as well as a womens reserve overall & two times was 3rd overall for the women in just 4 weekends of competing. I'm not pushing him at all yet but we'll start adding some speed in next spring. We've gotten to where we completely trust eachother, he's developing so much personality & gives me such an honest hard try every time we walk in the arena.
Edited by SaraJean 2013-11-24 1:16 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| (Sorry for the essay, haha)
I have worked with a number of horses over the years, but the one I own and the mare I am currently training have really been the most influential. It was mostly gaited horses before them, and let's face it, they are the easiest of rides for the majority.
Archie - 20something year old paintaloosa gelding. I got this horse from a barrel racing friend of mine, and they said he was broke broke broke. This horse was anything but broke. He was aggressive with serious riding issues, but we didn't figure that out until we owned him. They said he was safe to trail ride in a group or by himself, he knew barrels, rode in a smooth short shank, etc. Needless to say, he didn't trail ride by himself, he has to lead in a group or he flips over on you, he still doesn't run barrels very well (I taught him poles and he was awesome for a few seasons), and the only bit I can get him to do anything in is a long shank twisted combination bit ("mule bit").
Regardless of all the struggles with this horse, I've owned him for almost 7 years. He taught me the lesson that all horse people need to know, there is always a time you need to stop and walk away from the situation. I know there is plenty of times that horse has almost killed me because we were both too stubborn to give up. He also taught me to get a good seat, because he bucks, rears, and bolts every time I ride him, and it isn't cow hops either, I have about sold him to a rodeo a time or two. Haha. He is retired for the most part, except I run him at fair in barrels and poles, he can place in barrels there. Haha and usually loses poles to Dee since he has really slowed down in retirement.
Then there is my good girl, Dee, a soon to be 9year old paint mare. She is one of those that her owner will probably never sell just because of her personality. She is so quirky that it takes such a long time to get a good relationship with her, she's sweet but onrey at the same time. (Mares, right?) Dee was the first barrel horse I have ever trained, and I put a majority of her barrel training on her with a lot more to go. She is not a finished horse by any means, she's sitting as a 2D youth/3D open horse with good runs right now (in our IN IBRA races around here, usually about 100 in open and 40 in youth on good days). She's also my 4H all arounder. I have won so many all around awards on this mare, I have too many chairs to know what to do with. She is a showmanship machine, and wins halter every year (except this year, but that is a rant for another day, haha) with our little competition (she's a 16hand 1300lbs beast with very nice conformation). She is a nice English horse even with her bulky size, but only does w/t good in western, the lope is a little rusty. She is a nice trail and equitation horse too, winning trail against some nice quarter horses. She's solid so she looks like a QH. I have learned so much on her for all around events. I put all of her showmanship training on her, and most of her English training. Her western basics were taught by her owner, but I have refined them. (Racing usually sets her back for weeks in WP. Haha) | |
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Regular
Posts: 57
Location: Wishing I was riding | I had a love-hate relationship with the horse that had the greatest impact on me. His name was Joker, and I got him when he was 9 and sold him when he was almost 13. I don't have any pictures on my computer, but he was a huge paint gelding, 16.1 hands, around 1350 pounds and he was fast. He was racebred on top and cowbred on the bottom, but boy could he fly. He taught me so much. He taught me patience, he taught me how to stand my ground around a horse, because he would try to push me all over the place. And he taught me how to stay in the saddle. I can't even count the amount of times I went tumbling off him because he made a sharp, unexpected turn. But boy was he nice on the barrel pattern. We were just starting to get our act together when he bucked me off for the first time and nearly killed me. His last gift to me was giving me an almost fatal head injury and whip lash so bad that to this day, I am still going to the chiro to fix every week. He taught me a lot, and I loved him with all my heart, but him bucking me off made me realize that he was just not the horse for me. He went on to become an awesome 1d/2d horse with the person that still owns him. | |
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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
Location: So. Cali. | My first horse made an impact on me as I’m sure most first horses do. She hated the world, your typical mare, pin her ears, kick out, etc. But she loved me, took care of me, did anything I asked her to no matter how stupid of an idea it was. I know a few times as a kid I thought it would be fun to go up some side of a hill…get up there and then realize I had no idea how to get back down safely. I’d drop the reins and click and she’d take care of it. She did Gymkhana, parades, little bush jumping in the wash. I don’t think she ever ‘loved’ doing any of it. She would’ve been content sitting in her pen. But she tried for me. I lost her 4yrs ago to moon blindness.
And the other horse that comes to mind was actually my second horse. When my above mentioned mare showed signs she could no longer handle all day Gymkhanas my parents bought me a 4yr old green broke APHA gelding we were told was bred for barrels. I was 14 at the time. Tried him out that day, little bit of a handful but I wanted him. Took him home on trial basis. First night, went out on a trail ride with my sister, nothing bothered him! Next evening went out to ride him in my yard with a friend. I remember putting my foot in the stirrup and as I pulled myself up I recall him stepping forward and me pulling back for him to stand still while my butt landed in the seat. I didn’t even get my other foot in the stirrup before that boy busted in two. I lasted as long as I could before I landed on my shoulder. Took me a while to get up. My mom offered to take him back, I refused. Best decision I ever made. Over the years he has been the best teacher. You could not kick him, you kick, he’d break in two. You get on his face, he’d let you know. I get several compliments about how quiet of a rider I am during my runs, that’s because of him. He taught me to ask with my body, not my hands, feet, spurs, whips, etc. I give him a lot of credit. He’s 15yrs old now, has a few soundness issues that prevent him from competing as much as we use to. Still do not kick him during a run, little bumps may be the extent of it. And I can promise to this day, if I get out of line and he really wanted to, he could still get rid of me.
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 Popped
Posts: 20421
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | a little brown grade gelding named bar. i still cant think of him with out the tears flowing... i miss him terribly. i started riding when i was ten by taking lessons from a girl in town. she bred a mare and dad had secured the purchase of the foal when it was born. i was 12. he was mine every day of my life... he held my life together more times than times than i can count and i learned more about horsemanship by screwing him up and then trying to fix the mess i made. He died at the age of 28, the day after my 40th bday. i found some old photos of him today and an essay my daughter wrote when she nominated him for the state 4-h horse of the year award. fitting to find this thread tonight.
Take note the years of the photos... his first county fair was '83, his last was 2008. And he placed at the state fair in 2003 (with the red white and blue).
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 Sunflower Seed Addict
Posts: 1416
Location: Amarillo, Texas | A little horse I called, "D" short for Diesel. I couldn't hardly touch this horse when I got him and when I sold him, he was running in the 2D just cruising. I got him when I was a sophomore in high school and sold him in May as a broke college kid that needed money. Biggest mistake I've made! I put so much into this horse. I remember one day I was so frustrated, I got off, sat in the dirt and cried! LOL This horse taught me hard work. He taught me new lessons everyday. He taught me to do everything with passion. I spent 3 hours a day with this horse working on his mental problems. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me to sell him, I could've bought a nice prospect! Haha There was something so intriguing about this horse to my high school self. I couldn't get enough of him!
I posted a before and after picture!
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Saint Stacey
| I love all these stories! They are great reads! Thanks for sharing. | |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| The horse that taught me the most was Kitty. She was a POA mare that I got when I was 6 and she was 5. She was pretty green, but I threw a fit after looking at tons of ponies and something told my 6 year old brain she was "it".
We spend lots of time going thump, thump, thump around the pleasure arena because I didn't know how to use spurs and that's how I kept her going. We did everything together! From halter and showmanship, to english and jumping, to western pleasure, and barrels and poles. I beat a LOT of people on horses and ponies on this pony. She was special. Having to make the decision for her to go to greener pastures due to founder and arthritis was terribly hard, but she was 27, so it wasn't like she didn't deserve the best.
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Two of the best horses I ever had I rode in high school.
One was a horse my parents bought me at 16, grey, about 15.2 hh, always slender built no matter how much I fed him, and shawne bug bred. When we went to look at him, they said his name was Bug. I didn't like it but I thought VW Bugs were cute, so I ended up calling him VW Bug, or VW for short. He was gentle as a kitten and three years old. He was solid broke and had been used on a ranch in the mountains for the previous summer and winter which is probably what made him basically dead broke as a 3 year old. You could put anybody on him. He was fast too. I worked on him with the barrels but never had the money in my early college career to actually haul him. I mainly enjoyed him. I would take horsemanship lessons at WT just so I had an excuse to ride him even when taking 18-21 hours at a time and working 20-30 hrs a week. I would actually ride him the mile and half or so from our boarding barn to the horse center to take the class and then ride him back. We went right over the freeway and he was always a champ about it. I jumped on him, trail rode, worked cattle, did barrels. Even though, he'd been broke before, most of his actual performance training came from me. I was so proud of him. He was a great all around type. When I started my Master's, I stuck him out at our family's ranch in NM until I found a good boarding stable and while he was there some cows ran through one side of the fence and he ended up somehow getting caught in the downed wire. My uncle found him later. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to deal with. He had one of the kindest faces I've ever seen on a horse.
The other horse that taught me a ton was a bay named Breezy. I don't know how many of y'all are familiar with Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, but that was where I grew up. My dad and mom worked in that system for 15 years or better. I grew up working at the horse barn, teaching lessons, etc. I saw a whole lot of different types of horseflesh working there. We had a horse donated out there, an appendix, six year old that could barely walk. Somebody had used him as a barrel horse but run him on the wrong leads for so long they had wrecked his shoulder. After two years at pasture, and when I was a junior, he seemed to have fixed himself so he wasn't lame. I got on him and started to work with him as he was the only one fast enough out there at that time to really place well in the HS rodeos close to us. We always did really solidly at poles with times of 20-22 with the paints at the Ranch but couldn't seem to place in barrels. It took me two years to retrain him to slow down (he had two speeds at first, Go! and walk). I never understood how they had run him on the wrong lead though because he had natural leads. By my the last semester of my senior year I was frequently placing in the top 5 in barrels at nearly every rodeo. I also trained him to do poles and he could run a 19/20 second pattern. He belonged to the ranch and I couldn't take him with me obviously, but he taught me a ton about patience and perserverance. I don't think he ever ran as hard for anyone else as he did for me though.
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 Poor Cracker Girl
Posts: 12150
Location: Feeding mosquitos, FL | Bad Bubba Bronco. He was born across the street from my parents. I remember him as a funny yearling who would play fetch like a dog. He just loved people from the day he was born and he's still the most people-oriented horse I've ever met. I helped break him as a 2 and 3 year old and he was "my" horse that wasn't really my horse. When he went up for sale as a half-patterned 4yo, I sold my first horse (who looking back on probably needed hock injections desperately) and begged my grandparents for the rest of the money. They came through like they always did and I had myself a 4yo as a high school junior. That connection I felt with a horse helped me recognize that same connection when I met my husband. They are two shockingly similar individuals sometimes.
I finished his patterning and seasoning. He was a brilliant teacher who liked to buck - he taught me when to insist, when to back off, how to ride a buck and how to tell the difference between an ornery buck and a YEEHAW buck. He hasn't bucked consistently in about 6 years but I still think about it when I ask him to lope off the first time. He kept you on your toes because he was a bit lazy and would come untrained in about two weeks. He was just fun and I had a blast putting buttons on him. He's the reason I'd still rather ride a half-patterned baby than a finished horse.
He taught me about saddle fit, how to recognize pain, when to call the chiropractor, how to manage arthritis. When his arthritis got too bad last year to run him, he semi-retired to my pasture where he will stay until he dies. He's been with me through high school, college, moving away from home, being the brokest I have ever been, and now my marriage.
When I was so depressed that I didn't have the energy to take a shower, I got off the couch twice a day because Bubba needs to be fed. He's the Original Boyfriend.
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Veteran
Posts: 104
Location: The black prairie of Mississippi | I've had several that have made an impact on me but I'll pick three.
Boomerang - My first horse a palomino paint Welch cross pony mare. She taught me to ride and we learned to run barrels and poles together. She was awesome. She had more grit and try than most big horses and I had such a blast running her. The first year was a trial and tribulation but after that we really clicked and she really excelled at poles. Someone said it looked like a Singer sewing machine running down through the poles she barely moved.
Yogi - My first finished barrel horse that I still miss every day. I lost him two years ago at 30. He was 6 months older than me I go him August of 1993 when he was 12 and I was 11. I was his third owner and he could be the most frustrating horse I ever threw a leg over and the most awesome. The last NBHA state show I took him to in 1998 or 1999 he was 17 and full of fire. He hated Jackson, MS with a passion because it never got quiet enough for him to really get any sleep so by the third day we were down there he was done. All I needed to do in the finals was run a good clean run, pull a 3-D check, and I was going to win that average saddle. He took the reins away from me going down the alley and he ran the pattern his self. I never found my reins until the 3rd barrel. I turn the first and second with nothing but a big fistful of mane, the saddle horn, and a quick prayer to God. He ran out of the 3-D and placed bottom of the 2-D. If you saw him run one time you saw him run every time. He wasn't automatic, if you didn't sit up and ride, he's sure let you know it by blowing a turn or running over a barrel or pole. He ran barrels, poles, and was an awesome quad horse. He also ran arena race and the instructions from the lady I bought him from was to kick all the way down the area, when you got about a 1/2 stride out, close your eyes, grab the horn, and he would take care of the rest. The first two years I ran arena race on him that's how I ran him. I was 14 before I ever saw an arena race barrel. He was big, scary, and fast. He taught me more about barrel racing and life than I know what to do with. (And I'm teared up now thinking about all the stuff we did.)
Dazzling Casanova (aka Cajun) - I bought a four year old sight unseen from a friend. It was a sob story but I sold a big, slick, shiny grade sorrel mare, and got back a wormy, bony, ribs and hips sticking out, jug-headed, walking skeleton. My mom was ready to kill me. But he was bred right. He was registered (the first registered horse I had ever had). He was a sight. He had been broken out as a 2 year old and turned out into a broodmare pasture for two years. He had pan feet, a two year old's attitude, and was scared of the world. He turned into a big, beautiful, blaze face baby. He ran barrels and poles, worked cows, trail rode through anything, could change leads every other stride, counter arc, back up a mile, you name a fancy button, he had it. I learned more about training, patience, and perseverance with him than any other horse I've owned. Training him and the lessons I learned along the way shaped how I train horses today. I lost him 11/25/2003 to a complication with an injury. The loss of him still hurts me in ways I don't like to talk about. I still think there's something else I could have done.
Sorry for the novel, I tend to get wordy as yall all know.
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | My first horse to really have an impact on my life was my POA pony Comanche or Monko as we called him. Goat Gutted, broomtailed, U necked, hammer headed, roman nosed, you name it, he had it going on. He also taught a little girl to love anything horse, love feeding, love the process of taking care of animals in all weather and its rewards for doing it no matter what, love the freedom of going home from school and disappearing for hours down the creek by yourself. any day my feet didn't have to touch ground like a mere mortal was a good day. Anything the neighbor girls horse could do my pony had to attempt, got him high centered more than once on hay bales, he was after all only about 11 hands tall but I was sure he could jump 3 hay bales like her horse could, LOL!!! Got kicked out of the branding pen more than once because I insisted on roping off of him and would get drug around and knock people over because I wouldn't let go of the dally, and he'd be doing his dangdest to put his butt in the ground and hold them for me. He was the pony you dream of when you start looking for them for your kids. I was heart broke when my dad decided to sale Monko when I was a Jr in HS, hadn't ridden him in about 6 years, he had become the neighborhood pony but those kids had outgrown riding and he went to another family where he learned to pull a cart and lived out the rest of his life well into his 30's.
My next one was the little QH/Arab my mom bought me for X-mas that I didn't get till my 15th birthday as she didn't have the money to get her paid off. I thought I had done something as I didn't get a X-mas present that year, then a week before my 15 birthday in Feb. at my HS rodeo my mom called me over to let me know that Ginger was my everything present for the year, LOL!!! I had been leasing her since I was 13. She was one of those horses that didn't know she shouldn't have been able to do what she did, the guys steer wrestled off of her, I tried to rope even though I sucked at it, she always put me in the right place, I cut on her only because she was so leg broke I could fake it well enough to pick up some points on her. gpat tied, ran barrels and poles. the only time she was tied to the trailer was during the rough stock events basically. Had her for about 20 years, laid with her head in my lap when she took her last breath and still cry to this day when I talk about her 15 years later. About 6 years after she passed a young woman came up to me at a race and asked if I had owned a horse named Ginger, when I replied yes, she said "I told my mom some day I'm gonna own a horse like that...I'm still looking". Again, the type of step up horse any one would dream of for their kid.
And my current horse is Tucker/Justa Smooth Ruler. Every big dream I ever had about horses that has come true has come true on him, learn to cut, check, go down the fence, check, run across the grass at Pendleton, check check and a Ch$ck, lol! Start a horse from the ground up and have them the type of horse anyone can ride, check. He is the type that I can go gather cows on Tuesday , my 82 year old dad can go for a trailride the next day, my 10 year old niece can ride him, toss him in the trailer on Saturday and go to a race and sometimes poke your head in to the 1D and Sunday if you are up to it, knock the dirt off him and enter up in a rein cow horse show. A good friend had a brain aneurism 4 years ago, her first time back on horse back was on his back. He is what ever you need him to be. He might not be a world beater but he is my world.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l232/tuckercan/photo-11_zps7378c5...
Edited by run n rate 2013-11-26 3:58 PM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | I used to own a mean little welsh pony back when I was about 5. That thing would make me eat dirt everytime I rode him....but he is the one that taught me how to sit a buck (so I guess I'm thankful for him LOL).
But my favorite horse of all time was an old palomino mare named Chance. I didn't own her, but a family friend did. This mare was bombproof, and the one who taught me how to barrel race, it was a sad day when they put her down. The old girl lived an amazing life and was full of love. I still miss her to this day. I tear up thinking about her.
I would love to own a mare like Chance | |
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Saint Stacey
| These stories are all really great (and sort of sad, but good).  | |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | Sonic was my 2nd horse, a 1996 mare, registered AQHA as Miss Poco Senbar Doc. I bought her from my cousin when she was around 3, and rodeoed her through college. She had a ton of heart and was broke awesome, and somewhat patterned. This mare had heart and tried for me every time. I could put anyone on her and she'd ride awesome. As my now-husband said, "She has reverse!". I loved that she'd walk right into the trailer without hesitation - she surely was my confidence builder!
Sonic started to get some swelling in her leg and bucking a little when she switched leads. I couldn't run her knowing something was probably wrong. After multiple vet visits and a final second opinion, she was diagnosed with degenerative changes in her right fetlock that would worsen over time. At that time I didn't see the need for having a horse I couldn't run, so I sold her.
I still look for her around though, I'd love to have her back.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 369
Location: south arkansas | For My Master aka "Boo" she was out of Perksmaster...... I purchased Boo in October 2012 to help me cope with the the loss of my grandmother who passed in August 2012. She brought back so much in me I thought had gone with the loss of Nana. She brought back my confindence, smile, tears and so much more. She was a tough gritty little mare that was a blast to ride and compete on... I tragically lost Boo in July 2013 but in those few months with her she changed my life tremondously... Now she is running the the best in Heaven
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I will post another awesome boy as well.
He was my first horse that was given to me at 15 by a family friend. He was on the kill buyer's truck on the way to the canner when she bought him... he was about 6 and had high ringbone. She rehabbed him a while and gave him to me. He was a grade paint, 17 hands, and gorgeous. He had the most heart of anything I've ever ridden. I rode him english, trail rode him, and ran barrels one year with him in 4H. Sadly, he wasn't sound enough to run, so I gave him back to her. She retired him and he lived the rest of his life with her until she put him down at 15 or so (due to the progression of the ringbone). Her vet looked at the Xrays and said "This horse is walking?!?!"
He was the type that would move out sound under saddle, but limp when you hand walked him after getting off. If you got back on, he wouldn't limp and would do anything you asked.... I wish I would have known more about my options back then for vetting him, but I was just a kid. He taught me to be a better rider, and ultimately that we must do what's best for the horse. I cried when I dropped him off there and I still regret not seeing him before he died. He did however, have an awesome life (mostly thanks to my folks and my friend) and I feel lucky to have had him those few years. I do think he kept me out of a lot of trouble in my teen years.
sporting a killer outfit
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I've had so many horses (growing up as a trainers daughter) so it's hard to believe I was a teenager before I had horses that really really shaped who I am today. But I was 15 when I got Mick. She was by our stud, and the owners brought her to us to be started, and she was a handful! They wanted her for a kids horse and my mom told them that she wasn't going to be the one. We had a broodmare that had been one of my walk/trot show horses, wasn't show sound anymore, but she was safe, so we traded. Mom's intent was to get her riding pretty good, and sell her off. I was itching for a project, so Mom let me put some miles on her, and I never gave her back.
She was way too smart, and the type that you didn't dare teach anything to that you didn't want her to remember forever. She would pull back, paw, hated clippers, wouldn't load, etc. She also had a bad habit of getting mad and threatening to flip over--which I cured by learning to step off and flip her on over. I got her over every bad habit and every vice, probably because I was too young and stupid to know better. But she was so talented, so althetic, so smart...she has halter points, was a hi-point showmanship horse, stellar WP horse, even better at horsemanship and trail, and made a pretty dang good barrel and pole horse. She has about 40 lifetime points, not including any of my youth points, and got me the second half of my youth superior award. I did everything imaginable on that horse...shot baskets, shot fireworks, rode down the highway, used her in a "wild west show" that I was part of in college, even dabbled in cutting on buffalo, and some roping. Just whatever I had the chance to try.
Now, at 19 years old, she will be my son's horse starting this spring (he will be almost 3). And I am trying to talk the hubby into letting me breed her to a really nice stud for my next super star.
Then I had the opportunity to get Mick's full sister, Mia--8 years younger. I wanted another Mick, only this time I was smarter (or so I thought)...however, Mia is NOTHING like Mick--other than they stared with some of the same bad habits, like pulling back. Mia's a total fruit loop, scared of her own shadow, just a mental mess. But she was my first real barrel horse, that I did from start to finish (tho I had great friends helping me). I'm hauling her now, and she's so fun, but it's been a battle keeping her healthy--though we are on the upswing on that front after finally diagnosing her and treating her for EPM. She's finally kinda normal, LOL.
And last is Hummer. I didn't go looking for him, and even tried to turn him down, but I thank God and my lucky stars every day that I ended up with him. I was his saving grace, and he was mine. I may never have another one like him, but he taught me how to ride a 1D horse. You either keep up or not, he's not waiting for you. He runs big and turns hard, but never runs with less than his whole heart and soul. He's let me win races and rodeos that I'd have never dreamed of ever winning at...like placing in the top 10 at the first Bonus Race Finals, winning the KsNBHA State Finals 1D, winning a round of the Topeka Barrel Bash, and the list goes on. And, he has a personality bigger than Texas.
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