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[RC] One Awesome horse - OTTOWYWindmere finished his last 100 at 27. He probably could have done another one but I moved to Utah and wasn't able to take him with me. We rode six days a week, 4 - 7 miles a day and sometimes 25 miles on Saturday. He was incredible. Never went lame, never got windpuffs, bowed tendons or anything. He moved like glass and had over 3000 miles when he retired. He was a skinny Arabian with heart. The first time my parents saw him he had fallen over a cliff and was hanging by his halter. The "Owner" said, "If he can get himself over the cliff, he can get himself up." Needless to say we calmly told the owner that if we were going to purchase the horse we needed to see him. He said we better get started pulling him up the cliff then. After about an hour my parents coaxed him up the cliff and took a good took at him. Nothing but skin and bones, worms, deep set eyes, winter coat still on in May and a look of desperation. Nothing, absolutely nothing to look at, I have seen "meaters" look better than him. We went to the motel that night and tried to talk ourselves out of it but just couldn't. We went back the next day willing to pay $300 for him. We found the horse again over the cliff and this time the owner had a gun and was aiming it over the cliff at the horse. I'm sure he had taken a few shots before we got there but had missed. He was tired of dealing with this ***** horse. We were shocked and told the man we would take the horse. He calmly said the price was now $500 and readied another shot. Needless to say we paid $500 and took the lowly creature home. The horse never stepped out of line and every vet that ever heard his heart said it was damaged by worms and it wasn't worth our time. HA! They were wrong. He lead the Big Horn 100 every year he rode it. He completed rides all over the country and was never out of the Top Ten, EVER! He won Best condition on every ride he ever entered. He could drop like a stone on a vet check. I still cry because I have never ridden a better horse than Windmere and have ridden over 30 horses since. No other horse has his drive or love for me that this horse had. You never know where you are going to find that perfect horse, maybe hanging over a cliff. But, you will know when you find him! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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