This is so cool! My first horse experience was when my mom decided to work at a barn for free lessons for me and my brother. I exclusively rode "Lady" a New Forest pony. She was half blind and stubborn but I sure learned to ride she didn't do anything for free! Then the people who owned the barn went on a trip to PA and we took care of the horses and barns for them...they came back with a pony just for me! Chinook was a dun Shetland Pony and fit me perfect as I was so tiny myself. That pony and I shared Pb&J's, snickerdoodles...anything I was eating she would eat! I tromped around bareback and we always took her logging and while the other horses were pulling logs I would ride up and down the forest paths! I slept in that ponies stall many a times! But when they moved Chinook went with them as we had no money and no where to keep a horse. It was the first time my heart broke.
My first horse of my own was when i was 16. Star was an abused off the track Standardbred. I still cannot believe I lived through that horse, but he made me the horse person i am today. He could trot and pace but he also was a furious bolter...his favorite pace was an out of control gallop that usually ended up in him taking a turn too tight and falling on me! Oh the bruises! He was shy of most people because of the abuse and neglect, but he bonded with me ( which doesn't mean he didn't still try and bolt!) I decided to event him because I went to a school with an eventing team. My trainer was horrified, but acted supportive. I taught him to canter which is something he had never done...it was trot or bolt....and off we went. If you have never jumped a horse out of the pace....I don't suggest it. On x-country we would canter some then as the fences got close he would start pacing and then pause in front of the fence and leap on all fours! It wasn't pretty (or comfortable), but we got around. Everyone was amazed that he even did that for me and my trainer always put it down to him having a heart of gold and loving me so much. She finally suggested to my parents that he was not suited to eventing and if I wanted to continue we might want to get a different horse. We retired him with a friend who loved him, trail rode him, and made him feel like the most special horse in the world until the day he died. I still miss him...he was beautiful and although he was not always easy in any way I loved that horse and I truly think he loved me. Otherwise he would never have tolerated what I put him through!
Juli Jakub
I've spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I've just wasted.
~Anonymous
