Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My first memory of being on a horse was when I was three.  We were visiting my grandparents, and went to someone's house (a relative, I think) and the kids (teens) took me out and put me on a young black colt (maybe a yearling?) I have the clearest memory of his short black mane, all standing up and ever so soft. And of everyone holding onto me so I wouldn't fall off as they led him just a few steps.

I "played horse" growing up in the city, trotting and galloping around, whinnying and tossing my head with all the other horse crazy girls in the neighborhood.  Once in a blue moon, someone would ride through the neighborhood, and we'd all go crazy! And whatever color horse they rode, it was always our favorite color.

By the age of 12, I was saving my lunch money all week, then riding the bus to a local rent-a-nag place to spend it on riding.  Soon I was getting there early to catch and saddle horses, which gave me the benefit of riding an extra hour for every hour I paid for.  I quickly found use for the spurs and riding boots my aunt had given me.  Those poor horses! 

When I was 13, we moved to the 'burbs, and I quickly discovered there was s stable across the street! Heaven!  AND I discovered a girl who was my age who had a horse there, and took it upon myself to be her best friend. *grin*  She had a 27 year old Saddlebred mare named Tinkerbell who ran away with me in a spectacular manner the first time I rode her.  Sally, the girl who owned her is still a very close friend today, 35 years later!

I got my first actual horse just before my 16th birthday, having begged and begged to no avail, until I saved up $125 of baby-sitting and mucking money toward a little mare the stable manager had for sale.  My parents finally decided I could have a horse (I had worked at the stable for nearly three years by this time, and had broke (and been broken by) so many horses, I can't begin to count. (But Man, I can tell stories for weeks!!)) and pitched in the $75 balance so I could buy her.

Sunday was an arab-something cross, 14 hands, grey and halter-broke.  My grandfather bought me a saddle for my birthday (and I have pictures of me on her, in the driveway in front of our rental duplex, using an old rag rug for the saddle pad. Oh, and don't forget the horrible late 70's perm!) but I rode her bareback much of the time.  The stable manager absolutely insisted I have shoes on her before riding her on the road, which was a damn good thing, or that poor horse would have been running on bloody stumps!

Since that time, I have had many, many really good horses.  I have also been bit, kicked, thrown, stomped, crushed, rolled on, flipped over on, and run away with.  But I have always gotten back on.  Horses have been with me through "estrogen poisoning", two pregnancies (rode all the way through both, and started a colt the day after coming home from the hospital, second kid), divorce, and dire financial straits, and it is my sincere hope that I will be riding when I am late for my funeral.

My kids grew up with horses.  I did a lot of rescue/re-hab/resale when they were small (it helped put food on the table, and support my habit) and both are decent riders.  They did nearly all the stupid things I did, though I did insist on helmets, and living "out" as we did, they didn't get to do things like race on the track at the high school, take a horse to the car wash, or race trains, but they both still managed to get clobbered a time or two.  I wouldn't change that for the world, and neither would they.

Neither one was "horse crazy" like me, but my daughter did a few endurance rides in her teens, and I had one glorious year of riding with my then 14 year old son, who insisted on a 50 for his first ride (for bragging rights)

Both come over and visit the horses, and sometimes ride with me as well.  My son recently volunteered to help me finish the mustang I started two years ago, (long story, ending with back surgery. Ooops.) and rode her this past weekend.  We got his girl friend on a horse for her first ride, while my daughter took Jynxie the Wonder Pony (retired) for a walk in the woods.  

I have a grandson now too, and my daughter already has a goat picked out for him to start out on!

I can't imagine how different my life would have been without horses... how differently my kids would have turned out had we not had a small farm and animals, and how I might have spent my entire life missing out on fufilling that horse-crazy girls every fantasy had we not moved next to a stable when I was 13.  Horses are my sanity, and a huge part of my life.  

I have really enjoyed everyone's stories! But right now, I don't have time to read anymore.... gotta go do chores!

Julie Fuller