Oh boy, I'm older than you and have much more mileage, so there's no way I could fit my horse stories into a post (or two...or four). But, basically I was a horse nut from an early age, learned how to ride by reading books (I got up on the back of a seventeen-hand high thoroughbred when I was eight and put him through walk, trot, flying trot, canter, hand gallop, and back to trot. Trainer sez "how long have you been riding??" I sez "About five minutes.").
A very brief synopsis: My mom was always afraid I'd get hurt so she didn't condone riding. I started doing it on the sly when I was fifteen. Got a part-time job, used my own money, leased a horse, taught myself to ride western( with a lot of bareback, just for fun). When I was eighteen I started competition riding, mostly barrels but some cutting. Leased a GREAT horse, 16 hand appaloosa gelding named Rebel. We had tons of fun and I totally worked up that horse until he was a shining beautiful thing (and then the owner sold him out from under me for a fortune... Go figger.). In my early twenties I leased another horse which I loved a LOT, a sorrel pinto gelding (mostly quarterhorse I think)that I rode for a long time. The owners were slobs and in spite of my best care (I was the ONLY person who ever cleaned a stall in that place...I had to provide my own straw)he contracted a nasty hoof infection when I was away for a few weeks on business, sickened, and was put down. Very sad story. :-( Since then I've had no stomache for horses. They seem like strong powerful animals but in reality they're SO fragile and exist purly at the whim of (very often) lazy owners who treat them like objects instead of living things.
I've been making some serious money though, with my art, and I've been considering buying and boarding (rather than leasing...cuts down on the uncertainty factor). Haven't ridden for years...but it's not like I've forgotten how.
Oh, and my favorite "breed", in my experience, is most certainly the 3/4 quarter horse, 1/4 Polish Arab. Polish arabs are tough, pretty and a little warm-blooded, and Quarters are so sturdy and sure-footed. It's a popular mix up here in the northeast, and there's a breeder in Canada just over the border that sells 'em (started 4 year olds go for about 3,000 US dollars). I'm leaning that way, if I decide to jump back in the lake. Fresians are wonderfully gaited, smart and beautiful but waaaay out of my price range. I'd get one though, if I won the lottery.
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Re: Let us speak of Equus! *gushes*
Date: 2006-02-19 02:10 am (UTC)A very brief synopsis: My mom was always afraid I'd get hurt so she didn't condone riding. I started doing it on the sly when I was fifteen. Got a part-time job, used my own money, leased a horse, taught myself to ride western( with a lot of bareback, just for fun). When I was eighteen I started competition riding, mostly barrels but some cutting. Leased a GREAT horse, 16 hand appaloosa gelding named Rebel. We had tons of fun and I totally worked up that horse until he was a shining beautiful thing (and then the owner sold him out from under me for a fortune... Go figger.). In my early twenties I leased another horse which I loved a LOT, a sorrel pinto gelding (mostly quarterhorse I think)that I rode for a long time. The owners were slobs and in spite of my best care (I was the ONLY person who ever cleaned a stall in that place...I had to provide my own straw)he contracted a nasty hoof infection when I was away for a few weeks on business, sickened, and was put down. Very sad story. :-( Since then I've had no stomache for horses. They seem like strong powerful animals but in reality they're SO fragile and exist purly at the whim of (very often) lazy owners who treat them like objects instead of living things.
I've been making some serious money though, with my art, and I've been considering buying and boarding (rather than leasing...cuts down on the uncertainty factor). Haven't ridden for years...but it's not like I've forgotten how.
Oh, and my favorite "breed", in my experience, is most certainly the 3/4 quarter horse, 1/4 Polish Arab. Polish arabs are tough, pretty and a little warm-blooded, and Quarters are so sturdy and sure-footed. It's a popular mix up here in the northeast, and there's a breeder in Canada just over the border that sells 'em (started 4 year olds go for about 3,000 US dollars). I'm leaning that way, if I decide to jump back in the lake. Fresians are wonderfully gaited, smart and beautiful but waaaay out of my price range. I'd get one though, if I won the lottery.
Yay for horse talk! Sorry if I babbled.