HGG Community Forums

I started riding in 2009 (6th grade, 12 years old). I was terrified of horses. I was so scared that the first time i went with my friend to her grandparents house to watch her ride, she asked me to hold her horse's lead (sweetest, most gentle horse ever) and i freaked. I held the very tip end of the rope and the second she took one single little step while she grazed, I flipped my lid and immediately gave the horse back to my friend :))

Now, I am 22 and i have my associates degree in Equine Studies with a CHA riding instructor certification and a master certification in Equine Massage Therapy :D

My current horse, Angel, is a 17 year old Bay Roan Leopard Appaloosa that is also Colorado Ranger bred and registered. I actually rode her and competed on her in speed/barrels/etc in 2010 at my friend's granparent's house when they owned her. I rode her for a year and then they sold her without telling me. Heard from a third party. I was devastated. I never even had a chance to say goodbye to her :( A year or so later i met her new owner at a high school equestrian meet because a friend of mine was riding one of her other horses. So we chatted about Angel for the whole meet basically. She told me i was free to come ride her any time. But since i couldn't drive and she lived over an hour away, it wasn't practical. So fast forward 8 years. I prayed nearly every day, every time i saw a picture of her, just for a chance to say goodbye. I just wanted to see her one more time. Then in July of last year, I got a message from her owner saying that she was getting to old to ride and she wanted Angel (and her pasture-mate) to go to someone who had the time for them that they deserved. She said that she remembered how much Angel meant to me and wanted to offer her to me before anyone else, even though she had already received an offer on both. I was literally in shock. Everyone tried talking me out of it. My sister kept telling me that she wasn't what i wanted and my dad kept asking if it was really worth it. I had just quit my job literally that week (had one week left of work) and had no new job lined up. I took a day to think about it and decided that it was meant to be and accepted. But i first had to help find Gracie, her pasture-mate, a home so that they could leave at the same time. I found someone to buy Gracie and she even offered to trailer Angel to me since my sister's trailer wasn't registered yet. July 22nd, 2018, we met at the highschool two miles down from my house to transfer Angel into our trailer. I cried. It was so unreal. And now, i have owned her for just over a year and we have our first show in 9 years on Wednesday! Its a twilight show, not a speed show so it's probably going to go horribly lol but i don't care :x We have our first speed show in September. My friend just bought a trailer and is able and willing to take me to some shows!

Here we are! This was from a couple weeks ago :)

@Pferdezeit thank you! She's my heart and i am never letting her go :x

I started riding at age 6. The first horse I rode actually used to belong to the former king of Greece. He was a very fancy Grand Prix dressage warmblood and later was involved with a terrifying accident with my mom when he spooked at a car backfiring. After my first ride, I spent most of my time on the lesson barn's beginner packer pony.

Fast forward to 8 years old, and I began volunteering at a hippotherapy barn. My parents hoped that time spent doing the grunt work and cleaning stalls would disenchant me from horses, but it didn't deter me one bit. I worked my way up and rode the farm's old therapy horses whenever I got the chance (not very many lessons were given, I learned on my own). Eventually, I was teaching disabled riders lessons and got to bring along and show a young snowflake appaloosa mare named Rose. She was the ultimate mareish mare, but she taught me how to get along with difficult horses (and how to get along with "mareish" people :P )

When I was 12, I got my first horse, Zip. We got him cheap because his previous owner severely neglected him. 300 pounds of groceries and countless vet and farrier visits later, he was sound for walk trot only. we had a good time sweeping the competition in the local walk trot classes, but I needed to move up to improve my skills. Then Dallas came along. He was also cheap because he'd had 5 years off from riding. By this time I was practicing natural horsemanship and had a trainer, and she helped me restart him. Dallas came with a lot of trust issues that manifested in a crazy stubborn attitude. He has taught me every shred of patience I now possess. It was rough at the beginning, but he is the reason my riding skills are where they are today because he sets such high expectations for his rider. He forces me to be present so that I can be the best rider I am capable of being :)

@RipshinCreekFarm Sounds like you had a fantastically horsey childhood. I'm sorry about Tobasco, that's such an awful thing to lose your best friend so suddenly. Colic took a mare at the farm I first rode at, and ever since then it scares me to death.

@HTRanch Goodness that is the way to start off a story! I love that you rescued some horses, I think that it's always the most difficult horses who have the most to give, and demand the most from you!

@horsey2 Those pictures are the cutest thing I've seen! Pandora is lucky to have you loving and caring for her.

I started riding at about 7 or 8 years old. After my first trainer got sick we switched to a bigger barn; and I got to ride a different horse every week. I still remember most of them. TG, String, and Classy were my favorites. TG was a big doppy Appy gelding that was almost completely white with age. String was a smaller bright chestnut QH gelding that had the smoothest lope and would take off with only a click of my tounge. Classy was an old dark chestnut Arab mare that helped me win a blue ribbon my first show season.

One other horse at that barn that I remember was Smokey. He was a gorgeous dark dappled grey Appy gelding; but the meanest horse I have ever met. My first ever trail ride was on him; and he promptly grabbed the bit in his teeth and took off. It took both my trainer and his daughter 20ish minuets of chasing us before one of them caught his bridle and made him stop. My trainer rode Smokey back to the barn while I rode my trainer's horse ponied by his daughter. After that day I would say I hated the horse and beg to ride one of the others every time my trainer told me to get Smokey out. My trainer never gave in and made me ride that gelding from time to time though; and I did eventually learn control and rode Smokey well.

At 14 I started volunteering at another barn helping with therapeutic riding lessons. I started working at that same barn at 16 in exchange for lessons. After a while my trainer gave me two horses to exercise on a daily basis. A chestnut QH mare, Di, who was an old grump but still sweet if you treated her right; and a younger QH gelding, Black. Black was my first horse love. He was a blockhead at times. :-)) He spooked and bolted at every opportunity; but he taught me so much. I spent countless hours on his back. His owner even let me take my Senior pictures with him.

After graduation I bought my very own dream horse. A black tobiano registered APHA gelding, named McQue's Easy Nugget, nicknamed Mick. Mick was a life long dream come true; and even though he was far from perfect, he was mine. He always came running in from the pasture when I called him. With a broken heart, I had to rehome him after my oldest daughter was born. I was in college and a newly wed, plus a new mother and we just didn't have the time or finances to care for him properly. I still miss him all these years later, dreaming of one day getting back in the saddle again.

There have been a dozen other horses that I have had relationships with in my life; Bo, Sheldon, Medallion, Stoney, Daisy, Montana, Mercy, Lady, Remington, Duke, Sugar, and Colby. I could write about each one, but I won't. Sorry this post is so long.

I've been very fortunate with an awesome Mom that kept me in horses my whole life! Too many to list but I'll summarize the highlights!

First I rode double with Mom (in front as I was really really tiny). Then I was ponied on "Betsy" super sweet mini horse. When my mom had a breeding operation with her husband at the time I had my own broodmare Roulette! (She had a foal jinx though ;( none made it past a week old. Also in the Roulette days was "Ghost" a really cool Medium to large Navajo Indian pony! Middle to end of Ghost time I started taking lessons on a relatively young show horse "Cherrie" whom we eventually bought and I kept for 6 years? I bred her and got "Tris". I sold them both in 2014 and 2015 respectively but I am still in contact with the owner of Cherrie. 2014 I started leasing an old APHA "schoolmaster" who I did paint all around including 2ft6 hunter courses. Unfortunately she didn't stay sound enough. Then we bought Chevy in 2015. Chevy deserves an entire website of his own. To say he was "unique" is a distinct understatement. But I had big success with him in the 2016 show season. Unfortunately he had behavorial type issues so I couldn't jump him and Mom was scared to ride him. Also overlap in Chevy was "Chrome" my first 100% by myself project horse. I honestly think he was my heart horse, and I regret selling him quite regularly. And beginning of 2018 I got my Dream horse! Miss Lexi! I still own her, and Yay I found I way to take her to college! (She will work off a significant portion of her board by giving lessons to my equestrian club at school (which might graduate to a team!) I will probably come back later and edit with pictures of her and a more detailed description. She is my pride and joy, and easily the best/fanciest horse I have ever owned.

@WingedEagel88 Don't we all have a story about those mean-tempered horses? Mine was a paint that liked to trot away as I got on or off. Mick sounds like a dream horse, maybe one day you will meet him again or find a horse just like him.

@FreedomAndChaos What an adorable little picture! She looks like she has a bit of spunk in her as well. I hope you and her go far together!

@HunterUnderSaddleGirl I'm so jealous you had horses in your life from such a young age. You're lucky to find a way to take your horse to college with you, I had to leave mine behind. Good luck with your club/hopefully team!

@Dinascar It's never too late to start! You must be keeping Troy in fantastic condition, I'm sure he'll be able to carry you for many more years. Here's hoping poor Sandy gets well soon, laminitis is a scary condition for a young pony.

@LadySage That's such a cute photo! When I was a kid, we also struggled to afford lessons, but love for horses wins out every time. I wish you good luck with the championships!

@kintara Ohhh they're so fluffy! Gypsy cobs are basically fairytale horses. It looks like you're a true member of the herd in pic. 1.

I work at a dressage barn. I own one grade QH who is not a dressage horse. He likes trails, can be a punk, and is a bright penny colored bay that gets darker (cherry in the winter) . I've been working in the horse world for almost 10 years, and I rode growing up as well, but did not own any until I was 24.

(might need google account to see this picture)

But finally got to jump Lexi! Mom and her boyfriend bought a new trailer and wanted to try it out. (Lexi wasn't too sure, but I wasn't really surprised. She's used to a roomy 6 horse slant, and its a 2 horse straight load)