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When I was 13 I had a much, much older distant cousin who had horses. He had a 2 year old Appaloosa mare named Gypsy that he wanted to sell me.
When I was 13 I had a much, much older distant cousin who had horses. He had a 2 year old Appaloosa mare named Gypsy that he wanted to sell me.
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| Gypsy and I in one of my senior pictures |
Of course, I was horse crazy and didn't care what I got as long as I had something. He talked my folks into letting me buy her for $200 and she came home. The very first day I had her she was standing tied and pitched such a fit I was terrified to get near her. Things went downhill from there....LOL! She was such a nasty mare. I could handle her now with no problem because I'm experienced and know what to do, but boy when I was a kid it was awful. She got so nasty I couldn't even walk in the pasture. She would charge me with her ears pinned back and teeth snappin'. Every time I got on her I got thrown. I used to sing Amazin' Grace while I rode because I was so scared!
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| Gypsy and I. Notice the tie down, to keep her from flipping over with me. I cringe now when I see that bit and tie down. I won't ride in anything stronger than a d-ring snaffle now, let alone a tie down! |
She gave me whiplash twice and flipped over backwards with me once. Such a heifer she was. She really wasn't a bad mare, she just needed an experienced rider and I wasn't it! She was physically a lovely mare though and I loved her.
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| Me shortly before selling Gypsy. You'll notice this was one of my many and brief periods of being slim. |
I sold her when I was 17 back to the cousin I bought her from for the same amount of money, and I cried when she left.
You'd think I'd had enough wouldn't you? But no.........I started looking for another horse. Went and looked at a gorgeous black leopard App gelding. He was only 3, which turned me off, and he was BIG. I should have bought that horse. He was a wonderful, honest gelding and I think we'd have gotten along great. However, I had taken a friend with me and she talked me out of him, because he was big so he'd eat a lot and he was young.
She talked me into buying a Quarab mare named Star that was nuttier than a pet coon. Every time you touched her belly or her flank she would squeal and kick. Saddling her was an experience, let me tell you. Needless to say I think I only rode her a handful of times. This is the mare I had when I met The Man, and I talked about her briefly here.
Is the love dead and gone? Will she ever find a horse to love her as much as she loves him? Stay tuned for the next installment of.................And These Are The Horses Of My Life.........
You'd think I'd had enough wouldn't you? But no.........I started looking for another horse. Went and looked at a gorgeous black leopard App gelding. He was only 3, which turned me off, and he was BIG. I should have bought that horse. He was a wonderful, honest gelding and I think we'd have gotten along great. However, I had taken a friend with me and she talked me out of him, because he was big so he'd eat a lot and he was young.
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| This is Star two weeks after I got her. Pretty no? But I quickly learned that pretty is as pretty does! |
She talked me into buying a Quarab mare named Star that was nuttier than a pet coon. Every time you touched her belly or her flank she would squeal and kick. Saddling her was an experience, let me tell you. Needless to say I think I only rode her a handful of times. This is the mare I had when I met The Man, and I talked about her briefly here.
Is the love dead and gone? Will she ever find a horse to love her as much as she loves him? Stay tuned for the next installment of.................And These Are The Horses Of My Life.........
God Bless...........
You've shared your life with alot of pretty horses :)
ReplyDeleteOh, we know better than to believe the love was dead and gone! What an experience you had growing and learning. I was fortunate to live in a horse family. You really had passion.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. You've brought back a flood of memories of my childhood loves. My first was a shetland stallion who showed me a rodeo everytime I rode. But, like Star, he was beautiful. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me want to find my horse pics from when I was a kid. Those days are gone for me until one of my kids decide to have a horse when they grow up! Nice.
ReplyDeleteI too had an Appaloosa when I was in High School, he was a high spirited animal. I think it run in the breed. I loved lookin' a your pics and have to say it took me back a bit.
ReplyDeleteGod bless ya and have the most incredible week!!!
You know I love those colored appaloosas.... it is fun to look back at the horses that bring you to today... I was always told there are dozen good honest horses out there for every bad hard to handle one.... It is somewhat true...
ReplyDeleteyeesh I finally made it over here to read and the first thing I see is a doppleganger for my friend Deb"s old mare Schiroc! She was a bit of a handfull herself. something about that look. Off to read some more.Thanks for all the sweet comments you leave on my blog ,and I am sorry it took so long to get here!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd have kept the mare that long. I'd have sold her back instantly! And we have a mare right now that is a pill to saddle. A few years ago I had a Great Pyrenees dog that ran around the trailer as my dad was tightening the cinch... she's never been the same again.
ReplyDelete"I used to sing Amazin' Grace while I rode because I was so scared!" Im sorry, but that just cracked me up - its nice to know that theres someone honestly saying that - I have experienced a "come to Jesus" moment on the back of a fruitloops mare before and know exactly what youre talking about! Many promises to God have been made on the back of horse lol...
ReplyDeleteThis has been so much fun to read - thank you for sharing your memories honestly! Like I said, we all have had experiences and even though you might have more then some lol (said in love of course :) - plus its those darn mares - im a gelding person myself because of that "too much estrogen issues between mare and me" mix lol ) its soo refreshing to have someone share the good, the bad and the ugly for a change!